Elven cultivators

Early the next morning.

Ryan hurriedly ate a few bites of breakfast and couldn't wait to go out and arrive at the treehouse where the test had been conducted the day before.

He thought he had arrived early enough, but when he got there, there was already a figure waiting in front of the treehouse.

It's Lucius.

He sat leaning against the steps by the treehouse door, the wooden sword he had carved himself resting across his lap, his fingers tracing the patterns on the spine of the sword.

"Good morning, Lucius," Ryan greeted him.

"Good morning." Lucius nodded, his tone still indifferent.

After a brief greeting, the two fell silent.

Ryan was used to Lucius's quiet nature and didn't feel awkward. He walked to the other side of the steps, sat down quietly, and looked around aimlessly.

Before long, a silvery laugh could be heard from afar.

Ryan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Flora and Mia walking side by side.

Flora wore a light blue knee-length robe with a silver ribbon tied around her waist. Her long, emerald green hair was braided into a loose plait that hung down in front of her chest, swaying gently with her steps.

She was also carrying a small wicker basket, covered with a piece of white linen, and it was unclear what was inside.

Mia, on the other hand, was dressed in a neat hunting outfit, her dark brown leather boots making a light clattering sound on the ground, exuding a lively energy.

"Ryan, Lucius, what brings you here so early?" Mia walked over quickly and greeted the two of them without any hesitation.

"I didn't sleep well and woke up early," Ryan answered honestly.

"Me too!" Mia giggled. "I tossed and turned for ages last night before I could fall asleep. My mom said I looked like a wriggling caterpillar."

Flora smiled and sat down on the steps. She took out a few golden-brown cookies from her small basket and distributed them to the three of them.

"I baked these this morning, you guys should try them."

Ryan took the cookie and took a bite. It was crispy and sweet, with the aroma of honey and nuts. It was a little different from the ones his mother baked, but it was still delicious.

"Delicious," he exclaimed sincerely.

Flora smiled, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

The four of them sat on the steps, chatting idly, eating cookies, and waiting for time to pass.

One by one, the other elf children who had passed the test also arrived.

Someone excitedly recounted how his family celebrated for him the previous night.

Some people were curiously speculating about what Lord Anton would teach them.

Some people stood quietly to the side, silently observing their surroundings.

Before long, all twelve children had arrived.

After waiting a while, steady footsteps came from the end of the tree-lined corridor.

Eleanor walked over with a leisurely gait, wearing a light blue robe.

She glanced gently at everyone and smiled slightly: "Is everyone here? Come with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the other end of the tree-lined walkway.

The children immediately followed, and a mix of excitement and nervousness spread through the group.

They left the training ground, passed through the tree corridor, and headed towards the Tree of Eternity.

The surrounding scenery gradually became unfamiliar.

This area is the residence of the clan's high-ranking members and an important garrison area for the forest guard. Ordinary clan members are not allowed to enter without permission on ordinary days.

Children like them are only allowed to enter this area on important holidays.

For a moment, all the children couldn't help but look around curiously.

After walking for about five or six minutes, the group finally stopped in front of a building.

Ryan looked up, his eyes widening slightly.

It was a building he had never seen before.

Nestled among several towering ancient oaks, its upturned eaves resemble the wings of a bird in flight, with the corners of the eaves slightly raised, drawing an elegant arc.

The roof was covered with a layer of dark blue-green "tiles".

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these were not real tiles, but rather countless fine vines and leaves interwoven layer upon layer, their surfaces thick and leathery, gleaming with a warm, soft light in the morning sun.

Several rattan lanterns hung under the eaves, their soft glow faintly emanating from them.

The entire building is constructed without a single nail or rivet, and without the slightest trace of human carving or chiseling.

The walls are made of interwoven vines, with a delicate texture like brocade.

The beams are branches extending from the ancient oak, naturally curving into load-bearing arcs.

Even the outlines of the doors and windows look like gaps that were left in the trees when they were growing.

It seems not to have been "built" but rather "grown" from the forest.

Ryan didn't know how to describe his feelings.

The building in front of them was not the treehouse style common among elves, nor the rugged stone fortress of dwarves, nor the human brick and stone buildings that their elders occasionally mentioned.

It is simple and serene, with every line exuding a natural charm.

"So beautiful," Mia couldn't help but exclaim softly.

The other children were also mesmerized, their eyes lingering on every detail of the building, unwilling to look away.

Eleanor stood in the doorway, watching the children's reactions, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

This building was constructed by Anton himself using magic.

When she first saw it, she was equally amazed by its unique yet beautiful style.

Anton named the building "Preaching Pavilion".

"Go in."

Eleanor snapped out of her thoughts, pushed open the door, and went inside.

The children snapped out of their daze and quickly followed.

The moment Ryan stepped through the porch and into the hall, his vision suddenly opened up.

This is an extremely spacious and bright hall.

Sunlight streamed down from the skylight in the roof, filtering through the vine-covered lattice of light into countless tiny spots that fell onto the smooth wooden floor, like scattered gold dust.

The hall, directly opposite the main entrance, has a smooth stone wall.

The stone wall is light gray, with a smooth, mirror-like surface. Fine lines can be faintly seen flowing slowly beneath the stone surface like ripples in water.

A rattan cushion was placed in front of the stone wall.

Anton sat upright on the prayer mat, calmly watching the people who entered.

The twelve children visibly became more reserved in their movements and expressions.

They grew up hearing stories of Anton and had heard his name countless times from their elders, but had only seen him a few times from afar at clan gatherings.

This is the first time in my life I've seen someone in person this close.

"Please find a seat."

Anton's voice rang out in the hall.

The children, as if waking from a dream, all came to the center of the hall.

There were twelve prayer cushions neatly arranged there, forming a semicircle, facing the direction of Andong.

They each found a futon to sit on, straightened their backs, and looked extremely well-behaved.

Eleanor stood at the door, and after confirming that all the children were seated, she nodded slightly to Anton, then turned and left, gently closing the door behind her.

In the blink of an eye, only Anton and the twelve children remained in the hall.

Anton's gaze swept over the children's innocent faces, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.

He recalled the feeling of confusion and helplessness he had when he first awakened his memories.

At that time, he knew what the future held, but knowing it meant there was very little he could do about it.

Without power, knowing a lot is just empty talk.

And now, he finally has enough power to change something.

He wanted to change the fate of his clan's weakness, the fate of those he cared about, and his own fate.

Let's start by teaching these children.

"Before we begin the lesson, you must first understand what kind of power I am about to impart to you."

Anton spoke slowly, his tone calm and solemn.

"It's different from the magic you've heard of, and it's different from the breathing techniques of warriors."

"It's called the Path of Cultivating Immortality."

The hall was silent. All the children held their breath and stared intently at Anton, afraid of missing a single word.

"What is cultivation of immortality?"

"As you all know, lifespan is limited regardless of race. Humans don't live past a hundred years, and even for long-lived species like elves, living past a thousand years is the limit."

"Where there is birth, there is aging, sickness, and death."

"This is the law of this world, and no one is exempt. Even powerful legendary figures cannot escape the passage of time and will eventually grow old and perish."

"But cultivating immortality is different."

"Cultivating immortality is going against the will of Heaven. This world requires you to be born, grow old, get sick and die, but you insist on living a long and healthy life. With a mortal body, you transcend the laws of the world. This is cultivating immortality."

Humans are born from heaven and earth, but their lifespan is no more than a hundred years. They are subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death, and are trapped within the five elements, unable to escape them.

Cultivators defy the heavens, using mortal bodies to question the ways of heaven in order to achieve longevity and transcend life and death.

Anton broke down these simple words and explained them bit by bit in a language that people in this world could understand.

Especially since the people he was explaining things to were a group of children who were no more than thirteen years old.

Even so, the children still only vaguely understood what they were hearing.

Anton observed the changes in the children's expressions and smiled slightly.

"These concepts are too profound for you to grasp immediately. Just remember that cultivating immortality is a long journey that requires perseverance and dedication, and it demands daily accumulation."

"You are still young, you have plenty of time."

He paused, then changed the subject, "Now let's begin the lesson."

"First, we'll talk about the definition of Reiki."

"Spiritual energy is the foundation of cultivation. One of the things that cultivators need to do is to sense the energy between heaven and earth, absorb it into their bodies, refine it for their own use, and turn it into spiritual energy."

"The refined spiritual energy will be stored in the dantian (energy center). The more spiritual energy a cultivator has, the stronger they will be..."

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only Anton's voice echoing through the room.

Spiritual energy, the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, spiritual root, dantian (energy center), spiritual consciousness, cultivation realms...

The children listened intently, their eyes wide, completely absorbed in Anton's story.

These unfamiliar words, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, pieced together a grand, unprecedented picture in their minds.

A whole new world is opening its doors to them.