Ling Tian alone had no chance of defeating Xiao Yaozi and the dozen or so others. If the fight continued, he would have no choice but to flee. Fortunately, he had reinforcements. Once the Divine Emperor and the others arrived, Ling Tian's side took control of the situation. After all, Ling Tian alone had already fought Xiao Yaozi and his companions to a stalemate. With more than a thousand people suddenly joining him, they could easily suppress their opponents, if not kill them outright. At the very least, Xiao Yaozi and the others would have to run.
But neither being killed by Ling Tian's side nor fleeing was something Xiao Yaozi and the others wanted. Either way, they would eventually meet their end; the only difference was how long they would live. Naturally, they were unwilling to choose either path. At this point, Ling Tian offered them another option: they could join his side.
Joining Ling Tian's side, however, meant having a soul restriction placed on them, something they found hard to accept. They worried that Ling Tian might enslave them in the future or use them as cannon fodder. Even though they could gain many benefits from him, including cultivating with the help of all the Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures, they still found it difficult to make a decision right away.
Ling Tian wasn't in a hurry. He told them plainly that he wouldn't enslave them, and even assured them that, in the future, all they would need to do was help him deal with one person. What moved Xiao Yaozi and the others most, though, was Ling Tian's remark that, barring unforeseen circumstances, he would have already reached the Saint level by then.
It made sense. The Saint level was a realm countless cultivators could only look up to,