The Elven Cultivator

News of Anton developing a new healing potion swept through the entire Silver Moon Clan like a hurricane.

Due to the constant battles with the Lizard-men, there were quite a few Elves in the Silver Moon Clan with missing or disabled limbs.

The Life Spring Water could heal wounds, but it couldn’t regenerate severed bones—a regretful fact that even the Great Elder was powerless to change.

Under such circumstances, one could only imagine the sensation that the appearance of a limb-regenerating potion would cause.

The uproar grew even greater, especially after several Elves with missing limbs personally demonstrated the effects of the Flesh-Regenerating Potion.

Anton, already widely known as a genius, saw his fame within the Clan rise to a whole new level.

In addition to being a dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, he now had the added aura of a genius Pharmacist.

...

”This is so nice. I wish I could live next to the Eternal Tree, too.”

In the spacious living room of the treehouse, Romance was sprawled casually in a wicker chair. She soaked in the dense elemental energy in the air, her amber eyes narrowing into slits of pure satisfaction.

Sunlight poured through the gaps in the leafy window, dancing on her silver-white hair like a sprinkle of crushed diamonds.

”You can come over whenever you want.”

Anton was organizing some newly arrived materials, and he spoke without looking up.

Romance’s eyes lit up. She instinctively sat up straight, and the wicker chair let out a groaning CREAK.

”It’s a deal, then!”

Cultivating under the Eternal Tree was the dream of every Elf in the Clan.

Unfortunately, the Eternal Tree had to supply most of its energy to the Spring of Life. To avoid affecting the production of Life Spring Water, the Clan strictly controlled the number of residents near the Eternal Tree.

Aside from the council of elders and the Forest Guard, only Elves who had made immense contributions to the Clan could earn the right to live near the Eternal Tree.

Anton, having improved the Flesh-Regenerating Potion, had naturally obtained this privilege as well.

’The Eternal Tree has a natural Spirit Gathering effect. Although it’s not as good as a Spirit Gathering Array, it’s not far off.’

’Cultivating here will increase the efficiency of refining Spiritual Qi by at least fifty percent.’

Anton was filled with joy.

The time it would take to break through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining would now be significantly shorter.

However, as the price for this residency, he had to provide the Clan with 100 vials of the Flesh-Regenerating Potion each month. All the necessary materials, including Life Spring Water, would be supplied by the Clan.

Furthermore, the quota of materials provided was significantly higher than what was actually needed.

This was also an unspoken perk the Clan offered its Pharmacists.

Anton estimated he could skim at least a third of the surplus for himself.

The other materials didn’t matter as much, but when it came to Life Spring Water, the more, the better.

The Life Source Crystal could continuously transform into spring water, but it needed time to settle, so the monthly output was limited.

Having an extra channel to obtain Life Spring Water was undoubtedly a good thing.

”You’re a big celebrity in the Clan now. So many people have come to me asking about you, even Eleanor.”

Romance said casually, rocking back and forth in her wicker chair.

Seeing Anton look over, she quickly added, ”But I’m a loyal friend. I didn’t say a thing.”

”Alright, alright, I know you’re good at keeping secrets.” Anton smiled and tossed Romance a scroll of sheepskin paper. ”Here, this is the combat technique I promised you.”

After the practical combat course, he had begun researching the ”localized adaptation” of martial techniques. He had actually managed to figure some things out, successively adapting two of them.

One was called ’Wind and Thunder’s Call,’ an axe technique.

Its principle was axe-shadows like a storm and thunder roaring with the axe’s song. With a single swing, wind and thunder would arrive together, and the sound of thunder would stun enemies before they could even get close. The style was simple and brutal, a perfect match for Romance’s combat style.

The other was the ’Locking Scale Skill,’ a defensive martial technique. When activated, it could form an illusory Scale Armor over the body that was exceptionally tough.

Among the many martial techniques in the Taoist Jade Scroll, Wind and Thunder’s Call and the Locking Scale Skill could barely be considered mid-tier. They were far inferior to techniques like Melting Soldier Hand, the Divine Sun Sword Skill, and the Forbidden Golden Armor.

It wasn’t that Anton was unwilling to share top-tier martial techniques. Rather, with his current level of martial skill, adapting second-rate techniques was manageable, but the difficulty of adapting top-tier ones was simply too high.

It wouldn’t be too late to adapt the top-tier techniques later, once his cultivation realm was higher and he had mastered more martial techniques, Techniques, or even Divine Techniques.

At that point, with a much broader perspective, success would undoubtedly be easier.

The power of the locally adapted combat techniques was certainly less than the original versions, but they were still a great deal better than the techniques the Silver Moon Clan currently possessed. After all, they were magic-infused combat techniques.

”Haha, I love you to death, Anton.”

Romance unfurled the sheepskin paper. After just a few glances, she leaped up from the wicker chair and threw herself at Anton, giving him a solid hug.

Caught off guard, Anton nearly knocked over the Life Spring Water at his side.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Just as he was about to speak, Romance had already rushed impatiently into the backyard, ready to practice the combat technique.

”...Such an impetuous girl.”

Shaking his head, Anton turned and walked into his laboratory.

The treehouse the Clan had arranged for him was seven or eight times the size of his previous one.

In addition to a living room, bedroom, and bathroom, it also had a dedicated laboratory and a meditation room. From now on, he wouldn’t have to run to the backyard for his Alchemy.

In the brightly lit laboratory, a bronze Alchemy Cauldron sat in the center, its body gleaming with a cold, metallic luster.

A long wicker table stood against the wall opposite the door, covered with a dense array of potion-making tools.

Against the walls on the left and right stood two massive cabinets, their drawers and shelves piled high with materials.

Anton walked to the wicker table and looked at a sheet of sheepskin paper on it, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

’The ’genius Pharmacist’ persona has been established. Next is to continue reinforcing it.’

The Alchemy Dao of the cultivation system had a foundation far superior to the study of pharmacology on the Dawn Continent. This wasn’t a matter of superior or inferior technology, but a difference born from the accumulation of time.

The pharmacology of the Dawn Continent had only developed for a few thousand years.

But the Alchemy Dao within the Taoist Jade Scroll was a system that had been refined over hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of years. It had long surpassed the scope of mere knowledge and reached the level of a ’Dao’.

It was easy to find many Pills in the Taoist Jade Scroll that were more effective and cheaper to produce than their equivalent potions.

This was the profound foundation built by the accumulation of time.

Anton planned to spend the next two years or so successively ’improving’ several potions to solidify his persona as a genius Pharmacist, before finally revealing the Dragon Essence Potion.

He already had some ideas about which Pills to choose.

For example, the Qi Recovery Powder, which could rapidly restore Spiritual Qi, could be ’improved’ into a new type of Magic Power recovery potion.

The Calm Heart Pill, which could calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and dispel distracting thoughts, could be ’improved’ into a Serenity Potion that increased meditation efficiency.

The Antidote Pill, which could neutralize most Low Tier poisons, could be ’improved’ into an antidote potion.

And so on.

These were all Low Tier potions with broad appeal. They could be quickly popularized within the Clan, benefiting its members, without overstepping the boundaries of a ’genius Pharmacist’. It was the perfect balance.

”Putting on a show for everyone isn’t easy.”

Anton sighed, then threw himself into the great work of potion-making.