However, after all the painstaking arrangements Jiang Chen and his allies had made, there was no way they would allow Old Man Guangdu to seize the initiative. The moment the old man erupted in fury—
Jiang Chen's voice cut coldly through the shadows: "Everyone, the fate and future of Myriad Abyss Island shall be decided by this battle. What are you still hesitating for?"
The sudden sound of Jiang Chen's voice sent Old Man Guangdu's heart plummeting. He instantly recognized it and rasped, "Boy — it's you!"
But the reply that came was not Jiang Chen's voice. It was a barrage of attacks surging in from every direction.
"Everyone, be careful!" Old Man Guangdu barked.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two immense auras of true spirits he had once felt within the Eternal Sacred Land reappeared once more.
The Vermilion Bird divine beast and the Black Tortoise divine beast arrived almost simultaneously.
A maelstrom of frenzied flames and the Black Tortoise's corpse-filling qi — like fire and ice descending together — instantly severed Old Man Guangdu from the rest of his forces.
Everything was proceeding exactly according to the prearranged steps.
No matter how formidable Old Man Guangdu's Divine Abilities might be, being entangled by two true spirits at once meant he had no capacity to look after anyone else.
Moreover, An Jiaye stood watch from the sidelines, keeping the two true spirits in check. Should Old Man Guangdu attempt to rescue any of his subordinates, An Jiaye would immediately plunge into the fray.
At a time like this, Jiang Chen's role as the mastermind orchestrating the battle proved invaluable.
On the other flank, led by the Eternal Sacred Land's ancestor, over a dozen Divine Path cultivators surged forward in a frenzy, crashing toward the remaining seven enemy Divine Path cultivators.
Everyone knew this was a battle of life and death, and no one could afford to hold back. Once the assault was launched, it came with the fury of a raging storm.
The seven enemy Divine Path cultivators were no ordinary fighters, but the attack had come without warning, leaving them barely enough time to brace themselves. By the time they realized Old Man Guangdu could no longer protect them, they were already bogged down and sinking fast.
Facing two to three times their fighting strength, struck by a fully prepared ambush, the outcome of this engagement left virtually no suspense. Three or four Divine Path cultivators were blasted into a state of combat incapacity on the spot.
The remaining few fought on stubbornly, trying to struggle free. But losing three or four companions in the first wave had only made their situation far worse.
Even their desperate resistance proved futile. Before long, one after another teetered on the brink — like candles guttering in the wind, their flames liable to snuff out at any moment.
"Resist and die. Surrender and live," Jiang Chen suddenly shouted. "Are you few still determined to struggle in the face of certain doom?"
Jiang Chen's thunderous command shattered whatever remained of their will to fight.
"I'm willing to surrender."
"I surrender too."
One by one they cast down their weapons and raised both hands overhead, surrendering without a moment's hesitation. They all understood that under these circumstances, their lives could be extinguished between one breath and the next. Refusing to surrender would mean a death sentence with absolutely no ambiguity.
Because, quite simply, they had nowhere left to run.