The Elven Cultivator

The Sunburst Emblem was Zhuogu’s trump card.

It was another ace up his sleeve, given to him by Marcus.

In his original plan, he intended to first wear down Leonard’s strength. Then, once Leonard was exhausted, he would suddenly activate the emblem, catch him off guard, and secure victory in one fell swoop.

But Anton’s appearance had completely disrupted his strategy.

A young Elf he had never seen before had single-handedly carved a path of destruction across the entire battlefield, bringing the tribal army to the brink of collapse and causing their morale to plummet.

If not for this, he would never have needed to reveal the Sunburst Emblem, this trump card, so early.

Zhuogu suddenly recalled that the one who killed Moloch was also a young Elf. It was, in all likelihood, the very one before him now.

Instantly, his gaze on Anton turned exceptionally cold, and killing intent surged within his vertical, golden-red pupils.

The Great Elder had also caught his breath by now, his expression grave as he stared at the Sunburst Emblem in the center of Zhuogu’s chest.

He had heard of this magical item.

It was Extraordinary Level, one tier higher than Micro-Light Level.

It could greatly enhance the wearer’s Fire Attribute combat techniques and Magic, and it also had a significant amplifying effect on the Power of Law.

’No wonder Zhuogu’s scorching Power of Law suddenly surged so much.’

The Great Elder didn’t have time to ponder how Anton had recognized the Sunburst Emblem. His heart sank.

He was already at a disadvantage, completely suppressed by Zhuogu. Now that his opponent’s strength had increased so drastically, he was even less of a match.

Even with Anton’s help, the situation wouldn’t change.

Although they were both Golden Tier, there was a world of difference in combat power between someone who had awakened the Power of Law and someone who hadn’t.

Anton was certainly strong, but facing Zhuogu, who wielded the Sunburst Emblem, it would be an achievement just to protect himself. It was impossible to expect him to influence the course of the battle.

No matter how you looked at it, the situation was extremely unfavorable for them.

His only hope now was that the others could quickly defeat their opponents, free themselves up, and join forces against Zhuogu. Perhaps then there would be a chance of victory.

”Don’t delude yourself, Leonard.”

As if guessing the Great Elder’s thoughts, a cold sneer appeared on Zhuogu’s face.

”All of you will die here today.”

He floated in mid-air, looking down on the Great Elder and Anton with an air of absolute confidence and triumph, as if victory were already in his grasp.

The light of the Sunburst Emblem on his chest pulsed like a second heart.

”After I’m done with you, I’ll send your kinsmen and that bunch of short-stacks down to the Nether River to join you.”

The Great Elder’s expression turned grim. He ignored Zhuogu’s taunts and silently gathered his Magic Power.

At this point, trading barbs was useless. All they could do was fight with their backs against the wall.

Anton’s expression remained calm from beginning to end. With a flip of his wrist, a Long Sword covered in complex, profound Runes appeared in his palm.

This composed demeanor only made the killing intent in Zhuogu’s eyes burn hotter.

He snorted coldly and suddenly dove, his claws wreathed in a scorching heatwave as he swiped viciously at Anton’s face.

Although the Great Elder was heavily injured, his reaction was not slow in the slightest.

He thrust his hand up, and several thorny vines as thick as arms burst from the ground, coiling around Zhuogu’s claws like pythons and forcefully stopping the attack.

Seizing the opportunity, Anton flickered away, retreating several yards. At the same time, he made a fist with his right hand, and lightning leaped between his fingers.

Palm Thunder!

The lightning bolt, carrying a teeth-grinding shriek of electricity, shot straight toward Zhuogu’s face.

Zhuogu raised a hand to block. The blazing halo in his palm collided with the lightning, erupting in a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar.

At the same time, a wisp of grayish lightning quietly seeped from Anton’s palm and drifted toward Zhuogu.

The wisp was as dim as a dying ember, silent and unnoticed. It mixed with the aftershocks of the explosive Palm Thunder, sinking into Zhuogu’s body without a sound and vanishing.

Confident in the power of his Sunburst Emblem, Zhuogu believed it was impossible for an Elf who hadn’t even mastered the Power of Law to break through his Crimson Gold Armor and harm him. Thus, he paid no mind to Anton’s attack and completely failed to notice the insignificant wisp of lightning.

But for a split second as the lightning entered his body, he felt a faint sense that something was wrong. Yet when he focused his senses to check, he couldn’t find the source.

Just then, Anton made a pressing motion with his left hand, and a halo of ice-blue light swept out, heading straight for Zhuogu’s chest.

Ice Soul Profound Light!

Wherever the cold air passed, fine ice crystals condensed in the air, glittering like crushed diamonds.

Water counters fire. The Ice Soul Profound Light posed a greater threat to Zhuogu than the Palm Thunder. His attention diverted, he swiped his claws to release a great wave of searing heat. It crashed into the ice-blue halo with a HISS, and white steam instantly billowed out.

The Ice Soul Profound Light rapidly melted away, and the searing heatwave also vanished without a trace.

”A little interesting.”

Zhuogu’s gaze flickered slightly, but his tone remained contemptuous.

”A pity. Without the Power of Law, you can’t harm me at all.”

Before his voice had even faded, he shot forward, charging at Anton once again.

He had made up his mind to first eliminate this weakest young Elf before turning back to deal with Leonard.

The Great Elder naturally saw Zhuogu’s intention and moved to intercept him without a second thought, but he found it difficult to block him completely.

Anton’s expression didn’t change. Unhurriedly, he took out a small, ice-blue Ice Token. With a wave of his hand, it instantly transformed into a shield half his height, blocking his front.

The shield’s surface was a deep ice-blue, crisscrossed with patterns like cracks in ice. Fine frost flowers condensed along its edges, and a cold mist swirled around it.

Profound Frost Shield!

It was a Talisman that Anton had refined from frost-patterned alloy, its quality a cut above ordinary Rune Equipment.

CLANG!

Zhuogu’s claws struck the shield viciously, producing the dull clang of metal on metal.

A cold aura spread across the shield’s surface, forming a thin layer of frost on Zhuogu’s claws, but it was instantly vaporized by a scorching red glow.

The shield’s surface dented slightly, but it firmly blocked the blow.

”Micro-Light Level?”

Zhuogu’s brow furrowed slightly, then a disdainful sneer appeared on his face.

’He thinks a mere Micro-Light Level magical item can stop me?’

Zhuogu snorted coldly and swung his claws repeatedly. After three strikes, the ice shield shattered with a loud CRASH, turning into a cloud of ice shards.

But the next second, Anton threw out another Ice Token, which transformed into a new Profound Ice Frost Shield, steadily blocking his path.

Zhuogu froze, then sneered, ”I’d like to see just how many of those you can pull out!”

As his voice fell, his assault grew even more ferocious.

However, the subsequent developments exceeded his expectations.

One Profound Frost Shield after another shattered under his claws, but Anton could always take out a new shield to replace it in time, as if he had an endless supply.

In fact, Anton had refined a large number of Profound Frost Shields long before the battle began, precisely to prepare for a situation like this.

With his Cultivation Level of First-Layer Foundation Establishment, he was definitely no match for Zhuogu in a head-on clash.

Even with the Great Elder providing support from the side, he would inevitably end up battered and bruised.

But with the Profound Frost Shields, it was a different story.

Until the Profound Frost Shields ran out, there was nothing Zhuogu could do to him.

And that was indeed the case.

Unable to break through after a prolonged assault, Zhuogu grew more and more agitated, his face turning ashen.

’He’s just an ant who hasn’t even awakened the Power of Law, yet he’s somehow withstanding my full-force assault. This is an absolute humiliation.’

Watching this unfold, the Great Elder was both stunned and pleasantly surprised.

He hadn’t expected Anton to have another trick up his sleeve, managing to stall Zhuogu for so long.

Although he couldn’t inflict any real damage on Zhuogu, as long as he could stall until the others were free, the situation could turn around.

The three of them continued their fierce battle in a tangled melee on the ruin-strewn clearing.

The Great Elder and Anton fought together. Though they were at a disadvantage, they didn’t have to worry about being defeated in the short term.

Time passed amidst the intense clashes.

As the fight wore on, Zhuogu gradually began to feel that something was amiss.

It was an indescribable feeling, as if some hidden danger was quietly closing in.