Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Within the Chaos Treasure Palace, time seemed to stand still.

Li Mu sat cross-legged beneath the Chaos Dao Tree with his eyes slightly closed. His body was surrounded by a hazy Dao light, intertwined with five-colored strange rays that flowed continuously.

"Burn!"

Li Mu formed hand seals and let out a loud shout.

The next moment, the "Chaos Creation Diagram" on the main trunk of the Chaos Dao Tree suddenly lit up, and scorching Chaos Dao Fire burst forth from the roots to the treetop.

Li Mu used the Chaos Dao Fire to refine his own Dao Foundation, enveloping the Chaos Dao Fruit, and used all his strength to suppress the five heretical paths.

At the same time, Li Mu focused all his energy on the Chaos Dao Yuan, merging it with the origin of the Deviant Dao to strengthen its power. He then frantically devoured and transformed the five external origins within the Chaos Dao Fruit.

A single thought arises, as if ten thousand years have passed; a single thought falls, as if a moment is eternity.

"Deceptive Path, Devour!"

Li Mu's entire body turned mostly white, and a strange white light flashed in his eyes. The source of the strange path deep within his Dao Fruit pounced out like a hungry wolf, biting at the five heretical paths with extreme ferocity.

The five origins of heretical paths—Guicang, Thunder, Life Source, Void, and Dream Demon—were not to be outdone, launching a fierce counterattack to block the transformation of the heretical path.

However, the Deceptive Path Origin is supported by Li Mu's Chaotic Dao Origin, which continuously transforms and reinforces it. Meanwhile, the five external Path Origins are rootless duckweed. The Deceptive Path Origin can easily fight against all five of them. Within the Chaotic Dao Fruit, they fight endlessly, struggling to maintain a stalemate.

The unorthodox nature of the method is revealed—it does not investigate the fundamentals, nor does it follow the laws; it only seeks to "devour"!

The five heretical origins were entangled by the strange source, as if trapped in a quagmire. The manifested ripples of the heretical path were forcibly "devoured" and transformed into a chaotic and disordered force, which fed back to the strange source itself.

Nourished, the strange source's aura surged, and its devouring power grew rapidly.

"Chaos...Suppress!"

Li Mu guarded the Spirit Platform, drawing upon the origin of the Chaos Dao Tree and infusing it with Chaos Dao Fire. He then completely enveloped the Primordial Dao Fruit, suppressing the Six Paths and limiting their fighting territory to prevent it from expanding to the entire Chaos Dao Tree and affecting its foundation.

At the same time, Li Mu's mind merged with the source of the strangeness, forcibly suppressing the impulse to "devour all things" and transforming it into a chaotic true meaning of "encompassing and refining".

The source of the treacherous path could not withstand the vastness of the source of chaos, and gradually subsided, sinking back into the depths of the Dao Fruit, continuing to devour the five external sources, focusing on fighting for Li Mu.

This cycle continues, with the Chaos Dao Fire serving as the main furnace, burning away the marks of external paths and refining pure Dao essence; the Deviant Dao Source transforming into a vicious dog, tearing apart the five external laws and forcibly devouring and transforming them; and the Chaos Origin serving as a suppressing stone, constantly suppressing the backlash from the Deviant Source and protecting the Dao Heart from falling.

Li Mu's mind was divided into three parts. On one hand, he drove the strange source to devour and fight against the five external origins. On the other hand, he controlled the Chaos Dao Fire to condense the Chaos Furnace and temper the Six Paths. On the other hand, he guarded his mind and used the Chaos Dao to protect his soul and maintain his true nature.

Within the Chaos Dao Fruit, a delicate and fragile balance is achieved, like walking a tightrope; the slightest carelessness will result in the collapse of the Dao Foundation and the devouring of oneself.

Time loses its meaning within the Chaos Treasure Palace; perhaps only a moment has passed, or perhaps more than a hundred years have gone by.

Beyond the Chaos Dao Domain lies a million miles of dark void.

The three Dao Ancestors, Qingyuan, Youguang, and Yeyan, stood still like statues, each making hand gestures, their Daoist auras subtly connecting with the distant and separate Dao Source.

Seven days have passed since they activated the mark of their natal Dao Source.

However, the Chaotic Dao Domain was like a bottomless black hole. No matter how the three of them activated the marks to trigger conflicts between the external paths, they could not sense any natural progression of the situation.

On the contrary, as time goes by, the power of the Dao Source they gave to Li Mu is constantly weakening. If this trend is not stopped in time, their plans will all fall through. It can be said that they tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead.

"How could this be?" Dao Ancestor Yeyan's face turned grim as he asked in bewilderment, "I have already pushed my 'Heart Demon Guidance' to its limit. Even at the peak of the Dao Integration stage, one's Dao heart should be rippled. Although this child's aura is chaotic, his Dao foundation is as solid as a rock, and... it is even slowly growing!"

Dao Ancestor You Guang frowned deeply. He asked in bewilderment, "The 'temporal disorder' within the Void Dao Source was also suppressed. Just a moment ago, I sensed that the Void White Dao Rhyme was forcibly 'devoured' by some kind of force. Such a method is definitely not an ordinary Chaos Refining Method!"

The Azure Origin Dao Ancestor's gaze was deep and thoughtful as he sensed the state of that life force for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

"The 'Nourishing' seal within the Source of Vitality has been refined to the point of being 30% complete." Qingyuan Daozu's expression turned solemn, and he said irritably, "The Chaos Dao Fire... is truly domineering. This child uses the Dao Fire as a furnace to burn my mark, melt my Dao essence, and transform it into his own. If this continues, in less than a hundred years, the Dao Source we have given him will probably truly become the resources for his Chaos Dao."

Nightshade Dao Ancestor's old face was gloomy: "Are we just going to give up like this? My Nightmare Heart Source has been tempered for three thousand years!"

Dao Ancestor You Guang pondered, “Forcibly activating the mark is no longer of much use. This child has somehow suppressed the conflict with the outside world and even used the conflict to hone himself. At this moment, his Dao Domain is closed, and the Chaotic Forbidden Domain has been formed. If we try to probe with our divine sense again, it will surely trigger the backlash of the restriction and alarm Gu Xi.”

Qingyuan Daozu nodded and said cautiously, "What Fellow Daoist Youguang said is very true. The Star Evolution Jade Book contract is still in effect. If we openly tear off the mask, Gu Xi will have an excuse to make trouble. If he joins forces with Li Mu and accuses us of violating the contract and harming our fellow Daoists, even with the alliance of the Eight Ancestors, we will find it difficult to be in the right."

"Then what should we do?" Dao Ancestor Yeyan said anxiously, "Could we really watch him refine our Dao Source and make great progress in his cultivation? We will meet again at the Star Evolution Platform in five hundred years. If this boy breaks through to the late stage of the Dao Integration stage with our 'generous gift', his position as the Chaos Hub will be difficult to shake!"

"The source of the Dao has been lost, and forcing it will be of no use." Dao Ancestor Qingyuan slowly spoke, "However, giving up now is also not feasible. This child can use trickery to control chaos and temporarily suppress the five external sources. His Dao heart is firm and his wisdom is profound, far exceeding what you and I expected. If we allow him to grow, when the calamity comes three thousand years later, the Chaos Hub may truly become his personal power. At that time, the life and death of our Dao Domain will all depend on his single thought."

Dao Ancestor Youguang continued, "What does Fellow Daoist Qingyuan mean..."

"The source of the Dao can be lost, but the overall situation cannot be lost." Qingyuan Daozu's face was cold and he said in a deep voice, "This child is in seclusion to heal his injuries, and he is at his weakest. We cannot attack him openly, but we can find another way."

Ye Yan Dao Zu's spirits lifted: "What path?"

The Azure Origin Dao Ancestor turned his gaze toward the Chaos Dao Domain and gestured, "The Chaos Dao Tree takes root in the vast land, drawing upon the source energy to grow. The place where it is located is a 'fertile land for avoiding calamity' cultivated by the ancients, with abundant, pure, and stable source energy. However, the flow of source energy in the vast land has its own patterns."

Dao Ancestor Youguang's eyes lit up: "Fellow Daoist, do you mean... to alter the earth's veins and sever their source?" Dao Ancestor Qingyuan shook his head and said: "Doing that would cause too much disturbance and would surely be noticed by Gu Xi. We only need to... guide it slightly."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qingyuan Daozu pointed his finger, and a phantom image of the vast earth veins appeared in the void in front of him. The image was filled with crisscrossing and densely packed rays of light, marking the main veins of the source qi. The area where the Chaos Dao Tree was located was right next to the intersection of several main veins, and under the protection of the roots of the ancient ancestral tree, it formed its own cycle.

“This place is rich in primordial energy, because it is backed by the roots of the ancient ancestral tree, avoiding several paths through which old trees draw energy.” Qingyuan Daozu pointed to the illusory figure and explained in detail: “However, the primordial energy of the vast land is like living water, and it will eventually flow into the great cycle. Thirty million miles away from here, there is a place called ‘The Gap of the Abyss’, which is the place where the primordial energy of the vast land sinks and gathers, and naturally has a pulling force on the primordial energy of the surrounding area.”

Daoist Youguang's eyes gleamed: "Fellow Daoist, do you intend to use the power of the 'Abyss Rift' to disrupt the balance of the source energy here?"

The Qingyuan Dao Ancestor laughed and said, "The crevice of the abyss absorbs once every three hundred years, increasing the pulling force by 30%, and lasting for ten years. The next 'absorption tide' will be in eighty years. At that time, we only need to set up a 'spirit-guiding formation' at the crevice to amplify the pulling force by half a percent and slightly deviate the direction by three percent... At this point, the flow of the earth's source qi will naturally slow down a bit."

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor frowned in confusion and asked, "What harm would it do to the Chaos Dao Tree if it only slows down a little?"

Qingyuan Daozu glanced at him and continued, “Fellow Daoist Ye, don’t be impatient. The Chaos Dao Tree requires a massive amount of Origin Qi to grow. Normally, when Origin Qi is abundant, a slight slowdown is harmless. However, Li Mu is currently refining five external sources, and his Dao foundation is unstable. He needs to use the vast earth Origin Qi as fuel to replenish the Chaos Dao Fire’s consumption. If the Origin Qi is slowed down, the refining process will be slower. If the refining is slower, it will be more difficult to suppress the external conflicts. This ebb and flow will be like an ant hole breaching a dam. At first, it will be imperceptible, but over time, it will inevitably show signs of decline.”

Dao Ancestor You Guang clapped his hands and praised with a smile: "Brilliant! This is a well-intentioned scheme. Altering the earth's veins and drawing upon the source energy is a natural law of the vast land. Even if Gu Xi were to personally investigate, it would be difficult to find any trace of human intervention. As long as this is continued, over several hundred years, the growth of the Chaos Dao Tree will inevitably be hindered, and Li Mu's healing process will be greatly prolonged."

Night-Sick Dao Ancestor was still not satisfied: "Is that all? It took eighty years to see the first effects, too slow!"

Qingyuan Daozu smiled slightly: "Of course not. The sluggishness of the source qi is only one reason. The second reason..."

"Although Fellow Daoist Ye's Nightmare Dao Source has been suppressed, the seed of 'Heart Demon Guidance' has been quietly planted deep within Li Mu's Dao Soul. This boy suppresses it with the Deceptive Path, seemingly without any problems, but in reality, his mind is constantly on edge. If there is any 'movement' in the outside world that causes fluctuations in his emotions, 'Heart Demon Guidance' may take advantage of the situation and ignite the conflict between the external paths from the inside out."

Night-Scented Daoist Ancestor's eyes lit up, and he asked with concern, "What kind of 'movement'?"

Looking at the two, Qingyuan Daozu explained in detail: "Youguang Daoist's Void Dao Source has been partially devoured, but the aftereffects of 'Disordered Time' still remain. Within Li Mu's Dao Domain, the perception of time and space is already disordered. If an 'old friend' were to manifest a phantom outside the domain, enacting past events and stirring his emotions... Time and space would intertwine, inner demons would rise one after another, and he would be attacked from within and without. Even the Great Dao of Chaos would be difficult to guarantee its safety."

Dao Ancestor You Guang understood: "Fellow Daoist, you mean...!"

The smile of the Qingyuan Dao Ancestor deepened, and he continued, "It is a scene of cause and effect. There is no need to truly break through the Chaos Domain. We only need to borrow the void Dao rhyme of Fellow Daoist Youguang in the outer void to draw some causal aura... Li Mu's mind is connected with the Dao Domain, and his perception will surely be touched."

Night-Scented Dao Ancestor smiled sinisterly and nodded in approval, saying, "Excellent plan! Using the inner demon as a seed, the projection of the causal thread, and the slowing of the source qi as pressure... a three-pronged approach, proceeding gradually. No matter how strong his Dao heart is, he will find it difficult to escape the gradual erosion!"

Qingyuan Daozu cautiously added: "Although this plan can succeed, we must be extremely careful. Gu Xi is not an easy opponent. When his perception of the Gui Cang Dao Domain is keen, the 'Guiding Spirit Returning to the Abyss Array' must be set up naturally, without leaving any trace of Daoist charm. The projection of causal illusions must be handled with care, and should not be too realistic, lest it trigger a violent reaction from the Chaos Realm. Everything must be done as if the vast land is naturally evolving, which is the best strategy."

Dao Ancestor Youguang nodded and said, "I understand. The Daoist rhyme of the void is most adept at concealment, projecting illusory phenomena of cause and effect, leaving no trace like a gentle breeze."

Night-Sickness Dao Ancestor pondered, leaning on his cane: "The triggering of the inner demon requires a certain opportunity. When it is refined to the critical moment and the mind is extremely focused, even the slightest external disturbance can become a dam breaking."

The three Daoist patriarchs then held a private discussion for a while and finalized all the details.

Finally, Dao Ancestor Qingyuan looked towards the Chaos Dao Domain and said softly, "Eighty years from now, the first step will be the absorption of tides in the Abyss Rift. At that time, we will see if this child can bear this 'generous gift'."

After speaking, the three figures transformed into streaks of light and quietly disappeared into the darkness of the vast land.

Just as the three Dao Ancestors were secretly discussing and planning their strategy, preparing to gradually alter the earth's veins—a change had already occurred within the Chaotic Forbidden Zone.

Beneath the towering Dao tree, Li Mu's body was enveloped in a surge of gray Dao light. The five-colored heterodox lights that had been intertwined gradually faded and merged into the deep chaos.

On the branches of the Chaos Dao tree, within the Chaos Dao Fruit enveloped by Chaos Dao Fire, purple lightning lay dormant, azure intent lurked, ethereal white settled, and darkness returned to stillness. The meaning of "concealment" flowed within. The five external origins had completely lost their original arrogant nature and gradually lost power in the clash of the treacherous paths.

Li Mu also withdrew his support for the strange sources, letting them fight each other in a balanced manner, and then used the Chaos Dao to reap the benefits.

The six heretical paths fought endlessly within the Dao Fruit. Li Mu used the Chaotic Dao Fire to refine their source and the Chaotic Dao Thought to deeply explore their original characteristics, peeling back the layers and transforming them into his own enlightenment as quickly as possible, rather than directly seizing the source of the heretical paths.

Things acquired from external sources are ultimately shortcuts, not the path of one's own enlightenment, and will always harbor hidden dangers.

As time passed, Li Mu fueled his own Dao Source, feeding the monstrous into a tiger, employing a strategy of using the tiger to devour the wolf, gradually gaining momentum.

With a slight thought, Li Mu's Chaos Dao Fire ignited from within, "Melting"—using Chaos as its mother womb, incorporating all the external sources of the Six Paths into the order of its own Dao's evolution.

"It is better to embrace oneself than to swallow the heavens and the earth."

Li Mu murmured, and the branches and leaves of the Chaos Dao Tree trembled.

In an instant, the Dao Fruit trembled violently, the struggle between the six paths came to an abrupt halt, the origin of the treacherous path subsided, and the five outer paths diverged, all flowing into the Chaos Dao Fire like rivers flowing into the sea, like moths drawn to a flame, releasing their last bit of remaining energy.

Li Mu suddenly opened his eyes, reflecting the myriad paths flowing through him. Deep within his soul, an unprecedented clarity arose, signifying the complete purification of his external ways and a return to his true nature.

The injury of Zengdao was originally a calamity caused by the forced fusion of external paths by Dao cultivators. At best, it would cause cracks in the foundation of the Dao, and at worst, it would cause the soul to dissipate. However, Li Mu used trickery to control chaos, used chaos to suppress trickery, and used his own Dao source as fuel to implement the strategy of "feeding tigers to devour wolves and then collecting tiger bones", and actually opened up a way out in the dead end.

At this moment, all six external paths were melted down and transformed into nourishment for the chaotic Dao. On the Dao Fruit, layers of gray halo appeared, showing the image of the chaotic Great Dao about to merge with the Dao.

Meanwhile, outside the vast land, in the Thunder Evolution Dao Domain.

As Dao Ancestor Lei Yan was meditating in the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool, he suddenly felt a void in his chest, as if an arm had been severed. He abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief: "Impossible! That ball of innate thunder source... has completely severed all connection!"

Almost simultaneously, Gu Xi Daozu also awoke from his seclusion while refining the Chaos Dao Source, his face grim.

The three Dao Ancestors gazed at each other across the void, their divine senses intersecting. They all sensed each other's shock, and a chill began to creep into their hearts. (End of Chapter)