Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Time has no bearing on the sea of ​​chaos; a hundred years is but a fleeting moment.

Li Mu's mind was completely immersed in the Chaos Dao Tree, sharing the same breath and pulse with this ancestral root that was rooted in the source network of all worlds. The Dao Tree's billions of branches and leaves swayed, and the miniature chaotic world was born and died in the leaves, absorbing and exhaling the power of the mother source world, nourishing himself, and pushing his Dao realm steadily towards the mysterious "Dao Integration" realm.

The chaotic energy around Li Mu became increasingly profound and restrained, almost merging with the void, transforming into the unshakable foundation of this chaotic Dao Domain.

However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease.

On this day, a silent shriek suddenly rose from the depths of the silent void, like the lament of the origin of the laws, or like the turmoil of the Great Dao. Centered on the Netherworld Blood Realm, the spiritual energy of the void for trillions of miles suddenly boiled!

"Rumble--"

An invisible tide of laws surged from the infinite heights and endless depths, carrying with it colorful and distorted light and shadow, blazing white, ghostly blue, bluish-gray, filthy darkness... all kinds of destructive energies mixed and swirled, emitting an aura of annihilation that could suffocate all living beings.

—The Laws of Tides!
This is a destructive torrent formed by the forced instigation and fusion of the fundamental principles of all realms, which erodes the foundation of all laws and defiles the pure source of the Dao.

The first to bear the brunt was the Chaos Dao Tree, which had ventured into the endless void!
"Chichichichi——!"

As if splashed with concentrated acid, billions of chaotic roots instantly rose up billowing smoke. The chaotic Dao patterns flowing on the surface of the roots, which were tough enough to support stars, visibly dimmed and peeled away. The colorful tidal energy spread wildly along the roots like a malignant sore, and wherever it passed, spirituality vanished, the roots withered and died, and all life was extinguished.

The main body of the Dao Tree trembled violently, its branches and leaves danced wildly, and countless miniature chaotic worlds on it erupted with chaotic halos one after another. The earth, water, fire and wind were out of balance, mountains collapsed and seas tsunamis rose, stars fell, and large areas of branches and leaves lost their color, curled up, and withered away.

Inside the Chaos Treasure Palace, Li Mu's body trembled slightly, and the Dao aura around him momentarily stagnated. He suddenly opened his eyes, and the chaos in his eyes surged, reflecting the colorful tides sweeping in and the scene of the roots of the Dao Tree being eroded.

"The Tide of Laws... What a brilliant move!"

Almost simultaneously, in the central hub of Zhenyouming City, Mingyue, beneath his silver armor and veiled face, suddenly shone with golden eyes that gleamed with a chilling light. A torrent of cold data surged and swept across the area with unprecedented force.

"Warning! An extremely high-intensity composite law impact has been detected. Target: the root system of the Chaos Dao Tree! Identified as a 'Law Tide'!"

A clear shout pierced the sky, echoing throughout the Netherworld, the Blood Realm, and all the interconnected realms.

"Yin-Yang Reincarnation Puppet Army, ascend into the sky immediately! Form the 'Ten Thousand Puppet Reincarnation Grand Array'!"

The order is given and the law follows!

Scattered throughout the Blood Realm and at the connecting points of all realms, twelve million Yin-Yang Reincarnation Puppets, their eyes blazing with intense black and white light.
The millions of puppets were linked by their interconnected energies, their life and death energies rapidly rotating, transforming into a colossal chaotic wheel that covered a small portion of the Blood Realm's sky. As the wheel spun, it merged the power of all realms, using the momentum of the chaotic rotation to forcibly deflect and quell the surging tides.

"Boom--!"

The tidal torrent crashed violently into the chaotic roulette wheel!

It was as if two great worlds collided, the deafening roar shaking the soul, the roulette wheel twisting violently, and countless dazzling yet deadly spots of light exploding on its surface.

The tens of thousands of Yin-Yang Revolving Puppets in the front row had their protective force fields shatter like paper. Their bodies rapidly dissolved and collapsed under the sweeping tide of colorful energy, and the puppets were annihilated in swathes, like snow meeting the blazing sun.

The moon-white armor flashed with light, and the data in her golden eyes almost materialized. She pressed her hands together, activating the core of the great array and gathering the remaining puppet power into a single point. The chaotic vortex at the center of the roulette wheel suddenly expanded, transforming into a bottomless vortex that frantically devoured the surging tide.

"Hold on! The cycle continues, all things return to their origin!"

The power of the tides was vast and boundless, seemingly gathering all the malice of the laws of the myriad realms. The Chaos Wheel struggled to hold on, yet was still forced to retreat step by step, its light rapidly dimming.

At the same time, Xiao Jingtian roared, shaking the world: "Nine Nether Barrier, rise!"

At the edge of the Netherworld Blood Realm, three hundred and sixty star array bases simultaneously erupted with pillars of light soaring into the sky! The array bases were based on the Annihilation Spirit Crystal, inlaid with Fiery Fiend Pearls, Frosty Marrow Jade, and Thunder Pattern Stones, connecting with the origin of the Blood Realm and drawing upon the power of all realms, instantly raising a dark barrier that was tens of thousands of miles thick and solid.

Above the barrier, the illusory images of the Zhou Tian constellations rise and fall, their array lights flowing endlessly, forming an indestructible barrier that seeks to keep the tides of law outside the boundary.

"Sizzle... Boom!"

The tide crashed against the Nine Netherworld Barrier, emitting a piercing, corrosive sound. The barrier's surface flashed with light, and the illusory images of stars crumbled one after another. The array of light rapidly dissipated under the dazzling impact. The barrier trembled violently, cracks spreading like a spiderweb. It held on for only a dozen breaths before shattering with a mournful roar!

Xiao Jingtian, who was in charge of the formation, was struck as if by a heavy blow. His body trembled violently under his black armor, and the spiritual light around him suddenly dimmed. Nearly half of the formation base was destroyed, and the backlash caused the entire Immortal Dynasty fleet to lose its luster.

The laws of tides surged into the Netherworld Blood Realm, continuously eroding the roots of the Chaos Dao Tree and causing the spiritual energy within the realm to completely spiral out of control.

The sea of ​​blood churned, and the turbid waves surged to the sky; the pure energy rose and the turbid energy sank, and heaven and earth almost returned to chaos. The spiritual energy in the bodies of countless cultivators surged wildly, their foundations shook, and those with slightly weaker cultivation exploded and died on the spot.

The interdimensional portal fluctuated violently, and the transmission of spiritual energy was intermittent—the sharp energy of the Golden Puppet Realm shot out uncontrollably, and the embers of the Profound Abyss Realm surged backward...

The situation is extremely precarious!

Inside the Chaos Treasure Palace, Li Mu's eyes were as cold as ancient ice. He stood up, and the Chaos Dao Laws around him suddenly erupted on an unprecedented scale.

"town!"

Li Mu's shout was law!
The Chaos Dao Fruit, which was nearly perfect and suspended atop the Dao Tree, suddenly shone brightly. A mighty force of chaos, surpassing all laws, spread out from the center of the Dao Fruit, as if a sleeping creator god had awakened!
A hazy, chaotic divine light swept across the void, causing the boiling tides to halt in its wake, and the colorful light and shadows to stagnate as if trapped in quagmire, their erosion abruptly slowing down. The countless roots of the Dao Tree needed this respite, and a dense, chaotic current of energy rose from their surface, struggling to resist the erosion of the tides.

Li Mu frowned. Although the Chaos Dao Fruit could suppress the tides, he keenly sensed that deep within the turbulent currents of violent laws, there was a wisp of extremely obscure and vicious ancient aura.

This energy, like silk threads, is entwined around the core of the tides, pointing directly to the origin of all laws and piercing the terrifying curse of the Great Dao of Chaos!
A malevolent curse, steeped in the sedimentation of countless ages, brimming with resentment, decay, and the meaning of end! Like an invisible venomous snake, it is silently burrowing along the roots of the Dao tree toward its core, seeking to defile its chaotic foundation.

"Using the laws of all realms as a medium, you wish to corrupt my Dao source..."

A cold glint flashed in Li Mu's eyes, his thoughts racing like lightning. The laws of chaos are supremely great and impartial, encompassing all things, yet this ancient curse, born specifically to erode and decay, is extremely troublesome.

If we forcibly flush it away with chaotic energy, it will likely be counterproductive and may even promote its spread.

On one hand, Li Mu activated the Chaos Dao Fruit, using its immense power to create a domain that forcibly imprisoned the tides and the curse; on the other hand, he separated a wisp of divine consciousness and carefully probed the core of the curse, attempting to analyze its source, dissect its structure, and find a way to resolve it.

The Chaos Dao Tree temporarily stabilized its collapse, but the colorful tides and the hidden curses continued to gnaw at the Chaos Divine Light and erode the foundation of the Dao Tree like maggots clinging to the bone.

The Netherworld Blood Realm and all the Linked Realms trembled in fear amidst this terrifying upheaval of laws, and the spiritual energy became increasingly disordered.

Mingyue and Xiao Jingtian exerted all their strength to defend their respective sides, but their gazes were both turned towards the Chaos Treasure Palace.

Whether this calamity can be averted depends entirely on Li Mu.

Li Mu's mind sank into that vicious curse, deducing countless possibilities, searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the desolation.

Just then, the void trembled, and the will of the Lord of the Primordial Ancient Realm, like a clear, icy spring, pierced through layers of chaotic barriers and manifested in Li Mu's sea of ​​consciousness. "Lord of Chaos, stop."

The projected sound was detached and lofty, devoid of any human warmth, yet imbued with an undeniable majesty.

As this will descended, the colorful tide that was eroding the roots of the Dao Tree paused slightly. The vicious curse within seemed to be nourished, its eerie light surged, and the erosion speed suddenly accelerated. The grayish color spread wildly along the roots, and wherever it passed, the Chaos Dao Tree emitted a faint mournful cry, and its structure became loose and sluggish.

"Who are you!" Li Mu's expression turned serious as he looked at the newcomer.

Needless to say, the curse that eroded the Chaos Dao Tree originated from this person.

"I am 'Xuan Chu,' wielding the ancient path of the Primordial Beginning, guarding the balance of the primordial roots of chaos." The will of Xuan Chu, the Lord of the Primordial Beginning, flowed like an icy spring, introducing himself without the slightest ripple. Then, changing the subject, he advised Li Mu: "Your Chaos Dao Tree, drawing upon the source of the primordial network, has already shaken the foundation of your primordial roots. This 'Myriad Transformations Curse,' condensed from the opposing forces of the primordial chaos, specifically erodes chaos and weakens your Dao Domain. If you do not stop drawing upon it, the power of the curse will multiply with your absorption, until the Dao Tree withers, and the source networks of all realms tremble. At that time, before chaos is formed, a great calamity will surely descend!"

"Really!"

The chaotic energy around Li Mu surged, fiercely resisting the decaying curse that was constantly eroding the Dao Tree, emitting a muffled thunderous roar.

Li Mu could clearly sense that this "Myriad Transformations Curse" was not simply an attack on the laws of the Dao, but rather a kind of restraint targeting the fundamental rules of chaos. Its power was long-lasting and insidious, directly aimed at the foundation of the Dao.

"The Primordial Root..." Li Mu spoke in a low voice, his eyes filled with swirling chaotic stars, deducing endless cause and effect: "Is this how you maintain your so-called balance?"

"It is not about maintaining, but about protecting." Xuan Chu's projection's expression shifted slightly, and primordial ripples spread across the surrounding void, making the power of the curse appear even more profound: "The Primordial Ancestral Root nurtured three thousand main realms, and the Source Network is its veins. Your Chaos Path forcibly absorbed the origin of all realms, gaining temporary prosperity, but it drained the pond to catch all the fish, shaking the foundation for the survival of all realms. This curse is the self-generated countermeasure of the Ancestral Root, and I am merely going with the flow, drawing out its sharp edge."

"Lord of Chaos, the Dao of Chaos is difficult to master. I advise you to give up! Otherwise, this curse will only deepen!" Xuan Chu's projection continued to add, offering his advice.

As soon as the words were spoken, the cursed light wrapped around the roots of the Dao Tree intensified, and the grayish color spread rapidly. The thousands of roots lost their luster and became fragile. In the Netherworld Blood Realm and even the connected realms, the spiritual energy was disordered, and the mountains and rivers trembled, as if the entire territory was suffering from pain at the source level.

The data stream surged wildly through the bright moon's golden eyes, attempting to decipher the curse's structure, only to fall into an endless abyss, receiving nothing but incomprehensible gibberish.

Xiao Jingtian clenched his fists, and his Xuanjia armor resonated amidst the tremors of the realm, as he could sense that the foundation of the Immortal Dynasty was facing an unprecedented threat.

Li Mu remained silent for a moment, his eyes swirling with chaotic energy. He sensed that the Chaos Dao Tree could temporarily resist the curse, but the curse continued to erode the source of chaos, and the tides of law kept eroding it. If this continued, there was indeed a risk of damage to his Dao foundation.

More importantly, if, as Xuan Chu said, it triggers a deep-seated backlash from the primordial root of chaos, and even attracts an attack from other ancient guardians, then even with the profound mystery of his Great Dao of Chaos, he would be no match for the power of the heavens.

"Stop drawing water from the source, can this curse be broken?" Li Mu raised his eyes, his gaze like cold lightning, piercing through the void and staring directly at Xuan Chu.

"The curse originates from the root, and the source governs itself." Xuan Chu replied indifferently, "If you agree to stop forcibly drawing power from the Mother Source Realm with the Dao Tree, I can draw upon the power of the Primordial Beginning to temporarily slow down the erosion of the curse's power, giving your Dao Tree a chance to breathe. However, this curse is rooted in the Primordial Chaos and cannot be completely uprooted by external forces. It will require the passage of time for the ancestral root to heal and recover on its own."

This is not a complete solution, but more like a temporary compromise. Li Mu's mind raced. Right now, the Dao Tree is damaged and the world is unstable. If they forcefully resist, they might suffer more losses than gains.

Even in the realm of chaos, one must assess the situation and know when to advance and when to retreat.

“Alright.” After a moment’s thought, Li Mu nodded helplessly and said, “I can temporarily stop forcibly drawing upon the source network.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu's mind stirred, and the countless roots of the towering Chaos Dao Tree behind him trembled simultaneously, actively severing their deep connections with those source network branches. The infusion of the vast power of the Mother Source Realm abruptly diminished. The radiance of the Dao Tree dimmed slightly, and the miniature world scene evolving among its branches and leaves slowed down.

Almost simultaneously, Xuan Chu's projection raised his hand and pointed, and a wisp of incomparably pure Primordial Qi crossed the void, falling like sweet dew, and lingering around the root area of ​​the Dao Tree that was most severely damaged.

The rampant decaying energy of the "Myriad Transformations Curse" slowed down considerably upon encountering the Primordial Pure Energy, and it ceased its frenzied spread.

The tides of law in the void, having lost their source of continuous influence, gradually weakened, and the colorful and distorted light and shadow gradually subsided.

The violent tremors in the Netherworld Blood Realm and the Linked Realms subsided. Mingyue and Xiao Jingtian both felt the pressure ease and immediately seized the opportunity to stabilize their domains and repair the damaged formations and puppets.

"Lord of Chaos, I hope you will abide by this agreement." Xuan Chu's projection gradually dissipated, and his voice was indifferent as he said, "The Primordial Ancestral Root concerns the survival of all worlds. It cannot be shaken at will by one's own path. You should take care of yourself."

Upon hearing this, the projection of the mysterious object transformed into specks of clear light, merging into the void and disappearing.

Silence returned to the Chaos Treasure Palace, with only the occasional faint crackling sound from the damaged roots of the Dao Tree and the lingering gray curse as evidence of the thrilling battle that had just taken place.

Li Mu stood alone beneath the Dao tree, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

This compromise was not out of fear, but out of expediency. The secrets of the primordial root, the balance of the origins of all realms, and the "Myriad Transformations Curse" that specifically counters chaos all revealed to him the complex landscape of the path ahead.

"The Primordial Beginning... the Ancestral Root of Primordial Chaos..."

Li Mu muttered to himself, the chaotic energy around him swirling rapidly, carrying a hint of restrained sharpness. "Today's end is not the final one. When my Dao fruit is perfected and the chaos has evolved to its extreme, then we will discuss this balance again."

The most urgent task is to repair the damage to the Dao Tree, find a way to resolve or adapt to this "Myriad Transformations Curse," and, within this temporary balance, seek a more stable opportunity for the Chaos Dao Domain to grow.

The Void Palace is silent, where all laws are still.

Seven ancient figures, bathed in the radiance of their respective laws, shone like stars.

Suddenly, a ripple appeared in the central void, and a point of clear light shone, quickly outlining a lofty and indifferent figure, which was the projection of the will of the Lord of the Primordial Ancient Realm.

"The Primordial Dao Venerable has returned." Stardust swirled around the Star Evolution Dao Venerable as he spoke in a deep voice, breaking the silence of the secret realm.

The gazes of the other five realm lords also converged at the same time, their Daoist radiance rippled slightly, revealing their inner attention.

The Primordial Dao Venerable's gaze was cold as he swept over all those present and said indifferently, "The Chaos Dao Lord has agreed to temporarily conceal his roots and slow down the rate at which he absorbs the power of the Mother Source Realm."

The tense atmosphere in the main hall eased. The flame patterns around the Ancient Origin Realm Lord flickered, and he said in a deep voice, "Hmph, he knows when to back down! Under our joint pressure, no matter how domineering his Chaos Dao is, he will have to bow his head."

"So, the Corrosion Curse has already taken effect?" The figure of the Eternal Nether Lord, as dark as an abyss, rippled with waves, carrying a chilling aura.

Tai Chu Dao Zun nodded slightly, his tone calm, and said, "The roots of his Chaos Dao Tree have been severely damaged. In order to preserve his Dao foundation, he has no choice but to temporarily avoid the limelight and make a Dao oath not to recklessly devour the Source Network Mother Source for a thousand years."

Hao Yi Dao Zu stroked his beard, a hint of doubt flashing deep in his eyes: "This boy rose from humble beginnings, and has always acted tyrannically, conquering and devouring his way to his current status. This surrender is probably just a temporary expedient."

"The Dao Ancestor's concerns are not without merit." The Taiyu Immortal Lord sat upright on the nine-colored lotus platform, his face obscured by the clear light, his expression unreadable, only his voice carrying a calmness that understood the ways of the world, "Judging from his past, he is by no means one who is content to lie low. The current compromise is likely a delaying tactic. Once he has digested this shock and repaired the damage to the Dao Tree, it is hard to guarantee that he will not make a comeback. At that time... his counterattack will be even more fierce."

Starlight danced at Xingyan Daozun's fingertips, deducing countless causes and effects. He said slowly, "The way of chaos lies in evolution and devouring. Forcibly suppressing it is like blocking a flood, which is not a long-term solution. However, its origins are unfathomable, and its growth rate far exceeds our calculations. If we rashly engage in a life-or-death battle with it, even if we win, we will have to pay an unbearable price."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the realm lords darkened, and for a moment, they were at a loss for what to do. (End of this chapter)