The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The flying boat returned to Ironblood Pass. Luo Feng and his two companions went to turn in their mission, while Han Mu took Han Li back to his base in the Seventh Defense Zone. Qing Yang and the others were somewhat surprised to see Han Mu return safely, and with an unfamiliar cultivator in his arms.

"This is Han Li, whom I met on the way. He'll be staying with us for the time being," Han Mu introduced briefly. "Qingyang, please arrange a place for him to stay."

"Yes, Brother Han." Qingyang replied, smiling kindly at Han Li. He could tell that Han Li was at the early stage of True Immortal cultivation, and seemed to be seriously injured.

Han Li clasped his hands in greeting to Qingyang and the others, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

After making the arrangements, Han Mu entered the meditation room. He took out the seven-colored glass bead and examined it carefully. The bead was only the size of a fist, yet it emitted a seven-colored light, and countless runes seemed to flow inside, making it extremely mysterious.

"System, identify the seven-colored glass bead."

【Item: Seven-Colored Glass Beads (Ancient Celestial Treasure)】

[Function: Helps cultivators comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, especially effective for cultivators below the Golden Immortal level]

[Usage: Place it in the sea of ​​consciousness for nurturing, or arrange it into an array to assist cultivation]

[Condition: In good condition]

"Indeed, it's a wonderful item." Han Mu stored the seven-colored glazed bead in his sea of ​​consciousness and immediately felt a cool aura flowing through it, making his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth much clearer. Although he was now in the late stage of the Golden Immortal realm, such a treasure would still be of great benefit to his cultivation.

Next, he took out a fragment of the *Golden Jade Book*. The cultivation methods recorded in the jade slip were profound and mysterious, pointing directly to the path of the Golden Immortal. Han Mu read it carefully and found that the *Golden Jade Book* was divided into three volumes: upper, middle, and lower. He had obtained the middle volume, which could be cultivated to the late stage of the Golden Immortal realm. As for the upper and lower volumes, the jade slip only mentioned their names, without any content.

"Middle volume it is, enough for my cultivation." Han Mu was satisfied. With this cultivation method, he could officially break through to the Golden Immortal realm. Although with the system's help, he already possessed the true combat power of a late-stage Golden Immortal, his realm was still at the peak of the True Immortal realm. Only by breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm could he truly unleash the power of a Golden Immortal.

"System, begin cultivating the middle volume of the 'Golden Jade Book'."

[Detected the middle volume of the Golden Immortal-level cultivation technique "Golden Jade Book". Do you wish to consume 3000 Immortal Spirit Energy to cultivate?]

"Consumption".

[Cultivation begins...]

A vast amount of information flooded Han Mu's mind—the cultivation method of the *Golden Jade Book*. Han Mu sat cross-legged and began circulating the technique. His immortal energy flowed along a new path, and his aura steadily increased. He had been stuck at the peak of the True Immortal realm, but now, with the Golden Immortal technique, a breakthrough was inevitable.

Three days later, in the quiet room, Han Mu opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

"Finally, I've reached the Golden Immortal realm." Han Mu felt the surging immortal power within his body, and a smile appeared on his face. His true cultivation level was now at the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm, while his apparent cultivation level was still at the peak of the Mahayana stage, but he could adjust it at any time. With the "Heaven-Gathering Divine Technique," as long as he didn't actively reveal it, even a Taiyi Jade Immortal wouldn't be able to discern his true realm.

"System, view the properties panel."

[Host: Han Mu]

[True Cultivation Level: Early Golden Immortal]

[Surface Cultivation Level: Peak Mahayana Stage (Adjustable)]

[Cultivation Techniques: Primordial Longevity Technique (Complete), Golden Jade Book (Middle Volume, First Level)]

[Celestial Aura: 3127/10000]

[Supernatural Abilities: God-Slaying Sword Qi, Formation-Breaking Sword Qi, Five Elements Escape Technique, Heaven-Gathering Divine Art, Golden Palace Immortal Light (Beginner)]

[Family Power: None in the Immortal Realm (Families in the Human and Spirit Realms are stable)]

Main Quest: Foundation of the Immortal Realm (Incomplete)

"I still lack a lot of immortal spiritual energy," Han Mu frowned. It seems he needs to do more missions or find rare and precious materials to absorb. But there's no rush, he can take it slow.

Just then, Qingyang's voice came from outside: "Brother Han, Centurion Luo Feng requests an audience."

Han Mu stood up and walked out of the meditation room. Luo Feng was waiting in the courtyard. Seeing Han Mu come out, he smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Han, the mission rewards have arrived. This is your 30,000 military merits, and also the jade slip containing the cultivation technique of the 'Golden Jade Book'."

Luo Feng handed over a storage bag. Han Mu took it and looked inside; there were 30,000 military merit tokens and a jade slip. The jade slip contained the middle volume of the "Golden Palace Jade Book," exactly the same as the one he had obtained in the ancient ruins.

"Thank you, Centurion Luo." Han Mu put away his storage bag.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you're too kind. You deserve it." Luo Feng waved his hand, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Fellow Daoist Han, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

"Oh? What is it?"

Luo Feng lowered his voice: "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Han, there's another purpose to this exploration of the ancient ruins. I received a secret order from my superiors to find something. However, that thing isn't in the ancient ruins we're exploring, but rather deep within the wilderness. I'd like to invite Fellow Daoist Han to accompany me. I'll offer a generous reward upon completion."

Han Mu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "I wonder what it is that makes Centurion Luo value it so much?"

"This..." Luo Feng hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's the 'Reincarnation Stone'."

"Reincarnation Stone?" Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. He remembered that in the system data, the Reincarnation Stone was an extremely precious treasure that could help people comprehend the laws of reincarnation and was a core material for refining reincarnation-type immortal artifacts. More importantly, the Reincarnation Stone was related to the "Reincarnation Palace".

"That's right." Luo Feng nodded. "The Reincarnation Stone is a core material for refining Reincarnation Immortal Artifacts, which will be of great use to me. Moreover, it is said that there may be clues about the Reincarnation Palace near the Reincarnation Stone."

The Samsara Palace is a mysterious organization in the Immortal Realm, opposed to the Heavenly Court. Han Mu knew from his past life's memories that the Samsara Palace had a deep connection with Han Li. He never expected to come across information about the Samsara Palace so soon.

"The Hall of Reincarnation..." Han Mu feigned confusion, "What's that?"

"A mysterious organization, I don't know the specifics either," Luo Feng said. "However, it's said that the Samsara Palace contains a large number of ancient inheritances, and may even contain the inheritances of Great Luo Golden Immortals. If we can find the Samsara Palace, it will be a great opportunity for us."

Han Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Why did Centurion Luo come to me? With your strength, you should be able to find a more suitable helper."

Luo Feng smiled wryly: "To be honest, this matter needs to be kept secret, and we can't use the Heavenly Guards. Moreover, the depths of the Wilderness are fraught with danger, with Golden Immortal-level wild beasts everywhere, and even Taiyi-level wild beasts appearing. I need a helper who is both strong and trustworthy. Fellow Daoist Han's strength displayed in the ancient ruins has impressed me greatly. Furthermore, I see Fellow Daoist Han as a person of great loyalty and righteousness, which is why I have taken the liberty of making this request."

Han Mu looked at Luo Feng, his mind racing. The Reincarnation Stone would also be of great use to him, especially now that he was beginning to comprehend the laws. If he could obtain the Reincarnation Stone's assistance, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort. Moreover, the clues about the Reincarnation Palace were also very important. Han Li would have dealings with the Reincarnation Palace in the future, and if he could make contact with them in advance, he might be able to gain an advantage.

"Okay, I agree." Han Mu nodded. "However, I need to prepare for a few days."

"No problem." Luo Feng was overjoyed. "We'll meet outside the North Gate in ten days. This mission will only involve the two of us, making us a smaller target and less likely to be discovered."

"Can."

Luo Feng explained a few more details before taking his leave. Han Mu returned to his meditation room and took out three Immortal Essence Pills. These were pills he had obtained from the ancient ruins, and he would use them to consolidate his cultivation.

After swallowing a Celestial Essence Pill, the immense medicinal power dissolved within his body. Han Mu circulated the "Golden Jade Book" to absorb the medicinal power and consolidate his early-stage Golden Immortal realm.

Three days later, Han Mu emerged from seclusion. His cultivation had been consolidated, and his strength was more than 30% greater than before. He arrived at Han Li's residence, where Han Li was healing his injuries, which were already 70-80% healed.

"Senior." Upon seeing Han Mu arrive, Han Li quickly stood up.

"No need for formalities." Han Mu waved his hand and took out two Immortal Essence Pills. "These Immortal Essence Pills can help you recover from your injuries and improve your cultivation."

"This..." Han Li was startled. The Immortal Essence Pill was a Golden Immortal-level pill, a priceless treasure for True Immortal cultivators. "Senior, this is far too valuable."

"Take this." Han Mu placed the pill in Han Li's hand. "Your improvement in cultivation will also benefit me. In ten days, I will be going to the depths of the wilderness with Luo Feng. You should cultivate diligently here. If you need anything while I'm away, you can ask Qingyang for help."

"The depths of the wilderness?" Han Li exclaimed in surprise. "It's extremely dangerous there. Senior, please be extremely careful."

"I know what I'm doing," Han Mu said. "You can focus on your cultivation here and strive to break through to the mid-stage of True Immortal as soon as possible. This is a cultivation guide from the 'Golden Jade Book,' which you can refer to."

Han Mu then handed Han Li a jade slip containing his understanding of the "Golden Palace Jade Book." Although it was only the middle volume, it was already an immense opportunity for Han Li.

"Thank you so much, senior!" Han Li excitedly accepted the jade slip. After ascending to the Immortal Realm, he had been lacking a suitable cultivation technique, and the "Golden Jade Book" was exactly what he needed.

"Cultivate diligently." Han Mu patted Han Li on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Over the next few days, Han Mu wandered around Ironblood Pass, purchasing some pills and talismans. The depths of the wilderness were fraught with danger, so it was always good to be prepared.

Ten days later, Han Mu arrived at the North Gate as promised. Luo Feng was already waiting there. Upon seeing Han Mu, he smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Han is indeed punctual."

"Centurion Luo, you're too kind." Han Mu looked Luo Feng up and down and found that Luo Feng's aura was stronger than before, so it seemed that he had also made some progress in the past ten days.

"Let's go." Luo Feng summoned a black flying boat. This flying boat was much smaller than the previous silver flying boat, but it was faster and had a stealth function, making it difficult to be detected.

The two boarded a flying boat and headed deep into the wilderness. The flying boat was extremely fast, and in just three days, they had already traveled hundreds of thousands of miles into the wilderness. The wild beasts here were much stronger; Han Mu even sensed the auras of several peak Golden Immortal beasts.

"The Reincarnation Stone is located in the 'Netherworld Valley' deep in the wilderness, an ancient battlefield with extremely heavy malevolent energy, where ghosts are said to frequently appear," Luo Feng said, controlling the flying boat. "There is a special creature in the Netherworld Valley called the 'Netherworld Beast,' whose strength ranges from the early to the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. The Reincarnation Stone we are looking for is located in the deepest part of the Netherworld Valley."

"Netherworld Beast..." Han Mu frowned. He had seen this kind of creature in the system data. It was formed from the baleful energy of the ancient battlefield. It had no intelligence, but was extremely powerful and fearless, making it extremely difficult to deal with.

"We've arrived," Luo Feng said, pointing ahead. A massive valley appeared before them, shrouded in black mist that obscured its interior. Faint, eerie howls echoed from within the mist, sending chills down one's spine.

"This is the Netherworld Valley." Luo Feng put away the flying boat. "We can't fly in directly, or we'll attract a swarm of Netherworld beasts. We'll enter on foot, and be careful."

The two landed and headed towards the valley. As soon as they entered, a chilling aura assaulted their senses. This aura was not only bone-chillingly cold but also carried a dense, malevolent energy capable of eroding a cultivator's soul.

Han Mu circulated his immortal power, forming a protective shield around his body to resist the erosion of the evil energy. Luo Feng also erected a shield, and the two of them, one in front of the other, carefully walked into the depths of the valley.

The valley was littered with bones—human, demon, and all sorts of strangely shaped skeletons. Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place here in ancient times, and countless cultivators had perished.

"Click—"

Han Mu stepped on a white bone, which shattered instantly. Just then, a strange change occurred.

"roar--"

Within the black mist, pairs of blood-red eyes lit up. Then, dozens of dark figures rushed out of the mist and pounced on the two.

Netherworld Beast!

These ghostly beasts resembled black panthers, but their bodies were composed of black mist, with only their eyes being blood red. They were incredibly fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.

"Watch out!" Luo Feng shouted, summoning a golden longsword and slashing out. The blade flashed brilliantly, cutting the three Netherworld Beasts in two. However, the severed Netherworld Beasts turned into black mist, then reformed, completely unharmed!

"The Netherworld Beast is formed from malevolent energy, so physical attacks are not very effective. We need to use extremely yang and powerful techniques!" Han Mu reminded him, while raising his hand to unleash a golden bolt of lightning.

"Boom—"

Golden lightning struck a Netherworld Beast, which let out a miserable cry and vanished into green smoke.

"Golden Palace Thunder Technique!" Luo Feng's eyes lit up. "Fellow Daoist Han is indeed hiding his true strength!"

The Golden Palace Thunder Technique is a thunder technique recorded in the "Golden Palace Jade Book." It is extremely yang and powerful, perfectly countering yin and evil creatures like Netherworld Beasts. Han Mu has only just mastered the first level, so its power is not yet strong, but it has a remarkable effect on Netherworld Beasts.

Han Mu unleashed several golden lightning bolts, annihilating several more Netherworld Beasts. Luo Feng also changed tactics, abandoning his sword and instead summoning a golden mirror. The mirror emitted a beam of golden light, which caused the Netherworld Beasts to vanish wherever it passed.

The two joined forces and quickly annihilated dozens of Netherworld Beasts. But these Netherworld Beasts were just an appetizer; the deeper they went, the more Netherworld Beasts they encountered, and the stronger they became.

After walking for about an hour, the two had penetrated a hundred miles into the valley. During this time, they encountered more than a dozen waves of Netherworld Beasts, the weakest being True Immortal level and the strongest reaching the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. Fortunately, Han Mu's Golden Thunder Technique and Luo Feng's Golden Mirror were both effective against the Netherworld Beasts, and although the two were exhausted, they were not injured.

"It's just ahead," Luo Feng said, pointing ahead. There was a pool of water there, and in the center of the pool was a black stone. The stone was about the size of a human head, with a smooth, mirror-like surface, and faintly emitted an aura of reincarnation.

"That's the Reincarnation Stone!" Luo Feng exclaimed with delight. "Fellow Daoist Han, we..."

Before the words were even finished, a giant wave suddenly surged up in the pool. A colossal python, hundreds of feet long, burst forth from the pool. This python was entirely black, with a single horn on its head, and its aura was vast and powerful, clearly indicating that it had reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm!

"A Netherworld Python!" Luo Feng's expression changed drastically. "Damn it, how could there be a Netherworld Python here? Aren't there only Netherworld Beasts guarding the Reincarnation Stone?"

Han Mu's pupils contracted. This Netherworld Python was not only at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, but it also seemed to have mutated, its aura far stronger than that of an ordinary peak Golden Immortal. What was even more troublesome was that the Netherworld Python was a physical entity, not a condensation of malevolent energy, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the Golden Palace Thunder Technique in restraining it.

"Anyone who trespasses into the Netherworld Valley shall die!" The Netherworld Python spoke in human language as its enormous tail swept across.

"Retreat!" Han Mu and Luo Feng retreated simultaneously, dodging the snake's tail. The snake's tail swept across the ground, causing the earth to shake and leaving a bottomless ravine.

"A mutated Netherworld Python at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, this is troublesome." Luo Feng's face was grim. Although he was only at the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm, he had almost no chance of winning against a Netherworld Python at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm. Although Han Mu was powerful, he was only at the late stage of the True Immortal realm after all. Even if he concealed his strength, he was probably only at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm at most, and he was still no match for a Netherworld Python at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm.

"Centurion, you hold it off, I'll go get the Reincarnation Stone," Han Mu suddenly said.

"What?" Luo Feng was stunned. "Fellow Daoist Han, this is too dangerous! The Netherworld Python is too powerful; even if we join forces, we might not be a match for it. Splitting up is even more dangerous!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." A glint of light flashed in Han Mu's eyes. The Netherworld Python at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm was indeed powerful, but not invincible. Moreover, he had just broken through to the Golden Immortal realm and wanted to test his strength.

"roar--"

The Nether Python pounced again, its blood-red maw wide open, ready to swallow the two of them whole.

"Attack!" Han Mu shouted and charged forward first. He no longer concealed his cultivation level, unleashing the full power of an early-stage Golden Immortal. A white longsword appeared in his hand, and he slashed at the Netherworld Python.

"Early Golden Immortal?" Luo Feng was stunned. Wasn't Han Mu a late True Immortal? How did he become an early Golden Immortal? Had he been hiding his cultivation all along?

But now was not the time to think about such things. Luo Feng gritted his teeth, summoned his golden longsword, and charged forward. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, attacked the Netherworld Python.

War is imminent.