The Nine-Tailed Fox wants to drive a hard bargain?

However, with Ye Yang and me severely injured, we might not be her match.

Zhao Yuezhu remained silent, seemingly unwilling to take our side.

I chuckled coldly, "I don't think that's necessary. The original contract will do. Neither of us needs the Qi of Life."

Our previous contract was already established. Without our agreement, neither the Nine-Tailed Fox nor Zhao Yuezhu would dare to break it easily.

Just as I said before, there are no Heavenly Laws or restrictions from gods and ghosts in the Yin-Yang Inn. Anyone can break a contract.

But the price for breaking a contract is staying in the inn forever, unable to leave.

If I renegotiate the contract with the Nine-Tailed Fox now, we'll not only suffer a great loss but also might not even get the Qi of Life.

The Nine-Tailed Fox sneered, "Li Po, think carefully. Now that you can't even wield your knife, killing you would be as easy as turning my hand."

I laughed heartily, "Kill me? Come on!"

"If you only needed guards and that's why you partnered with Ye Yang and me, we would've died just now."

"Come kill me, and see if I even blink an eye!"

"Courting death!" With a sharp cry, the Nine-Tailed Fox raised her claw and slashed at me.

I stared unblinking at her fox claw until her sharp claws stopped inches from my throat. I didn't move a muscle.

The Nine-Tailed Fox said softly, "Li Po, you win."

"I believe in your promise, and I hope you can believe in mine."

I looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox's back, unsure whether to trust her.

I've never liked dealing with foxes because you never know if their words are true or false, nor do you understand if their feelings are genuine or feigned.

The Nine-Tailed Fox can save me now, but she might also kill me later!

Ye Yang and I supported each other as we walked forward, but I soon felt Ye Yang's body going limp.

He couldn't hold on any longer!

I helped Ye Yang sit down. "Brother, if you can't hold on, just rest for a while!"

"We can't walk the whole road at once!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox said, "Actually, there is a way to save Ye Yang! However, only one of you can live!"

"Both of you are approaching the Tiangang Realm, lacking only sufficient divine soul to cross the final threshold."

"If you're willing to destroy your own souls and nourish the other with the power of your divine souls, you can help him break through to Tiangang."

"Breaking through might not heal your serious injuries, but it can suppress them. As long as you hold on until the Demon Tomb opens and you obtain the Qi of Life, that person can survive."

"You..."

Before the Nine-Tailed Fox could finish speaking, Ye Yang and I simultaneously touched each other's acupoints.

Neither of us could move.

I couldn't help but sigh, "Leng Gou, is this really necessary? It's always like this. Doesn't it annoy you? Wouldn't it be better to just live?"

Ye Yang said coldly, "Give me a reason."

I said, "You're Tanlang, the path of术 (shù – Daoist arts) is still waiting for you, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard needs you to inherit it. You can't let my old man be tied up by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, unable to travel the world, can you?"

Ye Yang's expression darkened. "You're taking revenge on me!"

"Revenge? I've been messing with you all these years."

"Death is simple; living is painful."

"I still have to mess with you one more time!"

As Ye Yang spoke, blood began to flow from his mouth and nose.

I also spat out a mouthful of blood.

We were both forcibly trying to break through the acupoints. Whoever could break through first could leave the hope of survival to the other!

My vision blurred, but I laughed, "Leng Gou, we're brothers. What difference does it make who lives? It's better to live out the brilliance of two people in one life, isn't it?"

"We're on a mission now, you have to listen to me!"

"Bullshit!" Ye Yang cursed, "Who lives and who dies is a family matter; you have to listen to me."

"Open!" Ye Yang and I roared at the same time, spraying blood from our mouths as we simultaneously pointed our fingers at each other.

The same speed, the same distance, neither of us was faster than the other!

Once again, we simultaneously struck each other's acupoints.

My body swayed twice. "You son of a..."

Ye Yang suddenly smiled, "This is actually pretty good."

We both fell towards each other, losing consciousness while supporting each other.

When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in the air. I looked at our bodies leaning against each other and couldn't help but curse, "It's all because of you. We could've saved one, but now we're both finished!"

Ye Yang also laughed, "What did you say back in the snowy mountains? 'Let's meet again with a smile in the Yellow Springs'?"

"This is called a prophecy come true."

I sighed, "It doesn't matter that we're dead, but there's no one to save Wang Butcher and Feng Ruoxing. Maybe we'll really have to reunite in the underworld."

"But that's fine too!"

"It's better than all of you leaving, and me guarding the Two Realms Hall with a room full of memorial tablets, offering incense to each of you one by one, right?"

"Let's go! Go back! Let's see if we can drag Feng Ruoxing and the others' souls back. Let's cultivate into ghosts and gods together and open the Two Realms Hall in the underworld."

Just as I was about to turn around, I felt someone slap me, and I stumbled forward, falling directly onto my body.