The Elven Cultivator

By the time Laine returned home, the sky had grown completely dark.

His mother was standing at the doorway, looking out. When she saw Laine’s figure appear at the end of the tree-lined path, a smile immediately blossomed on her face.

”You’re back?”

She didn’t ask about the results, simply stepping aside and saying gently, ”Come in. Dinner is ready.”

Laine walked into the house and sat down at the table.

On the table was his favorite herb-roasted fish. The skin was grilled to a golden, crispy brown and sprinkled with finely chopped herbs, steam rising from it in gentle wisps.

Beside it was a plate of candied fruits and a bowl of steaming-hot, creamy mushroom soup, with a few tender green cilantro leaves floating on top.

The aroma, mingled with the smoky scent of burning firewood, filled the small treehouse.

His mother sat down across from him, picked up the ladle, and naturally began to serve him soup, still not asking about the test.

She didn’t dare ask, afraid of putting pressure on her son.

”Mother,” Laine spoke up, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement. ”I passed the test.”

The ladle tapped lightly against the rim of the bowl, making a crisp sound.

His mother’s movements froze. She looked up, her eyes full of surprise and disbelief.

”Really?”

”Really.” Laine nodded emphatically, unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips. ”Lady Eleanor told me herself. I’m to report for class tomorrow.”

The smile on his mother’s face instantly bloomed, as radiant as a Honeybell Flower.

She threw her arms around Laine and kissed him on the forehead.

”That’s wonderful!”

Laine was hugged so tightly he could barely breathe, but he didn’t struggle.

He could feel his mother’s joy, which came from the bottom of her heart.

”I knew you could do it.” His mother released him, looking him up and down, her eyes slightly red. ”My son is the best.”

Laine wanted to say something, but his lips moved a few times without a sound coming out.

He just nodded forcefully.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door.

Laine turned to see his father walking in from outside, still wearing his standard-issue Forest Guard leather armor.

”What’s going on?” He keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the room was unusual, his gaze sweeping over his wife and son.

His mother let go of Laine, turned to quickly wipe the corners of her eyes, and then said with a smile, ”Laine passed the test. He’s going to start classes with Lord Anton tomorrow.”

His father froze, his eyes widening. ”For real?”

His mother shot him a reproachful look. ”Who would joke with you about something like this?”

Only then was his father convinced. He strode over and vigorously ruffled Laine’s hair.

”Good lad! You’re my son, all right!”

Laine’s head was wobbled back and forth, but he couldn’t help but break into a wide grin.

”Lord Anton is the most remarkable person in our Clan.”

After the initial joy, his father’s expression turned serious as he patted his son’s shoulder.

”To become his student is a blessing many people could only dream of. You must cherish this opportunity, study hard, don’t cause trouble, and above all, don’t be lazy.”

”I know,” Laine nodded earnestly.

His father nodded in satisfaction, then burst out laughing. ”If Oliver and the others find out my son was chosen by Lord Anton, they’ll be so jealous of me.”

The atmosphere during dinner was exceptionally cheerful; the smiles never left their faces.

After dinner, his mother carefully inspected the clothes and leather boots Laine would wear the next day. She wiped the boots clean with a damp cloth and hung them by the window to dry.

「Late at night.」

Laine lay on his vine bed, gazing at the night outside the window, imagining what his class would be like tomorrow.

’Will Lord Anton be very strict?’

’Will I be able to keep up with the lessons?’

Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, causing his heart to beat a little faster.

But soon, the day’s excitement and exhaustion washed over him like a tide, scattering those chaotic thoughts.

His eyelids grew heavier, and his consciousness began to fade.

Soon, Laine fell into a deep sleep, a faint smile still lingering on his lips.

Outside the window, the petals of Honeybell Flowers swayed gently in the night breeze, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance.

「Under the same night sky.」

In a treehouse in the Eternal Tree area, the lights were burning bright.

Anton sat at one end of a long table, a sheet of sheepskin paper spread out before him. It was densely covered with names and their corresponding Spirit Root attributes.

Eleanor and Romance sat across from him, each holding a cup of Honeybell Fruit wine.

”Out of more than four hundred children of the right age, we found twelve with Spirit Roots. That’s a very good ratio.”

Anton looked at the list, a satisfied expression on his face.

’The Elf Race is indeed well-suited for cultivating the Dao,’ he thought.

Among the twelve, there was one with three Spirit Roots, three with Dual Spirit Roots, and the rest were all Single Spirit Roots.

But to his surprise, there was even a promising candidate with a Spirit Body.

And it was a Haoyang True Body, which was quite rare even among Spirit Bodies.

Its rarity was no less than his own Five Spirit Roots.

’My luck is really something else.’

But Anton quickly regained his composure.

’A Spirit Body is a great aid to cultivation, but how far one can go on the path of the Dao ultimately depends on one’s own temperament and comprehension.’

’Spirit Roots and Spirit Bodies are just the starting point. What determines one’s upper limit has never been talent alone.’

Putting down the list, Anton smiled at the two Elf Maidens before him. ”You both worked hard today.”

Eleanor smiled and shook her head, then asked, ”Are you going to teach the class personally tomorrow?”

Anton nodded. ”I happen to have some free time recently.”

The Separation Fire Shield still needed time to be nurtured. During this period, he would stay in the Silver Moon Forest, which was the perfect time to teach the first batch of students and guide them onto the path.

Once the Separation Fire Shield was fully restored and Eleanor had accumulated a certain amount of knowledge, she could take over some of the teaching duties for him, freeing him up to handle other matters.

After discussing the teaching matter, Anton waved his hand. Four items materialized out of thin air before him, held aloft in mid-air by his True Essence.

”These are Magical Artifacts for you.”

With a point of his finger, Anton sent two of the items floating toward Romance.

They were a War Axe and a suit of armor.

Romance’s eyes lit up. She immediately reached out to catch the two Magical Artifacts and began examining them closely.

The War Axe was a deep azure color. Faint, fine thunder patterns snaked across the axe head like lightning, the lines deeply embedded in the metal, yet it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

Although the handle was wooden, it was wrapped in threads of Frost Pattern Silver. The grip was slightly coarse, providing an excellent feel.

The cutting edge glinted with a silvery-white luster that resembled a flash of lightning.

Romance gripped the handle and gave it a casual swing.

The moment the axe blade cut through the air, a deep clap of thunder suddenly erupted, causing the Light Source Stones in the treehouse to tremble slightly and even making the cups on the table vibrate gently.

Tiny arcs of electricity even danced along the edge of the blade, emitting a faint CRACKLING sound.

”This is the Thunderstrike Axe.”

Anton’s voice rang out at the perfect moment.

”The blade contains the Power of Thunder and Lightning. When it strikes a target, this power will flow into them, scorching their flesh, stiffening their muscles, and slowing their movements for a short time.”

”When you swing the War Axe, it will also produce a thunderclap to intimidate your enemies.”

Romance’s combat style had always been fierce and direct. The paralyzing effect of the Thunderstrike Axe would compensate for her lack of hard crowd control.

”And this.” Anton pointed to the other item.

Romance put down the War Axe and picked up the dark cyan Half-Body Armor.

The armor was form-fitting, covering her chest, abdomen, and shoulders.

Its surface was covered in overlapping scales like those of a Dragon Scale. The edge of each scale was inlaid with fine threads of Frost Pattern Silver, outlining six winding rune patterns.

When worn, the armor fit snugly without hindering movement in the slightest. The shoulder plates were slightly raised, adding to its imposing presence.

”This is the Six Celestial Thunder Profound Armor.”

Anton explained unhurriedly, ”When you are attacked, the thunder-warding restrictions on the armor’s surface will activate automatically, generating an extremely thin layer of protective lightning around your body. If you’re hit by a close-range attack, the armor will convert part of the impact into the Power of Thunder and Lightning and reflect it back, making the attacker suffer the consequences.”

”These two Magical Artifacts are from the same set. When used together, the flow of lightning essence will be much smoother.”

Romance was already accustomed to a frontal assault fighting style. This set of Magical Artifacts was tailor-made for her head-on, unyielding approach to combat.

The armor for defense, the War Axe for offense—a perfect integration of attack and defense.

Romance naturally understood this. Beaming, she hugged the two Magical Artifacts, stroking them fondly as she grinned at Anton. ”You’re the best, Anton! I love you to death!”

Anton smiled. ”I’m glad you like them.”

He then looked at Eleanor and, with a point of his finger, sent the remaining two Magical Artifacts flying toward her.

”Eleanor, these are for you.”

Eleanor accepted them with delight and examined them closely.

The two Magical Artifacts were a neatly folded cyan robe and a palm-sized, vibrant green sapling.

She first picked up the cyan robe and gently unfolded it.

The surface of the robe was as smooth as water and unstained by a speck of dust. The moment her fingertips touched it, she felt a texture as warm and smooth as jade.

The warp and weft of the robe were clearly visible, with faint, intersecting rune lines that looked as if the paths of the sun, moon, and stars had been woven into the fabric.

Upon closer inspection, those Runes were not fixed patterns; they seemed to flow slowly with the changing light, subtly concealing the workings of the heavens.

”This Seven-Star Sun-Binding Robe can resist external attacks. It also has the ability to change its shape. Give it a try.”

As instructed, Eleanor tapped the Seven-Star Sun-Binding Robe against her body. The robe automatically unfolded, swiftly wrapping around her and adjusting to a perfect fit.

Even more magically, when she focused her thoughts, the style of the robe changed accordingly.

It transformed from an ankle-length robe to a knee-length one, then from a short robe to a light hunting outfit, and could even change into other styles of clothing.

”It really is convenient.”

Eleanor couldn’t put it down. She stroked it fondly for a while longer before shifting her gaze to the small green tree on the table.

It was only palm-sized, with lush, vibrant green leaves that looked as if they were dripping with color. The canopy was laden with fruit, each the size of a green bean, shimmering with a myriad of dazzling colors.

”This is the Six-Fruit Treasure Tree.” Anton reached out and tapped the sapling’s canopy lightly. ”It bears six different types of fruit. Each fruit seals a Taoist Skill. With your current Cultivation Level, the power of each fruit is no less than a full-strength blow from a First-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator.”

”If used by someone at the Foundation Establishment Cultivation Level, its power will be even greater.”

”After a fruit is used, it takes some time for a new one to form. As long as you keep the Six-Fruit Treasure Tree near you, it will automatically absorb the ambient energy between heaven and earth to grow new fruit.”

”Between these two Magical Artifacts, the Seven-Star Sun-Binding Robe is primarily for defense, while the Six-Fruit Treasure Tree is for offense. With both attack and defense covered, they should be enough for you to handle most battles.”

Anton paused, then added, ”Of course, Magical Artifacts are ultimately an external power. Your own Cultivation Level is what’s fundamental. You must not rely on them too heavily.”

Eleanor nodded solemnly and carefully put away the two Magical Artifacts. She looked up at Anton, her smile radiant, and said, ”Thank you.”

”All right.” Anton stood up and stretched. ”You have class tomorrow. You should both go back and get some rest.”

Romance put away the Thunderstrike Axe and the Six Celestial Thunder Profound Armor, stood up, and waved to Anton. ”We’ll be going then.”

Eleanor also rose and gave Anton a slight nod in farewell.

The two of them left the treehouse one after the other, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

The treehouse grew quiet again.

Anton walked to the window and gazed out at the Eternal Tree.

He had not only refined Magical Artifacts for Romance and Eleanor, but he also planned to tailor-make two specialized Magical Artifacts for every Golden Tier Warrior in the Clan who practiced the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Scripture, thereby increasing their combat power.

As for the Casters, they lacked Spiritual Qi and couldn’t use conventional Magical Artifacts, nor could they use the specialized Magical Artifacts exclusive to strength-focused Cultivators. There was nothing Anton could do for them.

However, he had been thinking about the matter of Solidifying Pills recently and was beginning to form some ideas.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he could create a Cultivation Technique specifically for the Casters of this world.

By then, the rate at which the Clan’s Casters improved their strength would surely increase as well.