Chapter 10 – Echoes of Heaven's Pulse
Before the Peak of Mount Lihai
Dozens of disciples were running through the rocky valleys. The air was thinning, heavy breaths and angry shouts still filled the mountain slopes.
However, on another path...
A disciple slammed his staff to the ground. "NO MORE! The Lightning Spiritual Fruits have all been taken!"
Another disciple quickly shook his head. "That was the last fruit... there are no more rare fruits except for the ones below."
Long sighs came from all directions. Those who had just arrived could only collapse weakly, staring at the ground wet with sweat and blood, realizing their opportunity had vanished.
"If only I had come sooner..." "Fool! High-grade fruits will not wait for those who are slow." "So only the Earth and Heaven Fruits remain..."
167 days of selection passed...
The sky changed.
The sky above Mount Lihai, which was once shrouded in mist... suddenly shone. Ripples of energy spread in all directions, like invisible waves of light striking the chest of every disciple still within the Domain Zhi.
DUUUMMM!
A booming sound echoed from the mountain peak, making small rocks tremble. The mist slowly parted, revealing an unusual golden light... different from before.
"W-what is that...?"
A disciple pointed to the sky, his body starting to tremble. "That fruit... that's no ordinary fruit!" he shouted.
Then, three more spheres of light appeared at the peak. Shining brighter than anything seen before.
Three more Heavenly Spiritual Fruits.
Their light danced in the air, leaving ripples that pierced the clouds, shaking the hearts of everyone.
The crowd began to stir chaotically.
"W-what?! Heavenly Fruits... THERE ARE MORE?!"
"That... makes no sense! Wasn't there only ONE earlier?!"
"Heaven is giving us four?" someone muttered in disbelief.
"This is beyond anyone's imagination..." "This must be a sign!" "Is this punishment… or a gift?"
Some disciples were frightened, stepping back. Others stared upward with eyes burning with renewed hope. Yet there were also those who simply lowered their heads, realizing they could never get close.
On the upper path, amidst the thinning mist...
Yuji Daofei stood still. His eyes lifted, gazing at the three new fruits slowly spinning. "...Not just one," he murmured. "Four Heavenly Spiritual Fruits..."
Yun Xiwe touched her chest, unsure if her heart was beating too fast or too slow. "Why... now?" she whispered, her breath beginning to grow uneven. "Is this... the true test?"
Yun Xiwe said nothing, but her eyes glowed sharply, staring at the golden sky as if to read its meaning.
Behind them, Wang Xuei, still standing with wounds and blood, looked upward, her eyes widening.
"Four..." she repeated, her voice trembling. "Four Heavenly Fruits... and I... am still here..."
Meanwhile, in the distance...
On the western cliff of Mount Lihai, We Jita stared at the sky while clutching his own clothes.
"Those fruits... appeared all at once..." he muttered.
Jia Wei stepped quickly to the edge of the rocks, her face pale. "Why did three more appear? Who... is orchestrating this?"
Jia Yuwei stood beside them, her breath rapid. "This has never happened before... Even father never mentioned such a possibility..." Everyone was shocked by this event, for normally Heavenly Spiritual Fruits appeared at the same time but in different places.
On another cliff, Fang Sei, who was always calm, now stared at the sky with a furrowed brow.
"...Three more?" he whispered. "Or was it always meant to be four from the start?"
Hui Baifa struck the rock beside him hard. "IS THIS SOME GOD'S GAME?!" he shouted angrily. "Why now? Why not from the beginning?!"
"Because the strong are tested last," Fang Sei replied flatly.
Across Mount Lihai...
Rumors turned into an uproar. The sound of running footsteps, new screams, and one boom after another filled the air.
Three additional Heavenly Fruits had descended. And the remaining disciples had only two choices: Climb... or vanish into history.
The rumble from the heavenly light still shook the air as the aspiring disciples began to move. Some ran straight toward the peak of Mount Lihai, their steps filled with passion and the lust for power. But not a few hesitated, stopping midway with eyes full of doubt.
"Are you sure you want to climb?" one disciple whispered to his companion. "Four Heavenly Fruits... But that pressure, I could not even stand earlier!" the other replied, his face pale.
Among those who hesitated, four figures kept moving forward.
Yuji Daofei, with a cold face and fearless steps, led ahead of the others. The spiritual energy around him trembled, his body as if cutting through an invisible storm. Yun Xiwe held her breath, her face covered in sweat but her gaze unchanged, full of determination. Xieyi Zui, though small in stature and light in step, walked steadily over the trembling cracks in the ground. Not far behind, Wang Xuei clenched her fists. Her breath was heavy, her body covered in wounds from previous battles, yet her eyes were sharp, fixed on the golden-glowing peak. "I am not done yet," she whispered softly.
They were now only a few dozen steps from the peak.
Below, Jia Wei and Jia Yuwei were still standing at the edge of the Domain Zhi. Yuwei pulled her sister's arm. "We can still catch up..." she said hesitantly. Jia Wei shook her head slowly. "No. This is not about who is faster, but who is worthy. Look at them..."
From within the mist, We Jita sat cross-legged on a large rock, far from the main path, his eyes narrowing as he watched the golden light splitting the sky. "Four Heavenly Fruits... Remarkable," he muttered.
Meanwhile, dozens of other disciples were still trying to climb. They now faced new obstacles: trembling ground, spiritual pressure so dense it was hard to breathe, and waves of energy stabbing the skin like thousands of fine needles. Some fell, others pushed each other, even attacked one another for a path forward.
Amidst that pressure, Yuji Daofei's steps stopped for a moment. His feet planted firmly on cracked ground glowing faintly. The golden aura pressed on his body like a mountain on his shoulders. He clenched his teeth. "...This is not just a test of strength," he said softly.
Yun Xiwe stood beside him. "It is a test of will. The higher we climb... the more exposed we are before the heavens."
Xieyi Zui closed her eyes for a moment, then stepped forward again. "I will not turn back now."
Meanwhile, Wang Xuei shouted in her heart, resisting the pressure that nearly forced her to her knees. A faint red light flowed from her hand to the ground. She struck the earth hard, producing a small ripple that pushed her body forward. "I... will not lose to you!"
Ripples of energy spread again from the peak like the heartbeat of the heavens themselves. Those who could endure would reach the place where only a few were worthy to set foot: the Peak of Lihai, where the Heavenly Fruits called to chosen souls.
The air grew thinner. The pressure around them felt like a crushing wave trying to break the body of anyone daring to climb higher. Four figures were struggling on a narrow rocky path only a few steps away from the peak.
Yuji Daofei was at the front. His breathing was steady, his gaze still cold, but his steps firm. Behind him, Yun Xiwe kept moving with blazing determination, while Xieyi Zui looked exhausted but continued to climb with persistence.
Wang Xuei was at the back. Sweat drenched her temples. She glanced toward Xieyi, who was about to reach the high foothold just one step away, and the girl would catch up to Yun Xiwe.
But a thin smile appeared on Wang Xuei's face. Not a warm smile... but one with hidden intent.
Ck. Her hand grabbed a handful of sand and small stones from between the rocks. Quickly and slyly, she threw them toward Xieyi Zui.
Bruak!
"Ah!" Xieyi flinched as the stone struck her shoulder, making her footing slip. Her body nearly fell backward before she caught herself with one hand.
"Xieyi!" Yun Xiwe shouted, turning around.
Xieyi looked down with blazing eyes, her face full of anger. Her gaze immediately locked on Wang Xuei, who appeared to be pretending to be exhausted.
Xieyi Zui, her voice trembling as she held back her anger, said, "You think I do not know who threw that?"
Wang Xuei only smirked, saying nothing.
Yuji Daofei stopped his steps. He turned slowly, then looked at Wang Xuei with eyes as sharp as ice.
Yuji Daofei spoke coldly. "Dirty tricks in a place like this? Too low... even for you, Wang Xuei."
Yun Xiwe also spoke, her voice still gentle, but full of firmness. "If you are more focused on bringing others down than climbing, then you have already lost... long before the peak."
Wang Xuei clenched her fists, her expression turning unpleasant.
Wang Xuei said in her heart with a sneer, "Always acting righteous... We will see who smiles last."
Xieyi Zui took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. She turned to Yuji and Yun, then nodded slightly, continuing her steps despite her aching shoulder.
In the distance, Jia Wei and Yuwei were still standing at the boundary of the Domain Zhi. The wind carried ripples of energy from the mountain peak toward them.
Jia Wei looked at the sky and said, "Four Heavenly Fruits... The world is changing."
Yuwei whispered, "They are still up there... But Mount Lihai will not let just anyone touch its peak."
The Wide Area Around the Mountain
We Jita sat cross-legged on a large rock, far from the path of the other disciples. He looked upward, his face calm but his sharp eyes reflecting calculation.
"Four fruits... That peak will become a true battlefield. Only one will remain."