Elven cultivators

The meeting in Andong had barely ended when the news that "the clan is going to hold a second qualification test" spread like wildfire throughout the entire clan.

Unsurprisingly, this caused a huge uproar.

The elves' eager anticipation reached its peak when they heard that the age limit for this aptitude test had been relaxed and that anyone under the age of majority could participate.

As the clan grew stronger over the years, Andong's prestige within the clan also rose accordingly.

Throughout the long history of the Silvermoon Clan, there is no other clan leader who is as revered and worshipped as he is.

Just the mere thought of receiving instruction from the clan chief himself made every elf eagerly anticipate this aptitude test.

More importantly, the twelve children who were recruited in the last aptitude test have shown remarkable growth over the past few years and have been a hot topic of conversation among many members of the clan.

Ryan Silvermoon, that once skinny and unremarkable boy, is now rumored to be nearly as strong as a Black Iron-ranked soldier, even stronger than many elite soldiers of the Legion.

And then there's Flora, Lucius, Mia... without exception, all of these children have broken through to the Black Iron rank.

It should be noted that many adult elves have painstakingly cultivated for decades, or even centuries, yet they have only just barely reached the threshold of the Black Iron rank.

And they were already in the upper ranks of Iron rank before they were even twenty years old.

Compared to them, many adult elves in the tribe felt ashamed and inferior.

With such a clear example before them, how could other elves not flock to it?

For a moment, the entire Silvermoon Forest was enveloped in an eager and restless atmosphere.

Three days passed quietly amidst eager anticipation.

On the day of the qualification test.

Before dawn had fully broken, the training ground had already become the center of a crowd.

This time, the scale is far greater than the last time.

Looking around, all I could see were heads, a dense, dark mass.

The eligible underage Pokémon lined up in long rows, stretching from the entrance of the training ground all the way to the depths of the field, winding like snakes and almost occupying the entire open space.

The group included children as young as seven or eight, teenagers as young as fifteen or sixteen, and even a few tall, slender young elves who looked almost adult.

Most of them were wearing brand-new robes, their hair was neatly combed, and their faces showed expressions of tension, anticipation, or feigned composure. Their eyes were all fixed on the treehouse at the end of the procession.

The long table still sits in front of the treehouse.

There were just many more people sitting behind the table than last time.

Besides Eleanor and Roman, there were about a dozen young elves in the document room, each responsible for guiding, registering, and maintaining order.

Ryan, Flora, Mia, and Lucius were also among them.

They stood on either side of the long table, dressed in uniform light blue robes, their expressions calm and their manners proper, a stark contrast to their youthful appearance a few years ago.

Whenever an elf passes the test, they will approach them with a smile and lead them to a treehouse nearby to settle in.

That composure and confidence drew envy from many of the elves waiting for their tests.

"That must be the clan chief's student, right?"

"I heard that they've only been cultivating for a few years, but they've already reached the Black Iron level."

"I wish I could be chosen too..."

Whispers rang out like the buzzing of bees among the crowd, yet no one dared to make a sound.

Around the training ground, soldiers of the Silver Moon Legion stood ramrod straight, fully armed.

Their gazes, sharp as eagles, swept slowly through the crowd, maintaining order at the scene.

The sun gradually rose higher.

The procession moved forward slowly, like a river flowing slowly.

The elf, whose spiritual roots had been tested, walked towards the treehouse with a beaming smile that he could not contain.

Many more elves, heads drooping, left the group with heavy steps.

As the sun dips westward, dusk deepens.

As the last glimmer of golden-red was swallowed by the indigo sky, the test finally came to an end.

The last team disappeared at the entrance of the training ground, and the crowd in the waiting area gradually dispersed, returning the training ground to its usual emptiness.

After a brief encouragement, the elves who passed the test in the treehouse left happily.

Starting today, a new chapter will begin in their lives.

……

Yongheng Hall, a side hall.

The soft light from the light source illuminated the room, creating a striking contrast with the deepening twilight outside the window.

Eleanor leaned back in her chair, let out a long sigh, and placed the thick stack of lists on the table.

"A total of eighty-two."

Roman, sitting opposite him, looked surprised: "So many? Almost seven times more than last time."

"This is mainly because the age limit has been relaxed, the age range is wider, and naturally more people pass the test."

Eleanor's voice carried a hint of weariness, yet also an undisguised joy.

"This is just the beginning; the number of disciples in Taichu City will only increase in the future."

An elf who embarks on the path of cultivation will increase in strength far faster than an ordinary elf.

Even those elves who switched to cultivating alchemy and inheriting the power of strength were no match for these disciples of the Primordial City.

Given the lifespan of elves, coupled with the ample cultivation resources provided by their clans, it's almost a certainty that they will break through to the Foundation Establishment stage within their lifetime.

This means that once these disciples of the Primordial City grow up, they will at least be at the Gold Rank in terms of combat strength.

It should be noted that even after hundreds of years of accumulation, the Silver Moon Clan only has a handful of members at the Gold Rank.

Now, this group of disciples from Taichu City alone is expected to contribute dozens of gold-tier combatants to the clan in a few decades.

This is only the first batch.

There will be a second batch, a third batch, a fourth batch...

Over time, the number of Gold-rank members in a clan will grow to an astonishing number.

At that time, the strength of the Silvermoon Clan will experience a true leap forward.

Composing herself, Eleanor looked at Roman across from her and asked with a smile, "Speaking of which, you just returned to the forest this morning, right? What were you up to?"

Roman shrugged and said, "A shipment bound for Biyue Port was hijacked a couple of days ago. I led a team to raid the hideout of those idiots and retrieve the goods."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow: "In the Eldron Plains, someone dares to steal our things?"

Not to boast, but given the Silvermoon Clan's current strength and status, no force or group in the Eldron Plains with any sense or discernment would dare to lay a hand on anything belonging to the Silvermoon Clan.

What's the difference between that and courting death?

Roman shook his head: "They're not locals, they're a mercenary group that wandered over from Green Heights. They probably don't know much about us."

No wonder.

Eleanor suddenly realized, her expression showing a mix of emotion and contemplation.

Money can be a powerful motivator; some people will do anything for profit.

As the clan grows and controls more resources, more and more forces will inevitably covet it.

In addition, the mainland is currently plagued by frequent wars and instability, and the situation in various places is changing drastically.

In the future, it is inevitable that some forces will succumb to temptation and take risks.

The clan needs to prepare for this early.

In the plains of Eldron, clans are undoubtedly the dominant forces.

However, on the entire Dawn Continent, the clan's strength was far from being fearless.

Leaving aside the Dragon Court and the five top powers, many first-class powers with deep foundations can crush clans.

After all, which of these forces hasn't been operating for thousands or even tens of thousands of years?

The Silvermoon Clan's rise to power was ultimately too short-lived; its foundation was not deep enough, and it needed more time to develop and grow stronger.

Fortunately, the clans have now found their own path. Given enough time, they will surely become a force no less powerful than the five top powers.

Eleanor was confident of this.

Or rather, they had complete confidence in Anton.

"What happened to the mercenary group that stole the clan's goods?" Eleanor asked, snapping out of her reverie.

Roman said, "I took care of several high-ranking officials, and captured the rest, sending them to mine in the Underdark."

Eleanor nodded slightly, indicating her approval of this approach.

The clan is currently facing a manpower shortage, so having more slaves would be beneficial.

Thinking about it this way, she suddenly felt a little hopeful that a few more mercenary groups would jump out and provoke the clan, so that the clan could gain more slaves.

Unfortunately, there probably aren't many hotheads like this.

"By the way, where's Anton? I haven't seen him lately."

Roman's question interrupted Eleanor's thoughts.

She answered casually, "The construction of the Primordial City is nearing completion. Anton has been staying there recently."

"Is the Primordial City almost finished?" Roman's eyes lit up immediately. "That's great! I definitely have to go and see it when it's finished."

She had long yearned to see the cave dwelling described by Anton and was eager to do so.

Eleanor smiled and nodded.

She was also looking forward to the completion of the City of the Beginning.

After chatting for a while, Roman got up to say goodbye.

"I need to go check on the No. 1 mine. I'm off."

The No. 1 mine was the very magic stone mine that Anton had set up the Qiankun Transformation Array to transform into a spirit stone mine.

Considering the significant importance of the spirit stone mine to the clan's future development, as well as the allure of the magic stone mine itself, the clan stationed a full-strength flag team at the No. 1 mine.

Fifteen hundred fully armed elven warriors, equipped with Scaled Rock Lizard cavalry and five battalions of divine soldiers, guarded the area in shifts day and night.

The two deputy corps commanders would also take turns going there every now and then to oversee and inspect the defenses.

After Roman left, the side hall quickly returned to quiet.

Eleanor was about to go to the quiet room to cultivate her true energy when she suddenly heard footsteps outside, and an elven girl walked in quickly.

"Lady Eleanor, news has come from the Thunder River Basin that is related to the Earth Elemental Giant."

Eleanor stopped in her tracks, her expression instantly turning serious.

The task of gathering information about the earth elemental giant was personally ordered by Anton.

She kept this matter in mind and instructed the staff in the document office to take it seriously and to send her any related news as soon as possible.

"Give it to me."

Eleanor took the letter and began to read it.

A moment later, she put away the letter and quickly left the side hall.