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

A thin layer of mist shrouded the vast wilderness at dawn. The surface of Spirit Lake was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the pale light of dawn on the horizon. The branches of the Willow God swayed gently in the breeze, scattering dappled green light that fell onto the lake, creating tiny ripples. The people of Stone Village rose early, and no one spoke, but stood silently at the village entrance, watching the two figures about to depart.

The little boy stood beside Li Chenzhou, clutching a pottery jar and carrying the bundle his great-grandfather had prepared for him. The bundle wasn't large; it contained a few changes of clothes, a bag of dry rations, and two jars of animal milk his great-grandfather had personally brewed. He wore clean old clothes, his hair was still messy, and his face was still dusty, but his bright black eyes sparkled with excitement. He had waited a long time for this day. To go to the Fire Kingdom, see the plump older sister, eat the Fire Kingdom's delicacies, drink the Fire Kingdom's animal milk, and spar with the Fire Kingdom's prodigies. Just thinking about it made him happy.

Li Chenzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm, his gaze sweeping over the villagers who had come to see him off. Shi Yunfeng leaned on his wooden cane, his cloudy old eyes filled with worry. His great-grandfather stood straight, his face as usual, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed his reluctance to part. Skinny Monkey and Snotty Boy held hands, their eyes brimming with tears, their noses twitching. Shi Qingfeng held the little golden monkey, standing at the back of the crowd, saying nothing, just quietly watching the little one. Women wiped away their tears, men clenched their fists, and children stood on tiptoe, waving frantically.

No one spoke, for everything that needed to be said had already been said. Last night, Shi Yunfeng called Little One into his room and spoke to him at length. He said that the Fire Kingdom was a great nation, unlike the Great Wilderness, and that one should be polite and not swear at people casually. He said that the Fire Emperor was a good person and that one should respect him. He said that Huo Ling'er was a good girl and that one should not always call her Fatty Sister. Little One agreed to everything, but as for how much he could actually do, he himself didn't know.

"Let's go," Li Chenzhou said, his voice not loud, but clearly heard by everyone.

He turned and walked towards the edge of the village. The little boy, carrying the pottery jar, followed behind him. After a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at the familiar faces. He grinned, revealing a bright smile with a missing front tooth, then raised the pottery jar and waved it at everyone. "I'm leaving! I'll bring you all some delicious food when I come back!" With that, he turned and took off running after Li Chenzhou.

The people of Shicun stood there, watching the two figures grow smaller and smaller, lingering for a long time. The ripples of Linghu Lake rippled gently in the morning light, as if bidding them farewell. The branches of the willow tree swayed gently in the breeze, scattering dappled green light, as if blessing them.

The little red bird flew down from the willow tree and landed on Little Dot's shoulder, its wings folded, its eyes half-closed, looking like it hadn't woken up yet. It hadn't wanted to get up so early, but Little Dot said, "If you don't come, I'll eat all your fish," so it had no choice but to come along. The little golden monkey didn't come; it stayed in Stone Village with Shi Qingfeng. When Little Dot left, it perched on Shi Qingfeng's shoulder and chirped a few times, as if saying, "Come back soon."

Beyond Stone Village lay an endless wilderness. The mountain paths were rugged, ancient trees towering overhead, vines like snakes coiling around these colossal trees, their age unknown. Mist hung in the air, a thin veil obscuring the view. Occasionally, the roars of ferocious beasts echoed from afar, rustling the leaves as they fell. Sensing the presence of humans, some beasts kept their distance, while others stealthily followed, waiting for an opportunity.

The little boy sensed the ferocious beasts following behind. He glanced back, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. He wanted to stop and fight them, testing his strength with all nine caves open. But then he looked at Li Chenzhou, who was walking at a steady pace, his expression calm, showing no intention of stopping. He had no choice but to restrain himself and continue following Li Chenzhou.

"Uncle Li, are we just going to walk to the Fire Kingdom like this? How long will it take?" the little one asked.

Li Chenzhou didn't answer, but simply raised his hand and made a sweeping gesture in the void. A rift appeared out of thin air, from which surged chaotic mist. Within the mist, a path forged of light could be vaguely seen, leading to an unknown distance. It was a spatial passage he had opened with his magic power, capable of traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, directly transporting the two of them to the vicinity of the Fire Kingdom's capital.

The little one stared wide-eyed at the gleaming road, his mouth agape. "Uncle Li, when did you learn that move?"

"I learned it a long time ago." Li Chenzhou stepped into the crevice, and the little one quickly followed. The little red bird flew off his shoulder and entered the crevice first.

The world within the rift was completely different from the outside. All around was endless void, beneath his feet lay a path forged of light, and above him shone a dazzling galaxy. That galaxy wasn't still; it flowed slowly, like an invisible river meandering through the void. The little boy looked around curiously, wanting to reach out and touch the starlight, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, the starlight scattered, like fireflies startled by his touch.

"Don't move." Li Chenzhou's voice came from ahead. "The spatial passage is not a place to play. If you fall in, I'm not going to fish you out."

The little boy quickly withdrew his hand and obediently followed behind Li Chenzhou. He dared not move again, but his eyes kept scanning. He saw all sorts of runes flowing within the starlight, some he recognized, some he didn't. He saw some runes resembling roaring beasts, some like towering ancient trees, some like burning flames, and some like drops of frozen ice. He knew these were manifestations of the laws of heaven and earth, things he couldn't yet comprehend.

The little red bird flew ahead, sometimes soaring high, sometimes skimming low, as if exploring this unknown space. It was also its first time entering a spatial passage; it had always flown with its wings before, never using this method. It found it very interesting, but it dared not fly too far, because it knew that this space had been opened up by Li Chenzhou, and if it left that light-forged path, it might get lost in the endless void and never return.

After an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. The light grew larger and brighter, like a door leading to a completely new world. Li Chenzhou stepped out of that door, with Little Dot and the Little Red Bird following behind. The moment they stepped out, the crack behind them slowly closed, the chaotic mist dissipated, and the path forged in light vanished, as if it had never existed.

The little boy stood on a patch of grass, looking up at a majestic city in the distance. Its walls soared into the clouds, flags fluttered atop the walls, and the city gates bustled with people and carriages. He recognized the city; it was the capital of the Fire Kingdom, a place he had visited once before. Last time, Li Chenzhou had brought him, not through a spatial passage, but by traversing mountains and valleys, a journey that took several days. This time, it had taken less than half an hour.

"Uncle Li, you're amazing!" The little boy looked up at Li Chenzhou, his eyes filled with admiration. "Let's use this trick everywhere we go, okay?"

"This is bad." Li Chenzhou strode towards the capital. "Spatial passages aren't opened casually; they consume a lot of energy. This time it was to save time, but next time I'll walk."

The little boy said "Oh," hugged the pottery jar, and followed behind him. He didn't understand why Uncle Li said it was very taxing; he hadn't noticed it at all. When Uncle Li opened the spatial passage, his expression was calm, and he didn't even break a sweat. How could he look like he was expending a lot of energy? But he didn't dare ask, because if Uncle Li said it, it was true.

The little red bird flew in front of him and landed on his shoulder, its eyes half-closed, looking exhausted. It had just been flying around in the spatial passage, expending a lot of energy, and now it didn't want to move anymore.

At the gates of the imperial capital, armored soldiers stood guard. These soldiers, clad in crimson armor and wielding long spears, had stern faces and piercing eyes. They saw Li Chenzhou and the little boy approaching and were about to question them, but when they recognized Li Chenzhou, their expressions changed drastically. They recognized him. The last time he came to the Fire Kingdom, the Fire Emperor personally came out of the city to greet him, causing a sensation throughout the entire capital. How dare these lowly soldiers stop him?

"Mr. Li, you've arrived." The leading armored soldier quickly stepped forward and bowed. "I'll go inform His Majesty immediately."

Li Chenzhou waved his hand. "No need to announce our arrival. We'll go in ourselves."

The armored soldiers dared not utter a word and quickly made way. Li Chenzhou strode into the city gate, the little boy following behind him. As he passed through the gate, the soldiers' eyes all fell on him, their eyes filled with curiosity. They knew who this child was. The number one in the Blood-Moving Realm, the Little Tyrant of Beast Milk, a prodigy who could defeat a Venerable with a single punch. They wanted to see what this legendary child looked like. What they saw instead was a little brat clutching a pottery jar, with messy hair, a dusty face, and a missing front tooth. They exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

The streets of the capital were bustling with activity. Shops lined both sides, selling everything from food and drinks to clothes, magical artifacts, and elixirs. Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, and carriages flowed endlessly. Little Dot had loved the lively atmosphere when he last visited. This time, he was even more excited. He looked left and right, his attention drawn to candied hawthorns, then kebabs of grilled meat, then street performers—he wanted to explore the entire street.

Li Chenzhou ignored him and just walked slowly. He knew the little one wouldn't get lost because he would keep an eye on him.

They hadn't walked far when a commotion suddenly arose ahead. A group of people were gathered together, seemingly watching something. Curious, the little boy squeezed into the crowd to see what was happening. He saw a boy in the center fighting a ferocious beast. The boy was about ten years old, dressed in a brocade robe, wielding a long sword with fierce, deadly swordsmanship. The beast was an Ironback Wolf, enormous in size, with sharp fangs and its body covered in iron-gray scales, impervious to blades and spears. The boy and the Ironback Wolf fought for over ten rounds, neither gaining the upper hand.

The onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves.

"Whose child is that? So amazing!"

"That's the general's son, Zhao Feng. Don't let his young age fool you, he's already a Cave Heaven Realm cultivator and has opened four Cave Heavens."

"Four grotto-heavens? Incredible, truly incredible. General Zhao has a worthy successor."

The little boy listened to the discussions, tilting his head to look at the young man. A Cave Heaven Realm cultivator who had opened four Cave Heavens. He thought the young man was alright, at least stronger than the geniuses he had encountered in the Void God Realm. But that was about it. After a few glances, he lost interest and turned to leave.

Just then, the Ironback Wolf suddenly erupted. It swatted Zhao Feng's longsword away with a single paw, then opened its blood-red maw and lunged for Zhao Feng's neck. Zhao Feng's expression changed drastically; he tried to dodge, but it was too late. The onlookers gasped in shock, some covering their eyes, unable to bear the bloody scene.

The little guy frowned, then raised his right hand and gently pointed at the Ironback Wolf. A wisp of spiritual energy shot out from his fingertip, as fast as lightning, and struck the Ironback Wolf's head precisely.

"puff--"

The Ironback Wolf's head exploded, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere. Its body swayed for a moment, then crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Zhao Feng stood there, stunned, covered in blood, his eyes filled with lingering fear. He turned to look at the little one, seeing the tiny figure clutching the pottery jar, opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

The onlookers were stunned by the scene. They stared at the Ironback Wolf lying on the ground, its head exploded, and then at the little boy clutching the pottery jar, his face calm, their hearts filled with awe. That was an Ironback Wolf, impervious to blades and spears, even Zhao Feng, a cultivator at the Cave Heaven Realm, couldn't defeat it. This child, with just a flick of his finger, had blown its head off. How strong was he?

The little boy ignored the others, turned and walked out of the crowd, returning to Li Chenzhou's side. He looked up at Li Chenzhou, grinned, revealing a bright smile with a missing front tooth.

"Uncle Li, wasn't I amazing just now?"

Li Chenzhou glanced down at him and said indifferently, "Not bad."

"Not bad?" the little one asked, dissatisfied. "I think it's already amazing!"

"When you can kill an Ironback Wolf with just your eyes without lifting a finger, that's when you'll be truly formidable."

The little boy opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but after thinking about it, he felt that Uncle Li made sense. He decided that he would practice his eyesight so that he could kill someone with a single glance, just like Uncle Li. He kept this goal in mind, hugged the pottery jar, and continued to follow Li Chenzhou forward.

Behind him, Zhao Feng finally came to his senses. He picked up the longsword from the ground, wiped the blood from his face, and then quickly caught up with the little one.

"etc!"

The little one stopped and turned to look at him. "What?"

Zhao Feng stood before him, looking at the little boy who was a head shorter than him, a complex feeling welling up inside him. He was the son of a great general, pampered since childhood, and had never met a match among his peers. Yet just now, this child had killed the Ironback Wolf, whom he couldn't defeat, with a mere flick of his finger. This strength filled him with both admiration and resentment.

"What's your name?" Zhao Feng asked.

"Little one."

"Little one?" Zhao Feng was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly. "You're that little one who's the number one Blood Refining Realm cultivator in the world?"

"It's me." The little one puffed out his chest, chin held high. "What's wrong?"

Zhao Feng remained silent for a long time, then bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving my life. I, Zhao Feng, owe you my life, and I will repay you in the future."

The little one waved his hand. "No need to thank me. It was nothing. If you really want to repay me, then buy me some animal milk."

Zhao Feng was stunned, then laughed. "Alright, I'll treat you to beast milk. The best beast milk in the capital, all you can eat."

The little boy was delighted, hugging the pottery jar, and started chatting with Zhao Feng. Zhao Feng introduced him to all sorts of delicious food, fun places, and interesting people in the capital. The little boy listened with great interest, eager to immediately go and taste all those delicacies, visit all those places, and meet all those people.

Li Chenzhou stood to the side, watching Xiaobudian and Zhao Feng chat enthusiastically, without saying a word. He knew that Xiaobudian needed friends like these. Not the kind of friends he grew up with in Shicun, but friends he made outside, friends from different backgrounds. These friends would show him a bigger world, and make him understand that not everyone is an enemy, not everyone wants to harm him.

The little red bird perched on Little Dot's shoulder and rolled its eyes. This brat, he'd made friends the moment he arrived in the Fire Kingdom and even got them to offer him animal milk. It thought Little Dot would be inseparable from animal milk for the rest of his life.