Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The burial path leads to an ancient tomb, in the void.

The black crystal core completely melted in Li Mu's palm, its aura as deep as the sea, as if it had merged with the entire vast land.

"Senior." Li Mu's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the black-robed elder standing before him and cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you for your help."

A smile appeared on the old man's face, a look of relief on his face. He said with a smile, "Don't be in such a hurry to thank me. Although you have inherited the power of the Vast Land, the hidden dangers have not been eliminated."

Li Mu's gaze sharpened: "What are you referring to, senior?"

“This vast land!” The black-robed elder’s gaze swept across the boundless land beneath his feet, and he said desolately, “Having endured the ancient calamity of ‘Heaven and Earth Weeping Blood’ and suffered 360,000 years of plundering and harvesting by its former master, its origin is severely depleted. It appears vast, but in reality, its interior is hollow, like a cauldron with a leaky bottom!”

The old man in black robes paused for a moment, then continued, “You have used the Chaos Dao Fruit to merge with the remaining source of the vast land and regained power. Although the earth veins have been restored and the source energy has been reborn, you are like a person who has just recovered from a long illness, with both qi and blood depleted. If the source energy leaks out too much at this time, the fluctuations will spread out of this world... which may attract the attention of powerful cultivators in the surrounding areas.”

"A Dao Transformation Realm expert?" Li Mu's heart trembled slightly.

“Not bad!” The old man in black robes nodded slightly, his blurry figure fading further as he continued, “Do you think the Vast Land is the only one? There are heavens beyond heavens, and boundaries beyond boundaries; in the endless void, there are countless Vast Lands that nurture all living beings. Each Vast Land has its own original will, and also the will of a Dao-transforming powerhouse, and the instinct to expand and devour!”

"The struggle for power never ends, and the law of the jungle prevails. A vast land with abundant resources and perfect laws can nurture more powerful beings, and even give birth to beings who surpass the Dao Transformation stage. Those with depleted resources and incomplete laws..."

At this point, the old man in black robes stopped speaking and simply gave Li Mu a deep look.

Li Mu remained silent for a moment before asking, "Senior, do you know what vast lands surround this region? And what are the levels of the experts within them?"

"I have been suppressed in the Origin Sea for too long, and my knowledge of the changes in the outside world is limited." The old man in black robes shook his head, indicating, "I only vaguely remember that before the collapse of the ancient world, I sensed the aura of the 'Purple Heaven Vast Land' shining like the sun in the far east; and in the deep northwest sky, there seemed to be the deathly aura of the 'Cold Nether Vast Land'... At that time, I was at my peak, and they dared not make a move. Now..."

At this point, the figure of the black-robed elder faded like wisps of smoke, his voice becoming ethereal. Finally, he said, "You inherit the Great Dao of Chaos and wield the power of this realm. The rise and fall of this vast land, and the survival of countless lives, rest on your shoulders. Stabilize your origin, strengthen yourself, and guard against external enemies... The road is long, very long. Take good care of yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the last trace of the old man in black robes turned into a stream of light and vanished completely, leaving only a faint sigh that echoed across the endless land.

Li Mu stood alone for a long time, then closed his eyes, merging his mind with the Chaos Dao Fruit, and connecting with the origin of the vast earth's veins through the Chaos Dao Fruit.

At this moment, Li Mu seemed to become the vast land itself, able to "hear" the murmuring "water sound" deep within the earth's veins, "see" the "veins" where the laws intertwined at the edge of the sea of ​​light, and "touch" the "coldness" of the endless void beyond the boundary wall.

Li Mu's will continued to spread along the source vein of the vast land, probing towards the edge of the vast land.

Passing through the desolate ruins, the source veins gradually thinned, and the source energy became sparse. Before a hazy barrier of chaos lay an endless, dark void beyond which occasionally a faint glimmer of light flashed, like distant stars or the faint light of other worlds.

In the south, beyond the desolate land further south of the Heavenly Demon Blood Forest, the source veins are severed, and at the weak points of the boundary wall, one can even feel wisps of source energy leaking out and dissipating into the void.

West, North, all directions... Li Mu's will extended like tentacles. The vast land was "bigger" and "more fragile" than he had imagined. In many peripheral areas, the boundary walls had developed minute cracks due to the old master's frantic extraction of the source and the aftermath of the recent battle, and were slowly repairing themselves.

In several distant directions, through the thin void turbulence, Li Mu vaguely sensed several vast, obscure, and oppressive outlines of will, like giant beasts lurking in the darkness, coldly "watching" this world that had just undergone drastic changes and whose light was not yet stable.

One of them, majestic and imposing, carrying an unquestionable sense of dominance, came from the far reaches of the East—or what the black-robed elder referred to as "the Purple Heaven Vast Land."

Another path, chilling and eerie, filled with the desire for plunder and destruction, lingers in the deep northwest sky, seemingly corresponding vaguely to the "cold and desolate land".

There are several other paths, some fiery, some gentle, some ethereal, none of which are benevolent.

Li Mu withdrew his divine sense, opened his eyes, and saw a chaotic swirling starlight in his pupils, reflecting a deep sense of worry.

"Internal troubles have just subsided, but external threats have arrived. Alas!" Li Mu muttered to himself, letting out a helpless sigh.
The next moment, Li Mu's figure flashed and he appeared on the Star Evolution Platform.

On the platform, the Dao Ancestors seemed to sense something, and they all looked up, revealing joy.

"Fellow Daoist Li!" Gu Xi spoke first, his face beaming with joy, and congratulated, "The vast land has been revived, and the calamity has been completely dispelled. This is an unprecedented event! Congratulations!"

Lei Yan Daozu said happily, "Fellow Daoist Li, congratulations on your successful transformation!"

Chi Xiao, Tian Yao, and the other seven ancestors from the outer realms also gathered, their expressions complex, and they all bowed in greeting.

Li Mu stood in mid-air, his green robe fluttering in the wind. His gaze swept over the ancestors, but he showed little joy. He said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, the calamity has passed, but the crisis is not over yet."

Upon hearing this, the smiles of the ancestors vanished, and they looked at Li Mu, bewildered.

Haotian Daozu's starry eyes flashed, and he asked with concern, "Fellow Daoist Li, what makes you say this? Is there perhaps some other hidden danger?"

Li Mu briefly recounted what the black-robed elder had said, along with his own feelings, and then solemnly warned, "The origin of this vast land is deficient, and the boundary is unstable, like a young child carrying gold walking in a bustling city. The surrounding heavens are filled with powerful enemies, and they will likely take action soon."

After Li Mu finished speaking, the platform fell silent.

The joy of surviving the ordeal was completely dispelled by Li Mu's words.

The Heavenly Demon Dao Ancestor's blood-red eyes contracted: "An external enemy? Surpassing even the Dao Transformation Realm? What should we do!"

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's fiery eyes blazed: "Fellow Daoist Li, now that you have achieved the Dao Transformation stage, are you capable of withstanding some of my attacks?"

Li Mu shook his head and said, "I have just entered this realm and my foundation is not yet solid. Although the Chaos Dao is good at encompassing and evolving, it requires a long time to grow. If the enemy is powerful or their realm is far superior to mine, I will not be able to fight them alone."

Gu Xi Daozu took a deep breath and said with emotion, "Does Fellow Daoist mean that we need to work together to resist foreign aggression?"

“Exactly.” Li Mu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the fifteen Dao Ancestors at the peak of the Dao Integration stage present, and indicated, “The survival of the Vast Land is not my concern alone. The old master has been eliminated, and the cycle of calamity has ended. From now on, the flow of Origin Qi and the evolution of the Dao should be jointly managed by us. However, the primary task is to stabilize the Origin, repair the boundary wall, and enhance the overall power of the Vast Land.”

After a pause, Li Mu continued, "I propose to use the Chaos Dao Fruit as the central hub to reweave the earth's vein network and construct the 'Great Chaos Array of the Zhou Tian,' with the ancestral trees of various domains as the array's cores. This will absorb the meager source energy from the void to nourish the vast land, while simultaneously reinforcing the boundary walls. Furthermore, an alliance must be established to prohibit unnecessary warfare within the vast land, and all resources must be prioritized for repair and enhancement."

Dao Ancestor Lei Yan frowned and said, "Constructing a great formation and repairing the boundary wall are extremely costly and cannot be accomplished overnight. Will those external enemies give us time?"

Li Mu said frankly, "They are also watching. We have just gone through a great calamity, and the old and new powers are changing hands. This is the most turbulent time. If they come, it will be to test us. If we can withstand the first few waves and show enough resilience and strength, we may be able to gain a chance to catch our breath."

Qingyuan Daozu pondered and said, "How can we withstand it? Fellow Daoist just said that there might be danger of being unable to defeat them."

A gray glint flashed in Li Mu's eyes: "By combining the power of the masses and borrowing the might of the formation, if the Chaos Formation can be initially completed, it can gather a portion of the primordial power of the vast land and unleash it in a short time, enough to frighten away ordinary covetous individuals. Furthermore..."

Li Mu looked at the assembled ancestors and said solemnly, "Fellow Daoists, you must all possess secret techniques and trump cards passed down within your Dao domains. In times of crisis, we should share and learn from these techniques in order to enhance our combat power in a short period of time."

The ancestors looked at each other, their expressions varied, and shared the secret method, which touched the very foundation—no easy task.

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor frowned and said, "The foundation of each lineage's existence, how can it be given away so easily?" Li Mu calmly replied, "If the vast land is covered up, what will become of the lineage? If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach? Besides, it's not something to be taken for free."

Li Mu raised his hand, and fifteen points of hazy gray light appeared, containing pure chaotic true meaning. He gestured and said, "This is a trace of chaotic origin true meaning that I comprehended when I transformed into the Dao. It may be beneficial for you fellow Daoists to comprehend the myriad Daos and repair your Dao foundation. How about exchanging it for me?"

The ancestors' gazes were immediately drawn to the hazy halo. The true meaning of chaos, which contained the source of all paths, was extremely tempting to them, beings at the peak of the Dao Integration stage.

Ancestor Chenguang spoke first, saying, "I agree. With external enemies at hand, we should indeed set aside our prejudices."

The ghostly flames flickered in the eye sockets of the Nether Bone Dao Ancestor's skeleton: "Agreed."

The Golden Dawn Dao Ancestor's sword intent resonated softly: "Good."

The Plague and the Mysterious Demon nodded in agreement.

Li Mu smiled and gestured, saying, "The oath of the Great Dao still stands, so everyone can rest assured!"

Gu Xi, Hao Tian, ​​and the other eight ancestors of the Star Path had no objection.

Li Mu nodded, flicked his finger, and fifteen points of Chaos True Intent flew towards the ancestors. "In that case, I ask all fellow Daoists to temporarily return to their respective domains, pacify the living beings, and reorganize the realm. Three days later, we will meet at the Star Evolution Dao Platform to discuss the construction of the great array, the details of the alliance, and... strategies to deal with possible attacks."

The ancestors received the true meaning of chaos, felt its profound mystery, their expressions softened, and they all bowed in agreement before dispersing one after another.

The Starry Sky Platform returned to silence.

Li Mu raised his eyes and looked towards the four corners of the vast land, watching the light of the ancestors disperse into various domains. In the depths of the sky, the tribulation clouds gradually faded, and wisps of chaotic Dao rhyme seeped into the vast land like silk threads.

"It's time to wake up."

Li Mu murmured to himself, raising his right hand as if to release a gray halo. This halo was the remnant of the Chaos Dao Tree that had dissipated during the battle, containing fragments of 50,000 realms, the lingering thoughts of 600 disciples, and the obsessions of billions of living beings.

Li Mu flicked his finger, and the halo exploded, turning into billions of starlight that scattered across the vast land.

A wisp of gray light fell into the scorched earth, gradually condensing into a curled-up fox shadow.

"Xue'er".

Li Mu's voice pierced through the void and landed in the fox shadow's ear.

Xue'er's eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her eyes. Seeing Li Mu's figure reflected in her gaze, she exclaimed excitedly, "Li...Brother?"

"You've slept enough, wake up!" Li Mu raised his hand and pointed, and chaotic primordial energy surged from the earth's veins, pouring into the fox's body.

The nine-tailed fox was reborn, and the icy blue light of the Dao soared into the sky. Xue'er flipped and leaped up, her aura rising steadily, from the late stage of Dao attainment to the peak... until it came to an abrupt end just before the threshold of Dao integration.

Xue'er stared blankly at Li Mu, and asked in surprise, "I...I'm not dead?"

"Dead, yet alive again!" Li Mu smiled and gestured, "The Chaos Dao Fruit reshapes all living beings. Since your divine soul imprints have not yet dissipated, you can naturally return smoothly and be reborn from the ashes!"

Before the words were finished, a deafening roar came from the Western Vajra Ape Realm.

"Roar!"

Xiao Jin's enormous ape body rose from the rubble, its battle wounds healing at a visible speed, and crimson-gold battle patterns spreading across its back, transforming into a natural armor.

"Master! I knew you wouldn't abandon us!" Little Gold looked at Li Mu excitedly.

The illusory moon re-condensed from the data stream, its puppet runes flashing: "Master, we lost 70% of our puppet soldiers in this battle!"

"It's alright, we can rebuild it," Li Mu said with a smile.

In the Northern Xuan Shui Dragon Realm, the Eastern Wan Gu Insect Realm, and the Southeast Desolate Ancient Battle Realm, figures rose from the ruins. Tie Tou, Lin Xiaolun, Da Niu, Er Hu, and six hundred and fifty-three disciples were all resurrected after being infused with the Chaos Origin, and their Daoist aura surged.

The disciples stood in mid-air, looking at Li Mu, and bowed in unison: "We thank our Master (Master) for his grace in giving us life!"

Li Mu fluttered his green robe and gestured, saying, "The old master has been eliminated, and the vast land has been initially stabilized; however, we are surrounded by external enemies, and this realm is weak. You all need to grow stronger quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu spread out his Chaotic Dao Domain, enveloping all his disciples.

"Today, I will preach to you to help you advance to the realm of Dao Integration!"

Within the Chaotic Dao Domain, the flow of time slowed dramatically. Li Mu sat cross-legged in the void, with an illusory Dao Tree appearing behind him. Its branches bore the birth and death of countless worlds, and its roots penetrated into the boundless Origin Sea.

"To unite with the Dao means to unite one's own Dao with the source of heaven and earth." Li Mu spoke, his Dao voice striking the hearts of his disciples: "You govern a realm, gather all spirits, and nurture your origin. This is the 'minor unity.' If you want to cross the threshold, you must connect the Dao of your realm with the veins of this vast land, draw upon the source Qi to nourish it, and forge the 'Ancestral Tree Dharma Image.'"

Xue'er frowned and asked, "Brother Li, how is the Ancestral Tree Dharma Image different from the ordinary Dao Integration Dharma Image?"

“Ordinary Dao attainment is limited to one’s own Dharma form. Even the greatest supernatural powers have their limits.” Li Mu raised his hand and gestured, and the gray Dao light condensed into a giant thunder tree, indicating, “The Ancestral Tree Dharma form takes the realm as its root, the earth’s veins as its branches, and the source Qi as its leaves. When the Dharma form appears, the power of the entire realm follows, and it can regulate the origin of the vast land!”

Tie Tou's eyes widened in surprise. "Then... that means he can contend with the Dao Ancestor?"

“The newly formed Ancestral Tree is comparable to the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm. If it is nurtured to its peak, it can fight against the late-stage.” Li Mu looked at his disciples. “Your realms have all been reshaped by the Chaos Origin, and your foundations far exceed those of ordinary small realms. Within a hundred years, seventy percent of you should be able to condense the Ancestral Tree Dharma Form.”

Lin Xiaolun took a deep breath and asked respectfully, "Master, what should we do?"

“Three steps.” Li Mu held up three fingers and indicated, “First, merge the boundary seal with the earth vein node; second, draw the source to scour the boundary wall and forge the ‘Source Vein Bridge’; third, use the divine soul as a seed to condense the ‘Core of the Ancestral Tree’. Once all three steps are completed, the Dharma form will naturally manifest.”

Li Mu flicked his fingers repeatedly, and 653 strands of chaotic true meaning entered the brows of the disciples.

"This is what I realized when I transformed into the Dao, containing the mechanism of the evolution of all Daos. You should all comprehend it according to your own nature, and I will see the results a hundred years from now!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison, then closed their eyes and immersed themselves in enlightenment. (End of Chapter)