Chapter 356: Exchange

"This time, the Langya Pavilion members will take the lead," Xiao Han said solemnly after organizing his thoughts.

"What?"

"Ice Saint, that is not something to be said lightly!" Yao Lao intervened from the side.

Since the other party had gifted him quite a few good things, Yao Lao felt he could not watch this person voluntarily step into a fire pit.

"Although the Langya Pavilion is not weak in strength, there is still a significant gap compared to the Soul Clan."

Yao Lao advised leisurely: "You must not sacrifice the bright future of the Langya Pavilion just for a moment of pride!"

"The Medicine Saint's words are very true," Gu Yuan nodded in agreement, then said, "If everything is left for the Langya Pavilion to bear alone, where would that leave us Ancient Races?"

In the eyes of the world, the Ancient Races have always been representatives of mystery and power; although they have been treated quite miserably by the Soul Clan recently, their basic public image still needs to be maintained.

If it were known that the Ancient Races had united with the Central Plains factions, only to let the latter lead the charge to their deaths, how would they ever show their faces again!

As an elder, Xiao Xuan also frowned, but compared to the others, he understood Xiao Han better and was calmer.

He simply asked: "Do you have some kind of backup plan?"

"Backup plan?" Everyone turned their gazes toward Xiao Han, who still maintained a calm expression.

"Lao Ye, go!" Xiao Han smiled slightly and beckoned.

"Just you wait!" Ye Jianxin cursed inwardly, but in front of outsiders, he still felt it necessary to save some face for his brother.

The Storage Ring in Ye Jianxin's hand lit up, and suddenly hundreds of palm-sized cyan jade plaques appeared before everyone's eyes.

Before they could ask, Xiao Han took the initiative to explain: "My Langya Pavilion is not so arrogant as to voluntarily shoulder the entire pressure of the battlefield."

"So, naturally, I need everyone to contribute."

Xiao Han casually took out a jade plaque and smiled:

"These are prepared for the Dou Sheng of your respective factions; please have all participating Dou Sheng wear one during the great battle."

Everyone looked at each other in silence, each taking their corresponding jade plaques, then turned their questioning gazes back to Xiao Han.

The latter kept them in suspense, smiling mysteriously: "As for what will actually happen, please wait and see."

"Believe me, it is a grand gift for the Soul Clan."

"Oh?" Gu Yuan said with a chuckle, "Then we shall indeed have to see it for ourselves when the time comes."

Two days passed in a flash.

During this period, the Ancient Race armies were also arranged into their respective camps. Fortunately, when Langtian City was built, it was developed as a large city, so there was no phenomenon of housing congestion.

On this day.

Xiao Han looked up at the dark, heavy clouds on the horizon, and an invisible pressure appeared in the sky.

All around, many powerhouses including Xiao Xuan and Gu Yuan stared solemnly at a certain spot, saying seriously: "They are here."

As soon as the words fell, the signature laughter of the Soul Clan people could be heard: "Jie jie jie~"

A crack suddenly appeared in mid-air. The leader was a gentle and refined man; his gentle-as-jade image would make no one suspect he was a scholar without the strength to truss a chicken, yet it was this very person who orchestrated the tragic genocides of the Ancient Races.

Following behind Hun Tiandi were two figures, one black and one red, who stepped out immediately, followed by the suddenly revealed, dense army of the Soul Clan.

As soon as he appeared, Hun Tiandi's gaze suddenly pierced through space, ignoring his nearby arch-enemies Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan, and landed directly on Xiao Han in the crowd.

"Ice Saint, you certainly have great ability!" Hun Tiandi said sinisterly, "With one 'deceiving the heavens to cross the sea,' you actually managed to fool my Soul Clan as well."

Although Hun Tiandi had long since given the Ice Saint an extremely high ranking in his heart, both the other party's strength and talent were rare in his life.

But the moment he learned the other party's true identity from Hun Miesheng, he was still stunned for more than ten minutes.

He had actually let a genius of the Xiao Clan grow steadily all the way to the peak realm of Nine-Star Dou Sheng, and if the other party hadn't exposed himself, he would still be completely unaware?

He prided himself on calculating the world, not even putting that old fellow Gu Yuan in his eyes; even the once-unrivaled Xiao Xuan had been plotted to death by him. Even though the other party had been resurrected due to some accidents, a mid-stage Nine-Star Xiao Xuan was not yet something to fear.

Never would he have thought he would fall into the hands of a two-hundred-year-old junior. That feeling, in one word—Damn!

"I wouldn't call it 'deceiving the heavens to cross the sea'," Xiao Han said with extreme calm. "The Soul Clan is powerful; this was merely a small trick played out of necessity to prevent being followed back to the source."

"It cannot compare to you, Hun Tiandi. You planned for many years, rose in one stroke, and even forced everyone to have no choice but to join forces to deal with you."

"Isn't that right?"

Hearing Xiao Han's words, both sides reacted differently.

For Clan Leaders of the Ancient Races like Gu Yuan, the secret rise of the Soul Clan was undoubtedly a loud slap in the face, but it was also a painful fact; as ambitious leaders, they tacitly accepted their failure.

As for the protagonist, Hun Tiandi, he accepted Xiao Han's praise with a faint smile.

"Since you appreciate my methods so much, why not join my Soul Clan directly? With our forces combined, we can explore the scenery of that higher realm together?"

"You are joking, sir. It would be better to get to the point now!"

As Xiao Han spoke, a simple and unadorned Jade Pendant appeared directly in his hand.

Hun Tiandi was initially stunned by Xiao Han's swift action; after all, the two were in the middle of a verbal sparring match, and he hadn't expected this Xiao Clan Member to defect successfully, but why wasn't he following the script?

But when he saw the Tuoshe Ancient God Jade, Hun Tiandi ultimately chose to set everything else aside: "The Ice Saint is indeed straightforward!"

Then...

"Ice Saint, you may verify whether this person is indeed Ye Shenghan from your pavilion!" Hun Tiandi said in a gentle voice, holding up a figure covered in wounds and with a withered aura.

The tone was as if he were merely discussing the purchase of a Magic Beast cub at a market.

Grabbing hold of the slightly unstable Ye Jianxin, Xiao Han's immense Soul Power immediately wrapped around the figure in front of him.

Two minutes later...

Xiao Han withdrew his Soul Power and, looking at the smiling Hun Tiandi, said in a deep voice:

"No problem!"

"Then how shall we exchange?" Hun Tiandi smiled, as if this piece of Ancient Jade was already in his pocket.

Xiao Han thought for a moment, glanced at the blood-stained figure behind Hun Tiandi, pointed at it, and said:

"How about you and I exchange for that person!"

"Me?" Xue Qing was stunned for a moment.

Hun Tiandi was also wearing a look of bewilderment, yet he did not object, smiling slightly: "Then we shall follow the words of the Ice Saint."

"Your Excellency Xue Qing, I will have to trouble you." Hun Tiandi smiled gently at Xue Qing.

"It is merely a small favor." Although Hun Tiandi's smile was extremely affable, Xue Qing, who knew the other party's methods well, felt a chill run down his spine and smiled obsequiously.

Taking Ye Shenghan, who was handed over by Hun Tiandi, Xue Qing walked slowly toward Xiao Han.

Watching Xue Qing approach, Xiao Han also walked up to meet him with a solemn expression.

One step, two steps, three steps...

As the distance between the two closed, the countless hearts of those present were likewise lifted.

For the Ancient Races, Hun Tiandi was only missing one of the eight pieces of Ancient Jade; if they let the other party obtain it, find or even open the Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion ahead of them, or worse, obtain the mystery of becoming Imperial and step into the legendary realm of Dou Di, they could consider themselves finished.

For the Soul Clan, they had painstakingly operated for many years for the sake of the Tuoshe Ancient God Jade, even going so far as to make an enemy of the entire continent; now that they were only one step away from the finish line, how could they allow even the slightest mistake!

Finally...

Xiao Han and the other person successfully met!

"You hand over the jade, I release the person!" Xue Qing grinned, "We release them at the same time, how about that?"

"Agreed." Xiao Han nodded in consent.

"Three... two... one."

"Release!" The two simultaneously tossed the jade and the person in their hands, then retreated in unison after catching them.

At the same time, a shout came from both sides without distinction of who was first:

"Attack!"

A vast array of magnificent Dou Techniques immediately smashed toward Xue Qing, who was holding the Ancient Jade.