The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The drop of milky white liquid that seeped from the crack at the bottom of the pool was carefully fed to Han Mu by Yun Li.

The liquid melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into a warm yet powerful current that instantly flowed throughout Han Mu's body. This power carried a rich vitality and contained a peculiar rhythm of time, resonating with the life force and time power flowing from the immortal coffin within his body, as if parched earth had received sweet rain.

Han Mu's shattered meridians, damaged Dao foundation, and withered essence blood began to repair and mend at a speed far exceeding that before, nourished by this power. Most miraculously, the power of time in this liquid could gently "soothe" the time backlash he suffered from forcibly using time-based divine abilities and blood sacrifice, gradually restoring his disordered understanding of the laws of time to order.

He remained unconscious, but his breathing stabilized visibly, no longer like a flickering candle in the wind, but like a seed buried underground in winter—silent yet brimming with vitality. A trace of color returned to his face.

Yun Li breathed a sigh of relief, but remained vigilantly guarding the side, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the broken stone tablet and the dried-up pool. This place was too strange, and this liquid was definitely not ordinary; she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Han Mu's consciousness sank into a chaotic darkness. After an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light appeared deep within his consciousness. He saw a blurry, flowing river of greyish-white light—a projection of the River of Time, but countless times more ancient and vast than what he had perceived in the outside world, seemingly spanning the entire universe. Deep within this river, the outline of an enormous, ancient coffin, seemingly bearing witness to the birth and death of countless worlds, was faintly visible. However, the coffin was broken, countless fragments scattered throughout the River of Time… One of the larger fragments shared the same origin as the one he held in his arms.

The scene flashed, and he saw countless figures in gray robes wandering and whispering on the banks of the River of Time. They were trying to salvage the scattered fragments of coffins; some succeeded, while others were swallowed up by the backlash of the river and turned into nothingness. One blurry gray figure with an exceptionally powerful aura seemed to sense something and cast a detached glance in the direction of Han Mu's consciousness.

Han Mu suddenly woke up!

He opened his eyes, and what he saw was the rough rock ceiling of the cave inside the star fragment. His body was still in excruciating pain, but the feeling of being on the verge of collapse was gone. He immediately looked inward and then summoned the system panel.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Early Golden Immortal (Severely injured but still recovering, realm stable, no immediate risk of falling)]

[Surface Realm: Early Golden Immortal (Weak aura, injuries not yet healed)]

[Time Law: 6% Entry Level (Backlash has been smoothed out, understanding has stabilized, and there has been slight progress)]

[Status: Foundation initially repaired (30% completion), meridians reconnected (40% completion), essence and blood restored (20%), nascent soul weak, spirit moderately damaged. Residual "Time Dew" medicinal power remains in the body, continuing repair.]

[Celestial Aura: -12000 points (Overdrafted)]

[Temporary Status: Initial recognition of the "Coffin of Origin" fragment has been obtained. The "Reverse Time Mark" has been cleared and hidden.]

"Time Dew?" Han Mu's gaze fell on Yun Li, who was watching him nervously beside him, and on the jade bottle in her hand that still held a trace of life.

"Senior, you're awake!" Yun Li exclaimed in surprise, and quickly recounted what had just happened, including the pool of liquid and the stone tablet.

Han Mu propped himself up; though still weak, he could move. He walked to the broken stone tablet. He didn't recognize the ancient characters on it either, but the timeless aura emanating from the characters caused the immortal coffin within his body and the fragments of the ancient coffin in his arms to tremble slightly, creating a resonance.

"These characters... contain the true meaning of the Great Dao of Time, but they are incomplete." Han Mu reached out and gently touched the stone tablet. The moment his fingertips touched it, a faint stream of consciousness surged into his mind. It was not specific text information, but rather a series of blurry images about the past of this pool—a powerful figure had once secluded himself here, using the dew condensed in the pool to cultivate the divine power of time, but later something seemed to have happened, the pool dried up, the powerful figure left, and this place was abandoned.

"This was once the ruins of a cave dwelling of a senior cultivator of the Law of Time." Han Mu withdrew his hand, understanding dawning on him. That drop of "Time Dew" was probably the last remaining essence before the pool completely dried up, which was activated by the fluctuations erupting from the ancient coffin and seeped out, benefiting him. This dew had a miraculous effect on his injuries, especially those involving the backlash of time.

"Senior, is that your injury?" Yun Li asked with concern.

"It's temporarily stabilized, but we're still far from fully recovered." Han Mu looked around. "This place isn't safe to stay in. Although the condensed dew's aura is sealed by the jade bottle, there's no guarantee that residual fluctuations won't leak out. We..."

Before he could finish speaking, the communication jade slip in his arms suddenly vibrated violently. It was an urgent message from Liu Ruyan, and it was the highest level red alert!

"My lord! Zhou Meng is in trouble! The gray fragment you picked up suddenly erupted, and Zhou Meng was struck by a gray light. He said some strange things and then fell into a coma! The fragment is still absorbing energy, and it seems to be trying to force open a spatial passage! We can't suppress it anymore! Moreover... there seem to be unidentified people spying on Qingzhu Peak outside. Their aura is very concealed, but they are hostile!" Liu Ruyan's voice was filled with anxiety.

Han Mu's face darkened. Misfortunes never come singly! He'd just stabilized his injuries here, and now trouble had struck back home! Zhou Meng had been struck by the gray light? Was it a follow-up tactic by the "Reverse Time Alliance," or was it a problem with the fragment itself? And who were the people spying from outside?

"Go! Back to Green Bamboo Peak immediately!" Han Mu made a decisive decision; he had to go back. Zhou Meng couldn't be harmed, and Green Bamboo Peak couldn't be lost! Moreover, since that gray fragment was related to the "Coffin of Origin," perhaps they could find clues from it to recover from injuries more quickly, or even to deal with the "Reverse Time Alliance."

"Senior, your health..." Yun Li said worriedly.

"It's alright, we're just traveling. We can continue to recuperate on the way." Han Mu swallowed a few pills, forcibly suppressing the discomfort caused by his injuries, and looked at Yun Li, "Thanks to you this time. Once this matter is settled, I will find you a suitable musical attack technique."

"This junior dares not," Yun Li quickly bowed her head.

Han Mu said no more, identified the direction, and led Yun Li out of the star fragment, heading towards Green Bamboo Peak at full speed. Although his injuries had not yet healed, he was, after all, a Golden Immortal, and his speed was far beyond Yun Li's. At this moment, he could not care about anything else, and directly tore through space with her to perform a short-to-medium distance teleportation.

On the way, Han Mu regulated his breathing while trying to contact Han Li, but his messages went unanswered. Han Li seemed to be in a completely isolated space-time. He then tried to contact Liu Ruyan to inquire about the situation and learned that although Zhou Meng was unconscious, his breathing was stable, except for a faint gray mark between his brows. The gray fragment was absorbing energy at an accelerated rate, and the array set up by Liu Ruyan and the others had already begun to crack. The aura peering out from outside seemed to have increased again, carrying a faint, cold feeling similar to the gray-clad man from the "Reverse Time Alliance" before, but with some differences.

"So it really is the 'Reverse Time Alliance'? Or some other force attracted by the fluctuations of the fragments or the ancient coffin?" Han Mu's eyes were icy. Whoever it was, anyone who dared to touch his people would pay the price.

He summoned the system panel to check the available items. Although his immortal energy was negative, the system had some basic healing and combat supplies that he could temporarily exchange for using other resources. He quickly selected several pills and talismans that could temporarily suppress his injuries and boost his combat power in a short time, and exchanged them using the few precious materials he had left.

[Exchange for one "Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Pill (Fragment)," temporarily suppressing injuries by 30% for one hour. Exchange for three "Immortal-Slaying Talismans (Imitation)," capable of unleashing a strike comparable to a late-stage Golden Immortal. Cost: One piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Star Iron, three ounces of Chaos Refined Gold.]

Han Mu swallowed the pill, and the stiffness from his injuries immediately lessened considerably. Although it was only a temporary fix, it was enough to handle the upcoming battle. He held the three Immortal-Slaying Talismans in his hand, his eyes flashing with cold light.

Soon, Green Bamboo Peak came into view. But the sight before them made Han Mu and Yun Li's pupils shrink.

The protective array of Green Bamboo Peak was fully activated, its light screen swirling. However, outside the array, at least ten figures stood indistinctly, belonging to two groups, subtly confronting each other. One group wore uniform cyan Daoist robes with cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs; their auras were upright and peaceful, yet carried a condescending scrutiny, suggesting they were disciples of a major immortal sect. The other group consisted of only three people, dressed in ordinary gray robes, their auras obscure and cold, somewhat similar to the gray-robed figures of the "Reverse Time Alliance," but seemingly much weaker, and exuding a greedy and impatient air.

Both groups of people seem to have their eyes on Green Bamboo Peak, or rather, on the gray fragments that are undergoing strange changes within the peak!

"Tsk tsk, this remote little hill actually hides a treasure that can cause fluctuations in spacetime? It seems my 'Tianyan Sect' is quite lucky." A middle-aged cultivator with a fair complexion and no beard, who was the leader in a blue Daoist robe, said with a smile while waving a feather fan, but his eyes were sharp as he scanned the great formation of Qingzhu Peak.

"The Heavenly Evolution Sect is conducting business; all irrelevant personnel must leave!" another cultivator in a green robe shouted coldly, clearly addressing the three gray-robed men beside him.

Of the three men in gray, the leader was a one-eyed old man who cackled, "Tianyan Sect? What a grand name. Too bad this treasure is destined for my 'Time-Space Remnant Clan.' You, get lost!"

The two sides were on the verge of war, clearly having sensed the unusual fluctuations in the gray fragments within Green Bamboo Peak and come to seize them, only to run into each other by chance.

Han Mu and Yun Li concealed their auras, hiding in the distant void. Han Mu's gaze swept over the three gray-robed men, confirming that they were not core members of the "Reverse Time Alliance" as before, but rather peripheral lackeys or vassal forces, with the highest cultivation level being no more than the peak of True Immortal. As for the people from the Heavenly Evolution Sect, the middle-aged cultivator in the lead was at the early stage of Golden Immortal, while the rest were all True Immortals.

"The Remnants of Time and Space? I've never heard of that force, but they're definitely connected to the 'Reverse Time Alliance.' The Heavenly Evolution Sect… seems to be a second-rate immortal sect nearby, known for its ability to deduce celestial secrets. They certainly have a keen sense of smell." Han Mu sneered inwardly. Although his injuries hadn't fully healed, his true cultivation level was at the early Golden Immortal stage. With the Immortal Coffin and the fragments of the ancient coffin, he wasn't without confidence in dealing with an early Golden Immortal and a group of True Immortals. Moreover, he still possessed three Immortal-Slaying Talismans.

"Senior, what should we do?" Yun Li asked telepathically, sounding somewhat nervous. The other side had a large number of people, and they all looked formidable.

"Wait." Han Mu's gaze was calm. "Let them fight it out first. Liu Ruyan and the others can hold out for a while. Wait until they are both severely injured, or until the formation is broken..." He squeezed the Immortal Slaughtering Talisman in his hand, his killing intent hidden.

Just then, within Green Bamboo Peak, the gray fragment seemed to have absorbed enough energy, suddenly bursting forth with a dazzling gray light. A strong spatial fluctuation surged into the sky, seemingly about to break through the great formation's seal! At the same time, the unconscious Zhou Meng's body floated up, the gray mark between his eyebrows glowing, echoing the fragment.

Outside the peak, the middle-aged cultivator from the Tianyan Sect and the one-eyed elder from the Time-Space Remnant Clan both changed their expressions.

"A treasure is about to be born!"

"We can't let them succeed!"

The two attacked almost simultaneously, bombarding the Green Bamboo Peak formation! At that moment, Han Mu, like a cheetah that had been gathering its strength, suddenly moved!