The Elven Cultivator

To the Human Race, fifty years was the span of one, or even two, generations.

But for the long-lived Elf Race, it was but a brief chapter in their long lives.

To increase their population by nearly a thousand in that time was a remarkable achievement, even in the context of the entire history of the Elf Race.

Unfortunately, while the blockade on the Eldron Plain now existed in name only, Dragon City’s blockades elsewhere remained in place. Otherwise, the Elder Council would have considered absorbing other Elf clans.

The Forest Guard, by contrast, had expanded at a much faster rate than the population.

The tenth battalion was now fully formed, bringing the Guard’s total strength to three thousand—nearly a third of the entire population.

Across the entire Dawn Continent, only a handful of races—such as the Dragon Race, the Dwarves, and the Beastmen—could boast such an astonishing soldier-to-civilian ratio.

Like the Elves, the Dragon Race and the Dwarves owed this to their long lifespans, which meant a larger proportion of their population consisted of adults who could serve as combatants.

As for the Beastmen, it was purely due to their bellicose nature; they were a society where practically everyone was a warrior.

A three-thousand-strong Forest Guard was a force not to be underestimated on the Eldron Plain.

Moreover, their equipment, training, and logistical support far surpassed the standards of most other armies on the plain.

It was worth noting that two of the Forest Guard’s ten battalions were Scale Rock Lizard mounted archer battalions.

The Clan’s Scale Rock Lizard breeding techniques were now well-developed, and their taming system was firmly established.

They were even making some headway in domesticating the Riftspine Dragon Beasts.

The Clan’s Beast Tamers were working tirelessly to overcome this hurdle.

The resource situation was just as encouraging.

With the twelve mineral veins in the Dark Nether Realm now in full-scale production and the trade route to the Green Highlands operating smoothly, the Clan’s revenue climbed year after year. The storerooms were overflowing with materials.

The resource shortages that had once been a constant headache for the Elder Council were now largely a thing of the past.

All in all, the Clan was flourishing.

The activation of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array, in particular, had injected a constant stream of vitality into the already burgeoning Clan, subtly enhancing its potential for future growth.

They talked for nearly an hour before Eleanor finally, and somewhat reluctantly, took her leave.

Not long after she left, another Elf came to his door.

This time, it was Cedric.

The captain of the Forest Guard still wore his suit of Runic leather armor. His posture was as straight as a pine, and his features were as hard and chiseled as stone.

The moment he saw him, Anton immediately sensed the surging vitality in the other’s body, a power so immense it felt like it was about to overflow.

He instantly understood Cedric’s reason for coming. ”You’ve reached the peak of the Second Transition of Force?”

”That’s right.” Cedric was taciturn as always, getting straight to the point. ”Anton, can you teach me a Near-God Method as well?”

Anton smiled, produced a piece of sheepskin paper, and pushed it across the table toward Cedric.

”These are Near-God Methods suitable for Force Cultivators. Take a look and tell me if any of them catch your eye.”

Cedric thanked him, picked up the sheepskin paper, and began to read.

Anton didn’t rush him. He simply picked up his own mug of Honeybell Fruit brew and sipped it slowly, waiting for Cedric to make his choice.

After about the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Cedric set down the paper. He looked up at Anton, his gaze open and steady. ”I choose Zhenyue.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Anton’s face.

The Near-God Method known as Zhenyue took its name from the concept of ’suppressing mountains.’

A Cultivator could condense their entire life force into a fist, palm, or weapon. A single strike could subject a target to several times the normal amount of pressure.

Those struck by it would feel as if they were carrying a mountain on their back. Their bones would groan under the strain, their movements would become sluggish, and even breathing would become difficult.

The stronger the user’s force, the higher the pressure multiplier.

In essence, it was quite similar to the Law of Crushing Pressure or the Law of Gravity.

The former was a lesser Law derived from the Elemental Power of earth.

The latter was an intermediate Law belonging to the domain of nature.

Both were geared toward direct suppression, using brute force to overcome finesse.

The Elves’ combat style had always prized speed and agility, achieving victory through finesse. A direct, head-on style like Zhenyue was a poor fit for their usual approach.

Anton had thought Cedric would be like the Second Elder and choose a Near-God Method that favored agility and perception, something like Fengling Dunying.

Even so, Anton didn’t comment further. He simply took out the text that detailed Zhenyue and handed it to Cedric.

”Thank you.” Cedric accepted the text and rose to give Anton a formal bow.

Anton waved a hand. ”There’s no need for such formalities.”

Cedric wasn’t a man of many words. After expressing his gratitude, he departed.

Anton watched him go, then turned his gaze away, a faint smile playing on his lips.

’It seems that after the Second Elder, the Clan will soon have another Golden Peak combatant.’

’With ample resources and Near-God Methods suited to their individual paths, the number of top-tier combatants in the Clan will only continue to grow.’

’Given time, we might even catch up to Kresol Dragon City, perhaps even surpass it.’

After Cedric left, silence returned to the treehouse.

Anton walked to the window and gazed out.

On the branch-walkways, several Elf children chased each other playfully. Their innocent laughter drifted on the wind, adding a touch of life to the tranquil forest.

Watching the children, a thought suddenly occurred to Anton.

’Perhaps it’s time to consider promoting Cultivation Techniques.’

’Cultivation requires immense resources. In the past, the Clan was too weak; we simply didn’t have what it took to support multiple Cultivators training simultaneously.’

’Even I had to scramble all over the place to gather resources just to scrape by.’

’But things are different now. The Clan has grown strong, and our resources far exceed what we had before. As long as we keep the number of Cultivators within a reasonable limit, we can absolutely support them.’

’Besides, the initial Qi Refining Stage doesn’t require that many resources.’

’By the time the first batch of Cultivators breaks through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Clan might have already found more resource nodes in the Dark Nether Realm and become even wealthier.’

’A full-scale rollout is unrealistic. I’ll have to start by selecting a group of young children from the Clan, ones who haven’t been exposed to any other training system. We can educate them in the ways of cultivation right from the beginning.’

’Children don’t have preconceived notions or deeply ingrained mindsets. They’re like blank slates, making it easier for them to accept a completely new worldview and methodology.’

’Unlike adult Elves who have trained for decades or even centuries, they won’t need to spend vast amounts of time unlearning old habits and overcoming mental inertia.’

The idea in Anton’s mind gradually took shape.

The Clan’s population was now over nine thousand, so there was no shortage of children of the right age. He could definitely select suitable candidates from among them.

’Spirit Root, temperament, aptitude... these are all factors to consider.’

’I’ll have to pay a visit to the Eternal Hall.’

Having made up his mind, Anton turned and walked toward the door.

’A matter like this will require the Elder Council’s support.’

However, just as Anton reached the door, he saw a figure sprinting toward him from the far end of the branch-walkway. They moved as fast as the wind, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

”Anton!”

Romance skidded to a halt, panting slightly. Her amber eyes were wide as she stared straight at him, her face a mixture of shock, dawning realization, and excitement.

”I... I figured it out! You’re Canglan!”

Looking at her earnest expression, Anton didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’Talk about a delayed reaction.’