Chapter 769: Void Refinement Ninth Layer

"By the Stone Platform's Heavenly Stair, if no Mahayana Emperor is watching, I fear trouble—after all, I am the local host here!"

"One must fulfill the duty to protect the children!"

"You may continue your deliberations here; I shall go over first!"

Hummm…

A ripple of void energy.

Jin Gang, the Demon Emperor, departed immediately.

He did not wish to participate, so he chose not to know the plans that followed.

Hummm…

Meanwhile, several other Demon Emperors left.

Soon, only a dozen or so Demon Emperors remained in the hall.

Without doubt, those who stayed were either enemies of He Pingsheng and Wang Dun, hoping to kill them, or viewed them as a threat from the human race.

In short, all who remained shared the same purpose.

"What does the Phoenix Emperor suggest we eliminate first?" Zhu Zhengyan's gaze sharpened as he laid the question bare.

Those unwilling to participate had already left; there was no longer any need to hide anything.

The Phoenix Emperor nodded toward Zhao Xiangdu.

Zhao Xiangdu said: "My fellow Demon Emperors, I may not phrase this well, but please hear out this plan!"

"My suggestion is to kill He Pingsheng first!"

"Because He Pingsheng and I have a grudge!"

"He stole my fiancée!"

"Thus, even if I strike down a junior with my superior power, the criticism I face will be justified!"

"It will give no excuse to that human transcendental immortal!"

"What do you all think?"

Zhao Xiangdu looked around.

The Demon Emperors all nodded.

The Golden Crow Demon Emperor Zhu Zhengyan asked: "When do you intend to strike, Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Xiangdu replied: "Not now—it would be unwise. He Pingsheng is currently in deep meditation; acting rashly might disrupt the trial."

"Let us wait until this trial concludes, then seek our opportunity."

"Agreed!" the Phoenix Emperor spoke up: "This plan is sound. You bear the hatred of a stolen bride, and since Zhao Xiangdu is human himself, even if that ancient human comes to cause trouble, he can do nothing—merely scold Zhao Xiangdu, at worst!"

"Besides, stealing a bride justifies killing!"

"Once He Pingsheng falls, Wang Dun will be easy to deal with!"

"Hehehe…"

The Demon Emperors all agreed.

But someone raised a doubt.

Kongkong Demon Emperor said: "Brother Zhao may have forgotten—He Pingsheng has clones, said to be five in total. Killing him won't matter; his clones instantly become his true body and resume cultivation, bathed anew in cosmic fortune!"

"Hehehe… you needn't trouble yourself over that, Kongkong Demon Emperor!"

"Look at this," Zhao Xiangdu said, drawing forth a talisman.

The talisman glowed with a pale yellow sheen, its runes swirling like divine jade.

"Chain-Soul Curse Talisman?" Kongkong Demon Emperor blinked in surprise: "Such a thing still exists?"

"Yes!" Zhao Xiangdu said: "It's a sixth-rank talisman, top-grade. I had a Mahayana Demon Emperor inscribe it. There are two such talismans—one given to He Pingsheng; once attached to his body, it links all five clones and his true body together!"

"One strike, certain death!"

"As for the second… hehe… it can be reserved for Wang Dun!"

…

Time passed slowly!

In an instant, a hundred years had passed!

A black-robed cultivator stepped beneath the Heavenly Stair and shouted: "Time's up! Meditation ends!"

The Golden Crow Demon Emperor Zhu Zhengyan and another Phoenix Clan Demon Emperor departed.

Boom…

A massive gale descended.

The prodigies seated on the square opened their eyes one by one.

It was over!

"Huh…" He Pingsheng exhaled deeply, retracting the Dao vortex above his head.

A hundred years of meditation.

He Pingsheng had partially mastered a divine technique, but by comprehending the Heavenly Gang Dao, he shattered two Dao barriers.

This was good.

Meanwhile, over these hundred years, He Pingsheng not only used the Poison Dao's origin to elevate his body cultivation, but the Poison Dao's origin also enabled him to break through one more Dao barrier.

Thus, his cultivation base advanced by three levels.

His cultivation rose from Void Refinement Sixth Layer to Void Refinement Ninth Layer.

This level narrowed the gap between him and the other prodigies.

His body cultivation also reached Void Refinement Ninth Layer.

Only his spiritual cultivation remained unchanged—at Sixth Layer.

Though his cultivation only rose from Void Refinement Sixth Layer to Ninth Layer, the boost to combat power was immense.

He Pingsheng felt that with his current cultivation, he could fear no cultivator of the same realm.

Hmm…

Except Wang Shixiong.

Because Wang Shixiong, that anomaly, was simply unpredictable.

"My fellow prodigies!"

Jin Gang stood in the void, gazing down at the countless prodigies: "Now, I shall announce the rankings from this Heavenly Stair meditation!"

"Only the top one hundred!"

"First place, human Wang Dun, score one hundred!"

"Second place, human He Pingsheng, score ninety-nine!"

"Third place, Golden Crow Clan, Zhu Xuanlun, score ninety-eight!"

"Fourth place, Phoenix Clan, Feng Wanxi, score ninety-seven…"

"Fifth place…"

Jin Gang recited each name in turn.

He Pingsheng noticed Nan Qiqi's ranking was poor—only forty-something.

Still, forty-something meant over fifty points.

After all, Nan Qiqi was the top prodigy of the Zhu Que Clan.

And Zhu Que Clan was one of the Nine Celestial Clans.

With her forty-something rank, she had performed poorly.

Soon, the top one hundred were announced.

Those below one hundred were not listed further, as they received no points.

"My fellow prodigies!" Jin Gang smiled warmly: "According to the rules, if you have comprehended a divine technique related to the Heavenly Gang Dao, you may claim an additional one hundred points!"

"Who among you has mastered such a technique? Speak up!"

Mastering a divine technique was not something anyone could achieve.

In past Stone Platform gatherings, nearly a thousand attended, yet fewer than five ever mastered a technique.

Jin Gang's gaze first fell on Wang Dun.

Wang Dun shook his head: "I have not mastered any technique."

Jin Gang's gaze turned to He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng bowed: "I have not mastered any technique either."

In truth, he had.

He Pingsheng had comprehended a technique tied to Heavenly Gang energy.

He fused it into his existing technique, Heavenly Gang Three Transformations, enhancing it further.

Originally, the third transformation of Heavenly Gang Three Transformations doubled attack power.

But as his cultivation advanced—especially after ascending to the Spirit Realm—the technique's effect had weakened drastically.

It now only granted a 100% boost.

Now, after fusing the half-technique he had just comprehended with his original technique, Heavenly Gang Three Transformations regained its former power.

Entering the third transformation now doubled both attack and defense.

Yet this technique was too astonishing—he chose not to admit it.

It didn't matter.

With his current score, he had more than enough to enter the top thirty and challenge the Stone Platform's Heavenly Stair.