The Elven Cultivator

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

First thing in the morning, the settlement was already bustling with unusual excitement.

The Elves called to their friends, traveling in groups of two and three as they hurried toward the northern part of the settlement.

Today, the Silver Moon Forest would host an unprecedented Wind Whisperer Trial.

It was called unprecedented because of the three participants, the oldest was only ninety years old, while the youngest was not yet seventy.

Among the Elf Race, they were all considered underage children.

Never before had three underage Elves taken the Wind Whisperer Trial early at the same time.

Ever since the news broke a month ago, many had been eagerly awaiting this day, looking forward to the spectacle.

The Wind Whisperer Trial was to be held in a natural basin north of the settlement.

Steep slopes surrounded it, their tops crowned with towering ancient trees. Vines hung down like curtains, enclosing the basin and forming a natural arena.

The morning mist had yet to disperse, but the area around the basin was already abuzz with voices.

Some had set up soft, woven-vine chairs in the forks of trees. Others sat cross-legged, leaning against the gnarled roots of ancient oaks. Younger Elves had simply climbed to the highest branches, their legs dangling in the air like a flock of excited fledglings awaiting the start of a festival.

"…There are so many people."

Laila stood on her tiptoes, peering over the sea of figures toward the center of the basin, and couldn't help but murmur in amazement.

The Wind Whisperer Trials in previous years had always been lively, but never had so many people come to watch.

'From the looks of it, I'm afraid more than half the Clan has shown up.'

Eleanor stood beside her. Her emerald-green hair was tied back in a neat ponytail with silver thread, and she wore a wreath of silver-leaf grass on her head. Tiny, dew-kissed flowers were woven into it, shimmering with a faint golden light in the morning sun.

She wore a brand-new, gray-blue magic robe. A silver wave pattern was embroidered on the hem, signifying her status as a low-rank Silver Caster.

Hearing Laila's sigh, Eleanor said nothing. Her gaze drifted over the crowd, landing on a slender figure on the opposite side of the basin.

Anton was dressed in light, dark-brown leather armor, a jet-black steel sword hanging at his waist. He was leaning against a tree trunk, whispering something to Romance, who would occasionally let out a hearty laugh.

The two of them looked so relaxed, it was as if they were on a picnic rather than here for a trial.

Eleanor looked away, took a deep breath, and suppressed the subtle stirring of emotion within her.

"Nervous?" Laila leaned in and asked, lowering her voice.

Eleanor shook her head, her gaze hardening with resolve. "I will definitely pass the trial."

"Good." Laila smiled. "You've got this. Show everyone the results of all your hard work over the years."

Eleanor pressed her lips together and nodded firmly.

Ever since the combat assessment seven years ago, she had been training with all her might, determined to surpass Anton. Today was the day to prove her efforts had paid off.

'I have to show Anton that I'm every bit as good as he is!'

At the highest point of the slope, a thousand-year-old oak spread its branches like a great canopy.

The three elders stood shoulder to shoulder in its shade, with dozens of figures gathered behind them.

The Captain of the Forest Guard, Cedric Silver Moon; the Vice-Captain, Irina Silver Moon; and a host of squad leaders were all present.

Darian also stood at the edge of the crowd, his gray-blue robe stirring in the morning breeze.

It was safe to say that nearly all of the Silver Moon Clan's leadership had gathered here.

"Three underage children taking the Wind Whisperer Trial at the same time... In all my years, this is a first," the Third Elder said with a chuckle.

"It shows the Clan has a strong new generation," Irina chimed in with a smile, her gaze drifting over Anton, Romance, and Eleanor. "The three youngsters are quite powerful. They have a very good chance of passing the trial. After today, our Clan will have three new Wind Whisperers. That would be a record in itself."

Hearing this, everyone smiled.

If that happened, it would indeed be a record.

For three Wind Whisperers to emerge in a single year... that was a feat likely only seen in the Elf Race's holy land, the City of Ten Thousand Trees.

The Great Elder stood at the forefront, his hands clasped behind his back. He remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on the basin below.

As time went on, more and more Elves gathered around the basin.

Some young Elves even climbed to the treetops, peering down from their high vantage point.

"Where's Anton? I don't see him."

"Over there, leaning against the tree. He's with Romance."

"I can't believe Anton applied for the trial early, too."

"It's normal. Who wouldn't want to become a Wind Whisperer?"

"I think a genius Pharmacist who can develop so many new potions is far more impressive than a Wind Whisperer."

Similar whispers rippled through the crowd.

Most of the onlookers, especially the younger Elves, found their gazes drawn to Anton.

Within the Clan, the name Anton was legendary. He had become a role model, admired by many of the younger Elves.

But Anton had been reclusive in recent years and was rarely seen. His appearance today naturally drew a great deal of attention.

"Silence!"

A deep, powerful voice rolled like muffled thunder across the basin, silencing all the whispers.

Cedric leaped down from the top of the slope, his body as light as a falling leaf, and landed steadily in the center of the basin.

The Forest Guard Captain was over five hundred years old, and his prestige within the Clan was second only to the three elders. The moment he appeared, the crowd fell silent.

Cedric scanned the crowd, then gestured. Two guards quickly approached, each holding a thick iron chain.

The other end of the chains was connected to a massive stone wall on the northern side of the basin.

The surface of the wall was covered in dense runes. A faint, cyan light flowed slowly along the patterns. From behind the wall, the heavy sound of breathing could be faintly heard, as if some great beast were slumbering within.

The two Warriors pulled on the chains with all their might.

RUMBLE!

The runes on the stone wall flared to life, and the entire wall slowly receded inward, revealing a dark, deep cave.

From deep within the cave, a pair of dark-gold, vertical pupils snapped open.

The pupils were as large as a man's head and glowed with a cold light in the darkness, like two burning balls of phosphire.

A moment later, a thick, foul stench surged from the cave, instantly filling the entire basin.

BOOM! BOOM!

Heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the cave, each one making the ground tremble slightly.

An enormous figure slowly emerged from the darkness, revealing itself in the morning light.

It was a behemoth over ten meters long.

Its body was like a small, moving mountain, its limbs as thick as the trunks of thousand-year-old trees. With every step, its claws gouged deep furrows into the hard, rocky ground.

Its entire body was covered in thick Scale Armor. The surface of the dark-gray scales was covered with strange, silver patterns, and a faint light could be seen flowing between the lines.

Most striking of all was its back, which sported a row of terrifying bone spikes running from its neck to the tip of its tail. The longest of these were as thick as a grown man's arm.

"A Riftspine Dragon Beast."

Anton's eyebrow twitched. He recognized the creature immediately.

As its name suggested, the Riftspine Dragon Beast was a type of Dragon Beast.

In fact, Riftspine Dragon Beasts lived in the Thousand Rock Hills. They were a mutated variant of the Scale Rock Lizard.

The mutation involved a rare metal called Frost Pattern Silver.

Due to its unique properties, the temperature in areas with Frost Pattern Silver veins is significantly lower than the surrounding environment.

For Scale Rock Lizards that live near Frost Pattern Silver veins for extended periods, their ability to thermoregulate undergoes a subtle change. Their bodies gradually adapt to the colder environment, their metabolism slows, and their lifespan increases.

More importantly, by ingesting Frost Pattern Silver, they can enhance their physical strength. Trace amounts of the metal are deposited in their Scale Armor, giving the scales their silver patterns and providing stronger resistance to cold, thus completely eliminating their natural aversion to it.

And so, the mutated variant was born.

'Frost Pattern Silver...'

A gleam flickered in Anton's eyes.

Frost Pattern Silver was an excellent material. When smelted with steel in the correct proportions, it could create an alloy called frost steel.

This alloy retained the low-temperature properties of Frost Pattern Silver while possessing the hardness of steel, making it a superb material for crafting Ice Elemental Magical Items.

It was also perfectly suited for forging Talismans in the "frost-forged" series.

In that instant, however, Anton thought of another use for it.

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