Chapter 9 – Crimson Climb
It had been five months since the first stage began. The Domain of Zhi had changed drastically: the wind was now colder, and the sky was constantly shrouded in dark clouds that hung without rain. The terrain was no longer just an obstacle it had become a trial of the heart.
On Mount Lihai, Xieyi Zui was now only halfway from reaching the summit. Her breathing was still steady despite her heavy steps. Her body was slimmer than at the beginning, yet her eyes remained calm and her determination unshaken.
Down below, Yuji Daofei climbed slowly but steadily, positioned right along the lower western trail of the mountain. Yun Xiwe was also approaching from a different side. Both were catching up gradually but keeping their distance from each other, as if knowing that when they met at the top, everything could turn into a silent yet deadly struggle.
Not far from the mountain's base, We Jita finally arrived. He stood for a moment, gazing at the distant summit, then glanced at the two silhouettes of women in the distance, Jia Wei and Jia Yuwei, who seemed to be observing intently.
"You saw it too, didn't you?" muttered We Jita as he looked at the faint aura coming from the peak.
Meanwhile, Fang Sei sat atop a large rock, holding the Lightning Spiritual Fruit he had obtained two months ago. He was in no hurry to leave. Instead, he kept watching the surrounding terrain as if searching for something.
Elsewhere in this domain, Hui Baifa was close to his goal. His hand was just about to reach the Lightning Spiritual Fruit glowing in purple light. Only a few steps more…
But before he could grasp it, the sky rumbled.
"GRRRROOOOAAARRR!"
Thunder roared through the air. Not one, not two, but suddenly fifteen Lightning Spiritual Fruits appeared one by one, each in a different location yet within the same area. Purple light struck from the sky every time one fruit appeared, scorching the ground around it.
The other disciples who had been trying to obtain the fruit turned their heads at the same time. Their faces no longer showed just exhaustion but also confusion and shock.
"What just happened…?" whispered one of them.
Hui Baifa himself fell silent, his eyes widening. His hand had not even reached the fruit in front of him.
"Why did the number... increase?!"
Outside the mountainous area, several disciples who had obtained Earth and Sky Spiritual Fruits had already begun to leave this place. Before completely disappearing from the selection grounds, one of them muttered softly
"At the summit… there is not only fruit, but also the will of the heavens. Beware of the Heavenly Fruit."
The wind blew once again.
Lightning struck in the distance.
Mount Lihai… awaited the end of its climb.
Thick mist slowly rolled around Mount Lihai. The atmosphere was silent, only the whisper of the wind and the faint rumble of thunder above the clouds could be heard. Within the mist, three figures moved upward on different paths, but their trails were slowly converging.
Xieyi Zui, with steady breathing and light steps despite her clear fatigue, stopped when she saw two shadows emerge from the left and right of her trail.
Yuji Daofei, still with his calm and cold expression, climbed onto a large boulder and stood at eye level with Xieyi.
Yun Xiwe came from the right, her body light but her eyes sharp, as if reading the potential conflict before a word was spoken.
For a few seconds, there was no sound.
Then Yuji spoke without looking directly at them. "If you want to go ahead, be my guest. I am only waiting for something."
Xieyi looked at him in surprise. "Waiting for what?"
Yuji did not answer right away, but Yun Xiwe cut in
"Lightning will not choose those who wait. It chooses those who dare to challenge it."
Their eyes met. Tension filled the air. But what arose was not hatred it was mutual testing, curiosity about each other's limits.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from above, carrying flashes of light that spread across the sky. The Heavenly Spiritual Fruit radiated a faint aura in the distance. Though it could not be touched from where they stood, that aura seemed to reach into the deepest parts of their souls.
Xieyi gazed at it and whispered, "That… is a calling…"
Yuji slowly turned and spoke in a deeper tone.
"Not for the three of us. Not yet."
Yun Xiwe looked toward Xieyi, then Yuji. "Then who?"
The sky trembled again.
Cold wind rolled down from the summit of Mount Lihai, carrying faint flashes of light from the direction of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit, which began to reveal a faint silhouette behind the clouds. The strong surge of energy felt like it struck the chest of anyone in its path.
On the lower slopes, Wang Xuei opened her eyes, which had been closed. She had long been sitting still, observing, waiting for the right moment. But now, her body moved slowly, standing and stretching her arms.
"If they are already close, I will not stay idle any longer," she muttered seriously.
On the other side of the mountain, Hui Baifa gripped the Lightning Spiritual Fruit he had just obtained tightly. His body still trembled, not from exhaustion… but from anger and disbelief.
"Additional lightning appeared after I obtained it… as if mocking my effort," he muttered softly.
He stared at Mount Lihai. His face was grim. In his eyes, he saw the image of Yuji Daofei, Yun Xiwe, and Xieyi Zui slowly ascending together. One question lingered in his mind: would they reach the top first?
Not far from there, Fang Sei sat on a large rock, tossing the Lightning Spiritual Fruit he had acquired into the air and catching it again with one hand. He showed no sign of wanting to climb to the summit.
However, his eyes never left the direction of the three figures gathering on the upper slopes. With a thin smile and a low tone he murmured, "Interesting… Dark clouds, three hunters of light, and one blood-red mountain. Come on, show me who is worthy."
The sky above Mount Lihai began to change. Storm clouds rolled slowly, creating an aura of tremendous pressure. The mist started to part little by little, revealing the shadow of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit, which began to shine brightly.
And in the midst of this challenging path, Xieyi Zui, Yuji Daofei, and Yun Xiwe continued to climb, each with steady steps, personal conviction, and an invisible yet palpable determination.
Three figures climbed with slow but steady steps. Sharp rocks, slippery ground, and whistling wind seemed unable to shake their resolve. Xieyi Zui, breathing heavily, glanced to her right Yun Xiwe was still beside her, her face pale but her eyes still holding a calm gleam. Behind them, Yuji Daofei followed without a sound, his steps as steady as ever.
For a moment, only the whisper of the wind and the faint echo of footsteps could be heard.
"We can fight later… but for now, it's better we hold on together," Xieyi said quietly, holding the wound on her arm.
Yun Xiwe nodded slightly. "I think… there will be more than one Heavenly Spiritual Fruit. This aura… feels like it's growing, not fading."
Yuji Daofei only glanced at them briefly, then looked upward. No words left his mouth, but his decision was clear he would join in this temporary alliance.
Days passed. Without realizing it, Wang Xuei had gotten closer to their position. She stood several dozen feet below them, her face tense. The pressure from Mount Lihai was growing stronger, and each step she took now felt like resisting the gravity of nature itself.
"These legs… it's as if they're being rejected by the heavens themselves…" she muttered, taking a long breath.
From afar, sitting calmly on a rock facing the mountain, Hui Baifa watched everything. His eyes gleamed with curiosity, but his smile was as cynical as ever.
"An alliance? How amusing. Up there, goodwill will shatter faster than this mountain's rocks," he said softly. "Let's see… who will stab whom first."
Not far from the exit of the Domain of Zhi, Jia Wei and Yuwei sat under a large tree, gazing quietly toward the mountain. They had long stored their Lightning Spiritual Fruits, and now they were waiting for just one thing.
"We will leave this place in two days," said Jia Wei. "But I want to know… who will get the first Heavenly Spiritual Fruit."
Yuwei nodded slightly. "I'm betting on Yun Xiwe… though Yuji might be the fastest."
In the distance, the mist shrouding the peak of Mount Lihai seemed to fade. The aura of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit grew stronger… but at the same time, the spiritual pressure in the air began pressing down much heavier.
This mountain was not only testing strength. It was testing intent, bonds, and conviction.
And the time for that ultimate trial… was near.
Meanwhile, on the lower slopes of Mount Lihai, several prospective disciples not far from the main group began to show signs of exhaustion. A sudden scream echoed as a young man was thrown into the air after a large tree branch lashed his body as if it were alive.
"Aaaaakhhhh!!"
His body was flung onto the rocks, then rolled down the slope. Two of his companions could only watch in horror, unable to help. One of them decided to give up, his face pale as he descended the trail while clutching his deeply scratched arm.
Beneath a large rock, five other prospective disciples sat panting, their bodies drenched in sweat, their clothes torn by branches, thorns, and the harsh terrain. They no longer spoke with the excitement they once had.
"Earth and Sky Spiritual Fruits… all gone," muttered one of them, his voice heavy. "Only Lightning remains, but… who would gamble their life for that?"
"Maybe… if we wait a few more days, Lightning Fruits will appear again like before," replied another.
No one responded. They only stared toward Mount Lihai, where the aura of the Heavenly Fruit flowed like a faint red mist between the gaps in the clouds. Only the Lightning Spiritual Fruit remained for them to hope for.