The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Above Tianque Fortress, sword light crisscrossed and roared incessantly.

The battle between Han Bai and the Heavenly Sword Elder had lasted for half an hour. Both were sword cultivators, their swordsmanship sharp and their moves ruthless. Each strike contained astonishing power, making the cultivators watching below tremble with fear.

"Just who is this Han Bai? How could a peak Core Formation cultivator like him fight against the Heavenly Sword Elder, who is at the early Nascent Soul stage, to such an extent!" Fu Yunzi's eyes were filled with shock.

Tie Zhan's expression turned grave: "The Han family... is not simple. Fellow Daoist Linghu, is this Han Bai truly a member of the Han family?"

Linghu Patriarch stroked his beard and said, "Han Bai is Patriarch Han Mu's cousin. It is said that he has been traveling abroad and only recently returned to the family. I have never seen his swordsmanship, but judging from his style, he must have inherited the legacy of an ancient sword cultivator."

"Ancient sword cultivators?" Upon hearing this, Master Guiku's expression darkened further. The power of ancient sword cultivator inheritance far surpasses that of others of the same level; no wonder Han Bai, at the peak of Core Formation, could withstand an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

High in the sky, Han Bai wielded a cyan longsword, its light raining down, firmly suppressing the Heavenly Sword Elder. The Heavenly Sword Elder grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed; his early Nascent Soul cultivation was being suppressed by a peak Core Formation cultivator—it was simply unbelievable.

"Your sword...something's wrong!" The Heavenly Sword Elder deflected Han Bai's attack with a single sword strike and said sharply, "A Core Formation cultivator could never possess such profound magical power! You've been concealing your cultivation level?"

Han Bai's expression remained unchanged: "Cultivation level is unimportant; what matters is being able to kill you."

"Arrogant!" The Heavenly Sword Elder roared in fury, spitting a mouthful of blood essence onto his longsword. The sword instantly turned crimson, radiating a violent aura. "Today I'll show you the difference between a Nascent Soul sword cultivator and a Core Formation sword cultivator!"

"Blood Sword Devours the Heavens!"

The Heavenly Sword Elder unleashed a sword strike, the crimson sword light transforming into a hundred-foot-long blood dragon that roared and pounced towards Han Bai. This strike had already utilized the primordial power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, making it several times more powerful than before.

"A mere trick." Han Bai sneered, his green sword trembling as lightning patterns appeared on its blade.

"Heavenly Thunder Slash!"

A bolt of azure lightning erupted from the tip of the sword and collided with the blood dragon.

"Boom!"

Lightning and blood-red light intertwined, erupting in a blinding burst of light. The blood dragon let out a mournful cry, torn apart by the lightning. The remaining force of the lightning did not diminish, striking directly at the Heavenly Sword Elder.

"Impossible!" The old man with the Heavenly Sword's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly summoned a blood-red shield.

"Snap!"

The shield shattered instantly. Lightning pierced through the shield and struck the Heavenly Sword Elder in the chest. The Heavenly Sword Elder screamed in agony, flying backward, his chest charred black, his life force instantly waning.

"You...you're a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator!" The Heavenly Sword Elder coughed up blood, his face filled with horror. The power of that sword strike just now was definitely more than just an early-Nascent Soul cultivator!

Han Bai did not answer. He took a step forward and was already in front of the Heavenly Sword Elder. His green sword pierced straight into the Elder's brow.

"Stop!" Ghost Cry Master shouted, trying to help, but was stopped by Fu Yunzi and the others.

"Ghost Cry, we agreed on a one-on-one fight, are you trying to break the rules?" Fu Yunzi sneered.

"Get out of my way!" Ghost Cry Master was furious and slapped Fuyunzi with his claw.

Fu Yunzi was prepared. He held up a golden shield in front of him and took the claw head-on. He retreated a hundred feet, but also stopped Gui Ku Shangren.

In that brief moment of delay, Han Bai's sword had already pierced the Heavenly Sword Elder's brow.

"puff!"

The sword tip pierced through his brain. The Heavenly Sword Elder's eyes widened, filled with resentment and fear, his life force rapidly fading away.

Han Bai drew his sword, not even glancing at the falling corpse, and turned to look at Ghost Cry Master: "Are you next?"

The voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down the spine of the Ghost Cry Master.

The Heavenly Sword Elder, a sword cultivator in the early Nascent Soul stage with strength no weaker than that in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, was actually killed by Han Bai with three sword strikes! Han Bai's true strength is at least that of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and may even be the late-Nascent Soul stage!

"What...what level of cultivation do you have?" Ghost Cry Master stared intently at Han Bai.

"What's it to you?" Han Bai said indifferently. "Either fight or get lost."

Master Guiku's expression shifted. Today, the five major demonic sects had come together, intending to test the strength of the Yue Kingdom and exert pressure. However, they hadn't expected Han Bai to appear out of nowhere, possessing strength exceeding the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. With him present, conquering Tianque Fortress today was impossible.

"Fine! Fine, so the Han family is something!" Ghost Cry Master gritted his teeth and said, "I, the Demonic Path, will remember this grudge! Retreat!"

"Ghost Cry, is it really gone like that?" A soft, feminine voice rang out. The speaker was an old man in green robes, with the cultivation level of the early Nascent Soul stage, and was the vice sect master of the Heavenly Fiend Sect, one of the six major sects of the demonic path.

"Are we just waiting to die if we don't leave?" Master Guiku glared at him. "With this person from the Han family, we have no chance of winning today. Let's retreat first and make further plans."

The green-robed old man glanced at Han Bai, then at the corpse of the Heavenly Sword Elder, and finally snorted coldly, saying nothing more.

The demonic cultivators retreated like a tide, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

Fu Yunzi and the others breathed a sigh of relief and quickly approached Han Bai, cupping their hands in thanks, "Thank you so much for your help, Fellow Daoist Han! If it weren't for you, Tianque Fortress would be in grave danger today!"

Han Bai sheathed his longsword and said calmly, "It's my duty. My patriarch has ordered me to assist in the defense of Tianque Fortress, and I will do my best."

"Fellow Daoist Han's divine might is truly admirable," Tie Zhan exclaimed. "May I ask what Fellow Daoist Han's current cultivation level?"

Han Bai glanced at him: "Peak of Core Formation."

"..." Fu Yunzi and the others exchanged speechless glances. Peak Core Formation? What a joke! A Peak Core Formation cultivator could kill the Heavenly Sword Elder, a Nascent Soul cultivator, with three sword strikes?

But Han Bai was unwilling to talk about it, and they didn't press him for details. Everyone has their own secrets, especially someone as powerful as him.

"The border is safe for now, but the demonic path won't let this go easily," Han Bai said. "I will stay here for three days and then return to the family. During these three days, I will help you reinforce the mountain-protecting formation, increasing its power by at least 30%."

"Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Han!" Fu Yunzi was overjoyed. The protective array of Tianque Fortress was originally a fourth-order array. If its power could be increased by 30%, it would be enough to withstand the attacks of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator for several days, greatly increasing its safety.

Han Bai said no more and began to set up the formation. Although he was not a specialist in formations, his main body, Han Mu, had extremely high attainments in formations, and his clone had also received seven or eight parts of the true teachings. Modifying a fourth-order formation was not difficult for him.

……

The Bloodstained Forbidden Zone, at the edge of the central area.

Han Yunge, Han Li, Han Lin, and Han Xue stood on a cliff, gazing at a blood-red valley in the distance.

"That's the Blood Jade Cave." Han Yunge pointed towards the valley. "According to the map, the Blood Jade Marrow is located deep inside the cave, guarded by a Blood Jade Spider at the early stage of the third tier. With our strength, dealing with an early stage third-tier demon beast is a bit of a stretch, but if we coordinate properly, it's not without a chance."

Han Li pondered for a moment and said, "Senior Sister Han, the Blood Jade Spider is adept at spitting blood venom, and its spider silk is tough, making it difficult to cut with ordinary magic weapons. If you want to deal with it, it's best to use fire-attribute magic weapons or talismans to restrain its spider silk."

"Fellow Daoist Han Li is right," Han Yunge nodded. "I cultivate a dual-attribute technique of wood and fire, which is perfect for countering the Blood Jade Spider. Fellow Daoist Han Li, what are you good at?"

"I know some basic lightning magic," Han Li said. He wasn't telling the truth. In fact, his strongest trump card was the talisman made from the spiritual herbs that the mysterious bottle had nurtured, but that was his biggest secret, and he naturally wouldn't reveal it easily.

"Lightning magic?" Han Yunge's eyes lit up. "Lightning magic is effective against demonic beasts, perfect. Here's the arrangement: Fellow Daoist Han Li, you'll be responsible for using lightning magic to restrain the Blood Jade Spider, and I'll take the lead in the attack. Han Lin and Han Xue, you two will provide support from the sidelines, and be careful to avoid the spider silk and venom."

"yes!"

After discussing their options, the four carefully sneaked into the valley.

A faint stench of blood permeated the valley, and white skeletons, both human and beast, were scattered across the ground. Clearly, this was no place of peace.

"Be careful, the Blood Jade Spider is nearby," Han Yunge transmitted telepathically.

As soon as the words were spoken, the rock wall in front of them suddenly cracked open, and a huge, blood-red spider emerged. This spider was at least three zhang (approximately 10 meters) long, with eight compound eyes flashing with ferocity, and saliva dripping from its mouth, causing the ground to sizzle and corrode.

"Early stage of Tier 3, Blood Jade Spider!" Han Li shouted.

"Let's do it!"

Han Yunge made the first move, waving her hand and sending three fiery red talismans flying out, transforming into three fire snakes in the air as they pounced on the Blood Jade Spider. Han Li followed closely behind, forming hand seals and chanting incantations, and a bolt of silver lightning descended from the sky, striking the Blood Jade Spider's back.

"hiss!"

The Blood Jade Spider, in pain, let out a hiss and spewed out a cloud of blood-red poisonous mist. Wherever the mist passed, the vegetation withered instantly.

"Retreat!" Han Yunge was prepared and summoned a small cyan shield, holding it in front of her. The shield emitted a cyan light, blocking the poisonous mist.

Han Lin and Han Xue each used their own methods. Han Lin summoned a flying sword and slashed at the Blood Jade Spider's eyes; Han Xue activated an ice mirror and shot out a cold light, attempting to freeze the Blood Jade Spider's legs.

The four worked together seamlessly and managed to suppress the Blood Jade Spider for a time.

While casting his lightning spell, Han Li observed Han Yunge. This Senior Sister Han's strength was far beyond the early Foundation Establishment stage. Those three fire serpent talismans were at least second-tier high-grade, and her spiritual power was abundant and her control was exquisite when casting the spell, clearly indicating an extremely solid foundation.

"The Han family... is indeed extraordinary," Han Li thought to himself. However, he was currently in a cooperative relationship with the Han family, and the stronger the Han family was, the more advantageous it would be for him.

"Fellow Daoist Han Li, now is the time!" Han Yunge suddenly shouted.

Han Li understood, took out a silver talisman, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The talisman shone brightly, transforming into a silver lightning bolt as thick as a bucket, which struck the Blood Jade Spider's head fiercely.

"boom!"

The Blood Jade Spider let out a miserable cry as its head was cleaved open, green blood spurting out, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"We did it!" Han Lin exclaimed excitedly.

Han Yunge breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Han Li: "Fellow Daoist Han Li, that lightning talisman you just used was as powerful as a strike from a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. It was indeed formidable."

Han Li's face was pale, and he forced a smile, saying, "It was just luck. This thunder talisman is not easy to make, and I only have one."

"Fellow Daoist Han Li, there's no need to be modest," Han Yunge said with a smile. "Let's go, let's go get the Blood Jade Marrow."

The four entered the Blood Jade Cave and soon found a fist-sized piece of blood-red jade at the bottom of the cave, which emitted a strong blood aura.

"This is Blood Jade Marrow." Han Yunge handed the Blood Jade Marrow to Han Li. "Fellow Daoist Han Li, please keep it safe."

Han Li accepted the Blood Jade Marrow, his heart filled with emotion. With this, along with the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, his success rate in refining Foundation Establishment Pills would increase by 30%. This Han Yunge was indeed a man of his word.

"Thank you very much, Senior Sister Han," Han Li said solemnly.

"No need to be polite, we're teammates." Han Yunge waved her hand. "Next, we're going to Tianling Valley, where there are Tianling Fruits. However, there's a mid-stage Tier 3 Golden-Winged Eagle in Tianling Valley, which is more difficult to deal with than the Blood Jade Spider, so we need to be extra careful."

"I'll follow Senior Sister Han's arrangements." Han Li nodded.

The four left the Blood Jade Cave and headed towards the Heavenly Spirit Valley.

Meanwhile, outside the forbidden area, in Yellow Maple Valley.

Han Mu opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips.

"With the Blood Jade Marrow in hand, Han Li's trust in Yun Ge has grown even more. Excellent, once we leave the forbidden area, we can formally recruit him."

"System, check the current status."

[Host: Han Mu]

[Cultivation Level: Late Stage of True Nascent Soul / Mid Stage of Superficial Core Formation]

[Cultivation Techniques: Fifth Level of the Primordial Longevity Technique, Fourth Level of the Heavenly Gathering Technique]

[Avatars: Han Bai (Peak Core Formation), Han Qing (Mid-Core Formation)]

[Family: Han Family]

Family members: 4573

Foundation Establishment cultivators: 64

Core Formation cultivators: 3

Nascent Soul cultivator: 1 person

[Contribution Points: -4450]

Main Quest: Rise of the Clan (100% Progress)

Main quest "Rise of the Clan" has been completed.

[Task rewards are being distributed...]

[Reward 1: Cultivation Enhancement x1 (can raise your cultivation level by one minor realm)]

[Reward 2: Special Building "Heart Refining Tower" x1]

[Reward 3: Family Talent "Bloodline Resonance" x1]

[Reward 4: Random high-level cultivation technique x1]

[Would you like to collect it immediately?]

Han Mu's eyes lit up.

Main quest finally completed!