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

The Stone Emperor's voice echoed over the capital, like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, stirring up towering waves.

Countless people were stunned.

Those kings and nobles hiding in the shadows were stunned.

The subjects kneeling in the distance were stunned.

Even those people in the Wu King's mansion who were weeping on the ground were stunned.

Is the Stone Emperor... speaking up for an outsider?

The incomparably majestic and aloof ruler of the Stone Kingdom, one of the most powerful beings in the Eight Domains, the one on whom they placed their last hope—was actually criticizing them instead of attacking the mysterious person.

Everyone thought they had misheard.

But the voice still echoed in my ears, and the rebuke still trembled in my heart.

"If that mistake hadn't been made, even if the world turned upside down today, I would still protect you!"

Upside down.

The Stone Emperor himself said it was a complete upheaval.

What could possibly make a ruler of a country say such a thing?

What exactly happened to the Prince Wu's Mansion in the past that made the Stone Emperor willing to watch the mansion be suppressed rather than take action?

Countless gazes were cast upon the imprisoned mansion and upon the ashen-faced members of the Martial King's Mansion lying on the ground.

They are thinking.

I tried desperately to think about it.

But the more I thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

There's only one possibility that could make the Stone Emperor utter the words "earth-shattering"—

That mysterious person's strength was so great that even the Stone Emperor was not confident in dealing with him.

even……

It was so powerful that even the Stone Emperor dared not make a move.

This thought exploded in everyone's hearts like a thunderclap!

That was the emperor of a nation!

That's the pinnacle of existence in the Eight Domains!

That was the supreme authority they had looked up to their entire lives, one they never imagined anyone could challenge!

But now, this supreme authority, when faced with that mysterious person, has chosen...

Bow down?

silence?

No, what's more terrifying than silence is that he chose to actively distance himself, chose to stand on the side of that mysterious person, and chose to... abandon the Martial King's Mansion!

What does this mean?

This means that the mysterious person's strength has become so great that even the ruler of a country has to be wary of him!

This means that the mysterious person's background is so powerful that even the ruler of a country dares not offend him!

This means that... everything they just witnessed was only the tip of the iceberg!

The more I think about it, the deeper it goes.

The deeper you go, the more terrifying it becomes.

Countless people's backs were soaked with cold sweat.

Someone struggled to turn their gaze back to the figure that had already turned and left, yet still seemed to be standing in the same spot.

Who is he?

Who is he?

Why is the Stone Emperor so wary of him?

Why would a ruler of a country utter such words as "the world is turned upside down"?

There is no answer.

No one can provide the answer.

They only knew one thing—

From this day forward, the capital of the Stone Kingdom will have an indelible taboo.

There was one more mansion, forever imprisoned.

There is now a group of useless people who live in despair forever, forever waiting for that day to come.

The person who created all of this has vanished at the end of the street, as if they had never existed.

But what he left behind was silence in the entire capital.

It is the despair in the hearts of countless people.

It is that insurmountable wall.

The stone emperor stood deep within the palace, still motionless.

He heard the comments and felt the stares.

But there was nothing he could do.

Silence was the only option.

a.

Li Chenzhou's gaze passed over the many palace walls and landed deep within the Shi Kingdom's royal palace.

That glance was very light, so light that it seemed like just a casual glance.

But to the Stone Emperor deep within the palace, it was as if he were locked onto by a gaze descending from the heavens—in that instant, his whole body stiffened, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He found out.

That being knew what he was thinking just now.

I knew his fear just now, I knew his weighing of options, and I knew the flattery hidden in his words.

I also know... he chose to remain silent.

That being merely glanced at it and made no other move.

That glance was like a silent acknowledgment, yet also like an indifferent disregard.

Shi Huang's tense body slowly relaxed, and he then realized that his back was completely soaked in cold sweat.

Li Chenzhou withdrew his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips, so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Then he turned around.

Ready to leave.

But just as he turned around, his gaze shifted again.

This time, the gaze is directed in another direction from the capital—

Rain Palace.

The moment that gaze fell upon them, it was as if an invisible ripple gently spread across the world.

There was no loud noise.

There was no roar.

There was no warning whatsoever.

But the once arrogant auras that were located in the direction of Prince Yu's mansion simply vanished.

Like a candle flame being gently blown out, like ink being quietly wiped away.

Silently.

Clean and tidy.

The Rain King, along with several elders from the Rain King's Palace—those who no longer considered themselves human and viewed all living beings as ants—vanished into thin air.

The capital city was deathly silent.

Countless people stared wide-eyed and gaped, but no sound came out.

They could understand what happened at the Prince Wu's residence earlier—it was due to a grudge, and they had come to collect a debt.

But what about the Prince Yu's Mansion?

What grudge does the Rain Prince's Mansion have against this person?

they do not know.

All they knew was that a King of the Array Formation Realm and several elders of the manor were gone just like that.

Just a glance.

It was just a glance.

Many powerful figures stood in the shadows, watching this scene, speechless for a long time.

He wreaked havoc in the capital, killing even a King of the Arrayed Realm as easily as killing a chicken.

No, it's easier than killing a chicken.

Killing a chicken requires hands and force.

This person only glanced at it.

One glance was enough.

Even the Emperor himself was unwilling to contend with them—though it was clear to everyone that the reason was partly due to the filthy state of the Martial King's Palace, which greatly displeased the Emperor. Even so, the ability to make a ruler of a nation bow his head and fall silent was itself proof of power.

It is a power that makes everyone despair.

Li Chenzhou strode out of the capital.

Wherever he went, crowds surged on both sides of the street—but the surge was retreating.

Pedestrians scrambled to make way, as if avoiding an ancient, ferocious beast roaming the earth. Their faces showed solemnity, fear, deep apprehension, and a hint of relief at surviving a calamity.

I'm glad I didn't provoke this person.

I'm glad I'm still alive.

Li Chenzhou didn't even glance at them.

Those gazes, those fears, those evasive figures—none of them mattered to him.

He simply walked quietly, step by step, out of this ancient capital.

The city gate is in sight.

He stepped out of the city gate without looking back.

Behind him, the entire capital was still shrouded in deathly silence. Countless gazes followed the receding figure, unwilling to look away for a long time, yet remaining silent.

Finally, that figure disappeared into the distance.

All that remains for this ancient capital is a silhouette.

And a day that can never be forgotten.

The figure walked further and further away, calm and composed, as if it had not just suppressed a royal palace or annihilated a king in the capital, but was simply returning home after an afternoon stroll.

His pace was neither hurried nor slow.

His posture was relaxed and serene.

Even the hem of her clothes didn't flutter an inch.

Only when that figure completely disappeared into the vast horizon and vanished from people's sight did the air in the capital, which had been frozen for so long, finally begin to flow slowly.

What flows is not ease, but more doubt.

Questions surged like a tide in the hearts of countless people—

What exactly happened at the Prince Wu's mansion back then?

What was that old story that made the Stone Emperor say, "If it weren't for that mistake, I would have protected you even if the world turned upside down today"?

What kind of bloodshed and filth is hidden in a secret that could make a country's ruler make such a statement?

And that person—

Who exactly is the person who effortlessly suppresses everything?

Where does he come from?

Why does it possess such terrifying strength?

Why would the Emperor, who stands at the pinnacle of the Eight Domains, not even dare to show his face, but only dare to cautiously express his stance by rebuking his own people from behind the many palace walls?

Even more frightening is-

An unknown outsider wreaked havoc in the capital, suppressed the Martial King's Mansion, and wiped out the Rain King.

The Martial King, personally appointed by the Emperor, vanished into thin air.

The Rain King, whose title was bestowed upon him by the royal family of the Stone Kingdom, vanished without a trace.

And that person just left.

They swaggered around, unhurriedly, without encountering any obstacles.

No one dared to utter a sound.

No one dared to question it.

No one dared to chase after them.

Where is the Emperor?

That's the Human Emperor! The master of the Stone Kingdom! The supreme being of this land!

Why didn't he take action?

Why is he not speaking out?

Why is he... silent?

Some people quietly peered into the depths of the palace. The majestic palace still stood, but at this moment, it seemed to be shrouded in an inexplicable shadow in everyone's eyes.

That's not reverence.

That was... fear.

What kind of being is this person that even the Human Emperor fears?

No one can answer.

All the questions could only fester in my heart, turning into endless speculation and lingering fear.

In the direction of the Martial King's Mansion, within the mansion shrouded by an invisible barrier, those whose cultivation had been crippled and who were trapped inside remained on the ground, their faces ashen.

They stared in the direction where the figure had disappeared, their eyes filled with despair.

They finally understood—

No one will come to save them.

The Emperor would not.

No one will.

They can only be trapped here forever, living forever, forever waiting for that day to come.

They wait for the day when the infant whose supreme bone they had once removed will stand before them.

Undercurrents were swirling in the capital.

Countless eyes were fixed on the direction of the Martial King's Mansion, on the figure that had already disappeared, their thoughts racing.

From any perspective, today's events can be described as a provocation against the entire Shi Kingdom—an outsider made a move in the capital, suppressed a royal mansion, killed a prince, and left triumphantly.

If this isn't a provocation, then what is?

But the Emperor remained silent.

However, that mysterious powerful figure escaped unscathed.

Some whispered among themselves, "If that mysterious expert is also a member of the Stone Clan, that would be fine. It's just that the Human Emperor can't easily interfere in internal clan disputes, so it makes sense."

Someone nearby immediately shook their head: "But what Stone Clan member would do such a thing as killing their own kind? Even if there is a great grudge, they would not act like this in the capital, much less kill a king or marquis personally appointed by the Emperor."

"Then why is that?"

"What exactly did the Prince Wu's Mansion do back then? To warrant such retaliation from outsiders, and to make the Stone Emperor utter words like 'If such a mistake had not been made'?"

No one can answer.

But the more unanswerable the question, the more intense the curiosity became.

That buried old story, like a boulder, weighs heavily on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.

As time went on, some people began to harbor their own selfish thoughts.

If this hadn't happened in the capital, or elsewhere, people would probably have already approached the mysterious expert to strike up a conversation—such an unfathomable being, even just getting acquainted with, would be an incredible opportunity.

However, just now in the capital, under the Emperor's very nose, no one dared to make a move.

But now, it seems the Human Emperor is... particularly wary?

Does that mean...?

Someone quietly raised their eyes and looked into the depths of the palace, their mind racing.

Meanwhile, deep within that majestic palace, in an elegant hall...

The aroma of tea wafts through the air.

The Stone Emperor sat upright in the main seat, holding a cup of spiritual tea in his hands. The tea was warm, but it could not warm his heart at this moment. Opposite him sat another man—with a calm demeanor, deep eyes, and a faint glow of fire around him; he was also an emperor.

Fire Emperor.

The neighbor of the Stone Kingdom, and the ruler of the Fire Kingdom.

The two emperors sat facing each other, sipping tea and conversing. If outsiders were to witness this, they would surely be astonished. But at this moment, there were only the two of them in this palace.

"When brothers quarrel, it is truly a great misfortune."

Shi Huang sighed softly, put down his teacup, and a complex look flashed in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Huo."

The Fire Emperor picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and remained calm.

You reap what you sow.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm acceptance of the world's ways.

"The double-pupil lineage did such a thing back then, and they are destined to pay for it in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Stone Emperor remained silent for a long time.

He recalled the turmoil of many years ago—the frenzied counterattack of Shi Ziling and his wife, the bloody infighting within the clan, the infant whose supreme bone was removed, and those sordid things he knew about but chose to ignore.

He wasn't unaware.

He just didn't want to get involved.

The Wu King's Mansion was powerful, and the person with double pupils was exceptionally talented. For the sake of the so-called "big picture" and the so-called "balance," he chose to remain silent.

But now—

Behind that infant stood a being that even he could not see through and dared not provoke.

That slap, that word "die," that look in his eyes.

And then there was the silent destruction of the Rain Prince's Mansion.

Shi Huang picked up his teacup and drank it all.

The tea has gone cold.

But the chill in his heart was colder than tea.

"Brother Huo," he suddenly spoke, "tell me, what level of cultivation is that person at?"

The Fire Emperor put down his teacup, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head.

"I don't know."

"But I advise you not to ask or investigate."

He raised his eyes and looked at the Stone Emperor, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

"Some beings are not to be trifled with."

Shi Huang gave a wry smile.

How could he not know?

But he is the Stone Emperor, the master of this land, and one of the most powerful beings in the Eight Domains.

Now, all I can do is sit here, sipping my cold tea, and tell the neighboring monarch, "Don't provoke them."

How ironic.

Outside the palace, a night breeze began to rise.

In the capital, countless people were unable to sleep all night.

The person who caused all of this has long since disappeared into the depths of the Great Wilderness.

As if it had never happened. Above the capital, the setting sun slowly sank in the west, its afterglow casting a dark red glow over the entire city.

Like the color of blood.