The Forest of Death.
Dragon Yu, his body tattered, walked with difficulty through the withered woods.
The rations Ye Ling had given him were long gone, and there was no living creature in the Forest of Death, so he couldn't find any food or water.
His body was nearing its limit.
"This trial is so difficult..."
Dragon Yu looked at the road ahead, which seemed to have no end, and a flicker of despair crossed his eyes.
For days, he hadn't been able to absorb even a tiny bit of spiritual energy from his surroundings!
He felt as if his life was nearing its end.
Thump!
Dragon Yu could no longer walk and collapsed straight onto the ground. Hallucinations appeared in his eyes, and his life flashed before him.
"I seem to have... been living a lie all along."
At the last moment of his life, he suddenly noticed the way people usually looked at him, and the bad things he occasionally overheard servants saying about him behind his back.
Just as Dragon Yu's eyes completely closed, he vaguely saw Ye Ling appear before him.
"Mas- Master..."
Dragon Yu murmured, and then completely fainted.
Ye Ling looked at Dragon Yu, who was on the verge of death, without a word. He merely used his spiritual energy to maintain Dragon Yu's basic life signs, took a drop of his essence blood, and then collected him into his small world.
"Ye Ling."
At this moment, Ji Ning's icy voice echoed in the Forest of Death, and the surrounding ground and withered trees instantly froze over.
Even frost condensed on Ye Ling's body, forcing him to use runes to melt it!
The next moment, Ji Ning, her face covered in frost, appeared in the air, the Xuanbing Spear slowly condensing in her hand.
A bone-chilling cold swept towards Ye Ling.
Ji Ning looked at Ye Ling, who was alone, and sneered, "You still dare to ask me out? Your courage is really growing, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"If you kill me, there will be no one left in this world to help you break the contract," Ye Ling said with a light laugh.
"Hmph!"
Ji Ning snorted coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Ye Ling's statement. She then scanned the surroundings with her divine soul and asked Ye Ling, "Where is the World Annihilation Spiritual Fire? Isn't he protecting you?"
"There's no need. You get angry just looking at him anyway, don't you?" Ye Ling chuckled.
"Ye Ling, I'm warning you in advance. Tian Xing is currently entangled with the Dragon Emperor and cannot come to your rescue. If you lie to me again, no one can save you!" Ji Ning warned.
"Don't worry, I won't lie to you this time. I swear on my honor, I will definitely help you break the contract!" Ye Ling said with a smile.
"Your honor isn't worth much!" Ji Ning said indifferently.
"Don't say that... The one who lied to you before was Wang Li Ren. Now I'm using my real name to swear, I definitely won't lie to you!" Ye Ling said, feigning sadness.
"Hmph! Enough nonsense. What are your conditions for helping me break the One-Life-Same-Body contract?" Ji Ning didn't waste any more time with Ye Ling and asked directly.
She didn't believe Ye Ling would help her for free.
Moreover, there was a deep-seated hatred between them.
Ye Ling replied, "It's very simple. After I help you break the One-Life-Same-Body contract, just give me Qing Zhu."
"That's it?" Ji Ning was slightly stunned, not expecting Ye Ling's request to be so simple!
Qing Zhu's origin inheritance was now on the World Annihilation Spiritual Fire, and Jian Shi San was already dead.
As long as she severed the contract with Qing Zhu, Qing Zhu's life or death would have nothing to do with her.
Ye Ling taking Qing Zhu back would have no impact on her!
Ji Ning did not believe Ye Ling had only made such a simple request and questioned him again, "Kid, what are you up to?"
"Don't think too badly of people. I really want to help you break the One-Life-Same-Body contract this time! I can swear to the heavens, I'm serious this time!" Ye Ling said again, his words filled with sincerity.
He was indeed telling the truth...
It was just that he hadn't said the latter part.
Seeing Ye Ling's serious expression, although Ji Ning still had doubts, the One-Life-Same-Body contract was driving her mad!
She was now desperate, and no matter how big a trap Ye Ling had set, she had to take the gamble!
Ji Ning took a deep breath, looked at Ye Ling in the Forest of Death, and said in a deep voice, "Alright! I'll trust you one last time. Let's start now. You break the contract, and I'll give you Qing Zhu."
"Okay," Ye Ling narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Take out Qing Zhu."
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, a trace of hesitation flashed in Ji Ning's eyes.
She had signed the One-Life-Same-Body contract with Qing Zhu, and if Qing Zhu died, she would die too!
Now that Ye Ling wanted her to take out Qing Zhu, it was equivalent to exposing her greatest weakness to Ye Ling.
"Ji Ning, if you don't take out Qing Zhu, how can I help you break the contract?" Ye Ling asked with a sigh when Ji Ning didn't respond.
Urged by Ye Ling, Ji Ning bit her lip, hesitated greatly, and finally released Qing Zhu. However, she then froze an extremely thick ice coffin around Qing Zhu to prevent Ye Ling from harming her.
Seeing Ji Ning's wariness, Ye Ling shook his head and smiled, then said to Ji Ning, "Since you're so wary of me, then you go and personally extract a drop of Qing Zhu's essence blood."
"Alright."
This time, Ji Ning did not hesitate. She took a drop of essence blood from Qing Zhu and presented it to Ye Ling.
If it was just a drop of essence blood, even if Ye Ling tried to tamper with it, she could withstand the worst possible outcome.
"Thank you."
Ye Ling took Qing Zhu's essence blood and sealed it with runes. Then he said to Ji Ning, "Ji Ning, I need your essence blood too."
"Mine too?" Ji Ning frowned. "What are you plotting?"
"This contract is a matter between two people. Without your essence blood, how can I break it?" Ye Ling asked innocently.
Ji Ning took a deep breath, then cut her palm and forced out a drop of her essence blood, presenting it to Ye Ling.
"Ye Ling, I'm warning you one last time. If you deceive me again, I'll drag you down to hell even if I have to self-destruct!"
"No need! Not this time!"
Ye Ling smiled at Ji Ning, his eyes then turned serious, and he sealed Ji Ning's essence blood with runes.
The essence blood of Qing Zhu and Ji Ning floated in the air, intertwined...
Ji Ning could see that within their essence blood, their phantom images appeared, and chains connected their phantom images.
"That's the One-Life-Same-Body contract?"
Seeing the chains, Ji Ning's pupils slightly contracted, and she exclaimed subconsciously.
"Senior Ji Ning, I didn't lie to you this time, did I... As long as these chains are severed, the contract between you and Qing Zhu will naturally be broken," Ye Ling said with a light smile.
"Then quickly sever the contract!" Ji Ning urged impatiently.
"Okay!"
Ye Ling smiled slightly, manipulated runes to emit a dazzling light, completely enveloping the two drops of essence blood, making Ji Ning unable to see what was happening inside.
At this moment, Ye Ling quietly sent Dragon Yu's essence blood into the runes!
"Break!"
Crack!
Ye Ling shouted lightly, and the contract between Qing Zhu and Ji Ning was severed.
Ji Ning immediately felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
She could feel that the connection between herself and Qing Zhu had completely disappeared!
"Hahaha! Ye family kid, you truly didn't lie to me!"
Ji Ning burst into laughter, her ecstatic laughter echoing through the Forest of Death!
"As a reward, Qing Zhu is returned to you... but only if you can live to claim her!"
Ji Ning laughed heartily, killing intent suddenly appearing in her eyes. She immediately gripped her ice spear and attacked Ye Ling!
The ice instantly froze the entire Forest of Death!
Now that the contract was gone, Ji Ning's last scruples had completely vanished, and she could finally kill Ye Ling without any hesitation!
This man she hated to the bone!
Ye Ling looked at Ji Ning charging at him with a smile, the corners of his mouth curling up, and said, "Senior Ji Ning, are you in such a hurry?"
Screech!
As Ye Ling's words fell, Ji Ning felt her soul being entangled by chains again, and she instantly froze in place.
"What, what did you do to me again?" Ji Ning felt a bad premonition surge within her, stopping in front of Ye Ling, and asked with a trembling voice.
Ye Ling took out Dragon Yu and said to Ji Ning with a light smile, "Sorry, Senior... I just helped you sign a new contract."
"Pfft!"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Ji Ning's throat suddenly felt sweet, and she spat out a large mouthful of blood!