The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Han Mu made his move.

Just as the middle-aged cultivator from the Tianyan Sect and the one-eyed elder from the Time-Space Remnant Clan simultaneously attacked the Qingzhu Peak formation, he appeared behind them like a ghost, his speed so fast that he left only a blur.

Without uttering a single word or probing, he raised his left hand, and a Demon-Slaying Talisman transformed into a golden stream of light, shooting directly at the middle-aged cultivators led by the Heavenly Evolution Sect. At the same time, his right hand, fingers joined like a halberd, silently aimed a gray-white finger strike at the back of the one-eyed elder of the Time-Space Remnant Clan, imbued with the power of time slowing.

"Who?!" The middle-aged cultivator from the Tianyan Sect, possessing the cultivation of an early-stage Golden Immortal, instantly became alert. He swung his feather fan backward, transforming it into a sky full of azure gusts of wind, attempting to shatter the golden light. In his view, the attacker's aura was weak, suggesting he was seriously injured. Although the talisman attack he unleashed was powerful, he believed that with his Golden Immortal cultivation, he should be able to withstand it without difficulty.

But he was wrong.

The golden light exploded the moment it touched the azure gale. There was no earth-shattering roar, only a chilling, soul-tearing sharpness that erupted! The golden light condensed into a thin but extremely refined sword beam, easily piercing through the gale, its speed increasing rather than decreasing!

"Pseudo-Immortal-Slaying Sword Qi?! Not good!" The middle-aged cultivator's expression changed drastically. It was too late to dodge, so he could only frantically activate his protective immortal light and a small cyan shield in front of him.

puff!

The sword's edge first pierced the small shield, its spiritual light instantly dimming, then it pierced through the protective immortal light, passing right through the middle-aged cultivator's brow! His face froze in shock, his eyes quickly dimmed, and he swayed before plummeting from mid-air. A Golden Immortal in the early stages, instantly killed by a single talisman! Although it was due to his carelessness, the power of the Immortal-Slaying Talisman was evident. Han Mu felt a pang of regret; he had used a trump card, but he couldn't worry about that now.

On the other side, the one-eyed old man reacted even faster. He seemed to be extremely sensitive to fluctuations in time, and the moment Han Mu made his move, he sensed something was wrong. His body twisted to the side in a strange way, and at the same time, a gray, sluggish protective shield instantly enveloped his entire body.

Han Mu's finger struck the gray protective shield, causing it to tremble violently and develop fine cracks, but it did not shatter immediately. The time-slowing power spread, slowing the one-eyed old man's movements by half a beat.

"The Law of Time?! You are…" The one-eyed old man's single eye flashed with horror as he stared intently at Han Mu, especially at the inconspicuous gray coffin at his waist. "The fragment of the Origin Coffin is on you! Hand it over…"

Han Mu didn't give him a chance to waste words. With a flick of his right hand, the second Immortal Slaying Talisman appeared at his fingertips, and he activated it without hesitation! Another golden sword beam shot out, aiming straight for the old man's head. At the same time, with a thought, the Immortal Coffin within his body trembled slightly, and a more subtle power of time, carrying an aura of decay, spread out, further slowing down the old man's movements and the circulation of his immortal power.

"Damn it!" the one-eyed old man roared, spitting out a small, ancient gray mirror. A faint light flashed across the mirror, slightly deflecting the sword light formed by the Immortal-Slaying Talisman, which grazed the old man's shoulder, taking away a large chunk of flesh. But he paid a price; a crack appeared on the gray mirror, its spiritual power greatly diminished. Han Mu's time-slowing power also made his movements stiff, preventing him from completely dodging the attack.

Strike while the iron is hot! Han Mu endured the excruciating pain from his injuries and the sluggish flow of his immortal power, his figure flashing as he closed in. He didn't use the third Immortal Slaying Talisman, but instead formed a sword with his fingers together, the grayish-white sword energy flickering uncertainly, carrying the rhythm of the passage of time, and pointed it at the old man's brow. He needed to save an Immortal Slaying Talisman for unforeseen circumstances, and close combat would allow him to better utilize the advantages of the Time Law.

"Space-Time Exile!" The one-eyed old man's single eye bulged as he frantically activated his secret technique, distorting the surrounding space in an attempt to exile Han Mu to an unknown space-time. However, this hastily executed divine power was greatly diminished by Han Mu's interference with the laws of time.

Han Mu's sword finger precisely struck the old man's hastily raised arm, which was covered in gray runes. There was no earth-shattering collision; the runes on the old man's arm dimmed and decayed at a visible speed, as if eroded by millions of years. He cried out in pain, and his arm went limp.

"Die!" Han Mu's eyes were icy cold as he flicked his sword upwards, aiming straight for the old man's throat.

Despair and madness flashed in the old man's eyes. He gritted his teeth, and a surge of violent gray energy erupted within him: "Let's die together! The fragments of the Origin Coffin will surely return!"

"Oh no, he's going to self-destruct!" Han Mu's pupils contracted, and he quickly retreated. At the same time, he activated the Immortal Coffin with all his might to protect himself and threw out the last Immortal Slaughtering Talisman towards the old man's dantian in an attempt to interrupt the self-destruction.

Boom!

The self-destruction power of a peak True Immortal cultivator is extremely terrifying, especially that of the elder of the Time-Space Remnant Clan, whose self-destruction seemed to contain some kind of strange spacetime distortion power. The violent energy swept out, instantly devouring and tearing apart the other two Time-Space Remnant Clan minions and several True Immortal disciples of the Heavenly Evolution Sect who had not yet had time to react.

Although Han Mu had the interference of the Immortal Slaughtering Talisman and the protection of the Immortal Coffin, he was still hit by the aftershocks of the explosion because he was too close. His already unhealed injuries were aggravated again. He felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and staggered backward.

As the smoke and dust cleared, only a massive crater and raging spatial turbulence remained. The one-eyed old man's body was gone, but the small gray mirror miraculously survived, though it was now more cracked and its light almost extinguished, lying on the edge of the crater. The three gray-clad figures also seemed to have been completely annihilated.

Han Mu swiftly waved his hand, snatching the middle-aged cultivator's storage ring, feather fan magic weapon, and the small gray mirror into his grasp. At the same time, he quickly scanned the system panel.

[True Realm: Early Golden Immortal Stage (Injuries worsened, Dao Foundation Repair Stagnated)]

[Surface Realm: Mid-stage True Immortal (Disguise successful)]

[Status: Foundation repair has stalled, meridian damage has worsened, and the soul is in turmoil.]

[Hint: A damaged magical artifact (gray ancient mirror) containing spacetime fluctuations has been detected. You can attempt to repair or analyze it.]

Han Mu didn't have time to examine it closely. He put the items away and coldly glanced at the few Heavenly Evolution Sect True Immortal disciples who had miraculously survived and were fleeing for their lives in the distance. He didn't give chase. He was in poor condition and not fit to fight again. Moreover, he had to deal with the matters within Green Bamboo Peak immediately.

He took a deep breath and, carrying Yun Li, whose blood and qi were also churning from the aftershocks of the explosion, quickly flew towards Green Bamboo Peak. Liu Ruyan and the others had already noticed the commotion outside, and upon seeing Han Mu return, they immediately activated a corner of the great formation.

"My lord!" Liu Ruyan and the others came forward and were shocked to see the bloodstains on Han Mu's lips and his pale face.

"I'm fine, just a superficial injury. Where's Zhou Meng?" Han Mu waved his hand and strode towards the secret room.

Inside the secret chamber, Zhou Meng remained suspended in the air, the gray mark between his brows flickering. The gray fragment's light had reached its peak intensity, distorting the surrounding space. A blurry vortex passage, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, was slowly forming, emanating unstable but unusually ancient spatial fluctuations.

Han Mu's gaze sharpened. The fluctuations in this passage... seemed to lead to some extremely distant place, a place of chaotic spacetime. The gray-white ancient coffin fragment in his arms was now slightly warm, resonating with the gray fragment.

"Senior Han, you're finally back! Old Zhou's appearance was terrifying!" Luo Feng leaned closer, looking at Zhou Meng with lingering fear. "The commotion outside just now..."

"Taked care of a few small fry," Han Mu said briefly, walking over to Zhou Meng's side and carefully sensing him. Zhou Meng's aura was steady, even more robust than before, but his consciousness seemed to be immersed in something else. The connection between the mark between his brows and the gray fragment was tight, and the fragment seemed to be instilling something into Zhou Meng through the mark.

Just then, the gray fragment trembled violently, shooting out a beam of gray light that pierced Zhou Meng's brow. Zhou Meng's body trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. But his gaze was no longer the usual honest and irritable one; instead, it held a deep, melancholic look, as if he had seen through the endless years and felt lost. He murmured a few obscure syllables, seemingly in an ancient language.

Immediately, his gaze shifted to Han Mu, or rather, to the gray-white ancient coffin fragments in Han Mu's arms. His expression became complex, containing awe, doubt, and a trace of...admiration.

"Guardian... fragments... return... guidance..." Zhou Meng said intermittently, his voice hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

Han Mu frowned. Zhou Meng's condition was very strange, as if he had been temporarily affected by some ancient consciousness. He tried to probe Zhou Meng's soul with his divine sense, but was blocked by a gentle yet resilient gray force.

"Old Zhou, are you alright? Do you recognize me?" Luo Feng waved his hand in front of Zhou Meng's eyes.

Zhou Meng seemed to only then notice the others. The weariness and confusion in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by his usual clarity, though the mark between his brows remained. He shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "Luo Feng? Sister Liu? I... I think I just had a very long dream, a dream about lots of people in gray clothes, and a big coffin... Oh, Senior Han, you're back? Why do you look so pale?"

He seemed to have no recollection of what he had just said or the change in his expression.

Han Mu and Liu Ruyan exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. It seemed that Zhou Meng had undergone a change they couldn't comprehend. Meanwhile, the vortex passage opened by the gray fragments was gradually stabilizing, emitting an increasingly strong suction force.

Just then, Han Mu's communication jade slip vibrated again. It was from Han Li, containing only a few words: "Leave immediately! A powerful enemy is approaching following the fluctuations in spacetime, suspected to be a peak Golden Immortal from the 'Reverse Time Alliance,' or even more powerful! I am safe for now, do not reply."

Han Mu's expression changed. Peak Golden Immortal? Or even stronger? Was it caused by the shockwave from the self-destruction just now, or by the unusual movement of the fragments?

Almost simultaneously, a crack silently opened in the sky outside Green Bamboo Peak, and a figure draped in a gray cloak, his aura as obscure as an abyss, stepped out. His gaze swept indifferently over the ravaged battlefield below, finally settling on Green Bamboo Peak, on the forming vortex passage, and as if piercing through the formation, he saw Han Mu in the secret chamber, and the fragments of the ancient coffin in his arms.

"Found you, you bug that stole the Source Coffin." A cold, emotionless voice resounded directly in the hearts of Han Mu and everyone else.