Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Deep within the Chaos Treasure Palace, Li Mu sat cross-legged like an ancient pine tree, his mind and spirit seamlessly integrated with the Chaos Dao Tree. A Chaos Dao Fruit on a branch pulsated slowly, its gray-gold interwoven Dao patterns flowing endlessly, reflecting the phenomena of all the heavens and myriad worlds.

Suddenly, a very subtle tremor came quietly from the roots of the Dao Tree—the source of which was the Golden Puppet Realm.

Li Mu's eyes opened and closed, and the chaotic stars swirled in his eyes, reflecting the scene of the Golden Puppet Realm. In that vast realm constructed with the laws of metal, a strange thought was now entwined deep within the core of the realm. It was grayish-white in color and as thin as a spider's thread, constantly eroding the Geng metal source and causing the laws of the realm to become faintly sluggish.

"The methods of the Ghost Clan are indeed all-pervasive."

With a slight thought, Li Mu caused the billions of roots of the Chaos Dao Tree behind him to suddenly surge forth, like a group of dragons exploring the sea, ignoring the obstacles of the void, and boldly descending upon the Golden Puppet Realm! Wherever the roots passed, gray chaotic energy surged, carrying the Dao rhythm of the newly formed order, and instantly enveloped the entire realm.

Above the Golden Puppet Realm, countless metal creations hummed in unison; deep within the earth's veins of the Myriad Machine Heavenly City, the gray-gold Dao Fire suddenly intensified. Where the realm's core was corrupted, the treacherous thoughts seemed to sense the impending danger, suddenly twisting and expanding, transforming into a hideous ghost face, emitting a silent shriek, resisting purification.

"town."

Li Mu's voice, like the sound of the Dao, resounded throughout every inch of the Golden Puppet Realm. The Dao Fruit of Order on the branch shone brightly, and countless gray-gold Dao patterns descended like a net from the heavens, each strand precisely binding that wisp of treacherous thought. Wherever the Dao patterns reached, the void froze, and the laws returned to order.

The ghostly face hissed as if scorched by the blazing sun, its grayish-white energy violently surging as it struggled and retaliated, manifesting countless illusions of inner demons that threatened to erode the Dao patterns.

The Dao patterns of order are indestructible, containing the true meaning of chaos-encompassing and theorem-ordered, making them the nemesis of such sinister and demonic thoughts. In less than three breaths, the ghostly face let out a mournful cry and disintegrated inch by inch, turning into a wisp of pure demonic energy, which was forcibly stripped and sealed by the Dao patterns.

Li Mu did not stop there. He moved his fingertips through the air, triggering the origin of the Golden Puppet Realm. The entire realm trembled violently, and billions of metal veins surged like a reversed galaxy, tracing the traces of demonic energy back to its source.

In the void, blurry scenes flashed by rapidly—demonic energy, like smoke, seeped in from the cracks in the boundary wall, attached itself to a certain Gengjin ore vein, and spread quietly with the flow of spiritual energy, eventually reaching the heart of the boundary... The trajectory of the deduction was winding and tortuous, and it even faintly pointed to a small branch of the towering ancestral tree of all worlds in the distant void!

"Using the ancestral tree's veins to sow demonic seeds, what a vicious scheme."

Li Mu's eyes turned cold, and the roots of the Chaos Dao Tree suddenly plunged into the end of the deduced trajectory, forcefully seizing it! A fist-sized, constantly twisting and changing gray-white mist was forcibly pulled out of the void. At the core of the mist, countless fragmented demonic thoughts howled, emitting a cold and deathly aura of the same origin as the Flowing Cloud Starfield.

"Refining."

The chaotic power swept in like a furnace, enveloping the demonic seed. Under the onslaught of the gray air currents, the demonic seed struggled violently, evolving into venomous curses and mind-altering illusions, but ultimately could not withstand the absolute power.

A moment later, the demonic seed's mournful cry dissipated, completely decomposed, and transformed into a wisp of pure essence, which merged into the Chaos Dao Tree.

Li Mu remained unmoved. In the past century, similar scenarios had played out seven times in the more than ten realms under his control. The Xuan Yuan Jin Realm, the Shi Xu Realm, the Huan Ling Realm... all had been quietly infiltrated by the seeds of treacherous demons, but fortunately the Chaos Dao Tree and the Order Dao Fruit were able to sense them keenly and eliminate them in time.

"The Ghost Clan has been lying dormant for a century, and their covert infiltration has reached such a level."

Li Mu's mind sank into the Dao Tree, sensing that the purified realms were no longer in danger. However, the demonic seeds were like a persistent carbuncle, impossible to guard against. The Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms, as the hub of the spiritual energy of all heavens, had become a breeding ground for the demonic race. This situation was almost unsolvable. Even with his abilities, he could only defend his own territory and could not protect all the myriad realms.

"What exactly are you waiting for?"

Li Mu gazed into the depths of the void, his eyes seemingly piercing through endless star fields. The Ghost Clan had expended enormous effort to lay out this treacherous scheme, not merely to disrupt the borderlands, but to await an opportunity—a chance that would overturn the entire situation.

The Chaos Treasure Palace returned to silence, with only the Dao Tree swaying gently, and the miniature worlds within its branches and leaves undergoing birth, death, and evolution.

Li Mu calmed his mind and stopped actively searching. He simply attached a wisp of his will to the roots of the Dao Tree, silently monitoring the various realms under his command, while nurturing the Chaos Dao Fruit and deducing the Great Dao.

The calm before the storm is the most oppressive; the day the demons reveal themselves is likely not far off. Only then will it truly come to an end.

Xingyan Daozun sat alone in a corner of the Myriad Laws Source Pool, with the Zhou Tian Star Chart hanging in front of him. Hundreds of millions of starlight points flowed and died, outlining the pulse of the Qi of all the heavens and myriad realms.

Xingyan Daozun frowned slightly, a wisp of cool starlight swirling around his fingertips as he repeatedly manipulated the dim star field in the dish that represented the remnants of the "Quicksand Realm".

“No…” Xingyan Daozun murmured, the starlight at his fingertips suddenly froze, and he pointed to a very tiny node on the star chart—the very core of the chaotic aura and strange power that day.

Under macroscopic analysis, the two are seamlessly integrated, almost naturally formed. However, when the Star Evolution Dao Venerable used the Star Evolution Secret Method to delve into the origin of the Dao traces and trace back layer by layer to the point before the laws were integrated, a trace of "stagnation" that should never have existed, like a crack in a hair, quietly emerged!

The two opposing origins were forcibly stitched together with an extremely ingenious technique, deceiving the senses of the realm lords. However, under the ultimate deduction of the Great Dao foundation by the Zhou Tian Star Chart, the unnatural flaw was finally revealed.

"It was indeed a deliberate graft!" Starlight surged in Xingyan Daozun's eyes, and stardust scattered around him as his emotions churned.

This technique was definitely not created by the Lord of Chaos—his Dao encompasses all things, and even if it absorbs strange forces, it should be integrated into his own body, perfectly harmonious and unimpeded. How could it leave such a stiff trace?
It is not something that ordinary, strange races can perform; one must have a very deep understanding of the Dao of Chaos to be able to imitate it to this extent.

A chill ran down my spine and straight to my mind; perhaps the Ghost Clan is hiding a deeper hand behind the scenes; or perhaps they themselves have already mastered the ability to tamper with the origin!
Xingyan Daozun suddenly stood up. This matter has far-reaching implications. Behind that trace of "stitching" may lie a scheme far beyond the erosion of the realm. In ordinary discussions, there are many people and opinions. Gu Yuan and others have long harbored resentment towards Chaos Daozhu. If we mention it rashly, it will only increase the variables.

With a thought, a star-shaped jade talisman bearing the Taiyu emblem slipped from her sleeve.

Xingyan Daozun's divine sense was like a blade, engraving a few words without going into detail. He only said that there was a shocking discovery concerning the very foundation of the Ghost Clan, and asked them to go to the "Boundless Sea" for a meeting immediately.

The jade talisman transformed into a stream of light, disappeared into the void, and pointed directly at the realm where the Celestial Lord of the Great Universe resided.

……

The Boundless Sea is not a true sea, but a wondrous realm nestled between the heavens. Above, below, and in all directions, chaotic void currents surge, but in the center, a white jade platform remains as stable as a rock, isolating the inside from the outside, making it the perfect place for secret conversations.

Xingyan Daozun arrived first, standing at the edge of the platform, looking down at the colorful and roaring torrent of energy below, his face as somber as an ancient well.

Before half a cup of tea was finished, the void beside him rippled slightly, and a cold and aloof figure quietly appeared, taking light steps and stepping onto white jade—it was none other than the Immortal Lord of Taiyu.

"Fellow Daoist Xingyan, what is the matter that is so urgent?"

The Immortal Lord of Taiyu, his eyes like cold stars, scanned his surroundings to confirm that there was no danger, and asked in surprise.

Xingyan Daozun did not answer, but raised his hand and pointed. The illusory image of the Zhou Tian Star Chart appeared, magnifying the abnormal node of the Flowing Sand Realm to the extreme, pointing to the almost imperceptible "stitching" mark: "Please look here."

The Immortal Lord of the Great Universe focused his attention and observed carefully, but initially noticed nothing.

As he activated the Taiyu Secret Technique, his divine sense, like an invisible carving knife, dissected the origin of the Dao traces. His cold expression finally changed slightly: "Two origins... were they forcibly merged? What kind of method is this that could deceive us to this extent!"

"Exactly." Xingyan Daozun's voice was as deep as a bell: "The power of the Ghost Clan is filthy and domineering, lacking such subtle forgery ability. Unless... they possess an unknown forbidden technique that points directly to the origin of all paths, capable of simulation, grafting, and even... distortion and contamination!"

"Pollution..." Immortal Lord Taiyu murmured, his gaze suddenly sharpening like a sword: "If the matter of the Flowing Sand Realm was merely to frame the Chaos Dao Lord, that would be quite ordinary. The effort this technique required must have been considerable. Their true aim, I suspect, was not confined to a single realm or region from the very beginning." The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with coldness and trepidation.

Xingyan Daozun focused his mind and speculated, "During the upheaval in the Flowing Cloud Starfield, living beings went mad, and inner demons arose in abundance. At that time, strange forces and distorted Dao rhythms intertwined and permeated the air, which we all thought was eroding our minds. Now, thinking about it... could that distorted Dao rhythm also be a kind of 'forgery,' a kind of 'pollution' targeting the mind and Dao heart?"

Taiyu Immortal Master spoke up, his tone more solemn than ever before: "What if this technique can not only corrupt mortal spirits, but also... directly target the realm lord who holds the origin of the realm and whose Dao heart is in harmony with heaven and earth?"

The platform fell silent for a moment.

To become the ruler of a realm, one's Dao heart must be firm and unyielding, unbreakable through countless eons, making one a pillar of all heavens and myriad realms.

If even the Lords of Realms can be quietly corrupted, distorted, or even manipulated... then the fall of countless realms is nothing to fear. The real catastrophe will be the collapse of the Alliance of Myriad Realms from within, with all power falling into enemy hands without bloodshed!

“Blazing flames, lightning punishment, icy remains…” Xingyan Daozun said slowly and deliberately, “These realm lords have been in seclusion for a hundred years, and their whereabouts have gradually disappeared. However, when we deduce the fortune of their realms, we find that they have not collapsed, but instead exude a sense of deathly ‘rebirth’. Judging from this, it is probably not a good omen.”

The Immortal Lord of the Taiyu Realm's eyes flickered slightly: "Ice Skeleton recently received a message from the Spiritual Pivot, and the words were correct. However, the core Ice Soul Daoist aura seems to be less pure than before. At first, I thought it was because the old injury had not yet healed, but now that I think about it..."

The two remained silent. If the realm lords had already been corrupted without their knowledge, and were still regarded as allies, jointly controlling the Spiritual Pivot, directing the allied forces, and eliminating the Demonic Alliance, wouldn't they become a laughing stock? Or even become a sharp blade in the hands of the Demonic Clan, stabbing into their own throats!

"We must investigate immediately!" Daoist Xingyan said resolutely. "This matter is of great importance and must not be publicized. If we alert them, we risk forcing them to act prematurely or causing those already corrupted to turn against us."

Taiyu Immortal Lord nodded: "The most urgent task is to find a secret method to secretly investigate the true situation of those Realm Lords, and at the same time closely monitor the Spiritual Pivot Network, especially the spiritual energy handled by Binghai, which may be able to capture conclusive evidence."

"The Chaos Dao Lord's side..." Star Evolution Dao Venerable hesitated slightly.

Taiyu Immortal Lord pondered for a moment: "The Chaos Dao Lord is unrelated to this matter. His Chaos Dao may be able to restrain this kind of Heart Abyss pollution. His nature is unpredictable. If we make contact now, it will be easy for potential enemies to detect it, which will only increase the risk. For now... do not disturb him."

Xingyan Daozun nodded in agreement. The two then exchanged no more words and swiftly discussed their plans through divine sense in the Boundless Sea. They agreed to establish several covert investigation strategies and to communicate only through special channels thereafter, avoiding any further in-person meetings unless absolutely necessary.

Once the plan was decided, the figure of the Immortal Lord Taiyu faded away first, merging into the void without leaving a trace.

……

In the Ancient Origin Realm, the Palace of Myriad Laws stands alone in the void beyond the mortal world, without distinction of upper or lower, without the limits of ancient or modern. Only the origin of the Great Dao flows like the tide, guarding a majestic figure in the center.

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord sat upright in the void, draped in a star-patterned Daoist robe. His eyes were closed, his face was ancient and unadorned, and his aura was calm and deep. The Daoist charm around him was subtly in harmony with the entire Ancient Origin Realm. With each breath, he caused the realm's origin to fluctuate and tremble.

There was an object hanging in front of him.

It was a piece of broken armor, no bigger than the palm of your hand, the color of dried blood scabs, or like stubborn iron tempered by countless ancient flames. Its surface was crisscrossed with cracks, seemingly dilapidated, yet it exuded an ancient aura that sent chills down your spine, as if bearing the lament of a bygone era.

This is a fragment of the "Heavenly Star Battle Armor," a secret treasure obtained by the Ancient Origin Realm Lord from the deepest part of the "Ancient Battlefield of Ten Thousand Bones," through painstaking effort.

According to the ancient inscription, this armor once belonged to an ancient war god who withstood the great calamity of an era with his physical body. If one can refine the Dao traces within, one may be able to glimpse a trace of the true meaning of the Heavenly Star, helping his "All Origins Return to One Body" to reach perfection. At that time, even when facing the mysterious and unpredictable Chaos Dao Lord, one can still compete with him.

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord silently chanted the profound incantation, his hands forming hand seals, drawing upon the realm's origin to transform into countless crystalline threads that entwined the remnants of the armor. His Dao power, sharp as a blade, was meticulous and precise, attempting to peel away the ancient, dormant outer layer of the armor, reaching directly to its inner true spirit and imprinting his own divine soul mark upon it.

The refining process has lasted for eighty-one days.

The armor plates remained as silent as death, except deep within the cracks, where, under the continuous infusion of primal power, a faint, eerie light quietly emanated. That light was neither gold nor iron, but rather resembled the beating of a living being's heart, containing an inexplicable vitality.

The Ancient Origin Realm Master's mind was completely immersed in the vast, star-like Dao traces inside the armor plate, and he did not notice such strange phenomena. He only felt that as the refining deepened, the connection between his own Dao body and the broken armor became increasingly close. A vast and indestructible artistic conception fed back and nourished the Myriad Origin Dharma Body, bringing it closer to perfection step by step.

"Only one last step remains—the merging of souls and the eternal solidification of the Dao seal!"

Even the Dao Heart, cultivated for hundreds of millions of years, was stirred by a ripple at this moment. The Ancient Origin Realm Lord activated all his divine power, and his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly brightened. A condensed and refined natal soul imprint, bearing the fruits of his life's cultivation, was forged into true meaning.

Just as the mark was about to touch the true spirit—

A sudden and unexpected change occurred!

"Buzz!"

Without warning, the broken armor trembled violently, and the cracks on its surface suddenly lit up. A deep and eerie dark light, seemingly capable of devouring the heart, spread rapidly through the cracks, like a hideous ghost face appearing on the armor.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the shadow at the core of the armor plate twisted and changed, instantly condensing into a phantom image—covered with strange patterns, shaped like a seed, it was the "Seed of Mind Deception"!
"what?"

The Ancient Origin Realm Master was shocked. Before he could react, the Seed of Heart Deception silently shrieked and exploded!
An invisible, intangible, and unpredictable torrent of strange thoughts ignored the layers of Great Dao barriers, penetrated the protection of the Myriad Origin Dharma Body, and, like ink dripping into water, directly seeped into the soul foundation of the Ancient Origin Realm Lord!
"Uh!"

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord roared in pain, his body trembling violently. The treacherous thought, though invisible, was more powerful than any tangible one, sharper than any divine weapon, piercing straight into his mind and eroding his Daoist thoughts.

In an instant, the scene before them changed drastically. The core of the realm vanished without a trace, replaced by an endless abyss of illusion.

The inner demons and distracting thoughts that were once eradicated now retaliate a thousandfold, transforming into countless demonic shadows that roar and pounce; the powerful enemy who fell at the hands of the Ancient Origin Realm Master revives from the void with overwhelming resentment, and curses surge like a tide; the Ancient Origin Realm collapses before his eyes, all spirits weep blood, and heaven and earth groan in despair... Countless chaotic thoughts that defy the Great Dao grow wildly like poisonous vines, entwining the soul and attempting to drag it into eternal damnation.

"Hold fast to Lingtai! Protect the heart of Wanyuan!"

The Ancient Origin Realm Lord was, after all, the ruler of a realm. Although severely injured, he still had the power to fight back. He endured the pain of his soul being torn apart and his Dao source being polluted, and frantically operated the Great Dao of "All Sources Return to One," stimulating the origin of the realm in an attempt to expel evil and suppress thoughts.

However, the "Seed of Deceit" is a carefully laid trap by the ancient god of the Devouring Realm, and it cannot be easily resolved.
This sinister thought is not caused by external forces, but is actually a pollution at the level of the Great Dao, like a parasite attaching itself to the original Dao principles. The more the Ancient Origin Realm Lord circulates his cultivation techniques and mobilizes the realm's power, the faster the sinister thought spreads.

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, its color dark gray, and it made a "sizzling" corrosive sound as it fell into the void. The face of the Ancient Origin Realm Lord quickly dimmed, and deep in his eye sockets, golden light and ghostly light clashed fiercely—it was the life-and-death struggle between his primal will and his treacherous thoughts deep in his soul.

"A heretic of the Ghost Clan!" he growled through gritted teeth, his voice trembling. "What a ruthless scheme!"

Only then did he realize: the so-called fragment of the "Heavenly Star Battle Armor" was merely bait, designed to lure world lords like himself who sought the Great Dao into a trap. Now, its treacherous intent had invaded the core of his soul. Let alone contend with the Chaos Dao Lord, whether he could even survive this calamity was still uncertain. (End of Chapter)