Chapter 14 – The Unregistered Color
The fruit was still floating.
Calm.
Glowing softly in two colors, blue and red.
The aura surrounding it was like the whisper of the sky and the blaze of fire intertwined. All the students were watching it, none daring to breathe too loudly.
Then…
The fruit began to move.
Slowly, it descended from the high air, then drifted gently toward the southwest from the peak of the Domain Zhi.
People followed it with curious eyes. Some narrowed their gaze, trying to see where it was going and to whom it was heading.
Until finally…
The fruit stopped in front of a young girl, around 17 years old, one of the six who had been thrown back earlier by the heavenly spiritual pressure.
The girl was not yet standing firmly. Her hair was messy, her face still showing the effects of the earlier impact. But now her eyes widened. Her hands trembled as she saw the glowing blue-red fruit floating just a handspan away from her face.
"What… is this…?" she whispered softly, her voice choked.
The elders watching from a distance fell silent. They looked at each other.
"Blue and red fruit?"
"That is one of the ten we counted earlier…"
Murmurs began to spread everywhere. Some students stood frozen, others turned to their friends, seeking answers.
And one by one, the elite students began to show their expressions.
Yuji Daofei frowned deeply, his breath held. For the first time, his face showed hesitation, even… a hint of worry.
"That… is not an aura that can be predicted…" he muttered unconsciously.
Yun Xiwe, standing not far away, clasped her hands to her chest. Her gentle face turned full of fear.
"Why was it not me who was chosen by the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit…" Yun whispered.
Wang Xuei, who was usually full of mockery, now slowly opened her mouth. There was no sarcasm. Only pure astonishment.
"Who is she…? I do not even know her name…"
Xieyi Zui, who had previously been the center of attention, now stood frozen. Her clear eyes caught a strange gleam from the fruit, a color she had not seen when she chose hers.
"That fruit… is not like mine…" she said almost without a voice.
The sound of the wind shifted into a soft song. The light from the blue-red Heavenly Spiritual Fruit slowly enveloped the girl's body as she stood frozen. Her body trembled, but she did not resist. She only stared at the fruit as if unsure she was experiencing reality.
And the sky…
The sky remained silent.
But the world now knew that the heavens had not finished choosing.
The girl slowly raised her trembling hand, hesitant, yet not resisting.
The blue-red Heavenly Spiritual Fruit before her moved closer until it finally touched her open palm.
The glow of blue and red light wrapped around her body, like the breath of nature that was both warm and wild at the same time.
Everyone watching held their breath… until a shout came from the west.
"She accepted it… that is a Heavenly Spiritual Fruit!"
A small uproar spread.
Now two Heavenly Spiritual Fruits had chosen their owners:
Xieyi Zui, and now… the mysterious girl from the six who had been thrown earlier.
But just when silence began to fall and everyone thought the surprises had ended…
The sky echoed once again.
Two other Heavenly Spiritual Fruits rose from their places.
One shone in seven colors that kept changing like the living shimmer of a rainbow.
The other shone golden crimson, dazzling and scorching even from afar.
They both trembled, then began to move slowly into the air.
"Those… two more!?"
"Wait… was the total not only ten?"
"If these two move, that means four have chosen their owners! Six remain…"
The roar filled the Domain Zhi, but now it was not because of an earthquake or storm,
but because of the murmurs of the participants, elders, and families watching from afar.
Yuji Daofei stood in silence, gazing at the sky as if assessing the direction of fate.
Yun Xiwe murmured softly, "Seven colors… and golden crimson… those are not ordinary colors…"
Wang Xuei bit her own lip, as if holding something between envy and admiration.
Xieyi Zui now stood straighter, holding tightly to her own heavenly fruit while still gazing at the sky.
The two heavenly fruits floated around the central area, as if searching for something, searching for someone.
A gentle sound began to be heard from both, not a human voice,
but like a song of the heavens that could not be understood yet could be felt deep within the chest.
"Who else will be chosen?"
"From the six who were thrown earlier?"
"Or from those of us who have not yet been seen…?"
All who were present, whether on the mountain peak, in the Sect, or the families watching from Yunboa Village, Holuang City, Wuxije Village, and elsewhere, fell silent in the glow and tense stillness.
And the two Heavenly Spiritual Fruits continued to circle, slowly approaching a certain direction… as if ready to reveal the next destiny.
Four had been chosen. Six still hovered while spinning slowly.
And the prospective disciples knew, this was only the beginning of the unexpected.
The two Heavenly Spiritual Fruits, each shining with seven-colored light and golden crimson glow, continued spinning in the air.
Then suddenly, they stopped.
Silent, for a moment… as if the universe itself held its breath.
Then both began moving in two different directions, slowly but surely.
All eyes watched sharply.
The one shining in seven colors, the Seven-Colored Heavenly Spiritual Fruit, drifted lightly toward the northeast, right toward someone who stood calmly, though his gaze was sharp and calculating.
Yuji Daofei.
The seven-colored glow framed his body, making his silhouette appear as one destined.
Yuji's usually cold eyes now showed a different expression, surprise, disbelief, then turning into an astonishing joy.
His hand, which had always been steady, now trembled as he raised it.
"So… it truly chose me…?" he said softly.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Spiritual Fruit stopped right in front of him, floating only a few spans from his chest.
"Beautiful…" he whispered, half-unaware.
He then reached out his hand, and when his fingers touched the surface of the fruit, the colorful radiance lit up around him like a swirl of light welcoming its true owner.
Elsewhere…
Yun Xiwe bit her lip softly, her eyes slightly wistful, but unable to hide the envy.
Wang Xuei crossed her arms, her eyes sharp yet full of hope.
"If he was chosen," Wang Xuei murmured, "then we still have a chance."
The murmurs of participants and spectators grew louder, some admiring, some cursing fate, others still waiting for their turn.
"That is Yuji from the Yuji family of the western region, right?"
"I knew it… they say he is the strongest candidate this year…"
"Then what about the other one… who will be chosen?"
Meanwhile, in the western region, where the Yuji family watched from afar through the Spiritual Mirror, cheers echoed.
"That is him! That is our Yuji!"
"The Seven-Colored Heavenly Fruit… a great destiny awaits him!"
"The son of the Yuji family has finally stepped onto the path of the heavens!"
Their elders stood with clenched fists, eyes sparkling.
Above the skies of the Domain Zhi, one more Heavenly Spiritual Fruit, shining golden crimson, still had not shown its choice.
But one thing was now certain: Yuji Daofei, calm, certain, and undeniable, had become the owner of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Spiritual Fruit.
And the heavens had not finished writing fate.
The air still felt warm from the residual aura of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Spiritual Fruit now resting peacefully in Yuji Daofei's hand.
Yet the surprise had not stopped shaking the world.
In the distance, beyond Mount Lihai…
Jia Wei stood with arms crossed, her sharp gaze piercing the clouds hanging above the Domain Zhi.
Beside her, her younger sister Jia Yuwei held her small fan with an unreadable expression.
Jia Wei raised an eyebrow.
"Huh, so he really got it. The Seven-Colored Fruit… very fitting for someone that calm."
Jia Yuwei replied softly, "But… are you not surprised, Wei'er?"
"Surprised?" Jia Wei turned, smiling coldly. "No. I am only noting who will be the most annoying rival later."
She flicked her hair and looked at the sky, the wind dancing around her white robe.
"Let us see… whether that golden fruit will choose someone who can match him."
Meanwhile, in another observation area…
Fang Sei, leaning against a large tree trunk, opened one eye when the sound of cheers came from afar.
He gave a small yawn.
"Heh… it finally fell into the hands of that cold guy."
"I knew it. His aura was strong from the start."
He folded his arms inside his robe sleeves, then looked at the clouds flowing above.
"But the cultivation world is not about who gets chosen… but who can last until the end."
Near Fang Sei, Hui Baifa stood while spinning a small stone in his hand. His expression was dark.
"Yuji…" he muttered in a low voice.
"Always him. Must everything revolve around him?"
His eyes narrowed as he watched the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit in Yuji's hand shining as if merging with his aura.
"But this is only the beginning… the road to the peak is still long, Yuji."
The stone in his hand cracked slowly, crushed by the strength of his own fingers.
Back on the peak of Mount Lihai…
Yuji Daofei was still gazing at the Seven-Colored Fruit in his hand in awe. But now, his awareness returned when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
Yun Xiwe walked slowly toward him, her gaze steady though her lips tightened slightly.
"Congratulations, Yuji," she said softly. "It seems you… were truly chosen by the heavens."
Yuji turned, then bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you, Yun. But this is only the first step."
"You are right." Yun Xiwe smiled faintly. "And that fruit… will bring a great burden upon you."