The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

When Han Li left Tiannan, it was late autumn.

He stood above the "Soul-Shattering Mountains," where the Yue Kingdom and the Cheqi Kingdom met, looking back towards the Qingxu Mountains. There, he once had the cave where he formed his Core and Nascent Soul, the Han family who had taken great care of him, and the mysterious and unpredictable senior Han Mu who had already "passed away."

"The Great Dao is boundless, and immortality is my companion..." Han Li murmured the eight characters left by Han Mu, a resolute glint in his eyes. He suppressed his emotions, turned around, and transformed into a streak of azure light, speeding northward.

A month later, Han Li passed through the Kingdom of Cheqi and entered the territory of the Great Jin Dynasty.

The Great Jin Dynasty boasts a vast territory, divided into nine provinces and seventy-two prefectures, and its cultivation level far surpasses that of the Southern Heaven. Han Li had traveled here ten years ago, but at that time he was only at the Core Formation stage and acted cautiously, not daring to venture too deep into many places. Now he is a Nascent Soul cultivator, though only at the early stage, but with the Silver Light Shield and Azure Thunder Sword, even ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators cannot harm him, so his confidence is naturally much greater.

His destination was the "Central State" in the central part of the Great Jin Dynasty. It was the most prosperous place in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty, with three major sects and seven great families, and countless Nascent Soul cultivators, and even a Nascent Soul ancestor. He was going there to seek opportunities and further improve his strength.

"Is that Fellow Daoist Han Li ahead?" A gentle voice suddenly came from below.

Han Li stopped his escape light and saw an old man in white robes standing on a mountain peak below. The old man had white hair and beard, a kind face, and a restrained aura, indicating that he was actually at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"My name is Han Li. May I ask your name, fellow traveler?" Han Li landed and asked with a cupped hand. He scanned the old man with his divine sense, confirming that the old man was alone and meant no harm.

"I am Baiyunzi, the abbot of Baiyun Temple in Zhongzhou," the white-robed old man said with a smile. "I sensed your aura just now and saw that you have already formed your Nascent Soul at such a young age. I was eager to befriend you. I apologize for disturbing you."

"You're too kind, Abbot Baiyun." Han Li's heart stirred. He had heard of Baiyun Temple. It was one of the righteous sects of the Great Jin Dynasty. Although it was not as powerful as the three major sects, it was still a major sect with a history of thousands of years. The abbot, Baiyunzi, was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had been famous for hundreds of years.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you heading to Zhongzhou?" Bai Yunzi asked.

"Exactly."

"That's perfect. I also need to return to the temple. Why don't we go together?" Bai Yunzi suggested.

Han Li pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Having a local cultivator traveling with him would indeed be much more convenient, and Bai Yunzi had a good reputation, so he shouldn't be a wicked person.

The two traveled together, chatting happily along the way. Bai Yunzi was knowledgeable and had a thorough understanding of the major powers and dangerous secret realms in Zhongzhou, from which Han Li benefited greatly.

"Fellow Daoist Han, the 'Dragon Burial Abyss' is just ahead." Three days later, Bai Yunzi pointed to a misty valley ahead. "This place is an ancient battlefield. It is said that a true dragon fell here, hence the name. The valley is filled with malevolent energy, which has bred many ghosts and spirits, but it has also nurtured some rare spiritual materials. Many cultivators come here to search for treasures, but few come out alive."

Han Li looked up and saw that the sky above the valley was covered with dark clouds, and the faint sound of ghosts wailing could be heard. It was indeed a dangerous place.

"Should we go around it?" Han Li asked.

"Originally, we were going to take a detour, but..." A strange light flashed in Bai Yunzi's eyes, "I sensed the aura of a rare treasure emerging in the valley. Fellow Daoist Han, would you be willing to come with me into the valley to explore? We will split the treasures we find."

Han Li frowned slightly. He was cautious by nature and unwilling to take risks easily, but Bai Yunzi, with his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, dared to enter the valley, so the danger must not be too great. Moreover, he did sense a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy in the valley; although it was not obvious, it seemed to conceal something.

"Alright, then I'll accompany you on this journey, fellow Daoist." Han Li nodded.

The two descended into the Burial Dragon Abyss.

The fog in the valley thickened, suppressing divine sense and limiting it to only a hundred feet. Scattered on the ground were many white bones, some human, some demonic beasts, all weathered and ancient.

"Be careful, there's a ghost." Bai Yunzi warned.

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of ghostly figures emerged from the surrounding mist, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced. These spirits were not particularly strong, roughly equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage, but they were numerous and fearless.

Han Li formed a sword shape with his fingers, and a cyan sword aura swept across, instantly dissipating dozens of Yin spirits. Bai Yunzi also summoned a small white banner, which, with a flick of its wrist, absorbed the approaching Yin spirits.

The two continued deeper. The further they went, the stronger the Yin spirits became, and even Core Formation stage ghost generals began to appear. Han Li and Bai Yunzi had to take it seriously, each using their own methods to fight their way through.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the bottom of the valley. There stood a dilapidated altar, upon which floated a scroll of animal hide, with a faint spiritual light emanating from it.

"This is it!" Bai Yunzi's eyes lit up, and he was about to step forward to take the picture.

"roar!"

With a deafening roar, the mountain wall behind the altar exploded, and a jet-black ghost dragon burst forth. This ghost dragon was ten zhang long, with two wings on its back, and its aura had clearly reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

"The remnant soul of an ancient ghost dragon!" Bai Yunzi's expression changed. "Fellow Daoist Han, be careful! This creature's strength is no weaker than a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, and it is immune to physical attacks!"

The ghost dragon opened its mouth and spewed out a black flame, which corroded even the air in its path. Han Li dared not take it head-on, so he used the Five Elements Sword Escape to dodge and at the same time summoned a silver light shield to protect himself.

Bai Yunzi then summoned a white flying sword, its blade crackling with lightning, clearly a counter to ghosts. The flying sword struck the ghost dragon, causing it to roar in pain, but the wound quickly healed.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I'll use lightning magic to restrain it. Go and retrieve the map!" Bai Yunzi shouted.

Han Li nodded, and with a flash, rushed towards the altar. Seeing this, the Ghost Dragon lashed out with its tail, and Han Li hurriedly used his Silver Light Shield to block it.

"clang!"

The dragon's tail lashed out at the shield, causing the silver shield to tremble violently. Han Li was forced back three steps, his blood surging. The power of this ghost dragon far surpassed that of ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul demon beasts.

"You beast, take this!" Bai Yunzi activated his flying sword with all his might, and the sword body emitted a burst of lightning, transforming into a bolt of lightning that struck the top of the ghost's head.

Ghost Dragon, in pain, turned and attacked Bai Yunzi. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Han Li rushed to the altar and reached out to grab the animal skin map.

The moment his fingers touched the animal hide map, a sudden change occurred. The animal hide map shone brightly, transforming into a stream of light that entered Han Li's brow.

"What?" Han Li was shocked and quickly looked into his sea of ​​consciousness. He saw a golden scroll in his sea of ​​consciousness. The scroll slowly unfolded, depicting mountains and rivers, palaces and pavilions, as well as dense text annotations.

"This is... an ancient cultivation inheritance map?" Han Li's heart pounded wildly. Inheritance maps are guides left behind by ancient powerful figures; following the map, one can find their remaining cave dwellings, cultivation techniques, and treasures. Such opportunities are rare and precious.

"roar!"

Enraged that Han Li had obtained the inheritance diagram, the Ghost Dragon abandoned Bai Yunzi and attacked Han Li with all its might. It opened its mouth and spewed out countless black lightning balls, which exploded into a sea of ​​lightning that enveloped Han Li.

"Fellow Daoist Han, be careful!" Bai Yunzi exclaimed.

Han Li dared not be negligent and activated the Silver Light Shield with all his might. The shield shone brightly with silver light, transforming into a protective barrier around his entire body. At the same time, he summoned the Azure Thunder Sword, its blade flashing with lightning, subtly echoing the black lightning of the Ghost Dragon.

"Azure Thunder Sword, summon lightning!"

Han Li unleashed a sword strike, the blade crackling with lightning, absorbing all the surrounding black lightning. The Azure Thunder Sword was forged from heavenly lightning, possessing a natural affinity for it; though the Ghost Dragon's black lightning was powerful, it became nourishment for the sword.

"cut!"

Having absorbed the black lightning, the Azure Thunder Sword's power surged, slashing down on the Ghost Dragon's neck. As the sword light passed, the Ghost Dragon's head flew high into the air, its massive body crashing to the ground, dissipating into a cloud of black mist.

Bai Yunzi was dumbfounded. He knew Han Li was quite powerful, but he never expected him to kill the mid-Nascent Soul stage Ghost Dragon with a single sword strike. This kid is truly remarkable!

Han Li sheathed the Azure Thunder Sword, his face somewhat pale. That last strike had consumed thirty percent of his magical power; if the Azure Thunder Sword hadn't been effective against ghosts, the outcome would have been uncertain.

"Fellow Daoist Han possesses extraordinary abilities; I admire him greatly," Bai Yunzi stepped forward and sincerely praised.

"Just lucky." Han Li waved his hand, looking at the dissipating ghost dragon. "This object guarded the inheritance diagram, so it must be related to the diagram's owner. Fellow Daoist Baiyun, this inheritance diagram..."

"Since it belongs to you, fellow Daoist, it shall naturally belong to you," Bai Yunzi said readily. "I only ask to take a look and see which ancient great power's legacy it is, just to satisfy my curiosity."

Han Li's impression of Bai Yunzi improved even more. This man was upright and honest, and worth getting to know better.

He probed his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness and carefully examined the inheritance diagram. The location marked on the diagram was deep within the "Ice Plains" in the far north of the Great Jin Dynasty, a place covered in snow all year round, rarely visited by people, and notoriously dangerous.

"What you see in the picture is the legacy of the 'Ice Soul True Monarch'," Han Li said. "This person was an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, proficient in ice-based techniques and weapon crafting. His cave dwelling is located deep within the ice plains, protected by numerous restrictions."

"Ice Soul True Monarch!" Bai Yunzi gasped. "This is a famous Nascent Soul cultivator from ancient times. It is said that his natal magic treasure, the 'Ice Soul Pearl,' is a treasure of the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure level. Fellow Daoist Han, you have obtained an immense opportunity this time!"

Han Li was also extremely excited. The inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator was enough for him to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, or even higher.

"However, the icy plains are fraught with danger. If Fellow Daoist Han wishes to go, he must make thorough preparations," Bai Yunzi reminded him. "I can accompany you, Fellow Daoist, to broaden my horizons."

"Thank you for your kind offer, fellow Daoist." Han Li politely declined. "This matter is not urgent. I can go after my cultivation is stabilized. For now, I should go to Zhongzhou to take care of some other matters."

"Alright." Bai Yunzi nodded. "Then let's leave this place first. The Yin energy in Burial Dragon Abyss is too heavy, and it's not advisable to stay here for long."

The two left the Burial Dragon Abyss and continued flying towards the Central Plains.

On the way, Han Li pondered. The inheritance of the Ice Soul True Monarch was indeed tempting, but the Ice Plains were treacherous. With his current strength, going there rashly would likely be disastrous. It was better to first establish a foothold in Zhongzhou, improve his strength, and then make a more careful plan.

"System notification: Ancient cultivation inheritance map discovered, triggering hidden quest - Ice Soul Inheritance."

"Task objective: Obtain the complete inheritance of Ice Soul True Monarch."

"Quest Rewards: 10000 Contribution Points, and the crafting method for the special item 'Ice Soul Pearl'."

Han Li was taken aback. A system notification? He then remembered that the "Longevity Family System" mark in his sea of ​​consciousness was a gift from Senior Han Mu. So the system was still there, just usually kept a low profile.

It seems I absolutely have to go to this ice field.

A resolute look flashed in Han Li's eyes.