Chapter 760: Red Dust, Entering the World

"Good!"

Feng Wanxi also stared at the Dalun Mingwang and said: "The Kongkong Crown Prince is right—Senior Mingwang, you've probably awakened here long ago, haven't you?"

"According to my knowledge, as a Mahayana Emperor, once awakened, you may leave this place at any time!"

"Yet both the Jin Gang Demon Emperor and the Buddha Emperor have long since departed this place!"

"Only Your Majesty remains here—what else could you possibly be doing but interfering with our competition?"

"Even if you are a Mahayana Emperor, you cannot break the rules!"

"We are not afraid of you!"

Feng Wanxi truly was not afraid.

Not only was she unafraid, but the Kongkong Crown Prince was also not particularly afraid.

The Kongkong Crown Prince's father was the Kongkong Demon Emperor; though the Kongkong Demon Emperor's combat ranking was lower than the Dalun Mingwang's, he was by no means weak.

With his spatial cultivation techniques, the outcome might still be uncertain!

"Amitabha!"

A Buddhist chant rang out.

Mingyue wore a compassionate smile as he looked at He Pingsheng and said: "All is illusion, mere dreams and fleeting bubbles!"

"He Shi, you need not cling to what lies before you!"

He Pingsheng said: "Do you want this stone too?"

Mingyue shook his head: "A monk has no greed—I do not desire this burning hot potato in your hands. Rather, I believe you should simply ignore it."

"Children are nothing but illusions conjured by others—why expend so much energy on them?"

"Let him kill, if he wishes!"

"Once you exit this dream, with your abilities, what threat could the Feng clan possibly pose?"

He Pingsheng gave Mingyue a long, deep look.

He knew Mingyue had no such kindness in him.

Abandon?

Let someone kill his own daughter?

Impossible.

Even if he knew this was a dream, he still could not.

Because… the Dao heart!

This Mingyue is trying to undermine my Dao heart here!

"Speak," He Pingsheng turned his gaze to the Kongkong Beast and said: "When did you awaken?"

The Kongkong Beast chuckled: "Funny—neither too early nor too late—I awakened right outside Hui Gu's temple, eavesdropping on your conversation!"

"I understand," He Pingsheng nodded. "You deliberately took the initiative to tackle Feng Wanxi, just to send her a message!"

"Exactly!" the Kongkong Crown Prince said. "Before, you and Wang Dun tricked me into looking like a fool—every prodigy on the Tianhuo Continent thinks I'm an idiot!"

"Hmph…"

"Today, you'll see just how clever I really am!"

"I… am not an idiot!"

The Kongkong Crown Prince fiercely proved his point.

He Pingsheng did not dwell on this issue further. He nodded: "Fine… as you wish."

He waved his hand and immediately produced the special stone.

In an instant, every eye fixed upon the stone.

Every gaze burned with eagerness.

After all, in this dream, the first to gain Red Dust power earns one hundred points.

The second earns ninety-nine!

And so on!

But whoever claims this stone gains one hundred points immediately.

In other words, Red Dust power tests one's ability to enter or withdraw from the world.

But claiming the stone tests one's fortune.

Two distinct trials, assessed within the same scene.

If one obtains the stone, it grants great advantage in the subsequent competition.

"I, He Pingsheng, keep my word!" He fixed his gaze on Feng Wanxi: "Release the child, and I'll give you the stone!"

"No!" Feng Wanxi sneered. "Give me the stone, and I'll release the child!"

"Don't worry—it's just a dream. I have no reason to harm a phantom child!"

"Moreover, the Feng clan always keeps its word!"

"Give me the stone, and I guarantee I'll free Yuqing!"

"Lastly… you have no right to negotiate with me!"

He Pingsheng said: "Threatening me this way today, you will regret it!"

Feng Wanxi said: "The Feng clan never regrets what it has done!"

Shhh…

A silver arc sliced through the air—the stone flew from He Pingsheng's hand.

Then it was caught by Feng Wanxi.

Feng Wanxi kept her promise and released Yuqing.

"Father…" Yuqing cried, sprinting toward He Pingsheng.

At that moment, Kong Jiaojiao trembled violently, tears streaming down her face.

"Amitabha…" Mingyue drew a deep breath and said: "He Shi, you will regret this… abandoning your original purpose for a meaningless dream—this is unwise!"

He Pingsheng, holding Yuqing, smiled coldly: "Whether wise or foolish, you have no right to judge!"

"You've been urging me to abandon my child—your only aim was to shatter my Dao heart. You're disappointed it didn't work, aren't you?"

"Amitabha!" After being exposed, Mingyue remained calm. He bowed respectfully: "You misunderstand me, He Shi."

"I merely advised you on choice and sacrifice—when did I ever try to break your Dao heart?"

"Can a mere illusion truly shatter your Dao heart?"

He Pingsheng's gaze swept over the crowd, then settled on Dalun Mingwang Kong Jiaojiao: "If a man can abandon his own kin within a dream, then in the real world, he will make the same choice!"

"If a man would never abandon his children in reality, then even in a dream, he will not!"

"This is about the heart—not the deed!"

"Master, after all these years of Buddhist cultivation, can you not see this?"

At these words, the surrounding prodigies were all slightly startled.

At that very moment, He Pingsheng suddenly noticed faint, elusive threads surging from all directions through the void, converging upon his body.

Others could not see them—but He Pingsheng and Mingyue saw them clearly.

Threads of Red Dust coiled around him.

"This…" Mingyue, hands clasped in prayer, suddenly gasped: "This… this this… Red Dust power!"

"This is Red Dust power?"

"You… you've actually gained Red Dust power?"

He stared at He Pingsheng in disbelief.

He Pingsheng was equally astonished.

He did not know why, in this instant, countless threads of Red Dust had fused into his body.

Had it been… trading the stone for his daughter that triggered this?

Red Dust power was mysterious beyond comprehension, impossible to cultivate through mere study.

Why did it come? Why did it leave?

No one could explain.

All knew only that the deeper one entered the world, the more Red Dust power one gained.

"So… this is it…" Mingyue drew a deep breath and bowed in Buddhist greeting: "Amitabha. I understand now. Congratulations, He Shi—you have successfully entered the world!"

With that, he turned and left first.

Then Feng Wanxi, the Kongkong Beast, and others followed one by one.

The small town returned to its original state.

"Regret it?" Kong Jiaojiao looked at He Pingsheng and smiled, tears glistening in her eyes.

He Pingsheng shook his head: "I'd regret it more if I hadn't."

Kong Jiaojiao added: "But even if you did… we only have four days together."

He Pingsheng said: "Even four hours, four incense sticks' time, four breaths—I'd still trade for it."

"In this dream, my daughter is my daughter; in heaven, my daughter is my daughter; in the mortal world, my daughter is my daughter—there is no difference!"

"Mm." Kong Jiaojiao nodded. "Perhaps… this is true entry into the world."