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

Without alerting anyone, they concealed their presence and, like ordinary cultivators or even mortals, began to roam the Big Dipper.

Their initial location was a vast area in the northern part of the eastern wilderness.

They went to the terrifying ruins of the Eastern Wilderness, a place where a great battle had taken place years ago, and which still haven't completely faded away.

Chi Xuan pointed to a strange wildflower that had stubbornly grown out of the ruins and said:

"Brother, look, life is always so tenacious."

Tan Lin remained silent.

Afterwards, they went to the edge of the boundary between the Northern and Southern Regions and gazed into the distance at the ancient mountain range shrouded in endless darkness, exuding a chilling aura.

The mountain of immortality.

Even though they were separated by at least tens of millions of miles, looking directly into his eyes, Chi Xuan subconsciously moved closer to Tan Lin and asked in a low voice:

"Brother, will the supreme being inside really emerge in this great era?"

Tan Lin gazed intently at the churning mist and slowly said:

"When the time is right, he will be born."

Upon hearing this, a hint of worry flashed in Chi Xuan's eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

They went to the divine city in the northern region of the Eastern Wilderness. Although the divine city is no longer as prosperous as it was at the beginning of the Great Era, and most of the cultivators and cultivators from various sects have gradually left, it is still bustling today.

Because most of the cultivators with high levels of skill and powerful backgrounds have left, the cultivators from lower-level forces, independent cultivators, and the vast majority of ordinary people have remained here.

Is it that you can't walk much, or that you don't want to walk much?

Like a true young girl, Chi Xuan led Tan Lin on a stroll through the streets, watching street performances, buying sugar figurines, and tasting various snacks in areas frequented by ordinary people.

She also bought Tan Lin an adorable sugar figurine.

Tan Lin looked at the rather childish sugar figurine in his hand with a bit of helplessness, but under Chi Xuan's bright and expectant gaze, he gently took a bite.

Very sweet.

…………

Chapter 265 Returning to Shizhai (6K long chapter, please subscribe!)

Seeing Tan Lin eat, Chi Xuan smiled even more happily.

She bought one for herself, and licked it gently with her small mouth, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons.

Next,

They also visited some stunningly beautiful places in the northern region that had not yet been damaged by mining.

One valley, in the spring, is filled with peach trees, their petals falling like rain, a breathtaking sight.

Chi Xuan twirled amidst the rain of flowers, her pale yellow dress intertwined with pink petals, making her look like a fairy among flowers.

Da da da……

She ran to the peach tree in full bloom, broke off a branch, turned around and ran to Tan Lin, looking up at him with a sly look and a hint of pleading in her eyes.

"Brother, would you please help me put it on?"

Chi Xuan handed the peach blossom branch to him, then turned her head slightly, revealing her fair and graceful neck and delicate profile, her long eyelashes fluttering gently.

Tan Lin looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

rustling... rustling...

The valley was silent, with only the rustling of petals in the wind.

He eventually accepted the peach blossom branch, his movements somewhat clumsy yet perfectly timed, and gently tucked it into her hair.

The pale pink peach blossoms reflected her jade-like skin and bright smile, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene where her face and the peach blossoms complemented each other.

Chi Xuan raised her hand to touch the peach blossom in her hair, her cheeks flushed, but her eyes were filled with starlight.

She didn't say thank you, she just looked at him and smiled radiantly.

At this moment, perhaps in her own heart, it felt as if she had already gained the whole world.

Tan Lin looked away, gazing at the swirling petals in the distance, and sighed silently in his heart.

He wasn't heartless; how could he not know Chi Xuan's feelings?

Such a beautiful woman, a flower in full bloom, has shed her former naiveté. To say that she is not moved by such pure and passionate emotions would be self-deception.

But he was even more aware that his road ahead was fraught with peril and his future uncertain.

He carried too many burdens of karma on his shoulders, his feet were shrouded in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and ahead lay the lurking presence of supreme beings from multiple forbidden zones, as well as formidable enemies like the Undying Emperor. In this life, even setting aside the attainment of Dao, the Great Completion stage was still hindered by the ancestral star of the Overlord Body…

At least for now, he cannot make any promises to anyone, nor is he willing to drag his loved ones into this endless vortex and danger without careful consideration.

Especially for a woman like Chi Xuan, who should have had a bright and beautiful life.

Even with Tianling, he had been deliberately avoiding her before.

However, among the several beauties he has encountered so far, his initial assessment of the enchantress Shao Hanyun and his former disciple Li Qingjue is clearly different.

The former approached him through scheming and manipulation, which he didn't care about; their initial union began by an accident.

Subsequent interactions were limited to Firefly's natural revenue generation and appropriate solutions to its needs.

He viewed the latter as someone who could truly become a valuable asset to him in this great era.

From some perspectives, that demoness might actually be the same kind of person as him.

Walking in the darkness at certain times, struggling through blood and fire, the relationship between them is complex and subtle, intertwined with mutual calculation, but in the later stages it is all one-sided probing by the other.

Nowadays, apart from generating some revenue periodically, it is of no use to him in the short term.

As for Chi Xuan...

She should have lived in the sunlight.

This month is the most he can offer for now, and it's also the greatest compensation he can give for what he owes her in the past.

But for now, it seems that everything is developing in an uncertain direction.

But who can really say for sure what the future holds?

……

Time passed little by little.

As a woman, Chi Xuan is perceptive and not stupid; she can naturally sense Tan Lin's seemingly gentle but actually distant restraint.

Each time the other party evaded the question at just the right moment.

Every time his gaze shifted away, it felt like tiny ice needles piercing her heart.

But whenever a hint of disappointment and loneliness welled up in her heart, she would blink hard to suppress it, then put on an even brighter smile, point to the next scene, and tell the next interesting story.

Her growth over the past few centuries has been real and tangible. She doesn't ask about the future or demand promises; she only cherishes the present and this stolen, fleeting time together.

After leaving the Eastern Wilderness, they went to the Central Plains.

The Central Plains are a vast and boundless land, home to numerous ancient dynasties and powerful sects. Although most of the cultivators have now left, some have chosen to remain.

And ultimately, only a minority are able to migrate to other regions.

A man and a woman concealed their presence, walking among the ancient mountains and cities like ordinary travelers.

They climbed Yunwu Mountain, one of the ten most spectacular peaks in Central China.

This mountain soars into the clouds, shrouded in mist all year round, as if it were a world of its own. Ancient relics and Taoist charm remain on its summit.

Upon reaching the summit, the sea of ​​clouds churns beneath your feet, the rising sun casts its rays in countless directions, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring scene.

Chi Xuan opened her arms as if to embrace the world. The mountain breeze ruffled her dress and hair. She turned back and smiled at Tan Lin behind her:

"Brother, how wonderful it would be if one day you and I could often enjoy such beautiful scenery!"

Tan Lin stood on the edge of the cliff, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, and nodded slightly upon hearing this.

They passed by the former site of the Emperor's Palace and visited the ancient capitals of the Central Plains Dynasty, experiencing the hustle and bustle of the mortal world.

Chi Xuan seemed curious about everything, watching acrobatics, listening to storytelling, and tasting all the street food. During this time, she even bought Tan Lin a folding fan painted with landscapes. Although it was a useless item, Tan Lin accepted it nonetheless.

At night, they stood on the ancient city wall, watching the lights of thousands of homes and the low-hanging stars.

Chi Xuan suddenly began to hum an ancient ballad softly, the melody gentle and melodious, carrying a touch of melancholy.

Tan Lin listened quietly without disturbing her.

Next, they visited some dangerous historical sites to explore ancient relics and observe the traces left by their predecessors.

Tan Lin would occasionally offer words of advice to the beautiful woman beside him, clearing away any confusion and providing guidance, which Chi Xuan listened to attentively.

Although her cultivation level was not as high as Tan Lin's, she was still very intelligent and quick to grasp things, gaining a lot from her studies.

When they left Zhongzhou, they chose to head north and enter the Northern Plains.

The northern plains are bitterly cold, with ice covering thousands of miles and the north wind blowing like a knife.

The further north you go, the sparser the population becomes, with most of the people gathered here being ascetic practitioners or independent cultivators.

Along the way, they traversed endless snowfields, climbed majestic ice mountains, and witnessed the dazzling aurora borealis dancing in the sky.

Chi Xuan, with her profound cultivation, was naturally unafraid of the cold. However, during one night in an ice cave, she acted like an ordinary person, deliberately rubbing her hands together, breathing out warm air, and saying, "It's so cold," while secretly glancing at Tan Lin.

Helpless, Tan Lin flicked his finger and conjured an inextinguishable Dao Flame. The warm flame dispelled the cold and illuminated Chi Xuan's playful smile after her success.

In an ancient canyon in the northern plains, they discovered an ancient ruin that had been sealed away by "celestial light".

The ice was transparent, and ancient buildings and everyday objects frozen within were vaguely visible.

There were even various remains that retained their postures from when they were alive, as if time had frozen at that moment.

Chi Xuan stood before the ice for a long time, then suddenly whispered, her words carrying a hidden meaning:

"Brother, tell me... on the path to immortality, if one is destined to be alone in the end, even if one can reach the summit and witness all the vicissitudes of this world, what would that feel like?"

Looking at the frozen faces within the ice, Tan Lin slowly said:

"It is normal to walk the path of the Great Way alone, but if one has the spare capacity, it is a blessing to bring one or two like-minded friends to walk side by side. But most of the time, this is just wishful thinking."

Chi Xuan turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling:

"Then, Brother Shi, what kind of person do you think can become your like-minded confidant?"

Hearing this, Tan Lin avoided her gaze and looked towards the boundless snowfield in the distance:

"He who helps others must first help himself."

There was no direct answer, but the meaning was clear.

Chi Xuan's eyes dimmed for a moment, then she smiled faintly again.

She turned around and continued to look at the frozen ruins, but her figure appeared somewhat frail against the backdrop of the glacier.

As their journey to the Northern Plains drew to a close, they turned west and entered the Western Desert.

In the western desert, yellow sand rolls and Buddhist temples stand in rows, with chanting never ceasing.

This place is vastly different from the customs of the Eastern Wilderness, Central Plains, and Northern Plains, and is full of exotic mystery and solemnity.

They passed by countless sacred mountains and ancient temples, and the monks along the way were all very hospitable.

This land, cultivated by Buddhism for hundreds of thousands of years, possesses a profound and magnificent Buddhist nature and spiritual charm, making it the place among the five regions of the Big Dipper where the fewest people have left recently.

Chi Xuan was very interested in the exquisite murals and ancient Buddhist scriptures.

Tan Lin, on the other hand, seemed to be just skimming through the scenery, with very few things that could pique his interest.

Of course, if the two of them climb Mount Sumeru and enter Leiyin Temple, everything will be a different story.

One day,

At a famous oasis spring in the western desert, they stumbled upon a local tribal festival.

With a roaring bonfire, the tribespeople sang and danced with boundless enthusiasm.

Chi Xuan was caught up in the joyful atmosphere and was pulled into the dance by the enthusiastic women of the tribe.

She was already stunningly beautiful, and even now, though she looked like an ordinary person, she was still graceful and her dancing was quite impressive. Bathed in the firelight, she shone like the most dazzling pearl in the Western Desert.

Countless people who saw her called her a female bodhisattva.