This situation was completely beyond Sun Wukong's expectations. He had believed his chances of making it onto the rankings were extremely high. Yet, the reality proved otherwise—he had no opportunity to be listed at all.
This also meant that his hopes of escaping Five Elements Mountain were practically impossible to realize. Without the ranking rewards, there was no way his strength could suddenly skyrocket.
[Erlang Shen]: Hahaha, this guy must be your master, right? That's Bodhi Ancestor's divine abilities, not yours. Yet, you actually thought you could make the list. In the end, you turned out to be nothing at all!
[Sun Wukong]: I didn't make it on the list, but do you think you can? You're even worse off than me!
[Chiyou]: This is utterly doomed now. How many members of the Wu Tribe can make it onto this list?
The Wu Tribe valued physical strength, so in the first rankings, apart from himself, a few others managed to make it. However, this ranking focused on divine abilities and spells, which were not the tribe's forte. In fact, such practices were often neglected or even abandoned by them.
Other than Houtu, who as a Saint might have a chance, Chiyou couldn't think of any tribe member capable of making it onto this list—not even himself.
This round revealed a harsh truth: even those who made it onto the previous two lists might not necessarily succeed this time.
[Nezha]: This time, only those with extremely powerful abilities and unmatched spells will appear on the list. Weak individuals don't stand a chance! ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveIＦire.net
[Taiyi Zhenren]: You're right, but don't forget about the teachers of divine abilities and spells. Even if their disciples are highly skilled, they won't qualify for the list. Each spell can only appear once; duplicates don't count!
This was the crux of the matter. In the vast world of the Primordial World, while many strong individuals existed, those with exceptional divine abilities or spells were scarce. Besides the Saints, the remaining contenders were mostly Quasi-Saints. Others relied on teachings from others.
This ranking provided no opportunities for those reliant on others, no matter how strong they were. The absence of rewards was almost a certainty.
[Ancestor Minghe]: That may be true, but if one's strength is sufficient and they have their own divine abilities or spells, there's still a chance!
Ancestor Minghe remained confident in his own strength. Unlike Sun Wukong, his divine abilities and spells were entirely self-created, rather than taught by anyone. With his strength and originality, there was no reason he couldn't make the list.
Moreover, as one of the strongest Quasi-Saints aside from the Saints, failing to rank would indeed signal a problem.
In any case, this round completely shattered the ambitions of weaker individuals hoping to make it onto the rankings.
For most, there was little hope of ranking to begin with. Only a select few could make it.
The only one truly agonizing over this was likely Sun Wukong. Once filled with confidence and ready to claim his reward, he now found himself unqualified even to compete.
All his opportunities had been taken by his master, Bodhi Ancestor. Yet, it wasn't fair to say Bodhi had "stolen" them, as Sun Wukong's skills were entirely derived from Bodhi. The ranking list simply reflected the source of the techniques.
Bodhi Ancestor, unlike others, cared little for the rewards. Having reached a state of detachment, such prizes held no allure for him.
If the rewards were given to Sun Wukong, Bodhi would be pleased, for he still held affection for his clever former disciple, despite expelling him from the sect.
Unfortunately, the rigid rules of the Golden List left no room for maneuvering.
As the rankings continued to be announced, one divine ability after another appeared, broadening everyone's horizons. For weaker individuals, these revelations offered a rare glimpse into the powers of the strong, whom they usually couldn't even approach.
However, the announcement of the 63rd spot dealt a severe blow to Sun Wukong.
[Rank 63 on the Technique List: Past and Future Body, User: Tathagata]
This divine ability was particularly unique. Once performed, it allowed the user to split into three bodies, somewhat resembling One Qi Producing Three Purities. However, it was less potent in comparison.
This ability significantly contributed to Tathagata Bodhisattva's strength, surpassing ordinary divine abilities and ensuring his dominance in the Western World.
Tathagata hadn't been entirely confident about making the list. After all, every listed individual was immensely powerful, generally at least at the Quasi-Saint level.
Sun Wukong, on the other hand, was left despondent. The fact that Tathagata ranked while he remained trapped beneath Five Elements Mountain only dimmed his hopes further.
He had wished for anyone but Tathagata to rank. If Tathagata gained strength through the ranking rewards, even if Sun Wukong received rewards later, it wouldn't be enough to break free.
But now, not only did Sun Wukong fail to make the list, but Tathagata achieved a significant ranking of 63rd. The rewards he earned would undoubtedly shock Sun Wukong.
[Sun Wukong]: Even that guy Tathagata made it onto the list. It seems this ranking has abandoned me entirely. Once Tathagata grows stronger, my chances of escaping Five Elements Mountain will only diminish further!
[Guanyin Bodhisattva]: No need to rush. Five Elements Mountain is merely a trial for you. If you admit your mistakes and change, there will still be opportunities ahead.
[Tathagata]: Trapping you under Five Elements Mountain is not just a punishment but also a chance for you. If you're wise enough to seize it, it'll be far better than remaining oppressed indefinitely.
[Sun Wukong]: What do you mean? You're justifying trapping me under Five Elements Mountain with such excuses?!
[Tathagata]: I'm simply reminding you to recognize your own strength and avoid blindly attempting to escape. Without the help of ranking rewards, all your efforts will be futile.