Lucas Lin waved his hand and said, "Guests are guests, and should follow their host's lead. Let's just have a look around."
This Dao Palace was enormous, with many Daoists cultivating their arts. Qin Mu and the others came to a spot where Daoists were practicing: before them stood a copper wall over ten zhang high and more than a zhang thick. An old Daoist said slowly, "All things in the world are made up of countless particles—the human body, and even copper walls and iron barriers. If you can see through this, you can alter your body's structure and match the vibration frequency of your body's particles to that of the wall, allowing you to pass through. Master the Wall-Passing Art, and no restriction or seal in the world can hinder you. Watch me."
He walked up to the copper wall, slowly stepped inside, passed through it, and emerged on the other side—then strolled back and said, "You can try now."
The young Daoists cheered and tried one by one. Some crashed into the wall and bloodied their heads, but a few managed to pass through.
The old Daoist squinted as he watched the youngsters practice, occasionally correcting their mistakes.
The Dragon-Qilin watched curiously and couldn't help but say, "Elder, you're missing a disciple! There were seventeen just now, but now there are only sixteen!"
The old Daoist counted and immediately panicked. He slapped the copper wall hard, and a Daoist who hadn't mastered the technique and was stuck inside was knocked out by the blow, gasping for breath, nearly dead.
The old Daoist looked at the Dragon-Qilin and praised, "You have spiritual roots. Would you like to join our Azurecloud Sect and cultivate with me?"
The Dragon-Qilin shook his head.
"Dao Gate's Wall-Passing Art is a bit like the Heavenly Saint Cult's Phantom Shadow Devil Art, and also a bit like Grandpa Cripple's Heaven-Snatch Switch-Hand."
Qin Mu watched for a while, then said to Heaven-Guide Venerable, "The principles are just a little different. As long as you understand the logic, it's not hard to learn."
Heaven-Guide Venerable was eager to try. "I think I understand. May I give it a go?"
Qin Mu nodded.
Heaven-Guide Venerable walked up to the copper wall, passed straight through it, and then walked back out.
The old Daoist's eyes lit up and he smiled, "This young man has real spiritual roots..."
Qin Mu quickly pulled Heaven-Guide Venerable away. They wandered to another part of the Dao Palace, where some Daoists were gathered around a huge circular platform, drawing a formation diagram.
Qin Mu stepped forward and looked, his face suddenly changing as he asked in a deep voice, "Are you drawing the Full-Heaven Star-Chart?"
"You have a good eye. Which divine kingdom are you from?" a Daoist asked, looking up.
Lucas Lin stepped forward, his face also changing as he stared at the diagram and rasped, "The sky-chart covering Yankang was made by Azurecloud Heaven?"
Daoist Chaz raised his eyebrows, clearly displeased. Lucas Lin said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Jaden."
Jaden Jadehall glanced at Qin Mu, frowning slightly. "As for Qin the Overlord Body, you really shouldn't have come to Azurecloud Heaven. The Heavenly Saint Cult is also called the Heavenly Demon Cult—exorcising demons and defending the Dao is our Dao Gate's duty. Besides, Yankang is a target Heavenly Court wants wiped out."
Qin Mu looked up at the sky, his gaze landing on Heaven Duke's form, and laughed, "Whether for public or private reasons, I had to come. If I didn't, the world would change."
Jaden Jadehall looked at him, sensing a deeper meaning in his words, but didn't dwell on it. "That's the Dao Palace over there. I'll take you to meet Azurecloud Heaven's sect master. Whether he'll see you or not, I can't say."
The Dao Palace sat at the heart of Azurecloud Heaven, ringed by towering mountains. Twenty-four halls encircled the palace, each likely corresponding to one of Azurecloud Heaven's twenty-four divine kingdoms.
Azurecloud Heaven was one branch of Dao Gate—the Azurecloud Sect. Its scale was already immense, and Dao Gate surely had other branches. One could only imagine how formidable the true Dao Gate's power was!
They arrived outside the Dao Palace and dismounted from their mounts. Jaden Jadehall told them to wait outside, then hurried up the stone steps toward the golden hall at the summit.
The stone steps were built along the mountainside. Looking up, no one could tell how many steps there were—too many to count.
"Is this how they treat guests?"
Daoist Chaz laughed in exasperation. He pulled a steel trident from his Dao crown and shouted, "We may not be orthodox, but we're still Dao Gate! No reason to leave us outside! Dao Lord, let's storm in and turn the place upside down!"