The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

In the crimson swamp, Han Yunge and Han Li walked side by side, both remaining vigilant. A pale red miasma perpetually shrouded the swamp, reducing visibility to less than ten feet. Even divine sense was suppressed to a few feet around the body, making the already dangerous swamp even more eerie.

"This swamp is called the 'Blood Miasma Swamp.' The miasma is poisonous, and prolonged inhalation will erode your spiritual power." Han Li took out two green pills, swallowed one himself, and handed one to Han Yunge. "This is a Miasma-Clearing Pill, which can resist the miasma poison for three hours."

"Thank you." Han Yunge took the pill and swallowed it. As soon as it entered her stomach, a cool current spread out, dispelling the small amount of miasma that had invaded her body. Her impression of Han Li improved somewhat. This man was meticulous and well-prepared; he was indeed as her grandfather had said, not simple at all.

The two continued forward. Han Li walked ahead, each step cautious, a slender walking stick in his hand, occasionally probing the swamp ahead. Han Yunge, on the other hand, kept watch behind them. She noticed that the route Han Li had chosen, though seemingly winding, actually avoided several areas fraught with hidden dangers.

"Fellow Daoist Han is very familiar with this place?" Han Yunge couldn't help but ask.

"I did some research before coming," Han Li replied briefly, without elaborating. During his three years in Huangfeng Valley, he spent most of his time in the Scripture Pavilion, thoroughly studying the records about the Crimson Forbidden Land. Combined with Doctor Mo's early experience exploring the forbidden land, he indeed knew more than the ordinary disciples.

After traveling for about half an hour, a relatively dry slope appeared ahead. Several emerald green spiritual herbs with sword-like leaves grew on the slope, emitting a faint fragrance.

"Sword Leaf Grass!" Han Yunge's eyes lit up. This is the main ingredient for refining "Sword Essence Pill," which is very beneficial to sword cultivators. It is extremely rare to find even one plant in the outside world, yet there are five or six plants here.

"Be careful, there's a guardian beast." Han Li whispered, his gaze falling on the sword-leaf grass. Deep within the grass, a thick, emerald-green python, about the size of a bowl, was coiled up. Its body was similar in color to the grass, making it difficult to spot without careful observation.

"A second-tier demonic beast, the Azure Scale Python," Han Li judged. "Its strength is comparable to the eleventh level of Qi Refining, but its venom is ferocious; being bitten will cause complete paralysis."

"What should we do?" Han Yunge asked. Although she had ways to protect herself, this was the first time she had dealt with a second-tier demonic beast.

"I'll lure it away while you gather the herbs," Han Li said. "After you've succeeded, retreat immediately and meet up at the Stone Forest, three miles to the northeast."

"This is too dangerous!"

"It's alright, I have a way." Han Li said, taking out a talisman, the same lightning strike talisman he had used to deal with the blood crocodile. He gestured for Han Yunge to hide to the side, while he quietly approached.

When Han Li was three zhang away from the Azure Scale Python, he suddenly made his move. The Lightning Strike Talisman transformed into a bolt of lightning, striking the python's vital spot. Startled, the Azure Scale Python roared and spat out a stream of green venom. At the same time, its tail swept across, knocking down a patch of sword-leaf grass around it.

Han Li was prepared. With a swift movement, he used a strange technique to evade the venom and fled into the depths of the swamp. The Azure Scale Python was enraged and gave chase.

"Now!" Han Yunge rushed out of her hiding place and quickly picked sword-leaf grass. She moved quickly, and in less than ten breaths she had collected five intact sword-leaf grasses into her bag, and carefully put away the last one that had been swept off by the python.

"Time to go!" She glanced in the direction Han Li had fled, then turned and ran towards the stone forest. The Five Elements Escape Technique her grandfather had taught her came in handy at this moment; she moved through the swamp as if on flat ground, quickly disappearing into the miasma.

Fifteen minutes later, at the Stone Forest.

Han Li emerged from the miasma, somewhat disheveled but uninjured. Seeing Han Yunge already waiting there, he nodded slightly: "Did you succeed?"

"Five intact plants and one damaged one." Han Yunge took out the Sword Leaf Grass. "Fellow Daoist Han, you've worked hard to lure away the demon beast. We'll split this spiritual herb equally."

Han Li shook his head: "No need. The lightning strike talisman was used by you when you helped me before, so consider it compensation. Besides, without you drawing attention, I would have had a hard time escaping."

He was telling the truth. The Azure Python was extremely fast, and if Han Yunge hadn't retreated in time, causing the python to lose its target and return to its lair, he probably would have had to put in a lot more effort.

"Well then," Han Yunge thought for a moment, "I'll take three whole ones, and you can have the damaged ones. Also, I'm good at alchemy, so after we get out, I can refine the Sword Leaf Grass into Sword Essence Pills, and I'll give you half of them."

A look of surprise flashed in Han Li's eyes. The Sword Essence Pill was a second-tier pill, and very few Qi Refining cultivators could refine second-tier pills. He looked Han Yunge over again; this woman not only had solid cultivation and many skills, but she was also an alchemist.

"Okay." Han Li didn't refuse this time. The Sword Essence Pill was indeed useful to him.

The two rested temporarily in the stone forest. Han Li set up a simple concealment formation, which, while unable to stop powerful enemies, could provide early warning. Han Yunge checked the Xuan Turtle Pendant and storage bag to ensure they were in good condition.

"What are Fellow Daoist Han's plans for the future?" Han Yunge asked.

"We're looking for the 'Earth Flame Fruit'," Han Li said. "The Earth Flame Fruit grows in places where earth fire converges, and it's beneficial to my cultivation technique. If you have nothing else to do, you can come with me. There are often other fire-attribute spiritual herbs near the Earth Flame Fruit, which you should find useful."

Han Yunge's mind raced. She didn't really need the Earth Flame Fruit, but her grandfather had said that there were several fire-attribute spiritual herbs in the Crimson Forbidden Land that would greatly benefit alchemy, and perhaps they could be found in the Earth Flame region.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you." She nodded in agreement.

Just as the two were about to set off, the entire swamp suddenly began to tremble violently. The ground cracked open, and crimson miasma surged wildly, making the crimson color in the sky seem even more intense.

"What's going on?" Han Yunge's expression changed.

Han Li's expression also turned solemn: "The forbidden area has undergone an anomaly. There has never been such a disturbance when it has been opened before."

The tremors lasted for about ten breaths before stopping, but the atmosphere in the swamp was clearly different. The miasma, which had been only pale red, had now become as thick as blood, and the air was filled with a chilling aura.

"System, anomaly detected in the forbidden area." Inside his cave on Qingxia Peak, Han Mu suddenly opened his eyes. Through system monitoring, he sensed that the energy fluctuations in the Crimson Forbidden Area were extremely abnormal.

[Testing in progress...]

[The energy fluctuations in the Crimson Forbidden Zone are abnormal; the concentration of bloodlust has increased by 300%]

[Array fluctuation detected: Blood Fiend Sealing Array (Tier 4) is activating]

[Key location of the formation: Core altar of the Forbidden Zone]

[Formation Setters: Wang Chan (Mid-Nascent Soul Stage), Elder of the Spirit Control Sect (Early-Nascent Soul Stage), Elder of the Blade Transformation Valley (Early-Nascent Soul Stage)]

[WARNING: Once the formation is fully activated, the forbidden area will be sealed off, and the cultivators inside will become blood sacrifices.]

"Wang Chan!" Han Mu's eyes turned cold. This guy really hasn't given up his evil intentions, actually setting up such a vicious formation in the Blood Forbidden Land.

"System, calculate a strategy to break through the formation."

[Calculation in progress...]

[Option 1: Forcibly break the formation from the outside, requiring at least three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators working together, taking three days]

[Option 2: Destroy the array from the inside; this requires entering the core of the forbidden area and destroying the altar]

[Option 3: Disrupt the formation's operation, find its weak points, and use the power of the Five Elements to disrupt the balance of blood and evil]

[The most feasible solution at present: Solution 3, with a success rate of 40%]

Han Mu pondered. Breaking the formation from the outside was unrealistic, and destroying the formation's core from the inside was beyond the capabilities of Han Yunge and Han Li. The only feasible option was to guide Han Yunge to disrupt the formation's operation.

"System, simplify the 'Five Elements Evil-Breaking Array' and deduce a version that can be set up during the Qi Refining stage, then transmit it to Han Yunge."

[Driving simulation in progress...]

[Simplified Complete: Small Five Elements Evil-Breaking Array (Tier 1), requires five array flags of different attributes, arranged according to the five elements' directions, which can disrupt the local balance of blood and evil.]

[Transfer requires 1000 clan contribution points. Transfer now?]

"transmission!"

Han Mu did not hesitate at all. Han Yunge's safety was far more important than contribution points.

In the swampy stone forest, Han Yunge suddenly felt a new array information appear in her mind. She was startled at first, then realized—it was her grandfather's doing!

"Fellow Daoist Han, I have a formation that might be able to deal with this Blood Fiend mutation." Han Yunge looked at Han Li with a serious expression, "but I need your help."

Han Li looked at Han Yunge, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but finally nodded: "Go ahead."

The core of the forbidden area, the altar.

Wang Chan stared at the slowly rotating crimson array before him, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

"The Blood Fiend Sealing Array has been activated. In three days, the array will be complete, and all cultivators in the forbidden area will become sacrifices for the Blood Moon Demon Lord to break the seal! Linghu, Han Mu, you can prepare to collect your disciple's corpse!"

He gazed into the depths of the forbidden area, as if he could see the disciples of the seven major sects struggling and wailing in the blood and evil.

Han Yunge and Han Li were completely unaware of all this.

But what they didn't know was that a storm concerning life and death, and the fate of the entire Tiannan region, had already begun.