The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

When Han Mu and his group of seven arrived at Netherworld City, it was already evening of the next day. Netherworld City was built on the edge of a huge abyss, its walls pitch black and covered with runes to suppress the Netherworld energy. The city was brightly lit, and the streets were bustling with people, but Han Mu could sense at least a dozen powerful auras within the city, all of whom were at least Golden Immortal level.

"Netherworld City is the largest city in the Netherworld Abyss, controlled by the Netherworld Merchant Guild. The Netherworld Merchant Guild has a mysterious background, and it is said that it is backed by a Daoist master, so even the Heavenly Court does not dare to cause trouble here easily," Liu Ruyan explained as she walked. She had been to Netherworld City a few times before and was quite familiar with the place.

"Han Li said in the message that he is waiting for us at the 'Netherworld Inn' in the west of the city." Han Mu looked at the communication jade slip, which contained the detailed location sent by Han Li.

The seven entered the city and headed straight for the west. The Netherworld Inn was an inconspicuous little shop with an old storefront and few customers. Han Mu pushed open the door and went in. The innkeeper was a withered old man who was fiddling with an abacus.

"A hotel?" The old man asked without looking up.

"Looking for someone, surnamed Han," Han Mu said.

The old man finally looked up, his cloudy eyes sweeping over the seven people before finally settling on Han Mu's face: "The third room on the left upstairs."

Han Mu nodded and led the six people upstairs. When they reached the third room, the door opened by itself before they could even knock. Han Li stood in the doorway, his expression somewhat grave.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you've arrived." Han Li stepped aside to let the seven people into the room, and casually set up a soundproof barrier.

The room was very simple, containing only a bed and a table. Han Mu sat down and asked, "How's the teleportation array going?"

"Not good." Han Li shook his head. "The teleportation array does exist, in the deepest part of the Netherworld Abyss, but it's sealed by an ancient restriction. I've studied it for three days and can only confirm that the teleportation array still works, but it requires a special 'Netherworld Token' to activate. The Netherworld Token is a token of the Netherworld Merchant Guild, and only the guild's high-ranking members possess it."

"The Netherworld Token?" Han Mu frowned. "Is it possible to obtain one?"

"It's a bit difficult." Han Li smiled wryly. "The Netherworld Token is the core token of the Netherworld Merchant Guild. Each one is numbered, and it becomes invalid immediately if lost. Moreover, the guild has recently strengthened its security, and all the senior executives are staying at headquarters and rarely come out."

Han Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Let's ignore the Netherworld Token for now. The teleportation array will open in three days. How much time do we have?"

"To be precise, it's two and a half days," Han Li corrected. "The teleportation array only opens once a month, for three hours each time. This time it will open at midnight three days from now. We must obtain the Netherworld Token before then and get to the location of the teleportation array. The teleportation array is located at the deepest part of the Netherworld Abyss, which is the source of the Netherworld energy. Even Golden Immortals would have difficulty protecting themselves inside."

Han Mu brought up the system panel to check the mission countdown. There were still two days and eleven hours left; time was running out.

"Where is the headquarters of the Netherworld Merchant Guild?" Han Mu asked.

"In the city center, there's a nine-story building heavily guarded. The guild leader is a disciple of the Netherworld Dao Lord, with a cultivation level of late-stage Great Luo. He's not someone to be trifled with," Han Li said.

Late-stage Grand Luo Immortal… Han Mu frowned. Although he currently possessed a Time-Space Dao Body, he was only at the late-stage Golden Immortal level. He could handle early-stage Grand Luo Immortals, but late-stage Grand Luo Immortals would be a bit of a stretch. Moreover, this was Netherworld City, the territory of the Netherworld Merchant Guild; forcing his way in was definitely out of the question.

"We need to think of a way to 'borrow' the Netherworld Token." Han Mu stroked his chin.

"Borrow?" Luo Feng's eyes lit up. "Senior Han means...steal?"

"It's a loan," Han Mu corrected, "the kind that's returned after use."

"What's the difference between that and stealing..." Luo Feng muttered to himself.

Han Li pondered for a moment and said, "It's not entirely impossible. The Netherworld Merchant Guild is currently holding an auction, which is said to be auctioning an ancient treasure, attracting many people. The auction is tonight, and the higher-ups of the Netherworld Merchant Guild will be attending, including the guild leader. This is a good opportunity to sneak in."

"An auction?" Han Mu's eyes lit up. "Are there invitations?"

"Yes, I got a few." Han Li took out seven invitations from his storage ring and distributed them to Han Mu and his group of seven. "The auction is being held in the underground auction hall of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters. It's heavily guarded, but you can get in with an invitation. However, the Netherworld Token isn't in the auction hall; it's in the Chamber of Commerce headquarters' treasure vault. We need to find a way to sneak into the treasure vault while the auction is in progress."

Han Mu accepted the invitation, which read "Invitation to the Netherworld Auction" and bore the seal of the Netherworld Merchant Guild. The invitation was protected by a restriction, making it impossible to forge.

What time does the auction start?

"It's midnight, two hours from now," Han Li said. "We'll split into two groups. One will go to the auction to attract attention, and the other will go to the treasure vault to retrieve the Netherworld Token. I suggest you go to the auction, Fellow Daoist Han. You're the strongest, and you can handle things if anything goes wrong. I'll go to the treasure vault; I'm more familiar with the Chamber of Commerce headquarters."

"Alright." Han Mu had no objection. "Liu Ruyan, you two come with me to the auction. Fellow Daoist Han, I'll leave the treasure vault to you."

Han Li nodded, took out a map of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, and explained the location and security of the treasure vault to Han Mu in detail. The treasure vault was on the fifth floor of the headquarters, heavily guarded and protected by powerful array formations. However, Han Li had a way to break the array; given the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he could infiltrate the treasure vault.

"After obtaining the Netherworld Token, we will meet outside the city. There is a dilapidated temple thirty miles outside the city; we will meet there," Han Li said.

Han Mu nodded and put away the map. The seven of them split up. Han Li went to scout out the area near the Chamber of Commerce headquarters first, while Han Mu took Liu Ruyan and the other six to the auction.

The auction was held on the third basement level of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters. Invitations were checked at the entrance. Han Mu and his group of seven presented their invitations and entered smoothly. The underground auction hall was large, capable of holding over a thousand people, and was already more than half full. Han Mu found a seat towards the back and observed his surroundings.

The auction house was filled with a diverse array of guests: immortals, demonic cultivators, monsters, and several mysterious figures shrouded in black robes. Han Mu could sense at least five Grand Luo level auras, but they were all well-hidden and undetectable without careful investigation.

"Senior Han, I think I've seen that person over there before," Liu Ruyan suddenly whispered, pointing to the left corner.

Han Mu looked in the direction she pointed and saw a middle-aged man in a golden robe, resting with his eyes closed. It was Daoist Jin Yang! A person from the Heavenly Court!

"What's he doing here?" Han Mu's heart sank. The Golden Sun Daoist's appearance in the Netherworld City must be for him. It seems the Heavenly Court already knows he's in the Netherworld City.

"He's not the only one," Bai Ling whispered. "The woman in white in the third row on the right is the 'White Cloud Fairy' of the Heavenly Court, at the early stage of the Great Luo realm. And the bald man in front of him is the 'Golden Armor General' of the Heavenly Court, also at the early stage of the Great Luo realm."

Han Mu glanced around and, sure enough, spotted two more people from the Heavenly Court. Three Grand Luo Immortals, plus Jin Yang Daojun, a late-stage Grand Luo Immortal—the Heavenly Court had really gone all out.

"It seems tonight won't be peaceful." Han Mu gripped the Blade of Time tightly, his heart filled with vigilance.

Just then, the auction began. An elderly man in a red robe stepped onto the stage and announced the first item for auction: a mid-grade immortal artifact, with a starting price of 100,000 immortal crystals. Han Mu wasn't interested in this; he was waiting for the grand finale, the ancient treasure.

The auction went smoothly, and Han Mu also purchased several healing pills for Liu Ruyan and the others. An hour later, the final item was finally presented.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is tonight's grand finale, an ancient treasure—the 'Netherworld Map'!" the red-robed elder announced loudly. Two maids carried a jade box onto the stage. The jade box was opened, revealing a black scroll inside, emanating a dense aura of the netherworld.

"The Netherworld Map, said to have been left behind by the ancient Netherworld Dao Lord, records the mysteries of the Netherworld Dao. Starting bid: one million immortal crystals!" As the red-robed elder finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

One million immortal crystals is no small sum. But for those major powers, it's still something they can afford. Soon, bidding erupted one after another, and the price soared to five million immortal crystals.

Han Mu didn't participate in the bidding; he wasn't interested in the Netherworld Map. However, he noticed that Daoist Jin Yang and Fairy Baiyun also didn't participate in the bidding. The two of them were constantly observing their surroundings, seemingly looking for someone.

"They're looking for me," Han Mu thought with a cold smile. The people from Heavenly Court probably thought he would be interested in the Netherworld Map, since it recorded the secrets of the Netherworld Dao and would be of great help to those who cultivate the Netherworld Laws. But Han Mu cultivated the Laws of Space and Time, so the Netherworld Map was useless to him.

In the end, the Netherworld Map was purchased by a mysterious man in black robes for eight million immortal crystals. The auction ended, and the guests left one after another. Han Mu also left with Liu Ruyan and the other five, but he didn't go far. Instead, he found a secluded spot near the exit to observe Jin Yang Daojun and his companions.

As expected, Daoist Jin Yang and his two companions did not leave. Instead, they waited for a while at the entrance of the auction house before heading deeper into the Chamber of Commerce headquarters. Han Mu quietly followed, while Liu Ruyan and the other five stayed behind to provide backup.

Jin Yang Daojun and his companions arrived at the fifth floor of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, where the treasure vault was located. Han Li should have already arrived, but Han Mu did not see him. There were four guards at the entrance of the treasure vault, all of whom were at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. Upon seeing Jin Yang Daojun and his companions, they immediately bowed.

"Greetings, Daoist Lord," the guard leader said respectfully.

"Is there anything unusual about the treasure vault?" Jin Yang Daojun asked.

"Reporting back to the Daoist, everything is normal," the guard leader said.

"Open the door, I need to check it out," said Daoist Jinyang.

The guard leader hesitated for a moment, but still opened the door to the treasure vault. Jin Yang Daojun and his two companions entered. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Han Mu used the Law of Time to accelerate his speed, instantly slipping into the treasure vault.

The treasure vault was vast, filled with all sorts of treasures—immortal artifacts, elixirs, materials—a dazzling array. Han Mu had no time to look at these; he quickly searched for the Netherworld Token. According to Han Li's description, the Netherworld Token should be in a jade box at the very back.

Sure enough, he found the jade box at the very back. The jade box was protected by a restriction, but it was useless to Han Mu. With a gentle swipe of the Blade of Time, the restriction shattered. Han Mu opened the jade box; inside lay a black token, the front engraved with the words "Netherworld," and the back with complex runes.

The Netherworld Token is in my hands.

But just then, the treasure vault door suddenly slammed shut, and a blinding golden light shone from all around, as a massive array enveloped the entire vault. Han Mu's expression changed drastically; they'd fallen for a trap!

"Han Mu, you've finally arrived." The voice of Daoist Jin Yang came from above. Han Mu looked up and saw Daoist Jin Yang, Fairy Baiyun, and the Golden Armored General floating in mid-air, coldly watching him.

"You knew I would come?" Han Mu gripped the Netherworld Token tightly, and the Blade of Time appeared in his hand.

"Of course." Daoist Jinyang sneered, "Our people have been watching you ever since you entered the Netherworld City. The Netherworld Token is bait, just waiting for you to take it. Now, hand over the Time-Space Dao Seed and the Netherworld Token, and I can give you a quick death."

Han Mu glanced around. The formation was powerful; it was a "Space-Time Imprisonment Formation" specifically designed to counter the laws of space-time. This kind of formation could imprison space-time, rendering the laws of time ineffective. It seemed that the Heavenly Court had made considerable preparations to deal with him.

"You three think you can catch me?" Han Mu grinned, his spirit undiminished despite being in dire straits.

"Of course, it's not just the three of us." Daoist Jinyang clapped his hands, and the wall of the treasure vault suddenly cracked open, revealing more than a dozen figures, all of whom were Heavenly Generals at the peak of Golden Immortal or above, including two early-stage Great Luo Immortals.

There were six Grand Luo Immortals and more than a dozen Golden Immortals at their peak. This lineup was enough to overwhelm and kill a late-stage Grand Luo Immortal. The Heavenly Court really went to great lengths to capture him.

"Han Mu, surrender now, you can't escape," Fairy Baiyun said calmly.

Han Mu remained silent, calculating. Although the Space-Time Imprisonment Array could imprison space-time, with his current Space-Time Dao Body, it was still possible to forcefully break through. However, once he broke through, he would face an attack from six Great Luo Immortals, and his chances of victory were slim.

Unless he uses that move. But that move comes at a too high price; if he uses it, he will at least fall to the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm, and he won't be able to recover for a hundred years. But if he doesn't use it, he will surely die today.

"System, calculate the best escape plan," Han Mu silently commanded.

A semi-transparent panel appeared before my eyes:

[Current Status: Surrounded by six Great Luo Immortals and thirteen Golden Immortals at their peak, trapped within a spacetime confinement array]

Available solutions:

[1. By burning the essence of the Dao Seed, the user forcibly advanced to the early stage of the Great Luo realm, broke through the confinement array, and achieved a 60% success rate in escaping.]

[2. Use time rewind to return to before entering the treasure vault, change your route, success rate 80%]

[3. Surrender the Time-Space Dao Seed in exchange for a chance to live. Success rate is 99%, but you will lose the Dao Seed and your cultivation level will drop to Celestial Immortal.]

Recommendation: Option 2 has the lowest cost and the highest success rate.

Han Mu chose option 2. Although time reversal would consume a lot of immortal power, it could at least save his life. Just as he was about to use it, suddenly, the roof of the treasure vault exploded, and a beam of azure sword light descended from the sky, striking the time-space confinement array.

boom!

The binding array trembled violently, and a crack appeared. Han Li's figure appeared at the gap in the roof, shouting, "Fellow Daoist Han, let's go!"

Han Mu seized the opportunity, unleashing the Blade of Time and bursting forth from the crack. Jin Yang Daojun and the others tried to stop him, but were blocked by Han Li's sword light. Han Mu then took the opportunity to escape the treasure vault and fly towards the city's outskirts.

"Chase them!" Daoist Jin Yang roared in fury and led his men in pursuit.

Han Mu flew at breakneck speed, with his pursuers hot on his heels. As he flew, he sent a message to Liu Ruyan, instructing them to meet him at the dilapidated temple outside the city. Han Li also shook off his pursuers and caught up with him.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you alright?" Han Li asked.

"It's alright, thank you for saving me," Han Mu said, but he was puzzled. How did Han Li know he was trapped? Moreover, the power of Han Li's sword strike was much stronger than before, faintly displaying the aura of a mid-stage Great Luo Immortal.

"Don't ask yet, let's leave here first." Han Li seemed to know Han Mu's doubts, but did not explain.

The two flew to a dilapidated temple thirty miles outside the city, where Liu Ruyan and her group of six had already arrived. The seven reunited, and Han Mu took out the Netherworld Token, saying, "We've got the Netherworld Token, but the Heavenly Court's people will be here soon. We must go to the teleportation array immediately and leave the Chaos Sea."

"Let's go." Han Li took the lead and flew towards the depths of the Netherworld Abyss.

But they hadn't flown far when a figure appeared ahead, blocking their path. It was an old man in a black robe, his face indistinct, but his aura was vast as the sea, more than ten times stronger than that of Daoist Jinyang.

"Dao Zun!" Han Mu's heart sank. The worst had happened; Dao Zun had personally intervened.

The old man in black robes looked at Han Mu and said calmly, "Hand over the Seed of Time and Space. Otherwise, you will die."

Han Mu gripped the Blade of Time tightly, took a deep breath, and realized that he couldn't avoid this battle today.

But at that moment, Han Li suddenly stepped forward, blocking Han Mu's path, and said coldly, "Black Heaven Dao Venerable, if you want to touch him, you'll have to get past me first."

Han Mu was stunned. Did Han Li know this Dao Venerable? And where did Han Li get the confidence to challenge the Dao Venerable?

The old man in black robes seemed taken aback when he saw Han Li, then laughed: "So it's you, another successor of the Ancestor of Time and Space. No wonder you were able to break my Time and Space Imprisonment Array. But, you think you can stop me?"

"Let's give it a try." Han Li drew his sword, and the sword light soared into the sky. This time, he released his aura without reservation, revealing himself to be a late-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortal!

Han Mu was completely dumbfounded. Wasn't Han Li at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm? How did he suddenly become a late-stage Grand Luo Immortal? And another successor of the Time-Space Dao Ancestor? What was going on?

The situation is becoming increasingly complicated.