Chapter 549: Exchange

Xiao Ming focused on a Dou Venerate standing behind Xiao Ding and Xiao Li. Although his appearance had changed somewhat, Xiao Ming's perception could not be fooled. The presence of two Heavenly Flame auras within him made Xiao Ming confirm without a doubt that it was indeed Xiao Yan.

So what exactly had happened? Had Xiao Yan turned evil?

Xiao Yan, who had just emerged from the spatial passage, looked around at the magnificent scene filled with Dou Saints with a bitter feeling in his heart.

He certainly hadn't turned evil. No matter how evil he became, he would never harm his older brothers.

Unlike some other members of the Xiao family who had mocked him in his childhood, his older brothers had always been protective and loving towards him. Whenever someone mocked him, his second brother would even beat that person up.

But perhaps it was precisely this care that had led to the current situation...

…

Amidst the captives, the disheveled figures of Xiao Li and Xiao Ding were pushed forward. Their clothes were tattered, and their hair, which had not been cared for in a long time, was covered in grime and blood. Their overall appearance was extremely miserable.

The former glanced around, sensing the suffocatingly powerful auras everywhere. A bitter expression appeared on his face as he spoke softly.

"Big brother, I'm sorry, I've brought this upon you. If I hadn't insisted on finding Xiao Yanzi, you wouldn't have been captured. With our current strength, our situation seems dire..."

"This isn't your fault. We both made the decision to leave the family in search of Xiao Yan, and I've never regretted that decision. Fortunately, we didn't let Father come out with us at that time," Xiao Ding, unaware that the youngest brother they were searching for was right behind them, responded with comforting words.

"Besides, we might still have a chance to get out of this..."

Xiao Ding gestured with his eyes towards where Xiao Ming was, the meaning behind his gaze was clear.

Naturally, Xiao Li noticed Xiao Ming as well, but his inner thoughts were not as optimistic as Xiao Ding's.

'Big Brother is hopeful, but with the scale of this Hall of Souls operation, their ambitions are not small. Can Xiao Ming agree to it?'

In fact, Xiao Ding also knew that their chances were slim. However, in the current situation, what else could they do besides pinning their hopes on Xiao Ming?

Ignoring the standoff outside, just among those captured with them, any one of them could easily kill them with a snap of their fingers. Even as captives, they were nothing more than small fry.

'Rest assured, Big Brother, Second Brother, I will do my best to rescue you.'

Although Xiao Li and Xiao Ding spoke in hushed tones, Xiao Yan overheard their conversation. He silently vowed to himself.

Over the years, in order to seek revenge for his Master, Yao Lao, he had made great efforts to infiltrate the Hall of Souls. His appearance at this crucial moment was not without merit.

His excellent talent in alchemy had earned him the position of disciple under Hun Huzi, the first alchemist of the Hun Clan. If it weren't for the Hun Clan's high regard for these captives and the difficulty in approaching them with his position as Hun Huzi's disciple, he would have freed his Big Brother and Second Brother long ago.

If the situation became chaotic later, and no one paid attention to them, it would be much easier to sneak his older brothers out.

By then, he also planned to leave the Hall of Souls. The matter of revenge would have to wait for another day.

Xiao Yan's thoughts remained unknown to others. Xiao Ming only expressed a moment of surprise before turning to Hun Tiandi.

"You want to use these people as bargaining chips?"

"That's right. These people are either your close relatives, friends, or those who have shed blood and given their lives for your Heavenly Court. You wouldn't grudge giving up a mere piece of ancient jade for them, would you?" Hun Tiandi smiled faintly.

"Despicable! To think you are the head of a clan, acting so lowly!"

"No, Alliance Leader Xiao, you can't agree to Hun Tiandi's demand for the sake of the common people. If he gets the ancient jade, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"Yes, Alliance Leader, don't listen to him!"

"We are not afraid to die!"

Before Xiao Ming could even respond, others around him were sweating profusely, afraid that Hun Tiandi might persuade him.

If it were an older person being threatened, perhaps others wouldn't be as anxious. After all, those were cunning old foxes who usually prioritize their own interests.

There were no direct relatives here, so how could those old monsters be swayed?

But Xiao Ming was only in his twenties, a young man. The way the Heavenly Court operated under his leadership was relatively just and fair. In their eyes, Xiao Ming's actions tended to lean towards the righteous path.

What would they do if Xiao Ming were to be swayed by Hun Tiandi and hand over the ancient jade, allowing Hun Tiandi to complete the set and discover the entrance to the Ancient God's Mansion, and that mansion just happened to be located in a hard-to-find place?

Sit idly by and wait for Hun Tiandi to become a Dou God, then face death?

It was not only the people from the Gu, Lei, and Yan Clans who were trying to persuade Xiao Ming not to agree, but the captives were also urging him not to.

Although they didn't understand what the ancient jade was, even those without a brain understood that what could be traded in such a situation was undoubtedly something important.

Those who could be brought out as bargaining chips, especially the high-ranking members of the Heavenly Court, were tough nuts to crack and were not afraid of death.

'Damn it! This situation...'

As Xiao Yan listened to everyone advising Xiao Ming not to exchange the item for the hostages, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. If Xiao Ming didn't agree to the exchange, he wasn't confident he could take his two brothers back with him!

What if Hun Tiandi decided to kill the hostages outright in order to vent his anger?

During the years he had infiltrated the Hall of Souls, Xiao Yan had become very familiar with the modus operandi of the Hall of Souls' controlling force, the Hun Clan. He knew they were capable of such things, and to gain the trust of the Hall of Souls, he had even performed several such tasks himself.

"It seems you have many outstanding subordinates..."

Listening to the shouts around him, Hun Tiandi smiled faintly, his gaze on Xiao Ming as he said.

"How about it? Have you made your decision?"

Xiao Ming's expression remained calm throughout, making it impossible for anyone to discern his thoughts.

"Alright!"

When Xiao Ming finally spoke, everyone fell silent, waiting for their hoped-for answer.

"I agree to the transaction."

With a clench of his hand, an ancient jade appeared. It was the last piece of the Tou She Ancient God's Jade.

Xiao Ming did not use any kind of trickery. Such tactics would be useless against someone like Hun Tiandi. More importantly, he didn't really care if Hun Tiandi took the ancient jade.

"No, you can't do this!"

The people from the other Three Clans panicked when they saw Xiao Ming take out the ancient jade. They thought, 'Why do you have to be so straightforward as a leader? Can't you be a little more ruthless?'

"Three Clan Heads, please control your subordinates!" Xiao Ming glanced back.

Gu Yuan and the other two Clan Heads, who had been silent the whole time, sighed and then silenced their people.

A trace of greed and fervor flashed in Hun Tiandi's eyes as he looked at the ancient jade in Xiao Ming's hand.

With this last piece of ancient jade, he would be able to know the location of the Tou She Ancient God Mansion and open it.

If he could truly obtain the Di Tier Embryonic Pill inside, he would become the supreme ruler of this world in a single leap. At that time, the so-called alliance would be nothing more than ants in his eyes, easily crushed with a flick of his hand!

"He he, you seem to be a good leader. I can see why the Heavenly Court chose you as their leader from the start despite your youth."

Hun Tiandi withdrew his gaze and said slowly.

"Hand over the people, and I'll hand over the jade. You should understand that it would be very simple for me to kill these people, so I don't want to see any tricks..."

Xiao Ming glanced at him, then opened his palm and the ancient jade rose slowly under his control.

When Hun Tiandi saw this, he waved his sleeve, and the chains that bound the captives all cracked one after the other before they transformed into a ring of black light that lifted the captives into the air.

"Here you go!"

Hun Tiandi waved his hand, and everyone rushed toward Xiao Ming, propelled by the black light. At the same time, with a thought from Xiao Ming, the ancient jade shot directly at Hun Tiandi.

Simultaneously, Xiao Ming tapped his foot on the void and shot forward. He reached out for the captives, generating a powerful suction force that pulled everyone towards him. He then chopped down with his hand, severing the black restraints binding them.

Hun Tiandi grabbed the ancient jade almost at the same time as Xiao Ming secured the captives. Even with his composure, he couldn't help but burst out laughing when he felt the coolness of the jade in his hand.

With the ancient jade in hand, he could already envision the moment when he would step into that coveted realm!

The exchange between Hun Tiandi and Xiao Ming was done in a flash, putting Xiao Yan in a difficult situation. He hadn't expected their exchange to be completed that fast. Although his two brothers were safe, how could he return now?

Now he could only take it one step at a time!

Holding the captives, Xiao Ming flashed and swiftly flew into the formation below, where he set everyone down.

"We dragged you down, Alliance Leader!"

Some of the recently liberated captives couldn't help but pound their chests and stomp their feet in frustration. They weren't angry at Xiao Ming, they just hated themselves. Why did they end up as captives in the first place?

"There's no need to blame yourselves. You've all suffered enough. I'll avenge you..."

Xiao Ming consoled them briefly. He had met many of these people in the past, and he was even able to recall many of their names. Their current plight was not unconnected to him, and handing over the ancient jade wasn't just a calculated move.

After collecting himself, Xiao Ming gave them a faint smile, then turned around, his eyes revealing a deep chill.

Gu Yuan, Lei Ying, and the others' gazes fell on Xiao Ming as he turned around, their eyes filled with a similar icy determination. Now that the Soul Clan had gathered all of the ancient jade's pieces, they couldn't allow them to leave so easily today.

Xiao Ming nodded slightly as he met their gaze, then looked up at Hun Tiandi, who was holding the ancient jade and laughing maniacally. A subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. Then, with a soft voice, he said.

"Three Clan Heads, I believe there's no need for further words. Let's get started..."

As his words fell, a surge of killing intent swept through this world!