The Flora Sacred Land had its diehard supporters still. Polylore was a good example.

As soon as Polylore’s first prime spoke, the representative of Void echoed his sentiment. “The Void Sacred Land agrees that Flora should be the leader. They’re more than qualified with their reputation and strength. Any other sacred land might not be able to win everyone’s approval.”

“Haha, I hardly think so. The ten sacred lands have always been equals. No one ranks higher than another. Given the circumstances, I believe the Eternal Sacred Land is the best candidate. 

“Firstly, Eternal showed great resilience and assertiveness during rebellions. That’s something we can all learn from. Secondly, their foundations and strength are not to be underestimated. And last but not least, the champion of the grand competition is from Eternal. Jiang Chen’s rise has reshaped the ten sacred lands. If Myriad Abyss is heading towards a dead end, then Jiang Chen will be the one to get us out.”

“That’s right! Jiang Chen’s talent, character, and luck are unrivaled compared to regular geniuses. He will be the leader of the ten sacred lands in the future. The day will come when we’re too old to steer the wheel. The future belongs to the youths. Who other than Jiang Chen can shoulder that mantle?”

The Eternal Sacred Land had two devoted followers as well - Martial and Abyssal. They had always been close allies and weren’t going to let Polylore and Void put Flora on a pedestal. They took an opposing stand to make a case for Eternal.

In this regard, six of the ten sacred lands had picked a side. The remaining four sacred lands, Sunrise, Radiance, Nirvana, and Immortal, had yet to speak up.

One thing was for certain, though. The alliance would be formed one way or another, and the leader would be either Flora or Eternal.

Sunrise and Radiance were close allies, and Nirvana and Immortal had a brotherly relationship. 

Their opinions were crucial. If one pair supported Eternal and the other picked Flora, the ten sacred lands would be split in half.

The one who spoke up first was Sunrise’s prime. “Perhaps we can put the election of the leader aside for now. First, we have to form the alliance. It’ll be unwise to let the election prevent us from doing that.”

“You have a point. Let’s do that first.” The others showed their support for the idea.

Eternal’s first prime nodded as well. “We will follow the general consensus and support the higher priority of the alliance’s formation. No matter who the leader ends up being, we’ll support the result as long as they are elected by everyone.”

She’d won a few points with that statement.

Flora’s Prime Gao huffed, berating himself for not having voiced support first. Eternal had seized on the opportunity to make itself look good.

“Flora will adhere to the consensus as well. No matter who ends up leading the alliance, we’ll follow them so long as they are selfless and have Myriad Abyss’ best interest at heart.”

It was better late than nothing at all.

“Wonderful!”

With that, the alliance was a done deal. No one could alter it. If someone spoke up against forming an alliance, they would be a public enemy.

“Since we’re all in agreement, let’s now hold a simple ritual. We’ll make a blood pact with the heavens and earth as our witnesses. We are coming together in an alliance to fight for Myriad Abyss’s future and our collective survival, weathering thick and thin together.”

A blood pact was a very solemn ritual. Once the pact was made, no party could change its mind or betray the alliance. They would be shunned by the other sacred lands otherwise, and everyone could target them.

From the forefathers to the disciples, all participants from the ten sacred lands participated in the ritual with great reverence. They spilled symbolic amounts of blood to form a pact in a very solemn and weighty atmosphere. 

Afterwards, they swore oaths with the heavens and earth as their witnesses. No one was to do anything that would detract from the alliance before it was disbanded.

There was no room for tricks in the process. They knew very well that forming an alliance would do them more good than bad.

With an alliance in place, the other nine would come to a sacred land’s aid if it was in trouble. Their battles offworld would be a concerted effort rather than everyone fighting for themselves. Their combined strength would at least double.

With the last step of the ritual completed, the alliance was officially formed.

Everyone was excited for the time being, including the forefathers. For the longest time, the ten sacred lands had been unable to form an alliance for all sorts of reasons. Now, at Myriad Abyss’s eleventh hour, they’d managed to do it. Myriad Abyss might finally have a chance of surviving the storm to come!

“With that done, we should pick our leader.”

“Yes. It’s crucial for us to pick a good leader. They have to be competent, trustworthy, and dependable.”

“Why don’t the candidates pick some representatives to make their case? Tell us what you can do for the alliance if we choose you as the leader.”

“Good idea. Make your case and let us come to an informed decision. That’ll do!”

The proposal won every sacred land’s approval. They wanted to know how much each candidate was bringing to the table. 

As expected, Flora and Eternal were the ones to step up.

The other sacred lands didn’t even try. For one, they didn’t believe they could do the job. For another, they didn’t have a chance of winning even if they nominated themselves. It would be a waste of time and effort.

“Since Eternal and Flora are the leading factions in Myriad Abyss. No matter which of you end up succeeding, you’ll lead the ten sacred lands to great progress. Why don’t you tell us about your policies? Then we’ll know which of you to vote for.”

“Please do!”

“I suggest the two candidates pick two representatives each. An elderly executive to represent the present, and a young genius to represent the future. What do you think?”

“Good. That’s a great idea!” The suggestion was an instant hit.

“Who goes first?”

“Please allow us some time to discuss,” Flora spoke up. “Why doesn’t Eternal do the honor?”

It was more advantageous to make the case later. They would be able to adjust their strategies according to the previous remarks.

“Why don’t the young geniuses make their statements first, then we’ll let the seniors take the stage?”

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