Elven cultivators

Anton was so engrossed in the cycle of reincarnation that he was unaware of the passage of time.

In his first life, he became a farmer, working diligently in the fields until he died of illness at the age of fifty-six.

In his second life, he was a blacksmith in the city, spending his days with the furnace and anvil.

He accumulated some wealth in middle age, married and had children, and lived a comfortable but peaceful life.

When he was sixty years old, typhoid fever took him away, and his wife and children stayed by his bedside, their eyes swollen from crying.

In his third life, he became a traveling merchant, traversing the north and south, selling salt, cloth, and herbs and animal hides from the border regions.

Once, he encountered bandits on the Frostridge Plateau. His goods were looted, and most of his companions were killed or injured. He crawled out of the snow alone and survived.

Later, he saved enough money to get back on his journey and continued until he died of old age.

The fourth, fifth, sixth...

Each incarnation of Andong has a different identity, experiences, and fate.

Sometimes he was a musician strumming strings in a tavern, sometimes a laborer carrying goods on the dock.

He once sat in the council hall draped in silk, discussing matters with others; he also once huddled under a bridge, wrapped in a tattered felt, enduring the cold winter.

He has been a father, husband, son, deserter, prisoner, itinerant doctor, night watchman... Each stage of his life is like a winding stream, originating from different mountains and flowing to its own estuary.

At first, Anton was completely lost in the illusion seven or eight out of ten times during his reincarnations. He forgot who he was, what it meant to cultivate immortality, and the Dawn Continent and the Silver Moon Clan. He only felt that he was born into that world and should live and die that way.

Each time he was immersed in this illusion, he had to rely on the clear Daoist voice deep within the Great Dream Thousand Autumns Formation to pull him out of the mire of illusion and recall everything.

Then he was thrown back into the next cycle of reincarnation.

Like a pebble repeatedly thrown into the same body of water, each time it creates a ripple, and each time it is swallowed up by the water without leaving a trace.

Until the end of a certain lifetime, the Daoist voice rang out again.

After waking up this time, Anton was not in a hurry to enter the next cycle of reincarnation.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, reflecting on his previous experiences of reincarnation, and gained some insights.

The identities, encounters, joys and sorrows in the cycle of reincarnation are ultimately nothing more than reflections rippled by the wind on a boat sailing on water; once the water is calm, the reflections disappear.

He has always been himself.

As his mind gradually calmed down, Anton took a deep breath and entered the cycle of reincarnation once more.

The scenes in the illusion remain as clear as yesterday. He will cry when he should cry and laugh when he should laugh, but there is always a corner in his heart that is as clear as a mirror, reflecting everything, yet unmoved by anything.

Later, he was able to maintain his original mind and not be confused by illusions or trapped by desires even after more than ten reincarnations. He knew clearly who he was, what he wanted to do, and why he came.

So he finally stopped the cycle of reincarnation.

Consciousness slowly rose from the gray-white void, like rising from deep water to the surface.

Anton opened his eyes.

The aerial roots of the Tree of Eternity drooped overhead, glimmers of light flowed between the veins of its leaves, and the air carried the moist scent of earth and vegetation. Everything was quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.

He looked up at the sundial not far away, where the shadow cast by the sunlight barely shifted.

The joys and sorrows, births, aging, sickness and death of countless lifetimes in the cycle of reincarnation are reduced to the time it takes to eat a meal in the outside world.

Anton exhaled a long breath, feeling his mind become clear and serene.

My state of mind is completely different from before.

Anton even had a feeling that if he wanted, he could immediately enter the realm of discernment, use the mindset he had honed over thousands of lifetimes to knock on that door, and step into the path of nirvana deep within the illusion.

But he merely stirred his mind and gently suppressed that faint spiritual response.

Once the trial is over, the tribulation of thunder and fire will immediately descend.

He is not fully prepared yet, and it is not the time for him to undergo the tribulation.

Anton rose and left the Tree of Eternity, returning to the Tower of Nine Heavens.

Next, I will continue to cultivate swordsmanship and supernatural abilities to accumulate strength in order to overcome the tribulation of thunder and fire.

……

Time slips away like sand through your fingers.

Just as Anton was preparing for a breakthrough, the outside world was also undergoing dramatic changes.

Winter of the year 9425 in the Dawn Calendar.

Frosty winds swept down from the north, passing over the charred ruins of the Holy Dragon Mountains, carrying ashes and snow fragments southward to the plains.

In the winter of that year, the army of Bloodhowl Fortress suddenly crossed the border, its advance aimed directly at the heart of the Emerald Court.

Hundreds of thousands of orcs swept across the grasslands, launching a swift attack on the City of Ten Thousand Trees.

However, what awaited them was a well-prepared elven army.

After a fierce battle, the orcs' attack plan was thwarted.

Bloodhowl Fortress simply deployed its forces and confronted the Emerald Court head-on at the border.

The news sent shockwaves across mainland China.

The four major powers have been fighting in the Holy Dragon Mountains for decades, and for the first time, the flames of war have finally reached their respective territories.

However, this is only the beginning.

Spring of the year 9426 in the Dawn Calendar.

The Free Alliance declared war on the Heart of the Mountains without warning.

The very next day, the allied forces crossed the border and launched an attack on the Qazadum Mountains.

The dwarves met the challenge without fear, and the roar of the magic crystal cannons echoed through the valley for an entire spring.

The flames of war gradually spread from the Holy Dragon Mountains to all directions, like wildfire pushed by the wind, burning farther and farther away.

The entire continent was shrouded in a somber atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

Amidst this chaos and turmoil, the three territories ruled by the Silvermoon Clan remained as quiet as another world.

Having learned from the Steelmane Tribe's mistake, no force in the entire eastern part of the continent dared to be so foolish as to provoke them.

The Primordial Spirit Realm, the Nine Heavens Tower.

Inside the Tianyuan Hall, Anton sat behind his desk, listening intently to Eleanor's report, a welcome sight after a long absence.

"Just yesterday, Teacher Darian officially advanced to Legendary rank. Including him, the clan now has a total of nine Legendary warriors."

As Eleanor spoke, a faint smile appeared in her voice.

There was a time when the Silvermoon Clan lacked top-tier combat power the most, and Anton was the only one who could hold the clan together.

It was only in recent decades that members of the clan began to rise to the legendary level.

And this is just the beginning.

Once disciples like Ryan, Lucius, Flora, and Mia grow up and condense their golden cores, the clan's top combat power will experience an explosive growth.

This doesn't even include the guardian deities under Anton's command.

If you include the twelve guardian deities, the clan's top combat strength is already comparable to any first-rate power.

Upon hearing this, Anton's eyes flickered slightly, and he felt a pang of emotion.

I remember when Darian first taught him, he was just a Silver rank spellcaster.

In the blink of an eye, he became a legendary powerhouse.

Time flies so fast.

"There's one more thing." Eleanor collected her thoughts and continued her report, "The Primordial Spirit Realm has been steadily expanding over the years. Just last month, the forest's boundary extended to the vicinity of the beast farm and spirit stone mine. It's estimated that in another two months, it should be able to completely cover these two areas."

The beast field that Eleanor mentioned is the second ley line node in the Eldron Plains, besides the City of the Beginning.

Back when Kresol Dragon City still existed, this was their ranch where they raised Firemane Beasts.

After being taken over by the Silver Moon Clan, it gradually developed into a place for breeding and improving spirit beasts.

"That's a good thing." Anton nodded slightly. "In this way, the two ley line nodes can be connected by the formation, the concentration of spiritual energy in the spiritual domain can be raised to another level, and the power of the formation will be greatly enhanced."

"That's what I think too," Eleanor said with a smile. "And the spirit stone mines should also benefit us."

Anton nodded slightly.

The conversion rate of spirit stone veins is itself affected by the surrounding energy concentration.

If the Great Evolution Five Elements Azure Profound Array provides ample energy, the conversion speed can be increased by at least 100%.

According to Anton's original estimate, the spirit stone vein, which was transformed from the magic stone vein, would take at least fifty or sixty years to take shape.

However, if it can be incorporated into the Primordial Spirit Realm and be soaked in sufficient spiritual energy, the conversion time can be shortened by at least half.

"At this rate, the Primordial Spirit Realm will grow larger and larger," Eleanor's eyes brightened slightly. "Perhaps one day, it will become a super-large settlement covering an entire region, just like the City of Ten Thousand Trees in the Emerald Court."

The City of Ten Thousand Trees is the largest known settlement on the Dawn Continent.

Its area is no smaller than that of the Eldron Plains.

From the elves' perspective, the entire region is equivalent to a super-large city.

Just like its name suggests.

"When that day comes, the Primordial Spirit Realm will definitely far surpass the City of Ten Thousand Trees."

Anton smiled slightly, his tone carrying a sense of certainty that came naturally.

If the Primordial Spirit Realm were to expand to cover the entire Eldron Plains, its energy concentration would inevitably rise to an absurdly high level.

Even the Holy Dragon Mountain Range is probably no match for the Primordial Spirit Realm back then.

Not to mention the city of ten thousand trees.

However, the Primordial Spirit Realm still needs a long period of growth to reach that level.

Eleanor then proceeded to report on other matters.

As dusk settled outside the window and the clear, melodious calls of birds drifted from afar, the two changed the subject and began discussing the battle between the four major powers.

Rumors suggest that the Jade Court is in secret contact with the Freedom Alliance, indicating a possible alliance.

Meanwhile, Bloodhowl Fortress and Heart of the Mountains, whose spheres of influence are both located in the northern part of the continent, have also begun to move closer to each other.

The two-on-two dynamic is becoming clear.

Anton had anticipated this situation and offered no further comment, only instructing Eleanor to continue closely monitoring the battle.

Just then, Anton's expression suddenly shifted slightly.

He raised his hand to interrupt Eleanor, stood up, and said, "I'll be right back."

The next moment, he had disappeared at the palace gate.

Beneath the shade of the Eternal Tree, verdant vines intertwine to form a circular array base, with spiritual light flowing gently between the array patterns like a stream.

Anton appeared out of thin air, his gaze immediately fixed on the very center of the array.

There, a seal was suspended about a foot above the ground, slowly rotating.

The seal is entirely yellow, and the mountain and river veins have long since transformed from faint lines into clear, almost three-dimensional carvings, as if the entire land has been condensed into this small space.

Fine spiritual light intertwined and weaved within the seal, like blood surging through the body. Each flow caused the seal to tremble slightly, emanating a strange rhythm that was between solidity and agility.

As if sensing Anton's gaze, the speed of the seal suddenly slowed down, and a very faint halo appeared on its surface, as if it were greeting him.

In that instant, Anton clearly sensed a hint of probing and intimacy.

The Heaven-Turning Seal has been upgraded to a spiritual weapon.

A glint flashed in Anton's eyes, and he slowly reached out his hand.

The Heaven-Turning Seal trembled slightly, then floated up lightly and landed in his palm.

It feels warm to the touch, and the mountain and river patterns on the seal surface flow slightly with the change of the angle of light, as if there are real mountains slowly rising and falling on the seal surface.

Anton probed a wisp of his divine sense into the seal and immediately encountered a clear and lively consciousness.

The moment his consciousness approached, that wisp of consciousness took the initiative to come closer, like a fledgling bird burying its head in a warm palm.

Anton grasped the seal, feeling the subtle yet real feedback, and finally a smile appeared on his lips.

The second magical artifact was finally completed.

Sword pellet, Heaven-Turning Seal.

Two magical artifacts, one hard and one soft, one sharp and one restraining.

The sword pellet is for killing and destruction, while the Heaven-Turning Seal is for suppression.

In the future, whether facing an enemy or protecting oneself, there will be more options available.

After interacting with the spirit within the Heaven-Turning Seal for a while using his divine sense, Anton put away the new spiritual artifact with a smile.

Next, only the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover remains.

He turned to look at the other array formations to the side.

The Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover is still being nurtured step by step, and its internal spirituality has been significantly enhanced compared to before.

After observing for a while, Anton looked away and turned his gaze to another formation.

In the very center of each of those formations, without exception, floated a high-grade mystic artifact, each with a different shape.

There are battle swords with a dark body and a thick, wide blade.

There is a round shield with silver-gray patterns flowing on its surface.

There was a round bead about the size of a fist, with what appeared to be surging wind and thunder inside.

They floated silently in the aura, like a row of soldiers awaiting inspection.

These magical artifacts were all crafted by him over the years.

After successfully refining them, Anton immediately set up an array to nurture them.

Once the spiritual essences brought back from the other dimension have matured, they can be immediately separated and integrated into these high-grade mystic artifacts as spiritual seeds, greatly shortening the time it takes for them to advance into spiritual artifacts.

"If all these mystical artifacts can be upgraded to spiritual artifacts, then Taichu City will have a solid foundation in terms of magical treasures."

Anton pondered to himself.

Which truly profound cultivation sect doesn't have a dozen or twenty spiritual artifacts?

In other words, the crafting of high-grade Xuan artifacts requires extremely high-quality materials. Even with the current resources of the Silver Moon Clan, it would not be easy to gather enough materials to craft these dozen or so high-grade Xuan artifacts.

Otherwise, he would have already forged hundreds of high-grade Xuan artifacts to nurture as a reserve of spiritual artifacts for the clan in the future.

Anton had actually considered at first whether to use these high-grade mystic artifacts to resist the lightning and fire calamity.

But he quickly gave up on the idea.

The power of the Thunderfire Tribulation far exceeds that of ordinary heavenly lightning. Even if all these high-grade Xuan artifacts were used, they could not block more than a few of the tribulation lightning bolts.

Rather than wasting them as consumables in the tribulation of thunder and fire, it is better to save them and wait for their spiritual essence to mature so that they can be upgraded into spiritual weapons one by one, thus strengthening the clan's foundation.

Composing himself, Anton turned and left, returning to the Tianyuan Palace.

After hearing Eleanor's report, I'll find a place to test the power of the Heaven-Turning Seal.