When the two Holy Maidens heard that Jiang Chen was about to leave for the Eternal Sacred Land, they weren't particularly surprised — though deep down, they felt a twinge of reluctance.
Though they hadn't spent many days with Jiang Chen, every encounter they'd had with him had left them thoroughly impressed by his remarkable displays of ability.
In the current delicate situation, having Jiang Chen nearby had given them an intangible sense of reliance and security, and they couldn't help but feel reluctant to see him go.
But neither of them spoke up to ask him to stay.
They understood perfectly well that the Eternal Sacred Land's place in Jiang Chen's heart was unquestionably far greater than theirs.
"Brother Jiang, you're just leaving like this without saying goodbye to the leadership of the two Holy Lands?" Holy Maiden Sitong's phoenix eyes gazed at Jiang Chen.
"Forget it. The situation is urgent — we can skip the formalities." Jiang Chen waved his hand, showing no intention of making another appearance.
If Grand Ancestor Guangming or Grand Ancestor Xuri had been present, it would have been worth paying his respects. But both of those elders, along with the main forces of Myriad Abyss Island, were trapped in the extraterrestrial battlefield.
Aside from those two Grand Ancestors, no one else held sufficient status or prestige to warrant a special farewell from Jiang Chen. After all, there had never been much of a deep bond between them in the first place.
Seeing Jiang Chen decline, Holy Maiden Sitong felt a faint sense of disappointment. She sighed softly and said in a wistful tone, "The Winged Demon and Fire Demon lineages have withdrawn, and the Sacred Land's leadership still has no idea why. They probably don't have the slightest clue about the real reason. If I were to tell them the truth, and they learned that you passed through without deigning to see them, they might feel a touch of disappointment."
Jiang Chen smiled with easy candor. "We're people of the jianghu — free spirits by nature. There's nothing to be disappointed about. Oh, one thing I should mention: the main armies of the ten Demon Lineages will be gathering at Myriad Abyss Island. The days ahead for Myriad Abyss Island will only grow harder, and room for survival will only shrink further. You need to prepare yourselves mentally."
Holy Maiden Sitong had already heard the Four True Spirits mention this matter, and a faint look of worry crossed her face. "Right now, all ten Holy Lands' Grand Ancestors are trapped in the extraterrestrial battlefield. Myriad Abyss Island has practically no one to take charge. If the demon race's main armies launch a full-scale invasion, I honestly have no idea how Myriad Abyss Island could possibly respond."
"Relying on Myriad Abyss Island's current strength, there's no way to contend with the demon race." Jiang Chen was blunt about it, holding nothing back.
"Brother Jiang, do you have any good advice?" Holy Maiden Sitong asked with a measure of hope in her voice.
"If you're asking for my advice, the only option is to avoid the brunt of their power for now." Jiang Chen's tone was sincere.
"Avoid the brunt of their power?" Holy Maiden Sitong said, her expression dimming. "But this world is vast — where is there anywhere the demons aren't rampaging? Where could we possibly hide?"
"Either go to the extraterrestrial battlefield and join forces with the main armies of Myriad Abyss Island's ten Holy Lands, or head to Winterpeak Island. That will be the critical ground for the final battle against the demons."
"Winterpeak Island? Is that the island domain where you've stationed a heavy garrison?" Holy Maiden Sitong asked curiously.
Jiang Chen nodded. "Yes. The decisive battle against the demons will inevitably be fought for control of the human territories. Myriad Abyss Island will serve as the main theater of war."
"Good! I'll relay your advice to the leadership exactly as you've stated it." Holy Maiden Sitong nodded solemnly.
Jiang Chen wasted no more time. He bid farewell to the two Holy Maidens and departed from the Rising Sun Sacred Land.
Though the Eternal Sacred Land was still quite far from the Rising Sun Sacred Land, in the current state of Myriad Abyss Island, the demon presence had noticeably diminished. The entire Gold Demon lineage had been annihilated, the Monster Demon and Titan Demon lineages had been severely weakened, and the Winged Demon and Fire Demon lineages, now without leaders, had already withdrawn.
As a result, the demon forces lingering across Myriad Abyss Island had drastically dwindled. Before the barbarian demon armies could muster in force, a brief vacuum had opened up across the island.