Elven cultivators

Autumn of the year 9520 in the Dawn Calendar.

The area of ​​the whirlpool.

The midday sun poured unhindered onto the sea, illuminating the entire area with a clear and bright light.

The deep blue sea stretches endlessly towards the horizon, where the sea and sky almost merge into one color. Only the occasional bird flying by, drawing a brief arc, barely delineates the boundary between the two.

Because it was the first to withdraw from the war in the Holy Dragon Mountains, the Temple of Tides has enjoyed peace and tranquility for decades.

War and turmoil have always been kept out of reach of the coastline. This ocean world is like a forgotten island, running its own rhythm on its own.

However, today, this sea area is filled with an atmosphere completely different from usual.

From the deepest underwater mountains to the shallowest coral terraces, the normally empty sea is now teeming with life.

Tens of thousands of sea creatures gathered here, a truly magnificent sight with such a diverse array of races.

Seren mermaids swam among the crowd in small groups, their long tails gleaming with a silvery-blue and pale gold luster under the sunlight that pierced through the sea.

Their movements were composed and elegant, occasionally whispering a few words to their companions beside them, with a reserved smile on their lips.

The massive body of the Kraken stood in the center of the crowd like a moving reef, its broad shoulders and back allowing several sea creatures to stand side by side. Its thick, long tentacles swayed gently as it swam slowly, stirring the surrounding water.

The sea giants were laughing and talking loudly in the crowd, their booming voices echoing across the seabed, their rough tones audible from a great distance.

The entire sea area was filled with a lively atmosphere, and everywhere was filled with festive and noisy sounds.

In stark contrast to this jubilation is the Tide Temple, situated atop the eye of the whirlpool.

A deep blue light enveloped the waters surrounding the temple, like a thin veil that shut out the noise of the outside world, enveloping the entire temple in a solemn and serene tranquility.

In the plaza in front of the temple, the elders of the sea race and the leaders of the various tribes of the Great Whirlpool Sea had all arrived.

Dressed in formal robes representing their respective identities and tribes, they stood in neat rows, quietly waiting in the glow of the moon shell.

The archway of the central hall was open.

Inside the hall, rows of moonstone lamps lit up one by one, their warm, silvery-white glow flowing slowly down the fine textures of the walls and pillars as if infused with living water, illuminating the entire hall like an ancient palace bathed in moonlight.

With soft footsteps, the former saintess slowly walked out of the hall and stood on the highest moon-white stone steps, her gaze calmly sweeping over the layers of figures below.

Celine stood half a step behind her, with her hands at her sides.

Today she wore a long, ankle-length silver-grey gown, its surface smooth as flowing water, with extremely fine silver wave patterns embroidered along the edges, extending down from her waist and into the hem.

Her long hair was tied back at the side of her neck with a moonstone hair clip, and a few strands of hair fell along the curve of her jawline, swaying gently in the flow of water.

She was no longer the young priestess who followed behind the saintess, still somewhat naive.

At this moment, her face was calm, and her eyes revealed composure and determination. Among the elders around her who had experienced many vicissitudes of life, she did not appear weak at all.

The atmosphere grew even more solemn with their arrival.

Today is the ceremony for the succession of the saint.

Celine, who was promoted to sainthood two years ago, will take over the highest authority of the temple today and become the new saintess.

"The ceremony begins."

The voice of the saintess, or rather the former saintess, pierced through the layers of seawater and clearly reached the ears of every sea creature in the square.

In a clear and solemn tone, she read the sacred decree to all the sea creatures present.

The decree includes ancient precepts passed down through the temple, the continuation of the will of the tides, and a homage to and tribute to the saints of past generations.

The entire reading lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, during which the entire audience remained silent.

As the last word fell, the former saintess slowly turned around to face Celine.

""

Her gaze lingered on the girl's face for a moment, a hint of gentleness flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Then, she raised her hand and took the aquamarine crystal with three rings from her neck, gently and solemnly placing it around Celine's neck.

The moment the crystal touched Celine, it seemed to light up slightly, as if awakened from a dream.

A gentle warmth emanated from within the crystal, spreading outwards along her collarbone, like a warm tide engulfing her limbs and bones, evenly reaching every inch of her muscles and bones.

Celine closed her eyes, feeling the power slowly settling within her.

When she opened her eyes again, there was a faint glimmer in the depths of her eyes, like the fragmented reflection of moonlight on the deep sea.

"My child, the will of the tides will always protect you."

The former saintess whispered her blessing, then turned to look at the figure below.

"From this day forward, Celine will be the new Holy Maiden of the Temple."

There was a brief moment of silence in the square.

Immediately following, like the tide surging over the shallows, row after row of sea creatures bent down, starting from the very front.

Without exception, the elders and tribal leaders knelt on one knee, bowed their heads, and offered their devout blessings to the new saintess.

Meanwhile, the sea creatures outside also received the news.

A roar of cheers, like a tsunami, suddenly erupted.

The sound waves pierced through layers of seawater, blending with the rhythm of the ocean currents, and echoed throughout the entire sea area for a long time.

Celine stood at the top of the moon-white stone steps, her gaze passing over the hunched backs and drooping hair, landing on the distant horizon surrounded by the ocean waves, her expression calm yet solemn.

The name of a saint is both an honor and a responsibility.

From this day forward, she will bear the responsibility for the survival and safety of millions of sea creatures in the Great Whirlpool Sea.

After the ceremony, the elders gathered around Celine, about to offer their congratulations.

However, at that moment, an overwhelming and unstoppable aura rose up from the seabed in the distance without warning, like an invisible giant wave that swept across the entire sea area at a speed far exceeding the speed of sound, and instantly swept across the entire square.

The bodies of the Sea Clan's high-ranking members froze instantly.

The elders were the quickest to react.

They looked up almost the instant the breath touched them, their composure replaced by an undisguised horror.

"This aura is..."

"A fluctuation of laws? But this is far too intense..."

"Such an astonishing aura... Could it be that someone has broken through to the demigod level?"

The last sentence was like a drop of cold water into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar among the crowd.

Almost simultaneously, all eyes turned to the former saintess.

She was the only divine being in the temple, and only she could give a true judgment.

The former saintess remained calm, her gaze fixed intently on the direction from which the aura emanated. It took her quite a while before she slowly spoke.

"Not a demigod."

Before the sea creatures present could even breathe a sigh of relief, they were stunned by what he said next.

"But he is stronger than a god; at least I am not as good as him."

The entire square fell silent once again.

After a brief silence, whispers rose again like a tide.

The elders and tribal leaders looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief and uncertainty.

"Even stronger than the former Holy Maiden?"

"When did this new being appear in the Great Whirlpool Sea?"

"No..." someone suddenly spoke up, "That direction... seems to be where that person usually cultivates."

Upon hearing this, the sea creatures present all changed their expressions.

They all knew whose territory that area of ​​the volcanic belt was now.

For a moment, everyone was utterly shocked.

Celine instinctively looked at the former saintess.

Noticing Celine's gaze, the former saintess smiled faintly.

"You are the current Holy Maiden. From now on, the path of the Tide Temple will be determined by you."

Celine pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and regained her composure.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over the elders and tribal leaders, and said in a deep voice, "From today onwards, the Temple must do its utmost to maintain good relations with the Silvermoon Clan."

Over the years, under the guidance of the former saintess, Celine has begun to study astrology and has vaguely foreseen that a major upheaval will occur on the mainland in the future.

In this upheaval, Anton is precisely the most crucial variable.

Although more specific details are unknown, it is certain that if the Tide Temple wants to weather the turmoil safely, it would be best to establish a good relationship with Anton in advance.

As Celine finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room subtly changed.

All the sea creatures instinctively looked at Elder Monri and Elder Lovi.

The factions represented by these two individuals have consistently opposed the Temple's alliance with Anton.

How will they react to the new Holy Maiden's orders?

Elder Monley opened his mouth, hesitated, and ultimately said nothing.

Elder Lowe beside him remained silent, his eyes, which usually held a scrutinizing and wary look, now filled with a complex melancholy.

Seeing this, everyone understood that these two had obviously tacitly accepted the arrangements made for the new Holy Maiden.

It's not surprising, really. After news came that Anton had single-handedly killed five Saints of the Bloodclaw Clan, Elder Monley and Elder Lowe's opposition had weakened considerably.

Now that Anton has broken through again, he has most likely become a god.

More importantly, given Anton's current age, his chances of becoming a demigod in the future are extremely high.

If this is true, the Silvermoon Clan will likely rise to become the sixth power, standing shoulder to shoulder with the five major powers.

Even without the foresight of the former Holy Maiden, befriending such a promising top expert would undoubtedly be a great thing for the Tide Temple.

If objections are raised at this point, it's not a matter of stance, but rather disregarding the future of the Tide Temple for personal gain.

If we were to do that, we would only suffer a backlash from the entire temple.

Seeing that no one objected, Celine made a quick decision.

"I will personally pay my respects to His Excellency Anton."

After saying this, she took a step forward, her figure disappearing into the halo of light at the edge of the square, and soon vanished into the depths of the ocean current leading towards the volcanic zone.