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

An unnamed cave.

Li Chenzhou and Jiang Taixu sat facing each other, their four palms touching.

The hundreds of source stones in the middle silently melted away, turning into a mist that disappeared into Jiang Taixu's body.

Half an hour later, the airflow gradually subsided.

Jiang Taixu opened his eyes, still showing a trace of fatigue.

Four thousand years of confinement nearly drained his divine power. The essence he just received was barely enough to quench his thirst, and he was still far from reaching his peak.

"Your approach is strange."

Jiang Taixu spoke, his voice still hoarse, but now with a newfound strength, "Your divine power is vast and fierce, carrying an aura that encompasses heaven and earth. Your every move seems to unleash a myriad of transformations... unlike any known imperial scripture in the world. What kind of technique do you cultivate?"

"I started with ordinary martial arts, then I studied the Daoist scriptures and the Wheel Sea chapter, and also mixed in some common methods from the Cave Heaven level. I've been exploring until now."

boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Taixu's Dao heart trembled violently, finding it hard to believe.

Ordinary martial arts? Celestial martial arts techniques?

Such a trivial method might not even be of interest to ordinary disciples of minor sects.

But this young man before me has actually paved a path to heaven with this very technique.

This is... a path to the divine built with ordinary bricks.

Without the guidance of imperial scriptures or the legacy of predecessors, he single-handedly forged a path that was never before paved with his own hands.

What astonishing talent!

What a terrifying will!

Jiang Taixu stared at Li Chenzhou, as if he saw a young emperor rising up, whose figure faintly overlapped with the peerless figure of Wushi who had looked down on all ages.

"To forge a new path, to prove one's own path to the Great Dao... This journey is fraught with difficulty, surpassing even the transformation of one's bloodline, and leads directly to the secrets of the ultimate Dao." Jiang Taixu said slowly, "I will not advise you to turn back, for all paths ultimately converge. Are you willing to learn my Hengyu Scripture?"

His gaze was intense: "This is a secret of the Jiang family, containing the ultimate wonders of the sun. You don't need to change your foundation; just use it as a reference to illuminate your path and save you a lot of hard work."

Li Chenzhou shook his head, "We can be fellow Daoists."

Just like when they first met Ba Liming, the two were fellow Daoists, not master and disciple.

Jiang Taixu remained silent, then suddenly pointed his fingers out like a sword.

The divine light flowing from his fingertips was not a force of killing, but a torrent of intent that flowed into Li Chenzhou's mind between his brows.

"In that case, do not pass this on to others."

Boom!

Li Chenzhou's body trembled slightly. In his mind, it seemed as if billions of gods and demons roared, and as if a great sun exploded, with countless ancient scriptures, runes, and Dao diagrams unfolding with a bang.

The complete and flawless Hengyu Sutra, and even... the "Dou" character secret of the Nine Secrets!

The Hengyu Scripture, at the extreme of the sun, evolves into a divine furnace. The Douzi Secret is an unparalleled holy method of combat, evolving into all laws, making one invincible in battle. It instantly ignited all his combat wisdom.

All the mundane martial arts, Taoist scriptures and methods he had practiced in the past, as well as the newly comprehended "South Heavenly Gate" and the unfinished offensive martial arts, began to collide and sublimate wildly under this secret reference.

Without needing to cultivate, the mere comprehension was enough to make his fist intent boil, and his blood and qi involuntarily emitted the sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls.

Inside the cave, a sudden burst of Daoist chants filled the air, and strange phenomena appeared one after another.

Looking at the scene before him, Jiang Taixu's amazement grew even stronger; this person was comparable to the Great Emperor in his youth.

……

Jiang Taixu has departed. Four thousand years is too long. He is eager to see the people he wants to see.

Before leaving, he left behind a token that could be used to contact him.

In the desolate northern wilderness, the night was as dark as ink, and the starlight cascaded like a waterfall.

Li Chenzhou stood alone atop a solitary peak, his body radiating no divine power, but rather his aura was restrained, merging with the earth beneath his feet.

He held the scroll of the "Book of Origin" that flowed with silver light in his hands, and as his eyes opened and closed, the gates behind him naturally shifted.

"Looking up at the celestial phenomena, and down at the earth's veins..."

He made a sweeping motion in the air, his divine power barely moving, yet it caused the surrounding void to tremble.

It is not about using force to suppress people, but rather that its rhythm subtly aligns with a certain beat of nature.

hum-

As his thoughts sank in, the solitary peak beneath his feet emitted a deep dragon's roar.

That wasn't a real dragon, but rather a slumbering dragon vein that had been activated, forcibly drawing out a wisp of dragon energy that transformed into a yellow light that swirled around Li Chenzhou's fingertips.

At the same time, strands of starlight, pure and clear, fell from the sky, echoing his other hand.

Starlight and earth dragon energy, one pure and one turbid, one yin and one yang, slowly intertwined around him, evolving into a miniature starry sky and earth vein map, which was extremely mysterious.

This is the foundation of Origin Technique: communicating with heaven and earth, and mobilizing the power of stars and earth veins.

Li Chenzhou pointed his fingers like knives, using the wisp of earth dragon energy as ink and the void as a scroll, and began to carve in mid-air.

As the fingertips moved, intricate and profound primordial divine patterns emerged, connecting with the earth's energy and drawing upon stellar power.

He was using the Buyuantian Formation.

It is not for killing or defense, but to gather the essence of mountains and rivers within a radius of dozens of miles to aid in cultivation.

Gradually, the scenery around him began to change.

The textures of the rocks were no longer inanimate objects to him, but rather the traces of the earth's energy flow. The night wind carried the scent of thin source energy from the depths of the distant mine. He could even "see" several tiny source crystal veins coiled a thousand feet below his feet.

"The source is the essence of heaven and earth; when it gathers, it takes the form of stone; when it disperses, it becomes gas..."

He reached out and grasped at a seemingly ordinary pile of rocks in the distance.

"rise!"

Boom!

The ground trembled slightly, and seven or eight stubborn stones flew up and landed in his hands.

The stone surface is rough and unremarkable.

Li Chenzhou's eyes flashed slightly. He gently stroked the stone with his fingertips, and the stone skin fell away, revealing tiny crystals inside. Although it was not a divine source, it was a rare and pure source, exuding a rich life essence.

The divine awareness of the source can see through illusions and point directly to the origin.

This is not brute force destruction, but rather a precise perception and control of the source, a unique method of the Source Master.

He did not stop; his figure moved under the moonlight, his steps mysterious, subtly conforming to the celestial positions of the stars and the direction of the underground dragon veins.

With each step he took, divine runes of the Origin Heaven flashed beneath his feet, stirring the earth's energy. He became part of this land, his aura growing ever deeper and more boundless.

Later, he stopped moving and just stood there quietly.

However, the earth's energy within a radius of several miles emanated from him, flowing gently like a stream, rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing.

Countless tiny points of light seeped from the mountains, rivers, grass, and trees; they were the scattered essence of heaven and earth, drawn together by the Origin Heaven Technique, making him appear like a child of the earth.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, his gaze sharp as a celestial sword, piercing through the void and staring directly into the depths of the earth's veins beneath his feet.

"So that's how it is. Mountains and rivers have spirits, and the earth's veins have nature. Origin techniques... are the language for communicating with heaven and earth."

He raised his right fist, but did not unleash any divine power; he merely used the source technique to draw upon a wisp of earth dragon energy.

A punch landed lightly, imprinting itself on a piece of Originium.

Silently, the source stone remained undamaged inside, but its surface was instantly pulverized by the force of the fist.

This is the ultimate control of power, a manifestation of the initial integration of source techniques with one's own martial arts intent.

The night breeze blew by, ruffling the black hair on his forehead.

Li Chenzhou stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the vast land.

He originally cultivated the Origin Technique to acquire resources, but he never expected to have such a pleasant surprise. He gained a deeper understanding of this world and transformed the power of mountains and rivers and the rules of the stars' movement into part of his own fist intent.

His path encompasses everything, and his fists encompass heaven and earth.

……

The Holy City, also known as the Holy Continent, is the only pure land in this chaotic northern region.

Despite the rampant bandits from the outside world and the notorious thirteen bandits, no one dared to run wild in this place.

The reason is that many powerful figures, such as the major holy lands of the Eastern Wilderness, the ancient families, the supreme dynasties of the Central Plains, and the giants of the Northern Plains, have a large number of strong people stationed here year-round.

From ancient times to the present, the Holy City has been the core of the Northern Region, a place where powerful forces converge and dragons and tigers roam freely.

Strolling along the wide streets, everything you hear and see is related to jade gambling.

Some were overjoyed and exclaimed that they had cut out a rare and extraordinary source, achieving instant success; others were devastated, having lost everything but a pile of worthless stones, and were driven to madness.

A frenzied atmosphere permeated the entire city.

Li Chenzhou transformed into a white-robed young man, exuding an extraordinary aura that drew the attention of many female cultivators.

He studied the art of changing one's appearance in the Book of Origin. Although he was not proficient, it was enough to deceive everyone.

Even if his image were plastered all over the city, no one could recognize him.

Upon entering the city, Li Chenzhou sensed several powerful auras lurking in the shadows; they were all experts from various major forces stationed there.

The holy city is extremely luxurious, offering every kind of pleasure that mortals can imagine.

Jade gambling dens, fairy palaces, romantic pavilions... taking the pursuit of wine, women, wealth, and power to the extreme.

Only the "source" is recognized here; without a source, one cannot move an inch.

Li Chenzhou had no time to linger and went straight to one of the most famous stone archways in the city, the Heavenly Stone Garden of Dao Yi Holy Land.

The stone materials used in the sacred stone archway are reliable, increasing the chances of finding rare gems.

He needs resources to replenish himself, and he needs a lot of resources. At this moment, he is short of money, so he needs to use the stones in this place to make his first pot of gold.

"Please come, esteemed guest."

At the entrance of the Tianzi Stone Garden, there were no dramatic or difficult scenes. There were only two disciples waiting to verify one's financial resources.

Li Chenzhou flicked out a few divine source particles, and the gatekeeper disciple respectfully let him pass. These few divine source particles, obtained near the Yin-Yang Eye, were worth several thousand catties of ordinary source.

The park was quite quiet, with only a few people around.

An elderly Taoist nun sat cross-legged on a prayer mat; she was the guardian of this place.

There were also three or five elderly men, dressed in fine clothes and with extraordinary bearing, who were clearly regulars.

"Young man," the old nun said calmly without lifting her eyelids, "you may choose a stone, but you must separate it on the spot and not take it away."

This is a rule of the Holy Land Stone Archway. In the past, a certain madman surnamed Zhang from the lineage of the Celestial Master won too much, and even almost "won" away the Holy Maiden, which made all the Holy Lands wary. Therefore, this rule was established.

Li Chenzhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the strange rocks in the garden, finally settling on an unremarkable bluish-brown stone, priced at three thousand catties of raw material.

"Tsk, young man, this stubborn rock has been sitting here for who knows how many years, and no one has paid any attention to it. Just because it's big doesn't mean it's a treasure."

An old man beside him stroked his beard and chuckled, with a hint of mockery in his expression.

"Three thousand catties of ore, it's probably all for nothing." Another person shook his head.

Li Chenzhou's expression remained unchanged, but a flash of divine light appeared deep within his eyes. In his "vision," the internal energy of this stone was intertwined, with a cluster of extremely cold essence and a wisp of illusory spiritual light intertwined, making it quite mystical.

He pointed his fingers like knives, his fingertips emitting invisible force as they sliced ​​across the surface of the stone, causing the stone skin to fall off in a flurry.

He pointed his fingers like knives, his fingertips emitting invisible force as they sliced ​​across the surface of the stone, causing the stone skin to fall off in a flurry.

"Click!"

Suddenly, he flicked his finger, and the surface of the stone cracked open.

hum!

In an instant, divine light soared into the sky, and a dazzling light burst forth from within the stone, like a flying immortal, seemingly about to break through the air and disappear.

"What is that?"

"A fairy flying from a stone! It's an extraordinary phenomenon!"

"Oh my god! Did we cut out a living creature?"

The area outside the park instantly erupted in excitement as crowds surged forward, drawn by this astonishing phenomenon.

The old Taoist nun suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze flashing with a sharp light.

Her hand shot out like lightning, transforming into a gigantic hand that blotted out the sky, grabbing at the figure of light.

puff!

The light and shadow vanished like a bubble, but the old Taoist nun remained unmoved. She clasped her hands together, and her divine power transformed into a barrier, completely sealing off the entire Heavenly Stone Garden to prevent any divine object from escaping.

"This extraordinary phenomenon is astonishing! It must contain an unparalleled treasure!"

"Cut it quickly! Cut it quickly!"

The crowd outside the park was incredibly excited, even more so than Li Chenzhou himself.

Several elderly men in the stone garden could no longer remain calm; their eyes burned as they stared intently at the cracked stone.

"Young man, rest assured, this place has been sealed off by this old woman."

The old nun spoke, her tone carrying a hint of anticipation.

Li Chenzhou pointed his finger down again.

Click!

The stone skin completely peeled off, and an extremely cold aura permeated the air, causing countless ice crystals to condense and flutter in the air.

A fist-sized, icy jade-like object, its green light shimmering, was exposed to the air, exuding a cold yet powerful aura.

"It's a different kind of source—the source of ice and snow!" A knowledgeable person outside the garden immediately recognized its origin.

"While the Ice and Snow Source is good, a Pure Source is worth at most a thousand pounds."

An elderly man with a kind face and ruddy complexion immediately smiled at Li Chenzhou. "Young man, know when to stop. This item isn't very useful to you, but I need it. How about I take it from you for two thousand catties of source material?"

"Hmph, old man Li, your shamelessness is truly..."

An elderly man in black scoffed, "The source of ice and snow can cause the phenomenon of immortals flying from the stone? You're kidding me! Young man, keep cutting, the source of the phenomenon is definitely not this!"

All eyes were once again focused on the ice and snow source under Li Chenzhou's command, and the depths of the cut stone.

The old man, known as Old Man Li, was exposed in public, but he was not angry at all. The group had known each other for many years, belonged to different factions, and were already used to this kind of harmless way of getting along.

Li Chenzhou seemed not to hear, his mind focused on the stone in his palm.

The energy emanating from the fingertips was like a carving knife, continuing to peel away the stone's outer layer.

When you peel back to the very core—

boom!

An even more intense divine light erupted, shooting straight into the sky and illuminating the dome of the Tianzi Stone Garden.

A fragrant aroma spread out, indescribable. Taking a breath, one felt every pore on their body open up, their soul light and ready to take flight, as if they were about to ascend to immortality at any moment.

"An unparalleled treasure! Absolutely an extraordinary celestial artifact!"

The old man surnamed Li was breathing heavily, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. "Young man, how about giving me this stone—80,000 jin of pure source?"

"I will offer 100,000 jin of raw materials!"

Another elderly man in fine clothes raised the bid without hesitation, his eyes burning with fervor. "Such an extraordinary phenomenon must contain something extraordinary; it's worth the gamble!"

"I want to see for myself," Li Chenzhou said calmly.

Ten thousand catties of essence? How can it be compared to a true elixir of immortality, even if it is incomplete?

"Young friend," the last elder, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, stroked his beard and spoke earnestly, "In the world of jade gambling, luck is elusive. Many things may start with spectacular phenomena, only to end up as mere scraps. I've seen it all before. Buying 110,000 jin of raw jade—a definite number—to exchange for a future foundation stone, isn't that far more reliable than gambling on that slim chance?"

His words were earnest, as if he genuinely cared about Li Chenzhou's well-being.

"Now that the stone has been purchased, how to dispose of it is the guest's business. Continue cutting the stone, and no one will cause trouble at Dao Yi Stone Workshop."

The old Taoist nun, who was sitting cross-legged, spoke again. Her voice was not loud, but it was authoritative and suppressed all the noise.

Li Chenzhou ignored it, removed the outer layer of ice and snow, and continued peeling inward.

Stone chips flew everywhere, and the scene at the core gradually became apparent.

Another patch of ice and snow, about the size of a palm, appeared, even larger than the previous one, and its chilling aura was palpable.

However, everyone's attention was drawn to what was encased in the center of the ice and snow source—

It was a section of blue rhizome, strangely shaped, without branches, leaves, flowers, or fruits, but on that rhizome, there was a pair of clearly visible stem tubers.

It is about an inch long, with a bright silver sheen, and looks just like a real person's foot.

"This...this form?" A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"It looks like...it looks like a pair of feet!" someone exclaimed.

Everyone stared intently at the scene, and all of them gasped in astonishment.

Those silvery-white "feet" were so divine, with every detail clearly visible, flowing with a holy radiance, and exuding an ancient and powerful aura of life.

"Could it be... the legendary... miraculous medicine?" A trembling voice came from the crowd, filled with unbelievable excitement.

"What kind of miracle drug? Tell me quickly!" someone urged impatiently.

"Only the Supreme Emperor can possess this, an immortal elixir that accompanies the Emperor and grants immortality in the mortal world... a humanoid elixir of immortality!" The voice finally uttered this awe-inspiring name with difficulty.

"hiss--!"

"That's it! It must be it! The fragrance is intoxicating, the phenomena are astonishing, the roots and stems have taken form... It can only be the elixir of immortality!"

The crowd was in an uproar, both shocked to see the mythical object with their own eyes and heartbroken by its severe damage, as if they had missed a tremendous opportunity.

"Young friend," Li Yishui of the Illusion Palace spoke again, his tone "sincere," "I, Li Yishui, will offer 50,000 catties of Pure Source to buy this remnant root of the divine medicine. In your hands, it is like a pearl covered in dust, but with me, it may be worth studying and exploring the secrets of the elixir of immortality."

"Fifty thousand? You were offering one hundred thousand or one hundred thousand when it wasn't fully cut open. Now that it's confirmed to be the root of the immortal medicine, why is the price lower?" A bystander immediately asked, puzzled.

Li Yishui's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Times have changed. Before, it was a gamble, betting that it contained a complete immortal treasure, so naturally the price was high. Now that the truth is out, it's just a rare fragment, and its value has been determined. Fifty thousand catties of source material is already fair."

Li Chenzhou remained calm, took out a jade box, and put the section of the divine herb root along with the ice and snow source that wrapped it inside: "Not for sale, I have my own use for it."

Before he finished speaking, the jade box vanished into thin air and was put away by him.

The other two elderly people and the old Taoist nun from the sacred site moved their lips slightly upon seeing this, but ultimately remained silent.

Li Yishui's face immediately darkened, believing Li Chenzhou was deliberately driving up the price. He said coldly, "Young man, don't be greedy. I'll add another 10,000 jin of ore, making it 60,000 jin! This is the final price; don't wait until it's too late to regret it!"

Li Chenzhou looked up at him and said seriously, "I really want to keep it for myself. Perhaps in the future, it can extend my imperial destiny for another lifetime."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

"???"

"???"

Everyone stared in disbelief, as if they had heard the most absurd words in the world.

To continue the imperial destiny for another generation?

Is this something a cultivator of the Four Extremes should be considering?

Just then, news that Dao Yi Stone Workshop had cut out the elixir of immortality swept through the entire Holy City like a hurricane.

All the major forces reacted quickly, and powerful auras rapidly approached the Heavenly Stone Garden.

"150,000 jin of Yuan!" A voice rang out, carrying the majesty of an emperor.

As everyone looked over, they saw a young man with an extraordinary bearing striding towards them, surrounded by the aura of an imperial dragon. He was none other than a prince of the Great Xia Dynasty in the Central Plains, and he immediately announced an astonishing price.

"160,000 catties of source!" Someone else gritted their teeth and followed suit, clearly from a powerful force that was unwilling to give up easily.

Li Chenzhou shook his head again, his tone firm: "I said, I'm not selling."

"160,000 catties of raw material is already an astronomical price! Young man, take your profits while you can, or you'll never have another chance!" someone advised.

"Sell it! Agree quickly!" The onlookers were even more anxious than the person involved, shouting one after another.

"Two hundred thousand catties of source!" The Great Xia prince spoke again expressionlessly, his price directly crushing the entire room.

Beside him followed a bright-eyed young prince in white robes, who curiously sized up Li Chenzhou.

Li Chenzhou simply kept quiet, his mind made up.

Even an incomplete divine medicine is still a divine medicine; its value cannot be measured by its source energy.

In his hands, there might be a day when it regains its glory. Let alone 200,000 catties of source, even if it were ten or a hundred times more, he would never trade it.

Seeing his resolute attitude, everyone knew that forcing the issue was hopeless, and could only sigh in regret.