The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

"Young friends, since you're here, please sit down and let's talk." Daoist Qingxuan smiled slightly and waved his hand, creating several stone benches in the pavilion. He gestured with his hand, his movements natural, as if he were simply welcoming old friends he hadn't seen in a long time.

Han Mu's gaze lingered on Qing Xuan for a moment before he walked into the pavilion and sat down first. Liu Ruyan, Han Li, and the others followed, sitting on either side, their expressions wary. Luo Feng, on the other hand, was quite carefree, plopping down on the stone bench and patting it, saying, "This stone is quite cool."

"I am Qingxuan, and I have been guarding this place for thirty thousand years." Qingxuan Daoist sat down again opposite the chessboard, his fingers gently brushing over a white jade chess piece on the stone table. "This place is called the 'Remnant of Time,' the last refuge of the ancient 'Guardians of Time.' And I am the last successor of this lineage."

"The Guardians of Time?" Han Li frowned slightly. "There are only scattered records of them in the ancient texts. It is said to be an ancient tradition that maintained the order of time and space in the heavens, but it has long been lost."

"Indeed." Daoist Qingxuan sighed, a sense of vicissitude flashing in his eyes. "The duty of the Guardians is to protect the purity of the 'Source of Time' and prevent any being from attempting to tamper with or distort the flow of the River of Time. Unfortunately... 30,000 years ago, a traitor emerged within the Guardians."

Han Mu's eyes narrowed: "Traitor?"

"That person's original name was 'Shi Xing,' the most outstanding genius of the Guardian lineage, and was even expected to become the next Guardian Saint Venerable." Qingxuan Daoist's voice turned cold. "But he was not satisfied with just being a 'guardian,' he wanted to 'control.' He secretly studied the forbidden technique of 'Reversing Time,' betrayed his sect, slaughtered his fellow disciples, and seized 30% of the Guardian lineage's inheritance and several treasures. From then on, he called himself 'Lord Shi.'"

"Time Lord..." Zhou Meng clenched his fist, the "Time Guardian Mark" between his eyebrows slightly burning.

"The Time Lord's goal has never been as simple as just collecting the fragments of the 'Coffin of Origin'," Qingxuan Daoist said, looking at Han Mu. "Young friend, you should already know that the 'Coffin of Origin' is one of the three great treasures of chaos at the beginning of time, alongside the 'Disc of Reincarnation' and the 'Book of Destiny,' possessing unparalleled power to stabilize the spacetime of all heavens. The Time Lord wants to collect all the fragments, reforge this coffin, and use it as a key to forcibly enter the core of the 'Source of Time,' tamper with the most fundamental laws of spacetime, and make himself the sole ruler. At that time, the time order of all heavens and myriad worlds will be determined by him alone; those who obey him will live, and those who defy him will perish."

Liu Ruyan gasped, "This...this is going to set the stage for a new world?"

"Exactly." Daoist Qingxuan nodded. "Therefore, young friend, you possess fragments of the 'Coffin of Origin,' the aura of the 'Seed of Reincarnation,' and the inheritance of the 'Guardian of the Netherworld.' You are the biggest variable in the Time Lord's plan, and someone he must eliminate."

Han Mu's expression remained unchanged: "Senior, you must have told me all this not just to clear up my doubts."

"Naturally." Daoist Qingxuan took out a palm-sized, dark silver fragment, neither gold nor jade, with complex time runes engraved on its surface, and a cyan jade slip from his robes, placing them on the stone table. "This is a one-third fragment of the 'Key of Time,' and the middle section of the core inheritance of the 'Guardian of Time,' 'The Flow of Time'. The complete 'Key of Time' is divided into three; this is one of them. Another is in the hands of the Time Venerable, and the whereabouts of the last one are unknown. Only when the three are combined can a stable passage to the 'Sea of ​​Chaos and Mist' be opened."

"The Chaotic Mist Sea?" Han Mu took the jade slip and the key fragment. They were slightly cool to the touch, and he could feel the pure Dao of Time within them.

"That's the outer barrier of the 'Source of Time,' chaotic and dangerous, but it also hides the path to the core," Qingxuan Daoist explained. "The fifth fragment of the 'Coffin of Origin' that you're looking for—the most important 'coffin lid'—is deep within the Misty Sea, guarded by a group of ancient 'Remnants of Time.' Without the complete 'Key of Time,' you can't get in, and even if you do, you won't find it."

Luo Feng scratched his head: "Senior, you wouldn't be giving us these treasures just because you're a nice person, would you?"

Master Qingxuan chuckled: "This young friend is quite straightforward. Indeed, I have conditions."

"Please speak." Han Mu put away the key fragments and the jade slip.

"First, if you can gather the 'Coffin of Origin' and stop the Time Lord, you must rebuild the lineage of the 'Guardians of Time' and prevent the inheritance from being severed." Daoist Qingxuan's expression was solemn. "Second, if possible, rescue an old friend trapped deep within the 'Source of Time'—our clan's last holy maiden, Shi Yue. She sacrificed herself to seal the Time Lord's predecessor, and now... her fate is unknown."

Han Mu was silent for a moment: "How can you be so sure I can do it, senior?"

"Because you are the only person in the past 30,000 years to be recognized by both 'Origin' and 'Reincarnation', and to possess the power of a system." A strange light flashed in Qingxuan Daoist's eyes. "Your system is not of this world; it comes from a higher dimension and is a true 'variable.' In the Time Venerable's deductions, you never existed."

Han Mu's pupils contracted slightly. This was the first time someone had directly revealed the origin of his system.

"No need to be surprised." Daoist Qingxuan waved his hand. "The Guardians' perception of time far surpasses that of ordinary people. The power fluctuations on your body that transcend the rules of this world cannot escape my notice. That's why I'm willing to take the gamble."

Han Li suddenly spoke up: "Senior, you have waited here for 30,000 years. With only a fragment of the key and the inheritance, how can you be sure that we can collect the other two? And how can you ensure that we can find the fragments and come out alive after entering the Chaotic Mist Sea?"

"Good question." Daoist Qingxuan gave Han Li an approving look. "The other fragment of the key will definitely be kept by the Time Lord himself, or perhaps it's at the core of the 'Reverse Time Alliance' headquarters. If you want to collect them all, you'll inevitably face a direct confrontation with him and his forces. As for how to find the fragment... the middle section of the 'Time Source Flow Sutra' contains a method of sensing it. As for life and death, on the path of cultivation, how can one be completely safe?"

Without further hesitation, Han Mu placed the jade slip on his forehead, and a torrent of information flooded into his mind. It was the middle section of "The Flow of Time Source," several times more profound than the previous upper section, involving advanced applications of the laws of time, the construction of the realm of time, and some methods for activating the power of the "Time Source."

At the same time, he brought up the system panel and quickly scanned it.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Early Stage of Taiyi Jade Immortal (70% recovered from injuries)]

[Time Rule: 75%]

[Status: Minor injury, recovering. "Coffin of Origin" fragment resonance enhanced. "Seed of Reincarnation" fragment active.]

[Celestial Aura: -6000 points]

[Obtained: Inheritance of "The Flow of Time" (Middle Chapter). Obtained "Key of Time" Fragment (1/3). Triggered New Quest: Collect all three Key of Time Fragments to open the passage to the Chaotic Mist Sea. Quest Reward: Depends on completion rate.]

"I accept the mission." Han Mu put down the jade slip, a sharp glint in his eyes. "But before that, I need to improve my strength. Shi Zun has Taiyi Jade Immortals under his command, and my current state is not enough."

"Wise." Daoist Qingxuan nodded. "Deep within this ruined realm lie three trial realms left behind by our ancestors—the 'Corridor of Time,' the 'Mirror of Reincarnation,' and the 'Pool of Origin.' Through these trials, one can greatly enhance their understanding of the laws of time, and even trigger the tempering of the very essence of time. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

"A trial?" Luo Feng's eyes lit up. "Are there any good things to get?"

"Of course," Qingxuan Daoist said with a smile. "However, the trials are risky, especially the 'Origin Pool.' If one's will is not firm or one's foundation is unstable, one may be assimilated by the Origin of Time and perish both body and soul. You should think carefully."

Han Mu stood up and looked at the people behind him: "You all wait here. Fellow Daoist Han Li and I will go and take a look first. Liu Ruyan, you take some men to keep watch."

"Yes," Liu Ruyan replied.

Han Mu turned to Qingxuan Daoist: "Senior, please lead the way."

Qingxuan Daoist stood up, waved his sleeve, and a distorted spacetime portal appeared behind the pavilion. Inside, light and shadow flowed, and three forked paths could be vaguely seen extending into the unknown depths.

"On the left is the 'Corridor of Time,' in the middle is the 'Mirror of Reincarnation,' and on the right is the 'Pool of Origin,'" said Daoist Qingxuan. "Young friend, good luck. Remember, during the trial, you might see some...unexpected things."

Han Mu and Han Li exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, stepped into the middle path.