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

As night fell, the hustle and bustle of the Fire Kingdom's capital gradually subsided. Fewer pedestrians thronged the streets, and shop lights were extinguished one by one, plunging the entire city into the tranquil night. Only deep within the palace remained a few brightly lit spots, like flames burning in the darkness.

The Fire Emperor sat in his study, a pot of spiritual tea before him, its fragrant aroma rising in the candlelight. His expression was calm, but a complex light churned in his deep eyes. He had waited a long time, waiting for someone.

The door opened, and Li Chenzhou walked in.

The Fire Emperor stood up and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Li, please have a seat."

Li Chenzhou didn't stand on ceremony and sat down in the chair opposite the Fire Emperor. He glanced at the pot of spiritual tea, but didn't drink it. He simply leaned back in his chair and calmly looked at the Fire Emperor.

"Mr. Li, I'd like to talk to you about that child." Huo Huang got straight to the point, without beating around the bush.

Li Chenzhou remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

The Fire Emperor paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words. "That child's talent is unparalleled in my life. He's the best in the Blood Transformation Realm, and he's opened all nine caves of the Cave Heaven Realm at the age of five and a half. Such achievements are unparalleled in the entire Eight Regions. No, they're unparalleled in the entire history of cultivation."

Li Chenzhou remained silent.

The Fire Emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down. "But that's precisely why I'm worried. His talent is too good, frighteningly so. The ferocious beasts of those ancient divine mountains, the forces that were once enemies of the Fire Kingdom, and those hiding in the shadows are all watching him. They won't let him grow up smoothly."

"I know," Li Chenzhou finally spoke, his voice calm as still water. "That's why I'm here."

The Fire Emperor looked at him, into his deep, starry eyes, and an indescribable feeling welled up inside him. He knew Li Chenzhou was strong, so strong that even he couldn't see through him. But he didn't know just how strong Li Chenzhou truly was. Could he withstand the enemies lurking in the shadows? Could he protect that child? Could he ensure that child's healthy growth?

"Mr. Li, I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask it."

"ask."

"Who exactly are you?"

Li Chenzhou looked at the Fire Emperor with a calm gaze and did not answer.

The Fire Emperor felt somewhat uncomfortable under Li Chenzhou's gaze, but he did not back down. He looked directly into Li Chenzhou's eyes, waiting for an answer.

After a long silence, Li Chenzhou spoke. "Who I am is not important. What is important is that I am in Shicun, and I am by that child's side. As long as I am here, no one can harm him."

The Fire Emperor fell silent. He knew this was the greatest promise Li Chenzhou could give him. It wasn't an explanation, nor a declaration, but a promise. A promise to be fulfilled with strength, action, and even his life.

"Mr. Li, I believe you." The Fire Emperor stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the night sky. "But you alone are not enough. Those enemies cannot be stopped by one person alone. We need more people, more strength, and more allies."

"so what?"

"Therefore, I want that child to become the symbol of the Fire Kingdom." The Fire Emperor turned to look at Li Chenzhou, his gaze intense. "Not to have him join the Fire Kingdom, not to have him serve the Fire Kingdom, but to make him the symbol of the Fire Kingdom. Like a sacrificial spirit, he will be worshipped and revered by all people. In this way, those enemies who want to harm him will have to consider the weight of the Fire Kingdom first."

Li Chenzhou remained silent for a moment. "Was this your idea, or that child's?"

"It was my idea," the Fire Emperor said without hiding anything. "The child doesn't know. I was just asking for your opinion."

I disagree.

The Fire Emperor was taken aback. "Why?"

"Because that child doesn't need to be a symbol of any power." Li Chenzhou's voice remained calm, but every word was like a heavy hammer, striking the Fire Emperor's heart. "He is who he is. The little one from Stone Village, Li Chenzhou's successor. He is not a symbol of the Fire Kingdom, nor is he anyone's tool. He only needs to walk his own path, and that's enough."

The Fire Emperor remained silent for a long time. He wanted to refute, but he knew Li Chenzhou was right. That child truly did not need to become the symbol of the Fire Kingdom. His future lay in the Nine Heavens, not in the Eight Regions of the mortal realm. His path was one unprecedented, requiring no support from any power.

"It was my oversight," the Fire Emperor sighed, sitting down again. "But I'm still worried. Those enemies won't give him time. They'll strike before he's even fully grown."

"Then let them come." Li Chenzhou's voice was soft, but behind that nonchalant tone lay unparalleled confidence. "One comes, I kill one. Two come, I kill both. A whole group comes, I'll leave them all here. I, Li Chenzhou, am here to see who dares to touch him."

The Fire Emperor looked at Li Chenzhou, at the light in his eyes, and felt an unprecedented sense of peace welling up inside him. He knew that with Li Chenzhou there, the child would be safe. Not because Li Chenzhou was particularly strong, but because Li Chenzhou was willing to stand against the entire world for that child.

"Mr. Li, there's one more thing."

"explain."

"Regarding the Primordial Divine Mountain," the Fire Emperor's voice was low, so low that only Li Chenzhou could hear it, "their activities on the border have become increasingly frequent recently. I sent people to investigate and discovered that they seem to be plotting something. Not a small-scale skirmish, but a large-scale attack. The target is not the Fire Kingdom, not the Stone Kingdom, but the entire human race."

Li Chenzhou's gaze sharpened slightly. "When?"

"I don't know. Those ferocious beasts are tight-lipped; we can't find out the exact time. But I can sense it's coming soon."

Li Chenzhou fell silent. In his mind, the Great Destiny Technique among the Three Thousand Great Daos was rapidly operating, deducing all sorts of possibilities for the future. He saw blood and fire, mountains of corpses and seas of blood, darkness and despair. He also saw a light, a small yet incredibly dazzling light. It was Little Dot. That light burned in the darkness, blossomed in despair, and grew amidst blood and fire.

"Mr. Li, what should we do?" Huo Huang's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

"wait."

"wait?"

"Let's wait for them to make their move." Li Chenzhou stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back. "The enemy is in the shadows, we are in the light. Taking the initiative will only alert them. Only by waiting for them to make their move can we see their true strength and strike a fatal blow."

The Fire Emperor thought for a moment and agreed with Li Chenzhou's reasoning. "Then what do I need to do?"

"Strengthen border defenses, train more soldiers, and cultivate more cultivators. And—" Li Chenzhou paused, "Protect that child."

The Fire Emperor nodded. "I will."

The two remained silent for a long time. The night outside the window grew deeper, and the lights in the palace were extinguished one by one. Only this study remained lit, like a beacon in the darkness.

"Mr. Li, I have one last question."

"ask."

"What will become of that child in the future?"

Li Chenzhou turned around, looking at the Fire Emperor with unfathomable eyes. "Go where no one else can go."

The Fire Emperor looked at him, at those eyes that seemed to see through eternity, and an indescribable feeling welled up within him. He believed Li Chenzhou's words, not because Li Chenzhou had said them, but because he saw the same light in that child's eyes. It was a light of resilience, undying spirit, and defiance. That light was more precious than any talent, any magical technique, or any inheritance.

Night deepened, and Li Chenzhou left the study. The Fire Emperor sat alone in his chair, gazing at the night sky outside the window, motionless for a long time. He recalled the child's performance at the Heavenly Pride Pavilion during the day—defeating Lieyang with a single punch, as easily as drinking water. He remembered the child clutching the pottery jar, his missing front tooth and silly grin, calling Huo Ling'er "Fat Sister," and the satisfied expression on his face as he drank beast milk. That child was still very young, still very immature, still very dependent on Li Chenzhou. But the Fire Emperor knew that that child would grow up sooner or later, would become stronger sooner or later, and would eventually leave the Eight Regions of the Lower Realm, reaching a place where no one could even look up to him.

And all he had to do was watch.