Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Wan Hai Dao Yuan!

Li Mu's expression turned solemn as his divine sense returned to his body.

Li Mu opened his right palm, and a gray cloud of energy rose from his palm. Inside was a wisp of remnant Dao essence taken from the remains. The essence was dark in color, with spider web-like black patterns on its surface, and it exuded a chilling aura of decay.

"Gu Xi, Hao Tian, ​​come quickly."

Li Mu's divine sense pierced through the void and reached the Star Evolution Platform.

In less than three breaths, two streaks of light pierced through the air and arrived; Gu Xi Dao Zu's Qinghui Dao robe fluttered slightly, and Haotian Dao Zu's starry eyes were solemn, both landing in front of Li Mu.

"Dao Master," Dao Ancestor Gu Xi bowed, asking curiously, "What brings you to my urgent summons?"

Li Mu held the dark source of origin up to the two of them and said, "I was exploring the void just now and found a piece of the remnant of a vast land. This is a fragment of the Dao source that I extracted from it. Take a close look!"

The starlight of the Dao Ancestor Haotian swept over, his expression changed slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Such pure source power! However, the Dao power it contains is quite strange and ominous."

The ancient Dao Ancestor's pure and radiant Daoist aura probed in like silk, but the moment it touched the black patterns, it was suddenly protected and stopped by Li Mu.

"Be careful!" Li Mu warned.

Gu Xi Daozu frowned and nodded, his heart pounding as he said, "A cursed Dao mark! It specifically erodes the foundation of the Dao and pollutes the source veins. Ordinary Daozus would be injured if they touched such a source of Dao."

Li Mu nodded and said, "That vast land has become completely desolate, its source veins have collapsed, and all living beings have vanished. Only this kind of primordial essence remains. I take this sample to explore its origin!"

Gu Xi Daozu pondered for a moment and said, "Dao Master, could you please project the scene of the remains?"

Li Mu nodded, flicked his sleeve, and a gray light intertwined to form a curtain, reflecting what he had just seen: endless fragments suspended in the void, charred and withered, their source veins exposed like bones.

Haotian Daozu exclaimed in surprise, "This tragic state is not caused by external forces, but rather seems to be a collapse from within."

“I feel the same way.” Li Mu pointed to several of the most severely shattered fragments in the image and said, “Look closely, the cracks at the source core are radial, which is clearly a sign of the collapse of the Dao foundation and the backlash after forcibly devouring the external source.”

Gu Xi Daozu gasped, astonished, "Does Dao Master mean that the vast land once engaged in 'source hunting,' but suffered a backlash from the source it devoured, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Dao and the destruction of the realm?"

“Most likely.” Li Mu nodded solemnly and said, “These curse marks are most likely derived from the external source it devoured. The vast land was forcibly fused without purification, and the marks corrupted the core, triggering a chain reaction of collapses.”

The Dao Ancestor Haotian said solemnly, "If that's true, then this thing is extremely poisonous. Even if one's source is very strong, just a little bit of it will cause endless trouble."

Li Mu nodded and said, "I dared to bring it back only because I used the Chaos Dao Fire to isolate it. However, the Dao Fire alone is not enough to eradicate the curse marks!"

Before he finished speaking, the gray aura in Li Mu's palm suddenly trembled, and a faint "pulse" came from the depths of the black source.

"Hmm?" Li Mu's eyes narrowed.

Gu Xi and Hao Tian noticed at the same time, and their expressions changed.

The pulse was as clear as a heartbeat, and with each beat, the black lines on the surface of the source deepened, and the aura of decay became more intense.

“This thing… seems to still be ‘alive’!” Dao Ancestor Haotian exclaimed in shock.

Li Mu closed his eyes and concentrated, his chaotic will probing into the core of his origin like a needle.

Three breaths later, Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up, saying coldly, "It is not a living thing, but the 'Dao of Decay' that is multiplying on its own. This Dao Rhyme uses the source as nourishment to continuously replicate the Dao traces of the curse. The deeper the infection, the faster the decay."

Dao Ancestor Gu Xi's expression turned anxious, and he asked with concern, "Dao Master, is it possible to refine it with the Chaos Dao Fire? To completely purify it!"

Li Mu nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the Chaos Dao Fire rose from his palm, completely enveloping the primordial energy.

The gray Dao Fire burned fiercely, the dark origin hissed, and the black patterns on its surface struggled and twisted violently. This method failed to be refined by the Chaos Dao Fire. Instead, it began to erode the Chaos Dao Fire in reverse, like a malignant tumor.

After a hundred breaths, the Chaos Dao Fire still couldn't do anything to it. Li Mu frowned and withdrew the Chaos Dao Fire.

Li Mu looked at the two of them and said in a deep voice, "The Chaos Dao Fire can only temporarily suppress its proliferation and cannot completely refine it. This Dao trace is symbiotic with the origin. If you want to purify its source, you must cut off its root. This Dao source will be wasted."

Dao Ancestor Haotian frowned and asked, "Dao Master, where does the root of this thing lie?"

“Deep within those ruins,” Li Mu gazed at the northwest void and said solemnly, “If I am not mistaken, there must be a ‘Decay Core’ in the center of the ruins, the origin of the cursed Dao traces. Without destroying its source, even if we take more samples, it will ultimately be like drinking poison to quench our thirst!”

Gu Xi Dao Zu stroked his beard and pondered, "Dao Master, this thing is dangerous. Could you completely seal it off and prevent us from touching it again?"

Li Mu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The remains are rich in essence. If they can be purified, they are enough to rival the accumulation of the vast land over ten thousand years. With external threats looming, such resources should not be wasted!"

After saying that, Li Mu changed the subject and continued, "It would be unwise to absorb it rashly. The most urgent task is to deduce the 'purification method'."

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's eyes lit up, and he asked with concern, "Has the Dao Master already made a move?"

“The Great Dao of Chaos encompasses all things, and may evolve into two methods: ‘stripping’ and ‘purification’.” Li Mu flicked his finger, and two gray Dao patterns appeared, indicating: “First, use the Dao rhythm of Chaos to simulate the fluctuations of the curse Dao trace, induce it to break away from its origin, and then burn it with Dao fire; second, use the Chaos Furnace to forcibly refine it, scattering the origin and Dao trace together, returning it to chaos, and then analyzing the pure source power.”

After a moment's thought, Gu Xi Dao Zu indicated, "The former requires precise control; the slightest carelessness will result in a backlash from the Dao traces. The latter is extremely costly; even ten parts of the original essence may not be enough to refine one."

“That’s right, that’s why we need your help!” Li Mu looked at the two Dao Ancestors and smiled, indicating, “Fellow Daoist Gu Xi is proficient in the Dao of Returning to the Source and skilled in sealing and isolating; Fellow Daoist Hao Tian is skilled in the Star Evolution Technique and can deduce changes. If the three of us work together, we may be able to initially establish the method within a hundred years!”

Dao Ancestor Haotian solemnly replied, "I am willing to do my utmost."

Gu Xi Daozu nodded with pleasure: "I will now transmit the message to Lei Yan and Qing Yuan, instructing all domains to temporarily halt the absorption of void energy, and to guard against the intrusion of similar curse-like Dao traces."

“Good.” Li Mu flicked his sleeve and sealed the dark source with chaotic Dao Yuan, instructing, “This sample will be kept here for now. We will test it with Dao rhyme every day and record its changes.”

Immediately, Li Mu separated a chaotic clone, which transformed into a gray shadow, and indicated: "The main body will stay here to deduce, while the clone will go to the ruins to monitor. If there is any unusual activity, report back immediately."

The clone nodded, took a step, and disappeared into the void rift.

……

The Starry Sky Platform is a secluded, quiet room.

Li Mu sat cross-legged in the center, with Gu Xi and Hao Tian, ​​the two ancestors, sitting on his left and right respectively; the Chaos Dao Furnace floated between the three of them, its dark origin twisted inside, and its black patterns on the surface meandering like living things.

"Today I will try the 'stripping method'." Li Mu formed a hand seal, and gray Dao Yuan surged from his fingertips, transforming into thousands of fine threads that probed into the Chaos Dao Furnace.

The fine threads touched the source, simulating the fluctuations of the black veins' Dao essence, and quietly seeped in. The black veins on the surface of the dark source seemed to be attracted and gathered on their own.

Seeing this, the ancient Dao Ancestor's pure and radiant Daoist aura spread out like a net, covering the area around the Chaos Dao Furnace and sealing off any possibility of leakage.

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's starry eyes shone brightly as he deduced the changing trajectory of the black patterns, indicating that "the source of the Dao shows signs of convergence, yet the three core nodes remain firmly steadfast."

With a thought, Li Mu split the fine thread into three strands and pierced the node.

The black lines suddenly became chaotic, as if provoked, and launched a fierce counterattack, eroding in the opposite direction at an astonishing speed.

Li Mu decisively severed the Dao threads, and gray Dao fire burst forth from his palm, burning away the black patterns that were encroaching upon him.

Inside the Chaos Furnace, the dark origin trembled violently, the black patterns multiplied at an explosive rate, and a dense aura of decay spread out.

The ancient Dao Ancestor shone brightly, forcefully suppressing the fluctuations.

After a dozen or so breaths, the source of darkness gradually calmed down, and the black patterns on its surface became 30% denser than before.

The Dao Ancestor Haotian's expression was grim. He sighed and said, "This method won't work. The curse's Dao traces are extremely spiritual; they gather when lured and counterattack when attacked, making them incredibly difficult to deal with!"

Li Mu put away the Chaos Dao Fire and pondered, "Change to the 'Purification Method'."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu raised his hand and pressed down, causing the Chaos Dao Fire in the Chaos Furnace to intensify a hundredfold, completely enveloping the entire mass of Dark Origin.

Inside the furnace, the chaotic Dao fire blazed fiercely, its flames soaring into the sky.

Soon, under the scorching heat of the Chaos Dao Fire, the dark origin softened rapidly. The black patterns struggled and twisted, gradually disintegrating. However, the black patterns deeply merged with the origin, constantly consuming the origin to maintain their own survival, and their reproduction speed increased exponentially. Li Mu further urged the Chaos Dao Fire, and the furnace temperature soared.

A muffled thud.

The primordial energy exploded, transforming into hundreds of streams of light that darted wildly within the furnace. The black patterns then differentiated, each bearing a cursed mark, like a persistent, incurable sore.

Li Mu frowned and withdrew his Chaos Dao Fire.

The Daoist fire in the furnace dissipated, and the dark origin re-condensed, its volume reduced by nearly half. The eerie black patterns did not diminish in the slightest, but instead thickened.

"Fifty percent lost, the curse not yet lifted." Ancient Dao Ancestor sighed, "This path is blocked!"

The Dao Ancestor Haotian calculated with his fingers and said, "Dao Master, is it possible to 'assimilate' the curse Dao trace with the Chaos Dao Rhyme? Since it is difficult to separate, let it return to Chaos and turn misfortune into good fortune."

Li Mu's eyes flickered slightly: "Assimilation?"

Li Mu raised his hand, and a wisp of pure chaotic primordial energy was released, merging into the Chaos Dao Furnace.

When the primordial chaos energy touched the black lines, there was no conflict; instead, it blended together like water and milk, gradually permeating each other.

The black lines gradually slowed their twisting motion, as if adapting to the chaotic primordial energy.

Ancient Dao Ancestor and Vast Heaven Dao Ancestor both held their breath and concentrated.

Ten breaths later, a sudden change occurred!

The black lines suddenly erupted, swallowing the chaotic primordial energy in one gulp. Immediately, their color deepened, and their proliferation rate doubled!
"Good heavens, it devoured everything!" Dao Ancestor Haotian exclaimed in horror.

Li Mu severed the source energy and said solemnly, "This source energy is ferocious and unyielding, not easy to deal with!"

Gu Xi Dao Zu and Hao Tian Dao Zu exchanged a glance, and the quiet room fell silent.

After a long silence, Gu Xi Dao Zu spoke up: "Dao Master, this old man observes that the Dao traces of this curse seem to be remnants of 'obsession'."

Li Mu looked up, surprised, and asked, "What do you mean?"

“Ordinary remnants are nothing but dead things!” Gu Xi pointed to the black pattern. “However, this fanged creature rebels when attacked, gathers when lured, and devours those it encounters. It clearly retains the original owner’s resentment. When that vast land collapsed, the resentment of billions of living beings and the obsession of the Dao-transforming powerhouses were all fused into the curse, and it has become a ‘fierce spirit’.”

Haotian Daozu suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Gu, are you saying... this is not a simple Dao trace, but a 'vengeful and malevolent spirit' residing within the origin?"

“Exactly.” Gu Xi Dao Zu solemnly said, “To purify its source, one must first extinguish its spirit.”

Li Mu closed his eyes, immersing himself in the myriad paths of thought, deducing countless possibilities.

Not long after, Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up, a gray glint flashing in his eyes: "There is a method that we may try."

"What method is it?" Gu Xi Dao Zu asked hurriedly.

“Use the Chaos Fire as a furnace and the Righteous Daoist Charm as fuel to refine its ferocity and subdue its obsessions.” Li Mu said, “However, one thing is needed as a catalyst—the ‘Innate Pure Yang Dao Seed’.”

Haotian Daozu was taken aback, and gestured, saying, "The Pure Yang Dao Seed is extremely strong and righteous, and it is especially effective against Yin Sha and resentment. However, this thing is rare. Within the vast land, only the 'Great Sun Ancestral Tree' controlled by Chenguang Daozu may be able to nurture it."

"Please, Fellow Daoist Chenguang," Li Mu transmitted through his divine sense.

In a short while, Dao Ancestor Chenguang arrived, bathed in light, his body radiating like the sun in the sky, his intense Daoist aura dispelling the decaying atmosphere of the quiet room.

"What brings you here, Daoist Master?" Daoist Ancestor Chenguang bowed to Li Mu and asked curiously.

Li Mu briefly explained the cause and effect, and finally gestured, "I wish to borrow a wisp of your 'Great Sun Pure Yang Source Qi' as a guide to refine the curse mark."

Ancestor Chenguang looked at the Chaos Furnace and asked in surprise, "This thing is so dangerous. Pure Yang Origin Qi might be able to restrain it. I wonder, how much is needed?"

“One strand is enough.” Li Mu gestured, “You need to control it personally, using the pure Yang Daoist rhyme in conjunction with the Chaos Daoist fire, attacking from both inside and outside.”

After pondering for a moment, Dao Ancestor Chenguang nodded and said, "No problem!"

Ancestor Chenguang pointed his fingers, and a stream of golden-white light burst forth from between his brows, as intense as the rising sun.

Li Mu lifted up the Pure Yang Origin Qi, which merged with the Chaos Dao Fire, transforming into a strange Dao Flame interwoven with gold and ash.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Xi, seal the gate; Fellow Daoist Hao Tian, ​​deduce the future; Fellow Daoist Chen Guang, control the Pure Yang." Li Mu looked around at the three patriarchs and gestured, "My master is the Chaos Dao Fire; this time, we may succeed!"

The three patriarchs responded in unison: "We will exert all our strength."

Li Mu nodded slightly and slowly poured the golden-gray Dao Flame into the Chaos Dao Furnace.

When the Dao Flame touched the dark origin, the black patterns twisted and fled wildly as if they had encountered a natural enemy.

Ancestor Chenguang shouted sternly, "Freeze!"

The pure Yang Daoist energy bound the black patterns tightly to the surface of the origin, like chains.

Li Mu activated the Chaos Dao Fire, burning along the Pure Yang Chains.

"Sizzle!" Amidst the continuous sounds, the black pattern emitted foul-smelling black smoke and emitted a sharp screech, as if countless vengeful spirits were howling.

The ancient Daoist ancestor's clear light was like a shroud, sealing everything off and preventing resentment from leaking out.

Haotian Daozu's starry eyes darted around as he deduced the trajectory of the dissipating black patterns, and promptly sent a telepathic message to Li Mu.

With a thought, Li Mu gathered Dao Flames like a spear, aiming straight for the key point.

"boom!"

The dark source trembled violently, and a blurry black shadow rushed out from the node, its face ferocious and carrying boundless resentment, heading straight for Li Mu's face!
"Die, die, all of you die..."

Terrifying resentment assaulted his mind, and illusions arose before Li Mu's eyes—the vast land collapsed, life was ravaged, and powerful cultivators looked up to the sky and wept blood...

Li Mu snorted coldly, and his chaotic will transformed into a spinning wheel, which spun fiercely, shattering the illusion.

"town!"

The golden-gray flames surged, completely engulfing the black shadow.

The pure Yang Daoist essence burned away its ferocity, and the chaotic Daoist fire refined its obsession. The black shadow struggled and gradually weakened, its hiss turning into a sob, until it finally fell silent.

After an incense stick had burned, the flames gradually died down.

Inside the Chaos Furnace, the dark origin floated quietly, its black patterns gone, its luster warm and smooth like jade, radiating pure and powerful source energy fluctuations.

"It's done!" Dao Ancestor Haotian exclaimed joyfully.

As Chenguang Daozu gathered his pure Yang source energy, he exclaimed in surprise, "This thing is a malevolent spirit...it's incredibly troublesome!"

Dao Ancestor Gu Xi nodded with delight and said, "The curse has been completely removed, and the source is pure; it can be absorbed and used!"

However, Li Mu kept his eyes fixed on the source of darkness without letting up, and suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Li Mu separated a wisp of chaotic divine thought and delved into the core of the origin.

Ten breaths later, Li Mu withdrew his divine sense, his expression solemn: "The evil spirit has been destroyed, but the 'Dao of Decline' has not dissipated; this aura is formless and intangible, and has been completely integrated with the origin. Even without the trace of the curse, prolonged exposure will erode the foundation of the Dao."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of the three Dao Ancestors instantly froze. (End of Chapter)