The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Three days later, on the morning of the same day, the thin mist on Qingzhu Peak had not yet dissipated.

Han Ling'er wore a newly made white dress with faint ice patterns embroidered on the hem. Her hair was carefully styled into two small buns by Doctor Mo's wife and tied with light blue ribbons. She carried a small bundle containing a few changes of clothes and some pills and talismans given to her by Han Mu.

The entire Han family gathered in the square. Han Changqing, Li Yuanming, and Zhang Xuanfeng stood at the front, with Doctor Mo and several elders in the middle, followed by more than seventy Han family members. All eyes were on the eight-year-old girl.

Nangong Wan stood beside Han Ling'er, still dressed in white, with a cool and aloof demeanor, but her gaze towards Han Ling'er was gentle.

Han Mu walked slowly to Han Ling'er, squatted down, and looked her in the eye.

"Ling'er, once you arrive at the Hidden Moon Sect, listen to your master and cultivate diligently," Han Mu said gently. "If you miss home, have Senior Nangong send a message back. If you have any questions about cultivation, ask your master instead of trying to figure it out on your own."

"Ling'er remembers." Han Ling'er nodded, her big eyes were a little watery, but she held back her tears.

Han Mu took out a jade pendant from his pocket and hung it around Han Ling'er's neck. The jade pendant was pure white, shaped like a snowflake, and cool to the touch. The character "Han" was engraved on the front, and the back had intricate protective array patterns.

"This is the 'Ice Heart Pendant,' crafted from scraps of Ice Soul Stone. It has the effect of calming the mind and concentrating the spirit, and can even withstand a full-force attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages," Han Mu instructed. "Wear it close to your body and never take it off."

"Thank you, Ancestor." Han Ling'er touched the jade pendant; the cool sensation made her feel comfortable.

Han Mu then took out another storage bag: "There are five hundred spirit stones in here, as well as some pills and talismans. Use the spirit stones sparingly, and take the pills on time. Remember, don't flaunt your wealth, and don't easily trust strangers."

"Ling'er understands."

After explaining all this, Han Mu stood up and looked at Nangong Wan: "Miss Nangong, I'm entrusting Ling'er to you."

"Fellow Daoist Han, rest assured," Nangong Wan said solemnly. "Now that Ling'er has joined my sect, I will teach her with utmost care. The Hidden Moon Sect is relatively safe; no one will bully her."

Han Mu nodded, then took out a jade box from his storage bag and handed it to Nangong Wan: "This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it, Miss Nangong."

Nangong Wan took the jade box, opened it, and her pupils contracted slightly.

Inside the box was a fist-sized blue crystal, crystal clear and radiating a chilling aura. It was the finest material for crafting ice-attribute magic weapons—the Ice Soul Stone!

This Ice Soul Stone is of extremely high quality, worth at least five thousand spirit stones, and is extremely rare and unavailable. For cultivators practicing ice-attribute techniques, it is a priceless treasure.

"This..." Nangong Wan hesitated, "It's too precious."

"Ling'er has joined the Hidden Moon Sect, and we will inevitably have to trouble Miss Nangong and the sect elders in the future," Han Mu said. "Please accept this small token of our appreciation. In addition, the Han family has several other promising disciples. If there is a suitable opportunity, we would appreciate it if Miss Nangong could help introduce them to us."

This lays the groundwork for future arrangements. If the Han family wants to develop, it must establish deeper relationships with the seven major factions.

Nangong Wan hesitated for a moment, then accepted the jade box: "Alright, I will keep this in mind. The Ice Soul Secret Realm will open in three months, and I will try to secure a few outer disciple testing slots so that the Han family disciples can come and give it a try."

"Thank you." Han Mu cupped his hands in thanks.

"It's getting late, we should get going." Nangong Wan looked at Han Ling'er, "Ling'er, say goodbye to your family."

Han Ling'er turned around, looked at Han Changqing and the others, and bowed deeply: "Uncle Changqing, uncles and elders, Ling'er is leaving. Take care."

"Ling'er, cultivate diligently!"

"Remember to write back often!"

"If you've been wronged in the sect, tell us!"

Everyone offered their words of advice, and several children of similar age who were familiar with Han Ling'er even had tears in their eyes.

Han Ling'er looked at Han Mu one last time, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Ancestor, Ling'er will definitely cultivate diligently and not bring shame to the Han family!"

"Good girl, get up." Han Mu helped her up, feeling a little emotional.

An eight-year-old child must leave home and embark on a journey into the cruel world of cultivation. But this is the fate of cultivation families; if they want to rise to prominence, someone must venture out.

Nangong Wan released her flying sword, which transformed into a white light and carried Han Ling'er into the sky, quickly disappearing into the southeastern horizon.

Only after the light completely disappeared did the crowd in the square slowly withdraw their gazes, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber.

"Alright, everyone disperse and go back to your cultivation." Han Changqing clapped his hands. "Ling'er going to the Hidden Moon Sect is her good fortune and also an opportunity for the Han family. We can't slack off; we must cultivate diligently so that we won't hold Ling'er back in the future."

"Yes!" the crowd responded and dispersed.

Han Mu looked at Han Changqing: "How is the recruitment of disciples progressing?"

"It went very smoothly." Han Changqing cheered. "We recruited twelve more people in the past three days, all of them children with spiritual roots from nearby villages and towns. Adding to the original seventy people, the family now has a total of eighty-two cultivators, only eighteen short of our goal of one hundred."

"Keep recruiting," Han Mu said. "Qualities aren't important; what matters is character and loyalty. Those who are orphans and have no one to rely on should be given priority."

"My son understands."

"What about the construction of the Heart Refining Tower?"

"The site has been chosen in the back mountain, and the materials are being prepared," Han Changqing said. "According to the blueprints, we need more than a dozen materials, including 'Soul-Suppressing Stones,' 'Heart-Cleansing Wood,' and 'Mysterious Iron.' Among them, 'Soul-Suppressing Stones' are relatively scarce, and I have already sent people to Jiayuan City to purchase them."

"As soon as possible." Han Mu nodded. "The Heart Refining Tower is of great use in tempering one's character; the sooner it is completed, the better."

"Yes."

After explaining these things, Han Mu went to Doctor Mo's courtyard.

Doctor Mo was busy in the alchemy room. The alchemy furnace was already preheated, and various medicinal herbs were neatly arranged in categories. When Han Mu entered, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Master, the materials for the Five Elements Harmony Pill are ready, and we can start the furnace today."

"How confident are you?" Han Mu asked.

"Seventy percent," Doctor Mo said solemnly. "I have studied the formula for three days and simulated it several times with ordinary medicinal materials. There shouldn't be any major problems. As long as the heat is controlled properly, the success rate of the pill is at least fifty percent."

"Then let's begin." Han Mu sat down in a corner of the alchemy room. "I will protect you."

Doctor Mo said no more, held his breath and focused his mind, and began to refine the elixir.

He first added the Five Elements Fruits. Five fruits of different colors fell into the alchemy furnace, slowly melting under the flames and transforming into five-colored medicinal liquids. Gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—the five-colored medicinal liquids floated inside the furnace, repelling each other and extremely difficult to mix.

Doctor Mo was completely focused, his hands forming hand seals as he cast various magical hand gestures. Although his fire control technique was not as refined as Han Mu's Five Elements Fire Control Technique, his superior experience and mastery of the heat were unparalleled.

Guided by the hand seals, the five-colored medicinal liquid began to slowly fuse. This process required immense patience and precise control; the slightest mistake could cause the furnace to explode.

Han Mu watched quietly, without making a sound to disturb him. He could tell that Doctor Mo's technique was somewhat clumsy, clearly indicating that this was his first time refining such a complex pill. However, Doctor Mo's composure and experience compensated for his lack of skill; although the entire fusion process was slow, it was done steadily and surely.

An hour later, the five-colored medicinal liquids finally fully fused together, transforming into a fist-sized ball of five-colored liquid that slowly rotated inside the furnace.

"It's done!" Doctor Mo breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not be careless and continued to control the flames to keep it warm.

Another half hour passed, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted from the alchemy furnace. Doctor Mo clasped his hands together and uttered a low shout: "Condense!"

The five-colored liquid quickly solidified, splitting into nine pills the size of longan fruits. Each pill had five-colored patterns on its surface and emitted pure spiritual energy fluctuations of the five elements.

"Open the furnace!"

The furnace lid flew off, and nine Five Elements Harmony Pills flew out, which were caught one by one by Doctor Mo in a jade bottle.

"Master, it's done!" Doctor Mo exclaimed excitedly. "Nine pills, seven high-grade and two mid-grade!"

Han Mu took the jade bottle and poured out a pill to examine it. The pill was round and full, with clear patterns, and its medicinal power was pure; it was indeed a top-grade pill.

"Excellent," Han Mu praised, "Elder Mo's alchemy skills have reached a state of perfection."

"You flatter me, Patriarch," Doctor Mo said modestly, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face. "With this experience, my chances of refining the Five Elements Condensing Pill Powder will increase by another ten percent."

"First, focus on recuperating," Han Mu said. "Three days later, refine the Five Elements Condensing Pill. During this time, the family will provide you with everything you need."

"yes!"

After leaving the alchemy room, Han Mu returned to his cave dwelling and sat down cross-legged.

"System, display the current task progress."

[Host: Han Mu]

[Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 7 (True) / Foundation Establishment Level 1 (Surface)]

[Clan cultivators: 82 (Foundation Establishment 1, Qi Refining 81)]

[Family Development Task: Number of cultivators 82/100, Foundation Establishment cultivators 1/3]

[Special Building: Heart Refining Tower (Under Construction, Progress 15%)]

[Current Task: Refining the Five Elements Condensed Elixir (In Progress)]

Eighteen more are needed, but we should be able to gather them within three months. The key is Foundation Establishment cultivators; if Doctor Mo succeeds, there will be two. One more is needed…

"Looks like we need to start looking for candidates in advance," Han Mu muttered to himself.

Several names flashed through his mind: Han Shi, Han Yu, and Han Huo. These three children with pseudo-spiritual roots had good talent, but they were too young and would need at least ten more years to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. The five teenagers from the Li family had average talent, and their chances of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage were slim.

"Perhaps it's time to go to Yellow Maple Valley," Han Mu thought of Han Yunge. The Ice Soul Secret Realm will open in three months. If Han Yunge can obtain the Ice Spirit Fruit, he will have the materials to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Moreover, it's time to check on Han Yunge's situation in Huangfeng Valley.

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the cave.

"Ancestor! Ancestor!" It was Li Yuanming's voice, filled with panic.

Han Mu frowned: "Come in."

Li Yuanming rushed into the cave, his face deathly pale: "Ancestor, something terrible has happened! We just received news that people from the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Joyful Union Sect have appeared at Black Wind Ridge, three hundred miles outside Yanling Fortress, and are gathering. Their numbers... at least a hundred!"

Han Mu's eyes turned cold.

The three-year agreement has only been in effect for a little over a month, and they can't wait any longer?