Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

The projection of the ancient will of the Ghost Clan dissipated, and its three-tenths of origin was forcibly torn off by the Chaos Dao Tree. The pale rift that stretched across the star field then healed, leaving no trace of its aura.

Only shattered laws and undisturbed energy turbulence remained in the void, testifying to the earth-shattering clash that had just taken place.

Li Mu stood still, his green robe fluttering in the aftershocks. His eyes were like abysses, and his divine sense spread out like a net across the sky, carefully scanning every inch of the void of the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm, tracing the escape route of the strange race.

However, he retreated with utmost secrecy, using the secret techniques of the Ghost Clan to erase all traces of himself, leaving not even a ripple of cause and effect. Even though Li Mu was close to the Dao Realm and had thoroughly examined the rifts in the heavens and the folds of spacetime, he ultimately found nothing.

"They were quick to slip away."

Li Mu withdrew his divine sense, the chaotic starlight in his eyes slowly calmed down, and his expression remained calm and undisturbed. He had failed to leave behind the ancient will of the Ghost Clan, but swallowing 30% of its origin was already an unexpected joy.

With a slight thought, Li Mu caused the roots of the Chaos Dao Tree, which pierced through the void and were still absorbing the scattered and strange power, to slowly retract and disappear into the towering illusory image of the Dao Tree behind him.

As he turned around, Li Mu's gaze swept over the several realm lords in the distance, each with a different expression. He seemed to sense something, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Taiyu Immortal Lord, Ancient Origin Realm Lord, and Xingyan Daozun all remained silent—Li Mu's act of forcefully confronting the will of the Ghost Clan and devouring its origin had truly shaken their minds, leaving them speechless.

At this moment, they felt that Li Mu's aura was becoming increasingly unfathomable, and as the Chaos Dao Tree breathed in and out, countless wailing sounds came from all directions, as if they wanted to bow down and submit.

"The troubles here have been temporarily quelled, but their roots have not been eradicated. The core will of that strange race has been damaged and is now hidden, which may become a future threat." Li Mu said calmly, looking at the Lord of All Realms, reminding everyone.

Afterwards, Li Mu cupped his hands to the assembled realm lords and took his leave, saying, "Fellow Daoists, I must return to my residence to cultivate in seclusion and refine what I have obtained. I will leave the remaining cleanup to you all!"

Taiyu Immortal Lord took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said in a clear voice, "Chaos Dao Lord, you have worked hard. If it weren't for your personal intervention, the Xuanhuang Ancient Realm would not have been safe. We will take care of the follow-up matters ourselves."

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's lips moved slightly, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end he only let out a cold snort and stopped speaking. However, the divine flames around his body flickered uncertainly, indicating that he was very excited.

Xingyan Daozun gazed deeply at Li Mu, his fingertips flashing with starlight as he deduced the secrets of heaven.
However, Xingyan Dao only saw chaos, and the future trajectory was completely unpredictable, which deepened his fear of Li Mu.

As if sensing something, Li Mu said no more. He took a step forward, his figure merging into the illusory image of the Chaos Dao Tree behind him. The Chaos Dao Tree trembled slightly, its countless branches and leaves swaying, scattering a hazy, clear light that enveloped him and the entire Chaos Treasure Palace. In an instant, it tore through the void and vanished without a trace.

"He's gone! What a terrifying Chaos Dao Lord!"

"Indeed! This person's cultivation of the Chaos Dao has reached a profound level!"

"Indeed, the Ghost Clan's Mother Tree was severely injured by its attack; it's truly remarkable!"

……

The realm lords discussed among themselves, all agreeing that such a Chaos Dao Lord deserved their respect.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Deep within the Netherworld Blood Realm and the Chaos Treasure Palace.

All was silent, save for the primordial chaos flowing like an ancient river. Li Mu's figure materialized from the void, sitting cross-legged beneath the Chaos Dao Tree. The gates of the Treasure Mansion slammed shut, isolating the inside from the outside.

Looking up at the colossal tree before me, I see that it is no longer the same. The trunk is more vigorous, the bark is a dark and chaotic color, and the natural Dao patterns are complex and profound. The speed of birth and death of countless miniature chaotic worlds among the branches and leaves has greatly increased, and the phantoms are gradually becoming solid. Within them, the prototypes of mountains, rivers, sun, moon and stars are beginning to appear, containing a vigorous vitality of creation.

The most eye-catching thing was the Chaos Dao Fruit on the branch, which had grown to the size of a millstone. It was perfectly round, and the gray color on its surface had faded, revealing countless solidified, eerie white lines.

The eerie white patterns twisted and coiled, exuding a chilling, deathly, and greedy aura—the very essence of the ancient will of the Ghost Clan! Like parasitic vines entwining the Dao Fruit, they continuously eroded the chaotic origin, causing its pulsation to become sluggish and subtly unbalanced.

"You dare to harbor such defiled thoughts?"

Li Mu's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he made a mental decision.

hum!
The entire Chaos Dao Tree suddenly emitted a dazzling light, with pure and powerful Chaos Mother Source flowing through its trunk, branches, leaves, and roots. This source was no longer the hazy, gray air current of the past; at its core, a wisp of newly formed order Dao rhythm was conceived, and its operation was governed by its own laws.

The vast primordial source, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, surged into the Dao Fruit. The fruit trembled violently, its gray-white patterns twisting wildly like a living thing, emitting a silent shriek as it desperately resisted the onslaught.

"Refining!"

Li Mu formed hand seals, and the image of the Chaos Dao Tree appeared behind him, resonating with the physical form. Using supreme Dao thought as a guide, he harnessed the Mother Source to transform into an ancient furnace, completely enveloping the Dao Fruit.

The chaotic energy within the furnace suddenly shifted sharply, transforming into a primordial millstone and raging flames. Strands of eerie power were forcibly stripped away and shredded. A chilling will retaliated, manifesting countless phantoms of monstrous races, baring their fangs and claws, roaring and howling, attempting to corrupt the chaos and erode the divine soul.

Yet Li Mu's Dao heart remained as firm as a rock, his mind clear and unwavering. The primordial chaos surged like a tide, its orderly Dao rhythms sharp as a carving knife, precisely sculpting the core of the strange power. With each wave of erosion, a patch of gray-white patterns dimmed and disintegrated, transforming into pure particles, which were then assimilated by the chaos.

This is a meticulous process, allowing no shortcuts. The Chaos Dao Fruit is like being placed in the furnace at the beginning of heaven and earth, undergoing the most thorough tempering. The gray and white patterns peel away and are purified inch by inch, the aura of the strange race gradually dissipates, and the radiance of the Dao Fruit becomes more restrained and pure, its pulse stronger, like a heart that nurtures infinite possibilities.

Within the primordial chaos, time leaves no trace. A moment may pass, or eternity may eternity.

Finally, the last stubborn, eerie white pattern on the surface of the Chaos Dao Fruit, under continuous erosion, emitted a faint wail and completely disintegrated, turning into specks of light dust that merged into the surrounding chaos.

In an instant, the Dao Fruit erupted with unprecedented brilliance. Profound and vast, it illuminated the entire treasure palace as if it were daytime.

Billions of Dao patterns flowed and reorganized at an unprecedented speed, becoming increasingly closer to the origin of the Great Dao. The newly formed golden patterns of order merged seamlessly with the chaotic energy, becoming a unified whole.

A sense of perfection, freedom, and transcendence over all dharmas emanated from the depths of the Dao Fruit, its volume slightly reduced yet incredibly solid, as if it contained a complete chaotic universe.

Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up. In his eyes, stars swirled and disappeared, earth, water, fire, and wind settled again, and all things cycled and regenerated, eventually returning to a state of peaceful chaos.

Li Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air, his aura hazy and devoid of any strange or impure power, leaving only the most primordial chaotic Daoist essence.

Sensing the perfect meaning emanating from the Dao Fruit on the branch, and the increasingly close connection between himself and the Dao Tree, and with this chaotic Dao Domain.

Li Mu knew that this process of devouring and refining the origin of the Ghost Clan was fraught with danger, but the gains were also extremely rich. His Chaos Dao had advanced further, and his control over "order" and "chaos" had entered a new realm. He was now only a thin veil away from the gate of Dao Integration. At this moment, on the other side of the endless star field…
At the edge of all realms, deep within the boundary of myriad worlds, a strange temple floats silently, shrouded in an eternally lingering, eerie white mist.

The palace is neither made of metal nor wood, but is formed by countless pale white branches twisted and intertwined, with numerous holes on it, like a honeycomb or a withered lung, emitting a barely perceptible pulsation, all exhaling a strange breath that freezes the soul.

This place is the core of the Ghost Clan—the Temple of the Source of Filth!
Deep within the palace, two illusory figures simultaneously opened their eyes and awoke, standing facing each other. They were enormous, larger than stars, with blurred outlines and a chilling aura.

The one on the left resembles a withered tree with jagged branches that pierce the sky. A crack appears in the center of the trunk, like a giant mouth, from which flows a viscous, dark red, foul light—the Ancient God of Corruption.

The one on the right is a churning, pale mist, within which countless resentful faces float and shriek incessantly, disrupting the laws of nature—the Devouring Ancient God.

At this moment, the gray-white light around the two gods flickered violently, causing the entire temple to tremble. The killing intent spread like an ice tide, pressing down on the void as if it were about to collapse.

"Chaos... Chaos!" The ancient god of decay opened and closed his mouth, his voice like the friction of rotten wood, and his foul light boiled. "Our race's ten-thousand-year-old origin has been devoured by those ants by thirty percent! The foundation of Xuanhuang has been damaged, and its spread has been hindered... This grudge should be a blood sacrifice for all the worlds!"

The ancient god of the Devouring Realm suddenly condensed into a gigantic maw that blotted out the sky, and the wailing of vengeful spirits surged into a torrent: "Lord of Chaos! His Dao is inherently my enemy! Under his devouring and forging, our race's treacherous power has become the very sustenance for his Dao fruits! If this fiend is not eliminated, our race will be forever trapped in darkness, and there will never be another day to devour the world!"

The temple fell into a deathly silence, with only the mournful howls and the rustling of branches echoing in the air.

After a long while, the ancient god of decay slowly closed the crack, leaving only a deep scar. His voice was low and deep: "The Great Dao of Chaos restrains our race. It is no longer a good strategy to fight it head-on. He used our strength to temporarily escape the trap of the Myriad Realms Sealing Spirit Array, but his foundation is still in the array. Those realm lords are probably even more wary of the Chaos Dao Lord than we are. It would be better to..."

The ancient god of the realms dispersed the mist again, his coldness sharp as a blade: "The Great Array of Sealing Spirits in the Myriad Realms is both a shackle and a barrier. The Lord of Chaos has already broken the array, so how could he possibly be resealed into it now?"

"We certainly can't sit here on our own. This matter requires external help, or perhaps the one who set up the formation will loosen his shackles. Because of the temporary calamity of our clan, they might join forces with the Lord of Chaos Island, and they might not be without their own strengths."

"No, the Lord of Chaos Island and my clan are like fire and water, irreconcilable!"

"Why not? As long as there's enough profit!"

……

The wills of the two gods of the Ghost Clan constantly intersected, and their conspiracies and schemes unfolded in an instant, ever-changing.

"To make them believe is difficult; to make them doubt is easy." The Dark Mark of the Ancient God of Corruption gleamed eerily as it continued, "The Chaos Dao Tree is rooted in the Source Network, and its very existence is a variable. If the origin of a realm inexplicably withers, the traces point directly to Chaos..."

The ancient god of the Devouring Realm, amidst churning mist, laughed coldly and exclaimed in praise, "Brilliant! Our race can temporarily conceal our strength, absorb all the essence of the edge realms, create a barren dead zone, and blame the devouring properties of the Chaos Dao Tree's remnants. Then, we can lure other realm lords to 'discover' clues, allowing Chaos to secretly steal the realm's source and nourish its Dao Fruit!"

“A mere sign of depletion is insufficient.” The ancient god of decay lightly touched the void, creating a ripple of gray-white light. “We need ‘witnesses’ or ‘ironclad evidence.’ We can discard a portion of the main body of the strange tree, fake it as the remains of something eroded and devoured by the power of chaos, and scatter it near the desolate realm. With the aid of a secret technique, we can simulate a trace of chaotic aura… The truth will be hard to conceal, and they will have no choice but to believe it.”

"Even more important!" The Devouring God chuckled, several wailing stars condensing in the mist as he said hatefully, "We must make Tai Chu, Gu Yuan, and others witness firsthand that Li Mu's Chaos Dao Tree, even without actively absorbing it, can 'passively' devour and assimilate everything around it, including... the origins of the realms under their rule! This will make them fear its growth and its loss of control! At that time, restarting the Spirit Sealing, or even adding to it, will be a natural progression!"

After a brief discussion, the two gods of the Ghost Clan reached a consensus, their overwhelming killing intent subsided, transforming into an unsolvable open scheme.

"Issue the order!" The will of the Ancient God of Corruption swept across all realms like a cold tide: "All sub-entities, consolidate your power, abandon exposed strongholds, and lie in wait in shadow rifts and law fault lines. Cease your invasion of the main realm and prepare for battle."

The Ancient God of Devouring Realms spoke, his voice as cold as iron: "The 'bait' scattered at the edge of all realms can be discarded. Drain their source to create the illusion of 'chaos devouring'. Execute the plan to frame them, ensuring every detail is flawless and allowing no room for error!"

Inside the temple, the gray-white light finally settled down, no longer flickering, leaving only an eternal, frozen stillness and waiting.

The Ancient God of Corruption gazed one last time toward the Netherworld Blood Realm, the figure in green robes seemingly before him: "Lord of Chaos Island... allow you a moment longer to roam freely. When the Sealing of Spirits in the Myriad Realms returns, and the Lords discard you like worn-out shoes, that will be the time for my race... to settle accounts with you!"

The Ancient God of Devouring Realms let out a silent shriek, the mist completely merging into the palace's shadow: "Lord of Chaos... Your very existence is the original sin. The myriad realms cannot tolerate a second Ancestral Tree of Chaos."

The Temple of the Source of Evil trembled slightly, then sank into a deeper void, disappearing along with the poisonous plot brewing within.

……

Decades have passed in the blink of an eye.

The myriad realms seemed to have returned to peace. The eerie mists in places like the Azure Wind Realm and the Profound Yellow Ancient Realm gradually dissipated, and the remaining eerie races seemed to have evaporated overnight. The allied forces of the nine major realms patrolled the four directions, encountering very little resistance.

Beside the Pool of Myriad Laws, the Primordial Daoist Venerable shimmered with a clear light, merging with the reflections of the myriad worlds in the pool, yet a hint of worry lingered between his brows.

“The Ghost Clan retreated too quickly and too cleanly.” Starlight flickered at the tip of Xingyan Daozun’s finger as he deduced the secrets of heaven. His voice was deep and profound. “Something is amiss. There must be something sinister going on.”

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord snorted coldly, but his divine flames dimmed slightly: "Could it be that he was frightened by Li Mu and retreated to his lair to lick his wounds?"

The Celestial Lord of the Great Universe had a clear and sharp gaze as the star map before him slowly unfolded: "The patrol envoy reports that three peripheral minor realms have recently suffered from the depletion of their source energy, turning into dead zones. Their condition... does not resemble the corruption by the Ghost Clan, but rather seems to have been forcibly emptied by some domineering and pure power, leaving only nothingness."

"Domineering and pure?" Hao Yi Dao Zu paused slightly as he stroked his beard.

Suddenly, a streak of light shot in from outside the pool, transforming into a jade slip that hovered in the air. The image unfolded—a desolate ruin, with a faint yet familiar gray aura remaining on the fragments of a broken star, and several ghastly white tree remains, seemingly severed by chaotic roots!
At the same time, the voice of Xuanhuang Daojun came from the interdimensional communication, solemn as iron: "Reporting to Dao Venerable, the 'Quicksand Realm' at the edge of my realm has been completely annihilated. A faint chaotic Dao power was detected at the core of the realm, intertwined with the remains of the Strange Tree... It is suspected to have been devoured by an unknown force, and the signs... point to chaos!"

The pondside fell into a deathly silence.

The gazes of all the realm lords turned in unison towards the Netherworld Blood Realm. The Chaos Treasure Palace remained silent, yet an invisible pressure had already quietly settled over everyone's hearts.

The Primordial Daoist slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he sighed softly, as if asking a question, or perhaps speaking to himself: "Lord of Chaos... can your promise still be trusted?"

Deep within the Netherworld Blood Realm and the Chaos Treasure Palace.

Li Mu sat cross-legged beneath the Dao tree, where the Dao fruits on the branches were perfectly round and flawless, pulsating with his breath. He seemed to sense something, raised his eyes and looked through the walls of the mansion, his gaze piercing through layers of void, reaching the Pool of Myriad Laws.

Li Mu's lips twitched slightly, his eyes closed again, as if entering a state of selflessness. (End of Chapter)