The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The man in black robes led Han Mu and Luo Feng through the wilderness. The three of them moved at an extremely fast speed, covering more than 100,000 li in less than half a day. Along the way, the man in black robes gave a brief introduction to the Samsara Palace.

The Samsara Palace is an ancient and mysterious organization that opposes the Heavenly Court and specifically shelters cultivators hunted by the Heavenly Court. The palace is divided into an inner hall and an outer hall. The core members of the inner hall are all wanted criminals by the Heavenly Court, while the outer hall houses some independent cultivators who do not wish to be bound by the Heavenly Court.

"Our Samsara Palace has eighteen branch palaces in the Northern Cold Immortal Realm, and Her Highness the Holy Maiden is in charge of the seventh branch palace," the man in black robes said. "Once you arrive at the branch palace, you two must be careful with your words and actions. The rules within the palace are strict, and you must not offend the higher-ups."

Han Mu nodded, but his mind was racing. The Samsara Palace was opposed to the Heavenly Court, which meant that joining the Samsara Palace was tantamount to standing against the Heavenly Court. But on the other hand, the Samsara Palace had been able to resist the Heavenly Court for countless years, so its foundation must be profound, and he might be able to gain many benefits from it.

"System, analyze the pros and cons of joining the Samsara Palace."

[Analysis in progress...]

[Benefits: Gain the protection of the Samsara Palace and avoid being hunted down by the Heavenly Court; obtain Samsara Palace resources and cultivation techniques; gain access to the Samsara Palace's high-ranking members and acquire ancient secrets]

[Disadvantages: Becoming a wanted target of the Heavenly Court; needing to abide by the strict rules of the Samsara Palace; potentially getting involved in the conflict between the Samsara Palace and the Heavenly Court]

[Suggestion: You can temporarily join the outer shrine and decide whether to join later after gaining benefits]

Han Mu made up his mind. He would temporarily join the outer hall of the Samsara Palace to gather resources and intelligence, and then make further plans once he was strong enough.

After flying for about two more hours, a valley appeared ahead. The valley was shrouded in clouds and mist, and nothing could be seen from the outside, but Han Mu scanned it with his divine sense and sensed that a powerful formation was hidden in the valley, at least a Golden Immortal level mountain protection formation.

"We've arrived." The man in black robes took out a token and shone it towards the valley. The clouds parted, revealing a passage.

The three entered the valley, and the scenery before them suddenly opened up. The valley was filled with palaces and pavilions, and cultivators came and went; it was actually a sizable immortal city. Within the city were streets, shops, and cave dwellings, resembling a small sect.

"This is the Seventh Branch Hall," the man in black robes introduced. "There are thirty-seven Golden Immortals, hundreds of True Immortals, and countless Mahayana cultivators in the hall. Her Highness the Holy Maiden is the Hall Master, and there are also three Deputy Hall Masters, all of whom are at the late stage of Golden Immortal cultivation."

Han Mu was secretly shocked. If a branch hall had such strength, how powerful must the entire Samsara Hall be? No wonder it could rival the Heavenly Court.

The man in black robes led the two to a grand hall in the center of the city. The hall was a hundred feet high, entirely constructed of black jade, and exuded a solemn and majestic aura. Two golden-armored guards stood before the hall, both possessing the aura of early-stage Golden Immortals.

"Black-robed deacon, Her Highness the Holy Maiden is already waiting in the hall," a guard said.

The man in black robes nodded and led Han Mu and Luo Feng into the main hall. The hall was incredibly spacious, supported only by dozens of massive pillars. On the highest platform at the front, the white-robed saintess sat in the main seat, with three people standing below her, all at the late stage of the Golden Immortal realm; presumably, these were the three deputy hall masters.

"Greetings, Your Highness." The man in black robes bowed.

"No need for formalities," the white-robed saintess said calmly, her gaze falling on Han Mu. "You are Han Mu? You were able to slay the Netherworld Python, not bad."

"It was just a fluke." Han Mu said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

A hint of admiration flashed in the white-robed saintess's eyes: "No need for modesty. The Netherworld Python is a mutated wild beast at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. Your ability to slay it demonstrates your strength far surpasses others of the same level. Our Samsara Palace values ​​talent above all else. Would you be willing to join our palace?"

Han Mu was silent for a moment, then asked, "What is required to join the Samsara Palace? And what are the benefits?"

"How dare you!" a red-faced deputy hall master shouted. "It's a great honor for you to be personally invited by Her Highness the Holy Maiden, yet you still dare to make demands?"

The white-robed saintess waved her hand: "It's alright. Joining the Samsara Palace requires you to abide by the palace rules and complete the palace's tasks. As for the benefits, you'll find everything you need: cultivation techniques, resources, and intelligence. If you perform exceptionally well, you might even be able to enter the inner palace and receive personal guidance from the palace master."

The Palace Master? Han Mu's heart stirred. The Palace Master of the Samsara Palace was at least a Taiyi Jade Immortal, and possibly even a Daluo Golden Immortal. If he could receive guidance from such a being, his cultivation path would be much smoother.

"I can join the outer hall," Han Mu said, "but on one condition: I want freedom. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not participate in the struggle between the Samsara Palace and the Heavenly Court."

"Insolence!" the red-faced deputy hall master roared. "The Samsara Palace and the Heavenly Court are irreconcilable enemies. Now that you've joined my palace, how can you not participate in the war?"

"Alright," the white-robed saintess said, her voice cold and clear. "Everyone has their own ambitions; there's no need to force them. Han Mu, I agree to your conditions. But remember, if the Samsara Palace is ever in trouble, you must not stand idly by."

"Of course," Han Mu nodded. He understood the principle that if you've taken a favor, you should naturally put in the effort.

"Very good." The white-robed saintess took out a black token. "This is the Outer Hall Guest Elder Token. With this token, you can obtain resources in various branch halls of the Samsara Hall, and also issue and accept missions. In addition, this is a fragment of Time Dao Rune, which I consider a personal gift to you."

With a flick of her jade-like hand, a crystalline shard flew towards Han Mu. Han Mu caught it; it was warm to the touch, and time seemed to flow within it, its mysteries profound and mysterious.

"A fragment of the Dao of Time?" Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. The Law of Time is one of the most difficult laws to comprehend, and this fragment of the Dao of Time is extremely precious. The Holy Maiden actually gave it away so casually?

"System, identify the fragment of the Time Dao Pattern."

[Item: Fragment of Time Runes (Incomplete)]

[Function: Helps cultivators comprehend the laws of time; the complete Dao pattern contains the origin of the laws of time]

[Status: Incomplete (1/9)]

[Hint: Collect all nine fragments to synthesize a complete Time Dao Pattern]

It really was a fragment of the Time Dao Pattern! Han Mu suppressed his excitement and solemnly accepted it: "Thank you, Holy Maiden."

"No need to thank me," the white-robed saintess said calmly. "This fragment is useless to me, but it will be of great use to you. Cultivate diligently and do not waste this opportunity."

"Yes." Han Mu nodded.

"Black Robe, take them to the Guest Elder's Cave," the white-robed saintess ordered.

"Yes." The man in black bowed and accepted the order.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

"Boom—"

The entire valley trembled violently, and the protective array of the mountain emitted a piercing alarm. Shouts of battle and violent explosions echoed outside the main hall.

"Enemy attack!" A guard rushed into the hall, panicking, "Your Highness, it's terrible! The Heavenly Court has broken in!"

"What?!" The three vice hall masters' expressions changed drastically. The red-faced vice hall master roared, "How did the Heavenly Court find this place? There must be a traitor among us!"

The white-robed saintess remained expressionless, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "How many people have come? What is their cultivation level?"

"At least thirty people, led by the Heavenly Court Inspector 'Golden Armored Divine General,' a peak Golden Immortal! There are also five late-stage Golden Immortals, and the rest are Heavenly Soldiers at the early and middle stages of Golden Immortal!" the guard reported.

Everyone gasped. The golden-armored general, a celestial inspector, was specifically responsible for capturing wanted criminals from the Samsara Palace. He was incredibly powerful and ruthless. His personal leadership indicated he was determined to succeed.

"Activate the mountain-protecting formation! All cultivators above the Golden Immortal level, follow me to meet the enemy!" The white-robed saintess stood up, emanating a powerful aura. She was clearly a peak Golden Immortal, and one of the best among them, no weaker than the Golden Armored Divine General.

"Han Mu, Luo Feng, you are guest elders, you don't need to participate in the battle, you can go to the back mountain to take refuge for a while." The white-robed saintess glanced at Han Mu and said.

Han Mu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Now that I've entered the Palace of Reincarnation, I'm a member of it. How can I stand idly by when the Heavenly Court attacks?"

"Excellent!" praised the red-faced deputy hall master. "Young friend Han is truly righteous; we admire him!"

A strange light flashed in the white-robed saintess's eyes. She nodded and said, "In that case, follow me to face the enemy. Black Robe, take them to the core of the formation and help maintain it."

"yes!"

The crowd rushed out of the main hall and saw that the sky was densely packed with people. At the head of the group was a man dressed in golden armor, holding a halberd, who was none other than the Golden Armored Divine General. Behind him stood five late-stage Golden Immortal generals, and behind them were more than twenty early- to mid-stage Golden Immortal soldiers, a formidable force.

"Bai Suxin, surrender!" The golden-armored general's voice boomed like a bell. "Your seventh branch of the Samsara Palace will be destroyed today!"

The white-robed saintess, Bai Suxin, rose into the air and coldly said, "Golden Armor, you have quite the nerve. You think you can destroy my Seventh Branch Hall with just your numbers?"

"Haha!" The golden-armored general laughed loudly. "Bai Suxin, do you think I don't know? Of your three vice hall masters, one is in seclusion, another is on a mission, and only you and the two vice hall masters, Red Face and Black Face, are in the hall. Three late-stage Golden Immortals, plus you, a peak Golden Immortal, how can you possibly stop thirty Golden Immortals like me?"

Bai Suxin's expression changed slightly. The other party had clearly come prepared, possessing a thorough understanding of the situation inside the hall. There was a traitor, definitely a traitor!

"Even so, I will make you pay the price!" A cold glint flashed in Bai Suxin's eyes, and with a flick of her jade hand, a white longsword appeared. The sword's blade was as clear as jade, radiating a chilling aura.

"The Jade Sword? Very well, today I'll witness the power of the Holy Maiden of the Samsara Palace!" The golden-armored general pointed his halberd, "Kill! Leave no one alive!"

"kill!"

Thirty Golden Immortals attacked simultaneously, assaulting the mountain-protecting formation. The formation shook violently, and cracks appeared on the light barrier.

"Maintain the great formation!" Bai Suxin shouted, soaring into the sky to meet the golden-armored general. The red-faced deputy hall master and the black-faced deputy hall master also each faced a late-stage Golden Immortal general, but the opponent still had three late-stage Golden Immortals, and no one could stop them.

"Young friend Han, young friend Luo, you two deal with those three early-stage Golden Immortal Heavenly Soldiers!" The man in black robes pointed to the three early-stage Golden Immortal Heavenly Soldiers who were attacking the great formation.

Han Mu and Luo Feng exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously. Although Luo Feng was still recovering from his poisoning, dealing with an early-stage Golden Immortal was no problem. Han Mu, on the other hand, charged directly at the two early-stage Golden Immortals.

"A mere peak Mahayana cultivator dares to come and die?" A Golden Immortal early-stage Heavenly Soldier sneered, slashing at Han Mu with his sword. In his eyes, a peak Mahayana cultivator was nothing more than an ant, easily killed with a single strike.

However, the next moment, his expression changed drastically.

Han Mu neither dodged nor evaded, but threw a punch. The force of the punch was like a dragon, directly shattering the sword light, and the remaining momentum struck the heavenly soldier in the chest.

"puff--"

The heavenly soldier coughed up blood and flew backward, his chest caved in, clearly suffering a severe injury.

"What?!" another heavenly soldier exclaimed in shock. A single punch severely injuring an early-stage Golden Immortal—was this truly a peak Mahayana cultivator?

Han Mu gave his opponent no time to react, his figure flashed, and he was already close by, throwing another punch. This punch contained the law of metal, and was incomparably sharp, directly shattering the heavenly soldier's protective immortal light, and slamming heavily into his chest.

"Click—"

The sound of the sternum breaking was clearly audible, and the soldier screamed as he fell.

In the blink of an eye, one of the two early-stage Golden Immortal soldiers was seriously injured and the other was on the verge of death, all thanks to Han Mu's two punches.

"System, check the immortal energy."

[Celestial Aura: 3527/10000]

Those two punches just now consumed 200 units of immortal spiritual energy. Han Mu nodded to himself, it seemed that early-stage Golden Immortals posed little threat to him anymore. If he weren't still recovering from his injuries and lacking in immortal power, he could have killed one of them with a single punch.

"You're courting death!" A mid-stage Golden Immortal general, enraged at the sight of his injured subordinate, abandoned the attack formation and turned to attack Han Mu. As a mid-stage Golden Immortal, he was far stronger than the two heavenly soldiers, and his spear, swift as a dragon, aimed straight for Han Mu's throat.

Han Mu's expression remained unchanged as a white longsword appeared in his hand, and he unleashed a slash.

"Golden palace, radiant with divine light!"

The dazzling golden light clashed with the spear, producing a piercing metallic clang. The general was forced back three steps, and Han Mu also took a step back.

"Early stage of Golden Immortal?" The Heavenly General's eyes flashed with surprise and doubt. Han Mu's aura was clearly at the peak of the Mahayana stage, but his combat power was comparable to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. How was this possible?

"Interesting." A glint of fighting spirit flashed in Han Mu's eyes. Mid-stage Golden Immortal—perfect to test his current strength.

"Again!" Han Mu launched the first attack, his sword flashing like rain, enveloping the Heavenly General. The Heavenly General roared, his spear swirling relentlessly as he clashed with Han Mu.

The two fought from the ground to the sky, their swords flashing and spears clashing in a magnificent display. Although Han Mu was only at the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm, his foundation was solid, his immortal power pure, and he possessed the Golden Immortal cultivation technique, the "Golden Jade Book," making his combat strength far surpass that of his peers. The heavenly general, though at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm, had ordinary cultivation techniques and mediocre combat strength, and was actually being suppressed by Han Mu.

"Impossible!" Tianjiang was both shocked and furious. He, a dignified mid-stage Golden Immortal, was being suppressed and beaten by a "peak Mahayana" cultivator. This was an utter disgrace.

"Die!" Tianjiang roared in fury, unleashing his strongest move. His spear transformed into a black dragon, roaring as it pounced on Han Mu.

A glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced and thrust out his sword. This sword strike was simple and unadorned, but it contained all his immortal power and the sharpness of the Law of Metal.

"Pfft—"

The longsword pierced through the black dragon, its momentum undiminished, and plunged into the heavenly general's chest. The heavenly general's eyes widened, unable to believe that he would die at the hands of a "peak Mahayana" cultivator.

"Who...who exactly are you?" Tianjiang asked with difficulty.

"Han Mu." Han Mu withdrew his longsword, and the corpse fell from the sky.

Another mid-stage Golden Immortal has fallen.

This scene was witnessed by everyone, and they were all shocked. Especially the side of the Samsara Palace, who originally thought that Han Mu was just an ordinary guest elder, but they did not expect his combat power to be so terrifying, that he could actually kill a mid-stage Golden Immortal.

"Excellent!" the red-faced deputy hall master laughed heartily. "Young friend Han is truly awe-inspiring!"

Bai Suxin also glanced at Han Mu, a strange light flashing in her eyes. She had thought Han Mu could at most hold off an early-stage Golden Immortal, but she hadn't expected him to kill a mid-stage Golden Immortal. This young man is no ordinary person.

The golden-armored general's face was grim. He had thought that with thirty Golden Immortals on his side, destroying a branch hall would be a piece of cake, but he hadn't expected Han Mu to be such a variable.

"Everyone, kill that brat first!" the golden-armored general ordered. Han Mu's combat prowess was too astonishing; he had to be eliminated as soon as possible.

Instantly, five mid-stage Golden Immortal generals surrounded Han Mu. Han Mu's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he groaned. He could kill one mid-stage Golden Immortal, but if five attacked together, he would surely die.

"System, exchange for the 'Five Elements Escape Talisman'."

[Exchange successful. Consumed 500 Immortal Spirit Energy. Obtained 1 Five Elements Escape Talisman]

Han Mu prepared to flee. He was no fool; to knowingly fight when he was outmatched would be suicidal.

However, at that moment, Bai Suxin suddenly spoke up: "Han Mu, step back."

With a wave of her hand, a beam of white light enveloped Han Mu and pulled him back to her side. At the same time, she took out a jade talisman and crushed it.

"Buzz—"

A vast aura erupted from the jade talisman, enveloping the entire valley. The next moment, a phantom figure materialized in the air. It was an old man in white robes, his face indistinct, but his aura was as deep and boundless as the sea, suffocating all who beheld him.

"The Palace Master's decree!" The three deputy Palace Masters were overjoyed and immediately knelt down in obeisance.

"Palace Master?" The golden-armored general's expression changed drastically. The Palace Master of the Samsara Palace was a Great Luo Golden Immortal level being; even a single decree from him was not something he could contend with.

"Get lost." The illusory old man uttered only one word.

But this single word contained unparalleled power. The golden-armored general and all the heavenly soldiers and generals were struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out blood and flying backward.

"Retreat!" the golden-armored general shouted in terror, leading his men in a hasty escape.

The crisis has been averted.

Han Mu watched the illusory figure gradually dissipate in the air, his heart filled with shock. Was this the power of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal? Just a decree, a single word, and thirty Golden Immortals had been frightened away. His own strength was still far from sufficient.

"System, I still have a long way to go," Han Mu thought to himself.