The higher-ups of the three great Sacred Lands were all at their wit's end. Clearly, with the current strength of their three Sacred Lands, unless they had a supreme-grade magical treasure to anchor their defenses, the chances of breaking the current deadlock were virtually nil.
It was Ningyan, the Sacred Master of the True Martial Sacred Land, who finally spoke up. "Fellow Daoists, the demon invasion is already upon us — it cannot be avoided. As cultivators who have walked this far, we have no road of retreat. Why not channel this burning passion of ours and fight the demon race to the bitter end? Whether we win or lose, at least we will not have lived our lives of bitter cultivation in vain. Even in death, we will have answered to our ancestors."
Despite being a woman, Ningyan Sacred Master displayed a spirit in this critical moment that put many men to shame.
Everyone in their hearts already knew the truth — the three great Sacred Lands truly had no path of retreat left.
If the Wood Demon lineage had not launched their full-scale invasion, there might still have been a sliver of hope if they abandoned the Eternal Sacred Land and fled.
But now the Wood Demon army was bearing down on their very doorstep. The True Martial Sacred Land and the Nine Abyss Sacred Land had already lost their home grounds entirely.
To think of retreat now — there was simply nowhere left to go.
Since they had been driven to a dead end, why not fight the Wood Demon lineage to the finish?
If they could not live freely and on their own terms, then they would die gloriously in battle!
Ningyan Sacred Master's proposal sent a jolt through every cultivator of the three Sacred Lands. Though none of them wanted to face this reality, it was laid bare before them with brutal, unyielding clarity.
Yes — they had no road of retreat left.
Would they cower and be scared to death, or fight valiantly to the end?
They were warriors of Sacred Lands after all. At a moment like this, even those who had never shown much spine in the past found the blood within them set aflame.
That's right — since there was no way out, why not fight to the death?
One pair of eyes, then another, then a third... all of them eventually turned toward Ziche Min.
Ziche Min was by nature an exceedingly composed man, but even he was swept up by the solemn, stirring atmosphere. In his gaze, a similarly heroic light flickered.
"It seems that in the face of this situation, our disagreements have melted away. We stand united. Very well — this old man, though unworthy, is willing to fight and die alongside all of you. The combined elite of our three Sacred Lands — even if we cannot crush the Wood Demon lineage, we will at least deal them a devastating blow."
"Exactly! For every demon we eliminate, we lighten the burden on the Divine Abyss Continent. Our contributions, our sacrifices — they will never be forgotten by history!"
"Fighting to the death — what more is there to say?"
They were cultivators of the great Sacred Lands, after all. Their heritage and legacy were worlds apart from those second- and third-rate factions elsewhere on Myriad Abyss Island. The Ten Great Sacred Lands had originally been outposts sent by the human domains, and in their bones they still carried that ancient blood and sense of duty.
Though Myriad Abyss Island's situation had grown worse with each passing year, steadily eroding their fighting spirit and corroding their resolve — when the moment of decision finally arrived, they still possessed the courage to fight to the bitter end.
"Ancestor Ziche, I am willing to lead a squad of volunteers to destroy the Wood Demon lineage's spirit plants and sever their root system, cutting off their spread!"
Ningyan Sacred Master stepped forward to volunteer.