The Elven Cultivator

The appearance of the fissure to the Dark Nether Realm cast a pall over everyone.

But life had to go on.

The Clan continued to develop and grow, following its established path methodically.

In addition to his cultivation, Alchemy, and potion-making, Anton now had a new task: to find the primary material for forging a Magical Artifact that could protect one's Divine Soul.

He took a trip to Bishui Port, as he usually did, and commissioned the Tulip Commerce Association to find suitable materials on his behalf.

However, Anton didn't hold out much hope.

A primary material that could be used to forge a Magical Artifact for protecting the Divine Soul would need to possess properties that could either block the infiltration of Spirit and Soul Power, or simply devour such energies.

In some ways, this was even rarer than the primary Fire and Earth Attribute materials needed for an Essence Condensation Pill.

Anton was already mentally prepared for a long-term search.

If worse came to worst, he would have to make do and craft a lower-grade Talisman.

Combined with enough Clear Heart Talismans, Peaceful Spirit Talismans, and Exorcism Talismans, it wouldn't be as good as a Magical Artifact, but it wouldn't be far off.

A few months passed uneventfully, bringing them to the year 9321 of the Chenxi Calendar.

Anton and Romance also reached their coming-of-age ceremony.

That year, at the height of summer, the Silver Moon Forest was exceptionally lively.

The entire Clan was bustling with preparations for a celebration.

The most dazzling genius in the history of the Silver Moon Race.

Not only had he advanced to the Golden Tier at an early age, but in multiple fields—including pharmaceutics, Alchemy, Enchantment, and the creation of combat techniques—he had reached heights an ordinary person could not hope to achieve in a lifetime.

Barring any surprises, he was destined to become the Clan's future leader, guiding the Silver Moon Race to a golden age.

For such a figure's coming-of-age ceremony, the Clan naturally had to hold a grand celebration.

To this end, the Elder Council made an exception and temporarily opened the area around the Eternal Tree, decreeing that the celebration be held in the open clearing beneath it.

After nightfall, Glowing Flower Buds descended from the canopy, swaying gently in the night breeze and bathing the entire area in a soft, bright light that made it seem like day.

Long tables extended from the center of the clearing, draped in snow-white cloths and laden with all manner of delicacies.

Fruit wine brewed from Honeybell Fruit, golden-crisp roasted steaks from a rifts-spine Dragon Beast, Scale Rock Lizard stew sprinkled with herbs, Moonlight Bread baked with the powder of fluorescent moss...

The mouthwatering aroma filled every inch of the air.

The Elves sat around the long tables, raising their glasses and drinking merrily as their cheerful laughter echoed through the woods.

For the celebration, many members of the Forest Guard who were away on missions were temporarily recalled.

Even a portion of the Elf Guards stationed at the mining district were rotated out to return to the Clan for the celebration.

The Dwarves came as well.

They brought a chest of refined rare metal ingots as a coming-of-age gift for Anton.

"Anton, congratulations on coming of age."

Grim chuckled and presented the gift. He instinctively reached out to clap Anton's arm in a friendly gesture but quickly realized it would be out of line and sheepishly withdrew his hand.

Anton was no ordinary, newly-adult Elf.

His status as a Golden Tier expert alone commanded respect; one could not be casual with him.

"Thank you."

Anton, however, didn't seem to mind at all. He simply smiled, nodded, and accepted the gift.

Thorvin approached Anton, his expression complex as he looked up at him.

Thirty years ago, when he first met Anton, the young elf had yet to even come of age.

He had shown astonishing talent even then, but no one could have imagined that in just a few short decades, the boy would reach such heights.

Advancing to the Golden Tier before the age of one hundred was an exceedingly rare feat, even across the entire Eldron Plain.

"Anton," Thorvin said, raising his cup. "May you continue to work miracles in the years to come."

"Thank you, Elder Thorvin," Anton replied, raising his own cup.

The other Dwarves also came forward to offer toasts, their words clearly aimed at fostering goodwill.

The Silver Moon Race's rapid rise in recent years had already forced Gray Rock Castle to treat its once "weak neighbor" as more of an equal.

And ultimately, it was all thanks to Anton.

As for this all-but-guaranteed future leader of the Silver Moon Race, it was only natural for them to do their utmost to build a good relationship.

Furthermore, the Dwarves already held a genuine admiration for Anton.

At the celebration, three other young Elves, including Romance, were also having their coming-of-age ceremony alongside Anton.

Ordinarily, the Clan would have held a coming-of-age ceremony for them as well.

But it would never have been on such a grand scale.

In a way, they were all basking in Anton's reflected glory.

The other two newly-adult Elves watched Anton, the center of all attention, with envious eyes.

Romance, on the other hand, didn't mind in the slightest. She was more than happy to have everyone's attention focused on Anton, leaving her free to simply bury her face in her food.

The young woman was currently seated at the long table, happily gorging herself on the feast before her.

Eleanor sat beside Romance, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Anton, who was surrounded by a crowd, a faint smile playing on her lips.

There was a time when she had considered Anton a rival, secretly vowing to surpass him.

Now, however, what she felt for Anton was mostly admiration and awe.

His accomplishments in every field were so great that she could only gaze up at him from afar.

"What are you thinking about?"

Romance sidled over with her plate, her mouth full of meat, and asked indistinctly,

"The roast meat tonight is delicious. Aren't you going to have some?"

"Alright." Eleanor pulled her gaze back and agreed with a smile.

Not far away, Cedric leaned against the gnarled roots of an oak tree, a cup of fruit wine in hand. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Anton, who was conversing with a Dwarven elder.

At some point, Elena had walked up beside him, also holding a cup of wine.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Cedric said, shaking his head.

Elena followed his line of sight, understood perfectly, but didn't call him on it. Instead, she looked Cedric up and down. "You seem to be in much better shape."

Before, Cedric had given off a sharp, aggressive aura. But now, he had returned to his former state of contained sharpness, showing no sign that anything had been amiss.

"I've made some progress with my strength recently," Cedric replied.

He had now completely integrated all his Magic Power into his flesh and bone, fully consolidating his mastery of the Second Transition of Force.

And on that foundation, he had improved significantly.

His power had increased significantly.

Having worked with Cedric for many years, Elena immediately understood the implication. "You're about to break through?" she asked, surprised.

At this, a hint of a smile finally graced Cedric's face, and he nodded slightly.

Elena fell silent, a torrent of emotions washing over her.

She knew that ever since breaking through to the Middle Gold rank, Cedric's power had hit a bottleneck and had not seen any significant growth for a very long time.

This was a problem faced by many Golden Tier Warriors and Casters.

Aside from a few exceptionally talented geniuses, most Golden Tier individuals had to rely on slow, steady accumulation over long years to increase their Magic Power bit by bit.

It often took a very long time to achieve a breakthrough.

Cedric's aptitude was superior to hers, yet he couldn't avoid this problem either.

Who would have thought that after just a few years of cultivating the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture, he was already on the verge of a breakthrough?

'Is this Cultivation Technique really so incredible?'

For a moment, Elena felt a stir of temptation.

Cedric seemed to read her mind. "The Second Elder is already planning to select a group of promising clan members to switch to cultivating the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture," he said.

Elena was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly understood.

First Romance, now Cedric—two consecutive success stories had completely won over the Elder Council.

Although the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture was incredibly resource-intensive, with enough support, one could advance with lightning speed without the painstaking process of slowly accumulating Magic Power.

It was the perfect method for rapidly boosting the Clan's combat power.

That was why, even though the Clan's resources were currently tight, the Elder Council wanted to squeeze out a portion to support clan members in cultivating the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture.

In a flash, Elena made her decision.

She would also switch to cultivating the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture.

Cedric saw her resolve, said nothing more, and went back to his drink.

The celebration continued late into the night before finally winding down.

The Elves departed in twos and threes, leaving behind the lingering aroma of wine and roasted meat. The Glowing Flower Buds slowly dimmed, drawing the curtain on the grand occasion.

Anton returned to his treehouse alone.

The clamor faded, leaving only tranquility in its wake.

He stood at the window, gazing out at the Eternal Tree under the night sky.

Luminescent light flowed through its canopy like an inverted river of stars, quiet and eternal.

"So, I'm an adult now..."

Anton murmured to himself.

'Before I knew it, I've been in this world for a hundred years. I've grown from an unknown Elf into a pillar of the Clan. And I've reached the Foundation Establishment Stage of cultivation. The goal I set at the beginning is also steadily being realized: to gain enough power to protect myself and those around me before the great turmoil engulfs the entire Dawn Continent. But I can't let my guard down yet. Never mind the distant turmoil; the Clan and I still face plenty of immediate threats. The threat from Kresol Dragon City, the unknown Mind Flayer city-state beneath the fissure to the Dark Nether Realm... these are all swords hanging over our heads. I must continue to increase my strength to face what's to come.'

'In the next hundred years, I will strive to succeed in Solidifying Pill and break through to the Golden Core Stage!'

Anton vowed silently, his gaze fixed on the night outside his window.

...

Time flowed by like a quiet stream.

「Autumn, 9330 of the Chenxi Calendar.」

「The meditation chamber in the treehouse.」

Anton sat cross-legged, his eyes lightly closed.

Within his Dantian's Qi Sea, a five-colored cloud of Primordial True Essence spun slowly, occupying about forty percent of the space.

Through persistent cultivation, Anton had finally broken through to the Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment.

At the same time, the Sword Pill suspended above his Qi Sea trembled violently.

A silver-white gleam leaped from his chest and hovered before him. With a sharp whoosh, the sword-light split into two.

Then, with another flicker, the two split into four.

The four beams of sword-light, like four silver stars, circled slowly above Anton's head, pulsing with a chilling glow.

Anton opened his eyes. A faint smile touched his lips as he watched the four beams of sword-light circling above him.

It had taken him nearly ten years to get from the Third-Layer Foundation Establishment to the Fourth-Layer.

It had also taken him nearly ten years to go from splitting his sword-light in two to splitting it in four.

The Light Splitting and Reunification technique was immensely powerful, but the difficulty of cultivating it was also appallingly high.

The difficulty soared exponentially with each additional beam he learned to split.

'I wonder when I'll be able to cultivate it to the point of splitting into thousands of beams?'

Anton shook his head, casting aside the distracting thought.

'One step at a time. Cultivation cannot be rushed.'

With a flicker of his will, the four beams of sword-light converged, reformed into the Sword Pill, and disappeared back into his chest.

Anton stood, stretched his limbs, and left the meditation chamber. He walked to his desk, took out a map, and spread it open. His gaze fell upon the military outposts that had not yet been marked with a red X.

'After ten years of lying low, Kresol Dragon City has surely let its guard down.'

'It's time to start the hunt again.'

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