Elven cultivators

The City of the Beginning.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, long queues had already formed at the city gate.

The elves, with their families in tow, came from the direction of Silvermoon Forest, forming a long, slowly advancing snake in front of the city gate.

The children, held hands by their parents, stared wide-eyed at the unfamiliar city before them.

Their gazes passed through the massive city gate, lingering among the upturned eaves, gray stone walls, and dark rooftops within the city, occasionally uttering innocent exclamations of wonder.

"This is the Primordial City..."

Evan, who was walking in the middle of the procession, stopped and looked up at the huge plaque above the city gate.

The plaque is carved from a single piece of green jade, with vines and leaves intertwined around the edges. The three large characters "Taichu City" are inlaid with silver wire, and the brushstrokes are steady and elegant.

He had heard his father say that the words on the plaque were written by the clan chief himself.

"Don't stop, keep up with the group."

His father's voice came from behind him, and his hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

Evan snapped out of his daze and quickened his pace.

He is eleven years old this year and joined the Silver Moon Clan last year along with his clansmen.

Before this, his family lived in a valley on the Frostridge Plateau. The entire tribe numbered less than two hundred people and did not even have a proper settlement. They could only live in a simple wooden house.

Without the protection of the Eternal Tree, without sufficient cultivation resources, even having enough to eat and wear becomes a problem.

At that time, he never imagined that one day he would see such a city with his own eyes.

They would never have imagined that this city belonged to their own clan.

"I heard this used to be Dragon City," Evan's mother said softly.

The father nodded: "The chieftain killed the guardian dragon here."

Evan walked beside the two, listening to his mother's sentiments, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

He could be said to have grown up listening to stories about dragons.

In those stories, dragons are the mountain that weighs down on all other races, the unshakeable overlords of this continent.

No matter where on the mainland, Dragon City is the most powerful force in the area, and an existence that all vassal races look up to.

But now, a city that once symbolized the majesty of the dragon race has become one of the settlements of the Silvermoon Clan.

Those once invincible dragonborn either died under the swords of their clans or became slaves deep in the mines.

Although Evan is still young and doesn't understand many things, he feels proud whenever he thinks about these things, and he feels more at home in the new clan he has joined.

Near the city gate, the staff of the clerk's office responsible for the resettlement had already set up a long table, which was piled with registers and key tags.

Every arriving Elf family must register their information here and receive a key card for their residence.

A squad of Silvermoon Legion soldiers was busy nearby.

They had a clear division of labor: some guided the flow of people, some checked the lists, and some directed the traffic flow. The process was orderly and efficient.

"Don't push, don't push, take turns!"

"Those registered on the relocation list, please go and complete the check-in procedures first."

"Leave immediately after registering; do not linger here."

The captain, who was leading the group, stood inside the city gate and shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was particularly loud in the noisy crowd.

Soon, it was Evan's family's turn.

"Name?"

"Kaylan Silvermoon".

"Family members?"

"My wife, my child, and I."

The elf in charge of registration looked down at the roster, his pen moving quickly across the paper, then suddenly stopped.

"Eh, Evan Silvermoon... is your child a disciple of Primordial City?"

"That's right." Evan's father said with a proud expression.

The elf in charge of registration looked up, glanced at Evan, and smiled. He then took a key tag from the table and handed it to him.

"According to the rules, the families of the disciples of Taichu City are given priority to be assigned to the best environment, Zone A. Your family is in courtyard number seventeen. Here is the key card. Go straight ahead to the third intersection, turn right, and then walk straight to the end of the road."

"Thanks."

Evan's father thanked him and accepted the key card.

The family of three walked in the direction indicated by the registration staff.

The elves around them cast envious glances their way.

In the Silvermoon Clan today, being a disciple of the Primordial City has become a source of pride.

Any family with a child who is a disciple of the Primordial City can stand up straighter in public and be treated differently.

Evan's family quickly found their new home.

It was a small courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. The courtyard wall was not high and was covered with newly transplanted vines. The tender green leaves were pleasing to the eye.

"I never thought we'd be able to live in a house like this."

Evan's mother stood in front of her yard, looking the small house up and down, her face full of smiles.

"Back in Silvermoon Forest, we lived in treehouses, which were nice, but nothing was as bright and spacious as this."

The father's face was also beaming with joy.

He took a deep breath. The air was filled with the unique scent of wood and earth from his new home, mixed with the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle drifting from afar, making him feel exceptionally relaxed.

"Father, Mother, come quickly!"

Evan ran out of the yard, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"There's a honey bell tree in the backyard, and it's blooming!"

The two adults exchanged a glance and walked into the yard.

Sure enough, in a corner of the backyard, a honey bell tree stood quietly in the morning light, its branches and leaves outstretched, its pale yellow flowers hanging from the branches, emitting a sweet fragrance.

"The patriarch is so thoughtful," Evan's father exclaimed.

For elves who live in the wilderness year-round, surrounded by plants, moving to the city is an enormous change.

Many lifestyle habits are completely different from before, and it takes some time to adapt.

Seeing familiar plants in their new home at this time is undoubtedly a comfort to them.

"Evan."

Just then, a shout came from outside.

Evan turned his head and saw a familiar face peeking out from the doorway.

It's Ryan.

The two met recently during a aptitude test. Because they were of similar age and both passed the test, they quickly became friends.

"Why are you still here?"

Upon seeing Evan, Ryan quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm, his voice urgent.

"It's almost time to meet up, have you forgotten?"

Evan certainly wouldn't forget.

Today is both the day of the relocation and the day for the new disciples of Taichu City to report for duty.

All disciples of Taichu City who have passed the qualification test must gather at the inner city entrance this morning.

"Father, Mother, I'm leaving now," Evan said quickly to his parents.

"Go ahead," the mother said with a gentle smile. "Do your best and don't embarrass the clan leader."

His father didn't speak, but patted him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with heavy expectations.

The two children left District A together and ran towards the inner city.

The city of the beginning was divided into an outer city and an inner city.

The outer city was where ordinary people lived, and it was also the location of the trading area, storage area, and public facilities.

The inner city is accessible only to disciples of the Primordial City and is the core area for cultivation and the transmission of Daoist teachings.

Evan and Ryan crossed the main road of the outer city, turned through several streets and alleys, and soon arrived at the entrance to the inner city.

A towering wall came into view.

In the center of the wall is an arched stone gate, with a barely perceptible halo of light enveloping it, like a transparent veil.

It is obvious that some kind of array or restriction has been set up here.

Without the corresponding token, it is impossible to pass through the stone gate.

At this moment, sixty or seventy elves had gathered in front of the gate.

There were children around Evan's age, as well as tall teenagers who were nearing adulthood.

They gathered in small groups, talking quietly, their faces beaming with anticipation and excitement.

"Evan, Ryan, over here!"

In the crowd, a girl with a ponytail waved vigorously at them, a bright smile on her face.

Evan and Ryan walked over quickly, and as soon as they stood still, several familiar elves surrounded them, and the group soon started chatting excitedly.

About ten minutes later, a steady sound of footsteps came from inside the stone gate.

The boys and girls gathered in front of the door subconsciously quieted down, their eyes all turning towards the doorway.

Twelve figures filed out from the stone gate and stood still in the morning light.

They wore uniform light blue robes, the hems billowing gently in the breeze, with silver oak leaf patterns embroidered on the cuffs—the insignia of the disciples of the Primordial City.

The leader was a gentle-looking young elf.

It was Ryan.

The eleven companions standing behind him also looked calm and had clear eyes.

They all had different appearances, but regardless of their height or weight, each of them exuded a calmness and clarity that was beyond their years.

That kind of temperament is not something that is deliberately cultivated, but rather a kind of clarity and composure that comes from the very core of one's being cultivated in Taoism for a long time and breathing in spiritual energy day and night.

It was as if dusty glass had been carefully wiped clean, revealing its inner brilliance.

Looking at these twelve people, the newcomers present couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

But they quickly came to their senses and bowed to greet each other.

"Senior brother, senior sister."

Seeing the newlyweds bowing in unison before them, Mia and the others couldn't help but smile.

Although I don't quite understand why the teacher uses the terms "senior brother" and "junior sister" to distinguish between seniors and juniors, it still feels pretty good to hear all the juniors calling me that.

"Is everyone here?" Ryan's gaze swept across the crowd.

This boy, who was once very self-conscious and shy, has developed a calm and confident demeanor after years of self-cultivation and tempering.

Flora, who was standing to the side, took out a list from her sleeve, looked down and checked it, "Seventy-two people, that's right, they're all here."

Ryan nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, welcome to the inner city of Taichu City."

"Next, we will take you on a tour of the inner city and then assign you your lodgings. Now, please follow us."

Ryan spoke succinctly, and then he and the other eleven turned and walked into the stone gate.

The newlyweds quickly followed suit.

The moment Evan passed through the stone gate, he felt an energy so dense it was almost tangible rushing towards him, like warm spring water enveloping his entire body.

That's the scent of spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy there was many times richer than that in the outer city.

He couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling as if even his pores were greedily swallowing it, and his whole body felt relaxed.

The other disciples also showed expressions of surprise.

Some even stopped, closed their eyes, and took a deep breath, as if trying to etch this rich spiritual energy into their memories.

"Don't stop."

Flora's voice came from ahead.

"Once you move in, you'll have plenty of time to experience it all."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickened their pace and caught up with the group.

The layout of the inner city is completely different from that of the outer city.

The streets are wider, and the road surface is paved with whole slabs of green jade stone, with a smooth, mirror-like surface that reflects the sky and clouds.

The buildings on both sides are no longer monotonous residential houses, but functional buildings with different styles.

Courtyards with black tiles and white walls, pavilions with upturned eaves, ancient-style halls, towering towers reaching into the clouds...

Each building emitted a faint energy fluctuation, a trace of the array in operation.

Ryan walked at the front, his pace unhurried, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"We are currently in the southern part of the inner city, specifically the Danfang district."

"All the functional buildings related to alchemy are concentrated here."

"The alchemy room is divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower."

"The lower-level alchemy room is equipped with a talisman-grade alchemy furnace, suitable for Qi Refining stage disciples."

"The intermediate-level alchemy room is equipped with a magic-grade alchemy furnace, suitable for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators."

"As for the superior alchemy room..."

Ryan paused for a moment, then continued, "It's still in the planning stage, but it's said that it will be equipped with a Xuan-level alchemy furnace in the future."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion among the newlyweds.

Although they had only recently embarked on the path of cultivation, they had already gained a basic understanding of various common knowledge about cultivation through different scriptures.

This includes the classification of magical artifacts into different levels.

They knew how precious Xuan artifacts were, and when they learned that the alchemy room was actually equipped with a Xuan artifact-level alchemy furnace, they immediately felt that "this is too extravagant".

"Next to the pill-making area is the medicinal herb warehouse."

Mia picked up the conversation and gestured towards a tall hall on the right.

The hall was taller than the surrounding buildings, and a bronze plaque hung above the door, inscribed with the three characters "Medicinal Herbs Storehouse".

"Most low-grade medicinal herbs can be found there. Each disciple of Taichu City receives a certain quota of medicinal herbs every month to practice alchemy."

"If you want more, you'll have to use contribution points to exchange for them."