The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The black island floated silently on the sea, surrounded by dense flocks of crows circling it, emitting mournful cries. The aura of the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation grew stronger in the air, making it hard to breathe.

"This place is eerie." Zhou Meng rubbed his arms, feeling a chill run down his spine. "The crows' eyes are red; it gives you the creeps."

"These aren't ordinary crows." Han Li stared at the sky above the island. "They're Soul-Devouring Crows, which feed on the souls of the living. With so many Soul-Devouring Crows gathered here, there must be a lot of death energy on this island."

Han Mu frowned. He had heard of the Soul-Devouring Crow; it was a ferocious bird raised by the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation, usually appearing near the Reincarnation Dao Field. Could this place be related to the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation? But wasn't the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation sealed away?

"Senior Han, shall we go up again?" Liu Ruyan gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She sensed a dangerous aura emanating from the island, even stronger than when she faced the Daoist Master.

Han Mu didn't answer immediately. He summoned the system panel to check his surroundings, but the panel only displayed one line of text:

[Interference from the law of reincarnation detected; some system functions are restricted]

[Recommendation: Stay away from this area]

The system is warning people to stay away, indicating this place is indeed dangerous. But why would Daoist Qingmu make them hide here for three years? It seems unlikely. If Daoist Qingmu truly wanted to kill them, why would he go to the trouble of saving them twice?

"Senior Han, look over there." Bai Ling suddenly pointed to the edge of the island.

Following the direction she pointed, on the beach at the edge of the island, there were scattered white things. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be piles of bones, some human-shaped and some animal-shaped, stacked like mountains.

"So many skeletons..." Li Qingzhu's face turned pale. Although she was a medical cultivator and had seen countless deaths, the sight of so many skeletons piled together still made her scalp tingle.

"How many people have died on this island?" Lin Fan murmured.

"I'm afraid it's not just humans," Han Li said in a deep voice. "Judging from those skeletons, they are enormous and should be ancient ferocious beasts. To kill an ancient ferocious beast, one must be at least a Dao Venerable level."

Dao Venerable level? Everyone gasped. Had there ever been a Dao Venerable-level battle on this island?

"Let's go to the island." Han Mu made the decision. "Now that we're here, we should find out what kind of place this is. If it really is the territory of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor, we might be able to find clues to deal with him."

"But the system is telling me to stay away..." Lin Xue said worriedly.

"The system is just a suggestion, not an order." Han Mu put away the panel. "Besides, do we even have a choice? There are two Dao Venerables guarding outside; going back would be certain death. Staying here at least offers a glimmer of hope."

That's true. The group exchanged glances, all seeing the resolve in each other's eyes. In this desperate situation, they had no choice but to take a gamble.

The eight people flew towards the island, and the Soul-Eating Crows immediately spotted them, letting out piercing screams as they swarmed over them. A dark, overwhelming mass, blotting out the sun.

"Be careful, the Soul-Devouring Raven can devour immortal power!" Han Li warned, while raising his hand to unleash a silver light that transformed into a protective shield for everyone.

The Soul-Devouring Crows crashed into the light barrier with muffled thuds, causing the barrier to shake violently. Han Mu frowned; these Soul-Devouring Crows were not weak, each possessing the attack power of a True Immortal. With so many attacking together, the light barrier wouldn't last long.

"I'll lead the way, you follow." Han Mu took out the Blade of Time, activated the laws of time, and the flow of time around him slowed down. He swung his sword, and a silver sword light swept out, turning the Soul-Devouring Ravens into black smoke and dissipating wherever it passed.

But there were just too many Soul-Devouring Ravens; killing one batch only resulted in another, seemingly endless. Han Mu's Time Law was powerful, but it also consumed a great deal of energy and couldn't be sustained for long.

"This won't do, we need to think of something." Han Mu swung his sword while observing his surroundings. He noticed that these Soul-Devouring Crows didn't seem to dare approach the center of the island, only daring to move around the edges.

"Charge towards the center of the island!" Han Mu made a decisive decision and led the way, flying towards the center of the island. The others followed closely behind, with Han Li covering the rear, constantly casting spells to block the pursuing Soul-Devouring Crows.

The island wasn't large, and they quickly reached the central area. There were no corpses or Soul-Eating Ravens here, only a solitary black stone tablet. The tablet was covered in ancient runes, emitting a faint glow.

"This is... the Reincarnation Stele?" Han Li's expression changed as he recognized the stele's origin.

"What is the Reincarnation Stele?" Han Mu asked.

"One of the natal magic treasures of the Dao Ancestor of Reincarnation, it is said to be able to communicate with reincarnation and reverse life and death." Han Li walked to the stone tablet and carefully observed the runes on it. "But this stone tablet is incomplete, only the upper half is available, the lower half is missing."

Han Mu also walked to the stone tablet and looked at the runes, none of which he recognized. But the Time-Space Dao Seed in his arms suddenly vibrated, as if reminding him of something.

"There's something under the stone tablet." Han Mu squatted down and found a groove on the base of the stone tablet, the shape of which was exactly the same as the Time-Space Dao Seed in his arms.

"Could it be..." Han Mu's heart stirred. He took out the Time-Space Dao Seed, hesitated for a moment, and then placed it into the groove. As soon as the Time-Space Dao Seed was placed in, the stone tablet began to vibrate violently, and the runes on its surface began to glow, becoming brighter and brighter.

"Back off!" Han Li shouted, pulling Han Mu backward. The others also quickly retreated, watching the stone tablet warily.

The light from the stone tablet reached its peak, then suddenly contracted, condensing into a pillar of light that shot into the sky. Within the pillar of light, an image appeared.

The scene depicts a middle-aged man in a black robe, his face blurred, but his aura overwhelming. He stands in the void, facing a dense army, led by three powerful figures, one of whom is none other than the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor.

"Time and Space, hand over the Time and Space Dao Seed, and I will spare your life!" the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor said coldly.

The man in black robes, who was none other than the Ancestor of Time and Space, laughed heartily: "Want the Dao Seed? Come and take it yourself!"

A great battle erupted, causing the heavens and earth to collapse and stars to fall. The Time-Space Dao Ancestor fought against three opponents single-handedly, holding his own, but ultimately he was outnumbered and fled severely injured. The Samsara Dao Ancestor pursued relentlessly, and the two battled fiercely in the Chaos Sea, shattering countless stars before finally reaching this island.

The scene shifts to a confrontation between the Time-Space Dao Ancestor and the Samsara Dao Ancestor on an island. The Time-Space Dao Ancestor is exhausted, but the Samsara Dao Ancestor is also seriously injured. In their final clash, the Time-Space Dao Ancestor has half his body shattered, and the Samsara Dao Ancestor is also severely wounded and falls into a deep sleep.

Before his death, the Time-Space Dao Ancestor used his last strength to seal the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor and divided his legacy into three parts, scattering them throughout the Chaos Sea. This stone tablet is the entrance to one of those parts of the legacy.

The scene ended there; the beam of light dissipated, and the stone tablet returned to its calm state. However, the spacetime seed in the groove did not fall out but instead merged into the stone tablet.

"Not good!" Han Mu's expression changed. The Time-Space Dao Seed was his foundation and he couldn't afford to lose it. He rushed forward, trying to retrieve the Dao Seed, but the moment his hand touched the stone tablet, he was sucked in.

"Senior Han!" Liu Ruyan and the others exclaimed, trying to stop Han Mu, but it was too late. Han Mu disappeared into the stone tablet, and the runes on the stone tablet glowed again, forming a vortex.

"This is the entrance to the inheritance!" Han Li realized and said to everyone, "The inheritance of the Time-Space Dao Ancestor was divided into three parts, and this is one of them. Han Mu has been sucked in, should we go in?"

"Go in!" Liu Ruyan said without hesitation. "Senior Han is inside; we can't leave him behind."

"But once we go in, we might not be able to get out," Lin Fan said, frowning.

"We must go in." Bai Ling gripped her sword tightly. "Senior Han treats us like brothers; we cannot abandon him."

"Yes, let's go!" Zhou Meng, Li Qingzhu, Lin Xue, and Luo Feng all nodded.

Han Li glanced at the crowd, a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, deep emotion) washing over him. These young people were so loyal and devoted; they were truly rare. If he had had such companions back then, perhaps he wouldn't have ended up like this today.

"Alright, let's go in then." Han Li led the way into the vortex. Liu Ruyan and the others followed closely behind, and the seven of them disappeared into the vortex.

The whirlpool slowly closed, and the stone tablet returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened. But the Soul-Eating Ravens above the island suddenly let out a shrill scream, then plummeted down, turning into black smoke and dissipating. The entire island began to tremble, and the black seawater surged, as if something was about to emerge.

At this moment, Han Mu was standing in an unfamiliar space. The surroundings were chaotic, with only a high platform in front of him. A silver sphere of light floated on the platform, exactly the same as the one he had seen in the secret realm before.

"Here we go again?" Han Mu smiled wryly. This scene was exactly the same as when he received the inheritance before. Could it be that the Time-Space Dao Ancestor's inheritance has three parts, and this is the second one?

"You've come." A familiar voice came from the sphere of light; it was the remnant soul of the Time-Space Dao Ancestor. But this remnant soul was even weaker than the previous one, its light dim, and it could dissipate at any moment.

"Senior, what is this...?" Han Mu asked in confusion.

"This is my second remnant soul, responsible for guarding the second inheritance," the remnant soul said. "The fact that you were able to find this place means that you have already accepted the first inheritance and know my story."

Han Mu nodded.

"Very well, now that you're here, accept the test," the remnant soul said. "Pass the test, and you will receive the second inheritance, greatly increasing your strength. Fail, and you will die here."

"What kind of test?" Han Mu asked.

"It's simple, defeat my projection." After the remnant soul finished speaking, a beam of light flew out from the sphere of light, transforming into a figure exactly like Han Mu. The figure wielded the Blade of Time, and its aura was exactly the same as Han Mu's—the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.

Han Mu's pupils contracted. Defeat him? How could he possibly do that?

"Let me warn you, this projection possesses all your abilities and combat experience, but it will show no mercy," the remnant soul said. "You have three chances. Three failures, and you die. Now, let's begin."

The projection moved, the Blade of Time slashed out, the laws of time were activated, and the flow of time around them slowed down. Han Mu hurriedly dodged, but the projection was too fast; the sword light grazed his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.

"So powerful!" Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. The projection not only possessed his abilities, but was also more skilled than him, its application of the laws of time was masterful. Moreover, the projection had no emotions, did not hesitate, and every move was a killing blow.

Han Mu was forced to retreat steadily, sustaining several wounds on his body. He tried to freeze time, but the projection could do the same; both froze simultaneously and then resumed their previous state, neither able to gain the upper hand.

"This won't do," Han Mu thought, dodging and trying to come up with a solution. The projection was exactly like him; he couldn't win with conventional methods, so he had to use unconventional ones.

He recalled a technique from the Book of Time and Space: Time-Space Distortion. This technique could create a time-distortion field, causing the flow of time within the field to become chaotic, making it impossible for the enemy to adapt and thus revealing an opening. However, this technique consumed a great deal of energy, and he had not yet fully mastered it, so using it was risky.

But there was no time to worry about that now. Han Mu gritted his teeth, activated all his immortal power, and unleashed a spacetime distortion. The surrounding space began to twist, and the flow of time became chaotic, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes moving forward and sometimes backward.

The projection was indeed affected, its movements momentarily stiffening. In that instant, Han Mu seized the opportunity, his Blade of Time piercing through the projection's chest.

The projection dissipated, turning into specks of light that merged into Han Mu's body. Han Mu felt his understanding of the laws of time had improved significantly, and his cultivation had broken through from the peak of the Golden Immortal realm to the half-step Great Luo realm, just a hair's breadth away from entering the Great Luo realm.

"You've passed the test; this is your reward." The remnant soul's voice rang out, and the ball of light flew towards Han Mu, disappearing into his brow. Han Mu's mind gained another piece of inherited information—a cultivation method concerning the realm of spacetime.

"Remember, there are three copies of the Time-Space Dao Seed. You have already obtained two. The third copy is in the deepest part of the Chaos Sea, the sealed place of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor. Once you obtain the third copy, you can completely refine the Dao Seed and become a true successor of the Time-Space Dao Ancestor." The remnant soul's voice grew weaker and weaker. "But the third inheritance is also the most dangerous. The Reincarnation Dao Ancestor's true form is suppressing you there. If you go, you will face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. Whether you go or not is your decision."

Having said that, the remnant soul completely dissipated. Han Mu stood there, digesting the newly acquired information. The two inheritances greatly increased his strength, but also made the burden on his shoulders heavier. The third inheritance was in the sealed land of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor; this was practically suicide.

But he had no choice but to go. Without thoroughly refining the Time-Space Dao Seed, he couldn't break through to the Great Luo realm, let alone kill the Black Fiend Dao Venerable three years later. Moreover, the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor would eventually break free, and he would be the first to seek him out. Rather than waiting to be killed, he might as well take the initiative.

"Han Mu!"

The voices of Liu Ruyan and the others came from behind. Han Mu turned around and saw Han Li and the other six emerging from the vortex. They looked somewhat disheveled, but none of them were injured.

"Senior Han, are you alright?" Liu Ruyan asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I even got a stroke of good fortune." Han Mu smiled, but the smile was somewhat forced. He didn't mention the third inheritance, not wanting everyone to worry.

"We can't stay here any longer; we need to leave quickly," Han Li said. "When we came in just now, I noticed that the seal on the stone tablet had loosened, and the aura of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor was reviving. If we don't leave now, we might not be able to leave at all."

Han Mu nodded. He could also sense it. A terrifying aura was awakening deep within the island, an aura even more terrifying than that of Black Heaven Dao Venerable and White Abyss Dao Venerable combined.

"Walk!"

The eight people rushed out of the stone tablet space and returned to the island. The tremors on the island became even more violent, and cracks appeared in the ground. Black energy surged out from the cracks and condensed into a blurry human figure. The figure was a hundred feet tall, and its face was indistinct, but its eyes were blood red, staring intently at Han Mu.

"The aura of the Time-Space Dao Seed... You've finally arrived." The figure spoke, his voice hoarse, as if it came from the deepest hell.

Han Mu's heart sank. This aura was definitely the true form of the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor! Although it was just a projection, it was still something they couldn't handle.

"run!"

The eight figures transformed into streaks of light and rushed towards the edge of the island. But with a wave of their hand, countless black chains emerged from the ground, sealing off the entire island. Black flames coiled around the chains, radiating terrifying heat that distorted the very space around them.

"It's over, we can't escape now." Zhou Meng's face turned pale.

Han Mu gripped the Blade of Time tightly, preparing to fight to the death. But just then, the communication jade slip in his arms suddenly vibrated; it was a message from Han Li, containing only three words:

"Jump into the sea!"