When Lin Yun heard these words, his heart suddenly sank.
He had never imagined that the other side would make such a demand.
“You two elders, back on the square when I defeated the Blood Moon Alliance elder, you both stated that if I handed over the origin artefact, you would be willing to protect me.” Lin Yun said.
“Lin Yun, at that time we did not anticipate that you would continue to overcome all obstacles and charge into the finals. The origin artefact is certainly important, but for our Dao Alliance, it is far more vital that Ji Gu obtains the opportunity.” the Grand Elder of the Void Clan said.
The Grand Elder of the Void Clan continued. “Your performance today has been far too astonishing. It has even made us feel that you pose a considerable threat to Ji Gu claiming the championship.”
After hearing this, Lin Yun finally understood.
If he had not reached the finals, then using the origin artefact as a bargaining chip to gain their protection would have been something they gladly accepted.
But now that he had advanced to the finals and could potentially threaten Ji Gu’s victory, their terms for protection had changed. They wanted him to throw the match and yield the championship.
“Doing this violates fairness, does it not? The peak tournament relies on strength. Outside, the Dao Alliance enjoys an excellent reputation. Using such underhanded methods to manipulate the outcome behind the scenes, are you not afraid of it spreading and becoming a laughing stock across the world?” Lin Yun said coldly.
“Fairness? Haha, fairness is built upon a foundation of strength. The Dao Alliance is evenly matched with the six major forces, so we can speak of fairness. But you, what do you have to uphold the fairness you speak of?” the Grand Elder of the Void Clan laughed loudly.
“In that case, the Dao Alliance is nothing more than hypocritical?” Lin Yun said with a cold laugh.
“Hypocritical? You are mistaken, Lin Yun. We are not coercing you. This is merely a transaction. You yield the championship, and we ensure your safety. You also receive assistance from our Dao Alliance. You would not lose out.” the Grand Elder of the Dual Venerable Pavilion said.
The Grand Elder of the Void Clan also smiled and said, “Lin Yun, you should understand one thing clearly. Without the protection of our Dao Alliance, you will undoubtedly die! Considering the trouble you have stirred up, across the entire human race, apart from our Dao Alliance, no one else can shelter you.”
His words clearly carried tones of warning and threat.
“If I truly cannot win the championship, then I have no need for your protection. I can simply leave directly. The supremes from those few forces will not arrive by tomorrow.” Lin Yun said.
If Lin Yun genuinely gave up the championship, their protection would be unnecessary.
He only needed shelter in the event that he won.
“Lin Yun, if you think that way, you are far too naive. Even if they cannot arrive tomorrow, they will reach here at most one or two days later. Once the peak tournament ends, even if you flee Chaos Valley, where could you escape to? As long as our Dao Alliance turns a blind eye and does not intervene, even if you hide in Heart City, they could still storm it and kill you.”
“Our human race territory is vast, but without the Dao Alliance’s protection, if they are determined to hunt you down, you will find no place to hide. Therefore, even if you do not win the championship, you will still need our Dao Alliance’s shelter.” the Grand Elder of the Void Clan said.
“That is not something you need to worry about.” Lin Yun replied.
If Lin Yun truly failed to claim the championship, escaping and preserving his life would not be an issue. At worst, he could flee to the beast race for refuge.
The beast race expert Mu Li would certainly be willing to take him in, and those three major forces would never dare to casually pursue him there.
What Lin Yun cared about was winning the championship.
Lin Yun continued. “If I am only willing to exchange the origin artefact for your protection, you are not interested, correct?”
“Correct. What we want is the championship!” the Grand Elder of the Void Clan gave Lin Yun a firm confirmation once more.
The Grand Elder of the Void Clan went on. “Of course, you have another option. That is to join our Dao Alliance. As long as you join, no matter whether you or Ji Gu wins the championship, the Dao Alliance benefits. Whichever of you claims victory, we will not interfere. We will let you compete fairly, and after the peak tournament ends, the Dao Alliance will protect you. Your best choice remains joining the Dao Alliance.”
“Very well. I understand. It is getting late. You two may return for now.” Lin Yun stood up and made a gesture of invitation to leave.
Since the discussion had reached this point, Lin Yun felt there was no need to continue talking.
As for the championship, Lin Yun had no intention of giving it up.
The Grand Elder of the Void Clan and the Grand Elder of the Dual Venerable Pavilion both rose to their feet.
