Yellow Dragon and his two companions arrived before Eight Sceneries Palace, straightened their robes, and bowed respectfully toward the door.
The door did not open. Xuandu reached out and gave it a gentle push, but it did not budge.
The gates of Eight Sceneries Palace remained firmly shut, showing no sign of opening.
Xuandu paused in surprise, then stepped back twice and bowed toward Eight Sceneries Palace. "Your disciple Xuandu has returned with Senior Brother Yellow Dragon and Senior Brother Duobao to pay our respects, Master."
No response came from within.
Only the mountain wind swept through the pine branches, making their needles rustle.
Yellow Dragon stepped forward as well, straightened his robes, and bowed respectfully toward Eight Sceneries Palace. "Your disciple Yellow Dragon has returned safely from the Western Ox-He Continent to pay his respects, Senior Martial Uncle."
Inside, all remained quiet.
Duobao also stepped forward and bowed, but received no response either.
The three waited outside the thatched cottage for a while. Suddenly, the Dao resonance flowing across the gates of Eight Sceneries Palace dispersed more rapidly, and a faint wisp of black-and-yellow Qi drifted through the gap.
Xuandu looked at that wisp of black-and-yellow Qi and smiled helplessly.
He turned to Yellow Dragon and Duobao. "Master isn't here. It seems we won't be seeing him today."
Yellow Dragon was somewhat disappointed too.
Besides paying his respects to the Supreme Pure Saint, he had come to Mount Shouyang with another matter he wished to ask about... those dozens of bodhi seeds. He was worried that the two Western Saints might have left some hidden trick within them.
Otherwise, he would have already refined the bodhi seeds into Dao enlightenment Spirit Treasures and given them to Xuandu and Duobao to help them comprehend the Great Dao.
Since his eldest