"In fourteen breaths, I have diverted the attention of all the Tribulation Crossing Mahayana cultivators watching this place. During this time, no one will come to save you."

After speaking, he closed his mouth, no longer looking at Zhang Ze, instead, he seriously studied the golden door.

Time passed second by second. It was unclear how many set of fourteen breaths had passed, but nothing happened.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Xiao Jing's affected voice rang out once again.

"The fourteen breaths I mentioned refer to the outside world, but this place is my own time domain. Time here is measured by me—fourteen days, fourteen years, all at my whim."

After Emperor Xiaojing finished speaking, he wanted to turn back to see the look of despair on Zhang Ze's face.

However, Zhang Ze remained in the immobilized state, completely unmoving.

Seeing that his deliberately exposed flaw had not provoked a desperate counterattack from Zhang Ze, Emperor Xiaojing felt some disappointment.

He took a few steps back, conjured a dragon chair, adjusted his robe, and sat down. Then, Emperor Xiaojing snapped his fingers, releasing the restriction on Zhang Ze's head.

"Aren't you quite sharp-tongued? Speak up, let me hear what excuses you have now.

If you please me with your words, I'll let you go today."

Zhang Ze merely looked at him without speaking.

Seeing Zhang Ze remain silent, Emperor Xiaojing was not in a hurry. He said calmly, "Since you're unwilling to chat, let's make a different deal. Open this door for me, and I'll let you all go."

"Why should I believe you?" Zhang Ze finally spoke.

Leaning back in the dragon chair, Emperor Xiaojing replied with ease, "I am true to my word. Whether you believe it or not is your problem."

"What if I don't do it?" Zhang Ze asked again.

"Nothing much, if I cannot reclaim my divine body today, then I'll reclaim it another day.

If my plan fails, then switch to slaughter.

Starting with the two of you, then the Thousand Mechanism cultivators here, and then that little dragon—kill as many as I can.

This is only a wisp of a divine thought Dharma body. While it's troublesome to manifest, discarding it is no big matter."

Zhang Ze stared intently at Xiao Jing, "You've already made your move, haven't you? Diverting attention here needed more than just some lame gossip; something big had to happen."

"Who knows," replied Emperor Xiaojing. "I've already told you, this place is unlike the outside world. If you follow my orders now, perhaps you can save a few lives."

Having said that, Emperor Xiaojing waved his hand, and the ice coffin behind him crashed to the ground. He tapped its lid, speaking coldly,

"Open the door, or I'll start with her."

Zhang Ze looked at Xiao Jing, then glanced at Chen Qin sealed in the ice coffin, and asked,

"How many doors in total do I have to open?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xiaojing seemed very pleased. He clapped his hands and laughed,

"Clever, truly clever. Since you're so smart, I'll compromise. In the Black Tower's eightieth layer, give me seventy more layers, and I'll set you free."

"Which seventy layers?" Zhang Ze asked.

Emperor Xiaojing, "Whichever you like."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Ze was puzzled.

"I said whichever," Emperor Xiaojing initially didn't want to explain but found the cat-and-mouse game amusing, so he continued mockingly,

"Only my unique method is the true way to the heavens, while the Thousand Machines Technique, such petty tricks, should not exist in this world.

"I'm doing you a favor by destroying them; you ought to kneel and thank me."

Emperor Xiaojing rose from the dragon chair and approached Zhang Ze,

"Ants remain ants. What meaning do you have in numbers?

"The law passed down for ten thousand generations, laughable.

"The path to the heavens is for me alone to walk."

Zhang Ze tilted his head, looking at him as if thinking about something, "Have you found the path beyond Mahayana?"

Emperor Xiaojing, "Hahaha, who knows, open the door, and I'll tell you."

Seeing the nonsense spilling out of Emperor Xiaojing's mouth, Zhang Ze was too lazy to ask more. He adjusted his mood, seeming to be preparing himself, then looked up at Emperor Xiaojing's eyes, taunting,

"You call us ants? Then how did you end up being chased like a dog by a bunch of ants to the heavens?

"Where is your Land Divine Country, your everlasting foundation? Where are your Celestial Divine Guard, Hundred Demons Sect?

"If you're so powerful, why don't you descend in person."

"And don't say it's because you're kind-hearted and don't want to come down."

Feeling words flow comfortably, Zhang Ze tilted his head with a smirk, looking at Emperor Xiaojing.

Emperor Xiaojing's face turned cold. He took a step back, placing his hand on the ice coffin.

"Open the door, or I'll kill her now."

Zhang Ze sighed, showing no panic but instead turned his head aside, seemingly unwilling to witness what was about to happen.

"Go ahead, kill her. I'll step back a bit so I don't get splattered with blood."

"Alright, alright, you... hmm?" Emperor Xiaojing was momentarily stunned, doubting his ears for a second.

Having considered himself of sharp perception and never missing a thing with people, Emperor Xiaojing saw Zhang Ze as completely opposite to him.

Such threats were like empty words to him, yet to someone like Zhang Ze, they should have been extremely effective and torturous.

However, it seemed reality was not so.

"What did you say?" Emperor Xiaojing asked again.

"I said go ahead and kill her, just don't splatter me with blood. The woman is quite annoying, so if you kill her, I'll have more peace in the future."

Zhang Ze indifferently looked at Emperor Xiaojing and urged,

"Do it already, what are you waiting for?"

Zhang Ze's gaze left Emperor Xiaojing momentarily confused, unsure whether Zhang Ze was retreating to advance or had any hidden stratagems.

Emperor Xiaojing, "You... don't care about her? What about your little dragon? Your fellow friends from the Beast Taming Sect?"

Zhang Ze, "Whatever, do as you wish."

Emperor Xiaojing, "And your master?"

Zhang Ze, "Quite well, dismissing the salary saves some money."