Tang Xiaoqi stepped with lotus blooming. Golden dao rhyme lotuses bloomed in succession behind him, then slowly merged into the void, paving a peaceful road for him toward the Heavenly Palace. This startling omen not only greatly alleviated his own pressure but its emanating pure, protective, vital dao rhyme even faintly neutralized part of the chaotic violent law impacts around, making those following behind him---Ao Qin, the black turtle elder, and others---also feel the weight on their shoulders lighten, making their advance smoother.
Ao Qin looked at that steady and firm figure treading golden lotuses ahead, his dragon eyes sparkling repeatedly. His last trace of pride stemming from his origins and strength also completely transformed into equal respect. He no longer forcibly burned dragon yuan but followed therhythm brought by the golden lotus dao rhyme, adjusting his own breath. His pace also became steady. The black turtle elder walked step by step, staying as close as possible to the lotus path Xiao Qi had traversed, feeling that rare dao rhyme baptism.
And Mu Xue, who had long since adapted to the pressure through her ice-heart clear dao realm, had also arrived at the plaza's end. She did not rush to try pushing open the closed palace gate but stood quietly before it. Her ice-blue aura flowed around her, seemingly further comprehending the even more intense and pure dao rhyme there, waiting for her companions.
As they advanced deeper, the scene at the plaza's end became clearer.
That was not an empty space but nine enormous dragon-coiling jade pillars. The pillars were not traditional stone or metal but, like the plaza ground tiles, carved from some warm white jade, though darker in color, as ifstar river flowing within. The nine pillars were distributed according to some mysterious trajectory, vaguely forming an embracing situation, guarding the Heavenly Palace's main gate in the center. Each pillar was entwined with a lifelike five-clawed golden dragon statue. Dragon scales were clear, dragon eyesmajestic, dragon mouths slightly open, as if ready to emit a world-shaking dragon roar at any moment, emanating ancient and vast aura.
Between the pillars, a thin layer of chaotic-colored light curtain rippled like water. On the light curtain, various colored runes were born and perished, emanating principles even more refined and closer to the source than on the plaza. Clearly, these nine dragon-coiling jade pillars constituted the Heavenly Palace's final barrier. Only those who truly passed the plaza trial, whose dao heart and foundation were recognized, could safely pass through this light curtain and arrive before the palace gate.
When Xiao Qi stepped on the last golden lotus and his body passed through that chaotic light curtain, the golden lotus omen around him slowlyrestrained and finally fully merged into his body. An indescribable comfortable sensation spread through his entire body, as if setting down a thousand pounds' burden, or completing asoul'sbaptism. He felt his Golden Core more refined, his spiritual power more pure. Especially his understanding of protection and purification dao, he had taken a huge step forward, already touching the threshold of Yuan Ying middle stage.
He looked back. Ao Qin and the black turtle elder had also passed through the light curtain one after another. Ao Qin's aura was somewhat fluctuating, but his dragon eyes were bright, clearly having gained much. The black turtle elder let out a long breath, the turtle shell phantasm behind him slowly dissipating. His face showed some exhaustion, but more was satisfaction. And the mermaid woman and flood-guard yaksha, when still a hundred zhang from the light curtain, had reached their limit. They sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate and consolidate using the dao rhyme there. They knew themselves they had no hope of reaching the palace gate. Being able to walk here was already a tremendous fortune, not daring to demand more.
Those who passed through the light curtain were only Xiao Qi, Mu Xue, Ao Qin, and the black turtle elder---four people. Looking around, from several other directions, figures also passed through similar light curtains one after another, arriving before the palace gate. The number was small, totaling no more than a dozen, each with profound aura, divine light internally hidden. Clearly all were top talents who had entered the Star Ruins, possessing powerful strength and firm dao hearts, successfully passing the plaza's selection.
Xiao Qi saw Wan Jian Sect heir Ling Jueyi, whom he had met once before. He was still that cold and lonely appearance, embracing his sword, standing alone beside a jade pillar. His surrounding sword intent was held but seemed able to cut through void. He also saw a young Buddhist cultivator in moon-white monk robes holding prayer beads, his countenance dignified, faint Buddhist light revolving behind his head. This was precisely Master Hui Ming, whom he had briefly met at the Star Ruins' periphery. In several other directions were a cultivator completely shrouded in black robes with cold aura, a woman in gorgeous palace attire with painting-like features but commanding dignity, and a sturdy man with ancient bronze-colored skin and blood energy like a furnace.
All eyes ultimately gathered on the same focal point---the closed Heavenly Palace gate.
The gate was a hundred zhang tall. Its material was consistent with the palace's main body, neither gold nor jade but chaotic-colored, as if condensing directly from endless principles. The gate doors were tightly closed, perfectly aligned, with no keyhole or handle.
What attracted everyone's attention were the patterns and lines engraved on the enormous gate.
Those were not specific images or text but countless intricate and ununderstandable lines and symbols interwoven, constituting an enormous three-dimensional dao pattern diagram. These dao patterns were not static but slowly flowing and changing. Sometimes like nebulae rotating, sometimes like rivers rushing, sometimes becoming grass and tree growth, sometimes presenting birds, beasts, fish, and insect forms, sometimes returning to the simplest points, lines, planes... They seemed to be depicting the birth of the universe, the evolution of all things, the rise and fall of civilizations, even the ultimate mystery of the dao.
Merely gazing at these dao patterns, one could feel resonance or repulsion from the dao one cultivated. The divine soul seemed about to be drawn into that endless dao rhyme evolution. Those with weak will, if looking too long, would have their spirits damaged.
Above the lintel, those two ancient characters "Heavenly Dao" (Heavenly Principle) containing supreme dao rhyme also seemed alive, reflecting the dao patterns on the door, emanating the overbearing will governing all laws.
"It seems this gate is the final trial." Ao Qin's voice broke the silence before the palace gate. His gaze burned as he stared at the dao patterns on the door. "It cannot be opened by force. One must use comprehension, use one's own dao to induce the gate mechanism, only then to gain entry."
Mu Xue slightly nodded. Her cold gaze swept across the dao patterns on the door, seemingly searching for nodes resonating with her ice-heart clear dao.
Ling Jueyi's embraced sword emitted a soft cry. His entire person seemed to transform into a sheathed sword about to be drawn, his sharp gaze attempting to directly "cut open" the fog of dao patterns with sword intent.
That palace-attired woman extended her slender jade finger. Spiritual light danced at her fingertip, seemingly calculating and deducing. Buddhist cultivator Hui Ming chanted true words, attempting to communicate with it through Buddhist dharma. The black-robed cultivator had black mist swirling around him, his aura mysterious. The bronze-colored strong man let out a low roar and directly threw a punch at the gate. However,fist power sufficient to split mountains and crack earth landed on the door but did not even stir a ripple. Instead, it was bounced back by a soft yet overbearing force, making him grunt, retreat several steps, his facea flush.
Everyone understood that brute force was useless here.
Xiao Qi gazed at those flowing mysterious dao patterns. The jade pendant in his chest emitted a series of warm, rapid palpitations, as if urging and guiding. He took a deep breath and settled his spirit.
He knew that whether he could enter this final Patriarch's legacy land depended on whether he could penetrate the mystery on this door and find that "key" belonging to himself. The fortune was right before his eyes, yet separated by the last and most trial-of-comprehension-and-dao-realm checkpoint.