"What?"
"He's demanding wine, fine food, and even treasures? Is that monkey out of his mind?"
"Does he think he can do whatever he wants? That without him, we couldn't defend Sunset City? Even without him, these Eternal Night grunts would never breach our walls!"
The soldiers on the city walls were momentarily stunned by the monkey's request, dumbfounded by his audacity.Was this monkey really that delusional? Demanding rewards so blatantly, as if their bows and arrows were just for show? Did he truly think himself invincible?
Although Yuan Gang's display of the giant berserk ape was terrifying, none of the soldiers believed he was truly unbeatable. No one thought Yi Tianxing would yield to such a crude form of coercion.
"You want wine and delicacies? Fine. We can reward your bravery in battle. But as for treasures—why should I give them to you? Whether you were here or not, the Eternal Night army couldn't have breached Sunset City. Your appearance on the battlefield was unexpected. The conflict with the clown was of your own making. You picked the fight. If you think you can demand benefits from me, you've found the wrong person."
Yi Tianxing flatly refused without a second thought.
"Your Majesty, this monkey seems to be inherently greedy. He enjoys collecting rare treasures. I saw it try to claim the wooden horse artifact without hesitation. It's domineering and uninhibited by nature—obsessed with treasures. But it's not weak. If we can ally with or subdue him, it would greatly benefit Great Yi,"
Jia Xu analyzed, sending a secret transmission to Yi Tianxing after a brief study of the monkey.
There was no doubt—this monkey possessed top-tier combat power. On the battlefield, it was nothing short of a living war machine, capable of suppressing everything in its path.
"Strategist, do you have a plan?"
Yi Tianxing responded with a voice transmission as well.
"There's a way, but it's not guaranteed. Just a chance worth trying," Jia Xu replied.
"I'm listening."
"This monkey is greedy. Its instincts crave treasure. It could've left the battlefield earlier, but it lingered. I noticed it eyeing our soldiers' armor and weapons more than once. Clearly, it sees our army as rich pickings—a fat sheep to fleece."
Jia Xu chuckled. "Since that's the case, why not bait him with treasure? Lure him in and test the waters."
Yi Tianxing listened quietly, maintaining a neutral expression. Yet internally, he was intrigued by the idea of recruiting or befriending this monkey. The Vajra Heaven-Shaking Physique—once fully developed—could birth a truly elite warrior.
Though his mind settled on the plan, Yi Tianxing showed no reaction outwardly.
"Heh, this battle city is impressive, but if I want in, a few minor Sea of Divinity cultivators won't stop me. Don't blame me if I get forceful," Yuan Gang grinned mischievously.
He had decided to dig in and cling to them.
"You really think no one here can suppress you? What right do you have to demand treasure from me?" Yi Tianxing said calmly, tinged with disdain.
"Simple. My strength lets me run wild through your Sunset City. I command nearly a million jin of divine power. With my iron staff, I sweep all before me. My Heaven-Shaking Staff Art has no equal. In the past, your kind worshipped me as a totem, offering treasures for my protection. Without me, you'd be dead already."
Yuan Gang spoke confidently.
He had once been worshipped by humans on the Eternal Continent. Treasures were offered to earn his protection. In his mind, power was law, and his staff set the rules.
"So strength is your pride?"
"Of course! My strength can shake the heavens and collapse the earth. One punch can shatter mountains. This iron staff alone weighs over ten thousand jin. Most people can't even lift it."
Yuan Gang's confidence was absolute.
"If your strength is that formidable, how about we make a bet?" Yi Tianxing smiled faintly.
"You? Bet with me on strength? That's hilarious!" Yuan Gang burst into laughter. A human challenging him in raw power? Absurd. His physique was built for divine strength. No contest.
"So? Do you dare?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Good. I have a war spear—an exotic treasure of heaven and earth. If you can pull it from the ground, I lose. I'll reward you with treasure and a banquet. But if you can't, you lose—and you'll serve my Great Yi Dynasty for a hundred years."
With a flick of his hand, Yi Tianxing summoned a bronze war spear, casting it into the bloodstained battlefield where it stood upright, radiating divine brilliance and intersecting with Dao patterns. Clearly not an ordinary item.
"A treasure. A real treasure!" Yuan Gang's eyes lit up, practically glued to the spear. Just one look, and his greedy instinct surged. He had to own it.
"Let's change the terms," Yuan Gang suddenly said.
"Change? How so?"
"Simple. If I pull this spear out, it's mine. That's all I want—no other treasure."
"And if you lose?"
"I won't lose. But fine—if I do, I won't join you. Instead, I'll let you pick one treasure from my collection."
Loyalty to humans? That wasn't in his plans. A century of servitude? Definitely not. Though he didn't believe he could lose, that kind of wager was unacceptable.
"Fine."
Yi Tianxing nodded after a brief pause.
"Alright then—watch me pull this spear out!"
Yuan Gang chuckled, leapt forward, and gripped the bronze war spear. Divine power surged through his arms as he pulled with immense strength—tens of thousands of jin, enough to lift a small mountain.
But… nothing happened.
Not even a tremble.
"What? Impossible…"
Yuan Gang's face turned red. Moments ago, he'd bragged about how easy this would be. Now, he couldn't even make the spear quiver. Tens of thousands of jin—and nothing.
"Come on! Rise!"
His face darkened. Muscles bulged like coiled dragons. The divine strength was palpable, yet the spear remained still—like trying to shake a mountain with an ant's might.
He'd used all his strength—and only succeeded in turning red from the strain.
"This can't be happening… I don't believe it!"
Staring at the spear, Yuan Gang was filled with disbelief. Just how heavy was this thing? Surely it should've moved a little?
"Vajra Heaven-Shaking Physique: Berserk Mode!"
A furious roar exploded from Yuan Gang. His body swelled to over a hundred zhang tall, radiating golden divine light. His aura surged wildly—his power now far beyond a million jin, possibly several million.
"Again!"
With a bellow, he seized the spear and pulled once more.
Crack!!
The earth beneath his feet split apart, cracks spreading like spiderwebs. The power he unleashed was terrifying.
But…
Still no movement. Well, maybe a tremble. But the spear stayed rooted, unmoved.
"It's useless. You can't pull it out. If you can't lift the spear, then your strength isn't truly peerless or unrivaled. You've lost," Yi Tianxing said flatly.
This spear was no ordinary weapon. Had it been, Yuan Gang might've lifted it with ease.
But this was a Primordial Celestial Artifact from the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor's Pagoda, bound to a spatial world within the tower itself. It could draw upon the very origin of that world—an entire world's worth of weight.
No one could lift it unless the spear allowed them to.