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

Before dawn, the camp on the Fire Kingdom's border was in an uproar. Not from an enemy attack, but because that child was going to war. The news spread like wildfire among the soldiers, from tent to tent, from camp to camp. Soldiers still asleep were woken by their comrades, rubbing their eyes and groggily asking, "What's going on?" The answer instantly snapped them awake—the Beast Milk Little Tyrant was going to war, the strongest in the Blood Refining Realm, the one who had opened all nine caves of the Cave Heaven Realm, and who could take down a Venerable with a single punch.

The soldiers scrambled out of their tents, barely having time to don their armor or grab their weapons, before rushing to the edge of the camp. They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to gaze into the distance. Their eyes were filled with anticipation, hope, and a touch of worry. They knew the child was strong, but he was only five and a half, only at the Cave Heaven Realm, and had never truly experienced life-or-death combat. Could he do it? Could he hold off those ferocious beasts? Could he save them?

No one knows the answer, but everyone is waiting, waiting for that child to give the answer with his fist.

The little boy emerged from the tent, clutching a pottery jar, wearing the red brocade robe Huo Ling'er had given him. His hair was still messy, his face still dusty, but his silly grin, despite his missing front tooth, remained bright. He didn't look like a soldier going to war; he looked more like a child going on a picnic. Yet, the soldiers who looked at him felt an indescribable awe. Because he stood there, like a mountain, an unshakeable mountain.

The little red bird perched on his shoulder, its eyes half-closed, looking like it hadn't woken up yet. It had slept very well last night because the little one hadn't snored, kicked off the covers, or talked in its sleep. It thought that this little brat was sometimes quite easy to take care of.

The little golden monkey perched on his other shoulder, squeaking and scratching his hair with its tiny paws. It was excited because it had never seen so many people, never been to such a far place, and never experienced anything so thrilling. It didn't know what was going to happen today, but it knew it would be a lot of fun.

The Fire Emperor stood at the edge of the camp, clad in crimson armor, a longsword at his waist, his face imposing, his gaze sharp as lightning. Behind him stood hundreds of elite soldiers of the Fire Kingdom, each at least at the Spirit Transformation Realm, each a veteran of countless life-or-death battles, each a survivor of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They gripped spears, short swords at their waists, their eyes burning with battle lust. They knew what they faced today, knew they might die, but they did not flinch, for behind them lay their homeland, their families, their land.

Huo Ling'er stood beside the Fire Emperor, clad in crimson armor, her hair tied in a high ponytail, a Crimson Flame Sword at her waist, exuding a heroic and valiant air. The scar on her face had scabbed over, yet it still throbbed faintly. She felt no pain, for a fire burned within her, a fire that would consume all enemies. She looked at the little boy, at his toothless smiling face, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within her. She hoped he would win, hoped he would return alive, hoped he would show those ferocious beasts that humans were not to be trifled with.

The little one walked up to the Fire Emperor, looked up at him, and said, "Uncle Fire Emperor, I'm going."

The Fire Emperor crouched down and reached out to rub his head. "Be careful."

"understood."

"If you can't win, run away. Don't be reckless."

"I won't be reckless," the little one said. "I'm just going to scare them and let them know that this isn't a place for them to run wild."

The Fire Emperor nodded, stood up, and took a step back.

The little boy turned and walked out of the camp. He walked at a leisurely pace, as if strolling in his own backyard. A little red bird perched on his shoulder, and a little golden monkey perched on his other shoulder, the bird and the monkey, one on the left and one on the right, like two loyal guards. His shadow stretched long in the morning light, like a drawn sword pointing straight at the distant land scorched by war.

The soldiers looked at him, a profound and indescribable emotion welling up within them. This child, only five and a half years old, was going to fight for them. On his shoulders lay their hopes, their future, their lives. They didn't know how to repay him; they could only silently pray in their hearts that he would win, that he would return alive.

Huo Ling'er watched his departing figure, her eyes welling up with tears. She held back her tears. She was the princess of the Fire Kingdom, a role model for everyone; she couldn't cry. She could only grip the Crimson Flame Sword at her waist, silently vowing in her heart: You brat, you must come back. You promised me, you can't go back on your word.

The little boy stepped out of the camp and into the war-torn land. Black smoke billowed in the sky, limbs and torsos littered the ground, and the air reeked of blood. He frowned, not from fear, but from sorrow. The dead, the burned houses, the trampled crops—they were all innocent. They had done nothing wrong; they simply wanted to live. But those ferocious beasts wouldn't let them live, because they were beasts, they came to kill, they came to seize territory.

The little boy took a deep breath, suppressing the sadness in his heart. He knew that now was not the time to be sad, but the time to fight. He would let those ferocious beasts know that this was not a place where they could run wild. He would make them pay the price, pay for their blood debts.

He continued walking forward for about half an hour before finally seeing the ferocious beasts.

It was a pack of Ironback Wolves, about thirty in number, led by a ferocious beast at the Spirit Transformation Realm. They crouched on a hill, their eyes fixed menacingly on the distant camp. A bloodthirsty glint gleamed in their eyes, drool dripping from their mouths, as if they were waiting for something. They were waiting—waiting for more ferocious beasts to arrive, waiting for the arrival of powerful beings from the upper realms, waiting for the opportunity to wipe out humanity in one fell swoop.

The little boy stared at the pack of Ironback Wolves, feeling no fear, only rage. He remembered the burned-out villages, the slaughtered people, the children crying in the ruins. He remembered the scar on Huo Ling'er's face, the despair in the soldiers' eyes, and the weariness in the Fire Emperor's eyes. His fists clenched, his anger burned, and his fighting spirit soared.

"Little Red, you wait here," the little one said. "I'm going to meet them."

The little red bird flew off his shoulder and landed on a withered tree in the distance, its eyes half-closed, looking on with amusement. It knew Little One's strength; he was more than capable of dealing with this pack of Ironback Wolves. It didn't need to help; just watching was enough.

The little golden monkey wanted to go too, but the little one held it back. "You wait here too. I'll be right back."

The golden monkey squeaked twice, reluctantly jumped off the little one's shoulder, squatted under the dead tree root, and looked up at the little one's departing figure.

The little guy took off running towards the pack of Ironback Wolves on his short legs. His speed was astonishing, as fast as the wind, as fast as lightning. Before the Ironback Wolves could react, he was already in front of them.

The lead Ironback Wolf, at the Spirit Transformation Realm, narrowed its eyes sharply when it saw the little boy. It sensed the powerful aura emanating from the child, an aura that made it tremble. It didn't know who the child was, but it knew it was no match for him. It wanted to run, but its legs wouldn't obey, as if nailed to the ground.

The little boy stood before it, tilting his head back, looking up at it. He only reached the Ironback Wolf's knees, yet his imposing presence far surpassed the wolf's. He looked into the Ironback Wolf's eyes, eyes filled with fear, despair, and pleading. He didn't soften, for he knew these ferocious beasts were not the gentle creatures near Stone Village. They came to kill, to seize territory, to trample on human dignity. To show them mercy would be to be cruel to himself.

He raised his right hand and clenched his fist. The nine inner heavens within his body spun simultaneously, and nine streams of primordial energy surged forth, converging on his right fist. The fist was small, pale, and delicate, yet the power it contained was enough to destroy the heavens and the earth.

"This punch is for those who have died," the little one said softly.

He threw a punch.

There were no fancy moves, no complicated runes, only pure power. A brute force of 120,000 jin, combined with the essence of heaven and earth from the nine grotto-heavens, converged to form an unparalleled power. That power erupted from his fist, transforming into a golden beam of light that slammed heavily into the head of the Ironback Wolf.

"boom--"

With a deafening roar, the Ironback Wolf at the Spirit Transformation Realm exploded, its head splattering blood and brain matter everywhere. Its body swayed, then crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Its limbs twitched a few times, then remained still. Dead, killed with a single punch.

The other Ironback Wolves, witnessing this scene, were terrified and scattered in all directions. They ran very fast, as fast as the wind, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye. They dared not look back, dared not linger, wanting only to be as far away from that devil as possible.

The little boy withdrew his fist and blew away imaginary dust. He looked at the Ironback Wolf lying in a pool of blood, feeling no pleasure, only sorrow. He didn't want to kill it, but it had to. Because it was an enemy, someone who came to kill, someone who came to take its territory. To be merciful to it would be to be cruel to those who had died.

He turned and walked towards the camp. His steps remained unhurried, his expression calm, but there was something new in his dark eyes. It was determination, maturity, and a coldness that only comes from seeing blood.

The little red bird flew down from the dead tree, landed on the little boy's shoulder, and pecked at his ear with its beak. "Not bad, one punch kills. You're starting to look like the best in the world."

The little one didn't speak, but just grinned, revealing a bright smile with a missing front tooth. But in that smile, there was less innocence and more of a sense of vicissitude.

The little golden monkey jumped up from under the dead tree roots, perched on the little boy's shoulder, and scratched his hair with its tiny paws, squeaking as if praising him. The little boy reached out and patted its head without saying a word.

In the camp, when the soldiers saw the little one return, they swarmed around him, asking all at once, "How was it? Did you kill him?"

The little one nodded. "Killed him. One punch."

The soldiers stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape. One punch? One punch killed a Spirit Transformation Realm Ironback Wolf? That was a ferocious beast at the Spirit Transformation Realm; even they, as Inscription Realm cultivators, would struggle to kill it. This child, with just one punch?

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" a soldier shouted.

"The Little Tyrant of Beast Milk! Number One in the World!"

"With him here, what do we have to fear?"

Cheers erupted, and the soldiers' eyes shone again—the light of victory, the light of hope, the light of the future. They were no longer afraid, no longer desperate, no longer doubtful. Because they knew that child would protect them.

The Fire Emperor stood in the crowd, looking at the little one, his eyes filled with satisfaction. He hadn't misjudged him; Huo Ling'er hadn't made a mistake in choosing a friend; the Fire Kingdom hadn't spoiled him in vain. This child was worthy of their trust, worthy of their reliance, and worthy of their pride.

Huo Ling'er stood beside the Fire Emperor, looking at the little one, her eyes slightly moist. She didn't cry, because she had promised she wouldn't cry anymore. She just silently thought to herself: You little brat, you're really amazing. More amazing than me, more amazing than everyone else.

The little boy, carrying the pottery jar, walked up to Huo Ling'er, looked up at her, and grinned. "Fat sister, I didn't embarrass you, did I?"

Huo Ling'er looked at him, at the light in his eyes, at the smile on his face, at the milk stain around his lips, and a strange emotion welled up inside her. She reached out and flicked his forehead.

"Not bad. But don't get cocky. This is just the beginning."

The little boy rubbed his forehead, which had been flicked red, and winced, but didn't cry out in pain. He knew that the chubby older sister was concerned about him and reminding him not to get carried away by one victory. He nodded.

"I know. This is just the beginning. There are many more ferocious beasts waiting for me. I will not lose."

Huo Ling'er looked at him, saw the determination in his eyes, and nodded.

"I trust you."

The little boy smiled, revealing a bright grin with a missing front tooth. He hugged the pottery jar, turned, and walked out of the camp. He wanted to go and check again, to see if any other ferocious beasts were nearby. He wanted to let them know that this was not a place where they could run wild. He wanted to let them know that humans were not to be trifled with.

A little red bird perched on his shoulder, and a little golden monkey perched on his other shoulder. The bird and the monkey, one on the left and one on the right, followed him into the distance.

The Fire Emperor watched his retreating figure, a complex feeling welling up inside him. This child, only five and a half years old, already possessed such responsibility, courage, and strength. His future was limitless. And for the Fire Kingdom to forge a good relationship with him was a blessing.

Watching his departing figure, Huo Ling'er silently said in her heart: You brat, you must come back alive. You promised me, you can't go back on your word.