Release the Raiders

Ling Tian's meeting with Shi Ao had not gone as imagined. Instead of trading blows the moment they met, they chatted like old friends who had not seen each other in years, their tones calm—so calm there wasn't the slightest trace of hostility.

When Shi Ao said Ling Tian stood on the opposite side from him, his tone had turned subtly complicated. There was regret and helplessness, but also excitement, and even a hint of relief, as though Ling Tian becoming his opponent gave him an excuse to kill him. To kill this Buddhist cultivator of the Demon Race, this man who could become a second legend and surpass him.

"Heh, you've mobilized dozens of Mahayana Stage experts just for me. I suppose I should feel honored." Ling Tian shook his head with a faint laugh, then glanced over the people behind Shi Ao. "What, aren't you planning to make a move?"

Facing so many experts, Ling Tian remained utterly composed. Shi Ao raised an eyebrow, a strange thought rising in his mind. He felt as if Ling Tian still had a hidden card—something that could help him escape alive. Shaking his head to suppress the absurd notion, Shi Ao stared at Ling Tian. "What, are you still planning to resist to the bitter end?"

"If I don't resist, will you let us go?" Ling Tian countered, his eyes full of resolve. "We both know we won't just sit here and wait to die. We might as well fight to our hearts' content."

"Alas, we've brought so many experts this time precisely to make sure you don't survive. You're going to die today." Shi Ao sighed, as though mourning the imminent loss of such a worthy opponent. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he changed tack. "Unless... unless you agree