Chapter 599: Shameless demand

"I will surely participate in the next battle, War Marshal Bai," Maximilian agreed, his face unreadable as ever.

Bai Chengsheng’s fists relaxed. He rose from the bed and slowly moved forward, his each step measured and deliberate, carrying the weight of his authority.

"I will look forward to your performance tomorrow," he said, tapping his shoulder as he reached beside him.

Without waiting for Maximilian’s response, he vanished from his camp.

"Hah... he is not even hiding his intentions anymore," Maximilian sighed, shaking his head wearily. "Well, he was tolerant enough to let me skip the last two battles."

Moments later, Wukong entered the camp again. Maximilian shared the plan with him. He was already aware that Bai Chengsheng was definitely going to target him in the battle, and now the confirmation only steeled his resolve.

---

In the early morning of the next day, the Southern Legion set out again in the similar formation—low-tier cultivators on the ground, guided by the vice commanders, while the Commanders flew in the air on either side of the grand chariot of the War Marshal and the General.

"Commander Arthur, how are you feeling?" Jiang asked, flying beside him in his chariot. "It took you quite some time to heal your injuries."

"I’m fine now, thanks to the Soul Cleansing Pill given by the War Marshal," Maximilian answered in his usual facade of a calm, unreadable cultivator.

His words immediately caused a reaction on Jiang’s face, the corner of his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

Commander Arthur, the War Marshal is the leader of the Unorthodox Faction. If he really gave you the priceless Soul Cleansing Pill, he must have an ulterior motive. Please be careful in the battle.

Jiang’s voice echoed inside Maximilian’s head as he spoke through the Distant Whispering Technique.

Thank you for the warning, Commander Jiang.

Maximilian replied back inside his mind with a slight nod, his expression betraying nothing.

"Greetings, Commander Arthur, I’m glad that you are back into action again," Bai Qingxian’s voice followed next. She looked at him with her curious auburn eyes while her short, cyan hair fluttered with the wind, a gentle smile gracing her delicate features.

"Thank you for all the pills you sent during my closed-door cultivation," Maximilian responded with a warm smile.

Gu Chen’s firm voice followed next. "Proper rest is the necessary part for the formation of a true warrior. You have just returned from your healing. Don’t push yourself too hard. You can rely on your seniors."

He said all those words without even looking at him, his eyes fixed straight ahead at the towering walls of the stronghold in the distance, his posture rigid and resolute.

’I’m not sure if Bai Chengsheng will like the sound of that,’ Maximilian chuckled inwardly before replying, "I will keep that in mind, Commander Gu."

Only Lin Feng, the one responsible for his injury, exchanged no words with him. He was not even staying close to him, flying at the other side of the grand chariot. Since Bai Chengsheng began targeting Maximilian, he had been suspiciously keeping a distance, as if he was already aware of what was really going on in the shadows. Maximilian wouldn’t be surprised if Lin Feng was the one who provided the information about the Vajra to Bai Chengsheng, because during his battle with Chitra, Bai Chengsheng was too busy fighting Vyomendra and must not have noticed Maximilian’s battle far on the ground.

Nonetheless, Maximilian couldn’t care less either way.

In the past six months, he had seen both the evil and the righteousness of humans. Bai Chengsheng was a wicked and greedy man who would go to any length to obtain what he desired. However, Maximilian did not generalize the entire human race by his character alone.

If there were vile humans like him, on the other hand, there were righteous humans like Jiang Yichen, Gu Chen and Bai Qingxian as well—the commanders of the fourth, second and first battalions respectively. Although they had been a bit skeptical of him at the beginning because of his unknown origins, they gradually opened up to him after his incredible battle with Chitra.

---

In a few hours, the human army had surrounded the Baihu Stronghold again.

"Vyomendra, come out and face the judgement!" Bai Chengsheng’s deep voice echoed as he stepped out from the chariot, his old emerald eyes fixed on the stronghold ahead, gleaming with predatory intent.

"You wicked humans call us demi-beasts monsters yet use the underhanded techniques that not even the demons would use!" Vyomendra’s furious voice came from the head of the tiger statue, where he was standing along with Vyaghra and six Greater Spirit Beasts. "Are you not afraid of the wrath of the heavens?"

"Hahaha, is that your excuse for your defeat?" Bai Chengsheng laughed, his fingers moving through his long white beard in amusement. "I warned you before the battle to surrender the Baihu Stronghold. Your stubbornness is what led to the current circumstances. This venerable one will still give one more chance of survival to the tiger clan. Abandon the Baihu Stronghold and swear the Soul Oath to serve the Unorthodox Faction."

His words produced instant reactions from Jiang Yichen, Bai Qingxian and Gu Chen, who were the members of the Righteous Faction.

"Ridiculous!" Vyomendra roared, his fangs protruding in anger. "Do you think I will believe someone who uses the Soul-Gnawing Gu in a battle? The Tiger Clan will fight till its last breath! We shall never bow to wicked humans!"

"Fight till the last breath!"

"Fight till the last breath!"

"Fight till the last breath!"

All the beasts stationed at the walls of the stronghold roared in unison, their deep, beastly voices spreading through the battlefield like thunder, shaking the very ground beneath the human army.

"In that case... wipe them out," Bai Chengsheng ordered the Southern Legion, extending his hand forward with cold finality.

The foot soldiers bolted towards the walls, their morale at an all-time high now that they knew the Sacred Beast of the Tiger Clan had been stripped of his Soulforce. Yet the demi-beasts were not the ones to give up without a fight. Barrages of Soulforce-laced attacks rained down from the walls, striking the incoming human cultivators with devastating force.

Only a few of them had fallen when Mo Feng moved forward, taking the front of the army.

"Hmph, just childish tricks," he scoffed, forming a barrier in front of the human army that blocked all the incoming strikes but allowed the attacks of the humans to pass through and reach the walls of the stronghold.

The Greater Spirit Beasts stepped out to stop the General, but their path ahead was immediately blocked by the commanders of the human army. Clashes erupted across the battlefield, sparks of Soulforce illuminating the grey sky.

Only Gu Chen and Maximilian had not stepped out yet, still standing behind Bai Chengsheng, watching the carnage unfold.

"War Marshal Bai, why did you ask the Tiger Clan to explicitly surrender to the Unorthodox Faction instead of the entire Human race?" Gu Chen demanded in a firm but respectful tone. He was already furious at his wicked use of the Soul-Gnawing Gu. He had already sent a letter to the leader of the Righteous Faction about Bai Chengsheng’s actions, but strangely, had not received any reply as of yet, which only deepened his unease.

"Don’t think much about it," Bai Chengsheng replied with a dismissive retort, his brows furrowing in irritation. "I didn’t mean any of those words. I only meant it to agitate the Tiger Clan. Now go and focus on the battle."

Gu Chen was obviously not convinced by his vague answer, but he did not have the authority to question the War Marshal. His jaw tightened, and a flicker of frustration passed through his eyes before he suppressed it.

"As you say, War Marshal Bai," he replied, a hint of frustration in his voice as he moved ahead to join the other commanders.

Maximilian was about to follow him as well, but he was stopped by Bai Chengsheng’s raised hand.

"Come here, Commander Arthur," Bai Chengsheng called him with a beckoning gesture, his tone deceptively calm.

Once Maximilian had reached beside him, he explained, "The Baihu Stronghold contains four concentric arrays, each one stronger than the outer one. The array alone at the outermost wall is powerful enough to withstand the attack of an Eternal Sage. I can destroy it easily, but for some reason, I cannot use my Divine Soulforce fully."

’Because it’s keeping the Corruption of Death at bay,’ Maximilian scoffed inwardly, keeping his outer expression neutral and composed.

"Even with my power, it will take around a week to destroy the outer array," he revealed, his tone suspiciously calm. "And the time will only increase to destroy the inner walls, not to mention it will consume a lot of my Soulforce. A weakened War Marshal could cost the whole war for the humans. That is why... I need you to give me your sword artifact."

’Just as I thought,’ Maximilian chuckled inwardly, feeling this whole situation amusing. ’He is after the Vajra as well. Human greed truly knows no bounds.’

Maximilian took a deep breath, steadying his resolve, and replied in a firm, unwavering tone, "Forgive me, War Marshal Bai. But I cannot give you my treasure."