The moment the many Outer Realm Cultivators closed in, Ling Tian activated the combined Myriad Sword Demon Extermination Grand Formation and Buddha Kingdom World formation. The latter was the smaller of the two, covering only a few hundred yards. Clearly, he had done this on purpose—to buy time. The longer he delayed them, the more Outer Realm Cultivators would step into the formations he had laid in advance. That would let him capture more of them and reap an even greater reward.
Of course, even if the Outer Realm Cultivators attacked as soon as they saw the formations, Ling Tian was confident he could use them to hold out for a while and buy time. That, too, would lure more cultivators closer and into the formations he had set.
In short, whether the Outer Realm Cultivators attacked at once or not, he would gain some time and more of them would arrive. That would bring Ling Tian and the others a whole host of benefits.
All the same, Ling Tian would much rather they held off attacking. If they did, he could buy more time, and that would bring them even greater benefits.
Fortunately, things went as he had hoped. Whether the Outer Realm Cultivators feared being the first bird shot down or were wary of the formations Ling Tian had laid, they did not attack right away. Instead, they tried to "subdue the enemy without fighting," urging Ling Tian to hand over the captured Outer Realm Cultivators and the Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures.
Naturally, clever as he was, Ling Tian immediately realized they were trying to deceive him. He knew their main goal was not to rescue the cultivators he and Chi Xue had captured, but to get their hands on the Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures.
Ling Tian did not care