Chapter 816: The Breaker, He Pingsheng

"Sixth place!"

Just as everyone was stunned, Feng Wanxi surged up another level.

But her strength seemed to have reached its limit.

Because, like Zhu Xuanlun, she had burned her lifespan to reach this height!

"Chirr… chirp-chirp-chirp…"

Feng Wanxi had not stopped—she still fought fiercely forward!

"Fifth…!"

"My god, she's in the top five!"

"Fifth!"

"Feng Wanxi, no doubt the number one prodigy!"

"That human He Pingsheng may have climbing eligibility, but he still can't match Feng Wanxi!"

"Exactly!"

"Good heavens, top five in all history!"

"No way, she's still climbing!"

"Chirp-chirp-chirp…" More phoenix calls echoed.

Feng Wanxi directly manifested her true form.

Her true form blazed with roaring crimson flames as she surged upward once more.

"Fourth…!"

"Could she reach first place?"

The crowd's expectations for Feng Wanxi rose again.

Yet Feng Wanxi's abilities ended here.

She had exhausted every ounce of strength just to inscribe her name!

Fourth place!

Chirp-chirp-chirp…

With a mournful phoenix cry, Feng Wanxi transformed into a colossal divine phoenix, landed on the ground, then instantly shed her true form, revealing her human shape.

White streaks appeared in her hair.

There was no choice—she had burned too much lifespan.

Fortunately, her face showed few wrinkles.

"Feng Wanxi, fourth place!"

"Hahaha…"

"My Feng clan prodigy is truly extraordinary!"

"Exactly!"

"Amazing!"

"Feng Wanxi is no doubt an eighth-rank half-level fortune!"

"This isn't just fourth place—it's the fourth-best in all history, worthy of shining through eternity!"

The crowd erupted again.

The seventh elder chuckled: "Had Wanxi's Dao heart not been clouded, she might have advanced further—even entered the top three or challenged first place!"

"What a pity, her condition was poor!"

Indeed, Feng Wanxi's Dao heart was clouded.

The Dao heart, though seemingly unrelated to climbing the Stone Platform Stairway's height, governs one's inner state.

When the inner state is disturbed, it affects performance.

"You've done wonderfully!" On the ground, the thirteenth elder clapped Feng Wanxi's shoulder cheerfully: "You've tried your hardest—don't worry, this rank alone has left Wang Dun speechless!"

"Not just Wang Dun—even if He Pingsheng hadn't been disqualified, he couldn't have reached this height!"

"Mm." Feng Wanxi nodded.

This climb to fourth place gave her immense confidence.

She even achieved sudden clarity—her Dao heart's dust vanished instantly.

"This… this…" Feng Wanxi trembled with excitement: "Thirteenth auntie, my… my Dao heart's clouding… it's gone!"

"It's clear again!"

"Hahaha…" The thirteenth elder laughed heartily: "Wonderful! Today is truly a day of double blessings!"

"I'll go prepare the prize for first place—a massive Nirmāṇakāya Divine Stone for you!"

Saying this, the thirteenth elder left to prepare.

"Next, please welcome Mingyue, the Human Venerable of the Heavenly Buddha Emperor Realm, to ascend the Stairway!"

The Golden Vajra Emperor's voice rang out again.

A monk clad in a red kasaya landed beneath the Stairway.

Mingyue turned his head, glancing at the crowd, then at the Golden Vajra Emperor.

The crowd erupted instantly.

"That monk is so handsome!"

"Truly breathtakingly handsome!"

"I've never seen such a handsome man—and he's a monk! What a waste!"

Mingyue's appearance stunned countless female cultivators.

He clasped his hands and bowed to the Golden Vajra Emperor: "Amitabha… Disciple Mingyue bows before Emperor Golden Vajra. My Breaker is the Buddha Emperor of the Heavenly Buddha Emperor Realm!"

The Buddha Emperor was the same Buddhist demon emperor who, alongside the Great Lun Mingwang and the Golden Vajra Emperor, had opened the Three Dreams of Red Dust Array.

This Buddhist demon emperor was not human—he was a demon race member.

"Good!" said the Golden Vajra Emperor. "Begin. May you achieve great results!"

The two transformed into beams of light, ascending and descending toward the Stairway.

Duan Feihong watched them, then turned to Wang Dun: "Mingyue is human, but he has devoted himself to the Buddhist sect—so even if he achieves an excellent result, the fortune gained will not belong to the human race, but to the Heavenly Buddha Emperor Realm's Buddhist sect!"

"He cannot be counted as human!"

Wang Dun understood this basic truth—he nodded.

Duan Feihong asked: "Have you decided yet?"

Wang Dun replied: "Not yet… don't rush—it's still far from my turn!"

Two incense sticks later, Mingyue's ascent ended.

He was formidable too—reaching the top one hundred, finishing just behind Bai Zhiting at eightieth place.

"Next, Zhu Que clan's Nan Qiqi!" said the Golden Vajra Emperor. "Nan Qiqi's situation is unusual—I must clarify: before the Zhu Que Emperor ascended, he personally severed his own avatar and signed agreements with us many Emperors, vowing to protect the Zhu Que Emperor Realm for ten thousand years!"

"Therefore, for Nan Qiqi's ascent, we shall choose one of our own Emperors as her Breaker—this was our promise to the Zhu Que Emperor!"

"Gentlemen, if you have objections, speak now!"

The Golden Vajra Emperor's gaze swept over the crowd.

Naturally, no one raised objections.

The Golden Vajra Emperor said: "Very well… Black Tortoise Emperor, I rely on you."

"Hehehe…" The Black Tortoise Emperor chuckled: "An honor for this old man… Let's go!"

Nan Qiqi and the Black Tortoise Emperor ascended the Stairway, one above, one below.

Two incense sticks later, the ascent ended.

Nan Qiqi's talent was slightly weaker—she ultimately stopped at one hundred eighty-something.

In some special years, this rank could have made her the top prodigy.

But this year's Stone Platform Gathering had too many prodigies—her rank drew no significant stir.

Others continued ascending one by one.

Notably, Golden Vajra Crown Prince Yuan Wuyou reached sixty-something, and the Kong Que Sacred Maiden climbed to thirty-something!

The rest were unremarkable.

Soon, all twenty-eight had completed their ascents.

Only one remained: Wang Dun.

All eyes turned to Wang Dun.

"Wang Dun!" said the Golden Vajra Emperor. "Now it's your turn—have you chosen your Breaker?"

Under countless stares, Wang Dun rose.

He bowed to the Golden Vajra Emperor: "Alas… I couldn't reach an agreement with Duan Feihong!"

"He wouldn't budge—I had no choice."

Hua …

The crowd erupted again.

Wang Dun then asked: "Your Majesty, Golden Vajra Emperor—may I choose a Breaker below the Mahayana Emperor realm?"

"You know—I simply cannot find a Mahayana Emperor!"

"This…" The Golden Vajra Emperor glanced at the other Emperors.

All Emperors, including the Feng clan's, nearly all nodded.

It's simple!

The human race isn't without Emperors; they just haven't reached an agreement.

If you agree to Wang Dun, Wang Dun won't need Duan Feihong, and the results will surely be poor.

If you refuse, aren't you forcing Wang Dun to find Duan Feihong as the Wallbreaker?

"Fine!" Jin Gang, the Demon Emperor, nodded and said, "The Wallbreaker only needs to be of the same race; there's no requirement for specific cultivation level. As long as it's a human, it's up to you!"

"But I must warn you: although Body Integration cultivators can climb the Stone Platform Stairway to twenty or thirty thousand zhang, as Wallbreakers they cannot fully block the Gang wind—some will always leak through, making your ascent extremely challenging!"

Have you decided?

Wang Dun said: "I've decided."

"Good!" the Demon Emperor said. "Tell me who your Wallbreaker is..."

Wang Dun said: "My Wallbreaker is He Pingsheng!"