The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Three months later, in Tianyuan City.

Han Li, accompanied by ten law enforcement officers, escorted three flying carts loaded with spiritual herbs and pills, departing from Han City. The journey was long, requiring them to traverse tens of thousands of miles of wild and untamed land, fraught with dangers and ferocious beasts. Therefore, Han Li was extremely cautious, personally leading the team and setting up concealment and defensive formations on the flying carts.

"Elder, 'White Bone Ridge' is just ahead," a team member said, pointing to the continuous gray-white mountain range. "This place is often haunted by monsters, and we've heard that ghosts also cause trouble. Should we take a detour?"

Han Li unfolded the map to examine it. White Bone Ridge was the only way to Tianyuan City; taking a detour would add three thousand li to the journey, doubling the time required. With only half a month left before the trade fair began, time was of the essence.

"It's alright, let's go straight through," Han Li said in a deep voice. "Everyone, stay alert and proceed in formation."

The ten team members responded and quickly formed the "Small Five Elements Battle Formation". This was a battle formation that Han Li deduced from the "Hun Yuan Sword Art" and the "Heavenly Secret Manual". It consisted of five people in a group, which could both attack and defend, and was sufficient to deal with the threat of the Nascent Soul stage.

The flying chariot slowly entered White Bone Ridge. The ridge was deathly still, with countless bones scattered on the ground, some human, some demonic beasts, and a faint stench of decay permeating the air. Han Li activated his divine sense to its fullest extent, covering an area of ​​ten miles, and no movement could escape his perception.

"Stop." Suddenly, Han Li raised his hand to signal.

The flying vehicle came to a stop, and the team members nervously looked around. A moment later, three figures emerged from the mist ahead. The one in the lead was an old man in black robes, with a withered face and sunken eyes, clearly at the late Nascent Soul stage. Behind him were two people, one tall and one short, both at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

"Fellow Daoists, why are you blocking our way?" Han Li stepped forward, secretly signaling his team members to prepare for battle.

"Hehe, hand over the goods, and I'll spare your lives." The old man in black robes chuckled sinisterly, his voice hoarse like a broken gong.

"So they were highway robbers." Han Li sneered. "Things from Han City aren't so easy to steal."

"Hancheng? Never heard of it." The black-robed elder scoffed. "A mere late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dares to be so arrogant? I am 'The Recluse of Withered Bones,' and this White Bone Ridge will be your burial ground!"

Before he could finish speaking, the two men behind him had already made their move. The taller cultivator unleashed a blood-red longsword, its blade transforming into a blood wolf that pounced on Han Li. The shorter cultivator, on the other hand, took out a black banner, which, as it was waved, emitted ghostly wails and countless ghostly figures.

"Form ranks and defend against the enemy!" Han Li shouted in a low voice.

The ten team members instantly formed a formation, their five elements of spiritual energy flowing together to create a five-colored light shield that protected the flying chariot. Blood Wolf and Ghost Shadow crashed into the light shield, producing a piercing explosion, but the shield only swayed slightly and remained unharmed.

"You've got some skill." The Bone Master narrowed his eyes and took action himself. He opened his mouth and spewed out a plume of black smoke, which transformed into a giant skeletal claw that fiercely grabbed at the light barrier.

"break!"

Han Li formed a sword shape with his fingers and unleashed a slash of icy blue sword energy. Wherever the sword energy passed, black smoke froze, and the skeletal claws shattered inch by inch. It was none other than the "Ice Soul Slash" from the "Ice Soul True Scripture".

"Ice-based cultivation techniques?" The withered bone master's expression changed slightly. "You have an ice spiritual root?"

Han Li did not answer. He drew his Azure Thunder Sword, which transformed into a streak of azure lightning and pierced straight at the withered bone man. At the same time, he made a hand seal with his left hand and cast "Freezing a Thousand Miles," which spread cold air and froze the surrounding space, restricting the opponent's movements.

The Bone Immortal snorted coldly and summoned a bone shield. The shield's surface was covered with dense skull patterns, which actually blocked the Azure Thunder Sword. However, he was also affected by the chilling aura, causing him to slow down slightly.

"The Five Elements Revolve, Kill!" Han Li shouted.

The ten team members immediately changed formation, their five elements of spiritual energy transforming into five-colored light swords, attacking the three withered skeletal figures from different directions. Although the power of these five elements of light swords was not as great as a full-force attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator, their advantage lay in their continuous attack and the mutual reinforcement and restraint of their attributes, making them extremely difficult to defend against.

"Damn it!" The tall cultivator was pierced in the left shoulder by a golden sword, bleeding profusely. The short cultivator fared even worse, caught between two swords of water and fire, his protective aura shattered, and he was sent flying backward.

Enraged by this, the Bone Master bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence onto the bone shield. The bone shield shone brightly, transforming into a three-zhang-tall white bone giant that swung its bone claws at Han Li.

"Corpse Refining Technique?" Han Li's eyes narrowed. This skeletal giant's aura had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, even stronger than the original form of the Bone Master.

He dared not be negligent and activated the Ice Soul Pearl with all his might. The pearl emitted a bright blue light, and an extremely cold domain spread out, instantly freezing the ground and solidifying the air. The skeletal giant froze, its surface covered with a layer of frost.

"The Ice Soul Pearl? You actually possess such a treasure!" the Bone Master exclaimed, greed flashing in his eyes.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

"Buzz—"

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the sky, and a golden sword aura descended from above, slashing directly at the skeletal giant. Wherever the sword aura passed, space itself was torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek.

"puff!"

The skeletal giant was cleaved in two like paper and crashed to the ground. The sword energy, undiminished, slashed towards the withered skeleton.

"Senior, spare my life!" The withered skeletal master was terrified and turned to flee. But the golden sword energy seemed to have eyes, catching up in an instant and piercing through his back.

"Uh..." The withered bone master looked down at the large hole in his chest, his face full of resentment, and collapsed to the ground with a thud, his soul and spirit destroyed.

Upon seeing this, the two cultivators, one tall and one short, were terrified and turned to flee. But the golden sword energy split in two, catching up with them and piercing their hearts as well.

The battle ended in no more than three breaths.

Han Li sheathed his sword and looked up at the sky. He saw a figure in a green robe slowly descending; it was Han Mu. However, this "Han Mu" had a slightly different aura, possessing only the cultivation of the early Nascent Soul stage, clearly an avatar.

"Senior." Han Li breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully. Although it was just an avatar, it could kill three Nascent Soul cultivators as easily as cutting vegetables, its strength was still terrifying.

"I sensed you were in danger, so I sent my clone here," Han Mu's clone said calmly. "It seems the journey hasn't been peaceful."

"Thank you for saving me, senior," Han Li said gratefully. If Han Mu's clone hadn't arrived in time, even if he had won, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory, and the enforcement team would likely have suffered heavy losses.

"It's alright." Han Mu's clone waved his hand, collected the storage bags of the three, including the Bone Master, and tossed them to Han Li. "Let's see what their background is."

Han Li took them, probed them with his divine sense, and quickly found several jade slips and a black token. The token had the character "Shadow" engraved on the front and a skull pattern on the back.

"Shadow Assassination Order?" Han Mu's clone's eyes narrowed. "They are people from the Shadow Assassination Hall."

"Shadow Assassination Hall?" Han Li asked in confusion.

"A killer organization in the spirit realm, they'll kill anyone for enough spirit stones," Han Mu's clone said in a deep voice. "It seems someone hired someone to kill you, or they're trying to rob Han City's goods."

Han Li's heart sank. Since the Shadow Assassins had made a move, they would surely try again if they failed once. This trip was likely fraught with danger.

"Don't worry," Han Mu's clone said. "I'll have my main body keep an eye on the Shadow Assassin's Palace's movements. You continue your journey to Tianyuan City; I'll escort you secretly. Also, this is for you."

He took out a jade slip and a map made of animal hide: "The jade slip contains a detailed map of the Spirit Realm, marking various dangerous places, secret realms, and the distribution of forces. The animal hide map shows a partial area within the Guanghan Realm. Although it is incomplete, it will be helpful for your trip."

Han Li solemnly accepted it: "Thank you, senior."

"Remember, Tianyuan City is a mixed bag, so be careful in everything you do," Han Mu's clone said. "Make sure you get the Cleansing Elixir at the trade fair, but don't reveal too much of your wealth. Also, there's a 'Treasure Pavilion' in the East Market of Tianyuan City. The manager is an old friend of mine; you can go to him if you encounter any difficulties."

"I've got it."

Han Mu's clone nodded, and his figure gradually faded and disappeared.

Han Li put away the jade slip and map, and looked at his team members: "Let's continue."

"Yes!" The team members' morale soared. With the city lord's clone secretly protecting them, the trip was much safer.

Three days later, Han Li and his group successfully crossed the White Bone Ridge and entered the relatively safe "Heavenly Wind Plains". The plains are vast, with sparse spiritual energy and few cultivators or demonic beasts, making it the last safe leg of the journey to Tianyuan City.

"Elder, there's an abandoned beacon tower ahead. Shall we rest for a while?" asked team member Zhao Yuan. After traveling for three days straight, everyone was quite tired.

Han Li glanced at the sky and nodded: "Alright, let's rest for an hour."

The beacon tower was built by the human race in ancient times to defend against the invasion of the demon race, and it has been abandoned for many years. The tower is ten zhang high and is built of bluestone. Although it is dilapidated, its structure is still relatively intact.

The group climbed the beacon tower, set up a defensive formation, and took turns resting. Han Li took out the map jade slip given to him by Han Mu's clone and studied it carefully.

The Spirit Realm was far larger than he had imagined. The territory of the human race alone was more than a hundred times larger than that of the southern part of the human world. Besides the human race, there were countless other races such as the demon race, the spirit race, the ghost race, the sea race, and the demon race, each with its own territory, and they cooperated and fought among themselves.

"The Guanghan Realm..." Han Li looked at the animal skin map. The area marked on the map was only the outer perimeter of the Guanghan Realm, but several dangerous and treasure-filled places were already marked. One of them, "Cold Moon Pool," caught his attention. "Moon Lotus" grew in the pool, which was the main ingredient for refining "Moon Lotus Pill." The Moon Lotus Pill could help Nascent Soul cultivators break through to the Divine Transformation Realm and was priceless.

"If we can obtain the Moon Lotus, Yun Ge might be able to refine the Moon Pill, and then Han City will have a few more Nascent Soul cultivators," Han Li thought to himself.

An hour later, the group continued their journey. Five days later, they finally arrived at Tianyuan City.

The towering city walls, the bustling streets, the endless stream of cultivators from all races... Although Han Li only caught a glimpse of it three years ago when he came out of the ascension passage, he was still awestruck by its grandeur when he actually entered the city.

"Let's find a place to stay first, then we'll go and find out about the trade fair." Han Li led the group to a place called "Qingyun Inn" in the west of the city, following the guidance of Han Mu's clone. The inn was small but quiet, and the innkeeper was an old acquaintance of Han Mu, so safety was guaranteed.

After settling in, Han Li went alone to the central square of Tianyuan City. In the center of the square stood a huge white jade tablet, on which various information scrolled: mission releases, item requests, faction recruitment, opening of secret realms, and so on.

"Three days later, Wanbaolou will hold a small trade fair. The highlight is three drops of Cleansing Spirit Liquid, with a starting bid of 100,000 spirit stones."

"An ancient cultivator's cave has been discovered in the desolate battlefield 'Blood Wolf Valley.' We are recruiting cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and above to explore it. The rewards will be distributed according to contributions."

"Tianyuan City is recruiting ten 'Inspectors', requiring candidates to be at least in the late Nascent Soul stage, with excellent benefits."

Han Li read through the entries one by one, gaining a deeper understanding of the Spirit Realm. The competition here was far fiercer than in the Human Realm. But the opportunities were also greater; as long as one could seize them, one could soar to great heights.

"Fellow Daoist, is this your first time visiting Tianyuan City?" a gentle voice rang out.

Han Li turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in white robes standing there with a smile. He was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with a refined and scholarly demeanor.

"Indeed, what guidance do you have, fellow Daoist?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," the middle-aged man in white robes said with a smile. "I am Bai Qingfeng, the manager of Tingfeng Pavilion. You seem unfamiliar, fellow Daoist. Perhaps you are new here? Would you like a guide? Or perhaps you wish to gather some information? Tingfeng Pavilion specializes in intelligence, and our prices are fair and honest."

Listening Wind Pavilion? Han Li's heart skipped a beat. Han Mu's clone had mentioned this organization before; it was one of the largest intelligence agencies in the Spirit Realm and had a good reputation.

"I'd like to inquire about the 'Spirit Cleansing Liquid' and the details of this trade fair."

"The Cleansing Elixir..." Bai Qingfeng's smile widened. "This is hot news. Fellow Daoist, this way please, let's discuss this in detail."

The two arrived at a teahouse next to the square and asked for a private room.

"The Spirit Cleansing Liquid comes from the 'Spirit Cleansing Pool,' and only three drops are condensed every hundred years. It can cleanse impurities from spiritual roots and improve their aptitude," Bai Qingfeng said. "The three drops that Wanbaolou brought out this time were obtained fifty years ago and are well preserved with their medicinal effects intact. However, the competition will be fierce. It is said that several Nascent Soul cultivators and even Void Refinement seniors are secretly paying attention."

"Senior Refinement Void cultivator is also interested?" Han Li frowned. If a Refinement Void cultivator were to make a move, he would have no chance at all.

"Seniors at the Refinement Void Realm naturally won't need it, but who doesn't have descendants or nephews?" Bai Qingfeng laughed. "However, fellow Daoist, there's no need to worry too much. Those seniors, mindful of their status, won't personally participate in the bidding. They'll mostly send their disciples or affiliated forces to handle it. Moreover, the Wanbao Pavilion has rules that only cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and below are allowed to participate in the auction; those at the Deity Transformation stage and above are not permitted to enter. This is also to protect lower-level cultivators."

Han Li breathed a sigh of relief. If he were only competing with Nascent Soul cultivators, he would still have a good chance of winning.

"Furthermore, there are reports that members of the Shadow Assassin Hall have infiltrated Tianyuan City, their target unknown." Bai Qingfeng lowered his voice, "Fellow Daoist, if you have made enemies, you should be careful."

Shadow Assassin Hall! Han Li's eyes turned cold. It seemed the ambush at White Bone Ridge was no accident; the enemy was after him or Han Cheng.

"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Bai." He took out a storage bag containing the agreed-upon reward.

"You're too kind, fellow Daoist." Bai Qingfeng accepted the reward and then took out a jade slip. "This is a partial list of the auction items for this trade fair, as well as information on several potential bidders for the Spirit Cleansing Elixir. Consider it a bonus from me."

"I am extremely grateful."

After leaving the teahouse, Han Li returned to the inn and carefully studied the jade slip. The list contained dozens of items, ranging from magical treasures to elixirs, from cultivation techniques to materials—everything imaginable. There were seven potential competitors bidding for the Spirit Cleansing Liquid: three were disciples of Nascent Soul cultivators, two were direct descendants of powerful families, one was a rogue cultivator, and the identity of the last was unknown.

"Looks like we're in for a tough battle." A determined glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. The Cleansing Elixir was crucial to Hancheng; they had to get it.