Covering the Sky: Starting from Incarnation in the Forbidden Zone of Life

Chapter 9: Tales of Chaos in Ancient Times, The Supreme Human Race

Yu Dao stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his long gray hair fluttering in the wind.

After asking that question, he fell silent, calmly gazing at the gazes cast from the depths of the forbidden zone. A moment of stillness descended upon the world, save for the silent churning of the black mist of Huntian Ridge.

The Supreme of the Forbidden Zone was not surprised by his invitation.

The palm strike that Yu Dao used to kill Huo Ling Ji Yan, although its Dao and methods were subtly different from the cultivation system of this world, undoubtedly belonged to an being who stood on the same level as them. At the pinnacle of humanity, standing above billions of living beings, it would be a joke if they couldn't even detect their prying eyes.

After a brief silence, ripples suddenly appeared in the void outside Huntian Ridge.

One after another, blurry figures emerged from the void, without physical bodies, merely manifestations of will. They stood around Huntian Ridge, each occupying a corner of the world, their auras faintly connected to the distant Immortal Mausoleum, the Celestial Realm, the Primordial Ancient Mine, and other forbidden zones of life.

These figures were indistinct, shrouded in chaotic mist, with only their human outlines barely discernible. Yet, even though they were merely projections of will, the vast and ancient aura they exuded still caused the heavens and earth to tremble.

Each figure is a living piece of ancient history, who once swept across the heavens and the earth in their own era, but now lie dormant deep in the forbidden zone, having severed themselves and survived to this day.

Yu Dao's gaze swept over these projections of will one by one, his expression as calm as still water.

"This old man, Changsheng, greets fellow Daoist."

The first to speak was the aged figure from the direction of the Immortal Tomb.

The voice was slow and ancient, each word seemingly coming from eternity ago, carrying the weight of time. It resonated with the laws of the universe, causing invisible ripples to spread through the void.

"So it was the Celestial Venerable of Immortality."

Yu Dao nodded slightly, closing his eyes as he spoke, as if sensing the Dao traces between heaven and earth. This scene moved all the supreme beings present.

They could naturally see that Yu Dao was not truly sensing the heavens and earth, but rather using supreme means to deduce, tracing the origin and roots of the Eternal Heavenly Venerable from the traces of the Dao in this universe based solely on a name.

After only a moment, Yu Dao opened his eyes again.

"The Nine Celestial Venerables of the Mythical Era created the Nine Secrets. The Secret of Movement pushes the limits of human speed to the extreme, allowing one to traverse time and cross the cycle of reincarnation; the Secret of Fighting evolves into all the laws of the heavens, mastering one technique leads to mastering all laws; the Secret of The One is a sacred healing art, allowing flesh and blood to regenerate in an instant. Each secret is a completely different path to heaven, reaching the ultimate in a certain area of ​​the human body's mysteries."

He paused slightly, his voice now tinged with genuine praise, "And the Nine Secrets can be combined to form an unparalleled offensive technique, its power astonishing the world. The Heavenly Dao is so wondrous, capable of giving birth to such a brilliant and ingenious method; it is truly remarkable."

"Oh?"

An aged laugh rang out from the Eternal Celestial Venerable. His projected will trembled slightly, as if he had taken an interest in these words.

"Fellow Daoist does not belong to this world; you must have seen countless wondrous methods. Can our humble path even enter your discerning eyes?"

He spoke humbly, yet his voice was casual, showing no hint that he considered his methods inferior to others. This was the inherent confidence of a Daoist who had once been invincible in an era.

Yu Dao sensed the probing intent in his words but didn't care.

These are the ultimate cultivators of the era of "Covering the Sky." Each one of them swept aside all enemies, climbing step by step to the top by stepping on the corpses of countless geniuses, proving their Dao with supreme strength. Even if they severed their own lives, fell into forbidden zones, and lay dormant for countless ages, they still firmly believed that they were invincible in the world at their peak. This belief was not arrogance, but an invincible force forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"While many things were passed down during the chaotic ancient times, various methods were also passed down."

Yu Dao spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet it caused all the supreme beings present to freeze in their tracks. The very words "Chaotic Ancient Era" were enough to stir the hearts of these beings who had waited for countless ages.

"However, those nine Heavenly Venerables who have reached this level in the realm of humanity can be described as having extraordinary talent. They have blazed a trail where it was impossible and created miracles in desperate situations."

At this point, Yu Dao paused briefly before continuing, "Even in the more glorious eras of ancient history, it is worthy of attention."

Upon hearing this, the projections of the wills of all the supreme beings rippled slightly.

The projection of the Celestial Venerable of Immortality visibly froze for a moment.

"The chaotic era?"

A deep voice came from another direction, spoken by the projection of the will of Burial Sky Island. The voice was low and somber, "Fellow Daoist, are you from the Chaotic Ancient Era? The legendary era of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor?"

Yu Dao neither denied nor tried to conceal his origins. When he had just killed the Fire Spirit Ji Yan, his Dao and methods had already been exposed to the public, and they were indeed different from the cultivation system of this world. With the discerning eyes of these supreme beings, they could naturally see the clues.

Instead of trying to hide it, it's better to speak frankly.

"good."

He only said two words.

Silence fell upon the world once more.

However, this silence is different from before. The previous silence was merely observation and scrutiny, but the current silence is like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, where the undercurrents are already silently churning beneath the surface.

Even though it was merely a projection of will, the fluctuations in the emotions of the supreme beings still stirred visible ripples of Dao principles in the void. The Chaotic Ancient Era was a distant time that existed only in fragments and oral traditions. Even the ancient celestial beings of the mythological era could not trace its entirety, only knowing that it was the endless years before mythology.

At that time, perhaps there was a Desolate Heavenly Emperor, whose blood flowed for eternity and who ruled the world alone.

And now, a living, breathing remnant of the chaotic ancient times stands before them.

"Fellow Daoist just mentioned the realm of humanity."

The voice of the Celestial Venerable of Longevity rang out again, this time with a greater solemnity. His projection of will solidified, as if he were about to emerge from the chaotic mist.

He looked at Yu Dao and slowly asked, "Since it is called the Human Path, is there perhaps something higher above it? Has the Desolate Heavenly Emperor... reached that level?"

This is the question that all the supreme beings present wanted to ask. Why had they lay dormant for countless ages, severing themselves from their imperial thrones and plunging into the darkness of the forbidden zone? It was all for that sliver of a distant, elusive opportunity—a higher one. If there truly was a path beyond humanity, then all their waiting, all their sacrifices, would have been meaningful.

Yu Dao remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"perhaps."

Two words, vague and unclear, offering no definite answer.

But it already carries enough weight. A survivor of the chaotic ancient era, a true pinnacle of humanity—what does his "perhaps" mean?

Did the supreme powerhouse of the Chaotic Ancient Era who left behind the Desolate Tower, an artifact passed down through the ages, truly embark on the path of humanity?

"perhaps……"

The projection of the Primordial Ancient Mine's will murmured softly, its voice carrying a complex emotion suppressed for millennia.

The ripples of the Dao principles in the void intensified. A supreme being's gaze passed over the Yu Dao and looked towards the ruins of Hun Tian Ling deep within the black mist. That half-collapsed palace, those broken walls and ruins engraved with indescribable patterns, those Dao traces completely different from this world.

Everyone's breathing became heavier involuntarily.

That was greed, that was longing, that was the madness of finally seeing a glimmer of hope after lying dormant for countless ages.

The depths of Huntian Ridge must hold the secrets of the chaotic ancient era, and that dilapidated ancient palace may contain clues to a higher realm. For these supreme beings who cling to life for even the slightest chance, the allure of this is unimaginable.

The supreme gaze had turned a dark, blood-red color.

In the void, a projection of will even took a step forward, though only half a step, yet it caused the heavens and earth within a radius of ten thousand miles to tremble. It was a desire accumulated over countless ages, almost breaching the dam of reason.

However, in the end, no one moved.

After a long, deathly silence, that step was finally retracted.

It's not that I don't want to, but I can't.

The predicted path to immortality through the Big Dipper is less than ten thousand years away. Compared to an eon of waiting, ten thousand years is but a fleeting moment. The path to immortality is the truly attainable hope. To preserve their current state before the path opens, they haven't even emerged from the shadows decades ago when the Azure Emperor's lineage was wiped out, nor have they verified the news of the Azure Emperor's demise. Now, for a clue that is only "possibly" relevant, it would be utterly unwise to fight this terrifying being who could annihilate a Great Perfection Saint Spirit with a single palm strike on this mysterious and unpredictable Hun Tian Ridge.

Moreover, the person before him was extremely depleted of vital energy, and his condition was worse than that of many supreme beings present. If that dilapidated ancient palace truly held a secret that reached the heavens, this Lord of Chaos would not have fallen to such a state.

The ruins, the decaying life force, the confinement in the desolate mountains—all these spoke volumes about his condition. If the ruined palace truly held the secret to achieving immortality, how could this being have fallen to such a state?

The Supreme Beings calmed down. The madness in their eyes slowly faded, replaced by their unchanging coldness and indifference. The turbulent undercurrents in the void gradually subsided, and everyone turned their attention back to the figure with long, gray hair.

"Brother Dao, you have slept for countless ages. Now that you have awakened, what are your plans?"

Just as those supreme wills who intended to explore the secrets of the Chaotic Ancient Era fell silent, a voice suddenly rang out.

From the Primordial Ancient Mine.

The voice was heroic and steady, unlike the coldness and indifference of other supreme beings, carrying a kind of indescribable clarity.

Yu Dao followed the sound and looked down, his gaze piercing through the chaotic mist surrounding the projection of will, and he saw the outline of the figure clearly. It was a tall and upright man, whose face was shrouded in chaotic energy and could not be clearly seen, but the aura he exuded could not lie.

This will contains no bloodlust, no madness, no lingering turbidity or brutality from having devoured billions of lives. It is as clean as a sword yet to be drawn.

This was an aura completely different from that of the Eternal Heavenly Venerable, the Supreme Being of the Reincarnation Sea, and the Supreme Being of Burial Island. Although those Supreme Beings had also severed their own lives and lay dormant in forbidden zones for eternity, their wills were all mixed with something indescribable, whether it was an uncontrollable bloodlust, a twisted obsession-like madness, or a ruthlessness ingrained to the bone.

But this will is different.

Yu Dao was silent for a moment, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

A human supreme being who severed himself!

Some supreme beings, though they severed their own paths to enter forbidden zones, are entirely different from the sources of darkness and turmoil. They still retain the light in their hearts, lying dormant for countless ages, waiting for the path to immortality to open, to witness that legendary road for future generations. They have never instigated a single upheaval, nor have they ever devoured a single innocent life.

In his memory, when the Path to Immortality opened in the Big Dipper, a human emperor was born and stormed into the Chaos Cave. Like the ancient emperors such as the Qilin Ancient Emperor, after failing to conquer the Path to Immortality, he did not bring disaster to the living beings, but instead imprinted his experience and Dao traces from his conquest of the Path to Immortality between heaven and earth for future generations to study, and then quietly passed away.

Such supreme beings mostly came from the late Primordial Era and the Ancient Era.

There might have been some further back, but without special methods to achieve longevity, and without instigating dark upheavals, they wouldn't have lived to see this era; they would have naturally passed away over time.

The human supreme being from the Primordial Ancient Mine before us is clearly this kind of person.

In an instant, Yu Dao understood the purpose of the other party's question. This person saw that his vital energy was extremely depleted. A supreme being who had lived to this point, if he did not want to pass away, only had one path left to take—to devour the life essence of billions of living beings to prolong his life!

Even though this supreme human being, who held onto the light, was already in a forbidden zone, he still had some concerns about it.

Yu Dao spoke slowly, his voice calm and open.

"Having slept through countless ages to come to this world, I only wish to witness different paths and principles. I have no other desires in this remaining life, but only to spend the rest of my days attaining enlightenment, and perhaps then I can live another life."

At this point, he changed the subject, shifting his gaze from the figure in the Primordial Ancient Mine to the supreme beings whose wills were suppressed with darkness and madness, and let out a scoff.

"Using the lives of countless others to prolong one's own life, devouring billions of living beings to survive—such methods of prolonging life, even if they could truly lead to another life, would only be a path trodden upon rotten wood piled with corpses. Stealing the life essence of others to fill one's own body, one's foundation is already corrupted; how can one speak of transcendence?"

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, falling into the void like a blade scraping across ice, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

This was his assessment of the darkness and turmoil. Not hatred, not anger, but disdain.

I don't like it at all.

Having said that, Yu Dao said no more. He simply stood with his hands behind his back again, his long gray hair fluttering gently in the wind, as if his words were just a casual remark and not worth further explanation.

In the void, several wills simultaneously turned cold.

Those supreme beings remained silent, only staring at Yu Dao with cold eyes.

They won't get angry, nor will they argue back.

Those who have reached this point have all swept through an era, ascending to the pinnacle by stepping on the corpses of countless powerful enemies. Their Dao hearts are as firm as divine gold and immortal iron; how could they be swayed by a few mere words? Devouring billions of lives and instigating dark chaos are merely means of survival in their eyes; right and wrong, good and evil are irrelevant.

Different road non-phase plan.

In the cold standoff, one's will began to fade.

The projection of the Eternal Celestial Venerable faded first, disappearing once more into the depths of the Immortal Tomb. Next came the Supreme Being of the Reincarnation Sea, the will of Burial Sky Island, and the blurry figure of the Undying Mountain. One after another, they returned to their respective forbidden zones. They had already obtained all the information they could from Yu Dao; he wouldn't say anything more, and they didn't need to ask further.

The ripples of the Dao principles in the void gradually subsided, and the chaotic mist gathered again.

However, at that very moment, Yu Dao suddenly moved.

He took a step forward.

His footsteps landed in the void, yet it felt as if he were stepping on the entire ancient Big Dipper, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. An invisible wave emanated from beneath his feet, sweeping outwards like a raging torrent, resonating across mountains and rivers within a million miles. Even the fading projections of will were momentarily frozen in place by this aura.

All the supreme beings' gazes froze.

Those figures that had already partially disappeared into the chaotic mist suddenly solidified again, and strands of will suddenly shot out from the depths of the forbidden zone, staring intently at the figure with long gray hair.

What is he going to do!