The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

"Late-stage Nascent Soul!"

The expressions of Qingyun Zhenren, Qingxuzi, and Tiezhan changed drastically. Even if the three Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces, they could barely contend with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but against Li Canghai, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, they had absolutely no chance of victory. The difference in cultivation level could not be bridged by numbers.

"Ancestor!" The remaining cultivators of Tianque Fortress, upon seeing Li Canghai, knelt down as if grasping at a lifeline.

Li Canghai didn't even glance at them, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over Li Tianxing's corpse before finally landing on Han Mu: "So it was you who killed my Tianque Fortress Lord?"

His voice was calm, but the murderous intent it contained sent chills down everyone's spine.

Han Mu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Li Tianxing betrayed the Seven Sects Alliance, colluded with the Reverse Star Alliance, and harmed his fellow cultivators. Killing him is acting on behalf of Heaven."

"So this is your so-called 'acting on behalf of Heaven'!" Li Canghai laughed in fury. "A mere Foundation Establishment junior dares to spout such nonsense before me! Today, I will extract your soul and refine your spirit, ensuring you are never reincarnated!"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pointed. A crimson finger beam shot through the air at incredible speed, distorting space wherever it passed and carrying an aura of annihilation.

This was a casual strike from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, yet its power was comparable to the full strength of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Han Mu's pupils contracted as he tried to dodge, but his body was locked in place by the opponent's aura, rendering him completely immobile.

"Stop!" Master Qingyun roared, his Qingyun Sword transforming into a streak of azure light, blocking the crimson finger beam.

boom!

The Azure Cloud Sword was blasted away, and Azure Cloud True Man coughed up blood as he flew backward. The power of a single finger was terrifying!

"I appreciate your kindness, Fellow Daoist Qingyun." Qingxuzi sighed, and the Bagua Mirror emitted a clear light in an attempt to block it.

"And me!" The iron-clad greatsword slashed horizontally.

But Li Canghai merely snorted coldly and pointed again. Two beams of light, though delivered later, arrived first, simultaneously repelling Qingxuzi and Tiezhan. All three Nascent Soul cultivators were injured in a single exchange!

This is the power of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—an overwhelming advantage.

"Now, it's your turn." Li Canghai looked at Han Mu, his eyes filled with intense killing intent. He slowly raised his hand, this time not just pointing casually, but spreading his five fingers wide, transforming into a giant blood-red hand that blotted out the sky and grabbed at Han Mu.

The blood-red giant hand locked onto space, giving Han Mu no chance to even shatter the escape talisman. He gritted his teeth, preparing to fight to the death; even if he died, he would take a piece of his opponent's flesh.

But just then, an aged voice rang out in the canyon:

"Li Canghai, after a hundred years of seclusion, is this all you've improved? All you know how to do is bully the younger generation?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. With the sound, a figure appeared out of thin air before Han Mu—it was none other than Linghu Ancestor, the late-stage Nascent Soul Grandmaster of Yellow Maple Valley!

He still looked like the same old man next door, but standing there, he was like a towering mountain, blocking all of Li Canghai's terrifying pressure.

"Linghu!" Li Canghai's expression changed, his blood-red giant hand halting in mid-air. "You're going to interfere too?"

"Han Mu is the Supreme Guest Elder of my Yellow Maple Valley, what do you say?" Ancestor Linghu said calmly, "Moreover, your Tianque Fortress colluded with the Reverse Star Alliance and betrayed Tiannan, everyone has the right to kill him. Li Tianxing has already been executed, if you know what's good for you, leave now, and I may spare your life."

"Spare my life?" Li Canghai laughed angrily. "Linghu, you only reached the late Nascent Soul stage a hundred years earlier than me. Do you really think you've got me cornered? Today, I'll show you your tricks!"

He held nothing back, unleashing his full power as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Blood-red light shot into the sky, staining the entire canyon crimson. A blood-red longsword materialized in his hand, three feet long, its blade covered in eerie patterns, radiating a chilling aura.

"Blood Fiend Demon Blade? You have indeed fallen into the demonic path." Ancestor Linghu's eyes turned cold, and a cyan wooden sword appeared in his hand. The wooden sword looked ordinary, but there were faint cyan runes flowing on the blade, exuding a righteous aura.

"Enough with the nonsense, take this!" Li Canghai unleashed a slash, the crimson blade light transforming into a hundred-foot-long rainbow that tore through the heavens and earth, striking directly at Linghu Patriarch.

"Well done." Patriarch Linghu neither dodged nor evaded, his wooden sword lightly thrusting out. The tip of the sword touched the weakest point of the blade's light, and the hundred-foot-long blade light shattered with a roar, turning into a rain of blood.

Their exchange, seemingly ordinary, contained profound truths of the universe in every move, causing space around them to constantly distort, shatter, and repair itself. The battle between late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators was beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.

Under the protection of Elder Linghu, Han Mu was barely able to watch the battle. He was completely focused, as this was a rare opportunity to observe. A battle at the late Nascent Soul stage would greatly benefit his comprehension of the Great Dao and his breakthrough in realm.

"System, record combat data and deduce the combat mode of the late Nascent Soul stage."

[Recording...]

[Driving simulation in progress...]

[Warning: The battle level is too high; the current simulation progress is slow and is expected to take three hours.]

Three hours? Han Mu smiled wryly. Judging from the current situation, it seemed that Elder Linghu and Li Canghai wouldn't be able to fight for that long. Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators exerting their full strength are expending enormous energy, and the outcome would soon be decided.

As expected, after a hundred moves, Li Canghai began to show signs of weakness. After all, he had just emerged from seclusion and his cultivation level was not yet fully stable, while Ancestor Linghu had spent a hundred years in the late Nascent Soul stage, making him stronger.

"Li Canghai, you have lost." Ancestor Linghu thrust out his sword, the wooden sword piercing through the blood-red blade light and striking Li Canghai's chest.

Li Canghai groaned and flew backward, a bloody hole appearing in his chest from which blood gushed. His face was pale and his breath was weak; he was clearly seriously injured.

"Linghu, I will avenge this humiliation one day!" Li Canghai gritted his teeth, took out a blood-red talisman, and crushed it. The talisman exploded, turning into a beam of blood-red light that enveloped him and vanished instantly.

"Blood Escape Talisman?" Ancestor Linghu frowned and did not pursue. The Blood Escape Talisman is a life-saving item that can instantly escape thousands of miles, but the price is the loss of 30% of one's essence blood. After this ordeal, Li Canghai will not be able to recover for at least a hundred years.

"Ancestor, why not give chase?" asked Master Qingyun.

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy." Ancestor Linghu shook his head. "Although Li Canghai is injured, if we push him too far, he might self-destruct his Nascent Soul, and we will all suffer. Moreover, the Reverse Star Alliance probably has a backup plan."

He looked at Han Mu, his eyes filled with approval: "Han Mu, you have made a great contribution this time. The resources of Medicine King Valley, the killing of Li Tianxing, and the severe injury to Li Canghai—three great achievements. The sect will surely reward you handsomely."

"You flatter me, Ancestor. It's all thanks to the cultivation of the sect," Han Mu said modestly.

"No need for modesty," said Ancestor Linghu. "You have already reached the peak of the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, only a step away from breaking through to the Pseudo-Core stage. After returning to the sect, I will personally protect you and help you break through to the Pseudo-Core stage. In addition, you may take 30% of the resources obtained from Medicine King Valley, and the rest will belong to the sect. This is what you deserve."

Thirty percent! Han Mu's heart trembled. The resources of Medicine King Valley were immense; thirty percent was enough to elevate the Han family to another level. More importantly, Patriarch Linghu personally protected him during his breakthrough to the Pseudo-Core stage—this favor was immense.

"Thank you, Ancestor!" Han Mu bowed solemnly.

"Go back, everyone." Ancestor Linghu waved his hand. "Li Canghai has escaped with serious injuries, and Tianque Fortress is now only a name. Next, we should deal with Yuling Sect and Huadaowu. However, the Nixing Alliance will not sit idly by, so we need to prepare in advance."

Everyone nodded and began to evacuate. Although this battle was a great victory, everyone knew that an even greater storm was about to break.

Upon returning to Qingxia Peak, Han Mu immediately went into seclusion. He needed to digest what he had gained from the battle and prepare to break through to the Pseudo-Core Formation realm.

"System, retrieve the current status and claim all pending rewards."

[Host: Han Mu]

[Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 9 (True) / Foundation Establishment Level 1 (Surface)]

[Status: Minor Injury (Recovering)]

[Rewards to be claimed: Ten years of cultivation empowerment (reward for defeating Li Tianxing), Heavenly Palace Seal Fragment x3, Complete version of "Nine Swords of Heavenly Palace", Clan Contribution Points +5000]

Should I collect all of them?

"receive!"

A massive surge of spiritual energy flooded his body, purer than ever before. Han Mu fully activated the "Primordial Longevity Technique," guiding the spiritual energy to break through the barrier of the nascent core. At the same time, he comprehended the "Nine Swords of Heavenly Palace" and his insights from the battle between Ancestor Linghu and Li Canghai, rapidly enhancing his understanding of swordsmanship and the Great Dao.

Three days later, above Qingxia Peak, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged wildly, forming a massive vortex. At the center of the vortex was Han Mu's cave dwelling.

The calamity of fake elixirs has begun.

But what Han Mu didn't know was that at the same time, in a secluded place somewhere in the south of the sky, three figures were plotting.

"Li Canghai has failed, Tianque Fortress is finished," a cold voice said.

"It doesn't matter, they were just expendable pawns anyway." Another hoarse voice rang out. "The real plan has only just begun. The Crimson Forbidden Land is the key."

"Han Mu must be eliminated. He's growing too fast and has become a variable."

"Rest assured, the Crimson Forbidden Land will be his final resting place."

In the darkness, three pairs of eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent.