Cultivating the Dao, Starting with Farming

A few days later, the atmosphere in the Tianfeng Imperial Palace was tense and depressing.

His Highness, four immortals stood by, Wan Ziliang knelt at the foot of the jade steps, nine black gold chains piercing his scapula, blood dripping down the chains, blooming blood lotuses on the ground paved with immortal jade. His face was as pale as paper, and his eyes were full of despair and helplessness.

The Tianfeng Immortal Emperor was leaning on the throne, with a leather scroll floating beside her - it was the refining diagram of the 'Ten Thousand Treasures Cauldron'. A wisp of Burning Heaven Fire was wrapped around her fingertips, and the firelight made the golden light in her eyes even brighter. The whole imperial palace was filled with a murderous aura.

"I will ask again!" The voice of Tianfeng Immortal Emperor was cold and majestic. He stared at Wan Ziliang and asked, "Who is the 'Daoyou Mu' who killed Huolin Immortal Lord?"

Wan Ziliang was trembling all over, his teeth chattering, and he said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, please understand... That 'Daoyou Mu' has been trading with me as a puppet from the beginning to the end, and has never shown his face. I have never lied in the slightest!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Feng Xian Di frowned. Although the person in front of her was just a minor character, in this complicated situation, he might be the key clue to uncovering the truth. Therefore, she would never let go of any possible clue easily.

"Hmph! A puppet body? Do you want to get away with this excuse?" Tianfeng Immortal Emperor snorted coldly, then slowly stood up and walked in front of Wan Ziliang, leaned down, and looked into Wan Ziliang's eyes, as if he wanted to see through his soul.

Wan Ziliang felt the powerful pressure and terrifying aura emanating from the Tianfeng Immortal Emperor, and was terrified. He knew that he was on the brink of life and death, and would be crushed to pieces if he was not careful.

"Emperor...every word I said is true!" Wan Ziliang couldn't help but tremble, and said in horror: "That 'Mu Daoyou' was indeed a puppet to trade with me, and never revealed his true face. I also tried to track down his identity but to no avail."

The Tianfeng Immortal Emperor's eyes flashed, and he stretched out his hand and sucked Wan Ziliang's head into his palm, saying coldly: "Since you refuse to tell the truth, then this emperor will search your soul personally!"

Before he finished speaking, the Burning Heaven Fire gushed out from the fingertips of the Tianfeng Immortal Emperor, transforming into a vortex of flames and rushing towards Wan Ziliang's forehead.

Wan Ziliang only felt a sharp pain and his soul seemed to be torn apart. He was unable to resist the overwhelming power of the Tianfeng Immortal Emperor. The vortex of fire gradually swallowed up his consciousness and he began to fall into darkness.

Under the powerful cultivation of Tianfeng Immortal Emperor, Wan Ziliang's soul defense was instantly broken like paper. Her spiritual consciousness was like a searchlight searching for clues about "Daoyou Mu" in the depths of Wan Ziliang's soul.

After a moment, Tianfeng Xiandi's face turned gloomy. She found that there was indeed a mysterious "Mu Daoyou" in Wan Ziliang's memory, but this person's identity and origin were blank, as if he appeared out of thin air! He was connected with him through the "Tongling Baojing", driving the puppets to trade and fight, and his true face had never appeared.

"Hmph! So cunning!" The Tianfeng Immortal Emperor snorted coldly, then released the Burning Heaven Fire in his hand, and Wan Ziliang turned into a ball of blue-ash.

Tianfeng Immortal Emperor opened the scroll of the 'Wanbao Ding' refining diagram, stared at the extremely complicated runes and refining steps on it, and frowned even more tightly.

Last time, Wan Guyu died, and the most precious treasure of Wanbao Pavilion - Wanbao Ding unexpectedly appeared in the world. She, the Immortal Demon God, Taixuan Sword Master, and many other masters all tried to get the treasure. However, Wanbao Ding relied on its powerful spirituality to hide in the starry sky while everyone was scrambling for it.

Now, the refining diagram of the Wanbao Ding accidentally fell into the hands of the Tianfeng Immortal Emperor. After reading it, she found it quite difficult.

Firstly, although she had a deep cultivation level, she was not proficient in the art of refining instruments. The refining of the Wanbao Ding was undoubtedly an insurmountable mountain for her. Secondly, the refining of the Wanbao Ding was quite difficult. Not only did it require a huge amount of high-level spiritual materials, but it also required the method of cultivating the Tao. This was equivalent to asking her to cultivate another Tao. For a moment, she hesitated.

————

Deep in the outer star region, on the ancient star, in the heart of this planet, a majestic and magnificent Demon Palace stands proudly. The Demon Palace is built of unknown black rocks and exudes a faint demonic aura, which makes people feel awe. The palace gates are closed, and only the towering spire pierces the sky, telling of its extraordinaryness.

Inside the Demon Palace, on a throne carefully carved from obsidian, sat a majestic immortal demon god, surrounded by billowing demonic energy, and his eyes were as deep as the abyss, as if he could see through all the vanity in the world.

In the hall below, several demon lords prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to breathe, for fear of angering this supreme being.

"Is the Immortal Lord Huo Lin dead?" The voice of the Immortal Demon God was low and hoarse, with a hint of awakened anger.

"Yes, sir." A demon lord replied with a trembling voice, reporting the details of what happened: "According to the report from the spies, Huo Lin Xianjun fell near Tianyuan City and was killed by a mysterious cultivator. Based on the clues, we suspect that this mysterious cultivator is Li Jianxian."

"Oh? How did you confirm it?" The voice of the Immortal Demon God echoed in the empty hall, and his deep pupils stared at the Demon Lord.

"That cultivator acted in a secretive way and never showed up in person. Instead, he used a large number of high-level puppets to fight." The Demon Lord answered carefully, "These high-level puppets are equipped with Dao armor and Dao swords, and are proficient in sword formations. Their combat power is extremely impressive. This is consistent with the signs of Li Jianxian's actions before, so there is reason to confirm that it was him who did it."

Hearing this, a cold light flashed in the eyes of the Immortal Demon God, and he asked in a deeper voice: "Oh? Have you found out the reason?"

"We haven't found out the specific reason yet, but it should be related to the people from Wanbao Pavilion." The Demon Lord quickly responded and introduced: "The people from the Immortal Spirit Realm have taken action first, sealed off Tianyuan City, and arrested the relevant personnel for interrogation. But so far, we have not been able to obtain the inside story."

"A bunch of trash!" The Immortal Demon suddenly stood up from the throne and shouted angrily.

The demon lords kneeling on the ground were severely injured as if they were struck by lightning, and they lay on the ground trembling.

Above the dome, the Nine Netherworld Fire flickered, stretching the shadow of the demon god on the wall into a twisted shape of a giant beast, as if it was going to swallow up the entire demon palace. The entire hall was filled with an atmosphere of oppression and terror.

"The last time the Soul Devouring Clan died inexplicably, it was also Li Jianxian who did it." The voice of the Immortal Demon God exploded in the hall like thunder, and he angrily shouted: "Now that he has appeared again, you can't even figure out his true purpose. What use do I have for you!"

The demon lords lay on the ground, their bodies shaking like sieves, fearing that the Immortal Demon God would vent his anger on them.

"Master Demon, calm down!" The leading Ghostly Demon Lord said boldly, "Li Jianxian is as cunning as a fox, and his actions are always secretive and unpredictable. We have confirmed that he has a cave treasure. This treasure is extraordinary. It contains the universe, can conceal his body and isolate his breath. Therefore, it is difficult for us to capture his true body. But please rest assured, Master, we will continue to work hard to catch him as soon as possible."

"The treasure of the cave? Humph, you do have some means." Although there was disdain in the tone of the Immortal Demon God, his eyes were a little more solemn.

"Master Demon, it is indeed not easy to capture this 'Li Jianxian'." The Ghost Demon Lord continued: "But the only way now is to set a trap and let him come to us on his own initiative."

"Oh? Tell me about it." The Immortal Demon God looked down at the Ghostly Demon Lord from above, waiting for what to say next.

The Ghost Demon Lord took a deep breath and continued, "According to our in-depth investigation, Li Jianxian has been searching for several precious ninth-level spiritual materials in order to break through the bottleneck and explore the avenue. If nothing unexpected happens, he has already obtained the ninth-level green wood in Wan Yao City, the ninth-level divine fire from the Hellfire Peak, and the ninth-level Yang Crystal in the Southern Wasteland Yin Yang Valley. Now, there are only a few ninth-level divine objects that have not been found."

"Oh? Have you found out the whereabouts of the other ninth-level divine objects?" asked the Immortal Demon God with interest.

"I have already found out the whereabouts of the ninth-level Yin Water." The Nether Skeleton Demon Lord quickly responded: "The ninth-level Yin Water should be hidden in the dark and cold pool deep in the North Sea Icefield. The environment there is harsh and the cold air is overwhelming. Ordinary cultivators can't get close to it, let alone obtain the ninth-level Yin Water. But Li Jianxian has always been unconventional in his actions. In order to break through the bottleneck, he will definitely take a risk."

"Well, go on." The Immortal Demon God nodded, signaling the Ghost Demon Lord to continue.

"Therefore, I have secretly manipulated the demon clan of the North Sea Ice Field - the Cold Abyss Jiao Clan, and deliberately spread the word that the ninth-level Yin Water has been obtained by them." The Ghost Demon Lord continued, "The Dark Demon King wants to use this treasure as an exchange to invite all the demon kings to a 'Cold Ice Feast'. In fact, this is a Hongmen Banquet. If Li Jianxian learns of this news, he will definitely come regardless of everything. Then, we will set up a dragnet and capture him in one fell swoop."

Hearing this, the Immortal Demon God curled up a cruel smile, his eyes flashing with approval, and nodded, saying, "This is a great plan! You must prepare immediately and get the ninth-level Yin Water in your hands without leaking a drop, so that Li Jianxian will fall into this trap without noticing. This God will personally wipe him out completely!"

"Yes! I obey your command!" The Ghost Demon Lord quickly responded. He knew that this was a great opportunity for him to make a contribution, so he did not dare to slack off.

“You all must fully cooperate with You Hai!” The Immortal Demon God glanced at the demon lords kneeling on the ground, “If anything goes wrong again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

The voice of the Immortal Demon God was as chilling as the cold wind from the Netherworld, causing all the demon lords to tremble all over and they all kowtowed in response.

——————

In the spiritual realm of Zhongzhou, a majestic fifth-rank demon bird - the white-feathered spirit eagle flapped its wings and flew high. Its wings shone with silver light in the sun. Every flap of its wings seemed to tear the air apart, making a slight sound of breaking wind. Its speed was extremely fast, like a silver lightning, rushing towards the southeast. Wherever it passed, the clouds and mist were dispersed by its powerful momentum, leaving behind clear tracks.

Hidden beneath a touch of emerald green on the neck of the white-feathered spirit eagle is the entrance to the treasure of the cave - the Painting World Treasure House. As the spirit eagle flies quickly, the emerald green gradually emits a faint fluorescence, resonating with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and continuously absorbing spiritual power. Once entering, one can see a vast and boundless space. This is the interior of the Painting World Treasure House, a small world independent of the outside world.

Within the treasure house, the majestic Five Elements Mountain stands in the center. The mountain exudes a unique aura of the Five Elements, which complement and restrain each other, maintaining the balance and harmony of this small world. At the foot of the mountain, patches of high-level spiritual plants are planted in an orderly manner. They are either towering into the clouds or crawling low, each showing the miracle of life and the wonders of nature.

Thousand-year-old trees stand tall, with thick trunks, lush branches and leaves, and each leaf is full of vitality. In the forest, there are all kinds of exotic flowers and plants, colorful and fragrant. They bloom in competition, showing the exuberance and vitality of the power of the wood element.

The waterfall falling from the Five Elements Lingshan Mountain is like a giant silver dragon, rushing down from the top of the mountain with a deafening roar. The water of the waterfall sparkles with crystal light under the sunlight, as if countless stars have fallen to the earth. The water hits the huge rocks at the foot of the mountain, splashing layers of water mist that fills the air and forms a hazy fairyland.

Below the waterfall is a crystal clear lake. The water is as green as jade and sparkling. Thousands of colorful lotus flowers are floating on the lake. The petals are colorful and each petal exudes a rich spiritual energy.

Surrounding the lake are spiritual fields, where various rare spiritual medicines are planted. Some of the spiritual medicine leaves are as crystal clear as emeralds, some of the spiritual medicine flowers are as hot and dazzling as flames, and some of the spiritual medicine fruits are as dazzling as gold. Many high-level spiritual medicines grow extremely lushly under the nourishment of the rich spiritual power in the space.

Outside the spiritual field, there is a large area of ​​​​six-level green spiritual bamboo swaying in the wind. The bamboo poles are green and dripping, as if they contain endless vitality. Each section of the bamboo pole is engraved with delicate textures, flashing a faint green light. Whenever the breeze blows, the bamboo leaves will make a rustling sound.

On the other side of the Lingzhu Forest is a fifth-level star forest. The trees in the star forest are tall and straight, and the trunks are covered with star-like spots. Each spot is like a small star, shining brightly in the night sky. When night falls, the entire star forest will emit soft starlight, illuminating the entire painting world treasure house like a dream.

At the top of the Five Elements Spiritual Mountain, where the Five Elements Spiritual Palace is located, in the alchemy room, Li Mu sits cross-legged, with chaotic spiritual light surrounding his body, blending with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. His eyes are closed, his expression is focused and solemn, his hands are in seals, with a faint light flickering on his fingertips, guiding the chaotic true essence to flow continuously into the alchemy furnace.

In the Starlight Alchemy Furnace, the flames were blazing, but there was no trace of smoke. The starlight fire produced by the furnace driven by the Chaos True Essence was extremely hot, enough to melt everything in the world. In this blazing starlight, a ball of soft spiritual liquid was quietly suspended, and was in the process of condensing into a Taoist elixir. (End of this chapter)