Ziche Min was immediately rendered speechless. A large supply of antidote? Easy to say. Though Jiang Chen had sent a batch of antidotes via An Jiaye, the quantity was inherently limited.
Jiang Chen had also provided the method for refining them. But given the Eternal Sacred Land's current conditions, mass production of the antidotes was far from practical — they simply lacked the capacity.
So while they could supply a portion, a massive quantity was out of the question. Especially with multiple territories simultaneously hit by a gu insect tide — there was simply no way to meet that demand.
They could plug one or two gaps, but sealing every single one was impossible.
"Brother Jiaye, will the antidotes you brought be enough?" Ziche Min asked An Jiaye with a bitter smile.
An Jiaye's expression was indifferent. "They won't be. The surrounding territories — especially those of lesser strategic importance — will have to be abandoned. The demon race holds the advantage right now, and the Eternal Sacred Land is the weaker side. The weaker party cannot possibly hold every inch of its territory. A portion must be strategically ceded. It's unavoidable."
As an outsider, making such a decision was not difficult for An Jiaye.
But Ziche Min was a man of deep compassion — always a benevolent elder at heart. Asking him to surrender even a single territory of the Eternal Divine Kingdom was agonizing.
Still, he understood clearly that at this stage, the most critical region of the Eternal Divine Kingdom was the core zone of the Eternal Sacred Land itself.
The life and death of this central area was what mattered most.
"Brother Ziche, the Eternal Sacred Land's most impregnable stronghold is this very core region. Right now, the elite forces of the Nine Abyss Sacred Land and the True Martial Sacred Land are all gathered here. In terms of manpower, you have no fewer troops than the Wood Demon lineage. As long as you hold this area with everything you have, no matter how arrogant the Wood Demon lineage becomes, breaking through here will be extremely difficult."
This was An Jiaye's advice.
Though An Jiaye recognized that the Wood Demon lineage was formidable, his mindset remained composed. He held little emotional attachment to the Eternal Sacred Land. Whether it held or fell did not particularly concern him. Had it not been for Jiang Chen's request, he might not even have stayed to help.
Moreover, he carried the Great Glazed Talisman that Jiang Chen had given him, so even if the Wood Demon lineage breached this place, he had a way to leave.
He could even bring Ziche Min with him.
An Jiaye understood Jiang Chen well enough to know that his emotional ties to the Eternal Sacred Land were nowhere near as deep as his attachment to the human domain.
Within the Eternal Sacred Land, the number of people Jiang Chen truly valued was not all that large. Ziche Min was arguably the most important among them.
So as long as he got Ziche Min out safely, An Jiaye felt he could consider his debt to Jiang Chen settled.
Of course, from an outside perspective, An Jiaye's advice was remarkably astute.
Ziche Min gritted his teeth. "There's no other choice. Brother Jiaye, I hope you'll offer your guidance and assistance freely in this battle."
An Jiaye offered a faint smile. "I'll do my utmost. However, if the situation becomes untenable, I will withdraw. Brother Ziche, forgive my bluntness — if it comes to that, what will you choose? Will you cling blindly to the Sacred Land and perish with it, or preserve your own life to fight another day?"
This was indeed a difficult question. Ziche Min pondered for a moment, then sighed. "If the Holy Ancestor were here at the Sacred Land, the answer would be simple. But now the responsibility falls squarely on my shoulders. How could I justify not standing with the Sacred Land to the bitter end?"
"Heh. If you think that way, you're letting down Chen Shao's high regard for you. Of course, there's no need to be pessimistic this early. I have a gut feeling that even though the Wood Demon lineage has launched a full-scale invasion, they may not succeed."
"Oh? Brother Jiaye, do you have that much confidence in our Eternal Sacred Land?"
"Heh, it's not the Sacred Land I have confidence in — it's Chen Shao. I keep feeling that he's making a move, and it's part of a much larger game. Haven't there been numerous rumors spreading across the Myriad Abyss Island lately? Apparently, several demon race factions have been continuously attacked at other sacred lands across the island."