The Elven Cultivator

With the main material sorted out, acquiring the remaining supplementary materials was simple. It was just a matter of finding and researching suitable substitutes.

Anton sorted through all the potential materials he would need and made a list.

Most of them could be gathered around the Silver Moon Forest, taken directly from the Clan’s storehouse.

A few others would need to be purchased at Bishui Port, but they were nothing rare and would be easy to obtain.

After arranging his plans, Anton felt much more relaxed. He got up, left the treehouse, and headed for the Eternal Hall.

Sunlight pierced through the layers of the canopy, scattering dappled light throughout the forest.

The sweet fragrance of Honeybell Flowers drifted through the air, and a few Songbirds perched on branches, their calls crisp and clear.

Ever since the Molten Spike Tribe was annihilated, the Silver Moon Forest had taken on a new atmosphere.

The oppressive feeling of a threat at their side, of having to fight bloody battles every winter, had finally lifted from the hearts of the Elves.

In its place was a relaxed and hopeful atmosphere.

The Elves he met along the way all wore smiles, and their greetings to Anton were more enthusiastic than usual.

A few children playing on the treetop walkways even ran after him for a bit, until their mothers called them back with a smile.

Anton returned each greeting, his pace unhurried as he enjoyed the rare moment of peace.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by a commotion.

Anton followed the sound and saw a group of figures in the distance moving hastily toward the infirmary, their hurried steps mixed with low shouts.

Curious, he quickened his pace. As he drew closer, he saw a group of Elf Guards supporting several blood-soaked Dwarves as they rushed to the infirmary.

Most of the Dwarves were unconscious, their armor shattered. Their wounds were mangled, leaving dark red trails on the ground.

Anton’s gaze hardened. ”What happened?” he asked in a low voice.

The leading Elf Guard saw that it was Anton and quickly stopped. He bowed slightly before replying with a grave expression, ”Lord Anton, the Rock-Horned Dragon attacked the mining area. Many of our Dwarf brothers were injured.”

”The Rock-Horned Dragon?” Anton frowned in confusion.

’Hasn’t the Rock-Horned Dragon always stayed in its own territory, never wandering around?’

’The mining camp has been established for over ten years, and we’ve always coexisted peacefully with the Rock-Horned Dragon. Why would the beast suddenly attack the mining area?’

The guard explained in a low voice, ”This morning, the Rock-Horned Dragon suddenly appeared near the mining area and attacked the camp. The Dwarves were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties. Fortunately, Elder Thorvin desperately held it off until the Second and Third Elders arrived to repel the Rock-Horned Dragon.”

Anton nodded in understanding. He glanced at the unconscious Dwarves, raised his hand, and condensed a strand of emerald True Essence at his fingertip. He drew through the air with fluid, powerful strokes, and a Rune, like a coiling spirit snake, instantly took shape.

The moment the final stroke was complete, the Talisman flared brightly, transforming into a gentle, emerald green mist that seeped into the Dwarf’s body like water.

Instantly, the wounds on the Dwarf’s body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, aside from the bloodstains, not a single wound could be seen on the Dwarf. His tightly knitted brow relaxed, and his breathing returned to a steady rhythm.

Anton continued to channel his energy into talismans, drawing one Life Breathing Talisman after another to heal the remaining Dwarves.

The surrounding Elf Guards watched, stunned.

When they came back to their senses, their eyes were filled with adoration as they looked at Anton.

”There,” Anton said calmly. ”Their wounds have healed, but they’ve lost a lot of vitality and will need time to recover. Remember to give them plenty of restorative food. With a few days of rest, they’ll be good as new.”

”Yes, Lord Anton,” the leading Elf Guard replied respectfully.

Despite being much older than Anton, he used the honorific without any reservation.

The other Elves showed no signs of finding it strange either.

Setting aside Anton’s contributions to the Clan, his power alone was enough for people to overlook his age and respect him from the bottom of their hearts.

Anton nodded, turned, and continued toward the Eternal Hall.

While still some distance from the hall, his Divine Sense already perceived four people inside.

Besides the three elders, the other person was Thorvin.

After the war, Hagrid and Knut had returned to Gray Rock Castle with their reinforcements and Rune Equipment. Thorvin, however, had remained in the Thousand Rock Hills, leading the Dwarf Warriors stationed at the mining camp. He rarely left the area.

Considering what the Elf Guard had just said, the reason for Thorvin’s presence here was self-evident.

Anton pushed the door open and entered. The conversation within the hall immediately fell silent.

”Anton, you’re just in time.”

The Third Elder was the first to speak, his usual smile replaced by a solemn expression.

”I heard the Rock-Horned Dragon attacked the mining area,” Anton said before the elder could continue. ”Third Elder, why would the Rock-Horned Dragon suddenly leave its territory?”

The Third Elder sighed. ”It’s because of the Radiant Ash Dragon.”

”After flying over the battlefield that day, the Radiant Ash Dragon also passed through the Thousand Rock Hills.”

”The scouts monitoring the Rock-Horned Dragon saw it get spooked and flee its own territory. For the next few days, it wandered about restlessly until today, when it finally reached the vicinity of the mining area. Upon discovering the camp, it attacked without a second thought.”

Anton was speechless.

’So it was the Radiant Ash Dragon’s fault after all.’

’But that Rock-Horned Dragon is a little too cowardly.’

’Even if the Radiant Ash Dragon has a natural bloodline suppression over it, the thing just flew over its territory without doing anything. It got scared enough to run away from home and doesn’t even dare to go back.’

’Before, Anton had only suspected that the Yin-Thunder Seed alone might not be enough to take down the Rock-Horned Dragon.’

’Now he was certain.’

’With a coward like the Rock-Horned Dragon, the moment it sensed the slightest bit of danger, it would flee without hesitation nine times out of ten.’

’To hunt such a timid and wary creature, he had to create an environment from which it could not escape.’

”After we drove it back, that beast didn’t leave. It’s still lingering near the mining area. I’m worried it might attack again at any moment.”

Thorvin took over the conversation.

His face was a little pale; he had clearly been injured quite badly in the previous battle.

Anton’s gaze swept over the three frowning elders, a glint in his eyes.

’He had been wondering how to persuade the Elder Council to help him deal with the Rock-Horned Dragon.’

’After all, the Rock-Horned Dragon had always stayed within its own territory and had shown no signs of threatening the mining area. Without a good reason, it would be difficult to convince the elders to help him hunt a Golden Peak lesser dragon.’

’But now that the Rock-Horned Dragon had taken the initiative to attack the mining area, the situation was completely different.’

’The importance of the Frost Pattern Silver mine to the Silver Moon Race was self-evident. The Elder Council would never stand by and let the Rock-Horned Dragon interfere with the mine’s production. They would surely find a way to eliminate this trouble.’

’He wouldn’t even have to waste his breath; the Elder Council would naturally push the matter forward themselves.’

Sure enough, the next second, the Second Elder spoke in a low, firm voice, ”We must eliminate the Rock-Horned Dragon.”

His tone was decisive. ”We cannot allow this beast to threaten the safety of the mining area.”

”I agree,” the Third Elder nodded. ”If we let that beast continue to roam outside, the mine can’t operate normally.”

Thorvin nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Gray Rock Castle also had a fifty percent share of the Frost Pattern Silver produced at the mine.

Even if it was a Golden Peak lesser dragon, if it dared to obstruct the Dwarves from mining ore, they would never let it off easy.

The Great Elder’s gaze turned to Anton. ”Anton, what are your thoughts?” he asked.

The hall instantly fell silent as everyone looked at Anton.

Although Anton was the youngest person in the hall, after the battle that annihilated the Molten Spike Tribe, his position in the Clan had become pivotal.

No one dared to ignore his opinion.

Anton’s expression was calm as he nodded slightly. ”I also agree we should take the initiative.”

After a pause, he added, ”However, I’ll need some time to make preparations. Once I’m ready, our chances of dealing with the Rock-Horned Dragon will be much higher.”

”No problem,” the Great Elder said without hesitation. ”Whatever you need, just ask. The Clan will support you with all its resources.”

Hearing this, the Second and Third Elders also looked much more relieved.

Anton’s track record so far was plain for all to see; he never disappointed.

Since he had said as much, he must have some additional means at his disposal.

With Anton’s assurance, their confidence in dealing with the Rock-Horned Dragon instantly increased.

”Oh, right, there’s one more thing,” the Third Elder said suddenly, his tone turning a little strange. ”The clan members who went to Bishui Port to purchase supplies brought back some news. A mysterious group attacked the Dragon Race soldiers stationed at White Sail Pier. They killed more than ten of the Dragon Race before escaping. The local commanding officer was furious and ordered the Bishui Council to conduct a city-wide search for the attackers.”

”Right now, everyone in Bishui Port is on edge. The port is on lockdown, and our supply procurement has also been affected.”

At these words, the Great Elder, Second Elder, and Thorvin were all taken aback.

’Someone actually dared to attack the Dragon Race?’

’Weren’t they afraid of being hunted down and put on Kresol Dragon City’s wanted list?’

”Has the Bishui Council found out their origin?” the Second Elder asked.

The Third Elder shook his head. ”I only heard it’s a mysterious organization called the Fallen Dragon Association. Nothing more specific is known about their origins.”

The Fallen Dragon Association?

The other three exchanged glances.

’That name... it sounds like they’re picking a fight with the Dragon Race.’

’No wonder they dared to attack Dragon Race soldiers in broad daylight.’

None of the three noticed the fleeting surprise that crossed Anton’s face the moment he heard the three words ”Fallen Dragon Association”.

’The Fallen Dragon Association has actually come to the Eldron Plain?’

Anton’s expression quickly returned to normal, but his mind was racing.

As its name suggested, the Fallen Dragon Association was an organization dedicated to hunting down members of the Dragon Race and anyone associated with their interests.

Its members were mostly intelligent beings from various races who had once been persecuted by the Dragon Race. They came from diverse backgrounds, united only by the common goal of destroying the Dragon Court.

In the era when the Dragon Race ruled the Dawn Continent, the Fallen Dragon Association was extremely active, having assassinated a large number of the Dragon Race.

More notably, in the year 9946 of the Chenxi Calendar, they slayed a Giant Dragon, causing a massive uproar. This exposed the weakness of the Dragon Race, and soon after, the Ten Thousand Races rose up in rebellion, kicking off the Dragon Slaying War.

In a sense, one could say the Fallen Dragon Association was a major driving force behind the fall of the Dragon Court.

It was worth mentioning that the Fallen Dragon Association had five leaders, each from one of the five largest races on the Dawn Continent besides the Dragon Race. They were known as the Five-Star Pillars.

However, the players preferred to call them the Dragon Slaying Squad.

In the later key battle to attack the Dragon Court, it was these five who joined forces to eliminate the Lord of the Dragon Court, cementing the victory of the allied army of the Ten Thousand Races.

The story of how the Five-Star Pillars rose to fame was quite reminiscent of a hero’s party in a novel.

When Anton had first gone to Bishui Port, he had tried to subtly inquire about the Fallen Dragon Association, but to no avail.

Apparently, the Fallen Dragon Association had not yet expanded its sphere of activity to the Eldron Plain at that time.

He never expected to suddenly hear news of them now.