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

"Uncle Meng, I miss you so much!"

The little one's muffled voice came from the crook of Li Chenzhou's neck, carrying a joy of something lost and found.

His two little hands clung tightly to Li Chenzhou's neck, as if afraid that if he let go, Li Chenzhou would disappear.

Li Chenzhou didn't rush to speak.

He supported the little one's bottom with one hand and pinched the back of his collar with the other, gently lifting him out of his neck. Then he turned him over so that he was facing forward and placed him steadily in his arms.

The little one's back was pressed against Li Chenzhou's chest, his whole body encircled in those strong arms.

He looked up and could see Li Chenzhou's chin. His face still bore the traces of fatigue from many days of seclusion, but the light in his eyes was even deeper than before.

Then, a large hand covered the little one's face.

With fingers spread wide, it precisely cupped that chubby little face. The thumb kneaded the left cheek, the index and middle fingers rubbed the right cheek, and the ring and little fingers were also busy, moving back and forth between the chin and earlobe. .

That hand seemed to have eyes, accurately finding every inch of the little one's face. Then began a rhythmic, irresistible kneading.

The little one's face was pinched out of shape, his mouth was pouted into a small round hole, and his eyes were squeezed into two slits. He looked like a little steamed bun that had been kneaded into a round shape.

"Oh?" Li Chenzhou's voice came from above him, tinged with amusement and teasing. "How much do you want to?"

His tone was casual, as if he were asking how the weather was today.

But the hand that was rubbing his face betrayed him—the force, the frequency, the lingering look—it was clearly more intense and more focused than usual.

The little one was being pinched and kept making "uh-uh" noises, unable to utter a complete word for a long time.

He managed to squeeze out a sentence through the gap in that large hand: "I miss...I miss it so much that even animal milk doesn't taste good anymore!"

Li Chenzhou's hand paused slightly.

Then, I kneaded it even harder.

"You're lying," Li Chenzhou said. "You smell like milk."

The little one's face twitched laboriously in the palm of my hand, as if rolling its eyes or trying to argue.

In the end, he gave up struggling and nestled obediently in Li Chenzhou's arms, letting that big hand do whatever it wanted to his face.

A gentle breeze blew at the village entrance, passing two figures, one tall and one short. In the distance, the Linghu Lake shimmered, and the willow branches swayed gently in the wind.

The little one squinted his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, his heart filled with warmth. Uncle Li was back; his Five Beasts Milk would be shared, and someone would pinch his cheeks again.

very nice.

Li Chenzhou frowned slightly, his fingers still on the little one's cheek, maintaining their grip without letting go.

"I can't see you anymore?" he repeated the question, his tone puzzled.

He had only been in seclusion for a few months. Could something have happened in the village?

Is this little guy going to die young?

Or is there some powerful enemy attacking that even Liu Shen can't stop?

Seeing Li Chenzhou's unusually serious expression, the little boy secretly chuckled to himself, then puffed out his little chest even more, raised his chin high, and tried his best to appear mature and composed.

"I'm going out on my own to hone my skills!" he said, his voice carrying a feigned sense of pride, but his eyes couldn't help but steal glances at Li Chenzhou, wanting to see his reaction.

He is already five years old.

At five years old, in the history of Shicun, he was already considered a big child.

Some of the children his age in the village had already started going into the mountains to hunt with the adults. Although they were just carrying things and running errands, they were still contributing to the village.

And what about him? He spends his days chasing birds, drinking milk, and squeezing little monkeys in the village, like a baby who hasn't been weaned.

No, he can't go on like this.

He was born a supreme being. Although his supreme bone was taken away, he still had his own strength, the three thousand great Daos taught to him by Uncle Li, and the various runes passed down to him by the Willow God.

He couldn't stay cooped up in the village forever; he had to go out and let the wilderness know his name, Little One.

Of course, he wouldn't tell these things to Uncle Li.

He wanted Uncle Li to realize that his little one had grown up and was no longer the little kid who needed to be held, have his cheeks pinched, and be coaxed to drink milk.

Willow Goddess's voice came from the village entrance:

"I plan to send the little one on a journey of 300,000 miles across the wilderness to hone his skills."

Three hundred thousand miles.

When these four words reached Li Chenzhou's ears, he instantly understood what was going on.

It wasn't that the little one wanted to run away alone, nor that he wanted to take risks by himself during Li Chenzhou's seclusion; rather, it was that God Liu had made arrangements to give this child a real experience.

Li Chenzhou was both amused and exasperated.

He looked down at the smug little guy in his arms. The words "If I come back any later, I won't see you anymore" had startled him, making him think something had happened.

And what happened? The child was sent out to hone his skills, and it was arranged by Liu Shen.

He raised his hand and slapped the little one's bottom a few more times, neither too hard nor too soft.

"How can you talk like that?" Li Chenzhou's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "What do you mean I won't see you if you come back a little later? I thought something had happened to you again."

The little boy's bottom was slightly numb from the spanking, but he neither dodged nor cried out. His eyes darted around, and a sly smile lingered on his lips.

He secretly rejoiced; Uncle Li's pause and frown just now clearly showed that he was nervous.

Uncle Li's concern for him made him feel very happy.

As for the few slaps on the bottom, the little one is already used to them.

Uncle Li's spankings were never real spankings; the force was just right, more like a tickle than a punishment.

At first, he would cry out in pain, but now he doesn't even flinch, and even thinks that this is Uncle Li's way of showing concern.

Uncle Li went out for a while, but he still loves his butt so much.

"Uncle Li, I didn't mean to." The little one said he didn't mean to, but his darting eyes clearly said, "I did mean to, I just wanted to see how nervous you were."

Li Chenzhou looked at his fox-like appearance and felt both annoyed and amused.

He reached out and pinched the little one's nose, giving it a gentle twist.

"Three hundred thousand miles? No way."

The little one's nose was pinched, and his voice became muffled, but his indomitable spirit remained undiminished.

"Sure! Of course I can! I'm five years old!"

Seeing Li Chenzhou's pensive expression, the little boy assumed that Uncle Li had just returned and heard about his impending journey, and was worried about his safety. A warmth filled his heart, and he tilted his head back, patted his chest, and confidently declared, "Uncle Li, don't worry! You don't need to worry about me. I'm very capable now, and I'll definitely come back safely!"

Li Chenzhou waved his hand gently, "I'm not worried about your safety."

The little one was stunned for a moment.

"I just feel that 300,000 li of the Great Wilderness Road might not be enough."

He paused, his gaze falling on the little one's face, which was gradually freezing, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"It's necessary."

The little one opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, then closed it again. Like a fish thrown ashore, he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

His big, dark eyes widened in disbelief.

Three hundred thousand miles, not enough?

Should we add more?

He thought he had misheard, but Uncle Li's expression told him he hadn't.

The Willow Goddess remained silent.

The ancient willow tree, which had survived the tribulation of lightning and been reborn from the ashes, now had its branches slightly stiffened in the air, forgetting even to sway.

When it said "three hundred thousand miles", it had given it some thought.

That's the limit a five-year-old can handle—neither too easy nor too cruel.

But as soon as Li Chenzhou opened his mouth, he wanted to add more.

The willow tree remained silent for a moment, its branches swaying gently.

"The 300,000-mile Great Wilderness Road proposed by Liu Shen is based on the level of training that ancient ferocious beasts such as Zhenhou and Pixiu have used to hone their cubs."

Li Chenzhou's voice was neither hurried nor slow.

In that bygone era, before the collapse of heaven and earth, all races coexisted, and the most powerful creatures and races treated their offspring with a cruelty bordering on ruthlessness.

It's not that they don't love their children; on the contrary, it's precisely because of their deep love that they are willing to let their children struggle in blood and fire.

From the moment they learned to walk, those cubs were thrown into the wilderness teeming with ferocious beasts, facing the ever-present threat of death.

They must find their own food, avoid predators, and fight enemies many times stronger than themselves without the help of their parents.

Those who survived became the backbone of the tribe; those who died became a pile of bones in the wilderness.

This is the hellish ordeal.

It's not for torture, but to awaken the dormant power within their bloodline in their offspring between life and death, and to give them the strongest survival instincts at the youngest age.

Those ancient ferocious beasts knew a truth: a gentle, loving home cannot nurture a powerful being who can roam the world freely. Only by experiencing true despair can they one day shoulder the fate of their entire race.

You will travel alone through specially selected, dangerous wilderness mountains teeming with ferocious beasts. You are not required to defeat any specific enemy or complete any particular task.

What you will face is not a single powerful opponent, but an ever-present danger.

It could be a flash flood, a toxic miasma, a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows suddenly attacking, or an inconspicuous poisonous plant knocking you unconscious. Every moment tests your vigilance, every step challenges your limits.

This kind of tempering is not about how many tricks you have or how much strength you have, but about your character, your will, and whether you can remain calm in desperate situations and make the right judgments in fear.

Liu Shen naturally had high expectations for the little one.

How high is it?

It is so high that no one in the eight realms below dares to even think of it, and no one dares to do it.

The princes of those ancient kingdoms and the prodigies of those noble families were protected by countless powerful figures from a young age, growing up pampered and never experiencing the slightest hardship. But Liu Shen would temper the little one in the way of the world's strongest race.

Because it knows that this child's future does not lie in the lower realm.

The grudges of the Wu King's Mansion and the power struggles of the Shi Kingdom are nothing more than a speck of dust on the little one's path to growth.

He was about to face a wider world, more powerful enemies, and foreign kings who had even caused the Willow Goddess to perish back then.

If you can't even traverse the vast wilderness of 300,000 miles, if you can't even face these ferocious beasts on your own, how will you stand in the heavens and contend with those ancient monsters who have lived for countless years?

Liu Shen didn't explain, but Li Chenzhou understood her intention.

A gentle breeze blew through the village entrance, causing the willow branches to sway in the wind, their verdant light falling on the tender little face. The little boy tilted his head back, seemingly understanding but not quite, yet he remembered Uncle Li's words.

The ancient ferocious beasts hone the skills of their cubs.

He wanted to hold himself to the standards of the world's strongest race.

It wasn't to prove anything, but because Goddess Liu had such expectations of him, and because Uncle Li believed he could do it.

The little one clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

He was determined to travel 300,000 li.

Li Chenzhou looked down at the little one in his arms, his gaze filled with an indescribable seriousness. He gently rubbed the fluffy little head, his voice soft yet clear.

"But you're different. You're a little one. What can those ancient ferocious beast cubs compare to you?"

"You're not even as good as a single hair on your leg that hasn't grown yet."

As soon as he said that, even the wind at the village entrance seemed to stop for a moment.

The willow tree's branches swayed gently, as if shaking their heads or sighing.

Which of those mythical beasts—the Zhenhou, Pixiu, Qiongqi, and Tuntianque—wasn't a being that has shaken the ages?

In Li Chenzhou's words, they were not even as good as a single, ungrown leg hair on the little one's body.

The little one paused for a moment, then looked down at his bare legs.

He reached out and touched it, checking several times, then looked up and muttered, "But I don't have any leg hair yet."

Li Chenzhou stiffened slightly.

He looked down at the little one's innocent big eyes and serious little face, and suddenly felt that all his lofty ambitions had been doused with a bucket of warm water.

He showered him with praise, so much so that even ancient ferocious beasts would have to step aside, but the little guy not only didn't appreciate it, but also earnestly corrected him—"I don't have leg hair."

The willow tree's branches trembled suddenly, and several emerald green leaves drifted down, swirling in the air.

The ancient willow tree seemed to be desperately holding back something; its branches trembled slightly, much like it was trying to suppress a laugh.

Seeing that Li Chenzhou didn't speak, the little boy thought he had said something wrong and quickly added, "Uncle Li, will I grow leg hair in the future? Like you?"

Li Chenzhou took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

"Yes, it will. It will grow naturally when you get older."

"Will my leg hair be more powerful than that of an ancient ferocious beast's cub?" The little one asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Li Chenzhou remained silent for a moment.

He suddenly realized that his impassioned praise just now seemed so superfluous in front of this child.

This kid didn't care about ancient ferocious beasts or leg hair at all.

What he cared about was whether the animal milk tasted good, whether he could catch up with the five-colored sparrow, and whether his friends would laugh at him if he fell down.

"Yes, it will," Li Chenzhou said. "Your leg hair will be the most in the world."

After Li Chenzhou's earnest and patient persuasion, from the way ancient ferocious beasts raise their young to the profound mysteries of bloodline inheritance between heaven and earth, from exploiting the weaknesses of the True Hou cubs to the congenital defects of the Pixiu descendants, he spoke eloquently and extensively, drawing on a wide range of sources, and finally completely convinced the little one's tiny head.

He stopped doubting and grumbling, and instead seriously accepted the fact that seemed somewhat unbelievable to him.

Those legendary ancient ferocious beast cubs that were said to be powerful throughout the ages are no match for him, not even the fine, soft leg hair that will grow out of him in the future.

The little one lowered his head and carefully examined his bare legs.

Her two calves were white and smooth, like freshly peeled eggs, and there wasn't a single hair to be found, let alone leg hair.

But his gaze became unusually solemn, as if he could see through the skin before him the invincible leg hair that was about to sprout from the ground.

"So I've become this powerful?" he murmured to himself, a look of bewilderment on his face as if he had just woken up from a dream.

There was no pride or smugness in his tone; instead, there was a faint sense of bewilderment, as if he were confirming something too bizarre.

He reached out and touched his calf, then touched it again, his fingertips tracing the smooth skin. It was as if they were searching for that leg hair that didn't yet exist, but which Uncle Li had already praised to the skies.

Li Chenzhou looked at him like this, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but he held back his laughter.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words back.

The little one was still sitting in Li Chenzhou's arms, staring down at his own calves, his eyes growing brighter and brighter, as if he could already see his future self with flowing leg hair, invincible under heaven.

The little one tilted his head back, his big, dark eyes full of anticipation, his little chest puffed out high, exuding an aura of "I am invincible".

His discussion about leg hair had given him a completely new perspective on himself.

What ancient ferocious beasts, what true Hou Pixiu, they can't even compare to a single hair on his leg that hasn't grown yet. Wouldn't that 300,000-mile Great Wilderness Road be too unworthy of his status?

"Uncle Li, what kind of training should I undergo?" He raised his head, his voice clear and loud, carrying a sense of "you can give me any challenge, I can handle it."

Li Chenzhou looked down at him, and a smile slowly crept onto his lips.

That smile was so gentle, so gentle that it sent a chill down the little one's spine.

"How about the three million li of the Great Wilderness Road?"

The little one's smile froze on his face.

Three...three million miles?

He counted on his fingers: three million, which is ten times three hundred thousand.

He would walk 300,000 li and his legs would be weak; 3 million li... he would probably walk until his beard grew out.

The little boy opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at Uncle Li's smiling face, he swallowed the words back.

He suddenly realized that his earlier boast that "300,000 miles is not good enough for me" seemed a bit too impulsive.

"Uncle Li," he whispered, "isn't three million a bit too much?"

"Is that a lot?" Li Chenzhou raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you even weaker than the leg hair of an ancient ferocious beast? Three million miles should be a piece of cake for you."

The little one fell silent.

He looked down at his bare legs and suddenly felt a bit of pressure from the leg hair that hadn't grown yet.

The willow tree's branches swayed gently, scattering a few emerald green leaves, as if nodding in agreement.

The little boy raised his head, looked at Li Chenzhou, then at Liu Shen, his face full of struggle.

He thought about it and decided to try again.

"Then...can we travel 300,000 li first, and then take the remaining 2.7 million li later?"

Li Chenzhou smiled but remained silent.

"Of course I won't really make you walk three million miles." Seeing the little boy's surprised and timid expression, Li Chenzhou finally laughed and flicked his forehead.

"Listen to Goddess Liu for now, travel 300,000 li to the Great Wilderness. When you return, you will be able to enter the next realm."

The little one rubbed his forehead, which had been flicked red, but his eyes lit up. "Will the training Uncle Li arranged for me be difficult?"

"Don't worry." Li Chenzhou said casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"When you come back, the training I've arranged for you will be very short, just a few days."

A few days?

The little one blinked, secretly relieved. A few days couldn't be that difficult, could it?

He's already traveled 300,000 miles of wilderness, what's a few days to him?

What he didn't know was that the "few days" Li Chenzhou spoke of and the "few days" he understood were never the same concept.

Li Chenzhou had his own thoughts on the little one's cultivation.

The 300,000-mile stretch of the Great Wilderness is not a number given casually, but a line drawn by Liu Shen after careful consideration.

The little one must walk this road, and he must walk it alone. It's not to torment him, but because this road will allow him to learn so many things he could never learn in the village.

Fighting against the heavens. The heavens of the Great Wilderness change in an instant; one moment the sky is clear and blue, the next a torrential downpour. Thunder and lightning flash, gale howls, floods rush down from the mountain streams, and mudslides roll down from the mountaintops.

These are not man-made tests, but the power of nature itself. The little one must learn to survive in harsh natural environments, to read the clouds and predict the weather, to find safe havens, and to never give up hope in dire straits.

Fighting against the earth.

The wilderness hides countless dangers. Beneath the seemingly flat grassland may lie a bottomless swamp, and behind the seemingly solid rocks may lie a cave filled with poisonous miasma.

Those inherently dangerous and ominous places can corrupt the physical body, confuse the mind and soul, or devour all living beings.

The little ones need to learn to identify these dangerous places, to find a way out of desperate situations, and to measure this vast land with their own two feet.

Fighting the enemy.

The ferocious beasts of the Great Wilderness will not show mercy just because he is a child. Those enemies hiding in the shadows, those human cultivators with ill intentions, may pounce at any time.

The little one must learn to protect himself in battle, to make judgments between life and death, and to prove his worth with his fists and special skills.

He won't win every time, and he might even lose badly, but every failure will make him stronger.

In this process, the harsh natural environment will wear down his delicate nature, the various inherently dangerous places will temper his vigilance, the ferocious beasts that may pounce at any time will bring out his fighting spirit, and the ill-intentioned people will teach him the dangers of the world.

These experiences will become his most valuable assets on his path to growth.

If the True Blood Elixir is a baptism and enhancement of potential, and a deep development of the physical body and talent, then such a period of tempering is a tempering and sublimation of will, and a comprehensive improvement of temperament and experience.

The former made his foundation more solid, while the latter made his soul more resilient. The two complement each other and are indispensable.

The little one didn't quite understand these things yet; he only knew that Uncle Li was right. He nodded vigorously, his little face full of seriousness.

"Uncle Li, I will definitely travel 300,000 li and then come back to be tested by you."

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

"I'll be waiting."

The 300,000-mile journey through the wilderness begins tomorrow.

Today, the little one still has one last can of Five Beasts Milk to drink.

Just as the little one was nestled in Li Chenzhou's arms, counting on his fingers how many steps it would take to travel 300,000 li, the villagers had already begun to spot that familiar figure.

Someone shouted, "Mr. Li is back!" and the entire Stone Village erupted in excitement, like boiling water.

"Mr. Li has emerged from quarantine!"

Shi Yunfeng was the first to greet him.

The old clan chief's steps were much lighter than before, his back was straight, and the wrinkles on his face had smoothed out. He looked like an old tree that had been touched by the spring breeze, sprouting tender green buds again.

His eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't hide the smile on his lips. From afar, he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to Li Chenzhou. "Congratulations! Congratulations!"

"Seeing everyone doing so well makes me happy too," Li Chenzhou replied with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces.

The men of Shicun had honest smiles on their dark faces, while the women chattered amongst themselves, and the children squeezed through the gaps between the adults' legs.

These simple faces and their undisguised joy warmed his heart.

"Congratulations again, Clan Chief." Li Chenzhou's gaze fell on Shi Yunfeng, his expression slightly hardening before a smile appeared on his lips. "Your old injuries have healed, and your cultivation has reached a new level. Truly, it's a double blessing."

He saw through Shi Yunfeng's current state at a glance.

The old patriarch's chronic ailments that had plagued him for decades, and the hidden injuries that even the Willow God had to painstakingly remove, have now completely vanished.

Instead, a rich and peaceful energy of blood and qi emerged, like a deep spring that had been cleared of blockages, flowing again.

His cultivation level not only recovered to its former level, but he even took a big step forward, entering the profound realm of the Cave Heaven Realm.

Shi Yunfeng was a cultivator at the Cave Heaven Realm when he was young, and he was considered a prominent figure in the Shi Clan.

Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable. An accident severely injured him, his inner world nearly collapsed, his cultivation was completely destroyed, and he almost lost his life.

In those years, he could only walk around the village entrance with a cane, and dared not go to any places that were even slightly far away.

He thought his life was over, that Stone Village would decline day by day under his rule, until it was swallowed up by the wilderness.

Now, everything is different.

"Thanks to Mr. Li and Goddess Liu." Shi Yunfeng's voice trembled slightly.

Li Chenzhou then turned his gaze to the crowd of Shicun villagers who had gathered around him, and the smile on his lips deepened.

He nodded slowly, his voice filled with undisguised praise.

"They're all good; everyone put in the effort."

His short sentence made the men stand up straight, brought blushes to the women's faces, and even made the children hiding behind the adults peek out, looking at him expectantly, hoping to receive a compliment as well.

Apart from the old clan chief Shi Yunfeng, every face in the village has changed to some extent.

Some people have much stronger blood and energy than before, some have more solid bones and muscles, and some have a hint of spirituality that they never had before as the runes flow through their bodies.

Those farmers and hunters who used to only know how to wield hoes and draw hunting bows have now all reached the threshold of cultivation. Although they are still a long way from becoming masters, the spirit and energy they exude from within are no longer what they used to be.

Of all the people, the one who changed the most was Little One's great-grandfather.

The old man who was once so thin that he was just skin and bones and had to walk with a cane was now standing at the edge of the crowd, his back straight and his face as rosy as if he had applied rouge.

Although he was still holding a wooden staff, it was no longer a crutch to support his body, but a magical artifact he had recently devised.

He looked at Li Chenzhou with a smile, his eyes no longer filled with the despair and hopelessness of before, but instead with a radiant light.

Just a few months ago, he was an old man shrouded in the shadow of death. It was Li Chenzhou who, through a marrow-cleansing technique, forcibly removed the hidden ailments that had accumulated in his body for many years, extending his life by more than ten years.

The old man did not waste this hard-won chance of life. He devoted almost all his energy to cultivation, working day and night without stopping, and finally broke through the barrier that had trapped him for most of his life.

From the Perfected Spirit Transformation Realm to the Inscription Realm.

He had tried this step countless times in his youth, but he always fell short.

Later, he was exiled to the second ancestral land, where resources were cut off and spiritual energy was depleted. His cultivation level regressed instead of advancing, and the door to a higher realm became increasingly distant from him.

He thought he would die with regrets, and that the Inscription Realm was just a luxurious dream from his youth.

But now, the dream has not only ended, it has become a tangible reality.

Inscription Realm.

In the eight lower realms, this level is already sufficient to be granted the title of marquis or general.

A cultivator at the Inscription Realm is enough to sit in charge of a region, command thousands of troops, and be looked up to by countless cultivators.

This old man, who had been abandoned by the Wu King's Mansion and was barely surviving in a dilapidated manor, has now become the second strongman in Shi Village to step onto this level.

The old man met Li Chenzhou's gaze, bowed slightly, and did not say a word of thanks.

Those words were too light, too light to bear the weight of this kindness. He simply looked deeply at Li Chenzhou with his eyes, which were no longer cloudy, then slowly straightened up, a relieved smile on his lips.

Li Chenzhou didn't say much, he just nodded at him.

Some things don't need to be talked about all the time.

The surrounding villagers looked at each other, their faces showing a sense of pride and honor.

With Uncle's breakthrough, Stone Village's strength has increased, and their future looks brighter.