Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

In the Azure Netherworld, the sky was like spilled ink, with fierce winds tearing through the heavens and the wails of countless ghosts echoing endlessly.

This once spiritually vibrant and clear Wind Spirit Realm has now become a prison of pale mist.

The eerie white mist spread like a tide, leaving behind decaying mountains and rivers, withered vegetation, twisted branches curled up like the fingers of a dying man, and rotting roots emitting a stench like that of corpses.

Occasionally, creatures that have not yet been completely corrupted stagger and flee, quickly becoming stiff as they are entangled in eerie white snow threads, eventually turning into stark white bones, forever frozen on their escape route.

In this deathly silence, nine divine lights suddenly pierced through the clouds, like a silver river descending from the heavens, illuminating the dim world. Within the light, the Ancient Origin Realm Lord walked on fire, his body writhing in flames, like a world-burning divine sun descending upon the mortal realm. Where the divine fire passed, the eerie mist melted like ice and snow, rising in billowing, acrid black smoke. The Taiyu Immortal Lord sat on a nine-colored lotus platform, ethereal celestial music playing as golden array diagrams unfolded in the void, chains of divine order coiling and writhing like living things, completely sealing away the remaining eerie energy. The elite forces of the Nine Realms arrived in formation, battle banners fluttering, divine weapons gleaming in the sky, the might of the Demon-Slaying Divine Army like a rainbow piercing the sun, heading straight for the heart of the Azure Netherworld.

"cut!"

With a sharp shout, the Ancient Origin Realm Lord released the flaming spear from his hand, which transformed into a thousand-foot-long fire dragon that roared down and crashed into the roots of a nascent, eerie tree. The tree was deathly pale, its branches resembling human bones pieced together, its bark constantly writhing, and countless faces could be vaguely seen wailing and struggling. The severely wounded tree emitted a piercing shriek, and countless eerie threads, like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, frantically lunged at the Divine Lord.

However, before these strange threads could get close, they were firmly bound by the "Taiyu Suppressing Boundary Array" set up by the Taiyu Immortal Lord. With flashes of golden light, the strange threads broke inch by inch and turned into ashes.

The allied forces pressed forward. The three thousand star envoys under the Star Dao Venerable mobilized the stars in the heavens, their clear light falling like rain to cleanse the filth of the world.

The armored guards under the command of the Xuanhuang Dao Master formed the "Xuanhuang Immovable Formation," which firmly guarded the rear like an impregnable wall.

The God of Illusion has countless avatars that travel through the rifts in space and time, intercepting and killing the lurking shadows one by one, leaving no chance for them to take advantage.

…………

After three days of fierce fighting, all seven newly sprouted eerie trees within the Azure Netherworld were burned to ashes. The eerie white fog gradually dissipated, and heavenly dew descended, radiating golden light, bringing a glimmer of life to this desolate world.

When the good news reached the Pool of Myriad Laws, the nine lords of the upper realms showed a hint of relief on their faces. The gloom of the past few days seemed to be dispelled by the dawn at this moment.

However, this joy did not last long, as a sudden change occurred in the Eternal Night Heaven!
The entire realm was inexplicably plunged into a strange whiteness, the stars disappeared, and the void at the border of the eternal night cracked and shattered like a mirror. A strange white rift, spanning hundreds of millions of miles and bottomless, quietly opened, without a sound, like a giant maw that devoured the heavens and the earth, where even light and the laws paled in comparison.

The eerie white mist seeping from the cracks wriggled like living things, heading straight into the depths of the void—where the roots of the Ancestral Tree of All Realms reside.

"Disaster!" The Eternal Netherworld Lord's dark eyes narrowed sharply, his voice unusually urgent as he exclaimed, "The Ghost Clan is invading the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms!"

Almost simultaneously, the projection of the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms in the center of the Myriad Laws Source Pool trembled violently, its branches and leaves rustling. The thirty-six points of light from the subordinate minor realms that originally resonated with the main realm went out one after another!

These small realms, with their sparse spiritual energy and weak defenses, were normally protected by the main realms in turn, but in an instant, they all lost contact.

The Primordial Daoist's face was ashen. He took a step forward, and a clear light swept over the Source Pool like a tide: "Retrieve the last images of the Thirty-Six Realms!"

The moment the light and shadow appeared, all the venerable ones gasped in shock.

In the vast starry sky of the thirty-six minor realms, eerie white rifts silently bloomed within the boundary walls, and thick white mist surged out like a burst dam, entangling the galaxy, permeating the star fields, and reaching planets where life existed.

Before trillions of living beings in the realm could react, they were corrupted by the eerie mist. Their bodies twisted and deformed, their souls were corrupted and transformed, and ultimately they all became nourishment, feeding back into the roots of the eerie tree deep within the rift.

However, within a few years, countless beings across the entire realm perished in a bizarre transformation. The laws of nature withered, the earth cracked, and from the center rose eerily white trees; their crowns resembled skulls, their branches like ghostly fingers, slowly unfurling in the void, creating a strange resonance with a branch of the Ancestral Tree of All Realms!
"It has successfully parasitized!" Hao Yi Dao Zu's voice was deep and rumbling like thunder, filled with shock and anger. "It absorbed the origin of the subordinate realm, used it as a springboard, and sacrificed trillions of lives to quietly connect the roots of the strange tree to the origin of the ancestral tree!"

Upon hearing this, all the dignitaries felt a deep unease.

The Ancestral Tree of All Realms is the foundation of all heavens and worlds, maintaining the operation of the Great Dao and bearing the karma of all living beings. If its origin is eroded by the Evil Tree, the order of all realms will surely collapse, the Great Dao will crumble, and countless living beings will have nowhere to go.

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's gaze was like torches as he looked at the rift that stretched across the eternal night. His voice was like a booming bell: "This is no ordinary calamity, but a heaven-defying act that the Strange Clan has been plotting for ten thousand years. It has been lurking outside the void for a long time, spying on the ancestral vein."

The Immortal Lord of Taiyu gently stroked the lotus platform, golden light flowing between his brows: "The loss of connection with the Thirty-Six Realms is just the beginning. If the roots of the Strange Tree are not severed in time, the Ancestral Tree will be severely damaged, and the Three Thousand Main Realms will also be difficult to protect."

Xingyan Daozun looked up at the stars and traced his fingertips across the void. He saw that the star paths were disordered and the momentum of the purple aura coming from the east had been interrupted: "The fortune of the ancestral tree is flowing away. If this is delayed any longer, the main world may continue to perish."

The Xuanhuang Dao Master gripped his battle halberd tightly, his voice resounding through the Source Pool: "Now that we know the enemy's whereabouts, why hesitate? Immediately gather the elite forces of the Nine Realms, plunge straight into the Eternal Night Rift, burn their roots, sever their veins, and exterminate their race!"

The figure of the Celestial Lord of Illusion flickered, and his voice came from all directions: "I have discovered three strange cores deep within the rift, all nurtured by the trunk of the strange tree. If they can be destroyed at the same time, their spread can be stopped."

The Lord of Eternal Silence spoke in a low voice: "The Ghost Clan is cunning and may not have set up just one rift. Perhaps, the Ghost Tree has already quietly taken root in other realms, waiting for the right time to devour the ancestral vein in one fell swoop."

The assembled deities remained silent. The surface of the Pool of Myriad Laws was still, reflecting their solemn faces, as well as the faint, trembling silhouette of the majestic ancestral tree.

Only now did they realize that the Ghost Clan had already laid out a grand scheme.

Just as the nine beings joined forces to set up the "Myriad Realms Sealing Spirit Array" to besiege the Chaos Dao Lord, the fluctuations generated by the array tearing apart the barriers between realms unexpectedly became a channel that the Ghost Clan could exploit. Instead of launching a direct attack, they used Ghost Silk as needles and small realms as threads to quietly mend the lifeblood of the Ancestral Tree, employing a strategy of cutting off its lifeline!
"What a ruthless scheme!" The Ancient Origin Realm Lord laughed furiously, his divine flames soaring into the sky. "While we are fighting a bloody battle on the front lines, they are cutting off our roots from behind!"

The Immortal Lord Taiyu's expression was solemn. He lightly tapped the void with his fingertips, deducing the flow of the boundary network: "The fall of the thirty-six minor realms is not yet a cause for concern, but they are all connected to the secondary root system of the Ancestral Tree. If we allow them to parasitize and spread, within a hundred days, the roots of the Strange Tree will merge with the main trunk of the Ancestral Tree. At that time... the Ancestral Tree will not only fail to protect the myriad realms, but will instead become a breeding ground for the Strange Race!"

"We must uproot the parasitic tree and sever the connecting threads immediately!" Daoist Xingyan exclaimed urgently. "Delay will only lead to unforeseen consequences!"

“But the Azure Nether Wind Realm has not been completely eradicated. If the main force withdraws, there may be resurgence.” Xuanhuang Daojun frowned.

"Repeatedly?" The Primordial Daoist's eyes flashed like lightning as he swept over everyone. "The real upheaval has already begun to take place at the roots of the Ancestral Tree. Issue the order—the Demon-Slaying Divine Army must immediately split up! Gu Yuan and Tai Yu, you two lead the main force back to reinforce the Eternal Night Heaven Realm, and you must eradicate the Demon Tree completely! Xing Yan and Xuan Huang, stay in Qingming, eliminate the remaining remnants, and do not let a single trace of demonic energy escape!"

"As you command!" The divine army split into several streams like a tidal wave. The Ancient Origin Realm Lord and the Taiyu Immortal Lord led the elite forces of the five realms, tearing through the void and heading straight for the border of Eternal Night.

What I saw along the way was shocking.

The once vibrant Thirty-Six Realms have now become a desolate wasteland. The towering, eerie tree exudes a chilling aura, its veins faintly connecting with a certain point in the void, as if invisible roots are greedily sucking up the ancestral tree's essence.

"We can't wait any longer!" the Ancient Origin Realm Lord roared, and the flaming spear shot out once more!

This time, however, the Strange Tree was no longer as fragile as Qingming. The moment the spear struck, a layer of grayish-white light membrane appeared on the tree's surface, actually repelling the divine fire! As the attack intensified, the Strange Tree began to actively devour the fragments of laws in the surrounding void, its size exploded, and dense, strange patterns appeared on its branches, emanating an aura that made even the gods tremble.

"It's advancing!" The Taiyu Immortal Lord's expression changed drastically. "The Ghost Clan... is actually feeding on the Ancestral Tree's essence, catalyzing the Ghost Tree's transformation!"

Before the words were even finished, all thirty-six strange trees trembled simultaneously. All their canopies turned towards the Pool of Myriad Laws, and countless strange threads, like billions of tentacles, burst forth from the sky, piercing through layers of boundary walls, pointing directly at the source of the three thousand main realms—the Ancestral Tree's Dao Shadow!
The Primordial Daoist's face was ashen, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light: "It was our oversight. We were so focused on besieging the Chaos Daoist that we forgot the Ghost Clan's expertise in sneak attacks. The Spirit Sealing Array, which tore apart the boundary wall, was meant to lock down the enemy, but instead it paved the way for them."

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord roared in fury: "What are we waiting for? Mobilize our troops immediately and storm into the Eternal Night Realm! Before the Strange Tree is fully formed, cut off its roots and sever its lifeblood!"

"Absolutely not!" Immortal Lord Taiyu shouted sharply. "The Eternal Night Heaven Realm is closest to the ancestral tree's root system. If we rashly launch a forceful attack, it might provoke the Ghost Clan to prematurely detonate the parasitic tree. At that time, the root system will collapse, causing the three thousand realms to tremble, and the consequences will be even more difficult to handle!"

"Are we just going to sit idly by and do nothing?" The Ancient Origin Realm Master's eyes were bloodshot.

“We cannot stand idly by.” The Primordial Daoist said in a deep voice, “The Ghost Clan’s actions are intended to shake our foundation. If we divide our forces and scatter, we will fall right into their trap. The only way is to concentrate our strength, stabilize the Ancestral Tree first, and then eliminate the sources of parasitism one by one.”

The Primordial Daoist raised his hand and waved it. The clear light in the Pool of Myriad Laws condensed and transformed into nine talismans, which fell into the palms of the nine Daoists respectively.

"From this moment forward, all realm treasures, ancestral artifacts, and realm-suppressing divine objects of the Nine Realms will be transferred to the root system of the Ancestral Tree. The 'Nine Luminaries Foundation-Strengthening Array' will be presided over by Xuanpin, Wanxiang, and Yongji, using realm treasures as the foundation and ancestral artifacts as the guide to seal all entrances to the rifts and cut off the path for the infiltration of the evil threads."

"Gu Yuan, Tai Yu, and Xing Yan, the three of you will lead the main force of the 'Demon-Slaying Divine Army,' no longer holding the Qingming Wind Realm, but patrolling the remaining areas of the thirty-six subordinate realms. Any sprouting of demonic mist must be immediately burned; any appearance of demonic trees must be annihilated on the spot. Better to kill the innocent than let any escape!"

"All other realms are to be placed under martial law. Interdimensional teleportation is to be shut down. Any unusual activity must be reported immediately without delay!"

The order caused a stir throughout the world.

Thousands of divine ships soared into the sky, their celestial light raining down upon the heavens. Ancestral artifacts resonated, realm treasures shone brightly, and the Nine Luminaries Foundation-Strengthening Array slowly took shape. Nine pillars of light rose from different realms, weaving into a dazzling barrier above the roots of the ancestral tree. Ghostly threads collided with the light barrier, emitting piercing shrieks, yet from the depths of the rifts, even more ghostly threads surged forth like a tide, seemingly without end.

At the same time, the divine armies of the various realms, tasked with eliminating evil, began to sweep across the remaining realms.

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord personally visited the edge of the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm and discovered a strange tree that had grown to a hundred feet tall in a secluded valley. Blurred human faces appeared on the tree trunk, chanting eerie patterns in a low voice. The Taiyu Immortal Lord used the Measuring Ruler to fix its roots, while the Ancient Origin Realm Lord unleashed the Burning Realm True Fire, burning it to ashes.

However, just as the flames died down, a wisp of eerie white aura drifted out from the ashes and silently disappeared into the void, leaving no trace.

"They are sending messages!" Daoist Xingyan said solemnly. "Every time we destroy a plant, the Ghost Clan knows our movements. They... are making their moves."

Sure enough, a few days later, twelve more previously peaceful small realms suddenly lost contact.

Eerie mist surged from the ground, and eerie trees sprang into a forest overnight. Even more terrifying, some cultivators discovered that certain areas that had been purified were once again rife with eerie mist after a few days. It was as if the power of the eerie race had seeped into the very laws of the realm, making it impossible to eradicate.

Inside the Pool of Myriad Laws, the nine Venerables reunited, each with an expression as solemn as iron.

"This trend must not be allowed to continue." The Lord of Eternal Silence spoke in a low voice. "The Ghost Clan does not seek a quick victory, but only infiltration. What they want is not just one realm or one region, but the entire Ancestral Tree system. Once all thirty-six subordinate realms have turned into Ghost Nests, the Ancestral Tree will be forced to accept the Ghost Tree as a branch. At that time, the ruler of all realms may change."

After a long silence, the Primordial Daoist finally spoke: "Perhaps... it's time to reconsider the Star Evolution proposal."

All the venerable ones were shaken to their core and understood his meaning.

The Primordial Daoist looked at the assembled realm lords and proposed, "Rather than watching the myriad realms perish, let us take a desperate gamble. I invite the Chaos Daoist to join us in the campaign to vanquish the heretics."

After these words were spoken, the source pool fell into a deathly silence.

Li Mu, the Lord of Chaos, was imprisoned in the Outer Ruins of Heaven for a thousand years by the combined forces of the Nine Venerables. His Dao is incomparably domineering, devouring all laws and evolving into chaos. If he were released, he might be able to wipe out the Ghost Clan in one fell swoop, but how would he be kept in check afterward?
Once this person escapes, he may be even more difficult to control than the Ghost Clan.

Cracks appeared in the roots of the ancestral tree of all realms, the thirty-six realms were all blackened, and the three thousand main realms were in imminent danger.

The nine figures looked at each other, all showing hesitation, unable to make a decision for a moment.

"Draw upon the power of the Chaos Dao Lord?" The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's voice boomed like thunder, his face showing hesitation as he objected, "This proposal... is far too dangerous!"

Before the eyes of the realm lords, it seemed as if a chaotic figure from a thousand years ago, devouring all laws and obliterating the laws, appeared, whose domineering power was even greater than that of the Ghost Clan.

The Immortal Lord Taiyu traced the ancestral tree's roots and the tangled threads in the void with his fingertips, explaining, "Danger, or even survival, hangs in the balance."

"The Ghost Clan uses the Thirty-Six Realms as a sacrifice. The parasitic tree is deeply rooted in the ancestral veins, its roots sucking up the source. The Ghost Tree itself is also devouring the laws of the void to accelerate its transformation. Ordinary methods are like trying to stop boiling water by adding more water. Once its roots and the main trunk of the ancestral tree are completely integrated, the foundation of all realms will collapse. Even with the power to reach the heavens, it will be difficult to turn the tide," said the Immortal Lord of the Great Universe solemnly.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the realm lords darkened. (End of Chapter)