The three sacred lands were close-knit to begin with and had once formed a strong, unified bloc. However, Abyssal and Martial now laid in ruins. It would be centuries before they could regain their footing, to say nothing of rebuilding their factions.
Eternal was now the sole stronghold left, but not much of one, alas, as demonstrated recently. Its defenses had improved markedly after being reinforced time and time again, but a single demonic tribe had been enough to almost bring it to its knees. What use would it be against the might of the entire demon army?
Without a doubt: none. The sacred land’s barriers would crumple like paper.
They had to abandon it!
Difficult words to utter, but everyone was deeply convinced there was no other choice at this juncture. There was no reason for both the sacred land and its members to perish.
Reality was cruel, and none of them could deny that Myriad Abyss was no longer the heart of the continent nor the key battlefield.
It might see significant action between humans and demons, but it was no longer vital to the final outcome. The human domain, where the ancient war had once taken place, was the key to victory.
After spinning through the eddies and turns in the river of time, Divine Abyss’ history had ultimately returned back to its starting point.
The three sacred lands’ decision wasn’t without its dissenters. Some elders from Eternal, in particular, were tempted to defy it, but they couldn’t turn the tide all by themselves.
Jiang Chen showed zero interest in convincing them, simply stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you choose to stay behind, I’ll gladly provide whatever a.s.sistance I can.”
Ziju Min urged, “We’re not abandoning our roots. It’s simply a strategic retreat in the face of the situation at large. When the war ends, we’ll need everyone hale and hearty in order to rebuild our home. What’s the point if everyone’s dead?”
In fact, the protesters weren’t all that eager to stay either. But, afraid of being marginalized after seeking refuge in the human domain, they’d dramatized their reluctance to obtain guarantees about their future treatment.
However, it went without saying that no such promises were forthcoming. This bunch mainly consisted of people who weren’t all that friendly to him. Some of the young talents under their wings might have been overshadowed by him, perhaps they’d suffered at his hands.
In short, those who’d objected had never embraced him wholeheartedly, so throwing themselves under his banner now was too much of a psychological hurdle for them.
The young lord was fully aware of their thoughts, but was he supposed to simply kiss and make up with them? His att.i.tude was clear: go or don’t go, it’s all up to you.
In any case, it was nothing but a trifling interlude.
The majority was keen to retreat as soon as possible. The wood demons’ offensive had been such a close call. It would be suicide to face the entire demon army.
As for the offworld battlefield, they didn’t even dare think about it.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen disseminated the news of the enemy’s main force arriving to all of the other sacred lands via the local communication formation, but didn’t force them to take a particular stance.
The first sacred land he’d rescued, Everlasting, had retreated back to the Rejuvenation Isles some time ago already.
But Flora remained hesitant still, due to the past tense history between them and the young lord.
Radiance and Sunrise were much more straightforward. They’d long been prepared to follow him and wait in the Rejuvenation Isles where he would gather all his forces.
Every pa.s.sing second was precious, but thankfully, Jiang Chen had flown to Eternal’s rescue as soon as possible. He hadn’t wasted a single second, so had greater leeway at this stage.
The great demon army would likely land in Myriad Abyss in the next couple days, but the enemy couldn’t possibly a.s.sess the local lay of the land so quickly.
Therefore, the human side still had ample time left.
A certain islet in Bluesmoke Islands, after being deserted for more than a hundred thousand years, had begun to spike in activity as of late.
Dark miasma shrouded the place, but demons could be frequently spotted going to and fro.
The cause of this sudden liveliness was a transportation formation newly unearthed. It allowed for transit between the desolate wildlands and Myriad Abyss, and was the beachhead where the demons had previously poured in to wreak devastation upon Myriad Abyss’ boundless sea domain.
Bluesmoke had once been second only to the sacred lands. Later on, it’d been oppressed by the latter for its collusion with Lightford.
But merely a few years later, the region was once again firmly back in demon hands, owing to the emergence of this transportation formation.
However, the formation was so well hidden Myriad Abyss’ local cultivators remained entirely in the dark about the enemy’s landing point.
Many tribes had retreated there after their defeats, or at least what had been left of their forces. Their presence turned Bluesmoke into a nigh-impregnable fortress.
…...
The demons on the island seemed more energetic than usual on this day, their att.i.tude much more solemn. All of them had been notified that today was the day the main demon army would finally arrive in Myriad Abyss!
Under their watchful eyes, abnormal fluctuations appeared in the midst of the formation while a strange, ever more blinding light shone at the exit, as if a spatial gate had opened within. Airboats unique to their race darted out from this rift in the sky.
A few smaller airboats flew at the forefront, escorting an enormous one radiating a foreboding presence. At least four times the size of ordinary airboats, its surface was covered in eccentric designs in a magnificent, intimidating display.
Every demon bowed respectfully at this airboat’s arrival, solemn deference written plain on their faces.
“Greetings to Forefather Celestial!”
“It is an utmost honor to be graced with your presence!” They roared in unison, welcoming the celestial demon tribe with a strange, almost hysterical ceremony.
Naturally, the enormous airboat belonged to the celestial demons. It represented their race’s highest authority, a symbol of the supreme existence among them.