Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality

"Willow God," the little one said, resting his head against the willow stump, then suddenly looked up, "when can I learn the 'Original True Explanation'?"

The willow branches swayed gently.

"It's still early. To reach the Blood Transformation Realm, one must push it to its limit."

"You don't have to be like him, but you should at least reach the extreme."

The little one blinked, looking a bit confused.

"Isn't Uncle Li supposed to be a bit lacking in talent? He's reached the pinnacle of the Blood Transformation Realm already?"

He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then a look of sudden realization appeared on his little face:

"Turns out, achieving perfection isn't that difficult after all!"

Then he sat up abruptly, his eyes shining like two little lamps:

"Then I've made up my mind, I'm going to surpass the pinnacle of the Blood Transformation Realm!"

Liu Shen fell silent.

How should she respond to this topic?

Silly child, I was just teasing you.

Liu Shen chose to remain silent.

The little one didn't notice anything amiss. He took out a piece of white bone from his pocket, held it in his palm, and examined it over and over. He rubbed it with his little fingers, his eyes full of curiosity.

This bone was given to him by Shi Yunfeng, who said it was related to the Willow God. But the Willow God also said that he couldn't learn it yet.

"What is this? Is it some kind of magic technique?" he asked, looking up.

"It's not a magical technique," Willow God's voice echoed in his mind, "but an explanation of cultivation. It's very precious, so don't tell others easily."

"Can't we tell Uncle Li either?" The little boy put the bone into his pocket, patted it twice to make sure it was in place.

"Can."

Liu Shen's tone was indifferent, but the meaning behind her words was clear:

There's nothing you need to hide from him.

The Original True Explanation is indeed precious, unique in heaven and earth.

But she knew that the man... might not take it seriously.

Any one of his belongings, taken out randomly, might be just as good as this.

Moreover, his attitude towards the little one was so much like that of a biological son.

"what?"

A voice suddenly rang out.

The little one paused for a moment, then sprang up like a cannonball and plunged headfirst into the arms of the person who suddenly appeared beside him.

"Uncle Li!"

Li Chenzhou caught him and casually pinched his little face.

Soft.

"The Original True Explanation?" He glanced down at the small bone fragment peeking out from the little one's arms. "You can't see it now. We'll talk about it after we move the Blood Realm."

This is too mentally taxing. The little one is growing right now, so there's no rush.

"Uncle Li also knows about the *Original True Explanation*?" The little boy's eyes sparkled. "The Willow Goddess said so too!"

He nodded vigorously, his little head almost leaving a blurry afterimage.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked up at Li Chenzhou with a serious expression:

"Willow Goddess, how about letting Uncle Li learn too?"

"Uncle Li isn't very talented. If he doesn't have a good cultivation method, he'll just grow old and die."

As he spoke, his face fell, and his eyes even turned a little red.

"How heartbroken that little one must be!"

Li Chenzhou: "..."

Willow Goddess: "..."

The air fell silent for a moment.

The willow branches of the Goddess swayed gently, as if... suppressing a laugh?

Li Chenzhou looked down at the little thing in his arms who was genuinely worried about his "lack of talent," and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

This child is really worried about him.

Li Chenzhou looked down at the little thing in his arms. The little face was tilted up, the eyes were bright and sparkling, and there was still some redness in the eyes that hadn't faded yet. It looked like the little thing was really worried about him.

He suddenly felt a little like laughing, yet also a little... soft.

"Don't worry." He reached out and ruffled the little one's head, making the soft fur all messy. "Your Uncle Li won't die of old age so easily."

"Really?" The little one blinked, still somewhat doubtful.

"real."

"What if you don't have good talent?" The little one looked at him seriously, his face full of concern for the country and its people. "I heard from Grandpa the clan chief that it's really, really difficult for people with poor talent to cultivate."

Li Chenzhou: "..."

The willow branches of the Willow God swayed gently, as if watching a spectacle.

"Although I'm not very talented," Li Chenzhou continued fabricating without changing his expression, "I have other ways."

"What method?" the little one immediately asked, his eyes wide and eager to know.

"Eat more," Li Chenzhou said succinctly.

The little one was stunned.

"Eat more...?"

"That's right." Li Chenzhou nodded seriously. "Eat more good food. The more you eat, the stronger you'll become. The stronger you'll be able to beat those with good talent."

The little one tilted his head and pondered for a while, then suddenly clapped his hands in realization:

"I get it! Just like that giant Suanni, it must have had amazing talent, right? But after it died, we ate its flesh, and that's how we became powerful!"

As he spoke, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, "So being talented is useless; once you die, you just become someone else's nourishment! Living is more important!"

Li Chenzhou: "..."

The willow branches of the Willow Goddess swayed even more violently.

"Um..." Li Chenzhou was uncharacteristically speechless for a moment, "That makes sense, but can you think about it from a different perspective?"

"What angle?" the little one asked humbly.

"Never mind, it's nothing." Li Chenzhou decided to give up explaining.

This kid has no problem with logic, he's just a bit too pragmatic.

When the little boy saw that he was no longer talking, he didn't press the matter. He broke free from his embrace, ran to the willow tree, squatted down, took out the white bone from his pocket, and held it up to look at the sun.

Sunlight filtered through the bone, casting a small, soft halo on the ground.

"Uncle Li," he asked without turning his head, "when do you think I'll be able to understand this?"

Li Chenzhou walked over to him and squatted down next to him.

One big and one small, one tall and one short, squatted together under the willow tree, like two mushrooms basking in the sun.

"When you're a little older," Li Chenzhou said.

"How old is 'growing up'?"

"When he grows up enough to beat me."

The little one turned his head and looked at him with a "Are you kidding me?" look.

Li Chenzhou remained unfazed.

"How long will that take!" the little one protested. "I'm only at the Blood Realm now! Uncle Li, what realm are you at?"

"Hmm..." Li Chenzhou thought for a moment, "Very high."

Li Chenzhou stopped pretending. What ant realm, fellow Daoist realm, senior realm? He was an ancestor realm cultivator.

How tall?

"Higher than a mountain."

"Is it higher than the mountain deepest in the Great Wilderness?"

"Higher than that."

The little one fell silent, buried his face in his knees, and muttered, "Then does that mean I'll never be able to beat you?"

The willow branch of the Willow God gently fell and brushed against his head, as if to comfort him.

"No, not exactly," Li Chenzhou said. "By the time you grow up, I'll be old. And when I'm old, I won't be able to fight anymore."

The little one suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up again: "Really?"

"real."

"Then I'll definitely grow up quickly!" He clenched his little fist, full of enthusiasm. "When I grow up, I'll protect Uncle Li! I won't let anyone bully you!"

Li Chenzhou looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Okay," he said. "I'll be waiting."

The willow trees swayed gently in the wind, scattering dappled sunlight across the ground.

The sounds of children playing in Shicun could be heard from afar, and one could vaguely hear Shi Feihu's loud voice calling for someone to come home for dinner.

The little one put the bone back in his arms, patted his bottom and stood up. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked down and asked:

"Uncle Li, are you hungry? I'll go make you some animal milk!"

"……Need not."

"But you just said that eating more will make you stronger!"

"That was referring to you, not me."

"Oh..." The little one was a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up again, "Then I'll drink it myself! I'll drink more so I can grow up quickly and protect you sooner!"

After saying that, he took off running away in a flash.

Li Chenzhou squatted down and watched the small figure disappear at the village entrance, remaining motionless for a long time.

The willow tree's branches drooped down and swayed gently beside him.

"You certainly know how to coax a child." Her voice echoed in his heart, faint and devoid of emotion.

"Is this what you call coaxing?" Li Chenzhou stood up, patted non-existent dirt off his knees, and said, "I'm telling the truth."

Which statement is the truth?

"That phrase, 'I'm waiting.'"

Liu Shen did not speak again.

A breeze blows, and the willow branches sway gently.

Li Chenzhou stood under the willow tree, gazing in the direction where the little one had disappeared, a smile still lingering on his lips.

It's good to have this little guy around in this era.

The Tower of Immortality is still a secret.

The Fire Kingdom kept their mouths shut, not letting a single word slip out. But Li Chenzhou knew in his heart that this secret couldn't be kept for long. Once he opened the Trial Tower in various blessed lands, it would cause an uproar sooner or later.

The news is already circulating quietly.

In the Realm of the Void Gods, more and more people began to discuss the tower that had suddenly appeared. Some said it contained an astonishing inheritance, some said it was a trap set by some powerful figure, and others said... whatever, we can't get in anyway.

Li Chenzhou was not in a hurry.

When the time is right, it will be revealed naturally.

He has been busy refining the design, and now that it's almost done, it's time to go to other blessed lands and erect the tower.

"Uncle Li, where have you been these past few days?" The little one clung tightly to Li Chenzhou's neck, his tiny hands gripping him tightly, as if afraid he would run away again.

Li Chenzhou looked down at him, and her heart softened.

This little thing, every day I hold him is one less day I may have. Just thinking about how this adorable little dumpling will one day become the all-powerful Desolate Emperor, he can't help but want to hold him a little longer.

Let's hold each other for as long as we can.

"I went to take care of some things." He pinched the little one's cheek; it was soft and felt wonderful. "Oh, by the way, Huo Ling'er asked me to give you a message."

The little one blinked, looking completely bewildered: "Who is Huo Ling'er?"

"It's the one who said they'd find you beast milk in the Void God Realm last time."

The little one's blank expression vanished instantly, replaced by a complex and indescribable look.

That fat woman!

Several months have passed, and he has never been to the Realm of the Gods again, but the image of that fat woman has left a deep... shadow in his young mind.

"She framed me!" The little one immediately became agitated, his face turning bright red. "I won't drink her animal milk! She'll definitely, definitely become a big fatso!"

Li Chenzhou suppressed a laugh.

Silly child, this isn't a curse! It's the blessing that so many girls dream of.

The people around them laughed. This little guy is truly the life of the village; he can make people laugh with just a few words.

"Mr. Li." Shi Yunfeng stepped forward, his smile fading and replaced by a worried expression. "Things haven't been peaceful in the mountains lately."

He paused for a moment, then briefly recounted what had happened during this period.

"A few days ago, we saw ferocious beasts fighting deep in the wilderness. The scene was absolutely terrifying. The sky looked like it had been ripped open, the earth was shaking so badly that it was hard to breathe even from a great distance."

"The Suanni was snatched back by Aunt Qing and me!" The little one interjected at the right moment, squirming in Li Chenzhou's arms, his little face full of "Praise me, praise me!"

"Well done." Li Chenzhou patted his little bottom, his tone tinged with amusement.

Then he looked at Shi Yunfeng: "Clan leader, there's no need to worry. Those things are still far from us and won't affect Shi Village for the time being."

Shi Yunfeng opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He actually wanted to ask, "Should we prepare? What if those ferocious beasts end up fighting their way over here?"

But then I thought, what use would it be if we really attacked Shicun?

That level of combat was so intense that even watching from afar nearly made them faint. If they actually got involved, they probably wouldn't even know how they died.

He had even suspected that Mr. Li might have also gotten involved in the fight.

But judging from Mr. Li's nonchalant demeanor... that shouldn't be the case, right?

"Um?"

Li Chenzhou suddenly turned his head and looked into the distance.

Someone is coming.

There wasn't just one, but a group. They were still far from Stone Village, but they were moving quickly and heading in this direction.

He sensed those auras.

The most powerful are only at the early to mid-stages of the Cave Heaven realm.

They were probably drawn here by the battle for the mountain treasure and wanted to try their luck. Passing through Stone Village, they likely discovered something.

Li Chenzhou didn't pay much attention.

They're just a bunch of ants; they can't cause any trouble.

But the next moment, his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

The group of people... stopped.

It stopped outside Shicun.

Then, from a distance, the intermittent sounds of conversation drifted in.

"Look at that tree..."

"How come there's a willow tree here? How could it come back to life after being burned?"

"Something's not right, there's something strange about this tree..."

Li Chenzhou listened to the discussions, his gaze turning indifferent.

They certainly know how to pick a parking spot.

It stopped in front of Liu Shen.

In the woods at the village entrance, a group of teenagers were having a lively fight.

The kid in the lead stood with his hands on his hips, head held high, acting like he was the most important person in the world, and said to the group around him:

"I'll take all of these willow branches! Anyone who disagrees, feel free to try!"

Li Chenzhou stood under the willow tree and fell silent upon hearing these words.

He turned his head and looked at the willow tree beside him. Its branches were outstretched, lush and green, and swayed gently in the wind. It was so beautiful that it was unbelievable.

Turning his head to look at the little brat who was standing with his hands on his hips and talking, he was only a few years older than the little guy, and his cultivation level... barely touched the threshold of the Blood Transformation Realm.

Do you want to break off a branch from the Willow God?

Take it back to refine weapons and treasures?

Li Chenzhou remained silent for a full three breaths.

Then he silently transmitted his voice to the Willow Goddess: "Did you hear that? That child wants to break off your branches and forge them into weapons."

Liu Shen did not react.

He also said that he was determined to have these willow branches, and that anyone who disagreed could try.

Liu Shen still didn't react.

"Too strong." Li Chenzhou exclaimed sincerely, "I never expected that such an unparalleled genius was hidden deep in the Great Wilderness. At such a young age, he dared to covet your branches. Even the Immortal Kings of the Immortal Ancient Era probably didn't have this guts."

The willow branches of the Willow God swayed.

"As expected of our Great Wilderness, it's a place where hidden talents abound," Li Chenzhou continued to exclaim. "I wouldn't be surprised if a few more reclusive Immortal Emperors emerged."

The Willow Goddess finally reacted.

Her voice echoed in Li Chenzhou's heart, faint, with a hint of... helplessness?

"Can you please stop talking?"

Li Chenzhou looked completely innocent: "What did I say? I was just praising them. They're so young and yet they have such ambitions. They have a bright future ahead of them."

Liu Shen fell silent.

She knew this person was talking nonsense.

But she couldn't do anything about him.

A fight had already broken out in the woods over there. Fists and kicks were flying, dust was billowing, and shouts of battle were deafening. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think it was some kind of major battle.

Actually...

Li Chenzhou glanced at it and then didn't want to look anymore.

Even those at the Blood Transformation Realm couldn't maintain their footing; their punches and kicks were weak and ineffective, barely breaking the skin. Only they themselves found it intense.

But they played quite seriously.

"Judging from this, they plan to determine a winner first, to find out who is the number one genius in this area, and then come and pluck your branches." Li Chenzhou continued to explain to Liu Shen on the spot, "The process is quite sophisticated."

Liu Shen ignored him.

"Who do you think will win?" Li Chenzhou asked. "I'm betting on the one with his hands on his hips. He may be arrogant, but he has the confidence to back it up."

Liu Shen still ignored him.

At the village entrance, the noise startled the villagers, who came out in twos and threes to see what was going on.

"What happened? What happened?"

"What are those people outside doing?"

"They're fighting, it looks like they're fighting over something..."

Shi Feijiao craned his neck to take a look, then scratched his head: "That's it? It's not even as strong as the little kids in our village."

Shi Linhu nodded in agreement.

The little one was now nestled beside Li Chenzhou's legs, peeking out with his tiny head. After looking around for a couple of moments, he tilted his head back and asked with a puzzled expression:

"Uncle Li, what are they fighting over?"

Li Chenzhou looked down at him and said in a serious tone, "Stealing branches from the Willow God."

The little one blinked, looked at the towering willow tree, then at the few kids in the woods covered in dirt, his little head filled with big questions.

The little one blinked, looked at the towering willow tree, then at the few kids in the woods covered in dirt, his little head filled with big questions.

"Can they... defeat Liu Shen?"

"We can't beat them."

"Then why did they rob it?"

Li Chenzhou patted his head and said earnestly, "Because they don't know they can't win."

The little one suddenly understood and nodded vigorously: "Oh, just like those people in Wolf Village!"

"Yes, just like those people in Wolf Village."

After Li Chenzhou finished speaking, he looked up at Liu Shen and transmitted his voice, "Did you hear that? Even the little one understands better than them."

The willow branch of the Willow God gently fell and brushed against his head.

It's like saying: Shut up.

It's like saying: That's enough.

Li Chenzhou smiled and said nothing more.

The group of children were still fighting in the woods. The leader had already taken down several of his opponents, and stood in the middle, hands on his hips, smugly surveying his surroundings.

"Who else!"

Li Chenzhou looked at him and suddenly felt like laughing.

Years from now, if this child knew that he almost broke a branch of the Willow Goddess today, I wonder what his expression would be?

It would probably scare her to tears.

He then looked at the willow tree beside him.

The branches swayed gently in the wind, emerald green as jade, so quiet it was as if they hadn't heard a thing.

True strength never involves arguing with ants.

Even if that ant said it wanted to break off her branches to refine treasures.