Though capturing cultivators in the middle or late stages of the Twenty-first Heaven of Near-Saint, or even at its peak, wasn't too difficult for Ling Tian and the others, it was still much easier than killing them outright. So when Po Qiong suggested taking those cultivators alive, Little Swallow was rather puzzled.
After thinking it over, Little Swallow came to his own conclusion. He thought Po Qiong wanted Ling Tian to place soul restrictions on the captured cultivators and bring them under his control. With their help, finding Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures would be much easier.
But Po Qiong knew Ling Tian wouldn't use soul restrictions on anyone until he found a way to undo the Lord of the Universe's soul restriction. Once Po Qiong explained that, Little Swallow was even more confused.
"Brother Tian, you really don't plan to place soul restrictions on the cultivators we capture?" Little Swallow asked. When Ling Tian nodded, he continued, "If so, what's the point of capturing them?"
"There are plenty of benefits to taking them alive. For example, we can get information from them. You and I both know that the stronger a cultivator is, the more secrets they might know. Maybe they've heard of Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures that even the Mist Hidden Sect doesn't know about. At the very least, the more cultivators we capture, the more leads we'll get." Ling Tian explained. When Little Swallow nodded, he went on, "Besides, we can hold them hostage—or ransom them—and have their friends and family trade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures or cultivation techniques and secret arts for their release. We could even ask for information about Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures. That would benefit us, too."
"That's right, that's right. You're right about that." Little Swallow nodded repeatedly, then grinned. "Those people probably have plenty