The air above the battlefield roared with power as the Nascent Soul cultivators unleashed their full might, their figures darting through the sky like celestial beings of legend. Each cultivator was shrouded in brilliant auras, their techniques illuminating the dim valley with flashes of flame, lightning, and shifting shadows.
"You call that an attack, Jiang Fei?" a cultivator mocked, deflecting a barrage of ice spears with a single wave of his hand. His tone was laced with sarcasm as he retaliated with a spiraling blast of Qi that tore through the air like a raging vortex. "You'll need more than frost to stop me!"
Jiang Fei sneered, his hands forming complex seals in quick succession. "You talk too much, Chen Rui. Freeze or burn, you're still beneath me!" His icy techniques clashed head-on with Chen Rui's fiery strikes, the resulting explosion shaking the heavens as shards of ice and fire rained down on the valley.
Below them, the remaining cultivators in the Qi Coalescence stage stared in awe. To them, the Nascent Soul warriors were like gods, their mastery of Qi and spiritual techniques incomprehensible. Their movements were impossibly fast, their strikes impossibly powerful. Each clash sent shockwaves rippling through the valley, dislodging stones and upending the battlefield.
"Look at them," one cultivator whispered, his voice trembling with reverence. "This is the power of a Nascent Soul… They're like walking calamities."
Another cultivator nodded, his eyes wide as he tried to memorize their movements. "If I could comprehend even one of their techniques, I might ascend to Nascent Soul in my lifetime."
Amidst the chaos, Tianyu fought his own battle, his crystalline sword a blur as it dispatched the remaining stragglers from the beast tide. The Scarlet Immolation Tempering Art surged through him, replenishing his strength with every strike. His body burned with exertion, but his resolve only grew stronger.
He watched the Nascent Soul cultivators above, analyzing their techniques with a calculating eye. *"Their movements are sharp, but there are moments between their attacks—openings. If I time it right, I can get closer to the vine."*
The battlefield was drenched in blood, the stench of death permeating the air. Tianyu noticed how the blood obscured the valley floor, its thick sheen hiding his approach from those above. *"This might work,"* he thought. *"I can use the blood as cover and slip through."*
Crouching low, Tianyu began to move, his newfound strength and speed allowing him to glide silently through the carnage. The Scarlet Immolation Tempering Art amplified his senses, making him hyperaware of every sound, every tremor. His heart raced as he inched closer to the Starspirit Vine, its radiant fruits glowing tantalizingly just ahead.
The Nascent Soul cultivators continued their clash, their techniques tearing through the valley with reckless abandon. A thunderous explosion shook the ground as two cultivators unleashed their ultimate attacks, one a torrent of golden flames, the other a massive blade of spiritual energy. The clash sent fissures spidering across the valley floor, causing rocks to crumble and fall into a dark chasm below.
"Watch your aim, fool!" a Nascent Soul warrior shouted, glaring at his opponent. "You'll bring the whole valley down on our heads!"
"And you think you'll survive to claim the fruits if I hold back?" the other retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Take them if you can—if you dare!"
The Qi Coalescence cultivators, still on the periphery, began to panic as the ground beneath them trembled. One shouted, "The valley's collapsing! We need to get out of here!"
Another yelled, "If we run now, we'll never get another chance at these fruits!"
Despite the chaos, Tianyu kept moving, his eyes fixed on his target. The blood covering the battlefield obscured his approach, masking his presence from both the cultivators above and the beasts still lingering nearby.
----
It was then that a stray spiritual Qi blast struck the Starspirit Vine, severing one of its branches. A single fruit, radiant and pulsating with energy, fell from the vine and landed just a few feet from Tianyu's position.
His heart raced as he stared at it, the fruit's power overwhelming even from a distance. *"It's right there,"* he thought, his hand inching toward it. *"I can take it. I can—"*
"STOP, OR I WILL KILL YOU! YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE!"
The shout echoed through the valley, its sheer force freezing Tianyu in place. His heart nearly stopped as he looked up, expecting to meet the gaze of a Nascent Soul cultivator. But the voice wasn't directed at him—it was aimed at someone else.
The swordsman Tianyu had previously fought stood just a few feet away, his expression calm yet resolute. "I will take it," the swordsman said, his voice firm. "No matter what happens."
The Nascent Soul warriors above roared in anger, their combined attacks hurling toward the swordsman. But with a swift motion, he activated a talisman, its golden light enveloping him before he disappeared from sight, fruit in hand.
The cultivators were momentarily stunned. "A Qi Coalescence… escaped?!" one shouted, his voice tinged with disbelief. "With a teleportation talisman, no less!"
Fury erupted among the Nascent Soul cultivators, their attacks growing even fiercer as they fought over the remaining two fruits
Tianyu was blasted off his feet by the residual force of the attacks, his body skidding across the blood-soaked ground. He gritted his teeth, the pain sharp but familiar. As he struggled to stand, he clenched his fists, frustration boiling within him. *"I was too slow,"* he thought bitterly. *"But even if I'd taken it… I wouldn't have escaped like he did."*
He let out a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down. *"There will be other chances,"* he thought, his resolve hardening. *"I'll grow stronger. I'll be ready next time."*
Moments later, another fruit was claimed by a Nascent Soul cultivator, who was quickly protected by their clan members as they fled the battlefield. Only one fruit remained, and the fight above grew even more intense, the air crackling with energy
----
As the valley trembled on the brink of collapse, a voice rang out, commanding and authoritative. "Enough!" it declared, silencing the battlefield. "My fellow warriors, stop this madness. We, the Soul Peak division of the **Thousand Peaks Sect**, lay claim to this fruit."
The remaining cultivators froze, their faces paling at the name. No one dared challenge the Thousand Peaks Sect. A Nascent Soul elder descended gracefully, his presence exuding an undeniable pressure. Without a word, he plucked the last fruit from the vine and turned to the warriors below.
His gaze fell on Tianyu, who lay sprawled on the ground, bloodied but alive. The elder smiled faintly. "You have spirit, boy," he said. "To survive all this as a Spiritual Bloom cultivator is no small feat. Take this emblem." He handed Tianyu a polished medallion engraved with the sect's insignia. "Present this at our sect, and you'll be exempt from the trials. I look forward to seeing what you'll become."
Gasps echoed through the valley as the elder took his leave, the remaining cultivators watching in stunned silence.
The valley was eerily silent now, the clamor of battle long gone, leaving behind a battlefield drenched in blood and devastation. Tianyu lay sprawled amidst the broken terrain, his body bruised and battered from hours of relentless fighting. The ache in his muscles made even the faintest movement a struggle, and his chest heaved with each labored breath. Yet, there was a glint in his eyes—a defiance, an unyielding will that refused to be extinguished.
The faint glow of the emblem in his hand caught his attention, its polished surface etched with intricate designs and a name that struck a chord within him: **Elder Qingxu of the Thousand Peaks Sect.** Tianyu stared at the name for a moment before a crooked smirk tugged at his lips. "Elder Qingxu, huh? Looks like I made more of an impression than I thought," he muttered, his voice hoarse but tinged with amusement.
His fingers tightened around the emblem as he allowed himself a moment of reflection. The battles, the chaos, the sheer madness of the last few hours—it had all been worth it. He'd survived. And though he had come close to the Starspirit Fruits, fate had another reward in store for him. "Exempt from the trials," he mused, a trace of disbelief mingling with his satisfaction. "Not bad for someone they didn't even notice at first."
Tianyu rested for a while, letting the cool air soothe his weary body. The shattered ground beneath him was uncomfortable, but it was a small reprieve from the storms of battle he had weathered. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the quiet. It wasn't often that he allowed himself moments like this—a rare pause in the whirlwind of his life.
But peace, it seemed, wasn't going to last long. The faint, insistent tug of his ring broke through his thoughts, its pull more urgent now than ever. Tianyu frowned, his fingers brushing the cool surface of the artifact. "What now?" he grumbled. "The vine's dead, the fruits are gone… There's nothing left worth fighting for."
The ring pulsed in response, its energy thrumming against his soul, almost like a silent demand. Tianyu groaned, dragging himself upright with a wince. His legs trembled beneath him, but his determination was stronger than the pain. "Alright, alright, I'm going," he muttered. "You're worse than my father when he wanted me to finish chores."
Step by agonizing step, Tianyu made his way to the Starspirit Vine. Its once-majestic form was now withered and lifeless, its golden glow reduced to faint embers. The ground around it was cracked and unstable, evidence of the immense Qi that had ravaged the valley. Tianyu stopped a few paces away, staring at the withering vine with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. "This better be good," he muttered. "Because I don't have much left to give."
Despite his grumbling, he took a deep breath and stepped closer, the ring's pull guiding him toward the vine. Something—something important—was waiting for him, and Tianyu wasn't about to walk away until he figured out what it was.