Covering the Sky: A Guide to Proving the Dao Without Cheats

Following the dilapidated steps, Luo Heng entered the Tianxuan Stone Archway. There he saw an old man with a hunched back sitting on a blue stone, his eyes blank, as if reminiscing about the past.

The old man looked somewhat dazed as he slowly turned his head. His face was covered in deep wrinkles, and his eyes were cloudy and lifeless.

"Young man, are you here to buy stone?"

Luo Heng walked up to the old man, bowed respectfully, and replied, "Lingxu Luo Heng greets the Sage Wei Yi."

The old man's cloudy eyes were calm as he looked Luo Heng up and down, then slowly asked, "Do you know me?"

"This junior has never met Senior Wei Yi before. It was only some time ago that this junior accidentally entered the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land..." At this point, Luo Heng looked up as if trying to observe the change in Wei Yi's expression.

Seeing that Wei Yi's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "This junior knows many secrets, including information about Senior Wei Yi's fellow disciples who are still in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land."

Although these things weren't mentioned in the original work, Luo Heng dared not take the risk. A sage like Wei Yi, who had lived for over six thousand years—longer than the entirety of ancient Chinese history—might possess the ability to judge the truthfulness of others' words, so every word he spoke had to be true.

The deliberate pause earlier was to make Wei Yi believe that the information he knew came from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.

I don't know if it will work, but I should at least give it a try.

……

Upon hearing this, Wei Yi's expression finally changed. He abandoned his usual gentle demeanor, looked solemnly at Luo Heng, and said in a deep voice:

"Young man, some things should not be taken lightly as jokes."

Although Wei Yi did not deliberately release his pressure, Luo Heng felt his body sink and his scalp tingle just from being swept by Wei Yi's calm and sharp gaze. It was as if he had been stripped bare and stood there, as if he had been seen through inside and out.

After a while, he managed to calm down, only to find his back covered in cold sweat. He took a deep breath and continued:

"I wonder if Senior Wei is aware that the one sleeping in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land is none other than the Ruthless Great Emperor."

After a brief pause, he continued, "The Ruthless Great Emperor relied on her brother for survival from a young age. She herself was just a mortal, but her brother was exceptionally talented and was discovered by the former Feathered God Dynasty, who then used him as a sacrifice."

"Spurred by this, the Ruthless Great Emperor embarked on the path of cultivation. Because it was difficult for a mortal to cultivate, she created the Devouring Heaven Demon Art. This demon art can devour the origins of various divine and royal bodies, thus achieving a demonic body."

She then used this to attain enlightenment and become an emperor, and subsequently destroyed the Feathered Divine Dynasty.

"After that, she evolved a divine fetus within the demonic body, living out a second, and even a third and fourth life. To this day, the Ruthless Great Emperor is still alive, and it is she who sleeps in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land."

However, the Ruthless Great Emperor's arduous struggle in the mortal world was not for the sake of immortality; she was simply waiting for her brother's return.

At this point, Luo Heng looked up again to observe Wei Yi's expression. Seeing that he remained calm and composed, he continued, "The reason I'm telling you all this is to give you a general understanding of the life and character of the Ruthless Great Emperor. Her talent was unparalleled throughout history, and she was deeply passionate and principled, truly a remarkable woman of all time. She was not the bloodthirsty woman that people imagine."

"The tragedy of Tianxuan Holy Land back then was mainly due to the wrong timing. At that time, the Ruthless Great Emperor was undergoing a crucial transformation, and his mind was in a state of chaos."

Otherwise, even if Tianxuan Holy Land still couldn't escape defeat, it might not have been completely wiped out.

Despite this, the Ruthless Emperor still managed to turn the Heavenly Pivot Saintess into a slave. Although those who become slaves lose their self-awareness and live in a daze, they also escape the complete annihilation of time.

This state could even be considered a form of immortality. Moreover, the state of being a slave is not irreversible; if the Ruthless Great Emperor so desires, he can restore it to its original state and bring it back to clarity.

"This junior wishes to say that if you, senior, can wait until the day the Ruthless Great Emperor fully awakens and regains his sanity, perhaps... there will still be a chance to save your deceased friend."

After hearing these words, Wei Yi slowly closed his cloudy eyes, a complex expression appearing on his face—a mixture of reminiscence, pain, and a glimmer of hope, which ultimately subsided into calm.

When he opened his eyes again, they shone like stars: "Though you held back some details, what you said is true. This information is crucial to me." He stared intently at Luo Heng, "Speak, what do you want from me by coming here specifically to say all this? Or rather, what do you want me to do?"

Upon hearing Wei Yi's words, Luo Heng breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully replied, "Senior Wei, I have a request. However, due to my low cultivation level, I am unable to come to the Northern Divine City alone, and I have no choice but to seek help from the Yaochi Holy Land. Therefore, I hope to introduce the Yaochi Holy Maiden to you so that she may have the opportunity to pay her respects to you."

Of course, if the senior does not wish to meet, then this matter will be dropped.

Wei Yi glanced at Luo Heng, then nodded slightly.

Upon seeing this, Luo Heng bowed again, then turned and walked out of the Tianxuan Stone Archway to explain the situation to the Holy Maiden of Yaochi. The Holy Maiden of Yaochi, with a joyful expression, followed Luo Heng into the archway.

Afterwards, Luo Heng stood aside and watched as the Holy Maiden of Yaochi bowed to Wei Yi, followed by a series of attempts to win her over, including offering gifts and even proposing to send disciples to help rebuild the Tianxuan Holy Land. However, Wei Yi refused all of these offers. Seeing this, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi did not press the matter further, and after bowing once more, she prepared to leave.

At this moment, Luo Heng stepped forward and said to Wei Yi, "Senior Wei, we can discuss my request later. I have another deal I'd like to discuss with you. I wonder if you are interested in the Nine Secrets?"

Upon hearing this, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, who was about to turn and leave, paused in her tracks.

She looked back and saw that Luo Heng and Wei Yi didn't seem to care about her departure or staying. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she slowed her pace.

She moved two steps so subtly that it was almost imperceptible, and seeing that the two men still didn't react, she simply stood still, seemingly not intending to leave immediately.

Wei Yi glanced at the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, then looked at Luo Heng, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Having lived for over six thousand years, what kind of human relationships and worldly affairs hadn't he seen? He saw through the young man's thoughts at a glance—he clearly wanted to trade the Nine Secrets with him, but was afraid that he would bully the weak, so he deliberately mentioned it in front of the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, simply to use Yaochi's name as a witness.

Wei Yi, far from being offended by such calculations, actually found them somewhat admirable. After all, the two were complete strangers, and being cautious was only natural.

What's even more remarkable is that this young man, who is only at the Life Spring Realm, actually dares to negotiate with a sage. Wei Yi asked himself, back when he was at the Life Spring Realm, he would never have dared to do such a thing.

"Oh? You possess nine secrets?" Wei Yi's eyes flickered slightly.