The Elven Cultivator

Just as Elena had predicted.

Inside the Eternal Hall, the three elders had been watching the battlefield through a Mirror Shadow Sparrow. When they saw Anton break through to the Golden Tier and cut down Moloch with his own hands, they were utterly stunned.

”That Anton kid...” The Third Elder sighed. ’His power is growing way too fast.’

In all his long years, he had never encountered a prodigy like Anton.

To reach the Golden Tier in less than a century... even among the Human Race, such talent would be considered nothing short of astonishing.

After all, many human geniuses only reached Silver Peak, and it was only after their lifespans were extended that they had enough time to advance further.

Most powerful humans were already over a hundred years old by the time they ascended to the Golden Tier.

The average age for Elves to reach the Golden Tier was even higher.

Even someone as gifted as the former Clan Leader was nearly two hundred when he took that step.

For Anton to be Golden Tier at his age meant that his ascension to the Legend rank was practically a certainty.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Silver Moon Clan was set to have another Legendary Powerhouse in its future.

At this thought, the three elders felt a surge of excitement.

Even the normally stoic Great Elder couldn’t suppress a smile.

”Moloch was the successor Zhuo Gu was personally grooming to be the next leader.”

The Second Elder suddenly spoke, bringing the other two’s attention back to the matter at hand.

”With Moloch dead, Zhuo Gu will never let this go.”

At the mention of this, the Great Elder and the Third Elder’s expressions turned grave.

In truth, both they and the leadership of the Molten Spike Tribe had been closely monitoring the battle.

If Anton’s final blow against Moloch hadn’t been so swift and brutal, leaving no time to react, Zhuo Gu would have likely intervened.

Of course, had it come to that, they wouldn’t have stood idly by either.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that Zhuo Gu was absolutely furious.

Had Anton been the one killed, they would have reacted the same way.

”The time has come to settle this once and for all.” The Great Elder sighed softly and slowly rose to his feet. ”I’m going to Gray Rock Castle.”

The Second and Third Elders’ expressions grew serious, and they nodded grimly.

”Leave things here to us.”

”Go, and return swiftly.”

...

CRACK!

A ceramic bowl smashed against the rough stone floor, shattering into pieces. Dark brown shards scattered in all directions.

Zhuo Gu’s face was livid, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

The atmosphere in the stone house was suffocating, so heavy it felt hard to breathe.

The Dragon-lizard men seated around the long table bowed their heads in silence, afraid of drawing their chieftain’s ire and becoming the unlucky target of his rage.

”Can anyone tell me,” Zhuo Gu’s voice was a low growl, as chilling as a winter wind, ”just where in the hell did that Elf who killed Moloch come from?”

No one answered.

Zhuo Gu’s cold gaze swept across the room. Seeing all his subordinates with their heads bowed, daring not to meet his eyes, only fueled his anger.

The heir he had poured so much into, the one he had held such high hopes for, had just died on the battlefield. And to make matters worse, he didn’t even know who had killed him.

The humiliation was infuriating.

”Silver Moon Clan...” Zhuo Gu seethed. ’You hide your secrets well...’

After a long moment, he took a deep breath, suppressing the rage churning in his chest. His expression became cold and impassive once more.

”Moloch will not have died in vain,” Zhuo Gu said coldly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like a razor’s edge. ”I will make the Silver Moon Clan pay.”

”Chieftain,” Zag, seated at his right, asked cautiously, ”what are you suggesting?”

Zhuo Gu shot him a cool glance and said coldly, ”We launch an all-out assault. We will annihilate the Silver Moon Clan in one fell swoop!”

His words sent a ripple of suppressed commotion through the stone house.

The Dragon-lizard men exchanged uncertain glances, their hesitation palpable.

Despite the intensity of their current clashes with the Silver Moon Clan, both sides had deliberately kept the war’s ferocity within certain bounds, never committing their full strength to a decisive battle.

The reason was simple: neither side was confident they could completely annihilate the other.

No one knew what the outcome of such a battle would be.

Zag’s eyes darted about as he chose his words with care. ”Chieftain, if we go to war now... I’m afraid we can’t be certain of victory.”

He didn’t state it plainly, but everyone present understood his meaning.

Having just lost a Golden Tier fighter like Moloch, the tribe’s chances of destroying the Silver Moon Clan were twenty, maybe thirty percent at best.

In fact, the probability of defeat was much higher.

Taking in the shifting expressions of his people, Zhuo Gu snorted. ”The Silver Moon Clan’s strength has been growing at an alarming rate. Recently, they somehow acquired a large supply of Magic Equipment, drastically increasing their combat effectiveness. If we allow them to keep growing stronger, we will be the ones facing annihilation in the future.”

His words sent a chill through the Dragon-lizard men.

’That’s right,’ they thought. Decades ago, their tribe had held the advantage.

But in recent years, the Silver Moon Clan had repeatedly gained the upper hand in their skirmishes. They had shifted from passive defense to active offense, even going so far as to ambush their hunting parties and intercept grain caravans from the Flame Trade Association.

And today, a Golden Tier expert had appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly killed Moloch.

Who knew what other trump cards the Silver Moon Clan was hiding?

If this was allowed to continue, they would one day reap the bitter consequences.

At this thought, the men exchanged glances. Their hesitation began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of urgency.

Zhuo Gu struck while the iron was hot. ”I will request aid from Lord Marcus,” he said in a low voice. ”I’ll ask him to dispatch troops to support us.”

At this, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Marcus was a high-ranking Dragon Race officer in Dragon City. He was the one who had been secretly backing the Molten Spike Tribe.

The grain shipments from the Flame Trade Association were also his doing.

In exchange, the Molten Spike Tribe had to offer Marcus a great deal of tribute each year.

The military support Zhuo Gu mentioned was not, of course, the Dragon Descendant Legion.

Though Marcus held a high rank, he didn’t have the authority to mobilize the Dragon Descendant Legion.

In all of Kresol Dragon City, only the twelve regents possessed the authority to command the Dragon Descendant Legion.

However, in addition to the Dragon Descendant Legion, Kresol Dragon City also had a vast number of Vassal Armies composed of other Alien Races. These served as cannon fodder, garrisons, peacekeeping forces, and expeditionary troops.

As a high-ranking officer, Marcus held the authority to command these Vassal Armies.

Though these Vassal Armies were not as powerful as the Dragon Descendant Legion, their strength was not to be underestimated.

If Marcus were willing to dispatch a Vassal Army to aid the Molten Spike Tribe, their chances of annihilating the Silver Moon Clan would increase dramatically.

”With Lord Marcus’s help, destroying the Silver Moon Clan will be a piece of cake!”

”Excellent! I’ve wanted to slaughter that pack of pointy-ears for a long time!”

”Once we wipe out the Silver Moon Clan, the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life will be ours!”

The Dragon-lizard men grew excited, their earlier hesitation completely forgotten.

They had coveted the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life for a long time. The thought of soon claiming those two wonders for themselves filled them with excitement.

Some were already calculating how to divide the spoils.

Others rubbed their hands together, eager to charge into the Silver Moon Forest immediately.

Seeing that no one objected, Zhuo Gu nodded in satisfaction. His gaze drifted past his excited tribesmen, landing coldly on the Silver Moon Forest in the distance.

”We will cease hostilities for now. Wait for my return from Kresol Dragon City. Then, we will attack the Silver Moon Forest.”

He paused, the corner of his mouth twisting into a savage grin.

”Let those pointy-ears enjoy their freedom for a little while longer!”