The Elven Cultivator

News of the five ruling officials’ deaths in battle swept across the Eldron Plain like a hurricane.

Naturally, the first to receive the news were the factions with a complex web of connections to Kresol Dragon City.

Through various secret channels, they learned of this shocking development almost immediately.

At first, almost no one was willing to believe it.

The last time a ruling official had died in battle on the Eldron Plain was several thousand years ago.

Back then, the Dragon Race’s rule over the plain was far from as stable as it was now, and the flames of rebellion would ignite every so often.

But in the last two or three thousand years, as the Dragon Race’s rule solidified, the death of a ruling official on the Eldron Plain had become unheard of.

Let alone five of them perishing at the same time.

How could this be possible?

Those who first heard the news all scoffed, dismissing it as a mere rumor.

However, as more details poured in from different channels, all doubts gradually vanished into thin air.

Everyone soon realized that this was actually fucking true!

A massive uproar erupted, especially after a certain faction fanned the flames by disclosing the battle’s details.

Canglan had faced three opponents at once, personally killing three ruling officials, including Wood. Afterward, he joined forces with the First Torch and another Torchbearer from the Eldron Plain branch of the Fallen Dragon Association to finish off the other two.

This combat record was simply absurd!

Who was Wood?

He was the second-ranked of Kresol Dragon City’s twelve ruling officials and a veteran Golden Peak expert. He had an illustrious reputation across the Eldron Plain and was considered one of the very strongest fighters below the Legendary Tier.

Yet he had died at Canglan’s hands, and while fighting alongside two other ruling officials, no less.

It was simply inconceivable!

Overnight, the name Canglan resounded through every corner of the Eldron Plain.

In taverns, at markets, and in Adventurer camps—everyone was talking about him.

”Killing three ruling officials single-handedly? What kind of monster is he?”

”They say he teamed up with two other Golden Peak experts, but the way I see it, it’s no different from him having handled it all by himself.”

”Even Wood was no match for him. I’m afraid only Aurion himself could possibly suppress him.”

”Aurion? I doubt it. I don’t think even Aurion could kill three opponents of the same tier at once, could he?”

Similar discussions played out all across the plain.

Some were amazed, some were awed, and some were skeptical. But regardless of their stance, everyone had to admit one fact.

Canglan’s strength was truly a cut above most at the Golden Peak.

Someone gave Canglan the title of the number one expert below Legend on the Eldron Plain, and this title was quickly accepted by the vast majority.

With the Radiant Ash Dragon having left the Eldron Plain and not yet returned, Canglan had seemingly become the plain’s strongest powerhouse.

In contrast, Kresol Dragon City was reduced to nothing more than a clown in this affair.

Its prestige, already damaged by its inability to stop the repeated attacks from the Fallen Dragon Association and Canglan, plummeted to rock bottom after this battle.

However, the event that would truly shake the entire plain was yet to come.

The day after the battle at Gray Rock Pass, Kresol Dragon City made a decision that no one had expected.

It withdrew all of its deployed garrisons, even those stationed at Bishui Port and the Dragon’s Fang defensive line.

These two locations were where Kresol Dragon City stationed the largest number of troops each year; their immense importance was self-evident.

Abandoning these two places was tantamount to crippling itself.

Yet Dragon City did exactly that.

The Dragon Race garrison at Bishui Port was evacuated completely overnight, leaving behind only empty barracks and a bewildered Bishui Council.

The garrisons at the hundred-plus military outposts along the Dragon’s Fang defensive line were all withdrawn on the same day. Those outposts, which once made smugglers and stowaways tremble with fear, became empty, unmanned shells in the blink of an eye.

When the news spread, the entire plain was in an uproar.

But soon, many understood the helplessness behind Dragon City’s move.

If they continued to station ruling officials abroad, they would likely be picked off one by one by the Fallen Dragon Association and Canglan.

But without ruling officials to hold the line, the garrisons at Bishui Port and the Dragon’s Fang defensive line couldn’t possibly withstand the Fallen Dragon Association’s attacks.

Rather than send those soldiers to die for nothing, it was better to pull their forces back to Dragon City and focus on defending their foundation.

The losses were severe, but at least they could stop the bleeding.

But understanding was one thing; the collapse of Dragon City’s prestige was irreversible.

For thousands of years, Kresol Dragon City had suppressed the entire Eldron Plain with absolute power, making countless intelligent races tremble under the might of the dragons.

It wasn’t that no factions had tried to resist over the years, but they were all mercilessly crushed by Kresol Dragon City, never once shaking its foundation.

This time, however, Kresol Dragon City had been forced by the Fallen Dragon Association—or to be more precise, by Canglan alone—to pull back its defensive lines and hole up like a turtle in its shell.

This was something that hadn’t happened in thousands of years.

At that moment, the majesty of Kresol Dragon City’s rule came crashing down.

The first to react were the Vassal Races that had been suppressed by Dragon City for years.

Every year in the past, they had been required to offer a large tribute of rare resources to Dragon City.

Magical metals, rare ores, magical plants, Magic Beast pelts, all kinds of Gemstones, and even the young of their own people to serve as slaves.

But now, with Dragon City turtled up and unable to even fend for itself, how could it have any spare energy to oversee the tributes from its Vassal Races?

And so, in the days that followed, factions began to use various methods to reduce their tributes or substitute them with inferior goods.

At first, Kresol Dragon City was furious and dispatched troops to deal with the factions that dared to feign compliance.

But the army had barely left Dragon City before it was ambushed and annihilated by the Fallen Dragon Association.

After suffering several such defeats, Kresol Dragon City simply played dead and stopped sending its army out of the city.

This undoubtedly fueled the ’ambitions’ of other factions.

More and more factions started to cheat on their resource tributes.

A few factions even outright refused to continue paying tribute to Kresol Dragon City.

If not for the looming presence of the Dragon Court, far more than just a few factions would have stopped their tributes.

For a time, the entire plain was in turmoil.

...

「Silver Moon Forest, in a quiet room within a treehouse」

Anton, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He looked inward at the five drops of pitch-black, profound Dark Heavy Water in his chest and nodded with satisfaction.

More than half a year had passed since the battle at Gray Rock Pass.

He hadn’t slacked off during this time, and had condensed another four drops of Dark Heavy Water.

These ink-jade-like droplets gave him a profound sense of security.

Finishing his practice, Anton rose and walked to the window, pushing it open.

Fresh air carrying the sweet fragrance of Honeybell Flowers washed over him, refreshing his spirit.

The faint clang of metal from the training grounds in the distance mixed with the chirping of birds in the forest, painting a tranquil yet vivid picture.

Although he was busy with his cultivation, Anton had been keeping an eye on the outside world.

During this period, he had even joined forces with the Fallen Dragon Association to attack Kresol Dragon City’s armies several times as they set out to suppress the Vassal Races.

Unfortunately, Dragon City had learned its lesson and no longer sent ruling officials with its armies, depriving him of opportunities to further improve the quality of his Sword Pill.

Sieg had also suggested attacking Dragon City directly, but Anton had refused.

He had been able to kill the five ruling officials at Gray Rock Pass largely because he had set up the Nine Heavens Thunder Suppression Array there in advance.

The Array had significantly weakened the ruling officials’ strength and drained their Magic Power and stamina, creating favorable conditions for the battle that followed.

But attacking Dragon City was different.

Kresol Dragon City had been managed for thousands of years. Its defensive systems were surely impregnable, and it was likely protected by Arrays as well.

Launching a reckless assault without understanding the specific situation was too risky.

The Fallen Dragon Association was unwilling to let this once-in-a-millennium opportunity slip by and was ready to take the risk, but he had no intention of gambling with his own life.

’I should take this slow.’

Anton gazed toward the Thousand Rock Hills.

Just three months ago, the Frost Pattern Silver vein, which had been mined for over fifty years, was declared depleted. Elder Thorvin had returned to Gray Rock Castle with most of the Dwarves, leaving only a small crew to help the Clan continue mining other metal veins.

The abandoned Frost Pattern Silver mining area was now under the full control of the Clan.

The Elder Council had dispatched a large contingent of the Forest Guard to seal off the mining area, patrolling day and night to prevent creatures from the Dark Nether Realm from invading the surface through the fissures.

It was worth mentioning that the Second Elder had recently succeeded in mastering Wind Plume Elusive Shadow and had smoothly advanced to Golden Peak.

With that, the Silver Moon Race gained another top-tier fighter.

Although it hadn’t been publicly announced, this was undoubtedly a joyous occasion.

The reason the Second Elder was able to master a near-divine technique so quickly was twofold: the Cultivation Technique was indeed a good fit for him, and it was a breakthrough born from long accumulation.

He had been stuck at the Upper Gold level for nearly two hundred years. He had accumulated enough Magic Power and had long since built a foundation for comprehending the Power of Law; all he lacked was an opportunity.

And Wind Plume Elusive Shadow was that opportunity.

Once he had a clear method for comprehending the Law, the breakthrough came naturally.

There was also good news regarding the Third Elder.

He had broken through to Upper Gold, bringing him one step closer to awakening the Power of Law.

Originally, with the Third Elder’s talent, he should have broken through before Cedric.

However, after Cedric switched to practicing the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, allowing him to pull ahead.

If all went well, the next Golden Peak expert should emerge from one of them.

As Anton was lost in thought, his Divine Sense suddenly caught a familiar aura rapidly approaching the treehouse. He turned his head just in time to see Romance running toward him with a War Axe on her back.

She wore a form-fitting black hunting outfit, her silvery-white hair flying as she ran. Her steps were nimble and powerful, and her aura had grown increasingly condensed.

He could tell that her mastery of the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture had deepened.

He estimated that it wouldn’t be long before she broke through to the Second Transition of Force.

”Anton.”

From a distance, a wide smile spread across Romance’s face as she waved energetically at him.

”The Clan is holding a meeting! The Great Elder sent me to tell you to attend.”

Anton raised an eyebrow.

The Elder Council knew he was very busy and usually didn’t bother him for their meetings. For them to break convention today, the topic must be important.

Connecting this to the recent series of major events in the outside world, a guess began to form in Anton’s mind.

As it happened, he also had something to discuss with the three elders.