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

Ever since that strange event that occurred decades ago...

The entire area was already deathly silent; there were no birdsongs, no roars of beasts, and no swaying flowers or grasses.

Those plants that had withered and then bloomed again, seemingly returning to normal, have recently disappeared and have never grown back.

The only sound here is the howling wind passing through the barren mountains and dry riverbeds, wailing like the cries of ghosts.

This scene was as if it were a real-time projection of someone's state of mind.

Nestled among the mountains and rivers, the stone village originally rebuilt by the Xiang family has slowly turned into a ruin eroded by the accelerating passage of time, with rotten wood and stone, and blurred traces.

What is most unsettling is the narrow, dark abyss in the center, which the Xiang family used to call "Ancestral Abyss."

It has now expanded to a radius of ten thousand feet, like a ferocious giant eye on the earth.

It constantly spews out and circulates a rich "twilight" Daoist aura, an aura so powerful that it can make the soul of any cultivator below the Emperor Dao realm tremble.

However, after the change in the energy field here, it has become quite unique over the past few decades. Even ordinary quasi-ninth-level cultivators, without entering the Crimson Cloud River, cannot see anything special from the outside.

Let alone understanding the abyss deep within its core.

In the past two or three decades, there have been many different opinions among cultivators in the Southern Region and even the Northern Dipper regarding how this forbidden area was formed.

Some say that during the century since the Xiang family returned, they may have broken some taboo, resulting in the loss of some historical records and traditions. This led to their actions being forbidden, which in turn awakened an ancient being that might have been sealed away for eternity in the abyss.

The entire clan suffered a backlash.

As for what that existence is?

Many people speculate that it is a spirit that caused chaos in the past and was killed by the Xiang family ancestor, but was not completely dead.

Some say it might be a divine thought from legend, arising from the Xiang family's daily and nightly remembrance and sacrifices.

Those "evil substances" are said to be so inhuman that they turn on one's blood relatives and loved ones, even to the point of slaughtering them...

Some speculate that the aftershocks of several dark upheavals in the distant past were all contained here, and now, perhaps due to some external factors, a strange rift in time has formed...

In short, all sorts of bizarre rumors are now circulating all over Beidou, but there is still no definitive conclusion.

After all, those capable of entering or leaving the Crimson Cloud River must at least be quasi-emperors.

As for venturing into the abyss to explore its depths, without the strength of a high-level quasi-emperor, it would be a one-way trip.

Although the present world is a great age for achieving enlightenment, the existence of quasi-emperors is often rare, with only one per clan or even per realm.

Even on the planet Beidou Burial Emperor, only a handful of these top-tier fighters remain active. This is because, back in the ancient struggle for the Emperor's Path, many prodigies hailed as having the potential to achieve enlightenment and possessing exceptional physiques were eliminated.

Most of them became cultivation resources that "helped" the current Devouring Emperor transform.

of course,

Until the upper limit of danger in this area is clearly determined.

Many daring individuals have organized teams, carrying treasures and forbidden artifacts capable of resisting the erosion of time, in an attempt to explore deeper into this realm.

Searching for the hidden "divine treasure" that may exist deep within, capable of reversing aging or even granting immortality.

However, the results were all, without exception, disastrous.

Several cultivators, nearing the end of their lifespans and stuck at the third level of the Sendai realm, joined forces to venture into the outer reaches of the Crimson Cloud River. They weren't greedy; they merely sought to utilize the unique Daoist energy of this place to break through their limits under the pressure of life and death.

But after venturing only a hundred miles, they were horrified to discover that their bodily functions, including their lifespan, were being depleted like a flood.

The skin dries out rapidly, the blood and energy decline quickly, and even the primordial spirit begins to decay!

As soon as they sensed something was wrong, they desperately tried to escape. Three of them turned into two desiccated corpses as soon as they left the restricted area, and the wind blew them into ashes.

The remaining two survived by chance, but their lifespans were exhausted, and they died shortly after returning home.

In addition, there was a group of cultivators from a major sect in the Central Plains.

Led by a demon sage with a long lifespan, carrying several ancient treasures that he was confident could temporarily isolate the domain's laws, they intended to penetrate deep into the core.

In fact, they did successfully reach the vicinity of the stone village ruins, and even caught a glimpse of the terrifying ancestral abyss in the distance.

But just as they tried to get closer, the demon sage who was at the forefront suddenly let out a shrill scream.

His human form transformed into a massive entity, a Xuan Turtle with extraordinary talent and a lifespan of at least several thousand years. However, after venturing deep into the Crimson Cloud River, it aged at a visible rate.

Its shell cracked, its flesh withered, and it finally collapsed to the ground with a thud, turning into a pile of dry bones. Even its primordial spirit could not escape!

The rest of the team members were terrified and scattered in all directions. In the end, only two of them escaped with serious injuries thanks to the protection of the ancient treasure, but they were already very old.

Such tragedies have been commonplace over the past few decades.

From then on, the infamous reputation of the "Crimson Cloud Forbidden Land" began to spread far and wide.

The terrifying aura permeating within seemed unrelated to cultivation level, but only to the essence of life and the time spent within the aura.

The longer one stays, the faster one ages, until the very essence of life is exhausted, and one dies and one's spiritual essence dissipates.

Ordinary cultivators might find this forbidden area terrifying, but compared to the ancient forbidden zones where a single misstep could lead to annihilation, it pales in comparison.

After all, many people have gone on "adventures," and although none of them have come to fruition, some of those who decisively withdrew and fled are the ones who ultimately survive.

However, the facts cannot be stated in this way.

This newly designated forbidden area may not be as terrifying as a forbidden zone like the Undying Mountain for the time being.

However, it should be known that without a powerful imperial artifact, even a Great Sage wouldn't last long within it, and ordinary cultivators would never escape. The entire Crimson Cloud River region, except for that abyss, is indiscriminately covered by this field.

Outside the forbidden zones like the Undying Mountain, even cultivators at the Sea of ​​Wheels realm could enter and leave, gathering treasures if they were lucky...

However, compared to the discussions about the level of danger between these forbidden areas and restricted zones, the most heated debate among outsiders is about the unknown source of danger in the Crimson Cloud River.

However, as the number of deaths continues to rise,

Over time, apart from a very few who have gone astray or cultivators from beyond the realm who are unaware of the dangers, few people dare to set foot in this mountain range shrouded in death and twilight.

……

this day,

Deep within the Crimson Cloud Forbidden Land, at the bottom of the abyss, which had been silent for decades, a slight disturbance seemed to stir once more.

The scene here is completely different from the "dead silence" that those who came to explore from the outside world had sensed above the abyss.

Beneath the abyss, a place inhabited by someone who settled there after years of turmoil, whose actions have had a subtle, lasting influence over the past one or two thousand years.

It has begun to take shape as a bizarre cave dwelling that defies description, existing between reality and illusion, life and death, past and present... Perhaps calling it a space would be more appropriate.

This place is isolated from the world. The space seems to have an end that can be vaguely seen at a glance, but in reality it is vast and boundless, as if it were a world of its own, yet it is inextricably linked to the land of Beidou.

There is no absolute concept of spatial orientation here: up, down, left, and right.

In that special environment, the laws of time became chaotic, sometimes "accelerating" like the outside world, sometimes almost "stopping," and sometimes seemingly "flowing backward"...

The "center" of the abyss can also be considered its "end".

Two huge stone tablets stand there.

In front of them stands a towering ancient monument, its entire body covered with the marks of time. It is none other than the monument commemorating the true essence of the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist, which the Xiang family relied on for part of their legacy!

However, the giant monument at this moment is somewhat different from what Chi Xuan saw when she first came here decades ago.

The monument is no longer just a flowing black and white luster; it now has a resonant "pulsation."

Instead, the entire monument seemed to gradually "come alive".

The fist-inspired patterns on it seem to have come to life, slowly moving and evolving into a grand scene of the six realms of reincarnation and the birth and death of all things.

boom……

An invincible fist intent, capable of suppressing all heavens and obliterating all paths, surged forth like a tangible tide, centered on the giant monument.

Waves spread outwards, fiercely clashing with the chaotic Daoist energy of the entire abyss space, yet also merging with it, ultimately forming a strange balance.

The foundation of the giant monument is deeply embedded in a hazy, seemingly endless ocean of golden-red particles.

Behind us, at the true end of this place...

It is a relatively condensed ancient stele, made of unfathomable materials, radiating a mysterious and ethereal light.

Unlike those illusions created by divine light, this seemed to be true celestial radiance.

The stele is smooth, except for two ancient characters engraved in the center by someone from an unknown era, using ancient patterns.

The Path to Immortality!

Unlike the "movement" of the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist Stele, this Immortal Path Stele exudes a transcendent aura of eternal stability, as if anchoring this chaotic space.

Behind the monument, a blurry, illusory portal, shrouded in endless chaotic energy and celestial light, could be vaguely seen.

It's like a connection to the legendary "celestial realm".

However, though it seems so close, we don't know how far apart we actually are.

Even the phantom that appeared from nowhere had its portals tightly closed, as if sealed by layers of supreme laws. Only by advancing with the right timing and supreme power could one penetrate that vague barrier.

And now, between these two supreme stone tablets,

At a certain "focal point" in space,

The suspended mass, enveloped in an invisible, deep crimson mist, was hazy, like a strange "source of light" constantly flickering and leaping between "existence" and "non-existence," "life" and "death."

Expanding,

The light source eventually expanded to an area of ​​about ten feet in diameter, and even became somewhat clearer.

It was already barely possible to make out the outline of a figure sitting cross-legged at its core, though the figure was still blurry.

Within this light source, there is none other than Tan Lin, who has been "dead" for quite some time.

Having settled here after the turmoil, his state of being, after these years of rebirth, has reached a critical juncture between life and death.

Turn back time, to the dark and turbulent years of the past...

Knowing he was exhausted and had fought to the point of collapse, he extracted his essence and injected it into Li Qingjue's body to help him accelerate his final leap.

At that time, he himself was like a candle flickering in the wind, with only his primordial spirit remaining, and he didn't even have the strength to rebuild his physical body.

The flame of life flickers and is about to go out; the spirit is weak, and the end is near.

However, just as his consciousness was becoming increasingly hazy and weak, and he was preparing to find a secret place to quietly await the end of his life, he activated the miraculous power of the Soul Pearl at the last moment to once again undergo spiritual transformation and reincarnate.

But suddenly a realization dawned on me:

"So, it turns out that I can now try to live a second life on my own?"

As the thought arose, Tan Lin activated the Soul Pearl's divine ability, [Transfer of All Causes], initially returning to the secret realm of the Tianxuan Ancient Clan, to the realm within a realm containing the ancient tea tree of enlightenment.

He sat there quietly for more than ten years.

Capture that feeling of enlightenment and ethereal emptiness.

Having consumed and refined the elixir of immortality and the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, he used most of the medicinal power to recover from injuries and continue fighting. He also used this to comprehend the mysteries of the elixir, perfect his cultivation methods, and advance his power.

Although they fought to the bitter end,

However, there were some unusual longevity substances remaining in his "body".

Even though it's very little, very thin, it's still the foundation for him to live a life in reverse, to continue his state of enlightenment, to endure, and even to initiate Nirvana.

During that period of quiet contemplation, Gu Qingying, who was in another realm within a realm cave in the secret area, was no longer able to open the passage and enter there as usual through the secret method.

Of course, the reasons behind this, and his whereabouts, are completely unknown due to the strange interference of the Soul Pearl.

His reincarnation after death is a fundamental secret, one that even Tianling, after their reunion, knows little about.

Although he might not need to activate the Soul Pearl's divine power to live another life this time,

But since success is still uncertain, why would we let others find out beforehand?

As for the outside world, with him disappearing from the sight of ordinary people...

As time went by,

Deep within the soul, atop the vortex barrier of the Soul Pearl,

Those lines, originally densely packed, became temporary threads of cause and effect representing life-giving sites because he stepped forward to stop the turmoil.

During this period, it gradually dimmed and disconnected.

Now, one or two thousand years have passed, and even though people still remember his kindness,

However, such broad causal relationships will weaken over time as that generation of beings passes away or is forgotten.

Especially with his "death," the connection between cause and effect lost its most important anchor.