The Elven Cultivator

Kresol Dragon City, the council hall.

The Light Source Stones in the dome cast a cold, white light, which reflected off the surface of the black basalt round table with a faint, eerie glimmer.

Seven high-backed stone chairs were arranged around the table. It seemed much more spacious than before, when twelve chairs had been crowded together—a silent testament to the grievous losses of the battle at Grayrock Pass.

But today, the faces of the seven consuls seated in the hall showed little sign of gloom.

Aurion leaned back in the stone chair at the head of the table, his expression more relaxed than it had been in a long time.

Walt, seated to his right, tapped his fingers on the tabletop in a light, brisk rhythm.

The other five consuls also leaned back in their chairs, their postures far more composed than they had been in years.

”The moment the City Lord returned, those scurrying buffoons immediately fell in line.”

”I hear several of the Vassal Races were so scared they sent over the resources they owed us overnight.”

”The Fallen Dragon Association has quieted down too. Bullock is dead, Sieg was gravely wounded and fled, and the rest are either dead or have scattered. They’ve all but vanished from the Eldron Plain.”

”The Fallen Dragon Association is just a pack of sewer rats. They only got the upper hand before because of their sneak attacks, which was the only reason they dared to strut around so arrogantly. Now that the City Lord has scared the courage out of them, they’ve naturally scurried back into their holes.”

”Only Canglan is still at large. That one’s a slippery fellow; he hasn’t shown his face yet.”

”With the City Lord here, it’s only natural he wouldn’t dare show himself. If he did, the City Lord could crush him with a single finger.”

This last statement made the consuls nod one after another, their faces showing deep agreement.

Even if Canglan was unrivaled among those at the Golden Peak, a Legend was still a Legend.

It was a being on another level entirely.

Like the gap between a Giant Dragon and an ant.

No matter how strong the ant, it was no match for a Giant Dragon.

Aurion didn’t interject, merely watching the consuls discuss with a faint smile.

He knew full well that the consuls had been holding back their frustrations for years. It was only normal for them to vent a little now.

Soon, the topic of conversation shifted.

”So, which power should we move against next?”

”Do we need to continue? The three powers that refused to pay tribute have been dealt with. The goal of intimidation has been achieved. There’s no need to take further action, is there?”

”That’s not necessarily true. While the other powers didn’t refuse tribute, they’ve been skimming resources for years. Their feigned compliance is an offense to Dragon City all the same. We can’t just let them off the hook.”

”Exactly. If we don’t punish them, those powers will think they can offend Dragon City without consequence. The authority our City Lord has worked so hard to re-establish will be undermined.”

The consuls argued their differing points, their voices echoing through the council hall.

Aurion listened quietly for a while before raising a hand to stop the debate.

”Enough.”

The council hall fell silent at once. All eyes turned to him.

Aurion’s gaze swept over the six consuls as he spoke in a low voice, ”The City Lord wants us to choose three final targets. After that, this matter will be concluded.”

As he spoke, the air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

A chill went through the consuls’ hearts.

Three targets, plus the three that had already been annihilated, made six.

There were only about thirty notable powers in the entire Eldron Plain. This meant wiping out nearly a fifth of them.

It seemed the City Lord was truly furious this time.

The consuls exchanged glances, seeing a mix of excitement and trepidation in each other’s eyes.

But since it was the City Lord’s command, there was nothing to discuss. They had only to obey.

”Which three powers shall we choose as targets?” Walt asked.

Aurion was silent for a few seconds before saying, ”We will choose them at random.”

The consuls were slightly taken aback, but then they understood.

This was surely the City Lord’s command.

That lord had always been capricious in such matters, doing whatever he pleased.

Aurion clapped his hands, and a Dragonkin soldier immediately brought in a bronze box. It was filled with nameplates inscribed with the names of all the remaining powers on the Eldron Plain.

After that, he called on three of the consuls, having each of them draw a nameplate from the bronze box.

”These are the three,” Aurion said, standing up and straightening his robes. ”I will now go to the inner keep to report to the City Lord.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the council hall.

The inner keep.

The heavy stone doors slid open silently to either side.

Aurion stepped into the great hall, knelt a short distance from the Giant Dragon, and bowed his head low.

”My lord, the targets have been selected.”

He took out the three nameplates, held them with both hands, and placed them reverently on the ground before him.

Hearing Aurion’s report, Isaac, who had been lying prostrate, slowly opened his eyes. Without even glancing at the three nameplates, he simply extended a clawed finger and flicked it.

A wisp of crimson Magic Power shot from his fingertip, transforming into a streak of light that precisely struck the middle nameplate.

Aurion understood at once. This was the target the City Lord intended to strike first.

He lifted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the front of the nameplate, where three words were clearly visible.

Silver Moon Forest.

”My lord, the Silver Moon Forest is the territory of the Silver Moon Clan,” Aurion said respectfully.

’Elves, hmm.’

Isaac didn’t even raise an eyelid.

He had no interest in how many people the Silver Moon Forest had, or the strength of its forces.

As long as there were no Legendary Tier beings present, they were just a bunch of ants he could crush with a flick of his claw.

Just like he had crushed the Stone Fist Tribe, Grayfin Fishing Town, and Windmill Valley.

Aurion wisely said no more.

He had already discerned the answer from the City Lord’s reaction.

After a respectful bow, he rose and exited the inner keep.

The heavy stone doors slowly closed behind him, sealing the suffocating heat and oppressive pressure of the great hall within.

Standing in the corridor outside, Aurion let out a long breath and looked down at the nameplate in his hand.

Silver Moon Forest…

He mulled it over for a moment, then shook his head.

The Silver Moon Clan had been developing rapidly of late, even absorbing several other Elf groups. Based on their population alone, they were already a power to be reckoned with on the Eldron Plain.

But so what?

With the City Lord taking action personally, the Silver Moon Clan’s fate was sealed.

They could only blame their bad luck for being chosen.

Aurion put away the nameplate and turned back toward the council hall, his steps much lighter than before.

...

In the great hall.

Isaac remained coiled in place, unmoving. Only his vertical pupils narrowed slightly as he gazed in the direction of the Dragon Court.

A solution had yet to be found for the calamity that had befallen the entire Dragon Race.

Until there was a turn for the better, he had to ensure Dragon City’s rule remained as solid as ever. He could not let any other power detect a hint of weakness.

If those lesser races were to perceive the internal turmoil within the Dragon Race, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, he had to display his might.

He had to use the cruelest methods to crush any budding signs of unrest.

Only then could he conceal the secret he didn’t want anyone to know.

Exhaling a stream of scorching air, Isaac slowly rose.

His body, over a hundred meters long, was like a moving mountain. His overlapping Scale Armor plates scraped against each other, producing a metallic clang.

His draconic might surged outward like a tide, and the very air grew heavy and stagnant.

Outside the hall, several serving Dragonkin were forced to prostrate themselves on the ground by this pressure, their bodies trembling, finding it difficult to even breathe.

At the same time, a crack split open in the very center of the hall’s dome.

The crack widened, spiraling outward like a blooming flower to reveal the gray-white daylight above.

The next moment, Isaac spread his wings, his massive body soaring into the sky. He shot through the giant hole in the dome and straight into the clouds.

After a brief pause in the air, he streaked across the sky like a crimson meteor, heading south.

In that direction lay the Silver Moon Forest.

...

「Silver Moon Forest, Dao Transmission Pavilion hall.」

Anton sat cross-legged on a cushion before the stone wall, his calm voice explaining the key points of refining Spiritual Qi.

Twelve students sat upright on their cushions, listening with rapt attention.

After clearing out the colony of sighing crystal clusters and focusing his energy on planning the cavern-residence, the task of teaching these children had actually fallen mostly to Eleanor.

Anton only made time occasionally to answer their questions, just like today.

After more than two years of practice, all twelve students had successfully begun their Cultivation Techniques and were now working day after day to refine their first wisp of Spiritual Qi.

The one making the fastest progress was, as expected, Laine.

Although the Great Sun True Understanding he practiced was the most difficult Cultivation Technique among this group of students, his Haoyang True Body was simply too powerful.

His speed of refining Spiritual Qi was a clear step above even Furlo, who had a three-element Spirit Root, firmly placing him in the lead.

At this rate, he would be able to refine his first wisp of Spiritual Qi in just a few more months.

A short while later, Anton concluded the lesson and stood up.

”Alright, that’s all for today’s class.”

As he finished speaking, the focused atmosphere in the hall instantly relaxed.

Several of the children let out a long breath, their shoulders slumping.

Mia leaped up from her cushion and ran to Anton’s side. She looked up at him and asked in a bright voice, ”Teacher, when can we learn Techniques?”

Anton glanced at her, amused. ”What’s this? You haven’t even refined any Spiritual Qi yet, and you’re already thinking about learning Techniques?”

”I’m just curious,” Mia said with a grin, shaking her head.

The last time Anton had demonstrated a Technique for them, she had been particularly impressed by the Spiritual Fire. Ever since then, she had been eagerly looking forward to learning the Spiritual Fire Technique.

Anton chuckled. ”Techniques are indeed powerful, but they also consume a great deal of Spiritual Qi. A Cultivator in the Early Stage of Qi Refining would be completely drained of Spiritual Qi after casting a single Technique. It’s still too early for you to be learning them.”

”The most important thing for you right now is to build a solid foundation. Once your Cultivation Level is higher, there will be plenty of time to consider learning Techniques.”

Mia understood this in principle, but she was just itching with curiosity and couldn’t help but ask.

Hearing this, she didn’t press the issue. She gave a cheerful reply and turned to rejoin the others, and before long she and Furlo were laughing and roughhousing together.

Anton watched this scene with a smile. He was about to say something when his expression suddenly froze.

In that instant, his Divine Sense clearly detected a terrifying aura rapidly approaching the Silver Moon Forest.

The aura was scorching and tyrannical, like a moving volcano, seemingly containing an immense and heart-stopping energy.

More importantly, the aura felt strangely familiar.