The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The old man who sat up in the bronze coffin had golden flames burning in his eyes, a gaze that seemed to see through everything. Although his eyes were closed, everyone felt as if they had been completely seen through.

Han Mu felt a chill run down his spine. This old man's strength was definitely far beyond that of a Golden Immortal, at least at the level of a Great Luo Immortal, and possibly even a Dao Ancestor! The system couldn't detect him, which showed that his strength was unfathomable.

"Senior, the fragment of the Time Dao Pattern was obtained by chance." Han Mu cupped his hands, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. Facing an existence of this level, fear was useless; it was better to be composed.

"A stroke of luck?" The old man's voice was hoarse, with a hint of amusement. "To be able to kill Youmingzi, to break the temporal turbulence, to obtain the fragments of the time Dao pattern, is that a stroke of luck? Little brat, you don't need to put on airs in front of me."

Han Mu's heart tightened; the old man seemed to have seen through his disguise. However, the fact that the old man hadn't directly tried to seize it meant there was still room for negotiation.

"Senior wants this fragment of the Time Dao Pattern?" Han Mu asked.

"It's not that I want it, it's that I need it," the old man said calmly. "This item is useful to me. Hand it over, and I may spare your lives, and even bestow upon you a great fortune."

Han Mu remained silent. The fragments of the Time Dao Pattern were equally important to him, but the current situation was beyond his control; the old man wanted to seize them by force, and he couldn't stop him. Moreover, the old man hadn't made a direct move, indicating that he wasn't a tyrannical person.

"Senior, could you please tell me what you need this for?" Han Mu asked.

The old man was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "My name is 'The Coffin Guardian.' I have been guarding this place for three million years, waiting for someone who can bring me a fragment of the Dao of Time. This item can help me escape this damned coffin."

A coffin keeper? Three million years? Everyone gasped. What kind of person could stay in a coffin for three million years? Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal's lifespan is only a million years, unless it's the Dao Ancestor!

"Senior is the Dao Ancestor?" Liu Ruyan asked in a trembling voice.

"The Dao Ancestor?" The coffin keeper scoffed. "What is the Dao Ancestor? In my prime, even the Dao Ancestor would have to bow to me. But now... let's not talk about it. Little brat, give me the fragment of the Time Dao Rune, and I'll teach you a time-related divine power and tell you a great secret about the Immortal Realm. How about it?"

Han Mu's mind raced. While the fragments of the Time Dao Pattern were precious, the coffin keeper's offer was also quite good. Time-related divine abilities and great secrets of the Immortal Realm were perhaps no less valuable than the fragments of the Time Dao Pattern. Moreover, if he didn't give them up, he might not be able to leave this cavern.

"Does the senior keep his word?" Han Mu asked.

"I wouldn't stoop to lying to a little kid like you," the coffin keeper said, somewhat displeased.

"Alright, I'll trust you this once, senior." Han Mu took out a fragment of the Time Dao Pattern and tossed it to the coffin guardian.

The fragments transformed into streams of light and flew toward the bronze coffin. The coffin keeper caught them, examined them carefully for a moment, and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, they are indeed fragments of the Dao of Time. Although they are only fragments, they are enough."

Having said that, the coffin keeper pressed the fragment to his brow. The fragment merged with his brow, and a dazzling light erupted from the coffin keeper, shaking the entire cavern. The patterns on the coffin lid lit up, and phantom chains appeared, wrapping around the coffin keeper.

"Break for me!" the coffin keeper shouted, his aura surging, and the illusory chains shattered inch by inch.

boom!

The cave shook violently, and rubble fell in a flurry. The coffin keeper slowly rose from the coffin. He was still wearing the bronze armor, but his face was no longer withered; it had become ruddy and radiant, making him look like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. However, his eyes still burned with golden flames.

"Hahaha, three million years! I'm finally free!" The coffin keeper laughed, his laughter echoing through the cavern.

Han Mu and the others were so shocked by the laughter that their blood surged, and they hurriedly used their internal energy to defend themselves. After the coffin keeper finished laughing, he looked at Han Mu: "Little brat, you're not bad. I keep my word, and I will now teach you the Time Divine Power."

The coffin keeper flicked his finger, and a golden light shot into Han Mu's brow. Instantly, a new supernatural power appeared in Han Mu's mind—time reversal.

Time reversal allows time to flow backward for three breaths. Although only three breaths, it can be enough to turn the tide of battle in a critical moment. Moreover, this supernatural ability can be enhanced as one's cultivation level increases; at a high level, it can even reverse time by several days or months!

"Thank you, senior." Han Mu cupped his hands in thanks. This divine ability was of immeasurable value, no less than a fragment of the Time Dao Pattern.

"No need to thank me, you deserve it." The coffin keeper waved his hand. "Now, I'll tell you the big secret."

The coffin keeper's expression turned solemn: "A great calamity is about to befall the Immortal Realm, and even the Dao Ancestor cannot escape it. This calamity originates from beyond the Chaos, and an indescribable being is spying on the Immortal Realm. The Dao Ancestor of Time, the Dao Ancestor of Space, and the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation have all noticed it and are making preparations to deal with it. The fragment of the Time Dao Pattern in your hand is part of the Dao Ancestor of Time's plan."

Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. A calamity in the Immortal Realm? An indescribable existence? A scheme orchestrated by the Dao Ancestor?

"Senior, do you know what that being is?" Han Mu asked.

"I don't know." The coffin keeper shook his head. "I only know that the being was very strong, so strong that even the Dao Ancestors might not be able to defeat it. Three million years ago, I was affected by the power of that being, and was severely injured and died, leaving only a wisp of my soul hiding in this bronze coffin. If it weren't for this 'Immortal Coffin' protecting me, I would have been completely destroyed long ago."

An immortal coffin? Han Mu looked at the bronze coffin. A coffin capable of protecting a remnant soul for three million years without decay—this coffin was undoubtedly a priceless treasure.

"So, senior, now..." Han Mu looked at the coffin keeper. Although the coffin keeper had escaped, his aura was still weak, far from his peak.

"I am but a wisp of my soul left. I obtained a fragment of the Time Dao Pattern, which can preserve my soul, but it will be difficult to restore my strength," the coffin keeper sighed. "However, it is already a great fortune that I was able to escape. Young man, we are destined to meet, and I will bestow upon you another great opportunity."

The coffin keeper reached out, and the bronze coffin shrank to the size of a palm, falling into his hand. He handed the bronze coffin to Han Mu: "This immortal coffin is for you. This coffin can preserve the physical body from decay and the soul from destruction, and can even withstand a Dao Ancestor's attack in a critical moment. However, with your current cultivation level, activating it once will exhaust all your magical power, so use it with caution."

Han Mu took the bronze coffin. It was cold to the touch. The coffin was covered with mysterious patterns and exuded an ancient and weathered aura.

"System, view the Immortal Coffin."

[The Immortal Coffin: An innate spiritual treasure that can preserve the physical body and the soul from decay. It contains a time law; one year inside the coffin is equivalent to one day outside. It can withstand three attacks from a Dao Ancestor-level expert, each requiring the consumption of all mana to activate.]

A Primordial Spiritual Treasure! Han Mu was shocked. Magical treasures are categorized into magical artifacts, spiritual artifacts, magical treasures, spiritual treasures, immortal artifacts, and Primordial Spiritual Treasures. Primordial Spiritual Treasures are born from heaven and earth, possessing boundless power; there are only a handful in the entire Immortal Realm. This Immortal Coffin is actually a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, capable of altering the flow of time—one year inside the coffin equals one day outside—it's practically a cultivation artifact!

"Senior, this is far too precious," Han Mu said. A primordial spiritual treasure, even a Dao Ancestor would be envious, and the coffin keeper just gives it away like that?

"Valuable?" The coffin keeper laughed. "I'm just a remnant soul now, what use is this coffin to me? I'd rather give it to someone destined to have it. You're a good young man, decisive in killing but not bloodthirsty, loyal but not pedantic. You deserve this coffin. But remember, possessing a treasure is a crime; don't show it to others easily, or even the Dao Ancestor will hunt you down."

"This junior understands." Han Mu solemnly put away the immortal coffin.

The coffin keeper nodded, then looked at Liu Ruyan and the others: "You little ones are quite good. It's fate that you've made it this far. I'll give each of you a time imprint, which can save your lives in a critical moment."

Having said that, the coffin keeper flicked his fingers, and eight golden rays shot into the foreheads of Liu Ruyan and the other eight people. The eight people felt a heat between their foreheads, and a golden mark appeared, which then disappeared.

"The Time Imprint can be triggered when you are near death, turning back time by three breaths, enough for you to escape or fight back. However, it can only be used once, so use it with caution," said the coffin keeper.

"Thank you so much, senior!" Liu Ruyan and the other eight were overjoyed and quickly bowed. This was their life-saving trump card, invaluable.

The coffin keeper waved his hand, his figure fading away: "I'm leaving now to find an old friend and discuss how to deal with the great calamity. Young man, take care of yourself. I hope that when we meet again, you will be standing at the pinnacle of the immortal realm."

As soon as he finished speaking, the coffin keeper vanished as if he had never been there.

The cave fell silent, with only the pool of water still rippling. If it weren't for the time mark between his brows and the Immortal Coffin in his hand, Han Mu would have doubted whether everything he had just experienced was an illusion.

"Senior Han, what do we do now?" Liu Ruyan asked. The coffin keeper was gone, and the fragments of the Time Dao Pattern were also gone. It seemed that this trip to the secret realm had been a complete waste.

Han Mu didn't answer, but instead looked at the pool. Although the coffin keeper had taken the fragment of the Time Dao Pattern, the time fluctuations in the pool hadn't disappeared; in fact, they had become even stronger.

"There's something at the bottom of this pool." Han Mu walked to the edge of the pool and reached his hand into the water. The water was icy cold, and the flow of time was erratic, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

"System, detect the pool."

[Detection in progress... There is a spacetime node at the bottom of the pool, connecting to an unknown space]

A spacetime node? Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. The spacetime node that Han Li discovered was in the Netherworld Abyss. Is there another one here? Moreover, this node seems to be more stable.

"You all step back, I'll go down and take a look," Han Mu said to Liu Ruyan and the others.

"Senior Han, be careful." Liu Ruyan and the others retreated to the entrance of the cave.

Han Mu leaped into the pool and dived downwards. The pool was very deep; he dived a hundred feet before reaching the bottom. At the bottom of the pool was a whirlpool, and at the center of the whirlpool was a portal of light, radiating spatial and temporal fluctuations.

"Spacetime node." Han Mu approached the portal, which had a suction force that tried to pull him in.

Han Mu did not resist, letting the suction pull him in. In a flash, he found himself in another space.

This is a grand hall, and in the center of the hall is an altar. Floating on the altar are three things: a jade slip, a jade bottle, and a bronze mirror.

Han Mu approached the altar and first looked at the jade slip. Four characters were inscribed on the jade slip: "The Dao of Time."

The Dao of Time? Han Mu picked up the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. The jade slip contained a cultivation method, the Dao of Time, which allowed one to cultivate the laws of time and reach the Dao Ancestor realm! However, this was only the first part, a cultivation method for True Immortals to Taiyi.

"System, view the first part of the Time Dao Scripture."

[The First Part of the Time Dao Scripture: A cultivation method created by the Time Dao Ancestor. Practicing it allows one to master the laws of time. It is divided into nine levels, corresponding to the stages from True Immortal to Taiyi. Cultivation requires the assistance of Time Dao Pattern fragments.]

"Need fragments of the Dao of Time?" Han Mu frowned. He had already given the fragments to the coffin keeper, but the keeper said the fragments were part of the Dao Ancestor of Time's plan. Could it be that the Dao Ancestor of Time foresaw his arrival here and left behind the Dao Scripture?

Han Mu then looked at the jade bottle. Inside the jade bottle was a drop of golden liquid, emitting a strong fluctuation of the laws of time.

"Time Source Liquid." Han Mu recognized the item. Time Source Liquid is formed from the condensation of the Time Law. A single drop can allow a True Immortal to directly comprehend the basics of the Time Law, and it is also of great use to Golden Immortals and Taiyi Immortals.

Finally, there was the bronze mirror. It was about the size of a palm, with a blurry surface that couldn't reflect a person's image.

"System, inspect the bronze mirror."

[Time Mirror (Fragment): A fragment of an innate spiritual treasure, capable of reflecting the past and future, but now incomplete and greatly diminished in power. The complete Time Mirror is a chaotic spiritual treasure, capable of peering into the river of time.]

Another fragment of an innate spiritual treasure! Han Mu put away the three items and pondered. The Time Dao Scripture, the Time Source Liquid, and the Time Mirror fragment—all three are related to time. Clearly, someone deliberately left them here, waiting for a destined person to claim them.

Is it the Time Dao Ancestor? Or the Coffin Guardian? Or someone else entirely?

Han Mu couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. Since he had obtained this opportunity, he might as well make good use of it. He immediately sat down cross-legged, drank the Time Source Liquid, and began to comprehend the "Time Dao Scripture".

The Time Source Liquid entered Han Mu's body, transforming into pure Time Laws that surged into his body. Han Mu circulated the "Time Dao Scripture," absorbing the Time Laws, and his comprehension of the Time Laws rapidly improved.

A day later, Han Mu opened his eyes, a golden light flashing within them.

"System, check the progress of the Time Law."

[Time Rule: 8% of the Beginner Level]

From 3% to 8%, a full 5% increase! The Time Source Liquid is truly miraculous. Moreover, the "Time Dao Scripture" is incredibly profound; Han Mu has already benefited immensely from even just scratching the surface.

"It's time to go back." Han Mu got up, left the main hall, returned to the bottom of the pool through the space-time node, and then flew out of the water.

"Senior Han!" Liu Ruyan and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Han Mu come out.

"Let's go, let's leave this place," Han Mu said. He had obtained a great opportunity and should not stay any longer. Moreover, the coffin keeper said that a great calamity was about to befall the Immortal Realm, and he had to improve his strength as soon as possible.

The nine people left the cave and returned to the surface. As soon as they emerged from the cave, they saw several streaks of light flying in from the sky, their auras powerful, at least those of Golden Immortals.

"They're from the Heavenly Court!" Lin Fan's expression changed.

The leader was a golden-armored celestial general, whose aura was clearly that of a peak Golden Immortal! Behind him were four mid-stage Golden Immortals and ten peak True Immortals.

"Inspector?" Han Mu's pupils contracted. Golden-armored celestial general, peak Golden Immortal—this was the standard configuration for a Heavenly Court Inspector. Inspectors were responsible for patrolling the Immortal Realm and apprehending wanted criminals; they wielded immense power.

"Han Mu, you murdered the Heavenly Court general Youmingzi, a heinous crime! Surrender now!" the golden-armored heavenly general roared, his voice like thunder.

Han Mu's heart sank. The Heavenly Court acted swiftly; Youmingzi had only been dead for a few days, and the Inspector had already come knocking. Moreover, the Inspector knew his name, clearly someone had tipped him off.

Is it Old Ghost Mo? No, Old Ghost Mo is dead. Then who is it? Is there a traitor within the Samsara Palace?

"Senior, what should we do?" Liu Ruyan and the others looked at Han Mu. The enemy had four peak Golden Immortals, four mid-stage Golden Immortals, and ten peak True Immortals, while they only had Han Mu, a late-stage Golden Immortal (ostensibly an early-stage Golden Immortal). How could they possibly fight?

Han Mu was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Since the Heavenly Court wants to capture me, let's see if you have the ability."

As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying aura erupted from Han Mu's body. He was no longer at the early stage of Golden Immortal, but at the late stage of Golden Immortal!

"Late-stage Golden Immortal!" The golden-armored general's expression changed. "The intelligence was wrong! But so what if you're a late-stage Golden Immortal? I am a peak Golden Immortal; killing you is a piece of cake! Form the formation and capture him!"

Four mid-stage Golden Immortals and ten peak True Immortals quickly formed an array, surrounding Han Mu and his nine companions.

The war is about to start.