It was obvious that You Lan harbored deep reservations about the Thorn Wind Demon God's character.
The Thorn Wind Demon God snorted coldly. "Brother, when you say things like that, I'm at a loss. What happened to basic trust between people?"
You Lan rolled his eyes skyward, treating the Thorn Wind Demon God's words as if they were air. Basic trust? The demon race never discussed such things.
"Fine, let it be then. After we assassinate Jiang Chen, we won't split the spoils first. We'll wait for you to arrive before dividing everything. However, there are so many of us here—we must divide evenly by number. You only get one share."
You Lan let out a cold, sneering laugh. "Impossible! My contribution is no less than yours—why should I only get a small share?"
"Then what do you want?" The Thorn Wind Demon God sneered back.
"Simple. Split into two shares, and I take one." You Lan laid out his demand.
"Fine." The Thorn Wind Demon God chuckled and agreed with surprising readiness.
You Lan's gaze shifted subtly, and without betraying any emotion he said, "Don't even think about playing word games. When I say two shares, I mean an even split down the middle."
The Thorn Wind Demon God's expression darkened. "You Lan, are you kidding me right now? An even split—half for you, half for our Shadow Demon lineage? Don't you feel the least bit embarrassed saying that, given your current situation?"
You Lan clicked his tongue with amusement. "Blushing? That's something the demon race could never experience in all our lives. Why are you bringing up blushing with me?"
"Even if you don't blush, you ought to have some basic decency. The demon race can't be this shameless," the Thorn Wind Demon God said, thoroughly enraged.
"Then tell me how you'd split it." You Lan knew an even divide was unrealistic. He had simply named an outrageous price, waiting for the other side to counter-negotiate.
"Split into five shares. You take one. That's the bottom line," the Thorn Wind Demon God declared.
"Impossible! An even split of three—one for me. That's my bottom line."
"Split into four, you get one. You Lan, enough talk. Any more nonsense and there's no deal." The Thorn Wind Demon God pressed forward with the weight of his aura.
You Lan gave a sinister grin. "Deal!"
The Thorn Wind Demon God glared hard at You Lan. "You certainly know how to haggle. I hope your ability to get things done matches your talent for bargaining."
You Lan shrugged. "You'll see soon enough."
……
Over the past few days, the repair work on this formation core had been proceeding methodically under Jiang Chen's guidance. There had been no harassment along the perimeter, and everything remained calm.
It seemed everything was moving in a favorable direction.
"At most seven more days. In seven days, we can complete the repair of this formation core, and then we'll move on to the next one. Once all three formation cores are fully repaired, the restart will officially begin. I believe that at this pace, we will absolutely succeed!"
Jiang Chen's tone was brimming with confidence and vigor.
Chongxiao Venerable smiled as well. "Indeed. The foundation of the Grand Myriad Spirits God-Locking Formation is still intact. Once the finer details are repaired and the formation is restarted, it won't be just a pipe dream. I believe the chances of successfully restarting this formation should exceed ninety percent."
Cheers erupted throughout the group.
Clearly, this exhilarating news had everyone feeling greatly uplifted.
The pressure from the demon race hung over everyone like a crushing mountain. If this formation could be activated, it would cut off the barbarian demons from entering human territory—winning a natural barrier for the human domain.