Kong Xuan only had his weapon ranked on the list, so he received only one ranking reward, unlike others who could choose between two options. However, Kong Xuan was not dissatisfied. On the contrary, he was very content with the reward, as it filled a gap in his arsenal: a supremely powerful offensive divine ability that complemented his strengths. Official source ıs novel·fıre·net
[Taiyi Zhenren]: "So, Kong Xuan has only one reward, but it suits him perfectly!"
Kong Xuan was already exceptionally powerful. With this addition of a mighty offensive divine ability, his strength would soar even higher.
Without hesitation, Kong Xuan claimed the divine ability and quickly mastered it. The ability felt entirely different from what he had known before, empowering him to unleash immense strength at will. With just a casual trial, a black beam of light burst forth from his palm, obliterating a towering mountain of ten thousand feet into dust. The vast rocky terrain turned to nothingness.
This was achieved with less than one percent of the power the ability could unleash. Imagining its full force was enough to highlight how formidable it was. Kong Xuan felt immensely satisfied. Not only did this divine ability elevate his power, but it also promised to enhance his status within Buddhism.
Currently, Kong Xuan's strength was nearing that of Tathagata Bodhisattva. He understood, however, that even with such a powerful divine ability, matching Tathagata was still an impossibility. Nevertheless, it gave him a chance. Ranking rewards often brought great opportunities, and if he could acquire something equally suitable in the future, he might indeed surpass Tathagata Bodhisattva.
Kong Xuan's reward stirred envy among others, particularly Zhunti and Sun Wukong.
[Sun Wukong]: "This is the ideal kind of reward—something that doesn't have to be overly powerful but fits perfectly. I just hope my reward for being ranked 100th turns out to be decent!"
Sun Wukong was desperate to increase his strength. To escape Five Elements Mountain again, he needed to grow much stronger. The ranking reward was his only hope. However, being ranked 100th left him uncertain about what kind of reward he would receive. Hence, he envied Kong Xuan's tailored reward so much.
Only by obtaining something equally suitable could Sun Wukong have a chance to escape Five Elements Mountain. Otherwise, the strengthened mountain would remain an insurmountable obstacle.
In reality, Sun Wukong's efforts were futile. Tathagata Bodhisattva had long identified him as one of the key figures in the Journey to the West and would never allow him to escape. Even if Five Elements Mountain failed to suppress him, Tathagata would find and reimpose the seal. If one mountain wasn't enough, he'd use two; if two didn't work, he'd use ten—whatever was necessary to ensure the Journey to the West unfolded as planned.
Sun Wukong still didn't understand why he remained imprisoned. He thought it was due to his havoc in the Heavenly Palace, but that was only partially true. If the Jade Emperor had truly wanted to punish him, he would have sought to eliminate him completely rather than just imprisoning him under the mountain. After all, Sun Wukong had embarrassed the Jade Emperor in front of the entire celestial court.
[Zhunti]: "Ranking rewards don't necessarily get better the higher you rank. Even those lower on the list might receive something extraordinary. It all depends on whether the reward suits you. For example, my rewards are utterly useless to me and can only be handed down to my disciples."
Zhunti, whose rank was not far from the 100th position, had received two subpar options that were of no significant benefit to him. He had reluctantly chosen one but was clearly dissatisfied.
As the rewards were announced one by one, it was soon Zhunti's turn again at the 40th rank.
[Weapon List Reward for 60th Place: Purifying Water]
Effect: Cleanses all toxins and impurities from the body. Does not heal injuries. Regardless of the severity of one's wounds, as long as they are immersed in the water, their life can be preserved for a limited time. However, the duration of effectiveness is restricted.
This reward was a rare treasure for those in need but practically useless for anyone else. Unless someone was poisoned or severely injured, the purifying water would serve no purpose, functioning merely as ordinary water.
In Buddhism, where treasures and secret arts for cleansing the body and healing were abundant, such a reward was redundant and valueless.
When Zhunti saw the reward, he felt a headache coming on. He had hoped for something better, but this first reward was already disappointing. If the second option turned out to be even worse, he might as well have ranked for nothing.
As a saint, Zhunti had no choice but to accept whatever the Golden List offered. No one dared disrupt the rankings, not even saints.
Buddhist disciples nearby also frowned upon seeing the reward, clearly distressed at their saint's misfortune.
[Guanyin Bodhisattva]: "Why are the Golden List rewards becoming so poor? Earlier rewards were increasingly better and perfectly suited to their recipients. But now, Zhunti's rewards are getting worse and worse. Even saints would be frustrated!"
[Sun Wukong]: "Don't rush to conclusions! The second reward hasn't appeared yet. Why panic now? The next one might be incredible!"
As they discussed, the second reward appeared.
[Weapon List Reward for 60th Place: Myriad Buddha Exquisite Pagoda]
Effect: This pagoda contains a small internal world with vast space to store items or living beings. It can also be used in combat. However, violent impacts during battle may destabilize the internal space.
Initially, Zhunti was delighted by this reward. Though not extraordinary, it was a practical and valuable treasure. But upon reading further, he realized its flaws. A pagoda whose internal space became unstable during combat was essentially incomplete and not a true spiritual treasure.
Seeing these two rewards left Zhunti feeling irritable and exasperated. Both options were terrible.