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

The Devouring Sky Sparrow and Qiongqi were determined to massacre the Great Wilderness, leaving no room for negotiation.

In their eyes, those hundreds of millions of living beings are nothing more than ants that can be crushed at will; whether to kill them or not is just a matter of a single thought.

Now, to prevent the secret of the mountain treasure from being revealed, they have chosen to kill.

The little red bird and the Zhu Yan stood on the opposite side.

But they knew in their hearts that this battle was unstoppable.

As beings of the same caliber, if they were to engage in a full-scale battle, the aftershocks would be enough to obliterate an area within a thousand miles. The creatures they wished to protect would likely perish first from the aftershocks of their own battle.

This is a dead end. Fighting means certain death, not fighting also means certain death.

The communication between the four beasts was not deliberately concealed; their cold, fierce, and angry voices carried on the wind throughout the Great Wilderness.

Li Chenzhou stood outside Shicun Village, hearing everything clearly. He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"We must slaughter every race that doesn't keep its mouth shut." He repeated the Devouring Sparrow's words softly, a slight, cold smile playing on his lips. "Such arrogance."

He looked up into the distance. There stood four enormous figures facing each other, two wills clashing fiercely.

Li Chenzhou remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

"The Great Wilderness is indeed a treasure trove," he said, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning. "It has all sorts of demons and monsters."

"Little one, did you hear that?" Li Chenzhou looked down at the small figure beside him.

The little boy was tilting his head back, his big, dark eyes gazing at the distant sky, which was tinged with the colors of fire and demonic energy. He heard those voices: the indifference of the Qiongqi, the ferocity of the Devouring Sparrow, the anger of the little red bird, and the questioning of the Zhu Yan, a creature with three heads and six arms. He heard them clearly, every single word distinct.

"I heard you, Uncle Li." He nodded, his little face unusually serious. "Those two are so naughty."

He paused, as if he was thinking about something.

"They always threaten to massacre the Great Wilderness, wiping out every single race that doesn't keep their mouths shut." He repeated the words of the Devouring Sparrow, his little fists unconsciously clenching. "If it really happens, we'll be safe with the protection of the Willow God, but what about the other villages in the Great Wilderness? Those villages like ours, those small villages like Stone Village, they'll definitely be wiped out."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the answer was already in his eyes. How many people would die?

Countless people, an innumerable number, the entire wilderness will become a desolate graveyard.

"Do you still remember the lessons I taught you when we first met the Azure Scaled Eagle?" Li Chenzhou's voice was calm, as if he were asking what to have for lunch.

"I remember!" The little one answered crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

He remembered that day, the way the Green-scaled Eagle looked when it was injured, and what Uncle Li said to him when he squatted down.

He remembered every single word of those words; they were etched into his heart as if they were engraved there.

"When facing a good remnant of a ferocious beast, we must reason with it. They are intelligent, understand good and evil, and know what they should and should not do. If you treat them well, they will treat you well in return. If you respect them, they will respect you in return."

As he said this, he looked again at the distant sky, which was stained black by demonic energy.

"But when faced with such ferocious beasts, we must use their lives to prove certain principles. Because they don't understand human language, they don't know what is good or what is right. They can only speak with their claws and reason with their teeth. So we can only use our fists to tell them that there are some things we cannot do."

Li Chenzhou looked down at the little guy, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. The child remembered everything he had said. Not only did he remember, but he had actually understood it.

"Do you understand why?" he asked.

"Understood." The little one looked up, his bright black eyes reflecting Li Chenzhou's face. "Not all ferocious beasts deserve reason. We should reason with the good ones. With the bad ones, we can only reason with our fists."

"Because they only understand this one kind of principle."

He spoke calmly, without gritted teeth or righteous indignation. It was a genuine understanding, a clarity that transcended his age.

Li Chenzhou didn't say anything, but simply reached out and gently rubbed the little one's head.

This child has really grown up.

"Mr. Li, can you quell this bloodshed?"

Shi Yunfeng's voice was soft, yet its weight pressed heavily on every word. He stood beside Li Chenzhou, his aged face bearing an unusual solemnity. He wasn't a cultivator, nor did he possess any profound cultivation, but he had lived most of his life and witnessed far too much life and death. He knew better than anyone what the Great Wilderness would become once those two ferocious beasts attacked. Rivers of blood would flow, corpses would litter the fields, and countless small villages like Stone Village would vanish forever.

He couldn't bear to see such a sight. If he had the power, he would definitely step forward. But he was just an ordinary old man, a mortal who hadn't even reached the Cave Heaven Realm. If he stepped forward, he would only be throwing his life away, not even enough to fill the teeth of those two ferocious beasts.

But he was also worried.

He worried that Li Chenzhou would interfere, that Li Chenzhou would clash head-on with the four Venerable Realm beasts, and that this mysterious powerhouse protecting Stone Village would be injured or even perish. Now they faced four beasts that had lived since ancient times, beings standing at the very top of the Eight Domains.

Qiongqi, Tuntianque, Zhuyan, and the descendants of Zhuque—aren't they all infamous for their ferocity?

What if something happened to Li Chenzhou? What if he was seriously injured in that chaotic battle, or even... Shi Yunfeng dared not think further.

He knew that his worries were somewhat selfish.

The lives of countless creatures in the Great Wilderness and the safety of the entire village of Shicun—no matter how you weigh the options, it's an unsettling situation. But he was an old man, the patriarch of Shicun. His primary responsibility was to protect the children, the women, and the family members he lived with day and night.

Shi Yunfeng is kind, but this kindness has nothing to do with evil. He is willing to help others, but he is unwilling to risk his own family. This is human nature, a choice any clan leader would make.

"Mr. Li..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Li Chenzhou glanced at him. His gaze was calm, without blame or mockery, just a faint look, as if he were looking at a cloud or a breeze.

"Chief Shi, you're overthinking it."

His voice wasn't loud, but it put Shi Yunfeng at ease.

"Those four ferocious beasts can't hurt me."

……

Qiongqi stood in the void, its pair of eerie green eyes slowly sweeping across the entire wilderness.

Wherever its gaze fell, countless ferocious beasts lowered their bodies, not daring to raise their heads.

That wasn't respect, but pure fear—the instinctive trembling of a lower life form when facing an absolute sovereign.

"All spirits heed my command." Its voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of every ferocious beast, like a judgment from the deepest hell. "Take this land flat, wash everything in blood. Everything that moves, everything that breathes, as long as it's not on our side, kill it all. Leave no one alive."

When it said this, its tone was as calm as if it were giving a trivial instruction.

Killing people, massacring villages, and wiping out entire clans were nothing more than routine tasks, like sweeping a courtyard.

It doesn't care whether those creatures are guilty, innocent, or even whether they will resist. In its view, those weak lives are not worthy of such considerations.

The Sky-Devouring Sparrow followed closely behind, its blood-red eyes burning with a frenzied flame.

Its body was so enormous that its outstretched wings obscured the endless mountains, casting shadows that covered the earth. Each feather was as black as ink, with edges that gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, as if countless sharp blades were arranged on its wings.

"Sweep away all obstacles, annihilate everything." Its voice was sharp and piercing, like metal scraping against bone, sending chills down one's spine. "Those hiding in caves, those lurking in forests, those who thought they could escape, find them all, tear them to pieces, devour them. I want this wasteland to be barren, littered with corpses."

It paused, its blood-red eyes narrowed slightly, and a trickle of saliva dripped from the corner of its mouth.

Where the saliva dripped, the earth was eroded into deep pits that emitted bluish smoke.

"Those who perform exceptionally well will be granted special permission to enter the ancient sacred mountain where I reside for cultivation."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. All the ferocious beasts that heard them turned red in the eyes.

The Primordial Divine Mountain is the most prestigious cultivation holy land in the eight regions of the lower realm, a place that countless ferocious beasts dream of entering.

The spiritual energy there is so abundant it's almost condensed into liquid; rare and precious materials can be found everywhere; and there are cultivation traditions passed down from ancient times.

If an ordinary ferocious beast can enter the Primordial Divine Mountain to cultivate, it will not be long before it can be reborn and leap from the bottom, where it can be slaughtered by others, to become a being above all beasts.

Those ferocious beasts that were originally observing, those that originally did not want to get involved in this conflict, and those that originally had a slight hesitation, all went mad at this moment.

They didn't care what a bloodbath in the wilderness meant, how many innocent lives they would kill, or whether the vengeful spirits of the slaughtered races would seek revenge.

All they care about is that promise, that chance to enter the ancient sacred mountain.

A gigantic, jet-black python emerged from the depths of the swamp. Its body was thicker than an ancient tree, and its scales were covered in viscous venom. It flicked its scarlet tongue, and its eyes gleamed with greed.

A pack of ferocious wolves, their bodies covered in bony spurs, surged out of the cave. Their fur gleamed with a ghostly blue sheen in the moonlight, and their eyes gleamed with a sinister green light. They howled to the sky, their roars shaking the leaves to the ground.

A demonic bird circling high in the sky let out a sharp cry. Its outstretched wings covered half the sky, each feather like a poisoned blade. The remains of some unfortunate creature clung to its claws, drops of blood dripping down.

Countless ferocious beasts began to move across the vast wilderness. They crawled out of caves, emerged from swamps, surged from mountains and forests, and rose from the riverbeds. Dense and overwhelming, they swept in like a black tide. They were there to slaughter, to destroy, to use the blood of innocent creatures to earn their tickets to the Primordial Divine Mountain.

Seeing this, the little red bird's wings suddenly flared up.

It trembled with rage, but it knew it couldn't stop those ferocious beasts. It could hold off the Qiongqi, the Devouring Sky Sparrow, and even the Zhu Yan, but it couldn't stop the army of tens of thousands of ferocious beasts. Those beasts would sweep across the wilderness like locusts, devouring every living thing that could breathe.

"You will be punished," the little red bird said, its voice filled with anger and pity.

Qiongqi did not answer, but just stared at it coldly.

Those pale, emerald-green eyes held no emotion, as if they were looking at a dead prey.

The Sky-Devouring Sparrow grinned, revealing a cruel smile.

"Retribution?" it said, its tone as casual as if it were telling a joke. "Once we've wiped this land clean, who will come after us?"

It paused, and the madness in its blood-red eyes intensified.

"Let's begin. We'll start with the humans."

"Who dares!"

The little red bird let out a long cry, a sound that pierced through the entire wilderness, making the eardrums of countless ferocious beasts ache.

The flames on its wings suddenly exploded, turning into a rain of fire that forced some ferocious beasts that had gotten too close to retreat in panic.

Those eyes, burning with golden flames, swept over the restless figures. Wherever they passed, some ferocious beasts lowered their heads, withdrew their claws, and temporarily suppressed their greed.

But that's only a very small fraction.

The more intelligent beasts understood the little red bird's warning and knew that this descendant of the Vermilion Bird was not someone to be trifled with.

However, most of the ferocious beasts were not very intelligent to begin with. They only knew what the four words "Ancient Divine Mountain" meant, and that the promise made by the Devouring Sky Sparrow was enough to change their fate. Faced with the little red bird's flames, they hesitated for a moment, but after that moment, their greed once again took over.

You can't reason with beasts, especially those ferocious beasts with low intelligence. They don't understand what good is or what evil is, they don't understand how many lives are lost in a bloodbath in the wilderness, and they don't understand that the slaughtered races also had parents, wives, and children.

They only know the law of the jungle, and that whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots. Right now, Qiongqi and the Sky-Devouring Sparrow have the biggest fists, so they listen to Qiongqi and the Sky-Devouring Sparrow.

The entire wilderness stirred with excitement.

The roars of beasts rose and fell, from the depths of the mountains and forests, from the edge of the swamp, from underground caves, from every dark corner. The sounds merged into a terrifying torrent, shaking the earth and changing the color of the sky. Countless ferocious beasts' eyes lit up in the darkness, eerie green, blood red, and deathly white, densely packed like will-o'-the-wisps burning in hell.

Even the ferocious beasts that had been silenced by the little red bird couldn't hold back any longer.

They wanted to observe for a while longer, but their companions around them had already begun to surge forward, and the greedy, frenzied aura pressed in from all directions, leaving them nowhere to retreat.

In such an environment, they cannot remain unscathed. If they do not move, those ferocious beasts, whose eyes are already bloodshot, will tear them apart and trample them into mincemeat.

They had no choice but to follow along and go crazy together.

A massive black bear emerged from its den, its fur stained with mud and dried blood, its eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.

It was still hesitant at first, but when it saw its companions rushing out one after another, it finally couldn't resist anymore.

It let out a deafening roar, took heavy steps, and charged toward the nearest human village.

A pack of iron-backed wolves, their bodies covered in scales, emerged from the mountain stream. Their teeth were sharper than steel knives, and their claws harder than iron hooks.

They were usually the most cunning hunters in the area, never taking unnecessary risks. But now, they abandoned all caution and charged out like a pack of mad dogs.

Because they know that if they arrive too late, their prey will be snatched up by others.

The little red bird watched this scene, its eyes blazing with fury that seemed to pierce the void. It knew it couldn't stop them; these ferocious beasts had gone mad, driven insane by greed and fear.

It can kill some of them, or even most of them, but it can't kill them all. Moreover, it still has to face Qiongqi, Devouring Sparrow, and Zhu Yan. It simply doesn't have the extra energy to deal with those overwhelming tides of ferocious beasts.

It glanced back in the direction of Li Chenzhou, and in that glance was anxiety, helplessness, and a hint of pleading that it itself did not even realize.

Then it turned back, and the flames on its wings reignited, burning even brighter than before. It opened its mouth and let out a clear, long cry, a sound that contained anger, compassion, and resolve.

It will try to block. It will block as much as it can.