This time, no one dared respond.
Within the valley, only the sizzling of poison essence clashing with ice crystals on White Snake True Lord's shoulder remained.
A long while passed.
Golden Toad Granny bent down and gently laid her toad staff on the black stone beside her feet-an action that made White Snake True Lord frown!
Setting down her bonded staff in the present situation was almost akin to stripping off her armor and laying down her weapons, leaving herself at another's mercy.
"Lord Xiao."
Golden Toad Granny's voice softened completely, even taking on a trace of pleading. "I implore you to think thrice. Great Jin is surrounded by enemies on all sides. That is a fact."
"The Iron Household in the northern borderlands has held Frost-Extinguishing Pass to the death for decades. Two royal tribes of the Golden Tent Khanate have already arrived before the pass in person, threatening to slaughter the city. Across the sixteen prefectures of the Southwestern Circuit, two great demon gods of the Ten Thousand Saints Demon Kingdom have both taken the field, slaughtering seven cities."
"In truth, there is no deep-seated hatred between us. This is only about interests, Lord Xiao! Killing the two of us would only unite the Gu Tribe of the Southern Borderlands and the Nine Departments of Southern Yue, from top to bottom, in a punitive campaign against the Southern Borderlands!"
"To show our sincerity once again, all four conditions remain open to negotiation... Please weigh which matters more, Lord Xiao, and think thrice."
This time, Xiao Canglan did not strike again.
Silence settled over the scene.
Meanwhile, over in Qiongzhou.
Qing Chen sent Xue Yubing to find Ding Buxing.
He had received reliable word from Tie Ming that Ding Buxing and Li Wenbi would return to the Divine