Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Inside the Temple of the Source of Decay, the Ancient God of Corruption and the Ancient God of Devouring Realms silently sensed the progress of the "Heart-Eroding" plan.

"The seed has been planted and is taking root and sprouting." The Ancient God of Corruption cracked slightly, with a hint of satisfaction: "The blazing flames resist the most fiercely, the ice has the strongest Dao heart, and the lightning punishment... will fall the fastest. Hehe, in less than a hundred years, these three realms will fall into my trap."

The ancient god of the Devouring Realms churned in mist: "Once they have completely transformed, we can coordinate from within and without to first destroy these three realms and sever one arm of the nine realms. At that time, let's see what strength the Primordial Beginning and the Great Universe will have left to protect Chaos!"

"Lord of Chaos..." The Ancient God of Corruption looked towards the Netherworld Blood Realm, his killing intent chilling: "Once you are abandoned by all, let's see how long your Chaos Dao can run rampant!"

The temple returned to deathly silence, but the countless demonic seeds of the mind continued to spread silently throughout the myriad realms like an invisible plague through the primordial veins of the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms, searching for the next target with a flawed Dao heart.

Time flies, and in the depths of the void, the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms stands tall and majestic, its branches and leaves shimmering with a clear light that sustains the spiritual energy of the three thousand main realms. However, the "Heart Demon Seed" that originated from the Temple of the Source of Filth has transformed into countless specks of plague, quietly mixing into the primordial torrent and silently scattering across the myriad realms.

The Xuanhuang Great Realm, the core of the realm.

After ten thousand years of seclusion, the Xuanhuang Daojun opened his eyes. The Xuanhuang Qi in his eyes circulated and reflected the mountains and rivers. Recently, he has been restless, as if a dark cloud was entangled in his Dao heart, and he has been unable to grasp its source. As the world lord who holds the profound and stable Dao, such an omen is by no means a false alarm.

"The Mirror of Heaven reflects all realms."

Xuanhuang Daojun flicked his finger, and a beam of Xuanhuang divine light entered the ancient bronze mirror floating on the ceiling of the hall. Ripples spread across the mirror's surface, revealing the scenery of countless subordinate star domains under the jurisdiction of the Xuanhuang Great Realm.

At first, everything was as usual, the boundaries were orderly, and all living beings lived in peace. Until the mirror light swept across the borderland—the Flowing Cloud Starfield, the Xuanhuang Daojun's gaze suddenly sharpened.

The scene in the mirror made even this world lord, who had endured countless tribulations, feel a chill run down his spine.

The Flowing Cloud Starfield has always been rich in spiritual energy, where all races prosper together.

At this moment, only blood-red light soared into the sky, and resentment filled the wilderness. Sects fought each other, and lineages were crushed; in the marketplace, friends and relatives turned against each other, and even family members killed one another. Cultivators' hearts crumbled, and their violent energy overflowed; mortals also fell into madness, slaughtering each other. The entire star field had become a purgatory, with no order whatsoever.

Deep within the blood mist and resentment, a faint yet pure aura of the Ghost Clan appeared, cold and deathly still. There was also a distorted and chaotic Daoist charm remaining in the void, exuding an eerie feeling, similar in form but different in spirit to Li Mu's self-consistent Dao Fruit of Order.

"The aura of the Ghost Clan... and this twisted Daoist charm... it can actually stir up the inner demons of the beings in this region, causing them to succumb to slaughter!"

The situation was serious, so Daoist Xuanhuang immediately stood up. His Xuanhuang imperial robes fluttered without wind, and he took a step forward, crossing the endless sea of ​​stars to personally arrive at the Liuyun Starfield.

Upon entering this star field, a chaotic and violent aura assaulted the senses. The sky was shrouded in blood-red clouds, the earth was littered with corpses, and the surviving creatures were filled only with madness and bloodlust.

Xuanhuang Daojun spread his divine sense and carefully investigated, discovering that the strange race's aura and distorted Dao rhythm had long been intertwined like a net, deeply rooted in the foundation of laws, and even seeped into the flow of spiritual energy.

The Xuanhuang Daojun quelled the riot with the Xuanhuang Dao Principles, and the vast divine light caused the bloodlust to temporarily recede. However, the resentment deep within the hearts of those who were corrupted was exceptionally stubborn. As soon as the divine light subsided, the madness returned. This technique directly targets the depths of the heart and cannot be resolved by ordinary purification.

Without further hesitation, Xuanhuang Daojun rolled up his sleeves and captured several wisps of void remnants containing strange energy and distorted Dao rhythm as irrefutable evidence. Then, he activated the Realm Lord's Decree, and his divine sense pierced through layers of void, reaching the Transcendent Realm Palace.

"Fellow Daoists, quickly gather at the Pool of Myriad Laws! A shocking event has occurred!" Xuanhuang Daojun transmitted to the realm lords.

Beside the Pool of Ten Thousand Laws, bathed in the clear, watery light, nine imposing figures gathered once more. The atmosphere was more solemn than ever before.

Xuanhuang Daojun stood in the center of the pool, and with a flick of his finger, the remnant of the void manifested. Instantly, a chilling and eerie aura and distorted Dao rhythm spread out, and although suppressed by the Dao laws of the secret realm, it still caused the lords of all realms to frown.

"This is what I personally witnessed in the Flowing Cloud Starfield." The Xuanhuang Daojun's voice was as deep as a bell: "All the living beings in this region were trapped in their inner demons, slaughtering each other, and were on the verge of collapse. You should be able to discern the aura left in the void."

The reflections in the pool swirled, mirroring the hellish scene of the Flowing Cloud Starfield, a scene of eerie energy and distorted Daoist charm.

The Primordial Dao Venerable's eyes were deep and unfathomable, his face hidden in the clear light. He said slowly, "The aura of the Ghost Clan is undeniable. Although this Daoist charm has the form of order, it is chaotic and mixed inside, with obvious traces of human piecing it together. It is far from the natural and harmonious Daoist Lord of Chaos."

Star Dao Venerable's fingertips flashed with starlight. After a moment of deduction, he said in a deep voice, "The heavenly secrets are obscured, as if some external force is obscuring them. This technique can actually spread through thoughts and erode the foundation of one's Dao... The schemes of the Ghost Clan are probably more dangerous than we thought."

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord's divine flames flickered, and he coldly snorted, "The madness of the creatures in the mere border star field may have another reason. Who knows if it's not a trap set by the Strange Race, creating false traces to lure us into chaos? The Chaos Dao Lord is still watching from the sidelines. If we launch a major attack now to thoroughly investigate all realms, wouldn't that be playing right into their hands?"

The Celestial Lord Taiyu's clear gaze swept over the Ancient Origin Realm Lord, his tone solemn: "Fellow Daoist Ancient Origin, your words are erroneous. The Flowing Clouds Transformation is no ordinary calamity. This technique directly attacks the Dao heart, subtly and imperceptibly, making it impossible to defend against. If allowed to spread, it will not only be a disaster for one region, but a scourge to the very foundation of all realms! At that time, the minds of hundreds of millions of people will be lost, and they will kill each other. Even with heaven-reaching magical powers, what can be done?"

Hao Yi Dao Zu stroked his beard and pondered: "Fellow Daoist Xuanhuang personally confirmed that the aura is genuine. The Ghost Clan's plan is extremely insidious. However, if we follow Fellow Daoist Taiyu's suggestion to conduct a thorough investigation, the commotion will be too great, which may cause panic in all realms, or even alert the enemy."

The Lord of Eternal Silence spoke quietly: "When more star fields and even the main world fall into madness, then there will be true chaos. This plague is invisible, it infects the mind and spirit, and ordinary barriers and restrictions are difficult to resist its invasion."

The figure of the Celestial Lord of Illusion was hazy, his voice echoing softly: "The tributaries of time here also appear chaotic, and the future is unpredictable. This technique of the Ghost Clan may be able to obscure the secrets of heaven."

The various realm lords held their own opinions and could not reach a consensus.

The evidence presented by Daoist Xuanhuang was conclusive, pointing to an unprecedented erosion technique used by the Ghost Clan; however, the concerns of the Ancient Origin Realm Lord were not entirely unreasonable—a large-scale investigation would have far-reaching consequences.

Tai Chu Dao Zun listened quietly for a long time, his gaze sweeping over the distorted remnants of Daoist energy in the pool once more, and said, "The changes in the Flowing Cloud Starfield are undoubtedly a new technique of the Strange Race, and its dangers far exceed those of the past. However, Fellow Daoist Gu Yuan's concerns should not be taken lightly."

The Primordial Daoist paused for a moment, then resolved: "From this day forward, the nine main realms and their subordinate realms shall raise their alert level by one level. The realm lords of each realm shall strictly inspect their territories, paying particular attention to any unusual changes in the minds of living beings or any obstruction of the laws. If any such signs are found, they shall be reported immediately without delay. This matter shall be classified as top secret and shall be strictly prohibited from being leaked to prevent unrest among the people."

This is the final decision—self-examination will be the primary method, and the matter will not be publicized for the time being; it is a vague and conservative consensus.

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord frowned, remaining silent, which was considered a tacit agreement; a trace of helplessness flashed in the eyes of the Taiyu Immortal Lord, who also knew that this was the only feasible solution at the moment.

The meeting ended hastily, and the figures of the lords of all realms faded away one after another. Only the clear light of the Pool of Myriad Laws remained, reflecting the eerie energy and distorted Dao rhythm that had not yet dissipated within the pool, silently telling of the turbulent undercurrents beneath the calm surface.

Before leaving, Xuanhuang Daojun looked back at the lingering trace, his heart heavy as a mountain. Faced with this new, all-pervasive, and deeply penetrating technique of the strange race, the words "strengthen self-examination" seemed utterly pale and powerless.

A hundred years is but a fleeting moment in the vast universe.

Deep within the Temple of the Primordial Decay, the Primordial Ancient God split open a massive maw, from which viscous, dark red, foul light cascaded down, sizzling and corroding the shadows below, emanating a joyful yet stench. "It's done! Hahahaha!" The Primordial Ancient God's dry, twisted divine sense echoed wildly in the deathly silent temple: "Blazing Flame and Thunder Punishment have already fallen, becoming my race's kin! That old bastard, Ancient Source, possesses the World-Burning Divine Flame, yet cannot heal his old wounds; his Dao heart is tainted. Give him another three hundred years, and he will be at my disposal!"

"Thirteen minor and medium-sized realm lords have also fallen into our trap." The Devouring Realm Ancient God transformed into a churning, pale mist, countless resentful faces shrieking in unison, chillingly cold: "They are either trapped in their realms for millennia without making any progress, or they have long resented the power of the main realm, their inner demons already deeply ingrained. With a little guidance from our race, they willingly open their hearts to receive our mighty power!"

The ancient god of decay slightly closed its crack, and a curtain of light flowed through it.

Within the light curtain, the molten sea at the source of the Blazing God Realm had mostly turned dark red. The Blazing God himself stood majestically in the heart of the sea, the chaotic axe mark on his chest now covered by countless writhing, eerie patterns. The once blazing white divine flames that burned the world were now mixed with wisps of black and red filth; the crimson gold in his eyes had faded, leaving only chaotic savagery and deathly silence.

Another scene unfolded in the Thunder God's Realm. The purple lightning of the Myriad Thunder Sea Eyes dimmed, replaced by writhing gray-white lightning snakes that hissed and crackled, their chilling power corroding the soul. The broken form of the Eternal Thunder God grew increasingly distorted, several pale white bone spurs sprouting from its severed horn, and lightning and eerie fire intertwined in its single eye, filled with a frenzied rage of destruction.

"Excellent! Excellent!" The Ancient God of Corruption withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and turned to the Ancient God of Devouring Realms: "How is the progress on the Ice Skeleton side?"

The ancient god of the Devouring Realm condensed into a hazy pointer, pointing towards the direction of the Frozen God Realm: "Eight of the nine orifices have been obtained, and the last one, the 'Mysterious Netherworld Orifice,' is being eroded. Ice Skeleton's Dao Heart is resolute, but the Dao nature within her body has been created by the Chaos Dao Essence. By using this to our advantage, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Once she falls, our race can use her authority to quietly infiltrate the Allied Forces of the Realms."

……

The Frozen Realm, deep within the eternal frozen earth.

The Ice Skeleton Sovereign sat enthroned on the ancient ice throne, surrounded by a chilling blue aura interspersed with wisps of barely perceptible grayish-white light. The nine illusory skulls that swirled around him moved slowly, their eye sockets sometimes glowing with a deep blue, and sometimes with an eerie grayish-white light.

With a light touch of her jade-like fingers, she traced ancient ice patterns in the void, connecting to the "Myriad Realms Spiritual Pivot Network" jointly constructed by the nine major realms—the lifeline for monitoring all realms and coordinating allied forces.

The Ice Bone Master's duty is to use the purity of ice to sense the flow of spiritual energy and investigate anomalies.

However, at this moment, a strange white spot quietly embedded itself in the core of the ice pattern between the Ice Skeleton Lord's brows. As the pattern merged into the void and flowed into the vast spiritual core, a trace of cold and deathly aura spread silently, like a drop of water entering the sea.

The Ice Skeleton Overlord's eyes, which possessed the ability to see through illusions, now appeared somewhat empty. Deep between his brows, a strange white mark was faintly visible, constantly emanating a twisted will.

"Chaos...should be destroyed...only through annihilation can eternity be attained..."

The whispers of the Ice Bone Ruler echoed deep within her soul, a complex mix of hatred for Li Mu and an obsession with absolute "tranquility"; her hands continued their work, precisely manipulating the Ice Soul Authority to maintain the stability and purity of the Spiritual Pivot's surface.

……

The Allied Forces' Hall of Deacons, where the movements of the Ancestral Tree of All Realms are monitored.

The colossal silver city floats above a void rift, serving as the hub for monitoring all realms and coordinating the army of demon-slaying gods. Within the city, arrays abound, spiritual light crisscrosses, and cultivators perform their respective duties, processing massive amounts of information from various realms.

The Celestial Patrol Master, Daoist Canglan, was known for his caution, but at this moment, he frowned and stared at the secondary mirror of the "Myriad Realms Spiritual Pivot Mirror" in front of him.

The mirror reflects a clear, shimmering light, and the territory remains largely stable. Only occasionally, a faint, grayish-white stagnation appears at the nodes of the outer star systems, fleeting and quickly smoothed out by the network's self-cleaning power. However, in the last hundred years, the frequency of this phenomenon seems to have increased slightly.

"Recently, the flow of spiritual energy seems to be obstructed by a tiny speck of dust. Have any of you noticed anything unusual?" Daoist Canglan asked the array elders in a deep voice.

The white-haired elder stroked his beard and pondered, "I do have this feeling. However, after multiple checks, the nodes are undamaged and the spiritual energy is sufficient. It may be due to interference from the remnants of the Ghost Clan, or fluctuations in the origin of the realm. It is still within the tolerance limit."

Another monitoring Daoist said, "With the increasing vigilance of all realms and the frequent exchange of information, the network load is increasing, so some sluggishness is understandable."

Daoist Canglan remained silent. What his subordinates said made sense. However, having cultivated to this level, he often relied on a sliver of spiritual awareness to determine good or bad fortune. For the past hundred years, the faint stagnation he had experienced was like a minor flaw in a beautiful jade, making it difficult for him to feel at ease.

"Continue to monitor closely, and report any unusual changes immediately." Having found nothing by scanning with his divine sense, Daoist Canglan finally suppressed his doubts. Without concrete evidence, relying solely on intuition was insufficient to report, lest it cause unnecessary alarm and be ridiculed as a fool making trouble for himself.

Little did they know that those sluggish strands were the power of the Ghost Clan seeping in through the Ice Skeleton's hand, like a lurking poison hidden in the vast torrent of spiritual energy, slowly eroding the senses and nerves of the allied forces.

……

Beside the Pool of Ten Thousand Laws.

The Primordial Daoist sat serenely amidst the clear light, merging with the reflections of the myriad worlds within the pool. The pool water reflected the heavens, remaining largely calm; the calamity of the Flowing Cloud Starfield had ceased to spread, and the erosion technique of the Ghost Clan's Heart Abyss seemed to have subsided.

The solemnity between the brows of the Primordial Daoist had not dissipated for a hundred years. With a slight gesture, a wisp of spiritual energy emerged from the Spiritual Pivot Network, swirling and analyzing at his fingertip. Its clear and translucent light was no different from that of a hundred years ago.

"Still worried about that Mind Deception Technique?" The figure of Xingyan Daozun appeared, starlight flashing at his fingertips: "For a hundred years, the secrets of heaven have been in chaos, and no calamity has arisen. Perhaps this technique has great limitations, and the Deception Clan can hardly use it frequently."

The Primordial Daoist nodded slightly, then shook his head: "The fact that it hasn't erupted is the biggest anomaly. The Ghost Clan never stops until they achieve their goals. A hundred years of silence is probably not due to exhaustion, but rather the brewing of an even greater storm."

The Primordial Daoist's gaze fell upon the spiritual machine: "The network seems to be operating normally, but... it's too quiet! Something's not right!"

Xingyan Daozun's expression turned solemn: "You mean..."

“I hope I am overthinking it.” The Primordial Daoist dispersed the clear light from his fingertips: “The three realms of Blazing Flame, Thunder Punishment, and Ancient Origin have been too ‘quiet’ for the past hundred years. Even daily affairs between realms have become much less frequent than before.”

Xingyan Daozun calculated with his fingers, and after a moment shook his head and said, "The Three Realms all say that the Realm Lord is in seclusion to heal his injuries. He is divination about the fortune, and there is no sign of collapse. On the contrary, it faintly reveals a sense of transformation."

"Transformation?" The Primordial Daoist's gaze suddenly sharpened.

“A kind of… completely different from the past, a ‘new life’ carrying an ancient and desolate meaning.” Xingyan hesitated slightly, then said, “Could it be a secret method to combat the damage to the Chaos Dao, or even to enhance the laws?”

The Primordial Daoist remained silent, gazing intently at his reflection in the pool. The images of the Blazing Flame, Thunder Punishment, and Ancient Origin realms appeared calm as usual, but he vaguely sensed something amiss, as if an invisible giant net was tightening around them. And those pulling the strings of this net were perhaps none other than his former "fellow Daoists" who had fought alongside him. (End of Chapter)