The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

"Han Mu, you little thief! You killed my subordinates and ruined my grand plan! I, 'Eclipse,' will take your life today and refine your soul to sacrifice for my men!"

The hoarse, murderous voice boomed like thunder across the Blackwater Alley. With that, a tall figure shrouded in dark golden light emerged from the direction of the Time Pavilion, stepping through the air. With each step, the space beneath his feet rippled with eerie distortion, as if time itself was accelerating and then flowing backward beneath his feet. The newcomer wore a dark golden robe, his face sinister, his eyes reflecting countless ephemeral hourglasses, his aura vast and boundless—clearly a late-stage Taiyi Jade Immortal, the true form of "Eclipse Time"!

The terrifying pressure, like a tangible mountain, pressed down heavily on Han Mu and the others. Zhou Meng and Bai Ling groaned, their faces turning pale, while Luo Feng, Li Qingzhu, and the others were almost unable to breathe under the pressure. Even Han Li and Liu Ruyan, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, felt a pang of fear as they approached, and their speed decreased sharply.

"Lord Eclipse!" The few "Reverse Time Alliance" cultivators who had managed to escape were overjoyed, tears streaming down their faces.

Shi Shi didn't even glance at the defeated soldiers; his icy gaze was fixed on Han Mu, who stood with his hands behind his back amidst the ruins. "A mere mid-stage Taiyi cultivator, capable of killing my 'Shadow Time' guards—that does seem rather strange. But today, you are doomed!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Han Mu looked up, calmly staring at the Eclipse suspended in mid-air, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a hint of scrutiny. "Perfect, I'll test my skills on you."

"Arrogant!" Shi Shi laughed in fury, raising his right hand and clenching it in the air towards Han Mu. "Time Poison—Bone-Corroding!"

Buzz! A viscous, grayish-black power of time, containing the Dao principle of "reversal," instantly submerged the area where Han Mu was located, like an invisible tide. This power could not only corrode the physical body's immortal power, but also erode the soul and lifespan. Even a mid-stage Taiyi cultivator would rapidly age and have their Dao foundation damaged if they came into contact with just a little bit.

However, Han Mu was at the epicenter of the "poison," and a thin layer of grayish-white light automatically appeared around his body—this was the power of "Origin." The "Time Poison," which was enough to terrify cultivators of the same level, struck the light membrane, but it was like water splashed on a scorching hot iron plate, hissing and rapidly evaporating and purifying itself, unable to corrode Han Mu in the slightest!

"What?!" Shi Shi's pupils contracted, and for the first time, a look of surprise appeared on his face. His "Time Poison" had no effect? ​​How could this be?

"Your 'Rebellion' is utterly insignificant before my 'Origin'." Han Mu's voice was cold. He took a step forward, and his figure instantly appeared in front of Shi Shi, striking out with a palm as well. This palm strike seemed slow, yet it seemed to contain the ancient Daoist charm of the beginning of creation. Wherever the palm wind passed, the dark golden light around Shi Shi fluctuated violently and dimmed.

"How arrogant!" Shi Shi, being a late-stage Taiyi cultivator, remained calm despite his surprise. He formed a hand seal in front of his chest, and a phantom of a highly refined dark golden hourglass appeared. The dripping sand wasn't sand, but a viscous "time glue" capable of freezing time. "Time Reversal Divine Power—Time Freeze!"

The hourglass shone brightly, and a terrifying force of stagnation enveloped Han Mu, attempting to freeze him and time itself.

Han Mu's movements paused slightly, but the "Origin Coffin Mark" between his brows glowed, and the five fragments within his body trembled simultaneously. An even more vast "Origin" power erupted, forcefully breaking through the stagnation. "Time...accelerate!"

His palm suddenly moved ten times faster, passing through the barrier of the "Glue of Time" and imprinting itself on the hourglass phantom in Shi Shi's incredulous gaze.

Click!

A crisp cracking sound rang out. The Hourglass, Eclipse's strongest defensive divine power, "Time Freeze," was actually cracked by Han Mu's palm strike! Eclipse was struck as if by a heavy blow, letting out a muffled groan as his figure retreated a hundred feet, a trace of dark golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with horror.

One palm strike! Just one palm strike, and he was injured! Although he didn't use all his trump cards, it was just a casual palm strike from his opponent! Han Mu's strength is definitely not just at the mid-stage of Taiyi!

"Is that all you've got? You dare to threaten to take my life?" Han Mu shook his hand as if he had just swatted away a fly.

Shi Shi's face was so dark it could drip water; he knew he'd kicked a hornet's nest. Han Mu's use of the power of "Origin" far exceeded his expectations, and it seemed to perfectly counter his "Rebellious" Dao. Continuing the fight, even if he won, would likely be a Pyrrhic victory, and the "Shadow Guild" members could arrive at any moment.

"Very well! Han Mu, I'll remember you!" Eclipse's eyes flashed, but he ultimately suppressed his anger, leaving behind a harsh statement, "Let's go!"

After saying that, he picked up a few surviving subordinates from the ground, transformed into a streak of dark golden light, and sped away towards the "Time Pavilion" without looking back, actually retreating directly.

"They ran away already?" Luo Feng's eyes widened. "I thought I was going to see Senior Han fight three hundred rounds!"

"Shi Shi is a treacherous and cunning person. Seeing that the situation was not good, he immediately retreated, which was a wise move." Han Li walked over with a solemn expression. "But in doing so, we have completely broken ties with the 'Anti-Time Alliance' in Myriad Manifestations Heavenly City. They will never let this go."

Han Mu nodded, unconcerned. He summoned the system panel and quickly scanned it.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Mid-stage Taiyi Jade Immortal (Peak State)]

[Time Law: 88% (After battling Eclipse, I gained some insight into the "Reversal" principle)]

[Status: Good. Slight exertion.]

[Celestial Aura: -6000 points]

[System Notification: Repelled "Eclipse" (Late-stage Taiyi Jade Immortal). Intimidated the "Reverse Time Alliance". Gained further attention from the "Shadow Guild". New Clue: Faint causal traces related to the "Forging Heaven Workshop Secret Realm Map" and the third "Key of Time" were detected from the "Time Freeze" hourglass fragments remaining from Eclipse.]

"Traces of cause and effect?" Han Mu's heart stirred as he looked in the direction Eclipse had retreated. Could it be that the secret realm map or key clues are truly in the hands of the "Reverse Time Alliance"? Or is Eclipse himself closely connected to those clues?

Just then, several powerful auras swept in from afar. Leading them were Meiji from the "Shadow Guild" and a tall, thin old man whose aura was unfathomable and who was shrouded in a faint shadow.

"Senior Han!" Mei Ji stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and pointed to the old man beside her. "This is Elder Ying, the third elder of my guild. The guild master heard about your righteous deeds today and specially ordered Elder Ying to come and invite you to the guild headquarters for a chat. There are important matters to discuss, and he is willing to share information about the 'Forging Heaven Workshop Secret Realm Map' with you."

Elder Ying nodded slightly, his voice hoarse: "Fellow Daoist Han, please. The Guild Master knows something about the 'Reverse Time Alliance' and that secret realm map... perhaps you will be interested in some inside information."

A glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. Finally, they had reached the core.

"lead the way."