The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Three months later, the Spirit Cleansing Pool will open.

The Cleansing Pool is located deep within the "Spirit Source Mountains," three thousand miles southeast of Tianyuan City. It is a vital area for the human race, guarded year-round by powerful cultivators at the Integration Stage. On this day, the area outside the mountains was bustling with people. Besides the ten people who had secured their spots and their escorts, there were also many cultivators watching the spectacle.

Han Mu personally escorted Han Li here. He was dressed in a blue robe, his aura concealed at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, appearing unremarkable. But those who knew him knew that this City Lord Han was unfathomable, having even dared to injure an envoy of the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor.

"Lord Han, it's been a long time." A white-robed elder greeted him with a smile. He was Elder Qingyun, one of the eight elders, with a cultivation level of the early stage of the Integration Realm.

"Elder Qingyun," Han Mu greeted with a smile. This Elder Qingyun was one of the three elders Han Feng had contacted. He had long harbored resentment towards the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor and was someone the Han family was trying to win over.

"Lord Han, the Spirit Cleansing Pool opens today, and the Holy Emperor is personally overseeing it. You must be careful," Elder Qingyun reminded him telepathically.

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Qingyun." Han Mu nodded. He had long expected the Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor to come, after all, the Cleansing Spirit Pool was an important place for the human race, and the Holy Emperor would personally come every time it was opened.

Sure enough, a moment later, a golden imperial carriage appeared in the sky, pulled by nine dragons, exuding a magnificent aura. Seated on the carriage was a middle-aged man in golden robes, with a dignified face; he was none other than the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor, a cultivator at the early stage of the Mahayana realm.

"Greetings, Holy Emperor!" Everyone bowed in greeting.

Emperor Tianyuan's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment on Han Mu before he said indifferently, "No need for formalities. The Cleansing Spirit Pool is an important place for the human race, and you all know the rules, so I won't go into detail. Enter the pool."

The ten cultivators who had secured a spot headed towards the entrance of the Spirit Cleansing Pool. Han Li was the seventh.

"Wait a minute." Liu Rufeng suddenly spoke up, pointing at Han Li, "This person is suspected of murdering my younger brother Liu Ruyun and is not qualified to enter the Cleansing Pool."

The crowd was in an uproar. Many people knew that Liu Rufeng's younger brother had died in the Guanghan Realm, but no one expected him to cause trouble here.

"Elder Liu, the spots in the Spirit Cleansing Pool are earned through strength. Han Li is the number one in the seventh arena of the Battle Heaven Platform. Why isn't he qualified?" Han Feng said angrily.

"Just because he might be a murderer!" Liu Rufeng said coldly, "He cannot enter the Cleansing Pool until the matter is clarified."

"Liu Rufeng, you're settling a personal score on your behalf." Han Mu spoke, his voice calm, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Lord Han, I am merely following the rules." Liu Rufeng looked at Emperor Tianyuan. "Your Majesty, please make the decision."

Emperor Tianyuan looked at Han Mu: "City Lord Han, does Elder Liu have any evidence for what he said?"

"There's no evidence, just speculation," Han Mu said. "Besides, in the Guanghan Realm, one is responsible for one's own life and death; that's the rule of the human race. Liu Ruyun was inferior in skill, so she can't blame anyone else for her death."

"You!" Liu Rufeng roared in anger.

"Alright." Emperor Tianyuan waved his hand. "Without evidence, Han Li's spot cannot be revoked. Han Li, you may go in."

"Yes." Han Li bowed and walked into the entrance of the Cleansing Spirit Pool.

Liu Rufeng's face was ashen, and resentment flashed in his eyes. He hadn't expected the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor to side with Han Mu; it seemed the Saint Emperor didn't want to break ties with the Han family at this time.

Han Mu glanced at Liu Rufeng, a cold smile playing on his lips. He knew Liu Rufeng wouldn't let this go easily, but it didn't matter. In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks were a joke.

The Cleansing Pool was filled with a milky white mist, containing pure spiritual energy. Han Li stepped into the mist and immediately felt refreshed, as if every pore was breathing.

"Is this the Spirit Cleansing Pool?" Han Li sat down cross-legged and began to circulate his cultivation technique. Mist surged into his body, cleansing his meridians, bones, and dantian. His spiritual root was slowly transforming, evolving from three spiritual roots to two.

Meanwhile, deep within the Cleansing Spirit Pool, a dark figure silently appeared. It was an old man in black robes, his aura chilling, and he possessed the cultivation of the early stage of the Integration Realm. He was an assassin arranged by Liu Rufeng, specifically sent to take Han Li's life.

"Boy, blame yourself for offending the wrong person." The old man in black robes drew a black short sword and silently stabbed it toward Han Li's back.

Just then, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from Han Li, knocking the black short sword away. The black-robed elder's expression changed; he hadn't expected Han Li to be able to detect his sneak attack.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time." Han Li opened his eyes, a cold glint in them. He had long anticipated that Liu Rufeng would send someone to assassinate him, so he had remained vigilant.

"Hmph, so what if you noticed? A mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator is nothing but an ant in front of me." The black-robed elder sneered, unleashing the full pressure of his Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

Han Li felt short of breath, but he was not afraid at all. He took out a talisman given to him by Han Mu and crushed it.

"boom!"

The talisman transformed into a golden light, dispelling the oppressive aura of the black-robed elder. Then, the golden light condensed into a phantom image of Han Mu.

"Dare to touch anyone from my Han family? You're courting death." Han Mu's illusory figure spoke calmly, raising a finger to point.

The old man in black robes was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backward. He looked at Han Mu's illusory figure in horror: "You...you weren't outside the Cleansing Pool?"

"Just a divine thought," Han Mu's illusory figure said. "Sent by Liu Rufeng? Very well, go back and tell him that I, Han Mu, have remembered what happened today."

The old man in black robes gritted his teeth, turned, and fled. Han Mu's illusory figure didn't give chase, but instead looked at Han Li: "You can focus on your purification; I'll take care of things outside."

"Thank you, City Lord." Han Li breathed a sigh of relief and continued to refine his spiritual root.

Outside the Cleansing Spirit Pool, Han Mu suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Liu Rufeng: "Elder Liu, your people seem to be a bit incompetent."

Liu Rufeng's expression changed: "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything, I'm just telling you that if anything happens to Han Li in the Cleansing Spirit Pool, I'll kill you first." Han Mu's tone was calm, but the killing intent in it sent chills down Liu Rufeng's spine.

"Han Mu, don't go too far!" Liu Rufeng said angrily.

"Excessive?" Han Mu laughed. "Liu Rufeng, you sent people to assassinate members of my Han family, and you say I'm going too far? Believe me, I'll cripple you right now!"

"You dare!" Liu Rufeng said fiercely, but his voice betrayed his inner weakness.

"You can try." Han Mu stepped forward, and the pressure of the late-stage Fusion Realm erupted. Although he only appeared to be at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement Realm, the pressure he released at this moment made everyone feel apprehensive.

Elder Qingyun, Elder Mingjing, and the others stared at Han Mu in shock. This oppressive aura was definitely not something a Void Refinement stage cultivator could possess! Han Mu had been hiding his true strength far too well!

Emperor Tianyuan also looked at Han Mu, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. He could sense that Han Mu's true cultivation level was at least at the late stage of the Integration Realm, and possibly even higher. Such a person should not be easily offended.

"Lord Han, Elder Liu was in the wrong, and I will punish him," Emperor Tianyuan said. "The Cleansing Spirit Pool is a sacred place for the human race, and private duels are forbidden. Let's drop this matter, shall we?"

Han Mu glanced at the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor and withdrew his oppressive aura: "Since the Saint Emperor has spoken, then let it be. However, if there is a next time, don't blame me for being impolite."

Liu Rufeng's face turned ashen, but he dared not speak again. He had realized that the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor did not want to break ties with Han Mu, and if he continued to cause trouble, he would only suffer the consequences.

Seven days later, the mist in the Spirit Cleansing Pool dissipated, and ten people emerged one after another. Han Li was the last to come out; his aura was several times stronger than before, and he had actually broken through to the late stage of the Void Refinement realm!

"Congratulations," Han Mu said with a smile. The Spirit Cleansing Pool can not only cleanse and refine spiritual roots, but also improve cultivation. Han Li's breakthrough to the late stage of Void Refinement was within his expectations.

"Thank you, City Lord." Han Li bowed. This trip to the Spirit Cleansing Pool had been incredibly fruitful for him. His spiritual root had evolved from three to two, his cultivation had broken through to the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, and more importantly, he had obtained a "Spirit Source Pearl" deep within the Spirit Cleansing Pool, which could accelerate his cultivation—a rare treasure.

"Let's go back to Hancheng." Han Mu led Han Li away.

Upon returning to Hancheng, Han Mu immediately arranged for Han Li to go into seclusion to consolidate his cultivation. As for himself, he began the next phase of his plan.

"System, view current contribution points."

Current contribution points: 53000

"Exchange for ten 'Heavenly Secret Talismans' and three 'Boundary Breaking Talismans'."

[Exchange successful, 50000 contribution points consumed. Remaining contribution points: 3000]

The Heavenly Secret Talisman can conceal heavenly secrets, preventing Mahayana cultivators from making deductions. The Boundary-Breaking Talisman can traverse space, used to save lives in critical moments. Han Mu knew that a conflict with the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor was about to erupt, and he had to be prepared.

"Dr. Mo, how's the news spreading?" Han Mu asked.

"Reporting to the City Lord, the word has already been spread. It's all over Tianyuan City that the Holy Emperor is going to reduce the power of the Eight Elders and concentrate resources on cultivating his own faction. Elder Qingyun and Elder Mingjing have clearly expressed their willingness to cooperate with us, while Elder Chiyan is still observing, but his attitude has softened somewhat," said Doctor Mo.

"Very good." Han Mu nodded. "Add fuel to the fire. Spread the word that my Han family is willing to share the resources of the Guanghan Realm with all the elders. As long as you are a partner, you can send your disciples into the Guanghan Realm to cultivate regularly."

"Yes!" Doctor Mo's eyes lit up. The Guanghan Realm! That's a famous secret realm in the Spirit Realm, brimming with resources. No force could resist such a temptation.

As expected, upon hearing the news, Elder Chi Yan immediately expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Han family. Three of the other four elders, who were originally neutral, were also tempted and indicated they would consider it.

Emperor Tianyuan could no longer sit still. Of the eight elders, five had already sided with the Han family, and of the remaining three, Liu Rufeng was no longer loyal to him, while the other two were wavering. If this continued, he, the Holy Emperor, would be left with no one to rely on.

"Han Mu..." A murderous glint flashed in the eyes of the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor. He could not wait any longer; he had to eliminate Han Mu as soon as possible and reclaim the Han family's resources, especially control of the Guanghan Realm.

A great battle is about to break out.