Heavenly Dao Worm?

The morning sun shines brightly.

Li Fan woke up groggily, with Little White sleeping on his waist.

Li Fan reached out and touched Little White, then got up, dressed, and went out the door.

After washing up, Gongya brought out breakfast.

Today's breakfast was quite substantial, with meat and eggs.

There's still plenty of meat left; enough to last for a while.

While eating breakfast, Li Fan pondered and said:

"It's getting hot lately, Gongya, remember to put those ghost fangs on the meat storage cabinet where the temperature can be lower."

The main concern is that it might rot.

This other world is really inconvenient without a refrigerator...

"If only there were more items made of ghost fangs, we could use them to make boxes and cabinets to store food..."

Li Fan couldn't help but speak up.

If we give one to every household, then everyone in the village will be able to eat fresh meat.

It's unnecessary to salt and smoke meat every time you stock up on it. While that does have a unique flavor, it's ultimately too monotonous.

Upon hearing this, Yunxi, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in excitedly:

"Don't worry, Great Devil King, we'll go out and find the ghosts in a few days!"

Ziling also said:

"Yes, the ghosts' teeth should be coming in soon."

Seeing the appearance of the two female disciples, Li Fan immediately felt a headache coming on.

Ziling and Yunxi, who really led whom astray?

He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the ghosts.

"Hmm? Why isn't the cat eating porridge today?"

At this moment, Gongya suddenly spoke up in confusion.

Today she cooked Corn, which Little White usually eats.

Seeing this, Li Fan immediately understood and laughed:

"This gluttonous cat has become picky about food."

It must be because it ate the new wheat porridge yesterday that it can't stomach this Corn.

Li Fan immediately peeled an egg for the kitten and said:

"If you don't like porridge, have an egg for now. I'll cook you some more after the wheat harvest."

The kitten meowed, licked Li Fan's hand, and then happily ate the egg.

At this point, Li Fan suddenly remembered... today he could organize his disciples to go harvest wheat!

Then, Li Fan looked at Tian Ling'er and asked:

"Don't you like the food?"

He noticed that Tian Ling'er had only eaten a little bit of porridge.

Tian Ling'er sat beside Xin Ning, extremely well-behaved, and said:

"Big Brother, no, the porridge that Sister Gongya made smells so good!"

"But... Ling'er can't bear to eat it."

"Big Brother, can I save a little bit for Grandpa and the others...?"

Her big eyes were filled with hope.

The primordial energy and rules contained within these foods are extremely important to the Heavenly Dao Spirit.

She had only been in the Small Mountain Village for a day, and all the injuries she had sustained were already completely healed.

They won't need to remain in slumber anymore.

Therefore, she wanted to save the food for her grandfather.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan felt a pang of pity and said:

"Ling'er, don't worry, there's plenty of food. You're still growing, you can't go hungry."

"Only when you grow up can you protect them and help them, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Ling'er nodded and said:

"Thank you, Big Brother."

She picked up the small bowl and began to drink the porridge.

And at this moment.

"The Heavenly Dao of the Seventh Sub-Star Domain has also been destroyed, and it still hasn't been found?!"

In the void of the universe, the face of the Heavenly Pole Divine King was filled with solemnity.

They worked tirelessly, continuously operating the Heavenly Machine Grand Array, and had already probed seven sub-star regions.

The Heavenly Dao of the Seven Sub-Star Domains was annihilated!

But, nothing was gained.

Now, only the Eighth Sub-Star Domain- Forty-Ninth Star Domain Region.

This sub-stellar region is the last of the Forty-Ninth Star Domain, and also the most desolate and remote.

"Could it be that the Creation Supreme Being are buried in this desolate corner of the star field?"

The Heavenly Pole Divine King murmured.

"Amitabha Buddha, may the Buddha have mercy!"

Liaochen smiled and said:

"The last Heavenly Dao, it seems that what we are looking for is right here."

"All the hard work was worth it."

He looked at Dao Wuyi and said:

"Fellow Daoist, please take action! For the future of all living beings, for eternal peace, let us achieve victory in one decisive battle!"

Dao Wuyi glanced at the seven sub-star regions behind him.

With the Heavenly Dao destroyed, those sub-star regions are gradually becoming desolate...

Soon, trillions upon trillions of living beings will be completely wiped out.

"This time, the karmic entanglement of my Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation lineage is likely to be far too great..."

He had been somewhat worried.

After all, what people in their line of work fear most is karma and retribution.

These things are inexplicable, mysterious, and unpredictable.

Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles.

Liaochen spoke up, saying, "Rest assured, the dead will be reborn in my Buddha's Pure Land."

"Death, for them, is a form of mercy."

Dao Wuyi listened, a look of barely suppressed disgust flashing in his eyes, and said:

"Never mind, Liaochen Bodhisattva, you don't need to tell me all this."

"I'll continue my calculations, and then I'll destroy the Heavenly Dao."

After saying that, he immediately began to continue operating the Heavenly Machine Grand Array.

The Ten Directions Star Position appeared deep within the star cosmos of the Eighth Sub-Star Domain.

Compared to the other seven sub-stellar regions, this region appears extremely desolate, with hardly any star wheels formed.

The ten celestial positions burst forth with dazzling light.

The grand formation is stirring up heavenly secrets.

"Um?"

Suddenly, Dao Wuyi was startled and said:

"What about the Way of Heavenly Dao?"

He actually failed to find the Heavenly Dao Spirit!

It should be known that the Heavenly Dao Spirit generally slumbers in the ocean of the Heavenly Heart.

However, according to the detection results of the Heavenly Machine Grand Array...

The ocean at Tianxin is empty!

How is that possible?

Could it be that the Heavenly Dao did not emerge in this star field?

That's utter nonsense.

"Impossible... I must be seeing things!"

Dao Wuyi murmured to himself, and immediately activated the Heavenly Machine Grand Array more than ten times.

But still, nothing was found.

"What happened?"

The Heavenly Pole Divine King spoke with a hint of doubt; they had all sensed something was amiss.

"The Heavenly Dao... is gone!"

Dao Wuyi's face was grim.

Upon hearing this, both the Heavenly Pole Divine King and Liaochen were momentarily stunned.

Has the Heavenly Dao disappeared?

"You mean the Heavenly Dao Spirit of this Eighth Sub-Star Domain isn't slumbering in the Heavenly Heart Ocean?"

The Heavenly Pole Divine King asked a question.

Dao Wuyi nodded, his face now filled with doubt, and said:

"Yes... he's definitely not here!"

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Ever since the Demon God War and the God Domain Ancestral Heavenly Dao was injured, all the Heavenly Dao in the lower realms have suffered the same fate, and all have developed Dao injuries. Unless awakened by a ritual, they are all dormant in the Heavenly Heart Ocean."

How could it have disappeared?

The Heavenly Pole Divine King, "Could it possibly run away on its own?"

But Liaochen pondered for a moment and said:

"There really is an unexpected situation!"

"It should have been expected long ago. The causal relationships involved in that kind of secret were too complex. When we tried to pry into it, variables had already emerged."

The Heavenly Pole Divine King:

"Now that Heavenly Dao is gone, what should we do?"

Liaochen looked at Dao Wuyi, then suddenly smiled and said:

"Brother Dao, if I'm not mistaken, the 'Heavenly Dao Worm' that your master transformed into should be on you?"

Upon hearing this, Dao Wuyi's expression changed drastically.

He murmured, "The Western Buddhist sect has indeed obtained the Daoist scriptures of our Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation lineage, even knowing such secrets..."

The Heavenly Pole Divine King then asked, "The Heavenly Dao Worm? What is that?"

Liaochen laughed:

"The lineage of Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation Masters dedicates their lives to understanding the secrets of heaven, traversing the realm of Heavenly Dao."

"After the Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation master dies, he will transform into a kind of spiritual insect— the Heavenly Dao Worm!"

"This insect is extremely sensitive to the aura of the Heavenly Dao. It can devour the source energy of the Heavenly Dao, and it can find the Heavenly Dao Spirit no matter where it is hiding."

"Moreover, this divine insect is almost a spirit, capable of transcending spatial distances!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Pole Divine King was greatly surprised.

This... the lineage of Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation is simply too extraordinary!

"The Heavenly Dao Worm that my master transformed into... is indeed within me."

Dao Wuyi sighed softly and took out a crystal box.

Inside the box, a small black beetle lay dormant.

That... is Master Dao Wuyi, the Heavenly Dao Worm that the previous Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation transformed into after his death.

Looking at the black beetle, Dao Wuyi sighed:

"Liaochen Bodhisattva is very knowledgeable about our Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation school, but do you know how this insect was formed?"

Liaochen said, "I would like to hear the details."

Dao Wuyi said, word by word, "In reality, this insect is not a divine insect, but a demonic insect!"

His expression was extremely solemn as he said:

"The Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation spent his life dealing with the Heavenly Dao and the secrets of Heaven. Even after death, his obsession lingered, and he transformed into this insect!"

"This worm, rather than being a worm, is more like an evil thought, a greed, a greed for the Way of Heavenly Dao!"

"Therefore, these demonic insects are able to seek out the vital energy of the Heavenly Dao, and even devour some of the weaker Heavenly Dao Spirit!"

The Heavenly Pole Divine King's expression changed, and at this moment, his gaze towards the black beetle held a hint of apprehension.

Liaochen then put his hands together and said:

"Amitabha Buddha, greed, anger, and ignorance are the source of suffering for all beings!"

Dao Wuyi smiled self-deprecatingly and said:

"Our lineage of Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation has a tradition of having each Ancestor transform into Heavenly Dao Worm and instruct their descendants to exterminate the demonic insect."

"But since I'm not skilled enough, I still need the demonic insect left by my master to help me cultivate, which is why I've kept this demonic insect all this time."

"Just as Liaochen Bodhisattva said, the emergence of this insect will lead to the discovery of the Heavenly Dao Spirit."

"Furthermore, my master was once a divine strategist who walked the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm, and the Heavenly Dao has long been severely damaged... The demonic insect that my master transformed into might be able to devour the Heavenly Dao of this lower Heavenly Dao..."

He spoke solemnly, saying:

"But in doing so, our lineage will be completely opposed to the Heavenly Dao!"

"The lineage of the Heavenly Machine Divine Calculation deduces the secrets of heaven, but they also need to sincerely serve the Heavenly Dao. Now, I have offended the Heavenly Dao of the lower realm, which is already a great disrespect... If I continue to allow the demonic insects to devour the heavens, then I will be a sinner for all eternity!"

Upon hearing this, Liaochen smiled slightly and said:

"Benefactor, you already are."

"Having destroyed the Seven Heavenly Dao, do you think you can remain unscathed?"

Dao Wuyi's expression changed, and he said:

"That was destroyed by your Buddhist religion, what does it have to do with me?"

Liaochen said leisurely:

"How can you stand by and watch the flames of karma burn fiercely from afar?"

"Fellow Daoist, you're killing someone to silence them! The Heavenly Dao has slipped through the net; how can you sleep soundly then?"

Dao Wuyi's lips trembled slightly. At this moment, a chill rose in his heart as he said:

"Your Buddhist religion... is simply devilish!"

Liaochen sighed, a look of great compassion appearing on his face, and said:

"Fellow Daoist, you have misunderstood. Buddha is merciful."

"To truly save all living beings, a small price is always required."

Dao Wuyi shook his head and said:

"After this matter is completed, I only ask that I never have any further dealings with your Western Buddhist religion!"

Liaochen smiled and said, "Please!"

Dao Wuyi remained silent. He immediately activated the Heavenly Machine Grand Array, drawing in a wisp of energy from the Heavenly Heart Ocean.

When this wisp of energy was placed into the box, the black beetle, which had appeared to be dead, slowly came to life!

That black beetle gave off an inexplicable sense of extreme unease, as if it wanted to devour everything, ruthless and cruel!

Dao Wuyi bowed deeply to the small black insect in the box and said:

"I have disturbed Master's meditation."

"Please, Master, lend a hand and seek the Heavenly Dao Spirit in this place."

Inside the box, the tentacles of the Heavenly Dao Worm twitched slightly, and then the blackness suddenly vanished.

"Gentlemen, I will now use Formation to connect us with my master, the Heavenly Dao Worm, so that our senses will merge with his!"

"We can ask our master to find the Heavenly Dao Spirit!"

Upon hearing this, both the Heavenly Pole Divine King and Liaochen nodded.

Dao Wuyi operated the Formation.

Suddenly, all three of them closed their eyes.

At this moment, all their senses were connected to the Heavenly Dao Worm through the Formation.

They sensed the Heavenly Dao Worm traversing a wormhole in space, crossing the void.

Soon, the Heavenly Dao Worm seemed to appear outside a star wheel. The central realm of that star wheel shone brightly, appearing almost like a timeless realm...

The Heavenly Dao Worm was extremely fast and quickly landed in the Great Ruin Star Realm...

And at this moment.

Small Mountain Village.

"Another year of harvest, the wind blows through the wheat fields, a truly blessed time!"

Li Fan stood on the embankment with a group of disciples.

A slightly warm breeze blew by, causing the golden waves of wheat to ripple, and the faint aroma of wheat wafted through the air.

The fields were bustling with activity as villagers were busy harvesting wheat.

"Apprentices, begin harvesting the wheat!"

Li Fan spoke, picked up a sickle, and went straight to the ground to begin harvesting.

A group of disciples immediately followed Li Fan to the fields and began doing farm work.

The adults were doing farm work, while the children were playing along the edge of the field.

Soon, Tian Ling'er was playing with a group of children from the village, including Er Ya and Wang Xiao Er.

They chased and played, and before long they had moved quite far from the embankment and gone outside the village.

"Ling'er, hurry up and follow us! We're going on an adventure!"

Er Ya was seven or eight years old, pulled Tian Ling'er along, running behind the group of children.

Wang Xiao Er, at twenty-one, was a leader among the children. With a rusty sickle tucked into his belt, he would lead seven or eight children furtively out of the village.

"Brother, I heard it's very dangerous outside!"

Er Ya was a little worried.

"Don't be afraid, the outside world isn't that dangerous!"

"Haven't you seen how much game Dade and the others bring back every time they go out? If we could catch some, the adults would be so happy!"

Wang Xiao Er and a group of boys were eager to try.

Children at this age have the strongest desire to explore.

"Yes... there are so many prey outside! Let's eat meat, let's eat meat!"

Tian Ling'er's big eyes also shone.

But just then, a black beetle suddenly flew from the front!

"Oh... that's... what kind of insect is that?"

A hint of fear flashed in Tian Ling'er's big eyes!

This insect... made her feel threatened!

"Ling'er, don't be afraid!"

Er Ya shielded Tian Ling'er behind her and said, "It's just a little bug."

At that moment, the black beetle landed in front of a group of children, baring its fangs and claws, looking extremely fierce.

"Second Brother, what kind of insect is this?"

A group of children asked questions out of curiosity.

Wang Xiao Er was also thinking when he suddenly said:

"I know, it's a... Dung Beetle!"