The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Tianyuan City, the Myriad Races Auction.

This is a once-in-a-century grand event, where cultivators from all races of the Spirit Realm gather together, treasures abound, and the atmosphere is incredibly lively. The auction house is located in the "Myriad Manifestations Tower" in the center of Tianyuan City. The tower is a hundred feet tall and has nine floors. At this moment, it is brightly lit and teeming with people.

Han Mu entered using his true identity, holding an honorary elder's token, and was led to a VIP room on the fifth floor. The room was elegantly furnished and contained an array that blocked divine sense; it was impossible to see inside from the outside, but the auction stage was clearly visible from inside. Maids served spiritual tea and fruits and stood respectfully to his side.

"Elder Han, the auction will begin in half an hour. This is the list of items for this auction." A maid handed over a jade slip.

Han Mu accepted the list and probed it with his divine sense. The list contained over three hundred items, ranging from elixirs, magic weapons, and cultivation techniques to rare treasures. He focused on a few items: the three outer tokens of the Guanghan Realm, the ten-thousand-year-old Xuanbing (mysterious ice), the lightning-struck wood, the Li Huo Jing Jin (fire-refined gold), and the three mysterious treasures at the end.

"Three peripheral tokens..." Han Mu pondered. Han City already had two slots, but if they could bid for one more, they could send one more person in. Han Jinglei and Han Ling'er were the pre-selected candidates, but the Han family had other promising talents, such as Han Tianfeng and Han Yuwei. Each additional slot meant a greater chance.

"However, the competition will likely be fierce." He looked down at the hall below. Thousands of cultivators were already seated there, including representatives from the human, demon, spirit, sea, and even a few ghost and demon races. Only ten Guanghan Realm tokens were issued each time, with seven monopolized by major powers, and the remaining three would trigger a frenzy of bidding.

Half an hour later, the auction officially began.

The auction was presided over by an elderly man in red robes at the late Nascent Soul stage, whose voice boomed: "Welcome, fellow Daoists, to the Myriad Manifestations Pavilion. I am Huo Yunzi, and I will be presiding over the auction today. The rules remain the same: the highest bidder wins, and malicious bidding is prohibited. Now, let's begin with the first item—a bottle of three fifth-grade elixirs, the 'Nascent Soul Pill,' which can increase the chance of a Core Formation cultivator successfully breaking through to Nascent Soul by 30%. The starting bid is 80,000 spirit stones!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"120,000!"

"150,000!"

Bidding was in full swing. The Nascent Soul Pill was a treasure coveted by Core Formation cultivators, and it was eventually sold for 280,000 spirit stones.

The following items were all extraordinary. Han Mu took a fancy to a piece of ten-thousand-year-old mystic ice and bid 500,000 to buy it, intending to refine it into a natal magic weapon for Han Ling'er. He also took a fancy to a piece of lightning-struck wood and spent 700,000 to refine a lightning-type flying sword for Han Jinglei.

Two hours later, the auction entered its second half.

"Next item: a token from the outer perimeter of the Guanghan Realm!" Huo Yunzi raised his voice and took out a silver token. The token was about the size of a palm, with the words "Guanghan" engraved on the front and a moon palace pattern on the back, emitting a faint spatial fluctuation.

"This token allows three people to enter the outer perimeter of the Guanghan Realm and is valid for three years. Starting bid is 500,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 50,000!"

"Six hundred thousand!"

"Seven hundred thousand!"

"Nine hundred thousand!"

The price skyrocketed instantly. Han Mu didn't rush to bid; he observed quietly. The bidding mainly involved several private rooms; the independent cultivators in the main hall were essentially powerless to compete.

"One million five hundred thousand." A voice came from a private room on the third floor; it was a representative from the "Heavenly Sword Sect."

"Two million." The fourth-floor private room was occupied by the disciples of "Master Xuanming".

"Two and a half million." A clear, cold female voice came from the "Ice Soul Palace" in the sixth-floor private room.

The price quickly surpassed three million, leaving only three private rooms in the competition. Han Mu then spoke: "Four million."

A hush fell over the entire room. Jumping directly from three million to four million—that was quite a move. The Heavenly Sword Sect and Xuanming Shangren remained silent for a moment, then the Ice Soul Palace's female voice rang out again: "Four million five hundred thousand."

"Five million," Han Mu said calmly.

"Five million five hundred thousand," the woman said through gritted teeth.

"Six million." Han Mu replied without hesitation.

The Ice Soul Palace remained silent. Six million for a single outer area token was beyond its actual value. Although the Guanghan Realm offered countless opportunities, the treasures obtainable in the outer areas were limited; this price carried too much risk.

"Six million for the first time, six million for the second time, six million for the third time! Sold!" Huo Yunzi declared with a single hammer blow.

With the first token secured, Han Mu remained calm and continued bidding for the second and third. Ultimately, he won all three tokens for 5.8 million and 5.5 million spirit stones respectively. The total cost was 17.3 million spirit stones, nearly emptying Han City's income for half a year.

"Elder Han is truly wealthy." The maid standing beside him clicked her tongue in amazement. More than 17 million spirit stones—many medium-sized forces didn't even have that much in their entire fortune.

"It's just to create some opportunities for the younger generation," Han Mu said calmly. Although this amount of spirit stones was a lot for Han Cheng, it was worth it. The gains in the Guanghan Realm were far greater than spirit stones.

Han Mu didn't bid on the next items. That was until the final three mysterious treasures.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next three items are the final lots of this auction." Huo Yunzi said solemnly, "The first item is a fragment of a map of the ancient secret realm, 'Netherworld Cave'!"

He took out a yellowed animal hide map, its lines blurred, but the terrain and mountains were still vaguely visible. The map was only one-third complete and clearly incomplete.

"The Netherworld Cave opens once every three hundred years. It is imbued with the aura of the underworld, fraught with danger, but also harbors treasures unique to the Netherworld. This fragmentary map marks three possible 'Netherworld Springs.' If found, one can obtain Netherworld True Water, which can cleanse the soul and enhance divine consciousness. Starting bid: 800,000 spirit stones!"

Han Mu's eyes narrowed. A fragment of the Netherworld Cave map? This was an unexpected delight. He had already planned to enter the Netherworld Cave, and having a map would save him a lot of trouble.

One million.

"One million two hundred thousand."

"One million five hundred thousand."

There weren't many bidders, given the infamous reputation of the Netherworld Cave and the incomplete map, limiting its value. Han Mu ultimately won the bid for two million spirit stones.

"The second treasure to be unveiled is a token of the 'Hall of Reincarnation'!" Huo Yunzi took out a black token. The token was round, with a reincarnation pattern engraved on the front, and it emitted a faint time fluctuation.

"With this token, you can make one request to the Samsara Palace that does not exceed the Refinement of the Void level, including inquiring about past lives, communicating with the deceased, and even reversing some causal relationships. However, the Samsara Palace acts erratically; whether they grant your request depends on their mood. Starting bid: 1.5 million spirit stones!"

The entire hall erupted in uproar. A token of the Samsara Palace! This was something money couldn't buy. The Samsara Palace was shrouded in mystery, rarely interacting with the outside world; their token represented a rare opportunity.

"Two million!"

"Three million!"

"Five million!"

The price skyrocketed. It was eventually sold to a mysterious private room on the seventh floor for eight million spirit stones; no one knew who the buyer was.

Han Mu did not participate. He had little interest in the Samsara Palace; the organization was too mysterious, and he preferred to avoid contact with it if possible.

"The last treasure..." Huo Yunzi paused, then took out a jade box. Opening the lid, he found a fist-sized purple crystal inside, its interior shimmering with starlight, a truly magnificent sight.

"Star Stone, originating from the Nine Heavens Star Sea, contains the power of stars and can be used to refine star-type magical treasures, as well as aid in cultivating star-type techniques. This stone weighs three pounds and six ounces, with a purity of 98%. Starting bid: three million spirit stones!"

Starstone! Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. This was one of the core materials for refining the "Zhou Tian Star Array". Although Han City's current defensive array was strong, if starstone could be integrated to set up the Zhou Tian Star Array, its defensive power could be increased several times, and it could also draw on the power of stars to assist in cultivation.

"Three and a half million."

"Four million."

Five million.

Starstones are supreme treasures for refining weapons, attracting numerous bidders. Han Mu waited until the price reached eight million before speaking, "Ten million."

"Eleven million," an old voice rang out from the opposite compartment.

"Twelve million," Han Mu followed up.

"Thirteen million."

"Fifteen million." Han Mu immediately raised the price by two million.

Silence fell on the other end. Fifteen million for a Star Stone was nearing its limit. Ultimately, Han Mu won the bid.

The auction ended, and Han Mu paid the spirit stones to collect his items. The three Guanghan Realm tokens, the fragment of the Netherworld Cave map, the star stone, plus the previously acquired ten-thousand-year-old mystic ice and lightning-struck wood, totaled over thirty million spirit stones. Even with Han Cheng's deep resources, he felt a pang of regret.

"However, it was worth it." Han Mu put away the treasure and left the Myriad Elephant Pavilion.

Back at his lodgings, he took out the incomplete map of the Netherworld Cave and studied it carefully. Although the map was fragmented, the internal structure of the Netherworld Cave was roughly discernible, and the locations of the three Netherworld Springs were clearly marked. One of the springs was marked with a skull symbol, clearly indicating a dangerous area.

"System, redeem the 'Complete Map of the Netherworld Cave' service." Han Mu thought to himself.

[To exchange for the complete map of the Netherworld Cave, 5000 contribution points are required.]

[Redeem or not?]

"exchange."

[Exchange successful, 5000 contribution points consumed]

[Remaining Contribution Points: 34000]

The fragmented map flashed in his hand, automatically filling in the missing parts to form a complete map. The map detailed all areas of the Netherworld Cave, including the Netherworld Spring, the Netherworld Beast's Nest, the ancient restrictions, and three possible treasure locations.

"I see." A glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. According to the complete map, there is a "Palace of the Underworld King" deep within the Netherworld Cave, which is the ancient palace of the Underworld King and contains great treasures. However, the Palace of the Underworld King is protected by ancient restrictions, and those above the Nascent Soul stage are not allowed to enter. No wonder the Blood Demon Sect and the Shadow Killing Hall are recruiting Nascent Soul cultivators.

"The Underworld Palace contains the 'Underworld King Seal,' which is key to controlling part of the restrictions in the Netherworld Cave. The Blood Demon Sect and the Samsara Palace are probably after this seal," Han Mu pondered. If they could obtain the Underworld King Seal, they could control a portion of the Netherworld Cave, which would greatly benefit Han City's future exploration.

"It seems that the journey to the Netherworld Cave is inevitable." He put away the map and began to prepare for entering the Netherworld Cave.

The Netherworld Cave is filled with ghostly energy that can erode life force, so it's necessary to prepare items to defend against it. Han Mu exchanged items such as "Evil-Repelling Talisman," "Heart-Cleansing Pill," and "Soul-Protecting Bell" from the system. He also refined several "Five Thunder Talismans," specifically designed to counter ghosts and spirits.

Three days later, everything was ready. Han Mu, in his capacity as an honorary elder, retrieved detailed information about the Netherworld Cave from Tianyuan City and learned that the entrance was located in the "Netherworld Mountains," approximately 500,000 li from Tianyuan City. At his current speed, traveling at full speed would take him ten days.

"It's time to set off." Han Mu reported to Jin Yangzi, then left Tianyuan City, transforming into a streak of light and flying towards the Netherworld Mountains.

This trip is not only to thwart the conspiracy of the Blood Demon Sect and the Samsara Palace, but also to seize the Underworld King Seal, adding another layer of strength to Hancheng.

Meanwhile, deep within the Netherworld Mountains, forces from the Blood Demon Sect, Shadow Assassination Hall, and Samsara Hall had arrived one after another. A covert contest was about to begin.