The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

As the New Year's bells ring, may we:

We still meet in words and resonate with each other outside of stories.

As the new year begins, may you and I—

The plot is full of twists and turns, and the seemingly mundane chapters hold hidden surprises.

The gentle breeze that turns the pages comes from the distant place where your gaze lingers.

The Bone Forest, a notorious and perilous area within the Crimson Forbidden Land. Here, bones lie everywhere—human and demonic—piled up in layers, exuding a sinister aura under the blood-red sky. The air is thick with deathly and bloodthirsty energy; any ordinary cultivator who steps into this place will, within moments, lose their mind and turn into one of its skeletons.

Han Mu stopped at the edge of the Bone Forest. He sensed a powerful aura emanating from ahead, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, carrying a familiar bloodthirsty scent—it was Wang Chan.

"System, scan the White Bone Forest environment and assess the combat conditions," Han Mu thought to himself.

[Scanning in progress...]

[White Bone Forest: Bloodlust concentration 18.7%, Death Qi concentration 22.3%, Extremely Harsh Environment]

[Terrain Advantage: The piles of bones form a natural maze, suitable for ambush and guerrilla warfare]

[Environmental disadvantages: Bloodlust and death energy will continuously erode spiritual power, and the consumption will increase exponentially during prolonged battles]

[Wang Chan's location: Central altar in the Bone Forest, three miles away]

[Wang Chan's Status: Mid-Nascent Soul Stage, 92% Spiritual Power, currently controlling the core sub-array of the Blood Fiend Sealing Demon Array]

[Warning: The Blood Moon Demon Lord's split soul is awakening, current awakening level 31%]

The Blood Moon Demon Lord's divided soul has already awakened to 30%. Han Mu's eyes turned cold; he had to finish this quickly.

He made no attempt to conceal his presence, heading directly towards the center of the Bone Forest. Wherever he passed, the surrounding deathly and bloodthirsty aura automatically dissipated, as if fearing the pure Yang power emanating from him. This was the effect of his cultivation of the *Primordial Longevity Technique* and the Pure Yang True Fire, giving him a natural resistance to Yin and evil energies.

In the heart of the Bone Forest, on an altar made of piled-up skulls, Wang Chan sat cross-legged. A blood-red array plate floated before him, its surface shimmering with crimson light, continuously drawing in the surrounding bloodthirsty energy and channeling it into the area beneath the altar.

Sensing Han Mu's presence, Wang Chan slowly opened her eyes, a look of surprise flashing in them: "Han Mu? You actually dared to come in?"

"I've come to take your dog's life." Han Mu said calmly, stopping ten feet away from the altar.

"Hahahaha!" Wang Chan laughed, his laughter filled with mockery. "Take my life? Han Mu, you're just a pseudo-core cultivator. Even if you have some special methods that allow you to fight beyond your level, you're still an ant before me!"

He stood up, unleashing a terrifying aura of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. The surrounding bones cracked and popped under this pressure, countless skulls shattering. This was pure suppression of cultivation level; an ordinary Pseudo-Core cultivator would likely be kneeling on the ground by now.

But Han Mu remained unmoved. He activated the "Heaven-Gathering Divine Technique," controlling his true cultivation level at the third level of the Foundation Establishment stage. On the surface, his face appeared pale, as if he were under immense pressure, but in reality, this pressure had no effect on him. His cultivation of the "Primordial Longevity Technique" had a solid foundation, a strong physical body, and a divine sense comparable to the mid-stage of the Core Formation stage, allowing him to withstand the pressure completely.

"Interesting," Wang Chan said, narrowing his eyes. "However, this is where it ends."

Without further ado, he made a grabbing motion in the air with his right hand. A blood-red ghost claw, ten feet in size, materialized out of thin air, accompanied by a sharp ghostly howl, and slashed down at Han Mu's head. This was the Blood Fiend Sect's signature spell, "Blood Ghost Claw," which was insidious and ruthless. Cultivators caught in it would not only suffer physical damage, but their souls would also be corroded by the blood fiend.

Han Mu neither dodged nor evaded, only raising his hand to point when the Blood Demon Claw was upon him. A wisp of pure Yang True Fire burst forth from his fingertip, transforming into a golden fire lotus, which met the Blood Demon Claw head-on.

laugh--

The pure Yang True Fire clashed with the Blood Demon Claw, unleashing a piercing corrosive sound. The golden fire lotus, though seemingly weak, contained the pure Yang power of ultimate strength and power, the very nemesis of the Blood Demon Qi. The Blood Demon Claw melted away at a visible speed, vanishing in a wisp of green smoke in less than three breaths.

"Pure Yang True Fire?" Wang Chan's pupils shrank. "You actually cultivated a Pure Yang technique!"

He was shocked. The Pure Yang cultivation technique was extremely difficult to cultivate, requiring exceptional aptitude and resources, and its progress was slow. However, once mastered, its power was astonishing, especially effective against demonic techniques. It was simply unbelievable that Han Mu, a mere pseudo-Core Formation cultivator, could cultivate the Pure Yang True Fire to such a degree.

"No wonder you dared to come in; you have something to rely on." Wang Chan's face darkened. "But do you think you can contend with a Nascent Soul cultivator with just this little bit of Pure Yang True Fire? Naïve!"

He formed hand seals and chanted incantations. The bloodthirsty aura beneath the altar surged forth, coalescing into three crimson giants. Each giant was three zhang tall, wielding a blood-red blade and exuding the aura of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Blood Fiend Puppet, kill!"

Three blood-fiend puppets simultaneously lunged at Han Mu. They lacked intelligence, felt no pain, knew only slaughter, and could absorb the surrounding blood-fiend energy to continuously repair their damage, making them extremely difficult to deal with.

Han Mu's eyes narrowed. These three Blood Fiend Puppets were stronger than the ones Han Li and his group had encountered before, and with Wang Chan controlling them, their power was even greater. He held back no longer, forming hand seals, and the Great Five Elements Sword Formation instantly unfolded.

Twenty-five flying swords transformed into a five-colored rainbow, arranged according to the five elements, enveloping the three blood-fiend puppets. The sword formation activated, with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth interacting and restraining each other, forming a small sword array cage.

"A sword formation?" Wang Chan was startled again. Han Mu's methods were endless, pure Yang true fire, sword formations—how could a pseudo-core cultivator possess these?

His murderous intent intensified. This boy must die, or he will surely become a great threat in the future.

"Blood Fiend Fusion!" Wang Chan bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence onto the array plate. The array plate shone brightly with blood-red light, and the aura of the three Blood Fiend Puppets surged, actually breaking through the shackles of the peak Foundation Establishment stage and reaching the early Core Formation stage!

The three Blood Fiend Puppets, all at the early stage of Core Formation, coordinated perfectly and unleashed a terrifying attack in an instant. Han Mu's Great Five Elements Sword Formation trembled violently, cracks appearing everywhere.

"System, simulate the best response."

[Driving simulation in progress...]

[Option 1: Use the "Five Elements Reincarnation" secret technique from the "True Explanation of the Five Elements" to strengthen the sword formation with the power of mutual generation of the five elements, which can trap the Blood Fiend Puppet for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.]

[Option Two: Detonate the sword formation to severely damage the Blood Fiend Puppet, but this will result in the loss of twenty-five flying swords]

[Option 3: Use the core of pure Yang true fire to forcibly purify the three puppets, but this consumes a huge amount of spiritual power, requiring 70% of one's spiritual energy.]

[Recommended strategy: Combine strategies one and three, first trap, then kill]

"The cycle of the Five Elements begins!"

Han Mu formed hand seals, and the five elements within the sword formation began to circulate. Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, in a continuous cycle. With each cycle, the power of the sword formation increased, and the previously precarious formation stabilized again, even beginning to suppress the Blood Fiend Puppet.

"What kind of secret technique is this?!" Wang Chan's expression changed drastically. He could feel that the connection between the three blood demon puppets and the array plate was being weakened. If this continued, the puppets would go out of control.

"We can't wait any longer!" A ruthless glint flashed in Wang Chan's eyes. He held back no longer and summoned his natal magic weapon—a blood-red longsword. The sword was three feet long, its blade covered with blood-red patterns, radiating a dense aura of malevolence; it was none other than the fourth-tier magic weapon, the "Blood Fiend Demon Blade."

"Han Mu, you have every reason to be proud that you forced me to use my natal magic weapon. Now, die!"

The Blood Fiend Demon Blade transformed into a crimson streak, tearing through the air and aiming straight for Han Mu's neck. This strike contained all of Wang Chan's mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation; even before the blade arrived, its intent had already locked onto the space around Han Mu, leaving him with no way to dodge.

A cold glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes. He knew that the real battle was just beginning.

"Pure Yang True Fire, Burn the Heavens!"

He no longer concealed his power, unleashing his full potential at the early stage of the False Core realm. The False Core, the size of a pigeon egg, within his dantian spun wildly, its immense spiritual energy surging into the Pure Yang True Fire. What was originally a flame the size of a fingertip instantly transformed into a golden sea of ​​fire, meeting the crimson blade light head-on.

boom--

The golden sea of ​​fire clashed with the crimson blade light, unleashing a deafening roar. A terrifying energy storm swept through the entire Bone Forest, shattering countless bones into dust. The altar shook violently, and cracks appeared on the array plate beneath Wang Chan's feet.

As the smoke cleared, Han Mu took three steps back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained calm. Wang Chan stood rooted to the spot, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

His Blood Fiend Demon Blade was actually blocked! Blocked by a fake Core Formation cultivator!

"What...what is your cultivation level?" Wang Chan stared intently at Han Mu, her voice hoarse.

Han Mu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said calmly, "I'll kill you to restore your cultivation."

He gave Wang Chan no time to think, his figure flashing like lightning as he attacked the altar. The twenty-five flying swords reformed, transforming into a five-colored sword dragon that hurtled straight at Wang Chan.

Wang Chan was both shocked and enraged. He unleashed a flurry of attacks with his Blood Fiend Demon Blade, clashing with the Sword Dragon. The two fought fiercely in the Bone Forest, causing bones to crumble and the earth to crack in their wake.

Unbeknownst to them, the cracks on the crimson array plate beneath the altar were multiplying. The array plate was connected to the core of the entire Blood Fiend Sealing Array; its damage caused the array to become unstable.

Deep within the forbidden land, the Blood Moon Demon Lord's divided soul roared in fury.

"Insects... ruined my plans..."

The sky over the Bloodstained Forbidden Land turned even redder.