Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The source of all paths is the sea.

The former master suppressed the erosion of the evil source, and his blurry figure took a step forward, causing the source sea to surge.

"Young man, so what if you've glimpsed the truth?" The old master's voice was devoid of joy or sorrow as he sneered, "I am the Vast Land, and the Vast Land is me. All ancestors were born and raised here, their origins all stemming from the Vast Land's veins. It is only natural that it will be taken back during the calamity."

Li Mu's clone revealed a mocking smile and said disdainfully, "What a self-evident truth! You harvest the origins of all ancestors to repair yourself, don't you!"

The former master's body stiffened slightly, and his gaze toward Li Mu's clone was filled with killing intent.

“Just now, I used the Origin of the Mysterious Source to probe you and discovered a ‘void’ deep within your Dao Foundation.” Li Mu’s clone’s eyes were like swords as he directly exposed, “That void is constantly devouring the Origin without any feedback. You are not cultivating while you are slumbering in the Sea of ​​Origin, but rather using the Origin of Myriad Ancestors to heal your injuries?”

"Shut up! You've actually glimpsed the source of the earth's veins..." the former master roared angrily, "Then you cannot be allowed to live!"

Li Mu's clone showed no fear and said directly, "Senior, why be angry? You use the cycle of annihilation to harvest the origins of all ancestors and maintain the will of the vast land, which is a way to survive. However, this method is like drinking poison to quench thirst. With each calamity, the land's veins wither by three-tenths. If this continues, in just a few calamities, the entire vast land will be turned into a dead zone!"

"Insolence!" the former master shouted.

The Origin Sea boiled over, and countless fragments of Dao principles coalesced into a colossal, earthen-yellow body that stood tall and imposing. Its head rested on the sea of ​​light, its feet treaded on the dark earth, and its body was entwined with billions of illusory earth veins. This was the "True Body of the Vast Earth Veins" manifested by the will of the Vast Earth.

The colossal body, with eyes like the sun and moon suspended in the sky, indifferently looked down at Li Mu's clone and roared, "How can a mere ant know the way of heaven and earth? The vast land nourishes all living beings, and all living beings nourish the vast land in return; this is the natural cycle. I govern this law; what wrong have I done?"

"Repayment?" Li Mu's clone sneered, "If it were truly a cycle, why would there be a world-destroying harvest every 129,600 years? Why would there be the need to let ten thousand Dao-Merging Ancestral Trees wither under the calamity, leaving only remnants to return to the sea? This is not a cycle, it is plunder! It is you, this remnant soul, who forcibly seized the foundation of the vast land in order to prolong your own life!"

The former master's immense will locked onto Li Mu's clone, raised a giant hand, and pressed down fiercely: "Sharp-tongued! Once I refine you into the earth's veins, you will know what the ultimate principles of heaven and earth are."

Before the words were finished, a giant hand slammed down.

Seeing the giant palm descend, Li Mu's clone neither dodged nor evaded; instead, his body disintegrated on its own, transforming into countless streams of chaotic energy that vanished without a trace.

The former master slammed his palm into the Source Sea, stirring up towering turbid waves. Fragments of the Dao principles scattered like rain, and Li Mu's clone was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm?" The former master's eyes narrowed slightly, and his vast divine sense quickly swept across the entire Myriad Dao Source Sea.

In a certain part of the void, a wisp of gray air quietly condensed, and Li Mu's clone reappeared, cupping his hands and smiling, "Senior's palm power is amazing, but unfortunately it can't do anything to me."

"Is that so!" The former master was furious and slammed his giant hand down repeatedly.

"Boom boom boom!"

The powerful palm strike locked onto Li Mu's clone, its force incredibly sharp.

However, Li Mu's clones sometimes turned into mist, sometimes into light, and sometimes scattered into countless streams, always able to vanish and escape the moment the palm strike touched his body.

"The Chaos Dao Form is indeed slippery!" The former master stopped his attack, his Vast Vein True Body slightly lowered, and he said in a low voice, "I'd like to see how long you can hide!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the former master opened his arms, and the illusory shadows of the earth veins around him trembled violently.

"All paths... return to stillness!"

In an instant, the entire Myriad Dao Source Sea solidified, the surging source sea transformed into indestructible Dao crystals, countless suspended fragments of laws froze in mid-air, and even the flow of time and space became viscous and slow.

Li Mu's clone froze, all paths were solidified, and the power of the Chaos Great Dao was forcibly suppressed.

"What do you think of this method?" The old master's giant eyes looked down at Li Mu's clone and said condescendingly, "The Origin Sea is my Dao field, and all Daos obey my command. No matter how profound the Chaos Dao is, it cannot escape this world!"

Li Mu's clone's expression darkened slightly, and he quickly formed a Daoist incantation with both hands.

The chaotic Daoist energy surged from his body, transforming into five-colored streams of light: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The five colors intertwined, and his body suddenly collapsed, turning into an imperceptible speck of dust, disappearing into a crimson fragment beside him.
Sealed within the fragment was a withered sun; though the true fire that had extinguished the world had died down, its remnants remained. Li Mu's clone hid within the remnants of the fire element, its chaotic Daoist essence mimicking the nature of fire, merging with the fragment's original essence.

The old master's divine sense swept across the entire solidified Sea of ​​Myriad Dao Sources, probing it inch by inch.

"Still trying to hide?" The former master sneered, disdainfully saying, "I control all the Dao, and every wisp of Dao essence is within my perception. Get out here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the former master raised his hand and made a grasping motion. Countless illusory earth veins stretched out like tentacles and pierced into fragments of laws.

The crimson fragments were entangled by three illusory veins, and the remaining fire energy was forcibly extracted.

Inside the fragment, Li Mu's clone fully activated the Chaos Dao Aura, simulating his aura to be indistinguishable from the remnant of the fire source.

The former master frowned slightly. Just a moment ago, He clearly sensed something amiss. The Daoist essence within the fragment of the fire source seemed too "vibrant," yet He was unable to detect the source of the chaotic Dao.

Finding nothing amiss, they moved on to the next fragment.

"A clown!" The former master sneered, a vertical line appearing between his brows, from which emanated the primordial light of chaos at the beginning of creation.

"Source Eye, open."

The next moment, the vertical line between the eyebrows of the former master Dao Xiang opened, revealing a turbid, huge eye.

The giant eye swept across, revealing the essence of all Daoist principles. Among the fragments of laws, a grayish-brown color had nowhere to hide.

"Found you!" The former master's giant hand reached out, clawing straight at the fragment of law.

Within the fragment, Li Mu's clone suddenly sensed danger, his figure vanished, transforming into a stream of azure light, and disappeared into the nearby transparent river fragment.

"Five Elements Transformation?" The former master's murky, enormous eyes swirled, locking onto the water element fragment: "Let's see how many times you can transform!"

The next moment, the will of the former master followed closely behind, and the fragments of laws that Li Mu's clone had fallen into shattered one after another, transforming into the Dao Source Returning to the Dao Appearance of the former master.

With the source sea solidified, the source of the Dao could no longer be hidden. Li Mu simply manifested his form from the fragments and faced his former master directly.

"I admire your supernatural abilities, senior." Li Mu's clone cupped his hands and smiled, indicating, "However, although the Origin Sea is solid and the myriad paths are silent, there is one place... that you may not be able to fully grasp."

The former master narrowed his massive eyes slightly: "Where?"

“The Origin of the Mystery.” Li Mu’s clone chuckled, a wisp of eerie white light surging around him.

The stream meandered and flowed, and wherever it passed, the solidified ocean rippled slightly.

The former master's face darkened: "Do you dare to release this thing again to defile the Source Sea?"

Li Mu's clone shook his head and said, "The origin of the Ghost Clan is most adept at erosion and assimilation. Although that wisp of Ghost Origin was suppressed by you, senior, it has already quietly seeped into the illusory image of the earth veins."

The former master was startled and hurriedly checked the illusory images of the earth veins around his body.

Sure enough, the ends of the three phantoms turned a strange white color and were slowly spreading upwards.

"This thing cannot harm your fundamental nature, but it can disturb your perception." Li Mu's clone seized the opportunity and said, "The Origin Sea is vast, and there are countless fragments of laws. Even if you have the Origin Eye, it would be difficult for you to lock onto me instantly under the interference of the strange source."

“Young man, you do have some skills.” A murderous glint flashed in the old master’s eyes as he said smugly, “However, you’ve forgotten one thing: this Origin Sea was originally formed from my body.”

After saying this, the former master's massive body sank into the Sea of ​​Myriad Paths.

The entire surface of the crystal-clear sea rippled, and countless fragments of laws sank in, coalescing into nine towering, earthen-yellow pillars.

The giant pillars are arranged in a nine-square grid, their bodies wrapped around the earth's veins, exuding a profound Daoist aura that has suppressed countless ages.

"Nine Meridians Suppressing Origin Formation." The old master's voice came from the center of the nine pillars: "Once this method is used, all paths within the Origin Sea will be imprisoned. No matter how many transformations you have, you cannot escape between these nine pillars."

Li Mu's clone felt a tightness all over his body, the flow of chaotic Dao rhythm became sluggish, and the ability of the Five Elements Transformation was completely sealed.

The nine giant pillars continued to grow taller, and the earth vein patterns on their shafts lit up, projecting dense chains of Dao principles that wove together a giant net that covered the sky, enveloping Li Mu's clone.

Before the giant net even arrived, the suppressive power caused countless cracks to appear on Li Mu's clone body.

Li Mu's clone looked up calmly at the Dao Net, then suddenly smiled. On the verge of death, he transformed all the Chaos Origin into the Deceptive Dao Origin, thus infiltrating the Myriad Dao Origin Sea.

Before his clone disintegrated, Li Mu's last glance revealed the burning killing intent bursting from his former master's massive, turbid yellow eyes.

"How dare you, junior!" The former master roared, and Li Mu's clone completely transformed into countless eerie white threads, burrowing into the solidified source sea like living things.

Where the white silk touched, the surface of the crystal sea quickly turned gray and rusty, and countless fragments hissed as their origin was eroded by the strange power!

"You vile creatures of the Ghost Clan, how dare you defile my Source Sea!"

The former master slammed his palms together, and the nine earth vein pillars burst forth with earthy yellow light, sweeping in like a tide, forcing back and imprisoning the invading, eerie white threads layer by layer.

However, the eerie white threads were too strange, with most of them penetrating deep into the illusory earth veins and eroding in the opposite direction along the original veins of the vast land.

"court death!"

The former master was furious, and the entire Myriad Paths Origin Sea trembled violently. Fragments of laws burned wildly, turning into the World-Burning Purifying Fire, scorching every corner tainted by the strange silk.

……

Starry Sky Platform.

At the center of the formation, Li Mu's clone suddenly opened his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, Fellow Daoist Haotian, everyone—quickly close your Dao Domains and conceal your origins!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Mu's chaotic clone collapsed and transformed into countless Dao Sources of Returning to the Source, disappearing into the Eight Extremes Array Eye.

Gu Xi Dao Zu's expression changed drastically, and he quickly formed the Gui Cang Seal with both hands: "Gui Cang gathers the breath, all paths return to stillness!"

The clear, radiant Daoist aura cascaded down like a waterfall, enveloping the entire Dao platform. At the eye of the Eight Extremes Array, the chaotic Dao source rapidly transformed, the gray Dao light fading away and turning into the colorless and formless Gui Cang True Meaning, spreading backward along the earth's vein network.

In the Eastern Thunder Domain, Dao Ancestor Lei Yan was drawing upon the Thunder Pool to nurture his Dao foundation when he suddenly felt a tremor in his Chaotic Roots. He heard Li Mu urgently chant, "Fellow Daoist Lei Yan, close the Thunder Pool and conceal the Dao Source!"

Lei Yan didn't ask any more questions. With a flick of his purple sleeve, the ten-thousand-foot-deep thunder pool instantly fell silent, the Dao patterns on the main trunk of the Thunder Ancestral Tree receded, and its aura plummeted to the bottom of the valley.

The ancestral trees of the eight domains—the Western Azure Domain, the Southern Tide Domain, the Northern Fluorescent Domain, and so on—closed up simultaneously, the light of the Dao in all realms was extinguished, and the boundary walls turned dark.

In the Crimson Flame Ancestral Domain, just as the Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor had obeyed Li Mu's divine sense and concealed the Chaos Dao Source, he suddenly felt a violent tremor coming from the depths of the earth's veins.

"what happened?"

"What the hell is that guy doing!" Dao Ancestor Chixiao felt a chill and quickly summoned the nine remnant suns to protect his body, locking down the Crimson Flame Dao Domain layer by layer.

The Heavenly Demon Blood Forest, the Weak Water Abyss, the Plague Ancestral Domain, the Chenguang Dojo... all the Dao Ancestors of the various domains sensed this and closed their domains to protect themselves.

……

Deep within the myriad primordial seas, the former master burned away all the strange threads, and his turbid yellow giant eyes swept across every inch of the primordial seas.

"The chaotic aura... has vanished?"

The ancient ancestor's divine sense spread out like a net, penetrating the crystal wall of the source sea and reaching the middle layer of the vast land. The auras of billions of Dao Ancestors flickered like stars, but not a single strand could match the chaotic Dao rhyme from before.

"Hidden away?" The former master sneered, "Within this vast land, where can you hide!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the true form of the Vast Vein was fully unleashed, transforming into billions of divine thoughts of the earth veins, which spread wildly along the Vast Vein.

The Eastern Fire Hell, the Western Weak Water, the Southern Blood Forest, the Northern Bone Plains... every Dao Domain was swept by divine sense.

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor felt a vast will sweep through the depths of the earth's veins, causing his fiery heart to suddenly turn cold, and the nine waning suns to dim simultaneously.

"This is... the will of the Vast Earth?" Dao Ancestor Chixiao's face turned pale, and he said in disbelief, "That brat Li Mu actually triggered such a being?"

The Heavenly Demon Ancestor's bloodshot eyes narrowed, his bone claws gripped the throne tightly, and the blood mist around his body receded as if it were iron.

Xuan Sha, Wen Huang, Chen Guang, Ming Gu, Jin Xi... all the ancestors held their breath and dared not reveal even a trace of their aura.

The old master's divine sense swept across the vast land, even exploring the depths of the ancient tombs in the burial path three times.

No.

That wisp of chaotic Daoist essence vanished completely, as if evaporated, leaving not even the slightest trace.

The former master laughed in fury, "You think you can escape like this?"

The next moment, Haomai's true form reassembled, raising his arms high: "Since you are unwilling to show yourself... then let all the spirits of this vast land bear the calamity for you!"

With a deafening roar, the vast land trembled violently, and endless calamity power poured out from the Origin Sea, like ink being poured into a clear pool, instantly staining the entire land.

"The power of the calamity tide has increased dramatically! How could this be!" Qingyuan Daozu's green eyes widened as he stared at the surging, pitch-black calamity power outside the boundary wall and exclaimed in shock.

Lei Yan Daozu suddenly stood up, exclaiming in disbelief, "What's going on? Why has the tribulation power suddenly increased several times over!"

On the Starry Dao Platform, Gu Xi, Hao Tian, ​​and the other Dao Ancestors exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Chi Xiao, Tian Yao, and other Dao Ancestors from other realms also felt the reverse flow of the earth's veins and the backlash of calamity power. Their respective Dao Domains trembled incessantly, and their shocked and angry thoughts exploded like thunder:

"A traitor surnamed Li?!"

"He's going to kill us all!"

……

Just as the ancestors were filled with shock and anger, Li Mu arrived by telepathy and calmly said, "Fellow Daoists, please calm down and listen to what I have to say."

Upon hearing this, all the Dao Ancestors were taken aback.

"The power of the calamity surged, and the Origin Sea trembled because my wisp of an avatar just now defiled the foundation of the old master's Dao with a strange source." Li Mu spoke slowly and deliberately. "The old master was furious, so he activated the vast earth veins and raised the power of the calamity tide to the extreme, trying to force me to show myself."

Haotian Daozu's starry eyes narrowed: "Former master?"

“Deep within the Myriad Origin Sea slumbers the remnant will of Haotu.” A series of shattered images appeared in Li Mu’s mind: the crystal-clear Origin Sea, the earthen-yellow behemoth, and the chains of the earth veins, indicating that “during the ancient calamity of ‘Heaven and Earth Weeping Blood,’ Haotu’s will collapsed, and his remnant soul fled into the Origin Sea to slumber. In order to prolong its life, it triggers the calamity cycle every 129,600 years to harvest the origin of all ancestors and fill the void in its Dao foundation.”

Gu Xi Daozu gasped in shock, exclaiming, "So... this is the reason for the calamity's destruction!"

“No wonder ancient texts record that the earth’s veins are always three-tenths dry after each calamity.” Qingyuan Daozu’s blue eyes dimmed: “It’s drinking poison to quench its thirst.”

Lei Yan Daozu said urgently, "What's the use of saying all this now! The calamity is already upon us, how can we resist it?"

“Hold on!” Li Mu said decisively, “I used the source of evil to corrupt its earth veins and foundation. The old master may seem powerful at the moment, but it is actually weak inside. It needs to divide its attention to suppress the erosion of the source of evil and cannot hold on for long. All you need to do is hold your Dao domain and withstand this counterattack. The calamity will naturally subside.”

The Heavenly Demon Ancestor coldly transmitted his thoughts: "You think you can just bear it? This tribulation power is so intense that even a peak Dao Integration Realm expert would have difficulty enduring it for three days!"

"If we can't hold on, we will die!" Li Mu coldly warned, "When the former master reaped the myriad ancestors, did he show any mercy? If we let go now, the calamity will pour in, and our Dao Domain will turn to ashes in an instant. If we unite and defend together, we may still have a chance to survive when its sinister source erupts."

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor asked impatiently, "How confident are you?"

"Seventy percent!" Li Mu said, "The source of the evil has seeped into the earth's veins by thirty percent. Every moment that passes, the former master weakens by one point. Fellow Daoists, our lives depend on this!"

Ancient Dao Ancestor Gu Xi made the first hand seal, and a bright light shone forth: "I trust Fellow Daoist Li. All realms, heed my command—close the boundaries and lock the source, guard the earth's veins to the death!"

Dao Ancestor Haotian agreed, "That's the only way!"

Lei Yan Daozu gritted his teeth and said, "Let's gamble on this one!"

Qingyuan, Chaoyuan, Yinghong, Youguang, and Yeyan responded in succession, and the Eight Extremes Array light condensed again, desperately resisting the dark calamity tide.

Dao Ancestor Chixiao snorted angrily, formed hand seals, and sealed off the Crimson Flame Ancestral Domain layer by layer.

The Heavenly Demon Ancestor's blood-red eyes flashed, and the ancestors of Xuan Sha, Wen Huang, Chen Guang, Ming Gu, and Jin Xi no longer hesitated, each displaying their supernatural powers to seal off and defend their domains. (End of Chapter)