“Indeed,” the guest elders present nodded in agreement.
“But there’s one thing: he’s human, and his strength will be limited in the sea,” Little Green Dragon said.
“Your Majesty, the Dragon King, our dragon clan has the Water-Repelling Pearl. If he takes one during the challenge, it won’t be an issue at all,” the Dragon Clan Grand Elder stated.
At that moment, Lin Yun, who had remained silent, suddenly stood up.
“Very well, I, Lin Yun, accept this challenge. I possess a treasure from the Great Kun Clan, so my strength won’t be limited in water. There’s no need for the Water-Repelling Pearl,” Lin Yun declared loudly, his voice brimming with confidence.
“Human lad, are you truly accepting?” The Dragon Clan Grand Elder looked at Lin Yun with slight astonishment.
The Grand Elder had assumed Lin Yun would argue fervently, perhaps trying to switch to a weaker opponent, such as one comparable to a human Second or First Stage Myriad Realm cultivator. Though the Grand Elder wouldn’t have agreed, he was certain Lin Yun would attempt it.
After all, the Grand Elder had mentioned the matter was negotiable, so he proposed this challenge to allow Lin Yun to gain the status of a dragon clan guest elder. In truth, he intended it as an indirect way to dissuade Lin Yun, hoping he’d back down.
But to his surprise, Lin Yun agreed outright, which caught the Grand Elder off guard.
“Absolutely, I’m serious. The Grand Elder is right—if I lack outstanding strength, how can I qualify as a dragon clan guest elder? If I lose, I’ll only have myself to blame for my inferior skills, and I’ll have no right to be a guest elder!” Lin Yun stood tall, his tone sharp and resolute.
“You’ve got some guts, lad. Fine! If you accept the challenge and win, I’ll fully support you becoming a guest elder of our West Sea Dragon Palace!” the Grand Elder declared.
“And what about the other elders present? If I win, will you all agree?” Lin Yun asked with a courteous smile, turning to the nine other West Sea Dragon Palace elders.
“If you win, we’ll have no objections!” the nine elders responded in unison.
“Good, then name a time and place,” Lin Yun said calmly.
Little Green Dragon spoke up immediately, “Grand Elder, shall I set the time and place?”
“Naturally, it’s up to Your Majesty, the Dragon King,” the Grand Elder replied respectfully.
“Then, ten days from now at noon, on the martial arena of our Dragon Palace,” Little Green Dragon announced.
“As you command,” the elders responded in unison.
“Very well, everyone is dismissed. All elders, please attend on time to bear witness,” Little Green Dragon said.
“We take our leave.”
The elders bowed and exited the meeting hall.
Once the West Sea Dragon Palace elders had left, only Lin Yun and Little Green Dragon remained in the hall.
Little Green Dragon’s earlier air of regal authority vanished instantly, reverting to his usual casual demeanor with Lin Yun.
“You rascal, I’m truly trying my hardest to make this alliance happen, but the difficulty is no small matter,” Little Green Dragon sighed.
He continued, “You saw it just now. The Grand Elder was completely against you becoming a guest elder, but when the topic of an alliance with the human race came up, he softened on the guest elder issue. That was his way of showing just how firmly he opposes the alliance.”
“This matter is indeed challenging. In my view, to get the dragon clan elders to agree and convince the entire West Sea Dragon Clan, we’d need to offer benefits enticing enough to sway them,” Lin Yun said.
After all, discussing an alliance now would put the dragon clan at a disadvantage. They’d gain little and have to give up much.
So, even with Little Green Dragon’s full efforts, success was far from guaranteed.
Lin Yun was pondering the issue as well. To make the alliance work, what bargaining chip could the human race offer to satisfy the West Sea Dragon Palace elders?
“Let’s take it step by step. If you can successfully become a guest elder of our West Sea Dragon Palace, it’ll increase the chances of forming the alliance. What do you think, rascal?” Little Green Dragon asked.
“Mm,” Lin Yun nodded.
Becoming a guest elder of the West Sea Dragon Palace didn’t mean he’d have to live there permanently. Lin Yun could continue his usual cultivation and life, but he’d gain an additional identity, along with the backing and support of the dragon clan.
From any perspective, this was undoubtedly a good thing!
With this status, it would be easier to discuss matters with the dragon clan, as the elders would no longer view him as a complete outsider.
“But… you’ll need to defeat Ao Qirui to succeed, and that’s… likely very difficult. I was going to try to push for a different opponent, but you, rascal, went and accepted outright,” Little Green Dragon said, sounding worried.
“Given the Grand Elder’s attitude, he definitely wouldn’t agree to change opponents. So, I figured I might as well accept boldly to leave a good impression,” Lin Yun explained.
“Rascal, do you have any confidence? What are your odds of winning?” Little Green Dragon asked.
Having been apart from Lin Yun for so long, he wasn’t sure of Lin Yun’s current combat strength or what level he could reach.
But regardless, Lin Yun was only at the Third Stage Eternal Realm. Overcoming such a vast gap to defeat his opponent was an incredibly daunting challenge!
“I don’t know my odds. I’m not confident at all,” Lin Yun murmured.
“You’re not confident either?” Little Green Dragon rolled his eyes.
Seeing Lin Yun accept so confidently earlier, he’d thought Lin Yun had a decent chance.
“No choice—I’m only at the Third Stage Eternal Realm. The gap is clear, and I’ve never fought a dragon clan powerhouse before, so I don’t know their methods,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“I set the date ten days from now to buy you some time. Use it to improve as much as you can. If you fail the challenge and can’t become a guest elder, forming the alliance later will be even harder,” Little Green Dragon sighed.
“I’ll give it my all. A challenge on the martial arena is slightly less difficult than actual combat,” Lin Yun said.
In real combat, it’s a fight to the death, with opponents using every means and sparing no cost.
In an arena challenge, victory is achieved by knocking the opponent off the platform. In real combat, you’d have to kill them, so the difficulty is certainly different—real combat is far tougher than the arena.
Lin Yun could only console himself with this thought…
“Rascal, come on. I’ll arrange a place for you to cultivate.”
With that, Little Green Dragon led Lin Yun out of the meeting room and arranged a quiet cultivation cave for him within the Dragon Palace.
