On the side of the Silent Extermination Sacred Land, Jiang Chen and all the Divine Dao combatants had gathered in one place. Everyone wore solemn expressions — it was clear that each of them knew the moment of the decisive battle was fast approaching.
"Everyone, Elder Guangdu's forces have already arrived at the Radiant Sacred Land. Their next target will most likely be the Silent Extermination Sacred Land itself. Whether we turn this into an ambush or a chance encounter is critically important. If we pull off a brilliant ambush, this single battle could settle everything. But if it turns into a head-on clash, a brawl, things won't be as pretty. Even if we win, it would be nothing more than a pyrrhic victory. For the future of Myriad Abyss Island, we absolutely cannot afford that kind of costly win."
The price of a pyrrhic victory was far too steep. Even if they ultimately killed Elder Guangdu and wiped out all of his Divine Dao combatants, if their own side suffered seventy or eighty percent casualties, the gains would not justify the losses.
Myriad Abyss Island, as it stood, could not endure such devastating attrition.
Yet Jiang Chen spoke up: "I suspect that Elder Guangdu is already growing frantic. He must have figured out that those two Divine Dao cultivators either defected to our side or were us in disguise. But there's no way he could have guessed that both Daoist friends Lan Tianhao and Xu Yigu have also pledged themselves to the righteous cause. Since that's the case, we can absolutely turn his assumptions against him and set up an ambush trap for them to walk right into."
Someone voiced concern: "In such a rush, can we really design an ambush sophisticated enough to fool even Elder Guangdu?"
"Exactly — that old man was able to dominate the Endless Prison, which means he must be an exceedingly cunning individual. An ordinary trap probably won't fool him."
But An Jiaye shook his head: "Not necessarily. Old Guangdu may be crafty, but he has one lifelong weakness — he's extremely self-conceited. He's always believed himself to be the greatest under heaven. So, if we play the situation right and present him with a flawless ambush, it's entirely possible to pull it off."
The Radiant Sacred Ancestor nodded: "I agree. After all, we have the numerical advantage now. Even if we can't ambush Elder Guangdu himself, taking out a few of his lieutenants would still be worthwhile. As long as his subordinates suffer heavy casualties, given that he has absolutely no foothold on Myriad Abyss Island, it will be virtually impossible for him to stage a comeback."
"That's true. Their biggest disadvantage right now is their lack of a foundation. Every one they lose is one they can't replace. That's our greatest advantage."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly: "To cut the weeds, you must dig out the roots. Elder Guangdu possesses such extraordinary powers that if we let him escape, even as a lone commander, he could still stir up storms. He may not be able to dominate again, but causing a fair amount of destruction — that he could certainly manage. So evil must be eradicated completely. In this battle, we can afford to let the others go, but we absolutely must not let Elder Guangdu slip away."
To shoot the horse before shooting the man; to capture the ringleader before capturing the bandits.
Apart from Elder Guangdu, everyone else could really only be considered a follower or a lackey. A snake cannot move without its head — without Elder Guangdu, the rest would be easy to handle.
Suppress them or bring them to submission — neither would pose much of a problem.
The true threat at the heart of it all was Elder Guangdu.
The Eternal Sacred Ancestor chuckled: "Jiang Chen, since you say that, you must already have some plan in mind. Why don't you share your strategy with us?"
"Indeed, you've crossed paths with Elder Guangdu before — you know how deep his waters run."
At this point, none of the Divine Dao cultivators dared underestimate Jiang Chen any longer. They had already begun to regard him as a peer — a cultivator of their own caliber.
This development left every younger-generation cultivator green with envy.
But they had no choice but to admit it: compared to them, Jiang Chen was truly extraordinary, truly exceptional. One could say that the current state of affairs on Myriad Abyss Island was maintained to a very large degree because of Jiang Chen's efforts. Without him, the Ten Great Sacred Lands might well have become nothing but history.