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

Stone Village has never been this lively.

From the moment he returned from the Realm of the Void Gods, the entire village erupted like a powder keg. The elderly and children who hadn't gone to the Realm of the Void Gods, the women and children whose cultivation was too low to leave their bodies, all flocked to the village entrance, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe, waiting for the small figure returning in triumph. Their faces were filled with anticipation, their eyes glistening with tears of excitement. Stone Village had produced the world's number one Blood Transformation Realm cultivator—something they had never dared to dream of. But now, it had happened, it had truly happened.

The little boy jumped down from Li Chenzhou's arms. The moment his feet touched the ground, he took a deep breath, puffed out his little chest, and held his chin higher than the sky. He held the new pottery jar Huo Ling'er had given him in one arm, the other on his hip, his toothless grin as bright as the midday sun in the wilderness. He looked at the familiar faces, at the elders who had watched him grow up, at the friends who had drunk milk with him, chased birds with him, and fished with him, and an indescribable pride welled up inside him. Not pride for himself, but pride for Stone Village. He was a child of Stone Village, and his glory was the glory of Stone Village.

"I'm back!" he called out in a childish voice, soft yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears. "The Bloodthirsty Realm's number one hero, back to the village!"

A brief silence fell over the crowd, followed by a deafening roar of cheers. The elderly wept with joy, the women cried and laughed, clutching their children, the men clenched their fists and waved them vigorously, and the children jumped and shouted, "Little one! Little one!" Shi Yunfeng stood at the front of the crowd, leaning on his wooden cane, his withered hands trembling slightly, his cloudy old eyes filled with tears. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. He simply looked at the little one, at the child he had raised with his own hands, and only one thought filled his mind—it was all worth it, his life had been worth it.

The little boy's great-grandfather stood beside Shi Yunfeng, his back ramrod straight, his face calm, yet tears glistened in his cloudy eyes. He had once been a member of the Martial King's Mansion, seen the world, and knew the weight of the words "Number One in the Blood Transformation Realm." It wasn't just the glory of a village, or a family, but the glory of the entire Eight Domains. This child, only five years old, had already accomplished what countless people could not achieve in their entire lives. His future was limitless.

The skinny monkey was the first to rush forward, hugging the little one tightly, his face covered in snot and tears. "Little one! You're amazing! You're the best in the world! The best in the world!" The snotty-nosed kid followed behind, also rushing forward. The three little ones hugged each other and rolled around on the ground twice. Shi Qingfeng stood to the side, pursing his lips, his eyes red-rimmed, clapping vigorously. His palms were red from clapping, but he felt no pain. He just felt a warm current surging in his heart, making him want to cry and laugh at the same time. The golden monkey jumped down from the wall, perched on the little one's shoulder, squeaking and clapping its two little paws frantically, as if celebrating the little one's victory.

The women gathered around, chattering amongst themselves. "This child, we raised him!" "The animal milk he drank when he was little, I even made it myself!" "You made it? I made it! He loved my Silver Lightning Beast milk the most!" "Stop arguing! He belongs to all of us! He's a child of our Stone Village!" As they spoke, they started crying again, their tears flowing uncontrollably.

The little boy got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and then raised the earthenware jar, shaking it at everyone. "I'm happy today! Please drink some animal milk!" He opened the lid of the jar, and the rich aroma of milk wafted out, filling everyone's noses. But no matter how big the jar was, it was only one jar; one sip for everyone in the village, not even enough to fill a tooth gap. But no one complained, because it was a gesture of goodwill, a gesture of sharing joy.

Li Chenzhou stood on the periphery of the crowd, hands behind his back, watching the small figure surrounded by admirers, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't step forward, because that was the little one's moment, the moment of Shi Village. He only needed to stand behind and watch; that was enough.

As the cheers subsided and the excitement faded, the little boy suddenly stepped out from the crowd and stood on the stone mill at the village entrance. That mill, which he usually used to boil animal milk, had become his platform. Standing there, he looked down at everyone, the silly grin on his missing front tooth gone, replaced by an unusual seriousness beyond his years. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Dear uncles and aunts, grandpas and grandmas, brothers and sisters, my dear brothers and sisters." His voice was childish, but every word was clear. "Today, I am the number one in the Blood Refining Realm. In the eight domains, within the Blood Refining Realm, no one can rival me. Those so-called prodigies, geniuses, and venerables have all been beaten to a pulp by me with a single punch, leaving them running for their lives."

He spoke with the nonchalant ease of someone remarking on the weather. Yet, the arrogance emanating from his very bones stunned everyone. The villagers, the elders who had watched him grow up, all stared wide-eyed and mouths agape, dumbfounded at the small figure standing on the millstone. They knew the little guy was arrogant, but they never imagined he could be this arrogant. One punch, one kill? Utterly scrambling? Was this child really only five years old?

Ignoring their shock, the little one continued, "I know many outside are dissatisfied. They think I'm just lucky, that I'm relying on Uncle Li, that I don't deserve to be the number one in the world. But I don't care. Because I've shown them what true strength is with my fists. Anyone who's dissatisfied, come on. One comes, I'll beat one. Two come, I'll beat two. A whole group comes, I'll still knock them all down."

He paused, then raised the earthenware jar above his head, as if it weren't just a jar of beast milk, but a banner commanding the world. "From this day forward, in the Eight Domains Blood-Moving Realm, there is only one name—Little One, Beast Milk Little Tyrant, Number One Under Heaven. Anyone who thinks they can do it, come and challenge me. I'm staying in Stone Village, not going anywhere else. My fists are ready at any time."

After he finished speaking, he put down the earthenware jar, opened the lid, and took a big gulp of animal milk, leaving milk stains on the corners of his mouth, which he didn't bother to wipe away. Then he smacked his lips, and the silly grin with his missing front tooth reappeared on his face, as if his arrogant declaration just now was nothing more than an appetizer before the main course.

Shi Yunfeng was stunned for a long time, then suddenly laughed. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, not from sadness, but from joy. This child, indeed, was still that unruly little brat. The title of number one in the world hadn't made him humble.

This only made him more arrogant. But he liked it. Because he knew that this kid had the right to be arrogant.

The great-grandfather shook his head, but a smile curved his lips. He had lived most of his life and seen countless prodigies, but he had never seen a child like this. At five years old, he was the strongest in the Blood Transformation Realm, yet he dared to say, "Even if a whole bunch came, I could still beat them all down." This courage, this spirit, surpassed any prodigy he had ever seen in the Martial King's Mansion. Not because he was particularly strong, but because he was never afraid. Not afraid of losing, not afraid of losing face, not afraid of being laughed at. He only knew that he was the strongest, and that was enough.

The skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed boy jumped and danced with excitement, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Little One is the best!" "Number one in the world!" Shi Qingfeng didn't shout, but he nodded vigorously, his eyes shining brighter than anyone else's. The little golden monkey perched on Little One's shoulder, squeaking as if cheering for its master.

The news spread quickly. The little boy's words in Stone Village had spread throughout the entire Void God Realm in less than half a day, and then from there to every corner of the Eight Domains. The leaders of those forces reacted in various ways upon hearing this. Some smiled bitterly, some shook their heads, some sighed, and some gritted their teeth. But no one dared to say anything, because that child truly had the right to say such things. He was the number one in the Blood Transformation Realm, a title personally bestowed by that being, earned through his own fists. If he said he was the strongest, then he was the strongest. If you weren't convinced, you could challenge him. But did you have the guts? No. Because those who did have the guts had already been blasted away in the three days of challenges.

Within the ancient sacred mountain, the transformed ferocious beasts turned ashen-faced upon hearing this news. They had once looked down upon the human race, despised this infant still nursing. But now, that child stood above them, pointing a finger at their noses and declaring, "Send a whole bunch, and I'll crush them all." They were furious, yet dared not move. For behind that child stood a person they could not afford to offend.

In the capital of the Fire Kingdom, the Fire Emperor smiled slightly and shook his head upon hearing the news. "That child is getting more and more arrogant," Huo Ling'er said, standing beside him, pouting. "He was arrogant to begin with, but now that he's the strongest in the world, he's even more arrogant. Father, do you think he'll become so arrogant that he won't even respect you anymore?"

The Fire Emperor glanced at his daughter, his gaze profound. "He has never cared about anyone. Not because he's arrogant, but because he only has eyes for the people and things he wants to protect. As for everything else, he doesn't care."

Huo Ling'er paused, then fell silent. She suddenly realized her father was right. That brat, though arrogant, though he called people "chickens and dogs," though he shouted "Attack me all at once," he never truly looked down on anyone. He simply felt he was strong enough that he didn't need to care about others' opinions. That wasn't arrogance; that was confidence. A pure, unadulterated confidence.

In the capital of the Stone Kingdom, the Stone Emperor sat on his dragon throne, listening to the reports from his spies, remaining silent for a long time. Then he sighed softly. "This child is even more arrogant than his father was back then." An old minister beside him cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, should we... send someone to make contact? After all, he is also of the Stone Clan bloodline."

The Stone Emperor shook his head. "No need. He doesn't care about the Stone Clan, and the Stone Clan doesn't deserve him."

The old minister opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing the emperor's exhausted appearance, he swallowed his words. He silently withdrew, leaving the emperor alone in the empty hall, gazing at the night sky outside the window, silent for a long time.

Meanwhile, in Stone Village, Little One had finished the jar of beast milk and let out a satisfied burp. He jumped down from the millstone, walked up to Li Chenzhou, looked up, and his toothless grin returned. "Uncle Li, how was what I said? Wasn't it cool enough?"

Li Chenzhou looked down at him, seeing the sparkle in those dark, bright eyes, and seeing the "Praise me, praise me!" written all over that little face. A slight smile played on her lips. "Not bad."

"Not bad?" the little one said, dissatisfied. "I think I'm arrogant enough! Even more arrogant than when I was in the Realm of the Void Gods!"

"Then be even more arrogant next time." Li Chenzhou reached out and flicked his forehead. "When you reach the Cave Heaven Realm, Spirit Transformation Realm, Inscription Realm, and Array Formation Realm, and become the best in the world in every realm, then being arrogant will be truly impressive."

The little one, rubbing his forehead where he'd been flicked red, nodded vigorously. "I will! I will become the number one in the world across all realms! I'll let everyone know that the little one is the strongest!"

Li Chenzhou didn't speak, but simply reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. The little boy instinctively hugged Li Chenzhou's leg, buried his face in his clothes, and rubbed against him. "Uncle Li, I'm tired, I want to sleep."

"Then go to sleep."

"But I still want to drink animal milk."

"Let's drink again tomorrow."

"Then may I sleep while hugging this clay pot?"

"……what ever."

The little boy smiled happily, hugged the pottery jar, and ran towards his little stone house with his short legs. After running a few steps, he stopped, looked back at the villagers still bustling at the village entrance, at the elders still proud of him, and at the friends still cheering for him. He grinned, revealing a bright smile with a missing front tooth, then raised the pottery jar and shook it at everyone.

"I'm going to sleep! See you tomorrow! Tomorrow I still have to drink beast milk, chase birds, and pinch little monkeys! Anyone who wants to challenge me, come on! My fists are ready!"

After saying that, he turned around and ran into his little stone house without looking back. Behind him, the laughter, cheers, and chatter still lingered in the night breeze.

The child who was still drinking milk was now lying in bed, hugging the earthenware pot, covered with a blanket, and closing his eyes. A smile still lingered on his lips—a smile of triumph, a smile of pride, a smile of anticipation for the future.

He knew that from this day forward, he was no longer just a little kid from Stone Village. He was the number one Blood Refining Realm expert in the Eight Domains, the Little Tyrant of Beast Milk, a figure revered by countless people. But he also knew that no matter who he was, in front of Uncle Li, in front of everyone in Stone Village, he would always be that little kid who chased the Five-Colored Sparrow all over the village, clung to the pottery jar, and laughed carefree despite his missing front tooth.

This is enough.