It had to be said that the Bai Sacred Land had its die-hard followers as well. The Duowen Sacred Land, for instance, was one of its staunchest loyalists.
The moment Holy Lord Zhao of the Duowen Sacred Land spoke up, the representative from the Jimie Sacred Land also smiled and said, "My Jimie Sacred Land also supports the Bai Sacred Land as Alliance Leader. With the Bai Sacred Land's prestige and strength, I'm sure everyone can accept this wholeheartedly. If any other Sacred Land were to take this role, they might not be able to win the crowd's respect."
"Heh, I couldn't disagree more. The Ten Great Sacred Lands have always been equals since ancient times. There's no question of one standing above another. In the current situation, I believe the Eternal Sacred Land is the most fitting candidate for Alliance Leader. First, the Eternal Sacred Land demonstrated exceptional resilience and tenacity during the campaign to suppress the rebellion—a fighting spirit that all Sacred Lands should learn from. Second, the Eternal Sacred Land's heritage and strength are not lacking. Third, and most importantly, the champion of the Genius Grand Competition is a man of the Eternal Sacred Land. Because of Jiang Chen's appearance, the Ten Great Sacred Lands have witnessed an unprecedented shift in their dynamics. If the situation on Wanyuan Island before was a dead end, then Jiang Chen is the one who breaks it open."
"Well said! Jiang Chen's talent, aptitude, and the fortune he has displayed are clearly something ordinary geniuses do not possess. In the future, he will surely become the guiding figure of the Ten Great Sacred Lands. We old fogeys will grow old someday, and the future must be led by the young. Other than Jiang Chen—who else could it be?"
On the Eternal Sacred Land's side, there were also two die-hard supporters: the True Martial Sacred Land and the Jiuyou Sacred Land. Both of these Sacred Lands shared very close ties with the Eternal Sacred Land.
Seeing the Duowen Sacred Land and the Jimie Sacred Land championing the Bai Sacred Land, they naturally refused to stand for it. One after another, they stepped forward to rebut, rallying for the Eternal Sacred Land.
In this way, out of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, six had already formed two clearly opposing camps.
The other four Sacred Lands had yet to take a stance.
However, one thing was certain: the alliance was imperative, and the position of Alliance Leader would inevitably be decided between the Bai Sacred Land and the Eternal Sacred Land.
The remaining four Sacred Lands were the Rising Sun Sacred Land, the Radiance Sacred Land, the Nirvana Sacred Land, and the Immortal Sacred Land.
The Rising Sun Sacred Land and the Radiance Sacred Land were closely linked, branches of the same root. Likewise, the Nirvana Sacred Land and the Immortal Sacred Land shared an equally tight bond, as close as brothers.
Therefore, their stance was crucial. If these four Sacred Lands also split their support between the Eternal Sacred Land and the Bai Sacred Land, the situation could very well end up a dead even split.
The first to speak was a Holy Lord from the Rising Sun Sacred Land: "Perhaps we can set aside the dispute over the Alliance Leader for now. First and foremost, we must push forward with the alliance itself. If the fight over the Alliance Leader causes the alliance to fall through in the end, the loss would far outweigh the gain."
"Mm, that makes sense. Let's form the alliance first, and then elect the Alliance Leader."
This proposal received everyone's approval.
The Grand Holy Lord of the Eternal Sacred Land also nodded: "My Eternal Sacred Land will put the bigger picture first and support forming the alliance first. No matter who ends up as Alliance Leader, as long as they are chosen by all of us, we will offer our unconditional support."
These words earned considerable goodwill.
Holy Lord Gao of the Bai Sacred Land snorted coldly, clearly annoyed that he hadn't taken the lead with a similar declaration—this opportunity to win favor had been snatched away by the Eternal Sacred Land first.
"My Bai Sacred Land naturally puts the bigger picture first as well. No matter who serves as Alliance Leader, as long as they work for the benefit of Wanyuan Island and harbor no selfish motives, we of the Bai Sacred Land will follow."
Whatever the case, one had to at least state one's position.
"Good!"
With things said to this point, the alliance was essentially settled. No one could undo it now. If anyone stood up at this moment to deny the alliance, they would undoubtedly become the enemy of all.
"Since everyone supports the alliance, we shall keep all ceremonies simple. With heaven and earth as witnesses, we pledge in blood—from this day forward, our Ten Great Sacred Lands form an alliance, advancing and retreating together, fighting for the future of Wanyuan Island, fighting for our very survival."
The blood oath was a deeply solemn ceremony. Once the blood oath was sworn, it meant there could be no reneging, no betrayal of the alliance.