Chapter 6 – One Month Passed: The Spiritual Fruit Reveals
It had been one month since the aspiring disciples entered the Zhi Region. Forests, cliffs, rivers, and spiritual valleys bore witness to their efforts in searching for the Spiritual Fruit. In the stillness of this land, changes began to stir.
Among them, Fang Sei had ventured deeper into an area filled with the aura of lightning. The ground was dry and cracked, the air wrapped in static electricity, and each step invited small strikes of lightning around him.
"One month already… but nothing here comes easy," he muttered, observing the traces of energy encircling a small valley.
Ahead, a cluster of plants with shimmering leaves seemed to hold lightning within them. At the center of these plants stood a single tree that looked different. Its bark was blackened and its roots glowed faintly blue.
"That… is most likely the Lightning Spiritual Fruit plant," he said, narrowing his eyes.
But the distance between him and the plant was still far. All around, wild plants carried bursts of lightning energy that exploded unpredictably. One wrong step could leave him paralyzed or even dead. Fang Sei lowered himself and pulled out a spiritual map scroll.
"I either have to make a path or wait for the right moment. But who knows if someone else will get here first."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Zhi Region, Yuji Daofei stood atop a high cliff. His eyes were fixed sharply on the horizon.
"Not a single sign of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit… not even a single petal showing its presence. But why do I feel a pull toward the northeast?"
Without another word, he leapt down from the cliff, landing lightly among the leaves before disappearing into the mist.
Wang Xuei wandered through the southern region. She did not seem in a hurry, instead strolling as if on a casual walk.
"Hmph, everyone is too serious. If I do not get a Spiritual Fruit, I can just take it from someone who has one, right?"
Her smile tilted slyly, her sharp eyes scanning the other disciples who were busy digging, climbing, or battling guardian beasts.
On the eastern path, Xieyi Zui walked calmly alone. Her gaze occasionally dropped to the spiritual compass in her hand.
"If I can understand the direction of the energy currents, maybe I can find the source… whether it is the Lightning, Sky, or even Heavenly Spiritual Fruit," she said softly.
Jia Yuwei was not far away, jotting something in her small notebook.
"I have checked six routes. But there are not enough signs. I need a more efficient method…" she said.
Jia Wei, her elder sister, peeked from behind a tree.
"Or maybe… we just need to disrupt other people's paths a little. Not everything has to be done honestly, right?"
Yuwei sighed but did not reply.
Hui Baifa crouched behind some bushes, his gaze fixed on a male disciple who was attempting to cross a small river guarded by a water monster.
"He looks confident… maybe he knows where the Lightning Spiritual Fruit is," he whispered. With cunning intent, he followed from a distance.
In the west, Yun Xiwe sat cross-legged atop a flat rock. The wind seemed still around her. Eyes closed, she felt the faint vibrations of the earth.
"Heavenly Spiritual Fruit… I can feel it. Beneath the ground… flowing… very deep… but becoming clearer."
Sweat began to bead on her forehead, yet she remained calm. Her spiritual power flowed into the earth, trying to communicate with something only a handful of gifted individuals could sense.
In the distance, the sky began to change. A faint aurora shimmered above certain forests. It was a sign that the Spiritual Fruits were beginning to reveal themselves.
However, only those truly perceptive and clever could catch these signs accurately. Time kept moving and only half of them would pass to the next stage.
While most disciples still combed through the forests and valleys of the Zhi Region, one figure moved with certainty through the thin mist hanging over the rocky ground. His name was We Jita, a seventeen-year-old youth from a small village in the southwest. Not well-known, but tough enough. His body was lean, with short black hair tied back and sharp eyes full of determination.
He had just sensed a distinct wave of energy from the Sky Spiritual Fruit, faintly glowing pale blue, hidden among jagged rocks and roots protruding from the ground.
"This… without a doubt," he murmured, stepping forward slowly.
But before he could go far, two male disciples appeared from the left and right, blocking his way. One was tall and broad-shouldered with a wooden spear strapped to his back, while the other was smaller but moved with agility and cunning.
"Stop right there," said the tall one. "We were here first. That Sky Spiritual Fruit is ours."
We Jita only raised an eyebrow. "There is no sign of ownership. You have not even touched it yet."
"Do not act tough!" snapped the short one, lunging forward to kick Jita.
Quickly, Jita blocked the attack, and a brief fight broke out. The sounds of blows and the scuffing of earth shattered the surrounding silence. No deadly weapons were used this was not a fight to the death, but a show of strength and claim over territory.
After a few strikes and a light cut on Jita's cheek along with a scratch on one of his opponent's arms, they broke apart. We Jita stood firm, his gaze still locked on the source of blue light now visible beyond the rocks.
Seeing his resolve, the two blockers finally retreated slowly, choosing not to risk further injury.
"Stubborn fool, take it if you can," one of them grumbled before leaving.
We Jita steadied his breathing, wiped the blood from his cheek, and stepped forward toward the Sky Spiritual Fruit, which glowed softly like a twilight lantern reminding everyone that in the world of cultivation, only the brave and persistent could go further.
The skies of the Zhi Region were still covered with thin clouds, as if hiding secrets that were slowly being revealed.
After We Jita opened the first path to the Sky Spiritual Fruit, the flow of spiritual energy began to be felt more strongly in various parts of the region. Unnoticed by most disciples, the energies from the Earth and Sky Spiritual Fruits began to seep out from their hiding places.
In the rocky yet fertile area near a small lake on the eastern side of the region, a few disciples let out quiet cheers.
"I found it… this must be the Earth Spiritual Fruit!"
A female disciple wearing a dark brown robe knelt and carefully dug into the ground. A greenish glow slowly emerged from the roots of a spiral-shaped plant. Several other disciples nearby gathered closer, but they did not dare to snatch it carelessly.
Elsewhere, the scent of metal and a faint bluish glow appeared in a narrow crevice near a small cliff in the northern part of the region. Several male disciples scrambled down the steep cliff, trying to reach the Sky Spiritual Fruit hanging from a dimly glowing tree.
"I found it first! It is mine!"
"Fool, grab it before the others come!"
The atmosphere turned chaotic. But beyond the commotion, a different scene unfolded for a few disciples.
In a misty forest filled with faint static sounds, Fang Sei still moved slowly toward the heart of the area, where lightning energy pulsed from the ground. He knew the Lightning Spiritual Fruit was within. However, the entrance was so complex and filled with deadly traps of electrically charged plants.
He muttered softly while gazing forward, "This is not just about strength… this is a test of endurance."
Meanwhile, Hui Baifa was tracking someone he believed to be heading toward the Lightning Spiritual Fruit's location. In his hand, he held a sound-suppressing talisman, his eyes narrowing as he sought the perfect moment to seize an opportunity from someone stronger.
In the southern area, Yuji Daofei stood atop a large rock, his eyes closed, feeling the wind and energy currents around him. Occasionally, he opened his eyes to glance at the sky. Something faint, almost unreachable, lingered there.
"Like a whisper… but too far," he murmured, brow furrowed. He had yet to find anything, but there was a faint hope that the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit was not far from his reach.
Meanwhile, Yun Xiwe was in a quieter place a peaceful valley with gently flowing water and tall trees. She sat cross-legged, hands resting in her lap, as a fine spiritual flow surrounded her body. Her eyes opened slowly.
"This is real… power from the heavens… but perfectly hidden," she whispered.
Her face looked calm, but her eyes were sharp. She knew she was the only one who could clearly sense that the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit truly existed. However, there was no clue to its direction. It felt like being surrounded by an untouchable fog.
While the other disciples were still busy chasing the Earth and Sky Fruits, the competition was slowly shifting from searching to strategizing, from confusion to keen observation.
And time kept moving…
Soon, the fruits would not only be visible but would also become prizes worth fighting over, sparking conflicts far greater than mere shallow wounds.