The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Standing beneath the high platform of the underground palace, everyone's gaze was fixed on the token and jade slip above the stone coffin. The air seemed to freeze, with only the eerie blue flames of the nine ancient bronze lamps flickering silently, illuminating the complex and ancient silver sealing runes on the surface of the stone coffin.

"That token... its spacetime fluctuations are very stable, completely different from the chaotic feeling of the 'Reverse Time Alliance'." Han Li stared at the dark silver token, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. "It's more like an object used to stabilize and harmonize spacetime."

"The jade slip should contain the inheritance," Liu Ruyan said, but her eyes were wary as she looked at the black stone coffin. "However, this stone coffin gives me a very bad feeling. It seems like... something is sealed inside."

Han Mu did not immediately step forward. The "Source Coffin Mark" between his brows was slightly warm as he carefully sensed the faint, strange fluctuations deep within the stone coffin. The fluctuations were extremely weak, as if they might be extinguished at any moment, but they were of extremely high quality, mixed with the antiquity of the "origin" and the desolation of the "end," as well as a strange Daoist charm that seemed to be struggling in endless reincarnation.

"Senior Yun Yazi, do you know what's inside this stone coffin?" Han Mu asked the remnant soul of Yun Yazi, who was being supported by Zhou Meng.

Yun Ya Zi's remnant soul stared at the stone coffin, a deep sense of dread and bewilderment appearing on his illusory face: "This old man... does not know. The ultimate duty of the 'Netherworld Guardians' lineage is to guard and seal, preventing certain beings that should not exist in this world or are extremely dangerous from crossing boundaries or resurrecting. This place... is of such high standard, even employing the 'Nine Netherworld Lamps' and the 'Sealing Silver Pattern Coffin,' the things sealed here are probably... extraordinary. This token and jade slip may be the key and last words left for the future guardians, or... a destined person."

A key? Last words? Han Mu's gaze fell once again on the dark silver token. The front of the token was engraved with the character "镇" (zhen, meaning "suppress"), while the back featured a complex star map and spacetime runes.

"I'll go get it." Han Mu no longer hesitated. He floated up, took a few steps in the air, and arrived on the high platform, hovering in front of the token and jade slip. He did not touch them directly with his hands, but first enveloped his right hand with the gray-white light emitted by the "Source Coffin Mark" and carefully reached for the token.

The moment Han Mu's finger touched the token, it trembled slightly and emitted a clear, resonant hum. Immediately afterward, a pure, gentle stream of information, carrying the power of both suppression and harmony with the times, flowed into Han Mu's mind through his finger. At the same time, the cyan jade slip automatically flew up and affixed to Han Mu's forehead, pouring in the massive amount of information contained within.

Han Mu closed his eyes and concentrated, quickly processing this information.

The token, named "Netherworld Guardian Token," is a standard identity token of the "Netherworld Guardians" lineage of the ancient Heavenly Court. It is also a token of inheritance and a key to some authority. This token can assist the holder in communicating with and invoking some of the laws of the Netherworld, and in performing sealing and sealing supernatural powers. It has a natural restraint on inanimate objects of the Netherworld and can also stabilize and regulate chaotic spacetime to a certain extent.

The jade slip records the lifelong legacy of this ancient cultivator who called himself the "Guardian of the Nether Spring," including his main cultivation technique, the "Nine Nether Soul Suppressing Scripture" (which can be cultivated to the Taiyi Jade Immortal level), several powerful Netherworld, sealing, and spacetime-related supernatural abilities, and a wealth of information about the geography of the Netherworld Abyss, dangerous areas, ancient forbidden zones, and the coordinates of some spacetime nodes. It mentions that when this "Guardian of the Nether Spring" was nearing the end of his lifespan, he voluntarily passed away there, using his remaining body and the "Sealing Silver Pattern Coffin" as the core to set up the "Nine Netherworld Lamp Array," permanently suppressing the Netherworld death energy turmoil within a thousand-mile radius, and sealing an "object that should not exist" that he accidentally brought back during an exploration deep into the Netherworld Abyss. The jade slip is vague about this "object that should not exist," only leaving a warning: It must never be touched unless absolutely necessary, or by someone who has truly comprehended the true meaning of "reincarnation," otherwise it will trigger unpredictable calamities.

"Reincarnation?" Han Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he looked down at the black stone coffin again. Could the strange fluctuations emanating from that coffin be the so-called "thing that shouldn't exist"? Something related to "reincarnation"?

After processing the information, Han Mu opened his eyes. The "Netherworld Guardian Token" in his hand dimmed its light, showing a connection to him as if bound by blood. The jade slip transformed into an ordinary jade piece, which Han Mu put away.

"Brother Han, how is it?" Han Li asked.

"It is a legacy and a treasure." Han Mu explained simply, showing everyone the "Netherworld Guardian Token" and sharing some general information about this place and the Netherworld Abyss, but omitting the specific description of the "thing that shouldn't exist" inside the stone coffin.

"Great! With this token and map, things will be much easier for us in the Netherworld Abyss. Maybe we can even find a way out!" Luo Feng exclaimed excitedly.

"My lord, what about this stone coffin..." Liu Ruyan continued to stare at the stone coffin.

Han Mu landed on the high platform and walked to the stone coffin. Upon closer inspection, he could better feel the weight and antiquity of the stone coffin. The silver sealing runes seemed to have a life of their own, slowly flowing and radiating a powerful binding force.

Han Mu reached out and tried to slowly probe the stone coffin with the power of the "Source Coffin Mark" in an attempt to perceive the contents of the coffin more clearly.

However, the moment the power of the "Source Coffin Mark" touched the surface of the stone coffin—

boom!

The entire underground palace trembled violently! The silver runes on the surface of the stone coffin instantly shone brightly, bursting forth with dazzling light! The flames of the nine ancient bronze lamps flickered wildly! A hair-thin crack appeared between the coffin lid and the body! An indescribable, hazy gray light, seemingly transcending the boundaries of life and death and containing the aura of endless cycles of life and death, leaked out from the crack!

"Oh no! The seal has loosened!" Yun Ya Zi's remnant soul cried out in alarm.

At the same time, the coffin lid shook violently, as if something was trying to force its way out from inside! A terrifying, contradictory pressure, seemingly capable of devouring all life yet containing the hope of new life, spread out!

"Back off!" Han Mu shouted, but instead of retreating, he advanced, pressing his hands hard on the coffin lid. The Taiyi Jade Immortal power, which had recovered to nearly half its original strength, surged into him, and together with the sealing power of the "Netherworld Guardian Order," he attempted to suppress it again.

However, the resistance from within the coffin was beyond imagination. The hazy gray light grew stronger and stronger, and the coffin lid was pried open inch by inch! A withered, cracked, and seemingly made of gray crystal bone hand suddenly reached out from the crack and grabbed at Han Mu!

The Dao of Reincarnation contained in this skeletal hand caused the "Origin Coffin Mark" between Han Mu's brows to tremble violently, and the fragment of the "Origin Coffin" in his arms also trembled like never before! It was as if he had encountered a "kindred spirit" of the same origin but who had taken a different extreme path!

"The remains of reincarnation...?" A vague thought flashed through Han Mu's mind. He held back no longer, let out a low roar, and fully activated the "Source Coffin Mark" and the "Netherworld Guardian Order," while simultaneously drawing upon a trace of the primordial aura of the "Origin Coffin" itself, transforming it into a gray-white sealing light seal, which slammed fiercely onto the outstretched bone hand!

Sizzle—!

Like cold water dripping into hot oil, the gray-white sealing light seal clashed violently with and annihilated the gray light of reincarnation on the bone hand. The bone hand trembled violently, and the cracks on its surface increased, as if it had been severely injured. It reluctantly and slowly retracted into the coffin. The crack also began to slowly close under Han Mu's suppression.

But just as the gap was about to close completely, a faint, pure gray light, seemingly containing the most primordial meaning of reincarnation, floated out from the gap, ignoring Han Mu's protective immortal light, and instantly entered the "Source Coffin Mark" between Han Mu's eyebrows!

Han Mu's body trembled, feeling as if a red-hot iron had been plunged into the "Source Coffin Mark." A vast, ancient, fragmented information and Daoist insights about "reincarnation" surged wildly into his soul! At the same time, a strange energy, so pure it seemed capable of reversing life and death, began to cleanse and nourish his severely injured body, even subtly touching and deepening his understanding of "origin" and "end"!

"This is..." Han Mu was both surprised and suspicious.

Bang! The cracks in the stone coffin closed completely, the silver runes stabilized again, and the flames of the nine ghost lamps returned to calm. It was as if the dramatic change had never happened.

"Brother Han! Are you alright?" Han Li and the others rushed up the platform, looking at Han Mu anxiously.

Han Mu slowly lowered his hands, sensing the new gray light spot in the "Source Coffin Mark" between his brows, as well as the rapidly healing injuries and the subtle increase in his understanding. He quickly checked the system panel.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Taiyi Jade Immortal (Early Stage, rapidly recovering from severe injuries, realm stabilizing at an accelerated pace)]

[Status: Injury recovery accelerated; strength restored to 50%. The "Source Coffin Mark" has fused with an unknown Dao of Reincarnation (a fragment of the "Seed of Reincarnation"), and has begun its evolutionary deduction. The resonance of the "Coffin of Origin" fragment has intensified.]

[New Addition: Obtained the "Netherworld Guardian Token" (a special privilege item). Obtained the "Nine Netherworld Soul Suppressing Scripture" and some secrets of the Netherworld Abyss.]

[Warning: The fusion of a fragment of the "Seed of Reincarnation," an unknown higher-dimensional entity, within your body contains immense causal implications and unknown risks. An unknown synergistic effect has arisen with the "Coffin of Origin," potentially causing a deviation from your future path.]

A fragment of the Seed of Reincarnation? Han Mu's eyes were deep. It seemed that what was sealed in this stone coffin was indeed a forbidden object related to "reincarnation," and it seemed to have some unknown connection with the "Coffin of Origin." Would this fragment merging into his body be a blessing or a curse?

"I'm fine." Han Mu suppressed his thoughts and said to everyone, "Let's leave here first. The stone coffin is temporarily stable, but it's not advisable to stay any longer. Let's follow the map in the jade slip to find a way out of the Netherworld Abyss."

Everyone nodded, though they were full of questions, they knew that this was not a place to stay for long.

However, just as everyone turned to leave the underground palace, a series of dense and heavy footsteps, along with the cracking sound of countless bones rubbing together, and an intense, overwhelming aura of deathly darkness surged in like a tide from the direction of the palace entrance!

"Not good! The commotion just now attracted more guards from the depths of the underground palace, or... the aura of this 'Seed of Reincarnation' leaked out, attracting some terrifying beings in the Netherworld Abyss!" Han Li's expression changed.

At the entrance to the underground palace, a dense, dark mass of countless towering "Netherworld Guardians"—bone generals clad in tattered armor with crimson or eerie green flames flickering in their eyes—along with even more bizarre Netherworld creatures exuding the aura of Golden Immortals, surged in like a tidal wave, completely blocking the exit! The auras of the leading figures had clearly reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and one even had a subtle fluctuation that faintly touched the threshold of the Taiyi realm!

"It seems that leaving won't be so easy." Han Mu's eyes turned cold. He stepped forward and stood in front of the crowd, the "Netherworld Guardian Token" in his hand shimmering with light.