The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The far north of the Great Jin Dynasty lies the icy plains.

Here, snow and wind rage year-round, and the world is a vast expanse of white. The biting wind is like a knife, and the spiritual energy is thin; ordinary cultivators would exhaust their magical power after staying here for just a few hours. But deep within the icy plains lie countless ancient cultivators' caves and ruins, attracting treasure hunters who are not afraid of any danger.

Han Li stood at the edge of the ice field, gazing at the boundless world of ice and snow before him, and took a deep breath. A faint blue light appeared around him, a protective sword aura formed by circulating the "Primordial Sword Technique," shielding him from the biting cold.

"According to the map, the Ice Soul True Monarch's cave is located in the center of the Ice Plains, 'Frosty Valley,' about three thousand miles from here." Han Li took out the animal hide map and the Ice Plains map he had obtained from the red-robed elder, and compared them to confirm the direction.

He put away the map, used the Five Elements Sword Escape Technique, and transformed into a streak of azure light, flying towards the depths of the icy plains. The light flickered in and out of sight amidst the wind and snow, its speed not fast, because there were spatial turbulences above the icy plains, and flying too fast would easily lead to unforeseen dangers.

After flying for about five hundred miles, an ice forest appeared ahead. Countless ice pillars rose from the ground, some hundreds of feet high and others tens of feet high, densely packed together, forming a natural maze.

Han Li descended from his escape light and walked into the ice forest. The ice forest was eerily silent; even the sound of the wind was absorbed by the ice pillars, making it seem exceptionally strange. He scanned the forest with his divine sense and discovered that there were many ice-attribute demonic beasts lurking within, most of them at the third or fourth rank, equivalent to the Core Formation stage.

"hiss!"

A white shadow darted out from behind the ice pillar—an ice python, ten zhang long and as thick as a water bucket, its blood-red maw snapping at Han Li. This ice python was a fourth-tier demonic beast, equivalent to the late stage of Core Formation.

Han Li neither dodged nor evaded, but flicked his finger, sending out a beam of azure sword energy that pierced the ice python's head. The ice python let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground, turning into a puddle of icy water.

"The Icefield Beasts are indeed peculiar; they turn into water immediately after death," Han Li remarked with slight surprise. He put away the Ice Python's inner core and continued on his way.

The Ice Forest was vast, and it took Han Li two hours to emerge from it. During his journey, he encountered over a dozen ice-attribute demonic beasts, all of which he easily dealt with. The inner cores of these beasts contained pure ice-attribute spiritual energy, which would aid his cultivation, so he collected them all.

Emerging from the ice forest, a frozen lake stretched out before us. Its surface was frozen solid, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the sky. In the center of the lake lay a small island, the outlines of buildings faintly visible.

"Frozen Valley..." Han Li checked the map and confirmed that the small island was his destination. But the seemingly calm frozen lake actually concealed deadly dangers. He probed with his divine sense and discovered that countless ice fish were lurking beneath the surface of the lake, each of them possessing the cultivation level of the Foundation Establishment stage. Their sheer number was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

"We can't walk on the lake." After observing for a moment, Han Li decided to take a detour. He flew along the lake shore, looking for other paths.

Half an hour later, he discovered a crevice on the eastern side of the lake. The crevice was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and its depth was unknown, but a faint airflow was emanating from below, clearly leading to somewhere.

"This is it." Han Li put away the map and leaped into the ice crevice.

The crevice was very deep; Han Li fell a hundred feet before reaching the bottom. At the bottom was an ice path, winding and twisting, leading deeper into the ice. He walked along the ice path, going deeper and deeper, and the temperature dropped lower and lower. If it weren't for his protective sword aura, he would probably have frozen to death long ago.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up ahead. A huge ice cave appeared before them, and in the center of the ice cave was an ice crystal palace. The palace was magnificent, built entirely of millennia-old black ice, and emitted a faint blue light.

Ice Soul True Lord's Cave!

Han Li was excited, but he didn't approach rashly. He saw that there were already three people in front of the palace.

There were two men and one woman, all Nascent Soul cultivators. The leader was an old man in white robes, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, with a cold and sinister aura. The other two were at the early Nascent Soul stage, a man and a woman, who appeared to be a Daoist couple.

"Someone else is coming." The white-robed elder looked at Han Li, a cold glint in his eyes. "Boy, this is not a place for you. Get out of here at once, or I'll spare your life."

Han Li glanced at the three of them and calmly said, "The inheritance of the Ice Soul True Monarch is for those with the right destiny. If the three of you can come, why can't I?"

"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you!" The male cultivator beside the white-robed elder sneered, summoning an ice sword and slashing at Han Li.

Han Li neither dodged nor evaded; he drew his Azure Thunder Sword to meet the ice sword.

"clang!"

The two swords clashed, and the ice sword shattered instantly. The male cultivator was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale. His ice sword was a low-grade magic weapon, yet it had been shattered by a single strike from his opponent; the quality of his opponent's flying sword far exceeded his expectations.

"What a fine sword!" Greed flashed in the white-robed old man's eyes. "Boy, hand over the flying sword, and I will take you as my disciple and pass on the supreme Dao to you."

"You think you can take me?" Han Li scoffed.

"You're courting death!" The white-robed elder roared, summoning an ice mirror. The mirror shimmered with blue light, unleashing countless ice spikes that rained down on Han Li.

Han Li dared not be careless and summoned his Silver Light Shield. The shield shone brightly with silver light, transforming into a protective barrier around his entire body. Ice spikes struck the barrier, producing a series of impact sounds, but they could not break through.

"An ancient treasure-level defensive magic weapon!" The white-robed elder's eyes widened even more. "Kid, you've got quite a few good things on you. Give them all to me!"

He activated the ice mirror with all his might, and the mirror light transformed into a blue beam of light, blasting towards Han Li. The power of this attack was comparable to that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, clearly indicating that the ice mirror was an ancient treasure.

Han Li's expression turned solemn; he knew he couldn't withstand the attack head-on. With a thought, he retracted his silver shield and simultaneously unleashed the Five Elements Sword Escape, his figure transforming into five phantoms, dodging in five different directions.

"boom!"

The blue beam of light struck the spot where Han Li had been standing, creating a deep crater in the ground and scattering ice shards everywhere. But Han Li's true form had already appeared behind the white-robed elder, unleashing a sword strike.

"Watch out!" the couple exclaimed.

The white-robed elder reacted with lightning speed, turning around and striking out with a palm. The palm wind transformed into an ice dragon, colliding with the Azure Thunder Sword.

"clang!"

The ice dragon shattered, and the white-robed elder staggered back three steps, a bloody gash appearing on his palm. He was horrified; the opponent's swordsmanship was so sharp that it could actually break through his Ice Dragon Palm.

"Let's go together!" the white-robed elder shouted to his Daoist partner.

The three joined forces to besiege Han Li. The white-robed elder was the main attacker, while the two Daoist partners provided support. Their coordination was excellent, clearly indicating that they often fought together.

Han Li was fighting three opponents alone, and although he was at a disadvantage, he managed to hold on with the help of his Silver Light Shield and Azure Thunder Sword. He fought and retreated, gradually approaching the Ice Crystal Palace.

"He wants to enter the palace!" the female cultivator exclaimed, realizing Han Li's intention.

"Stop him!" the white-robed elder shouted, activating the ice mirror with all his might. The mirror light transformed into a giant blue net, enveloping Han Li.

Han Li neither dodged nor evaded, but suddenly took out a replica of the Ice Soul Pearl and activated it with all his might. The pearl emitted a bright blue light, and an extremely cold aura spread out, freezing the giant blue net.

"The Ice Soul Pearl!" the white-robed elder exclaimed in shock. "How do you possess such a thing?"

Han Li didn't answer, and took the opportunity to rush towards the palace gate. The palace gate was tightly closed, and complex runes were engraved on it. Following the instructions in the inheritance diagram, he bit his fingertip and drew several runes on the gate.

"Buzz—"

The door shook and slowly opened. Han Li slipped inside, and the door immediately closed.

"Damn it!" the white-robed old man roared, attacking the door with all his might, but the door did not budge.

Inside the palace, Han Li breathed a sigh of relief. He had appeared relaxed, but in reality, he had expended fifty percent of his magical power. The white-robed elder was quite strong and possessed the ancient treasure, the Ice Mirror; a prolonged battle would surely result in his defeat.

He looked around. The palace was empty except for an ice platform in the center, on which lay an ice coffin. The ice coffin was transparent, and he could vaguely see a person lying inside—it was none other than the Ice Soul True Lord.

Beside the ice coffin were three items: a jade slip, an ice sword, and a jade box.

Han Li stepped forward and picked up the jade slip. He probed it with his divine sense and found that it contained the legacy of the Ice Soul True Monarch, including the cultivation technique "Ice Soul True Scripture," the weapon-refining technique "Ice Soul Treasure Refining Technique," and a record of the Ice Soul True Monarch's life.

"I see." Han Li suddenly understood. Ice Soul True Monarch was an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, proficient in ice-based techniques and weapon crafting. His natal magic weapon, the Ice Soul Pearl, was a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure, but it was destroyed in a great battle, leaving only the crafting method behind. He was nearing the end of his lifespan and passed away here, leaving behind his legacy for a destined person.

Han Li put away the jade slip and picked up the ice sword. The sword was entirely ice-blue, exuding a chilling aura; it was a top-grade ancient treasure named the "Ice Soul Sword." He tested it, and the sword hummed softly, resonating with his spiritual power, making it perfectly suited for his use.

Finally, he opened the jade box. Inside was a blue bead, very similar to his replica of the Ice Soul Bead, but with a more ancient and profound aura.

"This is... a fragment of the Ice Soul Pearl?" Han Li exclaimed in surprise. The jade slip recorded that after the Ice Soul Pearl was destroyed, its fragments were scattered in various places. Although this fragment is only one-third of the original pearl, its power is no weaker than a high-grade ancient treasure, and it also contains a trace of the Ice Soul True Monarch's original power.

"System notification: You have obtained the inheritance of the Ice Soul True Monarch. Quest complete."

[Ice Soul Inheritance Quest Completed]

[Rewards: 10000 Contribution Points, Ice Soul Pearl Refining Method]

Current contribution points: 13000

Han Li nodded in satisfaction. This trip to the Ice Plains was incredibly fruitful; he not only obtained the Nascent Soul Transformation inheritance but also acquired the Ice Soul Sword and fragments of the Ice Soul Pearl, greatly increasing his strength.

He put away the three treasures and bowed to the ice coffin: "Senior, rest assured, I will live up to the legacy."

The ice coffin suddenly trembled, and the lid slowly opened. The remains of Ice Soul True Monarch transformed into specks of blue light and entered Han Li's body. A surge of pure ice-attribute spiritual energy flowed in, and Han Li quickly sat cross-legged to circulate his energy and refine it.

Three hours later, Han Li opened his eyes. His aura had stabilized at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, only a step away from the middle stage. Moreover, he had gained a surge of ice-attribute primordial power within him, deepening his understanding of ice-based techniques.

"It's time to leave." Han Li stood up and looked towards the palace gate. The three people outside were definitely still lying in wait, but now that his strength had greatly increased, and he also had the Ice Soul Sword and the fragment of the Ice Soul Pearl, he was confident he could deal with them.

He walked to the gate, placed his hands on it, and began to circulate the "Ice Soul True Scripture." The gate emitted a bright blue light and slowly opened.

Outside the door, the three old men in white robes were indeed still there. Upon seeing Han Li emerge, the three immediately surrounded him.

"Boy, hand over the inheritance, and I'll spare your life!" the white-robed elder sneered.

Han Li, too lazy to waste words, directly summoned the Ice Soul Sword. The sword shone with a bright blue light, transforming into a long blue rainbow that slashed towards the white-robed elder.

"Ice Soul Sword!" the white-robed elder exclaimed, quickly activating the Ice Mirror to defend himself.

"clang!"

The ice mirror shattered instantly. The Ice Soul Sword was a top-grade ancient treasure, further enhanced by the power of the Ice Soul True Monarch's essence, making its power far surpass that of ordinary ancient treasures. The white-robed elder was struck as if by a heavy blow, sent flying backward, severely injured and unable to rise.

Seeing this, the other two turned and fled. Han Li flicked his finger, and two sword energies shot out, killing the two men.

He walked up to the old man in white robes and said calmly, "In your next life, keep your eyes open."

After saying that, he slashed down with his sword.

After collecting the three people's storage bags, Han Li transformed into a beam of light and left the Frozen Valley. Having obtained the inheritance of the Ice Soul True Monarch, it was time to return to the Central Plains and go into seclusion to digest what he had gained.