Chapter 0697 – Extortion

In the Behemoth King's eyes, a trace of anger was gathering. Fury was rising.

This was the first time he had ever been extorted. In the past, who had ever dared to offend him, let alone blackmail him? That was a death sentence. This was utterly unprecedented.

And it clearly didn't feel good.

Black lines crept across his face from suppressed rage.

"How dare you threaten the Behemoth King! Yi Tianxing, even if you're the Lord of Xuanhuang City, once the city falls, your death is assured! Your threats will only make you die faster and more miserably," sneered a Ratman powerhouse.

"Courting death! A dying man still so greedy—there's a saying among humans: 'Those whom the gods would destroy, they first drive mad.' He's gone mad, about to die, and still dreaming of extortion. He actually thinks this little city can withstand our united armies. What a delusion!" a Werewolf powerhouse jeered.

Clearly, these beastman elites believed Yi Tianxing had lost his mind, giving up all hope in the face of tens of millions of soldiers, and was now just acting wildly in desperation.

"Behemoth King, do you want your son's life or not?"

Yi Tianxing remained completely unmoved by the surrounding voices. His gaze was locked directly on the Behemoth King as he asked coldly.

"You've got guts," the Behemoth King narrowed his eyes, his gaze ice cold. "Speak. What do you want? But let me make one thing clear—if you're trying to force me to withdraw the army, that's impossible. The Beastman clans have formed a coalition, and blood will be spilled. Even if Wu Ming dies before my eyes, it won't change anything. If he dies, then I'll sacrifice millions of human lives in his name."

The message was clear: this battle was unavoidable.

He didn't care whether someone had instigated the conflict from behind the scenes. In the face of absolute strength, all plots and schemes were meaningless. He would crush them all.

"Good. The Golden Behemoth bloodline is a royal line—it's not easy to reproduce. That means your son's identity and worth are exceptional. If you want his life, bring out three Heaven and Earth treasures. And not just any treasure—I want three," Yi Tianxing declared flatly.

"Given your son's status, surely three treasures aren't too much. A fair exchange. What do you say, Behemoth King?"

A deep, meaningful smile spread across his face.

"You're ruthless. You're the first one to ever extort me, the Behemoth King," the King growled through clenched teeth.

Little Behemoth had to be saved. Yi Tianxing's demand had to be met. Not just three—even five or six treasures would have to be handed over. If he didn't, it would suggest his own son was worth less than those treasures. That would be a blow to his authority.

Although the Behemoth King himself didn't think too deeply about this, the Foxman elder beside him quickly whispered a warning in his ear.

Biting back his fury, the Behemoth King had no choice but to accept.

To be extorted—face to face, and in front of countless beastman powerhouses—it was utterly humiliating. The Behemoth King felt like he was about to explode.

"I'm honored to be the first," Yi Tianxing replied calmly.

"Very well. I hope you still have this tone when the city falls," the Behemoth King growled, then waved his hand. "Here. Three treasures, in exchange for my son's life."

Three Heaven and Earth treasures appeared in midair.

With his status, the Behemoth King had no shortage of rare treasures, including some top-tier ones. Of course, he wasn't about to hand over anything too powerful. But he also wasn't foolish enough to offer worthless junk—otherwise, he'd look like the idiot.

"This one is called Jadebone Sword Bamboo Shoot (玉骨剑竹笋). It's a treasure, but I don't really know what it does. It looks like a bamboo shoot, maybe you could cook it. If nothing else, it's edible. A treasure that you can eat—that's still something," he said, pointing at a shimmering white item.

It looked exactly like a bamboo shoot carved from fine jade—translucent and beautiful, with an odd, lifelike aura. Yet it was also lifeless. Strange. But undoubtedly a Heaven and Earth treasure.

When the Behemoth King had first acquired it, it had been in exactly this form. He hadn't been its first owner, so the usual insight that came with discovering a treasure hadn't activated. He'd once tried to eat it, only to realize it wasn't edible. Worse, it contained sword qi.

So he dismissed it as a useless trinket and left it in storage.

Now, he was using it to scam Yi Tianxing.

Want a treasure? Fine—take this chicken rib.

But what the Behemoth King saw as a scam, Yi Tianxing saw with entirely different eyes. A flicker of light crossed his gaze. This wasn't from the Book of Heaven's Will, but from his own perceptive power. His insight, enhanced by the book's power, let him see the truth clearly.

Jadebone Sword Bamboo Shoot: Heaven and Earth treasure. Grows by absorbing the blood and flesh of living beings, eventually forming the Jadebone Sword Bamboo Grove. Each bamboo stalk becomes a top-tier sword embryo. The bamboo draws on blood essence and spiritual energy to nurture sword qi and intent. When harvested, each stalk transforms into a sword embryo. The more segments, the more powerful the sword. A mature grove becomes a deadly forbidden zone—each leaf is a sword, and intruders are pierced through the heart and absorbed.

A message appeared in his mind.

This wasn't just a treasure—it was a construction-type treasure, a living organism. One corpse for one bamboo. Terrifying.

If the Behemoth King knew its true value, he'd probably vomit blood from regret.

With this, Yi Tianxing could create a bamboo grove that produced countless sword embryos—invaluable for any sword cultivator. Whether used internally or traded externally, this would be a prized resource.

He calmly collected it, showing no hint of joy. Instead, he acted as though he could take it or leave it—purely humiliating the Behemoth King, demoralizing the beastman forces.

"This second one is called Eye of the Mage. I think it comes from some wizard's spell. It lets you see within a ten-li radius," the Behemoth King added.

In the air floated a translucent eye, inscribed with mysterious runes.

To the Behemoth King, it was just another useless tool. A variation of "Clairvoyance"—no attack power, just passive observation. A waste.

Yi Tianxing, however, was thrilled.

Eye of the Mage: Heaven and Earth treasure. Enhances perception, allows for long-range surveillance, and can integrate with magical systems. When embedded in formations or towers, it provides real-time battlefield awareness.

Another priceless tool. A strategic treasure for the city.

"And the third," said the Behemoth King, "is Phantom Spirit Pearl (幻灵珠). It lets you create illusions and construct illusionary realms within it. Supposedly boosts the power of illusion-type spells."

It was a colorful orb, constantly shifting hues. One glance at it pulled your mind into its swirl.

The Behemoth King had tested it—yes, it created hyper-realistic illusions, but only inside the orb. They couldn't be projected outward. Pointless, he thought. Child's play.

So he tossed it in storage.

But now, it would save his son's life.

He didn't feel a shred of pain giving it up—only shame at being extorted in public.

Yi Tianxing, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

Phantom Spirit Pearl: Heaven and Earth treasure. Can house complex illusion domains, boost illusion magic by amplifying spirit interference and perception distortion. Useful in both battle and mental cultivation.

"All good things. Very good things. My true self will be quite pleased," Yi Tianxing thought to himself, smiling inwardly.

These so-called "chicken ribs" were, to him, irreplaceable treasures—each capable of bringing monumental benefit to Xuanhuang City.