The Elven Cultivator

Outside the hunting grounds.

Finn and Rosaline stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the empty space before them.

A massive Water Curtain floated there, split into more than twenty screens, each displaying the movements of the young Elves.

The water rippled gently, its shifting light and shadows revealing every minute detail of the combat and pursuits deep within the jungle.

Less than ten minutes after the assessment began, all the participants had already gone through a round of combat, and without exception, all had been victorious.

Finn wasn’t surprised by this.

The Elves qualified to take part in the assessment had all undergone decades of training and cultivation. The weakest among them possessed the strength of an upper White Rank, so dealing with the Lizard-men was naturally a simple matter.

Of course, this was only the beginning.

The Forest Guard had stationed relatively weak Lizard-men on the outskirts of the grounds, making them easy to handle.

But the deeper one ventured, the stronger the Lizard-men they would encounter.

Among them were even elite Lizard-men of the Black Iron Tier.

The veteran Elves who had participated in the assessment multiple times would be fine, but if the rookies let their guard down, they were bound to suffer a great loss.

”It looks like Eleanor will take first place in the assessment again this time.”

Rosaline stared at one of the screens on the Water Curtain, a hint of admiration in her eyes.

Finn followed her gaze and saw Eleanor unleash a multi-projectile Wind Blade, dicing a Lizard-man that had tried to ambush her from the side.

”Among this batch of young Elves, Eleanor is indeed the strongest,” Finn nodded slightly.

Eleanor still had more than twenty years until she came of age, yet she was already at the Black Iron Peak. Almost everyone believed she would undoubtedly break through to the Silver Tier before her coming-of-age ceremony.

If that happened, the Silver Moon Race might just see the birth of another Wind-speaker.

”The newcomers aren’t doing poorly either.” Rosaline’s gaze shifted to a few of the rookies. ”I heard from Edith that the girl, Romance, is performing exceptionally well. With a bit of time, she could very well be another Eleanor.”

Finn nodded, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

Ever since the war seventy years ago, the Silver Moon Race had been in decline. He desperately hoped for another figure like the former Clan Leader to emerge and lead the Clan back to its former glory.

And that hope might just rest on the shoulders of these young people, like Eleanor and Romance.

”Huh? What is Anton doing?”

Rosaline’s surprised and doubtful voice broke Finn’s train of thought.

He looked up, and surprise immediately appeared on his face.

On the screen, Anton was moving at a blistering pace, as swift as a gale. He was so fast that the Mirror Shadow Sparrow responsible for tracking him could barely keep up.

’Such speed. Is it some kind of speed-enhancing combat technique?’

The question flashed through Finn’s mind, but he quickly realized something was wrong.

Anton was just focused on running the whole time; he showed no intention of hunting at all.

He didn’t even glance at the Lizard-men that appeared nearby.

’What is this kid up to?’

Finn’s brows furrowed.

He had heard about Anton’s usual maverick behavior.

He wouldn’t bother with it on a normal day, but during a serious combat exercise, he would absolutely not allow Anton to just do as he pleased.

Just as Finn’s patience was about to run out and he was preparing to message the guards in the grounds to stop and question Anton, the figure on the screen finally came to a halt.

Then, under the stunned gazes of Finn and Rosaline, Anton took a deep breath and suddenly opened his mouth.

A clear, powerful dragon roar suddenly erupted, like thunder rolling through the clouds, instantly echoing across the entire forest canopy.

Finn and Rosaline were a great distance from Anton’s position, yet they still clearly heard that resounding dragon roar.

It was so realistic that it created the illusion that a dragon was actually hidden somewhere in the forest.

Rosaline and Finn were both utterly astonished.

But what confused them even more was, what exactly was Anton planning to do?

...

The sudden dragon roar instantly captured the attention of all the Elves in the forest.

Whether it was Romance and Eleanor fighting Lizard-men, or Laila, Aemon, and Braiden searching for them, they all subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.

”This sound...” Eleanor’s expression was one of shock and uncertainty. ”Could a sub-dragon or a Dragon Beast have gotten in?”

At the same time, the two Lizard-men across from her, who had been a picture of ferocity just moments before, now stood frozen in place.

After a moment of stunned silence, they suddenly turned and bolted, letting out excited roars.

Eleanor’s expression changed slightly, and she hurried after them.

Similar scenes were playing out all across the forest at almost the same time.

All the Lizard-men were drawn by the dragon roar. As if they had found their backbone, they charged madly toward the source of the sound, their roars rising and falling one after another.

Meanwhile, the Elves, whether unwilling to give up their prey or wanting to investigate the source of the sound, also converged on the center of the forest.

For a moment, friend and foe were all heading in the same direction, creating an exceptionally bizarre scene.

”This sound... it’s Anton!”

Romance identified the source the moment she heard it and scratched her head in confusion.

”What is he up to now?”

Romance muttered to herself before grabbing her War Axe and hurrying over as well.

...

Deep in the forest, in the center of a basin.

Anton stood leaning on his sword, its tip buried in the ground. His hands were clasped over the hilt, and his back was ramrod straight like a pine tree. He listened quietly to the roars and footsteps converging from all directions.

He had just used a martial art called the Cloud-Piercing Dragon Roar.

This technique was a type of sonic art, using sound to harm enemies and claim their souls. When performed by a Cultivator using Spiritual Qi, it could even form a protective layer of Gang Qi from the sound, forcing enemies to retreat without an attack and injuring them without contact. Its power was immense.

Furthermore, just as its name suggested, the Cloud-Piercing Dragon Roar had a very distinct timbre, and could sometimes be used to mimic a true dragon’s roar.

The clamor grew closer, wave after wave like a tide, carrying with it an air of bloodlust and fanaticism.

CRASH!

Two Lizard-men burst from the bushes almost simultaneously, followed by a third, a fourth, a fifth...

In the span of just over a dozen breaths, forty to fifty Lizard-men had already gathered around the basin, and their numbers were still growing.

When they saw that Anton was the only one in the center of the basin, the Lizard-men froze. They looked at each other, their eyes showing a human-like mix of shock and bewilderment.

Soon after, the Elves also began to arrive at the edge of the basin.

They hid behind the bushes and ancient trees at the top of the slope, staring in astonishment at the figure in the center of the basin.

”It’s Anton.”

”He was the one who made that sound?”

”What is he doing?”

Romance stepped out from behind a tree. Seeing Anton, she had an ’I-knew-it’ expression on her face.

More than twenty meters away, Eleanor arrived with Laila, whom she had met on the way. When they saw the scene before them, they both froze in shock.

”Was that sound Anton’s doing?” Laila’s face was full of confusion. ”Is he crazy? Luring so many Lizard-men here at once... how is that any different from asking for death?”

Eleanor’s brow was tightly furrowed; she also couldn’t comprehend Anton’s actions.

But in the next moment, her expression changed drastically.

The Lizard-men, now realizing they had been tricked, let out furious roars.

They leaped down the slope, a gray torrent surging toward Anton in the center of the basin, ready to kill!