Refusing to hand it over? The negotiations have broken down, so let the battle begin!

The text exuded the ground rat demon's dissatisfaction and contempt, as if mocking Yun Yi's insignificance and powerlessness. Yun Yi felt a pang in his heart, but he did not retreat. Instead, he channeled his demonic energy once more, condensing his thoughts into words: "How much do you want? Name your price."

The ground rat demon's gaze flickered uncertainly, as if weighing something in its mind.

After a moment, it finally named a number: "Ten thousand low-grade spiritual stones."

This figure struck Yun Yi's heart like a heavy boulder, filling him with an unprecedented sense of pressure.

Ten thousand low-grade spiritual stones was undoubtedly an astronomical figure for a minor mosquito demon like Yun Yi.

He could not even begin to imagine how he could gather so many spiritual stones, let alone hand them over to the ground rat demon as compensation.

Yun Yi's six forelegs trembled slightly, reflecting the shock and anger within his heart.

Yet, even in such a desperate plight, Yun Yi never once entertained the thought of submission.

He vibrated his transparent wings slightly, gathering the meager demonic energy left within his body once more, and condensed his unquestionable refusal into dim, glowing words that slowly hovered in mid-air, resembling the most resolute stars in the night sky: "Impossible!"

Though extremely concise, these three words seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun, revealing Yun Yi's indomitable will and unshakable stance.

He knew deep down that to compromise at this moment would mean handing over his already meager living space and dignity to another.

The ground rat demon's small eyes gleamed with craftiness as it too wove a reply with its demonic energy, which floated right before the tip of its snout: "Are you sure you won't pay?"

Its words carried a hint of provocation and left no room for argument.

"I won't pay." Yun Yi responded without hesitation using his demonic energy, the words swaying gently in the air like his resolute state of mind at that moment.

"Very well. In that case, there is nothing more for us to talk about." The ground rat demon's demonic energy surged, manifesting a new message in the form of words. An air of palpable tension hung heavily around them, as if a storm was about to break.

Small though he was, Yun Yi was still a member of the demon race, and the same pride and unyielding spirit flowed through his veins.

Faced with the ground rat demon's extortionate demand of ten thousand low-grade spiritual stones, he naturally could not agree.

Just as their demonic energy surged and they prepared to clash in a trial of strength, a sudden and fierce aura rapidly approached from afar, interrupting the impending confrontation.

Yun Yi and the ground rat demon both shuddered, pausing their imminent battle and turning their attention toward the rapidly approaching source.

They saw a human cultivator soaring across the sky on a flying sword, whose fierce momentum shook the surrounding air.

This development caught both Yun Yi and the ground rat demon completely off guard.

Neither of them had anticipated that a human cultivator would actually respond to the commotion in this remote area.

For a moment, ripples of hesitation arose in both of their hearts: to fight would likely only benefit a third party, but if they didn't, how could their current deadlock be resolved?

Amidst this delicate balance, Yun Yi took the initiative, weaving a new line of words with his demonic energy that drifted slowly toward the ground rat demon: "If you insist on fighting, have you ever considered the principle of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?"

The words rotated slowly in the air, emitting a faint glow as if recounting ancient wisdom.

The ground rat demon stared at the words, a flash of complexity crossing its eyes.

Keenly capturing this change, Yun Yi pressed his advantage and wrote once more with his demonic energy: "We are both of the demon race; perhaps we need not be allies, but at this moment, I am willing to make a concession."

"A concession? What kind of concession?" confusion emanated from the ground rat demon's words.

"I can give you an extra one hundred low-grade spiritual stones," Yun Yi condensed his words with demonic energy, causing them to float slowly in the air, his phrasing revealing a composure that far surpassed his physical size, "as a sign of sincerity for our reconciliation."

The words woven from demonic energy swayed gently in the air, seemingly carrying an irresistible force.

Faced with Yun Yi's proposal, a flicker of internal struggle crossed the ground rat demon's eyes.

However, behind it, the footsteps of the human cultivator were growing clearer, carrying an undeniable threat.

At this juncture of life and death, the ground rat demon finally compromised, its demonic energy also transforming into a written response: "Fine."

"Fine." Yun Yi replied briefly, and then, using his demonic energy, he drew out a pile of glittering low-grade spiritual stones from his seemingly empty storage ring, gently placing them before the ground rat demon.

Immediately afterward, he swiftly retrieved a specialized jade slip from his embrace—a treasure dedicated to duplicating cultivation techniques. Yun Yi's demonic energy poured into the jade slip like a slender stream, beginning to duplicate the precious Dragon Blood Transformation Technique.

However, at this very crucial moment, crisis crept silently closer.

The human cultivator's figure approached like a phantom, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's. He immediately noticed Yun Yi, the unusually busy little mosquito, alongside the vigilant ground rat demon guarding the side.

Doubts filled the human cultivator's mind as the scene before him seemed far too absurd: a mosquito and a rat, both minor demons at the Foundation Establishment stage, coexisting harmoniously. How could he not be astonished?

Yet his astonishment was fleeting, and the human cultivator's attention was quickly drawn to the action in Yun Yi's hands.

"A cultivation technique? That mosquito is duplicating a technique!" Realization dawned on him, and he instantly understood that Yun Yi and the ground rat demon likely harbored untold treasures.

In particular, the legendary spirit ganoderma—the very target of his journey—might just be related to them.

With this thought, the human cultivator unhesitatingly urged the flying sword beneath his feet, and a flash of sword light aimed straight for Yun Yi.

Feeling the approaching crisis, Yun Yi's heart tightened. He quickly adjusted his state of mind, preparing to respond.

Although he knew it was unlikely for the ground rat demon to lend a helping hand at such a moment, Yun Yi instinctively mobilized the four blood swords he had previously set up in the surroundings, getting ready to intercept the oncoming flying sword.

Each of the four blood swords contained Yun Yi's vital blood and demonic energy, tracing brilliant crimson paths through the air as if offering a fervent welcome to the impending battle.

As for Yun Yi himself, he remained entirely focused on the jade slip in his hands. He knew that only by completing the duplication of the technique as quickly as possible could he hope to survive this sudden battle and perhaps even turn the tables.

Yet, dividing his attention in this manner was undoubtedly a monumental challenge against the human cultivator.

While maintaining the duplication process of the cultivation technique, Yun Yi also had to manipulate the four blood swords, attempting to block the fierce flying sword attack that struck like a dragon emerging from the sea.

Each of those four blood swords contained Yun Yi's vital blood and unyielding will, but before the human cultivator's superb swordsmanship, they appeared powerless and were soon broken one by one, scattering in all directions.

Upon witnessing this, however, a flash of surprise mingled with the joy of victory crossed the human cultivator's eyes.