The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was frozen solid.

The Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array has been activated, with four illusory figures—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—suppressing the four directions and sealing the entire hall completely. The array's light swirled, radiating a chilling pressure.

The old monster Yin Sha's face turned ashen. He, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, was now trapped by the formation, unable to move. This formation was at least a mid-grade fourth-rank, and a trapping and killing formation combining offense and defense!

"Han Mu! How dare you lay a hand on me?" the Yin Sha Old Monster roared. "I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Fiend Sect! If you kill me, the Heavenly Fiend Sect will swear an oath to the Han family!"

Han Mu remained calm as he slowly rose from his seat: "Fellow Daoist Yin Sha, you were the one who struck first. I was merely acting in self-defense."

"You..." The Yin Sha Old Monster was speechless with anger. It was indeed him who made the first move, and everyone present saw it. But he didn't expect Han Mu to have such a powerful formation, and he certainly didn't expect Han Mu to actually trap him.

"Patriarch Han, this matter was caused by Fellow Daoist Yin Sha's impulsiveness. Why not let it go for our sake?" Spirit Beast True Man spoke up to smooth things over.

Lady Hehuan also chuckled and said, "Yes, Patriarch Han, today is a joyous day for the merger of Huangfeng Valley into the Han family. Why make things unpleasant? Fellow Daoist Yinsha, quickly apologize to Patriarch Han, and this matter will be over."

Yin Sha Old Monster's expression shifted. As a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, how could he maintain his standing in the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom if he apologized to a "Core Formation cultivator" in front of everyone? But if he didn't apologize, judging from Han Mu's posture, he really intended to kill him.

"Han Mu, do you really want to be an enemy of the Heavenly Fiend Sect?" Yin Sha Old Monster gritted his teeth and said.

Han Mu laughed: "Fellow Daoist Yin Sha, it seems you haven't grasped the situation. You are currently trapped in this formation by me, your life or death entirely in my hands. Do you think threatening me with the Heavenly Fiend Sect will be of any use?"

"You..." The Yin Sha Old Monster felt a chill in his heart. He saw a cold killing intent in Han Mu's eyes, not a bluff, but real killing intent.

"Patriarch Han, please reconsider!" Fu Yunzi also advised, "Fellow Daoist Yin Sha is, after all, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. If you kill him, the Heavenly Fiend Sect will never let it go. At that time, the Han family will face the retaliation of the entire Heavenly Fiend Sect, and it may even trigger a joint attack from the four demonic sects. This is not a good thing for the Han family or for the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom."

"Fellow Daoist Fuyunzi is right." Han Mu nodded. "But I have a question for everyone here."

His gaze swept across the entire room, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "From this day forward, the Han family is the seventh largest sect in the Yue Kingdom. I would like to ask, are you all willing to coexist peacefully with the Han family, or do you wish to test the Han family's bottom line, like Fellow Daoist Yin Sha?"

Everyone fell silent.

"I know you are all resentful that the Han family swallowed up Yellow Maple Valley. You feel that the Han family is nothing but a nouveau riche and is not worthy to be on equal footing with you," Han Mu continued. "Therefore, today, I will make one thing clear to you—"

He raised his hand and pointed, and the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array shone brightly.

"Anyone who offends the Han family will be killed without mercy. No matter who they are, what their cultivation level is, or what their background is."

As soon as he finished speaking, the illusory azure dragon in the formation let out a long roar, opened its mouth and spat out a beam of azure light, which blasted towards the Yin Sha Old Monster.

"Han Mu! You're courting death!" Yin Sha Old Monster roared, his body erupting with dense black energy that transformed into a black shield in front of him.

"boom!"

The azure light struck the shield, causing it to tremble violently and crack. The Yin Sha Old Monster's face paled, and he staggered back three steps.

"This formation... is at least a high-grade fourth-order formation!" The Flame Demon Ancestor's expression was solemn. He asked himself if he himself could escape unscathed if he were trapped in this formation.

"Han Mu, are you really going to fight to the death?" Fear flashed in the eyes of the Yin Sha Old Monster. That attack just now had already caused him minor injuries. If the formation were to be activated at full power, he might really perish here today.

"A fight to the death?" Han Mu shook his head. "You overestimate yourself. In my eyes, you're just a slightly bigger fish."

He raised his hand again, and four phantom figures launched an attack simultaneously.

The Azure Dragon spewed azure light, the White Tiger ripped apart with its claws, the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and showered down a rain of fire, and the Black Tortoise opened its mouth and spat out icy cold. The four attacks came from all directions, blocking all of the Yin Sha Old Monster's escape routes.

"Heavenly Fiend True Form!" Yin Sha Old Monster roared, his body instantly expanding into a three-zhang-tall black giant, surrounded by dense fiendish energy.

This is the Heavenly Fiend Sect's most treasured secret technique, capable of raising one's cultivation level by a small realm in a short period. At this moment, the Yin Fiend Old Monster's strength is already close to the late Nascent Soul stage.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The four attacks struck the black giant, unleashing a deafening roar. The black giant's body trembled violently, cracks appearing on its surface, but it ultimately withstood the attacks.

"Han Mu! You can't kill me!" The Yin Sha Old Monster laughed wildly. "Once I break out of this formation, I will slaughter your entire Han family!"

"Is that so?" Han Mu's expression remained unchanged as ten talismans appeared in his hand.

It was the Heavenly Thunder Talisman.

"go."

Han Mu uttered a single word, and ten Heavenly Thunder Talismans were activated simultaneously, transforming into ten thick bolts of lightning that merged into the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array.

"Boom!"

Within the formation, thunder roared. The four illusory figures—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—were simultaneously enveloped in lightning, their power increasing several times over.

"This is... a Heavenly Thunder Talisman?" Fu Yunzi's expression changed drastically. "Ten Heavenly Thunder Talismans! Patriarch Han, what a generous gesture!"

The Heavenly Thunder Talisman is a high-grade, third-tier talisman, and even a single one is incredibly valuable. Ten of them unleashed together are comparable to a full-force attack from an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Now, this Heavenly Thunder power has been integrated into the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array, elevating the array's power to another level.

"No!" the Yin Sha Old Monster cried out in terror.

The four illusory figures wreathed in lightning launched another attack, this time with several times the power of the previous one.

"boom--"

The black giant shattered with a crash, revealing the Yin Sha Old Monster in his true form, his body charred black and his aura weakened. All the protective magic treasures on his body were broken, his Taoist robe was tattered and torn, and he was in a sorry state.

"Han Mu... spare my life..." The Yin Sha Old Monster finally panicked and begged for mercy in a trembling voice.

"It's too late," Han Mu said calmly, raising his hand to shake hands.

Four illusory figures pounced simultaneously, engulfing the Yin Sha Old Monster.

"ah--"

A piercing scream echoed through the hall, but it only lasted for a moment before abruptly stopping.

As the light faded, the Yin Sha Old Monster had vanished, leaving only a storage ring and several broken magical artifacts floating in the air.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

A mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the Yin Sha Old Monster, the sect leader of the Heavenly Fiend Sect, just like that, he died? Under the bombardment of the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array and ten Heavenly Thunder Talismans, his body was completely destroyed?

"Slap, slap, slap."

The Flame Demon Ancestor suddenly clapped his hands, a smile spreading across his face: "Excellent! Patriarch Han, what a skillful method! That Yin Sha scoundrel was arrogant and domineering; he should have died long ago. Today, Patriarch Han has rid the people of this scourge; I admire you!"

His words jolted everyone awake from their daze.

"Master Han is truly awe-inspiring!" Madam Hehuan exclaimed with a charming smile. "That old monster Yin Sha has brought about his own demise; he has no one to blame but himself."

"The Han family head's cultivation is extraordinary, and his mastery of formations is even more remarkable. I am ashamed to admit that I am inferior to him," said the Spirit Beast True Man.

Fu Yunzi's expression was complicated, and he finally sighed, "Patriarch Han, from this day forward, the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom shall revere the Han family."

Han Mu put away the Yin Sha Old Monster's storage ring and waved his hand to dispel the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array.

"Fellow Daoists, you flatter me." Han Mu's expression was calm, as if he had just swatted a fly. "As I have said before, the Han family only wants to develop peacefully and will not participate in the conflict between the righteous and the demonic. As long as you do not offend the Han family, the Han family will not be your enemy."

"But if anyone thinks the Han family is easy to bully and wants to test the Han family's bottom line—" Han Mu's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice turning cold, "Yin Sha Old Monster is a prime example."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and immediately cupped their hands in greeting: "Patriarch Han, rest assured, we would never dare to offend the Han family."

"Very well then." Han Mu nodded. "Let's conclude the banquet here today. Everyone, please."

This is to see the guests off.

No one dared to linger any longer and quickly took their leave. A moment later, only the Han family members remained in the hall.

"Father..." Han Changqing stepped forward, hesitating to speak.

"Speak," Han Mu said.

"If we kill the Yin Sha Old Monster, what about the Tian Sha Sect..." Han Changqing said with some worry.

"It's alright." Han Mu waved his hand. "The Heavenly Fiend Sect is currently in dire straits. With the death of the Yin Fiend Old Monster, the Heavenly Fiend Sect will inevitably descend into chaos, and the other sects will seize the opportunity to divide up the Heavenly Fiend Sect's territory. In the short term, no one will come looking for trouble with the Han family."

"But what if the four sects of the demonic path join forces..." Doctor Mo also said.

"They won't," Han Mu said confidently. "Demonic cultivators are the most selfish of all. The Flame Demon Ancestor, Lady Hehuan, Spirit Beast True Man, and Blood Hand Butcher—these four each have their own ulterior motives and it's impossible for them to truly join forces. Moreover, my killing of Yin Sha Old Monster today has also intimidated them. They won't dare to make any rash moves in the short term."

"Master is far-sighted," Doctor Mo said admiringly.

"System, check the mission progress," Han Mu silently instructed.

Main Quest: The Rise of the Clan

Progress: 98%

[Completed Event: Slaying the Yin Sha Old Monster, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and intimidating the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom]

[Contribution Points Earned: 10000]

Current contribution points: 12550

Only 2% left. Han Mu knew that this final 2% was crucial to solidifying the Han family's position in the Yue Kingdom and ensuring that all forces acknowledged the Han family as the seventh largest sect in Yue.

This will take time.

"Changqing, Elder Mo, you two handle the follow-up matters," Han Mu instructed. "For the disciples of Huangfeng Valley, those who wish to stay, re-register them. For those who do not wish to stay, distribute spirit stones and let them leave. Remember, be quick; you must completely control Huangfeng Valley before other forces can react."

"Yes!" The two accepted the order and left.

"Yun Ge, come with me," Han Mu said to Han Yun Ge.

"Yes, Grandpa."

The two left the hall and went to a secluded spot in the back mountains.

"Grandpa, what do you need me for?" Han Yunge asked.

Han Mu took out a jade bottle and handed it to Han Yunge: "There are three Foundation Establishment Pills inside. Take them and establish your foundation as soon as possible."

"Three?" Han Yunge exclaimed in surprise. "Grandpa, this is too precious..."

"I'll accept it," Han Mu said. "You have dual spiritual roots of wood and fire, and you also have a talent for alchemy. You are the future hope of the Han family. The sooner you establish your foundation, the more beneficial it will be for the Han family."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Han Yunge accepted the jade bottle, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Also, the Blood Forbidden Realm will open in three years, so you need to be prepared," Han Mu said. "Although there are many opportunities in the realm, the dangers are also great. You need to cultivate to at least the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage within three years to have the ability to protect yourself."

"Yun Ge understands." Han Yun Ge nodded emphatically.

"Go, and cultivate diligently."

"Yes."

After Han Yunge left, Han Mu stood alone on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds in the distance.

"System, exchange for the second level of the 'Five Elements Clone Technique'," Han Mu thought to himself.

[Exchange for the second level of the "Five Elements Clone Technique" to create a second clone. Costs 10000 contribution points]

[Redeem or not?]

"exchange."

[Exchange successful, remaining contribution points: 2550]

A message flooded his mind: the cultivation method for the second level of the Five Elements Clone Technique. Upon successful cultivation, one could create a second clone, possessing forty percent of the original's strength.

"It's time to create a second clone." A glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes.

The first clone, Han Bai, was primarily responsible for external conquests. The second clone, he planned to create, would be an alchemist, specifically responsible for alchemy and training alchemy talents for the Han family.

With two clones, he can handle more things at the same time, while his main body can focus on cultivation and break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

"But before that, we need to completely stabilize the Han family first," Han Mu murmured.

He turned and walked towards the main hall.

The landscape of the cultivation world in Yue Kingdom has changed. And the Han family will rise to become a true giant amidst this upheaval.