Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Inside the hall, the chaotic Daoist energy receded like a tide.

When Li Mu turned around, his youthful face, which had endured countless tribulations, came into view of the disciples, the entire Soul Nourishing Hall fell silent.

"Teacher...Master?"

"It really is you!"

"It really is you, Master!"

……

The disciples looked at Li Mu in disbelief, their eyes filled with joy and excitement.

Iron Head's burly body trembled violently, his knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing excitedly and saying, "Disciple Iron Head... greets Master!"

This act of kneeling was like a stone thrown into still water, instantly creating a demonstrative effect among the crowd, and all the disciples followed suit and knelt down.

"Master...Disciple, disciple pays respects to Master!" Tie Tou kowtowed repeatedly in excitement.

"Master!"

Lin Xiaolun knelt on both knees, two lines of clear tears sliding down her beautiful face, bowing deeply repeatedly.

Six hundred and fifty-three figures, young and old, prostrated themselves on the ground. Some sobbed softly, some pressed their foreheads to the ground, and some trembled uncontrollably. Thousands of years had passed, and the ancestral tree had witnessed the rise and fall of countless worlds. They were no longer the naive youths they once were, but their kneeling posture and excited expressions were exactly the same as those on the preaching platform in the Qian Yuan Realm back then.

"Everyone get up!"

Li Mu was slightly pleased. With a wave of his sleeve, an invisible force lifted up the kneeling crowd.

After the disciples stood up, they still bowed their heads and looked at Li Mu with burning eyes.

The master's aura was profound and unfathomable; he stood there silently, as if holding up a world within himself. This overlapped with the figure in green robes in his memory, appearing even more majestic and untouchable.

"More than seven thousand six hundred years." Li Mu's gaze swept over the crowd, and he greeted them with a smile: "You all received my Dao Seed and entered the Dao, wandering through various realms, undergoing tribulations and cultivating. Those who have survived to this day all have a strong will."

After a brief pause, Li Mu explained the current situation to his disciples in detail: "Since leaving the Qian Yuan Realm, I have experienced battles across various realms, integrating order, absorbing the bizarre, and clarifying my thoughts. Finally, on this vast land, I merged with the Great Dao of Chaos and, with the spirits of all ancestors, established the Chaos Dao Tree... Now, the Chaos Dao Tree is newly formed, its branches and leaves can cover a vast land, and a hundred new realms await its nourishment..."

Li Mu's few words were like a thunderclap in the hearts of his disciples, captivating them completely.

Harmony with the Tao!

The Great Dao of Chaos!

Master has actually reached such a level!
Their cultivation level was low, but after thousands of years of cultivation, how could they not know the weight of the words "merging with the Dao"? That was the legendary realm at the end of the Great Dao, and their master had cultivated the Chaos Great Dao. Even in the records of ancient books and fragments, it was an untouchable supreme path.

Lin Xiaonan took a deep breath and asked excitedly, "Master summoned us, is there something you want to tell us?"

Li Mu nodded: "The Chaos Dao Tree has given birth to a hundred worlds. The world embryos are just beginning to take shape and need human guidance to evolve and stabilize the Dao principles. You all carry the Dao seeds that I planted back then, and are in harmony with the source of chaos. You are just right to enter the world as a foundation, take charge of the order of the world, and nurture the living beings of the region."

To rule a realm?
The disciples' pupils constricted, and they stared at Li Mu with disbelief on their faces.

Lord of a Realm!
What merit or ability do they possess!
Tie Tou's throat was dry, and he looked at Li Mu, asking in a trembling voice, "Master... do you want us to become the world lords of this new world?"

"Not bad!" Li Mu nodded with a smile, and with a flick of his sleeve, the gray Dao light in the hall gathered and transformed into a vast phantom—the very scene on the treetop of the Chaos Dao Tree.

The hundred chaotic leaves unfurled, revealing the undefined, chaotic scene within, showing the rudiments of various Great Daos such as Fire, Ice, Netherworld, Dream, Longevity, Earth, Void, Metal, Water, Wind...

“Each of these hundred realms contains a branch of chaos, and each needs a specialist to guard it.” Li Mu pointed to the illusory figure. “You have cultivated for thousands of years and your realms are still quite advanced. Your Dao seed roots have not been severed. After entering the realm, you can use the realm's source to nourish and reshape your Dao foundation. When the realm is perfected, you will become Dao Venerables of a realm, living as long as the realm. Your Dao path will change from then on. This is the main reason why I summoned you here!”

"However, there is a price to pay. Once you become the masters of a realm, you will be one with your master, sharing both glory and loss! Are you willing?" After a slight pause, Li Mu looked at his disciples and asked with a smile.

The breathing inside the hall suddenly became heavy.

An Ancestor of a Realm! Living as long as the realm itself!

For cultivators like them, who struggle to survive on the Great Dao and whose highest peak is the Extreme Dao, this is an opportunity they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

"Master..." An old cultivator with white hair and a gaunt face knelt down excitedly, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Disciple Yang Zhen, my lifespan is about to end, and I was preparing to pass away peacefully... Today, I have been granted this opportunity by Master, and I... I can never repay this kindness even if I die!"

"Disciple is willing to go!"

"I am willing to guard this realm for my master!"

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I am willing!"

……

In an instant, excited voices rose and fell, and all 653 people knelt down again and kowtowed repeatedly.

"No need for that, get up and stand properly!" Li Mu smiled helplessly and waved his hand to lift them up again.

Tie Tou raised his head, his excitement still lingering, but a hint of fear appeared in his eyes. He said apologetically, "Master... this disciple's cultivation is low, only at the mid-stage of the Extreme Dao realm. How can I possibly grasp the Dao principles of a realm? If I fail to live up to Master's expectations and ruin the evolution of the realm embryo..."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples looked uneasy, fearing that their own shortcomings might hinder their master's path to enlightenment.

"Yes! Master, your disciple Zhou Yi shares the same concern as Senior Brother Tie!"

"Disciple is only at the Mahayana level, and I fear I may be hindering Master!"

"Master..."

……

Everyone looked at Li Mu with apologetic expressions, fearing that they were not up to the task and would delay Li Mu's cultivation.

Li Mu smiled and looked at everyone, saying, "The fact that you have these concerns shows that you have not lost your Dao heart."

Li Mu raised his hand and pressed down, causing the chaotic Daoist energy within the hall to surge and transform into countless strands of gray silk ribbons, which fell to the top of each disciple's head.

"Now that I have summoned you back, I have my own arrangements. Your Dao foundations have been influenced by the Dao of the myriad worlds for thousands of years, and your Dao sources are mixed and of varying depths. Today, I will use the Chaos Origin to first refine your Dao foundations, strengthen your foundations, and solidify your essence!" Li Mu said with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, the gray silk ribbons suddenly pierced into the crowns of all the disciples!

"Ugh!"

"Thank you Master!"

“Disciple… ah!”

The disciples all let out a muffled groan, feeling a vast, warm yet incomparably domineering Dao aura surge into their meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians shattered inch by inch, only to be repaired by the Chaos Dao Fire. From their meridians to their bones, flesh, and even their spiritual sea and soul source, everything seemed to be reshaped.
The void twisted at the spot where Da Niu had lost an arm, and the killing aura was enveloped and refined by the chaotic Daoist rhyme, transforming into pure battle intent that merged into his divine soul. The flesh and blood at the severed arm writhed, showing signs of rebirth.

Lin Xiaolun's deep blue markings between his brows shone with a mysterious light, and his body was filled with surging water energy. Guided by the chaotic Daoist rhyme, he completely merged with the Xuan Shui Dao Body, and the barrier between his realms loosened, showing signs of a breakthrough.

……

All 653 people were shrouded in a hazy, gray light. Some had sword energy resounding around them, some had the fragrance of elixirs condensing into clouds, some had undergone transformations in their Dao bones and bodies... In an instant, the Daoist aura within the hall surged, displaying a myriad of magnificent phenomena.

This purification process lasted for forty-nine days.

As the hazy, chaotic Dao energy faded, the disciples opened their eyes one after another, their eyes filled with shock. They clearly felt that their Dao foundation was more stable than ever before, all the hidden injuries and hidden dangers left by their past cultivation had disappeared, and their Dao energy circulated and merged as they pleased. Although their realm had not made a major breakthrough, the solidity of their Dao foundation was comparable to the effect of thousands or even tens of thousands of years of hard cultivation.

"Thank you, Master, for saving me!"

The group exchanged glances, then knelt down in unison, expressing their gratitude with great emotion.

Li Mu accepted the bow and then said, "Your foundations are already solid, but the ability to govern a realm cannot be determined solely by cultivation level. Willpower, comprehension, and adaptability are all indispensable."

After saying that, Li Mu raised his hand and pointed, and a vortex suddenly split open in the void in the center of the hall. The vortex was deep and bottomless, and within it seemed that countless worlds were born and died, and the shadows of the joys and sorrows of all living beings flashed by, exuding a heart-palpitating Daoist charm of reincarnation.

"This is the 'Trial Realm of Reincarnation,' containing a hundred lifetimes of illusory reincarnation, which can temper one's Dao heart and refine one's soul." Li Mu looked at the disciples and reminded them, "You will enter in turn and undergo the trials. The first hundred who pass the trials and clearly see their true nature can be the first to choose a new World Embryo and become the World Lord. The rest must wait for the next batch of World Embryos to mature before being assigned."

All the disciples turned their gazes toward the vortex of reincarnation, filled with both longing and awe, their feelings inexplicably complex.

Tie Tou took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said respectfully, "This disciple is willing to undergo the trial first!"

Da Niu followed closely behind: "Disciple, I'll go too!"

Lin Xiaolun bit her lower lip lightly, stepped out, ...
Of the 653 people, not one flinched; they all stepped forward. This was a test given by their master, but also a great opportunity.

Li Mu nodded slightly, flicked his sleeve, and gestured, "In that case, you may enter the realm!"

The next moment, the chaotic vortex suddenly expanded, swallowing all 653 figures. The hall returned to silence, with only the endless flow of the Dao of Reincarnation remaining.

Li Mu sat cross-legged in the void, his eyes slightly closed, his mind already connected with the Samsara Trial Realm; all the scenes within the realm unfolded in his mind.

……

The moment Tie Tou stepped into the vortex, the surrounding scenery changed drastically. He found himself back in the demon realm, a blacksmith, spending his days hammering away to support his ailing mother. As time passed, his mother passed away, leaving him alone to continue tending his blacksmith shop. One day, the demons brought their war to the city, and demon soldiers massacred the inhabitants. He gripped his hammer tightly, standing before the fleeing children…

With a single swing of the hammer, the scene before him shattered.

When he opened his eyes again, Tie Tou had become an outer disciple of a minor cultivation sect. Lacking talent, he suffered endless humiliation. After decades of arduous cultivation, he finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage, only to be pursued and killed by inner disciples who wanted to steal his treasures. He fell off a cliff…

Struggling to survive in the icy pool at the bottom of the cliff, he accidentally obtained the inheritance of an ancient cultivator; after a hundred years of arduous cultivation, he successfully formed his core and returned to his sect, only to find that his former enemy had become a Golden Core elder; a bloody battle ensued, the sect collapsed, and he led the remaining disciples to flee to distant lands...

Lifetime after life.

Blacksmith, disciple, rogue cultivator, demon, general, scholar... a hundred lifetimes, a hundred lives, death after death, tempering of the will after tempering; each rebirth is a questioning of one's true self.

Throughout the cycle of reincarnation, Tie Tou's resolve gradually hardened, remaining steadfast in his commitment to "protection"—protecting his mother, children, sect, and disciples. Despite the changing identities and diverging paths of his path, the deep-seated sense of "protection" within his soul never wavered.

"My path... is to protect."

When the illusion of his final life shattered, Tie Tou stood in the void, his crimson scars transforming into blazing Dao patterns, his eyes clear as mirrors, and the barrier of the ultimate Dao burst open, stepping into the realm of enlightenment, his fighting spirit pure.

Lin Xiaolun's cycle of reincarnation was much more resilient. She was a secluded embroiderer, a wandering physician, a sect's herbalist, and a herbalist in a secret realm... For a hundred lifetimes, she was accompanied by plants, flowing water, and life. She healed countless wounded and witnessed too many partings of life and death. In the cycle of reincarnation, she gradually realized that the way of life is not only about nourishment, but also about enduring withering and accepting death.

In her final life, Lin Xiaolun sat beneath a withered tree, watching the leaves fall and life fade away. Yet, she pressed her palm against the trunk, feeling the faint but tenacious roots deep in the earth, still silently extending.

"The cycle of flourishing and decay, life and death... this is the great way of life."

Lin Xiaolun's body was surrounded by Xuan Shui Dao patterns that blended with the verdant green of vegetation, and the deep blue lines between his brows transformed into an ever-renewing mark of reincarnation. He had reached the late stage of the Ultimate Path, achieving perfect perfection.

……

Within the Samsara Trial Realm, the flow of time is vastly different from that outside.

Li Mu sat quietly in the Soul Nourishing Hall, sensing each disciple's enlightenment and transformation of their Dao foundation through reincarnation. One hundred days later, the vortex trembled slightly, and the first figure staggered out.

It was indeed Tie Tou.

Iron Head's fighting spirit solidified, and with calm eyes, he bowed deeply to Li Mu, excitedly saying, "Disciple has passed the Trial of Reincarnation and clearly seen his true self."

Li Mu nodded: "Not bad."

Subsequently, one figure after another emerged, including Da Niu, Lin Xiaolun, Yang Zhen, and others. Some exuded a sharp, sword-like aura, some emanated the fragrance of elixirs, and some possessed naturally formed runes. Through countless reincarnations and the washing away of worldly impurities, although the disciples had not made significant breakthroughs in their cultivation levels, their steadfastness of their Dao hearts and the depth of their understanding of the Dao were far beyond what they had been before.

As the hundredth figure stepped out of the vortex, Li Mu waved his sleeve, and the entrance to reincarnation slowly closed.

The remaining 553 people are still struggling and fluctuating in the trials. Some are trapped by the inner demons of a past life, while others have not yet found their true selves and need more time to temper themselves.

Li Mu looked at the hundred people who had passed the trial first, raised his hand, and the illusory image of the Chaos Dao Tree reappeared. A hundred newly sprouted Dao leaves shimmered with light; the Blazing Fire Heaven Realm was ablaze with crimson, the Nine Netherworld Realm was filled with deathly aura, and the Everlasting Azure Realm was brimming with life…

"The Hundred Realms are here, each containing a Dao." Li Mu calmly looked at the crowd and announced, "You may choose a realm that resonates with your own understanding and become its master. After entering the realm, you shall activate the realm's source, evolve the Dao principles, and nurture living beings. The day your realm is perfected will be the day you achieve your Dao."

Iron Head's gaze swept across the Hundred Realms, finally landing on a crimson leaf blazing with flames—that was the nascent form of the Fire Heaven Realm, perfectly aligned with the Fire Dao he guarded.

"This disciple wishes to enter the Heavenly Realm of Blazing Fire!"

Da Niu looked at a patch of Dao leaves with flowing dark gold and floating mountain shadows—Geng metal was sharp and sharp, in harmony with the Dao of War.

"This disciple chooses the Geng Metal Realm."

Lin Xiaonan chose the Longevity Green Realm, Yang Zhen chose the Thick Earth Realm... and the hundred disciples made their choices in order.

Li Mu nodded with pleasure, and with his fingertips, he released a hundred strands of chaotic Daoist energy that entered the brows of the disciples.

"This is the mark of the Realm Lord; holding it allows you to connect to the Source of the Realm. Go."

The next moment, a hundred figures transformed into streams of light, entered the illusory image of the Chaos Dao Tree, and disappeared into the Dao leaves they had chosen. The newborn world embryos obtained a master with compatible roots, and their radiance shone brightly, and their evolution speed suddenly accelerated.

Silence returned to the Hall of Soul Nourishment. As for the disciples who failed the trial, Li Mu slowed down the flow of time, allowing them to continue their cultivation in the Cycle of Reincarnation, awaiting the emergence of a new realm to become their next realm master. (End of Chapter)