Elven cultivators

The year was 9521 in the Dawn Calendar.

The Bloodhowl Fortress army entered the Ash Wastes and set up camp 30 kilometers outside Deeprock.

Scouts from both sides engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle in the buffer zone between them, with victories and defeats occurring on both sides.

Countless eyes are focused on this, watching the course of this war.

Everyone was waiting to see how long the Silvermoon Clan, an elven power that had risen to prominence only a little over a hundred years ago, could withstand the iron hooves of Bloodhowl Fortress.

But just when war was about to break out, Bloodhowl Fortress suddenly withdrew its troops.

The army retreated from the Ash Wasteland in a panic, abandoning their supplies behind the camp, as if their backsides were on fire.

This bizarre development has left all those watching the war baffled.

Just as they were wondering what Bloodhowl Fortress was up to, a shocking piece of news spread like wildfire.

Anton Silvermoon, the leader of the Silvermoon Clan and the Fallen Dragon Sword Saint, went alone to Bloodhowl Fortress to face more than thirty saints, including Warchief Gormash. In the final battle, he killed twelve saints, forcing Gormash and many orc elders to retreat into the fortress, where they were able to survive thanks to the magic array defense system.

Afterwards, Anton gave Bloodhowl Fortress three days to withdraw its troops and compensate the Silvermoon Clan for their losses, before leaving triumphantly.

The news caused an immediate sensation across the entire continent.

Numerous forces have been trying to verify the authenticity of the information through various channels.

However, the retreat of Bloodhowl Fortress has in fact proven the authenticity of this news.

If there wasn't a reason, given Bloodhowl Fortress's consistently domineering style, how could they possibly retreat without even fighting a single battle?

The silence of the Bloodhowl Fortress side afterwards completely dispelled any remaining doubts from the others.

For a time, countless people were greatly shocked.

Hamilton's act of single-handedly subduing the hearts of the mountains had already shocked and impressed many people.

Now there's another one, Anton.

The key is that Hamilton is a well-established top expert who was already famous throughout the continent during the Dragon Slaying War.

His breakthrough to demigod status was shocking, but not unexpected.

But Anton's rise was far beyond what is normally understood.

Keep in mind he's only two hundred years old!

How can it not be shocking and unbelievable that someone at such a young age possesses power comparable to a demigod?

Anton, who was already famous far and wide, became even more well-known after this battle.

The matter concerning Anton quickly became the hottest topic in all the taverns and camps across the continent.

......

Qazadum Mountains, a fortified city.

A low, scorching breath escaped from the furnace door of the First Flame, and Thorin Fireforge strode out.

Fiery red lava flowed down his beard and the edges of his armor, hissing and rising into the air.

He stretched his body forcefully, his joints making a series of dull, crisp sounds, and a comfortable expression appeared on his rugged face.

"Damn it, finally all better." Thorin exhaled a breath that still carried sparks, cursing under his breath. "That old bastard Hamilton really went all out. Once I become a demigod, I'll definitely settle this score with him properly."

He brushed the remaining ashes off his beard and stepped outside.

As soon as they entered the corridor, they saw a group of dwarf elders walking briskly towards them.

Seeing this, Thorin grinned and said, "How did you all know I'd recovered? And everyone came to greet me? No need for such a grand display..."

""

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking by the leading dwarf elder.

"My lord, the Bloodhowl Fortress has retreated."

Thorin's laughter sounded stuck in his throat. He blinked and then realized that the elders hadn't come to greet him.

He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment before speaking, "Withdrawal? Bloodhowl Fortress lost? That shouldn't be the case. Is the Silvermoon Clan's military strength really that great?"

How long has it been since Bloodhowl Fortress declared war on the Silvermoon Clan?

Even the Heart of the Mountains couldn't possibly defeat Bloodhowl Fortress in such a short time.

Igner said with a strange expression, "The Silvermoon Clan and Bloodhowl Fortress haven't even had a chance to officially start the war yet."

"They retreated without even fighting?" Thorin was even more puzzled. "Tens of thousands of troops marched out, and then turned back without a single battle? Were they out of their minds?"

Mobilizing a large army is not something that can be done with just words; it involves the mobilization of various manpower and resources, which is extremely costly.

If Bloodhowl Fortress doesn't get the spoils of war to make up for it, wouldn't it be a huge loss?

Not to mention that Bloodhowl Fortress had put on a show of great power, but then retreated in disgrace without even fighting a single battle. This news undoubtedly dealt a huge blow to their prestige.

However, Thorin soon noticed that as he finished speaking, the expressions of the people in front of him became increasingly strange.

Seeing this, he became even more puzzled and glared at Igna: "When did you become so indecisive? Like a woman, tell me what's going on."

Igner scratched his head and said, "Just yesterday, Anton went to Bloodhowl Fortress alone, killed more than a dozen Saint Elders of Bloodhowl Fortress, forced Gormash to cower inside the fortress and dare not come out, and threatened that if Bloodhowl Fortress did not withdraw its troops, it would bear the consequences... and then Bloodhowl Fortress withdrew its troops."

Thorin stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.

But looking at the solemn expressions of the elders in front of him, it was clear that they were not joking.

"...Is it really just Anton alone?"

Igner gave a wry smile: "The news has already spread, and Bloodhowl Fortress hasn't reacted at all, so it must be true."

Thorin remained silent.

Given the nature of those orcs, if it weren't true, they would have already jumped out to fight Anton and defend the reputation of Bloodhowl Fortress.

The fact that they are not reacting at all means that they have really suffered a great loss at the hands of Anton.

That elf... actually did the same thing as Hamilton.

Thorin's expression shifted for a while before he sighed and patted his head hard.

"Having Hamilton is already a headache enough, and now there's Anton too... It's just never going to end."

The dwarf elders also had complicated expressions.

First Hamilton, then Anton, both proved with their power the enormous influence of demigod-level powerhouses on the continent's power structure.

The Freedom Alliance is one thing, but with Anton in charge, the Silver Moon Clan is bound to rise even faster. No one can predict what kind of impact this will have on the current power structure of the continent.

"Now everyone outside recognizes Anton as the most outstanding genius of the new era."

"Who can argue with that? A two-hundred-year-old demigod... I wouldn't have dared to even dream of it before today."

"What should we do next with the Silvermoon Clan?"

"That goes without saying, they've definitely made friends."

The last sentence drew nods of agreement from the others.

Although the Heart of the Mountains and Bloodhowl Fortress joined forces in the later stages of the war for the Holy Dragon Mountains to fight against the Emerald Court and the Free Alliance, it was only a temporary strategic cooperation, not an alliance.

There's absolutely no need for Heart of the Mountains to get involved in the feud between Bloodhowl Fortress and the Silvermoon Clan.

Conversely, the Heart of the Mountains should prioritize maintaining friendly relations with the Silvermoon Clan, which is bolstered by Anton and is experiencing rapid growth.

Moreover, Anton's strength is not much inferior to Hamilton's, and his alliance with the Silvermoon Clan would help to share the pressure from the Free Alliance.

"We already had some cooperation with the Silvermoon Clan, and we will use that as a basis to deepen our ties."

Thorin made the decision without hesitation.

The elders naturally had no objections.

Igna watched this scene with a complex expression, feeling deeply moved.

Once upon a time, he and Anton stood at the same starting line.

Unexpectedly, Anton left them far behind in the blink of an eye.

Anton is now so powerful that he can even influence the attitudes of the five major powers, making them treat him with caution.

This status is far beyond what an ordinary saint could achieve.

......

Wind-Weeping Canyon.

French and the fourth seat remained silent as they listened to their subordinates' report.

They had considered the possibility that the Silvermoon Clan might be defeated by the Bloodhowl Fortress's military might.

I did consider that the war between the two sides might reach a stalemate and drag on for a long time.

They even imagined that the Silvermoon Clan would unexpectedly defeat Bloodhowl Fortress and emerge victorious.

But I never imagined that the war would end in this way.

"...Was that guy really an elf? Or not a first-generation dragon in disguise?"

After a long silence, the fourth seat finally managed to squeeze out this sentence.

French didn't say anything, but he could understand the fourth seat's thoughts.

The Ring of Annihilation had already crossed paths with him since Anton's humble beginnings.

In a way, it can be said that it witnessed Anton's growth.

That is why they were so shocked by Anton's incredible speed of improvement in strength.

Even the ancient elven ancestors could not find an elf like Anton.

It is probably only comparable to the first generation of dragons.

"What do we do now?"

He waved for his subordinates to leave, then turned to French and asked.

French was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Bloodhowl Fortress is probably in a terrible state right now and doesn't have the time or energy to pay attention to the situation here."

The fourth seatman frowned and said, "Then we..."

French waved his hand and said, "The ceremony must be expedited; it can't be delayed any longer."

When they first learned that Bloodhowl Keep had declared war on the Silvermoon Clan, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Once war breaks out, both Bloodhowl Fortress and Anton will focus their attention on the war and have no time to pay attention to other places.

The Ring of Annihilation thus had more time to prepare for the ceremony.

Who could have imagined things would turn out this way?

Although Bloodhowl Fortress is currently preoccupied with its own problems, it still has Anton to rely on.

This incident once again proves that this Meteor Dragon Sword Saint is an extremely wicked and sinister individual.

If the ceremony preparations drag on for too long, who knows what unexpected things might happen?

The longer we wait, the more things might go wrong; it's best to open the Underworld as soon as possible.

Once the Abyss opens and the army of the undead descends, many powerful beings will naturally take care of Anton for them.

After listening to French's words, the fourth seat remained silent for a while before nodding in agreement.

He also developed some psychological trauma from that damned elf.

They were terrified that he might suddenly appear from somewhere and ruin the organization's plans.