Elven cultivators

Since the Primordial Spirit Realm was built, most of the elves have moved to Primordial City, and the original settlements have gradually become deserted.

Today, this place has become a place for the Silvermoon Clan to entertain guests.

Eleanor passed through the archway and entered the Hall of Eternity.

The furnishings inside the hall have remained almost unchanged. The long table and stone chairs are still the same as they were a hundred years ago, and even the slight curves worn into the tabletops by time are as they were back then.

She sat down at the head of the long table and instructed Flora, "Let them come over."

"Yes, Lady Eleanor," Flora replied and left.

Not long after, footsteps came from outside, heavy and slow, landing on the smooth wooden floor with an unrestrained roughness.

Soon, a figure entered the hall.

The newcomer was tall with broad shoulders and a wide back. Thick layers of grayish-brown fur were visible on his neck and arms, and a necklace made of a mixture of animal teeth and metal plates hung around his neck.

Two diagonal old scars ran across his cheeks, cutting the wrinkles and hair into sections, making his already rugged face even more sharp.

He entered the hall alone without any guards. His gaze swept quickly around like an old beast entering unfamiliar territory before finally landing on Eleanor, at which point his brows furrowed.

"I've come to see the chieftain of the Silvermoon Clan," the orc said in a low voice. "Does the Silvermoon Clan really lack hospitality?"

Eleanor said bluntly, "Our chieftain is very busy and only sees important guests. I handle all the ordinary matters myself, so there is no need for the chieftain to come in person."

The implication is that you are not qualified.

The orc elder's face darkened. He stared at Eleanor for a moment, his gaze filled with undisguised scrutiny and displeasure: "You, a young man, are you qualified to make decisions for the entire Silvermoon Clan?"

Eleanor scoffed, "The Steelmane Tribe only knows how to talk about age? If we're really comparing ages, I might be your elder."

The orc elder's expression froze.

Only then did he belatedly realize that elves were a long-lived race, and their age was never easily judged from their appearance.

The elven girl in front of him might actually be older than him.

"Elder Hammond, you didn't come all this way just to discuss age with me, did you?"

Eleanor already knew the identity of the person in front of her from Flor, and guessed that the other party had most likely come to interrogate her.

In that case, there's no need for small talk or pleasantries; let's get straight to the point.

"Just say what's on your mind."

Hammond's face twitched, and a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

In the Thunder River Basin, the Steelmane Tribe is the undisputed overlord, and no force dares to treat him so disrespectfully.

However, he also knew very well that the Silvermoon Clan was not one of those small forces that would fear the Steelmane Tribe, so he had no choice but to suppress his dissatisfaction, snort coldly, and sit down on one side of the long table.

After sitting down, he looked up at Eleanor, his voice turning serious: "The Silvermoon Clan killed members of our Steelmane Tribe a few days ago. Shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

Eleanor leaned back in her chair and said slowly, "Speaking of this matter, I think the Steelmane Tribe owes us an explanation. That half-elf tribe traveled thousands of miles with their families to join our clan, yet you ambushed and killed them on the way. Don't you take us seriously?"

"There are so many half-elf tribes, who knows they've come to join you?" Hammond scoffed. "After all, aren't they a vassal race of the Silvermoon Clan? What's wrong with us taking action?"

Eleanor said calmly, "But later, when the slave hunters were chasing those half-elves, our people saw them and not only didn't stop, they even tried to kill them to silence them. How do you explain that?"

Hammond's eye twitched, but he remained silent with a sullen face.

Eleanor gave him a cold glance and continued, "You were the ones who struck first, so you deserved to have your arms cut off. I don't understand how you have the nerve to come to us demanding an explanation?"

"you……"

Hammond's expression changed, and he made a move to get up, but when he met Eleanor's indifferent gaze, he forcefully suppressed the movement.

He then remembered that the elf in front of him was also a legendary powerhouse.

Moreover, this is their territory.

So he had no choice but to suppress his anger and said through gritted teeth, "So, our tribe died in vain?"

Eleanor said slowly, "You killed so many half-elves, you deserve to pay with your lives."

Hammond took a deep breath, suppressing the urge that had risen to his throat, and said with a grim expression, "Fine, let's leave that aside for now, but you must hand over the Goldenback Ape tribe and their ancestral totem."

"What's the reason?"

"The Golden-backed Ape-man tribe was our prey to begin with, so what right do you have to ambush us halfway through our journey?"

"That's a strange statement." A playful smile appeared on Eleanor's face. "The Golden-backed Ape-men are a tribe, not wild beasts of the wasteland. Where does this talk of them as prey come from?"

"When their tribe faced a crisis, they voluntarily offered us their ancestral totems in exchange for protection. This is a reasonable and fair trade. What does it have to do with the Steelmane Tribe?"

Hammond's face grew increasingly grim: "So, in the end, you just refuse to hand over the people and the goods?"

Eleanor smiled slightly but did not reply.

But their attitude has already been made quite clear.

Hammond's cheek twitched a few times, his knuckles tightening and loosening on the table.

Before coming to the Silvermoon Clan, he had considered that they would not back down so easily, and might even refuse their demands.

But I never expected the other party to be so tough, leaving no room for maneuver whatsoever.

"...It seems your Silvermoon Clan is quite confident." Hammond's tone was low. "You've already recruited so many vassal races, and now you're meddling in the affairs of the half-elves. Aren't you overstepping your bounds? You know the saying 'the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows,' don't you?"

"Some things, if you hold on to them too tightly, may not be a good thing; on the contrary, they may easily cause unnecessary trouble."

Eleanor remained unmoved: "I'll return those words to you as well: don't overreach."

"The Golden-backed Ape-man tribe is already our vassal race. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on them should not blame us for being impolite."

Hammond stared at her for a while, then finally said nothing more.

He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly on the stone floor, and strode toward the door.

As he was about to leave, he paused, turned his head, and gave Eleanor a cold look: "I hope you don't regret what you said today."

"You don't need to worry about that." Eleanor met the other person's gaze without flinching.

Hammond gave her a deep look, then strode out the door.

The heavy footsteps pounded across the corridor floor, fading into the distance.

Eleanor sat alone in the hall for a while, then got up and left, returning to the City of the Beginning.

Upon arriving at the Tower of Nine Heavens, she found Anton and briefly recounted her conversation with Hammond.

Upon hearing this, Anton was not surprised.

He had long guessed the purpose of the Steelmane Tribe sending people over.

"You did a good job." Anton smiled slightly. "Now that the Goldenback Ape-men have become our vassal race, they are our own people. There is absolutely no reason for us to hand them over."

He paused, then added, "Next, we'll prepare for war."

"Is the chieftain worried that the Steelmane Tribe will initiate a war?" Eleanor asked.

Anton shook his head and said calmly, "Whether the Steelmane Tribe goes to war or not is irrelevant, but it's time for us to make our move."

"The matter at Crimson Blood Fertile Land is now settled, so we can take care of the slave hunting team as well."

Eleanor immediately understood.

Anton had previously mentioned that they should choose a powerful force to make an example of.

The Steelmane Tribe, having stumbled upon them, were both the backers of the slave-hunting team and had shown hostility towards them, making them an ideal target.

"I understand," Eleanor nodded solemnly.

……

Morric practically ran all the way home.

Upon entering the courtyard, he saw his father standing under the old tree in the yard, head down as if deep in thought.

Hearing footsteps, Oru looked up and frowned when he saw his son panting heavily. "Morrick, what's wrong?"

"Father!" Morrick, barely catching his breath, strode forward, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency. "I just heard that the Steelmane tribe sent people to the clan? Is it true?"

Orlu paused for a moment, then nodded: "That's right, it's Hammond who's here."

Morric's expression changed slightly.

He remembered this guy.

It was Hammond who led the attack on their tribe, killing many of their people.

Even their tribal chief died at Hammond's hands.

The entire Goldenback Ape tribe hated this guy.

"Father, the Steelmane Tribe is definitely after us. Will the clan, to appease their anger, kill us...?"

Morrick didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Oru paused for a moment, then chuckled and lightly patted his son on the back of the head: "What nonsense are you talking about? If the chieftain wanted to hand us over, he wouldn't have made a move back in the Tide Sound Plains."

"Hamond is indeed coming for us, but I heard that Lady Eleanor rejected him outright, saying that anyone who dares to touch us is making an enemy of the entire Silvermoon Clan."

Morrick paused for a moment, then let out a long breath and smiled again.

"The clan leader and Lady Eleanor were wise; thankfully, we chose to side with the Silvermoon Clan."

Oru nodded in deep agreement: "We made the right choice by offering our ancestral totem in exchange for protection. The Silvermoon Clan truly considers us one of their own."

Morrick looked delighted, a sense of peace and security welling up inside him.

With the clan's protection, he no longer had to live in fear of his enemies coming after him one day.

As a result, his determination to become a disciple of Taichu City grew stronger.