The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

After receiving the system reward, Han Mu spent two more days recuperating at Yangxin Residence, and his injuries had recovered to 90%. That morning, he bid farewell to the White-Browed Taoist and prepared to head to Green Bamboo Peak to check on his family's situation.

"Young friend, wait a moment." The old Taoist called out to him, handing him a storage bag. "Here are Foundation Establishment Pills, Qi Condensation Pills, and spirit stones bestowed upon you by the Sect Leader. Take them with you. Also, this is the land deed and array control token for Green Bamboo Peak. With this token, you can enter and exit freely."

"Thank you, senior." Han Mu accepted the gift, feeling grateful. Huangfeng Valley was indeed generous this time; this reward was enough to support the family's development for several years.

Leaving Tianzhu Peak, Han Mu flew towards Qingzhu Peak on his sword. Qingzhu Peak is located a hundred miles southeast of Huangfeng Valley. It is a 500-zhang-high verdant mountain, named for its abundance of green bamboo. Although the concentration of spiritual energy is not as high as the main peak, it is several times stronger than that of Yanling Fortress. Moreover, Huangfeng Valley's protective array covers its edges, ensuring its safety.

Half an hour later, Green Bamboo Peak came into view. Dozens of bamboo houses had been built halfway up the mountain, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys and the faint sounds of children's laughter drifting over. At the foot of the mountain, Han Changqing was leading several family cultivators in setting up a defensive array.

"Father!" Han Changqing sensed Han Mu's presence and greeted him with joy.

"Changqing, you've worked hard." Han Mu landed and patted his eldest son on the shoulder. He noticed that Han Changqing's aura was more stable, obviously indicating that his cultivation had improved during this period.

"How is Father's injury?" Han Changqing asked with concern.

"They're all out of danger." Han Mu looked around. "Are all the clansmen settled in?"

"Everything is settled. Elder Mo, Li Yuanming, and Zhang Xuanfeng have each led their clansmen to build dwellings, cultivate medicinal gardens, and set up defenses. The foundation for the Refining Heart Tower has also been moved here and can be rebuilt at any time," Han Changqing reported. "In addition, in the past few days, several independent cultivators and small families have come to seek refuge, saying they heard of the Han family's righteous deeds and wish to become vassals. I have temporarily settled them at the foot of the mountain, awaiting my father's decision."

"Oh?" Han Mu raised an eyebrow. It seemed that news of the Black Wind Ridge incident had spread, and the Han family's reputation had grown. This was a good thing; for a family to develop, relying solely on its own bloodline was not enough, and it needed to absorb fresh blood.

"We must first examine their character; better to have none than to have the wrong one," Han Mu said. "Our family is new here, and our foundation is unstable, so we cannot rashly recruit anyone. By the way, where is the Refining Heart Tower located? Take me to see it."

"Yes."

Han Changqing led Han Mu to a flat clearing on the north side of the mountain. The area had been cleared and paved with bluestone. In the center were piles of "Soul-Suppressing Stones" and "Heart-Cleansing Wood," the materials used in the previous Heart-Refining Tower. More than ten family cultivators were re-carving the array base under the command of Doctor Mo.

"Patriarch!" Doctor Mo bowed respectfully upon seeing Han Mu arrive. His aura had been completely stabilized at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and due to his status as an alchemist, he held considerable prestige within the clan.

"Elder Mo, there's no need for such formalities." Han Mu waved his hand. "How is the Refining Heart Tower progressing?"

"The array base is already 30% complete. At this rate, the first layer can be completed within a month," Doctor Mo said. "However, although the spiritual energy here is richer than that of Yanling Fortress, it is still limited. The Refining Heart Tower requires a lot of spiritual energy, and if the spiritual energy is insufficient, the effect will be reduced."

"I'll handle the matter of spiritual energy," Han Mu said confidently. The "Spiritual Eye Spring" awarded by the system was the key to solving the spiritual energy problem.

He walked to the center of the clearing and carefully observed the terrain. This was one of the spiritual vein nodes of Green Bamboo Peak. Although it was only a small branch of the spiritual vein, it was stable. The Spirit Eye Spring was placed here to maximize the gathering of spiritual energy.

"System, scan the spiritual veins of this area and deduce the best layout plan."

[Scanning in progress...]

[Affiliated Monks: 23 (New recruits)]

Foundation Establishment cultivators: 4 (Han Mu, Han Changqing, Doctor Mo, Li Yuanming)

[Late Stage of Qi Refining: 9 people]

[Mid-stage Qi Refining: 28 people]

[Early Stage of Qi Refining: 83 people]

[Special Buildings: Spirit Eye Spring (already deployed), Heart Refining Tower (under construction)]

[Area of ​​Influence: Green Bamboo Peak (Temporary Residence)]

[Family fortune: Steadily rising]

Not bad. Han Mu nodded in satisfaction. In just a few months, the family had gone from the brink of extinction to its current size, which was no small feat. The next step was to develop steadily and accumulate strength.

"Father, someone from Huangfeng Valley has sent a message." Han Changqing rushed over, "The victory celebration is in ten days. The sect leader requests that you arrive three days in advance to discuss something."

Three days in advance? Han Mu's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that Master Qingyun's request for him was not simply about attending the ceremony.

"I understand." Han Mu nodded. "I will be in seclusion for the next few days to consolidate my cultivation. You will be in charge of all family affairs. If there is any emergency, you can come to my cave."

"Yes."

Han Mu arrived at the third-tier cave dwelling bestowed upon him by True Immortal Qingyun—located atop Green Bamboo Peak, in the area with the densest spiritual energy. The cave dwelling was not large, but it was fully equipped, with a cultivation room, an alchemy room, and a meditation room.

He entered the cultivation room, activated the protective array, and sat down cross-legged.

Although the battle at Black Wind Ridge was perilous, the gains were immense. Not only did his cultivation level rise to the late stage of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, but his Pure Yang True Fire also began to condense. More importantly, he received guidance on subsequent missions from the system.

"System, view new tasks."

Main Quest: The Rise of the Clan (Phase Two)

[Requirements: The family must have at least 200 cultivators, including at least 10 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and control a spirit stone mine or resources of equivalent value.]

[Time Limit: Three Years]

[Rewards: Five Elements Condensation Elixir Powder (Complete Formula), Ten Years of Cultivation Initiation, Special Building "Transmission Pavilion"]

【当前进度：修士124/200，筑基修士4/10，资源0/1】

Three years is a long and arduous task. In particular, increasing the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators from four to ten requires a great deal of resources and opportunities. As for controlling those resources, that requires even more opportunity.

However, Han Mu was in no hurry. The development of a family was not something that could be achieved overnight; a steady and pragmatic approach was the right way.

He took out the jade slip containing the "Primordial Qi Technique" given to him by Master Qingyun and began to study it. Although this technique only had three levels, it was still of reference value for him to improve the "Primordial Longevity Technique".

Time passed slowly during the cultivation.

Seven days later, Han Mu emerged from seclusion. His cultivation was completely stable, and he had also gained some insights into the "Primordial Chaos Technique." As soon as he stepped out of his cave, he saw Han Changqing waiting outside, his expression solemn.

"Father, something has happened."

"What is it?"

"The Black Wind Stronghold... infiltrated Green Bamboo Peak last night, but were discovered by Senior Li Yuanming. During the battle, three of them died, and two of us were injured. But before they fled, they declared that they would raze Green Bamboo Peak to the ground within three days."

Han Mu's eyes turned cold.

"It seems some people are eager to die."