Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The boundless land is teeming with the flow of primordial energy.

Two figures appeared silently: Yinghong Daozu with flowing red hair and Youguang Daozu in a faint blue robe. The two stood in front of a blazing divine thought that stretched across the void.

The divine thought condensed into a ten-thousand-foot-tall outline, with nine blazing suns rising and falling within it. The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor manifested his Dharma form, his eyes blazing with killing intent.

"Fellow Daoist Chixiao, why do you trespass into this domain?" Dao Ancestor Yinghong chuckled and waved his hand to draw a 'Dao Wall' to block his way.

“The flow of primordial energy has suddenly changed, and the seven main veins have changed course. How could I not ask? You two are blocking my way here. Do you have something to hide?” Dao Ancestor Chixiao was furious and scrutinized the two with deep meaning.

Dao Ancestor Youguang then made a stroke, creating layers of void illusions, and responded in a deep voice: "The ley lines of this vast land have their own laws of circulation, and occasional anomalies are normal. This domain is where your Dao Trees take root. Fellow Daoist Chixiao, your actions have crossed the line!"

"Commonplace?" The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's Dharma Form, with nine suns burning simultaneously, distorted the surrounding void. He said disdainfully, "The great calamity is imminent. Any unusual activity is related to the Forest of Ten Thousand Ancestors. There must be something amiss deep within your Dao Domain. Otherwise, why are you so wary?"

As Yinghong Daozu lightly fluttered his feathered robe, the Mortal Realm presented countless illusions—the joys and sorrows of all living beings, love and hate, separation and reunion, the rise and fall of dynasties… all sorts of scenes surged like a tide, and he continued to obstruct him, saying, “What Fellow Daoist Chixiao sees may not be true. The myriad phenomena of the Mortal Realm are difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.”

The illusion touched the flames and sizzled. The mortal world's Dao Fire is most adept at bewitching the mind. Even the Nine Yang True Fire, which is domineering, was temporarily restrained by the illusion.

Chixiao Dharma Image was furious: "A mere trick!"

The next moment, the nine blazing suns suddenly exploded, turning into a sea of ​​fire that scorched the heavens; the illusory world of mortals collapsed layer by layer, and wherever the flames passed, they melted and burned out dark cracks.

Dao Ancestor Youguang made hand seals, and his figure completely faded away. Suddenly, a strange change occurred in the middle layer of the entire vast land—up and down were reversed, left and right were disordered, and front and back were indistinguishable. The void shattered like a mirror, turning into an endless maze.

Chixiao's divine sense was trapped inside, struggling left and right, but for a time he could not find a way out.

"Xu Mi Dao Palace... You Guang, you're really willing to go to such lengths!" The voice of Dao Ancestor Chi Xiao came from the depths of the maze, his anger rising, and he shouted, "Your obstruction confirms my suspicions that there must be a shocking secret hidden within your territory!"

Yinghong Daozu's expression darkened slightly, and he communicated with the wandering light in the void: "He has noticed."

“It can’t be held up for long,” You Guang replied. “Chi Xiao has undergone a tribulation and has a profound Dao foundation. The Void Palace can only trap him for a hundred breaths.”

"Open for me!" Dao Ancestor Chixiao shouted fiercely.

Deep within the Void Palace, the nine blazing suns suddenly merged into one, condensing into a single point of light so intensely white it was almost blinding; in an instant, the flames of annihilation swept across all directions, and the Void Palace crumbled inch by inch.

Dao Ancestor Youguang let out a muffled groan, his figure solidifying again tens of thousands of miles away, his expression shifting between light and dark.

The blazing Dharma Form broke through the obstacles, and the Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's ten-thousand-foot-long fiery body shattered the void as it rushed straight at the Firefly Hong Dao Ancestor, shouting fiercely, "Get out of my way! Otherwise, I will burn your Dao body to ashes today!"

Instead of retreating, Dao Ancestor Yinghong advanced, conjuring a celestial curtain of mortal dust thousands of feet long with a wave of his hand; within the curtain, countless illusory figures of living beings chanted in unison, their seven emotions and six desires transforming into invisible shackles, binding the blazing dharma form.

"Fellow Daoist Chixiao, the tribulation is approaching. To engage in a struggle for the Dao at this moment is truly unwise," Dao Ancestor Yinghong advised with a gentle yet firm tone.

"Whether it is wise or unwise, I will judge for myself!" The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's Dharma form shook his arms, and the Nine Yang True Fire transformed into nine fire dragons, attempting to forcibly tear open the curtain of the mortal world.

Just then, a ray of clear light descended from the void.

As the clear light passed, the raging flames temporarily subsided, and the void calmed down; the radiant light solidified into a Daoist shadow, and Gu Xi arrived stepping on the light, blocking the way between the two sides.

"Fellow Daoist Chixiao, please stop!"

Gu Xidao's face was ancient and simple, and the Daoist aura around him spread out like ripples, swallowing and settling all the remaining fire and illusions.

The boundless land fell silent in an instant, and the intense, breathtaking battle between the Dao Ancestors temporarily ceased.

The Crimson Heaven Dharma Image stared intently at Gu Xi, and shouted sternly: "Old man Gu Xi, you've come at the right time! The source energy has changed, the void is blocking the way, and the illusion is concealing yourselves; what exactly are you hiding?"

Gu Xi said calmly, "It's just a newly formed Dao Tree, and its growth and decline are a little too rapid. I have already set up an array to regulate it, and it will be back to balance in a few days."

"A newly promoted Dao Tree?" Chi Xiao sneered: "What kind of Dao Tree could cause seven main veins to change course? What kind of Dao Tree required You Guang and Ying Hong to join forces to stop me from investigating? Gu Xi, do you take me for a three-year-old child?"

Gu Xi remained silent for a moment before speaking up to remind him, "Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao has already experienced a tribulation; you should know that the cycle of tribulation's demise is approaching. At this time, it is better to avoid trouble and focus on your own Dao Domain."

"The best strategy?" The Crimson Sky Dharma Image stepped forward, staring fiercely at Gu Xi, and said, "Your territory harbors an anomaly capable of triggering the earth's veins, which is a variable in the Forest of Ten Thousand Ancestors! The calamity is approaching, and variables can be relied upon, or they can be a source of disaster! I will definitely find out today!"

Before the words were finished, the Nine Yang True Fire flared up again. This time, Dao patterns appeared within the fire, and the Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor poured even more of his essence into it from a distance, attempting to forcefully break through the obstruction.

Gu Xi Dao Zu sighed.

The clear light of the Dao suddenly solidified, and the illusory image of the towering ancestral tree appeared behind it. On the main trunk of that illusory tree, dense gray-black patterns coiled like venomous snakes, exuding an aura of decay and destruction, which was the "Traces of Calamity and Annihilation".

“Fellow Daoist Chixiao, please look at this mark.”

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's Dharma Image solidified: "The Mark of Annihilation... You've actually been injured to such an extent?"

Gu Xi smiled bitterly and said, "During the last tribulation, in order to transcend the tribulation, I forcibly used the forbidden technique of Guizang. Although I survived, my Dao foundation was damaged by nearly 40%. The tribulation marks are like a bone-deep carbuncle, and I still cannot refine them."

"Fellow Daoist has endured a tribulation, and your Dao foundation must still have flaws. If you force a Dao struggle now, it will aggravate old injuries and cause tribulation marks to grow... When the great calamity comes in 2,500 years, how confident will you be?"

Upon hearing this, Dao Ancestor Chixiao fell silent, his Nine Yang True Fire flickering uncertainly.

Gu Xi Dao Zu continued, "That newly promoted Dao Tree is indeed special. I, Hao Tian, ​​Lei Yan, and six other fellow Daoists have joined forces to set up a forbidden zone to temporarily seal its aura. Before the tribulation, it will not disturb the balance of the various realms."

"If you insist on exploring, you will surely break the forbidden boundary. At that time, the aura of the Dao Tree will leak out, attracting the attention of Xuan Sha, Tian Yao, and even more Dao Ancestors from other realms... The Vast Forest Sea will be plunged into chaos ahead of time. When the calamity comes, who will be able to maintain the source qi? Who will be able to protect trillions of realms?"

Every word struck like a hammer blow to the heart of the Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor.

The flames around the blazing Dharma Image gradually subsided, and the nine blazing suns slowly sank into its body. Dao Ancestor Chixiao asked in a deep voice, "That Dao Tree... what exactly is that Great Dao?"

Gu Xi frankly said, "The time is not yet ripe, so it cannot be said. I swear on the path of Gui Cang that before the tribulation, I will not allow it to disturb the Chi Xiao Dao Domain in the slightest."

Chi Xiao stared at Gu Xi, then glanced at Ying Hong and You Guang. After a long while, he let out a cold snort.

"Gu Xi, I will trust you this once; however, the vast land is undergoing strange changes, and all the ancestors are watching. Xuan Sha's Weak Water Divine Sense has already infiltrated to a place thirty million miles away in the Eastern Region, and the Heavenly Demon's Blood Sacrifice Demon Eyes have also opened in the Southern Region... You can stop me, but can you stop them all?"

Gu Xi solemnly replied, "Do your best."

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor took one last look at the Calamity Mark behind Gu Xi, and his ten-thousand-foot-long fiery body began to dissipate.

"I'll give you face for two thousand five hundred years... I'd like to see how long you can hide."

After uttering those words, Dao Ancestor Chixiao slowly retreated. However, he did not completely disappear; a wisp of blazing heat quietly lingered at the edge of the outer realm, like a crimson eye lurking in the shadows.

Yinghong Daozu and Youguang Daozu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Gu Xi together.

As Gu Xi's figure slowly faded away, he transmitted his voice to the two of them, saying, "Quickly return to the core of the forbidden zone array; although Chi Xiao has retreated, Xuan Sha and Tian Yao may have already sensed the fluctuations; the forbidden zone needs to be reinforced with three more layers, just in case."

"Understood!" Two streaks of light pierced through the vast land and disappeared.

Before the ancient radiance completely dissipated, Gu Xi glanced in the direction of the Chaos Dao Tree where Li Mu was, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Li...time is running out."

---

Within the Chaos Dao Domain, in the Forbidden Realm.

Li Mu sat cross-legged under a tree, his eyes closed.

With the forbidden realm in place, the growth rate of the Chaos Dao Tree has slowed by 70%, and the Hundred Realms on its branches are gradually approaching perfection. Within the Blazing Heaven Realm, flame patterns flow around Iron Head's body, deeply resonating with the source of the realm; in the Everlasting Green Realm, Lin Xiaonan guides the reincarnation of plants, and the Daoist rhythm is endlessly revitalized...

Of the 553 disciples, most have chosen their realms and entered the realm after undergoing the cycle of trials; the rest are still honing their will in the trials, waiting for the new realm embryo to mature.

Li Mu's mind swept over every inch of the tree trunk.

Three hundred and sixty million feet..., three hundred and seventy million feet...

Every time the Chaos Dao Tree grows taller by one zhang, it undergoes repeated tempering by the Chaos Dao Fire, completely fusing together the various external origins and remnants of calamity and destruction that it had previously incorporated.

The surface of the Primordial Dao Fruit is covered with a grayish-brown Dao light that has settled into its essence; purple lightning patterns, azure vitality, white void, dark nightmare, gray-black calamity power... all kinds of extraordinary colors are contained within, returning to simplicity.

He is at the peak of the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm, just one step away from breaking into the late stage.

Starry Sky Platform.

Yinghong, Youguang, and Guxi returned to their Dao positions, pouring their original essence into the forbidden realm array, making it even more stable.

Suddenly, Dao Ancestor Haotian had a sudden inspiration and began to deduce the chaotic secrets of heaven.

Haotian Daozu sighed and transmitted the results of his deduction to the other seven ancestors.

"The retreat of Chixiao may cause further turmoil. Xuan Sha and Tian Yao are about to make their move; the other three parties have not yet acted, and the encirclement is complete..."

Gu Xi Daozu's gaze turned solemn, and he sighed, "As expected. The forbidden realm can keep it a secret for a while, but not forever."

Lei Yan Daozu, his purple lightning flashing, roared, "Fine, let's fight! I've long wanted to test my skills against Chi Xiao's Nine Yang True Fire!"

Qingyuan Daozu hurriedly advised, "If we fight, both sides will be severely injured. How will we survive the tribulation?"

Dao Ancestor You Guang said indifferently, "Delay. Delay until Fellow Daoist Li breaks through to the late stage, delay until the Chaos Dao Tree reaches ten billion feet. At that time, even if all the ancestors arrive, we will still have the power to fight."

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor said in a low voice, "Can you hold out? With Chi Xiao's temperament, he won't be able to endure it for long."

Daoist Chaoyuan sighed and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

Dao Ancestor Yinghong suggested, "Perhaps... it's time to let Fellow Daoist Li know about the situation outside."

Gu Xi was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. I will go myself."

------

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor appeared in the Western Regions of the Vast Land and headed straight for its depths.

In the vast western region, a dark, ancient Dao tree exudes the essence of the Weak Water Dao, its power immense. At its center, a jade platform of black ice floats, where the Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor sits cross-legged.

"Mysterious Fiend!"

Chixiao arrived riding on fire and greeted them.

Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor opened his eyes and looked up at him, greeting him, "Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao, what brings you here so suddenly?"

"Gu Xi, Hao Tian, ​​Lei Yan, Ying Hong, You Guang, Qing Yuan, Chao Yuan, and Ye Yan—these eight people joined forces to set up the 'Starry Sky Forbidden Realm,' sealing off a region." Dao Ancestor Chi Xiao went straight to the point, introducing, "Several main veins of source qi in this region have changed course, making it no ordinary place. There must be a great treasure hidden in that region, which may be able to withstand a great calamity."

Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor glanced at Chi Xiao Dao Ancestor in surprise, then began to calculate with his fingers, causing ripples to spread around his body from the Weak Water Dao Source.

"The Starry Sky Forbidden Realm was created by Haotian, combining the Dao Sources of the Eight Ancestors. Under its seal, the secrets of heaven are difficult to fathom. I used the Weak Water to deduce, and all I saw was a chaotic expanse, with the faint traces of calamity power entangled within, and everything else was obscured." After deduce for a moment, Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor opened his eyes and looked at Chi Xiao Dao Ancestor, indicating that...

Chi Xiao stepped forward, his flames dazzling: "Calamity power? Could it be related to the Ancient Tomb of the Burial Path?"

"It seems there is something, but it seems not!" Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor shook his head and said, "Gu Xi has gone through two tribulations and is covered with the marks of tribulation destruction. It is not surprising that there are fluctuations of tribulation power in his domain. However, this time the scale is too large. The eight ancestors are united and cannot be moved by a wisp of tribulation power."

"That's exactly right!" Dao Ancestor Chixiao's eyes flashed with fire as he excitedly said, "What's hidden in that domain is probably... related to Chaos."

"The Great Dao of Chaos... one of the three paths of destruction in the ancient times. If someone truly cultivates this path, they will indeed be a pivotal figure during the tribulation period. However, the path of Chaos has long been severed. According to ancient records, the last Chaos Dao Ancestor perished in the great tribulation 360,000 years ago. The Dao Tree collapsed, and its origin scattered into the vast earth..." Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor frowned, disagreeing.

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor sneered, "Severance? The Great Dao turns, who can say for sure? The eight people of Gu Xi are hiding this so much, clearly because they are afraid that the news will leak out and attract the ancestral masters to fight over it."

"A struggle?" Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor raised his eyes to look at Chi Xiao Dao Ancestor and reminded him, "Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao, do you intend to make a move?"

“The cost of a direct attack on the eight patriarchs would be too high. Moreover, that Heavenly Demon’s attitude is ambiguous, and he has not yet revealed his true form. I’m afraid he’s secretly watching, hoping to reap the benefits.” Dao Ancestor Chixiao frowned and hesitated.

Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor nodded in agreement, saying, "The Heavenly Demon Commander sacrificed blood to the Demon Forest, and his eight hundred demon ancestors are all bloodthirsty. Their Dao Domain is adjacent to ours. If they see any profit to be made, they will pounce on us like a pack of wolves!"

"Would you be willing to join forces with me?" Dao Ancestor Chixiao looked directly at Dao Ancestor Xuansha and gestured, "If the Weak Water Abyss and my Crimson Flame Ancestral Domain advance together, and we also bring one or two fellow Daoists from other domains, we may not be unable to break through a corner of the forbidden zone and find out the truth."

With a flick of his withered finger, the Weak Water rose from the abyss and condensed into a water mirror.

Starlight swirled in the mirror, eight-colored Dao patterns intertwined like a net, and the faint silhouette of a majestic Dao tree could be seen, its branches reaching into the sea of ​​light, its roots deeply embedded in the secluded soil.

"This is the outer manifestation of the forbidden realm as reflected by the Weak Water," said Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor calmly. "Judging from its momentum, the Dao Source of the Eighth Ancestor has already connected with the forbidden realm. Breaking the realm will damage its origin. At this time, the tribulation is approaching, and the Dao Foundation is damaged. How should we deal with the tribulation?"

Dao Ancestor Chixiao frowned and asked, "So, you're just going to sit idly by? If that domain truly is the Chaos Dao Tree, which absorbs the source and sustains the calamity, then the power of the pivot will be entirely in its hands. The life and death of our Dao Domain will depend on a single thought!"

Xuan Sha Dao Ancestor casually waved his hand, putting away the water mirror, and said in a deep voice: "The eight people from Gu Xi dared to set up this formation, they must have something to rely on. A strong attack may not be able to win, but will only provoke a conflict between the Daoists and waste our vital energy."

After a pause, Xuan Sha Dao Zu continued, "Does Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao really think that the two of us alone can shake the Star Evolution Forbidden Realm?"

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor remained silent for a moment.

Opposite them was a grand star formation set up by eight peak Dao Integration cultivators; the ancient Dao of Returning to the Source was profound and unpredictable… A direct assault was indeed a poor strategy. (End of Chapter)