The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Ten days later, in the Netherworld Mountains.

This place is shrouded in a gray-black mist year-round, the mountains devoid of sunlight, the vegetation withered, with only a few shade-loving ghostly plants growing there. The mountain winds carry eerie, ghostly wails that send chills down one's spine. Deep within the mountains, a massive spatial rift stretches across the sky, the entrance to the Netherworld Cave.

Outside the entrance, hundreds of cultivators had gathered, divided into several camps. The three largest camps were: over thirty black-robed cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect, over twenty black-clad assassins from the Shadow Killing Hall, and over ten mysterious gray-robed figures from the Samsara Hall. The rest were scattered cultivators and members of smaller factions who had come after hearing the news, gathered in twos and threes.

When Han Mu arrived, he had already transformed into an ordinary-looking middle-aged rogue cultivator, his aura suppressed to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, blending into the crowd of rogue cultivators. He secretly observed that the Blood Demon Sect was led by an old man in a blood-red robe at the early Nascent Soul stage, with a cold aura; the Shadow Killing Hall was led by a one-eyed middle-aged man at the early Nascent Soul stage; and the Samsara Hall was led by a gray-robed man whose face was obscured, but whose aura was the most strange, as if he had cultivated some kind of concealment technique.

"Gentlemen!" the blood-robed elder announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the area. "The Netherworld Cave is about to open. According to the rules, anyone above the Nascent Soul stage can enter. However, the three parties have reached an agreement that this exploration will be primarily cooperative, with the spoils distributed according to contribution. Anyone willing to join can register. Passing the assessment will grant you temporary team membership and the same benefits."

"Assessment? What assessment?" a rogue cultivator asked.

"It's simple. Just survive three of my moves," the blood-robed elder sneered. "The Netherworld Cave is extremely dangerous. Going in without sufficient strength is suicide. Those who are willing can go forward, and those who are afraid can go in and try their luck."

The independent cultivators exchanged bewildered glances. Taking three blows from a Nascent Soul cultivator was extremely dangerous, but entering the Netherworld Cave alone without joining a large group was almost certain death. Weighing the pros and cons, more than fifty people stepped forward to sign up, including Han Mu.

"Alright, one at a time." The old man in the blood-red robe walked to the center of the open space. "Who wants to go first?"

"I'll go!" A burly man in the late Nascent Soul stage strode forward, brandishing a giant shield. "Please enlighten me, senior!"

"First move." The old man in the blood-red robe flicked his finger, and a crimson finger gust shot out, striking the giant shield. With a loud "clang," cracks appeared in the giant shield, and the burly man staggered back three steps, his face pale, but he barely managed to block it.

"Second move." The blood-robed elder formed a blade with his fingers and slashed through the air. A crimson blade of light tore through the air, and the burly man roared, activating his giant shield with all his might. "Boom!" The giant shield shattered, and the burly man coughed up blood and flew backward, severely injured but not dead.

"The third move is waived; you've passed." The blood-robed elder waved his hand, and a Blood Demon Sect disciple stepped forward, handing the burly man a blood-red token. "With this token, you are now a temporary member of our team. After leaving the cave, you can exchange your contribution points for rewards."

"Thank you, senior!" The burly man took the token and stepped aside to heal his wounds.

People continued to step forward; some passed, some were seriously injured and eliminated, and three others, lacking strength, were killed directly by the blood-robed elder. Their bodies were dragged away by the Blood Demon Sect disciples, clearly for another purpose.

When it was Han Mu's turn, he deliberately acted conventionally. He "barely" parried the first two moves, narrowly dodged the third, and finally, "panting," accepted the token and stepped aside. His performance was flawless, and the old man in the blood-red robe glanced at him but didn't pay much attention.

An hour later, the assessment concluded. Of the fifty-odd applicants, thirty passed, fifteen were eliminated, and five died. Adding the original forces from the three major powers, the total number was nearly one hundred, a considerable force.

"The entrance will open at midnight and will remain open for fifteen minutes." The gray-robed man spoke for the first time, his voice hoarse like the grinding of iron. "After entering, proceed in three directions according to the map and meet outside the 'Hall of the Underworld.' If you encounter danger along the way, you can send a signal for help, but whether you can arrive in time depends on your own fate."

He took out three copies of the map and gave one to the old man in the blood-red robe and the one-eyed middle-aged man. Han Mu glanced at them out of the corner of his eye; the map was very similar to the complete map provided by the system, only the markings were more concise, indicating that the Samsara Palace had also retained some of them.

"Let me make this clear from the start," the one-eyed middle-aged man said coldly. "The temporary team members are responsible for scouting, breaking through barriers, and drawing enemy fire. Dangerous missions will be given priority. But if you survive, the rewards will be substantial. Anyone who deserts or hides treasures will be executed without mercy!"

The temporary team members' expressions changed slightly, but none of them dared to object. Circumstances dictated their actions; going in with the main group was safer than acting alone.

As midnight approached, the spatial rift began to tremble, from which a chilling, dark gray aura surged forth. The rift slowly opened, forming an oval entrance three zhang high, its interior pitch black, impenetrable even to divine sense.

"Enter!" The blood-robed elder waved his hand, and the Blood Demon Sect disciples entered first. Next came the Shadow Assassination Hall and the Reincarnation Hall, followed by the temporary team members. Han Mu mingled in the crowd and stepped through the entrance.

Suddenly everything went black, and they found themselves in a completely different world. The sky was dark red, devoid of sun, moon, and stars, only a hazy, blood-red glow. The earth was scorched black, covered with bizarre, ghostly plants. A faint stench of decay and ghostly energy permeated the air; ordinary cultivators who stayed here for too long would have their life force eroded, their lifespan greatly reduced.

"Anyone below the Nascent Soul stage won't survive more than three days here," Han Mu realized. No wonder entry is restricted to those above the Nascent Soul stage; those with lower cultivation levels are simply throwing their lives away.

"As planned, split into three groups!" the blood-robed elder shouted. The Blood Demon Sect would take the left route, the Shadow Assassin Hall the middle route, and the Samsara Hall the right route. The temporary team members were divided into three groups and followed them respectively. Han Mu was assigned to the Shadow Assassin Hall group, following the one-eyed middle-aged man.

The three groups of people quickly disappeared into the gray mist. Han Mu followed the group forward, secretly leaving marks as he went. His true destination was the Underworld Palace, but it was not advisable to leave the group at this moment; he needed to wait for an opportunity.

The group traversed the gray fog, encountering numerous ghostly creatures along the way. There were skeleton soldiers resembling withered bones, fleeting ghosts, and corpse worms lurking underground. Individually, these creatures were not particularly strong, but their sheer numbers and fearlessness in the face of death made them quite troublesome.

"Form ranks and advance quickly!" the one-eyed middle-aged man ordered. The Shadow Assassins, well-trained, formed a cone-shaped battle formation and charged forward rapidly. The temporary team members followed behind, responsible for flank defense. Han Mu "struggled" to kill a few skeleton soldiers, performing adequately.

After traveling a hundred miles, a swamp appeared ahead. Grayish-black bubbles rose from the swamp, emitting a pungent stench. Above the swamp, dozens of strange birds, the size of crows, circled, their eyes glowing red, staring intently at the group below.

"Rotting Bone Swamp, watch out for the corpse crocodiles beneath and the ghost crows in the air." The one-eyed middle-aged man was experienced. "Don't touch the swamp water, it's highly poisonous. Pass through quickly!"

The team sped up, but the swamp was soft and offered little foothold. Several temporary team members slipped and were instantly dragged away by the carnivorous crocodiles beneath the surface; their screams quickly faded. The rest of the team turned pale with fright and became even more cautious.

Han Mu secretly observed and discovered a black lotus in the center of the swamp, emitting a faint fragrance. "Netherworld Black Lotus, a top-grade material for refining antidote pills." He thought to himself, but it was inconvenient to pick it at the moment, so he could only memorize its location.

After traversing the swamp, the team suffered a loss of five men. The one-eyed middle-aged man remained unfazed and continued onward. After traveling another fifty li, a dilapidated stone temple appeared ahead, its doors half-closed, and a faint, shimmering light emanated from within.

"Stop!" The one-eyed middle-aged man raised his hand. "Ahead lies the 'Ghost General's Palace,' guarded by Netherworld Ghost Generals. But there might be treasures within. Who is willing to go in and explore?"

The temporary team members exchanged glances, none daring to respond. The Netherworld Ghost General was at least at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage and possessed an immortal body, making him extremely difficult to deal with.

"Pathfinder, if you survive, the reward will be doubled," the one-eyed middle-aged man added.

"I...I'll go!" A thin cultivator in the mid-Nascent Soul stage stepped forward, gritting his teeth. His lifespan was nearing its end, and he desperately needed resources to break through; he had no choice but to take a gamble.

"Very good, go ahead." The one-eyed middle-aged man nodded.

The thin cultivator cast several talismans for protection and cautiously approached the stone hall. Just as he pushed open the door, a dark figure lunged out—a skeletal ghost general, three zhang tall, wielding a bone knife. Soul fire flickered in the ghost general's eye sockets as he slashed down with his knife; the blade was pitch black and contained the aura of death.

"Ah!" The skinny cultivator screamed in agony as his protective talisman shattered instantly, cleaved in two by a single strike, and his soul and spirit were annihilated.

Everyone gasped in shock. This ghost general's strength far exceeded their expectations; he was probably close to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Attack together, kill it!" the one-eyed middle-aged man ordered. The Shadow Assassins formed a siege, with the temporary team members providing support from the sidelines. Han Mu mingled in the crowd, occasionally making a move, neither conspicuous nor lazy.

Although the Ghost General was strong, he gradually became overwhelmed by the siege of dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators. After an incense stick's time, he was pierced through the soul fire by the one-eyed middle-aged man's sword and collapsed to the ground, turning into a pile of withered bones.

"Enter the hall!" The one-eyed middle-aged man entered first. The hall was not large. In the center was a stone platform with three items on it: a piece of Netherworld Iron, a bottle of Netherworld True Water, and a Ghost General Token.

"The Netherworld Iron is mine, the Netherworld True Water is for the temporary team members, and the Ghost General's Token is for the public good," the one-eyed middle-aged man announced. The temporary team members were dissatisfied but dared not object. There was only one small bottle of Netherworld True Water, to be divided among the thirty-odd people, meaning each person received only a few drops.

Han Mu received three drops of Netherworld True Water, which did indeed have the effect of cleansing the soul, but it wasn't very useful to him. What he cared more about was the piece of Netherworld Iron, an excellent material for refining Netherworld-type magical artifacts, but unfortunately it had been taken away by the one-eyed middle-aged man.

"Let's move on." The one-eyed middle-aged man put away the treasure and led the team away from the stone hall.

The journey continued, encountering several more dangerous locations and treasure spots. Han Mu secretly observed and discovered that the Shadow Assassin Hall was quite familiar with the Netherworld Cave, clearly not their first visit. The map in the one-eyed middle-aged man's hand marked relatively safe routes, avoiding several extremely dangerous areas.

"It seems they have grand ambitions. Their caution suggests they have a significant objective," Han Mu mused. The possibility of the Underworld King's Seal was high, but other treasures couldn't be ruled out.

Three days later, the team arrived at a valley. In the valley stood a dilapidated black palace, one of the branch halls of the "Palace of Hades" marked on the map. The main hall was further inside; this was an outpost.

"Rest here for half a day to recover your magical power," the one-eyed middle-aged man ordered. After traveling for three consecutive days, everyone was quite exhausted and needed to recuperate.

Han Mu sat down cross-legged, pretending to recover, but in reality, he released his divine sense to explore his surroundings. He sensed several powerful auras deep in the valley, at least at the Nascent Soul level, likely the Netherworld Generals guarding this place.

"The Blood Demon Sect and the Samsara Palace should be arriving soon." He looked in the other two directions. Sure enough, soon after, the Blood Demon Sect and Samsara Palace teams arrived one after another, and the three groups met outside the valley.

"Fellow Daoist Xue Li, Fellow Daoist Gui Ying, was your journey smooth?" the gray-robed man asked hoarsely.

"We lost some men, but nothing serious," said the blood-robed elder, Xue Li. "The Underworld Palace is just ahead. According to the plan, we'll break the outer palace's restrictions first, then enter the main palace. The main palace is guarded by the Underworld King's Seal, which requires the combined strength of everyone to retrieve."

"The temporary team members will be responsible for breaking the restrictions and drawing fire, while the three of us will focus on the main attack," said the one-eyed middle-aged ghost. "After the mission is accomplished, the Underworld King Seal will be returned to the Palace of Reincarnation, and the other treasures in the palace will be divided equally among us."

"Alright." The man in the gray robe nodded.

Han Mu listened from the side, a cold smile playing on his lips. These three parties each had their own ulterior motives; their cooperation wouldn't last. And he could take advantage of the chaos.

Having rested, the three forces assembled and headed towards the Underworld Palace. The real battle was about to begin.