The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Han Li went into seclusion to consolidate his cultivation, while turmoil swept through Han City.

As expected, Emperor Tianyuan did not give up easily. He began to secretly contact other forces, especially the Liu family and the Crimson Flame Sect, who had grudges against the Han family, in preparation for joining forces to deal with the Han family.

"City Lord, the Liu family, the Crimson Flame Sect, the Golden Saber Sect, and seven other forces have secretly formed an alliance and are preparing to attack Han City in three months," Doctor Mo reported. His intelligence network has infiltrated every corner of Tianyuan City, and no move by the Tianyuan Holy Emperor can escape his notice.

"Seven forces?" Han Mu tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor does have some methods; he can persuade so many people."

"The main problem is that our Han family has developed too quickly, affecting the interests of too many people," Han Feng said in a deep voice. "Father, shouldn't we strike first?"

"No rush," Han Mu shook his head. "Let them join forces; we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop. By the way, how's the situation with Elder Qingyun and the others?"

"Elder Qingyun, Elder Mingjing, and Elder Chiyan have clearly expressed their support for us. Of the other three neutral elders, two are willing to remain neutral and not participate in this battle. Only Liu Rufeng and another 'Blood Fiend Elder' have clearly sided with Emperor Tianyuan."

"That's five against three, we have the advantage." Han Mu nodded, "However, the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor is at the Great Ascension stage, that's the biggest variable."

"Father, are you confident you can deal with the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor?" Han Feng asked the question that everyone was concerned about. Although they knew Han Mu was hiding his strength, no one knew exactly how strong he was.

"Just the early stage of Mahayana," Han Mu said calmly. "If it were three months ago, I might have had to put in some effort. But now..."

A glint of light flashed in his eyes. For the past three months, he had been refining the incomplete immortal artifact, the "Boundary-Suppressing Stele," which he had obtained from the Guanghan Realm. He had now refined it to thirty percent. With the power of the Boundary-Suppressing Stele, his combat strength was comparable to that of a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator, more than enough to deal with the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor.

"System, check the current task progress."

Main Quest: Dominate a Region

Task progress: 45%

Side Quest: Training a Nascent Soul Cultivator

[Mission Requirements: The Han family must possess three Nascent Soul stage cultivators]

Current progress: 1/3 (Han Mu)

[Note: Han Ji is about to break through to the Fusion stage, and Ice Moon Fairy is expected to break through within three years.]

"Very good." Han Mu nodded in satisfaction. Han Li was about to break through, and Fairy Bingyue was close to doing so as well. As long as the Han family had two more cultivators at the Fusion stage, their strength would increase significantly.

Just then, a powerful aura suddenly emanated from the depths of Han City. That aura, as vast and boundless as the ocean, instantly enveloped the entire city, causing countless cultivators to feel a chill run down their spines.

"This is... the aura of the Nascent Soul stage!" Han Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Han Li has broken through!"

"Let's go take a look." Han Mu stood up and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Above a cave dwelling on the back mountain of Hancheng, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged wildly, forming a massive vortex. At the center of the vortex, Han Li sat cross-legged, radiating the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Early stage of Fusion, done." Han Li opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming. With the help of the Spirit Cleansing Pool, he had successfully broken through the bottleneck and advanced to the Fusion stage.

"Congratulations." Han Mu appeared in front of Han Li and smiled.

"Thank you for your kindness, City Lord." Han Li bowed. Without Han Mu's help, he could not have broken through to the Integration Stage so quickly.

"This is the result of your own hard work." Han Mu waved his hand. "Now that you've broken through, focus on consolidating your cultivation. A great battle awaits you in three months."

"A great battle?" Han Li's eyes narrowed.

"The Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor has joined forces with seven other powers to prepare an attack on Han City," Han Mu said calmly. "Perfect, let's take this opportunity to seize the Heavenly Origin Realm in one fell swoop."

Han Li took a deep breath: "Rest assured, City Lord, Han Li will do his utmost."

"Okay." Han Mu nodded. "You should consolidate your cultivation first. I've prepared some pills to help you strengthen your realm. I'll have Yun Ge deliver them to you later."

"Yes."

News of Han Li's breakthrough to the Integration Stage quickly spread throughout Han City, greatly boosting the morale of the Han family. A Integration Stage cultivator is a pillar of any power. The Han family originally only had Han Mu at the Integration Stage (on the surface), but now with another one, their strength has increased dramatically.

When the news reached Tianyuan City, the Tianyuan Holy Emperor's face darkened.

"Han Li has broken through to the Fusion Stage?" He looked at Liu Rufeng below. "Didn't you say he just broke through to the late stage of Void Refinement not long ago? How come he's already at the Fusion Stage so quickly?"

"This..." Liu Rufeng's forehead was beaded with sweat, "It might be the effect of the Spirit Cleansing Pool..."

"The Spirit Cleansing Pool can allow him to break through from the late stage of Void Refinement directly to the Integration stage? Do you think I'm a fool?" Emperor Tianyuan roared. "Han Li must have obtained some great opportunity, or Han Mu must have given him some treasure."

"Holy Emperor, what should we do now?" Elder Blood Fiend asked. He was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, on good terms with Liu Rufeng, and one of the few who still stood on the side of the Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor.

"The plan remains unchanged," Emperor Tianyuan said coldly. "Han Li has just broken through, and his realm is unstable. He is not a threat. Three months later, we will attack Han City as originally planned. I will personally take action to kill Han Mu and seize control of the Guanghan Realm."

"But Holy Emperor, Han Mu's strength is unfathomable, I'm afraid..." Elder Blood Fiend said worriedly. He had heard that Han Mu had once defeated a Nascent Soul assassin sent by Liu Rufeng with a single finger; such strength was definitely not that of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

"I have my own plans." A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor. "I have already contacted the 'Heavenly Wolf King' of the 'Demon Clan,' and he will send three great demons to assist us. With four Mahayana cultivators joining forces, are we afraid we can't defeat Han Mu?"

"The demon race?" Liu Rufeng and the others' expressions changed. Although the human race and the demon race were outwardly at peace, they were constantly fighting each other behind the scenes. Joining forces with the demon race was a major taboo.

"The victor is king, the loser is villain," said the Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor. "As long as I destroy the Han family and seize the Guanghan Realm, I can break through to the mid-stage or even late-stage of the Mahayana realm. At that time, who can do anything to me?"

Liu Rufeng and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes. The Holy Emperor was about to take a desperate gamble. But things had come to this point, and they had no way out. The Han family was powerful; if they weren't eliminated, they, the enemies of the Han family, would be purged sooner or later.

"We are willing to die for the Holy Emperor!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, dark clouds filled the sky above Han City, and a murderous aura permeated the air. The Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor personally led a large army, besieging the city. In addition to cultivators from seven forces, including the Liu family and the Crimson Flame Sect, there were also three demon race Mahayana cultivators: the Heavenly Wolf King, the Golden Roc King, and the Black Serpent King, all of whom were at the early Mahayana stage.

Four Mahayana cultivators, over thirty Nascent Soul cultivators, hundreds of Void Refinement cultivators, and countless others below the Nascent Soul stage—this power was enough to sweep away any force in the Heavenly Origin Realm.

The city's defensive formation was fully activated, and the Han family cultivators were on high alert. Han Mu stood atop the city wall, looking calmly at the massive army outside.

"Han Mu, I'm giving you one last chance. Hand over control of the Guanghan Realm and submit to me, and I'll spare your life," the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor declared loudly.

"Tianyuan, you are not worthy to be the Holy Emperor," Han Mu said calmly. "By being an enemy of the human race and colluding with the demon race, you are no longer worthy to rule the Tianyuan Realm."

"You're courting death!" Emperor Tianyuan roared in fury, unleashing a palm strike. The pressure of the Mahayana stage erupted, and a giant golden palm descended from the sky, striking towards the protective array of Hancheng.

"boom!"

The great formation trembled violently, but it did not break. Han Mu had already upgraded the city's protective formation, making it capable of withstanding attacks from Mahayana cultivators.

"You've got some skill." Sirius King grinned. "Come at me all at once, let's finish this quickly."

The simultaneous attack of the four Mahayana cultivators unleashed a terrifying power that caused the heavens and earth to change color. The protective array of Hancheng trembled precariously, on the verge of collapse.

"City Lord, let us go out and fight!" Han Li said in a deep voice. He had already consolidated his cultivation at the early stage of the Integration Realm, and his combat strength was considerable.

"No need." Han Mu shook his head. "You guys guard the city. Leave these four old geezers to me."

With that, Han Mu stepped out of the city's protective formation. He faced the four Mahayana cultivators with a calm expression.

"Han Mu, you're courting death!" Emperor Tianyuan sneered. Four Mahayana cultivators joining forces would make even a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator retreat, yet Han Mu dared to fight them alone; he was simply asking for death.

"It's not certain who will die yet." Han Mu raised his hand, and an ancient stone tablet appeared in his hand. It was the broken immortal artifact, the boundary marker.

"town!"

Han Mu gave a soft shout, and the boundary marker shone brightly, a terrifying power enveloping the surroundings. The expressions of the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor and the other three changed drastically; they felt their cultivation suppressed by thirty percent!

"What kind of treasure is this?" the Sirius King exclaimed in astonishment.

"Kill your treasures." A cold glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes, and the boundary marker transformed into the size of a mountain, smashing fiercely towards the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor.

"Attack together!" Emperor Tianyuan roared, and the four of them simultaneously unleashed their strongest divine abilities to meet the boundary-suppressing monument.

"Boom!"

The heavens and earth trembled, and space shattered. With a single blow, the four Heavenly Origin Saint Emperors were sent flying backward, blood trickling from their mouths. But Han Mu remained completely unmoved.

"Mid-stage Mahayana? No, late-stage Mahayana!" Emperor Tianyuan stared at Han Mu in horror. The power of that attack just now definitely reached the late-stage Mahayana level!

"Too late to realize this now." Han Mu sneered, urging the boundary marker to smash down again.

"Run!" Emperor Tianyuan made a decisive move and turned to flee. The other three Mahayana demons were also terrified and scattered in all directions.

"Trying to escape?" A murderous glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. "Since you're here, stay here."

He formed a hand seal, and the boundary marker shone brightly, transforming into four streams of light that chased after the four people respectively.

"No!" The Sirius King screamed in agony as he was struck by the beam of light, his physical body collapsing and his soul annihilated. The Golden Roc King and the Black Serpent King followed suit.

Only the Heavenly Origin Saint Emperor managed to use a life-saving treasure to block the flowing light, but he was also severely injured and fled in a sorry state.

Han Mu did not pursue. He looked down at the army and said, "The Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor has been defeated. Those who surrender will not be killed!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed!" The Han family cultivators shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth.

Liu Rufeng, Elder Xue Sha, and the others looked ashen-faced. Of the four Mahayana cultivators, one was dead and three had escaped. What chance did they, the Nascent Soul and Void Refinement cultivators, have to resist?

"I surrender!" A cultivator at the Void Refinement stage threw down his magic weapon and knelt down to beg for mercy.

Once the first one was chosen, the second followed. Soon, apart from a few die-hards like Liu Rufeng and Elder Xue Sha, most cultivators chose to surrender.

"Han Mu, even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!" Liu Rufeng suddenly erupted, burning his essence blood and transforming into a streak of blood light that rushed towards Han Mu.

"Ants." Han Mu didn't even look at them, and casually waved his hand.

"puff!"

Liu Rufeng's body exploded, his form and spirit annihilated. At the early stage of the Fusion Realm, he was no different from an ant before Han Mu.

Upon seeing this, Elder Blood Fiend turned and fled. But Han Li had already set his sights on him, and his Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword transformed into a sword array, trapping him.

"Han Li, spare my life, and I will submit!" Elder Blood Fiend begged for mercy.

"Too late." Han Li unleashed a sword technique, and ten thousand swords shot forth. Elder Blood Fiend screamed in agony as he was cleaved into pieces.

The battle ended. The Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor's army was completely annihilated. Of the four Mahayana cultivators, three died and one escaped. More than half of the thirty-odd Nascent Soul cultivators were killed or wounded, and countless others surrendered.

The Han family achieved a great victory.

"Clean up the battlefield and receive the surrendered soldiers," Han Mu ordered. "In addition, pass down the order that from this day forward, Tianyuan Realm shall be renamed Han Realm, and I, Han Mu, shall be its lord."

"Yes!" the Han family members responded excitedly. From this day forward, the Han family are the masters of the Tianyuan Realm—no, the Han Realm!