The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

With a single slash, the world changed color.

This strike was not earth-shattering; it was merely a thin silver line extending from the Blade of Time, slicing through the gray shadow's body. Where the silver line passed, time and space froze, and all things stood still.

The gray shadow's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to dodge, but found his body unable to move. Not because he was imprisoned, but because time around him had been severed.

Severing time and space doesn't sever the present, but rather the connection between the past and the future. With this strike, Gray Shadow felt his connection to the past being severed, and the possibility of the future disappearing. He was standing in the same spot, yet he felt that he existed neither in the past nor in the future, becoming a person who "didn't exist."

"The laws of spacetime, perfected... no, this is the Dao Ancestor level!" The gray figure uttered a few words with difficulty, and fear appeared in his eyes for the first time.

The silver thread pierced through his body without leaving a mark, but the aura of the gray shadow plummeted rapidly. It fell from the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm all the way down to the late, middle, and early stages of the Great Luo realm... finally settling at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.

"Pfft!" The gray figure spat out a mouthful of gray blood, his body trembling violently. The foundation of his spacetime Dao within his body had been severed at its source by this strike. Although he still possessed the physical body of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, with his Dao foundation destroyed, his actual combat strength was only equivalent to that of a peak Golden Immortal.

"You...you actually mastered the spacetime laws at the Dao Ancestor level!" The gray shadow stared intently at Han Mu, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Han Mu was also in bad shape. This strike had drained eighty percent of his immortal power, and his Dao Seed was burning even faster. He could feel that his Dao Seed was rapidly collapsing, and it would only last for ten more breaths before completely dissipating. At that time, his cultivation would plummet from the peak of the mid-stage of the Great Luo realm to the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and he would be unable to recover for a hundred years.

"Strike while the iron is hot." Han Mu didn't waste any words and swung his sword again. This time it was a normal attack, but it contained the law of time, and it was still something that the gray shadow couldn't withstand in its current state.

Gray Shadow gritted his teeth and summoned his small gray flag. The crack on the flag widened, but it still barely blocked the attack. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gray Shadow retreated rapidly, rushing towards the cave entrance. He had already lost his fighting ability; continuing to fight would surely mean certain death.

"Trying to leave?" Han Mu sneered, the Blade of Time flew out of his hand, turning into a silver light that pierced the heart of the Gray Shadow Queen.

Sensing danger, the gray shadow turned around and struck out with a palm. The palm print collided with the silver light, which flew back, but the gray shadow was also shaken and staggered backward, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

"Fellow Daoist Han, stop him!" Han Li reacted at this moment, slashing out with his sword to block the gray shadow's retreat. Liu Ruyan, Bai Ling, and the others also made their moves, though they couldn't harm the gray shadow, they could at least distract him.

Gray Shadow's face turned ashen. He, a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal, had been driven to this state by a bunch of ants—it was an utter disgrace. But now that his foundation was destroyed and his strength greatly diminished, a direct confrontation would only hasten his death.

"You forced me to do this!" A ruthless glint flashed in the gray shadow's eyes. He formed hand seals, and gray energy surged wildly around him, pouring into the gray flag. The flag trembled violently, and more and more cracks appeared on its surface, finally exploding with a "bang."

Self-destructing magical artifact!

The self-destruction of a top-grade acquired spiritual treasure was as powerful as a full-force attack from a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. Han Mu's expression changed drastically, and he recalled the Blade of Time, creating layers of time barriers in front of him. Han Li also summoned a cyan shield, standing in front of everyone.

boom!

A terrifying energy shockwave swept through the entire cave, causing countless cracks to appear in the walls, threatening to collapse at any moment. The time barrier shattered layer by layer, and even the cyan shield developed cracks. Han Li groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but the shield ultimately blocked most of the impact.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the gray figure rushed out of the cave and disappeared into the spatial turbulence.

"Chase!" Han Mu gritted his teeth, about to give chase. But after taking just one step, his body went limp, and he almost collapsed. His Dao Seed had completely collapsed, and his cultivation began to plummet, falling from the peak of the mid-stage of the Great Luo Realm all the way to the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm before finally stopping.

Han Mu brought up the system panel and quickly scanned it:

Name: Han Mu

True Realm: Peak Golden Immortal (Dao Foundation damaged, unable to break through within a hundred years)

Surface Realm: Mid-stage True Immortal

Time Law: 80% Complete (Unable to advance further due to the collapse of the Dao Seed)

Spatial Laws: 30% of Mastery

Celestial Aura: 0 points

Fusion degree of Chaotic Spacetime Dao Patterns: 85%

Spacetime beacon control level: 70%

特殊状态：道种崩溃（恢复中，剩余：99年364天23时辰）、传承融合度：80%（剩余20%需百年内融合）

System mission: Proceed to the depths of the Chaos Sea and annihilate the Chaos Daoist (Remaining: 99 years and 363 days)

[Warning: Dao Seed collapses, cultivation level drops to peak Golden Immortal]

[Warning: You will not be able to break through to the Great Luo realm within a hundred years. Forcing a breakthrough will result in permanent damage to your Dao foundation.]

[Suggestion: Search for the "Heart of Time and Space" left behind by the Time and Space Daoist, which can repair the Dao Seed and restore cultivation.]

Upon seeing the system notification, Han Mu smiled wryly. The price of not being able to break through within a century was too high. But surviving was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Senior Han, are you alright?" Liu Ruyan supported Han Mu, her face full of worry.

"It's nothing, just a drop in cultivation level." Han Mu waved his hand, indicating that he could still hold on.

"The Dao Seed has collapsed?" Han Li walked over, his brows furrowed. He was a sword cultivator and didn't know much about Dao Seeds, but he was aware of the consequences of their collapse. Being unable to break through within a hundred years was a fatal blow to a cultivator. A hundred years was enough time for his peers to leave him far behind.

"Hmm." Han Mu nodded. "But he's not dead yet. That gray figure escaped. We shouldn't stay here any longer; he might call for reinforcements."

"Yes, let's leave here first." Han Li agreed. The cave was about to collapse; if they didn't leave soon, they would be buried alive.

The group left the cave and returned to the turbulent flow of time and space. The cave collapsed behind them, turning into a pile of rubble, which was swept away by the turbulent current.

"Where to next?" Han Li asked.

Just as Han Mu was about to speak, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. The backlash from the collapse of his Dao Seed had struck; his injuries erupted, and his vision went black as he nearly fainted.

"Senior Han!" Liu Ruyan quickly helped him up.

"Let's find a safe place to heal first," Han Mu said weakly.

Han Li looked around; it was difficult to find a safe place amidst the spatial turbulence. His previous cave dwelling was destroyed, and finding a new one would take time. And Han Mu's injuries likely wouldn't last much longer.

"Let's go to one of my secret hideouts." Han Li hesitated for a moment before making his decision. "It's one of my prepared escape routes, absolutely safe, but the location is very secluded and requires crossing a dangerous turbulent area."

"As long as I can get there." After saying this, Han Mu finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

Han Li carried Han Mu on his back and said to Liu Ruyan, "Follow me, don't get separated."

Everyone nodded and followed Han Li, flying deeper into the spatial turbulence. Han Li was very familiar with this place, turning left and right to avoid the dangerous spatial rifts. However, the spatial turbulence was unpredictable, and even he could not guarantee absolute safety.

After flying for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a silver turbulent current appeared ahead. The turbulent current was filled with violent spatial and temporal power, and even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would be in danger if he entered.

"My secret base lies beyond this turbulent flow," Han Li said gravely. "But the turbulent flow is dangerous. Stay close to me; don't make a single mistake."

Everyone nodded, their expressions tense. Luo Feng muttered, "This place is too dangerous. What if we take one wrong step and get torn to pieces?"

"Shut up, would it kill you to say less?" Zhou Meng glared at him.

Luo Feng shrank back, not daring to speak again.

Han Li took a deep breath and charged into the silver turbulent current first. Liu Ruyan and the others quickly followed. Within the turbulent current, the power of spacetime was extremely violent, tearing at their protective immortal light. Han Li unleashed his azure sword light to protect everyone, but the pressure was immense, and his face grew paler and paler.

"I'll help." Bai Ling suddenly spoke, drawing her longsword. The sword light transformed into a protective shield, merging with Han Li's sword light to shield everyone. Although her swordsmanship was not as good as Han Li's, she was still a sword cultivator and could share some of the pressure.

With Bai Ling's help, Han Li's pressure was greatly reduced, and his speed increased. However, the area covered by the silver turbulence was very large, and they flew for about half an incense stick's time before they saw the exit.

The exit was a calm space, not large, only a hundred feet in diameter, with a simple stone house in the center. The stone house was surrounded by an array, which isolated it from the erosion of the spatial turbulence.

"We've arrived." Han Li breathed a sigh of relief and carried Han Mu into the stone house. Liu Ruyan and the others followed.

The stone house was small, containing only a stone bed, a stone table, and a few stone stools. Han Li placed Han Mu on the stone bed and examined his injuries.

"The injuries are severe. The meridians are damaged, the soul is unstable, and the foundation of the Dao has collapsed." Han Li frowned deeply. "He needs time to recuperate and a large amount of healing pills. I have some pills here, but it's not enough."

"I have some too." Liu Ruyan quickly took out her own pills, which were just ordinary healing pills and had limited effect on Han Mu's injuries.

Han Li examined the pills and shook his head: "No, the grade is too low; it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Fellow Daoist Han's injuries require at least a high-grade immortal pill to stabilize them. But I don't have any high-grade immortal pills on me."

"What should we do then?" Luo Feng asked anxiously.

Han Li was silent for a moment, then said, "There is a way. When the Temple of Time and Space collapsed, there should have been some Time and Space Crystals left behind. Time and Space Crystals contain pure Time and Space Power, which can nourish the Dao Foundation and stabilize injuries. If we can find a few, it might be able to stabilize Fellow Daoist Han's injuries."

"A time-space crystal?" Liu Ruyan's eyes lit up. "I'll go find one!"

"I'll go too!" Bai Ling, Zhou Meng, and the others chimed in.

Han Li shook his head: "It's too dangerous for you to go. The spacetime turbulence is fraught with danger; even a Great Luo Golden Immortal wouldn't dare to venture there recklessly. I'll go; I'm familiar with that place."

"I'll go too." Han Li had barely finished speaking when Han Mu suddenly opened his eyes. Although he was weak, he was fully conscious.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you're awake?" Han Li asked in surprise. "Your injuries are severe; you shouldn't move around too much."

"It's alright, I won't die." Han Mu struggled to sit up, coughing up another mouthful of blood. "I know where the Time-Space Crystal is. When the Time-Space Temple collapsed, several core crystals flew towards the northeast. There are spacetime turbulences gathering there, it's very dangerous, but the crystals should be there."

"The northeast direction..." Han Li pondered, "That place is indeed dangerous. The spacetime turbulence forms a vortex, and even a Great Luo Golden Immortal might be torn apart if he goes in."

"I have a way." Han Mu took out the Blade of Time. Although his Dao Seed had collapsed, his understanding of the laws of time was still there, but he couldn't unleash its full power. "Using the laws of time to protect myself should be enough to hold out for a while."

"But your injuries..." Han Li was still worried.

"We can hold on." Han Mu grinned, though the smile was forced. "If we don't go now, the crystal will be swept away by the turbulence and we won't be able to find it again."

Seeing the determination in Han Mu's eyes, Han Li knew he couldn't dissuade him, so he could only nod and say, "I'll go with you, so we can look out for each other."

"I'm going too!" Liu Ruyan said.

"You stay here." Han Mu shook his head. "This place needs someone to guard it. In case that gray shadow comes after us, you can hold it off for a while. Fellow Daoist Han, just come with me. Too many people will make things more difficult."

Liu Ruyan wanted to say something more, but seeing Han Mu's determined eyes, she finally nodded: "Okay, we'll stay. Be careful."

Han Mu and Han Li left the stone house and flew northeast. After flying for about a quarter of an hour, a huge spacetime vortex appeared ahead. The vortex was a hundred miles in diameter, slowly rotating and devouring the surrounding spacetime turbulence. At the center of the vortex, several silver crystals could be vaguely seen floating, which were spacetime crystals.

"It really is a spacetime vortex." Han Li's expression was solemn. "Even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal would have a nine-out-of-ten chance of dying if they entered such a vortex. Fellow Daoist Han, are you sure you want to go in?"

"Confirmed." Han Mu looked at the crystals at the center of the vortex, his eyes flashing with determination. Without the Time-Space Crystal, his injuries could not be stabilized and he would not be able to recover for a hundred years. Let alone killing the Chaos Dao Venerable, even protecting himself would be a problem. Therefore, he had to obtain the crystals.

"I'll go first, you follow behind me." Han Li drew his sword, its light protecting his body, and charged towards the spacetime vortex.

Han Mu followed closely behind, wielding the Blade of Time to create a temporal barrier around them. The time barrier could slow the erosion of spacetime power, but it consumed a great deal of energy. In his current state, he could only sustain it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The two rushed into the vortex and immediately felt an immense tearing force. The power of spacetime cut through their protective immortal light like blades, producing a piercing screeching sound. Han Li's sword light was rapidly depleting, and Han Mu's time barrier was also fluctuating, on the verge of shattering.

"Hurry!" Han Mu gritted his teeth and accelerated towards the center of the vortex. Han Li also desperately urged his sword light to follow closely behind.

At the center of the vortex, the tearing force intensified. Han Mu's time barrier finally gave way and shattered. The power of spacetime acted directly on him, instantly tearing open countless wounds, leaving him bleeding profusely. Han Li fared no better; his sword light dimmed, and he too suffered multiple injuries.

But the two finally reached the center of the vortex and saw the spacetime crystals. There were three in total, each about the size of a fist, radiating a strong spacetime power.

Han Mu reached out to grab it, but the moment his fingers touched the crystal, it suddenly burst forth with a blinding silver light. Within the silver light, a phantom appeared, the very image of the Time Dao Ancestor.

"Successor, you have finally arrived," the illusory figure spoke, its voice faint and distant.

Han Mu and Han Li were both taken aback.

"Don't be surprised. This is a wisp of my divine will attached to the core crystals," the illusory figure said. "The Temple of Time and Space has collapsed, and my inheritance has been given to you. But these three core crystals are the foundation of the Temple of Time and Space, containing my purest essence of time and space. Refine them, and your Dao Seed will be restored, and you may even be able to advance further."

"But refining crystals requires withstanding the impact of the very essence of spacetime. Your body is very weak right now; can you withstand it?"

Han Mu was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

The illusory figure looked at him, a hint of approval in its eyes: "Very good, as expected of someone who can pass the triple test. You can take these three crystals. However, I must warn you that refining the crystals will cause a spatial-temporal turbulence, a very large disturbance, which may attract powerful enemies. Be prepared."

After speaking, the illusory image dissipated, and three crystals fell into Han Mu's hands. The crystals were warm to the touch, and pure spacetime power surged into his body, easing his injuries somewhat.

"Go!" Han Mu put the crystal into his storage ring and turned to flee with Han Li. But it was too late. The spacetime vortex suddenly trembled violently, and countless spacetime turbulence surged in like a tide, engulfing the two of them.

Outside the vortex, Liu Ruyan and the others also sensed the anomaly. The spatial turbulence suddenly became violent, surging in one direction as if something there was attracting them.

"Oh no! Senior Han and the others are in danger!" Liu Ruyan's expression changed drastically, and she was about to rush out.

"Wait!" Lin Fan stopped her. "Going out now is suicide. The spacetime turbulence is too violent. We won't be able to help if we go in; we'll just become a burden."

"What should we do? We can't just wait here like this, can we?" Luo Feng was pacing anxiously.

Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth, looking towards the direction of the spacetime vortex, her eyes filled with worry.

At this moment, in the center of the vortex, Han Mu and Han Li were completely surrounded by the spatial turbulence, unable to advance or retreat. To make matters worse, several powerful auras were rapidly approaching from the distant spatial turbulence.

One of them was the gray shadow that had just fled. The others possessed even stronger auras than the gray shadow, at least at the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and possibly even at its peak.

"Damn it, they're catching up." Han Li's face was grim.

Han Mu gripped the Blade of Time tightly, looked at the three crystals in his hand, then glanced at the figures in the distance, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I'll hold them off, you go first," Han Mu suddenly said.

"What?" Han Li was taken aback.

"Take these three crystals back to Liu Ruyan and the others. The refining method is very simple; just absorb them directly." Han Mu handed the crystals to Han Li. "I'll hold them off while you take the opportunity to leave and find a safe place to hide. I'll come find you once I've recovered."

"No way!" Han Li refused resolutely. "If we die, we die together. I, Han Li, am not one to cling to life!"

"I'm not asking you to be a coward," Han Mu grinned, a bitter smile on his face. "I'm asking you to take care of them for me. Liu Ruyan and the others aren't strong enough; without your protection, they won't survive in the temporal turbulence. Besides, I might not even die."

"But your current state..."

"Don't worry, I have a trump card." Han Mu interrupted Han Li, looking at the approaching figures, a silver glint flashing in his eyes, "The legacy of the Time Dao Ancestor is more than just this."