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

The little boy stood in the pillar of light, one arm around a broken pottery jar, the other on his hip, his little chest puffed out, his chin held high as if it would pierce the sky. He didn't care anymore; Uncle Li had just sent him a telepathic message—"Not cool enough, or people will think you're easy to bully."

How could Uncle Li be wrong?

If he says it's not cool enough, then it definitely isn't. Listen to Uncle Li, you can't go wrong!

The little one took a deep breath, his face tense, his dark eyes showing no fear, only an arrogant "I'm going to teach you a lesson today" attitude.

With all his might, he roared at the sea of ​​black heads below, his voice both childish and powerful:

"Hey! I am the Little Tyrant of Beast Milk, I have traveled 300,000 miles across the Great Wilderness, and I am invincible in drinking my fill! You lowly chickens and dogs, you dare to bark your noses at me?"

Before the people below could react, he continued, speaking more and more fluently, his spittle almost flying outside the beam of light.

"You're not convinced? Then come at me all at once! I'll give you three moves. If you're still standing after those three moves, I won't drink this jar of beast milk!"

As he spoke, he lifted the earthenware jar in his arms high above his head, as if it were not a jar of animal milk, but a banner that commanded the world.

"Within the Bloodstained Realm, I am Heaven, I am Earth, I am the supreme and one true God! You ants, how dare you contend with me for the title of Number One Under Heaven?"

He paused, tilted his head, and his voice still had a childlike quality: "What? Nobody dares to step up? Then I'll take the title of number one in the world without hesitation. You all just watch from below and see what it means to—suppress all enemies!"

The last word "enemy" was drawn out, echoing and buzzing in the void.

The voice contained arrogance, smugness, and an impatient "I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you" attitude.

The void was deathly silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the small figure still swaying its head and hands on its hips in the beam of light, mouths agape, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. A five-year-old, clutching a milk can, milk stains still clinging to its lips, actually speaking in such a tone? Who taught it that?

Wow...that's way too arrogant!

In the distance, Huo Ling'er was already squatting on the ground laughing, slapping her thighs and tears streaming down her face. "Hahahaha... Little Beast Milk Tyrant... Hahaha... Suppressing all enemies... Hahahaha... I'm dying of laughter..."

The Fire Emperor's lips twitched several times, but he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He shook his head, gazing at the small, arrogant figure high in the sky, and silently sighed: The successor of that being is indeed no ordinary person. That arrogance, that confidence, that infuriating yet utterly unassailable quality—it's unparalleled in the world.

Behind the open tower door, Zhisheng's lips curled up slightly—this child has truly mastered the essence of Kumārajīva.

He's annoying, cute, and yet he has the ability to back him up.

The little guy became even more smug when he saw that no one came up for a long time.

He put the pottery jar down and hugged it back to his arms, then reached out and beckoned downwards with one hand, his little face full of provocation, as if to say, "Come on, you guys."

"What? Nobody dares to come? Then I'll have to go back to drinking my milk." He blinked, his innocent expression paired with his arrogant words, making him incredibly effective.

Li Chenzhou stood at the edge of the void, hands behind his back, listening to the little thing in the pillar of light making a declaration that was both childish and extremely arrogant. The smile on his lips grew wider and wider.

When the words "Within the realm of blood, I am heaven, I am earth, I am the supreme and one true God" entered his ears, he finally couldn't help but clap softly.

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

"That's more like it," he muttered to himself, his voice filled with an indescribable pride.

He recalled his youth, when he was also fearless and dared to point at the noses of heroes and call them "chickens and dogs."

Back then, no one was there to support him; he had to fight his way out step by step, one punch at a time.

But things are different now; the little one is standing behind him.

This child doesn't need to be as cautious and timid as he was back then. He just needs to raise his head, straighten his chest, and shout out the most arrogant words in the loudest voice.

Because—he can protect you.

Li Chenzhou withdrew his gaze, glanced at the challengers below who were all pale-faced and caught in a dilemma, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

What right do these people have to challenge his little one? What right do they have to compete for the title of number one in the world? Do they even deserve it? The child he personally taught possesses the strength of 120,000 jin in the Blood Moving Realm, breaking records in the Void God Realm one after another. Even he himself acknowledges the existence of "invincible in the Blood Moving Realm." How could these chickens and dogs possibly shake his position?

He acquiesced to the challenge not to make the little one prove anything—the child's strength didn't need to be proven to anyone.

It was to teach this child one thing: in this dog-eat-dog world, sometimes, fists are more effective than reason, and arrogance is more powerful than humility.

If you take a step back, others will take ten steps forward; if you become a little arrogant, others will dare not act rashly.

If you take a step back, others will take ten steps forward; if you become a little arrogant, others will dare not act rashly.

"Let them cause trouble." Li Chenzhou looked at the little guy still shouting in the sky and said softly, his voice so low that only he could hear it. "The bigger the trouble, the better. If you poke a hole in the sky, I'll patch it up for you. If you trample a hole in the ground, I'll fill it in for you. There's nothing in this world that I, Li Chenzhou, can't handle."

His hands, which were behind his back, clenched slightly and then relaxed.

It was an absolute confidence, a composure that came from standing at the peak and looking down upon all living beings.

The little one was a child he had raised single-handedly, a sharp sword he had forged himself. Now, this sword was about to be drawn, to display its brilliance before the heroes of the world.

As the swordsmith, all he had to do was stand behind and watch.

In the distance, Huo Ling'er finally finished laughing, straightened up, and secretly glanced in Li Chenzhou's direction. She saw the man standing with his hands behind his back, his face calm, but his eyes gleamed with a chilling light.

That wasn't anger, nor was it murderous intent; rather, it was a domineering attitude that said, "You can do whatever you want, I'll take care of things even if the sky falls."

The little guy in the original script was truly a lawless character.

From a young age, he was fearless and dared to say anything, boasting about anything and everything. When he met Huo Ling'er, he immediately called her a "fat girl" and even clamored to carry her back to Shicun as his wife.

When encountering ferocious beasts, no matter how big they are, the only course of action is to "eat them all, eat them all."

That arrogance and domineering attitude that emanated from his very bones, coupled with his still-childish face, somehow made it impossible to get angry at him—because he truly meant what he said.

This little guy is even more remarkable now.

Instead of being restrained, the original unruly nature of the child was amplified and amplified.

Instead of teaching him humility and how to conceal his abilities, someone taught him that "if he's not arrogant enough, others will think he's easy to bully."

So the little guy went from "daring to speak" to "daring to speak even more", from "daring to boast" to "daring to boast even more", and from "lawless" to "I am the heaven, I am the law".

In the original storyline, he only chased after ferocious beasts shouting "Eat them!" Now he dares to point at the noses of all the heroes and curse them as "Clay chickens and earthen dogs, worthless bastards." In the original storyline, carrying the fat woman was just a thought for him, but now he dares to shout "Suppress all enemies" while holding a milk can.

This is no five-year-old child; it is clearly an ancient ferocious beast in human skin, a beast whose courage has been deliberately emboldened.

The person who had encouraged him was clapping and cheering from the sidelines, saying things like, "Wonderful, wonderful! This is the style of the Desolate Emperor."

Clearly, the little one's arrogance wasn't innate; it was cultivated little by little by someone. And the reason that person dared to spoil him so much was because he had the confidence—if the sky fell, he would hold it up; if the earth caved in, he would fill it in. There was nothing in this world that he couldn't handle.

So the little guy became increasingly unrestrained and arrogant, increasingly believing himself to be the supreme being in the Blood-Moving Realm. As for whether he'll be taught a lesson by someone of a higher realm later?

That's for later. Right now, all he needs to do is hold the earthenware pot, hands on his hips, and shout out the most arrogant words at the top of his lungs. Because behind him stands the man who will always be there to back him up.

"This kid is too arrogant!" A burly man with a thick beard couldn't help but shout out from the crowd. His voice was like muffled thunder, making the eardrums of the surrounding cultivators buzz.

He clenched his fists, veins bulging, wishing he could rush up and drag that little thing who was still shaking its head with its hands on its hips in the pillar of light down and teach it a lesson.

Arrogant, absolutely arrogant.

No, this is not just arrogance, this is utter disregard for others, this is lawlessness, this is trampling on the dignity of heroes and then jumping around in a rage.

A five-year-old child, clutching a milk can, with milk stains still on his lips, dared to shout "Clay chickens and earthen dogs, worthless!" in front of the heroes of the Eight Realms? He dared to point at those ancient monsters who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years and say, "Come at me all at once!"

This isn't just a case of a newborn calf not being afraid of a tiger; it's a newborn calf trying to devour all the tigers in the entire mountain.

The leaders of those forces standing at the front of the crowd had increasingly gloomy expressions.

They came from different ancient countries, different traditions, and different races. They might have had disagreements with each other in normal times, but at this moment, their faces showed the same expression—shame and anger.

An elderly man with white hair leaned on a dragon-headed cane, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He was a supreme elder of an ancient family, holding an extremely high position in the Eight Domains; even the Fire Emperor treated him with utmost respect. Now, being called a "fool" by a five-year-old child, he was utterly humiliated. His dragon-headed staff slammed heavily on the ground with a dull thud, but he ultimately didn't take that step.

Because he knew that with this step, regardless of winning or losing, he would completely lose face.

A middle-aged man clad in black armor, his face ashen, was grinding his teeth.

He was a ferocious beast that had taken human form from the ancient sacred mountain. He held a revered position in his clan and commanded thousands of fierce soldiers.

The young heirs to power and the core disciples of various sects all blushed, clenched their fists, and their eyes almost spit fire.

From childhood, they were pampered and adored, the center of attention wherever they went. But now, in front of that infant still drinking milk, they became "chickens and dogs," "marketable objects," cowards who dared not even challenge him. This humiliation was more painful than death.

Of course, not everyone looked gloomy and gritted their teeth.

Among this densely packed crowd, some people remained calm, some even with faint smiles on their lips.

They never intended to challenge the little guy in the pillar of light from the beginning, not because they were cowardly, but because they saw further than those angry challengers.

"Interesting, truly interesting." A middle-aged scholar in a blue robe waved his folding fan, gazing at the small figure in the sky with hands on hips and head swaying, his eyes full of admiration.

He wasn't the leader of any major power; he was just a rogue cultivator, without any sect or faction, living a carefree life.

He wasn't qualified to compete for the title of the best in the world, nor did he ever aspire to any immortal techniques or magical arts. He came here simply to watch the spectacle.

Unexpectedly, the spectacle was a hundred times more exciting than he had imagined. A five-year-old child, clutching a milk can, pointed at the heroes of the world and cursed them as "chickens and dogs." This audacity, this arrogance, this disregard for the heroes of the world made even this old rogue cultivator who had lived for hundreds of years feel ashamed of himself.

"A talent, a true talent." He fanned himself with his folding fan, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Leaving aside his Blood Transformation Realm strength, just this mentality, this fearless courage, he is destined for greatness."

His words drew agreement from several people around him.

Most of these people were independent cultivators, representatives of small factions, or simply bystanders who had no intention of making a challenge.

They had no conflict of interest, so naturally they felt no anger. Instead, they looked at the arrogant little guy high in the sky with almost admiration.

In their eyes, the little boy's "arrogant" words were not an insult, but rather a source of exhilarating satisfaction. Could those powerful figures who usually held sway have a day when a child pointed a finger at them and insulted them, yet they dared not retaliate?

This performance was worthwhile.

"This child is indeed extraordinary." Another old man stroked his beard, his gaze profound. "To be chosen by that being as the number one Blood-Transfer Realm cultivator in the world, how can he be compared to ordinary prodigies? Those who are angry only see his arrogance, but they don't see the capital behind it. A strength of 120,000 jin, breaking records in the Void God Realm one after another—these achievements are real and cannot be faked. What's even more terrifying is that he's only five years old. Five years old! He has a long road ahead of him. Such potential, such talent, is worth betting on."

The old man's words enlightened many people.

They suddenly realized that the little guy in the pillar of light was not just someone with the title of "Number One in the Blood Removal Realm," but also a potential star in the future.

How could someone who has personally chosen this person be simple?

If you can establish a good relationship with him and bring him into your camp before he truly matures, the future rewards will likely be far greater than any immortal techniques or magic.

As a result, some people's minds began to wander. They no longer saw the little guy as a rival, but as an investment opportunity.

Someone whispered to their attendant to inquire about the child's origins, background, and preferences. Others were already calculating how to approach the child once the commotion subsided.

Is it to send a gift? To build a relationship? Or to directly offer terms and invite him to join one's faction?

The Fire Emperor gazed at the small figure high in the sky, his eyes deep and distant.

He looked at the little guy who was holding a broken pottery jar, hands on his hips, acting all high and mighty, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips.

The smile contained appreciation, approval, and a sense of relief, as if to say, "Just as I thought."

"Truly a young hero, an unparalleled prodigy." The Fire Emperor's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying a heartfelt admiration. "This demeanor, this spirit, is unmatched among his peers across the eight regions."

He had lived most of his life and had seen countless prodigies and young people who were called "geniuses".

But those people are either too sharp and ambitious but lack a solid foundation, or they have a solid foundation but lack courage, or they are bold and knowledgeable but narrow-minded.

He had never seen anyone like this little guy, who possessed invincible strength at the Blood Transformation Realm at the age of five, and at the same time had the courage to regard all the heroes of the world as nothing.

This isn't arrogance, it's confidence; this isn't bravado, it's inner strength. And this inner strength comes from the person standing behind him.

Huo Ling'er stared wide-eyed at her father, the Emperor, in disbelief. "Father, he's so arrogant! A hero? A prodigy?" She pointed at the small figure high in the sky, hands on hips, swaying his head, her voice filled with incredulity. "Didn't you hear what he just said? 'Utter rubbish, worthless!' He insulted everyone present! Even you! And you still praised him?"

Huo Ling'er wondered if her father had taken the wrong medicine today.

That little brat, that little kid still drinking milk, that silly boy who chased after her calling her "fat sister," how did he become an "unparalleled genius" in Father's mouth? What's so unparalleled about him? His mouth? That mouth that can drive people crazy?

The Fire Emperor glanced at his daughter, shook his head, and his eyes held a hint of helplessness, as if to say, "You are still too young."

"Ling'er, you only saw his arrogance, but you didn't see the basis for it." The Fire Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze returning to the little figure in the pillar of light. "A Blood-Moving Realm expert with the strength of 120,000 jin, breaking records in the Void God Realm one after another, and being personally recognized by that being as the number one in the world. Which of these achievements is fake? He dared to say those things because he had the strength to back them up. If anyone else had said the same thing, they would have been courting death; but he said it was the truth."

Huo Ling'er opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself speechless. Because her father was right; that brat certainly had the right to be arrogant.

What could she do? She was desperate too.

The Fire Emperor smiled slightly and added, "Moreover, that being is standing behind him. Even if he creates a hole in the sky, someone will patch it up for him. If such a child isn't a prodigy, what is?"

Huo Ling'er shut up completely.

Looking at the little figure still yelling high in the sky, she suddenly realized that the brat was actually... pretty formidable. Although she still thought he deserved a beating.

In the distance, the little one seemed to sense something, glanced in the direction of the Fire Emperor and Fire Spirit, grinned, and then raised the pottery jar and shook it at them, as if to say: Fat sister, look how cool I am?

Huo Ling'er rolled her eyes and turned her face away.

You little brat, what are you strutting about for? Wait till you fall, and I'll snatch your milk can away!

Huo Ling'er's eyes darted around, then she suddenly tilted her head back, tugged at the Fire Emperor's sleeve, and asked with a mix of coquettishness and defiance, "Father, what if I went up there and said those things? Like 'Clay chickens and earthen dogs, worthless,' or 'You all come at me!' I could shout those too! Wouldn't that make me a hero? A peerless genius?" The more she spoke, the more convinced she became, puffing out her little chest. "It's just talking, anyone can do that!"

She spoke lightly, but she felt a pang of jealousy inside.

The Emperor had just praised that brat to the skies, calling her a "child hero, an unparalleled prodigy." She had never received such high praise from the Emperor before.

Why should that little baby who's still drinking milk receive such praise?

She doesn't agree!

The Fire Emperor looked down at his daughter's little face, which was filled with "I want it too," and remained silent for a long while. He opened his mouth, then closed it, opened it again, and closed it again, repeating this several times, as if he was considering how to speak in a way that would neither hurt his daughter nor fail to make her understand.

Finally, he spoke, trying to keep his tone gentle, but the meaning behind his words was undeniably hurtful.

"Ling'er, let me tell you, the most important thing in life is to have a sense of right and wrong, to know your own limitations." He paused, then pointed to the little one still shouting with his hands on his hips high in the sky. "That child said those things because he had the confidence. Behind him stood that being, a Blood-Moving Realm expert with the strength of 120,000 jin, breaking records in the Void God Realm one after another. These undeniable achievements are there for all to see; whatever he says, everyone has to listen to him. But what about you?"

As the Fire Emperor finished speaking, looking at his daughter's increasingly dark face, he couldn't bring himself to say the blunt truth: "You only have your old man behind you, and your old man has to watch other people's faces."

He sighed and changed his approach to a more tactful one.

"Daughter, some things are easy to say, but the consequences are something that can't be solved with just words. That child has someone to cover for him no matter how big a mess he makes, but you..." He paused, gently patting Huo Ling'er's shoulder, "It's better to be more composed. Don't be too arrogant... reckless."

Huo Ling'er's face went from white to red, then from red to green, finally she snorted, turned her face to the side, shook off the Fire Emperor's hand, and stomped her foot angrily. "Father! You just think I'm not as good as that brat!"

The Fire Emperor watched his daughter's angry retreating figure and shook his head helplessly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "There's a big Buddha standing behind that person, but you only have your old man behind you. I have to put on a smiling face for that big Buddha," but after thinking about it, he swallowed his words.

Well, let her be childish for a while. She'll understand some of the truth when she grows up.

In the distance, the little one seemed to sense something, glanced over, grinned, smiled at Huo Ling'er, and even shook the pottery jar, looking as utterly irritating as could be.

Huo Ling'er was so angry she almost exploded on the spot.

You little brat, just you wait! The day you're all alone, I'll snatch your milk can and smash it!