Chapter 766: The Emperors Fell Silent

Forget about Jin Gang Yao Di!

Even He Pingsheng below, upon hearing Jin Wu Yao Di's words, felt utterly speechless.

Good grief!

Your son came in second place, and you don't recognize it?

Are the points gained from Hong Chen's power completely useless in your eyes?

Alright, alright!

You're higher in cultivation, so you're right!

"Enough, enough!" Jin Gang Yao Di also thought Zhu Zhengyan was excessive, and spoke up: "The Dao of Tian Gang is a rare opportunity. Brother Zhengyan, let the young talents begin their enlightenment first!"

"Mm!" Zhu Zhengyan nodded: "Fine, all you prodigies, you may begin!"

From then on, no more noise.

Beneath the stone terrace and ladder, nine hundred and sixty prodigies all sat cross-legged, meditating and seeking enlightenment.

Invisible Dao roots erupted from each of their bodies, transforming into countless unseen filaments that connected to the empty void and merged with the Tian Gang Dao principles.

After roughly ten breaths, someone achieved sudden enlightenment!

The sign of sudden enlightenment was a stable Dao vortex forming above the cultivator's head.

These Dao vortices varied in size.

The larger the vortex, the stronger the cultivator's ability to absorb the Dao, and the higher their enlightenment potential.

When grading later, the size of the Dao vortex would determine their ranking.

"Excellent, excellent!" Outside, countless spectators nodded: "The Phoenix Clan still has deep roots!"

The first to enter sudden enlightenment wasn't Feng Wanxi of the Phoenix Clan, but another Phoenix Clan prodigy.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth!

Six in a row were all Phoenix Clan cultivators achieving sudden enlightenment.

He Pingsheng did not enter sudden enlightenment, because he wasn't rushing to begin.

Before starting his enlightenment, he first calmed his mind and adjusted his state to its peak, yet inwardly felt a touch of helplessness.

To be honest, he didn't want to reveal his full enlightenment potential—if he could control it, he'd prefer to stay within the top twenty, or at most top thirty.

But enlightenment potential is something that activates automatically.

Once you enter sudden enlightenment, your eyes and heart hold only the understanding and penetration of the Dao—you cannot control the size of the Dao vortex.

Sudden enlightenment is either zero, or one hundred.

There's no such thing as holding back half.

Once you enter sudden enlightenment, even if you don't wish to give your all, you will give your all.

Soon, Yuan Wuyou beside He Pingsheng also entered sudden enlightenment.

Compared to others' vortices of about three chi, Yuan Wuyou's vortex appeared immediately upon enlightenment—a massive one, roughly eighty zhang in size.

Damn…

He Pingsheng was startled: So strong.

It seems the quality of enlightenment has little to do with how early one enters sudden enlightenment.

Some enter slightly later, yet their enlightenment potential is greater.

He Pingsheng turned his head again to look toward Wang Dun's direction.

Nan Qiqi had already entered sudden enlightenment, yet Wang Dun was glancing around, watching others. When he caught He Pingsheng's gaze, he grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

Another peculiar fluctuation arose beside He Pingsheng.

After exchanging a glance with Wang Dun, He Pingsheng turned to look at Zhu Xuanlun and noticed the man drenched in sweat, his face pale.

He seemed trapped in an indescribable state.

"Hmph…"

Above, Jin Wu Yao Di Zhu Zhengyan let out another cold snort: "Fool… everyone else has entered sudden enlightenment, yet you're trembling like this?"

"You've shamed the entire Jin Wu Clan!"

He Pingsheng was truly speechless.

He took a deep breath, forcibly closed his eyes, and began his enlightenment.

Just as He Pingsheng closed his eyes, Zhu Zhengyan's voice came again: "Utterly foolish, utterly foolish… I've devoted my entire life to you, yet you… you've disappointed me so deeply!"

"Where has your usual cleverness gone?"

"I'll give you ten more breaths!"

"If you haven't achieved sudden enlightenment within ten breaths, return and receive three hundred Soul-Whipping Blows!"

Zhu Xuanlun beside He Pingsheng trembled even more violently.

In such a state, how could he enter sudden enlightenment quickly?

"Brother Zhengyan!" Jin Gang Yao Di spoke again: "Xuanlun is a fine boy. Trust him—give him time, he will surely enter the state!"

"Hmph…" Zhu Zhengyan snorted again: "He's just a fool. If not for my years of devoted teaching, he'd have long become useless wood!"

Hearing this, He Pingsheng could no longer hold back—he lifted his head, ready to argue.

But Wang Dun spoke first.

"Cough… hey, this Zhu… whatever-the-hell Yao Di… are you insane?"

"This is a place for Dao enlightenment!"

"Are you going to keep yapping forever?"

"How am I supposed to achieve enlightenment with you blabbering here?"

"Why don't you try it yourself?"

Wang Dun didn't care what Zhu Zhengyan was—he launched a full verbal assault.

Zhu Zhengyan's face turned pitch black, wishing he could slap Wang Dun dead on the spot.

But he couldn't act—hundreds of prodigies were here in enlightenment!

"Fine… fine, fine…" Zhu Zhengyan decisively clamped his mouth shut.

With Zhu Zhengyan silent, the scene instantly fell quiet.

Zhu Xuanlun's trembling from fear vanished; he slowly calmed down.

After a few more breaths, a Dao vortex suddenly formed above Zhu Xuanlun's head—only three chi wide—but this three-chi vortex visibly expanded, in a single breath, stretching from earth to sky, reaching a hundred zhang.

A few breaths later, the vortex expanded again, reaching roughly two hundred zhang.

On the entire square, countless people gasped.

Countless people were stunned!

A two-hundred-zhang vortex—what kind of enlightenment potential was this?

Jin Gang Yao Di stared in envy: "See? Brother Zhengyan, Xuanlun's enlightenment potential is still excellent. Look—he's far better than my useless son. Wuyou here only has an eighty-zhang vortex. Xuanlun's Dao vortex is nearly two hundred zhang, isn't it?"

"Mm…" Zhu Zhengyan's expression softened considerably, his face brightened, and he chuckled: "Ah… this boy is usually immature, but it's all thanks to my lifelong teaching…"

Below, Wang Dun couldn't help himself again: "Jin Wu Yao Di, do you have any shame? Can you teach someone's enlightenment potential?"

"Isn't this something innate?"

"So all your son's achievements are credited to you?"

Jin Wu Yao Di's lungs felt ready to explode.

But at this moment, no other Yao Di stepped forward to defend him, and he couldn't act directly.

Soon, the scene sank into another deathly silence.

After about half a stick of incense, He Pingsheng entered meditation and sudden enlightenment.

Wang Dun followed closely behind, entering meditation and sudden enlightenment!

Around the square, on the terrace, vortices spun—some large, some small.

But the vortices above Wang Dun and He Pingsheng seemed to have coordinated—they expanded simultaneously, from three chi, growing steadily, and within less than ten breaths, each reached three hundred zhang.

Seeing this sight, dozens of Yao Di in the void fell silent.