The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Upon returning to Cuiping Mountain, Han Mu handed over the spoils of the Hidden Moon Sect to Han Changqing for inventory and storage. With these resources, the Han family's foundation instantly increased several times over, enough to support the family's development for the next hundred years.

"Father, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect have been settled," Han Changqing reported. "As you instructed, I dispersed them to various halls and arranged for clansmen to monitor them. They seem to be behaving well so far, but it's hard to guarantee there aren't other spies among them."

"It's alright." Han Mu waved his hand. "Once you enter the Han family, you'll be either a dragon or a tiger, you'll have to coil up or lie down. If you make any trouble, you'll be killed without mercy."

"Yes."

"How's the alchemy hall doing?"

"Yun Ge and Doctor Mo have been working day and night to refine three thousand Qi-restoring pills, fifteen hundred healing pills, and five hundred fasting pills. At the current pace, completing the goal within three months should not be a problem," Han Changqing said.

Han Mu nodded: "Notify the entire clan that we are entering a state of war from today. All clansmen shall suspend all missions and focus on preparations for war. The mountain-protecting formation shall be activated 24 hours a day, with three shifts assigned to guard the formation's core. There must be no mistakes."

"Father, do you think the Ghost Spirit Sect will retaliate?"

"It's not just a belief, it's inevitable," Han Mu said calmly. "The Ghost Spirit Sect won't let this go so easily after three Core Formation cultivators have gone missing. I've never met Wang Chan, but I've heard he's arrogant and vindictive. Now that we've eliminated his spies and lost three Core Formation cultivators, he'll definitely come in person."

"Should we make arrangements in advance?" Han Changqing asked with some concern. Although he knew his father's strength was unfathomable, the Ghost Spirit Sect was, after all, one of the six major sects of the demonic path, and possessed formidable power.

"No need." A cold glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. "This is a good opportunity to let the various factions in Tiannan know that the Han family is not to be trifled with. You go and make the arrangements; I know what I'm doing."

"Yes."

After Han Changqing left, Han Mu went to the cultivation room. He took out the Moon Essence Gold from his storage ring; the silvery ore emitted a soft glow in his palm.

"System, is this piece of Moon Essence Gold enough to refine a natal magic weapon?"

[Detected Moon Essence Gold (fist-sized)]

Purity: Superior

[Quantity: Enough to forge one natal magic weapon as the main material; it is recommended to combine it with auxiliary materials such as Geng metal, Xuan iron, and star sand]

[Current material reserves: one piece of Moon Essence Gold, three catties of Geng Gold, one hundred catties of Xuan Iron, and five taels of Stardust Sand]

[Can be crafted into a magical artifact: Qiankun Fan (five elements attribute, combining offense and defense)]

[Refining Requirements: Nascent Soul stage cultivation, proficient in weapon crafting, requires 49 days]

[Start refining?]

"start."

Han Mu sat down cross-legged and exhaled infant fire. The moonlight gold floated in the air, gradually melting under the scorching heat of the infant fire, impurities were gradually removed, leaving only the purest part.

Crafting a natal magic weapon is a delicate task that requires complete concentration. Although it was Han Mu's first time, he had the system's assistance, and every step was precise and error-free.

Three days later, the Moon Essence was completely melted, turning into a mass of silver liquid. Han Mu then took out auxiliary materials such as Geng Gold, Xuan Iron, and Star Sand, and melted them one by one, combining them with the Moon Essence.

Seven days later, all the materials were fully fused, transforming into a multicolored liquid. Han Mu formed hand seals, channeling various incantations into the liquid, which began to change shape, gradually forming the prototype of a fan.

The fan ribs are silver-white, while the fan surface is five-colored, corresponding to the five elements. On the fan surface, patterns of mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars are faintly visible; these are formations inscribed by Han Mu with his divine sense.

Twenty-one days later, the fan was basically complete. Han Mu bit his tongue, spat out a mouthful of blood essence, and infused it into the fan. A natal magic weapon needs to be refined with blood essence to be able to communicate with its master's mind.

As his essence and blood merged with it, the fan suddenly shone brightly, emitting a pleasant humming sound. Han Mu felt a strange connection between himself and the fan, as if the fan were a part of his body.

"The final step is still missing—spiritual awakening."

Han Mu formed hand seals and channeled a wisp of divine sense into the fan. The fan vibrated violently, its surface covered with dense runes. These runes combined to form miniature arrays—some for attack, some for defense, some for trapping enemies, and some for flight…

Twenty-one more days passed, making a total of forty-nine days, and the fan was finally completed.

"Buzz—"

The fan flew up automatically, hovering around Han Mu and radiating a powerful spiritual pressure. This had already surpassed the scope of ordinary magical treasures, reaching the level of a spiritual treasure!

Han Mu reached out and grasped the fan, a surge of information flooding his mind.

"The Qiankun Fan, a spiritual treasure of the Five Elements, can be used for both offense and defense, and contains twelve layers of restrictions. One fan can unleash a Five Elements storm, two fans can set up a Five Elements grand formation, and three fans can transform into Five Elements divine light..."

"Good!" Han Mu's eyes lit up with joy. With this natal spiritual treasure, his strength would increase by at least 30%. Even against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he would have a fighting chance.

"System, check the current status."

Name: Han Mu

[Actual Cultivation Level: Mid-Nascent Soul Stage (Appears to be Late-Core Formation Stage)]

[Cultivation Techniques: Primordial Longevity Technique (Fourth Level Peak), Heaven-Gathering Divine Technique (Great Completion)]

[Magic Items: Qiankun Fan (Natal Spiritual Treasure, Twelve Layers of Restrictions), Five Elements Flag (Tier 3, High Grade), Soul-Suppressing Bell (Tier 3, Mid Grade), Five Elements Pagoda (Tier 3, High Grade)]

[Family Status: 1032 members, 1 Core Formation cultivator (on the protagonist's surface), 47 Foundation Establishment cultivators, 584 Qi Refining cultivators]

[Family Territory: Cuiping Mountain (Second-Tier Spirit Vein), Jinxia Mountain (Medium-Sized Spirit Stone Mine)]

[Family Contribution Points: 14550]

Main Quest: Rise of the Clan (75% Progress)

[Special Mission: Merge Three Disintegrated Families (2/3)]

[New Mission: Repel the Ghost Spirit Sect's Attack (Incomplete)]

"Is the Ghost Spirit Sect coming?" Han Mu put away his Qiankun Fan and walked out of the cultivation room.

As soon as he emerged from the pass, Han Changqing rushed over: "Father, the scouts report that the Ghost Spirit Sect is making unusual movements!"

"explain."

"Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, is leading three hundred cultivators from the east. They are expected to arrive at Cuiping Mountain in three hours. Among them are five Core Formation cultivators, forty Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the rest are Qi Refining cultivators."

Han Mu sneered, "What a grand display. Issue the order to activate the highest level of the mountain-protecting formation and put all clansmen on high alert. Also, summon Han Bai and Doctor Mo to see me."

"yes!"

Soon, Han Bai and Doctor Mo arrived.

"My lord."

"Owner."

Han Mu looked at the two men: "The Ghost Spirit Sect has arrived, with five Core Formation cultivators, forty Foundation Establishment cultivators, and over two hundred Qi Refining cultivators. What do you think?"

Han Bai said, "With the current strength of my Han family, we can ensure that we are not defeated by the help of the great formation. But it will probably be difficult to annihilate the enemy."

Doctor Mo added, "The protective formation of Cuiping Mountain is a second-tier high-grade 'Five Elements Returning to Origin Formation,' which can block attacks from Core Formation cultivators. However, if the opponent has a formation-breaking artifact, or if there are too many Core Formation cultivators, the formation will not last long."

Han Mu nodded: "Don't worry about the formation, I have my own arrangements. What you need to do is guard the formation nodes and prevent the enemy from breaking through. Also, let those disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect participate in the battle; it'll be a good opportunity to see their loyalty."

"clear."

"Go, everyone to your positions."

"yes!"

After Han Bai and Doctor Mo left, Han Mu went to the mountaintop and looked down over the entire Cuiping Mountain. The mountain-protecting formation had been fully activated, and five-colored light enveloped the mountain. From the outside, Cuiping Mountain was shrouded in a mist, and the situation inside could not be seen.

This is the illusionary effect of the Five Elements Returning to Origin Formation, which can confuse the enemy and delay their attack.

Han Mu checked all the array points again, and after confirming that everything was in order, he returned to the main hall and waited quietly.

Three hours later, a dark cloud appeared on the eastern horizon. The cloud rapidly approached, revealing its true form—a massive black flying ship, upon which stood countless demonic cultivators. Leading them was a young man dressed in black robes, his face sinister; he was none other than Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

The flying boat stopped outside Cuiping Mountain. Wang Chan looked down and frowned slightly.

"Young Master, this is Cuiping Mountain, where the Han family is located," an elder who has reached the Core Formation stage reported. "According to our scouts, the Han family has one Core Formation cultivator, more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, and more than three hundred Qi Refining cultivators. However, they have recently gathered many scattered cultivators, and now they should have more than forty Foundation Establishment cultivators and more than five hundred Qi Refining cultivators."

"One Core Formation cultivator?" Wang Chan sneered. "With such strength, you dared to kill three Core Formation cultivators from my Ghost Spirit Sect? It seems you took advantage of the formation."

Another Core Formation cultivator said, "Young Master, this formation is rather strange; I can't discern its grade. Should we test it first?"

"Of course we need to test it." Wang Chan waved his hand. "Elder Liu, go and test the depth of this formation."

"yes!"

An old man in the early stage of Core Formation flew out of the flying boat and came to the front of the great formation. He summoned a black longsword, the blade of which was wrapped in dense demonic energy.

"break!"

As the longsword slashed down, a ten-zhang-long black blade of energy cleaved towards the great formation.

"boom--"

The blade energy struck the five-colored light shield, but the shield remained unmoved while the blade energy shattered instantly.

Elder Liu's expression changed, and he was about to attack again when five beams of light suddenly shot out from within the formation. They were blue, red, yellow, white, and black, representing the power of the five elements.

"Watch out!" Wang Chan warned.

But it was too late. The five-colored light moved with incredible speed, instantly engulfing Elder Liu. Elder Liu screamed in agony as his body was torn apart by the power of the five elements, turning into a cloud of blood mist. Even his soul couldn't escape.

"What!" Wang Chan's expression changed drastically.

One strike instantly kills a Core Formation cultivator! Even though it's only the early stage of Core Formation, this is outrageous! What kind of formation is this?

"Young Master, this formation is probably at least level three!" an elder in the mid-stage of Core Formation said in a deep voice. "That five-colored light just now contained the power of the five elements, endlessly regenerating, and its power was comparable to a full-force attack from a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Moreover..."

"And what?"

"Moreover, this formation seems to be sentient and will automatically retaliate. Elder Liu attacks it, and it retaliates; if we don't attack, it might not attack on its own."

Wang Chan's face was grim. He had brought his men here intending to annihilate the Han family with overwhelming force and restore the reputation of the Ghost Spirit Sect. He hadn't expected the enemy to have such a powerful formation; he had already lost one man before the battle even began.

"Young Master, why don't we retreat first and reconsider?" someone suggested.

"Retreat?" A fierce glint flashed in Wang Chan's eyes. "When have I, Wang Chan, ever retreated? It's just a third-tier formation. Can it really stop three hundred cultivators from my Ghost Spirit Sect? Attack! I refuse to believe this formation can hold out forever!"

"yes!"

On the flying boat, all the cultivators attacked simultaneously. Magical treasures, spells, and talismans rained down on the great formation.

"Boom boom boom—"

The great formation trembled violently, its five-colored light flickering erratically, but it never shattered.

Inside the main hall, Han Mu sensed the attacks from outside through the core of the array.

"The Five Elements Returning to Origin Formation can absorb the power of the five elements to replenish itself, and ordinary attacks simply cannot break through it. However, if the attack continues, the amount of spirit stones consumed will be astronomical." Han Mu looked at the spirit stones at the core of the formation. In just a quarter of an hour, more than a hundred mid-grade spirit stones had already been consumed.

"We can't let them keep fighting like this." With a thought, Han Mu manipulated the formation.

Outside the great formation, Wang Chan and the others were launching a fierce attack when suddenly, the formation's light changed, transforming from five colors to a chaotic color. Immediately afterward, a thick pillar of chaotic light shot out from the formation, heading straight for the flying boat.

"Oh no! Get out of the way!" Wang Chan exclaimed in alarm.

However, the beam of light was too fast and struck the airship instantly.

"Boom—"

The airship's protective shield shattered instantly, a large hole was blasted into the hull, and dozens of Qi Refining cultivators screamed as they fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" Wang Chan was furious. He summoned a large black banner, which was filled with ghostly energy. Countless ghostly figures roared out and rushed towards the formation.

This is the "Ten Thousand Ghost Banner," one of the Ghost Spirit Sect's most prized treasures. Although it is only a replica, it still possesses the power of a low-grade fourth-rank weapon.

As soon as the Banner of Ten Thousand Ghosts appeared, the world changed color, and countless ghostly figures crashed into the great formation, letting out mournful screams. The light of the great formation dimmed noticeably.

"It works!" Wang Chan exclaimed with delight. "Keep attacking! This formation won't last much longer!"

However, just as he was preparing to intensify his offensive, a calm voice suddenly rang out from within the formation:

"Young Master Wang, have you had enough?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gap opened in the great formation, and a cultivator in a green robe slowly walked out; it was Han Mu.

"You are the patriarch of the Han family?" Wang Chan narrowed his eyes, his divine sense sweeping over him, and he was certain in his heart that he was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Although he was not weak, he was not yet at the point where he should be wary of him.

"Indeed," Han Mu said calmly. "Young Master Wang has come to my Han family with such a large force; what brings you here?"

"Stop playing dumb!" Wang Chan said coldly, "Three Core Formation elders from my Ghost Spirit Sect have disappeared in the Hidden Moon Sect. Was it your Han family's doing?"

"The Hidden Moon Sect?" Han Mu feigned doubt. "My Han family has never had any dealings with the Hidden Moon Sect. Why does Young Master Wang speak of this?"

"Hmph, someone saw you near the Hidden Moon Sect, and you still dare to deny it?" A Core Formation cultivator next to Wang Chan shouted.

Han Mu glanced at him, then suddenly laughed: "Since Young Master Wang is convinced that it was done by my Han family, then what can we do?"

"How about it?" A murderous glint flashed in Wang Chan's eyes. "A blood debt must be repaid in blood! The entire Han family, not a single one will be spared!"

"You think you can do this?" Han Mu's smile vanished, his eyes turning cold. "A mere early-stage Core Formation cultivator, leading a bunch of scoundrels, dares to act so arrogantly in front of my Han family's gate?"

"You're courting death!" Wang Chan roared, waving the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner, and countless ghostly figures rushed towards Han Mu.

Han Mu neither dodged nor avoided, but simply fanned himself with the folding fan in his hand.

"call--"

A gentle breeze blew by, and the ghostly figure melted away like ice and snow, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

"What!" Wang Chan's pupils shrank drastically. The ghostly shadows of his Ten Thousand Ghost Banner were all formed from refined living souls, extremely ferocious, and ordinary spells couldn't harm them at all. Han Mu had simply wiped them all out with a flick of his wrist?

"Young Master Wang, have you had enough fun?" Han Mu said calmly. "If you've had enough, it's my turn."

He took a step forward, and his aura suddenly surged.

Peak Core Formation! No, it's the Pseudo-Infant Realm!

Wang Chan's expression changed drastically. He finally understood why the other party was so calm—this Han family patriarch was not at the late stage of Core Formation at all, but at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage, only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage!

"Retreat!" Wang Chan made a decisive decision and turned to flee.

"Trying to leave now? Too late." Han Mu's voice, like the whisper of death, rang in everyone's ears.

The Qiankun Fan unfolded, and the divine light of the Five Elements swept down.

"ah--"

Screams rose and fell. Five Core Formation cultivators, forty Foundation Establishment cultivators, and over two hundred Qi Refining cultivators were reduced to ashes like paper under the Five Elements Divine Light.

Only Wang Chan suddenly unleashed a burst of black light, blocking the Five Elements Divine Light for a fleeting moment. In that instant, he crushed a jade talisman, his entire body transforming into black smoke and vanishing into the void.

"A Void Escape Talisman?" Han Mu raised an eyebrow. "You're quite willing to part with it."

He put away the Qiankun Fan and looked into the distance. Wang Chan had escaped, but the Ghost Spirit Sect wouldn't let it go. The real test was yet to come.

However, a cold smile curled at the corner of Han Mu's mouth.

"Kill as many as they come."