Luo Xia didn't hesitate. He followed Mordo straight through the ring, which kept spraying sparks. It seemed to offer no resistance at all; Luo Xia stepped out of the icy cave and into a place as warm as spring.
The portal didn't close until everyone in Tony's group had passed through. Then it slowly faded away.
Luo Xia found himself in a place that looked like a courtyard or plaza, with warm sunlight overhead.
Tony looked around in surprise. "Kamar-Taj isn't far from Kathmandu, is it? There was a massive snowstorm outside. How far did we travel?"
Mordo didn't explain. He simply told Luo Xia and the others, "Sorry, the Sorcerer Supreme isn't at Kamar-Taj at the moment. You can stay here for now, though. When she returns, you can ask her for guidance."
Everyone turned to Luo Xia. He nodded. "We'll stay here and wait for a few days."
Then Luo Xia asked Mordo, "If you can open portals, why didn't you save those sick people? Even if you can't treat their illness, you could've taken them to a hospital."
"We can't use magic to disrupt the laws of nature. We must defend them. If we casually violate those laws, we'll eventually pay the price. That's the inevitable consequence of cause and effect," Mordo explained.
"Then why did you bring that girl back through the snowstorm? Wasn't that against the laws of nature?" Luo Xia pressed.
"When I rescued her, I didn't use magic. And when she fell ill afterward, I was powerless to help," Mordo replied.
"So you won't open a portal to bring food to the people in the cave, either?" Luo Xia asked.
"That's part of the natural order. I can't interfere," Mordo said with a nod.
"Good thing I left a few boxes of crackers