161: The two sides are in a standoff.

Before the words even finished!

"Buzz—!"

A dull and evil hum, as if coming from deep underground, instantly resounded throughout the valley!

The toxic miasma rolling below suddenly became violent, its color turning from grayish-green to a heart-palpitating dark purple!

Countless twisted black runes flickered in the miasma, and an invisible, mountain-heavy pressure suddenly descended!

"Not good! It's a Formation suppression!"

Liu Tiezhu exclaimed. He was horrified to find that the Nascent Soul Stage Pure Yang Yuan Power coursing through his body...

...now seemed to have fallen into a quagmire, its circulation speed suddenly becoming incredibly sluggish. He could only exert fifty to sixty percent of his full strength!!

Lin Qingxue's face turned slightly pale. The light of the ice-blue Flying Sword dimmed significantly under the erosion of the Devilish Qi.

Her Golden Core Perfection cultivation was severely suppressed, her spiritual power circulation was difficult, and her strength dropped by nearly half.

However, Yao Delong, who was at the center of the storm, was in a much better situation than them!

Inside his Dantian, that incredibly pure Pure Yang Yuan Power was like a blazing furnace.

Its extremely Yang and unyielding aura instinctively repelled the erosion of the surrounding cold Devilish Qi.

It formed an invisible shield, isolating most of the Formation's suppression power.

At the same time, within his Sea of Consciousness, the Life-Generating Creation Fire and the Void Flame Blazing Fire flickered slightly.

They emitted a warm and resilient light, firmly protecting his Divine Soul and resisting the Formation's bizarre power that confused the mind.

With one side's strength waning and the other's waxing, Yao Delong's strength was only suppressed by about twenty to thirty percent!

At this extremely oppressive moment, Xin Yuelan clearly saw the runes emerging from the churning Devilish Miasma.

The red pupils beneath her fox demon mask suddenly erupted with uncontrollable ecstatic light!

"Nine Nether Yuan-Locking! It's the Nine Nether Origin Locking Grand Array!"

She cried out, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

As the Saintess of the Heavenly Demon Sect, she was all too familiar with this secret Sect Formation!

"It's Father! It must be Father who sent people to save me!"

Immense hope instantly overwhelmed her reason. She seemed to already see herself escaping...

...and how she would trample Yao Delong under her feet, letting him also taste what it was like to be treated like a beast of burden!

"Jie jie jie...!"

"Heh heh heh...!"

Bursts of spine-chilling, eerie laughter, like the crying of an owl...

...came from the dark purple miasma rolling in from all directions.

Immediately after, two figures emitting dense Devilish Qi slowly floated out like ghosts, hovering in front of everyone.

The leader was as thin as a dried stick, with a withered face and sunken eye sockets.

He looked like a skeleton draped in human skin, holding a small black banner that emitted a thick aura of blood and resentment.

He was precisely the Mid Nascent Soul Stage old devil, Xue Li!

Beside him was Xue Jiu, who was staring at Yao Delong with a sinister smile and greedy eyes!

When Yao Delong's group entered the toxic miasma, Xue Li had noticed the woman hidden by the fox demon mask, who might be the Saintess.

"Good boy, you've really kept us waiting."

Xue Li's voice was hoarse and piercing, like sandpaper rubbing together.

"Hand over the Saintess and I'll leave you all with whole corpses."

As soon as Xin Yuelan saw the newcomers, her heart settled; they were indeed people from the Heavenly Demon Sect!

Without hesitation, she suddenly raised her hand and took off the fox demon mask from her face!

In an instant, an exquisite face capable of eclipsing heaven and earth was exposed in the miasma!

Her snow-white long hair moved without wind, and her bizarrely magnificent red pupils shone brightly.

Even in a dangerous situation, that nobility and charm originating from her Bloodline were still soul-stirring!

"Xue Li!" Her cold voice carried the majesty of one who had long held a high position.

Although she didn't recognize Xue Jiu, she identified Xue Li, who was an Elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

"Saintess Your Highness!"

When Xue Jiu and Xue Li saw the demoness's true appearance—that iconic white hair and red pupils—who in the Heavenly Demon Sect wouldn't know her?

Their pupils shrank, and they immediately confirmed it without a doubt!

Behind them, more than a dozen elite Hidden Agents of the demon Sect emerged from the miasma...

...and knelt down on one knee in the Void Realm in unison, their voices fanatical and respectful:

"Greetings, Saintess!"

Xin Yuelan raised her chin slightly, a long-lost sense of control flashing in her red pupils as she enjoyed the familiar kneeling.

However, she seemed to have completely forgotten her current situation—

She was not free, but a captive!

At the moment her mind relaxed, thinking the situation was settled!

A slender and powerful hand, like a steel pincer...

...silently yet incredibly swiftly clamped onto her slender neck!

A warm breath puffed against her sensitive earlobe, and a playful whisper exploded in her mind like a thunderclap:

"Lady Maidservant, have you forgotten that you're still in my hands? I haven't agreed to let you go yet."

Xin Yuelan's body suddenly stiffened, her ecstasy instantly freezing and turning into endless shame-filled anger and a trace of... imperceptible fear!

She had actually gotten carried away and forgotten about this bastard!

"How dare you!"

"Release the Saintess!"

Seeing this, Xue Jiu, Xue Li, and the others were filled with shock and rage. They stood up abruptly, Devilish Qi surging around them, their killing intent fully exposed!

But they were wary of harming the hostage and didn't dare to act rashly.

The muscles on Xue Li's withered face twitched, and a fierce light flickered in his eyes:

"Kid! Release the Saintess! Otherwise, I'll make sure you beg for life but cannot live, and beg for death but cannot die!"

He secretly cursed the Saintess for being foolish, while also being shocked by Yao Delong's reaction speed and control over the situation.

That Early Nascent Soul Stage helper beside this kid was suppressed by the great Formation, but he was still a nuisance.

Feeling the unquestionable power on her neck, Xin Yuelan was both ashamed and angry. She struggled and growled:

"Yao Delong! You'd better release me immediately! Otherwise, you will surely die today! The power of this Formation, you simply..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Yao Delong interrupted her, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He applied a bit of force with his fingers, making her swallow the rest of her words.

"I didn't Seal your intellect, so why are you talking so much nonsense?

If I release you, we'll truly be on a path to death."

His gaze swept across the surrounding Devilish Cultivators who were watching like tigers, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"It seems Lady Maidservant still hasn't recognized reality. Isn't my biggest trump card the fact that you're in my hands?"

Xin Yuelan trembled with rage but was helpless.

She knew deep down that Yao Delong was right; at this moment, she was his biggest trump card and bargaining chip!

"Back off!"

Yao Delong shouted coldly at Xue Li and the others, while clutching Xin Yuelan and slowly backing away to join Liu Tiezhu and Lin Qingxue.

Xue Li's eyes were gloomy. He waved his hand to signal the Devilish Cultivators to step back a little.

But the encirclement remained tight, and the suppression of the Nine Nether Origin Locking Grand Array didn't decrease in the slightest. He said hoarsely:

"Kid, what do you want? If the Saintess suffers even the slightest harm, the Heavenly Demon Sect will grind your bones to ashes and exterminate your nine generations!"

"Nothing much."

Yao Delong's gaze swept across the surroundings, his brain working rapidly.

"Let us leave the range of the Formation, and I will naturally release your Saintess."

"Wishful thinking!" Xue Jiu said sharply.

"Once you leave the Formation, you'll immediately run back to the Yin Yang Sect! Do you take us for fools?"

"Then there's nothing to talk about?"

Yao Delong's eyes turned cold, and his hand clutching Xin Yuelan tightened further.

Xin Yuelan immediately let out a painful muffled groan, her face flushing red.

"Stop!"

Xue Li hurriedly shouted, anger churning in his eyes.

"Kid, don't bring ruin upon yourself! Even if you have a hostage, you won't last long in this Nine Nether Origin Locking Grand Array!

When your strength is exhausted, it'll still be a dead end!"

"Is that so?"

A strange curve appeared at the corner of Yao Delong's mouth. "Then let's see who can't hold out first!"