The Elven Cultivator

Compared to a few years ago, Eleanor’s disposition had become calmer and more serene.

She wore a light cyan, ankle-length robe. Her emerald-green hair was casually tied back with a vine, with a few loose strands falling beside her ears, making her skin appear as fair and smooth as jade.

Anton’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. His Divine Sense quietly swept over her, and he was momentarily taken aback.

”You’ve almost reached the Peak of Qi Refining?”

”Yes.” A slight smile touched Eleanor’s lips, her eyes filled with unconcealed joy. ”I’ve already refined one hundred and four wisps of Spiritual Qi. I only need four more to reach the peak.”

Anton made a quick calculation.

All told, it had been just over nine years since Eleanor switched to practicing the Cyan Emperor’s Profound Celestial Record.

Her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.

But on second thought, it wasn’t surprising.

For one, Eleanor hadn’t started from scratch.

She had a solid foundation from her previous training in Magic. After her Magic Power was converted into Spiritual Qi, she already had an accumulation of over sixty wisps, putting her starting point far above that of an ordinary person.

For another, and most crucially, she had abundant resources.

Anton recalled how it had taken him a full sixty-one years to go from refining his first wisp of qi to reaching the Peak of Qi Refining.

Of course, part of this disparity was because the Taichu Hiding Skill was far more difficult to practice than the Cyan Emperor’s Profound Celestial Record. But the more fundamental reason was a lack of resources.

Spirit Gathering Talismans, body refinement through blood-essence, Nourishing Yuan Pills… he had only acquired these items, all of which could drastically improve cultivation efficiency, piecemeal over the subsequent decades.

If he’d had these resources to aid him from the very beginning, the time it took him to reach the Peak of Qi Refining would have been cut by more than half.

With sufficient resources, even a Cultivator with poor aptitude wouldn’t have a slow cultivation speed.

A cultivation speed like Eleanor’s was probably the normal standard for a sect disciple in the Cultivation Realm.

”Just focus on your cultivation. I’ll refine the Foundation Establishment Pill for you,” Anton said.

Things were different now; he no longer had to search everywhere for the main ingredients to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill.

He could just pick a few of the rare materials from the storehouse, and it would be more than enough to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill.

”Alright.” Eleanor didn’t refuse, simply giving a slight nod.

She didn’t thank him, knowing that words of gratitude would be superfluous with Anton.

Everything Anton had done for the Clan over the years went far beyond what a simple ’thank you’ could express.

The help he had given her, personally, was too much to count.

One Foundation Establishment Pill was merely an insignificant addition to the list.

She simply resolved, just as her grandfather had said, to one day serve as Anton’s deputy with all her heart, assisting him in managing the Clan.

Paying no mind to Eleanor’s private thoughts, Anton changed the subject. ”How have your Talisman studies been going recently?”

”I can already inscribe some Low Tier Talismans.” Eleanor produced a stack of them. ”These are the Clear Heart Talismans, Storage Talismans, and Light Body Talismans I’ve made… My success rate is about seventy percent.”

Anton picked up a few Talismans and examined them for a moment before nodding slightly.

’The brushstrokes are still a bit clumsy, and a few of the turns in the Runes aren’t quite fluid,’ he thought, ’but the overall structure is complete, and it has already developed a runic resonance.’

’For a beginner to reach this level is quite impressive.’

’For Eleanor to have reached this stage in just a few short years shows she has a considerable talent for inscribing Runes.’

’In fact, most Cultivators with a talent for Arrays tend to show an exceptional aptitude when they begin learning Talismans.’

’The principles behind Runes and array patterns are two sides of the same coin; mastering one helps in understanding the other.’

Anton pondered for a moment before saying, ”Since you’ve grasped the basics of Talismans, you can start learning Techniques.”

Eleanor faltered, a look of surprise in her eyes. ”Techniques? But my Cultivation Level…”

”While the Qi Refining Stage focuses on cultivating martial skills, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn Techniques,” Anton said with a slight smile. ”Besides, your situation is unique. You already have a foundation in Magic. Though their principles differ, they are ultimately both ways of utilizing the energy of heaven and earth. Drawing on that experience, you should find cultivating Techniques much easier than others would.”

He himself had started practicing Techniques back in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

For Eleanor to only be starting now, when she was close to the Peak of Qi Refining, was already considered quite late.

Ultimately, it was because her progress had been so fast, and because she had focused most of her energy on refining Spiritual Qi, that she had neglected this area of her training.

It didn’t matter much, though. Techniques only became a primary means of combat in the Foundation Establishment Stage, so there was still plenty of time for her to start learning.

Anton selected a few basic Techniques from the Taoist Jade Scroll that were suitable for someone with wood and water Dual Spirit Roots. He meticulously transcribed the key principles of the techniques, along with his own insights, into a manual and handed it to Eleanor.

”Take these Techniques and study them first. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come ask me. Start with the simplest one. Don’t get greedy and try to learn too much at once. Take it one step at a time.”

Eleanor accepted the manual, her eyes shining, and nodded solemnly.

After they finished discussing cultivation, Anton casually asked about recent changes within the Clan.

He knew Eleanor had been assisting the Elder Council with clan affairs, so she would be more knowledgeable about these things than most.

Holding nothing back, Eleanor recounted everything in detail.

First, the Clan’s total population had surpassed the nine thousand mark.

Thanks to the Life Generation Array and Fertility Pills, the Clan’s birth rate had increased over the years.

Although they were still far from being as prolific as major races like the Human Race and the Sea Race, it was a vast improvement over before.

By her estimates, the Clan’s total population would surpass ten thousand in fifty years at most.