The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The journey to the Crimson Forbidden Land has finally come to a thrilling end.

When Han Mu, supported by Nangong Wan, rushed out of the forbidden area with the others, the outside was already bustling with noise. The elders and disciples of the seven major sects who remained behind, as well as cultivators from various small and medium-sized forces who had rushed over upon hearing the news, surrounded the entrance to the forbidden area, making it impossible to pass through.

"They're out! They're out!"

"Look, it's the Qingyun Sect Leader!"

"And Elder Nangong of the Hidden Moon Sect!"

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd. Many breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Han Mu and the others emerge with the surviving disciples, but their expressions quickly returned to worry—of the more than two hundred who went in, only forty had returned; over eighty percent had been lost!

"Yun Ge!" Han Changqing, along with several Han family disciples, anxiously looked around in the crowd. Seeing Han Yun Ge following behind Han Mu, her face pale but unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Father..." Han Yunge stepped forward quickly, her eyes slightly red. Her life-and-death experience in the Bloodstained Forbidden Land had given her a deeper understanding of her family and relatives.

Han Mu nodded to Han Changqing, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He saw several elders from Huangfeng Valley, disciples from Qingxu Sect, female cultivators from Yanyue Sect... each sect was counting heads, some were happy, some were sad.

"Elder Han, your injuries are quite serious. You need to return to the sect immediately for treatment." Master Qingyun came to Han Mu's side and said in a low voice, "I have already sent a message to the sect to open the 'Azure Spirit Pool,' which can help you recover from your injuries."

The Azure Spirit Pool is one of the three sacred healing sites in Yellow Maple Valley. Its waters contain pure spiritual energy from plants and trees, which has remarkable effects on repairing meridians and nourishing the soul. However, each opening requires a large amount of spirit stones, and only elders who have made great contributions to the sect are qualified to use it.

"Thank you, Sect Leader." Han Mu did not refuse. His current condition was indeed very bad. The backlash from temporarily removing two layers of seals was more severe than expected. If he did not heal in time, he might really fall in cultivation level.

"Elder Nangong, we are so grateful for your timely arrival." Master Qingyun turned to Nangong Wan and bowed respectfully.

Nangong Wan nodded lightly: "I just happened to be passing by and sensed the unusual activity in the forbidden area." She glanced at Han Mu, who was being supported by Han Yunge, and said, "This Elder Han's Pure Yang True Fire is extremely effective against demonic forces. If you need it in the future, you can come to the Hidden Moon Sect to find me."

After saying that, she transformed into a beam of moon-white light and left with the few surviving disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect, swiftly and decisively.

"Elder Han, let's return to our sect as well," said Master Qingyun.

"Wait a moment." Han Mu looked at Han Changqing. "Changqing, take Yun Ge and the others back to Qingxia Peak first. Although the Crimson Forbidden Land was dangerous, the gains were considerable. Go back and take stock to see what resources you can use."

"Yes, Father," Han Changqing replied, then asked worriedly, "Your injury..."

"It's alright, the Jade Spirit Pool is enough to heal you." Han Mu waved his hand and then said to Han Yunge, "Yunge, you did well this time. Take good care of yourself when you get back. Also, if you have the chance, you can visit that young friend Han Li more often, but there's no need to make a fuss about it."

"Granddaughter understands." Han Yunge nodded. She naturally knew what her grandfather meant—it was fine to make friends, but not to reveal too much.

With the arrangements made, Han Mu, escorted by Master Qingyun, returned to Huangfeng Valley. Han Changqing, on the other hand, led Han Yunge, Chen Feng, and several other disciples who had formed ties with the Han family in the forbidden area back to Qingxia Peak.

The Azure Spirit Pool is located in the forbidden area behind Yellow Maple Valley. It is a natural spiritual pool about ten zhang in diameter, with emerald green water and abundant spiritual energy. Han Mu took off his clothes and stepped into the pool wearing only shorts. The pool water was icy cold, but as soon as it touched his skin, wisps of cool spiritual energy seeped into his body, repairing his damaged meridians and internal organs.

"System, bring up the current status." Han Mu closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, silently chanting in his mind.

[Host: Han Mu]

[True Cultivation Level: Mid-stage Core Formation (Damaged, currently operating at early-stage Core Formation combat power)]

[Surface cultivation level: Early stage of pseudo-core (in disguise)]

[Status: Severely injured (Meridian damage 37%, Soul damage 15%, Pure Yang True Fire completely depleted)]

[Estimated recovery time: Seven days of recuperation in the Azure Spirit Pool will restore him to 80% of his mid-stage Core Formation combat strength]

[Backlash Consequences: Cultivation level is temporarily stabilized, but the seal cannot be temporarily lifted again within three months]

[Family Contribution Points: 5900 points remaining]

As expected, the injuries were quite severe. Han Mu sighed inwardly, but it was worth it. Although the battle was dangerous, the gains were enormous—not only did he rescue Han Yunge, but he also severely injured Wang Chan, destroyed the Blood Fiend Sealing Demon Formation, and demonstrated the value and strength of the Han family in front of the seven major sects.

"System, claim the Bloodstained Forbidden Land quest reward." Han Mu recalled that when he entered the forbidden land, the system issued a side quest called "The Change in the Bloodstained Forbidden Land".

[The completion status of the mission "The Change in the Crimson Forbidden Land" is being evaluated...]

[Mission Requirements: Ensure Han Yunge survives in the Crimson Forbidden Zone and interacts with Han Li]

[Completion Status: Han Yunge survived (√), teamed up with Han Li and fought together against the enemy (√)]

[Bonus Achievement: Destroyed the core node of the Blood Fiend Sealing Array, severely injured Wang Chan, and helped to force back the projection of the Blood Moon Demon Lord's will]

[Task Evaluation: Perfect]

[Task Rewards: Clan Talent "Alchemy Prodigy" (increases clan's alchemy success rate by 20%), Han Li's Favorability +30, Special Reward "Five Elements Spirit Pool Construction Blueprint" ×1]

[Would you like to collect it immediately?]

"receive!"

A mysterious surge of information flooded into Han Mu's mind—the method for utilizing the "Alchemy Prodigy" talent. This talent could be applied to the entire Han family; all alchemists with Han family blood would see their alchemy success rate increase by 20%, and the effect would strengthen as the family grew.

The "Five Elements Spirit Pool Construction Blueprints" caught Han Mu's eye. This spirit pool could gather the five elements of spiritual energy, accelerating cultivators' progress, with particularly noticeable effects on Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators. With it, the cultivation environment of Qingxia Peak would be elevated to a whole new level.

"Not bad, this time the harvest is quite substantial." Han Mu nodded in satisfaction and continued to close his eyes to heal his injuries.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past seven days, the cultivation world of Tiannan has been in turmoil due to the events surrounding the Blood Forbidden Land.

First, the Yuling Sect and Huadaowu openly betrayed the alliance, confirming their alliance with the Nixing Alliance. Immediately after the incident, both factions announced their withdrawal from the Seven Great Sects Alliance and began purging their forces that were close to Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect.

Secondly, Tianque Fortress was destroyed. Fortress Lord Li Tianxing perished, and Supreme Elder Li Canghai fled with serious injuries, scattering his followers. His three mines and five medicinal gardens were divided up by surrounding forces, with Huangfeng Valley, being the closest, securing the largest piece of the spoils—a 30% share of the Crimson Gold Mine.

Finally, the Han family's reputation soared due to Han Mu's performance in the Crimson Forbidden Land. A pseudo-Core Formation cultivator was able to severely injure Wang Chan, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, set up an array to restrain the Blood Fiend, and ultimately play a crucial role in the battle against the Blood Moon Demon Lord's will—although the outside world was unaware of the secret technique Han Mu used to temporarily boost his cultivation, this achievement was already astonishing enough.

On the seventh day, Han Mu recovered 70% of his injuries and left the Jade Spirit Pool.

In the Qingyun Palace, the Elder Linghu made a rare appearance outside seclusion to personally receive Han Mu.

"Young friend Han, please sit down." Old Ancestor Linghu still had the demeanor of a friendly old man, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, clearly showing that he valued Han Mu highly.

"Thank you, Ancestor." Han Mu bowed and sat down, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

"You deserve immense credit for the events at the Crimson Forbidden Land," Elder Linghu said bluntly. "You not only saved our disciples but also thwarted the demonic conspiracy. According to sect rules, you deserve a substantial reward."

He took out three items: a storage ring, a jade slip, and a token.

"This storage ring contains 100,000 spirit stones, a reward from the sect for you. This jade slip records the Core Formation chapter of our sect's 'Azure Origin Sword Technique,' which, though not as advanced as your Pure Yang cultivation method, can still be used as a reference. This is the 'Supreme Guest Elder Token.' With this token, you can mobilize all resources of our sect except for the core forbidden area, and your status is equal to mine."

Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. The first two were alright, but this last one, the Supreme Guest Elder Token, was far too significant. This meant that his status in Yellow Maple Valley was now second only to Ancestor Linghu and True Man Qingyun.

"Ancestor, this is too precious..." Han Mu said.

"Take it, you deserve it." Patriarch Linghu waved his hand. "Also, I heard that your Han family wants to expand its power?"

Han Mu nodded: "That's true. Qingxia Peak is nice, but the space is limited. The Han family is growing, and we need more resource points."

"Regarding the Crimson Gold Mine, I can make the decision to give your Han family another 10% share," said Patriarch Linghu. "In addition, after the destruction of Tianque Fortress, three of its affiliated families are leaderless. You can send someone to contact them. If they are willing to submit to the Han family, I can vouch for them."

Han Mu's eyes lit up. This was a real reward! A tenth share of the Crimson Gold Mine could generate at least 50,000 spirit stones annually. And those three affiliated families, though not particularly strong, still had over two hundred cultivators combined. If they could be subdued, the Han family's power would double.

"Thank you, Ancestor!" Han Mu bowed sincerely this time.

"No need to thank me, this is what you deserve." Elder Linghu said meaningfully, "Young friend Han, I have high hopes for you. Develop the Han family well, and perhaps in the future... I will need your help with something."

Han Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what it was, but he didn't say anything and just nodded in agreement.

After leaving Qingyun Palace, Han Mu did not return to Qingxia Peak, but went directly to Han Changqing.

"Father, your injuries..." Han Changqing was both surprised and delighted to see Han Mu.

"It's alright." Han Mu waved his hand and repeated the promise made by Patriarch Linghu. "Changqing, you immediately take people to contact those three affiliated families. Remember, lure them with benefits and pressure them with power, but don't use force. Those who are willing to submit will be treated well; those who are unwilling, don't force them, but you must 'invite' them out of the Crimson Gold Mine area."

"I understand, son!" Han Changqing's eyes gleamed. Having led the Han family for many years, he naturally knew that this was a crucial step in the Han family's rise.

"Also, have Elder Mo prepare to begin construction of the 'Five Elements Spirit Pool.'" Han Mu handed the blueprints, a reward from the system, to Han Changqing. "If there aren't enough materials, use the Supreme Guest Token to retrieve them from the sect's treasury. I want to see the Spirit Pool completed within three months."

"yes!"

Han Changqing accepted the order and left, his steps hurried yet steady.

Han Mu stood atop Qingxia Peak, looking down at the gradually expanding family territory below, a profound glint in his eyes.

"System, retrieve the current status of the family."

[Family Name: Changsheng Han Family]

[Family Level: Foundation Establishment Family (In Progress)]

[Number of members: 187 (core bloodline)]

[Number of cultivators: 3 at Foundation Establishment stage, 42 at Qi Refining stage]

[Controlled Resources: Qingxia Peak (Tier 3 Spirit Mountain), 4% share of Crimson Gold Mine (to be increased soon), 3 affiliated families (to be recruited)]

[Family Talent: Alchemy Prodigy (Not Activated)]

[Family Buildings: Transmission Hall, Trial Tower, Five Elements Spirit Pool (Under Construction)]

[Recent Events: Gaining fame in the Crimson Forbidden Land, receiving the Supreme Guest Elder Order from Yellow Maple Valley, an opportunity to expand influence]

Looking at the system panel, Han Mu smiled slightly.

The crisis in the Crimson Forbidden Land has passed, but the rise of the Han family has only just begun.

But an even bigger storm is brewing in the distance.

The alliance between the Six Demonic Sects and the Reverse Star Alliance will not end here.