Covering the Sky: A Guide to Proving the Dao Without Cheats

On the morning of the fourth day, Luo Heng slowly opened his eyes from within the Great Luo Heaven.

Stepping out of his small world, he quickly calculated that six days had passed in the outside world during his secluded cultivation and refinement of the divine medicine. He couldn't help but sigh softly, "Truly, in cultivation, one loses track of time; within the cave, it's hard to discern the seasons."

Sensing the aura of someone who had reached the eighth level of sainthood in the Great Luo Heaven, Luo Heng smiled with relief, pushed open the door, and walked out of his secluded meditation room.

Outside the door, Ziyuan was quietly waiting. Upon seeing him appear, she immediately stepped forward and gave a graceful bow: "Holy Son, you have emerged from seclusion."

Elder Liu and Senior Sister Weiwei came looking for you two days ago, but because you were in seclusion, they didn't dare disturb you. They left a message saying that Junior Brother Ye Fan has been safely brought back to the Holy Land and is temporarily staying in the guest courtyard.

Upon hearing this, Luo Heng's eyes lit up with joy, and he laughed, "Good! They've finally arrived."

He immediately took out a communication jade talisman, and with a slight thought, sent a message to Weiwei, instructing her to bring Ye Fan to the Holy Son's Palace at once.

Then, he looked at Ziyuan, who was standing to the side, and instructed her, "I am going to meet with an old friend later. Go and prepare a table of spiritual delicacies and fruits, and also bring some of your treasured wines."

"Yes, Holy Son." Ziyuan accepted the order and quietly withdrew to prepare.

After watching Ziyuan leave, Luo Heng paced back and forth in the courtyard.

In his eyes, Ye Fan's personality was quite agreeable, and he was a good friend to his friends, making him someone worth getting to know better.

Moreover, there is no conflict between their cultivation paths, so Ye Fan is not only a friend to him, but also a comrade-in-arms who can shoulder responsibilities together in the future.

After all, whether the future holds darkness and turmoil or some kind of evil force from above, they are all their common enemy.

Although they keep saying they want to quell the darkness and turmoil, what if they mess things up? They can't really drag the whole universe down with them.

Therefore, Luo Heng not only did not intend to suppress Ye Fan, but also tried to help him become stronger faster and more powerful than before.

This is both for Ye Fan's good and also... to give myself extra insurance.

As he was thinking this, Luo Heng didn't linger and went straight to the gate of the Holy Son's Palace to wait. Before long, he saw Weiwei leading a young man in white slowly walking towards him.

"Old Ye, I've missed you so much!"

Upon seeing the white-clad youth clearly, and confirming it was indeed Ye Fan, Luo Heng shouted and rushed forward, giving Ye Fan a big hug.

Ye Fan saw Luo Heng, whom he hadn't seen for several years, from afar. He was initially overjoyed, but before he could even call out "Old Luo," he saw Luo Heng walk towards him with open arms.

Although he felt a little embarrassed, he was in a foreign land after all, and they were friends he hadn't seen for many years, so he smiled and hugged him in the end.

Before Ye Fan could even say anything, Luo Heng started rattling off a string of words: "How about it, Lao Ye? I'm a good friend, right? Don't forget me when you're rich and powerful!"

"As soon as I become successful, I'll send someone to pick you and Pang Bo up to enjoy the good life. But... why are you alone? Where's Pang Bo?"

Ye Fan, who had been smiling, looked gloomy upon hearing this. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only manage a bitter laugh: "Pang Bo... sigh, it's a long story. Also, I may have gotten you into a lot of trouble."

Luo Heng waved his hand and said, "It's a long story, let's eat and talk! Come on, I've prepared a feast, let's sit down and talk slowly." He then put his arm around Ye Fan's shoulder and led him into the Holy Son's Palace.

As he walked, he turned to Weiwei, who seemed a little lost, and said, "Senior Sister Weiwei, it's been so long since I've seen Ye Fan, who's from the same hometown. It's a rare opportunity for us to get together, so I won't treat you to much today. I'll treat you to a meal another day!"

Weiwei quickly nodded: "In that case, we won't disturb the Holy Son."

"By the way, Holy Son, this little tower you lent me before..." she said, taking out the exquisite seven-story crystal tower.

Luo Heng didn't even turn his head, just waved his hand: "I'll give you this tower since you went to so much trouble this time, Senior Sister."

Upon hearing this, Weiwei remained calm, but Ye Fan, standing beside her, couldn't help but secretly gasp in astonishment.

He had personally witnessed the terrifying power of this small tower when it unleashed its might; such a precious treasure was being given away so easily.

I couldn't help but secretly speculate about this fellow villager's current wealth and status.

After the two had gone far away, Weiwei, who was left behind, could only shake her head slightly, put away the small tower, and turn to leave.

……

Luo Heng led Ye Fan through the Holy Son Hall, past several corridors, and into a serene little garden. Within the garden, small bridges spanned flowing water, pavilions were scattered about, and a table of food and wine was already prepared in a small pavilion in the center of the lake, with two maids waiting quietly by.

The two sat down facing each other in the pavilion. Luo Heng waved for the maids to leave, then personally opened the wine pot and poured spirit wine for both Ye Fan and himself. Raising his cup, he said, "Old Ye, put everything else aside for now. Come, drink this cup first!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan could only smile helplessly, clink glasses with him, and then tilt his head back to drink it all.

As the wine entered my throat, it felt like sweet spring water turning into rain. A warm and mellow surge of vital energy slowly rose from my dantian, flowing through my body with divine power and nourishing my physical form.

Ye Fan felt that the cultivation boost brought by this cup of spiritual wine was no less than that of three to five days of meditation and hard work by an ordinary cultivator. What was even more precious was that it contained a wisp of calming and concentration power, which was enough to soothe the restlessness accumulated over the days and make his cultivation more stable.

Seeing Ye Fan finish his wine, Luo Heng also tilted his head back and downed his cup of spiritual wine. He casually put the cup on the table, leaned back in his chair, and a contented smile appeared on his face.

"That's more like it! Come on, tell me now, what's going on? What happened to Pang Bo? And—" He deliberately dragged out his words, speaking in a joking tone, "what trouble have you gotten me into?"

"We'll talk about Pang Bo later." Ye Fan's expression turned serious. "It's mainly related to the Ji family."

Upon hearing this, Luo Heng deliberately feigned surprise and gestured for him to continue.

Ye Fan then recounted his grudges with the Ji family. The situation was similar to the original story: he encountered Ji Ziyue being chased and helped her, but the two ended up in danger together. In the critical moment, Ji Ziyue taught him the Ji family's Great Void Technique to escape.

In the end, Ye Fan fulfilled his mission and safely returned her. However, the Ji family turned around and accused him of stealing secret techniques, relentlessly pursuing him and forcing him into the perilous Fire Domain. What followed was the great battle between Elder Liu and the Ji family's pursuers.

After listening to Ye Fan's account, Luo Heng smiled with relief. He waved his hand and said casually, "I thought it was some earth-shattering incident. Is this all? Don't worry, I can take care of this for you."

Now it was Ye Fan's turn to look surprised: "Old Luo, you should know about the ancient Ji family, right? Its strength is no less than your Yao Guang Holy Land. This matter... is probably quite significant, isn't it? Shouldn't you discuss it with your Holy Lord first?"

"Old Ye, this is the limitation of being a rogue cultivator for too long." Luo Heng shook his head with a smile, refilling his cup. "Major powers like Beidou might be unreasonable towards rogue cultivators, but against forces of the same level, they ultimately have to follow the rules and distinguish right from wrong. In the end, we're in the right. What do you have to be afraid of?"

He paused, then said firmly, "At most, I'll make you swear an oath promising not to pass on the Ji family's secret techniques, and that will settle the matter."