Elven cultivators

Cressor Dragon City, Council Hall.

The light source of the dome casts a uniform, cool white light onto the surface of the black basalt round table, refracting it into a faint, eerie glow.

Seven high-backed stone chairs are arranged around the round table. Compared to the previous crowded arrangement of twelve stone chairs, the table now appears much more spacious, silently telling the story of the tragic losses in the Battle of Gray Rock Pass.

But the seven governors sitting in the hall today did not show much gloom on their faces.

Aurelion leaned back in the stone chair at the head of the table, his expression showing a long-lost sense of ease.

Walto sat to his right, his fingers tapping lightly on the table in a quick rhythm.

The other five governors also leaned back in their chairs, looking much more relaxed than they had in the past few years.

"As soon as the city lord returned, those clowns immediately quieted down."

"I heard that several vassal tribes were so frightened that they sent over the resources they had previously owed overnight."

"The Meteor Dragon Society has also quieted down. Broker is dead, Sieg escaped with serious injuries, and the others are either dead or have fled. They have almost disappeared from the Eldron Plains."

"The Meteor Dragon Society is just a bunch of rats in the gutter. They used to rely on their sneak attacks to gain the upper hand, which is why they dared to swagger around. Now that they've been scared out of their wits by the City Lord, they've naturally cowered back."

"Only Canglan remains to be captured. That guy is slippery; he hasn't shown his face yet."

"With the city lord here, it's normal that he doesn't dare to come out. If he dares to show his face, the city lord can crush him with a single finger."

The last sentence drew nods from the officials, their faces showing deep agreement.

Even though Canglan is virtually unmatched among the Golden Peak, a legend is a legend.

That's a different level of existence.

It's like the difference between a dragon and an ant.

Even the strongest ant is no match for a dragon.

Aurelion didn't interrupt, but simply watched the consuls discuss the matter with a faint smile.

He knew very well that the officials had been feeling very stifled for years, and it was normal for them to vent their emotions a little now.

Soon, the topic shifted to another matter.

"Which faction should we target next?"

"Should we continue? We've dealt with the three forces that refused to pay tribute, and the deterrent effect has been achieved. Is there any need to take further action?"

"That's not how it works. Although other forces haven't refused to pay tribute, they've been rigging resources in recent years, acting out of compliance but secretly defying orders. This is also an offense against Dragon City, and we can't let them get away with it."

"That's right. If they are not punished, those forces will think that they can offend Dragon City without paying the price, and the authority that the City Lord has worked so hard to rebuild will be damaged again."

The officials each held their own views, and the sounds of their debate echoed in the council chamber.

Aurelion listened quietly for a while, then raised his hand to stop the argument.

"alright."

The council chamber fell silent, and everyone turned to look at him.

Aurelion's gaze swept over the six governors, and he said in a deep voice, "The city lord wants us to select three final targets, and then this matter will end here."

Upon hearing this, the air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

The officials felt a chill run down their spines.

Three targets, plus the three that have already been destroyed, make six.

There are only about thirty prominent factions in the Eldron Plains, which means that nearly one-fifth of them will be wiped out.

It seems the city lord is truly enraged this time.

The consuls exchanged a glance, both seeing trepidation and fear in each other's eyes.

But since it's the city lord's order, there's nothing to discuss.

Just follow it.

"Which three factions should we choose as targets?" Walto asked.

Orion paused for a few seconds, then said, "Randomly."

The officials were slightly taken aback, but then they understood.

This must be the city lord's order.

That person has always been capricious in this regard, doing whatever he wants.

Aurelion clapped his hands, and immediately a dragonborn soldier presented him with a bronze chest filled with plaques bearing the names of all the remaining factions in the Eldron Plains.

After that, he named three consuls and had them each draw a plaque from the bronze box.

"These are the three." Aurelion stood up, straightened his robes, and said, "I'll go to the inner fortress to report to the city lord."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the council chamber.

Inner fortress.

The heavy stone door slid open silently to both sides.

Orion strode into the hall, knelt down a short distance from the dragon, and bowed his head deeply.

"My lord, the target has been selected."

He took out the plaques bearing the names of the three factions, held them with both hands, and placed them respectfully on the ground in front of him.

Upon hearing Orion's report, Isaac, who was lying prone on the ground, slowly opened his eyes. Without even glancing at the three nameplates, he simply extended a finger and flicked it lightly.

A wisp of crimson magic shot out from his fingertips, transforming into a streak of light that precisely struck the central plaque.

Orion immediately realized that this was the first target the city lord was preparing to make a move against.

He slightly raised his head, his gaze falling on the front of the nameplate, where four characters clearly came into view.

Silvermoon Forest.

"My lord, Silvermoon Forest is the territory of the Silvermoon Clan," Orion said respectfully.

Elf.

Isaac didn't even lift his eyelids.

It has absolutely no interest in how many people or how much fighting power the Silvermoon Forest has.

Without the existence of legendary rank, they are just a bunch of ants that can be crushed with a flick of a hand.

Just like crushing the Stonefist tribe, Greyfin Fishing Town, and Windmill Valley.

Orion wisely refrained from speaking again.

He had already gleaned the answer from the city lord's reaction.

After bowing respectfully, he rose and left the inner fortress.

The heavy stone door slowly closed behind him, shutting out the suffocating heat and oppressive atmosphere of the hall.

Orion stood in the hallway outside the door, let out a long breath, and looked down at the nameplate in his hand.

Silvermoon Forest...

He pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

The Silvermoon Clan has been developing rapidly recently, and has also absorbed many elven groups. In terms of population alone, they are already one of the most powerful forces in the Eldron Plains.

But so what?

With the city lord personally taking action, the fate of the Silver Moon Clan is sealed.

They were just unlucky to be chosen.

Aurelion put away the nameplate, turned and walked towards the council chamber, his steps much lighter than when he came.

……

In the lobby.

Isaac remained motionless in his spot, his vertical pupils slightly narrowed as he gazed toward the Dragon Court.

The upheaval that affected the entire dragon race has yet to be resolved.

Before things take a turn for the better, it must ensure that Dragon City's rule remains as secure as ever and that no power notices anything amiss.

If those inferior races were to become aware of the internal turmoil within the dragon race, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, it must demonstrate its military strength.

Use the most ruthless methods to nip any trouble in the bud.

Only in this way can it conceal the secret it doesn't want anyone to know.

Exhaling a scorching breath, Isaac slowly rose to his feet.

Its body, over a hundred meters tall, resembled a moving mountain, its layers of scales rubbing against each other, producing a clanging sound like metal clashing.

The dragon's might surged in all directions like a tidal wave, and the air became stagnant and heavy.

Outside the hall, several dragon descendants serving were forced to prostrate on the ground by this oppressive aura, their bodies trembling and even breathing becoming difficult.

At the same time, a crack appeared in the very center of the hall's dome.

The gap rotated and widened to both sides, like petals blooming, revealing the gray-white sunlight overhead.

The next moment, Isaac spread his wings, his massive body soaring into the sky, passing through the giant hole in the dome and disappearing into the clouds.

After a brief pause in mid-air, he streaked across the sky like a crimson meteor, flying south.

That's the direction of Silvermoon Forest.

……

Silvermoon Forest, Preaching Hall.

Anton sat cross-legged on a futon in front of the stone wall, calmly explaining the key points of refining spiritual energy.

The twelve students sat upright on the cushions, listening attentively.

After clearing out the Sighing Crystal Cluster clan and focusing her energy on planning her cave dwelling, the task of teaching these children actually fell mostly on Eleanor's shoulders.

Anton only occasionally took some time to answer their questions.

Just like today.

After more than two years of practice, all twelve students have successfully mastered the techniques and are refining their first breath of spiritual energy day after day.

Ryan is indeed the one making the fastest progress.

Although the Great Sun True Explanation he practiced was the most difficult technique among this group of students, the Haoyang True Body was simply too powerful.

His speed in refining spiritual energy was significantly faster than that of Flora, who possessed three spiritual roots, firmly placing him in first place.

At this rate, he will be able to refine his first breath of spiritual energy in a few months.

A moment later, Anton finished his lecture and stood up.

"Alright, that concludes today's lesson."

As soon as he finished speaking, the focused atmosphere in the hall instantly relaxed.

The children let out a long sigh of relief, their shoulders slumping.

Mia leaped up from the futon, ran quickly to Anton's side, looked up at him, and asked in a clear voice, "Teacher, when can we start practicing magic?"

Anton glanced at her and chuckled, "What, you haven't even cultivated spiritual energy yet, and you're already thinking about learning magic?"

"I'm just curious," Mia said with a grin, shaking her head.

Last time, Anton demonstrated the spell to them, and she was particularly impressed by the spirit fire in it. Since then, she has been looking forward to learning the spirit fire spell.

Anton laughed and said, "The power of magic is indeed very strong, but it also consumes a lot of spiritual energy. A cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining will have all his spiritual energy drained after casting a spell. It's too early for you to learn magic now."

"What you need to do most right now is to build a solid foundation. Once your cultivation level has improved, it's not too late to consider learning magic techniques."

Mia actually understood this principle, but she was just itching to ask, so she couldn't help but ask.

Hearing this, she didn't press the matter further. She smiled and responded, then turned back into the crowd. Before long, she was laughing and joking with Flora next to her.

Anton watched this scene with a smile, about to say something, when suddenly his expression froze.

In that instant, his divine sense clearly detected a terrifying aura rapidly approaching the Silver Moon Forest.

The aura was scorching and violent, like a moving volcano, seemingly containing a vast and terrifying energy.

More importantly, this aura gave him a sense of déjà vu.