When High Sacred Lord Gao heard this, he scoffed coldly. "Grandmaster Shi Xuan, you spent all those years in the Eternal Sacred Ground — I'm afraid you've long since been brainwashed by that Jiang Chen?"
Shi Xuan's expression shifted slightly, then he let out a sigh. "Since High Sacred Lord Gao doesn't trust me, just treat my words as nonsense then. The situation at the Hundred Sacred Ground is plain for all to see. Everyone's right — we either send for reinforcements or break through the siege. Holding our ground to the death means nothing but death."
It was an inescapable dilemma.
"Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen…" High Sacred Lord Gao ground his teeth. He had actually already made peace with Jiang Chen back at the Genius Grand Tournament.
But deep down, he still resented Jiang Chen, feeling that the Hundred Sacred Ground's prestige had been completely overshadowed by that brat.
Now, to ask Jiang Chen for help — how could he possibly accept that?
"If the Hundred Patriarch were in the Sacred Ground, he would never let personal grudges stand in the way," an elder murmured quietly.
The remark was clearly aimed at High Sacred Lord Gao.
To his surprise, it struck a chord.
"That's right, High Sacred Lord Gao — personal grudges can always be set aside. The survival of the Hundred Sacred Ground is what matters most. Right now, the only person who can save us from this crisis is Jiang Chen. Why can't we put aside our sect prejudices? Aren't we supposed to be allies?"
"Sacred Lord, please reconsider!"
Trapped and besieged by the demon race, the Hundred Sacred Ground had been driven into a dead end. If they didn't adapt, death was inevitable. The fear of death clearly outweighed any sectarian pride.
And so, everyone was desperately hoping they could send for reinforcements from Jiang Chen. It seemed only Jiang Chen could work a miracle at this point.
…
Outside the Hundred Sacred Ground, Jiang Chen found the situation equally peculiar. The demon race's military strength far surpassed that of the Hundred Sacred Ground — so why hadn't they attacked?
Could it be that these two demon clans were using the siege as bait to lure in reinforcements? A trap?
But upon closer examination, it didn't appear to be any kind of trap at all.
This development left Jiang Chen quite surprised. After considerable effort, he finally managed to learn the truth of the matter.
Once he found out, he couldn't help but laugh.
As expected of the demon race — their rivalry over resources and profits was as crude and primitive as ever. The two demon clans were deadlocked over the division of spoils, waiting for a judgment from the Celestial Demon Ancestor.
"The demon race really does have its weaknesses," the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird remarked after learning the truth. "No wonder they've been waging wars everywhere yet never managed to conquer the heavens. Their inherent selfishness makes true cooperation impossible. The moment a dispute over profits arises, the demon race simply cannot stand united."
Jiang Chen nodded. "That's the demon race's weakness — and honestly, it's humanity's weakness too. The reason they're fighting over gains so brazenly right now is precisely because the current situation is overwhelmingly in their favor. If they were in a desperate situation, or even facing catastrophe, they'd set aside their differences and cooperate wholeheartedly."
"Chen Shao, just say the word — are we doing this or not?" The Grandage White Tiger was practically bouncing with eagerness. It was clear his desire to fight was burning hot.
Jiang Chen mused for a moment. "Since we've come all this way, we can't very well do nothing. But we need to make sure the demon race isn't laying a trap for us. Then again, the demon race still doesn't have a full grasp of my strength. Even if they set an ambush, they'd struggle to have it specifically tailored to counter me."
This was the plain truth. Even if the demon race lured them into a trap, whether Jiang Chen took the bait was one question — and whether the demon race had the power to keep him there after he did was quite another.