Covering the Sky: The Years I Was the Empress's Strictest Master

It was either because the various forces that came knocking were pressuring him too much, or because he himself failed to maintain composure.

He was confident in his daughter's excellence, and the constant stream of marriage proposals from Daoist envoys who had recently come to his door, which gave him the illusion that no one would refuse to marry his daughter.

But unexpected events kept happening here. If only Lin'er's opinion had been consulted beforehand...

He knew that his daughter was heartbroken this time.

She's still just a teenage girl; how strong can her mindset really be?

Standing there, Chi Yao watched her sister's departing figure, then looked at Tan Lin, who stood tall in the hall, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart.

Is it because he showed no mercy?

Is it just my sister's wishful thinking?

Or was it... that slight relaxation after the tension in her heart, which she herself was unwilling to admit?

“Master Chi, it seems you have important matters to attend to today. We will take our leave now.”

After Chi Xuan left, the hall fell silent for a moment. Xuan Yunzi then stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to Chi Tianfeng.

Immediately, a smile appeared on his face as he looked at Tan Lin:

"Young friend Tan, the holy maidens of my sect have never married outside the sect. However, with your stunning beauty, it's not impossible for you to become an exception."

However, the specifics depend on Han Yun's own wishes. You young people, even if there is a gap in cultivation level for the time being, you can still exchange ideas more in private..."

He couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire, but as he was speaking, he noticed a chilling gaze sweep over him.

It was none other than Chi Yushan, the great ancestor of the Chi family.

Seeing this, he stopped speaking abruptly, and then hurriedly left with Shao Hanyun, who had remained silent the whole time, and Meng Lu and the others, who were trembling under Chi Yushan's gaze.

"Senior Chi, Patriarch Chi, we'll take our leave now."

At this moment, Elder Song of the Heavenly Martial Holy Land also led his people away.

Representatives from other factions also wisely took their leave.

Just kidding. Now that the Chi family patriarch has shown up, unless they can mobilize the foundations of their respective lineages to attend, what pressure are they still putting on?

However, unlike the Beidou Divine Cult's immediate departure, they chose to stay at the Chi family's guest house for a while longer, observing the situation.

Only when things are truly beyond saving should one decide whether to stay or leave.

Da...da...

The sounds of farewells rose and fell.

Soon, the once bustling Tianchi Palace was left with only the Chi family members, the Song brothers, and Tan Lin.

As the outsiders gradually left...

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the hall seemed to drop to freezing point.

…………

Chapter 147 This boy is indeed extraordinary.

Although there are no longer any "outsiders" in the hall, the composition of the people is still complex.

The couple, Chi Tianfeng and his wife, had complex expressions, along with many elders of the Chi family.

Among the clan elders, aside from a few who looked helpless, most others, even those whose expressions had softened slightly, still looked at Tan Lin with displeasure.

Besides, there were other Chi family stewards standing in the four corners of the hall, along with the Song brothers. They were unsure whether to leave or stay until a clear order was given.

Finally, there was Chi Yushan, one of the only remaining ancestors of the Chi family after he appeared.

His presence intimidated everyone present, who were all trying to gauge his true intentions. No one dared to utter a sound at this critical juncture; they were all trembling with fear.

Even Chi Tianfeng and his wife, after being glanced at by Chi Yushan, hesitated to speak and ultimately remained silent.

As for Chi Yao?

She has already chased after her younger sister, Chi Xuan, and is not here.

……

Time passes little by little.

The sky outside the hall had darkened, becoming oppressively dark, which indirectly affected the mood of some people. The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy and somber, making it feel particularly oppressive.

At this moment, everyone still present had their eyes fixed on Tan Lin.

At this moment, there is no need for any high-level burst of energy.

This scene created an invisible pressure that seemed to be pressing down on Tan Lin from all directions!

These intense scrutinys, almost all from individuals with cultivation levels far exceeding their own, would likely have caused an ordinary teenager to break down after a long period of time.

however.

After Tan Lin finished speaking, he seemed to maintain a tacit silence with them. His face was as still as a deep well, without a ripple.

From a certain perspective, this seems to be a competition?

It's a contest of who loses their composure first and who speaks first.

After a long while, Chi Yushan, who had replaced Chi Tianfeng and sat imposingly in the main seat, began to show a hint of appreciation in his eyes as he looked at Tan Lin.

This child is truly extraordinary.

Such a person has an iron will; he simply does not believe that she would be attracted to a mere demoness.

The reason he declined the marriage proposal earlier shouldn't be taken entirely at face value; it was merely his excuse.

"You do have some guts..."

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Chi Yushan clicked his tongue.

As he spoke, he slowly stood up, but no longer looked at Tan Lin. He simply waved his hand, his voice indifferent:

"Send this young master Tan to the Cliff of Harmony, and provide him with the best food and drink."

Effective immediately, the Chi family is closing its mountain gates and refusing all outside visitors. Furthermore, no unauthorized personnel are permitted to approach the Hedao Cliff without the permission of this elder and the family head!

The last few words carried a chilling meaning, sending a shiver down the spines of the Chi family members who had been dozing off.

"Ancestor, is this...?"

Seemingly feeling that this was somewhat inappropriate, Chi Tianfeng stepped forward to speak.

Unexpectedly, Chi Yushan looked at him with a sharp gaze:

"Shut up!"

His voice was filled with an unquestionable authority.

Seeing this, Chi Tianfeng had no choice but to give up.

After these long-dormant figures from the clan emerged, although he remained the head of the family, he undoubtedly lost control over matters involving these old fogies.

"Young Master Tan, please?"

Finally, several deep-set, imposing guards from the Chi family silently appeared in the hall.

They gestured for Tan Lin to enter, their attitude impeccable, but their eyes were icy cold.

Tan Lin didn't care at all. He remained silent, and slightly bowed to Chi Tianfeng and Qin Suyao.

During the ceremony, he completely ignored Chi Yushan this time, then turned around and, "accompanied" by the guards, walked out of the hall.

Da...da...

Footsteps sounded, but his steps were not as heavy as some members of the Chi family had imagined.

On his way to Hedao Cliff, he strolled leisurely, seemingly oblivious to the hidden meaning in Chi Yushan's words.

Inside the hall.

Chi Yushan's old eyes seemed to pierce through the void, watching Tan Lin ascend the Cliff of Dao Integration and be imprisoned in a different way before he withdrew his gaze.

"Even I almost misjudged him. It's not just his courage, his toughness is also remarkable. But what is this kid relying on for his 'toughness'?"

At this moment, his self-talk carried a hint of doubt.

He felt that his appearance as the Great Sage of the Chi family had not intimidated the other party at all.

The other party's reaction gave him the feeling that all his intentions had been seen through, which he found absurd.

…………

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight days had passed since the Chi family's marriage proposal saga.

With a command from Chi Yushan, the Chi family's territory was locked, and outsiders were turned away.

Aside from Xuan Yunzi and the others from the Beidou Divine Cult who left immediately that day,

Other representatives from various forces, such as the Tianwu Holy Land, who originally intended to remain at the Chi family and observe the situation,

Regardless of whether their wishes were fulfilled, they were all politely escorted out of the Tianchi Mountains within a day or two.

Faced with the Chi family's actions, no one dared to express their dissatisfaction in public.

Now that the great era of enlightenment has just begun, and the ancient road of myriad races has only been bustling for a little over ten years, no genius among the myriad realms has reached the pinnacle so quickly.

There are very few active Quasi-Emperors in the universe; they are like dragons that are rarely seen, and no new Quasi-Emperors have yet been born.

At this time, those at the Great Sage level remain the strongest in the vast majority of life forms, giants of their respective regions, and can look down upon all living beings.

Even within the Big Dipper, where the forbidden zone is inaccessible, the Great Sage's will is inviolable under normal circumstances.

This is the end.

The once noisy Chi family gradually returned to its former tranquility, but beneath this serenity, a more complex and unspeakable undercurrent was surging.

Meanwhile, regarding the Immortal Golden Body's refusal of the marriage proposal and his frank admission of admiration for the Northern Dipper Saintess Shao Hanyun,

News such as the Chi family patriarch's furious imprisonment of Tan Lin spread throughout the five regions of Beidou through the gossip of those who had left, causing great shock and heated discussion.

However, it was precisely because the Chi family closed their doors to visitors that...

The outside world's comments about Tan Lin's "lack of appreciation," Shao Hanyun's fame, and the conspiracy theories surrounding the Beidou Divine Cult...

All the noise, including whether the Chi family's handling of the situation was appropriate, was temporarily kept outside the Chi family's layers of mountain gates and numerous array formations and restrictions.

……

Deep within the Chi family compound lies the Cliff of Harmony.

This cliff is located on a solitary peak, jutting out above the sea of ​​clouds, with no obstructions on all sides and winds blowing from all directions. It is only adjacent to that boundless Heavenly Pool across the distance.

Here, the cliffs rise in layers, with a flat stone platform several meters square at the highest point.

A few ancient pine trees, gnarled and twisted like dragons, took root in the cracks of the rocks and grew tenaciously; there was nothing else there.

There are no pavilions or towers, no houses or dwellings; they truly live with the sky as their blanket and stones as their bed.

Even the Chi family members, who usually gather the purple aura from the east, are not allowed to reach this highest point by those in power.

In fact, clansmen below the Sendai level are basically incapable of coming here.

This place is unique because it was the place where the ancestors of the Chi family practiced asceticism to understand the world and temper their character. There are remnants of ancient Dao patterns, which exacerbates the harshness and austerity of the environment.

During the day, the wind here is as sharp as a knife, chilling to the bone; at night, the starlight is clear and cold, and frost and dew seep into the skin.

If there is wind and rain, there is nowhere to hide and one can only endure it.

…………

Chapter 148 Chi Xuan is a good girl

Given the perilous and harsh nature of this place, even under normal circumstances, few members of the Chi family would come to the many cliff platforms below.

Now that the clan ancestor has imposed a ban on this place, it is even more desolate.

However, Chi Yushan's words, "Send Young Master Tan to Hedao Cliff, and provide him with good food and drink," are invaluable.

A few days later, in Tan Lin's view, he had indeed kept his word and it was not a sarcastic remark.

Delicious food and drinks were indeed delivered to the foot of the cliff daily by designated personnel and then handed over by secret guards. These were all rare and precious spiritual foods, and there was no shortage of cultivation resources.