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

Admittedly, not everyone on the Eastern Wilderness was misled by these rumors; many discerning people were observing how things were developing.

"The Holy Son of Yaoguang suffered a crushing defeat in that battle, there is no doubt about that."

In a teahouse in the Holy City of the Northern Region, an old cultivator spoke up, "But the Yao Guang Holy Land claims that Li Chenzhou used a forbidden artifact. There's probably more to this than meets the eye. They have a deep grudge against Li Chenzhou, so naturally they'll spare no effort to smear their opponent."

A middle-aged cultivator beside him nodded, "The ancient aristocratic families have always been arrogant and haughty. Now that a prodigy has emerged who dares to defy them, they must be nipped in the bud."

"I don't believe they can control everything. If they're so capable, why don't they issue a warrant for the arrest of the powerful demon clan member, the Crimson Dragon Daoist? Why don't they hunt down the Thirteen Great Bandits of the Northern Region? It's laughable that they're fixated on a young junior."

"The holy land families have become corrupt. I respect their human emperors for protecting all living beings. Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and their descendants enjoy their legacy, but their essence is no longer that of the emperors."

Inside the tavern, several unaffiliated monks were engaged in a heated discussion.

"I heard that the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, a prodigy of the Eastern Wilderness demon race, has declared that he wants to fight Li Chenzhou. He also said that among the prodigies of the Eastern Wilderness human race, the Holy Son of Yao Guang is all talk and no action, while Li Chenzhou avoids fighting."

"This Golden-Winged Roc King is far too arrogant."

"That's right," another person chimed in, "Li Chenzhou even defeated the Holy Son of Yao Guang, why would he need to avoid battle? It's clearly that the Golden-Winged Roc King who wants to use this opportunity to make a name for himself."

Although these claims have not been verified, they do not diminish the admiration of the scattered cultivators of the Eastern Wilderness for Li Chenzhou.

In the eyes of many independent cultivators, Li Chenzhou is like a banner, representing the courage of ordinary cultivators to fight against the Holy Land.

Both the Huanggu Ji family and the Yaoguang Holy Land remained silent on this matter.

Instead of clarifying these discussions, it's better to seize the time to find Li Chenzhou's whereabouts and avenge the hatred in my heart than to waste time on these verbal disputes.

As time went by, Li Chenzhou seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, and no one knew where he had gone.

Just as people were searching for news of him, an even more shocking piece of news arrived:

The Bronze Immortal Palace has been born!

The Immortal Palace suddenly appeared in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness, sparking a frenzied struggle among various forces.

At the same time, the Huanggu Ji family joined forces with the Yaoguang Holy Land to besiege the powerful demon kings, Peacock King and Green-Clad King.

These two major events quickly became the focus of attention for cultivators in the Eastern Wilderness, and news about Li Chenzhou was gradually overshadowed.

Deep within the Fire Domain, Li Chenzhou opened his eyes. His Dao-proving artifact was complete, and it was time for him to advance.

.....

Li Chenzhou stood on the eighth level of the Fire Domain, surrounded by colorful mist, yet no one could get within three feet of him.

His aura grew increasingly ethereal and otherworldly.

The whole person seemed to merge with this world, yet also seemed to transcend it.

This is a mysterious and profound state, the unity of heaven and man that cultivators have dreamed of since ancient times.

"The Great Dao is formless, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth; the Great Dao is without emotion, yet it governs the sun and moon; the Great Dao is nameless, yet it nurtures all things..."

Li Chenzhou's mind was clear and focused as he comprehended the profound truth of the growth and development of heaven and earth.

"Rebirth... Nirvana..."

Touched by this profound realization, his body began to radiate boundless light.

At this moment, he wanted to sever his old self and understand the true path.

What bloodline!

What kind of constitution does that have?!

For him, all of that was illusory; only the understanding of the essence of the Great Dao was fundamental.

The Demon Prison Mystic Embryo Scripture circulated wildly, and the light of the mind flickered continuously.

Li Chenzhou glanced at the Fire Domain, and without realizing it, based on his past knowledge and cultivation common sense, he sketched out the prototype of a scripture, delving into the essence of the Fire Dao...

This scripture points directly to the essence of the Fire Path; if one can take this path to its ultimate level, it may not be inferior to the Emperor's Scripture...

He then looked at the array patterns left by Emperor Hengyu on the Divine Furnace of Li Huo. In an instant, he felt something. The vast and supreme "momentum" in the universe could be cleverly dismantled and then reassembled by him, transforming into an unparalleled killing array to refine and kill all enemies.

The secret to character formation?

The supreme secret technique of array formation?

Why should I imitate the ancients? I will forge my own new path.

"A spark of the soul, a leap of wisdom..."

Li Chenzhou clearly understood his own condition. "This is not the accumulation of divine power like that of ordinary cultivators; that is merely a quantitative change."

"And I... represent a fundamental transformation, a sublimation of enlightenment!"

When people practice martial arts, they mostly practice the moves.

They practiced each move diligently, striving for perfection.

Mediocre people are still figuring out the basics, while geniuses have already grasped the essence, but ultimately it's just a difference in techniques.

But Li Chenzhou was different.

He pointed directly to his true nature, guided the Way with his intention, and knew that all things return to one, and that understanding one leads to understanding all things.

Once you understand one path, all paths become clear. This is a fundamental breakthrough, a leap towards enlightenment.

Cultivation is not about testing your skills. What use is it if you become a mere practitioner, no matter how skilled you are?

To explore the true path, one must look directly to one's own heart, break through all constraints, and forge one's own path.

The light of wisdom in Li Chenzhou's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and the Daoist aura flowed around him. He felt as if he had touched something essential.

This is not an improvement in technique, nor an increase in skill, but a fundamental transformation.

He is going to walk his own path.

Li Chenzhou opened the jade stone that recorded the Devouring Heaven Demon Art.

Between the opening and closing of his eyes, wisdom flowed, as if reflecting the vast world.

At this moment, he felt a resonance with that ruthless emperor that transcended time and space.

It has nothing to do with love or affection, nor with grudges.

It is purely a mutual appreciation between two supreme wisdoms, a mutual respect between those standing at the pinnacle of the Great Dao.

What ordinary people consider geniuses, what they consider emperors, are nothing more than monkeys in the mountains, jumping around and causing trouble.

Would a dragon care about the clamor of ants?

No, because they're not even on the same level; even looking down at them would be superfluous.

"Among all living beings, how many are fools?" Li Chenzhou murmured, his voice carrying a detached calm.

"The gap in intelligence is greater than the chasm between species."

At this moment, as he observed the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, he suddenly understood everything, as if he were looking at the lines on his palm.

In a short time, he grasped the essence of this scripture and understood the intention behind the creation of the law by that ruthless emperor.

Why was the Ruthless Great Emperor ultimately able to achieve the Chaos Body?

Why does the underworld imitate this method, digging up graves and expending countless efforts, only to end up with a monster that doesn't resemble anything else?

"The underworld..." Li Chenzhou shook his head, "Trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog instead, they can't even imitate it properly."

Even though his cultivation level is still shallow at this moment, the Supreme Being of the Forbidden Zone could cause him eternal damnation with a single thought.

But this does not prevent him from looking down on all the powerful figures with wisdom and evaluating the world with a detached attitude.

Even if we can't beat them, can't we still criticize them?

To judge a sword, one need not forge it; to discuss the Way, one may not attain the Way. Such is the way of the world.

"The Ruthless Emperor is amazing because he has a thorough understanding of the origins of all things in the world," Li Chenzhou exclaimed.

"The so-called 'devouring of all systems' is merely a facade; fools see its form, while the wise see its essence."

In Li Chenzhou's view, bloodline constitution is a manifestation of the Great Dao.

What the Ruthless Great Emperor did was to analyze all paths, explore their essence, extract their commonalities, and integrate them into a coherent whole.

This is the true essence of the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, a wisdom that transcends time.

"All streams converge to form chaos, and all laws share the same origin to form primordial chaos. The terms may differ, but the underlying principles are the same. The Ruthless Great Emperor, with his supreme wisdom, governed all paths, which led to the creation of the later Chaotic Body."

"Looking at his great killing techniques, the Myriad Transformations Sacred Art, which turns the miraculous into the rotten, is merely cutting off the fuel supply and destroying its foundation. The Flying Immortal Art breaks through the limits, which also points directly to the essence and transcends the constraints. All supernatural powers and spells appear pale and powerless in the face of absolute understanding of the Great Dao."

"All of this is the manifestation of the Ruthless Great Emperor's rule over all paths. Devouring bloodlines is merely the most superficial method. If necessary, magic treasures, even immortal metals, and even the source of primordial energy can be refined. This is true magnanimity and wisdom."

As Li Chenzhou pondered this, his body surged with Daoist energy, and the light of his wisdom almost ignited the entire void.

At this moment, he saw the essence of the Ruthless Great Emperor's legacy—a vision that transcended time, a wisdom that pointed directly to the source.

This is similar to his "Demon Prison Mysterious Embryo Sutra".

The road ahead is clear, the great path is in sight, from now on the sea and sky are wide open, let him roam freely.

In his eyes, the world's geniuses were like ants, and the so-called supreme beings were nothing more than withered bones in a tomb.

Only the ultimate truth is the eternal pursuit.

Li Chenzhou raised his head, and the Primordial Qi of Xuanhuang descended from within the Gate of Immortality.

This is the finest material in the world, born at the beginning of time.

According to his deduction, if refined using special methods, it can also be transformed into the essence of one's physique and integrated into one's own body.

In essence, bloodline is nothing more than a bit of innate divinity that manifests in accordance with the great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

All things in the universe are within the trajectory of the Great Dao.

However, such methods are absolutely heaven-defying and beyond the realm of humanity; even immortals might not be able to achieve them.

The human body is made of flesh and blood, not metal, stone, grass, or wood. Forcibly merging with it will only lead to death and the dissipation of one's spiritual essence.

Furthermore, all substances capable of carrying the Great Dao are rare treasures of heaven and earth, things that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after.

This is why even a genius like the Ruthless Great Emperor had to find another way and choose to base his approach on his physical constitution.

"Easy to obtain, common, and easy to find..." Li Chenzhou murmured, his eyes swirling with Daoist charm.

With limited resources and energy, what else can we do?

The only solution is to adapt to local conditions.

Exploring ancient tombs is perfectly acceptable.

If you find it inappropriate, you might as well change the name.

Examine the legacy of our ancestors!

Exploring ruins and excavating ancient tombs is essentially about finding the extraordinary talents buried in ancient times, extracting their essence, and refining it into our bodies as a bridge to comprehend the myriad principles of heaven and earth. This is the most feasible approach.

Every golden age is a feast for cultivators who practice the Devouring Heaven Demon Art.

Those outstanding talents are like precious medicinal herbs, waiting to be harvested.

By collecting the essence of countless constitutions and refining it into the body, it gradually becomes a key through mysterious refining. After endless deduction, it finally becomes a chaotic body.

This is the essence of the Devouring Heaven Demon Art.

However, physical constitution acquired later in life will inevitably have flaws.

Like a meticulously carved jade artifact, it has a shape, but contains hidden cracks and will crumble at the slightest touch.

At this point, it is necessary to re-examine it, take a strategic view, and eliminate the dross and retain the essence.

Thus, the Ruthless Emperor created another unparalleled scripture.

The Undying Heavenly Art!

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the Undying Heavenly Art can restrain the Devouring Heaven Demon Art.

The former sees through all the flaws of the latter, making it easy to crack, directly pointing to the fundamental defects.

In the face of the former, all the secrets of the latter are laid bare.

Of course, the Undying Heavenly Art cannot be perfected without the foundation laid by the Devouring Heaven Demon Art.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Art laid the foundation for everything, constructing a complete system that directly points to the origin of heaven and earth, allowing mortal bodies to truly surpass the strongest physique.

The two complement each other and are indispensable.

When they came together, they laid the foundation for an unparalleled empress, reigning supreme for all time, proving that her talent was unmatched throughout history.

Without relying on secret realms or external baptisms, one can attain supreme enlightenment and achieve unparalleled status entirely through one's own efforts in the mortal world.

Even someone as powerful as the Undying Emperor, who could kill the Supreme Emperor before the Great Emperor Wushi appeared, turned a blind eye to the Empress who was living in seclusion in the desolate ancient forbidden land. This was already extremely unusual.

After all, this empress once strolled in the Undying Mountain and sighed at the world in front of the Undying Daoist. It wasn't until tens of thousands of years later that she met another immortal, the Great Emperor Wushi, who was at the pinnacle of the immortal path.

"The Empress's talent is unparalleled throughout history."

Li Chenzhou sighed, saying that he was far inferior to the Ruthless Great Emperor in terms of talent.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Art and the Demon Prison Mystic Embryo Scripture are remarkably similar. Both initially cultivate a demonic embryo before breaking free from its shackles. The only difference is that one is based on the origin of one's physical constitution, while the other is based on the scripture itself.

"The two have similar ideas, but in terms of form, the Devouring Heaven Demon Art is slightly weaker."

At the very root of a life, so much is contained...

It cannot be thoroughly cleaned or burned completely.

The supreme beings in the forbidden zone of life, who stirred up dark turmoil, did so only to plunder the purest life essence of all living beings. Even with their extraordinary abilities, they could not erase the marks of all life, let alone those who walk this path.

He sighed deeply.

In the future, a supreme being with a great body will fall from grace, join forces with the supreme beings of the forbidden zones, and devour all living beings.

The Great Accomplished Holy Body, who fought to the death, glimpsed the scene of countless remnant souls wailing on the Overlord Immortal Platform.

Even the strongest experts cannot fully refine it.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Art refines one's origin, but if one's own origin is contaminated by external things, the consequences will be unimaginable.

The origin is the foundation of life's continuation, from which the true "self" is built.

"I" resonate with heaven and earth, and merge with all things.

Now, by introducing foreign sources and altering oneself, this "self" begins to become distorted, and the backlash follows.

And this is just the beginning.

There has always been a saying in the world of Shrouding the Heavens: "similar flowers"—the key difference lies not in their appearance, but in their origin.

There are countless people who look alike.

How can they be called "similar flowers"?

origin!

Devouring the essence of the deceased may seem like destruction, but it is actually akin to reincarnation.

Practicing this demonic art causes changes within oneself.

My past self is becoming alienated, my future self is lost in the world... How can I, in the present, escape my fate?

"Even when mortals fail and receive organ transplants, they may still be influenced by the residual consciousness of their predecessors, subtly altering their character. How much more so when it comes to the very source of life?"

Li Chenzhou calmed himself down and reread the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, his heart filled with awe.

"Practicing this demonic art has made my appearance and temperament increasingly extraordinary, like a god or an immortal... Is this really a good thing?"

"I'm afraid not!"

"The true catastrophe is the mutation of one's true self."

"The shortcomings of the Devouring Heaven Demon Art are far more terrifying than imagined..."

He turned to the end of the scripture, where several ancient prescriptions were recorded, which were the so-called "auxiliary ingredients" for practicing this skill.

The scriptures mention that the Devouring Heaven Demon Art is against the harmony of heaven and belongs to the demonic path of nine deaths and one life... When devouring the essence of others, it is easy to be punished by heaven, and these ancient formulas are needed to harmonize it.

Unless one personally falls into this path, who can know just how treacherous this "divine retribution" truly is?

Li Chenzhou pondered carefully and realized two words:

balance.

The key to the prescription lies in changing oneself, harmonizing external sources, weakening their aggression, protecting one's true self, achieving balance amidst countless sources, and always maintaining independence.

It may seem unassuming, but in reality, all the calamities are internalized, and only those with great wisdom can break through the predicament.

It's like walking a tightrope over an abyss!

Achieving a chaotic body is not easy.

The later the stage, the more dangerous it becomes!

"It is foreseeable that when this demonic art is cultivated to its peak, all the myriad origins within the body will converge and jointly attack the true self."

"If a cultivator fails, their true self will be forever lost... At that time, there will be only a chaotic body, but no more original self or primordial spirit."

He had no idea what it would be like then.

When the true self sinks into depravity, the myriad sources within the body fight each other, like raising a venomous insect, vying for the strongest will to dominate this body.

"The Holy Son of Yaoguang..."

"After absorbing 6,400 kinds of origins, he dared not go any further."

Li Chenzhou suddenly understood. "I can understand."

"He couldn't go any further, and he didn't dare to go any further... If he went any further, his consciousness would have already collapsed before he could even reach the point of unification."

"The Yao Guang has vanished, and I am now chaos? Perhaps the last thing to appear is no longer the consciousness of the Yao Guang Holy Son?"

"He could only seek a battle, using Ye Fan's hand to shatter the demonic body and survive in the face of death... Unfortunately, he eventually admitted that he had never escaped the ruthless man's cage."

"It's not just that he lacks talent..."

"Moreover, the human legacy left behind by ruthless people is not complete at all."

Everyone believed that the Undying Heavenly Art could avert this calamity, allowing the demonic body to nurture a divine embryo, eliminate all hidden dangers, deceive the heavens and the sea, and reap all benefits without incurring any karmic consequences...

But have the hidden dangers really been completely eliminated?

"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you... Divine transformation may not necessarily lead to perfect transcendence."