The senior executives of the three sacred lands failed to come up with any solutions. Without ultimate treasures, it was next to impossible for them to extricate themselves from the situation, given the level of their strength.
Prime Puresmoke from the Martial Sacred Land spoke up at this time.
“The demonic invasion is upon us, fellow daoists. There is no way out. Why don’t we call upon our inner fires and make our final stand against the demonic army? Whether we win or lose, we at least will have made the most out of a lifetime’s worth of cultivation. Our deaths will be worthy in our ancestors’ eyes!”
Though she was a woman, she demonstrated unparalleled grit at this critical time. Everyone knew there was no other way out for the three sacred lands.
They might have had a chance to flee the sacred land if the wood demon tribe had yet to embark on their mass invasion. But with the entire tribe on their doorstep, and Martial and Abyssal conquered, it was too late for them to retreat.
Since there was no other way out, why shouldn’t they fight the wood demons to death?
If they couldn’t live with dignity, then they would go down fighting!
Puresmoke’s suggestion caused the cultivators from the three sacred lands to tense. They didn’t want to face reality, but the ugly truth was staring them right in the face.
Indeed, they could no longer escape.
Would they die with a whimper like mewling cowards, or would they go out in a blaze of glory?
When all was said and done, they were warriors of the sacred lands. Even the least headstrong cultivators felt the blood boil in their chests.
The decision was clear. One after another, they turned their gazes to Ziju Min.
Despite his usual calm temperament, the Eternal forefather’s eyes turned steely beneath the influence of the tragic atmosphere.
“It seems that trying times are the catalyst to resolving our differences and working as one. So be it! I possess only meager power, but will fight to the death with all of you. With the elites of all three sacred lands combined, we shall cripple the wood demon tribe, even if we can’t destroy them.”
“That’s right. Every demon we kill will be one less enemy for the continent. Our sacrifice won’t be forgotten by history!”
“Say no more. We fight to the bitter end!”
At the end of the day, the sacred lands were superior to second and third tier factions in both heritage and foundation. They had been established by cultivators from the human domain to begin with, and had inherited the ancient cultivators’ conviction and sense of duty.
Although Myriad Abyss’ constant decline over the years ate away at morale and spirit, they were still valiant enough to sacrifice themselves for the cause when the time came.
“I am willing to lead a group of deathsworn to destroy the demonic flora, Forefather Ziju,” volunteered Puresmoke. “We’ll do our best to cut out the roots and stop them from spreading!”
“I volunteer to do the same!”
“And I!” People spoke up one after another.
An Kasyapa shook his head slightly, but had to respect their conviction. No matter what decision they ended up making, at least they’d won his respect.
He sighed. He could no longer stand idly by. “Brother Ziju, the plants are advancing very aggressively. I believe that’s the doing of a divine forefather from the wood demon tribe. Without a divine cultivator on your side, your volunteers will only be marching to your deaths without accomplishing anything.”
His words were harsh, but the truth.
Without a divine cultivator, the human cultivators wouldn’t be able to deal with the wood demons. There was certainly a demon forefather behind the terrifying plants.
“Then I’ll just do it myself,” Ziju Min responded solemnly.
“You’ve only just ascended to divinity,” An Kasyapa replied coolly. “Your cultivation is decent, but not enough to rival a demon forefather. I’ll do it.”
“That doesn’t seem right, dao brother. You were only here to deliver the antidotes. We’re already grateful to you for making the delivery in time. How can we let you take on another dangerous mission?”
Ziju Min wasn’t being disingenuous. He wanted An Kasyapa’s help, of course, but he’d never considered sending the divine master to the frontlines.
It was much too risky.
An Kasyapa waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not biting off more than I can chew. You’re but a first level god, while I’ve encountered good fortune and ascended to fourth level. My cultivation may still fall short against that of the wood demon forefather, but I’m certain I’ll be able to escape from him. It would be ideal if I can destroy the plants’ roots. But if not, I’ll at least be able to distract the forefather. I’ll lure him away if possible. You can then contact young master Chen, and the Eternal Sacred Land will be as good as saved.”
The cultivators from the three sacred lands perked up at his words. Sacrificing their own lives was the last resort.
What kept them hopeful wasn’t that the divine forefathers would return from the offworld battlefield, but that Jiang Chen might come to their aid from Winterdraw.
Wood demons were too powerful for even the forefathers of the sacred lands, but not for Jiang Chen.
Ziju Min met An Kasyapa’s eyes. He could tell that the god meant what his words.
The Eternal forefather sighed. “The three sacred lands will never be able to repay you for your help, dao brother.”
An Kasyapa smiled slightly. “Haha, consider this payment for young master Chen’s generosity.”
“Stay in the sacred land and wait for news. If I manage to destroy the plants, you should charge out and push forward. If you hear nothing from me, stay inside and don’t sacrifice yourselves for nothing. Try to persist as long as you can with the great defensive formation. I’ll return with the cavalry as soon as I can.”
An Kasyapa wasn’t going to take anyone with him.
When fighting demons, the more wasn’t the merrier, but more trouble. On his own, he could move quickly. Not even the wood demon forefathers would be able to trap him.
