Chapter 763

I have lived for over twenty thousand years!

Though I have not achieved immortality, I have spent endless eons within this spiritual realm!

This bland, tasteless immortality is truly boring!

Brother Pingsheng… don't you think so?

The Great Lun Mingwang turned half her face, gazing at him with a faint, ambiguous smile.

He Pingsheng flushed crimson and took a deep breath: "Elder… please, don't speak like that… it was just a dream!"

"I… I was too forward!"

"What is too forward?" asked the Great Lun Mingwang.

Seeing He Pingsheng remain silent for a long while, she smiled again and turned her face back, leaving only her high, straight nose visible from the side, sharply defining the contours of her lovely face.

"If we became cultivation partners, and one day had a child, would that child still be Yuqing?"

He Pingsheng remained silent once more.

The Great Lun Mingwang turned her head again: "You're just as dull as that immortal—utterly lifeless!"

"Enough, I won't trouble you further!"

"I've just broken through a bottleneck and need time to stabilize my cultivation. I won't be able to accompany you in the next matches!"

"Take care of yourself!"

"By the way, after this Stone Platform Gathering ends, I suspect someone will try to kill you—but don't worry, open a space passage to my Great Lun Imperial City!"

"I'll support you!"

With that, the woman in the blue Dao robe suddenly extended a hand as white as jade, lightly brushing the void—and a spatial passage opened.

She lifted her long leg and stepped into the passage, then turned back with a breathtakingly beautiful smile before vanishing completely.

"Phew…" He Pingsheng exhaled deeply, feeling a hollow emptiness in his chest.

After standing in place for about a dozen breaths, he took a step forward, heading toward his temporary cultivation ground.

"Young Master!"

Zhou Qingmei walked over.

"Let's go!" He Pingsheng pointed ahead: "Head back and prepare!"

The second trial of the Stone Platform Gathering is the 【Century of Awakening】.

It means all cultivators must sit beneath the Stone Platform Ladder and contemplate its boundless Heavenly Gang Qi.

This Heavenly Gang Qi naturally carries the principles of the Dao.

Sometimes, by comprehending Dao principles, one may even awaken one or two divine techniques.

According to procedure, the next day after the Three Dreams of Red Dust ends, all must proceed to the Ladder to awaken.

Unfortunately, this time the Three Dreams of Red Dust ended early, so there are still several days before the awakening.

We have ample time to prepare.

…

"Comrade He, let's go… let's get aligned!" Nan Qiqi had already been waiting at the entrance to He Pingsheng's cultivation ground!

He Pingsheng nodded.

The Century of Awakening test is imminent; they must understand each other.

In fact, He Pingsheng himself didn't even know the rules of the awakening—or how victory would be decided.

So he followed Nan Qiqi to her cultivation ground.

The other eight prodigies were already there.

"First, congratulations to He Pingsheng—and to our Zhu Que Imperial Domain—for achieving excellent results in the first round's written test. Your personal ranking is now second!"

"I'm tenth!"

"And our team ranking is second overall—second only to the Divine Clan!"

Nan Qiqi beamed with delight.

This start was beyond her expectations.

"Hmph…" someone scoffed: "The Phoenix Clan is despicable! If they hadn't pressured Comrade He, that stone would've been his—then he'd be first individually, and our Zhu Que Imperial Domain would be first as a team!"

"Exactly!"

"Who would've thought the Phoenix Clan would stoop so low!"

Everyone was indignant.

But He Pingsheng remained calm: "The dream's rules are what they are—there's nothing to be done."

"She got it—that's her fortune. I admit my fortune is inferior to hers; after all, Feng Wanxi has eighth-rank half fortune!"

"But this isn't bad either—our goal wasn't to take first place anyway."

He Pingsheng took it in stride.

"True," said Nan Qiqi. "If we'd truly taken first, we'd now be everyone's target—no benefit to our Zhu Que Clan."

"Think—what was our original goal?"

The Zhu Que Imperial Domain only sought to rank within the top thirty teams.

For them, finishing thirtieth or first made no difference.

If so, why risk ourselves for empty glory?

"Don't dwell on what's already passed!" Nan Qiqi sat before them, unconsciously crossing her legs, idly swaying her toes: "In a few days, we'll go beneath the Stone Platform Ladder to awaken!"

"Let me explain the rules of awakening to you."

Everyone immediately stilled their minds, fixing their full attention on Nan Qiqi.

Nan Qiqi paused, then said: "Actually, the rules are simplest."

"It tests comprehension—so the higher your comprehension, the more points you earn!"

"But how do you measure comprehension?"

"Two ways," Nan Qiqi extended two slender, snow-white fingers: "First, when you comprehend the Heavenly Gang Qi, a Dao vortex will form above your head—the larger the vortex you stir, the more points you gain!"

"Second, if anyone awakens even a single move or technique tied to the Heavenly Gang Qi, they receive an extra hundred points!"

Nan Qiqi then elaborated further.

Mostly on the first point.

When all cultivators enter meditative stillness, their Dao vortices are measured—ranked from largest to smallest.

First place: one hundred points!

Second place: ninety-nine points!

Third place: ninety-eight points!

And so on!

Only the top one hundred receive points; everyone beyond receives zero.

It's that brutal.

…

Several days later, the trial began!

He Pingsheng followed the Zhu Que Imperial Domain team to the massive stone tablet for the second time.

The tablet towered beyond sight; the original thousand-zhang barrier had been removed.

Now, any prodigy could enter the thousand-zhang zone around the tablet!

The tablet was enormous—its diameter alone spanned ten thousand zhang!

Thus, the land surrounding it was more than sufficient.

No need to fight for position.

Within the thousand-zhang zone, the strength of the Heavenly Gang Qi was roughly equal, though overall, the closer one stood to the tablet, the stronger the Heavenly Gang Qi became.

Before He Pingsheng even began to awaken, a tall young man approached him.

"Comrade He!" the man bowed to He Pingsheng: "I am Yuan Wuyou…"

"Oh?" He Pingsheng glanced at Yuan Wuyou with surprise.

This fellow was famous!

He was predicted to be among the top ten; his other identity was even more feared—he was the son of Jin Gang, the Demon Emperor of the Heavenly Gang Domain.

He was also the crown prince of the Jin Gang Ape Clan.

What does this fellow want with me?

He Pingsheng quickly bowed: "Comrade Ape!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Jin Gang, the Demon Emperor, not far away.

Jin Gang, the Demon Emperor, was smiling warmly at him, his expression kindly.