The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Darkness as black as ink, time and space distorted.

Han Mu sped through the depths of the Netherworld Abyss, the faint, persistent sensation behind him like a persistent, intractable infection. The white-clad woman's bronze mirror was clearly no ordinary object; no matter how he changed direction or concealed his presence, she could always pinpoint his location with pinpoint accuracy.

"Tsk, troublesome." Han Mu frowned and brought up the system panel.

A semi-transparent interface appears before your eyes:

Name: Han Mu

True Realm: Late Golden Immortal

Surface Realm: Mid-stage True Immortal

Time Rule: 8% for Beginners

Spatial Laws: Introduction 3%

Celestial Aura: 10200 points

Current status: Being tracked by Taiyi Yuxian in the later stages (locked state)

"System, is there any way to block the tracking?"

[Analysis in progress... The target is using the 'Sky-Gazing Mirror' (a replica of a magical artifact), which can lock onto the aura of a designated target within a thousand miles. Countermeasures: 1. If your cultivation level is higher than the target's, forcibly erase the mark; 2. Use a high-level shielding talisman (requires 8000 Immortal Spiritual Energy); 3. Enter a special area to interfere with the Sky-Gazing Mirror's perception.]

His cultivation level was higher than hers? He was currently a late-stage Golden Immortal, while the woman in white was a late-stage Taiyi Jade Immortal—a whole realm difference. A high-level shielding talisman required eight thousand units of immortal spiritual energy; he only had a little over ten thousand left, and using it would leave him with just over two thousand. Special area…

Han Mu looked deeper into the Netherworld Abyss, where the spatial-temporal turbulence was even more violent, and a terrifying aura emanated from it. Special areas—would the core of the Netherworld Abyss count?

Just as he hesitated, a figure suddenly rushed out of the darkness ahead—it was Luo Feng. He was panting heavily, and upon seeing Han Mu, he cried out as if he'd found a long-lost relative: "Senior Han! I've finally found you!"

"How did you find me?" Han Mu asked. The nine of them ran in nine different directions, so it should have been difficult for them to meet again.

Luo Feng scratched his head and grinned, "I don't know either. I was just running around randomly, and then I saw you. Maybe we're destined to meet."

Han Mu rolled his eyes. Fate my foot! It's definitely the chaos of spacetime in the Netherworld Abyss that brought people from different directions together again. This also means that others might encounter this, including that woman in white.

"Senior Han, is that woman still pursuing you?" Luo Feng asked in a low voice.

Han Mu nodded, about to speak, when the sounds of fighting came from the right, mixed with Liu Ruyan's shouts. The two exchanged a glance and immediately rushed towards the direction of the sound.

A hundred meters away, Liu Ruyan, Bai Ling, and Zhou Meng were being besieged by a group of ghostly creatures. These creatures were stronger than those they had encountered before, with several of them even possessing the aura of a mid-stage Golden Immortal.

"Help!" Han Mu rushed over, unleashing the Law of Time. With a flash of sword light, the three mid-stage Golden Immortal ghosts faltered, allowing Liu Ruyan and the other two to seize the opportunity to kill them. But even more ghosts surged out from the darkness, an endless stream of creatures.

"This fight will never end!" Zhou Meng shouted, brandishing his sword. "The ghosts in the Netherworld Abyss are endless; we can't afford to waste this time!"

"Let's regroup with the others first!" Han Mu made a decisive decision, using the laws of time to clear a path and leading the four of them in a charge in one direction. Along the way, they encountered Lin Fan, Lin Xue, and Li Qingzhu, who were also besieged by ghosts and were in a critical situation.

After regrouping, the eight formed another formation, easing the pressure slightly. However, the number of ghosts they killed increased, and their strength grew exponentially. From True Immortal level at the beginning, they had now reached the mid-stage of Golden Immortal level. Who knew if late-stage or even peak Golden Immortal level ghosts would appear later?

"Senior Han, this won't do, we need to think of a way." Liu Ruyan's face was pale; the continuous battles had taken a heavy toll on her.

Han Mu was also trying to figure out a solution. The system said that special areas could interfere with the Sky-Gazing Mirror's perception, and the core of the Netherworld Abyss was definitely a special area, but it was even more dangerous there. However, he couldn't worry about that now. Staying here was tantamount to waiting to die, while going to the core might offer a glimmer of hope.

"Go deeper!" Han Mu pointed towards the core of the Netherworld Abyss.

"Deep inside?" Luo Feng's eyes widened. "Senior Han, isn't it more dangerous there? I heard that there are spacetime rifts in the core of the Netherworld Abyss, and once you go in, you can't come out."

"Staying here is certain death, going in might offer a chance of survival." Han Mu stated firmly, "Let's go!"

Left with no other choice, the eight followed Han Mu deeper into the land. They fought their way through, killing countless ghosts along the way, until they finally arrived at a strange place.

This place was no longer pure darkness, but a hazy gray expanse. The ground was black, scorched earth, and countless fragments of broken spacetime floated in the sky. These fragments, like mirrors, reflected all sorts of distorted scenes: some fragments contained the past, some the future, and some completely unfamiliar worlds.

"The spacetime turbulence zone." Liu Ruyan gasped. "Senior Han, we can't go in here. We'll be torn to shreds if we do."

Han Mu also sensed the danger. The spacetime turbulence was a hundred times more dangerous than a spacetime node; time and space within it were chaotic, making it easy to enter but difficult to escape. But the pursuers behind him were getting closer and closer; the woman in white was catching up.

"Go in!" Han Mu gritted his teeth and stepped into the spacetime turbulence zone first.

The eight people exchanged glances and had no choice but to follow. As soon as they entered, the woman in white appeared outside the turbulent area, her brows furrowed.

"Space-time turbulence? They certainly know how to pick a spot." The woman in white sneered, taking out a jade talisman and crushing it. The jade talisman transformed into a beam of azure light, enveloping her entire body, and then she stepped into the turbulence zone.

Within the turbulent zone, Han Mu and his group of nine proceeded cautiously. The surrounding area was filled with fragments of spacetime; a single misstep could send them swept into an unknown dimension. Han Mu, relying on his perception of the laws of time, managed to barely avoid the most dangerous fragments, but the others faced a much greater challenge.

"Ah!" Lin Xue suddenly screamed. A fragment of spacetime lit up beneath her feet, sucking half of her body into it. Lin Fan reacted quickly, grabbing her hand, but the suction was too strong, and he was also dragged towards the fragment.

Han Mu turned around and slashed at the fragment with his sword. The spacetime fragment shattered, the suction disappeared, and Lin Xue fell to the ground, her face deathly pale.

"Be careful, don't touch the debris," Han Mu warned, while speeding up. Every second they stayed here increased the danger.

After advancing several hundred meters, a relatively peaceful area appeared ahead. There were no spacetime fragments there, only a dilapidated stone palace, in front of which lay a giant beast.

The colossal beast, the size of a mountain, was covered in black scales, possessed a single horn on its head, and had wings on its back. It was fast asleep. Each breath it took caused fluctuations in the surrounding spacetime, clearly indicating that it was a Netherworld beast that controlled the power of spacetime.

"The Netherworld Beast King!" Liu Ruyan's voice trembled. "A Netherworld Beast King at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and one that controls the power of space and time. We can't defeat it."

Han Mu's expression also turned solemn. With the power of spacetime and the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, this Netherworld Beast King's strength was likely close to that of a Taiyi Jade Immortal. A direct confrontation was out of the question, but bypassing it was impossible either; the stone hall was the only way through.

"System, analyze the weaknesses of the Netherworld Beast King."

[Analysis in progress... Netherworld Beast King (Peak Golden Immortal), controls the laws of spacetime (5% entry level). Weakness: Defense decreases by 30% while asleep; attacking its heart can be fatal. However, it unleashes its full power upon awakening, so it is advised not to provoke it.]

Its defenses are reduced by 30% during its slumber, making an attack on the heart potentially fatal. Han Mu's mind raced. As a late-stage Golden Immortal, a full-force attack should be able to break through the Netherworld Beast King's defenses while it slumbered. But if it failed to kill it, waking it up would be even more troublesome.

"We can't get around it, we have to kill it." Han Mu made his decision. "You all step back, I'll launch a sneak attack."

"Senior Han, this is too dangerous," Liu Ruyan tried to dissuade him.

"There's no time, that woman is catching up." Han Mu shook his head, concealed his aura, and quietly approached the Netherworld Beast King. Thirty zhang, twenty zhang, ten zhang... the distance was getting closer and closer, but the Netherworld Beast King remained asleep, completely unaware.

Just as Han Mu was about to make his move, he heard a whooshing sound behind him. The woman in white had caught up!

"Found you." The woman in white appeared a hundred feet behind Han Mu. She was taken aback when she saw the Netherworld Beast King, then sneered, "Netherworld Beast King? Perfect. Saves me the trouble of doing it myself. Let this beast kill you, and then I'll take your storage ring."

Han Mu's expression changed, and without hesitation, he thrust his sword towards the Netherworld Beast King's heart. But it was too late; the appearance of the woman in white had startled the Netherworld Beast King, and it opened its eyes.

Those were a pair of golden, vertical pupils, cold and ruthless, filled with savagery. The Netherworld Beast King awoke, saw Han Mu's sword thrusting towards it, roared, and slashed out with its claw.

boom!

Sword and claw clashed, sending Han Mu flying backward. He crashed through several fragments of spacetime before coming to a stop, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The Netherworld Beast King had injured him with a single claw strike; its strength was indeed terrifying.

"Humans, you're courting death!" The Netherworld Beast King spoke in a human voice, its booming tone shaking the very fabric of spacetime. It looked at Han Mu, then at the woman in white, clearly regarding them both as intruders.

The woman in white's expression also changed. The Netherworld Beast King was at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and with the power of spacetime, even though she was a late-stage Taiyi Jade Immortal, her strength was suppressed in this spacetime turbulence zone. She might not be able to win in a real fight.

"Beast, I have no intention of being your enemy, I only wish to take this person's life." The woman in white pointed at Han Mu.

The Netherworld Beast King ignored it completely and slashed at the woman in white with its claws again. In its eyes, both humans were intruders and deserved to die.

The woman in white had no choice but to fight. The demon and the human clashed, their battle causing the heavens and earth to tremble and fragments of space and time to shatter. Han Mu seized the opportunity to retreat and rejoin Liu Ruyan and the other eight.

"Now's the time, let's go!" Han Mu shouted, leading the eight men around the battlefield and rushing towards the stone hall. If they could enter the stone hall, they might be able to escape the woman in white and the Netherworld Beast King.

But just as they reached the entrance of the stone hall, a figure blocked their way—it was the woman in white. She had somehow managed to shake off the Netherworld Beast King and escape their pursuit.

"Trying to run?" The woman in white sneered, striking out with her palm. This palm strike contained the full power of the Taiyi Jade Immortal, and wherever the palm wind passed, fragments of space and time were annihilated.

Han Mu's expression changed drastically; he couldn't withstand that palm strike. If he couldn't block it, he would die; if he did, he would be severely injured. But he had to block it; otherwise, Liu Ruyan and the other eight would all die.

"System, redeem the 'Taiyi Amulet'!"

[Exchange successful. Consumed 8000 Immortal Spirit Energy. Obtained 1 Taiyi Protective Talisman (can withstand a full-force attack from a Taiyi Jade Immortal)]

Han Mu's immortal spiritual energy instantly dwindled to only 2200 points. He felt a pang of pain, but he couldn't worry about that now. He crushed the protective talisman, and a golden light shield enveloped him. His palm strike slammed into the shield, causing it to vibrate violently and crack, but it didn't shatter.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Han Mu thrust out his sword, aiming straight for the white-clad woman's throat. The white-clad woman hadn't expected Han Mu to be able to block her full-force palm strike. Caught off guard, she was grazed by the sword light, leaving a bloody mark on her cheek.

"You're courting death!" The woman in white touched her cheek, saw the blood, and flew into a rage. She, a dignified Jade Immortal of the Taiyi Realm, had been injured by a mere Golden Immortal—it was an utter disgrace.

But just then, the Netherworld Beast King caught up and slapped the white-clad woman on the back with its claw. The white-clad woman had no choice but to turn around to deal with it, and Han Mu took the opportunity to lead his men into the stone hall.

The stone hall was a hidden world, devoid of any spatial or temporal turbulence; instead, it was remarkably peaceful. In the center of the hall stood a stone platform, upon which rested a wooden box. A talisman was affixed to the box; the talisman had yellowed with age but still exuded a terrifying aura.

"This is..." Han Mu stared at the wooden box, his heart pounding. He was all too familiar with the aura emanating from that talisman—it was the aura of the Time Dao Ancestor!

"Something left behind by the Time Dao Ancestor?" Liu Ruyan recognized it as well, her expression filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Just as Han Mu was about to step forward to investigate, a loud crash came from behind him. The stone hall doors were blasted open, and the woman in white and the Netherworld Beast King rushed in one after the other. The two stopped fighting as soon as they entered, both staring at the wooden box on the stone platform.

"The aura of the Time Dao Ancestor..." A greedy glint flashed in the white-robed woman's eyes. "What the Dao Ancestor was looking for is indeed here!"

The Netherworld Beast King also stared at the wooden box, a longing gleaming in its golden vertical pupils. It could sense that the contents of the box would greatly benefit it, perhaps even allowing it to break through to the Taiyi Realm.

"Human, hand over the wooden box, and I'll spare your life." The Netherworld Beast King spoke in human language, its oppressive aura locking onto Han Mu.

The woman in white also looked at Han Mu and said coldly, "Han Mu, give me the wooden box, and I might spare your life."

Han Mu smiled. First, there was the Netherworld Beast King; then, the woman in white. Both wanted the wooden box, both wanted his life. This situation was truly…exciting.

"System, view the wooden box information."

[Analysis in progress... The wooden box contains a sealed 'Fragment of Time Dao Patterns (Middle),' left by the Time Dao Ancestor. It contains the true meaning of the Time Laws and can enhance one's comprehension of the Time Laws after refinement. Warning: The seal on the wooden box was set by the Dao Ancestor; forcibly opening it will trigger a time storm.]

A fragment of Time Dao Pattern, and it's even intermediate level! Han Mu's heart raced. He was only at the entry level of the Time Law at 8%, but if he refined this fragment, he could at least raise it to over 20%, or even higher.

However, forcibly opening the Dao Ancestor's seal would trigger a time storm. A time storm is something that can even tear apart a Grand Luo Golden Immortal.

What to do? Take it or not? If he takes it, he might be torn apart by the Time Storm. If he doesn't take it, the Netherworld Beast King and the woman in white won't let him go either.

Just as Han Mu was struggling with his decision, the talisman on the wooden box suddenly rose up without any wind. The talisman burned, turning into a golden light that shot into Han Mu's brow.

"Successor, we've finally waited for you." An aged voice echoed in Han Mu's mind.