Whether those approaching Ling Tian wanted the Phoenix Soul Fruit, some other Saint-grade Heavenly Treasure, or something else entirely, they had shown hostility—and, more importantly, they were incredibly powerful. Ling Tian needed to prepare in advance. For example, he could take Hua Min'er and the others into his Small World so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. Ling Tian wasn't afraid of those cultivators, including the Near-Saint Nineteenth Heaven expert, but Hua Min'er and the others might not fare so well.
That made sense. Hua Min'er and the others were powerful after breaking through to the peak of the Near-Saint Eighteenth Heaven, and they could handle the three cultivators at that same level without trouble. But facing the Near-Saint Nineteenth Heaven cultivator would be dangerous. After all, only a handful of cultivators like Ling Tian could cross the Heavenly Chasm between major realms. What's more, those cultivators might burn their Origin Bloodline Power. Taking Hua Min'er and the others into his Small World would keep them out of harm's way.
Hua Min'er and the others had also sensed someone approaching, and they could tell the newcomers were incredibly powerful. At first, they had been thrilled. They assumed these people would join them and face the tribulation together in the future. But when Ling Tian moved to take them into his Small World, they realized something was amiss. After asking Bi Yun, whose spiritual perception was the sharpest, they discovered what was wrong.
Even so, they weren't worried. There was a Near-Saint Nineteenth Heaven cultivator among the newcomers, and Ling Tian was already in terrible shape, but his battle with Xiao Shi had proved how powerful he was. Even Xiao Shi hadn't been a match for Ling Tian, let alone the other cultivators. They simply couldn't believe the newcomers were