The three Sacred Lands had originally formed an iron triangle, supporting one another as a single, impregnable front. But the current situation was painfully clear — the Nine Abyss Sacred Land and the True Martial Sacred Land had both been destroyed. Without several hundred years, there was simply no way they could recover their vitality, let alone rebuild.
Now, the Eternal Sacred Land was the only fortress remaining.
And this fortress, as events had already proven, was not as impregnable as one might hope. Though its defenses had been reinforced time and again and had improved considerably, when the Wood Demon lineage had poured out in full force, they had brought it to the brink of collapse. So now, with the full might of the demon race army poised to invade, could the meager defenses of the Eternal Sacred Land possibly hold?
The answer was self-evident — the Eternal Sacred Land's defenses were nowhere near sufficient to withstand the formidable demon race army.
Abandon it!
Though the words were painful to voice, everyone had come to a deep and sobering realization: the Eternal Sacred Land had reached the point where it had to be abandoned.
To refuse to abandon it meant nothing more than perishing alongside it.
Now, with the tide of events pressing down upon them, all had no choice but to accept this reality —
Myriad Abyss Island was no longer the core of the Divine Abyss Continent, nor the central battleground contested between humanity and the demon race. Though Myriad Abyss Island might well become the main theater of war between the two races, the true struggle for supremacy remained in the human territories — at the heart of that ancient war where the demons had been sealed.
From ancient times to the present, no matter how the trajectory of the Divine Abyss Continent had shifted, in the end it had circled back to where it all began, returning to the original configuration of power.
After the higher-ups of the three Sacred Lands reached their decision, a minority of the Eternal Sacred Land's elders clung to a lingering reluctance, their hearts even harboring a degree of resistance.
But this did not affect the larger picture.
Jiang Chen did not even bother extending an invitation. He simply said, "Those of you who wish to remain and guard the Eternal Sacred Land are welcome to do so. I will not stand in your way."
Ziche Min also counseled, "With the great tide of events upon us, it is not we who abandon the Eternal Sacred Land — it is a strategic withdrawal. Once the demon war is over, those of you who have preserved your lives will be in a position to rebuild. If you perish here, what meaning does that hold for the Eternal Sacred Land?"
In truth, these people did not truly wish to stay behind. Their real fear was that by fleeing to the human territories, their standing would be thoroughly marginalized.
Their show of reluctance was a gambit — they wanted Jiang Chen to guarantee their status and treatment.
But such a commitment was one Jiang Chen would never make. These elders who put on such airs had, for the most part, never been particularly friendly toward him. Or rather, they had young geniuses under their command who had suffered defeats at Jiang Chen's hands, or whose star had been dimmed by his brilliance.
As a result, they had never truly acknowledged Jiang Chen in their hearts.
Now, to slink off and seek refuge with him — it was a blow to their pride that they struggled to swallow.
Jiang Chen had already guessed at their mindset, and he was not about to press his warm face against their cold backsides. His stance was clear — come if you will, stay if you won't.
This minor ripple did little to alter the greater course of events.
The vast majority of the three Sacred Lands were desperate to withdraw. The Wood Demon lineage alone had pushed them to the breaking point — with the full demon army mustering, Myriad Abyss Island would offer them no room to survive.
As for the extra-realm battlefield, they dared not even think about it at this point.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen used the Eternal Sacred Land's transmission array to relay the news of the demon army's assembly to every major Sacred Land.
As for how each Sacred Land would choose to respond, Jiang Chen did not press the matter.
The Immortal Sacred Land had been the first one he had gone to rescue, and they had already retreated ahead of time to the vicinity of the Spring Restoration Island Domain.