"Hou Lie, within this Xiang Capital, though it is inconvenient for me to execute you directly, I can easily cripple your cultivation, and there is nothing you can do about it. Ten breaths of time: will you hand the people over, or must I hear your answer? Otherwise, do not blame me for using ruthless methods."
Having disposed of the trouble posed by the Golden Core cultivator military formation, Lu Xiaotian looked once more at Hou Lie beneath the Demon-Suppressing Tower and said in a calm voice.
"I have merely kept two juniors in my manor as guests, so how can you call it detention? Besides, as a high-ranking official of the Immortal Dynasty, am I someone you can cripple simply because you wish to?" Hou Lie forcibly resisted the immense pressure of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, struggling to reply.
"A waste of time." Lu Xiaotian shook his head, and the brilliance of the Demon-Suppressing Tower flashed once more.
Spurt. Hou Lie's face flushed crimson, and a mouthful of blood spewed out as the pagoda above his head descended by another notch. Just a moment ago, he had nearly failed to sustain his stance and been pressed flat against the ground.
Yet under the gaze of so many onlookers, Hou Lie could not afford to lose such face. Gritting his teeth, his expression toward Lu Xiaotian filled with dread and hatred, he swayed on his feet, yet stubbornly refused to fall.
Although Hou Lie's disposition was unyielding, the ground beneath his feet could not hold out. Cracks began to spiderweb across the hard stone bricks under the crushing weight of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, causing Hou Lie's knees to slowly sink into the earth.
"Father!" Hou Xiyu, who previously retained a trace of haughtiness, cried out in sorrow upon seeing her father