The Star Fate Flying Vessel had been pushed to its absolute limit.
Of the four great True Spirits aboard, all except the Black Tortoise Divine Beast were already quite familiar with Jiang Chen's situation. They knew that his desperate rush back to the Eternal Sacred Land was entirely because of Huang'er.
Through his exchanges with the Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird, the Black Tortoise Divine Beast had also learned the broad strokes of Jiang Chen's story. He found himself deeply curious about the path by which Jiang Chen had risen to prominence.
Throughout the journey, he chatted ceaselessly with the Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird. Upon learning the sheer speed and momentum of Jiang Chen's ascent, even the Black Tortoise Divine Beast was left profoundly stunned.
For a human youth to rise with such terrifying swiftness — in the entire history of the human race, such a thing had to be exceedingly rare.
"Brother Black Tortoise, you haven't been with Chen Shao for long, so perhaps you haven't yet experienced his personal charm. Spend enough time with him and you'll come to admire him greatly. In all his dealings with us, he has been nothing but sincere. He never schemed against us or sought to exploit us. In moments of crisis, he is the kind of brother and partner you can truly rely on. In these troubled times, we True Spirits may possess formidable abilities, but none of us can guarantee our own safety. Still, following Chen Shao — at the very least, it puts my heart at ease."
These were the Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird's most earnest words, spoken straight from the heart.
The Black Tortoise Divine Beast reflected on this with a thoughtful sigh. "Brother Scarlet Phoenix, you are older than I, so I ought to address you as elder brother. I can see it plainly — the three of you True Spirits are utterly devoted to Jiang Chen, and that alone proves he possesses a truly unique charisma that makes you willing to follow him without reservation. Rest assured, now that I've agreed to leave the ocean territories and join your ranks, I will gradually find my place. Just as you said — had I stayed behind in the ocean, when disaster arrives, I would have been no better able to escape it."
"Indeed. From now on, we work together, share one boat through the storm. We bear hardship together and share fortune together. You have my word — Jiang Chen will never shortchange any of us," the Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird said solemnly.
"Mm, I can see that. Chen Shao is a man who shoulders his responsibilities. The Myriad Abyss Island may have ten Divine Path ancestors, but I can tell — sooner or later, Chen Shao will become the leader of the human race, the leader of the entire Myriad Abyss Island. Those ancient Divine Path cultivators who cling to their longevity won't hold out much longer before they bend the knee to Chen Shao." The Black Tortoise Divine Beast's words were nothing short of startling.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" The Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird asked with a smile.
"Look at how things went when we left Pingsha Island. Those people were utterly at a loss, while Jiang Chen handled everything with ease. Setting aside the fact that his cultivation hasn't quite reached that level yet — in what other regard does he fall short of those Divine Path ancestors? Seniority? Achievements? He has more than enough of both by now."
The Black Tortoise Divine Beast offered his judgment with conviction.
"Ha ha, well said. The current Jiang Chen may not yet hold the title of human leader in name, but in truth, a new leader is already being born." The Scarlet Phoenix Divine Bird nodded with a grin. "Let us create something glorious together. With the bloodlines of the four Divine Beasts united, just what kind of earth-shaking feat we can accomplish — that depends on how much potential Chen Shao has left to unlock."
Neither of these two great True Spirits realized that Jiang Chen had taken no notice of their conversation.
Aboard the flying vessel, he was deep in discussion with Ziche Min, running through every conceivable scenario.
One possibility was that the Eternal Sacred Land was still putting up resistance — that the enemy had not yet managed to breach it.
Another was that they had already seized the Eternal Sacred Land, and everyone else had either died in battle or been taken prisoner.
Beyond these two, Jiang Chen had also considered a third possibility: that Sacred Lord Kasyapa, for Huang'er's sake, might step in to intervene.
Of the three, Jiang Chen felt this third scenario was actually quite plausible.
Judging from everything Sacred Lord Kasyapa had done for Huang'er, the man clearly placed tremendous importance on family. Since An Kasyapa had not joined Lord Guangdu's camp, then for the sake of his granddaughter's safety, it stood to reason that Sacred Lord Kasyapa would not simply stand by and do nothing.