Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Above the myriad primordial sea, chaotic energy rises and falls.

Li Mu sat cross-legged in the void, his chaotic will expanding like a fine spider web along the dense veins of the vast earth, his Dao-transforming will melting into the entire vast earth.

The unexpected discovery of the Devouring Ancient Demon made Li Mu realize that his understanding of the Vast Land was still very limited, and he needed to spend some time to thoroughly understand it.

Li Mu soon made a discovery.

Thirty-six hundred thousand years of harvesting by the former master has made the source energy on the surface of the vast land thin and the source veins fragile. However, in the deepest part of the vast land, in the "source marrow layer" that even the former master could hardly touch, there are still endless shimmering light spots.

The points of light varied in size and color; some were as red as a branding iron, some as blue as the deep sea, and some as green as new buds in early spring. They were quietly embedded in the crystal of the source vein, radiating pure Daoist energy.

"Fragments of the Primordial Dao Source!"

Li Mu opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a chaotic swirling starlight.

These fragments are the "primordial imprints" that splashed down when the vast land was first created and the myriad paths diverged. When the old master harvested them, he only took the mature surface of the origin, while these fragments that were buried deep in the core and had not yet grown were fortunate enough to survive.

"If it can be awakened, it will be the best foundation for the ancestral tree!"

With a thought, Li Mu caused the Chaos Dao Fruit to emerge from between his brows and hover above the Origin Sea.

"Chaos is the furnace, and all paths are the fuel—gather together."

Li Mu formed hand seals, and a hazy Dao light surged from the Dao Fruit, sweeping across the entire Origin Sea like a tide. The surface of the crystal-clear sea rippled, and countless suspended fragments of laws were drawn by the Dao light, converging towards the center.

The fragments collided and merged with each other, gradually condensing into a pool with a diameter of a hundred feet under the harmonization of the chaotic Dao rhythm.

The pool walls are grayish-white, with a blurry scene resembling the creation of the world flowing across the surface. Inside the pool, there is only a constantly rotating gray vortex, and deep within the vortex, specks of starlight are faintly visible.

"The Chaotic Spirit-Generating Pool, condense!"

Li Mu withdrew the seal, and the pool sank into the center of the Source Sea, connecting with the core of the Source Vein.

The rotation speed of the vortex in the pool gradually slowed down, and the hazy light gradually settled, turning into a thin layer of "source slurry". The source slurry was chaotic in color and contained the true meaning of myriad paths. The innate source fragments that were drawn in floated in it like stars.

“This pool uses the Dao of Chaos as a warm bed, which can nourish the spirituality of the fragments and promote their transformation.” Li Mu murmured to himself, then said in a deep voice, “However, the fragments have been dormant for too long and need to be ‘awakened’ by external force.”

Before he could finish speaking, a wisp of Li Mu's Daoist thought pierced through the void and reached the Starry Dao Platform.
-
……

The Forest of Ancestral Trees.

Xue'er was closing her eyes to nurture the Five Luminaries Moon Array, and the Moonlight was faintly visible in the Taiyin True Eye between her brows. Suddenly, she felt a familiar Dao thought fall into her sea of ​​consciousness: "Xue'er, bring Xiao Jin, Mingyue, and the others to the Myriad Dao Source Sea immediately."

Xue'er opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in her icy blue pupils, and quickly replied, "Okay, Brother Li will be there soon!"

Next, Xue'er spread her divine sense, and in a short while, hundreds of figures landed in Xue'er's Dao Domain.

"Did our master call us?" Little Gold appeared and asked excitedly.

Tie Tou scratched his head and asked with concern, "Did Master want to see us about something?"

Lin Xiaolun, Da Niu, and the disciples arrived one after another. They exchanged glances and then looked at Xue'er.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Xue'er gestured, "I don't know the details either, let's go and talk about it first."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xue'er raised her hand and tore open the void, revealing an icy blue passage.

The crowd filed in.

The source of all paths is the sea.

One by one, figures stepped out of the passage, and the scene before them startled them.

The surface of the crystal-clear sea was as still as a mirror, with a gray-white pool floating quietly in the center, its surface sparkling with starlight and exuding an extremely pure Daoist essence.

Li Mu, his blue robe fluttering, stood by the pond, his mind seemingly immersed in the water.

"Brother Li." Xue'er stepped forward.

Li Mu turned around and glanced at everyone: "You're here."

Xiao Jin stepped forward: "Master, what are your orders?"

Li Mu looked at the Spirit Nurturing Pool and introduced it with a smile: "This pool was forged by me with the Dao of Chaos, and contains fragments of the innate Dao source. The fragments are dormant deep in the core of the earth, with weak spirituality. They need to be awakened by your Dao principles to awaken those within that are in harmony with your own Dao, so as to help them take root."

Tie Tou's eyes widened, and he asked with concern, "What should we do?"

“Inject the Daoist essence of the realm lords you have chosen into the pool, and sense the fragments that resonate with the Great Dao.” Li Mu explained, “The fragments, guided by the Daoist essence, will awaken their spirituality and transform into ‘innate Dao seeds.’ These seeds are inherently spiritual and have a Daoist essence inclination, making them easier to merge with realm lords than the Dao seeds that were differentiated previously.”

Mingyue's silver eyes gleamed: "Master intends to mass-produce Dao Seeds?"

“Exactly.” Li Mu nodded and said, “The vast land needs ten thousand ancestral trees to form a forest to nourish the source. The more the better. Time is of the essence. Ordinary Dao seeds are too slow to cultivate. If the innate Dao seed can be successfully condensed, it can save thousands of years of nurturing!”

Li Mu's encouraging gaze swept over Xue'er, Xiao Jin, and the other core disciples. With a flick of his sleeve, the hazy gray vortex in the pool stopped, revealing the starlight floating within.
"I'll give it a try!"

Xue'er stepped forward, gently raised her hand, and a ray of bright moonlight shone from her Taiyin True Eye between her brows, flowing like a babbling brook into the Spirit Nurturing Pool.

The moonlight, cool and clear, did not merge with the chaotic primordial liquid, but instead entwined itself around that silvery-white fragment.

The fragment touched the moonlight and trembled slightly.

The next moment, a burst of silver light shone brightly! Ice patterns spread across the surface of the fragments, emitting a faint "crackling" sound, like spring ice just beginning to crack.

A pure and ancient Taiyin yin energy awakened, actively absorbing the moonlight. The fragments changed shape, elongating and condensing... In just three breaths, it transformed into a moon-white Dao seed the size of a longan, crystal clear throughout. A crescent moon pattern was naturally imprinted on the seed coat, radiating a clear glow.

The seed swayed slightly and floated up on its own, landing in Xue'er's palm, emanating a faint spiritual fluctuation of intimacy and dependence.

"It's done!" Xue'er's eyes lit up with joy as she felt the innate Taiyin source power within the Dao Seed, which was purer than the one she had condensed herself.

Seeing this, Xiao Jin hurriedly said, "Master, I want to come too!"

Xiao Jin strode forward, let out a low roar, and his crimson-gold battle intent erupted. The natural battle pattern on his back pierced through his body, transforming into a fierce and unrestrained torrent of battle intent that surged into the Spirit Nurturing Pool!

Several dark golden fragments in the pool lit up simultaneously, humming and vibrating, as if stimulated by this pure fighting spirit.

Finally, a golden fragment of Dao Source absorbed a large amount of battle intent, exploded into a burst of golden light, and quickly condensed into a battle Dao seed with distinct edges and a resounding clang, which flew towards Little Gold.

"Haha! What a good seed!" Xiao Jin grabbed it, feeling a slight heaviness in his palm. A simple desire for conquest and tempering emanated from within the seed. Iron Head was not to be outdone. His body was engulfed in flames, which transformed into a crimson line of fire that shot into the pool, causing the three flaming fragments to resonate and awaken a crimson seed with fire patterns within it.

The bright moon's silver eyes swirled, and the sea of ​​data light transformed into invisible ripples that seeped in, awakening a Dao Seed that was silvery-white and translucent, with subtle puppet patterns appearing on its surface.

……

In an instant, Daoist energy soared into the sky from the edge of the Spirit Nurturing Pool, and various colored lights lit up one after another.

The Dao Ancestors exerted all their strength to unleash the true meaning of the Great Dao of their subordinate Realm Lords, which resonated with the sleeping fragments in the pool. The fragments chose their masters and awakened, transforming into innate Dao Seeds full of spirituality and distinct Dao charm.

Li Mu stood with his hands behind his back, the chaotic starlight in his eyes slowly rotating, reflecting the entire awakening process.

Under the harmonization of its chaotic will, the Chaotic Spirit-Nourishing Pool steadily receives the infusion of numerous Daoist principles, with the source elixir surging within the pool in an orderly manner!
After about half a day, the starlight in the pool dimmed considerably, and the awakening process was nearing its end.

Xue'er awakened five Moon-attribute Dao Seeds, Xiao Jin obtained four Battle Dao Seeds, and Tie Tou, Ming Yue, Lin Xiaolun, Da Niu, and others each obtained three to five. The number of Dao Seeds floating in front of everyone totaled two thousand, with bright spiritual light and vivid Dao charm, completely different from the previous batch of "acquired Dao Seeds" that required a long period of nurturing.

Li Mu nodded slightly: "Not bad."

Li Mu raised his eyes, his will piercing through the Origin Sea, looking towards the direction of the Star Evolution Dao Platform, his Dao voice resounding throughout the vast land: "Dao Ancestors of all domains, come quickly to the Myriad Dao Origin Sea."

……

Before long, streaks of light pierced through the void and descended one after another.

Gu Xi, Hao Tian, ​​Lei Yan, Qing Yuan, Chi Xiao, Tian Yao... Fifteen Dao Ancestors at the peak of the Dao Integration stage, along with hundreds of disciples who had condensed the Ancestral Tree Dharma Image, gathered at the Spirit Nurturing Pool.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the remaining fragments in the pool and the fresh Dao seeds floating in front of the disciples.

"This is!" Ancient Dao Ancestor Qinghui's eyes flashed with astonishment, and he exclaimed in shock, "A seed transformed from the innate Dao source? Its spirituality is so abundant!"

Sensing the pure Dao aura emanating from the Dao Seed, Dao Ancestor Haotian exclaimed, "Dao Master, what a brilliant method! Using this seed to cultivate the Ancestral Tree will yield twice the result with half the effort."

Li Mu looked at the assembled Dao Ancestors and went straight to the point: "This is a 'Primordial Dao Seed,' which possesses its own spirituality and Daoist inclination. Those that are compatible can fuse with it, saving thousands of years of nurturing. There are still more than eight thousand fragments in the pool. You can use the previous method to awaken the compatible seeds in your respective Dao domains with your subordinate Daoist rhythms."

He paused, then pointed to the Dao Seeds in front of Xue'er and the others: "Xue'er and Xiao Jin, you each distribute these awakened Dao Seeds to your chosen subordinate Realm Lords, and strive to help them all merge with the Dao and condense the Ancestral Tree Dharma Form within five thousand years!"

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

Five thousand years? To help the realm lord achieve enlightenment? Or to exhaust all possibilities?

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's fiery eyes flashed, and he couldn't help but say, "Daoist Master Li, each Realm Lord's cultivation has its own opportunities. Five thousand years to merge with the Dao... isn't that too hasty?"

The Heavenly Demon Dao Ancestor frowned and said, "Even with an innate Dao seed, planting the Dao, fusing with the Dao, refining, comprehending the Dao, becoming the Dao, and merging with the Dao... all require time. Five thousand years, I'm afraid some realm lords may not even be able to completely refine the Dao seed."

Li Mu's expression remained unchanged as he solemnly said, "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. The Chaos Spiritual Pool can sustainably nourish the spirituality of the Dao Seed, shortening the fusion time. Your respective Dao Domains must cooperate fully to open up the 'Time Origin Secret Realm,' accumulating resources and infusing them with Dao essence. If you encounter any bottlenecks, you can go to the Star Evolution Dao Platform, where I will personally give lectures and guidance."

Li Mu's gaze fell on the two Dao Ancestors, Gu Xi and Hao Tian, ​​and he gestured, "The Star Evolution Dao Platform needs to establish the 'Ten Thousand Dao Pavilion' to collect the secret techniques and classics of various domains, and open them to all realm masters who are compatible with the Dao Seed for study and comprehension. The cultivation resources will be uniformly allocated by the Zhou Tian Chaos Array, and priority will be given to supplying realm masters who are trying to break through to the Dao Integration stage."

Gu Xi and Hao Tian exchanged a glance and bowed in unison, saying, "We obey the Dao Master's command."

Li Mu then looked at Lei Yan, Chi Xiao, and the other ancestors, and gestured, "The ancestral trees of each domain need to set aside a wisp of their original Dao essence to reside permanently in the secluded cultivation place of the realm lord, to help him comprehend the Great Dao. You have all experienced the Dao Integration and have gained insights and understanding, so there is no need to be stingy with your guidance."

Lei Yan Daozu frowned and sighed, "Fine! I'll swallow my pride and teach those brats about the Dao of Thunder!"

Qingyuan Daozu nodded and said, "I also have some insights into the way of life."

Upon seeing this, the Dao Ancestors from other realms, including Chenguang, Minggu, and Jinxi, all nodded in agreement.

"Since there are no objections, let's begin!" Li Mu flicked his sleeve, and the Chaos Spirit-Nourishing Pool changed accordingly. The Dao patterns on the pool walls lit up, dividing the space inside the pool into more than a dozen areas: "Each of you choose one area, infuse it with Dao essence, and awaken the Dao seed. Do not be greedy, strive for harmony."

The Dao Ancestors said no more and stepped forward, each taking their place in a different direction.

Ancient Dao Ancestor's pure radiance and Daoist charm flowed like mist, seeping into the pool, and several gray fragments containing the Daoist charm of returning to the source and sealing away gradually lit up.

The brilliance of the Great Heavenly Dao Ancestor shone brightly, drawing upon fragments of the Dao of Star Evolution and Deduction.

Lei Yan Daozu unleashed a torrent of purple lightning, specifically seeking the fragments of the violent lightning source.

The Crimson Sky Dao Ancestor's flames blazed fiercely, while the Heavenly Demon Dao Ancestor's blood surged... Each Dao Ancestor displayed their abilities, causing the Spirit Nurturing Pool to flash with chaotic light and intertwine with Daoist rhymes. One after another, the innate Dao Seeds broke free of their fragmented forms and flew towards their respective awakeners.

Xue'er, Xiao Jin, and other disciples were not idle either. They returned to their respective Dao Domains, recruited their capable subordinates, and distributed the Dao Seeds.

The realm lords received the Dao Seeds, sensed the vibrant Dao essence within them, and were deeply moved by the Dao source that resonated with their own. They all bowed in gratitude.

……

Time quietly slipped away amidst the resounding Taoist chants and flowing radiance.

Three years later.

As the last bit of starlight in the Spirit Nurturing Pool dimmed, all the fragments of the innate Dao source that could be awakened transformed into innate Dao seeds. The total number of Dao seeds floating on the edge of the pool was nearly seven thousand!
Before the disciples of the ancestral lineage, Dao seeds floated in the air, their spiritual light reflecting off each other in a magnificent display.

Li Mu gazed at the seven thousand vibrant innate Dao seeds and gestured to the Dao Ancestors, saying, "These innate Dao seeds are rare finds; each of you should return to your respective domains, quickly choose a realm lord, and assist them in fusion; the method of fusion is to communicate with the spirituality of the Dao seeds through divine thought, guiding them into the Dao source, using the realm seal as a bridge and the source vein as a foundation, proceeding slowly; if there is any backlash, it must be suppressed with the true intent of chaos, you may come to find me!"

After a pause, Li Mu looked at the assembled Dao Ancestors and solemnly added, "Five thousand years is a long time for mortals, but only a moment on the path of the Dao; whether the Vast Land can stand tall among the heavens ten thousand years from now depends on whether these Dao Seeds can be successfully nurtured, supporting a 'Forest of Ten Thousand Ancestors' and providing a sky for the Vast Land!"

"I will obey the Dao Lord's command!"

All the Daoist masters responded in unison.

The next moment, Dao Ancestor Gu Xi swept his sleeves and collected the more than sixty Dao Seeds he had obtained from the Gui Cang Domain. With a flash of clear light, he was the first to leave.

Dao Ancestor Haotian, Dao Ancestor Leiyan, Dao Ancestor Qingyuan, and others successively collected the Dao Seeds and transformed into streaks of light to escape.

Chi Xiao, Tian Yao, Xuan Sha, and other Dao Ancestors from other realms, looking at the dozens of fresh innate Dao Seeds with different attributes in front of them, still had their own plans.

However, considering the threat from the Purple Cloud Vast Land of the Outer Regions, they knew they had no other choice. They carefully put away their innate Dao Seeds and respectfully bowed to Li Mu to take their leave.

……

Before long, the Myriad Dao Source Sea returned to silence, with only the Spirit Nurturing Pool floating quietly. The gray source liquid within the pool flowed continuously, as if accumulating power in preparation for the nurturing of the next batch of Dao Seeds.

Soon, Li Mu's figure faded away, his will returning to the Chaos Dao Fruit, merging with the Zhou Tian Chaos Array enveloping the vast land. He closely monitored all movements within the 'Dao Ancestor's Forest,' continuing to explore the deeper source veins of the vast land, anticipating even more surprising discoveries! (End of Chapter)