The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Han Li's sudden appearance made the atmosphere in the secret realm even more subtle.

When Youmingzi saw Han Li, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes: "It's you again! Kid, I let you escape last time, let's see where you can run this time!"

Han Li remained calm as he looked at Han Mu and the others. His gaze lingered on Han Mu for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He said to You Mingzi, "You Mingzi, I discovered that item first. You tried to steal it by force, and now you want to kill me to silence me. That's far too domineering."

"The law of the jungle prevails; it's the ironclad rule of the Immortal Realm." Youmingzi sneered. "Boy, you think you can stand against me just because you've found a few helpers from the Samsara Palace? How laughable!"

Han Mu sized up Han Li and discovered that Han Li had already reached the mid-stage of True Immortal cultivation, indicating that he had made considerable progress after ascending to the Immortal Realm. However, Han Li's aura was somewhat disordered at the moment, clearly indicating that he was injured, probably due to being chased by You Mingzi.

"Fellow Daoist Han, do you know this person?" Liu Ruyan asked telepathically.

"We're old acquaintances," Han Mu replied. He had met Han Li several times in the human and spirit realms, but at those times he always appeared as a "mysterious senior," and Han Li was unaware of his true identity.

"In that case, do you want to help?" Luo Feng asked. He could tell that Han Li was only at the mid-stage of True Immortal, and had no chance of winning against You Mingzi, who was at the late-stage of Golden Immortal.

Han Mu nodded: "I'll help."

Youmingzi and the Samsara Palace are enemies. Helping Han Li means going against Youmingzi, which is in the Samsara Palace's interest. Moreover, Han Li is someone he has his eye on and will be of great use in the future, so he can't die here.

"Youmingzi, I'll protect this man." Han Mu stepped forward and stood in front of Han Li.

Youmingzi was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You? A mere early-stage Golden Immortal, you dare to be so insolent in front of me?"

"What if we join them?" Liu Ruyan, Luo Feng, Zhou Meng, and Li Qingzhu stepped forward at the same time and stood side by side with Han Mu.

Five early-stage Golden Immortals, plus Han Li, a mid-stage True Immortal, were still at a disadvantage against You Mingzi and his two mid-stage Golden Immortal subordinates, but they had the strength to fight back.

Youmingzi's eyes turned cold: "Fine, fine, since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish! Kill them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two mid-stage Golden Immortal elders behind him pounced on Han Mu and the others. You Mingzi himself flashed forward, heading straight for Han Li. In his view, Han Li was the primary target; that item had to be on Han Li.

"Your opponent is me." Han Mu held his sword horizontally in front of You Mingzi.

"Get out of my way!" Youmingzi slashed at Han Mu with a claw, the claw wind fierce and containing a strong Yin energy. If Han Mu were caught, even a Golden Immortal in the early stage would be seriously injured.

"Time Acceleration!" Han Mu used the law of time to accelerate his body instantly, narrowly avoiding the claw attack, and then thrust his sword at You Mingzi's throat.

Youmingzi didn't expect Han Mu to be so fast. He hurriedly dodged to the side, but the tip of the sword still tore through his clothes.

"The Law of Time!" A look of solemnity flashed in Youmingzi's eyes. He had witnessed Han Mu's Law of Time before, but at the time he thought it was an illusion. Now he was certain that this boy had really comprehended the Law of Time, even if it was only a superficial understanding, it was still extremely troublesome.

"Boy, who exactly are you?" Youmingzi asked in a deep voice. Those who can comprehend the laws of time are not simple figures; they may have powerful forces behind them.

"The Hall of Reincarnation, Han Mu," Han Mu said calmly.

"Han Mu? Never heard of him." Youmingzi frowned. He knew most of the Golden Immortals in the Samsara Palace, but he had never heard of this Han Mu before. He must be a newly promoted Golden Immortal.

"I've heard about it now." Han Mu stood with his sword in hand, his aura no less imposing than You Mingzi's.

On the other side, Liu Ruyan and her group of four faced off against two mid-stage Golden Immortal elders. Although they outnumbered each other, the difference in their cultivation levels meant they were locked in a fierce battle. Han Li, meanwhile, was fighting against a mid-stage Golden Immortal elder, barely holding on with the help of numerous magical treasures and secret techniques, but his defeat was only a matter of time.

"We must finish this quickly," Han Mu thought to himself. The longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them. You Mingzi was a late-stage Golden Immortal, incredibly powerful. Although Han Mu possessed the Law of Time, he could only protect himself; defeating You Mingzi was virtually impossible.

"System, is there any way to deal with a late-stage Golden Immortal?"

[Analysis in progress...]

[Option 1: Use the Great Teleportation Talisman to escape, consuming 1000 Immortal Spirit Energy]

[Option Two: Use 'Immortal Power Burst' to temporarily raise your cultivation level by one minor realm, lasting for the duration of one incense stick, consuming 5000 Immortal Spiritual Energy]

[Option 3: Use 'Law Imprisonment' to temporarily imprison Youmingzi, consuming 3000 Immortal Spirit Qi]

[Option 4: Use the 'Five Elements Escape Technique' to help Han Li escape, consuming 800 Immortal Spiritual Energy]

Han Mu quickly weighed his options. Option one was to simply escape, the simplest, but the mission would fail, and it would appear cowardly. Option two was to temporarily elevate himself to the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm, and with the help of the Time Law, he might be able to fight You Mingzi, but the cost would be too high. Option three was to imprison You Mingzi, but he would only have a breath of time, not enough to escape. Option four was to take only Han Li with him, but what about Liu Ruyan and the others?

"System, exchange for 'Immortal Power Burst'."

[Exchange successful. Consumed 5000 Immortal Spirit Energy. Gained the "Immortal Power Burst" status, temporarily raising the player's cultivation level by one minor realm, lasting for the duration of an incense stick.]

I only have 2827 points of Celestial Spirit Energy left. After exchanging them, I will have 7827 points left, which is enough.

"Unleash your divine power! Activate!"

Han Mu felt his immortal power surge, instantly breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm. On the surface, his cultivation level was still at the peak of the Mahayana stage, but his true cultivation level was already at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm. Although he was still one small realm lower than You Mingzi, the gap had narrowed.

"Hmm?" Youmingzi sensed the change in Han Mu's aura. Although he couldn't see through Han Mu's true cultivation level, his intuition told him that Han Mu had become stronger.

"Playing tricks!" Youmingzi snorted coldly, taking out a small black banner, which was the same Youming Ghost Banner as the Yin Gu Laoren, but his was of a higher grade, a superior immortal artifact.

With a flick of the Netherworld Banner, countless fierce ghosts surged forth, among which three ghost generals possessed powerful auras comparable to mid-stage Golden Immortals. Adding to this, Youmingzi himself was a late-stage Golden Immortal, effectively making it four mid-stage Golden Immortals besieging Han Mu alone.

"The Cycle of Reincarnation Sword Technique, All Swords Return to Their Origin!"

Han Mu unleashed the strongest move of the Samsara Sword Technique, his white longsword transforming into countless sword shadows, each imbued with the power of reincarnation, slashing towards the vengeful ghost.

Sword energy surged, causing the fierce ghosts to scatter, but the three ghost generals, powerful enough to withstand the sword energy, lunged at Han Mu.

"Time Acceleration!" Han Mu dodged the ghost general's attack with a series of flashes, and thrust his sword towards Youmingzi's true form. To capture the thief, first capture the king; as long as Youmingzi is defeated, these vengeful ghosts will naturally dissipate.

"Netherworld Claw!" Youmingzi unleashed a claw strike, the claw wind transforming into a hundred-foot-long ghost claw that reached for Han Mu.

"Break!" Han Mu slashed at the ghost claw with his sword. The sword and claw collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that shook the entire secret realm.

Han Mu was forced back several steps, a sweet taste rising in his throat as a mouthful of blood surged up, which he forcibly swallowed. The late-stage Golden Immortal was indeed powerful; even with his temporary advancement to the mid-stage Golden Immortal, he was still no match.

However, Youmingzi was also suffering. The Samsara Sword Qi invaded his body, causing his blood and qi to churn, forcing him to focus on suppressing it.

"Boy, you do have some skill," Youmingzi said coldly, "but this ends here. Netherworld Ghost Realm, open!"

The Netherworld Banner shone brightly, transforming into a black ghost domain that enveloped Han. Within the ghost domain, eerie winds howled and fierce ghosts roared, causing Han Mu to feel his immortal power become sluggish.

"This is a domain-type divine ability!" Han Mu's heart sank. Domain-type divine abilities are extremely rare; they can suppress the opponent's strength while enhancing one's own. In the Netherworld Ghost Domain, Youmingzi's strength increased by 30%, while Han Mu's was suppressed by 30%. This disparity made the gap even greater.

"System, exchange for 'Domain Breaking Talisman'."

[Exchange successful. Consumed 2000 Immortal Spirit Energy. Obtained 1 Domain Breaking Talisman]

The Domain-Breaking Talisman can break through domain-type divine abilities, but it can only be maintained for three breaths.

Han Mu crushed the Domain-Breaking Talisman, and a golden light spread out from him. Wherever it passed, the Netherworld Ghost Domain melted away like ice and snow, revealing the original secret realm space.

"What?" Youmingzi was shocked. His Netherworld Ghost Domain had been broken? Although it was only for three breaths, it was enough for Han Mu to escape.

"Now!" Han Mu flashed to Han Li's side, forcing back the mid-stage Golden Immortal elder with a single sword strike, then grabbed Han Li's shoulder. "Go!"

After saying that, he crushed the Great Teleportation Talisman, and the spatial fluctuations enveloped him and Han Li.

"Trying to leave?" Youmingzi roared in fury, lashing out with his claws, but grasping only air. Han Mu and Han Li had vanished, leaving only spatial fluctuations that slowly dissipated.

"Damn it!" Youmingzi's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected Han Mu to possess such a life-saving treasure as the Great Teleportation Talisman, nor had he expected Han Mu to escape from his Netherworld Ghost Domain.

"Master, what should we do now?" asked an elder in the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm.

"Chase them!" Youmingzi gritted his teeth. "They can't have gone far. The Great Teleportation Talisman can only teleport them a million miles at most. Search them!"

"yes!"

Youmingzi and his two companions left the secret realm to pursue Han Mu and Han Li. Liu Ruyan and her three companions exchanged glances and quickly left the secret realm as well, returning to the Samsara Palace to report the news.

……

Millions of miles away, in a desolate mountain, spatial fluctuations occurred, and Han Mu and Han Li appeared out of thin air.

"Pfft—" Han Mu spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale. He had forcibly unleashed his immortal power and withstood You Mingzi's attack, leaving him seriously injured.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you alright?" Han Li asked with concern. Although he didn't know why Han Mu had saved him, he remembered this kindness.

"It's alright, I'll just need to adjust my breathing for a moment." Han Mu sat down cross-legged, took out a pill and swallowed it, and began to heal his injuries.

Han Li was also seriously injured and took some medicine to heal. After an incense stick's time, both of their injuries stabilized.

"My name is Han Li. Thank you for saving me, Fellow Daoist Han." Han Li cupped his hands in thanks.

"No need to be so polite, it's fate that we share the same surname." Han Mu waved his hand. "Why is Fellow Daoist Han being hunted down by Youmingzi?"

Han Li smiled wryly: "I obtained a treasure in an ancient ruin, which was discovered by Youmingzi. He tried to take it by force, but I refused, so he chased me all the way here."

"What kind of treasure could make Youmingzi value it so much?" Han Mu asked curiously.

Han Li hesitated for a moment, then took out an object. It was a black fragment, neither gold nor jade, emitting a faint fluctuation of time.

"A fragment of the Dao of Time?" Han Mu's pupils contracted. This fragment was exactly the same as the one he had obtained, only the patterns were different.

"Does Fellow Daoist Han recognize this item?" Han Li asked.

"I recognize it. I have one too." Han Mu took out his fragment.

As soon as the two fragments appeared, they resonated with each other and automatically flew together to form a larger fragment, but some parts were still missing.

"It seems there's more than one fragment of the Time Dao Pattern," Han Mu said.

"Time Dao Pattern?" This was the first time Han Li had heard this name.

"The Dao Pattern of Time is the manifestation of the Law of Time. By collecting all nine fragments, a complete Dao Pattern of Time can be synthesized, allowing one to comprehend the Law of Time," Han Mu explained. This information was given to him by the system.

Han Li suddenly realized why Youmingzi valued it so much; who wouldn't want the Law of Time?

"Fellow Daoist Han, this fragment is yours, and it rightfully belongs to you." Han Mu handed the pieced-together fragment to Han Li. Although he also wanted it, he wouldn't stoop to taking something from a junior.

Han Li shook his head: "If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Han saving me, I would be dead. Consider this fragment a token of my gratitude."

"No, I didn't save you for the treasure," Han Mu said solemnly.

After some polite refusals, Han Li finally said, "How about this, I'll keep this fragment for now. If you need it, Fellow Daoist Han, you can always contact me. Also, I have something else here that might be useful to you."

Han Li then took out another item, a fragment of a map, made of a peculiar material, the origin of which was unknown.

"This is what I got from that ancient ruin. It's placed with the fragments; it should be a map, but it's incomplete," Han Li said.

Han Mu took the incomplete map and examined it carefully. The map depicted mountains and rivers, with a mark in the center that seemed to indicate the location of some secret realm. However, the map was incomplete, only a quarter of it, so the exact location was not discernible.

"System, analyze this image."

[Item: Fragment of the Time-Space Secret Realm Map (1/4)]

Grade: Unknown

[Effect: Records the location of the Time-Space Secret Realm. Collect all four fragments of the map to find the entrance to the Time-Space Secret Realm.]

[Note: The Time-Space Secret Realm is a place where the laws of time are abundant, and it contains fragments of time-related Dao patterns.]

A secret realm of time and space! Han Mu's heart stirred. It seemed that to collect all the fragments of the Dao of Time, he had to find a secret realm of time and space.

"I'll accept this diagram. In exchange, here's a jade slip for you." Han Mu took out a jade slip containing the first level of the "Reincarnation Sword Technique." Although it was only the first level, it was still a Golden Immortal-level sword technique, which would be of great benefit to Han Li.

Han Li accepted the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and was overjoyed: "Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Han!"

"No need to be so polite," Han Mu said. "What are your plans next, Fellow Daoist Han?"

Han Li smiled wryly: "I'm being hunted by Youmingzi and have nowhere to go for the time being. Fellow Daoist Han, are you from the Samsara Palace?"

"Indeed, I am a guest elder of the Samsara Palace." Han Mu nodded. "If Fellow Daoist Han has nowhere to go, you may return to the Samsara Palace with me. The Samsara Palace and the Netherworld Sect are mortal enemies. If you are being hunted down by the Netherworld Prince, the Samsara Palace will protect you."

Han Li pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Han."

"Let's go back to the Samsara Palace first." Han Mu got up and flew towards the Samsara Palace with Han Li.

Unbeknownst to the two, not long after they left, Youmingzi appeared in the desolate mountains.

"They escaped?" Youmingzi scanned the area with his divine sense but found no trace of Han Mu and Han Li. His expression darkened.

"I must obtain the fragments of the Time Dao Pattern!" A ruthless glint flashed in Youmingzi's eyes, and he vanished in a flash.