Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

After watching the Daoist Ancestor Gu Xi depart, Li Mu stood silently in the void, pondering for a long while.

"The Burial Road Ancient Tomb! We can't go there, so we'll have to find another way!"

Li Mu sighed, turned back to the Chaos Treasure Palace, and connected his mind with the roots of the Chaos Dao Tree.

The next moment, countless roots of the Chaos Dao Tree continued to emerge from the depths of the vast earth, like snakes returning to their nest, heading towards the surface and middle layers where primordial energy was abundant, extending outwards to continue drawing primordial energy from the vast earth.

Li Mu formed hand seals, causing the main trunk of the Chaos Dao Tree to tremble violently as he exerted all his strength to force the Dao Tree to devour the Origin Qi.
In an instant, the flow of primordial energy across the vast land of hundreds of millions of miles changed; the originally gently flowing torrent of spiritual energy was forcibly pulled by an invisible force, turning into hundreds of gray vortexes that disappeared into the root system of the Chaos Dao Tree.

The surface soil surged like waves, while the middle spiritual veins hummed incessantly; the originally flowing river of primordial energy seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant maw, forming several whirlpools invisible to the naked eye, which surged wildly toward the place where the Chaos Dao Tree was rooted.

At the same time, the main trunk of the Chaos Dao Tree, with its grayish Dao light surging, began to grow at a speed visible to the naked eye; 310 million zhang... 330 million zhang... 350 million zhang!

In just a few decades, the Chaos Dao Tree grew by a staggering fifty million feet, with new branches and leaves rolling like dark clouds, and the germination speed of the World Embryo increased several times over.

……

The Azure Origin Dao Domain, the Ancestral Tree of All Spirits.

As Qingyuan Daozu was concentrating with his eyes closed, he suddenly felt a slight tremor coming from the earth's veins beneath his feet. A green mark flashed between his brows, and his divine sense spread out along the roots of the ancestral tree.

"This is?"

The gaze of the Dao Ancestor Qingyuan narrowed slightly.

In the middle layer of the vast land, several main veins of primordial energy are quietly changing course, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, rushing towards a certain place on the border of the Ancient Dao Domain, which is where Li Mu's Chaos Dao Tree took root.

"Such a rate of absorption? Has the Chaos Dao Tree advanced again?"

The Qingyuan Dao Ancestor's expression shifted, and he couldn't help but be astonished.
The next moment, Dao Ancestor Qingyuan's figure flashed and disappeared into the spot as a streak of azure light.

On the other side, a Dao Tree billions of feet tall with shimmering, ethereal light appeared. Dao Ancestor Youguang revealed his figure, his ethereal white Daoist robe fluttering without wind.

"The change in the flow rate of Origin Qi is so drastic? The Chaos Dao Tree?"

Dao Ancestor You Guang fully materialized, his gaze fixed on the Chaos Dao Domain, his brows furrowing slightly: "Such a devouring momentum, could it be that Fellow Daoist Li..."

With a flick of his sleeve, Dao Ancestor You Guang vanished, heading straight for the Star Evolution Dao Platform.

……

In the depths of the dreamlike mist, the Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor, leaning on his snake staff, revealed his figure, his dim yellow eyes slightly narrowed.

"what?"

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor lightly tapped the staff with his withered fingers, and a wisp of dark divine thought probed into the veins of the vast earth.

After a moment, Dao Ancestor Ye Yan murmured, "What a Chaos Dao! It has quite the appetite. Such growth is truly rare!"

"Hehe, that old codger Gu Xi is probably going to have another headache." Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor thought of something, and his figure disappeared into the mist and clouds.

……

Where the Ancient Dao Tree was located, several Dao Ancestors around it sensed the unusual activity deep within the vast earth veins and the changes in the Chaos Dao Tree. They all gathered towards the Star Evolution Dao Platform.

Starry Sky Platform.

The Dao Ancestor Haotian sat upright in the main seat, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were deducing the secrets of heaven.

On the platform, Qingyuan, Youguang, Yeyan, Guxi, ..., apart from Li Mu, the eight ancestors appeared one after another.

"Fellow Daoist Haotian, you must have sensed it as well." Dao Ancestor Qingyuan spoke first, indicating that "the Chaos Dao Tree's ability to absorb Origin Qi has increased by more than 30% recently. All seven main veins in the middle layer of Haotu are being drawn in, and the Origin Qi in the three small worlds on the east side of my Qing Domain is already showing signs of depletion."

The Dao Ancestor Youguang, his figure faint, continued, "Although the Youguang Dao Domain has not been directly affected, the flow of Origin Qi has been disrupted. If this continues, it may disturb the balance of the various domains."

……

As soon as he finished speaking, all the Dao Ancestors turned their gazes toward Dao Ancestor Haotian, awaiting his guidance.

The stars in Haotian Daozu's eyes swirled as he pondered, "The Chaos Dao Tree is growing too rapidly, and the anomalies are indeed too great. If the outside world notices it, the impact will be considerable."

Lei Yan Dao Ancestor snorted coldly and said unkindly, "How many years has it been? That kid's Dao Tree is already nearly 400 million feet tall. If this continues, it will break through the 1 billion foot mark in less than a thousand years. At that time, his sharp edge will be fully revealed. If those old things from the outer regions find out, I'm afraid a war will be inevitable."

The Qingyuan Dao Ancestor said in a deep voice, "The rapid growth of the Chaos Dao Tree is a good thing during the Great Tribulation Cycle; however, it is not the right time. If they find out that Li Mu has achieved Dao through cultivating the Chaos Dao, I'm afraid..."

Night-Disgusted Dao Ancestor, his face full of gloom, said irritably, "Why bother with the outer regions? Even within the Forest Sea, which of those Chi Xiao, Xuan Sha, and Tian Yao is easy to deal with? If they come together, can the eight of us hold them off?"

Dao Ancestor You Guang sighed, "We definitely can't hold it. Chi Xiao cultivates the True Fire of the Sun, forging the Nine Yangs. If we were to contend with him, our entire realm would become a fiery hell, making him unmatched. Xuan Sha controls the Weak Water Deathly Stillness and has set up the Return to the Void Formation. Tian Yao Tong has sacrificed blood to the Demon Forest, and his eight hundred demon ancestors are bloodthirsty... These three have all survived a calamity cycle, their methods are ruthless, and their foundations are profound. If they truly come for the Chaos Dao Tree, then we will fight to the death!"

Chao Yuan Dao Ancestor solemnly said, "The cycle of calamity and destruction is less than 2,500 years. All the ancestors are frantically accumulating their resources. The Chaos Dao Tree's ability to absorb the source is unique, and in their eyes it is an unparalleled treasure. Once the news leaks out, war will break out immediately."

Dao Ancestor Yinghong smiled bitterly and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Li's cultivation is too fast, which has become a disaster!"

Gu Xi Dao Zu sat upright in the west position, his Daoist aura restrained, and said, "I had expected this long ago."

Upon hearing this, all the Dao Ancestors turned their gazes to Dao Ancestor Gu Xi, waiting for him to continue.

Gu Xi said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Li recently touched upon the Ancient Tomb of the Burial Path!"

"What?" Dao Ancestor Lei Yan suddenly stood up, surprised. "He dared to touch that hellish place? When did this happen?"

The Azure Origin Dao Ancestor's emerald eyes flashed, and he asked in surprise, "The Burial Dao Ancient Tomb... a place where ancient ancestral trees fell and piled up, where resentment and tribulation power have been entangled for hundreds of thousands of years. Even we dare not easily touch it, so why would he go there?"

Haotian Daozu's starry eyes were deep and serious as he looked at Guxi Daozu and asked with certainty, "Fellow Daoist Guxi, is this really true?"

Gu Xi nodded slightly and replied, "It's absolutely true. Fellow Daoist Li used the Chaos Dao Fire to refine the remnants of the Three Tribulations of Annihilation, which caused the Dao Tree to grow wildly; after I noticed this, I warned him not to touch the ancient tomb in the slightest..."

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor's old face was gloomy. He suddenly realized and said, "No wonder! No wonder! The remnants of the Calamity Annihilation contain the lifelong Dao essence of the ancient ancestral tree. Even though it is broken, it is comparable to the hard work of tens of thousands of years of arduous cultivation at the peak of the Dao Integration stage. With three remnants entering the body, how could the Chaos Dao Tree not grow?"

Daoist You Guang frowned deeply and asked solemnly, "Has this matter been leaked?"

Gu Xi shook his head and gestured, "I used the Daoist principles of Gui Cang to conceal the secrets of heaven and disrupt the Daoist rhythm of that area. Although Chi Xiao, Xuan Sha and others sensed the fluctuations of the tribulation power, they were unable to trace the source."

Dao Ancestor Haotian pondered, "The Dao of Gui Cang excels at sealing and concealing. Fellow Daoist Gu Xi's intervention might be able to deceive them for a time. However, the growth of the Chaos Dao Tree is difficult to hide. After it reaches ten billion feet, its Dao aura will soar into the sky, and even Gui Cang will find it difficult to completely conceal it." Dao Ancestor Lei Yan sneered, "You can hide the matter of the Ancient Tomb, but you can't hide the growth of the Dao Tree. Those old monsters in the outer realms aren't blind. They'll notice the sudden change in the flow of the Vast Earth Origin Qi sooner or later."

Qingyuan Daozu looked at Gu Xi: "Fellow Daoist Gu, since you knew about this all along, do you have any countermeasures?"

Gu Xi paused for a moment, then gestured, "My Gui Cang Dao Principles can still cover up for Fellow Daoist Li to some extent, setting up the 'Myriad Realms Return to Silence Array' to temporarily suppress the leakage of the Chaos Dao Aura. However, this method is like adding fuel to the fire; for every zhang the Dao Tree grows, the pressure on the array increases. Once the Chaos Dao Tree surpasses one billion zhang, its sharpness will surely be revealed, and at that time..."

Gu Xi paused, his gaze sweeping over the ancestors, and gestured, "At that time, you will all need to join forces to set up the 'All Heavens Star Evolution Forbidden Realm,' using the Star Evolution Grand Array as the foundation and our Dao Domains as the source, to completely seal the aura of the Chaos Dao Tree within our jurisdiction."

The Dao Ancestor Haotian frowned slightly, looking troubled: "The Forbidden Realm of the Stars of the Myriad Heavens... requires eight peak Dao Integration cultivators to simultaneously wield the array's core, maintaining it with their natal Dao Source; once set up, it cannot be moved lightly for a thousand years, otherwise the array will break and cause backlash, damaging the Dao Foundation."

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor said with resentment, "Is it worth it for that brat?"

Gu Xi looked directly at Ye Yan and reminded him, "It's not for Fellow Daoist Li, but for the billions of living beings in the Vast Land Forest. The Chaos Dao Tree is the only hope for transcending the tribulation. If this tree is lost, how many of your Dao Domains will survive the tide of annihilation?"

Upon hearing this, the Dao Ancestors fell silent, their faces filled with helplessness.

Dao Ancestor Chao Yuan gave a wry smile and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Gu Xi is right; the great cycle of annihilation is approaching, and one tree cannot hold up the sky. The faster the Chaos Dao Tree grows, the greater the chance of success during the calamity; however, the Chaos Dao Tree is growing at an astonishing pace, and its large size attracts the wind, making it difficult to guard against external threats... Alas!"

Dao Ancestor Yinghong smiled wryly, "Setting up a forbidden realm to seal off the aura might temporarily prevent spying from the outer realms. However, within the forbidden realm, the flow of Origin Qi will also be restricted, and the growth rate of the Chaos Dao Tree will inevitably slow down..."

"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser. Slower growth is always better than being targeted by external forces and prematurely igniting a war of strife," Gu Xi suggested.

Lei Yan Daozu suddenly said, "What if those old fogies from the outer realms have already noticed something amiss and are secretly watching right now?"

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's starry eyes suddenly lit up, and he formed a hand seal, causing the Star Evolution Array to start operating with a roar; the nine star skeletons projected billions of starlight, weaving together a vast star map above the Dao Platform.

Within the star map, the aura of countless ancestral trees in the vast forest shimmered like stars. Crimson flames soared into the sky in the Eastern Region, the Weak Waters of the Western Region stagnated, and blood light surged in the Southern Region... The Daoist principles of dozens of regions clashed fiercely, clearly indicating that a battle for Dao was raging.

At the edge of the star map, several faint points of starlight are quietly approaching the central region.

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's expression darkened: "In the three domains of Chixiao, Xuansha, and Tianyao, divine sense avatars have infiltrated the middle layer of Haotu, and are less than 30 million miles away from the Dao domain where we reside."

Qingyuan Daozu's emerald eyes flashed with coldness as he asked with apprehension, "So they really did notice!"

Daoist Youguang said solemnly, "They've arrived very quickly."

“They certainly haven’t discovered Fellow Daoist Li’s existence yet, however,” Gu Xi stood up and naturally unfolded her Qinghui Dao Domain, looking at the Dao Ancestors, and reminded them, “Fellow Daoists, the time for a decision has come. Will you sit idly by and watch the Chaos Dao Tree be exposed, attracting wolves from the outer realms to surround it; or will you immediately set up a forbidden zone to fight for a chance to breathe?”

Lei Yan Daozu responded sternly, "Set up the formation! I'd like to see who dares to try and steal it!"

The Dao Ancestor Haotian surveyed the assembled ancestors and gestured, "The Forbidden Realm of Stars and Destinies requires eight members to sign the covenant, and none may leave the array's core for a thousand years. Are you all willing?"

Qingyuan Daozu nodded: "Alright."

Dao Ancestor Chao Yuan nodded with delight, and the Daoist essence of the tides surged into the star map, agreeing, "Agreed."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Dao Ancestors looked at each other and all chose to conceal their identities.

"So be it! It's decided then. We shall unite as one and weather this calamity together." Dao Ancestor Haotian announced with a smile, then looked at Gu Xi.

Ancient Dao Ancestor radiated a bright light and began to set up the formation: "Formation activated!"

The next moment, the eight Dao Ancestors rose up together and each took their place on one side of the Dao Platform.

The Great Dao Ancestor Haotian stood in the center, his hands raised high, and the Star Evolution Array was operating at full power. The nine star skeletons roared and trembled, projecting nine beams of starlight as thick as dragon veins, which pierced into the bodies of the eight Dao Ancestors.

"Based on the celestial phenomena, and relying on all realms!"

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's Dao voice was like rolling thunder, and starlight Dao patterns spread from his feet, instantly covering the entire Dao platform, and then piercing through the void, radiating towards the eight Dao domains.

Behind Gu Xi, the illusory image of the majestic ancestral tree appeared, and the Daoist rhyme of Gui Cang surged like a tide, transforming into countless chains of clear light, intertwining with the starlight Daoist patterns.

The Azure Primordial Dao Ancestor's azure light soared into the sky, the Dao principles of the myriad life forms transforming into vines that entwined him; the Thunderous Dao Ancestor's purple lightning danced wildly, thunderous Dao patterns imprinting the void; the Tide Primordial Dao Ancestor stirred the tides of the vast land, the ethereal Dao rhyme settling; the Glowing Phoenix Dao Ancestor's neon flames burned the heavens, the Dao fire of the mortal world tempering him; the Wandering Light Dao Ancestor's body multiplied into countless forms, the Dao principles of the void forming an array; the Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor's dreamscape was filled with mist and haze, the traces of inner demons concealed...

The eight major domains trembled simultaneously.

At the edge of the Chaotic Dao Domain, Li Mu suddenly sensed a dramatic change in the world.

A transparent barrier suddenly appeared in the vast expanse of space. Starlight flowed, clear radiance settled, azure light swirled, and purple lightning crackled on the barrier... Eight-colored Dao patterns intertwined to form a colossal net that blotted out the sky, enveloping the entire Chaos Dao Domain.

The moment the barrier took shape, the inflow of external source energy decreased by 70%. The growth rate of the Chaos Dao Tree visibly slowed down, and its main trunk hummed, as if it were unwilling to accept this.

Li Mu merged his mind with the Dao Tree, sensing the terrifying Daoist aura contained within the forbidden realm, as well as the resolute intent of the eight Dao Ancestors.

Li Mu frowned, then calmed his mind, adjusted the rhythm of the Chaos Dao's absorption, and continued to absorb the origin of the Vast Earth.

The Forbidden Realm Array and the crisis in the outer realms—Gu Xi had already informed him of this through telepathy. Li Mu understood the reason but said nothing. The most important thing right now was to continue strengthening the foundation of the Chaos Dao Tree and break through to the Fusion Body point.

At the Starry Dao Platform, eight Dao Ancestors each occupied a key point of the formation, their auras merging with the forbidden realm.

The Dao Ancestor Haotian swept his starry eyes across the void and gestured, "The forbidden zone is now complete. Within a thousand years, the aura of the Chaos Dao Domain will not leak out in the slightest. However, the spying of several Dao Ancestors from the outer domain has arrived, and someone needs to go and deal with them."

Gu Xi said, "This old man will make a trip!"

Qingyuan Daozu shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Gu needs to stay at the core of the forbidden realm. The Guicang Dao is related to the stability of the forbidden realm and cannot be left lightly."

Lei Yan Daozu sneered: "I'll go and meet them. I've been wanting to spar with that old bastard Chi Xiao for a long time."

Dao Ancestor Haotian pondered and said, "Fellow Daoist Lei Yan has a fiery temper, which may lead to conflict; Fellow Daoist You Guang is skilled in void escape, and Fellow Daoist Ying Hong's mortal world fire can bewitch the mind. It would be most appropriate for the two of you to go together."

Dao Ancestor You Guang's figure was faint: "Alright."

Yinghong Daozu, with a light touch of her robe, said, "I'll make a trip."

The next moment, the two transformed into streaks of light and vanished from the platform in an instant.

Haotian Daozu looked at the remaining ancestors: "The forbidden realm has just been formed and needs three days to stabilize; everyone return to the array eye and use your natal Dao source to nourish the forbidden realm's veins."

Gu Xi, Lei Yan, Qing Yuan, Chao Yuan, and Ye Yan, the five ancestors, nodded in unison, their figures gradually fading away as they returned to their respective domains' array eyes.

The Starry Dao Platform returned to silence, with only the Vast Heaven Dao Ancestor seated in the center, his Dao aura connected to the Forbidden Realm Array, sensing all fluctuations of the boundless vast land. (End of Chapter)