The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The atmosphere in the council hall of the city lord's mansion was solemn. All the cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage in Han City were gathered. Han Mu sat in the main seat, with Han Li, Han Yunge, Han Jinglei, Han Tianfeng, Han Ling'er, Black Wind Demon King, Crimson Flame Old Monster, Han Changqing, and Doctor Mo sitting on either side. Although Han Changqing and Doctor Mo, who had just successfully transcended their tribulations, were still recovering from their injuries, they had stabilized their early Nascent Soul stage.

"The messenger from Tianyuan City has awakened, and the situation is worse than we imagined," Han Yunge said in a deep voice. "This time, the Demon Clan has dispatched three Void Refinement stage Demon Lords, leading 100,000 demon troops, and has divided their forces into three routes to invade the human border. The main force in the center is heading straight for Tianyuan City, while the left and right routes are attacking Black Rock City and White Bone City respectively. Tianyuan City is under siege and has issued a distress call, summoning all human forces to come to its aid."

"Three Void Refinement Demon Lords..." Han Li frowned deeply. In the Spirit Realm, those at the Void Refinement stage were already powerful figures. Tianyuan City, the largest human city on the border, only had two Void Refinement elders. Now, the demon race had dispatched three Void Refinement elders, clearly intending to conquer Tianyuan City in one fell swoop.

"Hancheng has just been promoted to a main city and is already facing this calamity. Whether it is a blessing or a curse is still unknown." Doctor Mo stroked his long beard. "But if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If Tianyuan City falls, Hancheng will also find it difficult to remain unscathed. Moreover, the city lord has a prior agreement with Tianyuan City and should send troops."

"I agree with Elder Mo's opinion," Han Changqing said. "The demons are coming on strong. If Tianyuan City falls, the entire border of the human race will be lost. At that time, the demons will advance unimpeded, and Han City will bear the brunt. Rather than passively defending, we should take the initiative and launch a pincer attack with Tianyuan City from both inside and outside. That might give us a chance of winning."

"Fight if you want! What are you afraid of!" The Black Wind Demon King slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "I just obtained the 'Heavenly Wolf Howling Moon Technique,' and I was just looking for a few demon brats to test my skills against!"

The Crimson Flame Old Monster also said in a sinister tone, "Refining demons with earth fire is indeed a wonderful thing."

Han Mu listened quietly to the discussion, and only after everyone had finished speaking did he slowly say, "In this battle, Hancheng must send troops, and it must win."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "Hancheng is a newly established main city, and it needs a major battle to establish its prestige. If we win this battle, Hancheng will truly join the ranks of the top human forces and gain a voice. If we lose, or avoid fighting altogether, Hancheng will never be able to hold its head high again, and may even be coveted and swallowed up by other forces."

"Therefore, this battle is not only for Tianyuan City, but also for Hancheng itself."

The crowd's expressions hardened, and they said in unison, "We are ready to obey the city lord's orders!"

"Alright." Han Mu nodded. "Han Li, you will lead three thousand cultivators as the vanguard and set off immediately to reinforce Tianyuan City. Remember, focus on harassment and containment; do not engage in direct combat. Your mission is to hold back the right flank of the Demon Clan and prevent them from joining forces with the main force in the center."

"Yes, sir!" Han Li clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Han Jinglei, Han Tianfeng, each of you will lead two thousand cultivators to reinforce Black Rock City and White Bone City respectively. If these two cities fall, the flanks of Tianyuan City will be completely exposed."

"Yes!" Han Jinglei and Han Tianfeng accepted the order.

"Han Ling'er, Black Wind Demon King, Crimson Flame Old Monster, the three of you will lead five thousand main forces and follow me straight to Tianyuan City. The key to this battle is to crush the Demon Clan's central army and kill those three Void Refinement Demon Lords."

"Yes!" the three replied.

"Han Yunge, Han Changqing, and Doctor Mo, you will remain in Hancheng to oversee the overall situation. Hancheng is newly established and needs someone to be there to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation. At the same time, focus on refining healing and recovery pills to prepare for wartime needs."

"Yes!" The three accepted the order. Although Han Yunge wanted to go to the front line, she also knew that Hancheng needed someone to stay behind, and alchemy was her forte, so she could be more useful if she stayed in the rear.

"This battle is perilous, everyone must be careful," Han Mu said finally. "I don't ask how many enemies you kill, I only ask that you all come back alive. The future of Hancheng needs you."

"Rest assured, Lord City Lord!" the crowd shouted in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.

"Set off!"

The gates of Hancheng swung open, and an army of 12,000 cultivators set off, divided into four routes, heading towards the battlefield. This was the first large-scale expedition since the establishment of Hancheng, and also a moment to test Hancheng's true strength.

Han Mu sat in the central army, looking down at the five thousand cultivators behind him. Among these people were members of the Han family brought from the human realm, affiliated forces subdued in the spirit realm, and newly joined rogue cultivators. At this moment, they were all wearing uniform cyan armor, with the character "Han" engraved on it, the symbol of Han City.

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

[Host: Han Mu]

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

[Current Mission: Resisting the Demonic Calamity (In Progress)]

[Mission Requirements: Repel the demon invasion and protect the human borders]

[Mission Rewards: Depends on completion level, with the highest reward being "Partial Control of the Moon Realm"]

[Special Note: This battle is a border conflict between the Human and Demon races. Victory will greatly increase your reputation in Han City.]

Partial control of the Guanghan Realm? Han Mu's eyes lit up. This reward was no ordinary one. The Guanghan Realm was a renowned small world in the Spirit Realm, containing abundant rare and precious materials, and even opportunities to become an immortal. Gaining partial control would greatly benefit the development of Han City.

"Accelerate the advance and reach Tianyuan City within three days," Han Mu ordered. The army's speed increased dramatically, transforming into a blue torrent as it headed north.

Three days later, outside Tianyuan City.

The demon army had besieged the city for seven days, and the defensive array of Tianyuan City was on the verge of collapse. Three Void Refinement Demon Lords hovered in mid-air, coldly watching the city below. The leader was a red-haired demon lord who was three zhang tall and had two horns on his head. He was at the peak of the Void Refinement stage and was the commander of the demon army. His name was "Blood Bone Demon Lord".

"Is this all the humans are capable of? They've held out for seven days, and not a single one dares to come out and fight." The Blood Bone Demon Lord sneered. "Send the order: concentrate your attack on the east gate! I want to see the city walls collapse within an hour!"

"Yes!" The demon general below responded and mobilized his troops to launch a fierce attack on the east gate.

Inside Tianyuan City, the defending troops were exhausted from their efforts. Two elders at the Void Refinement stage—one a white-haired old man known as "True Man Qingyang," at the late stage of Void Refinement; the other a middle-aged Daoist nun known as "Fairy Yuqing," at the mid-stage of Void Refinement—both wore grave expressions; the city's protective formation wouldn't hold for much longer.

"Has the reinforcement arrived yet?" Fairy Yuqing asked.

"Thirteen requests for reinforcements have been issued, but reinforcements from all over the country have been blocked by the demons, and it will take at least three days for them to arrive," a Nascent Soul general said bitterly.

"Three days..." Master Qingyang shook his head. "We can't hold out for more than three days. Let's prepare to break out; take as many as we can."

Just then, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from outside the east gate. A torrent of azure energy surged into the demon army from the flank, led by none other than Han Li.

Han Li wielded a cyan longsword, and wherever the sword light passed, the demons fell like wheat being harvested. Behind him, three thousand cultivators formed a battle formation, like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into the right flank of the demons.

"Who goes there?!" Blood Bone Demon Lord frowned. "A mere late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dares to come and die?"

Just as he was about to make his move, a sudden warning struck him, and he abruptly looked up towards the south. There, on the southern horizon, a figure appeared, stepping through the air, his green robe fluttering in the wind—it was Han Mu.

Han Mu appeared to be strolling leisurely, but each step he took covered a hundred miles, and in the blink of an eye, he was already above the battlefield. He glanced down and saw Han Li leading his army in battle against the demons, and nodded slightly.

"Who are you?" the Blood Bone Demon Lord asked in a deep voice. He couldn't see through Han Mu's cultivation level, only sensing that the other party was unfathomable, at least at the late stage of Void Refinement, or even possibly the Integration Stage!

"Hancheng, Han Mu," Han Mu said calmly, "I'll give you two choices. First, withdraw your troops, and I'll spare your life. Second, I'll kill you and then annihilate your entire army."

"Arrogant!" Bloodbone Demon Lord laughed in fury. "Even if you are a fused cultivator, with three Demon Lords of my Demon Clan here, and an army of one hundred thousand, how could you possibly stand against us alone?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than two other demon lords flanked him from the left and right. One was a purple-haired demon lord with wings on his back, at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm; the other was a gaunt demon lord covered in bone armor, at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm.

The three demon lords surrounded Han Mu in a triangular formation, locking onto him with their auras, ready to strike at any moment.

Han Mu didn't even glance at them, and said to those below, "Han Li, you lead the army to attack the right flank. Ling'er, Hei Feng, and Chi Yan, you attack the left flank. Leave the central army to me."

"Yes!" came a reply from below. Han Ling'er, the Black Wind Demon King, and the Crimson Flame Old Monster had led their troops to attack, cooperating with Han Li to form a pincer movement against the demons.

"You're courting death!" Blood Bone Demon Lord roared in fury, throwing a punch at Han Mu. This punch contained the full power of a peak Void Refinement cultivator, and the space itself was slightly distorted by the force of the punch.

Han Mu finally moved. He extended his right hand and gently clenched it.

There was no earth-shattering sound, no dazzling light. With just a gentle grip, the Blood Bone Demon Lord's fist force shattered like a bubble. Then, the Blood Bone Demon Lord was completely held by an invisible hand, unable to move.

"This...this is..." Blood Bone Demon Lord was horrified to discover that his demonic power was completely imprisoned, and he could not even self-destruct.

Upon seeing this, the other two Demon Lords turned and fled without hesitation. This person could easily subdue Xue Gu, a peak Void Refinement cultivator; he was definitely not someone they could defeat.

"Did I let you go?" Han Mu's voice was calm, yet it was like the whisper of death. He made a grasping motion with his left hand, and the two demon lords who had escaped a hundred miles away were as if bound by invisible ropes, flying back.

"A Fusion Realm... You're a Fusion Realm expert!" the purple-haired demon lord shrieked. "When did humanity produce a new Fusion Realm expert? Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," Han Mu said calmly, clenching his fist.

puff!puff!

The two demon lords exploded like popped balloons, instantly turning into a bloody mist, their bodies and souls annihilated. Mid-stage and early-stage Void Refinement cultivators, compared to a Fusion Realm cultivator, didn't even have the chance to struggle.

The Blood Bone Demon Lord was terrified and immediately begged for mercy: "Senior, spare my life! This junior is willing to surrender! I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!"

"No need," Han Mu shook his head. "My Hancheng doesn't need another Void Refinement cultivator like you."

After saying that, he clenched his right hand.

The Blood Bone Demon Lord didn't even have time to scream before he followed in his companion's footsteps. The three Void Refinement Demon Lords were slaughtered like chickens and dogs by Han Mu.

On the battlefield below, the demon army, witnessing the instantaneous slaying of three demon lords, was thrown into chaos. Meanwhile, the cultivators of Hancheng, their morale soaring, forced the demons into a relentless retreat.

Inside Tianyuan City, True Man Qingyang and Fairy Yuqing were dumbfounded. They had held out for seven days, nearly losing the city and their lives, only to have Han Mu arrive and casually crush three Void Refinement Demon Lords?

"Just who exactly is this Lord Han?" Master Qingyang murmured.

"No matter who he is, Tianyuan City is saved." Fairy Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Mu did not participate in the battle below, but instead looked north, towards the direction of the demon race's main camp. He could sense several powerful auras there, one of which even made him somewhat wary.

"A Demon Lord in the Integration Stage, huh..." A cold glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. "Perfect, I'll test my skills on you."

His figure flickered and disappeared into the horizon.