The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The dark golden light at the center of the "Eye of the Ruins" was like a world-destroying eye slowly opening. Wherever the light reached, the violent spatial turbulence calmed and dispersed like a subject, replaced by a solidified, suffocating, and vast pressure that seemed to dominate the flow of time for eternity.

This oppressive aura wasn't simply a matter of physical force; it was more like a high-level being originating from the laws of spacetime itself, a natural "overlooking" gaze upon lower-level beings. Below the Golden Immortal level, even peak True Immortals felt as if they were carrying mountains on their backs under this pressure, unable to move. Liu Ruyan, Luo Feng, and the others instantly turned deathly pale, their bodies stiffened, and even their immortal power almost ceased to circulate.

"It's...it's the aura of the true 'Time Lord'! At least it's a powerful projection containing his original will!" Han Li's expression was more solemn than ever before, even showing a hint of horror. He knew that the "Time Lord" was very strong, but he didn't expect that the other party could project such a huge will and power into the "Eye of Return to the Void" across endless space and time!

"Cough cough... They really came after all." Han Mu wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, which had spilled out as he forcibly suppressed his injuries, but his eyes were sharp as knives. He stood at the forefront of the crowd, the "Source Coffin Mark" between his brows glowing, stubbornly maintaining a relatively stable gray-white halo under the immense pressure of the "Time Venerable," barely protecting the people behind him.

"Insect...thief...you...deserve death!"

The dark golden light grew brighter and brighter until finally, a projection of the "Time Lord," towering a hundred feet tall, seemingly composed entirely of dark golden time crystals, with a blurred face but clearly visible only in a pair of indifferent eyes that seemed to reflect the birth and death of countless worlds, completely solidified above the "Eye of Returning Ruins"! Countless fragments of time swirled around the projection, each containing terrifying power capable of easily annihilating an early-stage Golden Immortal. Its mere presence slowed the rotation of the entire "Eye of Returning Ruins," as if spacetime itself was paying homage to it.

"It's all over, it's all messed up now, I haven't even gotten married yet..." Luo Feng said with a mournful face, barely able to speak with Han Mu's support.

"Shut up!" Liu Ruyan hissed, but her hand holding the sword was trembling slightly.

"Brother Han, we cannot fight him head-on! This projection's power level far surpasses that of a peak Golden Immortal; it has likely touched the threshold of a Great Luo Immortal, or perhaps it is even a projection of Great Luo level power!" Han Li quickly transmitted his voice urgently. "We must retreat immediately! The 'Eye of Returning to Nothingness' is temporarily 'calm' because of his arrival, but this is an illusion. Once he fully stabilizes, or makes his move, we will have no chance of survival!"

Han Mu was well aware of this. He could sense that his newly attained peak Golden Immortal cultivation was like a firefly compared to the moon in front of his opponent. A direct confrontation would mean certain death.

"Zhou Meng! Can your mark find a relatively safe escape route? Ideally, it should be able to directly leave the spacetime node of the 'Outer Ruins'!" Han Mu asked urgently.

Zhou Meng closed his eyes, fully activating the "Time Guardian Mark" between his brows, a look of pain on his face: "There... there's a reaction, very weak, over there! But the spacetime in that direction is chaotic, and... it seems like something is chasing after the 'Time Lord' projection!"

Han Mu looked in the direction Zhou Meng sensed. It was a rather inconspicuous area at the edge of the "Eye of Return to Nothingness" vortex. At this moment, due to the spacetime disturbance caused by the descent of the "Time Lord's" projection, the spacetime structure there seemed to be fluctuating abnormally. Behind the "Time Lord's" projection, deep within the enormous vortex, countless gray shadows could be vaguely seen converging. These were the remnants of the "Reverse Time Alliance," being summoned by the "Time Lord"!

"No time to hesitate! That's it! Fellow Daoist Han Li, clear the way! Liu Ruyan, lead the men and follow closely! Zhou Meng, sense any changes in the path! I'll cover the rear!" Han Mu made a decision instantly, speaking rapidly.

"Brother Han, you..." Han Li looked at Han Mu.

"Don't worry, I won't die! Hurry!" A fierce glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes as he turned to face the projection of "Time Lord" that was slowly raising a dark golden arm.

"Those who blaspheme against time... Annihilation." The projection of "Time Lord" spoke indifferently, raising his dark gold arm and pointing lightly in the direction where Han Mu and the others were.

There was no grand display of power, only a beam of dark golden light, condensed to its utmost, seemingly capable of piercing through eternity and halting the flow of time, silently shot forth. Wherever the beam passed, space shattered like a mirror, and time was completely "erased," forming an absolute path of death where even time could not flow!

This single finger strike locked onto Han Mu, and onto all of them! There was no way to avoid it!

"Well done!" Han Mu advanced instead of retreating, roaring as he concentrated all the immortal power he had just recovered, along with the power of the "Origin Coffin Mark," and even the primal resonance of the two core fragments of the "Origin Coffin" within his body, onto his right fist!

"Origin - Suppressing the World!"

He threw a punch, not at the dark golden beam of light, but at the "Bone Slope" continent beneath their feet, and the spacetime structure deeper inside that was connected to the "Eye of the Ruins"!

Rumble—!

Han Mu's punch, drawing upon the primal power of the "Coffin of Origin," seemed to detonate the chaotic spacetime energy and annihilating power accumulated over countless years within the "Eye of Return to Nothingness"! The entire "Bone Slope" continent instantly shattered, and even more terrifyingly, this act triggered a chain reaction of spacetime collapses in the surrounding vast areas! The raging spacetime turbulence, the demise storm, and the power of Return to Nothingness, temporarily suppressed by the "Time Lord," erupted like a powder keg ignited!

The incoming dark golden beam of light was instantly engulfed, interfered with, and weakened by the sudden, massive spacetime collapse and chaotic energy surge! Although it was not completely neutralized, its trajectory was deflected, and its power was greatly reduced!

"Go!" The moment Han Mu threw his punch, he used the recoil to retreat rapidly. At the same time, he rolled up his sleeves to cover everyone behind him and rushed toward the turbulent spacetime node that Zhou Meng had pointed out, where Han Li had forcibly torn open a gap!

"Insects... How dare you!" The projection of "Time Lord" seemed to have not expected Han Mu to be so decisive, daring to detonate a portion of the power of the Void to block the enemy. A trace of what could be called "anger" finally appeared in that indifferent voice. Its huge dark golden body shone brightly, trying to stabilize the collapsing spacetime, while its other hand rose again, about to launch a second attack.

However, the collapse of the Ruins triggered by Han Mu was too large, and the chaotic energy and distorted spacetime severely interfered with the perception and locking of the "Time Lord" projection. By the time it managed to stabilize the spacetime around it, Han Mu and the others had already vanished into that turbulent spacetime node like ice cubes thrown into boiling water.

"Hmph! Fleeing into the 'Chaotic Rift'... courting death." The projection of "Time Lord" snorted coldly, seemingly aware of the node, and did not immediately pursue. Its eyes, reflecting all worlds, coldly swept over the devastated and still collapsing outer edge of the Ruins of Return, and then looked at the terrified remnants of the "Reverse Time Alliance" gathering behind it.

"Issue my decree: seal all spacetime beacons connecting 'Eternal Night Galaxy' to this world. Track down the fragments of the 'Coffin of Origin' and the remnants of 'Time Guardians.' The ritual... must be expedited." The icy voice echoed in the gradually subsiding storm of the Void, and the dark golden projection slowly faded and finally dissipated. But the chilling pressure seemed to be imprinted on this world.

……

Within the "Chaotic Rift," Han Mu and his companions were like a small boat adrift on a raging sea, swept along by the chaotic and disordered currents of spacetime, helplessly tumbling and crashing. All around them were bizarre and rapidly flashing fragments of spacetime, the chaotic tearing force seemingly threatening to completely disintegrate them.

"Hold on! Follow my senses!" Zhou Meng bled from all seven orifices, the mark between his eyebrows flickering with light, struggling to guide him. Han Li, on the other hand, exerted all his strength to create layer upon layer of fragile spacetime barriers around everyone, resisting the most deadly turbulent cutting.

Han Mu was the most seriously injured. Forcibly detonating the power of the Void had a significant backlash, but he still persevered, using the power of the "Source Coffin Mark" as the core to provide everyone with a final protection.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a moment, maybe a long time, when suddenly a steady white light appeared in front of me.

"Exit!" Zhou Meng shouted hoarsely.

With renewed vigor, everyone used their last bit of strength to rush toward the white light.

puff!

As if breaking through a film of water, the group tumbled out in a sorry state, landing on a cold, hard... ground? The starlight was dim, and all around them was a deep, seemingly all-consuming dark void, with only a few faint glimmers of starlight in the far distance.

"Where...where is this?" Luo Feng gasped for breath, looking around blankly.

Han Mu struggled to sit up, quickly scanned his surroundings, and summoned the system panel.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Peak Golden Immortal (Minor Injury, Fundamental Shock, Requires Rest)]

[Time Rule: 60% of the Beginner Level]

[Status: Seriously injured, power exhausted. The "Source Coffin Mark" has dimmed.]

[Celestial Aura: -9000 points]

[System Notification: Successfully escaped the "Eye of Return to Nothingness" and entered an unknown star field. Based on star map comparison and information retrieval from the fragments of the "Coffin of Origin," the current location is in the desolate outer region of the "Eternal Night Galaxy," approximately three hundred star years from the nearest known cultivation star field, the "Sirius Star Field." A weak but persistent fluctuation of the "Reverse Time Alliance's" spacetime beacon blockade has been detected, covering a very wide area. A key information fragment has been obtained (originating from the deep resonance of the "Coffin of Origin"): The true form of the "Time Lord" seems to be trapped somewhere in the "Source of Time." The purpose of his "sacrifice" is suspected to be using the Eye of Return to Nothingness as a springboard to guide a portion of his power or consciousness back to the present world and to tamper with some fundamental spacetime laws, paving the way for his complete escape.]

The outer edge of the Eternal Night Galaxy! The approximate direction of the "Reverse Time Alliance's" lair! Han Mu's eyes narrowed, and a storm of shock surged within him. The true body of the "Time Lord" was trapped? The "sacrifice" was for guiding the power back and altering the laws of the Dao?

Just then, Han Li's expression suddenly changed. He pointed to a strange pattern composed of seven dim stars slowly rotating in the dark void in the distance: "That's... the trace of the 'Seven Stars Locking the Sky' formation! It's a high-level formation used by the 'Reverse Time Alliance' to seal off and monitor star fields! We... seem to have intruded into their outer perimeter's warning zone!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the seven dim stars simultaneously lit up with an ominous gray light!