Chapter 148: Ling Clan

"I, Yun Shan, greet Clan Leader Xiao." As soon as the two met, Yun Shan took the initiative to offer a greeting.

"I hope Clan Leader Xiao will not take offense at my sudden visit," Yun Shan said, full of apology.

"Senior Yun Shan, there is no need for such formalities. Since you are a close friend of my uncle, it is only right that I, the junior, should be the one to pay a visit," Xiao Zhan said respectfully.

Although Xiao Zhan was stronger than the former, given the relationship between the other party and Xiao Han, he could not afford to be presumptuous in front of Yun Shan.

Yun Shan felt a weight lift from his heart; it seemed that having a good relationship with that fellow Xiao Han was surprisingly effective. This time, he was secure.

Sigh, that old fellow's status in the Xiao Clan was far higher than his own in the Yunlan Sect.

Thinking that he could be treated as an honored guest in the Xiao Clan just by relying on Xiao Han's face, while his own disciple had caused trouble for him without a sound—truly, there is no harm without comparison!

Grief rose from Yun Shan's heart!

However, despite his internal drama, he did not stop the real business at hand. "I have come here to offer an apology to the Xiao Clan."

An apology?

Xiao Zhan was stunned, then suddenly realized: "Senior Yun Shan, you must have come regarding the matter of your sect's disciple, Nalan Yanran, breaking off the engagement."

"Eh?" Yun Shan was bewildered. The other party's reaction was wrong; he didn't seem angry at all, but rather as casual as if he were merely repaying a debt of a few gold coins.

"This time, it was Yanran who acted improperly and damaged the Xiao Clan's reputation. I have come specifically to apologize!" Yun Shan said nonetheless.

"Senior Yun Shan, please do not take it to heart. That so-called marriage contract was merely a joke made by our elders back then; it cannot be taken seriously," Xiao Zhan laughed.

"And the Three Year Agreement..."

"The Three Year Agreement was just a fit of pique between juniors; Senior Yun Shan need not dwell on it." Before Yun Shan could finish, Xiao Zhan interrupted him, even going so far as to persuade the other party not to take the matter to heart.

Until Yun Shan walked out of the Xiao Clan's gate in a daze, his mind was still buzzing.

This... was the matter really resolved just like that? Yun Shan found it hard to believe.

He had originally intended to use his connection with Xiao Han to get the other party to forgive his grand-disciple's rudeness.

But based on the other party's meaning, it was clearly intended to define this as a mere dispute of pride between juniors—which was equivalent to not pursuing the matter at all, right?

Was this major affair concerning the Xiao Clan's face really forgiven so easily?

If not for the fact that Xiao Zhan's expression did not seem fake, and that his own relationship with Xiao Han was quite good, Yun Shan would have suspected that the Xiao Clan was secretly planning to wipe out the Yunlan Sect.

"Forget it, let the juniors resolve their own affairs." After thinking for a long time, Yun Shan did not find a reasonable answer, so he simply stopped thinking about it and walked away.

In the west of the Dou Qi Continent, the Wanyun Mountain Range.

The sky above the entire mountain range was covered in dense seas of clouds, and it was a magnificent sight, teeming with birds, beasts, flowers, and fish.

At this moment, Xiao Han looked down at the vast, boundless mountain range with a gloomy face; the beautiful scenery beside him had long been subconsciously filtered out.

Since Xiao Han left the Langya Pavilion to track the movements of the Evil Clan outside the Central Plains, this was the first time he had discovered traces of the Evil Clan—or, to be precise, traces of Evil Qi.

"Hmm?" Just as Xiao Han was preparing to investigate in detail, a gust of fierce wind suddenly struck from his side. Xiao Han's expression turned cold; he reached out and grabbed, directly crushing the streak of Dou Qi.

"Who are you, and why do you trespass in the Wanyun Mountain Range?" Before Xiao Han could investigate the position of the attacker, a cold voice rang out in the surroundings.

"Playing god!" Xiao Han was already in a bad mood, and now this attacker had ignited the anger buried deep in his heart. Without answering, he spread out his Soul Power.

"Come out!" In just two or three breaths, Xiao Han used his Dou Qi to gather a giant energy hand and grabbed toward a certain spot in space.

"Boom—"

A loud noise resounded through the heavens, causing the many Magic Beasts below to roar one after another. However, when the momentum of both sides dissipated, the mountain range immediately fell into silence, and all the Magic Beasts prostrated themselves on the ground, shivering.

"Who are you?" Xiao Han frowned as he looked at the pretty woman in front of him, who was dressed in a goose-yellow long dress with ribbons wrapped around her arms, and asked in a deep voice.

A powerhouse capable of possessing the strength of a Three-Star Dou Sheng, and a female one at that, was rare to see in the entire Dou Qi Continent, yet Xiao Han had no impression of her, nor could he even figure out the faction she came from.

"Five-Star Dou Sheng?!" While Xiao Han was surprised, the woman was also secretly shocked in her heart.

The other party clearly did not belong to any of the Ancient Eight Clans; to have cultivated to such a level as a mere rogue cultivator was truly extraordinary.

"Why has Your Excellency come to the entrance of my Spirit Realm?" Out of respect for Xiao Han's strength, the woman spoke much more politely.

"Spirit Realm?" Xiao Han exclaimed, "Why is your Ling Clan outside the Central Plains?"

In his original impression, although the Ancient Eight Clans resided in independent spaces, they should still be within the scope of the Central Plains. For example, the Ancient Clan was in the Eastern Region, and the Yao Clan was in the Shennong Mountain Range in the far south of the Central Plains.

He had never expected the Ling Clan to be in the far west of the continent, a great distance from the Central Plains.

"Who told you that our Ling Clan is a faction of the Central Plains?" The woman felt a sense of amusement; this person really did not know much about the affairs of the Ancient Race!

It's just...

"Could it be that Your Excellency did not come for my Ling Clan?" the woman asked in a deep voice.

The Ling Clan had been closed off for many years and had never asked about the affairs of the Central Plains. Although many people would come to this Wanyun Mountain Range on ordinary days, the strongest among them were only Dou Zuns, so they had not taken it to heart.

But Xiao Han's strength was clearly a bit too strong for comfort.

At first, she thought this powerhouse was here to cause trouble. With that ugly look on Xiao Han's face just now, it was no different from someone whose ancestral grave had been dug up.

But Xiao Han's reaction clearly showed he did not know this was where the Ling Clan was located. That made this matter worth discussing!

"I am the Pavilion Master of the Langya Pavilion in the Central Plains; others have bestowed upon me the title of 'Ice Saint'.

May I ask how this Fairy should be addressed?" Xiao Han stated his background and then asked for the other party's name.

"Ice Saint!" The woman's pupils shrank; she had long heard of the other party's great name.

Although the Ling Clan did not ask about the affairs of the Central Plains, they were not completely blind or deaf, and they were aware of some major events.

Especially a powerhouse like the Ice Saint—the fact that he could repel the combined efforts of Hun Miesheng and Hunmo Laoren, both of whom were not weak even within the Soul Clan, made the former's strength self-evident.

She just hadn't expected to meet him on such an occasion.

"Ice Saint, you are too polite. You may call me Lingyi."

The law that the strong are respected applies everywhere; a powerhouse with the strength of the Ice Saint would be among the top three in the Ling Clan.

How could she dare to be disrespectful to him?

"Fairy Lingyi, I was merely traveling around the area. I did not know I was disturbing your territory, and I hope you will not take offense." Since Xiao Han realized he had run into the territory of the Ling Clan, he still had to observe some rules.

He was not here to fight, so why stir up unnecessary trouble?

"Traveling?" The woman's eyes flickered; she did not believe his excuse.

Xiao Han's expression just now proved that he certainly had a purpose for coming here, though it was clearly not aimed at the Ling Clan.

"Since the Ice Saint has arrived, my Ling Clan is not a people who lack manners; may I invite Your Excellency to visit the Spirit Realm?" Soon, Ling Yi extended an invitation to Xiao Han.

"This..." Xiao Han hesitated for a moment.

Just as Ling Yi thought he was going to refuse, he said, "Then I shall respectfully accept; I am also very interested in the legendary Ling Clan."

Xiao Han's voice was incomparably calm, yet it made Ling Yi involuntarily hold him in higher regard. To actually dare to enter the Spirit Realm so defenselessly—he truly had courage.

"Then please wait a moment, Ice Saint!" Ling Yi bowed, then sent out a message.