Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Meeting the gazes of the four Dao Ancestors, Li Mu pondered silently for a moment, then nodded and said, "I am honored by your high regard, fellow Daoists. I am willing to go."

"Young friend Li! You!" Gu Xi's face turned ashen as he stared intently at Li Mu.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Li is indeed a straightforward person, that's excellent!" Dao Ancestor Qingyuan laughed heartily and said with delight, "Three years from now, Xingyan Daotai will be waiting for Fellow Daoist Li's arrival."

Dao Ancestor Haotian nodded and added, "At that time, there should be several other fellow Daoists in the forest who will be present to discuss important matters together."

Lei Yan Daozu's gaze swept between Li Mu and Gu Xi, a flash of purple lightning, and his figure vanished into the void.

"Friend Daoist Li, goodbye!"

Qingyuan Dao Ancestor and Haotian Dao Ancestor nodded slightly to Li Mu, then transformed into streams of light and vanished from their spot in an instant.

After the three auras completely disappeared, Gu Xi gathered her Dao Domain, turned around and looked at Li Mu. The gentle smile on her face disappeared, leaving only a solemn expression.

"Fellow Daoist Li, do you know what it means to agree to this proposal just now?" Gu Xi looked at Li Mu, her face showing a hint of imperceptible fatigue.

After a moment's thought, Li Mu nodded and said, "This junior understands. The Starry Sky Dao Platform Gathering is ostensibly for discussing tribulations, but in reality, it's a power struggle among various parties. I might become the target of everyone's attacks."

"Since you knew all this, why did you still agree?" Gu Xi asked Li Mu, puzzled. "If you stay in the old Dao Domain, you'll have a thousand years of peaceful growth. Even if a great calamity comes, you and I can join forces to protect the core domain. If you go to the Star Evolution Platform... those old guys, aren't they all old foxes who have lived through several cycles? Do you think they'll really let you grow peacefully? I'm afraid that today they'll agree to discuss this with you, and tomorrow they'll find a reason to move your Chaos Dao Tree to their Dao Domain for 'joint management'!"

Li Mu frowned and sighed helplessly, "What you say is very true, senior. However, have you considered that if we stubbornly defend ourselves and refuse to accept the invitation, three Dao Ancestors may leave today, but five or ten may come together tomorrow? At that time, can you really hold out?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xi fell silent. Just as Li Mu had said, he really wouldn't be able to hold off such a large-scale attack.

Li Mu continued, “Now that the Chaos Dao Tree’s ability to absorb origins has been revealed, it is a lifeline in the tide of annihilation. Today, Lei Yan made a move to test the waters, and Qing Yuan and Hao Tian spoke softly, but only because they were wary of your power and unwilling to immediately break off relations. If I insist on refusing, they can instantly form an alliance and, in the name of ‘the greater good of the vast land,’ forcefully compel me to submit…”

Li Mu didn't finish his sentence here, but the meaning was self-evident.

For Li Mu, being 'imprisoned' by Gu Xi alone or 'surrounded' by the Dao Ancestors would have had almost the same outcome. On the contrary, by stirring up the waters, he felt that he had a chance to 'escape' and stand on his own.

Therefore, Li Mufang decided to accept the three Dao Ancestors' warm invitation. However, before that, he needed to appease Gu Xi and build a good relationship with him so as not to fall out on the spot. After all, he was currently at the peak of the Great Dao and surrounded by enemies, so he still needed to rely on him.

Gu Xi remained silent for a while, pondering for a long time, and then slowly loosened the fingers in her sleeve.

Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief, looking in the direction the three Dao Ancestors had left, and continued, "Rather than passively holding our ground and attracting wolves to our side, it would be better for me to take the initiative and enter the fray. At the Star Evolution Dao Platform Gathering, various forces will gather, each with their own plans, and they are not necessarily a united front. I may be able to maneuver among them, use their strength against them, and gain a chance to catch my breath."

After hearing this, Gu Xi sighed and said with a wry smile, "I have lived for so many years, yet I am not as insightful as you... Well, since you have made up your mind, there is no point in me saying anything more."

After a pause, Gu Xi looked at Li Mu and said solemnly, "However, the Starry Sky Dao Platform is a dangerous place. You must be extremely careful on this trip. Many of those guys appear respectable on the surface, but they are actually ruthless in the dark. You should prepare well for the three-year period. This old Daoist will also prepare some backup plans for you."

Li Mu bowed: "Thank you, Senior Gu."

Gu Xi waved his hand, turned his gaze to the dark and vast land below, and suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Li, come with me."

Li Mu was slightly taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly followed.

Suddenly, Gu Xi rolled up his sleeve, and a clear light appeared, enveloping the two of them and causing them to sink downwards.

The layers of the vast earth separated, and the viscous primordial energy spread out to both sides, revealing a bottomless darkness.

Li Mu felt the pressure around him suddenly increase. The two of them continued to descend, and after an unknown amount of time, the scene before them suddenly changed.

A fragmented, solidified "source layer" came into view.

This place is the "Origin Layer of Calamity Annihilation" that Li Mu previously touched with his Chaos Roots. Now that he has personally arrived here, he is particularly shocked by what he has experienced.

Looking out, in the boundless darkness, countless gray-white stones float, some as small as millstones, others as large as stars. The surface of the stones is covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and a faint light flows around them, like a dying lamp, vast and boundless.

Numerous stones flowed silently with the vast flow of primordial energy, exuding a "dead silence" Daoist charm, as if billions of living beings were roaring in silence, and countless great Daos were collapsing and weeping.

"This place is where the remains of the ancestral tree accumulated after each great calamity." Gu Xi explained to Li Mu with a desolate expression, "Those gray and white stones are all 'fragments of the Dao core' that were transformed from the core of the ancestral tree in the past. The Dao essence sealed inside is mostly the broken origin of the Great Dao of the fallen ancestral tree, as well as... the resentment left behind when the billions of living beings in the realm within the tree were annihilated."

Seeing the scene before him, Li Mu was deeply shocked.

Gu Xi continued, "129,600 years ago, during the last great calamity cycle, there were 37,000 ancestral trees in the Vast Earth Forest. After the calamity tide, the survivors... were less than 300."

Li Mu fell silent for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Senior brought me here so that I could witness the cruelty of the great calamity firsthand and prepare myself in advance?"

"That's only part of the reason!" Gu Xi shook his head, looking at Li Mu solemnly, "What I want you to understand is that the Tribulation Tide is beyond human power to stop. Even a peak ancestral tree with a perfected Dao foundation is nothing more than a candle in the wind before the tide. If you want to transcend the tribulation, there is only one path to take, and that is—the fusion of 'Returning to the Source' and 'Gathering the Origin,' using chaos as a furnace to melt the remnants of myriad paths and reshape a new life!" Gu Xi's face turned grim as he continued, "I have experienced two great tribulations, both of which I transcended by sleeping through the 'Returning to the Source' method. Although I survived by doing so, nearly 40% of my Dao foundation was destroyed by the impact of the tribulations. The 'Traces of Tribulation Annihilation' are entangled deep within the tree's heart, like a malignant tumor, eroding my origin. If I were to force myself to transcend the tribulation a third time using the Returning to the Source method, even if I could awaken, my cultivation level would definitely drop, and less than one-tenth of the realm within the tree would remain. Otherwise, I could easily destroy the mere invasion of the Ghost Clan, so why would I need to take action, Fellow Daoist Li!"

After speaking, Gu Xi casually made a gesture, and a miniature phantom of the Ancestral Tree of Myriad Realms appeared. Within the main trunk of the Dao Tree, dense gray-black patterns could be vaguely seen, coiling like venomous snakes, exuding an aura of decay and destruction.

"This is the 'Traces of Calamity and Annihilation,' deeply embedded in the rings of my Dao Tree, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone, difficult to remove. I have tried countless methods, but none have been able to refine it." Gu Xi looked at Li Mu with eager eyes: "Until... I saw Fellow Daoist Li's Chaos Dao Tree."

"The Great Dao of Chaos encompasses everything, evolves endlessly, and can absorb all origins into one. If you can combine this Dao Source of 'Returning to the Source' with your ability of 'Chaos Absorbing Origins,' perhaps you can... use Chaos as a furnace to refine the traces of calamity and destruction, while absorbing the myriad remnants of the Dao deposited in this source layer to nourish yourself and reshape your Dao foundation!"

Li Mu was greatly shocked. At this moment, he finally understood Gu Xi's true scheme for protecting him for thousands of years. She not only wanted to use the Chaos Dao Tree to overcome her tribulation, but also wanted to use the power of the Chaos Dao to refine the traces of annihilation in her own Dao foundation, and even... devour the countless ancestral tree remnants in this source layer to complete herself!

Seeing Li Mu's changing expression, Gu Xi said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Li, there is no need to panic. This old Daoist will not harm you. Today, I am speaking frankly to you, entrusting my life and Dao path to you. If you are willing to help this old Daoist, after the calamity is over, I can share with you all the Dao essence I have cultivated and the foundation I have accumulated over countless eras. In the vast land and forest, it is not impossible for us to stand side by side as revered beings."

"Oh!" Li Mu looked at Gu Xi with a wary expression. If he hadn't refined Xuan Ming's remnant will, he would have actually believed Gu Xi's heartfelt words.

Seeing the serious and wary look on Li Mu's face, Gu Xi's gentle smile quickly vanished, replaced by a bitter one.

“Fellow Daoist Li…” Gu Xi sighed and reminded him, “Why are you so wary of this old Daoist? Since the beginning of the Qiling Realm, you have used spiritual plants to build your foundation, experienced wars between various realms, integrated order, absorbed the strange, clarified your mind, and finally achieved Dao unity. You have gone through countless tribulations and faced life and death at every step. How could you hide the process of your cultivation of the Chaos Dao from me? You were born in my ten thousand years, and I also regard you as my descendant. If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so long ago!”

Gu Xi gazed intently into Li Mu's eyes and said earnestly, "Chaos encompasses everything and evolves endlessly. This path is both incredibly powerful and extremely perilous. Throughout history, countless brilliant minds have failed to grasp it, demonstrating its immense difficulty! Yet, Fellow Daoist Li, at the age of five thousand years, has been able to attain this Great Dao within Chaos. This is truly unique in all of history, and I, Gu Xi, would never presume to seize such a Dao principle!"

Gu Xi changed the subject and looked at Li Mu frankly, saying, "If this old Daoist truly harbors evil intentions and wishes to seize and devour your body... hehe, does Fellow Daoist Li think that I, Gu, cannot attempt to seize your body before you have achieved your Great Dao? Or perhaps, Fellow Daoist Li can truly bear my 'Return to the Source' true meaning without any hindrance?"

At this point, Gu Xi continued, "If we force it, it will inevitably cause a clash with the source of the Dao. The Chaos Dao Fruit might be able to be absorbed with difficulty, but the dangers involved are enough to damage my Dao foundation, cause my realm to fall, and destroy the Dao Fruit. It would be a loss that does not outweigh the gains. Having lived for so many years, how could I not know that the Great Dao has its own predetermined fate?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mu fell into a long silence without replying. The chaotic spiritual energy in his eyes swirled slowly, and the gray Dao aura around him appeared somewhat peaceful, though he was not completely relaxed.

What Gu Xi said is indeed true. The opportunity he was able to cultivate to the Great Dao of Chaos is something that ordinary people cannot fathom.

"Then what exactly does Senior intend to do?" Li Mu remained silent for a long time before looking at Gu Xi and asking inquisitively.

Gu Xi's expression turned solemn, and he said earnestly, "What this old Daoist asks for is very simple. I hope to cooperate deeply with Fellow Daoist Li, to mutually verify each other's paths in the Dao, and to entrust our lives to each other."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu was slightly taken aback, unsure of the meaning.

Gu Xi smiled slightly, looking at the endless gray-white stones around them, and said, "We both know the power of annihilation. The path of returning to the source is like a turtle hiding in its shell, barely surviving, and ultimately not lasting. Chaos receiving the source is like a giant whale swallowing the sea, but the sea has its end, and the whale's strength is exhausted. If we can combine the two—using your chaos as a furnace to melt the myriad remnants and absorb the scattered source energy; and using my returning to the source as a secret box to seal the essence, settle the dross, and calm the rage. When the tides are at their strongest, we can protect the core source from dissipation... In this cycle, endlessly, we may be able to carve out a 'pure land that does not fall' amidst annihilation, or even... use the power of annihilation to temper ourselves and elevate our Dao foundation to a higher level!"

Li Mu frowned slightly, puzzled, and said, "Please enlighten me, senior!"

Gu Xi looked at Li Mu with burning eyes and suggested, "Let's exchange a core Dao Source so that the other can comprehend it. My 'Guicang Dao Source' has undergone two great tribulations, imbued with the marks of tribulation, and contains the secrets of two tribulations. Its methods of sealing in time and space, settling the origin, and avoiding calamities will greatly benefit you in dealing with the tide of annihilation and stabilizing your realm. As for your 'Chaos Dao Source,' which encompasses the true meaning of evolution, it may help me glimpse a glimmer of hope in refining the marks of tribulation and even absorbing the remnants of the source layer."

"Shall we exchange our Dao sources for comprehension? We will each gain something. Fellow Daoist Li, what do you think?" Gu Xi asked Li Mu nervously.

Li Mu's heart stirred slightly. This was an act of trust between cultivators at an extremely high level.

The Dao Source is the fundamental principle of the Dao, containing the true meaning of the Great Dao. Mutual study of the Dao Source is to reveal the deepest secrets of one's own Dao path to the other, which brings great benefits but also carries extremely high risks. If the other party harbors evil intentions or gains insights from the study, it may cause conflict on the Dao path, with unimaginable consequences.

Li Mu stared intently at Gu Xi. Her eyes were clear and her aura was calm. Behind her, the illusory image of the ancestral tree stood majestically in the clear light, exuding an aura of ancient tranquility. If he refused, trouble would inevitably ensue.

What the other party mentioned was exactly what Li Mu needed at the moment. Having just entered the realm of Dao Integration, his knowledge of the great cycle of calamity and destruction was still shallow. Gu Xi's experience in transcending tribulations was exactly what he lacked most. In order to achieve perfection in the Great Dao of Chaos, he also needed to absorb the essence of all Daos. The Dao Source of Gui Cang, after undergoing the great tribulation and sedimentation, could perhaps make up for the Dao Source of "sealing" and "precipitating" that was missing in the "inclusiveness" of Chaos.

After careful consideration, Li Mu looked at Gu Xi and formally replied, "I am willing to try your suggestion, senior. However, the Great Dao of Chaos is profound and unpredictable, and its evolution is ever-changing. If you find it difficult to understand or have any doubts when you try to comprehend it, this is all normal of the Great Dao. I cannot guarantee that I will gain anything."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xi's expression relaxed, and he said with great joy, "Of course! The pursuit of the Dao depends on one's own destiny. This old Daoist only seeks to see the true face of Chaos. Whether I succeed or not, I will have no regrets."

After speaking, Gu Xi condensed an ancient Dao seal in his right hand. The moment the seal was formed, a cyan light ball, the size of a fist, slowly peeled out from the depths of the ancestral tree's illusory trunk behind him. Bearing the weight of a world, it leisurely emerged.

"This is the 'Guicang Daoyuan' of this old Daoist, please accept it, Fellow Daoist Li." Gu Xi gestured with his hand, indicating to Li Mu.

The next moment, the azure light emanating the aura of the Dao, which exudes the essence of all things returning to their origin and the silence of eternity, slowly flew towards us.

Li Mu dared not be negligent. He made a hand seal with both hands, and the Chaos Dao Tree appeared behind him, swaying gently. The Primordial Dao Fruit on the branch shone with light, and a ball of gray chaotic energy separated from the fruit core.

"This is the source of my chaotic Dao." Li Mu pushed the vortex toward Gu Xi.

Soon, the two streams of energy intersected in the air. (End of Chapter)