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

As promised, Zhao Feng led the little one through several streets and alleys, turning into a quiet alley and stopping in front of an inconspicuous little shop. The shop was small, with a faded wooden plaque hanging above the door, bearing the three characters "Nai Xiang Zhai" (Milk Fragrance Studio). The handwriting was crooked and messy, like a child's, but the edges of the wooden plaque had been worn smooth and shiny, clearly indicating its age.

"This is it." Zhao Feng pushed open the door, and a rich milky aroma wafted out. It wasn't just any milky aroma; it was a blend of various spirit beast milks, sweet but not cloying, rich but not fishy, ​​making one's mouth water at the mere whiff.

The little boy's eyes lit up instantly. He hugged the pottery jar and followed Zhao Feng into the shop. The shop wasn't big, with only five or six tables, but every single one was full of people. The people were dressed in various ways—there were cultivators, merchants, armored soldiers, and scholars—but they all wore the same expression—satisfaction. It was the look of contentment that one only has after drinking delicious beast milk.

"Young Master Zhao is here!" The shopkeeper, a plump middle-aged woman, rushed to greet Zhao Feng upon seeing him. "The usual?"

"No." Zhao Feng turned to the side and pointed to the little one behind him. "It's my treat today. Bring out the best animal milk from your shop, all you can eat."

The shopkeeper glanced at the little boy, his gaze lingering for a moment on the pottery jar in his arms, then smiled. "This young master looks unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"

"Hmm." The little one nodded, his eyes still looking around.

"Then try our shop's signature dish—Nine Beasts Milk." The shopkeeper turned and went into the kitchen. A moment later, he came out carrying a large ceramic bowl. The bowl was bigger than the little one's head. It was filled with a milky white liquid with a thin layer of milk skin floating on the surface. The milky aroma was so rich that you would want to bury your face in the bowl.

The little boy took the ceramic bowl, sniffed it, and then took a sip. The moment the milk entered his mouth, his eyes widened in surprise. The milk didn't taste like one thing, but rather nine flavors intertwined. Some were sweet, some fragrant, some mellow, some smooth, some slightly cool, and some slightly warm. They bloomed in his mouth layer by layer, like a nine-petaled flower, each petal offering a different taste.

"Delicious!" the little guy couldn't help but exclaim, then gulped it down. In no time, the large bowl of Nine Beasts Milk was empty. He put down the bowl, burped, and didn't bother to wipe the milk stains from the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Feng looked at him, his eyes full of laughter. "How about it? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"No." The little one hugged his earthenware pot and licked his lips. "Another bowl, please."

Just as Zhao Feng was about to call the shopkeeper, the little one said again, "No, three more bowls. One bowl isn't enough."

Zhao Feng paused for a moment, then laughed and called out to the shopkeeper, "Three more bowls, please!"

The shopkeeper responded and went back into the kitchen. A little while later, three bowls of Nine-Beast Milk were brought out. The little boy drank bowl after bowl until his belly was round and full, then stopped, completely satisfied. He patted his stomach, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

"Zhao Feng, you're a good person. If anyone bullies you in the future, just say my name."

Zhao Feng was both amused and exasperated. He was several years older than the little one, and his cultivation was no less impressive, yet in the little one's presence, he felt like an immature child. He didn't argue, because he knew the little one was telling the truth. If anyone bullied him, mentioning the little one's name would indeed work. The number one in the Blood Refining Realm, with all nine Cave Heaven Realm caves open—such strength and such a reputation were enough to make anyone think twice.

Li Chenzhou didn't enter the shop. He stood across the street, hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping across the bustling street. His senses spread out, enveloping the entire imperial capital. He sensed the powerful aura deep within the palace—that was the Fire Emperor, a peak Venerable Realm cultivator, only one step away from the Divine Fire Realm. He sensed the hidden auras throughout the capital—some at the Inscription Realm, some at the Array Formation Realm, and even a few old monsters at the half-step Venerable Realm. He sensed the armored soldiers patrolling the city walls, the hawkers calling out their wares in the streets, and the malicious gazes hidden in the shadows.

He ignored the stares. Those people were after Zhao Feng, not him and Little One. Zhao Feng was the son of a high-ranking general, and the general had many enemies in court; it was normal for someone to want to harm his son. However, those people probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, because they had witnessed Little One's actions. Killing an Ironback Wolf with a single finger—that skill was enough to make anyone who wanted to harm Zhao Feng reconsider.

The little red bird perched on Little Dot's shoulder and drank a few sips of the Nine Beasts Milk. It thought it tasted good, not as good as the spirit fish of Stone Village, but not bad either. It squinted its eyes, yawned, and prepared to take a nap.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the shop. A young man in crimson armor walked in, his gaze sweeping around the shop before finally settling on the little one.

"You're the little one?"

The little boy looked up at the young man. He was in his early twenties, with a resolute face, sharp eyes, and an aura of the Array Realm. He stood there like a drawn sword, its sharpness fully revealed.

"It's me. Who are you?"

"I am the commander of the Fire Kingdom's Imperial Guard. His Majesty the Fire Emperor sent me to fetch you." The young man's tone was neither humble nor arrogant, but there was a hint of barely concealed curiosity in his eyes. He wanted to see what the child, whom the Fire Emperor had praised so highly, actually looked like. What he saw was a little boy clutching a pottery jar, with milk stains still on his lips. He felt a little disappointed, but he dared not show it, because the Fire Emperor had said that this child was not to be offended.

The little one stood up, hugging the pottery jar, and turned to look at Zhao Feng. "Zhao Feng, thank you for the animal milk. I'm leaving now, I'll come find you to play another day."

Zhao Feng nodded. "Go. His Majesty the Fire Emperor has summoned you; we cannot delay."

The little boy followed the young man out of the Milk Fragrance Shop and came to Li Chenzhou.

"Uncle Li, the Fire Emperor wants to see us."

Li Chenzhou nodded and followed the young man toward the palace.

The imperial palace, located at the deepest part of the capital, faced south and possessed an imposing grandeur. Its vermilion walls soared into the clouds, their glazed tiles gleaming in the sunlight. Two rows of armored soldiers stood before the palace gates, clad in golden armor, wielding long halberds, their eyes sharp as lightning. Upon seeing the young man, they bowed in unison and then made way for him.

Little Dot followed Li Chenzhou through the palace gates, along a long corridor, past several grand halls, and finally arrived at the Fire Emperor's study. The study was small and simply furnished, containing only a desk, a chair, and a few bookshelves. The Fire Emperor sat behind his desk, holding a scroll of memorials, reviewing them. Seeing Li Chenzhou and Little Dot enter, he put down the memorials, stood up, and went to greet them.

"Mr. Li, you must be tired from your journey." The Fire Emperor bowed respectfully.

Li Chenzhou waved his hand. "No need for formalities."

The Fire Emperor looked at the little one again, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Little one, you've grown taller again."

"Of course!" The little one puffed out his chest and held his chin high. "I'm growing taller and stronger every day. In a few years, I'll be as tall as Uncle Fire King."

The Fire Emperor smiled but didn't reply. He knew the little one was bragging, but he liked this kind of bragging. Because the child had the right to brag. Being the best in the Blood Transformation Realm and having opened all nine caves of the Cave Heaven Realm—such achievements were unmatched among his peers across the eight regions. His bragging was confidence. His silence was humility. Either way, it was endearing.

"Uncle Fire Emperor, where is Fatty Sister?" The little one looked around but didn't see Fire Spirit.

A hint of helplessness flashed in the Fire Emperor's eyes. "She's in the back garden. She heard you were coming, so she went there early this morning to pick the freshest spiritual fruits for you."

The little one paused for a moment, then smiled. "Big sister is so kind to me."

"She is indeed good to you." The Fire Emperor nodded. "She just doesn't say it."

"I know." The little one, clutching the pottery jar, turned and ran towards the back garden. "I'm going to find her!"

"Wait a minute," the Fire Emperor called out to him. "I have something to tell you."

The little one stopped and turned to look at the Fire Emperor.

The Fire Emperor walked to his desk, picked up a memorial, and handed it to the little one. "Take a look at this."

The little boy took the memorial, opened it, and began to read. He didn't know many characters, and after a few stumbles, he roughly understood its meaning. The memorial stated that the Ancient Divine Mountain had recently been experiencing frequent disturbances; several Venerable-level ferocious beasts had appeared on the border of the Fire Kingdom and had already attacked several villages and towns. The Fire Kingdom had sent troops to suppress them, but those beasts were too powerful, and ordinary soldiers were no match for them. The Fire Emperor hoped that the little boy could help by going to the border to deter those beasts.

After reading the memorial, the little boy looked up at the Fire Emperor. "Uncle Fire Emperor, do you want me to go fight?"

"It's not about fighting, it's about intimidation," the Fire Emperor said. "Your name is now renowned throughout the Eight Domains. You're the number one Blood Refining Realm expert, and all nine Cave Heaven Realm caves are open. Those ferocious beasts dare not act rashly when they hear your name."

The little boy thought about it and realized that the Fire Emperor made sense. He was a celebrity now, recognized wherever he went. Although those ferocious beasts were fierce, they weren't stupid; they knew who they could mess with and who they couldn't. If he went to the border and showed his face, those beasts wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"Okay. I'll go." The little one agreed.

The Fire Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the little one would agree, because the little one was a loyal child. The Fire Kingdom treated him well, and he would treat the Fire Kingdom well in return. This bond was stronger than any alliance.

"But—" the little one paused, then added, "I need to go find Fatty Sister first. I haven't seen her in so long, I really miss her."

The Fire Emperor smiled and nodded. "Go. She's in the back garden; you'll find her there."

The little boy, clutching the pottery jar, took off running towards the back garden on his short legs. Li Chenzhou watched his retreating figure without saying a word. The Fire Emperor walked to his side, stood with his hands behind his back, and also looked at the small figure.

"Mr. Li, how far can this child go in the future?" Huo Huang asked.

Li Chenzhou was silent for a moment, then said something that the Fire Emperor would never forget.

"Mr. Li, how far can this child go in the future?" Huo Huang asked.

Li Chenzhou was silent for a moment, then said something that the Fire Emperor would never forget.

"Go where no one else can go."

The Fire Emperor didn't ask any more questions, because he knew that what Li Chenzhou said was true.

The back garden, located at the deepest part of the palace, was vast and filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs. These were not ordinary varieties, but spiritual herbs transplanted from all over the eight regions; some could prolong life, some could enhance cultivation, and some could detoxify and heal wounds. In the center of the garden stood a towering tree, beneath which were a stone table and several stone chairs. Huo Ling'er sat on one of the stone chairs, a plate of spiritual fruit in front of her, holding one in her hand, but not eating it, simply lost in thought.

She heard that Little One was coming, so she got up early in the morning. She changed into her favorite red dress, combed her hair neatly, and even went to the garden to pick the freshest spirit fruit. She didn't know why she did this, she just felt that she couldn't let that brat look down on her. He was coming, and she wanted him to see the best of Fire Spirit.

But she waited a long time, and no one came. She began to worry: Had that brat not come? Had something happened on the way? Had her father lied to her? She wanted to go to her father and ask him for clarification, but she was too embarrassed. She was afraid her father would laugh at her, saying that she cared too much about that brat.

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

"Fat sister!"

Huo Ling'er suddenly stood up, turned around, and saw the little boy running towards her. He was carrying a pottery jar, his hair was messy, his face was covered in dust, and there was a ring of milk stains around his mouth. He ran very fast, as fast as the wind, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of her.

"Fat sister, I'm here!" The little one looked up at her, his silly grin, missing a front tooth, was as bright as the midday sun in the wilderness.

Huo Ling'er looked at him, at his disheveled appearance, and a complex emotion welled up inside her. Happy, of course. Worried, a little too. But mostly, it was a bittersweet feeling she couldn't quite define. She wanted to say, "Why did you take so long?", "Do you know how long I've been waiting?", "You little brat!" But she said nothing, only reaching out and flicking the little one's forehead.

"You brat, you haven't washed your face again!"

The little one rubbed his forehead, which had been flicked red, and grinned. "I washed it! I washed it this morning!"

"You washed it this morning? It's already afternoon!"

"But you still have to wash it, right?"

Huo Ling'er was speechless with anger, stamping her feet in frustration. Yet, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. She picked up a spirit fruit from the table and stuffed it into the little one's arms. "Here you go. The freshest one, I just picked it this morning."

The little boy took the spirit fruit, took a bite, and juice splashed everywhere. It was so sweet that he squinted his eyes. "Delicious! Fatty sister, you're so good to me."

"Who's been nice to you?" Huo Ling'er turned her face away. "I just... I just have too many spirit fruits, we can't finish them all. If I don't give them to you, they'll just go bad and go to waste."

The little boy chuckled and didn't expose her. He held the spirit fruit, sat on the stone chair, and began to eat it heartily. He ate with relish, and soon, one after another, he had eaten more than half of the plate of spirit fruit.

Huo Ling'er looked at him, a strange feeling suddenly welling up inside her. She felt that this brat genuinely considered her a friend. Not the kind of polite, superficial friend, but the kind of friend who could tease and bicker with each other, yet would also stand up for each other without hesitation when needed. She didn't know how this relationship started. Maybe it was when he called her "Fat Sister" the first time they met, maybe it was when he chased after her, insisting that she admit how powerful he was, maybe it was when he drank animal milk and laughed carefree. Anyway, by the time she realized it, that brat had already taken root in her heart.

"Fat sister, what are you thinking about?" The little one's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I wasn't thinking about anything." Huo Ling'er snapped out of her reverie and looked at the little one. "When are you leaving?"

"Go? Where to?"

"Didn't Father send you to the border?"

"Oh, that?" The little one wiped his mouth. "I'll go in a couple of days. No rush."

"So what have you been doing these past two days?"

"I'll eat the spirit fruits you pick, drink the beast milk from the capital, and stroll through the streets and alleys of the capital," the little one counted on his fingers. "And, I'll play with you."

Huo Ling'er was taken aback. "Play with me?"

"Yes." The little one looked at her, his eyes full of anticipation. "Will you take me to see the capital? You took me here last time. I want you to take me again this time."

Huo Ling'er wanted to say, "Who wants to take you shopping?", but looking into the little one's bright, dark eyes, she swallowed the words back. She nodded, her voice barely audible. "Okay."

The little boy was so happy he almost jumped for joy. He hugged the pottery jar, stood up, grabbed Huo Ling'er's hand, and was about to run outside.

"Wait a minute!" Huo Ling'er shook off his hand. "You haven't washed your hands yet! They're covered in spirit juice, all sticky!"

The little boy looked down at his hands; they were indeed sticky. He wiped them on his clothes and then reached out to Huo Ling'er again. "Cleaned."

After wiping her hands, Huo Ling'er stuffed the handkerchief back into her bosom, stood up, and glared at the little one. "Let's go. But you have to listen to me, don't run around, don't shout, and don't cause me any trouble."

"Okay, okay." The little one nodded repeatedly, hugging the pottery jar, and followed behind Huo Ling'er.

The two walked out of the back garden, one after the other.

Li Chenzhou stood by the study window, watching the two small figures disappear outside the palace gates, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't follow, because he knew the little one needed this kind of time. Not for cultivation, not for battle, but to be like an ordinary child, strolling through the streets, eating delicious food, and playing with friends. Such time was a luxury, and precious to him.

The Fire Emperor stood beside him, watching the backs of the two children, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Mr. Li, what do you think will happen to them in the future?"

Li Chenzhou was silent for a moment, then said something that left the Fire Emperor speechless for a long time.

"That's their business. We'll just watch."

"Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality" is currently being serialized on Cola Novels and is not to be missed!