Chapter 762

Soon, the list ranking participants by the amount of Dust Power they gained, from highest to lowest, was released.

First place: He Pingsheng.

Second place: Zhu Xuanlun.

Third place: Bai Zhiting.

Fourth place: Wang Dun.

Fifth place: Jin Gang, Crown Prince Yuan Wuyou.

Sixth place: Fomen, Mingyue!

Seventh place: Dalundiyu, Kong Que, Sacred Maiden!

Eighth place: Tianpeng Diyu, Tian Yu.

Ninth place: Nan Qiqi!

Tenth place: the Crown Prince of the Divine Turtle Clan.

Aside from the tenth-place finisher, He Pingsheng, whom he didn't know well, he was familiar with all the others.

But what surprised He Pingsheng was that Feng Wanxi was not on the list at all.

Not only was Feng Wanxi absent, but not a single member of the Phoenix Clan appeared in the top ten.

The release of this list left everyone bewildered.

Of course, the scores on the list were tightly clustered.

All top one hundred had points, with each rank separated by only a single point.

"Where are the Phoenix Clan?"

"Where is Feng Wanxi?"

"What's going on?"

"Of the top ten, three are human, yet not a single Phoenix Clan member?"

The square erupted into a clamor of murmurs.

Everyone was stunned.

All eyes turned to Feng Wanxi—her head indeed bore a strand of Dust Power.

But it was extremely weak.

Such Dust Power couldn't even rank in the top twenty, let alone the top ten.

In the end, her overall ranking was twenty-seventh.

She earned seventy-four points.

Although Feng Wanxi's Dust Power score was low, the total points accumulated by her clan reached one hundred seventy-four, creating an absolute dominance.

He Pingsheng gazed into the void and saw the Phoenix Clan's Demon Emperor with a dark, furious expression.

Clearly, he was deeply dissatisfied with his clan's performance.

"Hmph…" The Phoenix Clan's Demon Emperor let out a cold snort and vanished instantly.

The Buddha Emperor continued reading until he announced all one hundred top-ranked names.

Then, the Buddha Emperor also departed.

The young geniuses on the scene began leaving one by one.

He Pingsheng glanced at Wang Dun, who nodded to him and hurried off.

Several Phoenix Clan women had surrounded him, and Wang Dun, still fearful, quickly slipped away.

"How was it?" He Pingsheng walked up to the Dalun Mingwang.

A faint, sweet fragrance drifted from her.

The Dalun Mingwang, eyes closed, opened them, glanced at He Pingsheng, her expression solemn, serious, and icy: "I am in meditation. Get away from me."

Uh…

He Pingsheng gave a nervous smile and turned to leave.

After all, everything in the dream was just a dream—once awake, there was no bond between them.

He Pingsheng walked away from the Dalun Mingwang, step by step, his back to her.

Nan Qiqi sprinted over and said: "Comrade He… Congratulations… hehehe…"

Nan Qiqi was delighted—this first trial, the Three Dreams of Dust, had been a tremendous win for the Zhu Que Diyu.

Not only had He Pingsheng earned a perfect hundred points, but she herself had placed ninth with ninety-two points.

Now, the Zhu Que Diyu's total score had risen to one hundred ninety-two.

"I heard you originally had that stone, but Feng Wanxi forced you to give it to her by threatening to use your child with the Dalun Mingwang?"

Nan Qiqi stared at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng said nothing, only nodded slightly, hands behind his back.

At that moment, a vast, majestic aura suddenly surged from behind.

He Pingsheng and the others spun around to see the Dalun Mingwang, seated on a mat in the Dreaming Square, her body radiating powerful qi and Dao patterns like tidal waves bursting outward.

With each inhalation and exhalation, the tides surged and receded, revealing the hidden Dao.

"So strong!" Nan Qiqi gasped: "Is she… breaking through?"

"Has the Dalun Mingwang shattered her bottleneck?"

Her mouth hung open, frozen in shock.

The next instant, ripples tore through the void as each Demon Emperor returned.

"Congratulations, Dalun Mingwang, you've broken through with a single dream!"

The Jin Gang Demon Emperor drew a deep breath, his face filled with envy.

They had all entered the same dream—yet the Dalun Mingwang had broken through her realm?

Remember, before this, the Dalun Mingwang, like Duan Feihong, had been stuck at Mahayana Emperor Level Eleven—the very threshold of her bottleneck.

Now, she had shattered it outright.

Shattering the bottleneck meant she could now attempt the legendary Ascension Realm—after crossing the Immortal Tribulation, she could ascend to the Immortal Realm and become an Eternal Immortal.

How utterly enviable.

Cultivation, cultivation… isn't this the very goal?

"Congratulations, Dalun Mingwang!"

"Congratulations, Mingwang Your Majesty!"

"Who would have thought you'd have such fortune? We're utterly envious!"

One by one, the Demon Emperors bowed to the Dalun Mingwang.

The Dalun Mingwang merely lifted her eyelids slightly and said: "Thank you all. I must stabilize my cultivation. Please excuse me."

She remained on the square to stabilize her cultivation—no Demon Emperor, even with ulterior motives, could act now.

So the Demon Emperors departed one by one.

The Dalun Mingwang did not close her eyes again; instead, she turned her head toward He Pingsheng and said: "He Pingsheng… come here."

He Pingsheng: …………

Just told me to leave, now you want me back?

How interesting.

"Ladies and gentlemen… I'll stay a moment longer, then join you shortly—excuse me!" He Pingsheng bowed to Nan Qiqi.

Nan Qiqi and the other Zhu Que geniuses departed one by one.

He Pingsheng walked back to the Dalun Mingwang's side and bowed respectfully: "Disciple greets Mingwang Elder!"

"Mm." The Dalun Mingwang extended her right sleeve: "Help me up."

He Pingsheng pulled her to her feet.

The Dalun Mingwang leaned against his side, and the two walked side by side away from the square.

He Pingsheng couldn't help asking: "Aren't you supposed to be stabilizing your cultivation?"

The Dalun Mingwang replied: "Stabilizing cultivation isn't something done in a single day or night—it takes time. Do you expect me to meditate here forever?"

She shot him a glance, then added: "Actually, my childhood name is Kong Jiaojiao."

"Mm…" He Pingsheng lowered his head, unsure how to respond.

The Dalun Mingwang took a deep breath, then asked: "He Pingsheng… what, in the end, do you believe we immortals cultivate for?"

He Pingsheng thought a moment and said: "To ascend, and become an Immortal, of course."

The Dalun Mingwang asked again: "And what is the point of becoming an Immortal?"

This time, He Pingsheng did not answer immediately; he frowned, pondering for nearly fifteen breaths.

The two walked slowly, side by side.

He Pingsheng said: "For immortality."

The Dalun Mingwang stopped, her pale face turning slightly toward him, a faint smile on her lips.

That smile held warmth, mockery, amusement, and a quiet confidence in mastery over all things: "And… why seek immortality?"

This time, He Pingsheng had no answer.

His heart stirred, and he murmured softly: "Why seek immortality?"