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

That familiar figure in the black dress was sitting quietly with her knees drawn up to her chest, her face buried deep in her arms.

The dark, demonic energy that had once surged and seemed poised to unleash a thousand powerful forces around him now appeared somewhat dim and disordered, no longer possessing that sense of perfect readiness.

What made Tianling's heart tighten even more was that

At that moment, she keenly noticed that Li Qingjue's shoulders were trembling slightly, and that his cheeks were buried in his arms.

The exposed half of her face bore several lines of lingering, wet tear stains.

Suiren... has disappeared...

what happened?

Tianling's mind raced, and she quickly got up, her steps light yet carrying a barely perceptible urgency, and came to Li Qingjue's side.

“Little girl…”

Tianling squatted down, her voice soft.

She could sense the extreme instability of Li Qingjue's aura at that moment.

That feeling of helplessness and bewilderment almost solidified into a tangible reality, completely unlike the other person's usual ruthless, decisive, and lonely image.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingjue did not respond, but instead buried her face even deeper, as if trying to completely hide herself.

Seeing this, Tianling frowned slightly.

Her gaze swept around, and after confirming that Tan Lin was not in that small space, she realized that Tan Lin was not there either.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, her tone carrying concern and a hint of probing:

“Little girl, Suiren is missing? What happened between you two? If anything happens, you must tell me. He went out alone, what if…”

It involves the safety and uncertainties of the Master.

This time, Li Qingjue finally reacted.

She slowly raised her head, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that was deathly pale.

Her eyes, which were usually as lonely as the night, were now red and swollen, bloodshot, streaked with tears, and she looked more haggard and dejected than ever before.

She looked at Tianling, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, she only slowly and very slightly shook her head.

The shaking of her head was small, yet it seemed to have exhausted all her strength, carrying a deep-seated weariness and despair.

How intelligent she is!

How could you possibly get information out of someone so easily?

Master is not a child, and his emotions have always been extremely stable, so why would he go out to make trouble?

Since the other party is going out, they must have their own reasons...

in front of,

Tianling was speechless as she looked at Li Qingjue's appearance.

There was both concern and sympathy for the current state of the Daoist disciple, and also... annoyance and helplessness towards the guy who suddenly left and disappeared without a trace.

"It's happening again..."

Tianling muttered to herself, a hint of barely perceptible resentment in her voice:

"There are always things they're keeping from me..."

Women are always curious, and when something is kept from them, they feel restless and anxious.

Not far away, Guo Ziqian had already awakened from his enlightenment.

He saw this scene from afar and wisely did not approach. He simply continued to sit cross-legged, focusing his gaze on his nose and his mind, concealing all his presence as if he did not exist.

He has always adhered to the principle of not interfering in the affairs between His Majesty and these two women if possible.

Tianling glanced at him, her beautiful eyes slightly white, and then sighed softly in her heart.

She then turned her gaze to Li Qingjue, and judging from his expression, she knew that she wouldn't get anything out of him, at least not now.

She reached out and gently patted Li Qingjue's cold hand, saying softly:

"Little girl, no matter what happened, don't take it to heart. First, regulate your breathing and calm your mind. Don't let your mind be disturbed, lest it affect your foundation and future cultivation..."

Li Qingjue remained silent, but her dazed eyes slowly turned to the spot where Tan Lin had been standing.

She stared blankly, as if she could still see that tall figure in the blue robe from just moments before.

Tianling said nothing more, but simply stayed quietly by her side.

Within the land of creation, a long silence fell for a time.

That guy, when it comes to hurting women, he's still as ruthless as ever!

……

Beidou, the northern region of the eastern wilderness, the Tianchi Mountains.

More than half a day has passed since Tan Lin agreed to the one-month deadline.

Deep within the Chi family's territory,

At the edge of a strange forest shrouded in purple mist, two figures were walking slowly.

The man and woman were Tan Lin and Chi Xuan.

Chi Xuan was still wearing that pale yellow, wide-sleeved, flowing fairy dress. The hem of the dress swayed gently with her steps, like a delicate flower in bloom.

Sadness seemed to come quickly and go quickly.

She walked slightly ahead of Tan Lin, glancing back at him every now and then, her eyes crinkling with undisguised, heartfelt joy.

She was completely different from the woman who, just half a day ago, stood on Hedao Cliff, her face streaked with tears, stubborn and indignant.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that this is merely a protective layer to conceal her grief, a disguise that also reveals a degree of natural emotion...

"The Purple Mist Forest is just ahead."

Chi Xuan suddenly stopped, pointing to the vast forest ahead that was shrouded in a pale purple mist even in broad daylight, her voice tinged with melancholy:

"Brother, do you still remember? Not long after you arrived at the Chi family, it was me... right here, that we had a misunderstanding..."

As she spoke, a faint, intoxicating blush rose on her cheeks, and a look of reminiscence appeared in her eyes, as if she had remembered something.

The so-called misunderstanding was nothing more than a test she had carefully planned from the beginning.

In the past, when she was young and naive, she deliberately led him into this purple mist forest. The purple mist in the forest had a mild hallucinogenic effect, disrupting the five senses. She wanted to test its effectiveness and also wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

Unexpectedly, the other party easily defeated her, and an intimate encounter ensued...

Perhaps it was a case of "no fight, no friendship," but in any case, she gradually developed feelings for him, and that was exactly what happened on that day.

At that moment, Tan Lin looked in the direction she was pointing.

The Purple Mist Forest remains as it was back then, shrouded in mist, with lush green trees and faint sounds of spirit beasts moving about.

"remember."

Recalling the past, he nodded slightly:

"All I can say is that Shi Mei led the way in a rather unique way back then."

Chi Xuan sensed a hint of teasing in his words, and her face seemed to flush even more. Then, feigning a girlish demeanor, she gave him a coquettish glare.

But there was no anger in her glare. Instead, the sadness and resentment hidden deep in her eyes faded away, and her expression became more natural. She was deliberately creating a more relaxed atmosphere.

Unexpectedly, it took more than half a day for the effects to gradually become apparent, and the two slowly and deliberately let go of the emotional turmoil they had experienced on the cliff top.

"Who knew you were so amazing..."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled and shone.

As she spoke, she started laughing herself, as if that childish past, now only brought her amusement.

Da...da...

The two strolled along the edge of the woods.

After letting go of her resentment, Chi Xuan seemed to open up, chattering on about the details of what happened in the forest back then.

She recounted her initial thoughts, how she planned to make things difficult for him, the unexpected reversal that led to her being subdued, and that hug that she still vividly remembers...

Tan Lin mostly listened quietly, occasionally responding with a word or two, his deep gaze calmly sweeping over this woodland, which, in his eyes, actually only held scattered memories from his long years.

rustling... rustling...

Purple mist flowed slowly through the forest, and illusory sunlight shone through the gaps in the branches and leaves, forming beams of light in the mist, creating a dreamlike and beautiful scene.

As Chi Xuan spoke, her voice gradually lowered, and she secretly glanced at the calm profile of the man beside her.

He still maintained that calm and collected demeanor most of the time.

But she could vaguely sense that he was indeed relaxed at this moment, without the solemnity he had shown when discussing the "deal" on the Cliff of Harmony, nor the helplessness he had shown when facing her questions.

That's enough...

Chi Xuan said to herself.

Perhaps being able to walk beside him like this, talking like an old friend, and seeing familiar scenery would be her greatest wish.

It is worth mentioning that,

In order to prevent the remaining clansmen from recognizing Tan Lin and causing unnecessary trouble or even turmoil, Chi Xuan had already placed a secret spell on him.

To the ordinary people of her tribe, what appeared to be her was at most a blurry, humanoid mist, its aura obscure and its true form difficult to discern.

Most people assumed that the young lady Chi Yao was cultivating some kind of supernatural power, hence her hazy aura, and no one dared to probe her with their divine sense.

"Hmm? It's Miss Xuan'er..."

In the distance, several elderly people with mediocre dragon-transformation cultivation were talking in hushed tones.

"That's... that should be Miss Chi Yao, right? She must be cultivating some kind of supernatural power, right?"

"That should be the case. I heard that Miss Chi Yao's cultivation has advanced to the late stage of Quasi-Emperor. She has been frequently in seclusion to cultivate and comprehend things recently, so perhaps she has gained something new."

"Strange, Miss Xuan'er seems to be in a very good mood today. I haven't seen her smile so happily in the clan for a long time..."

"Yes, it seems like it started at some point, she..."

The clansmen discussed it amongst themselves, but no one expected that beneath that "hazy mist" lay the contemporary immortal golden body who had once had a complicated relationship with the Chi family.

however,

During the two women's travels throughout their tribe's territory, not everyone was easily deceived.

Deep within the clan's territory, before a serene and secluded hall,

An elderly man with white hair and beard and a gaunt face stood with his hands behind his back. He was Chi Yushan, one of the few remaining ancestors of the Chi family.

His cultivation has improved since his initial breakthrough a few years ago, reaching the peak of the Great Sage realm. However, his potential has been exhausted, and he can only stop before reaching the Quasi-Emperor level.

Even so, his gaze was sharp as lightning. With the advantage of the terrain of his clan's land and the enhancement of the patterns formed by the mountain range, he still couldn't see the true face beneath the mist.

But he was experienced, had lived for so many years, and had keen observation skills...

He noticed that as Chi Xuan walked, every movement, every smile, revealed...

And the way she unconsciously leaned slightly towards the mist, the gleam in her eyes when she turned her head to talk—a light she would never show to anyone, inside or outside the clan, including her sister Chi Yao—was a girl's joy and tenderness.

And that cloud of mist...

Chi Yushan stroked his long beard, a thoughtful look in his eyes. After a long while, he sighed softly:

"It seems 'he' has returned. I wonder if he's come to ask the old man for a game of chess... After all these years... has Xuan-ya still not truly moved on...?"

Upon hearing this, another clan ancestor whispered:

"Brother Yushan, are you referring to... that indestructible golden body?"

Chi Yushan nodded slightly:

"Besides him, who else could Xuan'er show such an expression to? Even after hundreds of years, her heart still only holds that one person..."

But...times have passed, things have changed, it's a pity. If that marriage had gone through back then...I wonder what 'he' was thinking, how could he have gotten involved with the Chi family's precious daughter as soon as he came to the Chi family?"

He shook his head and didn't say anything more.

Beside him, a clan elder with a somewhat fiery temper snorted coldly upon hearing this: