Chapter 427: A Dream That Can Come True

"Elder Bing Yi, could you introduce your clan's 'Ice God Festival' to me?"

After a brief farewell to the people of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, Xiao Han set off on the journey to the Ice Spirit Clan with Elder Bing Yi.

Given the importance Elder Bing Yi placed on it in his words and actions, Xiao Han felt it necessary to re-examine this legendary "greatest event of the Ice Spirit Clan."

Mentioning the Ice God Festival, a strong sense of pride appeared on Elder Bing Yi's face, and he said without hesitation:

"Since Your Excellency Xiao Han is interested, I shall naturally tell you everything I know."

"I presume Your Excellency Xiao Han has heard of the Ice God Festival; it is a grand event held by our Ice Spirit Clan once every hundred years."

"But..." Elder Bing Yi frowned, his tone solemn:

"It is also a carnival for many powerhouses of the Da Qian World."

Xiao Han was secretly puzzled; although the Ice Spirit Clan's influence as a famous Ancient Race of the Da Qian World went without saying.

Yet, in the entire Da Qian World, there were countless forces with Heavenly Sovereigns sitting in command; could a single Ice Spirit Clan truly have such capability?

Subsequently, Elder Bing Yi provided an explanation for this.

"Does Your Excellency know of the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring?"

"Heavenly Frost Ice Spring?"

Xiao Han was slightly startled, then frowned slightly and shook his head:

"I have never heard of it."

Hearing this, Elder Bing Yi did not mind and continued:

"The Heavenly Frost Ice Spring is a treasured land of our Ice Spirit Clan, which provides a tremendous boost to those who cultivate Ice Spirit Power."

"If one is lucky, an Earth Sovereign powerhouse entering it might even be able to advance by a level."

"Most importantly..."

Bing Yi smiled at the corners of his mouth:

"The Heavenly Frost Ice Spring can be opened to powerhouses outside the Ice Spirit Clan."

Hm?

Xiao Han's heart jolted.

The effect of the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring allowing an Earth Sovereign to advance a level was miraculous, but not hard to accept; the Ice Spirit Clan had been passed down in the Da Qian World for who knew how many years, so having such a foundation was not strange.

There were countless forces in the Da Qian World with such treasured lands.

What truly moved him was the fact that the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring was open to outsiders.

Xiao Han, born into a traditional family, knew clearly how strong a race's innate xenophobia was; this xenophobia would not fade with the passage of the race's heritage, but would instead merge into the blood and become an instinct.

Even if they fought to the death within the same family, they would stand united against an outside enemy.

Not to mention the long history of the Ice Spirit Clan, the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring could be called a supreme treasure; would the people of the Ice Spirit Clan actually allow outsiders to come and reap the rewards?

"Hm? Does Your Excellency Xiao Han have any questions?" Xiao Han's strange reaction was very obvious, and Elder Bing Yi, who was old and shrewd and had been paying attention to Xiao Han, naturally would not turn a blind eye.

"It's nothing."

Xiao Han's tone was complex,

"The Ice Spirit Clan is indeed worthy of being a great ancient race, to have such magnanimity as to share even the clan's supreme treasure with outsiders."

"I just don't know if there are any conditions for this Heavenly Frost Ice Spring?"

Elder Bing Yi smiled triumphantly in his heart; he had taken the initiative to mention the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring precisely for this moment.

For a Lower Earth Sovereign who cultivated ice-attribute Spirit Power, the temptation of the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring went without saying.

"This is exactly what I was about to mention next."

At this moment, Elder Bing Yi's heart was already half at ease.

"Every Ice God Festival, our Ice Spirit Clan sends invitations to many well-known powerhouses of the Da Qian World to participate in the competition for the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring."

"The top twenty become the final winners and possess the qualification to enter and soak in the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring."

"Twenty people."

Xiao Han asked:

"How many people will participate in the competition in total, and what is their strength?"

"The three main branches—Hui, Ling, and Jing—each have twenty recommendation spots, and the other twenty-one branch clans each have between three and eight spots; the total number should not exceed two hundred."

"As for our branch..."

As he spoke, a look of embarrassment appeared on Elder Bing Yi's face, and he gritted his teeth:

"We originally had eight spots, but after being suppressed and squeezed out over these years, only a mere three spots remain."

The resentful look made Xiao Han, who was watching from the side, twitch his mouth; it seemed the other party's branch had been having a very difficult time these years!

"As for the strength..."

Elder Bing Yi's face was gloomy: "Every invited powerhouse is at least an Earth Sovereign; there are about several dozen Upper Earth Sovereigns, and even the main branches will have Great Perfection Earth Sovereigns competing every time."

It was actually a Great Perfection Earth Sovereign!

Xiao Han's expression was ugly...

Eh?

It was only a Great Perfection Earth Sovereign?

Xiao Han's expression shifted slightly, and he asked with a slightly strange tone:

"Elder Bing Yi, if I remember correctly, your Ice God Festival seems to be closely related to the status of your respective branches?"

"That is correct."

Elder Bing Yi had long since learned from Beiming Longkun and the others about some of Xiao Han's personality—easygoing and free-spirited, usually not one to quibble, but when it involved his bottom line, he would rather use force than words, directly delivering a thunderous blow to eliminate the threat.

"Never try to deceive him." The serious expression Beiming Longkun had when giving that warning was still vivid in his mind.

Regarding the Ice God Festival, everything would be clear once they reached the Ice Spirit Clan's territory; being evasive would instead be like "there is no silver buried here," making one annoying.

Since things had reached this point, he naturally would not step on a landmine.

"Each of our branches can recommend experts to participate in the contention for the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring, whether they are self-cultivated or invited experts. However, their age must not exceed five hundred years."

"The stronger the recommended expert's strength and the better the results achieved, the higher the status of the branch will rise, and the subsequent allocation of resources will naturally be more generous."

After listening to Elder Bing Yi's explanation, Xiao Han thought for a moment and realized the intention behind the rules of this Ice God Festival.

The strength of a race is divided into two types: internal strength and external influence.

Internal strength goes without saying, while external influence is the number of experts one can invite, or in short, connections. After all, being able to invite experts to help is also a skill.

Furthermore, there is a five-hundred-year age limit; an Earth Sovereign under five hundred years old is considered a genius even in the Da Qian World, and being able to maintain good relationships with geniuses from the outside world is also a good thing for maintaining the status of the race.

Urging the branches to improve their strength, manage their connections, or grasp both at once—this is the reason for such rules.

Xiao Han also understood why the strongest experts this time were only Great Perfection Earth Sovereigns; with the five-hundred-year age limit, even Lower Earth Sovereigns are a struggle, let alone Great Perfection Earth Sovereigns.

As for those legendary Heavenly Sovereigns, a Heavenly Sovereign under five hundred years old is a rare gem in the Da Qian World, and their appearance fee is not something these branches of the Ice Spirit Clan can afford; after all, if all their wealth were used to invite experts, how would they continue to live?

"Elder Bing Yi, what is the meaning of this?" Catching sight of Elder Bing Yi's actions, Xiao Han was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stopped him.

"This old man knows that this request may be somewhat difficult, but I still wish to ask Your Excellency Xiao Han to help us survive this tribulation."

Looking at Elder Bing Yi kneeling before him, Xiao Han sighed inwardly; one could imagine the other party's desperation for an Elder to set aside his dignity and kneel.

Elder Bing Yi continued,

"This old man knows that Your Excellency Xiao Han's strength is not as simple as it appears on the surface, and I dare not force you to obtain any specific ranking; I only hope that Your Excellency can secure a spot for the Heavenly Frost Ice Spring and protect our branch."

Whether it was Bing Yu or the higher-ups of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, their assessment of Xiao Han was that he was unfathomable; even in Elder Bing Yi's perception, the other party was only a Lower Earth Sovereign, the same level as himself, yet that faint, lingering threat of death constantly haunted his heart.

Thinking of the two good-for-nothings in the clan who had been forced to grow through improper means, Bing Yi knew that this person was his only hope.

"Get up."

Xiao Han's calm voice rang out in Bing Yi's ear,

"Hm?"

Elder Bing Yi looked up, was helped up by Xiao Han's powerful palm, and heard a sentence that he would never forget for the rest of his life,

"What ranking do you want?"

"I allow you to have a dream that can come true."

(End of chapter)