The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

A murderous aura permeated the chaotic sea.

Han Mu was surrounded by three chaotic beasts, fifty heavenly generals, and a Great Luo Golden Immortal general. Liu Ruyan and her seven companions rushed in from the other side, creating a similar predicament of being blocked in front and pursued from behind.

"Senior Han!" Luo Feng shouted from afar, "We didn't lead them here on purpose! These Heavenly Court bastards have been chasing us relentlessly!"

"Enough talk, form the formation!" Liu Ruyan, having already sensed Han Mu's precarious situation, decisively ordered, "Bai Ling, Zhou Meng, you two hold off the giant beast on the left! Li Qingzhu, Lin Fan, protect the flanks! Lin Xue, harass the Heavenly Generals from a distance! Luo Feng, come with me, support Senior Han!"

The seven quickly changed formation, all wounded but working together seamlessly. Bai Ling and Zhou Meng charged towards the smaller chaotic beast on the left, unleashing their swords and magical weapons, not seeking to kill, but merely to delay. Li Qingzhu summoned a cyan array plate, while Lin Fan stood guard with his spear. Lin Xue drew her longbow, firing arrows at the heavenly generals, not aiming to hit, but simply to disrupt them.

As Luo Feng rushed out, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out seven or eight talismans—gold, silver, and purple, all of high quality: "Senior Han! I also have a few ancestral treasures here. Which one would you like to use?"

Han Mu's eyes twitched. Just who was Luo Feng? He casually produced Heaven-Rank talismans, and now he was pulling out a bunch of treasures. But now wasn't the time to ask that.

"Use that golden one and throw it into the pile of heavenly generals," Han Mu said quickly, his gaze fixed on the divine general in purple-gold armor.

The divine general was also observing Han Mu, his brows furrowed slightly. Intelligence indicated Han Mu was only a late-stage Golden Immortal, but he had witnessed Han Mu's single-handed slaying of twenty-seven Great Yi Jade Immortals from afar. That was clearly the work of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and one who was proficient in the laws of time.

"No wonder you were able to kill so many people from my Heavenly Court." The divine general sneered. "But today, you cannot escape. I am one of the thirty-six divine generals of the Heavenly Court, the Golden-Armored Divine General. Remember the name of the one who killed you, when you reach the Underworld..."

"Enough with the nonsense." Han Mu interrupted him, holding the Blade of Time in front of him. "If you want to fight, then fight."

The golden-armored general's face darkened, and he waved his hand: "Kill! Leave no one alive!"

Fifty celestial generals responded in unison, forming a battle formation and pressing forward. The three chaotic beasts also roared and pounced on Han Mu. Liu Ruyan and her group of seven wanted to provide support, but they were blocked by another group of celestial generals—the golden-armored general had brought more than fifty people, a full eighty celestial generals, half of whom were sent to deal with Liu Ruyan and her group.

"Senior Han, be careful!" Liu Ruyan shouted urgently, but she was entangled by three heavenly generals and could not break free.

Han Mu took a deep breath. He only had 40% of his immortal power left, and his immortal spiritual energy was exhausted, leaving him in poor condition. However, his Time Law had broken through to the Great Perfection stage, making him significantly stronger than before.

"Time moves slowly."

Han Mu formed a hand seal, and silver ripples spread out from him. The dozen or so celestial generals at the forefront instantly slowed down, as if they were stuck in a quagmire. The three chaotic beasts fared no better; their massive bodies slowed drastically under the influence of the laws of time.

But the golden-armored general was unaffected. A flash of purple-gold light appeared on his body, which actually negated the effect of time slowing.

"The laws of time? Nothing more than that." The golden-armored general took a step forward, his spear like a dragon, aimed straight at Han Mu's brow. This spear strike was as fast as lightning, the tip of the spear gathering a point of golden light, tearing through the chaotic air currents, its power terrifying.

Han Mu dared not take the blow head-on. He swayed and used time acceleration to narrowly avoid the spear. The spear tip grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark.

"You dodged pretty fast." The golden-armored general turned and thrust again, the spear shadows raining down, enveloping Han Mu's entire body.

Han Mu parried with his sword, the Blade of Time clashing with the spear, producing a metallic clang. Each impact sent a shiver down Han Mu's arm. The Golden-Armored General was at the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, but his foundation was solid, and his combat strength was slightly greater than Han Mu's, who had just broken through.

To make matters worse, the celestial generals and chaotic beasts had broken free from the time-slowing effect and were attacking from all directions. Han Mu was now facing a situation where he had to fight against so many, and he quickly sustained seven or eight wounds.

"Senior Han!" Luo Feng exclaimed anxiously, pulling out the golden talisman to throw it away.

"Don't use it!" Han Mu shouted. "That's your trump card, save it!"

"But you..."

"I'm fine." Han Mu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes gleaming with a bright silver light. "Did you really think that's all I've got?"

He held nothing back, unleashing the full power of the Time Law. The Blade of Time shone brightly, transforming into a hundred-meter-long silver giant blade, which swept across the area in a single strike.

"Time, sever!"

Time stood still where the silver blade flashed. More than ten celestial generals remained in their charging posture, cut in half at the waist by the blade. The three chaotic behemoths, though thick-skinned, were also left with three deep, bone-revealing wounds, from which blood gushed forth.

However, this strike consumed a great deal of energy, causing Han Mu's face to turn pale and his aura to plummet.

The golden-armored general's eyes lit up: "You're at your last gasp! Prepare to die!"

He thrust out his spear, the tip bursting with golden light, transforming into a golden dragon that roared and pounced towards Han Mu. This was his killing move, "Golden Dragon Breaks the Sky," which had once severely injured a fellow Grand Luo Immortal with a single strike.

Han Mu gritted his teeth, ready to fight desperately, when the system panel suddenly popped up:

[Host detected to be in dire straits]

[Emergency plan activated: Consume Dao Seed Essence to temporarily restore full strength]

[Remaining time for refining the Time Dao Seed - 12 hours]

A surge of immense power erupted from the Dao Seed, instantly replenishing Han Mu's depleted immortal energy, and his injuries rapidly healed. Han Mu felt his entire body brimming with power, and his understanding of the laws of time deepened once more.

"So that's how it is..." Han Mu gripped the Blade of Time, looked at the golden dragon rushing towards him, and without dodging or avoiding, slashed out with his blade.

This simple, unadorned stroke contains the true meaning of the law of time—everything has its time, and time will eventually pass.

The silver blade struck the golden dragon, which aged and disintegrated at a visible speed, eventually turning into specks of golden light and vanishing. The blade continued its attack, slashing towards the golden-armored general.

"Impossible!" The golden-armored general's expression changed drastically, and he parried with his spear.

clang!

The spear snapped in two. The blade struck the golden armor, tearing a gash in the purple-gold suit and spurting blood. The golden-armored general was sent flying, crashing into several chaotic rocks before barely regaining his footing.

He looked down at his chest; his armor was shattered, and a deep gash stretched from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, revealing bone. Had the armor not absorbed most of the force, the blow would have cleaved him in two.

"The Law of Time...at its peak..." The golden-armored general's eyes widened in horror. He realized he was wrong; Han Mu wasn't a newly broken-through Grand Luo Immortal, but a monster who had cultivated the Law of Time to its peak. Such an existence was virtually invincible among those of the same level.

"Retreat!" The golden-armored general made a decisive decision, turning and fleeing. He couldn't win, he really couldn't win. Half of the eighty heavenly generals he brought were already dead; if they continued fighting, he too would perish here.

"Trying to leave?" Han Mu sneered, swinging the Blade of Time once more. This time, it wasn't a flash of light, but a silver ripple that instantly caught up with the golden-armored general.

"Time, a prison."

Silver ripples transformed into a cage, trapping the golden-armored general within. Time flowed a hundred times faster inside the cage than outside. The golden-armored general frantically attacked the cage, but for every layer he broke through, two more would regenerate, endlessly.

"Han Mu! You dare to kill me! The Heavenly Court will not let you get away with this! The Daoist Master will not let you get away with this!" The golden-armored general roared in the cage.

Han Mu ignored him and turned to look at the remaining celestial generals and chaotic beasts. Seeing their commander trapped, the celestial generals dared not fight and turned to flee. The three chaotic beasts also realized the danger and turned to run.

"Trying to escape now? Too late." Han Mu raised his hand, and the Blade of Time split into dozens of blade shadows, slashing towards the fleeing enemy.

Screams echoed one after another. One celestial general after another fell, and the chaotic behemoths also let out mournful cries, being cleaved into pieces by the blades. In less than ten breaths, the battlefield was cleared. All eighty celestial generals were annihilated, and the three chaotic behemoths were subdued, leaving only the golden-armored divine general trapped in the Time Prison.

Liu Ruyan and her six companions were stunned. They had fought desperately to hold off twenty heavenly generals, while Han Mu alone had annihilated eighty heavenly generals and three giant beasts, and even captured a Grand Luo Golden Immortal general alive.

"Senior Han...you've broken through again?" Luo Feng asked cautiously.

Han Mu nodded without saying anything more. He walked to the Time Cage and looked at the golden-armored general inside.

"I ask, you answer. Answer well, and I'll give you a quick death. Answer poorly, and I'll imprison you in a time prison for tens of thousands of years, where you can neither live nor die."

The golden-armored general's face turned deathly pale. The flow of time within the Time Cage was a hundred times faster than outside; ten thousand years inside would amount to only a hundred years outside, but he would endure ten thousand years of torment. This method was more terrifying than death itself.

"Ask away," the golden-armored general gritted his teeth.

Why does the Heavenly Court absolutely require the Heart of Time and Space?

"The Dao Venerable needs the Heart of Time and Space to heal his injuries and awaken his true form," said the golden-armored general. "The Dao Venerable is an avatar of the Chaos Dao Venerable, whose true form slumbers deep within the Chaos Sea. Only the Heart of Time and Space can accelerate the awakening of his true form."

"Has the Netherworld Abyss been breached?"

"Yes. The Netherworld Emperor has fled with serious injuries, and the Netherworld has fallen under the control of the Heavenly Court. The Dao Venerable is currently refining the origin of the Netherworld, and it will be fully restored in three years at most."

Han Mu's heart sank. Three years was shorter than he had imagined.

How many Great Luo Golden Immortals are left in Heaven?

"The thirty-six divine generals are all Great Luo Golden Immortals, the twelve Heavenly Kings are at the peak of Great Luo Golden Immortals, and the four emperors are at the perfection of Great Luo Golden Immortals. However, most of them are guarding the Heavenly Court. This time, only I and three other divine generals have come to the Chaos Sea."

Where are they?

"I don't know. We split up; I was in charge of this area, and they were in charge of the others. But the commotion was too loud; they probably sensed it and are on their way."

Han Mu frowned. If three Grand Luo Golden Immortal generals joined forces, he truly wouldn't be able to defeat them in his current state. The Dao Seed's essence couldn't be consumed indefinitely; that last strike had already consumed twelve hours of refining time. Continuing to consume it would affect the Dao Seed's fusion.

"One last question," Han Mu stared at the golden-armored general, "What exactly is the use of the Heart of Time and Space? Besides awakening the Chaos Dao Venerable, what else is it for?"

The golden-armored general's eyes flickered: "I...I don't know."

"Not going to talk?" Han Mu raised his hand, and the flow of time within the time cage accelerated once more, from a hundred times to a thousand times. The golden-armored general's hair turned white at a visible speed, and wrinkles appeared on his skin; he was aging rapidly.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The golden-armored general collapsed. "The Heart of Time and Space is the Time Dao Ancestor's natal treasure. After refining it, one can control the origin of time, and even reverse time and space to resurrect the dead! Dao Venerable wants the Heart of Time and Space not only to awaken his own body, but also to resurrect someone!"

"Who?"

"I...I really don't know. This is the Dao Venerable's secret, known only to the Four Emperors and the Twelve Heavenly Kings."

Han Mu stared at him for a moment, making sure he wasn't lying, before nodding.

"You can die now."

The blade of time pierced the cage, penetrating the chest of the golden-armored general. The general's body stiffened, the divine light in his eyes faded, and he died.

Han Mu sheathed his sword, the Time Cage dissipated, and the golden-armored general's corpse fell to the ground. He summoned the system panel to check his gains.

[Slay one early-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortal, gain 5000 points of Immortal Spiritual Energy]

[Slay 3 peak-level Great Yi Jade Immortals and gain 3000 Immortal Spirit Qi]

[Slay 77 mid-stage Grand Jade Immortals, gain 7700 Immortal Spirit Energy]

[Slay 3 Chaos Beasts and gain 4500 Immortal Spirit Points]

Total: 20200 points of Celestial Aura

[Time-based Dao Seed Refinement Remaining: 59 hours]

[System notification: Abundant immortal energy. Exchange for healing pills?]

Han Mu chose to exchange for the pills, and a golden pill appeared in his hand. After swallowing it, his injuries healed rapidly. He then exchanged for a few more pills and tossed them to Liu Ruyan and the other six.

"Hurry up and heal your wounds. We'll leave in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn," Han Mu said. "The other three divine generals are probably already on their way."

Liu Ruyan and the other six accepted the pills and began healing themselves. While healing, Luo Feng muttered, "Senior Han, that move you just used was so cool! One strike to kill a Grand Luo Immortal, I want to learn that too!"

"You can't learn it," Zhou Meng retorted. "That's the law of time; there's no way you could learn it with a brain like yours."

"Hey, what do you mean?"

"Literal meaning."

Han Mu ignored their bickering and walked to the corpse of the Golden Armored General, taking out his storage ring. He probed it with his divine sense and found many valuable items inside: immortal crystals, pills, materials, and a golden token with "Golden Armor" engraved on the front and "Thirty-Six" on the back.

The identity token of a Heavenly General.

Han Mu put away the token, then flipped through it again and found a map. The map marked a part of the Chaos Sea, with a red dot that read "Temple of Time and Space".

"This is..." Han Mu's pupils contracted. The location of the red dot was precisely where the Temple of Time was located. The Heavenly Court already knew the location of the Temple of Time and had sent people there.

"We must leave immediately." Han Mu turned around, about to call out to the others, when suddenly his expression changed and he looked into the depths of the Chaos Sea.

There, three powerful auras were rapidly approaching, each no weaker than the Golden Armored General, and one even stronger.

The three divine generals have arrived.

Moreover, one of them was a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"Go!" Han Mu made a decisive move, activating the laws of time. Silver light enveloped everyone as they fled towards the outer edge of the Chaos Sea.

But it was too late. Three figures descended from the sky, blocking their path. The leader was an old man in black robes, his aura as deep as the abyss, clearly a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal. Behind him were two middle-aged men, both early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortals.

"You killed my Heavenly Court general and you think you can just leave?" The old man in black robes sneered, raising his hand and pressing down, causing the chaotic energy to solidify and seal off all directions.

Han Mu's heart sank.

This is really troublesome.