The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The Crimson Flame Mountains are a series of volcanoes, shrouded in sweltering heat. The area is rich in fire-attribute spiritual materials, making it a treasure trove for refining weapons and pills. The Crimson Flame Old Monster who occupies this place is a rogue cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, practicing fire-attribute techniques. He is violent and solitary, but possesses formidable strength, having once fought three opponents single-handedly without being at a disadvantage.

At this moment, on the main peak of the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, in front of the Crimson Flame Cave, Han Yunge and Han Ling'er are locked in a fierce battle.

The Crimson Flame Old Monster was engulfed in crimson flames, wielding a giant flaming axe that unleashed towering waves of fire with each strike. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and having cultivated here for a thousand years, he could manipulate the earth's fiery power, making him three times stronger than an ordinary peak Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Two little girls, you dare to covet my territory?" The Crimson Flame Old Monster laughed wildly, sweeping his giant axe and forcing Han Yunge back. "Han Mu sent you here to die? You underestimate me!"

Han Yunge's expression was solemn. Her main focus was on alchemy, and combat strength was not her forte. Although Han Ling'er had an ice spiritual root, which was effective against fire, her cultivation was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, two minor realms lower than that of the Crimson Flame Old Monster, and she was completely suppressed.

"Ling'er, use the combined attack technique!" Han Yunge transmitted his voice.

"Alright!" Han Ling'er nodded, and the two of them moved in opposite directions, attacking the Crimson Flame Old Monster from the left and right. Han Yunge summoned a cyan alchemy furnace, the lid of which opened, spewing out cyan alchemical fire. This alchemical fire was nurtured by her own natal fire for a hundred years, and it was specifically designed to counter evil fire.

Han Ling'er formed hand seals, and a chilling aura emanated from her, transforming into countless ice crystal swords that formed a sword array that attacked the Crimson Flame Old Monster.

"A mere trick!" Old Monster Crimson Flame scoffed, unleashing his giant axe, which transformed into a fiery dragon that clashed with the Pill Fire and the Ice Sword.

Boom!

A deafening roar shook the heavens as flames clashed with ice, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy. Han Yunge and Han Ling'er simultaneously coughed up blood and were sent flying backward, their faces pale. The Crimson Flame Old Monster was also forced back several steps, but quickly regained his footing, clearly having gained the upper hand.

"You've done quite well to force me to retreat," the Crimson Flame Old Monster licked his lips. "Unfortunately, you'll all die here today!"

He formed hand seals and chanted incantations. Instantly, the entire Crimson Flame Mountain Range trembled, and earth fire erupted, condensing in the air into a hundred-foot-tall fire phoenix. The fire phoenix cried out to the sky, its oppressive aura making it difficult for Han Yunge and Han Ling'er to breathe.

"The earth veins have materialized! He can actually mobilize the earth fire power of the entire mountain range!" Han Yunge's expression changed drastically. The power of this attack was approaching that of the early stage of the Void Refinement realm!

"Die!" Old Monster Crimson Flame grinned as the fire phoenix swooped down, distorting space and scorching the heavens with its passage.

Han Yunge and Han Ling'er exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes. They simultaneously burned their life essence, preparing to fight to the death.

Just then, a calm voice rang out: "Enough."

The sound wasn't loud, but it drowned out the fire phoenix's cry and the roar of the earth fire. A figure in a green robe appeared out of thin air in front of Han Yunge and Han Ling'er; it was Han Mu.

He watched the swooping fire phoenix and simply waved his hand.

There was no earth-shattering display, no dazzling magic. With just a gentle wave, the hundred-foot-long fire phoenix was as if grasped by an invisible hand, instantly frozen in mid-air, then shattered inch by inch, turning into countless sparks that dissipated.

"What?!" The Crimson Flame Old Monster's pupils shrank, his face filled with disbelief. His full-force earth vein transformation had been casually broken by someone?

Han Mu looked at the Crimson Flame Old Monster and said calmly, "Crimson Flame, I'll give you two choices. First, submit. Second, die."

The Crimson Flame Old Monster's expression shifted uncertainly. He couldn't see through Han Mu's cultivation level, but someone who could easily break through his strongest attack must be at least in the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, or even possibly the Integration realm! Such a being could kill him like a chicken.

"I...I am willing to submit," the Crimson Flame Old Monster said bitterly. Although he was violent, he was not stupid. In the face of absolute power, resisting would only lead to death.

"I swear a solemn oath to the demons within my heart, to be loyal to Hancheng for all eternity," Han Mu said.

Old Monster Crimson Flame dared not hesitate and swore an oath on the spot. The Great Oath of the Heart Demon has an extremely strong binding force on cultivators. Once violated, the heart demon will backfire, making it difficult to make any further progress in cultivation, and may even lead to death from qi deviation.

"Very good." Han Mu nodded and tossed out a jade slip. "This is the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique, which can be cultivated to the Great Ascension stage. You have cultivated here for a thousand years, and your affinity with the earth fire is perfect for this technique. Cultivate it diligently, and you can expect to reach the Void Refinement stage in the future."

The Crimson Flame Old Monster took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and immediately trembled with excitement. The Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique—this was a top-tier fire-attribute cultivation method directly leading to the Mahayana stage! He had sought it for a thousand years without success, and now he had obtained it so easily.

"Chi Yan greets his master!" He knelt on one knee, this time with genuine sincerity. The fact that this City Lord Han could casually produce a Mahayana cultivation technique suggested that his background was likely even more terrifying than he had imagined.

"Get up," Han Mu said. "From today onwards, the Crimson Flame Mountains will be incorporated into Han City. You will be the commander of the Crimson Flame Army, responsible for guarding this area and mining fire-attribute spiritual materials. Come to Han City in three days to receive orders."

"Yes, sir!" Old Monster Crimson Flame replied respectfully.

Han Mu turned to look at Han Yunge and Han Ling'er, and with a wave of his hand, he released two beams of azure light that entered their bodies. Their injuries were instantly healed, and their auras even subtly strengthened.

"Thank you, Ancestor (City Lord)!" The two quickly bowed.

"You did well," Han Mu praised. "Faced with a powerful enemy, you didn't back down; that shows the integrity of the Han family. But remember next time, if you can't win, retreat. Preserving your life is the most important thing."

"Yes," they both replied in unison, feeling a warm glow in their hearts.

"Let's go back to Hancheng." Han Mu left with the two women. The Crimson Flame Old Monster saw them off respectfully, and only after the three figures disappeared did he straighten up, looking at the jade slip in his hand with excitement and awe in his eyes.

Hancheng, the City Lord's Mansion.

Han Li, Han Jinglei, and Han Tianfeng had already returned. Han Li subdued the Black Wind Demon King, while Han Jinglei and Han Tianfeng successfully took over several smaller forces around Bibo Lake. Thus, Black Wind Plains, Crimson Flame Mountains, and Bibo Lake all came under Han City's control, and an area spanning 100,000 li was now entirely under Han City's control.

"Lord, mission complete," Han Li reported. "The Black Wind Demon King has sworn a great oath to his inner demons and will report for duty in three days. The Black Wind originally had over three thousand wolf demons, of whom one hundred and twenty were at the Nascent Soul stage, eight hundred at the Core Formation stage, and the rest were at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"The Crimson Flame Mountain Range has been captured, and the Crimson Flame Old Monster has submitted." Han Yunge continued, "The Crimson Flame Mountain Range has three earth fire mines, five fire attribute spiritual herb gardens, and more than three hundred independent cultivators, including forty-eight Nascent Soul cultivators."

"We have subdued all seven small forces around Bibo Lake," Han Jinglei said. "We have acquired over a thousand cultivators and two water-attribute spiritual material veins."

Han Mu nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. Han Li, you are responsible for integrating these forces and incorporating them into the Han City system. Yun Ge, you are responsible for inventorying resources and coordinating their allocation. Jing Lei, Tian Feng, and Ling'er, you will assist Han Li in reorganizing the defenses."

"Yes!" The crowd accepted the order.

"Have you heard anything from Changqing and Doctor Mo?" Han Mu asked.

"I just received a message that they have entered the Spirit Cleansing Pool and everything is going smoothly," Han Li said. "Tianyuan City sent two Void Refinement Elders to escort them, so they should be fine."

Han Mu nodded. The Cleansing Spirit Pool was a heavily guarded area controlled by Tianyuan City, protected by array formations, so its safety was not an issue. What he was more concerned about now was whether Han Changqing and Doctor Mo could use the Cleansing Spirit Pool to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

"System, check the current status." Han Mu thought to himself.

[Host: Han Mu]

[Cultivation Level: Early Stage of True Integration / Mid Stage of Superficial Refinement]

[Cultivation Techniques: Primordial Longevity Technique, Level 8 (Early Stage), Heaven-Gathering Divine Technique, Level 6, Nine-Turn Undying Body, Third Stage]

[Supernatural Abilities: Lesser Five Elements Sword Formation, Primordial Chaos Qi, Heaven-Gathering Technique, Five Elements Escape Technique, Primordial Thunder Technique, Realm-Suppressing Seal]

[Magic Items: Qiankun Sword (Innate), Five Elements Flag (Ancient Treasure), Heavenly Secrets Disc (Special), Boundary Suppressing Stele (Incomplete Immortal Artifact), Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner (Reforged)]

[Families: Han Family (Human Realm), Han City (Spirit Realm)]

[Contribution Points: 32000]

[Current Task: Develop Hancheng (In Progress)]

【任务进度：化神修士6/10，主城晋升条件（合体修士1/1，化神修士8/10，掌控地域3/3）】

[Note: You have already taken control of the Azure Phoenix Mountains, Azure Wave Lake, Black Wind Plains, and Crimson Flame Mountains. The conditions for upgrading your main city have been met. Do you wish to upgrade?]

Upon seeing the last line, Han Mu's eyes lit up. The conditions for advancing to the main city had been met! However, he was still short two Nascent Soul cultivators. If Han Changqing and Doctor Mo could break through after returning from the Spirit Cleansing Pool, they would have a total of ten.

"I'll postpone the promotion until Changqing and Doctor Mo return," Han Mu thought to himself. The main city's promotion would definitely cause a major stir; it wouldn't be too late to promote after everyone is ready.

"Lord of the City, there is one more matter," Han Li said. "News has come from Tianyuan City that the Demon Clan has been active on the border recently, and they seem to be preparing for a large-scale attack. Tianyuan City hopes that our Han City can send cultivators to assist in the defense of the border."

"The Demon Race..." Han Mu narrowed his eyes. The human race and the demon race in the Spirit Realm had been at war for many years, and the border had never truly been peaceful. Every demonic calamity brought devastation and death. Now that Han City was rising in power, the demon race would likely pay special attention to it.

"Tell Tianyuan City that Hancheng will send troops to assist in the defense. However, we must have autonomy and not be directly commanded by Tianyuan City," Han Mu said.

"Yes." Han Li nodded. Han City's strength is now no weaker than Tianyuan City's, so naturally it cannot be at their beck and call. Cooperation is possible, but it must be on equal footing.

"Furthermore, issue the order: Hancheng is to enter a state of war preparedness. All cultivators must intensify their training and stockpile resources. This demonic calamity will likely be significant," Han Mu said in a deep voice. He had a premonition that this demonic calamity would be both Hancheng's true opportunity to rise and its ultimate test.

Everyone's expressions tightened, and they responded in unison.

Just then, thunder rumbled in the distant sky, and a powerful aura surged into the heavens, enveloping the entire city of Han.

"This is... the Heavenly Tribulation of Nascent Soul?" Han Li looked in the direction from which the aura came from, which was deep in Han City, where Han Changqing and Doctor Mo were in seclusion.

No, not just one. It's two auras of heavenly tribulation appearing simultaneously!

A smile appeared on Han Mu's lips: "It seems that Changqing and Doctor Mo have succeeded."

The Cleansing Spirit Pool truly lived up to its reputation. Han Changqing and Doctor Mo had been stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage for many years, but now that they had broken through, Han City would have two more Deity Transformation cultivators.

At this point, Hancheng already has eight Nascent Soul cultivators, and is only two short of the ten spots available for advancement in the main city.