Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The sea of ​​time, the long river of time surges, and fragments of time float like stars in the waves.

The Heavenly Eclipse Palace floats in the center of the long river, its gray-white light flowing endlessly, seemingly resonating with time. The entire palace exudes the power to suppress the ages.

The Lord of the Celestial Eclipse Dao sat cross-legged on the Dao platform, surrounded by time scales that flowed like golden seal script, his face somber.

Suddenly, the void deep within the Dao Palace cracked open, and three Dao Platforms condensed from the gray-white light, standing on the left and right, their Daoist charm intertwined like a net.

"please."

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse opened his lips, his voice like metal and stone, piercing through the clouds and splitting the void.

A flash of purple light appeared in the void to the east, and the Lord of the Purple Extreme broke through the void and landed on the left-hand platform. His body was surrounded by purple light, his severed arm was regenerated, and the new limb was like a coiled dragon. His aura was much more stable than it was a thousand years ago, and his purple eyes were deep and mysterious.

A flash of ghostly light appeared in the void to the west, and the Lord of the Netherworld appeared, landing on the right-hand platform. His deathly aura surged like ink, and the axe wound on his chest had mostly healed, leaving only a faint gray mark, like a dark cloud that had not yet dissipated, exuding a chilling aura.

The primordial energy surged in the void to the south. The Primordial Dao Lord stepped out and landed on the last Dao Platform. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, and the Daoist charm of cause and effect flowed around him like silk threads. After taking his seat, he closed his eyes and remained silent, as if he were deducing the secrets of heaven.

The three masters took their seats, their gazes all fixed on the Eclipse.

The Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse Dao said bluntly, "I acted on a whim, and the secrets of heaven are obscured."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Lord of Heavenly Eclipse reached out and summoned a fragment of a Time Compass. Cracks covered the surface like a spider web, the pointer broke off, and the light dimmed. He indicated, "I used the secret method of time to deduce that the compass has collapsed on its own, and all things are like mist."

The Netherworld Dao Master's deathly aura surged, and he asked in surprise, "What is going on here?"

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master speculated in a deep voice, "Is it chaos, the treacherous path, or a combination of the two!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. The three Dao Masters exchanged glances, speechless.

The Lord of Purple Extremes pondered for a moment, then smiled calmly and said, "After the Demon Mother's transformation, she fought fiercely with that brat. How could two tigers fighting together join forces?"

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I cannot deduce it clearly, but that wisp of energy, the entanglement of chaos and the unorthodox way like yin and yang, does not resemble a battle!"

The Primordial Dao Lord opened his eyes, his chaotic pupils looking at the Heavenly Eclipse Dao Lord, indicating, "In that case, I will give it a try."

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master nodded happily, looking at him with anticipation.

The Primordial Dao Master extended his hand in a feint, the Daoist rhythm of cause and effect flowing. A wisp of transparent thread emerged from his fingertip, as thin as a spider's thread, containing the cycle of cause and effect, and the phenomena of the birth and death of all things. The thread entered the void and disappeared without a trace.

The Dao Palace was silent, and the Dao Masters remained silent, with only the intertwining of their respective Daoist auras heard, like an undercurrent surging.

After a hundred breaths, the Primordial Dao Master's expression changed slightly. The threads at his fingertips tightened and suddenly shattered. He groaned, and a strange white light flashed in his eyes, like a ghost passing through an abyss.

The Lord of Purple Extremes stood up: "How is it?"

The Primordial Dao Master steadied himself, his face grim, and said, "Chaos and the Path of Deviousness are deeply intertwined. The causal thread is severed deep within the Devious Barrier, and only the aura of the Devious Mother can be seen following him like a shadow!"

The Lord of the Netherworld exclaimed in surprise, "The Ghost Mother has colluded with that brat?"

The Lord of Purple Extremes said decisively, "That's definitely not the case. The two have been fighting for a thousand years, their hatred runs deep. How could they join forces?"

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master hesitated and said, "The enmity runs deep? The two have been fighting for thousands of years and still have no clear winner. Their grudges are hard to distinguish. Now that we are allied with them, what is wrong with them joining forces?"

The Lord of Purple Extremes' expression darkened, and a faint purple light flashed in his eyes, as if he had realized something.

The Lord of the Netherworld looked at the Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse and exclaimed in surprise, "What do you mean?!"

"I suspect that the Demon Mother and Chaos have joined forces, which may be detrimental to me. Therefore, I ask for your assistance!" The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master said bluntly to the three of them.

Upon hearing this, the three Dao Lords reacted with varying expressions.

The Lord of Purple Extremes' purple eyes flickered slightly as he smiled and reassured him, "Fellow Daoist Tian Shi is overthinking it. The Ghost Mother and the Lord of Chaos have been fighting for a thousand years, unable to devour each other. Their enmity runs deep. How could they possibly join forces? If they do join forces, it's only out of self-interest, each with their own ulterior motives. There's nothing to fear."

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master's gray eyes narrowed, and he shook his head and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Ziji, my whims have never been wrong. That wisp of energy was deeply entangled with chaos and the unorthodox, and was definitely not a sign of a battle."

The Netherworld Dao Master, his deathly aura surging, sneered, "Heavenly Eclipse, are you perhaps terrified of that brat? You see enemies everywhere. After the Ghost Mother's transformation, she fought that brat to the death. How could she possibly turn around and attack your Time Sea? What is she after?"

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master's expression darkened slightly: "Perhaps he is after my Dao of Time."

The Lord of the Netherworld was slightly taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Absurd. The Path of Deviousness and the Path of Light are somewhat related, but they are mutually exclusive. She devours your Sea of ​​Light to complete the Path of Deviousness? How much effort would that take? With that effort, it would be more satisfying to devour the Chaos Vast Land."

The Lord of Purple Extremes nodded in agreement, saying, "Fellow Daoist You Sha is right. The Chaotic Vast Land has a profound foundation, containing the Great Dao of Chaos and even the Supreme Dao. If the Ghost Mother were to devour the Origin of Chaos, it would be ten times stronger than if she had devoured the Sea of ​​Time."

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse shook his head and said, "With that brat guarding the Chaotic Vast Land, the Ghost Mother can't swallow him. The two have been fighting for a thousand years, neither able to defeat the other, and they've reached a stalemate. But in my Sea of ​​Time, there is no such expert to guard it."

The Primordial Dao Master smiled calmly and reassured him, "Fellow Daoist Tian Shi, don't underestimate yourself!"

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master looked at the three and said in a deep voice, "The four realms are united; if one falls, the other will be vulnerable. If I am attacked by the combined forces of the Demon Mother and Chaos, how can any of you remain unscathed?"

The Netherworld Daoist Master sneered, "Fellow Daoist Heavenly Eclipse, you're overthinking it. That kid is too busy to take care of himself, and the Ghost Mother has just undergone her transformation. Neither of them will easily start a war. Your idea of ​​acting on a whim is just scaring yourself."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master's expression darkened.

The Lord of Purple Extremes waved his hand, telling the two not to argue, and said to comfort them, "What Fellow Daoist Tian Shi said is not without reason. If the Ghost Mother and that boy really join forces, the four regions will be in danger; however, what Fellow Daoist You Sha said is also true. The two have been fighting for thousands of years and their hatred is deep. It is hard to believe that they will join forces."

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse looked at the Lord of Purple Extremes and said angrily, "Fellow Daoist Purple Extremes, do you believe it or not?"

The Lord of Purple Extremes pondered for a moment, his purple eyes flashing, and said hesitantly, "Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. What's important is that the Ghost Mother and that brat haven't made a move yet. If Fellow Daoist Tian Shi is worried, I can send an elite force to guard the border of the Sea of ​​Time and help you on guard."

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master's eyes brightened slightly: "Fellow Daoist Ziji, is what you say true?"

The Lord of Purple Extremes nodded: "The four regions are of the same origin and should help each other. I can send 30,000 Purple Cloud Dao soldiers to guard the northern border of the Sea of ​​Time and keep an eye on the Chaos Land for you. If there is any unusual activity, send a message immediately."

The Netherworld Dao Master's death aura surged, and he said in a strange, sarcastic tone, "Ziji, you're quite generous. Thirty thousand Dao soldiers, you just give them away like that."

The Lord of Purple Extremes said calmly, "If they really join forces, and if Fellow Daoist Tian Shi is in trouble, I will not be able to escape either."

The Lord of the Netherworld snorted coldly and said nothing more.

The Celestial Eclipse Daoist looked at You Sha: "Fellow Daoist You Sha, what about you?"

The Lord of You Sha waved his hand: "I, Leng You, have just suffered a severe injury and have not yet recovered my strength, so I cannot spare many men. However, I can still keep an eye on the movements of the Ghost Mother for you. I will send ten thousand You Sha soldiers to guard the western border of the Time Sea. If there are any unusual movements by the Ghost Clan, report back immediately."

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse nodded, then looked at the Lord of Primordial Beginning.

The Primordial Dao Master closed his eyes and remained silent, seemingly deducing something.

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse called out, "Fellow Daoist Taichu?"

After a moment's thought, the Primordial Dao Master agreed, saying, "The four regions are of one branch. If the Heavenly Eclipse is in trouble, I will certainly come to its aid. However, the most important thing right now is not to speculate whether the Demon Mother and Chaos have joined forces, but to keep a close eye on them and wait for them to determine the victor."

The Primordial Dao Master continued, "Chaos and the Demon Mother have been fighting for a thousand years, and the outcome is still undecided. One is the Great Dao of Chaos, and the other is the perfected Dao of Demons. Neither of them are benevolent. Regardless of who wins or loses, they will be severely weakened. At that time, the four regions will join forces to attack them, killing two birds with one stone."

The Purple Extreme Lord's purple eyes lit up, and he agreed, "Fellow Daoist Tai Chu is right." The Netherworld Daoist Lord nodded repeatedly, "That's right. Let them fight, and we'll make our move after they're done."

"Now, it seems they've stopped fighting?" the Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master asked, his expression filled with doubt.

The Primordial Dao Master said calmly, "Just keep watching. A thousand years, ten thousand years, they will eventually have a day when the victor is decided."

The Lord of Purple Extremes rose, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist Heavenly Eclipse, this matter is settled. I will return and immediately dispatch troops to guard the northern border of the Sea of ​​Time. If there are any unusual movements, I will send a message to you immediately."

The Lord of You Sha stood up: "I will also go back to mobilize troops."

The Primordial Dao Lord stood up, looked at the Heavenly Eclipse Dao Lord, and gestured, "Fellow Daoist Heavenly Eclipse, keep a close eye on Chaos and the Ghost Mother. Once they have determined their victor and the dust has settled, that will be the day when the four domains join forces to attack them."

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master nodded, stood up, and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, fellow Daoists."

The Lord of Purple Extremes waved his hand: "We are all in the same boat, it is only right and proper."

As soon as he finished speaking, the figure of the Lord of Purple Extremes transformed into purple light and dissipated.

The Lord of the Netherworld snorted coldly, and his figure turned into a dark light and disappeared.

The Primordial Dao Lord gave the Heavenly Eclipse Dao Lord a deep look, then his figure faded away, the Primordial Qi surged and dissipated without a trace.

The Taoist temple fell silent.

The Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse stood on the platform, his gray eyes gazing at the void outside the hall, his expression slightly softened.

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold"—they understood this principle after all.

The Celestial Eclipse Dao Master murmured, pacing the Dao Platform. Grayish-white light flowed with his figure. He reached out and gestured, and a Time Compass appeared in his palm. The scales on the compass flowed, and the pointer remained steady, showing no signs of previous collapse.

The Celestial Eclipse Dao Master stared at the compass, his brows furrowing slightly. He murmured, "A sudden whim, is it really just me scaring myself?"

The compass needle pointed steadily toward the chaotic vast land, without the slightest deviation.

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse withdrew his hand, stood with his hands behind his back on the platform, and looked into the depths of the void.

In that void, a strange white barrier stood, its gray, ethereal light contained within, utterly silent.

After a long silence, the Lord of Heavenly Eclipse waved his hand, causing the void to crack open and a phantom to fall into the hall.

"Master."

The Lord of the Heavenly Eclipse said in a deep voice: "Order all domains of the Sea of ​​Time to be on high alert, and triple the number of border scouts. Report any unusual activity in the Chaotic Vast Land or the Ghost Domain immediately."

The grayish-white phantom bowed: "As you command."

The Lord of Heavenly Eclipse waved his hand, and the illusory figure vanished.

The Taoist palace was silent, with only the sound of the long river of time surging, like the whispers of the years, endless and continuous.

The Heavenly Eclipse Dao Master sat cross-legged on the Dao platform, eyes closed and mind focused, surrounded by time scales. However, the unease in his heart had not dissipated, like a thorn in his throat, impossible to swallow or spit out.

……

Time flies, and a century has passed in the blink of an eye.

The primordial land, the forest of all ancestors.

One hundred thousand ancestral trees stood tall, their trunks as thick as mountains, their canopies blocking out the sun. A sea of ​​Dao light crisscrossed among their branches and leaves. One thousand two hundred Dao Ancestors at the peak of the Dao Integration Realm sat cross-legged beneath these trees, their various Dao lights soaring into the sky. The total number of Dao soldiers exceeded eight million.

Starry Sky Platform.

Above the light screen of the Source Array, the Source Qi flowed like a waterfall, the Source Vein Spirit Network swirled like a dragon, and the gray roots burrowed into the depths of the void, frantically absorbing the Source Qi.

Wherever the spiritual network passed, the primordial energy of all realms surged like a tide, and the roots of the ancestral tree penetrated deep into the source marrow, its foundation as solid as a mountain.

Gu Xi Daozu stood before the formation, his clear eyes reflecting the changing light screen. He stroked his beard and sighed, "The accumulation of a hundred years, the foundation of this vast land, has increased tenfold compared to a thousand years ago."

Dao Ancestor Haotian sat cross-legged at the center of the formation, his starry eyes shining brightly. He said with a sense of satisfaction, "It is because the Dao Lord used trickery as food and war to sustain war that we have achieved our current prosperity!"

Gu Xi Daozu nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but praise, "Ten thousand ancestral trees, twelve hundred peak cultivators, and eight million Dao soldiers—with such a foundation, even if the four regions attack together, we still have the power to fight."

The radiant light of the Great Heavenly Dao Ancestor flowed as he agreed, saying, "The Origin Vein Spirit Network covers all domains, and the thickness of the Origin Marrow Layer has increased threefold compared to before the war. With this foundation, after another thousand years of accumulation, the Vast Land can launch a counterattack against the four domains!"

Gu Xi Daozu stroked his beard and smiled, nodding and saying, "A counterattack on the four regions? The Dao Lord may already be planning something even further ahead."

Before she finished speaking, the void cracked open, and Xue'er arrived on the moon, landing on the platform. Her Taiyin True Eye rotated between her brows, and moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall as she gazed at the eerie white barrier at the boundary.

"The Demon Mother has arrived!" Xue'er gestured to the assembled Dao Ancestors.

Gu Xi Daozu's gaze sharpened as he looked at the light screen.

Beyond the boundary, eerie white light surged like a tide. A slender figure stepped out from the depths of the strange barrier, with long hair falling to his shoulders, the ends of which shimmered with eerie white light. His pale eyes were as deep as an abyss. With one step, he instantly traversed tens of thousands of miles and landed before the Star Evolution Platform.

The Ghost Mother stood with her hands behind her back, gazing into the depths of the Dao Platform.

Deep within the Myriad Dao Source Sea, seven primordial ancestral trees stand tall, their seven-colored Dao light intertwining like the sea.

Li Mu sat cross-legged among the seven trees, his body surrounded by a gray, aura of Dao that was contained within, as deep as an abyss, with no trace of pressure escaping. Within his chaotic Dao body, his meridians were as wide as the Milky Way, his acupoints as brilliant as stars, and his Dao foundation as stable as the beginning of chaos.

The origin of chaos has increased by 30% compared to a hundred years ago.

Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up. The chaotic star vortex in his eyes was as deep as an abyss, within which the myriad worlds were born and destroyed, the five elements rotated, yin and yang interacted, and all kinds of laws evolved in an endless cycle.

Surrounded by seven spirits, the Golden Crow flaps its wings, the Azure Dragon coils, the Black Tortoise raises its head, the Qilin treads on the clouds, the White Tiger crouches, the Thunder God holds his hammer, and the Wind God flicks his sleeves. The seven spirits resound together, conveying a sense of joy.

Li Mu stood up, the seven trees swayed, and seven-colored light gathered. He took a step and his figure disappeared.

Starry Sky Platform.

A hazy gray light suddenly stopped and coalesced into the figure of Li Mu. The Chaotic Vast Land was the place where Li Mu manifested his Dao, and wherever his Dao thoughts were, they were all his body.

Li Mu appeared before the Ghost Mother, his aura of Dao concealed. His gaze immediately swept towards the Ghost Mother, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist is punctual." Li Mu looked at the Ghost Mother for a while and greeted her with a smile.

The Ghost Mother stared at Li Mu with her eerie white eyes, looked him up and down, and a smile appeared on her lips. She sincerely praised, "After a hundred years of seclusion, Daoist Master Li's cultivation has obviously advanced another level. Truly remarkable!"

"Compared to you, fellow Daoist, I am far inferior!" Li Mu smiled slightly and responded modestly, then waved his hand and said, "Fellow Daoist, let's enter the council hall!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu's figure vanished, and the Ghost Mother followed closely behind. (End of Chapter)