Staring out at the endless desert, Evan Chu could only force a bitter smile. The Five-Element Fruit sounded miraculous when Luna described it, but right now, it was completely useless to him.
I can't just wait around for the Five-Element Fruit to ripen before leaving. Guess my luck isn't good enough to catch it at the right time. Luna, only those truly blessed by fortune get treasures like this. I've already collected plenty; maybe this Five-Element Fruit just isn't meant for me.
Heh, I never thought I'd hear Evan sound so defeated. You're destined to defy fate, so of course you'll run into things like this. If you found the Five-Element Fruit, you have to claim it!" Luna laughed.
But... but the Five-Element Fruit isn't even ripe! If I pick it now, it's useless to me!" Evan grumbled, not understanding why Luna was so insistent.
Who says you can't pick ripe Five-Element Fruit? Don't forget, you've mastered all five elements. If you want these fruits to ripen, just infuse them with elemental power—one at a time, and only move to the next after the previous one matures. You should be able to finish before you leave." Luna explained.
Evan's heart leapt with joy—having Luna around was a godsend. Without her, he'd never have figured out this trick no matter how hard he racked his brains. Still, if Faye Knox insisted on waiting for him, he might break his promise. Oh well, he'd just explain when they met again.
Thinking it through, Evan immediately asked, "These five fruits all look exactly the same. How am I supposed to tell which is which? If I mess up, won't I ruin them?"
Use your spiritual sense to check, or try channeling each element into the fruits. If one starts absorbing your power, that's the matching fruit."
Don't underestimate the Five-Element Fruit. For a Five-Element Tree to appear in this desert is a miracle. Even in the Immortal Realm, they're incredibly rare. For this tree to bear Five-Element Fruit, it has to absorb unimaginable amounts of elemental power.
Normally, it would take thousands or even tens of thousands of years for a Five-Element Fruit to ripen. But you can finish in less than ten days. Each fruit is worth at least a supreme-grade Immortal Stone. Think about how valuable that is!" Luna revealed everything she knew to Evan.
Evan then activated Water-Shift, flooding his whole body with water element. He split off a thread of water-element particles and sent them toward the five fruits. Soon, he noticed one fruit start swaying without any wind, greedily sucking up his water power.
Obviously, that fruit was the water-element fruit among the Five-Element Fruits. Evan ramped up the input, pouring in more water element, but the fruit's hunger was endless—it just kept demanding more.
The water element Evan gathered with Water-Shift only lasted about half an hour, but the fruit's appetite was way too much. He had no choice but to cast Water-Shift again and again, every half hour just to keep up.
Evan lost track of how many times he used Water-Shift, but hard work pays off. Finally, the fruit began to take on a light blue hue—exactly the same color as its leaves.
"That fruit's almost ripe. You'd better watch for changes around you—this is a heaven-grade treasure, and when it matures, a lightning tribulation will hit. Be ready." Luna warned.
"Lightning tribulation? That doesn't scare me. No way it's tougher than the Nine-Heaven Divine Thunder. Now that I've got the Thunder Spirit Body, I actually want more thunder element—my attacks will get even stronger!" Evan grinned.
"Guess I was worried for nothing. If you didn't have the Thunder Spirit Body, this would be trouble, but now it's just a chance to show off your power. Seriously, I'm jealous—every good thing lands in your lap." Luna said.
Just then, waves of energy began to ripple from the fruit, and a faint, intoxicating fragrance drifted over. Evan took a whiff and felt instantly refreshed—he'd never experienced anything like it. Still, he kept pouring water element into the fruit.
Suddenly, the fruit flashed with blue light, and the dark red sky overhead turned black as thick clouds gathered. Blue lightning flickered through the clouds.
"That was fast! Looks like this is water thunder. Hope it doesn't let me down—otherwise, all this effort would be wasted." Evan looked up at the sky and said.
Before he even finished speaking, a blue bolt as thick as a bowl slammed down from the sky, landing squarely on Evan. Sparks crackled all over him, his hair shot straight up, and his face turned pitch black.
Evan felt his whole body jolt with a stabbing pain, but it faded almost instantly. Checking inside, he found streams of water thunder element now flowing through his meridians.
At the same time, the fruit fully ripened and started to fall, but Evan snatched it midair and tucked it into his storage ring.
But the clouds overhead didn't disperse. Soon, an even bigger blue bolt crashed down, knocking Evan flat, but thanks to his Thunder Spirit Body, it still didn't really hurt him.
Evan glanced up at the sky, grumbling, "What the hell, these clouds still aren't gone? How many bolts are left? If this keeps up, how am I supposed to ripen the other fruits?"
"There are three bolts for each elemental fruit. Every time you ripen one, you'll get struck three times. But trust me, your five-element lightning power will transform. When you ascend, tribulation lightning won't mean a thing." Luna said.
"Damn it, there's still one left! Come on then! Show me what you've got!" Evan shouted at the sky.
Whether it was Evan's challenge or the fruit's ripening that angered the thunder, the clouds churned fiercely, giant bolts flickering inside, thunder booming nonstop overhead.
Evan knew the last water thunder would be the strongest. He activated Earth-Shift, covering himself in stone armor, bracing for impact. The final bolt crashed down, as massive as the last two from the Nine-Heaven Divine Thunder, turning the desert sky bright as day as it struck...