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

Li Chenzhou looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

If Little One had truly been blinded by hatred, he would have agreed when I told him I would lead him to raze the Martial King's Mansion to the ground.

But he didn't.

He shook his head and said, "That's not good," "Doing that would be no different from them," and "I will go to the Prince Wu's mansion later and personally demand an explanation."

Even after learning everything, this child maintained a clear mind.

He wasn't simply kind to the point of being excessively indifferent to everything—he harbored hatred in his heart, he admitted to hating, and he would personally come to demand an explanation years later.

But he wasn't blinded by hatred and only thinking about killing everyone—he remembered those who were good to him, and he didn't want to become like them.

A young child can do this.

That's truly remarkable.

Li Chenzhou withdrew his gaze and looked at the gradually darkening sky.

"He will go very far," he said softly, whether to Willow God or to himself, it was unclear.

Liu Shen did not speak again.

The willow tree remained silent for a moment, its emerald green branches swaying gently in the evening breeze.

She pondered Li Chenzhou's words carefully and had to admit that he was right. Some things are better left unsaid than left to fester underground. And the little one's reaction truly pleased her—the child neither wallowed in hatred nor feigned magnanimity in forgiving everything, but instead found his own path between hatred and non-hatred.

It is truly remarkable that a young child could do this.

"Perhaps... you did the right thing."

Liu Shen's voice rang in Li Chenzhou's mind, carrying a rare hint of approval.

Then she saw—

Li Chenzhou stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his hands, and walked out of Shicun Village.

His steps were crisp and decisive, without ever turning his head.

Liu Shen was slightly taken aback.

"Are you leaving again?"

Her voice was filled with doubt. Wasn't class supposed to start tomorrow? She was just acting like she was going to take good care of the baby, why is she leaving so suddenly?

Li Chenzhou didn't turn around, but paused slightly in his steps.

His voice drifted back, faint yet carrying a hint of something unfathomable.

"I was blinded."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared into the twilight.

Only Liu Shen was left standing there, bewildered in the wind.

The emerald green willow branches hung frozen in mid-air, motionless for a long time.

...Were you blinded?

Who just said, "It's normal to have hatred in your heart"? Who said, "Ignoring it might backfire"? Who put on this air of a wise sage who understands people's hearts?

Then he turned around and said he had been deceived?

Liu Shen suddenly realized that she had said "perhaps you did the right thing" too soon.

In the distance, the little boy remained seated by the lake, a thunderous roar emanating from within him, completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. He was oblivious to the fact that Li Chenzhou had already left, and also unaware of the speechless feelings that Liu Shen was experiencing.

The lake surface is dotted with starlight.

The willow tree remained silent for a long time before finally gently shaking its branches and letting out a barely audible sigh.

This person...

Forget it.

I'm used to it anyway.

Liu Shen stared blankly at Li Chenzhou's disappearing figure into the wilderness.

As dusk settled, the figure receded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the vast forest. It was clearly just an ordinary departure, yet Liu Shen felt as if she were seeing this person clearly for the first time.

Or rather, she finally understood the root of the feeling that "something was wrong" about this person.

He looks so much like someone else.

Their joys, sorrows, and happiness, their words and actions, are no different from those of ordinary people.

The thought surfaced in Liu Shen's mind, causing her to pause slightly.

From the moment Li Chenzhou appeared until now, she had always viewed him through the lens of how one views a strong person—examining his cultivation level, speculating on his origins, and assessing his depth. This was a habit she had developed over countless years, and she would subconsciously use this method to perceive any strong individual.

But this person was completely different from the powerful people she had met and interacted with before.

She had seen the overlords of the ancient sacred mountains, their might dominating the heavens, looking down upon all living beings with an indifferent disdain for ants. She had seen the gods high above the heavens, looking down upon all living beings, their bodies shrouded in untouchable divine radiance. She had also seen those reclusive old monsters, who, though unassuming, could not hide the alienation from the mortal world that resided in their very bones.

Even she herself—the Willow Goddess looked down at her charred body and then at the drooping green willow branches—she was already approachable enough, willing to shelter a desolate village, willing to communicate with mortals, and willing to watch the children play under the trees.

Yet, she still carries the strong shadow of a powerful figure.

That shadow wasn't deliberately created, but rather something that had settled over countless years—a serenity after weathering many storms, a peace after seeing through life and death, and the invisible yet eternal chasm between oneself and the masses.

But Li Chenzhou did not.

As Liu Shen reflected on everything that had happened over the past few days, she suddenly realized that this person did not have that kind of shadow at all.

He would soften when the little one stared at him with those big, dark eyes.

He would secretly trip the little bird when it was chasing it, watch the little creature fall down, and then walk away nonchalantly, a smile playing on his lips.

Despite his astonishing background and unfathomable cultivation, he could sit on a stone bench in Stone Village and chat with villagers who barely knew any characters, discussing whether the game was good or bad, and which forest had the sweetest wild fruits.

He taught those children cultivation techniques, but when he encountered a blockhead who just wouldn't learn, he would get so angry that he would slam his fist on the table, puff out his beard, and glare at them, just like any other schoolteacher in a village school.

And at this moment—

Liu Shen looked in the direction where Li Chenzhou had disappeared.

At this moment, overwhelmed with resentment, he was willing to travel thousands of miles just to clear his mind of any lingering grievances.

Liu Shen had never seen such a powerful person before.

Since its birth, through countless ages, it has never been seen before.

She had seen far too many strong people—some ruthless, some compassionate, some domineering, some indifferent. But no matter what kind they were, no matter how approachable they appeared, that sense of alienation from the mundane always remained in their bones.

That is the mark of the strong.

It is the mark that time and cultivation have etched deep into the soul.

But Li Chenzhou did not have this mark.

He is like a real "person"—a person who gets angry, has a soft heart, plays pranks, gets annoyed by children, and impulsively travels thousands of miles away...

Liu Shen remained silent for a long time.

As the evening breeze blows, the emerald green willow branches sway gently, scattering dappled sunlight.

She suddenly felt a little dazed.

What is the background of this person named Li Chenzhou?

Why doesn't he have that mark that all strong people have?

Or……

Has he become so strong that he can remove that brand at will?

Liu Shen did not know the answer.

She simply stood quietly by the lake, gazing at the vast forest that had swallowed Li Chenzhou's figure, without making a move for a long time.

After a long while, she gently shook the branch and let out a barely audible sigh.

This person is indeed quite strange.

but……

Perhaps it was this eccentricity that made the children like him so much.

In the distance, the little one was still sitting by the lake cultivating, with thunderous roars emanating from his body, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Willow God asked herself in her heart, her voice as soft as the rustling of willow branches in the evening breeze.

She had seen far too many peerless immortal kings.

Which of those beings wasn't exceptionally talented, which of them didn't sweep across the heavens and earth, their might shaking the eternal sky? When they first became kings, they were also full of vigor, they also drank and made merry with old friends, they also sang to the moon and were filled with passion.

Back then, they also valued relationships quite a bit.

But that emphasis ultimately contained a sense of superiority—it was a pity for all living beings, the compassion of the strong for the weak, and a faint gentleness when standing on the clouds and occasionally looking down at the world.

But what happens when eras change and time passes?

Willow God's gaze seemed to pierce through endless time and space, seeing those once-familiar figures. They sat high in the sky, shrouded in eternal divine radiance, coldly overlooking the human world, watching the world change.

The changes in the world are no longer relevant to him.

What do the rise and fall of dynasties have to do with them? What do the joys and sorrows of the masses have to do with them? The passage of time and the changing of eras are nothing more than the clouds rolling and unfolding in the sky, and the flowers blooming and falling under their feet.

They are like ancient, unyielding rocks, cold, hard, and ruthless.

Even during the Immortal Ancient Era, those kings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—whom Liu Shen had seen as the most compassionate and devoted to their homeland—were the epitome of compassion for all living beings. They were willing to fight for all living beings and die for their homeland; their hearts always held that land and its people.

Even so, in ordinary days, they still seem to follow the will of heaven.

High above, unreachable.

They are more like celestial kings.

Like a true, existing, and universally recognized immortal king.

But what about Li Chenzhou?

Liu Shen's thoughts returned to this moment, to the person who had puzzled her for so long.

He can soften his heart because of a child's eyes.

He would deliberately trip the child up to watch him fall, and then walk away as if nothing had happened.

He could sit with those illiterate villagers and chat about trivial, ordinary things that had nothing to do with spiritual practice.

He was so angry at those stupid kids that he slammed his fist on the table and glared at them.

At this moment, he might travel thousands of miles away because he feels a sense of unease in his heart, just to make sure he doesn't harbor any resentment.

Liu Shen fell silent.

How long has she lived? How many eras has she lived through? How many kings has she witnessed rise and fall?

But she had never seen anything like it before.

I've never seen anything like this... a being that's almost human.

He is like a person.

Not a celestial king who resembles a human, but someone who is human in essence... a human?

Could someone have gotten to where they are today?

Willow God asked herself this question in her heart.

Which of those peerless immortal kings didn't start as mortals? They were once human, experiencing human joys, sorrows, emotions, and desires. But once they reached that level, those human qualities gradually faded away.

Which of those peerless immortal kings didn't start as mortals? They were once human, experiencing human joys, sorrows, emotions, and desires. But once they reached that level, those human qualities gradually faded away.

It wasn't intentional; it's just the way things are over time.

When you've lived for millions or tens of millions of years, witnessing countless partings and reunions, those things that once moved and broke your heart will eventually fade into indifference. When you stand high in the heavens, looking down upon all living beings, those who once stood shoulder to shoulder with you will eventually turn to dust.

This is the destiny of the strong.

This is the power of time.

But Li Chenzhou seemed completely unaffected by this power.

His human qualities, those vibrant, lively, and even somewhat naive traits, have not faded with the passage of time, nor have they become indifferent with the improvement of his cultivation.

On the contrary, it became even more vivid.

Liu Shen suddenly felt a little dazed.

She did not answer Liu Shen's question herself.

She couldn't answer either.

It was a question without an answer, at least not at this moment. She simply watched the receding figure, seeing Li Chenzhou take a single step and be thousands of miles away.

He stepped out of the wilderness.

Step into that vast ancient kingdom.

Entering the capital of the Kingdom of Shi.

Willow Goddess's gaze pierced through endless void, following closely. She saw Li Chenzhou's figure appear in the imperial capital, standing before a magnificent and imposing mansion—

Wu Wangfu.

Those three characters, written with bold and powerful strokes, exuded an imposing aura.

Suddenly, Liu Shen understood something.

Li Chenzhou's actions revealed to her a completely new path, a completely different way of thinking. It was a realm she had never touched in her countless years—not the level of cultivation, not the depth of her realm, but an attitude towards all things in the world.

So this is how the strong can live.

Even after reaching that point, it's still possible to retain those vibrant, passionate, and human qualities.

original……

Liu Shen's gaze never left that figure.

At this moment, in front of the Wu King's Mansion.

Li Chenzhou stood quietly, looking up at the magnificent mansion.

The gate tower stood tall, the stone lions imposing, and the vermilion gates were tightly closed, yet they couldn't block out the faint clamor emanating from within. That was the daily life of the Prince Wu's mansion, the ceaseless prosperity and bustle of this powerful residence.

He didn't originally want to come to this place.

He originally planned to wait, to wait for the little one to grow up, to wait for the child to be strong enough, and then personally go to his door and reclaim everything that belonged to him. That was the little one's path, the path he should walk himself.

but--

After awakening the deepest memories in the little one's heart and witnessing those scenes with his own eyes, Li Chenzhou found that he didn't want to wait any longer.

How much pain must that tiny baby have been in when their supreme bone was forcibly removed?

How desperate must that young couple have been as they embarked on their long journey with their dying child in their arms?

Those images, that blood, those cries, that silent grief—he wasn't there, but he saw them.

He saw it, so he couldn't pretend he didn't.

Li Chenzhou sighed softly.

He knew the little one would come to collect the debt himself.

He knew that the child would grow up, become stronger, and personally stand in front of the Wu King's mansion to end it all in his own way.

He also knew that what he was doing now might be somewhat unnecessary, impulsive, or "unbecoming of a strong person."

But he just didn't want to wait any longer.

Some debts can be collected multiple times.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the tightly closed gate of the Prince Wu's mansion, his expression calm.

Under the moonlight, the figure stood silently, like a stone statue that might move at any moment, and whose movement could cause upheaval.