Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The Lord of the Purple Extremes vanished with a light as red as blood, covering billions of miles in an instant.

Behind him, the chaotic fire dragon crushed through the void and approached, with Li Mu's aura drawing ever closer atop its head.

The Lord of Purple Extremes' brow twitched wildly, and he pushed the Nine Purple Sun Dharma Image to its limit without regard for the cost.

Li Mu stood atop the head of the Chaos Dragon, his eyes swirling with chaotic star vortexes. Beneath his feet, a chaotic fire dragon meandered, its massive body crushing the void, cracking inch by inch. Time-related Dao patterns flowed across its scales, its claws tearing through spatial rifts, and its tail swaying as fragments of the void scattered everywhere.

Li Mu formed hand seals, and chaotic Dao Yuan surged forth.

The next moment, spatial patterns spread out from beneath Li Mu's feet, the transparent lines spreading like a spider web, the void folding, the scene of near yet far endlessly rotating, the chaotic fire dragon swayed its body and instantly plunged into the void.

The first half of the Chaos Fire Dragon's body disappeared, and the second half of its tail had not yet followed. In the next instant, the entire fire dragon emerged from a void fault hundreds of millions of miles away, its head raised, about to catch up with the Purple Extreme Lord in the blink of an eye.

Li Mu used his supernatural power—space folding—to turn the ends of the earth into a short distance.

The Lord of Purple Extremes sensed the immense pressure rapidly approaching from behind. The nine purple sun dharma images behind him trembled, the Purple Heaven Dao Fire surged, and his escape speed increased by another three points.

The purple light streaked across the sky like a shooting star, so fast that even light couldn't catch up.

Li Mu remained expressionless as his hand seals changed once more. The Dao patterns of time surged forth from beneath his feet, spreading out like a tide and covering the void for hundreds of millions of miles.

Wherever the lines pass, the flow of time changes drastically.

In the void where the Purple Extreme Lord's escape light was located, the flow of time slowed down. The escape light, which was as fast as a shooting star, became as slow as a tortoise crawling. The purple light struggled to advance in the stagnant time.

The next moment, the Chaos Fire Dragon swung its massive tail, its enormous body plunging into the void. When it emerged again, it was already blocking the way in front of the Purple Extreme Lord, stretching across the void. Its body coiled into a ring, surrounding the Purple Extreme Lord within the formation.

The Lord of Purple Extremes paused in his escape, steadied himself, his face pale and his expression gloomy as he stared intently at the gray figure in front of him.

The Purple Extreme Vast Domain is only a short distance away, yet the Chaos Dao Lord won't even give us that much of a chance!
"Lord of Chaos, do you truly intend to exterminate us all?"

The Lord of the Purple Extremes shouted angrily, and the nine purple suns behind him merged into one, assuming a posture ready to fight to the death.

Li Mu's eyes were filled with killing intent. Too lazy to waste words with him, he flicked his right hand and the Chaos Giant Axe flew out of his hand.

The axe body was gray, with clear and turbid energies flowing between it. The blade was covered with dense Dao patterns of time like a cascading galaxy, and the Dao patterns of space spread like an interwoven spider web. The Dao patterns of reincarnation wrapped around the axe handle, endlessly cycling through birth and death.

The giant axe cleaved through the air silently, its light splitting the void as it aimed directly at the neck of the Purple Extreme Lord.

Arriving in an instant, the axe's power was awe-inspiring.

The void around the Lord of the Purple Extreme suddenly froze, and spatial Dao patterns spread like a spider web, trapping him within.

The Dao patterns of time entwine around the axe, and the flow of time changes drastically wherever the axe light passes. Time accelerates in front of the axe blade, while it freezes behind it. Between these two extremes, the void is torn apart, and the laws of nature become disordered.

The Lord of Purple Extremes' pupils contracted, and he pushed his escape technique to its limit with both hands. His figure transformed into a streak of purple light and flashed to the left.

The Chaos Axe followed him like a shadow.

Spatial Dao patterns spread from the axe, and the void between the axe blade and the Lord of Purple Extremes folded layer by layer. The Lord of Purple Extremes had clearly fled ten thousand miles away, but in the next instant, the axe blade appeared three zhang behind him, the distance not increasing but decreasing.

The Lord of Purple Extremes was filled with despair, with no way to avoid it. His Purple Sun Dharma Image trembled and flew in front of him to act as a shield to block the axe's momentum. At the same time, the Lord of Purple Extremes quickly used a secret technique, his figure splitting into nine.

With a crisp "crack," the Chaos Giant Axe slammed into the Purple Sun Dharma Image, its momentum unstoppable, piercing through it in one fell swoop.

The Lord of Purple Extremes was struck as if by lightning, suffering severe injuries in an instant. However, in his desperate attempt to escape, he disregarded everything else and his nine purple shadow clones vanished in different directions.

Li Mu snorted coldly, and the Chaotic Dao Domain suddenly unfolded. The gray Dao light enveloped the void for hundreds of millions of miles, and the spatial Dao patterns spread like a spider web, extending to the ends of the sky.

The void solidified.

The radiant purple-black light froze in mid-air, the purple glow solidified, the void rifts were frozen in place, and the nine purple shadow clones were all immobilized, like insects trapped in amber, unable to move.

The chaotic will swept out, locking onto one of the purple figures.

Within that purple figure, the Purple Extreme Dao Source was pure and profound, vastly different from the other eight avatars.

Li Mu flashed and appeared in front of the purple figure in the next instant.

Li Mu reached out and gripped his hand tightly.

The Chaos Giant Axe materialized from the void, its body shrouded in gray, and fell into the palm of the hand.

Lock onto it and deliver a fierce blow.

The gray axe blade swept silently across, instantly disappearing into the purple shadow's body and easily slicing through its neck.

The purple figure froze.

The next moment, the Lord of Purple Extremes revealed his true form, his head separated from his torso, and pure Purple Heaven Dao Source gushed out from the severed point, transforming into rolling innate purple energy.

A purple divine soul emerged from the torso, its face contorted in terror.

Li Mu's eyes turned cold, and the Dao patterns of reincarnation flowed on the blade of the Chaos Giant Axe, suppressing the power of birth and death.

His soul instantly disintegrated, and the will of the Purple Extreme Lord was crushed by the reincarnation Dao pattern, turning into pure soul power that dissipated. His body turned into purple energy, surging and churning.

Li Mu made a casual move.

A fist-sized Purple Extreme Dao Origin was peeled off from the purple qi and flew out. Inside, a purple sun phantom floated, and the Purple Heaven Dao Fire flowed endlessly. It was the Great Dao Origin that the Purple Extreme Lord had condensed through his life's cultivation.

The illusory image of the Chaos Dao Mansion emerged from behind Li Mu. The gate of the Dao Mansion burst open, and the Purple Extreme Dao Source was sucked into the Dao Mansion. The gate closed and then disappeared into Li Mu's body.

The surrounding purple aura was then swept up by the Chaos Dao Fire, burning away any remaining will and transforming into pure Dao Yuan that surged into Li Mu's dantian.

The Lord of Purple Extremes has fallen!

Li Mu scanned the area with his divine sense, confirming the information without a doubt, and then turned his gaze towards the Primordial Vast Domain.

With a flash, he rode the Chaos Fire Dragon, traversing the void, gray lightning piercing the air, and before long, the Primordial Vast Domain came into view.

The Primordial Vast Realm was no longer what it used to be.

The entire vast domain was transformed into a chessboard spanning billions of miles. The chessboard was based on the void, with lines of latitude and longitude intersecting like star trails. Where the lines were drawn, the primordial light flowed. On the chessboard, countless lines of cause and effect intertwined into a net.

Every causal line connects to all living beings within the vast domain. These causal lines extend from the brows of all beings and converge at the center of the chessboard.

In the center of the chessboard, the Primordial Dao Master sat cross-legged.

The Dao Lord was dressed in a Primordial Daoist robe, surrounded by the pure light of the Primordial Era. His eyes were slightly closed, and he held a crystal-clear chess piece between his fingertips. The chess piece was completely transparent.

Nine peak-level Dao Integration puppets occupy the four sides of the chessboard.

The puppets were all made from the bodies of Dao Integration cultivators, their bodies covered with Primordial Dao patterns, their faces stiff, and the Primordial Clear Light flickering in their eye sockets. Their auras were all at the peak of Dao Integration, and they occupied the nine palace positions, guarding the nine nodes of the chessboard.

The Primordial Dao Master, holding a chess piece, looked at Li Mu and smiled, "Chaos Dao Master, it's been a long time." Li Mu's gaze swept across the chessboard, and he immediately understood the current situation, his expression darkening.

"Taichu, using billions of lives as a shield, how shameless!" Li Mu spat out.

The Primordial Dao Master's smile remained unchanged. With a gentle turn of his fingertip, the chess piece on the board trembled, and countless beings within the vast domain wailed in agony.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you are mistaken." The Primordial Daoist Master smiled slightly and retorted, "The Primordial Vast Domain is my Daoist ground. The beings within the domain are under my protection. I am one with them. If you want to kill me, they will naturally live and die with me. What is this called? This is called sharing weal and woe, sharing honor and disgrace."

"Just an excuse to survive!" Li Mu chuckled coldly.

"Whatever you say, Fellow Daoist." The Primordial Daoist Master didn't take it seriously and looked at Li Mu as he introduced, "My Myriad Manifestations Karma Killing Array uses the vast domain as a chessboard and all living beings as pieces. With the threads of cause and effect intertwined, if you take a step onto the chessboard, you will incur the karma of killing with billions of living beings. At that time, the karma will backfire and you will be bound by karmic burdens. Can the Chaos Dao you cultivate withstand such karmic retribution?"

"You think that will stop me from doing anything to you?" Li Mu stared at the Primordial Dao Master and sneered.

"Of course I dare, fellow Daoist." The Primordial Daoist Master smiled frankly and said in a deep voice, "I saw how decisive you were when you killed You Sha. I am not close to You Sha, but I also feel a sense of shared sorrow. That is why I set up this formation, not to harm you, fellow Daoist, but only to protect myself."

After a pause, the Primordial Dao Master looked at Li Mu and advised, "If you insist on stepping into the formation, once my chess game begins, countless causal threads will break simultaneously. At that time, every strand of causal karma will entangle your Dao source, indelible and indelible, coexisting with your Dao fruit. With each step you take in the future, your karma will become heavier, until it drags you into an abyss of no return."

Li Mu remained silent, his murderous intent surging within his chaotic star-like eyes.

Seeing this, the Primordial Dao Master continued, "I know that you cultivate the Great Dao of Chaos, which restrains all laws. I know that I am no match for you in a direct confrontation. However, I am different from You Sha. He only knows how to fight head-on, which will only lead to his death and the dissipation of his Dao. I know how to leverage external forces."

The Primordial Dao Master pointed outside the chessboard: "Fellow Daoist, please take a look."

At the edge of the chessboard, countless light screens appeared out of thin air, reflecting scenes from all over the Primordial Vast Domain; in the mortal city, the people were terrified and huddled indoors with their children in their arms; within the immortal cultivation sect, the disciples sat cross-legged to regulate their breathing, completely unaware that a causal line had appeared between their brows; on the wilderness, demonic beasts lay prostrate on the ground, trembling.

"These are all ants in your eyes, fellow Daoist," the Primordial Dao Master said gently, advising, "I cultivate the Primordial Great Dao and am skilled at deducing cause and effect. With countless causal threads intertwined, their lives and deaths are entirely in your hands. If you step into the formation, they will die; if you retreat, they will live. You came here to kill me, why involve these innocents?"

Li Mu's eyes flashed like knives: "Using the lives of innocent people to blackmail you, do you even deserve to call yourself a Dao Transformation cultivator?"

Upon hearing this, the Primordial Dao Master laughed loudly, scoffing, "When you killed Heavenly Eclipse, the Vast Domain of Time collapsed, and countless lives perished within. Did you ever consider that they were also innocent? Your hands are stained with no less blood than mine, and now you dare to lecture me?"

The Primordial Dao Master's smile faded, and his tone became sincere: "Fellow Daoist, we are both cultivators of the Transformation Dao, why must we escalate this to the point of no return? Ziji and Yousha are dead; you have taken their Dao Source, and the Chaos Vast Land can be restored in no time. If you retreat now, I swear on the Primordial Dao that I will never leave the Primordial Vast Domain. You spare my life, and I will preserve your good reputation. It's a win-win situation, how about it?"

Li Mu stared at the Primordial Dao Master in silence for a long time, then suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with deep-seated hatred.

The Primordial Dao Master's expression changed slightly, and he felt a strange sense of panic. In his mind's eye, he felt as if he had overlooked something.

"You think that by taking billions of lives as hostages, I can't do anything to you?" Li Mu's laughter suddenly stopped, and he said with a chilling murderous intent, "Today I will enter the game and play a game with you. If I win, you die; if you win, I will retreat."

Before he finished speaking, Li Mu took a step forward, his figure directly entering the Myriad Manifestations Causal Killing Array.

The chessboard trembled violently.

The countless causal lines trembled in unison, and the primordial radiance soared into the sky from the warp and weft lines. The nine Dao-merging puppets opened their eyes simultaneously, their eye sockets blazing with radiance, and nine killing intents locked onto Li Mu.

The Primordial Dao Master's expression changed drastically. He immediately placed a chess piece at his fingertips, and countless causal threads appeared, wrapping around Li Mu like living things.

Li Mu formed hand seals, and the Chaotic Dao Domain expanded with a roar. A gray Dao light condensed into a black chess piece, as large as a star, suspended at the center of the chessboard.

On the surface of the black dot, the three transformations of chaos and reincarnation unfolded—the long river of time surged, the void folded layer upon layer, the wheel of reincarnation spun wildly, and the three origins intertwined and entwined, transforming into a gray-black pillar of light that shot into the sky.

The moment the causal lines touched the black stones, they all snapped.

The Primordial Dao Master's expression changed drastically.

The power of reincarnation travels back along the lines of cause and effect, and wherever it passes, the patterns of cause and effect crumble inch by inch.

The causal lines between the brows of countless beings connected by the lines trembled violently. The light of reincarnation traveled along the lines, and the moment it touched a being, the causal lines fell off on their own and vanished into nothingness.

The bloodstains between the brows of those mortals, cultivators, and demons who were bound to the game of chess disappeared, and the shackles of cause and effect silently crumbled.

The lines on the chessboard broke one after another.

The Primordial Dao Master suddenly stood up, the chess piece at his fingertips shattered, and he hurriedly formed Daoist hand seals.

Nine Dao-Merging Puppets emerged simultaneously, each occupying a position in the Nine Palaces, and each forming the Primordial Seal, attempting to forcibly stabilize the chessboard. Nine beams of clear light intertwined to form a net, pressing down on the black pieces.

Li Mu raised his hand and made a gesture of pressing down on a chess piece.

The black piece trembled, and the phantom of the Wheel of Reincarnation emerged from it.

As the wheel spun, life and death cycled, prosperity and decline alternated. The nine beams of light, upon touching the wheel, were swept into the raging torrent of reincarnation, vanishing without a trace. The nine puppets froze simultaneously, the light in their eye sockets drawn away by the power of reincarnation, detaching from their bodies and transforming into nine wisps of remnant souls that disappeared into the wheel.

The puppet's body, having lost the support of the Dao source, crumbled inch by inch, disintegrating into dust.

Nine nodes on the chessboard collapsed.

The body of the Primordial Dao Master trembled violently, his hands forming continuous hand seals.

Deep within the primordial vastness of the starry sky, three karmic threads of destiny extended from between his brows: one connected to his own Dao fruit, one to the origin of the vastness of the universe, and one to the mysterious secrets of heaven.

Three lines are intertwined and poured into the core of the chessboard, attempting to forcibly turn the tide with a lifetime of karmic cultivation.

The chessboard's warp and weft solidified once more, and the threads of cause and effect surged toward Li Mu like a tide.

Li Mu remained expressionless and pointed a finger at the center of the black piece.

The three transformations of chaos occur simultaneously.

As time changes, the river of time surges forth from the black spots, washing away the lines of cause and effect. The time scale on the lines flows wildly. As the river of time rolls on, the order of the lines of cause and effect becomes disordered. Lines are no longer lines, and networks are no longer networks. The chain of cause and effect breaks inch by inch in the turbulent flow of time.

The shift in space twists and turns the chessboard, its warp and weft distorted by the forces of space. The distance between cause and effect is infinitely stretched, what is close becomes distant, and karmic retribution can never catch up with the cause. The web of cause and effect is severed by the void's rift, leaving no further connection.

The cycle of reincarnation turns, and the power of birth and death envelops the entire chessboard. Cause and effect are limited by reincarnation. Karma disappears when it falls into reincarnation, and the remaining cause and effect melts away like ice and snow in the light of reincarnation, leaving not even a trace.

The three origins converged, and a chaotic Dao seal emerged on the black piece. The seal was ancient and simple, without light or brilliance, and it pressed straight towards the center of the chessboard.

The Primordial Dao Master's expression changed drastically; he finally realized what he had overlooked.

The Chaos Dao cultivated by Li Mu actually contains the power of reincarnation, the Great Dao of Reincarnation!

What, what's going on?

Tracing the cause and effect back to its source, severing its roots and finding its origin, leads to success in everything. However, the great path of reincarnation lies precisely outside of cause and effect.

Cause and effect connect this life and the next, and reincarnation connects the beginning and the end of life.

Cause and effect are the thread, and reincarnation is the loop. The thread has a beginning and an end, but the loop has no beginning or end. The power of cause and effect falls upon reincarnation, like trying to cut water with a knife. The water flows on its own, and the loop rotates on its own, leaving no trace and impossible to trace back.

I had completely overlooked this point!
Heaven is determined to destroy me! (End of Chapter)