Martial arts ascend to the gods

Chapter 386 Flower Crown
Zhou Leng and the others broke the altar and waited quietly in the hall.

Large numbers of demons and giant insects, like moths to a flame, came here and walked right into the trap.

Kill as many as come.

Finally, the number on his arm surpassed 5000.

But afterwards, demons and giant insects became fewer and fewer, while more and more elves were summoned by the prophet.

The newly arrived elf did not fight alongside Zhou Leng, and even though he acknowledged the Saint's identity, he did not pledge allegiance to join the Prophet's Guard.

However, the newly arrived elves from powerful clans were equally generous, offering large quantities of star shells.

In the end, Zhou Leng's total number of Star Conch exceeded 12,000.

Before entering the world of the Tree People, there were fewer than two thousand in total.

This rate of accumulation is too fast; it's so fast it's mind-blowing.

Looking at the star conch shells filling the magic bag, Zhou Leng had an epiphany.

Pure combat is not a way to easily, quickly, and in large quantities acquire resources.

They can exploit more martial arts resources by using power derived from force, by employing legal violence, by exploiting unspoken rules, by supplementing it with capital operations, or by tailoring new rules.

No, the Dragon Kingdom does not practice exploitation; this has been legally abolished.

"Theoretically, for the sake of the Elven race, they should contribute more Star Conch to me. This is what the great Elven prophet and the righteous Elven saint deserve; they should all..."

With a jolt of martial will, Zhou Leng instantly sobered up and extinguished the ever-expanding desire.

We must not let greed destroy the spirit of martial arts.

Looking at the massive number of spirits on his arm, his current battle achievements were worth the current Star Spire.

Zhou Leng secretly gave Silver Lake Moon a few instructions, then gathered all the elves to discuss their actions after leaving the area.

"We will obey the family's orders and participate in the fight against the monsters..."

"To be honest, we should preserve our strength."

"We follow His Highness the Holy One."

"I think we should wait and see how things go before making a decision."

"At that point, we might not be in a position to assess the situation..."

The elves were abuzz with discussion, with factions such as those advocating surrender, those siding with the fence, those advocating war, and those seeking opportunism all taking center stage.

Such discussions may not yield a consensus, but they can clarify positions.

Yinhuyue had been observing from the shadows.

After the discussion, she selected all the pro-war and loyal elves according to the saint's instructions.

And he noted down the names of the others, categorized them, and then relayed the information to the saint.

Zhou Leng figured out the situation of the wild elves and analyzed it in his mind.

We must prepare for becoming a master and for what lies ahead.

I am a martial artist, but I cannot be just a martial artist.

Before reaching the Grandmaster level, one can conquer the world alone, but once one reaches the Grandmaster level, one needs to cultivate a certain amount of power, whether for resources or for survival.

Ultimate martial artists don't need to build a large family, but they should have a group of subordinates.

You can't do everything yourself; that would be exhausting.

If the Ancient River Sect were at its peak, it would not need to cultivate its own power; the Ancient River Sect would already be a complete power.

However, the current Koga Sect is not independent enough.

The resources required to advance to the Martial Saint realm or even higher are astronomical.

It has a market capitalization higher than many multinational corporations, measured in trillions.

Knowing how to cooperate with wild elves and treants is very important.

It's a bit early to consider the Treants, but it's the right time to consider the Elves.

The elves aren't like the treants, which are giant whales; they're at least like great white sharks.

The elves were wiped out by the God of Calamity, and he was afraid to do anything great, so he decided to save his own life.

We must seize this great opportunity.

We must make good use of our identities as the Elf Prophet and the Elf Saint.

In such situations, the elves' xenophobia actually becomes an advantage.

Once they have pledged allegiance, the likelihood of them defecting to other forces is extremely small.

As Zhou Leng continued to ponder, a rough outline gradually formed in his mind.

In the end, I found Yinhuyue.

"When your elven race was defeated, did any civilizing judges appear?"

Silver Lake Moon shook her head and said, "No. We've analyzed it, and there must be multiple reasons why someone would want to receive the protection of the Civilization Arbiters like your Blue Star."

"As expected, that was our guess. If the Treant race is destroyed, will the Civilization Arbiters descend?"

Yinhuyue sighed and said, "We've analyzed it too, and it shouldn't be the case. Treants are very powerful, their pure strength is no weaker than that of Blue Star warriors, but even we elves are not good enough, so it would be difficult for treants as well."

"What a pity, I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to unlock the secrets of the Civilization Arbiters. How many Celestial Ranks does your Elven race have?"

"Originally there were a full twenty-four heavenly steps, but for some reason, some of them mysteriously disappeared, and now only five heavenly steps remain."

"Can a Heavenly Rank really dissipate?"

Silver Lake Moon hesitated for a moment, then said, "According to our speculation, population, power, civilization, technology, and various other factors can all affect the number of Heavenly Rank cultivators. Perhaps our Elf race has degenerated too much and can no longer support Heavenly Rank cultivators."

"Is there any Heavenly Rank power that I can use?"

"Yes, it is called the 'Hall of Light,' a celestial rank that His Highness the King of Light has been vying for. However, it has been occupied by the giant insect, and you will only have the opportunity to enter after you advance to the Grandmaster level. Our elves have not opened it for many years, and the giant insect cannot enter, so there must be endless power accumulated inside."

"The Hall of Light... I'll go take a look once I've advanced to Grandmaster level."

Yinhuyue whispered, "Your Highness, what should we do next? If nothing unexpected happens, we'll encounter the demon alliance as soon as we go out."

Zhou Leng said, "We can't be sure what's going on outside yet. Let's see how things go first. We are great elves, how can we back down? Of course, if things don't work out, then we must preserve our strength. It is the mission that the King of Light has given me to continue the bloodline of the elves."

Yinhuyue gave Zhou Leng a deep look and said, "Since His Majesty the King of Light has appointed you as a saint, we will follow you for eternity. I know some elves are confused, but I believe that as long as you save them, they will definitely give you enough in return."

Zhou Leng said, "I also believe that an excellent environment will definitely transform every elf."

Zhou Leng thought that although this kind of thing seemed difficult, there were actually living examples in history, such as directly learning from a certain organization to carry out ideological reform.

Not to mention elves, even orcs or goblins can be trained into qualified successors to the martial arts world.

Back when Martial Saint Zhao Dongjun was awe-inspiring throughout the Ten Realms, countless alien races, including demons, were willing to betray their own kind to become Zhao's personal guards.

The United Front of the Dragon Kingdom has taken in many foreign and alien experts, including demons that have been conquered by human martial saints.

Aside from their inhuman appearance, they are more human than many others in every way. They are well-versed in the "Dongjun Miscellaneous Collection" and are more protective of the Dragon Kingdom than some Dragon Kingdom citizens. It is said that the earliest batch of demons to join the Dragon Kingdom's nationality would occasionally get drunk and curse certain people. Because these demons have extremely high value in uniting people, even those in high positions of power could do nothing about it.

A strange, piercing whistle rang out, like an arrow whistle cutting through the sky, slowly fading into the distance, its long cry never ceasing.

"It's over." Yin Huyue breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression remained solemn.

"Prepare for battle!" Zhou Leng shouted.

All the elves stood scattered, fully alert.

A series of beams of light descended from the sky, each beam enveloping an elf.

Green leaves fell from within the white beam of light, the number of which matched the number of blood marks on each elf's body.

The green leaves contain powerful energy that enters the spirits' bodies and enhances their strength.

Everyone looked at Zhou Leng.

Green leaves cascaded down Zhou Leng's head like a waterfall.

Unlike other elves, the green leaves did not enter Zhou Leng's body, but instead condensed above his head into a crown of green leaves and colorful flowers.

The elves' pupils trembled slightly.

Grand Duke's Flower Crown.

The term "prophet" is generally used to refer to foreigners.

A saint is a very high status.

Essentially, they still didn't consider Zhou Leng to be an elf.

But once the Grand Duke's crown falls, he becomes a true elven Grand Duke, equal in status to a legendary elf.

During the Elf Empire, the Elf King held council meetings, and the Grand Duke could only listen in.

But now, there is no longer an Elf King, and the Elf Royal Court is merely a nominal title.

Zhou Leng's status was then similar to that of a legendary elf, allowing him direct access to royal court discussions.

Most subtly, the current legendary elf duke is self-proclaimed, without undergoing a complete imperial investiture ceremony, and without being bestowed a grand ducal crown by the Elven King.

Zhou Lengyou.

Legally speaking, Zhou Leng is currently the only legitimate Grand Duke of the Elven race.

No one is more clever than Zhou Leng.

The elves were completely bewildered.

With a simple mind, she beamed with joy, thinking that her ancestors had found a powerful and talented ally for the elves.

But a few elves were a little panicked.

Who will be in charge of the Elf Royal Court from now on?

Zhou Leng reached out to touch the peony crown, but his fingers passed through it; it was not a physical object but an ethereal one.

It is essentially a magical artifact, or perhaps an eternal spell.

In addition to proving the identity of the Elf Grand Duke, it also grants the "True Knowledge" spell.

It can see through any illusion, even the illusion of the demigod elf king.

It appears simple, but it is actually extremely complex and belongs to a lost art.

"Greetings to the esteemed Duke Zhou Leng."

Yin Huyue was the first to kneel and bow, raising both hands with the backs of her hands facing Zhou Leng.

"Greetings to the esteemed Duke Zhou Leng."

All the elves had to kneel down as well.

"Get up," Zhou Leng said.

All the elves rose to their feet.

Some of the larger elven clans observed from the shadows and saw that most of the elves present were both surprised and delighted, their eyes filled with reverence.

From this point on, a new power will emerge among the elves.

Meanwhile, outside the blood-stained jade disc.

Many elves either left or fought in Silverlake Town.

The elves who remained here had blank stares.

The first name was originally that of an unknown monster.

Later, he became an elf prophet.

Afterwards, he was promoted to the elven saint.

Now, his name is Grand Duke.

Even if a legendary elf were to enter now, it wouldn't display the Grand Duke.

This blood-marked jade disc is a product of the Elf Empire.

It only records the Grand Dukes officially appointed by the Elf Empire.

What exactly happened inside?

"Who knows? My brain can't keep up anymore."

"Why do I feel like the Blood Hunting Grounds are even more chaotic than the battlefields outside?"

"It can't be that the Elf Prophet killed the unknown monster, then the Elf Saint killed the Elf Prophet, and finally the Grand Duke killed the Elf Saint, can it?"

"No, no..."

The elves present waited silently.

Suddenly, a light shone brightly in front of the blood-marked jade disc.

All elves retreat.

In the vast underground hall, there were hundreds of elves and one human.

The remaining elves stared blankly at the flower crown on Zhou Leng's head.

Grand Duke's Flower Crown.

Others cannot see it, but those with elven bloodlines can.

Silvermoon walked up to Zhou Leng and addressed the remaining elves loudly: "Your Highness Zhou Leng righteously rescued the elf race, slaughtered giant insects and demons, and thwarted the enemy's plot to corrupt the divine artifact. His Majesty the King of Light has descended and bestowed upon you the titles of Prophet, Saint, and Grand Duke. You should pay your respects."

The last four words were uttered by Silver Lake Moon in pure Ancient Elven language.

(End of this chapter)