Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

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 also a trace of scrutiny that was hard to detect.

The debate among the realm lords during the recent gathering still echoed in my ears: the roar of the Ancient Origin Realm Lord, the cold rebuke of the Taiyu Immortal Lord, and the deductions of the Star Evolution Dao Venerable… In the end, the immense pressure concerning the survival of all realms overwhelmed the fear of the future of the Chaos Dao Lord.

"Lord of Chaos!" The Primordial Dao Venerable spoke, his voice like an ancient, cold spring flowing, and he transmitted to Li Mu: "The sealing of spirits can be lifted, however, you must make a vow of the Great Dao that you will not again use the Chaos Dao Tree to forcibly draw upon the origins of all realms and shake the foundation of the ancestral roots. This is the bottom line."

Li Mu's gaze was calm, as if he had expected this, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, forming an indescribable curve. "Agreed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu pointed his fingers like a brush and quickly drew lines in the void. Where his fingertips passed, an incomparably complex Dao trace containing chaotic star vortexes and orderly golden patterns quietly emerged, exuding a majestic aura that surpassed all laws.

This is a vow of the Great Dao, using the origin of chaos as a guide to connect with the primordial order of laws. Once established, if it is violated, the foundation of the Dao will collapse and there will be no recovery for eternity.

"I, Li Mu, swear by the Great Dao of Chaos," Li Mu's voice boomed like the sound of the Dao, piercing through the Netherworld Blood Realm and resounding in the ears of the Primordial Dao Venerable and all the wills secretly watching: "Once this matter is settled, I will never again forcibly absorb the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms and the source of any realm under its jurisdiction using the Chaos Dao Tree. If I disobey, the Chaos will backfire, and my Dao Fruit will collapse!"

Once the oath was made, the chaotic Dao trace suddenly contracted, transforming into a gray-gold Dao pattern that dissipated into the world. An invisible binding force spread out, faintly resonating with the Origin Network of Myriad Realms.

Seeing this, the last trace of doubt deep in the eyes of the Primordial Daoist disappeared. He said no more, and his grand will receded like a tide, while simultaneously activating the core hub that maintained the Spirit Sealing Array.

"Om-!"

The invisible barrier that stretched across the void and sealed off the Netherworld Blood Realm and the interconnected domains trembled violently. Countless chains of clear light rang out, unable to bear the weight, their light flickering and dimming rapidly, and began to disintegrate and dissipate inch by inch.

The Great Spirit Sealing Array, which had sealed off the world for a thousand years and isolated the inside from the outside, suddenly loosened at this moment!
Just as the great formation began to weaken!

"Boom!"

In the Netherworld Blood Realm, the long-dormant Chaos Treasure Palace suddenly erupted with chaotic light. The vast and endless chaotic energy, like an ancient ferocious beast breaking free of its shackles, surged out of the palace, shattering the remaining clear light barrier and transforming into a hazy torrent that swept through the heavens and the earth!

Wherever the torrent reached, the void twisted, the laws retreated, and the entire Blood Realm's sky was shrouded in chaos.

A figure in a green robe stepped out from the center of the chaotic torrent, his clothes fluttering, his black hair dancing, and his aura merging with the surging chaos behind him, unfathomable. It was Li Mu!
Li Mu's gaze swept across the various realms, which were slightly turbulent due to the shattering of the great formation, and landed on the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms, which was being frantically eroded by the eerie white mist in the depths of the distant void, as well as the many suffering realms attached to it.

Behind him, the towering, sky-reaching phantom of the Chaos Dao Tree suddenly appeared, its branches piercing through reality and illusion, and as its leaves swayed, countless miniature chaotic worlds were born and died in rotation, radiating the supreme Daoist charm that encompasses all things and evolves all heavens.

"Roots, probe!"

Li Mu let out a low shout, and the billions of roots of the Chaos Dao Tree, like Chaos Heavenly Dragons that had received a decree, ruthlessly pierced the weak points of the boundary wall exposed by the dissipation of the Spirit Sealing Array and the decline of the Ancestral Tree's origin at an unprecedented speed!

These roots, gray and black, are entwined with strands of newly formed golden patterns of order, precisely penetrating the remaining veins of the ancestral trees that have been eroded and are on the verge of extinction by the demonic race. There is no forceful plundering, no domineering devouring; the tips of the roots flow with warm and vibrant chaotic primordial energy, like sweet rain, quietly nourishing the dry, hardened, and even polluted roots of the ancestral trees.

"Hiss... hiss..."

When the eerie white mist came into contact with the primordial chaos, a violent reaction erupted. The mist twisted and shrieked like a living thing, attempting to erode the roots of chaos. However, the power of order contained in the gray airflow seemed to be naturally restrained by this filthy and chaotic existence, firmly isolating it from the outside and, in turn, gradually eroding and purifying the eerie power within it.

The roots of the Chaos Dao Tree spread rapidly along the remnants of the ancestral tree during this purification and nourishment, as if grafting vibrant chaotic branches onto a withered giant tree!
"Chaos... is the Lord of Chaos!"

“He made a move!”

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord, the Taiyu Immortal Lord, and others, who were engaged in fierce battles with the Ghost Clan at the edge of the Eternal Night Heaven Realm and in the ruins of the Azure Wind Realm, simultaneously sensed something and abruptly looked towards the Netherworld Blood Realm. They felt that a vast power, different from all the laws of the heavens and carrying an indescribable sense of "order," was intervening in this disaster that was sweeping across the heavens in an astonishing way.

Li Mu's mind and spirit completely merged with the Chaos Dao Tree, and his perception spread infinitely along the roots.

I "saw" countless twisted faces wailing on the trunk of the largest eerie tree deep within the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, its eerie threads pulsating like blood vessels, frantically drawing upon the realm's essence; I "saw" the remaining fire spirits of the Flowing Fire Domain transforming into gray-white puppets within the eerie mist; I "saw" the vast ocean of the Azure Wave Water Realm solidify into a viscous swamp...

With a slight thought, several of the thickest chaotic roots suddenly exerted their power, like divine spears, directly piercing into the core of the root system of that giant strange tree in the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm!
"Roar--!"

As if sensing a deadly threat, the strange tree let out a deafening roar. Thousands of strange threads rolled back, like billions of poisonous needles, and fiercely pierced the chaotic roots. A strange race's original will, filled with depravity, death, and greed, traveled upstream along the roots and rushed straight into Li Mu's soul!
"Even a grain of rice can shine?"

Li Mu snorted coldly, and the illusory image of the Chaos Dao Tree behind him shone brightly. A pure and powerful stream of chaotic energy surged out, forcefully pressing down along its roots!

This force possesses both the inclusiveness and evolution of chaos, and the Daoist charm of a new order, thus exerting a certain innate suppression on the filthy and bizarre origin of the strange race.

"Sizzle... Bang!"

Where the gray, misty air currents passed, the swirling, eerie threads snapped and dissolved as if they had met their nemesis. The rebellious will of the eerie race collided with the chaotic torrent, emitting a shrill, unwilling scream, and was forcibly forced back into the body of the eerie tree.

The chaotic roots took the opportunity to take deep root, and the gray mist flowed in continuously, forcibly separating and purifying the connection between the strange tree and the remnant veins of the ancestral tree, and in turn refining the strange tree's strange power source!
The source, which had been contaminated by the strange power, was cleansed by the chaotic airflow, and the impurities were removed, returning it to its pure state. A portion of it was integrated into the Chaos Dao Tree to nourish Li Mu, while a larger portion was controlled by Li Mu and fed back to the nearly depleted remnants of the ancestral tree!
In an instant, the largest and most enormous strange tree, centered on the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, shrank and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the roars emanating from it were now tinged with fear!
"Effective!" The Taiyu Immortal Lord's eyes lit up, and the Taiyu Array Diagram in his hand shone even brighter. Combined with the purification of the Chaos Roots, he did his best to seal off the surrounding eerie energy.

Seeing this, the Ancient Origin Realm Lord was greatly encouraged, and the World-Burning Divine Flame transformed into a raging sea of ​​fire to assist the Chaos Roots in clearing away the stubborn, strange threads attached to the ancestral tree's roots.

Li Mu's intervention was like placing a decisive piece in a stalemate. The Great Dao of Chaos's restraint on the unorthodox power and the emerging order's efforts to unify the chaos finally brought a glimmer of hope for reversing the previously losing situation.

In the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, the largest and most enormous strange tree trembled violently, and countless twisted faces on its trunk screamed silently, filled with pain and fear.

The roots of the Chaos Dao Tree, like countless writhing dragons, greedily drilled into its core, frantically absorbing and stripping away the purest primal power of the Ghost Clan.

A hazy, chaotic current, carrying with it the golden patterns of newly formed order, surged and swept through the body of the strange tree. Wherever it passed, the strange power dissipated like snow meeting the sun, forcibly refined into the most primal nourishment, flowing back into the chaotic Dao Tree behind Li Mu.

"Crack... Boom!"

The trunk of the strange tree, finally unable to withstand such domineering absorption, emitted a cracking sound as it collapsed under the immense pressure. Thick branches snapped inch by inch, turning into countless grayish-white fragments, which were then swept away by the chaotic currents and utterly annihilated into nothingness. The billions of individual members of the strange race clinging to it crumbled like an anthill losing its foundation, disintegrating like a tide. Bathed in the chaotic light, mournful howls rose and fell as their forms crumbled, returning to deathly silence.

Li Mu stood alone in the void, his green robes fluttering, his aura visibly rising steadily. The Chaos Dao Fruit on the branch pulsated like thunder, and within the flowing gray light on its surface, strange gray-white patterns suddenly appeared—the very imprints of the Ghost Clan's origin, forcibly incorporated into the Chaos System through extreme purification!

The Dao Fruit became increasingly profound and introspective, as if it contained a primordial universe in the process of creation, its oppressive power causing the surrounding void to continuously collapse and be reborn.

The Immortal Lord of Taiyu, the Lord of the Ancient Origin Realm, the Dao Venerable of Xingyan, and others joined forces to stabilize the remaining essence of the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm in order to prevent the realm from collapsing completely. However, witnessing Li Mu's voracious absorption of energy and his increasingly unfathomable aura, the Realm Lords felt a chill run down their spines.

“The origin of the Strange Tree… was so easily refined by him.” The cold divine thought of the Taiyu Immortal Lord rippled through the sea of ​​consciousness of the realm lords, his tone solemn, “At this rate, in less than half a day, the Strange Clan in the Xuanhuang Realm will all be turned into his resources.”

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's divine flames flickered, reflecting the apprehension in his eyes: "The Dao of Chaos is indeed incomparably domineering! It can devour all laws and even transform filth. This child dares to recklessly devour the origin of the Ghost Clan. In the future, what in all the heavens and myriad realms can control him?"

Star Dao Venerable's fingertips spun rapidly, his expression growing increasingly grim: "Its Dao Fruit has undergone a strange transformation. Although its aura is mixed with the characteristics of the Ghost Race, it is even more profound. This absorption not only did not damage its Dao foundation, but also helped the Chaos Dao advance further, faintly touching that barrier... If it is allowed to completely digest what it has gained..."

The divine thoughts of the several realm lords intertwined, and a deep worry appeared in each other's eyes. They had driven a tiger to devour a wolf; though the wolf was about to be destroyed, the tiger's fangs had already been revealed, and its ferocity was even greater than before!
The Primordial Dao Venerable stood beside the Pool of Myriad Laws, his gaze piercing through the endless void, landing on Li Mu's mutated Dao Fruit, remaining silent for a long time. He sensed that the Great Dao oath Li Mu had made was still binding the Chaos Dao Tree, preventing it from further encroaching on the Ancestral Tree and the origins of its subordinate realms. However, the speed and momentum of Li Mu's devouring of the Ghost Clan's origins far exceeded everyone's expectations. With this shift in power, once the calamity subsided, a Chaos Dao Lord who had devoured a massive amount of Ghost Clan origins and whose Dao Fruit was nearing perfection would become a sword of Damocles hanging over all the heavens and myriad realms, even more formidable than the Ghost Clan itself!
"Wait and see!" The Primordial Daoist Master uttered only four words in the end, his voice as calm as an ancient well, making the hearts of all the realm lords even heavier.

They understood that the arrow had already been released, and their only option was to first use Li Mu's power to eliminate the Gui Clan before devising a plan for the future.

Within the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, Li Mu was completely unaware of the secret telepathic communication and complex emotions of the realm lords, his mind entirely immersed in the pleasure of devouring and refining.

The roots of the Chaos Dao Tree spread out, weaving a giant gray net among the withered remains of the strange tree, greedily extracting every wisp of its strange power. Within the Dao Fruit, gray and white patterns collided and merged violently with the chaotic energy. With each cycle, the Great Dao of Chaos became more complete, and its grasp of "order" and "chaos" became even more exquisite.

"Roar--!"

A sudden change occurred!

Deep within the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, the massive remains of the colossal, almost completely collapsing, suddenly exploded. At its core, an extremely dark point flashed, then transformed into a ghastly white rift spanning the star field! From the depths of the rift, a will far more ancient, cold, and malevolent than any previous individual of the Ghost Race descended with a deafening roar!

"Insects...how dare you devour your master!"

A vast and twisted intent, like billions of ice needles, pierced Li Mu's soul. From within the rift, countless pale, eerie runes cascaded down like a waterfall, coalescing into a blurry yet colossal phantom that even a realm lord would find terrifying. That phantom extended a gigantic claw formed from countless wailing souls, tearing through the void and aiming straight for the main root of the Chaos Dao Tree!
The ancient being deep within the origin of the Ghost Clan was thoroughly enraged by Li Mu's frenzied devouring. It did not hesitate to cross endless barriers and descend its projection, intending to annihilate this chaotic anomaly!
"Finally showing up?"

Li Mu's eyes sharpened suddenly, and the chaotic star vortex within them spun at an unprecedented speed, while the golden patterns of the newly born Order Dao Fruit burst forth with dazzling light. Instead of retreating, he let out a long laugh, and the billions of roots of the Chaos Dao Tree trembled simultaneously, actively meeting the giant claw of the strange race that was reaching out to grab him!
"Well done! I've been needing a generous gift to help me achieve the perfection of my Dao!" The gray, chaotic torrent collided fiercely with the pale, monstrous claw!

The deafening roar shook all the dimensions. The remaining planets of the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm were reduced to dust by the impact. The boundary barriers wailed incessantly, and countless luminous chains emerged from the void and then broke—the last link between the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms and this place, which was also completely annihilated in the aftershocks of this attack.

At the center of the collision, chaotic energy and eerie white light intertwined and annihilated each other. The wailing souls wrapped around the giant claws disintegrated in large numbers, and some of the chaotic roots also turned gray and broke under the terrifying erosion.

However, the endless roots surged forward, coiling upwards, and the power of order contained within them was like the most resilient carving knife, constantly grinding and disintegrating the origin of the monstrous claw.

Li Mu's eyes grew increasingly bright as he clearly sensed that confronting this ancient and profound source of will directly would allow the newly formed gray-white patterns within his Dao Fruit to rapidly and stably merge, elevating his understanding and control of the origin of the Ghost Clan to a whole new level.

"swallow!"

Li Mu let out a low shout, and the main root of the Chaos Dao Tree suddenly expanded, like a primordial maw, fiercely biting the wrist of the giant claw of the Ghost Clan! An even more violent devouring power erupted, frantically extracting the pure essence contained in this projection, which far surpassed that of ordinary Ghost Trees!

The blurry phantom roared and shook the heavens, the entire projection fluctuating violently. It was clear that it had not expected Li Mu's Chaos Dao to be so troublesome—not only could it resist the erosion, but it could also backfire on its power!
"Chaos...is doomed!"

It cursed viciously, its giant claws suddenly retracting, attempting to break free of its restraints. At the same time, the pale white rift spanning the star field rapidly contracted, clearly indicating that the ancient being, seeing that the situation was hopeless, wanted to withdraw its projection to avoid greater losses.

"Want to go?"

How could Li Mu allow it to escape so easily! The roots of the Chaos Dao Tree entwined it tightly, pushing its devouring power to its limit. The gray-white patterns on the surface of the Dao Fruit almost burst through its body, emitting a terrifying light. Its aura surged again during the process of devouring the projection's origin, and the surrounding void, unable to withstand the pressure, collapsed in large areas, turning into primordial chaos.

The Immortal Lord of Taiyu and the others watched with bated breath, horrified by the terror of the ancient beings of the Ghost Clan, and even more astonished by Li Mu's ferocity and rapid progress. They all took action, setting up layers of restrictions to seal off the star field—both to prevent the Ghost Clan from escaping and to prevent the aftershocks of the battle from completely destroying the last foundation of the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm.

Finally, just before the pale crack completely closed, Li Mu manipulated the Chaos Dao Tree, forcibly tearing nearly one-third of its essence from the Ghost Clan projection. The vast and boundless Ghost Clan essence poured into the Chaos Dao Tree, where it was frantically refined in the Chaos Furnace, ultimately being infused into the pulsating Chaos Dao Fruit. (End of Chapter)