Elven cultivators

The reception room suddenly fell silent.

Eleanor remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was somewhat surprised.

The Emerald Court has been operating in the Dawn Continent for tens of thousands of years, with allied races scattered throughout the land, including many first-rate forces with profound foundations.

Even if they wanted an extra ally on the battlefield, there was no need for them to set their sights on the Silvermoon Clan, which was located far to the east of the continent.

It seems that the pressure exerted on them by Bloodhowl Fortress is much greater than outsiders have guessed.

Seeing that Eleanor remained silent, Alicia continued, "As long as the Silvermoon Clan agrees to join forces, we are willing to increase the treatment of our existing allied races by another 20%."

Although the Silvermoon Clan was nominally a vassal of the Emerald Court, Alicia never viewed them as such.

After all, the Silvermoon Clan was already a first-rate power, not to mention Anton was there.

When the latter was still at the Legendary level, he was able to kill a Saint head-on. Now that he has broken through to the Saint level, it is no wonder that his strength has increased dramatically.

It is at least at the level of a Saint of the Resonance Realm.

Looking across the entire Dawn Continent, there are probably no more than twenty beings who can reliably defeat Anton.

In addition, the Silvermoon Clan holds a card that even the Emerald Court has to take seriously—an aerial vehicle capable of transporting entire armies across thousands of miles directly into enemy territory.

In the battle that wiped out the Steelfur tribe, the strategic value of that vehicle far exceeded the scope of military transport.

This means that no border defenses or fortresses are insurmountable barriers in the face of the Silvermoon Clan.

With these flying vehicles in hand, the Silvermoon Clan is like a sharp dagger on the battlefield, ready to strike the enemy's vitals at any moment.

Its influence far surpasses that of ordinary first-rate forces.

This is why the Emerald Court is willing to offer treatment that is far superior to that of ordinary allied races.

It must be said that the treatment offered by Jade Court was extremely generous.

However, Eleanor simply shook her head slightly, put down her teacup, and said in a calm tone, "This matter is of great importance, and I have no authority to make a decision. I will report to the clan leader after he finishes his seclusion. As for the outcome, I'm sorry, I cannot make any promises at this time."

"That's only right." Alicia nodded slightly, not pressing the issue further. "As long as the Silvermoon Clan is willing to consider it, any conditions are negotiable."

She paused, as if considering for a moment, and then added, "If the royal court takes over the Holy Dragon Mountain Range in the future, we can designate an area and resource point on the east side of the mountain range as a reward for your clan. The spiritual veins there are abundant, and whether used as a stronghold or for cultivation, it is far superior to any other ley line node in the eastern part of the continent."

Eleanor didn't reply, she just nodded.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Alicia got up to take her leave.

Eleanor personally escorted her to the docking site and watched Alicia board the airship and leave before turning back.

When we returned to Tianyuan Hall, the sunlight was already setting in the west, and the shadows inside the hall were stretched long and slanted.

As Eleanor was thinking about the conversation she had just had, she looked up and saw Anton sitting behind his desk, watching her with a smile.

Eleanor was slightly taken aback, then a bright smile bloomed on her face.

"When did you come out of seclusion?"

"Just now."

An unfamiliar peak legendary aura suddenly appeared in the Spirit Realm, which Anton naturally did not ignore, but he did not intend to show himself, so he did not appear.

"I already know what happened." Anton had already made arrangements and slowly said, "After some time, reply to the Emerald Court and say that we can provide them with supplies at a low price, just like during the Dragon Slaying War, but we won't participate in the war."

Eleanor was not surprised by this answer and said with a smile, "It's a pity. When Alicia mentioned the Holy Dragon Mountains, I was really tempted. After all, that place is the top-level ley line node on the continent. If we could get a share of it, the significance to the clan would be immeasurable."

Anton smiled upon hearing this but remained silent.

The grand promise Wang Ting made was destined to remain unfulfilled.

Regardless of the original history, it was the Free Alliance that ultimately won the war and captured the Holy Dragon Mountains.

Even the victorious Free Alliance didn't get to truly enjoy that treasure land for long.

When the Scourge of the Undead swept across the continent, the Holy Dragon Mountains were the first to be hit and fell into the hands of the undead army.

Rather than getting involved in the chaotic conflict between the four major factions now for a promissory note that may not be redeemed in the future, it would be better to wait until the Scourge of the Undead breaks out and then take it back through more legitimate means.

"There will be an opportunity," Anton said meaningfully.

……

In the shadowy depths of the tunnel.

Night Eyes rode on the back of the Shadow Leopard, one hand loosely resting on the front of the saddle, his amber eyes gleaming faintly with the phosphorescence unique to felines in the dim light.

The two cat ears would occasionally twitch slightly, catching the faintest sounds from deep within the tunnel.

Ye Tong glanced down at the mount beneath her.

The Shadow Leopard's fur was almost completely hidden in the darkness, leaving only a faint indigo sheen on its back, flowing slightly with the rise and fall of its muscles.

This leopard-like spirit beast was created by mixing feline spirit beasts with the bloodline of underground cave spiders and breeding them, specifically for the complex terrain of the dark regions.

Its limbs have soft lines yet are full of explosive power, allowing it to walk on steep rock faces as if on flat ground, and to move silently through crevices and rocks.

What's even more remarkable is that the Shadow Leopard has an extremely low metabolism, and its breathing and heartbeat are far weaker than those of ordinary riding beasts.

Even the most sensitive underground predators would have difficulty detecting its approach in advance.

This is a species of spirit beast that the clan specifically bred for the Underdark.

It has now become the first choice for clan members to travel in the Underdark.

Ye Tong withdrew her gaze and looked up at both sides of the passageway.

The glowing runes extended like fine blood vessels, evenly casting a grayish-white cold light onto the smooth stone path below.

Every so often there was a pillar with a signpost engraved on it, indicating the distance to Nine Nether City and the name of the outpost ahead in common language.

After nearly a century of continuous transformation, the Nine Netherworld City has undergone tremendous changes.

Lighting, ventilation, roads, and navigation signs are all provided, covering an area of ​​thousands of square kilometers, transforming this gloomy and dark underground world into a passable area almost identical to the surface world.

To those subterranean races, it would be hard to imagine that these places were once a desolate wasteland where even directions were difficult to discern a hundred years ago.

Over the years, the clan has invested a great deal of manpower and resources in the exploration, conquest and transformation of the Nine Nether City area, but the returns are obvious.

The various metal ores produced annually in the Nine Nether City now account for 40% of the clan's total mineral income.

Among them are rare varieties such as mithril, orogen, and abyssal silver, which are extremely scarce in the surface world.

In addition, the clans can also harvest a considerable number of rare magical plants that are almost impossible to find on the surface world, such as Blood Moss, Darklight Mushroom, Radiant Crystal, and Shadowroot every year.

The Nine Netherworld City Domain provides the clan with a massive amount of resources every year.

Not to mention the vassal races subjugated from the Underdark.

Thor Stone Golems, Subterranean Dwarves, Fungus People, Bladeclaws... they filled many low-end areas that were difficult for elves to reach, providing a continuous source of labor for the clan's mining, infrastructure construction, and logistical support.

The Nine Nether City itself has long been an excellent training ground for clan members.

The endless stream of underground monsters and the complex and dangerous natural environment are more effective at honing a person's combat skills than any training ground.

Almost every disciple of Taichu City has had the experience of carrying out exploration missions in the Nine Nether City Domain.

In the eyes of the forces on the surface world, the Silvermoon Clan was nothing more than an elven power located in the eastern part of the continent, which occupied the Eldron Plains, the Green Highlands, and the Thunder River Basin through trade and military force.

They probably never dreamed that the Silvermoon Clan controlled such a vast territory underground.

Night Eyes looked past the front of the group and towards the end of the passageway.

The border area is not far ahead.

The renovation work there has not yet been fully launched. The density of the light source runes has become much sparser, and the stone pavement has gradually transitioned into rough gravel and bare rock.

The air became damp and chilly again, carrying an old, earthy, and mineral scent.

Not long ago, an exploration team discovered important clues in a cave four or five kilometers away from the border of the Nine Netherworld City.

Upon receiving the report, Lord Roman immediately ordered someone to go and investigate.

Night Eyes was on a mission nearby at the time, so she took on the job.

Once outside the Nine Nether City Domain, the surrounding environment returned to its original state as the Dark Region.

It was cold, damp, and as far as the eye could see were gray rock layers eroded by time.

Fortunately, the Shadow Leopard was already used to this type of terrain.

Even rugged scree slopes and narrow rock crevices can be traversed as if on flat ground.

About half an hour later, the team finally arrived at their destination.

Several figures stood in the shadows at the cave entrance.

When the leader of the Bladeclaw Clan saw Nightshade and her group appear at the end of the passage, he immediately rushed forward to greet them.

"Lord Night Eye." The captain of the Blade Claw Clan stopped a few steps away, bowed slightly, and adopted a respectful posture.

The team members behind him also lowered their eyes and bent their backs slightly.

For these vassal races, Night's Eye held an extraordinary position.

She was the first among the vassal races to become a disciple of the Primordial City, and also the first member of a foreign race to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Within the vassal races of the Nine Nether City Domain, the name Night Eye is practically legendary.

Nightshade dismounted from the Shadow Leopard, nodded to them, and then entered the cave.

The space inside is not large; the dome is only a few feet higher than a person.

The moss on the walls was dry and brown, as if it hadn't been moistened for a long time.

In the center of the cave, a giant spider was quietly curled up on the ground, its limbs tucked in, its posture as stiff as a stone.

It is about two meters long, completely black, with a layer of dark luster on the surface of its carapace after drying. There is a long, narrow wound on the upper part of its abdomen, the edges of which have dried and turned black, as if it had been pierced by a sharp weapon from behind.

Ye Tong crouched down and observed carefully.