Reg gritted his teeth. "So you *have* been colluding with other planets. An act like this proves you have no intention of negotiating peace in good faith!" He was utterly furious with Mingye.

Pani pulled Reg back. "Don’t let him get to you. We’re here for Yaoyao. Where are you hiding her?" He hadn’t for a moment forgotten their objective.

"Discussing the details of the peace talks with me, of course," Mingye replied unhurriedly, attempting to continue stalling and deflecting the question.

Reg’s face flushed red with anger as he roared, "It’s been days! Who needs this long to discuss peace talks? You’re obviously just stalling!" He had completely lost patience with Mingye’s answers.

Mingye, however, remained perfectly calm. "I was the one who broke our alliances when I suddenly cut off military supplies to my allies on other planets," he said slowly. "An issue of this magnitude requires a few days of careful consideration, wouldn’t you agree?" He was attempting to justify his prolonged detention of Su Yaoyao.

"Where is Yaoyao?" Bai Lian cut straight to the point again, his gaze as sharp as a blade, as if trying to see right through Mingye. He knew Mingye was deliberately stalling, and every passing second only made him more worried for Su Yaoyao’s safety.

Mingye’s face fell. In an instant, the air crackled with hostility.

...

After Mingye left the dungeon, Su Yaoyao was frantic with worry. She knew that if Bai Lian’s group clashed with Mingye, the consequences would be unimaginable, and the entire framework for peace talks would be destroyed.

Su Yaoyao suppressed her inner panic, forced herself to calm down, and began to carefully examine the chains that bound her.

The chains looked slender but were in fact incredibly tough, made from a special material. There was no way to break free using ordinary methods.

But Su Yaoyao, clinging to a sliver of hope, began to search for a weak point in the chains.

She traced the texture of the chains inch by inch, not missing a single detail.

Finally, after feeling and inspecting the chains over and over, she found a minuscule gap in the lock connecting them to the wall.

A flicker of joy ignited in Su Yaoyao’s heart. She knew this might be the key to her escape.

But with no tools at her disposal, figuring out how to use this gap to open the lock presented a new challenge.

She scanned her surroundings, searching for anything she could use. The dungeon was dark and damp. Other than some old clutter piled in a corner, it was empty.

But she had to try.

Fortunately, Mingye had left in a hurry, and the iron bars of the cage weren’t locked.

Su Yaoyao struggled to her feet and inched her way toward the corner. A wave of soreness washed over her body with every movement, but she gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and pushed forward. Finally, she reached the clutter and began to rummage through it.

After rummaging for a long time, she found a thin, rusty wire. Though it looked flimsy, at that moment, it was Su Yaoyao’s only hope. She picked it up carefully and returned to her chains.

Su Yaoyao took a deep breath, slowly inserted the wire into the minuscule gap, and began attempting to pick the lock.

Her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat that trickled down her cheeks, but she paid them no mind, her eyes fixed on the lock, completely focused on her task.

Time trickled by in a tense ordeal. After what felt like an eternity, suddenly, with a soft CLICK, the lock actually opened.

Su Yaoyao was overjoyed. She quickly undid the chains on her wrists, then used the same method to open the restraints on her ankles.

Free once more, she didn’t stop to rest and immediately ran toward the main hall, hoping to prevent the imminent conflict.

...

"Bai Lian, don’t push me too far," Mingye said coldly. "These peace talks are of the utmost importance. I am discussing the details with Su Yaoyao and do not wish to be disturbed. This is for the benefit of both Snake Scale City and the Empire."

Bai Lian took a step forward, radiating a powerful, oppressive aura. "Enough with the pompous speeches. We need to see Yaoyao with our own eyes and confirm she’s unharmed. Otherwise, this isn’t ending today." His voice was deep and forceful, carrying an irresistible authority.

Reg and Pani also stepped forward, adopting a stance that showed they wouldn’t back down. Reg shouted angrily, "You’d better not try any tricks, or we’ll take you down with us!"

Pani, meanwhile, stared intently at Mingye, his eyes full of vigilance. "Hand over Yaoyao now. Stop wasting time."

Seeing this, Mingye, far from backing down, instead let the corner of his mouth curl up into a provocative smile.

In that instant, a powerful and chilling wave of SS-level pressure surged from Mingye’s body.

This pressure felt almost tangible, instantly filling the entire hall like an invisible net pressing down on them all.

Aside from Bai Lian, Reg and Pani felt a heavy force slam into them, as if an invisible mountain was crushing them.

Reg’s legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and large beads of sweat instantly dotted his forehead. He clenched his jaw, struggling to resist the immense pressure, but his strength was gradually failing.

Pani, on the other hand, couldn’t bear the weight. With a THUD, he collapsed painfully to his knees, his hands pressed against the floor. His breathing was rapid and heavy, his face a mask of agony.

Seeing this, Bai Lian didn’t hesitate. He immediately released his Spiritual Body, and a majestic White Lion instantly appeared before him. The White Lion tilted its head back and let out a deafening, thunderous roar, pushing back against Mingye’s power.

"Mingye, you’ve gone too far!" Bai Lian’s voice, booming like a great bell, echoed through the hall, filled with fury and warning.

Mingye also released his Spiritual Body without hesitation: a giant green snake.

The green snake flicked its long tongue, the tip of which glinted with a cold light, as if coated in deadly venom.

It savagely opened its enormous maw, revealing sharp, chilling fangs. It let out a series of low hisses, as if challenging the White Lion. Its very presence filled the entire hall with a dangerous aura.

The two Spiritual Bodies faced off, and the air in the hall seemed to ignite with the tense atmosphere, threatening to erupt into a world-shaking conflict at any moment.

Just then, a soft yet firm voice came from one side of the hall.

"Leon, Reg, Pani, I’m here." Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Su Yaoyao walking slowly into the hall. Her clothes were a bit disheveled and she looked somewhat exhausted, but her gaze was incredibly resolute.

"Yaoyao!" the three of them exclaimed at once, rushing toward her. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Bai Lian pulled Su Yaoyao behind him, watching Mingye warily. "What did you do to her?" His voice was laced with uncontrollable rage.