The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

"The Reverse Time Array... pollutes the essence of the Molten Core... a ritual or the refining of something..." Han Mu's eyes were sharp as knives as he stared at the writhing dark gray mist in the core area of ​​the Molten Core. The sensations emanating from the "Blood Bone Hourglass" in his hand became increasingly clear, carrying a certain longing and guidance.

Shadow Master's intelligence perfectly matched what he saw before him and the direction the hourglass pointed. "Eclipse" was indeed making a major move here! This grand formation was astonishing in scale, its aura ancient and malevolent; it couldn't have been set up in a short time, and it was very likely that the "Reverse Time Alliance" had been plotting this for a long time. Shadow Master guessed there were two possibilities for its purpose, but Han Mu, combining the "Time Lord's" consistent style with the information he possessed, leaned more towards a third—either to corrupt and seize the source to strengthen itself or complete a ritual, or perhaps to forge a special artifact related to the "Source of Time" or the "Coffin of Origin," or even… to attempt to locate or summon something!

"Brother Han, that black mist gives me a very bad feeling. It's full of twisted and polluted power, and it's similar to some of the forbidden formations described in the 'Guardians of Time' inheritance." Zhou Meng's expression was solemn, and the "Time" mark on his forehead was slightly hot, emitting a series of warnings.

"The detection array is severely interfered with and cannot penetrate deep into the black mist, but we can sense several powerful energy nodes, which are suspected to be the array's cores. There are also many life forms active, which should be the guardians of the 'Reverse Time Alliance'." Han Li stared at the flickering detection screen on the control panel.

"My lord, should we charge straight in, or..." Luo Feng rubbed his hands, somewhat eager to try, but looking at the black mist that covered an extremely wide area and whose aura was terrifying, he also restrained his wildness.

"A direct assault would be unwise." Han Mu shook his head, his voice calm. "We know nothing about the internal situation of the formation, the guarding forces, or whether 'Eclipse' is personally overseeing it. Rushing in could put us at a disadvantage, or even trap and kill us within the formation."

He lightly tapped the control panel, bringing up a more detailed star map, combining the direction indicated by the "Blood Bone Hourglass" with his current observations. "The black mist covers about 30% of the core area of ​​the Molten Core, mainly concentrated on the eastern side. The hourglass points to a location further south in the depths of the black mist, which may be the array's core, or it may be the true target of 'Eclipse'."

Han Mu brought up the system panel and quickly scanned it.

Name: Han Mu

[True Realm: Late Stage of Taiyi Jade Immortal (Peak State)]

[Time Rule: 90%]

[Status: Good. Arrived at "Molten Core" and discovered "Time Reversal Array".]

[Celestial Aura: -5100 points]

[System Notification: Large-scale "Time Reversal" contamination of the array has been detected. Analyzing... Array Level: Extremely High (Suspected ancient remnant array repair activation). Core Functions: Erosion, Transformation, Sacrifice, Summoning (87% probability). Threat Level: High (Extra restraint/attraction to those who possess the power of "Origin" and "Reincarnation"). Side Quest Triggered: "Destroy the Time Reversal Array" (Optional). Quest Objective: Destroy at least three main array eyes, or destroy the array core. Quest Rewards: Depends on completion, including a large amount of immortal energy, special items, and insights into the laws of time. Warning: Forced destruction may trigger a frenzied counterattack from the "Time Eclipse" entity and the array's self-destruction. Recommendation: Infiltrate and destroy or dismantle from within.]

"The system also recommends infiltrating," Han Mu decided. "This hourglass is a 'pass' that allows us to approach the core area without alerting the outer guards and some of the array defenses. However, once inside the black mist, the hourglass's concealment effect may weaken, and it might even be detected by 'Eclipse'."

"Shall we disguise ourselves as members of the 'Reverse Time Alliance' and infiltrate?" Liu Ruyan suggested.

"That's not appropriate. The 'Reverse Time Alliance' has a strict hierarchy, especially for core operations like this. Members likely have special identification methods or codes that we can't imitate. Besides, 'Blood Bone' is dead, and the sudden appearance of his token would raise suspicion in itself." Han Mu rejected the idea.

"My lord, do you have a way to make this behemoth (the Bone Dragon)... a little more transparent? Or should we just skip the airship and sneak in?" Luo Feng gestured and lowered his voice, looking like a thief.

"The airship is too conspicuous; it's indeed unsuitable for infiltration." Han Mu nodded. "Han Li, is there any way to temporarily conceal the airship and have it remain in the outer safe zone on standby?"

"We can set up a concealment array. As long as we don't actively attack or move, it should be able to evade detection by cultivators below the Golden Immortal level. However, the fire element laws are rampant in this area, so the array will require additional energy to maintain, and we can't be too far away from it," Han Li estimated.

"That's settled then. The airship will remain hidden and ready to serve as our escape route and backup. A few of us will infiltrate." Han Mu made the decision. "Zhou Meng, Bai Ling, Luo Feng, and I will form a group and, using the power of the hourglass and the 'Origin' and 'Reincarnation', we'll try to get close to the core. Han Li and Ru Yan, you two will stay on the airship with the others, responsible for backup and monitoring the surrounding area. If the situation changes, immediately provide backup for our retreat."

"Brother Han, this is too dangerous! All four of you going in..." Liu Ruyan said worriedly.

"Fewer people means more flexibility. With the hourglass as cover, as long as we don't directly run into 'Eclipse' or the core of the formation's defenses, we should be able to infiltrate smoothly. Our objective is to destroy the formation's core, disrupt or even sabotage 'Eclipse's' plans, and simultaneously investigate for clues about the third key fragment. If found, seize it; if not, destroy it and immediately retreat." Han Mu's eyes were firm, his actions decisive. "'Eclipse' has lost three elite squads and its general 'Bloodbone,' so it's likely in a state of rage or eagerness to complete the ritual, and may not be able to handle everything. This is our best opportunity."

"Master, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it! Sneaky work is something I'm good at too!" Luo Feng patted his chest, but his sly expression wasn't very convincing.

"Get ready. We'll depart in an incense stick's time. Han Li, set up the concealment formation. Ru Yan, check everyone's communications and life-saving talismans." Han Mu gave the final instructions, his gaze once again fixed on the writhing dark gray mist, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Eclipse, your plan ends here."