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

"Complete the trial, and you will receive the corresponding reward." The Sage's voice echoed from within the tower, calm as still water, yet clearly answering everyone's questions. There were no superfluous embellishments, no complicated explanations, just the simplest, most direct statement. It was as if he were stating something perfectly natural—you put in the effort, you pass the test, you receive the reward. Fair and just, without deception.

The old man nodded, but his brow remained furrowed. Having lived most of his life, he knew all too well that there was no such thing as a free lunch. The greater the opportunity, the heavier the price. This was an ironclad rule, a truth proven by countless predecessors with their blood and bones. He didn't believe the fortune within this tower would be given away for nothing, nor did he believe that the unfathomable being would engage in a losing proposition.

"As for the price you will have to pay..." Zhisheng paused.

Just as everyone pricked up their ears and held their breath, a violent whooshing sound suddenly came from the void. The sound grew louder as it approached, as if something heavy was tearing through the air at an incredible speed. Everyone instinctively looked up and saw a huge stone tablet burst out of the chaotic mist, landing steadily in front of them with a rumbling roar.

"boom!"

The moment the stone tablet landed, the entire void trembled. The tablet was entirely black, its surface smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded an ancient and desolate aura, as if it did not originate from this era, but rather had been salvaged from the long river of time in ancient times. Engraved on the tablet was a line of large characters, the strokes powerful and vigorous, each stroke containing a profound and awe-inspiring Daoist wisdom.

"Take my inheritance, and bear my karma."

Eight simple words, yet they feel like a mountain weighing on everyone's hearts.

The crowd pondered these words, their brows furrowing deeper with each passing moment. They certainly understood cause and effect. On the path of cultivation, cause and effect were omnipresent. Killing someone creates a cause; saving a life yields a result. Some causes and effects are immediately apparent, while others take many years to manifest. But cause and effect are inherently elusive, invisible and intangible, entirely dependent on the cycles of fate and predetermined destiny. What binding force could such a simple statement possibly have? If we incur your karma, what will we do? What consequences will we bear?

Some people began to whisper and murmur among themselves. Some looked suspicious, thinking that this person was deliberately creating an air of mystery. Others seemed thoughtful, vaguely feeling that the statement wasn't so simple, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong.

Gradually, more and more people came to the same conclusion—a karmic debt, it seems, is something you just accept and let go of, no big deal. I took your inheritance, I owe you a karmic debt, I can just repay you later. Do you really think you can follow the karmic cause and effect to come and cause me trouble? Besides, the world is vast, if I take the inheritance and hide deep in the mountains, who will know who's who?

So, those who had been hesitant just moments before began to have their minds racing again. They pondered those eight words repeatedly, and the more they thought about it, the more it seemed that there really wasn't any real price to pay. Just passing the trial would bring benefits? Was there really such a good thing?

Some people were already becoming restless, their feet unconsciously moving forward, their eyes fixed on the open tower door. The fire in their hearts had been rekindled. Cause and effect, consequences—these were all matters for later. First, they needed to secure the benefits. If things went wrong, they could figure out a solution later.

Zhisheng offered no further explanation.

Those eight words are engraved there; whether you believe them or not is everyone's choice.

He neither forced nor tried to keep him.

The path has been shown, the door has been opened, and the opportunity is right there.

As for how to proceed, and whether it will be successful, that's your own business.

Finally, someone in the crowd couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward. It was a middle-aged man wearing a black robe, with a square face and an air of authority that came from long-held power.

He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the open tower door, his voice steady yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of probing.

"Your words are certainly pleasing to the ear. But in this world, how many things are illusory? How can we be sure that the opportunity within this tower is not just a mirage? And how can we know that stepping through this door is not like walking into a trap?"

His words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples. Many people nodded in agreement, and the reason that had been suppressed by greed resurfaced in their hearts.

Yes, what if it's a trap?

What if you go in and never come out? That being is mysterious and unpredictable, but who can guarantee that he is benevolent?

Inside the tower, the voice of the Sage of Wisdom drifted out. His voice remained indifferent, without the slightest fluctuation, as if the questioning he had just uttered was merely a breeze that brushed past his ear, not worth the slightest emotional response.

"Believe or not, it is up to you. The way is here, the door is here. If it doesn't feel right, just turn around."

His tone showed no desire to explain, nor any anger at being questioned.

He simply stated a fact calmly: I owe you no proof, and you don't have to force yourselves to believe. If you believe, come in; if you don't, leave. We owe each other nothing, and each is free to accept our fate.

The middle-aged man was stunned.

He had expected the other party to provide some evidence or demonstrate some divine power to dispel everyone's doubts.

But the other party did nothing, not even bothering to offer a single extra explanation. This attitude, however, slightly tipped the scales of suspicion in his mind.

Yes, if it really is a scam, why be so indifferent?

If it were truly a trap, why would they make such a casual remark as "If you don't believe me, then leave"?

No one moved. Those who had been echoing or observing just moments before were now frozen in place, caught in a dilemma. To leave was to relinquish such a tremendous opportunity; to stay, however, was to suppress the lingering doubt in their hearts.

"A brain is a good thing, but unfortunately you don't have one." The Fire Emperor's voice was neither loud nor soft, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

His gaze didn't even fall on the ferocious beast; it was as if he were merely stating a trivial fact.

The humanoid beast's face instantly turned ashen.

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in its pupils, its muscles were taut as iron, and its fangs were faintly visible between its lips.

A violent aura emanated from its body, causing the cultivators standing beside it to unconsciously take a few steps back.

It stared at the Fire Emperor's back, wishing it could tear this human monarch to pieces.

But it didn't take a single step.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare.

It suddenly remembered the figure that had just emerged from the tower—a figure shrouded in chaotic mist, with a sea of ​​stars rising and falling behind him, and the entire sky of the primordial land was transformed by the presence of that figure.

The figure merely glanced at it, yet it felt as if it were being watched by a sleeping, ancient beast, every pore on its body screaming danger.

What chilled it even more was that this was the place of origin.

No matter who you are, no matter how powerful your background or how deep your cultivation, once you arrive in this world, you can only honestly exert the strength of the Blood Moving Realm.

This is an ironclad rule, one that no one has ever been able to break. But that person did it. That person not only broke the ironclad rule, but also led a group of people across the void, descending calmly.

This method is beyond its comprehension.

It didn't know what the person's relationship was with the Fire Emperor, nor did it know the person's attitude towards the Fire Emperor. But it couldn't afford to gamble.

What if that person was on good terms with the Fire Emperor? What if that person reappeared the moment it made its move? It dared not think any further.

The Fire Emperor stepped out from the crowd, his steps steady and his expression calm. He first nodded slightly towards the open tower door, then turned around to face the hesitant gazes and slowly spoke.

"Gentlemen, everything the senior said is true, without a trace of falsehood." His voice was not loud, but it was like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, stirring up ripples.

Those who were still whispering and hesitating fell silent and turned their attention to him.

The Fire Emperor stands here today not only as the ruler of the Fire Kingdom, but also to convey a few words on behalf of that senior.

There are some things that the senior couldn't explain in person, but he could.

He owed that senior a tremendous favor, so naturally he had no choice but to do this small favor.

"Everyone, think about this," the Fire Emperor said, a slight smile playing on his lips as his gaze swept over the faces of those who had once clashed with the Fire Kingdom, "If there were nothing truly valuable inside this tower, would my Fire Kingdom have bothered to go to such lengths, offend so many people, and keep the news so tightly under wraps?"

His tone was casual, but anyone could hear the certainty in his voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on his face deepened.

That smile contained honesty, relief, and a hint of barely concealed smugness—hadn't you always wanted to know what the Fire Kingdom was hiding?

The door is open now, go in and see for yourself.

The Fire Emperor said nothing more, but simply stepped aside, clearing the space in front of the door. He had explained what needed to be explained, and the tower would prove what needed to be proven.

Those who believe will naturally know what to do; for those who do not believe, no matter how much they say, it will be in vain.