Climb the Road to Heaven, Journey in Song, Shroud the Heavens with a Flick of a Finger

Just as Yazi accidentally swallowed the 'Heaven-Opening Mother Pearl'...

Shen Gongbao, having left Heavenly Court's courtyard, finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly straightened his back.

After walking outside into the courtyard.

Shen Gongbao stared blankly at the courtyard filled with mysterious talismans and Daoist characters.

They did not leave immediately.

Instead, he bowed again towards the courtyard, his face devout and his attitude sincere.

"I really don't know who this senior expert is?"

"The temple is hidden on a small mountain peak where spiritual energy is scarce and life is lacking."

"Yet the senior's aura was incredibly powerful, leaving everyone in awe!"

"I must visit your courtyard often in the future, even if I can stay just a little longer."

Shen Gongbao thought to himself.

After secretly making up my mind.

They didn't linger.

He turned and left the mountaintop.

However, they didn't walk very far.

With a swift movement, they arrived halfway up the mountain.

Look around.

We found a cave halfway up the mountain.

The cave didn't look spacious, but it was well-hidden.

Moreover, there were predecessors stationed on the mountaintop.

The Chan Sect Disciple dared not rashly attack this place.

This is a good opportunity to thoroughly study the Daoist texts I received from my predecessors.

That Daoist book was connected to his primordial spirit.

He wanted to see what kind of opportunity lay hidden up there!

Why would this strange phenomenon occur to him?

As Shen Gongbao thought this to himself, his anticipation grew even stronger.

Do three things at once, in two steps.

We had arrived at the deepest part of the cave.

Although it's somewhat dark and damp, and lacks spiritual energy, it also makes it easy to conceal one's presence!

Shen Gongbao did not hesitate, summoned a futon, and sat cross-legged on the dry stone platform.

Then, he couldn't wait to take out "Covering the Heavens with One Hand".

Daoist books are ancient and simple, exuding a mysterious aura.

After leaving the senior's courtyard, the aura released from the Daoist book seemed to be unsealed.

The released aura further stirred Shen Gongbao's primordial spirit, and his soul began to tremble.

'That's the feeling!'

'This book is definitely not simple; it can actually affect my primordial spirit to this extent!'

'There must be an opportunity for me here!'

I stared at the four prominent black characters on the book cover.

Shen Gongbao became even more excited.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

Only then did he carefully open the first page of the book "Covering the Heavens with One Hand".

The series of characters for "Tao" above caught Shen Gongbao's eye.

[Synopsis: In the cold and dark depths of the universe, nine...]

Shen Gongbao immediately focused his attention on the Daoist texts.

Although his senior had already given him a general overview of the plot.

But that was only a rough description.

The brilliance of "Covering the Heavens with One Hand" far exceeded his expectations!

It only took a few breaths.

Shen Gongbao was captivated by the book's highly imaginative plot.

I was drawn in by the various settings and the vivid, lifelike characters in the book.

The characters experience a range of emotions, from joy to sorrow.

Shen Gongbao, who had never experienced such sensory stimulation before, soon became engrossed in the book!

Time passed by, second by second.

Shen Gongbao's cross-legged posture never changed.

He stared intently at the Daoist technique in his hands.

With undivided attention and unwavering focus, I looked down at the lines of characters.

While he was reading Daoist texts.

His body was gradually enveloped by a mysterious power of law!

It was surrounded by mysterious runes and Daoist characters.

It has a semi-transparent appearance.

This then formed a transparent protective barrier that is visible to the naked eye.

It seems they are protecting Shen Gongbao.

And prevent the loss of spiritual energy fluctuations released when he reads.

This is to avoid detection by the Heavenly Dao!

And all of this.

Shen Gongbao, engrossed in reading "Covering the Heavens with One Hand," was unaware of this.

Now.

Within his spiritual sea of consciousness.

It's packed with all sorts of information, plots, and characters from "Covering the Heavens with One Hand"!!

Countless divine thoughts surged and churned within his sea of consciousness.

This left Shen Gongbao utterly shocked!

"What a magnificent story!"

"Is this what a novel is?"

"The world depicted is so colorful and vibrant!"

"Just as the book describes: ascending the heavenly path, singing as one goes, and with a flick of the finger, the sky Shrouding the Heavens! Such spirit, such passion, such exhilaration!"

"I like it more and more the more I look at it!"

"I just wonder if the characters in this book actually exist?"

"Was it written by the senior himself? Or is this book, 'Covering the Heavens with One Hand,' merely a record of events that occurred in that world?!"

"After all... Ye Fan, Ji Ziyue, the Empress Ruthless, Pang Bo... and... Duan De!"

"These people are so real, so full of life, as if they truly exist..."

"Especially that Red Dust Immortal Duan De, who has lived nine lifetimes in the mortal world; if I could catch a glimpse of his splendor... my life would not have been in vain..."

That's what I was thinking.

Shen Gongbao sighed softly, feeling that his idea was somewhat unrealistic.

These are just characters depicted in the book; even if they were real, they might not actually exist in this Primordial World.

If one wishes to travel between different dimensions, perhaps only an unparalleled master like our predecessor could accomplish this.

However, even though he thought so in his heart.

The story of "Covering the Heavens with One Hand" lingers in my mind!

The image of Duan De kept lingering in his mind.

Unforgettable.

Duan De: A shameless, fat Daoist priest.

He played games in the human world, and reincarnated nine times in the human realm and the universe.

Each lifetime's attainment is no less than that of any enlightened being, and a Reincarnation Seal is formed.

In the final Reincarnation Seal, all nine return to one, and one becomes an immortal in the mortal world.

He possesses the celestial artifact 'Tongtian Underworld Treasure'.

His achievements in life were also quite remarkable.

He was the first Celestial Venerable in the world, who founded the Source Arts lineage, established the Underworld, and thwarted the Emperor Zun's conspiracy to refine the human realm!

Ultimately, he joined forces with Ye Fan, the protagonist of "Covering the Heavens with One Hand," to enter the Immortal Domain, personally annihilating the Emperor Zun, and finally advancing into the Immortal Domain.

When he met Ye Fan, it was during his fifth reincarnation.

It was in this lifetime that the image of the unscrupulous fat Daoist priest, Duan De, came to be!

In this lifetime, Duan De also attained enlightenment in a different way, living for 15,000 years and surpassing ordinary flawless Great Emperor!

That's incredibly powerful!

"Besides being utterly wicked and unscrupulous, Duan De, as depicted in the book, also seems to have a penchant for burying people!"

"Not only that, they also like to dig up people's graves! That's rather strange!"

"I've never heard of... the dead being buried in the ground?"

"Why is there such a setting? I've never seen anything like it before... The fellow cultivators around me who died and their cultivation dissipated can only be considered to have perished; at the very least, they directly entered the Underworld for reincarnation..."

"Buried in the ground? That's unheard of!"

Shen Gongbao was not a creature of the mortal realm.

To mortals, his strength was comparable to that of an immortal who could command the wind and rain.

Although his lifespan limit is still in effect, he will not die of old age.

Dying of old age seemed a distant prospect to him.

Therefore, even if the Primordial World existed, he wasn't entirely clear about the practice of burying corpses in the soil...

However, I don't understand this.

But Shen Gongbao quite liked his method of burying people...

"Simply burying someone in the ground isn't enough! Why not use some kind of seal to keep them underground forever!"

"This kind of punishment sounds pretty satisfying, doesn't it?"

Shen Gongbao murmured to himself, the image of Jiang Ziya's repulsive face flashing through his mind.

A chill ran through me.

"If Duan De had encountered a situation like mine, he would surely have buried that hypocrite Jiang Ziya thousands of miles underground!"

"He couldn't even climb up here!"

Shen Gongbao thought to himself, muttering to himself, and then he remembered that Jiang Ziya possessed the God-Beating Whip and the Investiture of the Gods for protection!

These two treasures, given to him by the Sage, were already very powerful.

Moreover, Jiang Ziya was followed by the Qilin (Sibuxiang)...

If we rashly confront Jiang Ziya...

He might not be a match for Jiang Ziya either!

Thinking about this...

A look of helplessness flashed in Shen Gongbao's eyes.

"Why..."

"It's just that I don't have Duan De's abilities!"

"If only I had Duan De's immortal energy: the Tongtian Underworld Treasure, and also Duan De's talent for cultivation!"

"If that's the case, I too can be among the immortals, far surpassing Jiang Ziya!"

Shen Gongbao muttered to himself.

I put away "Covering the Heavens with One Hand" with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

This book is incredibly vast.

The story depicted within is also incredibly moving!

Before he knew it, Shen Gongbao had finished reading the book.

With his current level of spiritual awareness, it only took him a day and a night to finish reading this book.

Although the time was short.

But Shen Gongbao seems to have gone through a cycle!

"Sigh, after finishing this book, all the stories have ended, but why do I still feel a little melancholy and lost, as if I don't want the stories to end like this?"

"But everything is preordained; when it's meant to end, it will end."

"It's a regret, but also the end."

Shen Gongbao murmured to himself, then suddenly paused.

That's when I remembered borrowing this Daoist book from my senior.

It's because the opportunity he's looking for is in this book!

But why, even after reading all the books, has the opportunity not yet arisen?

Why was the previous spiritual connection so intense?

Shen Gongbao was completely baffled.

A hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes.

However.

At that very moment.

A sudden change occurred.

The book "Covering the Heavens with One Hand," which Shen Gongbao was about to put into his arms, suddenly emitted a dazzling black light!

Its colors are dazzling, like the aura of a demon from the underworld!

Immediately afterwards.

A magical artifact hidden in the black mist was revealed before Shen Gongbao.

It was a magnificent wheel, black and gleaming, dazzling beyond compare!

In an instant.

The space where Shen Gongbao was located trembled incessantly.

Black light filled the cave.

Centered on that giant black ship.

It unleashed an awe-inspiring and supreme power in all directions.

Like countless black waves of dust, it swept out!

If it weren't for the special magic array that had just been formed in this cave to block the release of the surrounding energy...

The strange phenomena released by the black wheel will surely soar straight into the sky!

The Primordial World beings noticed!

Shen Gongbao paid no attention to this; instead, his eyes were fixed on the black wheel in front of him, his face filled with horror!

The sudden appearance of the giant black ship made Shen Gongbao uneasy!

"Black wheel? Disc-shaped?"

"It flew out of the Daoist scriptures again!?"

"Then isn't this... Duan De's Tongtian Underworld Treasure!?"

"How is that possible?!"

"The Daoist book that the senior gave me actually contains Duan De's immortal artifact!"

"So, is 'Covering the Heavens with One Hand' really a real world?!"

Just as Shen Gongbao was feeling incredulous!

The enormous black wheel floating in the void took advantage of Shen Gongbao's lack of vigilance.

It instantly charged towards Shen Gongbao's brow!

Shen Gongbao didn't react in time.

The giant wheel, instantly enveloped in black demonic energy, crashed into the ground and overturned.

The black demonic energy actually entered Shen Gongbao's brow!

Shen Gongbao's body was instantly enveloped in demonic energy!

Crackle!

A crisp sound echoed continuously from near Shen Gongbao.

Shen Gongbao's aura changed instantly, rising steadily!

Middle Heavenly Immortal Stage!

Late Heavenly Immortal Stage!

Peak Heavenly Immortal!

Early Profound Immortal Stage!

Middle Profound Immortal Stage... all the way to Peak Profound Immortal!

His breathing finally stabilized!

"I actually leaped two major realms! I've entered the peak of the Peak Profound Immortal in one fell swoop!?"

"And this only took one day... This... speed is simply too incredible..."

"Then it won't be long before I'm among the Taiyi level!"

"Then the goal of reaching the Golden Immortal realm and attaining unlimited lifespan will no longer be a pipe dream!"

Shen Gongbao felt a surge of power within his body.

And an endless stream of divine power!

My heart was filled with astonishment and shock!

But.

When the black mist transformed into spiritual energy from his body.

Shen Gongbao immediately noticed something amiss!

The sudden surge of power was terrifying, but it possessed a completely different power attribute from his original power.

It's as if it doesn't belong to me, yet I'm in control of it!

To fully fuse them, it will take several more days of refining...

Upon realizing this, the quick-witted Shen Gongbao suddenly understood something, and was both surprised and delighted.

"It's certain that the black demonic energy and the black demonic wheel just now were Duan De's power and his immortal artifact!"

"In other words, the reason my strength has increased so rapidly is because of Duan De's power!"

Thinking about this, Shen Gongbao had some more questions!

"But why would I be interested in Duan De, and why would I happen to obtain Duan De's immortal artifact and power?"

Thinking of this, Shen Gongbao's mind suddenly exploded with a 'boom'.

A novel idea popped into Shen Gongbao's head, and his expression changed drastically!

"Could it be that the reason my primordial spirit is affected by this Daoist book is because my destiny lies with Duan De?!"

Thinking about this...

Shen Gongbao's eyes flickered, and he immediately felt that this idea was highly likely!

"This book was a gift from a senior, which means that my opportunity was prepared in advance by that senior!"

Yes! That must be it!

"It must have been the senior who used a magic array to connect with the space within 'Covering the Heavens with One Hand,' otherwise, I would never have been able to obtain the magical treasures in the book! Nor would I have received such a terrifying boost!"

"God! Senior is truly a divine being!"

"Under the whole world, perhaps only you, senior, could have accomplished this! Such a miraculous feat is truly unprecedented! If I hadn't experienced it myself, I would hardly believe it!"

"But I have no way to repay such an immense favor!"

"When the Investiture of the Gods Calamity ends, I will bring Jiang Ziya to justice and return to serve you, my senior. I will be your servant, and even if I could become your seat, it would be my honor."

That's what I was thinking.

Shen Gongbao no longer hesitated and carefully put "Covering the Heavens with One Hand" into his arms.

Stepping out of the cave, I looked towards the cave's location.

The scenery outside is not pleasant.

The spiritual energy was extremely thin, and dark clouds covered the sky.

It was as if a storm was about to break.

What we're seeing now is merely the calm before the storm.

Shen Gongbao's eyes flickered slightly as he began to consider what he should do next.

"This Daoist book belongs to a senior, so naturally I cannot take it away."

"Let's go to the courtyard and return this book to the senior first."

"Then... I'll go check with the Interception Sect. If they're unwilling to accept me, then I'll search for the Chan Sect Disciple! And bury all of them!"

"To the best of my ability, I will weaken the power of the Chan Sect!"

At this moment, Shen Gongbao was either influenced by Duan De or because he himself deeply hated the Chan Sect Disciple.

Subtly and gradually.

Shen Gongbao's personality has changed drastically!

If Jiang Ziya were to see him again... he would probably be quite surprised!

However, that's a story for another time.

Shen Gongbao made a short-term plan, took a deep breath, and felt a sense of reverence.

We walked step by step up the mountain.

Finally, we arrived at the entrance to the courtyard.

The owner of the courtyard seemed to have anticipated his arrival.

As soon as he approached the courtyard, the fence opened automatically.

Shen Gongbao was taken aback and quickly bowed as he cautiously entered the courtyard.