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

When she arrived, her stunningly beautiful face revealed little emotion; only her starry eyes gazed quietly at Tan Lin.

"You, my sister?"

Tan Lin looked at the other person, somewhat surprised.

"Your parents asked me to see you off."

Chi Yao's voice, clear as a spring, drifted on the wind atop this solitary peak:

"Also, I...would like to give you a gift myself."

…………

Chapter 160 Chi Yao's Rank Seems a Bit High (Bonus Chapter for 3K Chapters, Please Subscribe!)

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin paused slightly, then nodded, speaking as if sparing with words:

Thank you.

……

The two short words seemed to contain some unspoken meaning, causing a brief silence between the two.

Whoops!

The mountain wind howled, fluttering the clothes of the young men and women.

"The road ahead is unknown, so be careful in everything you do."

Chi Yao suddenly spoke again, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft, but it clearly reached Tan Lin's ears:

"Your path is different from others, destined to be full of thorns, but in the struggle for the great path, you should forge ahead without hesitation..."

"If you have the chance someday, you can visit the Chi family again. The Dao-Harmony Cliff might still be of benefit to you."

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin noticed a rare seriousness in Chi Yao's calm eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded slightly in agreement.

"I've remembered your reminder, Shimei."

Seeing this, Chi Yao said no more.

She gave Tan Lin a deep look, a look that seemed to contain a thousand words, yet also seemed to contain nothing at all.

Then, she floated backward, her innate Dao embryo radiating an aura that connected with the Great Dao, as if merging into the clouds. Only her clear voice drifted on the wind:

"I hope you take care, my brother... When you achieve great success, I look forward to walking hand in hand with you on the great road ahead..."

The words were barely out of her mouth when she vanished without a trace.

Tan Lin gently inhaled the lingering fragrance in the air. He stood atop the solitary peak, gazing in the direction where Chi Yao had disappeared, and remained silent for a moment.

This person with the innate Dao embryo is clearly far more advanced than Chi Xuan, and her grasp of emotional shifts is extremely subtle.

In a hazy state, he couldn't tell whether the other party wanted him to be their "protector and confidant" or a romantic partner on the path of cultivation.

And that is perhaps its brilliance.

She may not be sure of someone's attitude, so she doesn't point it out. Even though the relationship progresses slowly, she avoids the same fate as Chi Xuan.

Of course, there might be some concerns, such as considering Chi Xuan's feelings.

Or perhaps he truly has a heart devoted to the Dao and regards someone as a pure confidant of the Dao.

Wow!

Crimson mist floated as the [Barrier of All Causes] opened.

On the solitary peak, Tan Lin did not linger. He continued to transform into a stream of light and silently headed towards the Divine City, the most prosperous and thriving place in the Northern Region.

…………

Several days later, in the Northern Divine City.

As one of the giant cities of the Beidou human race that has experienced several periods of chaos and been rebuilt multiple times during the ancient era,

The divine city occupies an endless territory. From a distance, the city walls appear as majestic as mountains. Within the city, palaces, pavilions, and other buildings stretch endlessly, and spatial arrays fold the walls, making its area unimaginably large.

The city is divided into two areas, an inner and an outer one.

Within the inner city, numerous palaces and pavilions stand side by side, and plots of land are divided among various surviving Daoist sects, their engraved array patterns clearly delineating and orderly dividing the area.

The outer city, on the other hand, was bustling with activity, teeming with people, and endlessly prosperous.

Countless cultivators and beings of other races mingled within, their auras mingling, a chaotic mix of dragons and snakes.

In addition, a small number of ordinary people were mixed in, doing some of the lowest-level mining work assigned by various sects.

At the city gate, Tan Lin, wearing half a "bronze mask," paid a coin of Pure Source "entry fee."

After obtaining a one-year pass with unlimited access, he followed the flow of people into this ancient and magnificent city.

After entering the city, he silently traversed the outer city area, guided by the token Shao Hanyun had left behind.

He passed through countless bustling markets and restaurants, and soon turned into the more lively southern area of ​​the inner city.

Finally, he stopped in front of an elegant courtyard that was quiet amidst the hustle and bustle.

The courtyard gate is simple and unadorned, with no prominent plaque, only two inconspicuous bronze lanterns hanging above it.

However, Tan Lin could sense that the courtyard was surrounded by extremely sophisticated spatial arrays and protective, isolating Dao patterns. If a cultivator below the level of a half-saint tried to force his way in, he would probably be badly injured even if he didn't die.

After carefully examining the place,

He then stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker in a specific rhythm.

crunch...

The courtyard gate opened silently, and there was not a single maid or servant in the courtyard.

Tan Lin strode in.

After walking another hundred steps or so, a hidden paradise unfolds within the courtyard, with its small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and towers, all arranged with an elegant and tasteful touch.

Under the influence of the magic array, the spiritual energy of this place is far richer than that of the outside world.

Da...da...

Tan Lin walked and stopped, and seeing no one to guide him, he followed a gravel path, taking in the scenery of the courtyard, and finally arrived at a waterside pavilion in a folded space.

Inside the pavilion, a familiar, alluring figure was already waiting.

She stood with her back to the entrance of the folding magic circle, leaning against the railing, her alluring red dress outlining her graceful figure.

Her silver hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, exuding an eerie and aloof aura, yet also concealing a domineering and aggressive nature.

As if knowing that the person she was waiting for had arrived, Shao Hanyun slowly turned around first.

After more than half a year apart, her bewitching and stunning appearance had not changed much, but her dark golden eyes seemed to be even more profound than before, with a faint holy aura flowing through them.

Clearly, she hadn't stood still during this time.

shuh...

Their eyes met.

Shao Hanyun's shimmering gaze swept over Tan Lin.

Her face remained largely expressionless. She saw Tan Lin nod slightly, her gaze lingering briefly on the half-bronze mask covering his face, before she parted her red lips and spoke in a slightly magnetic voice:

"You've arrived."

"I am coming."

Tan Lin smiled slightly, walked into the pavilion, and casually sat down opposite her:

"It seems that Fairy Shao has made quite a bit of progress in the past six months."

Shao Hanyun didn't reply, but simply raised her hand and poured Tan Lin a cup of spiritual tea that had been prepared beforehand.

Splash...

The tea was emerald green, steaming hot, and exuded a refreshing fragrance.

She pushed the teacup towards Tan Lin, then looked up, her gaze fixed intently on him, and cut straight to the point:

"I've brought what you wanted."

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin did not respond immediately.

Beneath the pavilion.

The emerald green tea shimmered faintly in the white porcelain cup, and the rising steam blurred the alluring beauty of the woman opposite him.

But this only intensified the burning gaze in the other person's dark golden eyes.

Tan Lin picked up the teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip. He felt a cool, warm spiritual energy spread from his throat, cleansing his entire body. Clearly, it was no ordinary tea.

"Good tea."

He gave a thumbs-up, then put down his teacup and calmly met Shao Hanyun's gaze:

"In that case, may I ask what exactly the fairy brought? Is it the so-called 'Yin-Yang Gate of Life and Death' fragment map, or other 'fragments of the Human Emperor's Stele'?"

At this point, he noticed Shao Hanyun's red lips slightly curved, and he paused, a strange light flashing in his eyes:

"Or perhaps, the fairy brought everything with her?"

Shao Hanyun gently shook her head:

"It's not that easy. The items are definitely not complete. I only retrieved the portion I already possessed from beyond the realm..."

Without further ado, she ran her hand over the seemingly ordinary brocade pouch at her waist.

hum...

As the demonic runes and divine light flickered, several objects appeared on the stone table between the two.

One of them was a tattered ancient painting of unknown material, about the size of a palm, with jagged edges and a burnt yellow color.

The image is outlined with some discontinuous, blurry lines using a dark red "trace".

This map had been in Shao Hanyun's possession for many years. Based on the last words of her "closest relative," she vaguely deduced that it depicted the general terrain of some mountainous region.

However, most of the remaining map is worn away, and there is a shocking hole in the center.

The ancient painting itself showed no signs of spiritual energy or Daoist influence; it was so simple and unadorned that it bordered on the mundane.

But when Tan Lin's gaze fell upon it, a very subtle tremor appeared in the long-dormant "subconscious" deep within his soul.

He had awakened some of his past life wisdom, and his eyes were sharp. With just one glance, he felt that it looked like a skin, a human skin...

The excitement deep in his soul vanished in an instant, but Tan Lin was still filled with doubt and unease.

He knew that this thing was probably related to a trap set up by the Undying Emperor thousands of years ago, using his hidden soul pearl as bait, which was enough to attract a royal figure. It was not suitable for him to explore at this time.

His thoughts wandered, and he stopped looking at the picture and instead turned his attention to the other objects.

As far as the eye could see, there were three equally broken stone steles.

The largest piece, about the size of a washbasin, was already damaged. Over time, its surface became pitted and scarred, bearing the marks of age.

It is now a dark blue-green color, with some twisted ancient patterns faintly visible.

The second piece is slightly smaller, grayish-white, with smooth edges, as if it fell into the hands of some creature after being damaged years ago, and was then forcibly broken off and studied by some immense force.

Compared to the first two, the third piece is the smallest, only the size of a child's palm.

This piece is completely black, cold to the touch, and covered with countless strange, needle-sized scratches.

"These are all the relevant items I have..."

Shao Hanyun lightly touched the incomplete map with her jade-like fingers, her dark golden eyes fixed on Tan Lin, not missing a single change in his expression:

"This map was hard to come by, and it involves a great secret to becoming an immortal. You don't seem very interested in it?"

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the three stones, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes:

"As for these three broken steles, ever since that human emperor sacrificed all traces of the Dao in the world to gain a brief return more than ten years ago, the Dao essence within them has been constantly fading away..."

Of course, I've already mentioned these things to you before, so I won't go into detail again. Whether you can gain anything from this depends entirely on you..."

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin simply nodded and remained silent.

His deep gaze was fixed on the three broken stone tablets, especially the smallest, pitch-black one.

At this moment, an indescribable sense of intimacy and a deep attraction from the depths of my soul surged forth like a tide.