One could tell that Holy Maiden Yaoguang was far more pessimistic than Holy Maiden Sitong.
"Dear sister, the Eternal Holy Land is the alliance leader. As long as the alliance leader's forces haven't fallen, Myriad Abyss Island still has hope. If even the Eternal Holy Land is conquered by the demon race, then Myriad Abyss Island is truly finished. When the ten great ancestors return from the extraterritorial battlefield and find that all ten holy lands have fallen, even if they want to launch a counterattack against the demon race, they'll be powerless to do so. Without a foundation, what could they possibly use to fight back?"
Holy Maiden Sitong, it seemed, possessed a broader strategic perspective.
"A foundation? You mean using the Eternal Holy Land as the foundation?" Holy Maiden Yaoguang asked, confused.
"The Eternal Holy Land has Jiang Chen. That's what makes the difference."
"Jiang Chen?" Holy Maiden Yaoguang froze, her tone turning complicated. "How come I've heard that Jiang Chen's relationship with the Eternal Holy Land isn't all that close?"
The relationship between Jiang Chen and the Eternal Holy Land had not originally been doubted by anyone.
But over time, all sorts of rumors kept surfacing. If Jiang Chen and the Eternal Holy Land were truly that close, why had he returned to the human domain? Why had he not come back to the Eternal Holy Land for so many years? Why, even now, with the demon calamity raging for so long, had Jiang Chen not rushed to the Eternal Holy Land's aid?
Because of this, many factions across Myriad Abyss Island had been quietly speculating that a rift had appeared between Jiang Chen and the Eternal Holy Land.
Or perhaps, from the very beginning, the bond between the Eternal Holy Land and Jiang Chen had never been as deep as people assumed.
For Jiang Chen, the human domain was his true root.
Holy Maiden Sitong spoke earnestly: "How Jiang Chen and the Eternal Holy Land actually stand with each other is not something we outsiders should carelessly speculate about. However, I've dealt with Jiang Chen personally, and from what I know of his character, he is absolutely not the type to forget kindness or betray loyalty. There must be good reason behind his arrangements."
"Mm, mm, he's definitely not an ungrateful person. Sister Sitong, you supported him so generously back on Pingsha Island, and sure enough, he never forgot. This time he's come — he's surely looking for you. Hee hee."
As she spoke, Holy Maiden Yaoguang rose gracefully to her feet and brushed a hand down the long skirts she wore. "Sister, care to come with me and have a look?"
Jiang Chen had waited outside the defensive formation for roughly half a quarter of an hour before Holy Maiden Yaoguang finally appeared — with Holy Maiden Sitong in tow.
Seeing that Sitong was also present, Jiang Chen let out a breath of relief. It seemed that the Rising Sun Holy Land had indeed managed to break through with a group of survivors; it had not been a total annihilation.
But the two women were all business. They conducted a thorough inspection before allowing Jiang Chen to enter.
Holy Maiden Sitong offered an apologetic smile: "Brother Jiang, the demon race is treacherous and endlessly crafty. We've suffered losses more than once because of our caution. Please don't take offense at our wariness."
Jiang Chen returned a casual grin. "A little extra care is always a good thing. Fortunately, you're dealing with the Winged Demon lineage and the Fire Demon lineage — neither of which excels at deception. If it were the Monster Demon lineage, the Shadow Demon lineage, or even the Phantom Demon lineage, vigilance alone might not be enough."
Watching Jiang Chen speak with such ease and confidence — having come all this way, dusty from the road yet showing not the slightest trace of dishevelment — it was clear that the demon race's rampage had failed to humble this young genius of the same generation as themselves.
Both women couldn't help but feel a quiet surge of admiration.