Chapter 151: The Shocked Xiao Han

In the banquet that followed, Xiao Han could finally say he experienced what it meant to receive VIP-level treatment.

The Ling Clan Chief personally inquired after his well-being—could you believe it!

It was just that Xiao Han's heart was not filled with flattered surprise, but rather a mix of confusion and panic; he did not believe that he could receive such preferential treatment based solely on the Five-Star Dou Sheng mid-stage strength he had displayed.

If it were only the posturing from before, that would be one thing; perhaps it was because he and the Langya Pavilion forces were worth the other party's attention.

And then, having an Elder of the same level sent to monitor him to ensure he didn't cause trouble—Xiao Han understood that very well.

But ever since the Ling Clan Chief stepped in, Xiao Han knew that things were absolutely not that simple!

For someone of his level, it would have been enough for the other party's Clan Chief to come over, take a look, and exchange greetings; he had no qualifications to be personally accompanied by the Chief.

Finally...

When all the proceedings were finished, Xiao Han hesitated to speak, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the Ling Clan Chief at the head of the table—Ling Yuexian.

If not for the fact that the other party looked like an old woman, some might have suspected whether this Ice Saint was coveting the beauty of the Ling Clan Chief.

"Is Pavilion Master Su wondering why the hospitality standards of my Ling Clan are so contrary to common sense?" Before Xiao Han could speak, Ling Yuexian smiled gently.

One must know that this was not just the other party alone; even the Elders of her own clan had quite a few complaints about this.

Xiao Han did not hide his confusion and said bluntly: "I do not know if the Ling Clan has any need for Su or the Langya Pavilion; if possible, I can offer some assistance."

If the other party didn't have a request for him and the Langya Pavilion, then there would be ghosts!

Eating someone's food makes one soft-mouthed, and taking someone's gifts makes one short-handed. Since that was the case, Xiao Han would certainly have to return the favor.

"My Ling Clan wishes to form an alliance with the Langya Pavilion, the kind that lives and dies together!" However, the next moment, Ling Yuexian's words gave Xiao Han quite a scare!

"What does the Ling Clan Chief mean by this?" Xiao Han asked calmly, while the wine cup in his hand, which was hard enough to withstand an attack from a Dou Zun without breaking, had already silently turned into fine powder.

"My Langya Pavilion should not yet be qualified to become an ally of your noble clan!" Xiao Han was puzzled.

The Ling Clan Elder on the side was also shocked by this sudden decision of their own Clan Chief, and someone immediately spoke up to advise: "Clan Chief, this needs to be discussed at length, right?"

It was as good as explicitly stating they did not agree with this matter.

One must know that forming an alliance is not something said casually, nor is it as easy as some so-called loose alliances in the Central Plains; those that are called alliances are at most just cooperative relationships in certain aspects.

They are merely simple collections of interests, existing entirely to seek profit through the momentum brought by the so-called alliance during peaceful times, and are entities that might fly apart in different directions the moment disaster strikes.

For such a serious matter, unless the relationship between the leaders of the two forces is extremely good or even that of a family, they can bridge the gap in scale to become allies.

Otherwise, if one wishes to form an alliance, the first priority is that the scale of both sides must be roughly equal; at the very least, the gap cannot be too large.

After all, once a true alliance is formed, it means that both sides will face each other's enemies together.

If one side's force is too small, they might become a burden when facing enemies. It would be better to go it alone!

It is not good for either side. Therefore, the operations and the considerations before and after forming an alliance are very complex.

Just like the Sound Valley and the Langya Pavilion.

Their interests do not conflict, they have a common enemy, Xiao Han and Tianyin Laoren—the two leaders of these forces—are friends across generations, and the two families even have marriage ties; it is a typical case of a good relationship.

Only after satisfying all these conditions, and after decades of time, did they become allies who advance and retreat together.

And what about the Langya Pavilion and the Ling Clan?

Xiao Han could only chuckle; the only intersection between them might just be today. Before this, Xiao Han didn't even know where the Spirit Realm was located.

Since there is no relationship, then let us look at strength.

The only ones capable of comparing to an Ancient Race are other Ancient Races; although the strength displayed by the Langya Pavilion in the Central Plains already belongs to the ranks of super forces, it is still a world of difference compared to an Ancient Race.

Whether it is the backbone combat power like Dou Zong and Dou Zun, the top-tier powerhouses at the Dou Sheng level, or the strongest individuals of both forces, the Langya Pavilion and the Ling Clan have absolutely no comparability.

In this situation, for Ling Yuexian to actually take the initiative to propose an alliance with him, isn't that the biggest joke in the world!

"Pavilion Master Su perhaps does not know enough about my Ling Clan." Seeing Xiao Han's confusion, Ling Yuexian said with a smile.

"Oh, could you enlighten me?" Xiao Han's interest was piqued by the Ling Clan Chief's words; he was indeed confused by the other party's behavior.

His information regarding the various Ancient Races was only at a very shallow level.

"Ling Yi and Ling Yu, stay; everyone else, leave!" Ling Yuexian did not explain immediately, but instead took the lead in dismissing many of the Ling Clan Elders present.

After everyone left, and only four people remained.

"Then this old woman will first introduce the origins of my Ling Clan to Pavilion Master Su!" Ling Yuexian said.

Xiao Han's mouth twitched; with a history of at least ten thousand years, what was she explaining here.

"Perhaps you are a bit impatient, but please listen for now." Seeing Xiao Han's inner grumbling, Ling Yuexian advised.

"Please!" Xiao Han could not refuse the other party's face, so he could only agree.

"Every Ancient Race has its own unique abilities; for example, the Yao Clan is skilled in alchemy, the Soul Clan in the soul, the Shi Clan in the physical body, and the Gu, Lei, and Yan clans all have their special aspects..." Ling Yuexian began to recount.

"Ling, is the spirit of heaven and earth. Hidden within the bloodline of my Ling Clan members is a special ability—Enlightening Spirit!"

"Enlightening Spirit?" Xiao Han murmured.

"Correct, the Dou Qi of my Ling Clan possesses the ability to help Magic Beasts or some existences that are difficult to attain wisdom to gather their intelligence," Ling Yuexian said.

However, this understated sentence caused waves to surge in Xiao Han's heart.

"Does this include Heaven and Earth Exotic Items like Exotic Fire?" Xiao Han asked subconsciously.

"Pavilion Master Su is indeed quick-witted." Ling Yuexian looked at Xiao Han in surprise, nodded, and said: "Indeed, my Ling Clan bloodline possesses this ability."

"The restrictions for this must be very great!" After experiencing the initial shock, Xiao Han quickly reacted; such a heaven-defying ability, if there were no price to pay, the Ling Clan would not be in such a miserable state.

"Of course." Ling Yuexian did not refute, nor did she attempt to cover it up; instead, she admitted it generously.

"Only Ling Clan members with a Divine Grade bloodline can achieve this."

Heh~

"Then what does the Ling Clan Chief mean?" Xiao Han frowned; after talking for so long, she just came up with a useless conclusion—was she teasing him?

"What I want to talk about is the ability that comes with it for my Ling Clan—Perception; this is the ability that everyone possesses," Ling Yuexian said with a cryptic smile.

"So..." Hearing this, Xiao Han already had a guess in his heart; his expression became serious, and he asked in a deep voice.

"My clan hopes to form an alliance with the Ice Saint, and... it is an Ice Saint with Eight-Star Dou Sheng strength, oh!"

Ling Yuexian finally revealed her true colors, saying with a beaming smile.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent!

---Author's Note---

Apologies, this was the author's mistake; as compensation, I am adding two extra chapters.