The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Han Nian hurried to Hongmeng Fairy's room, pushed open the door, and saw his mother sitting by the window, lost in thought. Hongmeng Fairy held the old fishing rod left by Han Mu in her hand, her knuckles white, her gaze fixed on the crooked tree outside the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"Mother, I have a way to save Father," Han Nian said.

The Fairy of Primordial Chaos suddenly turned her head, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, like a lamp suddenly lit in the darkness. But that light quickly dimmed, and she put down her fishing rod, sighed, her voice somewhat hoarse: "Nian'er, every single one of the materials your Tree Grandfather mentioned is extremely difficult to obtain. Mother doesn't want you to take any more risks."

"Mother, Father sacrificed so much for us, even giving his own life. Now it's my turn to save him." Han Nian walked up to Fairy Hongmeng, squatted down, took her hand, and felt the rough lines on her mother's palm. "I'm not a child anymore. I can do it."

Looking into her son's resolute eyes, Fairy Hongmeng seemed to see a glimpse of Han Mu from years past. The same stubbornness, the same persistence, even the slight furrowing of his brow when he spoke was identical. She remained silent for a long time, the wind blowing in from the window ruffling the white hair at her temples.

Finally, she nodded.

"Okay, Mother will go with you."

"No need, Mother will stay home and wait for me. I can go by myself." Han Nian shook her head.

"I'm worried about you going alone," said Fairy Hongmeng, her voice filled with unwavering determination.

"Then let Uncle Zhou Meng and the others accompany me, and Mother will stay at home to oversee things," Han Nian said.

Knowing she couldn't dissuade him, Fairy Hongmeng could only nod in agreement. She got up and took out an antique wooden box from the cabinet. The surface of the box was polished to a shine, and the edges were coated with a patina, clearly indicating that it had been handled countless times. She opened the box, and inside lay a crystal-clear jade pendant, from which flowed a faint, colorful light, like a wisp of sunset sealed away.

"This is a talisman your father left me. He told me to always carry it with me, that it could save my life in a critical moment. Now I'm giving it to you." Fairy Hongmeng hung the jade pendant around Han Nian's neck, her fingers gently tracing his cheek. "Nian'er, you must come back safely."

Han Nian touched the jade pendant on his chest, feeling the lingering scent of his father on it, and his nose tingled with emotion. He took a deep breath, suppressed the bitterness, and turned to leave the room.

In the courtyard, Zhou Meng and his two companions, having already received the news, were waiting for him. Luo Feng carried a bulging cloth bag over his shoulder, the opening revealing the lids of several bottles and jars, containing either pills or poisons he had concocted. Han Li held an array plate in his hand, head down, adjusting the parameters while muttering incantations. Zhou Meng, on the other hand, carried a large sword on his back, its scabbard gleaming from sharpening; he stood there like an iron tower.

"Young Master, we are ready and can depart at any time," Zhou Meng said in a loud voice.

"Uncle Zhou Meng, please just call me Nian'er. Calling me Young Master feels awkward," Han Nian said with a smile.

"That won't do. You are now the master of the Cosmic Sea, and you can't be careless about etiquette," Zhou Meng said seriously, his expression meticulous.

Han Nian shook his head helplessly. He knew Zhou Meng's temper; once he made up his mind, nothing could change it, so he stopped worrying about it. He looked at the crooked tree and asked, "Grandpa Tree, which of the five materials is the hardest to obtain?"

"The most difficult one is the Chaos Stone. It's located at the deepest part of the dimensional rift, where spatial turbulence blows like knives all year round, and countless void creatures dwell there. If you're not careful, you'll be torn to pieces," the crooked-necked tree said, its tone unusually serious.

"Let's start with the Chaos Stone," Han Nian said, leading the way as he flew towards the dimensional rift, his robes fluttering in the wind. Zhou Meng and the other two followed closely behind, their four figures slicing through the sky and disappearing into the horizon of the cosmic sea.

The dimensional rift was located at the edge of the cosmic sea, a place perpetually shrouded in gray, chaotic energy, dimly lit, with obstructed vision and a stench of decay permeating the air. Upon entering the rift, Han Nian and his companions immediately felt intense spatial turbulence. This turbulence felt like countless invisible knives, cutting through their protective shields with a piercing, screeching sound.

"Everyone be careful, stay close to me." Han Nian activated the power within his body, condensing a golden protective shield in front of him as he advanced against the turbulent currents. Veins bulged on his forehead, clearly indicating that maintaining the shield was no easy task.

They traveled through the rift for three whole days, encountering several waves of void creatures along the way, and all four sustained new wounds. Luo Feng's clothes were torn in several places, Han Li's array plate had a corner chipped off, and Zhou Meng's broadsword was covered in black blood.

On the evening of the third day, they finally reached the deepest part of the crevice. There lay a black stone forest, its rocks strangely shaped, some like swords, some like wild beasts, and some like distorted human faces. Scattered throughout the forest were countless fist-sized golden stones, radiating a dazzling light like stars in the darkness.

"That's the Chaos Stone." Han Nian's eyes lit up, and he rushed towards the stone forest. But as soon as he got close, dozens of void creatures sprang out of the stone forest. They were all different shapes, some like lizards, some like spiders, and some like centipedes. Each one exuded a powerful aura, and their scarlet eyes stared at them.

"Well done." Han Nian advanced instead of retreating, drawing his longsword from his waist and slashing out. The sword light was like a rainbow, cleaving the first few void creatures in two, splattering black blood all over the ground.

Zhou Meng and his two companions joined the battle. Zhou Meng wielded his broadsword with ferocious speed, each strike clean and swift. Han Li's array plate unleashed dozens of runes, trapping several void creatures in place before detonating them. Luo Feng, meanwhile, pulled various bottles and jars from his bag and threw them into the swarm of void creatures, causing them to howl and scream in terror.

The battle lasted a full day and night. All four were wounded; Han Nian had a deep, bone-revealing cut on his left arm, Zhou Meng had several bloody scratches on his back, Han Li had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and Luo Feng's hair was half-burnt. But in the end, they still managed to wipe out all the void creatures.

Han Nian dragged his weary body into the stone forest, bent down, and picked up a piece of chaotic gold stone. The stone was warm to the touch, radiating a rich energy fluctuation, like a tiny heart beating in his palm. He put the stone into his storage bag, then slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

"I've got the first material." Han Nian grinned, his face covered in blood and his teeth stained with blood, but his smile was as bright as a child's.

Looking at him, Zhou Meng seemed to see a young Han Mu in a daze—the same hard work, the same optimism, the same heartbreaking yet admirable qualities.

In the days that followed, they traveled to the source of the Purification Spring and retrieved the Water of Life from its deepest depths. They journeyed to the desert at the end of time and found the Sands of Time amidst the endless yellow sand. They went to the ruins of the Temple of Order and retrieved the Fire of Order from the collapsed halls.

Having collected all four materials, Han Nian led the three back to the Temple of Creation. When he stood before the crooked tree, he had more than a dozen scars on his body, and his clothes were tattered, but his eyes were brighter than ever before, as if burning with a flame.

"Master Tree, all four materials are ready, we're just missing you," Han Nian said.

The crooked tree shook its branches, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a long sigh.