Chapter 5 – The Chosen Among Many
The morning sky above the Zhi Region was still shrouded in soft mist as 650 prospective disciples stepped into the first selection grounds of the Seven-Faced Leaf Sect. The soil in this region was fertile, brimming with abundant spiritual energy. Towering trees stood like ancient guardians, and the wind that blew seemed to carry whispers from ages long past.
Each candidate carried their own hopes some with burning determination, some merely with curiosity, and others with hidden ambition.
Among the crowd, several figures immediately drew attention, even before they took a single step in this trial.
Yun Xiwe, a 17-year-old girl from the Yun family in the northern region, walked calmly with light steps. Her skin was as white as jade, radiating a soothing tranquility. Her jet-black hair was tied simply, her eyes calm yet intelligent. She wore a pale blue robe, symbolizing serenity and wisdom. Though she spoke little, the look in her eyes reflected a sharpness of thought that could not be underestimated.
Beside her, Fang Sei, an 18-year-old young man from the Fang family, walked without acknowledging anyone around him. His face was handsome, yet always cold and indifferent. The dark gray robe he wore swayed quietly in the wind. Many tried to greet him, but Fang Sei merely glanced and kept walking. No smile. No interest. Yet the aura around him was so strong that several disciples instinctively kept their distance.
A few steps behind them, a girl with sly yet confident steps appeared, Wang Xuei. She was 17 years old and came from the Wang family in the western city. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail, her eyes sharp like an eagle constantly observing her surroundings. A faint smirk was etched on her face, as if hiding many secrets. She was known for her eloquence and ability to manipulate situations when necessary. In the cultivation world, such a personality could be either very dangerous or very useful.
Not far away, a gentle and calming figure emerged. Xieyi Zui, a 16-year-old girl from the eastern city. With fair skin, a slender build, a face full of kindness, and polite speech, she brought comfort to those around her. However, those perceptive enough could see the glint of determination in her gaze.
Then there were two sisters from the Jia family, contrasting yet inseparable.
Jia Yuwei, 17, was gentle and full of compassion. Her skin was as white as snow, and her words were soft. She possessed a natural aura that made people easily trust and respect her. Her elder sister, Jia Wei, 18, was sharper and more cunning. Her beauty matched her sister's, but her demeanor was more tactical and calculating. Though they often disagreed, they had a unique spiritual compatibility, as if they complemented each other perfectly.
From the southern region, Hui Baifa appeared with a cynical smile. He was handsome by common standards, but his eyes held dark intent. At 17, hailing from the Hui family in the southern village, Hui Baifa was known for exploiting loopholes in rules. Many candidates were wary of him, yet none dared oppose him openly.
And finally, the figure that made many disciples feel intimidated. Yuji Daofei, an 18-year-old young man from the Yuji family in the western village. He was handsome, nearly flawless in appearance. Yet what set him apart was his demeanor. He always appeared uninterested, calm, and detached. But when he walked, his spiritual aura resonated far stronger than the others. Many disciples felt he was already at the level of a true cultivator, despite them all still being mere candidates.
Once all the candidates entered the Zhi Region, the voices of the sect elders echoed in the air through a magical formation.
"The first stage of selection will last for six months. Before you are thousands of spiritual plants and natural traps. Your task is simple: find and bring back one Spiritual Fruit. The type of fruit will determine your initial potential."
A formation of light appeared in the sky, revealing four types of Spiritual Fruits:
Earth Spiritual Fruit – 180 fruits
Sky Spiritual Fruit – 110 fruits
Lightning Spiritual Fruit – 25 fruits
Heavenly Spiritual Fruit – only 10 fruits
The disciples began to scatter, some forming small groups, others choosing to go alone. Among them, these eight gifted candidates moved with their own strategies. Fang Sei and Yuji Daofei headed in different directions, ignoring everyone else. Wang Xuei chuckled softly before slipping into the bushes, perhaps already plotting something. Jia Wei and Yuwei spoke briefly before splitting up. Xieyi Zui hesitated but eventually walked calmly eastward. Meanwhile, Yun Xiwe stood still for a moment, sensing the flow of spiritual energy before stepping forward slowly.
From afar, the sect elders watched everything through a scrying mirror.
"Look at them… some in this generation have truly extraordinary potential," murmured one elder.
"But potential alone is not enough," replied another. "Six months will determine who is worthy… and who was merely lucky to have a spiritual root."
The gray sky loomed over the Zhi Region, but none of the candidates turned back. They knew the fruit they obtained would determine their fate as official disciples of the Seven-Faced Leaf Sect. Across wide plains, dense forests, jagged rocks, and misty valleys, 650 disciples began to disperse.
Fang Sei stood atop a steep cliff, his eyes sharply observing flashes of lightning in the distance. He knew that beyond that small storm lay the place where the Lightning Spiritual Fruit grew a legendary fruit obtainable only by those with exceptional calmness, calculation, and courage.
Bolts of lightning struck from all directions. Amid massive roots and silvery moss grew various plants storing electricity in every leaf. Yet only one among them could bear the Lightning Spiritual Fruit, and that plant was located at the very heart of the dangerous zone, protected by a natural electric field that could paralyze an ordinary body in a single shock.
Fang Sei narrowed his eyes, studying the direction of the lightning and the rhythm of the flashes.
"This is not about strength… but timing."
Calmly, he began formulating a strategy to breach the plant's defenses.
In another part of the region…
Yuji Daofei, with his usual flat expression, was traversing a quiet valley.
Though his sense for spiritual energy was sharp, he had yet to detect even the faintest trace of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit. No signs, no aura, only silence.
But he was unbothered.
"If there are no signs… that means the fruit is waiting to be found in an unusual way."
He kept walking unhurriedly, as if time meant nothing to him.
Meanwhile, Wang Xuei strolled slowly through a sparse forest.
A faint smirk crossed her lips as she eyed two disciples busily digging the ground in search of an Earth Spiritual Fruit.
"If I cannot find it… I just have to take it from someone careless."
She kept several small tools hidden in her robe, ready to perform dirty tricks if necessary.
Xieyi Zui, though gentle in appearance, was thinking through every possibility. She knew that both the Lightning and Heavenly Spiritual Fruits would be difficult to obtain. But she was not the type to give up.
"If I cannot break through the storm, perhaps I can wait for an opening."
She marked down the locations of high-energy spots while planning a smarter, more cautious approach.
Jia Yuwei was no different. Her snow-white face remained calm, but her eyes stayed alert. She searched for spiritual energy with intense focus, hoping to find a clue to a fruit with a higher energy level.
Behind her, her elder sister Jia Wei chuckled softly.
"If my sister fails, I still have a way to get her through."
She carried a few special items that could spark conflicts between disciples and draw their attention away.
Hui Baifa, quiet yet suspicious, began following the trail of a disciple who seemed to be heading toward the lightning zone.
"I'll just let him find it… then take it when he's weak."
He hummed softly, his body darting through the shadows of trees, unseen.
Meanwhile, Yun Xiwe walked across a thin layer of water frozen by her spiritual energy. She was in no rush.
She unfolded a spiritual map only possessed by the Yun family.
"Among all these places, only one is suitable for the Heavenly Fruit… and I know where it is."
With elegance, she began walking toward the northwest of the Zhi Region.
They all had ambitions. But only some would succeed.
And time kept moving forward.