The half-step demon lords leading the Wood Demon lineage's assault were all in high spirits. They had already realized that the Eternal Sacred Land was not nearly as formidable as they had imagined. The defenses at this level, while reasonably sturdy, were nothing special to demons who had participated in the ancient war.
"Charge, my children! Charge in and feast to your heart's content!"
The half-step demon lords rallied their forces with wild abandon. Without question, they could already see the dawn of victory — the Eternal Sacred Land was on its last legs, and its destruction was only a matter of time.
Countless Wood Demon parasitic insects blotted out the sky, swarming together in such vast numbers that the surrounding void was shrouded in dark clouds, creating an atmosphere of absolute apocalypse.
However, at that very moment, the sky-spanning clouds of darkness in the void were suddenly torn apart.
With a tremendous whoosh, a brilliant beam of treasure light shot through the rift in the clouds — radiant and holy. The instant it pierced through, it flooded the land below with warmth and illumination, sending both comfort and brilliance deep into the Eternal Sacred Land.
When that light enveloped the entire void, every last Wood Demon parasitic insect seemed to have suddenly received some dire warning. They emitted a chorus of terrified, whimpering sounds.
Their frenzied assault, which had been maintaining a savage momentum, ground to an abrupt halt. The insects hovered in place, letting out low, fearful keening. Those among them that possessed a modicum of spiritual awareness had already turned and begun to scatter, scrambling to flee. The scene was utterly bizarre.
Ancestor Wang Ban, who had already been holding his breath with anxiety, felt his expression shift in an instant.
Before he could even react, a sea of fire erupted from within that radiance. The Vermilion Bird divine creature burst forth from the inferno like a phoenix reborn from flame. With each beat of its wings, beams of fire ten thousand feet long were swept up by the creature and hurled toward every last Wood Demon parasitic insect.
The First Sunrise Fire was the natural bane of the Wood Demon parasitic insects. At this moment, with so many insects gathered together and pinned in place by the Great Crystal Light, they were already in a state of panic. Under the Vermilion Bird's control, the First Sunrise Fire blazed at one hundred and twenty percent of its normal power, engulfing every single parasitic insect in an instant.
This is bad!
The moment Ancestor Wang Ban saw this scene, he knew something was terribly wrong.
He screamed through gritted teeth: "Everyone, attack! Take down that spirit creature!"
As the Vermilion Bird divine creature raged across the battlefield, a single image flashed through Ancestor Wang Ban's mind — a name. The Vermilion Bird divine creature!
If the Vermilion Bird had appeared, that meant Jiang Chen had appeared as well!
Jiang Chen!
That name which had recently kept every faction of the Myriad Abyss Island demon tribes on edge — it had actually shown up here!
Ancestor Wang Ban's composure shattered in an instant. He had always been worried, not about anything else, but about Jiang Chen. Worried that this prodigy who had tormented the demon tribes beyond measure would appear at the Eternal Sacred Land.
That was why he had always been so careful, never making a single misstep. As reports of Jiang Chen's exploits continued to trickle in from every other faction across Myriad Abyss Island, his heart had actually settled into a measure of peace.
As long as Jiang Chen was running amok elsewhere, at least his Wood Demon branch would remain safe.
But such illusions were destined not to last. This Jiang Chen simply refused to stay away — he had appeared at the Eternal Sacred Land after all.
Did this not mean that he, Ancestor Wang Ban, was about to follow in the footsteps of the other branch ancestors?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the last shred of fighting spirit in Wang Ban's heart crumbled apart. Without a second thought, he transformed into a streak of greenish light, wheeled around, and fled — choosing retreat as the best part of valor.
His decision left every single Wood Demon cultivator on the battlefield utterly dumbstruck. None of them could have imagined that Ancestor Wang Ban, who had been commanding the fight only moments ago, would pull off such a shocking act in the next — abandoning every last one of his Wood Demon kin and fleeing for his life first!