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

As long as one harbors doubts, even if one refrains from outwardly refuting him out of respect, one will not regard his words as unshakeable truths, nor will one question or reflect upon them, thus blindly accepting them.

Perhaps the phrase "a place where the spirits of nature are concentrated" is no longer sufficient to describe this young apprentice...

"Remember your ambition today. Even if what I say is true, there is no reincarnation in this world, if one day you can transcend the shackles of this world and reach the point of influencing this world in reverse, you may well create a reincarnation for yourself."

Tan Lin's words slowly echoed in the girl's mind.

The girl stood there, stunned.

If she remembered correctly, this was the first time in several months that her master had spoken to her in such a gentle and soothing tone.

Gone was the coldness; in this conversation, the other person spoke as if they were communicating with a friend on equal terms…

After a long while, Li Qingjue slowly came back to her senses. She bit her lower lip, as if she had made up her mind, and said to Tan Lin:

"Master, I want to go to that training ground."

The barrier connecting the Immortal Palace to the outside world has been broken for three days.

In the past few days, she has learned from the discussions of some cultivators that the Immortal Palace is divided into ten levels, corresponding to different cultivation levels, and the lowest level is suitable for cultivators like her who are in the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm to hone their skills.

She has always been the one who goes wherever the latter says.

She was like a puppet on a string, never revealing her own thoughts to her master. Every step she took, and how she chose to go about it, was arranged by her master.

However, one or two months have passed since the last time Master made this arrangement.

She knew that her master must have some concerns, or perhaps he was deliberately testing her to see how she would react.

But no matter what, this time, she wanted to make the decision herself and let her master see her determination.

"Have you thought this through? It's easy to get in there but hard to get out. You might die in there."

Tan Lin returned to his usual indifference, his words devoid of any emotion.

He was well aware that after the restrictions were broken, the ancient laws of the small world within the tower would clash with the ancient laws of the outside world.

If no one maintains the core array and shuts it down in time, the tower will not last long and will be naturally worn away and destroyed.

After learning about some of the Emperor's Palace's actions, his original plan was to use a pawn to enter the palace and accomplish his goal, and then wait for the tower to be destroyed.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he could lure the enemy out of their hole while he quietly went to Zhongzhou. With this two-pronged approach, the great undertaking might be accomplished.

However, in this plan, no step can be wrong, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.

The situation is constantly changing, and the time it will be destroyed is uncertain. Perhaps he should set his sights lower and make other choices?

"I know the Immortal Palace is dangerous, and I also know that there are things there that can help you recover, aren't there? I don't want to put Master in a difficult position..."

At this moment, outside the ring, Li Qingjue remained silent for a long time before giving his response.

"You must know that true strength lies within yourself. After you enter the tower, I may not necessarily take action."

Tan Lin's voice remained indifferent.

"Even if I die inside, I will not regret it."

Li Qingjue spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Very well, since that's the case, let's get moving. Most of the outside world has already gone inside. If you stay here, things might change."

Tan Lin sighed, then gave instructions:

"Now, control your breathing and do as I say."

rustling... rustling...

The autumn wind was bleak, causing countless branches and leaves of ancient trees in the mountains to fall, and the girl with pigtails had disappeared from the spot.

Uh...

At this very moment, on the distant cloud chariot.

Noticing something amiss with Cloud Leopard, a hint of doubt flashed in Gu Shennu's beautiful eyes. She lightly touched the ground with her bare jade feet and gracefully stepped off the soft couch, coming to Cloud Leopard's side. She reached out and gently touched the other's head.

This action was just like how she had doted on her younger brother, Gu Qinghan, who was still a child years ago.

Uh...

The clouded leopard raised its head slightly and lazily licked her fair palm.

They had all cultivated to the level of half-saint, so naturally they were not incapable of speaking.

Most of the time, however, it knows that its "master" does not want it to speak, as this would shatter the other party's long-held hopes.

"Oh? You mean we can go into the tower now?"

Gu Qingying's bright eyes lit up slightly.

The clouded leopard nodded, but only let out a soft growl and did not speak.

Its eyelids drooped, and deep in its eyes, there was a faint, almost imperceptible pity for the "owner" who had raised it from a cub.

………………

The distance from the outer perimeter of the Cangmang Mountains to the core area is several thousand miles.

By the time Li Qingjue could clearly see the "tower" radiating endless celestial light, it was already nightfall.

"The array that maintains the operation of the world inside this tower is incomplete; there are more than just those two paths to enter the tower..."

Tan Lin's voice echoed in her mind.

Guided by its precise movements, Li Qingjue, like a nimble cat in the night, disappeared into the vast forest and finally arrived silently at the edge of a watercourse.

Splash...

Without hesitation, she plunged into the water and continued to dive.

Dive...

Finally, she successfully surfaced in the frigid underground river.

The underground river is not completely dark; many stalactites hang upside down above the cave, emitting a crystal-clear glow.

call out!

Swoosh... Swoosh...

For several days, the cultivators of Chunqiu Pavilion watched from the top of the tower. As the last top lineage to enter the tower, it seemed to be sending a signal to the cultivators of those small and medium-sized forces.

A safe signal.

In an instant, the cultivators' desire for the opportunity completely overshadowed the impact of the previous bloodshed, and they rushed in like swarms, making the entrance crowded.

At that moment, no one noticed.

At the entrance to a hidden underground river deep within the earth's veins, space slightly distorted, and a petite figure, enveloped in an invisible crimson mist, silently arrived in the tower's inner world before them.

Da...da...

The chill of the underground river had not yet completely seeped into my bones.

Before Li Qingjue could take two steps into this small world, a completely different, suffocating sense of oppression rushed towards him.

She cautiously surveyed the lowest level of this legendary training ground for the Human Emperor.

Even now, her eyes, which were once as clear as gemstones, are now filled with numbness, ruthlessness, and other dark emotions, but in reality, they remain clear.

But how many people can see through this camouflage?

His gaze swept slightly.

This place was indeed not the palaces and pavilions she had imagined; she stood on a vast and desolate ancient land.

The sky was a gloomy, leaden gray, like her eyes, devoid of sun, moon, and stars, only a faint light emanating from somewhere unknown.

This small glimmer of light barely illuminated the surrounding twisted and bizarre rocks, as well as the parched and cracked earth.

"Huff! Huff..."

During the brief moment of observation, Li Qingjue had already calmed his rapid breathing.

The air here is so heavy it seems to have solidified, and every breath feels rough like sand.

What caught her off guard was that the gravity here was far greater than outside, making her, who had just stabilized her Life Spring Realm, feel as if she were carrying a small mountain on her back, and her movements became extremely sluggish.

Creak...creak...

In the distance, a sickening metallic scraping sound and the low growl of an unknown creature could be faintly heard.

“The ancient laws remain here, making it incompatible with the outside world. The restrictions have been broken, and the space here is also distorted.”

As he spoke, a glint of light flashed on the surface of the ring, and Tan Lin's illusory remnant soul body appeared from within.

The radiance of his primordial spirit emanating from the depths of his remnant soul was noticeably stronger than before.

He looked at his young apprentice and said calmly:

"I need to leave for a while. If anything unexpected happens afterward, you will have to deal with it on your own."

"Master, rest assured, I understand."

Li Qingjue pursed his lips, then nodded vigorously.

Seeing this, Tan Lin stopped talking, and the crimson mist enveloped him, causing him to disappear from Li Qingjue's sight.

After entering this place, the connection between the fragments of the true soul and the remnant soul became even stronger.

He located the true soul fragment in a certain underground palace within this realm.

There, he also keeps memories of his past life with another person.

After he left.

The girl with pigtails remained motionless, her small hands tightly gripping the bronze ring that Tan Lin had entrusted to her.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that the only memory her brother had left her seemed much lighter, as if it were empty, when she held it in her palm.

Master...

Her master, who had been by her side for more than half a year, left her for the first time, and she felt inexplicably lost.

Is she alone again?

…………

Chapter Seventeen: Master, could he be the Human Emperor? (3.1K)

There was only loneliness all around.

At this moment, Li Qingjue realized that all along, she might have subconsciously regarded her master as a "replacement" after her brother's passing.

A "substitute" that can give her a sense of security, eliminate all hidden dangers, shelter her from the wind and rain, and allow her to talk to someone when she is lonely.

Even though her master was so strict with her, and even though the other person's tone of voice was always so cold, far less warm than her brother's.

I stood there blankly for who knows how long.

Li Qingjue silently placed the bronze ring close to his body, then took heavy steps into the distance.

Hey!

Da...da...

She had not yet adapted to the gravity of this new world, and inevitably left footprints in the same spot as she walked, some deep and some shallow.

This undoubtedly made her frown slightly, and she decisively used the divine power in the Sea of ​​Bitterness to erase the trace.

She would not forget that she and her master did not enter through that portal, nor would she forget that her master was surely planning something big.

If, due to her momentary oversight, someone were to discover something from some subtle clues, ultimately causing her master's important matter to be jeopardized, then she would truly be unforgivable even if she were to die a hundred times over.

Even though her master didn't give her any extra instructions, she couldn't let him down!

Da...da...

Lost in thought, Li Qingjue walked slowly forward in the dim light.

After walking for a long time, the terrain ahead suddenly changed. Underfoot were sharp, uneven stones, and a faint smell of sulfur and decay gradually filled the air.

After walking for several more miles, the scenery ahead changed completely.

A strangely shaped stone forest appeared before her eyes. The rocks in the forest had an eerie semi-transparent appearance, and inside, it seemed that red and blue light were flashing alternately.

The extreme heat and extreme cold, two completely different auras, fluctuated in intensity.