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

It was as if it had keenly sensed some indescribable subtlety.

At this moment, Chi Yushan wisely stepped back a few paces, leaving the cliff top space entirely to the "aunt and niece" pair.

He stood far to the side, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, but in reality, his divine sense had already covered the entire territory, preventing any spying.

Finally, Tan Lin slowly stood up.

As he moved, the wounds on his body slightly tore open, sending a sharp pain through him. Fresh blood seeped out from beneath his silk robes, appearing somewhat glaring in the moonlight.

But he didn't care at all. He simply raised his hand and casually wiped away a congealed bloodstain on his cheek, the movement as natural as if he were just brushing away a speck of dust.

At this moment, he gazed at that peerless, ethereal figure, at those eyes fixed intently on him, eyes that seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.

The next moment, a very subtle smile slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The smile was faint, unlike the pure, unadulterated joy of a young person.

There was no deliberate attempt to be intimate; instead, there was a sense of "understanding" that came from having experienced the ways of the world, carrying a hint of something unspeakable.

Immediately, he uttered two words, his voice seemingly tinged with a playful chuckle:

"'aunt'?"

boom……

These two words were uttered.

Upon hearing this, Tianling's exquisite body beneath her plain dress trembled almost imperceptibly.

It's not just because of the name,

It was the tone of the other person's call, and the subtle, knowing smile hidden beneath their calm, deep eyes.

At that moment, beneath the veil, her stunningly beautiful face first lost all color, then quickly flushed with an excited blush.

In her beautiful eyes, the complex emotions she had been forcibly suppressing now burst forth like a flood, almost overwhelming all her composure and self-assurance.

It's him? !

He... remembered?

They recognized her too?

No, that's not right... it's just...

The other person's eyes and smile at that moment, though still somewhat immature and young, possessed a certain charm deep within them...

Countless thoughts surged wildly in an instant, exploding in her heart, almost making her blurt out the question that had been weighing on her mind.

But in the end, she bit her lower lip hard and even tasted a hint of blood.

We can't rush... there are outsiders here...

Besides, what if, what if it's just an illusion?

Her thoughts were in turmoil, and she forced herself to calm down, but her voice already carried a slight, undisguised tremor and a hint of heartache:

"you……"

As she spoke, she took a small step forward, her delicate hand unconsciously rising.

She seemed to want to touch the scars on Tan Lin's face, but stopped abruptly halfway there, slowly withdrawing her hand.

"You... have suffered."

The thousands of words that had been welling up in my throat were ultimately reduced to just these last three words, which sounded heavier than any words spoken at a reunion.

Standing right in front of her, so close, Tan Lin caught a glimpse of her fleeting, subtle reaction, and his suspicions and inexplicable intuition grew stronger.

He gently shook his head, his gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over Chi Yushan, who was pretending not to exist, and said meaningfully:

"Although this place is harsh, it is a rare treasure for cultivation. To reach the summit, the path must be arduous... During this time, Senior Chi has also shown me kindness in protecting and guiding me."

He had guessed the reason for the commotion outside earlier, and his words were clearly meant to give Chi Yushan a way out.

Upon hearing this, Chi Yushan coughed lightly and interjected at the opportune moment, his tone tinged with helplessness and感慨:

"Goddess Gu, is the misunderstanding now cleared up?"

However, since you aunt and niece have reunited, you must have things to say, so I won't disturb you any longer.

Tan Lin, please keep your aunt company.

If you need anything, just say the word.

After speaking, he nodded slightly to Tianling, and then his figure flickered and disappeared like a wisp of smoke on the cliff top, leaving the place completely to the two of them.

Whoops!

rustling... rustling...

The old man left, and the environment on the cliff top remained the same, but the atmosphere seemed to have subtly changed.

Under the stars and moon, only the two of them remained, standing facing each other.

The captivating light in Tianling's eyes was finally no longer concealed.

Her gaze was somewhat "greedy," carefully sweeping over Tan Lin's face inch by inch, as if she wanted to deeply engrave this person, whom she had not seen for "eternity," into the depths of her soul.

She looked at the youthful innocence that had not yet completely faded from Tan Lin's brows.

In that fleeting glance, I could vaguely catch a glimpse of the composure and world-weariness in those deep eyes that far exceeded his age.

Her gaze passed through the divine silkworm robe she had woven herself, focusing on Tan Lin's body, on the new and old wounds covering his entire body, and on the vibrant life force emanating from him.

They also sensed the incredibly solid and powerful Dao foundation within his body.

"you……"

She spoke again, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of disturbing something.

She paused slightly, her words tinged with a mixture of cautious inquiry and anticipation:

"Have you... remembered something?"

coming.

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin remained silent for a moment.

He did not answer immediately, but walked to the edge of the stone platform, facing the strong wind, and looked down at the surging sea of ​​clouds in the dark night.

After a long while, he slowly turned around and looked at "Gu Qingying" again.

His eyes held a sincere warmth, yet also a subtle hint of detachment.

"I recalled some fragmented memories, blurry images, those fragments brought back a disjointed feeling..."

In the blurry scene, you and I are on a very, very high mountain, about a very dark and cold ancient land, and... many things that don't connect...

As he said this, he looked directly into Tianling's eyes, which dimmed for a moment, yet she stubbornly refused to show her disappointment.

Then he spoke slowly and deliberately, telling the truth:

"As you now realize, I am 'him,' but not 'him' yet..."

At least not now, and perhaps even if I remember everything in the future, it won't be entirely true.

Although I know it's cruel, that's the truth. The Human Emperor was my past life; in this life, my name is Tan Lin.

Swish!

That last sentence, like the coldest weapon, pierced precisely into the softest and most vulnerable part of Tianling's heart.

…………

Chapter 157 The Three Women Meet (Bonus Chapter for 3K Views, Please Subscribe!)

clatter……

At the top of the cliff, Tianling's delicate body suddenly swayed, as if all her strength had been drained away in that instant. She staggered back half a step before regaining her balance.

Beneath the veil, her exquisite face was deathly pale.

The "brilliant starlight" in her shimmering eyes seemed to suddenly go out, leaving only boundless emptiness and melancholy in an instant.

What does it mean to be "he" yet not quite?

The other party only acknowledges the existence of the "Human Emperor" as his previous incarnation.

Then what is she?

Does the other person struggle in the mortal world, experiencing the myriad aspects of life?

Her primordial spirit was eroded by the waters of the Divine Soul Pool, suffering endless torment for countless ages, when she unexpectedly encountered "him" again, but he was not "him"...

At this moment, to receive such a brutally honest statement...

The feeling of weightlessness, like falling suddenly from the clouds into an abyss, almost suffocated her.

She would rather the other person not remember anything from the past, or continue to pretend to be confused!

But having endured countless twists and turns and hardships throughout history, her mindset had become incredibly strong, even if only for a moment.

The next instant.

A renewed and intensely obsessive flame ignited deep within her eyes, burning even more fiercely than before.

ridiculous!

The other person is just a teenager, and judging from his behavior just now, his memories of the past are probably quite limited.

Having been given a second chance at life, it's impossible to admit that one is a continuation of someone else's existence, and one is unwilling to live in the shadows of the past or on the path laid out for them.

Putting yourself in her shoes, if it were her, she definitely wouldn't want to either...

Ironically, she almost fell for his words in just a few sentences.

What about its acknowledgment?

So what if we don't admit it?!

That's who he is!

Whether he admits it or not, it cannot change the objective fact that "he" is simply... not fully awake yet!

“I understand, none of that matters. I know you are ‘him,’ and that’s enough…”

Thinking of this, Tianling forced her voice to become calm again.

Towards the end, her voice even took on a deliberate, "elderly" gentleness:

"Reversing life and death, 'reincarnation,' and memories becoming clouded are all natural occurrences. Your ability to unravel the mysteries of the womb and occasionally recall fragmented memories is already a stroke of incredible luck."

I shouldn't have been so hasty; there's plenty of time in the future..."

As she spoke, she touched the ground with her jade-like feet, creating a fragrant breeze, and her exquisite figure was once again very close to Tan Lin.

This time, she didn't hesitate. She stretched out her cool, jade-like fingers and gently brushed away the faint scabs on Tan Lin's cheeks.

When her fingertips touched Tan Lin's skin, which was full of blood and energy, both of them trembled slightly.

In response to her words, Tan Lin remained noncommittal and said nothing more.

Some cruel things, he only needs to say once.

The Human Emperor's attainment of enlightenment in his previous life undoubtedly played a significant role in reshaping his personality and state of mind across his many lifetimes, and its influence was the greatest.

But in the end, that was just one of his many lifetimes.

He was Tan Lin, or rather, he was Tan Lin first and then Emperor Suiren. It is impossible to reverse the order of things.

Little did the other party know, before his previous life, there was another previous life...

"You've suffered during this time..."

Standing before him, Tian Lingrou gently stroked his cheek and softly repeated what she had said earlier.

But when she said those words now, the meaning was completely different; the heartfelt tenderness she expressed could almost melt even the hardest heart.

“You’re right. The path of cultivation is never smooth sailing. You’ve grown very quickly, that’s good. It hasn’t been long since we last met, and you’re already only one step away from the Immortal Platform…”

As she spoke, she slowly withdrew her hand, her gaze sweeping over the desolate cliff top, her brows furrowing slightly:

"However, while this place can be a good training ground, it is not a place to stay for long."

Now that you have reached the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm, the next step is to establish your Immortal Platform. You need to find a secluded place, free from the harsh winds of this place, you…”