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

On the third day after Little Dot returned from the Fire Kingdom, he noticed that Shi Qingfeng was acting strangely.

It wasn't his body that was acting strangely, but rather his aura. Before, when Shi Qingfeng stood beside him, he couldn't sense anything. Shi Qingfeng's aura was faint, as faint as a breeze, dissipating as soon as it passed. But now, with Shi Qingfeng standing beside him, he could feel a faint power surging within him. That power wasn't strong, even weak, weaker than most of the people his age that Xiaobudian had ever seen. Yet it was pure, stable, and solid. Like a tree, its roots running deep, unyielding to wind or rain. Like a river, its source far away, its flow slow, yet it kept flowing, never drying up.

The little one was curious and ran to ask his great-grandfather.

Great-grandfather was meditating under the willow tree, his eyes closed, his face serene. His breathing was so light it was almost inaudible. Yet, within his body, runes of the Inscription Realm were slowly circulating, emitting a faint glow. He heard the little one's footsteps, opened his eyes, and looked at the little fellow running towards him carrying a pottery jar, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Grandpa, is Qingfeng about to break through?" The little one squatted in front of his great-grandfather, looking up with his big, dark eyes full of curiosity.

Grandpa nodded. "He's been stuck at the bottleneck of the Cave Heaven Realm for a while now. Ever since he opened his eighth Cave Heaven, he's been refining himself, accumulating experience, and waiting. He's been cultivating these past few days, and I can feel his aura rising. It should be within the next day or two."

Little Dot was overjoyed to hear this. Shi Qingfeng was his brother, though not blood brothers, they were closer than blood brothers. They had drunk beast milk together, chased five-colored sparrows together, caught fish together in the spirit lake, and stolen food together from the kitchen. When Shi Qingfeng was imprisoned in the Second Ancestral Land, he suffered for Little Dot for three years. Little Dot vowed that he would never let Shi Qingfeng suffer again in his life. Now that Shi Qingfeng was about to break through, he was naturally happy.

He ran to find Shi Qingfeng, hoping to ask if he needed any help. But he searched the entire village and couldn't find Shi Qingfeng. He went to Shi Qingfeng's stone house; no one was inside, the blankets were neatly folded, and a bowl of unfinished spirit porridge sat on the table. He went to the training ground; no one was there, only a few wooden dummy figures standing forlornly. He went to the kitchen; no one was there, only a little red bird perched on the stove, stealing spirit fish. The little red bird saw him, rolled its eyes, and flew away with the fish in its beak.

He went to the shore of Linghu Lake, but there was no one there, only a few water birds foraging in the shallows. He went to the willow tree, but there was no one there, only his great-grandfather still meditating. He went to the woods behind the village, but there was no one there, only a few squirrels jumping from branch to branch.

He stood at the village entrance, scratching his head, unable to figure out where Shi Qingfeng could have gone.

Suddenly, he remembered a place.

The cliffs beside Linghu Lake.

That was Shi Qingfeng's favorite place. He often sat alone on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the Spirit Lake, the Great Wilderness, and the distance. He could sit there all day, without speaking or moving, just watching. Little Dot asked him what he was looking at, and he said he was looking at the sky, the clouds, the water, and the mountains. Little Dot thought it was boring, but since Shi Qingfeng liked it, he didn't say anything more.

The little one ran towards the cliff.

The cliff, a jutting boulder, lies to the west of Spirit Lake. Below lies the unfathomable depths of the lake, and above, the vast, boundless sky. Standing atop the cliff, one can see the entire Stone Village, the entirety of Spirit Lake, and the very edge of the wilderness. The wind is strong, whipping at clothes and sending hair flying everywhere.

Shi Qingfeng sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff, eyes closed, his face serene. Before him lay the Spirit Lake, behind him the Great Wilderness. The wind blew through his hair and the hem of his clothes, yet he remained motionless, like a stone statue. Within his body, eight grotto-heavens slowly rotated, each radiating a faint light. The light was not dazzling, yet it was bright, so bright that it was impossible to look away. Eight grotto-heavens, eight vortexes, eight kinds of power, intertwined within his body into a complex network. Each grotto-heaven absorbed and exhaled the essence of heaven and earth; with each absorption and exhalation, his physical body grew stronger, his blood and qi became richer, and his spirit became more powerful.

The little boy didn't disturb him, but simply sat down a short distance behind him, holding the pottery jar, and waited quietly. He knew that one couldn't be disturbed during a breakthrough. Even a cough or a footstep could distract the person breaking through, causing the near-successful breakthrough to fail. His role wasn't to help, but to protect. If anyone tried to cause trouble, he would chase them away. If not, he would wait.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

A day passed, and Shi Qingfeng remained unmoved.

The little boy sat behind him all day. When he was hungry, he would take out the dry rations he had brought and nibble on them. When he was thirsty, he would open the lid of the earthenware jar and drink some animal milk. When he was sleepy, he would pinch his thigh to stay awake. He didn't leave because he had promised to stay with Shi Qingfeng. Not just with his mouth, but in his heart.

The next day, the sun rose again from the east.

Shi Qingfeng still didn't move.

His body trembled slightly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The sweat slid down his cheeks, dripping onto his clothes and soaking a patch. His breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently. His expression changed from calm to pain, and from pain to determination. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and continued to guide the vital energy of heaven and earth within his body.

The little boy looked at him, a hint of worry in his heart. He knew that breakthroughs were difficult, painful, and dangerous. He had experienced the same pain when he himself broke through. But he had a good master, Uncle Li, who was by his side and helped him when he was about to give up. But Shi Qingfeng didn't have that. Shi Qingfeng had no master, only his great-grandfather. Although his great-grandfather was also a cultivator at the Inscription Realm, he was old and his vitality was declining, so there was limited knowledge he could teach Shi Qingfeng. Shi Qingfeng had to walk most of his own path.

The little guy wanted to help, but he knew he couldn't. Breakthroughs are personal matters; no one can help anyone else. All he could do was stay here, wait, and watch over him.

The next day passed, and Shi Qingfeng still hadn't made a move.

The little boy sat behind him for two days. His dry rations were finished, and his animal milk was gone. He waited, hungry and thirsty. He didn't complain, because he knew that Shi Qingfeng was suffering even more than him. He just prayed silently in his heart, praying that Shi Qingfeng would succeed, praying that Shi Qingfeng would be safe.

On the morning of the third day, before dawn, Shi Qingfeng made a move.

His body jolted violently, as if struck by lightning. His eyes snapped open, two beams of light bursting forth, piercing the darkness and illuminating the cliff. Within his body, eight celestial realms simultaneously erupted with dazzling light. The light was so bright that the entire Stone Village could see it. It shot out from the cliff, shining on the Spirit Lake, making its surface shimmer like it was sprinkled with gold dust. It shone on the willow trees, causing the willow branches to sway gently, scattering droplets of emerald light. It shone on the Stone Village, bathing the houses, stone walls, and kitchens in a golden glow.

The villagers were awakened from their sleep and rushed out to see what was happening.

Shi Yunfeng was asleep when he was startled awake by the light. He sat up abruptly, almost falling off the bed. He dressed, leaned on his wooden cane, and shakily walked out of the house. He saw the light on the cliff, a light like a sun, burning in the darkness and blooming before dawn. His eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. He knew that Shi Qingfeng was breaking through. That child, the child who suffered in place of the little one, the child who had been imprisoned in the Second Ancestral Land since childhood, the limping child in tattered clothes who played by himself, was about to break through.

The great-grandfather was meditating under the willow tree when he was startled awake by the light and opened his eyes. He stared at the light on the cliff, tears welling in his cloudy old eyes. He was Shi Qingfeng's great-grandfather; he was the one who brought Shi Qingfeng from the Second Ancestral Village, the one who watched Shi Qingfeng grow stronger day by day. He remembered when Shi Qingfeng first came to Stone Village, he was skin and bones, pale-faced, and limped, walking with a hobby. He remembered the first time Shi Qingfeng drank beast milk, his hands trembling as he held the bowl, tears welling in his eyes, saying, "It's delicious." He remembered Shi Qingfeng's first time cultivating, squatting on the training ground, meticulously tracing the runes stroke by stroke, over and over again, until his fingers bled. Now, his grandson was about to break through; how could he not be excited?

Skinny Monkey and Snotty Boy were sleeping when they were startled awake by the light. Hand in hand, they ran out of the house. Seeing the light on the cliff, they jumped and danced, their eyes filled with tears. They didn't understand anything about breakthroughs; they only knew that Qingfeng was going to become stronger. If Qingfeng became stronger, Stone Village would become stronger. If Stone Village became stronger, no one would dare bully them anymore.

The women, dressed in their clothes, ran out and stood at the village entrance, gazing at the light on the cliff, wiping away tears. They remembered when Shi Qingfeng first came to Shi Village, he was as thin as a bamboo pole, as if a gust of wind would topple him. They cooked delicious food for him, sewed new clothes for him, and brewed animal milk for him. They raised him like their own child. Now, their child was about to break through, how could they not be moved?

The men, shirtless, ran out and stood at the village entrance, fists clenched, gazing at the light on the cliff, their eyes filled with pride. The children of their Stone Village were all exceptional. The little one was a prodigy, the best in the world. Shi Qingfeng was an ordinary person, but through his own hard work, he had reached where he was today. His success was more valuable than the little one's, because his path was one that most people could walk.

The little red bird perched on a willow branch, watching the ball of light on the cliff, and rolled its eyes. It thought Shi Qingfeng's talent was quite good, much better than those so-called prodigies of the Fire Kingdom. But it didn't say it, because it didn't want Shi Qingfeng to become arrogant. It simply flew down from the willow tree and landed on a withered tree on the edge of the cliff, waiting quietly.

The little golden monkey squatted beside Shi Qingfeng, squeaking as if cheering him on. It was Shi Qingfeng's best friend, accompanying him in his cultivation every day. When Shi Qingfeng meditated, it meditated too. When Shi Qingfeng ate, it ate too. When Shi Qingfeng slept, it slept too. It didn't know what a breakthrough was, but it knew that Shi Qingfeng needed it. It stretched out its tiny paw and gently placed it on the back of Shi Qingfeng's hand, as if telling him—I'm here, don't be afraid.

The little boy sat behind Shi Qingfeng, clutching the pottery jar, his eyes filled with anticipation as he gazed at the ball of light. He knew Shi Qingfeng was about to succeed. Not because he saw anything, but because he sensed something. He felt the power within Shi Qingfeng expanding, condensing, and sublimating. That power was like a seed breaking through the soil, like a flower bud blooming, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The power wasn't large, but it was pure, stable, and solid. Just like Shi Qingfeng himself.

Just then, the ball of light suddenly contracted and shrank back into Shi Qingfeng's body.

Then, a completely new power erupted from his body.

That power wasn't as violent as the little one's, nor as scorching as the sun's rays, but rather like a spring breeze—gentle, soft, yet brimming with boundless vitality. It spread out, blowing across the Spirit Lake, rippling its surface. It blew across the willows, causing the willow branches to sway gently, scattering dappled green light. It blew across the Stone Village, bathing the houses, stone walls, and kitchens in a soft glow. It blew across the Great Wilderness, causing the vegetation, flowers, and medicinal herbs there to grow wildly in that instant.

That's a phenomenon that only occurs when the ninth cave-heaven in the Cave Heaven Realm is opened.

Shi Qingfeng succeeded.

He opened up the ninth grotto-heaven, and with all nine grotto-heavens open, the grotto-heaven realm was perfected.

Within his body, nine celestial realms slowly rotated, each radiating a faint light. The light wasn't dazzling, yet it was bright enough to draw the eye. Nine celestial realms, nine vortexes, nine kinds of power, formed a complete cycle within him. Intense power flowed into the icy celestial realm, icy power into the vibrant celestial realm, vibrant power into the desolate celestial realm, desolate power into the luminous celestial realm, luminous power into the gloomy celestial realm, and gloomy power flowed back into the intense celestial realm. The cycle repeated endlessly, a perpetual regeneration.

He opened his eyes and found himself sitting on the edge of a cliff, with the Spirit Lake before him and the vast wilderness behind him. The sun rose from the east, its golden rays bathing him warmly. He looked down at his hands; they were still the same hands, thin and pale. But he knew they were different. Within him lay nine celestial realms, nine forces, nine possibilities. He could summon those forces at will, as easily as wielding his fist.

He stood up and stretched. His bones crackled and popped like firecrackers. He felt both lighter and 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 cliff, picked up a stone, and gently squeezed it; the stone crumbled into powder. He looked at the powder in his hand, then at his own hand, his eyes filled with disbelief. Was this the power of a perfected Cave Heaven Realm cultivator? He couldn't even lift this stone before, but now he could crush it into powder.

He turned his head and saw the little boy sitting behind him, hugging a pottery jar, grinning widely, his missing front tooth's silly smile as bright as the rising sun. The little boy's hair was messy, his face was dusty, and there was a ring of dried milk stains around the corner of his mouth. His eyes were red, and there were dark circles under his eyes, clearly he hadn't slept well for two days. But he was smiling very happily, very happily.

"Qingfeng, you did it!" The little boy stood up, walked up to Shi Qingfeng, and gently punched him in the chest with his fist. "All nine caves opened! Perfected Cave Heaven Realm! Amazing! Even more amazing than me!"

Shi Qingfeng looked at him, at the light in his eyes, the smile on his face, and at his red eyes and dark circles, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He knew that the little one had been sitting here for two days, just waiting for him. The little one was hungry, thirsty, and so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping, but he didn't leave. He was here, with him, waiting for him, watching over him. This kind of companionship was more precious than any help.

"I'm not as good as you," Shi Qingfeng said. His voice was soft, but behind that nonchalant tone lay countless days and nights of arduous training, countless failures and restarts, and countless drops of sweat and tears. "When you opened all nine caves at once, you were much faster than me."

"That's because Uncle Li taught me well," the little one said. "You didn't have Uncle Li to teach you; you relied entirely on yourself. You're much better than me."

Shi Qingfeng shook his head, remaining silent. He knew the little one was trying to comfort him. But he also knew the little one was telling the truth. He didn't have a master like Li Chenzhou, a spirit medium like Liu Shen, or resources like those of Stone Village. He had to walk most of his own path. He had stumbled many times, endured much hardship, and shed many tears. But he had never given up, because he knew that only by becoming stronger could he protect those he wanted to protect.

"Qingfeng, from now on, we brothers will conquer the world together!" The little one held up his pinky finger. "Pinky promise!"

Shi Qingfeng looked at him, at his serious expression, at his outstretched little finger, and smiled. He also extended his little finger and hooked it together with the little one's.

"Pinky promise."

The two stood side by side on the cliff edge, gazing into the distance. The sun rose higher and higher, its golden rays casting long shadows upon them. The ripples of Linghu Lake rippled gently in the breeze, as if cheering them on. The willow branches swayed softly in the wind, scattering dappled green light, as if blessing them.

The people of Stone Village rushed up the cliff and surrounded them.

Shi Yunfeng, leaning on his wooden cane, stood at the very front, tears streaming down his face. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. He simply looked at Shi Qingfeng, at the child he had raised single-handedly, with only one thought in his mind—it was all worth it, his life had been worth it.

Great-grandfather stood beside Shi Yunfeng, his back straight, his face calm, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner excitement. He walked over and reached out to pat Shi Qingfeng's head. "Good boy, great-grandfather is proud of you."

Shi Qingfeng lowered his head, letting his great-grandfather pat his head. He remembered how his great-grandfather had patted his head like that back in the second ancestral home. At that time, he thought his life would be like this forever, that he would spend his entire life alone in that dilapidated village. But his great-grandfather said, "No, you will amount to something." Now, he really had. Although it wasn't great success, he was already very content.

Skinny Monkey and Snotty Kid pounced on Shi Qingfeng and hugged him tightly. "Qingfeng, you're amazing! You opened all nine holes at once! From now on, if anyone bullies us, you'll help us beat them up!"

Shi Qingfeng was held in their arms and unable to move, so he could only say, "Okay, I'll help you fight."

"Let's go fight that big yellow dog at the village entrance now! It keeps chasing us!"

Shi Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated. "The big yellow dog is from our village too, we can't hit it."

Skinny Monkey and Snotty Kid thought about it and realized it made sense, so they stopped making a fuss.

The women gathered around, pulling Shi Qingfeng's hands and looking him up and down. "This child has grown taller." "He's stronger." "His complexion is better too." "It's all thanks to our good care." "It's clearly me who took good care of him!" "Stop arguing, it's all of us who took good care of him!"

Shi Qingfeng felt a little embarrassed as they pulled him along. He lowered his head, his face flushed, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.

The men stood by, patting Shi Qingfeng on the shoulder and saying, "Well done," "Not bad," "Keep up the good work." They didn't say much, but every word they spoke was sincere.

The little red bird flew down from the withered tree and landed on Shi Qingfeng's shoulder, pecking at his ear with its beak. "Not bad, a little better than I expected. But still far from it. Keep up the good work."

Shi Qingfeng nodded. "I will."

The little golden monkey perched on Shi Qingfeng's shoulder, squeaking and scratching his hair with its tiny paws. Shi Qingfeng reached out and petted it, and it quieted down, nestled on his shoulder, its eyes half-closed, looking completely content.

The little boy, clutching the pottery jar, stood outside the crowd, watching Shi Qingfeng surrounded by everyone, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside him. Shi Qingfeng was his brother, and he was happier than anyone else to have his brother recognized by everyone. Suddenly, he remembered something, turned, and ran down the cliff, back to his little stone hut. He pulled a small cloth bag from under his bed; it was a gift from Huo Ling'er, containing a few pieces of dried spirit fruit. He had been reluctant to eat them and had kept them. Now he felt he should give them to Shi Qingfeng.

He ran back to the cliff and stuffed the cloth bag into Shi Qingfeng's hands. "Here you go. Dried spirit fruits from the Fire Kingdom, they're delicious."

Shi Qingfeng opened the cloth bag, took out a piece of dried spiritual fruit, and put it in his mouth. The dried fruit was very sweet, so sweet that he squinted his eyes. "Delicious."

"Of course!" The little one puffed out his chest, chin held high. "How could food from the Fire Country not taste good?"

Shi Qingfeng smiled and put the cloth bag away. "Thank you, little one."

"No need to thank me! We're brothers!" The little guy patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go downstairs and eat some grilled spirit fish! Great-Grandpa said we're adding extra dishes today to celebrate your breakthrough!"

Shi Qingfeng followed the little one down the cliff. Behind them, sunlight shone on them, casting long shadows. The ripples of Linghu Lake rippled gently in the breeze, as if bidding them farewell. The willow branches swayed softly in the night wind, scattering dappled green light, as if blessing them.

Shi Qingfeng knew that from this day forward, he was no longer that forgotten child. He was a child of Stone Village, Shi Qingfeng's brother, a cultivator who had opened all nine caves of the Cave Heaven Realm. His path was still long. But he wasn't afraid, because he wasn't alone. He had his great-grandfather, his clan chief grandfather, the little red bird, the golden monkey, and everyone in Stone Village. And Little One too.