Eternal, Martial, and Abyssal: these three sacred lands formed a triangle that enabled any two of the points to assist the third. However, Abyssal had now fallen.
If Martial fell too, Eternal would no longer have any nearby outside help. It would be a stranded city behind enemy lines, and the pressure upon it would instantly multiply.
With the triangle intact, the three sacred lands that formed it could at least support each other.
Thinking about all these things made Ziju Min’s head spin. His forefather status had been the result of a swift promotion, and he didn’t yet possess the authority to match.
Times like these tested his abilities.
He very much missed Jiang Chen right now. If the young man was here, things wouldn’t be nearly so bad. Preventative measures against the demons would’ve been taken already too, no doubt.
As he deliberated without much clue, an urgent message arrived from the sacred land’s appropriate formation. Communication from the faraway Rejuvenation Isles – reportedly related to young lord Jiang Chen.
Ziju Min dashed to the communication formation with as much haste as he could muster.
An image appeared within that slowly clarified over time, gaining definition as Jiang Chen injected spirit energy.
“Young lord Chen?” Ziju Min was positively elated.
“Elder Ziju… ah, wait. Forefather Ziju.” A smile hung upon Jiang Chen’s face. His confident visage seemed never to lose its optimism, regardless of the difficulties he faced.
“Please don’t call me that, young lord Chen,” sighed Ziju Min. “My position as forefather is owed entirely to you. The adversity of our present circumstances has made me wish for you. I didn’t expect you to call in right when I did so! It’s been more than a decade since we last met. I presume the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement is active once more in the human domain, correct?”
“Yes. Alas, the demonic invasion has begun as well. Forefather Ziju, the fact you’re still here means that Eternal is safe for now, yes?”
“For now,” Ziju Min smiled wryly. “I’m not sure how long we can last here.”
He related the whole situation to Jiang Chen, especially what had happened to the Abyssal Sacred Land.
The young man paled upon hearing it. As expected, the wood demons were wreaking havoc.
“Young lord Chen, are the demons really so fearsome? They’ve conquered half of Myriad Abyss in no time at all.”
“Sure, they’re a force to be reckoned with. They wouldn’t be so famous and terrifying in the heavenly planes otherwise.” Jiang Chen gave the race a lofty review. “However, history has shown that they’re far from invincible.
“We’ve fought them many times over the dozen or so years since our departure. More than five demon forefathers have fallen under our blades. A veritable harvest, or so I understand it.”
Ziju Min was grossly taken aback.
Demonic forefathers were all divine realm cultivators. More than five? That was positively shocking to hear. Myriad Abyss’s strength alone wouldn't be sufficient to kill even one.
After all, the sacred lands’ main force was tied up in the offworld battlefield still.
“Young lord Chen, now that the human domain is secure… Myriad Abyss is in terrible shape. If you have the time and inclination…” Ziju Min hesitated.
“Now is not the time to retake Myriad Abyss as a whole. I strongly believe that this place will be the main battlefield for exterminating the demons. The human domain, on the other hand, will remain as a safe base of operations that must be defended at all costs.
“My opinion is that the sacred lands won’t last much longer. You should prepare to retreat at any time. Of course, I doubt the demons will attack your experts on the offworld battlefield. They don’t want alien invaders and pirates to steal a piece of their pie.”
Jiang Chen accurately predicted prevailing demonic opinion.
“Retreat?” Ziju Min blanked. “I know Myriad Abyss is a big place, but where are we supposed to retreat to?”
“Where did the ten sacred lands come from?” Jiang Chen smiled serenely. “It’s time for you to return home. The sacred lands’ mission may very well be reaching a conclusion very soon.”
“Home? Back to the human domain?” Ziju Min gasped. “But what about the thin spirit energy there? Will the sacred lands be able to survive?”
“The human domain is completely different from what it once was,” laughed Jiang Chen. “What you know about it is firmly rooted in the past. Now that the spirit veins have recovered, we are well on our way to our ancient prosperity. Let that not be an obstacle to your thoughts, Forefather Ziju.”
“Truly?” Ziju Min was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful news.”
“Oh, absolutely,” replied Jiang Chen seriously. “The human domain is number one on the demons’ priority list. They have attacked Myriad Abyss merely out of desire for a launching pad. Therefore, I’ve no reason to abandon this place on a tactical level.”
“Well, Martial is in a precarious situation as is. If you could save…”
“Listen to me. Abyssal has likely suffered from the wood demons’ poisonous parasites. My special pills are superb at repulsing them, but the Fire of Firstdawn or Dragonwhisker Water will suffice as well.”
“Wood demons?” Ziju Min looked a bit lost. He didn’t know much about demons.
“Yes. Wood demons are average fighters, but masters of parasitic insects. Just like every other kind of demon, they’re tough to deal with in their own way. You must be careful when facing them.”
“Eternal has neither of those things, but I do believe that Sunrise Divine Nation has a wealth of the fire you mentioned.” The mention of it had jogged Ziju Min’s memory.
“Then contact Sunrise immediately. We must hold the locale in which Fire of Firstdawn is produced, then collect the fire in preparation for facing the wood demons.
“With that in hand, taking care of them will be trivial,” instructed Jiang Chen. “I will begin refining a large batch of pills immediately. When the time comes, I will deliver it to Abyssal.”
“I do beseech your help, young lord Chen, in helping the Abyssal Sacred Land. For my sake, if nothing else.” There was a pleading note in Ziju Min’s tone.
“Don’t worry. When the time comes, I will ride into battle and land a grievous blow against the demons. My friend, please be patient while I tell you about the ten demon tribes’ strengths and weaknesses…”
Many of Myriad Abyss’s factions lacked a basic understanding of what the demons could do. This was an important reason for their successive failures.
The air of mystery around the demons and their peculiarity were important components of their strength.
If humanity could understand the demons in every conceivable way, coming up with countering strategies in the process, they wouldn't be at too much of a disadvantage.
Jiang Chen was one of the most knowledgeable people there was.
Ziju Min shivered as the young man went over each tribe’s special qualities.
No tribe made for an easy opponent. Only Jiang Chen’s breadth and depth of abilities had allowed him to handle these demons with ease.
He was probably the only man in the world who could hold an advantage against the demons!
