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

Whoosh!

Swoosh... Swoosh...

For a time,

Inside and outside the tomb, and in the surrounding area, besides Tan Lin and Shao Hanyun who had just arrived, the seriously injured Li Qingjue, and the Kun Zhou uncle and nephew who were still hiding in the shadows,

Only a very small number of people, blinded by greed and overconfident in their deep resources and the protection of secret treasures, remained, watching from afar with trepidation.

And at the same time,

Seeing the two figures suddenly emerge from the void outside the tomb, Chi Yao and her group in the stone forest hundreds of thousands of miles away were far from calm.

When Tan Lin appeared, his handsome face, familiar yet seemingly veiled by the dust of time, came into view after many years.

Chi Yao and Chi Xuan, along with the Song Qiwen brothers, were all struck dumb, frozen in place.

On Chi Yao's exquisitely beautiful face, a hint of dazedness appeared in her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor.

She stared blankly at the figure in the blue robe in the distance.

Then he gazed at the illusory array formation beside the other person, a formation that seemed to eclipse the heavens and earth, and at the other person's calm and profound gaze, a gaze that seemed capable of suppressing all changes...

hum...

At this moment, in Chi Yao's mind,

Involuntarily, the image of that young boy, who already showed great potential, appeared in Beifeng Valley decades ago when we first met.

Emerging from the shore of the Nine Apertures Spirit Lake, was the figure who had accompanied her through her tribulation, aided her during the ordeal, and whose tattered clothes afterward caused a slight tremor in her heart...

I also recall a rainy night when she climbed alone to the top of Hedao Cliff, holding an oil-paper Dharma umbrella, to visit him and share her "heartfelt thoughts" with him...

All sorts of things,

The Chi family parted ways in the Gobi Desert of the northern frontier years ago.

Decades have passed in the blink of an eye, yet everything seems as if it were just yesterday.

Back then, he was a boy of similar cultivation level and age to her, but now he has grown into someone she can only look up to.

She has only recently reached the Saint King realm, while the other party's cultivation has already reached the middle stage of the Great Saint realm, and he is even suspected of controlling the supreme killing formation of the mythical era!

Such achievements and such brilliance have long since left her behind.

At this moment, her thoughts were in turmoil.

In my heart, there were feelings of emotion, sighs, admiration, and an indescribable complex emotion quietly growing.

And beside him,

The younger sister, Chi Xuan, was experiencing even more complex emotions than her.

Her gaze was also fixed on that figure in the distance. At this moment, her delicate body trembled slightly, and the color that had just begun to return to her pale face vanished completely.

She stared silently at Tan Lin, then glanced at Shao Hanyun beside him, a woman in red with silver hair, stunningly beautiful and whose charm was in no way inferior to her own. In fact, the mature allure of Shao Hanyun inexplicably stirred a pang of sadness in her.

At this moment, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

The flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty intertwine, ultimately transforming into an indescribable astringent taste...

She murmured to herself.

'It's him...'

'It really is him.'

Decades have passed, and he has changed, yet he seems unchanged.

His appearance has become even more handsome, and his temperament more profound and serene. It's as if he has been tempered by endless winds and rains, with no trace of youthful naiveté left, but rather a mature and dignified air that is captivating.

The woman beside him was the one who, years ago at the Chi family's residence, had invited him to share a room and contemplate the broken stele.

She stood side by side with him, like a perfect match, a match made in heaven, making people envious.

What about yourself?

She, who had almost entered into a marriage agreement with him,

Over the past few decades,

Although he has made progress, he has not yet reached the Saint King realm. His cultivation is still at the peak of the Saint realm, and the gap between him and the Saint King is like heaven and earth.

Previously at the bottom of that tomb, they were utterly powerless against that demon, their souls were wantonly searched, leaving them in a wretched state...

Chi Xuan's thoughts raced.

At that moment, an unprecedented sense of loss, disparity, and distance overwhelmed her heart like a cold tide.

She instinctively gripped her sister's hand tightly; her fingertips were icy cold.

"Is this the contemporary Immortal Body?"

Standing there, Song Canghai gazed at the figure in the distance, then glanced at the reactions of his two sons and the two girls from the Chi family, his mind filled with unreadable thoughts.

In the end, all his thoughts condensed into a long, endless sigh.

This child...

Just as the Chi family said, it is indeed not something that can be confined to a pond.

He mastered the Heavenly Venerable Killing Array and, at less than a hundred years old, already possessed the cultivation of a mid-stage Great Sage, overwhelming all the geniuses of his time...

Such a person is beyond the comprehension of this old man.

aside,

Song Qiwen's expression shifted, his eyes showing both shock and a sense of helpless relief.

Perhaps only someone like this deserves the affection that Junior Sister Chi Yao has for him?

But now it seems that the two junior sisters, especially junior sister Chi Xuan, are almost from two different worlds, just like them.

"call……"

Of the group, Song Qiwu's reaction was the most obvious; his expression was almost impossible to conceal, quite unpleasant, a mixture of paleness and ashen skin.

Seeing this person, he couldn't help but recall scenes from the past.

The same kindness he showed to Junior Sister Chi Xuan is how Junior Sister Chi Xuan will treat him in return.

That lingering resentment had long since transformed into an obsession, taking root in his heart...

Why is it that you always manage to appear in the most dazzling position, attracting all attention...?

On what grounds?!

……

at the same time.

Inside the tomb robber's tunnel.

Li Qingjue leaned against the charred cave wall.

She thought her chances of survival were completely gone, but the moment Tan Lin appeared, she felt as if all her strength had been drained away.

Da...da...

She stared blankly at the figure in green robes who emerged from the void.

Gazing at that familiar face that had appeared countless times during breaks from cultivation, that I had silently sketched in my memories,

At this moment, when her "master's" calm yet seemingly all-seeing and all-encompassing eyes came into view...

shuh...

Their eyes met.

At this moment, all her strength, all her pretense, all her coldness and loneliness, melted away instantly, like ice and snow under the sun.

Her century-long longing, like a flood bursting its banks, completely overwhelmed all the defenses in her heart.

Tick!

tick... tick...

Tears, which had been dried up, welled up uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, like pearls from a broken string, and rolled down her pale, beautiful cheeks.

"..."

Looking at Tan Lin, she opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Only those tear-filled eyes stared unblinkingly at Tan Lin, their depths brimming with indescribable emotions, and an overwhelming, unyielding affection for him.

this moment,

She was like a child who had suffered endless hardships and injustices outside, finally meeting the only close relative she could rely on in the world.

Outside the tomb,

Tan Lin's gaze met hers in the air.

He saw the tears in her eyes, looked at the wounds and bloodstains on her face, and saw the clarity and dependence hidden deep beneath the fierceness in her eyes.

Seeing this, he sighed softly to himself.

Hey!

He strode forward, his blue robe fluttering slightly. He ignored the hidden murderous intent outside the tomb entrance, and the crowd of heroes watching from afar.

With one step, he traversed a vast distance and appeared before Li Qingjue.

Beside her, Shao Hanyun's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't follow. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned lazily against the empty space.

Her bewitching eyes scrutinized the nearly unconscious Li Qingjue with great interest.

Then she glanced at the direction outside the tunnel, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Tan Lin stopped in front of Li Qingjue, and with a wave of his hand, he released a burst of magical power that swept over the still-wet tear stains and bloodstains on the cheeks of the disciple he had taken in in his previous life.

"Master..."

Upon seeing him approach, Li Qingjue finally spoke.

Her voice was hoarse and choked with sobs, filled with endless unspeakable emotions, and her tone was tinged with a hint of probing.

She wanted to know if the "master" in front of her had really returned.

She tried to raise her hand to grab his sleeve, and wanted to open her arms to embrace her "Master," but because of her severe injuries, she didn't even have the strength to lift her arms.

Tan Lin's indifferent attitude, and the fact that he merely used a wisp of divine power to support her, clearly prevented her from fulfilling her wish to embrace him a second time in her life.

A hint of disappointment flashed across her eyes at this.

Wow!

However, in the next instant,

Tan Lin flicked his sleeves again, channeling a pure and gentle life essence into her body, temporarily stabilizing her near-collapse injuries and life force.

"I'm here."

He then responded in a low voice to her earlier probing question.

Her voice was calm, just like the strict teacher who had left a deep impression on her.

I am here……

Upon hearing those two words, Li Qingjue's tense nerves completely relaxed, and the last bit of energy he had been holding onto receded like the tide.

At that moment, boundless darkness and exhaustion swept over her.

Her consciousness rapidly faded.

Just before he completely fell into a coma,

She seemed to have used all her strength to raise her slender arm and forcefully reach out to tightly grasp Tan Lin's large hand.

Her pale lips parted slightly, uttering a whisper as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet filled with endless grievance and guilt:

“Master, I…I lost the mask you gave me…”

…………

Chapter 220 A Decisive Strike (Happy New Year everyone!!!)