Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The connections between the more than ten realms and the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms—the threads of law that have sustained countless eras—are breaking and dissipating one by one.

Instead, countless invisible yet incredibly resilient chaotic roots pierced through the void, extending more than ten times in succession. At the other end, they pierced into the chaotic Dao Tree behind Li Mu, or more precisely, into the nearly perfected chaotic Dao Fruit.

A brand-new network of realms, centered on the Chaos Dao proven by Li Mu, is rapidly taking shape!
"boom!"

The moment the last thread of law broke, an indescribable sense of liberation and rebirth surged from the depths of the origin of more than ten realms, transforming into a torrent that flowed upstream along the roots of chaos and poured into Li Mu's Chaos Dao Tree!

This power is pure and boundless, a gift from more than ten worlds to break free from the old shackles and embrace the new path, and the original mark of their recognition of the Lord and return to the source!

The Chaos Dao Fruit, the size of a millstone, suddenly stopped flowing with billions of Dao patterns on its surface under this impact!
Time seemed to freeze.

Within the Chaos Treasure Palace, all things were silent. The Chaos Sea of ​​Qi ceased to flow, the branches and leaves of the Dao Tree stopped swaying, and Li Mu's heartbeat also fell into an eternal stillness.

Immediately afterwards, a faint "click" sound rang out, like the first sound of the universe at its beginning, clearly echoing in Li Mu's mind.

A crack appeared on the Chaos Dao Fruit.

There was no dazzling light, no overwhelming pressure from the heavens, only a wisp of primordial chaos energy slowly seeping out from the crack.

This energy is as light as smoke and as heavy as eternity. Wherever it passes, the laws of space dissolve, the river of time stops flowing, and all things, tangible and intangible, return to the original chaos.

Li Mu's pupils contracted sharply as he clearly sensed that the Chaos Dao within his body, the Chaos Dao Tree behind him, and even the entire Chaos Treasure Palace were all experiencing a joy and longing stemming from their life instincts because of this aura.

Like a wanderer returning home, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

"Om-!"

The Chaos Dao Fruit completely shattered, transforming into billions of points of light that converged, rotated, and reconstructed in place, condensing into an ineffable "source".

This is the beginning of all things, and also the end of all paths.

That wisp of primordial energy was born from this "source". More than ten worlds that had just completed their "transformation" seemed to have been integrated with the supreme Dao principles, and their original cores were evolving wildly!

Within the Golden Puppet Realm, the Geng Metal skeleton was reforged, and chaotic earth energy surged to form an endless land; gray-gold Dao Fire soared into the sky, evolving into a blazing heaven. The four great laws of earth, water, fire, and wind, driven by the chaotic mother source, constructed the prototype of a new world with a violent yet orderly force.

In the Xuan Yuan Jin Realm, gentle streams of embers gathered into a sea of ​​fire. Suddenly, life burst forth from the fire, and strange flames burst forth from the "sea." Amidst the interplay of light and heat, wisps of cool, moist vapor were produced.

The river of time in the Realm of Time was no longer disordered, but condensed into a huge crystal wall of time, on which the past, present, and future flowed like a scroll, merging with each other and giving rise to endless possibilities.

The Realm of Illusions, the Realm of Breath of Earth, the Realm of Darkness, the Realm of Heavenly Sun...

Earth, water, fire, wind!

Yin, Yang, Life, Death!

Time, space, reality, illusion!

The origin of all realms, based on its own laws, absorbs and exhales chaotic energy, deducing and evolving all the elements needed to complete the Great Thousand World!
They are transforming from "boundaries" to "domains," evolving into independent and self-sufficient "mini-chaos"!
However, the evolution was too rapid, as if it wanted to complete a process of billions of years in an instant. The foundation was not stable, the laws clashed, and a destructive force was generated.

The earth of the Golden Puppet Realm cracked and the sky collapsed;

In the Xuan Yuan Ash Realm, all life was extinguished, and water and fire were annihilated.
The crystal walls of the Time Ruins are riddled with cracks...

More than ten realms, having shed their old shells, are on the verge of collapse!
This is a sign of evolution spiraling out of control!

"Certainly!"

With a soft shout, Li Mu exuded supreme majesty within his calm demeanor, and the "source" of chaos transformed from the Dao Fruit suddenly shone brightly in all directions!

A surge of pure, primordial chaos energy, like a celestial river flowing backward, instantly filled the entire Chaotic Dao Domain. It then split into more than ten streams, precisely injecting into the core of each boundary that was on the verge of collapse.

This power is both creation and destruction; both order and chaos. Like a strict Taoist master, it forcibly sorts out, integrates, and balances the violent and conflicting laws of all realms with the most domineering and direct methods.

The shattered land was smoothed out, the collapsed sky was propped up, the annihilating water and fire were separated, and the broken crystal walls were mended... All chaos returned to primordial chaos.

All conflicts are dissolved into the primordial chaos.

Earth, water, fire, and wind evolve endlessly, continuing to advance in a mysterious and harmonious state. Under the harmonization of the primordial chaos, the laws intermingle, generate and restrain each other, ultimately forming a perfect cycle.

Finally, the strange phenomenon subsided, and the light dimmed.

More than ten worlds transformed into "boundary embryo leaves," emerging one by one from the Dao leaves of the Chaos Tree. Within the leaf realms, earth, water, fire, and wind flowed ceaselessly, yin and yang, life and death cycled endlessly, and countless nascent laws floated and sank within, all returning to the primordial state of chaos, seemingly nurturing a brand new era.

Its depth far surpasses that of the past!
Behind Li Mu, the Chaos Dao Tree was also reborn, its roots reaching into the void, its leaves closely connected to the origins of the Great Dao of more than ten realms, and its pure Chaos Origin fluctuating between breaths; the trunk became increasingly ancient and desolate, and each branch and leaf seemed to bear the scene of the birth and death of a realm.

Above the branch, the source of chaos floated quietly, echoing between Li Mu's brows, becoming an extension of his Great Dao and a manifestation of his will.

A powerful aura suddenly erupted from Li Mu's body!
This energy is unlike the pure and lofty Taichu Daozun, nor the fierce and domineering divine flame of the Ancient Origin Realm Lord. Instead, it is vast and all-encompassing, like the source of all heavens and worlds, the only reality before the primordial chaos was divided!

"Boom!"

The Netherworld Blood Realm trembled violently! The laws of the Netherworld hummed in submission, and the chaotic Dao patterns on the boundary barrier shone brightly, as if paying homage to a king.

The aura appeared for only a moment before receding like a tide, completely absorbing into Li Mu's body without leaking out in the slightest.

However, this sudden tremor had already startled two figures.

Deep within the sea of ​​blood, Xiao Jingtian, who had been meditating with his eyes closed in the hall, suddenly opened them. His eyes flashed with the light of swords and blades, filled with shock and ecstasy.

"This aura... it's Master!"

Xiao Jingtian clearly sensed that the aura, though only for a moment, possessed a Daoist pressure that far surpassed any realm lord he had ever seen, even exceeding his own peak strength!
"Master has not only fully recovered, but has even surpassed his previous level?" Xiao Jingtian trembled all over, suddenly stood up, stepped out of the temple, and looked intently towards the Chaos Treasure Palace.

Elsewhere, above the moon and stars in the Netherworld Blood Realm, the Guanghan Palace remains as tranquil as ever.

Beneath the osmanthus tree, Mingyue's eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her clear, cool eyes.

Mingyue's senses were keen—in that instant, she seemed to glimpse the boundless sea of ​​chaos, witnessing the origin of all worlds and the evolution of all paths. At the center of it all was Li Mu's figure.

"Master!" A complex expression appeared on Mingyue's cold puppet face, a mixture of amazement, awe, and a sense of relief. From this moment on, the master was finally qualified to stand on equal footing with the nine main realms and even the Ghost Clan.

The chessboard of the heavens will eventually welcome a player capable of overturning it.

Inside the Chaos Treasure Palace, Li Mu slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

This gray and gloomy atmosphere contains the birth and death of stars and the rotation of the world, ultimately returning to nothingness.

Li Mu looked inward at himself. His Chaotic Dao Body had undergone a transformation. His flesh and blood, and true essence contained the power to create the world. His soul merged with the "source" of chaos. With a thought, all the spiritual power of heaven and earth belonged to him.

"The Dao Realm cultivator has finally returned."

Li Mu smiled slightly, having broken through and then risen again, recovering his previously lost cultivation level and becoming even stronger.

Li Mu raised his hand, and a point of chaotic primordial light appeared in his palm, illuminating the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm—a place shrouded in eerie mist, where living beings suffered terribly; it also revealed the predicament of the Primordial Dao Venerable and others, who were overwhelmed with trouble and caught in a dilemma.

“In the beginning…” Li Mu’s lips curled up slightly, forming a meaningful arc.

With a thought, Li Mu sent a wisp of his mind across the Myriad Realms Sealing Spirit Array, directly to the edge of the Primordial Ancient Realm and the Pool of Myriad Laws:
"A deal is open to discussion."

"But the conditions need to be changed."

The illusory image of the Primordial Dao Venerable's will stood silently in the void, its clear light flowing, watching Li Mu in silence. In the depths of its eyes, there seemed to be the birth and death of all worlds, the rotation of laws, and a trace of scrutiny that was hard to detect.

Li Mu's words were like thunderclaps in the chaos, resounding in the hearts of all the realm lords.

"What should we do? Tell me!" said the Primordial Daoist.

"The Great Dao of Chaos restrains the Ghost Clan. I can avert their calamity for you, but the price is the removal of the Spirit Sealing Array and a promise not to interfere with my path in the future. In exchange, I, Li, can swear an oath never again to actively absorb the essence of the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms," Li Mu transmitted to the Primordial Dao Venerable, making his promise.

The Primordial Daoist Master remained silent for a moment before replying, "This matter cannot be decided by me alone. I will respond to you later!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Primordial Daoist vanished in an instant, immediately summoning the other realm lords to discuss the matter.

The conditions proposed by Li Mu can be described as hitting the nail on the head; the Sealing Spirit Array is a shackle that binds the expansion of the Chaos Dao Lord, and if the other realms do not interfere, it will give him a precious opportunity to develop; the promise to no longer draw on the origin of the Ancestral Tree seems like a concession, but the Chaos Dao Tree is now deeply rooted in the source network, and even if it does not actively draw on it, its very existence will draw on a massive amount of power from the mother source realm to nourish its Dao domain.

Within the void realm, nine majestic wills converged continuously.

"I believe that the Chaos Dao Lord's proposal is acceptable. What do you all think?" Star Evolution Dao Lord asked, his body surrounded by floating stardust.

"Hmph, although the threat of the Ghost Clan is imminent, the speed at which the Chaos Dao Lord is growing is even more alarming." The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's divine flames surged, his tone chilling: "If we allow him to break the seal on his spirit today, and he achieves perfect Dao fruition and completes the Dao integration in the future, wouldn't we be raising a tiger to cause trouble? At that time, even without the Ghost Clan, who in all the heavens and myriad realms could control him?"

The figure of the Eternal Nether Lord Youyuan rippled with layers of coldness as he agreed, saying, "His statement that Chaos restrains the Ghost Clan may not be untrue. However, this boy is cunning and scheming. It is hard to guarantee that he is not using the Ghost Clan's affairs to extricate himself from his predicament and seize an opportunity. If we agree, it will only be helping him gain momentum."

Hao Yi Dao Zu stroked his beard and said slowly, "What he seeks is nothing more than a chance to catch his breath and his freedom, and to no longer draw upon the ancestral tree's source. If he swore an oath with the Great Dao, there would be some restraint. However, his Chaos Dao Tree has already become a threat to the source. Even if he does not actively draw upon it, its very existence is a continuous challenge to the balance of the source network."

The Celestial Lord of the Great Universe sat on the nine-colored lotus platform, his clear and cold voice resonating throughout the secret realm: "The key lies in choosing between the Chaos Dao Lord and the Ghost Clan. The Ghost Clan's invasion, destruction of realms and annihilation of Daos, is an immediate calamity, spreading rapidly. The Chaos Dao Lord possesses boundless potential, but his growth still requires time. Between these two evils, perhaps we can temporarily choose the lesser one."

The figure of the Celestial Lord of Illusion swayed, echoes of time and space overlapping: "The tributaries of time remain chaotic, and the future related to this child is entirely blurred. Whether we agree or not, great danger lurks. However, judging from his actions, even his domineering nature has its bottom line; he is not a purely destructive individual. Perhaps... we could have a talk?"

The realm lords' divine thoughts intertwined, deducing countless possibilities. If they agreed, they might help Li Mu become too powerful and uncontrollable in the future; if they refused, they would have to deal with the calamity of the Ghost Clan independently, and their relationship with Li Mu would completely deteriorate, leaving them facing enemies on multiple fronts.

After much deliberation, the lords of all realms finally made a decision.

The Primordial Daoist's gaze sharpened, his clear light dimmed, and his will pierced through the void, meeting Li Mu's divine sense once more.

"Lord of Chaos." The voice of the Primordial Dao Venerable remained indifferent and lofty: "We are aware of your proposal. The threat of the Ghost Clan concerns the survival of all realms and cannot be taken lightly. However, the Spirit Sealing Array maintains the balance of the source network and is related to the foundation of the three thousand main realms, so it cannot be easily removed. Your path of cultivation involves a wide range of issues, and it is difficult to promise never to interfere."

Li Mu's gaze narrowed slightly, and the chaotic energy in his eyes seemed to pause for a moment.

The Primordial Daoist continued, “Your promise to no longer draw upon the ancestral tree’s essence demonstrates your sincerity. However, the Myriad Realms Sealing Spirit Array must be maintained to prevent the source network from becoming unbalanced. As for the Ghost Clan, if you truly have a way to restrain them, we are willing to discuss countermeasures with you. However, this is not a transaction, but for the sake of all living beings.”

This statement clearly indicated their stance. They politely declined Li Mu's core proposal to resolve the Gui Clan's troubles in exchange for lifting the Spirit Sealing Array and granting freedom of cultivation. Maintaining the Spirit Sealing Array meant continuing restrictions; discussing countermeasures offered no clear commitment, leaving the initiative to the nine main realms.

Li Mu stood quietly beneath the Chaos Dao Tree, his face expressionless, as if he had long anticipated this outcome.

"In that case, Daoist Master, please proceed." Li Mu's voice was calm, without the slightest hint of emotion. "You may handle the matter of the Ghost Clan yourselves. My small Dao Domain still needs to be stabilized, so I will not see you off further."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air around the Chaos Treasure Palace swirled slightly, and an invisible force spread out, signaling that the guest was about to leave.

The Primordial Daoist gave Li Mu a deep look, then said nothing more. His illusory will transformed into specks of clear light and dissipated into the void. The cold, watchful gaze that originated from the depths of the myriad worlds' origin network also receded like a tide.

The Chaos Treasure Palace returned to silence.

Li Mu raised his head, looking at the nearly perfect Chaos Dao Fruit on the branch, and then swept his gaze across the endless void connected by the roots of the Dao Tree.

The polite refusal from the realm lords such as Taichu Daozun did not cause much of a stir in Li Mu's heart. It was only natural that the realm lords were wary and proceeded cautiously.

"External forces are ultimately illusory; only one's own cultivation is fundamental!"

Li Mu whispered, his voice like the sound of Taoism, echoing within the mansion.

Li Mu's thoughts stirred again, and the billions of roots of the Chaos Dao Tree trembled simultaneously. Instead of trying to forcibly connect with the main veins of the source network that were marked, it instead plunged deeper into the crevices of the void, into the source network branches that were either visible or hidden and not fully controlled.

A vast amount of primordial energy, though faint, yet possessing diverse attributes, was drawn forth, traversing time and space to converge into the Dao Tree. This method of absorption was more covert, subtle and imperceptible. While not as powerful as a direct connection to the main vein, it was superior in its inexhaustible flow, making it difficult to detect.

Above the tree canopy, the number of newly formed miniature chaotic worlds continued to increase. Some of these illusory worlds collided and merged, evolving into scenes of swirling nebulae and drifting continents, beginning to resemble the grand scale of the universe. The ancient patterns on the main trunk of the Dao Tree became increasingly clear, radiating the primordial essence of bearing all things and nurturing all spirits.

Under this nourishment, Li Mu's cultivation level steadily improved, firmly advancing towards the "Harmony with the Dao" realm. His aura had lost some of its conquering ferocity and gained more of the mysterious wonder of creation, as if he could create a real world and nurture all kinds of living beings with a mere gesture.

However, the road ahead will certainly not be smooth. Although the Primordial Dao Venerable and other realm lords have retreated today, they must have more methods up their sleeves. The threat of the Ghost Clan is like a sword hanging over their heads, ready to fall at any moment.

"The Origin of All Realms, the Framework of All Heavens and Worlds..."

Li Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his figure merging with the towering Chaos Dao Tree behind him. His eyes were deep and unfathomable as he gazed at the unknowable future: "My path follows the Great Chaos, and no one can stop me."

Chaotic energy surged, and the Dao Tree hummed softly, as if responding to its master's will. (End of Chapter)