Tang Xiaoqi's fingertip flowed with gentle and pure platinum light, carrying the determination of guarding and the purity of purification, moving with a wonderful rhythm toward the ceaselessly flowing mysterious Dao patterns on that Chaos Gate. His target was not a fixed point but those few rune node phantoms that emanated meanings of "guarding,""purification,""balance," and "vitality," and faintly resonated with the Green Lotus origin and Four Symbols jade pendant within his body.
This action, in the eyes of others who were still bitterly comprehending or trying other methods, seemed somewhat abrupt, even somewhat... rash.
Ling Jueyi's sharp gaze swept over, his brows slightly furrowing. He was still dissecting the Dao pattern essence with sword intent and felt Xiao Qi's action was too superficial. The palace-robed woman's deduction had just captured a trace of structural patterns; seeing this, she could not help but pause her calculations, her beautiful eyes filled with scrutiny. The black-robed cultivator's black mist fluctuated slightly, seemingly also watching. Master Hui Ming's Buddhist light continued its slow penetration, unmoved. Ao Qin's dragon eyes narrowed as he stared tightly at Xiao Qi's fingertip—he believed Xiao Qi was not one to act without purpose.
Just as Xiao Qi's fingertip was about to touch that gate that seemed condensed from ten thousand Dao origins, a transformation occurred!
The platinum light at his fingertip did not make any physical contact with the gate, nor did it trigger any energy impact. However, the moment the unique Dao rhyme contained in that light subtly overlapped with the movement trajectories of those specific rune node phantoms on the gate—
"Buzz..."
A low sound of resonance, as if originating from the depths of the soul, rang out from within the gate.
Immediately after, those few rune nodes that had originally been illusory and flowing like the moon in water or flowers in a mirror suddenly lit up with gentle and pure platinum light! They were no longer illusory but instantly became solid and clear, as if emerging from the endless ocean of Dao patterns to become the absolute core of this region.
Even more shocking was that as these core nodes lit up, the originally complex and disordered, dazzling Dao patterns around them seemed to be drawn by some invisible force and began to automatically adjust, arrange, and combine! Countless tiny rune lines, as if possessed of life, rapidly sketched and connected around these platinum core nodes, eventually forming a relatively simple yet complete Dao pattern diagram containing true meanings of "guarding,""purification,""balance," and "returning to truth"!
This diagram was highly compatible with Xiao Qi's own Dao, as if it were a "keyhole" tailor-made for him!
"Resonance Dao Pattern! He found his own Dao key!" Ao Qin could not help but exclaim in a low voice, his dragon eyes filled with shock. He knew deeply what this meant—this was not forced breaking but his own Dao receiving recognition from the Heavenly Dao Palace's origin, bestowing an exclusive trial and opportunity!
Xiao Qi was completely focused, his entire mind immersed in resonance with that platinum Dao pattern diagram. He could feel his Golden Core spinning joyfully within him, the Green Lotus phantom gently swaying in his Sea of Consciousness, and the Four Symbols jade pendant transmitting waves of warmth like tidal power. The platinum light at his fingertip grew increasingly brilliant, pouring all his understanding and conviction of the "guarding" and "purification" Dao into it without reservation.
"Open!"
A silent command in his heart.
That platinum Dao pattern diagram suddenly burst forth with dazzling but not blinding light, like a bright lamp ignited on the Chaos Gate!
"Rumble..."
A heavy, ancient rumbling sound, as if isolating eternal ages, slowly transmitted from within the gate. This sound was not a loud bang but carried a grand meaning of opening heaven and earth, of epochal change, causing everyone's souls present to tremble slightly.
Under everyone's unblinking gaze, that hundred-zhang-high Chaos Gate, which seemed to have existed eternally, cracked open an imperceptible slit from the center!
Just a sliver of an opening, and an indescribable force of "innate qi," pure to the extreme, ancient to the extreme, as if containing the secrets of all things' origins, surged forth from the crack like a flood from a broken dam!
This breath rushed forth, instantly sweeping across the entire area before the palace gate. It was not ordinary heavenly and earthly spiritual energy but an even more primordial, higher-level mixture of energy and Dao rhyme. Inhaling one breath caused every pore to open, meridians to leap with joy, and the soul to feel as if being washed clean. Many obscure points from past cultivation seemed to show signs of loosening! Even cultivation bottlenecks that had been stagnant for a long time seemed to have opportunities for breakthrough!
"Innate Qi! It's the legendary Innate Qi!" The palace-robed woman cried out in shock, no longer able to maintain her previous dignified composure, her face filled with excitement and greed. Such breath was only sporadically recorded in the most ancient texts—it was the origin energy that evolved all things at the beginning of heaven and earth, a supreme treasure for cultivators!
The sword in Ling Jueyi's arms emitted a clear trembling sound, as if also craving to absorb this breath. Master Hui Ming's surrounding Buddhist light became more solid and thick under the nourishment of this innate qi. The black mist around the black-robed cultivator violently churned, frantically devouring the escaping innate qi. Ao Qin spread his arms wide, his dragon origin automatically circulating, greedily absorbing it with an expression of intoxication on his face.
And that gate did not stop opening.
Accompanied by continuous, soul-shaking "rumbling" sounds, that crack grew larger and larger—from a sliver to a finger's width, then to a foot, a zhang... Finally, between the two door panels, a magnificent light gate formed, dozens of zhang high and wide enough for several people to pass through side by side!
The scene behind the gate also gradually revealed itself to everyone's eyes through the opening crack.
It was not the palace interior one might have imagined, but a vast world of swirling clouds and mist, filled with immortal qi! Looking out, one could see floating celestial mountains in the distance, with waterfalls like the Milky Way cascading down—what flowed was not ordinary water but spiritual liquid shimmering with seven-colored radiance. Pavilions and towers were nestled among exotic flowers and rare plants, jade branches and treasure leaves, appearing and disappearing, their style ancient and mysterious, unlike any known architectural style in this realm. In the sky, celestial cranes and auspicious beasts soared, issuing clear cries. Deeper within, the outlines of even more massive palace complexes seemed to float in the clouds, emitting even more majestic and vast auras.
The pure innate qi was precisely permeating from this immortal-realm-like world.
Fortune! Supreme fortune lay just beyond the gate!
Almost the moment the gate stably opened, Ling Jueyi, who was closest, was the first to move! He transformed into sword light, fast as lightning, shooting directly toward that open light gate, wanting to be the first to rush in and seize the opportunity!
"Amitabha!" Master Hui Ming chanted a Buddhist prayer, golden lotuses appearing beneath his feet. His speed was also not slow as he pursued closely.
The palace-robed woman, the black-robed cultivator, the bronze-skinned burly man, and several other prodigies who had successfully arrived from other directions also reacted at this moment, each displaying their divine abilities, transforming into streams of various colored lights, scrambling to rush toward that open palace gate!
The scene instantly transformed from extreme stillness to extreme motion!
"Let's go too!" Ao Qin shouted in a low voice, his dragon origin erupting as he prepared to follow closely behind.
However, Xiao Qi stood in place, not immediately acting. He gazed at the fully opened gate emitting endless temptation, and at the figures scrambling before it, even beginning to faintly guard against and obstruct each other, his brows slightly furrowing. Although the palace gate had opened, that immortal-realm-like world beyond gave him a complex feeling of both familiarity and strangeness, as if hiding unknown trials.
But at this moment, there was no time for him to think further.
"Go!" He nodded to Mu Xue and Ao Qin, and the three simultaneously transformed into streams of light, merging into the crowd rushing toward the fortune. The true journey of the Heavenly Dao Palace had only now officially begun.