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

Morning light filters through the bamboo grove outside Tingzhu Pavilion, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone path.

crunch...

When Tan Lin pushed open the courtyard gate, Chi Xuan had been waiting outside with her hands behind her back for a while. When she saw him come out, she immediately gave him a bright smile.

"Brother Tan Lin, how did you settle in last night? Did you rest well?"

Her eyes crinkled into crescents, and her tone was light and cheerful, as if she were truly a considerate and thoughtful younger sister.

"Thank you for your concern, Sister Xuan'er. Even if we cultivators don't rest for a day or two, it won't be a problem."

Tan Lin replied with a smile.

Today he changed into a more solemn black shirt, and his long hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, which made his features appear clearer and his demeanor calmer.

Chi Xuan looked him up and down.

She had to admit it in her heart.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at his appearance and demeanor, this fellow brother is indeed impeccable.

However, she hadn't forgotten today's "important business."

"Shall we go then?"

There's a large array of Dao patterns pressing down on the clan's territory, making flight impossible. The Nourishing Heart Garden is on Xuanwei Peak, not exactly close by. I'll take you on a 'shortcut' so you can see the scenery of our Tianchi Mountain along the way.

Yesterday, Daddy also told you to familiarize yourself with your surroundings…

As she spoke, Chi Xuan turned around first and walked lightly down the mountain.

Shortcut?

Tan Lin smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

He didn't point out the thoughts of this somewhat "tea-like" girl, but silently followed a few steps behind her.

From his perspective, it must be said that the surrounding scenery, combined with the girl's slender figure, is exceptionally beautiful, pleasing to the eye and bringing peace to the mind.

Da...da...

The two walked down the winding mountain path, one in front of the other.

In the early morning, the Tianchi Mountains are shrouded in mist.

The surrounding area was filled with a rich spiritual atmosphere, and in the distance, the peaks were layered with greenery and waterfalls cascaded down like ribbons, truly a scene of celestial beauty.

They occasionally encountered members of the Chi family along the way.

Those people bowed respectfully to Chi Xuan and also greeted Tan Lin, though their gazes inevitably held a hint of curiosity and inquiry.

Chi Xuan seemed to be in a particularly good mood today, her graceful figure dancing like a divine butterfly in front of her.

Upon reaching a high point, she would pause briefly, pointing with her jade-like finger to describe the scenery along the way:

"That is our Chi family's star-gazing platform. At night, we can follow some coordinates recorded in our clan to observe a microcosm of some ancient life-bearing lands beyond the region."

That's Fanghua Garden. My sister and I often go there to look after the medicinal herbs.

"Go a little further ahead, walk a little further, and pass through that purple mist forest; that's the shortcut to Xuanwei Peak."

The Purple Mist Forest she was referring to was an ancient woodland shrouded in a light purple mist, with towering trees that blocked out the sunlight from reaching down.

There were no paths in the forest, only faint traces left by people's footsteps, making it seem particularly mysterious.

"This forest is rather strange. The purple mist is formed from the earth's vein essence mixed with the unique energy of decaying ancient tree leaves. It can interfere with divine sense."

People unfamiliar with the area can easily get lost, but my sister and I used to play here a lot when we were little, so we know it very well.

As she spoke, Chi Xuan turned back and gave Tan Lin a sly smile before disappearing into the woods.

rear.

Tan Lin's deep gaze swept across the purple mist in the forest.

He could sense that it did indeed contain a faint chaotic Dao principle, which had a certain suppressive effect on the divine sense of cultivators below the fourth level of immortality.

Seeing that Chi Xuan's beautiful figure was about to disappear, he remained calm and slowly followed her in.

rustling... rustling...

The forest was quiet, with only the sound of two people stepping on fallen leaves.

The surrounding purple mist not only obstructed divine senses, but also limited the naked eye to seeing only things within a few feet.

Chi Xuan walked ahead, her figure appearing and disappearing in the mist, yet her speed did not decrease at all, clearly indicating that she was extremely familiar with this place.

Splash...

They walked for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The fog ahead suddenly thickened, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard.

Hey!

Youdi.

Chi Xuan stopped by a small pond, turned to look at Tan Lin, her smile unchanged, but a hint of eagerness flashed in her eyes.

"Brother Tan Lin, you must be tired after walking for so long. Do you want to rest for a while?"

This pool of water is formed by mountain springs, with some water from Tianchi Lake diluted in it. It's clear, sweet, and nourishing, and I often come here to drink it..."

As she was speaking, she gracefully squatted down, scooped up a handful of water from the pool, and made as if to drink it, but suddenly exclaimed "Ouch!"

With a flick of her wrist, the handful of water did not spill directly, but instead transformed into several crystalline divine water arrows, shooting towards Tan Lin's brow, chest, and several major acupoints on his abdomen with lightning speed!

This moment.

The change occurred suddenly, without any warning.

The distance between the two was too great for the naked eye to see clearly, and divine sense was also useless in this forest.

Wow!

Although the water arrow was originally formed from the pool water, it contained extraordinary divine power under the blessing of the Chi Xuan Yuan Ling Ti Lun Hai Divine Pattern.

The arrowhead was as sharp as an ordinary spiritual weapon, and it also carried a supple and lingering force, clearly indicating that it was only intended to test the waters and not to actually kill anyone.

Tan Lin seemed to have anticipated this.

The moment Chi Xuan "slipped up," the pale golden blood energy around him flowed naturally.

Facing the several water arrows shooting towards him, he neither dodged nor avoided them, but merely raised his eyes slightly and glanced at them.

hum...

next moment.

A very faint tremor was heard.

The several sharp water arrows seemed to have struck an invisible wall of blood energy just three feet away from Tan Lin.

The arrow suddenly stopped, then silently disintegrated, turning back into a few drops of water that fell gently down without even wetting the hem of his clothes.

Upon seeing this, Chi Xuan's pupils contracted slightly.

Her attack just now seemed casual, but in fact she had already used her primordial spirit body's precise control over the energy of heaven and earth.

The divine power contained in the Water Arrow Divine Pattern is unpredictable, and even a cultivator in the Dragon Transformation Realm would find it difficult to resolve it so easily in such a situation.

This guy really does have some skills; the rumors are true.

I'm afraid she's just as good as her older sister...

Her thoughts were in turmoil.

“Sister Xuan’er’s 'mishap' with the water is quite unique.”

Tan Lin spoke in a flat tone, revealing neither joy nor anger, and simply looked at Chi Xuan quietly.

His deep gaze seemed to be able to see through the purple mist that obstructed the view.

At this moment, Chi Xuan showed no embarrassment at being exposed; instead, her smile became even brighter as she clapped her hands and stood up.

"Brother Tan Lin is indeed amazing. That little trick couldn't fool you, but..."

…………

Chapter 113 Brother, please have mercy and let Xuan'er give it a try!

Swish!

Before she could finish speaking, Chi Xuan's figure suddenly floated up like a wisp of smoke.

Her pale yellow figure left afterimages in the purple mist, and in an instant she was right in front of Tan Lin. Her jade-like hand, with fingers like a sword, pointed directly at Tan Lin's left temple.

This seemingly light and agile gesture actually contained highly concentrated primordial spiritual power at her fingertips, enough to seal off half of a dragon-transformation cultivator's blood and qi.

"Brother, you can't just stand there. In this great era, it's not easy to have an indestructible golden body like yours again. Please, have some mercy and let me test just how tough this physique really is, hehehe..."

Amidst a silvery laugh, the other person's finger was already upon her.

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin did not adopt a passive defensive stance this time.

However, he didn't move his feet, only slightly lowered his shoulders, and then his right hand shot out like lightning.

This wasn't about taking the finger strike head-on; he precisely controlled the angle and timing, and the two palms barely brushed past each other.

He flicked his finger, striking Chi Xuan's wrist pulse point with pinpoint accuracy.

despair!

It was accompanied by a soft sound.

Chi Xuan felt an irresistible force explode from her fair wrist and then spread outwards.

In an instant, she let out a soft groan, and her entire arm went numb and weak, the concentrated finger strength dissipating in an instant.

But she clearly had some combat skills, choosing to use this moment to drift backward.

She finally landed on the branch of an ancient tree thirty feet away, her eyes filled with even greater astonishment.

During that brief contact, she felt as if the other person's fingers were not made of flesh and blood.

Upon closer reflection, it was almost unbelievable that the opponent had almost broken through her protective divine power with only the strength of her blood and physical body.

Furthermore, there is a scorching and ever-renewing residual energy emanating from the point of contact, causing her blood to boil slightly.

"The Undying Golden Body truly lives up to its name; its blood and qi are like a furnace, and its physical body is unparalleled..."

Standing gracefully on the branches of an ancient tree, Chi Xuan shook her numb wrist.

She was stubborn by nature, and her fighting spirit intensified. At this moment, a look of excitement, like someone seeing a prey, appeared on her pretty face.

shuh...

Her body suddenly moved again!

Knowing that her opponent's physical body was indeed extraordinary, she no longer chose to engage in close combat with him.

At this moment, instead of advancing, she retreated, her graceful figure moving with ghostly speed, leaving a blurry trail in the purple mist.

"Since you're so powerful, why don't you try taking my Thousand Threads Spirit Binding move?"

Chi Xuan smiled radiantly in the distance, exuding youthful energy, her hands rapidly forming hand seals.

Wow!

The purple mist obscured her vision, and her pale yellow outfit moved without wind.

She cannot truly uncover the mysteries of the primordial spirit body at this stage.

But even with all its current efforts, it remains extraordinary.

Centered on her, the purple mist and the energy of heaven and earth within a radius of several hundred feet converged wildly, and in an instant, they all transformed into countless invisible spiritual threads as thin as hair.

These dense spiritual threads, like a net covering the sky and the earth, enveloped Tan Lin from all directions.

Each strand of energy contains an extremely terrifying amount of concentrated energy at this level, combined with the unique binding properties of this Daoist technique.

Once entangled, even a dragon-transformation cultivator will feel as if trapped in a quagmire, with their internal energy and divine power stagnating.

This is undoubtedly one of Chi Xuan's trump cards. Not long ago, she used this technique to trap a cousin who had reached the sixth stage of the Dragon Transformation for a short time.

However, these threads are not truly invisible; when probed with divine sense, they appear to have a strange pale blue color. However, being in this purple mist forest, divine sense is clearly unusable.