Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

On the platform, the debate raged on, with each Taoist master expressing their own opinion, making it difficult to reach a consensus.

Just then, Dao Ancestor Lei Yan launched another attack, looking at Li Mu and saying sternly, "Empty arguments are a waste of breath! Without seeing the real results, how can I believe you can shoulder great responsibilities? Do you dare to contend with my Dao Domain and explore the depths of your Chaos Realm!"

The words of Dao Ancestor Lei Yan, carrying the intent of annihilation thunder, caused ripples to spread across the jade surface of the Starry Dao Platform.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere on the Starry Sky Platform suddenly became tense.

The corners of Qingyuan Daozu's lips curled slightly, and the green light in his eyes flowed as he quietly observed the changes; Haotian Daozu remained unmoved, watching with understanding; the four ancestors Chaoyuan, Yinghong, Youguang, and Yeyan either lowered their eyes or lowered their brows, their faces showing amusement.

Lei Yan Daozu's actions were in line with the wishes of the other Daozus, who wanted to test the strength of Chaos Daozu. If Li Mu's foundation was not solid and his strength was insufficient, today's discussion might offer another chance for a turnaround.

"The Starry Sky Platform is a place for discussion; how dare you make rash moves!" Gu Xi's face darkened as he spoke up to stop them, "Fellow Daoist Li is a guest invited by this old Daoist. If you wish to test his strength, you must first get past this old Daoist!"

"Old man Gu Xi, you can protect me for a while, but not forever!" Dao Ancestor Lei Yan sneered, reminding him, "If Dao Ancestor Chaos can't even withstand the trial of 30% of my Dao Domain, how can you talk about the Origin Cycle? You'd better submit to me as soon as possible, lest you ruin the great situation of the Vast Land when the calamity comes!"

Gu Xi frowned, preparing to speak again, but Li Mu quickly interrupted, saying, "Since Fellow Daoist Lei Yan wishes to test my resilience in the Chaos Realm, I... will ask Fellow Daoist to proceed with caution."

Gu Xi frowned, looked at Li Mu, and said unhappily, "Fellow Daoist Li!"

Li Mu was slightly pleased and calmly said, "Senior Gu, there is no need to worry. Since Fellow Daoist Lei Yan is willing to test me with the Dao of Thunder, it can help me hone my Dao, refine the chaos, and prove the ultimate inclusiveness. I accept this battle!"

Hearing this,

A glint of starlight flashed in the eyes of the Great Dao Ancestor Haotian, and he clapped his hands and laughed, “Fellow Daoist Li, your demeanor is magnanimous and your Dao heart is steadfast. In that case, I invite the two of you to spar and verify your skills on this platform. However, the calamity has not yet arrived, and it is not appropriate for fellow Daoists to fight to the death. I will use the Myriad Manifestations Star Evolution Array as a foundation to create a ‘Dao Evolution Barrier’ for the two of you to enter and compete—only in terms of Dao appearance, without harming your origin, how about it?”

Lei Yan Daozu snorted coldly: "Fine!"

Li Mu nodded: "I will follow Fellow Daoist Haotian's arrangements."

Haotian Daozu smiled slightly, formed a hand seal, and starlight surged around him.

The next moment, in the center of the platform, the illusory image of the nine-star skeleton suddenly became bright, projecting nine thick pillars of starlight that intertwined in mid-air, transforming into a transparent barrier spanning a thousand miles.

The barrier membrane is filled with the illusory patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and peaks. The inner space is both real and illusory, and the flow of time is different from that of the outside world. It is the "Derivation Dao Barrier" evolved from the Myriad Phenomena Star Derivation Array.

"Please, both of you." Dao Ancestor Haotian casually waved his hand, and the barrier portal opened wide.

Lei Yan Daozu laughed loudly, and his thunderous body transformed into a bolt of purple lightning, shooting into the barrier first.

Li Mu remained expressionless, took a step forward, and his figure in green robes disappeared into the gray Daoist aura, following closely behind.

The two entered the barrier, and the barrier gate closed. All the ancestors outside could clearly see the scene inside. The fluctuations of their Daoist auras were absorbed by the barrier, preventing them from affecting the Dao Platform.

Gu Xi's face was as still as water, his Daoist aura hidden and unrevealed, his eyes locked on the barrier.

The Qingyuan Dao Ancestor smiled slightly, and a wisp of green light silently seeped into the veins of the Star Evolution Array from his fingertip, in order to sense the subtle changes within the barrier. The remaining ancestors, each with their own thoughts, watched the battle intently.

Within the Dao-Evolution Barrier, heaven and earth were first created.

Above, a sea of ​​light descended; beneath their feet, the earth solidified; in all directions, the void stretched endlessly, with only star patterns flickering and flowing. This place was created by the Dao Ancestor Haotian using the Star Evolution Array as a foundation, simulating a near-realistic Haotu environment, where the flow of primordial energy and the manifestation of laws were no different from the outside world.

Lei Yan Daozu stood in mid-air, his arms suddenly spread wide, and he roared to the sky: "Thunder Prison descends, Primordial Dragon, appear!"

Endless purple-gold lightning gathered from the void, transforming into a "sea of ​​annihilation lightning." The sea of ​​lightning churned, and electric snakes danced wildly, containing the laws of collapse and the thunderous intent to end all things. It was the manifestation of the Dao origin of the Thunder Ancestor.

In the center of the sea of ​​lightning, a vortex suddenly appeared. A dragon-shaped outline solidified in an instant, its head and horns were rugged and covered with purple-gold lightning scales; its eyes were like two thunderous suns, bursting out dazzling arcs of light; its body stretched for thousands of miles, its claws reaching out, tearing through the void and leaving charred cracks.

Ancient Thunder Dragon!

This dragon is a Dao incarnation formed by Lei Yan Dao Ancestor using a wisp of innate thunder essence from the beginning of the creation of the vast earth, fused with his own annihilated Dao true meaning, and tempered for 100,000 years. Wherever the dragon's body touches, all laws collapse and spacetime becomes disordered. Ordinary Dao Integration cultivators will be injured if they touch it.

The ancient thunder dragon raised its head and roared, its roar transforming into tangible thunderous sound waves that caused the barrier to tremble violently.

The next moment, the dragon's body suddenly shot out, carrying a sea of ​​lightning, and rushed straight at Li Mu, radiating a thunderous Dao intent that could annihilate everything and end eternity.

Outside the barrier, the ancestors' expressions slightly hardened. The power of Lei Yan Dao Ancestor's Dao Avatar was comparable to a full-force attack from a Dao Integration Overturning Realm.

Li Mu, who has just entered the Dao Integration stage, may not be able to withstand such a fierce attack, even though the Chaos Dao has the ability to absorb the source.
Gu Xi frowned, his fingers quietly closing in his sleeve, the Daoist aura of Gui Cang almost bursting forth from his body.

"From the boundless chaos, myriad forms are born. The dragon's appearance... is also among them."

Li Mu uttered a soft voice, and the towering Chaos Dao Tree behind him trembled violently.

The Primordial Dao Fruit on the branch burst forth with brilliant gray Dao light, which cascaded down like a waterfall and poured into the main trunk of the Dao Tree. The "Chaos Creation Diagram" suddenly came to life, with the nine layers of the picture rotating endlessly. The distinction between purity and turbidity, the rotation of the five elements, the arrangement of stars, the formation of mountains and rivers... the infinite evolutionary true meaning surged out.

As Li Mu directed his thoughts, a vast and chaotic Daoist aura erupted from the treetops, gathering and solidifying in mid-air. In just three breaths, a colossal creature, in no way inferior to the Primordial Thunder Dragon, manifested and coalesced.

This dragon is entirely gray, its scales neither gold nor jade, but shimmering with a gray luster; its eyes are deep, the left pupil reflecting the scene of pure evolution, while the right pupil reflects the image of turbid stillness; its horns meander, with subtle Dao patterns growing at their forks, as if constantly enacting the birth and death of the Great Dao; as its body rises and falls, the earth, wind, water, and fire surge together, and ripples of time and space follow.

It was a colossal chaotic dragon, a manifestation of Li Mu's Dao, based on the principles of chaos and incorporating his own understanding of evolution, order, inclusiveness, and even his newly realized truths of returning to the source. The dragon's body encompassed everything and evolved infinitely, a stark contrast to the thunder dragon's domineering destruction.

"go."

Li Mu made a hand seal with both hands and uttered a single word.

"hold head high!"

The Chaos Dragon raised its head and let out a long roar, which spread like the sound of the Great Dao. The violent thunderous intent was calmed down by three points. It swung its dragon body and fiercely met the Primordial Thunder Dragon!

The two dragons collided violently in the next instant.

The Primordial Thunder Dragon was surrounded by annihilating lightning that frantically impacted its chaotic dragon body, while purple-gold electric snakes burrowed into its gray scales, attempting to tear it apart and destroy it.

The surface of the Chaos Dragon's body was swirling with Primordial Dao patterns, which swallowed up all the invading lightning like a vortex. The lightning entered and was quickly decomposed and transformed by the Chaos Dao Rhyme, turning into strands of pure lightning Dao principles that merged into the Chaos Dragon's body. Purple-gold lightning patterns gradually appeared on its scales.

Devour! Transform! Embrace! The chaotic dragon raised its head, opened its mouth, and spewed out a stream of gray mist.

The Primordial Thunder Dragon was struck, its lightning scales hissed, and the lightning on its surface dimmed at a visible speed. The destructive intent within was swept away and stripped away by the airflow, feeding back into the Chaos Dragon.

Lei Yan Daozu's expression changed slightly. He clearly sensed that the thunder Dao principles condensed by the Primordial Thunder Dragon were being lost. The amount was not large, but it was indeed being absorbed and refined by the opponent's chaotic Dao essence!
"Let's see how much you can swallow!" Dao Ancestor Lei Yan roared, his hands forming increasingly complex hand seals.

The Primordial Thunder Dragon suddenly coiled up, its body shrinking to transform into a "Silent Thunder Star" with a diameter of a thousand feet. The surface of the Thunder Star was bubbling with thunderous magma, and at its core, a point as black as ink emanated a terrifying Dao intent—this was Lei Yan's killing move, pushing the Dao of Thunder to its current limit: "Thunder Strike Starburst"!
The lightning star instantly took shape and crashed into the head of the Chaos Dragon.

Li Mu's eyes narrowed, his mind raced, and the long tail of the chaotic dragon swung, the gray Dao aura around its body suddenly receded, the dragon's head lowered, and a chaotic Dao pattern appeared on its forehead. The pattern was complex and profound, which was the manifestation of the newly comprehended true meaning of "Returning to the Source".

The dragon opened its mouth, revealing a swirling, gray vortex. The center of the vortex was deep and bottomless, seemingly capable of swallowing all things. Its edges flowed, sealed, and settled Daoist essence—a defensive divine power created by Li Mu by fusing the true meaning of returning to the source with chaos: "Chaos Returning to the Source"!
The annihilating lightning star crashed into the chaotic vortex.

Submerged within it, like a clay ox entering the sea, the boiling thunderous magma on the surface quickly subsided, and the core point of pitch-black final Dao intent was enveloped and sealed within the layers of sealing Dao patterns in the vortex.

The vortex trembled violently, and the gray path of light flickered uncertainly, bearing unimaginable pressure.

However, it did not collapse in the end. Instead, it slowly rotated and gradually swallowed and digested the thunder star.

The Dao Ancestors outside the city were all astonished upon seeing this scene.

"It can actually absorb Lei Yan's annihilating thunder intent... The power of chaos to contain is indeed well-deserved." Qingyuan Daozu's expression turned solemn as he exclaimed in surprise.

With the starry sea swirling in his eyes, the Dao Ancestor Haotian continued his deductions. He couldn't help but look at Gu Xi and said in a deep voice, "It's not just that... that vortex of Dao rhyme faintly contains the shadow of Gu Xi's true meaning of returning to the source!"

Upon hearing this, the other Dao Ancestors all looked at Gu Xi, surprised that he was so willing to share his own Dao Source with him.

Sensing the gazes of the Dao Ancestors,
Gu Xi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was surprised by Li Mu's sudden enlightenment of the Dao Source of Gui Cang, which he had mastered to such a level in just three years. He also regretted his own complete lack of understanding of the Dao Source of Chaos. He felt like he had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead. His mood was complicated.

……

Lei Yan Daozu's face was ashen, his eyes filled with humiliation. His two consecutive attacks had been neutralized by the opponent's absorption, which was a disgrace to him.

"Excellent! Excellent! What a magnificent Chaotic Dao!"

Lei Yan Daozu gritted his teeth, and his surrounding lightning domain suddenly contracted, returning entirely to himself.

"I have spent 198,000 years comprehending the Great Dao of Thunder, and finally obtained a trace of 'Innate Thunder Source.' This source is the beginning of all thunder and the root of calamity and destruction. Even the Chaos cannot easily contain it. Fellow Daoist Li, take this move from me again—'Innate Thunder Source Finger'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Dao Ancestor Lei Yan pointed a finger.

This single finger gesture has transcended the realm of mere exchange of ideas and touched upon the very essence of the Great Dao!

Gu Xi suddenly stood up and stopped him, saying, "Lei Yan, using the innate lightning source has violated the agreement of 'not harming the source'!"

Haotian Daozu's expression also darkened, and he activated his Star Radiance Dao Domain, ready to intervene and stop it at any time.

Li Mu faced the incoming innate lightning source head-on, his mind becoming unprecedentedly refined. He sensed that this source was completely different from the previous lightning, containing the innate Dao principles of lightning's origin. Its violent destruction carried a trace of the true meaning of "creation," which was indeed beyond the reach of ordinary Dao rhymes.

However, the Way of Chaos should encompass everything, and even the innate source of thunder is within all things.

Li Mu also intended to refine it. With a resolute mind, he formed a hand seal, and the Chaos Dao Tree behind him trembled violently. The radiance of the Primordial Dao Fruit on the branch surged, and it detached itself from the branch.

On the surface of the Chaos Dao Fruit, Dao patterns of various colors, including gray, gold, red, blue, black, and white, flowed wildly, evolving, ordering, encompassing, returning to the source... all kinds of true meanings merged and sublimated, condensing into a primordial Dao rhythm of chaos and uncertainty, the beginning of creation.

"Chaos is the furnace, all paths are the fuel, and the innate thunder source... is also the sustenance." Li Mu recited the Dao words, driving the Primordial Dao Fruit to meet the innate thunder source.

With a "whoosh," the lightning source plunged in, causing the Dao Fruit to twist violently. The gray Dao light on its surface flickered wildly, sometimes bursting with crimson-gold lightning, and sometimes spreading with pitch-black cracks...

However, the Chaos Dao Fruit remained stable, forcibly incorporating the invading innate lightning source, wrapping it layer by layer with the Chaos Origin, analyzing the true meaning of "creation" within the lightning source, and integrating it into the Chaos Evolution Cycle; the violent destruction Dao Principle was sealed and precipitated by the Gui Cang Dao Rhyme, and slowly refined.

The process was extremely slow. Li Mu closed his eyes slightly and entered a state of seclusion to fully refine the essence.

"What! My Thunder Source!" Dao Ancestor Lei Yan's expression changed drastically, vaguely sensing that the Thunder Source had lost contact.

However, just as Dao Ancestor Lei Yan was about to make a move, Gu Xi appeared and stopped him: "Fellow Daoist Lei, don't go too far!"

As soon as Gu Xi finished speaking, the Dao Tree appeared behind him, showing a tendency to start a fight at the slightest disagreement.

"You!" Dao Ancestor Lei Yan looked at Dao Ancestor Hao Tian and Dao Ancestor Qing Yuan, pleading for their help.

Seeing this, the Dao Ancestors frowned, unsure whether they should intervene.

“Fellow Daoist Lei Yan, please stop!” Dao Ancestor Haotian spoke up, stopping them, “Sparring and verification should stop when the point is reached. The innate lightning source is related to the foundation of the Great Dao. If it is forcibly extracted, it may cause backlash and damage to the Dao fruits of both parties.”

"What should I do? Am I supposed to just watch him refine my Thunder Source?" Thunder Ancestor was furious.

"Right now, Fellow Daoist Li is in a dilemma. If he doesn't refine it, he will be injured by the innate lightning source. Let's wait and see what happens!" Dao Ancestor Qingyuan sighed and advised.

"Indeed!" Dao Ancestor Youguang nodded and exclaimed, "This Chaos Dao is truly powerful; it can indeed encompass all Daos and refine other Daos!"

"In that case, we really will have to rely on Fellow Daoist Li for the great calamity of world destruction!" Daoist Yeyan said thoughtfully, looking at Li Mu with a profound expression.

Upon hearing this, all the Dao Ancestors turned their gazes to Li Mu, each seemingly plotting their own schemes.

In the arena, only Dao Ancestor Lei Yan was secretly anxious, fearing that Li Mu would forcibly refine that ball of innate lightning.

The loss of his innate lightning source is far from damaging the foundation of Lei Yan Daozu, but it will leave a missing piece of his great lightning path, which will require a long period of nurturing to be fully restored.

Inside the Dao-Evolving Barrier, Li Mu seemed oblivious to the discussions and disputes among the Dao Ancestors outside.

The Primordial Dao Fruit hung in front of his chest, its gray Dao light and purple-gold lightning intensely merging together. Cracks would occasionally appear on the surface of the Dao Fruit, only to be forcibly mended by the surging chaotic energy.

The wisp of "creation" essence within the innate lightning source was unruly and untamed, surging and thrashing within the chaotic Dao Fruit, causing countless lightning snakes to erupt; the boundless "destruction" Dao principles, like bone-corroding poisonous fire, scorched the core of the Dao Fruit. (End of Chapter)