Chapter 274: No Hostages, Do You Want to Die Here?
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The group’s expressions shifted subtly, their hesitation visible in their eyes.
During their indecision, Old Xie steadily closed the distance between them.
Ghost Hag let out a cold snort, her sleeve sweeping backward.
A fierce gale arose, rapidly forming a violent tornado.
The tornado stretched from the heavens to the earth, its might immense, sweeping across thousands of miles.
Where it passed, devastation followed—mountains crumbled, and the earth split.
In the face of this tornado, Old Xie seemed like a lone leaf amidst raging waves, swallowed in an instant.
The tension among Blood Demon and the others eased slightly.
That Old Xie was truly ominous; it was better if he were dead.
They steadied their nerves, preparing to move on, only for a sharp blade light to suddenly appear high above. It descended with the force of a thunderbolt.
Together, the group shattered the blade light, but their faces revealed unease.
This was one of Old Xie’s attacks!
He wasn’t dead!
Even Ghost Hag couldn’t help but shiver internally.
Could Old Xie possibly know some kind of resurrection technique?
Buzz—
Old Xie leapt out from the tornado, brandishing a crescent moon scythe as he charged toward them.
Ghost Hag shouted sharply, “Kill him!”
The hesitation in their eyes vanished as brilliant spiritual lights burst forth from their hands.
The overwhelming pressure distorted even space itself.
“Roar!”
Suddenly, a furious growl erupted from behind them.
Then came a second, and a third…
Beastly roars echoed one after another, reverberating above their heads.
The group was stunned.
They glanced around, only to realize they were surrounded by several Nascent Soul-stage demonic beasts.
What made them panic even more was the appearance of an endless curtain of light surrounding the outer periphery of the Dragon Pool Mountain Range, cutting off all exits.
The curtain of light connected the sky and ground, sealing every passage and restricting spatial abilities.
In other words, within the Dragon Pool Mountain Range, teleportation was impossible, leaving no means to escape from the beasts.
Bai Mei was the first to appear. Her usually gentle face was now cold and intimidating, her gaze as sharp as blades. “Hand over the captured beast cubs!”
“How dare you cause havoc in the Dragon Pool Mountain Range! Courting death!” Hua Tu appeared from another direction, his third eye at his forehead locking firmly onto them.
Screech—
A sharp cry rang out as a massive creature dived down from the sky, its claws gleaming with a chilling light sharper than swords.
Ghost Hag and the others hastily raised defensive barriers.
However, as the massive creature approached, its wings suddenly flapped, brushing past them to land behind them, cutting off their retreat.
The creature’s presence was so overwhelming that the later-arriving Yu Zhao went unnoticed by Ghost Hag and her group.
But Hua Tu noticed her.
Had it not been for the poor timing, he would have rushed over to ask Yu Zhao how she had managed this.
She had truly delayed them.
A tense silence enveloped the area.
Ghost Hag and the others neither spoke nor acted recklessly.
They understood they were teetering on the edge of extreme danger. Beyond the beasts in front of them, reinforcements were on their way. At any moment, they could face devastating losses.
The group turned to Ghost Hag, their gazes complex.
Ghost Hag calculated their odds in silence. Realizing the tide had turned against them, she knew their only chance for survival was to escape before the main force of the beasts arrived.
She coughed heavily, pulling a spirit beast pouch from her waist. “The captured beast cubs are all in here. I’ll return them to you if you let us leave.”
Hua Tu’s leopard eyes widened.
These intruders dared to bargain after trespassing in their territory? Impossible…
“Agreed,” said Bai Mei.
Hua Tu: ?
He stared at Bai Mei in disbelief, grinding his teeth in frustration.
But thinking of the young cubs, he held his tongue. He could always hunt these people down after rescuing the cubs. After all, he hadn’t made the promise—he could renege at any time.
The towering bird demon standing nearby also stayed silent, clearly deferring to Bai Mei’s decision.
The position of the White Peacock Clan among demonic beasts was evident.
“I don’t trust your promises,” said Ghost Hag.
“Then what do you propose?”
“Let us leave the Dragon Pool Mountain Range safely first. Only then will I return the cubs.”
“Impossible.”
This time, Bai Mei’s refusal was swift and firm.
She didn’t trust Ghost Hag either. If she let them leave, the cubs’ survival would be in jeopardy.
“I can release half of the cubs first.”
Bai Mei frowned, remaining silent.
A dark glint flashed in Ghost Hag’s eyes. “I’ve already shown great sincerity. If this doesn’t work, we’ll have no choice but to fight to the death…”
Her tone carried a sharp edge at the end.
Conflict flickered in Bai Mei’s gaze.
Logic told her not to trust Ghost Hag, but rescuing half of the cubs in advance would at least secure their lives.
No one knew what Ghost Hag might do to the cubs otherwise.
“We can agree to your terms, but you must leave a few of your people as hostages.”
All eyes instantly turned to Yu Zhao.
Unperturbed, Yu Zhao met Ghost Hag’s gaze.
Ghost Hag’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Among the beasts present, Yu Zhao appeared the least threatening, yet she exerted more pressure than all the others combined.
Moreover, she had casually dismantled her plan earlier.
Bai Mei’s eyes lit up with realization.
Of course! If the captors had their cubs, they could hold cultivators as hostages.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The faces of Blood Demon and the others immediately fell.
No one wanted to stay behind as a hostage.
They all knew their companions’ true nature. Once out of the Dragon Pool Mountain Range, they’d flee without a second thought, leaving the hostages behind to their fates.
“Ghost Hag, we can’t leave hostages!”
“Right! I won’t stay as one!”
“Ghost Hag, we followed you here, you can’t abandon us now!”
Before Ghost Hag could speak, they scrambled to voice their protests, each fearing being the last to speak and thus chosen.
Hua Tu growled menacingly, “No hostages, no one leaves. Roar—”
“Roar!”
“Screech!”
“Grrr!”
The beasts’ roars easily drowned out the cultivators’ voices.
Ghost Hag’s anger flared. “No hostages? Do you all want to die here?!”
The group fell silent, their wary eyes shifting among one another.
If someone had to be sacrificed, no one wanted it to be themselves.
Ghost Hag hesitated, weighing who to send to their deaths.
Fortunately, Yu Zhao spared her the trouble by pointing out a few people. “Those ones.”
Those not chosen breathed a sigh of relief.
The selected ones, however, turned pale, as if mourning their fate.
Ghost Hag’s face was even darker.
“They won’t do. Pick someone else.”
Those who had just escaped selection instantly protested.
“Ghost Hag, what do you mean by this?!”