After bidding farewell to Zhao Mingxuan and others from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, Tang Xiaoqi followed the obtained map's guidance, pushing the "Wandering Dragon Nine Transformations" body technique to its limit. His form flashed several times through the innate cloud sea and floating celestial mountains, already traversing numerous dangers. The closer he drew to the Transmission Hall core area marked on the map, the more extraordinary the surrounding environment became.
The originally colorful floating celestial mountains with their various Dao rhymes gradually decreased, replaced by an even vaster void closer to chaos origin. The cloud sea beneath his feet was no longer a soft support but had transformed into a river of innate spiritual liquid flowing with seven-colored radiance. Occasionally, spirit fish condensed entirely from Dao rhymes leaped from within—the "splashes" were all pure law fragments.
The Great Dao rhythms permeating the air were no longer clearly delineated but presented a strange state of undifferentiated chaos yet harmonious coexistence, as if all laws here had returned to their initial source. Naturally formed Great Dao runes began appearing in the void, like golden fish appearing and disappearing, emitting heart-palpitating pressure. Occasionally, one could see some broken ancient corpses floating by the spiritual liquid river or in the void—they had lost their vitality for who knows how many ages, but their bodies still emitted faint divine light. Some were even unconsciously evolving divine abilities from their lives—clearly powerful cultivators who had entered this place over countless years yet ultimately perished, silently telling of the coexistence of fortune and danger here.
Xiao Qi didn't dare the slightest carelessness, fully restraining his aura. Relying on his exquisite body technique and keen perception of danger, he avoided several natural restrictions and spatial traps that appeared calm but actually hid deadly killing intent. He could feel the burning heat transmitted by the jade pendant on his chest growing stronger, the summons toward the Transmission Hall becoming increasingly clear.
Finally, after passing through a chaotic light curtain formed from countless Great Dao runes and slowly rotating like a star spiral, the scene before him suddenly opened up.
It was a platform whose vastness defied verbal description, as if it were the center of the entire Heavenly Dao Palace's internal world. The platform was still paved with that warm white jade, but here the jade tiles were even larger, their naturally formed Dao patterns more complex and profound, faintly corresponding to the stars of the heavens, earth, water, fire, and wind, independently breathing and absorbing unimaginably vast energy.
At the platform's end, the focal point of vision, stood a hall whose magnificence and antiquity could not be described in words.
That was the Transmission Hall.
It was not a single palace but a continuous architectural complex magnificent to the extreme. The main hall was who knows how many tens of thousands of zhang high, seemingly supporting this core void. The hall body presented a chaos texture that was neither black nor white yet contained all colors—consistent with the Heavenly Dao Palace's main body style seen outside the gate earlier, but more concrete, more majestic. Countless thick chains of order descended from the void, winding around the hall's pillars and flying eaves. These divine chains were not inanimate objects but composed of countless flowing Great Dao runes, emitting a supreme intent of maintaining rules and governing all laws.
Surrounding the main hall were several smaller side halls, corresponding to different auxiliary cultivation Daos—alchemy, artifact crafting, formations, talismans, sword, divination, body, and soul. Each side hall emitted unique and powerful Dao rhyme fluctuations.
The entire Transmission Hall complex was shrouded in a thin layer of chaotic mist flowing with seven-colored radiance, appearing mysterious and solemn. Merely standing at a distance and gazing at it, one could feel a majestic pressure and supreme attraction originating from the Great Dao's source, involuntarily giving rise to reverence and yearning.
However, Xiao Qi's gaze didn't linger on the Transmission Hall for long, because he saw that on the massive hall-front plaza, near the edge area shrouded by chaotic mist, several familiar figures had already gathered!
First to catch his eye was that figure in snow-white robes, her temperament cold and clear as an ice lotus—Mu Xue. She stood quietly at a corner of the plaza, her aura deeper and more restrained than before. That extreme ice-coldness seemed to have merged into her very bones, no longer deliberately radiating, yet causing the space around her to show faint signs of freezing. She had clearly gained enormously—her Ice Heart Transparent Dao realm had stabilized and advanced another level.
Next was Ao Qin in sea-blue dragon robes, jade horns on his head, his bearing dignified. He stood with hands behind his back, dragon eyes opening and closing with brilliant light, a dragon shadow faintly circling around him. An even purer and more vast dragon might naturally flowed forth—clearly he had obtained significant benefits at the Dragon Transformation Pool, his bloodline seemingly refined considerably.
Beside Ao Qin was the Mysterious Turtle Elder. He still appeared steady, but the turtle shell phantom behind him seemed even more condensed and thick, emitting an immovable Wutu aura—clearly he had gained much at the Wutu Divine Mountain.
Besides these three, several other figures were on the plaza. Ling Jueyi of the Myriad Swords Sect held his sword, standing alone by a broken coiled dragon stone pillar, his whole being like a peerless divine weapon about to emerge from its sheath. His sword qi was held in reserve, yet even more pure and sharp than before. The palace-robed woman stood before a broken calculation astrolabe, spiritual light flashing at her fingertips, seemingly deducing something, her aura even more elusive and profound. Buddhist cultivator Master Hui Ming sat cross-legged on a massive golden lotus platform phantom, his appearance solemn, Buddhist light shining universally. Even that cold-aired black-robed cultivator and the bronze-skinned burly man had appeared at the plaza's edge, their auras improved to varying degrees.
Clearly, those who could arrive here were all top figures who had gained from their respective fortune grounds and successfully traversed numerous dangers.
Xiao Qi's appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.
Mu Xue's cool gaze swept over, lingering on him for a moment, nodding slightly. Ao Qin laughed heartily, walking forward: "Fellow Daoist Tang! You've finally come! Seems this journey yielded no small harvest!" His gaze was sharp, detecting that while Xiao Qi's aura remained peaceful, inside he had gained an indescribable depth and weight—especially from his dantian, faintly came a burning fluctuation that even made him feel heart-palpitating.
The Mysterious Turtle Elder also stroked his beard and smiled: "Young friend Tang has arrived safely; this old one is relieved."
Xiao Qi exchanged greetings with Ao Qin and the Mysterious Turtle Elder, nodding to Mu Xue as acknowledgment. He could sense that an invisible tacit understanding and faint alliance had formed among Mu Xue, Ao Qin, and the Mysterious Turtle Elder—undoubtedly good news.
"Seems all fellow Daoists have gained something—congratulations." Xiao Qi looked around at everyone, finally fixing his gaze on Ao Qin. "Brother Ao, Fairy Mu Xue, Elder Mysterious Turtle, after arriving here, have you investigated this Transmission Hall? That layer of chaotic mist seems extraordinary."
Ao Qin's expression turned serious, his smile fading as he pointed at the chaotic mist shrouding the hall complex: "Fellow Daoist Tang is correct. We've been here for a while and tried to approach. We discovered the chaotic mist isn't simply a barrier but more like a test. Spiritual sense cannot penetrate it; forcibly entering triggers rejection by all laws. It seems one must use one's own Dao to trigger resonance with the mist to find the entrance."
Mu Xue's cool voice interjected: "Within the mist, Dao rhymes flow, containing the secrets of all laws' beginning. One must sense it with a pure Dao heart—it cannot be broken by force."
Just then, the palace-robed woman who had been deducing with closed eyes suddenly opened her beautiful eyes, a flash of understanding passing through them. Her form moved, taking the lead as she transformed into flowing light rushing toward the chaotic mist. Just as she was about to touch the mist, the formation Dao spiritual light around her body shone brilliantly, resonating with some law in the mist representing "order" and "structure." The mist fluctuated, quietly splitting open a gap that swallowed her figure.
Someone had successfully entered!
This scene instantly stimulated everyone present.
Ling Jueyi coldly snorted, his form transforming into sword light, directly crashing toward the mist! His sword intent was pure to the extreme, intensely colliding with the law fragments in the mist representing "sharpness" and "destruction," forcibly tearing open a brief passage in the mist, rushing in.
Master Hui Ming chanted a Buddhist prayer, Buddhist light protecting his body, lotuses appearing with each step. That chaotic mist upon encountering Buddhist light actually automatically parted a path, as if no law could invade.
The black-robed cultivator's form merged into shadow, strangely "seeping" into the mist. The bronze-skinned burly man roared, relying on incomparably powerful qi and blood force to forcefully withstand the mist's rejection, step by step struggling to squeeze in.
In the blink of an eye, only Xiao Qi, Mu Xue, Ao Qin, and the Mysterious Turtle Elder remained on the plaza.
"We should also set out." Ao Qin looked at Xiao Qi and Mu Xue, "Each using our own methods—see you inside the hall!"
Saying this, he gave a long roar, partially manifesting his dragon form. Vast dragon origin resonated with the laws in the mist representing "water element" and "imperial authority," riding wind and clouds as he charged into the mist.
The Mysterious Turtle Elder cupped his hands to Xiao Qi and Mu Xue. Wutu yellow light around him greatly flourished, an aura thick as the earth merging with the mist, slowly sinking into it.
Mu Xue glanced at Xiao Qi, not saying much. Ice lotuses bloomed around her as extreme ice-coldness and ethereal meaning resonated with the "stillness" and "reflection" law fragments in the mist, her figure quietly merging into the mist and disappearing.
Xiao Qi took a deep breath, gazing at the ceaselessly flowing chaotic mist before him. He could sense its vastness and complexity within. He didn't rush to act but slowly closed his eyes, sinking his mind into his body.
Guardian Sword Intent, Purification Origin, Green Lotus phantom, Four Symbols jade pendant, and even that just-subdued Chaos Pill Fire... All his power and insights at this moment merged into one furnace, transforming into a unique Dao rhyme pursuing "balance" and "returning to truth," slowly radiating outward.
When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and determined. He took one step, walking toward that chaotic mist. Strangely, that mist which originally rejected all things, upon contacting his unique Dao rhyme, was like meeting its own kind—became gentle and compatible, naturally parting to either side, opening for him a peaceful and serene path leading to the Transmission Hall's interior.
The true opportunity of transmission lay within the hall.