Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

A few days later, Li Mu flew back to Xuantian Sword Sect on his sword and arrived at the Contribution Hall. Unexpectedly, Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen were already waiting in the hall.

"Hahaha, Elder Li, you're finally back!"

Sword Master Feng's hearty laughter echoed in the empty hall. He stood tall and his eyes sparkled with anticipation and approval.

Master Chen Jian smiled and nodded gently, his eyes revealing his concern and curiosity about Li Mu's return.

"I'm sorry to have worried the two sword masters." Li Mu put away his sword, slowly stepped into the hall, his sleeves fluttering, and responded with a smile.

"Elder Li, how did we get rid of Xu Wen? That guy is extremely difficult to deal with!" Sword Master Chen looked at Li Mu curiously and asked inquiringly.

Xu Wen is a cultivator at the peak of the fusion stage, and is only one step away from becoming a Dao Lord. This time, he was determined to get Li Mu even if he did not hesitate to break off relations with the Xuantian Sword Sect. But now, he was able to escape unscathed, and Sword Master Chen couldn't help but feel curious.

"It was a fluke!" Li Mu smiled lightly, a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes, and then he took out a jade slip from the Jiuzang Lingzhu, handed it to Chen Jianzhu, and said: "This jade slip records the information Xu Wen obtained from Tianji Tower. The content is about the two Taoist masters of our sect trapped in the outer Jiuyou. He secretly used a trick, but it happened to be broken by me. So I used multiple substitute puppets to trick him and successfully escaped."

Upon hearing this, Sword Master Chen quickly took the jade slip and began to read it with his spiritual sense.

After reading the contents, Sword Master Chen's face darkened. He looked up at Sword Master Feng and handed the jade slip to him.

Master Feng took the jade slip and quickly scanned its contents, his expression becoming solemn. The atmosphere in the hall instantly became heavy, as if even the air had frozen.

"Xu Wen was so bold as to spy on the secrets of our sect and even tried to use this to deal with us!" Sword Master Feng said angrily with a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.

Seeing this, Qiu Yuanhong suggested in a deep voice: "Sword Master, this matter is of great importance. Since Xu Wen has already known the plight of the two Dao Lords, there is no guarantee that he will not continue to take action, and may even join forces with other forces to harm our sect. We should respond as soon as possible."

"The Netherworld Sect, Xuanxiao Sect, Jiyin Sect, and Taiyi Sect dare to act so arrogantly. It seems that they have confirmed the information. Now, the two Taoists are trapped in the Nine Netherworlds outside the domain. We need to send reliable people to investigate as soon as possible to confirm whether the situation is true and find a way to rescue them." Master Chen Jian frowned and said in a deep voice.

"Elder Qiu is right." Sword Master Feng nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze to Li Mu, with a glimmer of trust and expectation in his eyes: "Elder Li, you not only escaped this time, but also brought back such important information. It is a blessing for the sect. However, several sects have ill intentions towards you. You should stay in the sect and practice in the near future. Don't run around, and break through to the next realm as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Li Mu felt a warm current in his heart, and nodded solemnly: "I will follow the will of the Sword Master and practice diligently to live up to the sect's high expectations."

"Then we can rest assured!" Seeing Li Mu agree, Master Feng said happily.

Master Chen Jian added, "Elder Li, during your retreat, the sect will strengthen guards to ensure your safety. At the same time, we will also pay close attention to the dynamics of each sect. If there is any disturbance, we will inform you immediately."

"Thank you, Sword Master and the elders, for your concern and arrangements." Li Mu bowed again to express his gratitude.

Afterwards, Li Mu took his leave and returned to Qixuan Sect on his sword.

The Qixuan Sect is under the command of the Xuantian Sword Sect. Although it is a branch of the lower sect, it also enjoys the profound foundation and protection of the Xuantian Sword Sect. Unless there is a large-scale invasion from outside sects, its security will not be a problem.

Now that the two Dao Lords of Xuantian Sword Sect are trapped in Jiuyou, hostile forces have united, the entire sect is in a state of high tension, with phoenixes singing and cranes crying, and the sword guards patrolling more frequently.

The seven main peaks of the Qixuan Sect rise high into the clouds, each with a different shape, like seven guardian gods standing in the sky.

Li Mu flew his sword to Jin Jianfeng - the master's mansion.

Fang Shixin, Qin Wentong and other elders noticed that the sect leader had returned and came out to greet him.

"Master Li, you're back!" Elder Fangshi Xin spoke first, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation. As one of the elders of the Qixuan Sect, he knew the importance of Li Mu to the sect, and he was particularly worried every time Li Mu went on a long journey.

The other elders also came forward, some bowed, some asked questions with concern, and the atmosphere was solemn yet warm.

Li Mu smiled and nodded, his eyes swept across the faces of the elders and responded: "Thank you all for your concern, the trip went smoothly."

"Has anything major happened in the sect during the time I was away?" Li Mu changed the subject and asked Fang Shixin with concern.

"Master, don't worry. Everything is fine in the sect! Nothing serious has happened." The new elder of the Taoist priest stepped forward and answered respectfully. Then he looked at Liu Yalan who was behind everyone and said, "Shopkeeper Liu has returned to the sect and waited for many days. She must have something important to do."

Hearing this, Li Mu's eyes finally turned to Liu Yalan who had been standing behind the elders.

Li Mu smiled gently and nodded slightly at her, then instructed the elders: "Elders, I need to rest after returning today, so I'll trouble you to take care of the affairs of the sect for the time being. Especially Elder Fang and Elder Qin, please be sure to strengthen the sect's defense to prevent any accidents. Next, I plan to retreat for a while."

"Master, please rest assured and retreat. We will handle the sect's affairs properly." Fang Shixin spoke on behalf of the elders.

"The safety of the sect is our top priority. We will strengthen defenses during your retreat to ensure that no one can disturb your practice." Qin Wentong added.

Li Mu nodded and signaled everyone to leave. At the same time, he looked at Liu Yalan and signaled that he wanted to talk to her alone.

Soon, all the elders bowed and left, leaving Liu Yalan with an expectant look on her face and Li Mu sitting in the main seat in the main hall.

"Sit down and talk, Shopkeeper Liu!" Li Mu smiled at Liu Yalan and gestured. "Thank you, owner!" Liu Yalan smiled and still addressed Li Mu as the owner. She turned to a serious tone and said, "Owner, the business of Li's Treasure House has been mixed recently. The worry is that the external situation is turbulent, and the purchase channels of many precious spiritual materials have been affected, and the prices have soared. The good news is that our Li's Treasure House has relied on the reputation and word of mouth accumulated over the years, and the cooperation channels with the eight major families are becoming increasingly mature. Now the general manager of the branch has expanded to 36, distributed in various spiritual cities in Zhongzhou, maintaining a relatively stable income, and attracting many forces seeking shelter and cooperation."

As she spoke, Liu Yalan took out an exquisite storage ring from her sleeve and presented it to Li Mu with both hands: "This is the recent income of Li's Treasure House, as well as the high-level spiritual materials collected for you. Each piece is carefully selected and of high quality. I believe it will be helpful to your cultivation and refining."

Li Mu took the storage ring, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He praised happily: "Manager Liu, you did a great job. It is not easy to raise such precious resources."

After Li's Zhenbao Building was handed over to Liu Yalan, Li Mu didn't take it seriously and didn't ask much about Liu Yalan's management. Unexpectedly, she gave him a big surprise today. There were nearly five million high-quality spirit stones and thousands of sixth- and seventh-grade spirit materials stored in her storage ring.

Li Mu even found another Tiankui Spirit Tablet in the storage ring. He took it out from the storage ring with a flick of his hand.

"Yes, you actually got this thing!" Li Mu held the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet in his hand and examined it carefully, with a gleam of surprise in his eyes: "Manager Liu, how did you get this Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet?"

There are eight pieces of Tiankui spirit tablets containing the Tiankui inheritance. With this piece, five pieces have been collected. Only three pieces are left to completely unlock the Tiankui puppet inheritance.

"Master, speaking of how the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet was obtained, the process was indeed somewhat bizarre!" Seeing that Li Mu was so interested in the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet, Liu Yalan recalled the scene of that day and narrated it in detail: "That day, a puppet master who called himself 'Thousand Machines Old Man' stepped into the Treasure House. He was at the Nascent Soul stage, and his life span had declined. He was a bit down and out."

"At first I didn't think much of it, thinking he was just here to sell some worthless old things, so I randomly assigned a waiter to receive him and bought the old things he pawned. Among the dozens of items and twenty spiritual objects, there was this Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet."

"That person did not mention the origin of the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet. He just repeatedly emphasized that it was something that his family had guarded for generations. Now that his family was in decline and could no longer protect it, he was only willing to exchange it for enough spirit stones to live out the rest of his life. When he learned that the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Tablet was what the host was looking for, he decided to buy it at a high price."

"Afterwards, although I was curious about the old man's origins, he had disappeared without a trace and there was no way to investigate. We can only regard it as an unexpected gain for the Treasure House, and secretly keep an eye out for other related clues." Liu Yalan looked at Li Mu and finally introduced.

Li Mu smiled and nodded, very satisfied with the spiritual materials she presented this time: "Manager Liu, you did a good job. The Treasure House took a lot of effort for you, and it also helped me collect rich cultivation resources!"

Li Mu paused for a moment, then took out a dozen jade bottles from his sleeves: "These elixirs are rewards for you. They will greatly help you improve your cultivation. Especially for a cultivator like you who is diligent in his work and has stagnated in his cultivation, they are a rare help."

"Thank you for your gift, owner of the building. I will live up to your expectations and continue to run the building well!" Liu Yalan's eyes flashed with surprise. She took the jade bottle and bowed to express her gratitude.

Li Mu nodded gently and said with a smile: "If there is nothing else, Manager Liu, you can leave. I need to retreat for a while."

Liu Yalan bowed again and said, "Master, rest assured. I will take care of everything in the Treasure House and will wait for you to come out of seclusion."

After saying that, Liu Yalan stood up and walked out of the hall gracefully.

After watching Liu Yalan's figure disappear outside the door, Li Mu turned around and walked into the inner hall and headed towards the training room.

As the stone door of the training room slowly closed, Li Mu activated the protective formation. His figure flashed and he disappeared from the spot in an instant, entering the treasure house of the painting world.

Li Mu's mind moved, and he took out the Shattered World Stone from the Jiuzang Lingzhu.

The next moment, five-colored spiritual light gathered in front of Li Mu, and a small five-colored dragon appeared out of thin air. It was the spirit of the treasure house. Its bright eyes stared at the Broken World Stone, and its eyes were full of eagerness.

The Painting World Treasure House was upgraded to the eighth-level cave treasure, and it was extremely difficult to upgrade it. However, the appearance of the Broken World Stone was like sweet dew to a long-drought land, bringing unprecedented hope to the treasure house spirit. It excitedly circled around the Broken World Stone, its colorful body looking even more magical under the reflection of the spiritual light, full of desire.

As Li Mu's mind moved, he gently pushed the Broken World Stone towards the Five-Colored Dragon. The weapon spirit opened its small mouth without hesitation, and the seemingly small mouth seemed to contain an infinite space, instantly swallowing the Broken World Stone. At the moment when the Broken World Stone sank into the weapon spirit's body, the entire treasure house space seemed to tremble, and an indescribable wave erupted from the weapon spirit's body and quickly spread to the surroundings.

The space of the treasure house began to expand slowly at a speed that was imperceptible to the naked eye but clearly perceptible. The ten thousand acres of spiritual fields, medicine gardens, weapon refining rooms, the Five Elements Spiritual Mountain and other places seemed to become more vast and taller at this moment.

The body of the five-colored dragon became more solid and huge under the push of this force. It looked up to the sky and roared, shaking the sky, as if celebrating this historic moment. With every breath it took, a large amount of spiritual energy condensed from nothingness, which was greedily absorbed by the treasure house space and transformed into purer and richer energy, nourishing all things in this world.

With his innate magical power - identifying all spirits, Li Mu learned about the current predicament of the treasure house spirit - the five-colored dragon.

As the Shattered World Stones were swallowed, the space in the treasure house was expanding madly. However, the concentration of spiritual energy in the space was decreasing rapidly.

Li Mu no longer hesitated and put his mind into the Jiuzang Lingzhu. Thousands of high-quality spirit stones gushed out like a volcanic eruption.

Li Mu activated his true energy and waved his hand. In an instant, a large amount of high-quality spirit stones liquefied into spirit liquid and poured into the mouth of the five-colored dragon.

The five-colored dragon felt this sudden powerful spiritual power, and a hint of surprise flashed in its eyes. It opened its huge mouth and allowed the liquidized high-quality spiritual stones and spiritual fluids to pour in like a waterfall, turning into bright rays of light, flowing and merging in its body.

With the influx of spiritual liquid, the body of the five-colored dragon underwent subtle changes again. Its scales became more gorgeous and dazzling, as if each scale contained endless brilliance and power. Its eyes were brighter than stars, revealing a light of wisdom.

Soon, under the devouring and transformation of the five-colored dragon, those liquidized high-quality spirit stones and spiritual fluids were quickly transformed into purer spiritual power, which not only replenished the spiritual power consumed by the expansion of the treasure house space, but also made the spiritual power concentration in the entire space begin to rise, even surpassing the previous level.

Li Mu released his spiritual thoughts and could clearly feel that every inch of land in the treasure house and the many high-level spiritual plants were bathed in this rich spiritual power, full of vitality and growing vigorously.

At the same time, Li Mu also realized that with the continuous expansion and upgrading of the treasure house space, the spiritual resources required will become increasingly huge. Therefore, he needs to work harder to collect and accumulate various rare resources to ensure that the treasure house space can continue to develop stably. (End of this chapter)