The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The entrance to the ice cave was deep and dark, with a chilling aura. All seven people standing outside could feel the menacing presence emanating from within.

"The Ape King is inside, be careful." Jin Lie lowered his voice. "This beast is quite intelligent and adept at ambushes and sneak attacks. Last time we fell into its trap and suffered heavy losses."

Han Li nodded and probed the cave with his divine sense. The cave passage was winding, and deep inside was a huge space where a powerful aura resided—it was the Ice Ape King, with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. There were also dozens of weaker auras within the cave, likely those of ordinary ice apes.

"The cave isn't very spacious, we can't maneuver properly. We need to lure the Ape King out," Han Li pondered. "Fellow Daoist Jin Lie, you and your two brothers set up the 'Three Talents Trapping Formation' outside to prevent the Ape King from escaping. I'll take the five from Han Cheng in to lure him out, and then we'll attack from the inside and kill him in one fell swoop."

"A good plan!" Jin Lie agreed. He took out three array flags and set them up with two companions at the cave entrance. Han Li then led the five from Hancheng carefully into the cave.

The ice walls inside the passage were smooth, with countless icicles hanging upside down. The five people proceeded cautiously, avoiding any places that might trigger traps. After walking a hundred feet, the passage suddenly opened up before them, revealing an ice cave a hundred feet in diameter. Countless ice pillars hung from the cave ceiling, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice. In the very center, a giant ice ape, three feet tall, sat cross-legged on an ice platform, devouring the corpse of a demonic beast.

The Ice Ape King was entirely ice-blue, with hair as sharp as steel needles and a golden stripe on its forehead. Sensing the intruder, it raised its head, its eyes flashing with ferocity, and let out a deafening roar.

"roar--!"

The sound waves surged like a tide, shaking the ice cave. Dozens of ordinary ice apes emerged from the surrounding ice walls, completely surrounding Han Li and his group of five.

"Form the formation!" Han Li shouted. The five quickly formed a small five-element battle formation, with Han Li in the center to launch the main attack, Han Yunge and Han Jinglei providing support on the left and right, and Han Ling'er and Han Tianfeng guarding the front and back.

The Ice Ape King leaped from the ice platform, its landing shaking the entire ice cave. It grabbed an ice pillar and hurled it at Han Li like a spear. The ice pillar pierced the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek.

"Break!" Han Li unleashed a sword strike, the Azure Thunder Sword transforming into lightning, shattering the ice pillar. However, the scattering of ice shards and the chilling aura they contained caused the surrounding temperature to plummet.

"Yun Ge, fire talismans!" Han Li shouted. Han Yun Ge was prepared and waved her hand, scattering more than ten fire-type talismans. The talismans ignited, transforming into fireballs that blasted towards the ice ape horde. The ice apes feared fire, and their formation was thrown into chaos.

"Thunderclap, use thunder magic to clear the way!" Han Li commanded again. Han Jinglei formed hand seals, summoning thunder. Bolts of heavenly lightning struck down, and the ice apes all dodged.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the five moved towards the cave entrance, fighting as they retreated. The Ice Ape King roared and personally pursued them. With each step it took, ice spikes rose from the ground, blocking its path. Han Ling'er used her Ice Sealing Domain to freeze and shatter the ice spikes. Han Tianfeng, on the other hand, swung his sword, unleashing wind blades to disrupt the Ice Ape King's vision.

"Almost there!" Han Li saw the light at the cave entrance. The five of them sped out, with the Ice Ape King close behind.

"Three Talents Trapping Formation, activate!" Jin Lie shouted from outside the cave. The three array flags shone brightly, forming a triangular light shield that sealed the cave entrance. The Ice Ape King crashed into the light shield and was bounced back.

"Roar!" It roared angrily, attacking the light barrier frantically. But the Three Talents Trapping Formation was a secret technique of the Golden Lion Clan. With three Nascent Soul cultivators setting up the formation, it was enough to trap a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator for a while.

"Now! Join forces and kill it!" Han Li turned around, and the five-person battle formation changed again, transforming into an attack formation. Han Li took the lead in the attack, with the other four providing support. Jin Lie and the other two also joined the battle, and the seven of them besieged the Ice Ape King.

Although the Ice Ape King was powerful, it gradually succumbed to the combined attack of seven Nascent Soul cultivators. Its body was covered in wounds, and its icy blue blood flowed and froze. But its ferocity was unleashed, and its final, desperate attack was even more ferocious.

"Watch out, it's about to self-destruct its inner core!" Jin Lie suddenly exclaimed. The Ice Ape King's abdomen swelled up, and its demon core shone brightly, clearly indicating that it was about to self-destruct and perish together with others.

"Retreat!" Han Li decisively ordered. But the Ice Ape King locked onto him and pounced frantically.

"Five Elements Revolve, Suppress!" Han Li bit his tongue, spitting out his blood essence onto the Azure Thunder Sword. The sword blazed with lightning, transforming into a thunder dragon that coiled around the Ice Ape King. At the same time, he formed hand seals, activating the Lesser Five Elements Battle Formation at full power. The power of the five elements transformed into chains, binding the Ice Ape King firmly.

"A thunderclap, a bolt from the blue!"

"Yes!" Han Jinglei summoned the heavenly lightning with all his might. A bolt of purple lightning, ten feet thick, descended from the sky and struck the Ice Ape King precisely on the head.

"boom--!"

The Ice Ape King screamed in agony; its demon core hadn't even fully exploded before it was shattered by heavenly lightning. Its massive body crashed to the ground, lifeless.

The battle ended, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jin Lie and his two companions were especially terrified; if Han Li hadn't suppressed the attack in time and the Ice Ape King hadn't self-destructed, at least half of them would have been killed or injured.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I will never forget your life-saving grace!" Jin Lie solemnly clasped his hands in thanks.

"Fellow Daoist Jin Lie, you flatter me. As allies, it is only right that I help you." Han Li waved his hand. "Let's go collect the spoils of war first."

The group entered the ice cave and cleared out the remaining ice apes. In the Ice Ape King's lair, they found many valuable items: one Ice Ape King's inner core, more than ten ice-attribute demon cores, several pieces of cold iron ore, and three jars of "Ice Ape Wine".

Ice Ape Wine is brewed by ice apes using the essence of ice and spiritual fruits. It can temper the body and enhance the power of ice-based techniques. It will greatly benefit Han Ling'er.

"As agreed, the spoils will be divided equally," Han Li said. "The inner core will go to the Golden Lion Clan, the Ice Ape Wine to my Han City, and the rest will be split equally. How about that?"

"This... Fellow Daoist Han is too kind." Jin Lie was a little embarrassed. The Ice Ape King was mainly killed by Han Li and others; they only contributed some effort, so it was already very generous of them to share the spoils equally.

"It's alright, there may be opportunities for cooperation in the future," Han Li said with a smile. He valued the long term, and establishing good relations with the Golden Lion Clan would be beneficial to Han City.

After dividing the spoils, both sides bid farewell. The Golden Lion Clan was going to explore other places, while Han Li and his group of five continued on to Cold Moon Pool.

After traveling for three more days, they crossed an icy plain, and a vast lake appeared ahead. The lake's surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the bright moon in the sky. The water was a pale blue, radiating a rich moonlight. In the center of the lake grew a crystal-clear lotus flower—the Moon Lotus.

"We've arrived at Cold Moon Pool." Han Li stopped and observed carefully. There were several skeletons of demonic beasts by the pool, clearly indicating that this place was not simple. He spread his divine sense and sensed several powerful auras at the bottom of the lake, at least at the Nascent Soul level.

"The Frost Dragon is at the bottom of the lake. Proceed according to plan." Han Li took out the "Demon-Attracting Incense," a type of bait specifically designed to attract ice-type demonic beasts. He lit the incense and placed it by the edge of the pool. The five of them retreated a hundred feet away, concealing themselves.

The alluring incense burned, emitting a strange fragrance. Moments later, ripples appeared on the lake's surface, and three enormous black shadows rose from the lakebed. They were three Frost Dragons, each over thirty zhang long, entirely silver-white, with a single horn on each head, and their auras were all at the early Nascent Soul stage.

"Only three?" Han Li frowned. According to intelligence, there were at least five Frost Flood Dragons in Cold Moon Pool, and one of them was a Flood Dragon King, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Could the intelligence be wrong?

"Something's not right, this is a trap!" he suddenly realized. The Frost Dragon was quite intelligent and had probably already sensed the abnormality of the Demon-Attracting Incense, so it deliberately sent out only three heads, leaving two to ambush.

"Retreat!" Han Li decided immediately. But it was too late.

"boom!"

The lake surface exploded, and two even larger ice dragons burst forth. One of them was fifty zhang long, with two horns on its forehead, and its aura was clearly that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—it was the Dragon King. The five ice dragons formed a circle, trapping the five people in the middle.

"Humans, how dare you covet the Moon Lotus! You're courting death!" The Flood Dragon King spoke in a cold, human voice. Having cultivated for a thousand years, it had already taken human form and possessed intelligence no less than that of humans.

Han Li's heart sank. Five Frost Flood Dragons, including one in the mid-Nascent Soul stage and four in the early-Nascent Soul stage—this lineup far exceeded his expectations. A direct confrontation would be utterly hopeless.

"Senior, we have come only for the Moonflower Lotus and have no ill intentions," Han Li attempted to negotiate. "We are willing to exchange it for a treasure. Could you please do us a favor?"

"Exchange?" The Flood Dragon King sneered. "The Moon Lotus is the most precious treasure of my clan. How could I give it to you? However, if you are willing to offer your essence blood for my children and grandchildren to cultivate, perhaps I can spare your lives."

They're going to use them as food. Han Li's eyes grew cold; he knew there was no way to resolve this peacefully.

"Form ranks and prepare for a desperate battle," he whispered. The five quickly formed a small five-element battle formation and went on high alert.

"Overestimating yourself." The Flood Dragon King opened its mouth and spewed out a breath of icy cold air. Wherever the breath passed, the air froze and everything was encased in ice.

Han Li unleashed a full-force sword strike, lightning clashing with ice in a deafening roar. He staggered back three steps, his blood churning. Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, indeed powerful.

"Attack together, kill them!" the Flood Dragon King ordered. The four Frost Flood Dragons attacked simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of icy breath, ice blades, and ice spikes.

"The five elements revolve endlessly!" Han Li gritted his teeth and persevered, pushing the battle formation to its limit. However, the five of them faced five ice dragons, and the difference in strength was too great, soon finding themselves in grave danger.

Han Ling'er was slashed on the left arm by an ice blade, and the wound froze instantly. Han Jinglei was grazed by an icy breath, and half of his body was frozen. Han Yunge and Han Tianfeng were also injured.

"This won't do, we have to break through!" Han Li thought anxiously. But the five Frost Dragons worked in perfect harmony, blocking all escape routes.

Just then, the lake surface suddenly shimmered with seven colors. The Moon Lotus shone brightly, and a soft pillar of light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire Cold Moon Pool.

"This is... the Moon Lotus has ripened?" the Flood Dragon King exclaimed, ignoring Han Li and the others, and rushed towards the Moon Lotus. The Moon Lotus ripens only once every hundred years, and this is the best time to harvest it; if you miss it, you'll have to wait another hundred years.

"An opportunity!" Han Li's eyes lit up. Taking advantage of the Ice Dragon's distraction, he unleashed a powerful sword strike, cleaving open a gap.

"Walk!"

The five transformed into streaks of light, breaking through the encirclement and fleeing Cold Moon Pool without looking back. Behind them came the furious roar of the Flood Dragon King, but the Moon Lotus was more important; it did not give chase.

They fled for a thousand miles in one breath, and only stopped when they were sure that the Frost Dragon was not pursuing them. All of them were injured and in a sorry state.

"The Moon Lotus is ripe, but the Frost Dragon is guarding it too closely; we can't just take it by force," Han Li said, panting. "We need to think of a way."

"Perhaps we can launch a sneak attack when the Frost Dragon is harvesting the Moon Lotus," Han Yunge suggested.

"Too risky," Han Li shook his head. "Besides, the Moon Lotus needs to be refined immediately after being harvested, otherwise its medicinal effects will be greatly reduced. We don't have time."

"What should we do?" Han Ling'er asked, as she was the most seriously injured and her left arm was still covered in ice.

Han Li pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in his eyes: "I have a plan, but it requires taking risks. You all stay here to heal your wounds, I will return alone and act according to the circumstances."

"No!" Han Yunge objected. "It's too dangerous. We should all go back together."

"Don't worry, I have a way to protect myself." Han Li took out the long-distance communication talisman given to him by Han Mu. "If things become unbearable, I will send a message for help. Senior is outside and will not stand idly by."

Seeing his insistence, everyone had no choice but to agree. Han Li took the healing pills, regulated his breathing for a moment, and then got up and returned to Cold Moon Pool.

This time, he will outsmart them.