Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Li Mu's consciousness slowly rose and fell in that deep and strange space, as if it had merged into one with the stars in the sky. His mind followed the ancient and majestic voice, gradually going deeper into the mysterious refining core of the Wanbao Ding.

"The furnace of chaos, the cycle of the five elements, the heavenly and earthly evil, the refining of the stars, the return of spiritual treasures..." The voice was like a huge bell coming from the sky, shaking Li Mu's mind and making him excited.

At this moment, a magnificent and boundless picture seemed to unfold before Li Mu's eyes: between the vast heaven and earth, a majestic furnace stood tall. What was burning in the furnace was not earthly fire, but star fire formed by the gathering of countless stars. They burned fiercely in the furnace, melting all things, turning them into the purest energy, and finally condensing into the initial form of a cauldron.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes, with silver light flashing in them, as if the imprint of the vast starry sky remained, deep and mysterious. His mind was still immersed in his previous insights, and the method of refining the Wanbao Ding had been deeply imprinted in the depths of his soul.

“So that’s how it is… The method of refining the Wanbao Ding is not limited to refining instruments. It is also the supreme method of refining the heavens, the earth, and all things. It will eventually create a Taoist instrument that is unique in its own field.” Li Mu’s mind suddenly became clear, as if he had broken through the existing bottleneck in refining instruments and had a deeper understanding of the way of refining instruments.

The Wanbaoding, a ninth-level Dao weapon, is by no means an ordinary item. It uses a refining method that uses the heaven and earth as a furnace, sparks as firewood, and all spirits as materials. Its exquisiteness is far superior to the Eightfold Heavenly Fire Refining Method. The Wanbaoding is not only a method of refining weapons, but also a method of "planting" the Dao.

The so-called "planting" of the Tao is to regard the refining process of the Wanbao Ding as a kind of gestation and growth of life. Using the heaven and earth as a furnace is not only to smelt all things, but also to provide a vast world for this "Tao seed", allowing it to gradually awaken under the nourishment of the furnace and show its unique vitality. Sparks are the key to igniting this "Tao seed". The fire of the stars contains endless energy and mysteries, which can stimulate the inherent potential of the "Tao seed" and make it transform and sublimate in the burning. And "all spirits" are the materials, which provide rich nutrients for this "Tao seed". All things have spirits, and each material contains unique properties and laws. Integrating these materials into the furnace is like gathering the essence of all things in the "Ding", providing a continuous source of nourishment for the growth of the "Tao seed".

As time passed, the "Tao Seed" thrived in the furnace, its roots penetrated deep into the heaven and earth, absorbing endless spiritual energy and laws. Its branches and leaves extended toward the starry sky, resonating with the stars and absorbing the power of the stars. In this process, the "Tao Seed" not only gained powerful vitality and creativity, but also gradually formed its own unique will and laws.

Finally one day, the "Tao Seed" broke out of its cocoon and turned into a dazzling Wanbao Ding. This Ding furnace not only possesses unparalleled power, but also contains the wisdom and laws of all things in the world, forming a world of its own. With the nourishment of the essence of all treasures, it can only exert its true power after thousands of years.

This kind of refining method has far surpassed the refining skills mastered by Li Mu. However, although the refining method of Wanbao Ding is extremely mysterious, its high requirements are far beyond Li Mu's imagination. Even if he has mastered the refining method, it would be more troublesome to put it into practice. What's more, he has already embarked on his own Chaos Road, so naturally he does not need to rely on this "unorthodox method".

However, the special refining method of Wanbaoding brought great enlightenment to Li Mu. He sat in the refining room of the Five Elements Spirit Palace, his eyes slightly closed, his face solemn. His mind had transcended the constraints of the flesh and sank into the sea of ​​consciousness, trying to get a glimpse of the opportunity to re-refine the Cave Heaven Treasure - Painting World Treasure House from the refining method of Wanbaoding.

The eighth-level cave treasure, the Painting World Treasure House, is one of the most important trump cards in Li Mu's hand. It is a world of its own, where all things grow and the laws are self-formed. However, the refining method of the Painting World Treasure House is relatively ordinary, and the foundation is not deep. It was able to be promoted to the eighth level, entirely due to Li Mu's integration into the Five Elements Spirit Mountain, feeding it with a large amount of high-level spiritual materials, devouring the dragon-shaped spiritual veins, and luckily surviving the instrument disaster. The instrument spirit of the treasure house has been begging Li Mu to reshape its instrument base.

At this moment, a strong urge surged in Li Mu's heart. That was to use the refining method of Wanbao Ding to completely transform and sublimate the Painting World Treasure House.

The Chaos Dao Seed made a clear sound in his Dantian, as if telling of some possibility. If the "seed of Dao" concept of Wanbaoding was reversed, instead of nurturing the Dao Seed in the furnace of heaven and earth, the Dao Seed would be directly implanted into the ready-made "heaven and earth" - the treasure house of the painting world!
What the Painting World's Treasure House lacked was never the accumulation of spiritual power, but a spiritual core that could command everything.

In Li Mu's sea of ​​consciousness, an amazing deduction picture gradually emerged. If the Chaos Dao Seed replaced the center of the painting world, the painting itself would become fertile soil for cultivating the Dao Seed. Those solidified mountains and rivers could be transformed into the roots of the Dao Seed, absorbing the power of the void and chaos; the prohibitions of past dynasties would be reconstructed into a spiritual vein network; even the thousands of magic weapon fragments collected in the painting could serve as nutrients for the transformation of the Dao Seed.

However, a problem also emerged. Li Muxu's fingers suddenly stopped, causing ripples in the air. The Wanbao Ding refining method emphasizes "sparks as firewood", but the Painting World Treasure House has already been finalized. How to ignite the Tao seed without destroying the existing cave?
"Calamity fire..." Li Mu seemed to understand something and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The Great Dao of Chaos inherently encompasses the birth and death of all things. If one could refine the remnants of the heavenly calamity into a fire that ignites the seeds of the Dao, allowing the calamity fire and chaos to interact and give birth to each other... This thought made Li Mu's soul tremble, as if he had touched some forbidden area.

Li Mu closed his eyes and fell into a deeper deduction. He saw the Chaos Dao Seed taking root in the center of the painting world. The roots spread along the forbidden veins laid by the monks of previous generations, transforming those rigid formations into spiritual blood vessels; the branches penetrated the mountain and water illusions on the surface of the painting, and stretched out in the void and chaos to become Jianmu, which supported the heaven and earth;
……

Ten days passed in a flash, and the spiritual mirror began to buzz, interrupting Li Mu's epiphany.

Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes. Then he collected his mind, raised his hand and summoned the spiritual mirror from the Tianxuan Ring.

The spiritual mirror shone with light and the mirror surface lit up again.

Not long after, Wan Ziliang's figure appeared in the mirror, with a hint of excitement in his eyes that was difficult to conceal, and he said, "Daoist Mu, the ten-day deadline has come. Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission and have gathered all the spiritual materials you need."

Hearing this, Li Mu's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he smiled and said, "Pavilion Master Wan is indeed very capable. He was able to gather such rare spiritual materials in just ten days. It is really admirable."

Wan Ziliang waved his hand and said with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Mu, you are too kind. Although my Wanbao Pavilion has some resources, I have tried my best to gather them together this time. However, since the things you need are ready, I wonder if the Pavilion Master will order..."

Li Mu smiled slightly and said, "Master Wan, rest assured. I, Li Mu, always keep my word. Since your pavilion has fulfilled its promise, I will naturally return the Pavilion Master's Order."

"I wonder where Fellow Daoist Mu is. Can we meet at a suitable place to do the transaction?" Wan Ziliang asked with concern.

Li Mu nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he suggested: "Master Wan, how about we meet in Yunyin Immortal City to trade?" Upon hearing this, Wan Ziliang's expression changed slightly, a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Fellow Daoist Mu, you don't know that the Yunyin Sect has been destroyed, and Yunyin Immortal City no longer exists."

Li Mu frowned slightly and asked in surprise: "No longer exists?"

"Friend Mu, I guess you haven't been in Zhongzhou for a long time." Wan Ziliang sighed and slowly introduced: "Since the seal was opened two hundred years ago, the Immortal Spirit Realm and the Demon Abyss Realm invaded our world. The Zhongzhou Spirit Realm is no longer what it used to be. As a major immortal city, Yunyin Immortal City is naturally a thorn in the eyes of the Demon Abyss forces. A hundred years ago, it was destroyed by the Demon Abyss, and the city was destroyed and turned into ruins."

Hearing this, Li Mu's heart couldn't help but surge. After the seal formation collapsed, he fled Zhongzhou as soon as possible, hiding everywhere, secretly sealing up several lost ninth-level divine objects. He was not very clear about the situation in the outside world. Now he heard that Yunyin Immortal City had been destroyed a hundred years ago, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sad and emotional.

Li Mu was silent for a moment, collected his thoughts, and asked, "I never thought that Yunyin Immortal City has been destroyed for a hundred years. The world is unpredictable, which makes people sigh. In this case, does Pavilion Master Wan have any other suitable trading locations to recommend?"

Wan Ziliang pondered for a moment and said, "The situation in Zhongzhou is complicated now, with various forces entrenched. It is not easy to find a safe place to trade. However, my Wanbao Pavilion has many branches in various parts of Zhongzhou. If Daoist Mu doesn't mind, you can go to Tianyuan City, where there is the support of immortal forces and it is safe."

"Tianyuan City?" Li Mu nodded slightly and thought to himself that he roughly knew this place.

"Okay, then we'll set it in Tianyuan City." Li Mu readily agreed, then changed the subject and asked tentatively: "Master Wan, I haven't been in Zhongzhou for a long time, so I don't know much about the current situation. I wonder how the major forces in Zhongzhou are doing now? Are Xuantian Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and the eight major immortal cultivation families still there?"

Wan Ziliang heard this, a complex look flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "Since Fellow Daoist Mu asked, I will tell you in detail. Although the Xuantian Sword Sect has not been destroyed, it is no longer as prosperous as it used to be. Since the invasion of the Demon Abyss, the Xuantian Sword Sect has suffered heavy losses, and most of the sect's masters have died. Now with the support of the Taixuan Sword Sect, it can still survive in a corner and barely protect itself."

“As for Taiyi Sect…” Wan Ziliang paused, his tone somewhat solemn, “Taiyi Sect, alas, is now in turmoil and has been split into two.”

Wan Ziliang continued to introduce to Li Mu: "A hundred years ago, during a large-scale invasion by the Demonic Abyss, Taiyi Sect was the first to bear the brunt and suffered extremely heavy losses. As a result, serious disagreements arose within the sect. One faction advocated uniting with the Immortal Spirit Realm to fight against the Demonic Abyss; while the other faction believed that they should temporarily avoid the attack, preserve their strength, and defend the sect's heritage to the death, waiting for a comeback in the future."

"The two factions were arguing and it eventually turned into an internal fight." Wan Ziliang sighed, with a bit of regret in his tone, and continued: "The Taiyi Sect was therefore split into the 'Taiyi Immortal Sect' and the 'Taiyi Xuanmen'. The Taiyi Immortal Sect advocated cooperation with the Immortal Spirit Realm, and now relies on the power of the Immortal Spirit Realm, moved to the vicinity of Tianyuan City, and barely maintained itself with the protection of the Immortal Spirit Realm; while the Taiyi Xuanmen retreated to the ancestral land of the Taiyi Sect, closed the door, and vowed to protect the foundation of the sect to the death. Unfortunately, even so, the Taiyi Xuanmen is still repeatedly invaded by the forces of the Demon Abyss, and is now in danger."

Hearing this, Li Mu couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Taiyi Sect was one of the most powerful sects in Zhongzhou. It was once so glorious, but now it has ended up like this. It can be seen how deeply the invasion of the Demon Abyss has damaged the spiritual world.

"What about the eight immortal cultivation families?" Li Mu continued to ask.

"The eight great immortal cultivation families..." Wan Ziliang shook his head, with a bit of regret in his tone, and introduced to Li Mu in detail: "Among the eight great immortal cultivation families, three have been completely destroyed, and the remaining five have also been seriously injured. Among them, the Nangong family, the Ji family, and the Kun family have barely maintained their family foundation, but their strength is not as good as before. As for the other two families, they are already in name only, their children have scattered, and their family businesses have been divided up by various forces."

After hearing this, Li Mu couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The eight major immortal cultivation families were once the pillars of the immortal cultivation world in Zhongzhou, but now they have been shattered. It can be seen how devastating the impact of this catastrophe on Zhongzhou was.

"Master Wan, the situation in Zhongzhou is so chaotic now. I wonder if there is any force that can compete with the Demon Abyss?" Li Mu asked in a deep voice.

Wan Ziliang smiled bitterly and said, "The Demonic Abyss is powerful. Although the major forces in Zhongzhou want to fight against it, they are ultimately unable to do so. However, in recent years, a force has risen, called the 'Heavenly Dao League'. The Heavenly Dao League is formed by the remnants of the major sects and families in Zhongzhou, with the support of the Taixuan Sword Sect in the Immortal Realm. It aims to unite the human cultivators to resist the Demonic Abyss. The Heavenly Dao League is powerful, but compared with the alien cultivators in the Demonic Abyss and the Immortal Realm, it is still at a disadvantage."

"Tiandao Alliance..." Li Mu murmured in a low voice, with a hint of thought in his eyes.

Seeing this, Wan Ziliang reminded him, "Fellow Daoist Mu, the situation in Zhongzhou is complicated right now. The demon race has joined forces with foreign cultivators, and the forces of all parties are intertwined. If you are not careful, you will be involved in disputes. If you want to travel in Zhongzhou, you must be more careful."

Li Mu nodded and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Pavilion Master Wan. I will act with caution."

Wan Ziliang smiled and said, "If that's the case, then let's make the deal in Tianyuan City. I wonder when Fellow Daoist Mu will be here?"

"It will probably take three or four months. I will contact you after I arrive." Li Mu agreed readily.

"Okay! I'll wait for good news from Fellow Daoist Mu!" Wan Ziliang nodded and agreed happily.

Soon, the light of the magic mirror dimmed, and Wan Ziliang's figure disappeared. Li Mu put away the magic mirror, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes. He did not expect that in just two hundred years, Zhongzhou had been turned upside down. Today's Zhongzhou is no longer what he remembered. (End of this chapter)