There was already a hint of compromise in those words. He wanted to protect the foundations of the Noble Clans, not any particular individual.
The unspoken meaning was that they would abandon those few whom Qiu Yan had seized, in exchange for the peace of the Noble Clans as a whole.
A few days ago, this guardian of the Noble Clans would never have made such a decision. But the battle in the starry sky had intimidated him. He understood that, to someone on the level of a Heaven Lord, one class within one continent was no force at all.
If it had been an Outsider, there might still have been some reservations. After all, if they wished to seize Donghua's Fortune without starting anew, they would ultimately have to select suitable people from among the Original Edition's existing classes as a foothold.
But that Heaven Lord had faintly revealed a close connection to Qiu Yan. That was already a foothold, while the Noble Clans stood opposed to Qiu Yan. Another great power from the starry sky might have chosen to absorb the Noble Clans and use them to lay out a plan, but this newly ascended Heaven Lord had no need to do so. Instead, he would crush the entire Noble Clan class, establish Qiu Yan's authority, and clear the road before him.
For that very reason, as soon as the guardian of the Noble Clans emerged from seclusion and learned of the present situation, he had used Ancestor Chen as an intermediary to come negotiate with Qiu Yan. Now, upon hearing Qiu Yan's question, though displeasure still lingered in his heart, he seized the chance to state his bottom line.
In his eyes, this decision was already a major concession. Anyone would take the forces behind him into