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

Nine celestial abodes slowly rotated within Little Dot's body, each one like a miniature sun, radiating intense light. They were not static, but constantly absorbing and releasing the essence of heaven and earth. With each absorption and release, Little Dot's physical body became stronger, his blood and qi richer, and his spirit more refined. He could feel himself undergoing a transformative change. It wasn't sudden, but gradual, like a tree growing taller imperceptibly, like a river deepening silently.

Li Chenzhou told him that opening all nine grotto-heavens simultaneously was only the first step in the Grotto-Heaven Realm. The true Grotto-Heaven Realm required the perfect integration of the nine grotto-heavens with the body, spirit, and blood, forming a complete cycle. The power accumulated in the Blood-Moving Realm needed to be transformed into true combat power in the Grotto-Heaven Realm. Not brute force, but the power of heaven and earth.

The little one understood. He began to work day and night to refine those nine grottoes.

During the day, he meditated by the Spirit Lake, immersing his spirit in each grotto, feeling their rotation, their temperature, and their breath. He treated each grotto as a living thing, conversing with it, communicating with it, and becoming one with it.

At night, he lay in the small stone house, closed his eyes, and simultaneously mobilized the power of the nine grotto-heavens, letting them flow through his body. The blazing power warmed his meridians, the icy power tempered his bones, the life-giving power nourished his blood and qi, the deathly power honed his will, the power of light illuminated his spirit, and the dark power deepened his soul.

Six powers and nine grotto-heavens intertwine within his body, forming a complex network. Each meridian is a river, and each grotto-heaven is a vast ocean. Rivers flow into the ocean, and the ocean, in turn, nourishes the rivers. The cycle repeats endlessly, a continuous and inexhaustible flow of life.

This process was excruciating, even more so than opening the cave. Opening the cave was merely a momentary shock, while refining it was a continuous torment. Every day, every moment, every second, he endured the relentless assault of that force. His meridians were stretched and contracted, contracted and stretched again. His bones were tempered and softened, softened and tempered again. His vital energy was burned and cooled, cooled and burned again.

He didn't give up. Because he knew this was the inevitable path. To become stronger, you have to pay the price. No one succeeds easily.

A month later, the first grotto-heaven completely merged with him. That grotto-heaven was no longer an independent vortex, but had become a part of his body. He could freely mobilize the essence of heaven and earth within it, without deliberate guidance or mental immersion; a single thought was sufficient. That power was like his fist, freely controllable and effortless.

Two months later, the second grotto-heaven fully merged with him. Three months later, the third. Four months later, the fourth. Five months later, the fifth. Six months later, the sixth. Seven months later, the seventh. Eight months later, the eighth.

When the ninth grotto-heaven fully merged with him, more than half a year had passed. On that day, Little Dot sat by the Spirit Lake, eyes closed, sensing the power of the nine grotto-heavens within his body. They were no longer independent vortexes, but had formed a complete cycle. The blazing power flowed into the icy grotto-heaven, the icy power flowed into the vibrant grotto-heaven, the vibrant power flowed into the desolate grotto-heaven, the desolate power flowed into the luminous grotto-heaven, the luminous power flowed into the gloomy grotto-heaven, and the gloomy power flowed back into the blazing grotto-heaven.

Six powers and nine celestial realms formed a perfect circle within his body. The circle slowly rotated, and with each rotation, a new power was born from it. This power was not fiery, not cold, not vibrant, not lifeless, not light, not darkness, but a fusion of the six powers—a completely new and unprecedented force.

The little boy didn't know what kind of power it was, but he knew it was very strong. So strong that even he was a little scared.

He opened his eyes and found that it was already dark. He had sat by the Spirit Lake all day, but he didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he felt refreshed. His blood and energy were abundant, and his will was firm. He stood up and stretched. His bones crackled and popped like firecrackers. He felt his body was both much lighter and much heavier. Lighter, because the essence of heaven and earth flowed within him, making him feel like a feather. Heavier, because his physical body had become stronger, making him feel like a mountain.

He walked to the edge of the Spirit Lake, squatted down, and looked at his reflection in the water. In the reflection, he was still that small child with messy hair and a dusty face. But he knew he was different now. He was now a little one in the Cave Heaven Realm, and a Cave Heaven Realm cultivator with all nine caves open and perfected.

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

"Uncle Li, I did it!" The little boy stood up, looked up at Li Chenzhou. "All nine holes are open, all nine holes are complete."

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.

"Not bad. It's been more than half a year faster than I expected."

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

Li Chenzhou didn't speak, but simply flicked his forehead. The little boy covered his reddened forehead, bared his teeth, but didn't cry out in pain. He was used to it; Uncle Li flicking his forehead wasn't punishment, but a reward.

"Uncle Li, what realm comes after the Cave Heaven Realm?" the little one asked.

"Spirit Transformation Realm".

"Spirit Transformation Realm? What's that?"

Li Chenzhou did not answer directly, but instead picked up a twig from the ground and drew a circle in the sand.

"The Cave Heaven Realm is the creation of a small world within your body. The Spirit Transformation Realm is the nurturing of life within this small world."

The little one blinked. "Produce life? I'm not female, how can I produce life?"

Li Chenzhou glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly.

"Not true life, but the life of runes. In the Spirit Transformation Realm, you must plant the runes, magical techniques, and supernatural powers you have learned into your cave heaven, allowing them to take root, sprout, and grow into sentient beings. When you need them, they can burst out from your cave heaven to fight for you."

The little one's eyes lit up. "Does that mean I can plant the Six Paths Reincarnation Heavenly Technique in my cave and turn it into a... a... a fighting rune?"

"Can."

"Can I also implant the Grass Sword Technique into it?"

"Can."

"Then can I also plant the Three Thousand Great Daos in there?"

"We'll talk about it after you've learned it."

The little boy chuckled, hugging the pottery jar, and circled the spirit lake twice. He was already imagining that the nine inner heavens within his body were filled with all sorts of magical runes; with a wave of his hand, countless runes would burst forth, overwhelming everything and utterly annihilating his enemies. The scene was simply too beautiful.

"Uncle Li, when will I be able to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm?"

"No rush." ​​Li Chenzhou reached out and rubbed his head. "The Cave Heaven Realm is not the end, but the beginning. You need to first completely stabilize the nine Cave Heavens, make the essence of heaven and earth within them even richer, and cultivate the Six Paths Reincarnation Heavenly Technique to a higher level. When you feel that you have reached the limit of the Cave Heaven Realm, then you can consider the Spirit Transformation Realm."

The little one nodded, keeping Uncle Li's words in mind.

In the days that followed, he didn't rush to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, but instead continued to refine those nine grotto-heavens. Every day, he meditated by the Spirit Lake, immersing his spirit in the grotto-heavens and feeling the flow of the six powers. He discovered that within those nine grotto-heavens, runes were faintly condensing. They weren't carved by him, but rather naturally formed. They were the imprints of the laws of heaven and earth, the mark of reaching the perfection of the Grotto-Heavens Realm.

Li Chenzhou told him that those runes were the roots of the grotto-heaven. The deeper the roots, the more stable the grotto-heaven. The wider the roots, the more expansive the grotto-heaven. What he had to do was let those roots grow and spread continuously until they covered the entire grotto-heaven.

The little one did as instructed. Every day, he nourished the runes with his spirit and irrigated the roots with his blood and energy. The runes grew, and the roots spread. One day, two days, one month, two months. When the roots covered the entire cave heaven, the little one felt that the nine cave heavens were no longer nine independent vortexes, but nine complete small worlds. Each small world had its own essence of heaven and earth, its own runic laws, and its own life force. They slowly rotated within his body, like nine real suns, illuminating his path forward.

That day, the little one stood by the Spirit Lake, gazing into the distance. He didn't speak, didn't laugh, just stood quietly. He knew he was no longer the little one in the Blood Transformation Realm. He was now the little one in the Cave Heaven Realm. All nine caves had opened, all nine caves were perfected, and the Cave Heaven Realm had reached its peak. The next step was the Spirit Transformation Realm.

He looked down at the pottery jar in his arms, the five-colored bird on its surface looking lifelike in the setting sun. He grinned, his silly grin, missing a front tooth, particularly radiant in the twilight.

"Big sister, just you wait. Once I break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, I'll come to the Fire Kingdom to find you. Then, I'll show you just how powerful this little guy is."

The exciting chapter "Breakthrough" (Chapter 297) is now available online. Click to read it now!