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

The little one woke up before dawn.

I wasn't woken up; I woke up on my own.

He opened his eyes and saw that it was still pitch black outside the window, with only the water of Linghu Lake shimmering faintly in the night.

He turned over, trying to sleep a little longer, but his mind was already wide awake, and he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

He lay on the bed, holding the pottery jar, staring at the ceiling, the image on the rolled-up animal skin repeatedly replaying in his mind.

Six black holes, slowly rotating.

Six forces intertwined and fused together.

The withering and flourishing of every blade of grass and tree, the changing of the sun, moon and stars, the rise and fall of dynasties, and the cycle of life for all living beings.

Those images seemed etched into his mind, impossible to shake off.

He knew that it was the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Technique calling to him.

It wasn't the animal hide that was calling, but the Heavenly Skill itself.

It chose the little one, just as the little one chose it.

The little one sat up, rubbed his eyes, and yawned.

He glanced around; Uncle Li wasn't there.

He remembered that last night, he woke up from a nightmare and found that Uncle Li was not in the house, so he ran out to look for him.

Uncle Li told him by the Linghu Lake, "I won't leave," and made that promise.

Then he fell asleep on Uncle Li's shoulder, and it was Uncle Li who carried him back.

He touched the blanket and smelled the faint scent of herbs and wood that Uncle Li had on him.

He grinned, his silly grin, missing a front tooth, shining brightly in the darkness.

He threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, grabbed the pottery jar, and walked barefoot out of the small stone house.

Before dawn, Shicun was still asleep.

The shimmering waters of Linghu Lake sparkled faintly in the night, like scattered silver fragments.

The willow branches swayed gently in the night breeze, scattering dappled green light.

He took a deep breath. The air in the Great Wilderness at dawn was crisp and sweet, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees and the moisture from the Spirit Lake.

He jolted awake, completely waking up.

He walked to the edge of Linghu Lake, placed the pottery jar on the ground, and sat down cross-legged.

He closed his eyes, took the rolled-up animal skin from his bosom, and spread it on his lap.

Runes flowed across the animal hide, with six black holes rising and falling within them, emanating a chilling aura.

He immersed his spirit in the animal skin and once again entered that mysterious world.

Six black holes slowly rotated in front of him.

Each bite is as vast as the sky, and unfathomably deep.

Intense, cold, vibrant, lifeless, luminous, and dark.

Six distinct forces intertwined to form an ineffable harmony.

The little one stood before those six black holes, his tiny figure appearing even smaller against their backdrop.

But he did not back down, nor was he afraid. He simply looked up at the six black holes, his eyes filled with curiosity and longing.

He remembered what Uncle Li had said.

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Technique doesn't teach you how to fight, but rather how to understand this world."

"When you truly understand this world, you can master its power."

"It's not about conquering, it's about adapting."

"It's not about changing it, it's about utilizing it."

"This is the true essence of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Technique."

The little boy seemed to understand but not quite, yet he kept these words in his heart.

He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the six black holes with his eyes, but using his spirit to perceive them and his heart to experience them.

He sensed endless flames burning within that blazing black hole; it was the power of the sun, the power of life, and the power of destruction.

He sensed endless ice condensing within that cold black hole; it was the power of the moon, the power of death, the power of slumber.

He sensed endless green surging within that black hole of life—the power of spring, the power of growth, the power of hope.

He sensed an endless grayness permeating the deathly black hole; it was the power of winter, the power of decay, the power of despair.

He sensed that within that luminous black hole, endless gold was shimmering—the power of daylight, the power of justice, the power of divinity.

He sensed that within that dark abyss, endless blackness was devouring everything; it was the power of night, the power of evil, the power of corruption.

Six forces intertwined, collided, and merged in his perception.

They are not independent, but interdependent.

Without heat, there is no cold.

Without life, there is no death.

Without light, there is no darkness.

They are a whole, a cycle, a reincarnation.

The little one suddenly understood something.

It's not something you understand with your brain, but something you understand with your heart.

He understood that the Six Paths Reincarnation Heavenly Technique was not about choosing one power, but about accepting all powers.

It's not about making him one of the poles, but about making him the circle that encompasses all six poles.

He opened his eyes, and the six black holes were still slowly rotating in front of him.

He raised his little hand and gently pointed at the blazing black hole.

"boom!"

A surge of intense heat erupted from the black hole, flowing through his fingers and into his body.

That power was so strong that his meridians were burning, his blood was boiling, and his bones were melting.

He was trembling with pain, but he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out.

He knew this was the only way.

To master the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Technique, one must first bear the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The scorching power surged through his body like a raging fire dragon, threatening to burn him to ashes from the inside out.

He desperately circulated the techniques Uncle Li had taught him, guiding the fire dragon to flow through his meridians.

The fire dragon is disobedient; it doesn't want to be guided and only wants to cause destruction.

The little one gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and guided the child again and again.

The fire dragon broke through the first meridian, and he repaired the first meridian.

The fire dragon broke through the second meridian, so he repaired it.

He guided and repaired the device while enduring the excruciating pain.

After an unknown amount of time, the fire dragon finally quieted down.

It no longer charged recklessly, but instead, guided by the little one, slowly circulated within his body.

With each rotation, it shrinks and weakens until it is completely integrated into his blood and qi.

The little one felt a surge of intense energy within his blood and qi.

That wasn't an external force, but rather a part of himself.

He can mobilize it at any time, just like he can wield his own fist.

Before he could even feel happy, another surge of power erupted from the cold, black hole and rushed into his body.

This time, it wasn't scorching hot, but icy cold.

That icy power was like millennia-old ice, trying to freeze his blood, crack his meridians, and shatter his bones.

He was shivering with cold, his lips were purple, and his teeth were chattering.

But he gritted his teeth, endured it, and guided her.

Again and again, over and over again.

That cold power surged through his body, and he guided it again and again.

It froze and cracked the veins, so he repaired them.

It has damaged its blood and qi, so he warms and nourishes it.

After an unknown amount of time, the cold power subsided and merged into his blood and qi.

Next comes the power of life.

The power surged into his body like spring rain, nourishing his parched meridians, repairing his damaged bones, and warming his weary blood and energy.

He felt his body cheering, leaping with joy, greedily absorbing that vitality.

His wounds healed, his fatigue dissipated, and his spirits were restored.

He felt better than ever before.

But before he could enjoy this wonderful moment, the deathly power arrived.

That power was hazy and indistinct, like autumn leaves, like withered branches in winter, like the end of life.

It surged into his body, and wherever it passed, life was cut off, blood and energy declined, and spirits withered.

The little one felt himself growing old, withering, and heading towards death.

He panicked, he was scared, and he wanted to give up.

But he remembered Uncle Li's words—"Don't be afraid, don't back down. On the path of cultivation, if you don't advance, you fall behind."

He gritted his teeth and continued to guide her.

That lifeless power surged through his body, and he guided it again and again.

When life is extinguished, he uses the power of life to reignite it.

When its vital energy and blood decline, he uses intense heat to revitalize it.

When it became listless, he used the power of light to rekindle its spirit.

He struggled between life and death, and wavered between decay and prosperity.

After an unknown amount of time, the deathly power subsided and merged into his blood and qi.

Then comes the power of light.

The power was golden, like a small sun, rising within him.

It dispelled the darkness within him, illuminated his meridians, and warmed his blood and qi.

He felt full of strength, confidence, and hope.

He felt he could overcome anything and do anything.

Finally, there is the power of darkness.

The power was black, like a bottomless abyss, unfolding within his body.

It devoured the light within him, devoured his strength, devoured his faith.

He felt himself sinking into endless darkness, unable to see direction, hope, or the future.

He was terrified, he was desperate, he wanted to give up.

But then he remembered Uncle Li's eyes, those eyes that were always calm, always deep, and always gave him strength.

He gritted his teeth and continued to guide her.

The dark power devoured the light within him, so he used the power of light to rekindle it.

It devoured his power, so he replenished it with his fiery power.

It eroded his confidence, so he rebuilt it with the power of life.

After an unknown amount of time, the dark power subsided and merged into his blood and qi.

All six forces merged into his body.

They no longer charge headlong into each other, no longer repel each other, but coexist harmoniously, flowing slowly through his blood and qi.

He felt some inexplicable change occurring in his body.

It's not that it's become stronger or more robust, but rather that it has become more profound, more inclusive, and more complete.

Like those six black holes, he became a circle, a circle that encompasses the six poles.

The little one opened his eyes and found himself still sitting by the Spirit Lake, the pottery jar still at his feet and the animal skin still on his lap.

The sky was already bright, and the sun peeked out from behind the eastern mountains, casting golden sunlight on the lake, the willows, and on him.

He looked down at his hands, small and fair, but he knew that there was a new kind of power in them.

It's not brute force of 120,000 jin, but a deeper and more mysterious power.

That is the power of the six realms of reincarnation.

"You succeeded."

Li Chenzhou's voice came from behind.

The little boy turned his head and saw Li Chenzhou standing behind him, hands behind his back, his face calm.

He didn't know when he arrived; perhaps he had been there from the beginning, or perhaps he arrived midway.

But that doesn't matter. What matters is that he came.

"Uncle Li, I did it!" The little boy stood up, hugging the pottery jar, looking up at Li Chenzhou with a silly grin that was as bright as the rising sun. "I've mastered the basics of the Six Paths Reincarnation Heaven Technique."

Li Chenzhou looked at him, at the light in his eyes, at the smile on his face, at the milk stains around his mouth that hadn't been wiped clean, and his own lips curled up slightly.

"Not bad. Faster than I expected."

"Of course!" The little one puffed out his chest, chin held high. "I'm the number one Blood Refining Realm expert in the world! Any Heavenly Technique that falls into my hands has to obey!"

Li Chenzhou didn't say anything, but simply reached out and flicked his forehead.

The little one covered his forehead, which had been flicked red, and grimaced, but didn't cry out in pain.

He carried the pottery jar, walked to Li Chenzhou's side, and looked up at him.

"Uncle Li, I almost died just now."

"I know."

"But I didn't give up."

"I know."

"Because I remembered you."

Li Chenzhou looked down at him, at the light gleaming in those dark, bright eyes.

There was dependence, trust, and an indescribable emotion in that light.

They are not father and son, but their bond is stronger than that of father and son.

They are not master and disciple, but their relationship is better than that of master and disciple.

"Uncle Li, I will work even harder in the future. I want to cultivate the Six Paths Reincarnation Heavenly Art to its highest level and become a figure like the Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King. No, even stronger than him. I want everyone to know that Little One is the strongest."

Li Chenzhou looked at him without saying anything, but simply reached out and rubbed his head.

The little one took the opportunity to hug Li Chenzhou's leg, burying his face in his clothes and rubbing against him.

"Uncle Li, I'm hungry. I want to eat grilled spirit fish and drink beast milk."

"Then let's go eat."

"Stay with me."

"it is good."

The little one smiled happily, let go of Li Chenzhou's leg, hugged the pottery jar, and ran towards the village with his short legs.

He ran while shouting, "I want grilled fish! I want milk! I'm the best in the world! I want the best of everything!"

Li Chenzhou stood by the Spirit Lake, watching the small figure running in the morning light, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He knew that from today onwards, the little one's path had taken another fork in the road.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Technique will be one of the most important cornerstones on his future cultivation path.

And he will always stand behind him, watching him walk, accompanying him, until he reaches a place where no one can look up to him.