Sky Curtain: An Initial Overview of the Immortal Lord of the Myriad Laws of the Mortal World

The light in the sky shifted from its previous grandeur to a soft, warm yellow, like that of an old photograph. It was the color of the sunset, and also the color of memories.

In the scene, the thin, always slightly hunched old Taoist priest Ma Chao is sitting on the threshold, staring blankly at the young Hao Guang practicing his kung fu in the courtyard.

The thing that brings Ma Chao the most satisfaction in his life is watching Haoguang grow up.

Although I shamelessly coaxed Haoguang into the Three Truths Sect back then, it was only because of the choice based on the same month's influence.

[As the master, I have never had the slightest confidence that I could teach a disciple of the Three True Ones recognized by the same month.]

The narrator's voice conveyed a sense of sorrow and helplessness. In the scene, Ma Chao looked at his withered hands, then at his gifted apprentice in the distance, his eyes filled with fear.

The world of Mob Psycho 100.

Inside the Reigen Consultation Center, Reigen Arataka was sitting behind his desk with his legs crossed when he saw this scene, and a bead of cold sweat instantly rolled down his forehead. He guiltily wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Hey, hey, hey, I totally understand this old man's mentality!" Reigen Arataka's internal alarm bells were ringing. "This anxiety of 'I'm clearly a noob, but my apprentice is a peerless genius' is like walking a tightrope every day! He's terrified that one day his apprentice will suddenly turn around and say, 'Master, you actually don't know anything, do you?' If that happens, his dignity as an adult will be completely shattered!"

Shigeo Kageyama (a passerby) was playing with a soup spoon, bending it around. Hearing this, he looked up with a blank expression: "Master, why are you sweating? Are you very hot?"

Reigen Arataka instantly adopted a profound expression, raising a finger: "Mob, remember this: the sweat of the strong is... it's a struggle against the world's gravity! This Mr. Ma Chao, although his strength may not be as great as his apprentice's, his desire to guide his apprentice onto the right path is genuine. Just like with you, the key isn't superpowers, but how to become an excellent person!"

The passersby's eyes shone with admiration: "He truly deserves to be called our master."

The sky continues to tell the story of this master-disciple relationship that resembles that of "abducting" children.

Fortunately, Haoguang's parents were understanding; otherwise, Ma Chao would have been at a loss, given how mediocre his master's cooking skills were!

Ma Chao never doubted Hao Guang's abilities. The reason he couldn't sleep was simply because he worried that his own dullness would mislead Hao Guang and ruin the hopes placed on him by his departing fellow disciples.

The world of "Ne Zha".

At the Golden Light Cave on Qianyuan Mountain, the Immortal Taiyi was riding his flying pig, holding a chicken leg in his hand, looking at the sky, forgetting to chew the meat in his mouth.

"My goodness, why is this old man so honest?" Master Taiyi exclaimed in his Sichuan accent, unable to contain his exasperation. "Taking on disciples is all about fate and a bit of deception! Look at me taking on that silly Nezha. Although the process was a bit bumpy, and I had to be careful not to get killed by him, I never felt like I couldn't teach him well! This old man is just too meticulous. So what if his skills are mediocre? As long as his heart is warm, he can even grasp the profound truths by teaching him to play mahjong!"

Nezha, hands in his pockets, leaned casually against a tree, picking his teeth: "Fatty, is that teaching? That's sparring. But this old man is quite interesting. He thinks he's stupid and is afraid of hindering his apprentice? Pfft, much better than those gods who are clearly bad but insist on pretending."

The world of Assassination Classroom.

In Class E, Koro-sensei's round, yellow face turned pink, and he cupped his cheeks with his tentacles, twisting and turning.

"Wow! This is the ultimate humility of a teacher!" Koro-sensei's voice trembled with emotion. "The fear that my own ignorance might mislead my students—this sense of crisis is precisely the driving force behind becoming a good teacher! Unlike some teachers who just recite from the textbook. Mr. Ma Chao, although your combat power might only be 5, I'd give you full marks for 'loving your students'! Of course, it would be even better if you could be a little more confident, after all, a teacher's silhouette is also part of the teaching material!"

Nagisa Shiota quietly took notes below: "Koro-sensei is indulging in self-admiration again... But that old man named Ma Chao has really gentle eyes."

The scenes on the sky shifted, and time flew by like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall. Ma Chao truly saw the day when Hao Guang would be able to stand on his own.

Thankfully, I actually saw that day come; I've already made a huge profit in my life.

Speaking of which, by forcibly leading Haoguang down a path of disloyalty, will Haoguang harbor even a little bit of resentment towards his master?

This question, like a thorn, remained stuck in Ma Chao's heart for the rest of his life. He had led a child from a good family into a cruel world full of monsters, where death was a constant threat.

The world of Gintama.

Inside the Yorozuya, Sakata Gintoki, unusually, neither picked his nose nor drank strawberry milk. He quietly stared at the screen, a barely perceptible hint of melancholy flashing in his dead fish eyes.

"Holding a grudge...?" Gintoki scratched his naturally curly silver hair, his voice low. "These kinds of questions are usually only troubling for the living. The one left behind, no matter what path they took, as long as they walked that path with that person, who has time to hold a grudge?"

Shinpachi pushed up his glasses, sensing the awkward atmosphere, and cautiously remarked, "Gintoki, you're suddenly so serious, the readers might think we've switched sets. But... this kind of 'leading someone down a path of no return' plot is really stomach-churning. That guy named Koukou probably never even considered holding a grudge."

While eating vinegared kelp, Kagura mumbled, "That's right. Since we ate their candied apples, it's only right that we risk our lives for them, aru. Isn't that how we are at the Yorozuya? We do all sorts of dirty and hard work to pay the rent."

"Hey! Don't portray the bond between master and apprentice like some kind of illegal employment agency!"

The scene finally freezes on an ordinary afternoon. There are no earth-shattering magical clashes, no heart-wrenching separations of life and death.

That day, Ma Chao passed away peacefully in his sleep, a natural death.

But Haoguang never had the chance to answer in person.

That question remained an unresolved regret. The old man closed his eyes, a smile still lingering on his lips, as if he were tired and had fallen asleep.

The world of "The Burial of Frilian".

Frillian was on her way to find Endal when she saw this scene and stopped. The wind blew her white twin tails, and a ripple appeared on her usually indifferent elf face.

"They left while we were chatting..." Frillian said softly. "Human life is so short, like morning dew, gone in an instant. There were so many things left unsaid, so many things left undone. That Haoguang will definitely regret it later. Regret not saying 'I don't hate you' or 'Thank you' more when Master was alive. Even after fifty or a hundred years, this regret will still make my chest feel heavy."

Ferren looked at Frilian, knowing she was thinking of Simmel, and gently tugged at her sleeve: "Lady Frilian..."

"I'm fine." Frillian shook her head. "I just think it's good that the old man was able to die peacefully in his old age."

The world of Time Agent.

In the photo studio, Cheng Xiaoshi looked at Ma Chao's peaceful face on the screen, her fists clenched tightly.

"I didn't have a chance to answer in person..." Cheng Xiaoshi gritted her teeth. "This feeling is the worst. No matter how I go back to the past through photos, no matter how I try to make up for it, if I didn't say some things back then, saying them later will have a different meaning. That's how death is. It doesn't give you time to prepare. It just suddenly closes the door, shutting out all your 'ifs' and 'if only I had known'."

Lu Guang calmly patted him on the shoulder: "The past cannot be changed. But the old man was smiling at the last moment, which shows that he didn't actually need that answer. He believed in his apprentice."

However, after the initial warmth, the narration suddenly takes a dramatic turn, revealing a fact that is both hilarious and exhilarating.

This kind old man didn't get to witness Haoguang become the Demon Lord of the Unparalleled Law.

In a flash, the once youthful Hao Guang was now a demon with overwhelming power, with all laws collapsing behind him. He suppressed the world alone, and his title of "The Demon Lord of the Unprincipled Laws" was enough to make all the gods and Buddhas tremble.

And the one who created all of this was none other than Ma Chao, who could only read books and felt that his skills were mediocre.

The world of Overlord.

At the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown (Momonga) stared at that imposing title, his eyes flashing intensely with red light.

"Wow! 'The Demon Lord of the Unparalleled Law'! That name is so cool!" Ainz screamed inwardly. As a deep-seated chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) sufferer, he was utterly powerless against such arrogant and cool titles. "And he was taught by a kind old man? The contrast is just too amazing! It's like... like Tachi Misan actually taught someone like the Undead King? This script of 'the light of righteousness' giving birth to the 'King of the Demonic Path' is just perfect for me!"

Demiurge adjusted his glasses, looking at Ainz with adoration: "Lord Ainz, it seems you are also interested in the Demon Lords of other worlds. However, in my opinion, no matter what kind of Demon Lord they are, they are nothing but ants before you, the Supreme Being."

Ainz coughed twice, trying to appear calm: "Cough, that's natural. However, a teacher who can produce such a strong person deserves Nazarick's respect."

The world of "Under One Person".

At the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain, the old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei squinted at Haoguang, who was known as the "Demon Lord," and then looked at the deceased Ma Chao, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"Interesting, very interesting." The old master stroked his beard. "There's an old saying: 'The master leads you through the door, but the cultivation is up to you.' But this Brother Ma Chao was led through the Three Truths Method, yet he cultivated into a demon lord. If this were in our world of supernatural beings, those prestigious sects would probably be furious. However… a so-called demon lord, if he can maintain his true nature, might not be inferior to those righteous sects who spout benevolence and morality. Although that old fellow Ma Chao is gone, the seed he planted has grown taller than any other tree."

Zhang Chulan, shrinking back, said, "Master, that's quite a high compliment. But if that old man were alive and saw his disciple become a demon lord, wouldn't he be so scared he'd swallow his dentures?"

Finally, the scene returned to Ma Chao's grave.

The wind and sand swept by, creating a desolate scene. Hao Guang, now a demon lord, had shed his former ferocity and stood quietly before the tombstone. He held a bright red candied apple in his hand and gently placed it on the grave.

[Haoguang was lured to join the Three Truths Sect with a candied apple back then; today, at Ma Chao's grave, Haoguang returns the favor with a candied apple.]

Time, like wind and sand, has taken Ma Chao's life, but it cannot take away Ma Chao's contributions to Sanzhen, nor his love for Haoguang.

[And what cannot be taken away is the deep affection of someone who has been a teacher for a day, and will be a father for life.]

The world of One Piece.

On the snowy plains of Drum Island, Chopper looked at the candy apple and cried his eyes out, his face covered in snot and tears.

"Waaaaah! Doctor Kureha! Dr. Hiluluk!" Chopper cried and shouted, "This scene is too unfair! The candied apple... it's just like Dr. Hiluluk's cherry blossoms! Even though he's gone, his feelings, his promise, will always remain! That Demon Lord must miss that old man so much! Even though he became the Demon King feared by the whole world, in front of his master, he was still that little boy who loved candied apples!"

Kureha took a sip of plum wine, her eyes slightly red, but she still stubbornly said, "Shut up, you stupid reindeer. But... this is what they call inheritance, isn't it? Whether it's medical skills, supernatural powers, or this clumsy love."

The world of "A Thought Through Eternity".

Bai Xiaochun watched that scene, and the pills he was holding fell to the ground. He was the most afraid of death, but also the most sentimental.

"So touching...so heartbreaking..." Bai Xiaochun wiped away her tears. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. I'm reminded of Uncle Li Qinghou. If it weren't for him leading me into the Lingxi Sect, I'd still be burning incense at the village entrance, afraid of being struck by lightning. Although Ma Chao's cultivation isn't high, he's a truly good master! This sugar apple is more precious than any Nine-Turn Golden Elixir! I want to give Uncle Li something too...what should I give him? Will giving him a spirit-tailed chicken get me killed?"

The world of Naruto.

Ichiraku Ramen. Iruka-sensei was treating Naruto to ramen when he stopped eating, looking at the scene on the screen.

"Candy apples..." Iruka looked at Naruto beside him, who was slurping up ramen, his eyes softening. "Just like this bowl of ramen. It's not something expensive, but it's the bridge connecting two people. That guy named Ma Chao, although he considered himself mediocre, he successfully passed on the 'Will of Fire'... oh no, it's the 'Will of the Three Truths'. As a teacher, to be remembered like this by a student is the greatest honor."

Naruto looked up, noodles dangling from his mouth, grinning foolishly, "Iruka-sensei, what are you talking about? I want to buy you candied apples too! Oh, no, I mean, I want to treat you to ramen! The kind with lots of chashu!"

Iruka chuckled and patted Naruto's head: "Idiot, eat up."

The world of "We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day".

In the secret base of the Super Peace Busters, Menma (Meiko Honma) floated in the air with her transparent figure, looking at the candy apple, and large tears fell down.

"Menma knows..." she laughed through her tears, "The scene of the one left behind delivering gifts is the most unbearable. That person named Kouguang must really want to hear Master's voice again. Even though he can't see, Menma feels that Grandpa Ma Chao must have received it. That candied apple must have been very, very sweet..."

Jinta lowered the brim of his hat to cover his slightly reddened eyes: "Ah... that stupid demon lord, the last thing he did wasn't bad."

The light and shadows in the sky gradually faded, leaving only the sugar apple placed on the grave, which looked particularly bright in the wind and sand.

It is not merely an offering, but a closed loop of reincarnation. It begins with deception and ends with genuine affection; it rises from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of demonic power.

Ma Chao's life was like this sugar apple: rough on the outside, but sweet enough to break your heart on the inside.