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

On this day, Little Dot felt the time had come.

It wasn't a sudden decision, but rather a natural progression.

When he woke up in the morning, he felt something surging within him, like a long-suppressed torrent eager to burst forth. He lay in bed, clutching the earthenware jar, feeling the rush of blood and energy within him, feeling that increasingly intense impulse. He knew it was that door calling to him. Not with sound, but with power. The essence of heaven and earth behind that door could no longer wait; it wanted to rush in, to merge with him.

The little boy sat up, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. He glanced out the window; it was still dark, and the waters of Spirit Lake shimmered faintly in the night. He took a deep breath, suppressing his impulse. No rush, he couldn't rush it. Uncle Li had said that opening up the cave couldn't be rushed; one had to wait for the best opportunity. He felt that the best opportunity was today. Not now, but after he was ready.

He jumped out of bed, grabbed the pottery jar, and walked barefoot out of the small stone house. A sliver of light was already on the horizon; the sun was about to rise. He walked to the edge of the Spirit Lake, placed the jar on the ground, and sat down cross-legged. He didn't begin immediately, but first calmed himself. He listened to the sound of the lake's water, the rustling of the willow branches, and the calls of birds and beasts in the distant mountains and forests. He felt the coolness of the morning, the gentle breeze, and the warmth of the earth beneath his feet. His heart gradually calmed down.

Then, he focused his mind into his body.

The door was still there, clearer, taller, and heavier than before. The crack in the door was now wide enough to fit a hand, and the vital energy of heaven and earth behind it surged like ocean tides, crashing against the door with a deep, rumbling sound. Little Dot looked at the door, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him. It wasn't fear, nor tension, but a sense of solemnity, a sense of sacredness. He knew that by pushing open this door, he would step into a completely new world. A world that belonged to him, a world he had never seen before, a world full of infinite possibilities.

He's ready.

It wasn't that his body was ready, nor that his strength was ready, but that his heart was ready. He was no longer impatient, no longer anxious, no longer preoccupied with gains and losses. He simply walked calmly and resolutely toward the door. He stretched out his hands and placed them on the door. The door was cold and heavy, as if forged from millennia-old iron. He didn't push it with force, but first used his spirit to sense it. He felt the texture of the door, felt its temperature, felt the surging power behind it. That power sensed his presence and pounded against the door even more frantically, wanting to rush out and join him.

The little one took a deep breath and then pushed hard.

The door didn't move.

Undeterred, he pushed again. Still, nothing moved. He gritted his teeth, mustered all the strength in his body, gathering the immense power of 120,000 jin in his hands, and then pushed with all his might.

"boom!"

The door finally moved. Not pushed open, but rammed open from the inside by the force behind it. The door burst open, and a vast amount of primordial energy, like a flood bursting its banks, surged out from behind the door and rushed into the little one's body.

The power was overwhelming, so strong that his body trembled, his meridians swelled, and his bones creaked. He felt like a small bucket being filled with a mighty river, about to burst at any moment. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and desperately circulated the cultivation technique Uncle Li had taught him, guiding the essence of heaven and earth within his body.

That vital energy of heaven and earth was not without a master; it possessed its own will and attributes. It was as fiery as fire, as cold as frost, vibrant with life, as deathly still, as dazzling as light, and as profound as darkness. Six completely different forces intertwined, rampaging through the little boy's body, threatening to tear him to shreds from the inside out.

The little one didn't panic because he had been through it before.

He experienced the same pain while cultivating the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He knew that this was not harming him, but transforming him. This essence of heaven and earth was opening up a completely new space within his body—a grotto-heaven that belonged to him alone.

He closed his eyes, ceasing to resist and instead yielding to that force. He let it surge freely within him, collide freely, and unfold freely. Like an observer, he quietly watched his body being transformed, reshaped, and sublimated.

Pain, excruciating pain.

But he held back and didn't cry out.

He knew this was the only way.

To become stronger, you have to pay a price.

No one succeeds easily.

After an unknown amount of time, the vital energy of heaven and earth finally subsided.

It stopped charging around and stopped somewhere inside the little one's body, slowly rotating to form a small vortex.

The vortex wasn't large, only about the size of a fist, but it emitted a dazzling light, like a miniature sun.

The little one sensed that the vortex was his first hidden world.

Not too big, not too small, just right.

He opened his eyes and found himself still sitting by the Spirit Lake. The sun had already risen, and the golden sunlight shone on him, warm and comforting.

He looked down at his hands, which were still 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 was the power of the grotto-heaven, the power of the essence of heaven and earth, and the power of his own little world.

He stood up and stretched his body.

The bones crackled and popped, like firecrackers.

He felt his body was both much lighter and much heavier.

He felt light because the essence of heaven and earth flowed through his body, making him feel like a feather.

The heaviness came from the fact that his physical body had become stronger, making him feel like a mountain.

He walked to the edge of Linghu Lake, squatted down, and scooped up a handful of lake water.

The lake water was clear and cool, with a hint of sweetness.

He lowered his head, took a sip, then looked up and gazed into the distance.

He suddenly wanted to test his strength.

He stood up and walked to a large rock.

That rock was taller and wider than him, and weighed at least tens of thousands of kilograms.

He used to be able to move it, but it took all his strength.

Now, he wants to try using only the power of the cave, without exerting any force.

He took a deep breath and focused his mind into the vortex within his body.

Sensing his call, the vortex suddenly began to spin, and a surge of boundless spiritual energy from heaven and earth flowed out, following his meridians and converging on his right hand.

He raised his right hand and gently pressed it on the large rock.

I didn't use any force, I just pressed it down.

"Click—"

The stone cracked.

It wasn't smashed or pushed over, but rather shattered from within by that vital energy of heaven and earth.

The crack started in his palm and spread in all directions, like a giant spider web.

Then, the large rock collapsed with a crash, shattering into countless small pieces.

The little one stared blankly at his right hand, then at the rubble on the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He used only a little bit of force, not even any force at all, just a light press, and shattered a rock weighing tens of thousands of kilograms.

Is this the power of the grotto-heaven?

He suddenly felt a sense of fear, not of his own power, but of the fear that he would lose control of it.

What if one day we accidentally shake Uncle Li's kitchen and it collapses?

What if he accidentally breaks the pottery jar that Huo Ling'er gave him one day?

He quickly drew the essence of heaven and earth back into the vortex, daring not to use it again.

"good."

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's here. (Cola is currently reading Chapter 295, "The First Cave Heaven," of the novel, completely engrossed.)

"Uncle Li, I did it!" The little boy ran over, looked up at Li Chenzhou, and his silly grin, revealing a missing front tooth, was as bright as the rising sun. "I've opened up my first hidden world!"

Li Chenzhou looked down 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 at the corners of his mouth that were slightly upturned.

"How are you feeling?"

"It hurts a lot," the little one said honestly. "It hurts even more than when I was practicing the Six Paths of Reincarnation Technique. But I didn't cry."

"I know."

"Uncle Li, is my cave too small? It's only about the size of a fist."

Li Chenzhou shook his head. "Not small. Just right. The size of a grotto-heaven isn't important; what matters is its quality. Your grotto-heaven is rich in the essence of heaven and earth, with complete runes and a solid foundation. It's far superior to those who have opened seven or eight grotto-heavens, but they're all just small puddles."

The little one was very happy to hear this.

"Then I will continue to open up the second, the third, and all the way to the ninth grotto-heaven. I will open up nine vast oceans!"

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 the edge of Linghu Lake, squatted down, and looked at its reflection in the lake.

In his reflection, he was still that small, messy-haired, dusty-faced child.

But he knew that he was no longer the same.

He's no longer a little kid in the Blood Removal Realm; he's a little kid in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Although it was just a small cave, only the size of a fist, it was something he created himself, something he earned through pain and perseverance.

He grinned, and his silly, toothless grin rippled across the lake.

"Willow Goddess, did you see that? I've opened up a new world."

The willow branches swayed gently, sprinkling down dappled green light.

"I saw it." Willow God's voice resonated in his heart, calm and distant. "You did very well. Even better than I expected."

The little one was so happy he almost jumped for joy.

Liu Shen rarely praises people, so for him to be praised by her means he has really done a good job.

He stood up, hugged the pottery jar, and ran towards the village with his short legs.

He wanted to tell everyone that he had discovered a hidden paradise.

He wanted to tell Shi Yunfeng, his great-grandfather, the skinny monkey, the snotty-nosed boy, Shi Qingfeng, the little red bird, and the golden monkey.

He wanted everyone to know that Little One had become stronger again.

He ran into the village, shouting at the top of his lungs, "I've opened up a grotto-heaven! I've become a grotto-heaven realm cultivator!"

Shi Yunfeng was sunbathing in the yard when he heard the little one's shout. He jumped up and almost tipped over his chair.

"What? You've discovered a hidden paradise?"

"Yes!" The little one ran over, stood in front of Shi Yunfeng, looked up, and his eyes were full of pride. "Grandpa Clan Chief, I have a hidden world now! It's as big as my fist!"

Shi Yunfeng squatted down, reached out and patted the little one's head, his eyes full of relief.

"Good, good, good child. You are much better than Grandpa Chief. When Grandpa Chief was your age, he was still playing in the mud."

The little one chuckled and ran off to find his great-grandfather.

Grandpa was meditating under the willow tree when he heard the little one's shout and opened his eyes.

"Has a hidden paradise been discovered?"

"right!"

Grandpa nodded, his face calm, but there was a hint of excitement in his cloudy eyes.

"Good. Keep up the good work."

The little one ran off to find the skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed kid again.

Skinny Monkey was eating breakfast when he heard Little Dot's shout, and he dropped the steamed bun in his hand.

"Really? You've discovered a hidden paradise?"

"Really! You'll see!"

The little boy walked into the skinny monkey's yard and found a millstone, which weighed at least several thousand pounds. He stretched out his right hand and gently pressed it on the millstone. The vortex inside his body suddenly spun, and a surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth flowed out and gathered in his palm.

"Click—"

The millstone cracked and broke into several pieces.

The skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed boy stared in disbelief, their mouths agape enough to fit an egg.

"Little one, you're amazing!" Skinny Monkey hugged Little One tightly, his face covered in snot and tears.

"Of course!" The little one puffed out his chest, chin held high. "I'm the best in the world! The best in every realm!"

Shi Qingfeng stood at a distance, watching the little one surrounded by the skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed kid, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't go forward, because he knew the little one didn't need his congratulations. Just watching was enough.

The little golden monkey perched on Shi Qingfeng's shoulder, squeaking as if cheering on the little one.

The little red bird perched on a willow branch, watching the lively scene below, and rolled its eyes.

"It's just opening up a new cave. What's so great about it? When I opened up caves back then, I opened three in one go."

But the corners of its mouth couldn't help but curve up.

That brat is really something.

At the age of five, he became the number one in the Blood Realm and the first Cave Heaven in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Such talent, such hard work, such character deserve everyone's admiration.

The news spread very quickly.

In less than half a day, the entire Stone Village knew that Little Dot had discovered a hidden paradise.

The women cried and laughed, the men clapped and cheered, and the children jumped and danced.

Shi Yunfeng announced that they would add dishes for dinner to celebrate Little One's birth.

Great-grandfather took out his treasured spirit wine, wanting to have a good drink with Shi Yunfeng.

Skinny Monkey and Snotty Boy grabbed Little One, wanting to have a go at him, but Little One punched them one by one, leaving them sprawled on the ground looking for their teeth.

The little boy stood by the Spirit Lake, holding a pottery jar, watching the sunset, and felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction welling up in his heart.

He succeeded.

He opened up the first hidden paradise.

He was no longer the little guy from the Blood Removal Realm.

He's already a nobody in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Although it was just a small cave, only the size of a fist, it was his, and he had created it himself.

He will continue to work hard to open up the second, the third, and all the way to the ninth.

He wanted everyone to know that Little One was the strongest.

No matter what level you're at, you're the strongest.

"What are you thinking about?" Li Chenzhou walked over and stood beside him.

The little boy looked up at Li Chenzhou, his silly grin, missing a front tooth, shining brightly in the sunset.

"I'm thinking about the future. I want to open up nine grotto-heavens, then break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, then the Inscription Realm, then the Array Formation Realm, then the Venerable Realm, then the Divine Fire Realm, and then the True God Realm. I want to keep going until I reach a place that no one else can reach."

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

"Let's go then."

"it is good."

The little one, carrying the pottery jar, took his short steps and ran towards the village.

Behind me, the sun was setting, and the sky was ablaze with the colors of the sunset.

The shimmering waters of Linghu Lake rippled gently in the breeze, as if bidding him farewell.

The willow tree's branches swayed gently in the night breeze, scattering dappled green light, as if blessing him.

Li Chenzhou stood with his hands behind his back, watching the small figure run in the twilight, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He knew that from this day forward, the little one's path would be a little wider.

The Cave Heaven Realm is just the beginning.

The road ahead is still long.

But he wasn't afraid, because that child would keep going.

And he will always stand behind him.