The Lin Branch Taking Heat from Both Sides

"Thank you for your help!"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with lingering fear, Elder Bing Yi belatedly thanked Xiao Han, whose expression was stern.

He understood that this was Bing Lingkun's warning to him, even though he was Elder and thus held a higher seniority.

However, when it comes to a real comparison, not to mention the difference in strength between the two sides, the difference between the main lineage and the branch lineage is also huge. According to common sense, Elder Bing Yi does not have the right to question the other party.

Just as Elder Bing Yi was about to call Xiao Han to leave, the latter did not respond at all.

"Sir Xiao Han?" Bing Yi called out in confusion.

However, Xiao Han stared intently at Bing Lingkun's departing figure. Bing Yi called Xiao Han a few more times before he finally snapped out of his reverie.

"Sorry, I was a little distracted."

"Is Sir Xiao Han still thinking about Bing Lingkun?"

"That's right." Xiao Han did not deny it.

"The Great Perfection Earthly Supreme".

He made a judgment in his mind. After that Jing Hong exchange, Xiao Han was quite certain that Bing Lingkun's strength had reached the Great Perfection Earthly Supreme, rather than the Upper Earthly Supreme peak as rumored by the outside world.

"Elder Bing Yi, you've gone to a lot of trouble. Could you please let me know more about the noble geniuses?"

"You flatter me, Sir Xiao Han."

The two walked slowly across the plain, with Bing Yi tirelessly introducing Xiao Han to the information about the powerful members of the various branches of the Ice Spirit Race.

After what just happened, Bing Yi knew very well that they had reached a critical point of life and death. The only way to survive now was to let Xiao Han advance as far as possible in the Ice God Ceremony. Therefore, information about the strong was of paramount importance.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away on another Snowy Plains, Bing Lingkun and his group began analyzing Xiao Han's intelligence.

"Ling Ye, how strong is that person?" Bing Lingkun asked without stopping or turning his head. The person he was referring to was naturally Xiao Han.

Upon hearing this, the composed middle-aged man named Bing Lingye stepped forward, his tone solemn.

"Reporting to the Young Master, this person's actual combat strength may have reached the Great Perfection Earthly Supreme."

"Combat strength?" Bing Lingkun frowned slightly, his tone tinged with doubt. "Not cultivation level?"

Bing Lingye was not annoyed by the former's question. As a genius of the Soaring Branch, Bing Lingkun was outstanding among his peers in terms of both talent and combat strength.

However, aside from her talent, she has a major flaw: once she starts fighting, she easily overlooks details outside of the battle. She has already made the greatest effort to control herself and test Xiao Han this time, so we can't ask for too much.

This is why Bing Lingye always stays by Bing Lingkun's side, acting as his advisor and limiter.

"It's not cultivation level," Bing Lingye replied definitively.

"Based on the burst of Spiritual Power this person just now, his cultivation level should only be that of Upper Earthly Supreme, and definitely not higher."

"How is that possible?"

Bing Lingkun instinctively retorted, excitedly saying, "How could an Upper Earthly Supreme possibly be my match?"

Bing Lingye sensed the faint jealousy in the former's words and sighed inwardly, thinking that his Young Master still couldn't keep his composure!

That makes sense. Anyone would be moved to hear that an evenly matched opponent is a level below them, let alone a prodigy like the Young Master.

However, some things can only be acknowledged: arrogance only leads to death. Having a clear understanding of oneself is an important factor in Bing Lingye being chosen as Bing Lingkun's strategist.

But he wouldn't be foolish enough to speak bluntly; instead, he offered words of comfort:

"Young Master, although Xiao Han has some methods that allow him to unleash power equivalent to Great Perfection Earthly Supreme, he is ultimately not a true Great Perfection Earthly Supreme, and his strength cannot be maintained for too long."

"So..."

Bing Lingkun's eyes lit up. "You mean..."

"Just stall for time."

Bing Lingye replied with a smile. He was glad that the Young Master, who had a rough and reckless face, was not the kind of hothead who would stubbornly fight his opponents head-on. For him, victory was everything.

"And..."

"Young Master, have you forgotten?" Bing Lingye closed the distance between himself and Bing Lingkun, lowering his voice as he spoke.

"Those two Young Master haven't made a move yet?"

"Clan Chief Bing Linyan, can you please give me a straight answer? How dare a small branch be ostracized by the three main branches and all other branches?"

"What heinous things has your lineage done that have angered both heaven and man?"

Xiao Han spoke angrily, his expression serious, and his spittle almost landed on the faces of the elderly people opposite him.

Tiger's den and wolf's lair!

This is Xiao Han's assessment of the Ice Spirit Race.

This Lin Branch isn't just being ostracized; he's practically an enemy of the entire world!

Xiao Han even suspected that if the Lin Branch hadn't retained some of the legacy left by their ancestors, and if internal strife hadn't been considered taboo, their opponent might no longer exist by now.

Although...

Lin Branch is now on the verge of disbanding.

Xiao Han originally thought that only the main branch and its subordinate branches had any interest in the Lin Branch, but who would have thought that the situation would deteriorate to such an extent.

If there wasn't some other reason behind this, Xiao Han could only say...

"Hehe!"

I don't care who it is!

Goodbye and don't come back!

He had no intention of making an Ancient Races his enemy for no reason, and his strength had not yet recovered to its peak.

Xiao Han's anger was almost undisguised. The other high-ranking members of the Lin Branch, including Clan Chief Bing Linyan, were not blind. They exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Bing Linyan opened her mouth as if to speak.

"What, you're willing to talk now?" The indignation in Xiao Han's tone had disappeared, replaced by a stillness as deep as a still pool.

"This all started three hundred years ago..." Bing Linyan sighed.

Half an hour later.

"That's it?" Xiao Han asked, stunned, his eyes filled with deep doubt.

In short, three hundred years ago, a top genius from the Lin Branch met a Hong Yan while training in the outside world. The two fell in love, pledged their lives to each other, and then prepared to return to their clan to marry her in a grand ceremony.

At this moment, a marriage prospect miraculously appears. The family forces the woman to sever ties with an unknown woman from who-knows-where and accept the family's arrangement. Despite the genius's vehement refusal, the woman prepares to manually eliminate the threat.

However, the former discovered this in advance, and directly betrayed the Ice Spirit Race. He caused a great disturbance within the clan, successfully escaped, and went off to live happily with his Hong Yan in the Great Thousand World.

After this battle, the Ice Spirit Race lost all face, and the Lin Branch, caught between its own clan and its members, was caught in the middle.

This story sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before.

You told me that Lin Branch has fallen to such a state simply because of a story trope that's been written to death by the common folk.

Moreover, the Ice Spirit Race's character design in the story is far too poor. Not only are they stubborn and pedantic, but they can also be defeated by a junior, which shows that their strength is too weak.

It really is...

Sigh!

Just as I expected!

It really is true that art imitates life, right?

The key point is that he had actually heard of the protagonist of the story. He was none other than the Palace Master of the Nether Night Palace, a Super faction in the northern part of the Great Thousand World, the Immortal Grade Heavenly Supreme Saint Lin Ye, and it was said that his wife was also Heavenly Supreme. The couple's relationship was extremely good.

Where does the Ice Spirit Race get the audacity to look down on a daughter-in-law with the potential to become Heavenly Supreme?

Not to mention that Saint Lin Ye's strength has already surpassed that of the Ice Spirit Old Ancestor.

This is bad, isn't it?

They inadvertently became enemies with two Heavenly Supreme.

"The Ice Spirit Race truly has guts!"

After a long pause, Xiao Han could only offer this praise; whether it was sarcasm or not was a matter of opinion.

At the same time, I felt a surge of sympathy for Lin Branch in the middle of the story.

He wanted to find a compromise, but the protagonist treated him as a cold-hearted family that had abandoned him, and the family treated him as a selfish person who was trying to protect his unworthy descendants. He was truly caught in the middle.

While one shouldn't believe only one side of the story, the dire state of affairs in Lin Branch seems quite convincing.

"Then, Your Excellency..."

Bing Linyan asked cautiously.

"This is a bit difficult."

Xiao Han's tone was solemn.

"That's true."

Bing Linyan thought Xiao Han was going to refuse. Although she was disappointed, she understood. After all, not everyone would provoke such a behemoth as the Ice Spirit Race for someone they had just met.

"Please stay here for a while. We will see you off after the Ice God Ceremony."

Although his hopes were dashed, his good manners allowed him to refrain from losing his temper on the spot. At the very least, as Bing Yu's teacher, he should treat her with hospitality.

After the disbandment of the Lin Branch, Bing Yu, now alone and helpless, still had to rely on Xiao Han for care.

"You'll have to pay more."

Xiao Han suddenly said.

One thought can lead to hell, another to heaven.

That's all there is to it!