Chapter 116: Chapter 114: The Royal Court Delegation

’Things are about to get busy again.’

Having laid out his plans, Anton let out a long breath and rose to his feet. He walked toward the meditation chamber, preparing to study a Cultivation Technique.

After his battle with Marcus, he had the idea of cultivating a near-divine method to give himself another trump card.

To that end, he had been poring over the Taoist Jade Scroll, contemplating which near-divine method to cultivate.

He had only just recently found a promising lead.

Just as he reached the door to the meditation chamber, Anton’s expression suddenly shifted, and he looked toward the main entrance.

The next moment, a familiar, boisterous voice came from outside.

"Anton."

Romance, seemingly aware that Anton was inside, pushed the door open and walked right in.

"You’re finally back!"

Upon seeing Anton, a smile blossomed on Romance’s face, and she bounded over to him.

"The elders said you went to the Dark Nether Realm. Why didn’t you take me with you?"

"I heard the Dark Nether Realm is pitch-black everywhere, with lots of weird-looking monsters. Is that true?"

"Next time you go to the Dark Nether Realm, take me with you, okay? I want to see it for myself."

Before Anton could even speak, Romance chattered on.

Anton didn’t interrupt her, waiting patiently for her to finish before smiling. "The Dark Nether Realm is no place for a pleasant trip. It’s extremely dangerous. I can manage on my own, but I wouldn’t be able to protect you if you came along."

"Don’t you underestimate me." Romance scrunched up her nose and patted the War Axe on her back. "I’m at Silver Peak now."

With ample resources to support her, Romance’s strength had improved rapidly.

She had already reached high-level Silver before her coming-of-age ceremony, and now, ten years later, she had long since broken through to Silver Peak.

At this rate, in thirty or forty years at most, she would be able to break through to the Second Transition of Force and advance to the Golden Tier.

In comparison, Eleanor, who had only recently broken through to high-level Silver, had a cultivation speed that was more than a step slower than Romance’s.

"We’ll talk about it when you break through to the Golden Tier," Anton said, ruffling Romance’s hair.

She narrowed her eyes, enjoying the gesture, then pursed her lips and said nothing more.

After seeing Romance off, Anton returned to his meditation chamber to continue what he had started.

In the words of the Dawn Continent, a near-divine method was nothing more than a trivial and crude application of the Heaven and Earth Law.

While studying these near-divine methods, Anton also contemplated the similarities and differences between the Laws of the two different systems.

In the cultivation system, the Heaven and Earth Law was, in fact, the Dao.

And the three thousand great Daos were all inseparable from Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.

Whether it was Divine Techniques or near-divine methods, when analyzed to their core, they were nothing more than Yin and Yang, and Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The descriptions of the Power of Law on the Dawn Continent, however, were comparatively much more complex.

But upon careful consideration, their essences had many things in common.

For instance, the Five Elements were very similar to the four great elements.

Furthermore, the Searing Law and the Blood Burning Law that Anton had encountered could also be considered a type of Yang-attribute Dao.

The "Dao" of the cultivation system and the "Law" of the Dawn Continent were, in essence, different manifestations of the same cosmic origin, perceived through different cognitive systems.

It was like the parable of the blind men and the elephant: each grasped a different part but pointed to the same whole.

Both were explorations and applications of the world’s underlying rules, differing only in their theoretical frameworks, cultivation paths, and forms of expression.

This was undoubtedly good news for Anton.

It meant that the many Dao-related legacies within the Taoist Jade Scroll would be more or less effective for the intelligent lifeforms of the Dawn Continent.

In the future, he could use this to continue strengthening the Clan’s power.

Composing himself, Anton reined in his wandering thoughts and focused his attention on the task at hand.

The Taoist Jade Scroll contained numerous near-divine methods, each with its own advantages.

But after much deliberation, Anton finally chose a near-divine method called Dark Heavy Water.

As its name suggested, it was a Water Attribute near-divine method.

A Cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment would have to exhaust all their True Essence just to condense a single drop of Dark Heavy Water. One drop possessed an immense, crushing force and was nearly impossible to block once unleashed.

With a hundred drops, one could make waterfalls flow backward and rivers change their course.

In terms of sheer power, Dark Heavy Water was not actually the most formidable among the many near-divine methods.

Anton chose Dark Heavy Water for two main reasons.

First, Dark Heavy Water shared the same lineage as the Divine Technique ’Beiming True Water,’ making it a weaker version. After successfully Solidifying his Pill later on, he could directly transition to cultivating Beiming True Water.

And Beiming True Water was one of the most powerful Golden Core Stage Divine Techniques in the Taoist Jade Scroll.

Second, Dark Heavy Water was one of the rare near-divine methods that could be unleashed without consuming True Essence at the moment of use.

A Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator could consume True Essence beforehand to condense Dark Heavy Water, store it in their Qi Sea, and then release it to fight enemies during battle.

This way, no additional True Essence would be consumed in combat.

It was important to know that near-divine methods were, without exception, massive consumers of True Essence.

Even a Cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment would find them taxing to use.

A Cultivator whose Qi Sea was not yet completely full of True Essence would have their reserves drained after using one for only a short while.

This showed just how practical the pre-condensable Dark Heavy Water was.

However, in exchange, this near-divine method was extremely difficult to cultivate.

Anton was already mentally prepared to spend a great deal of time comprehending it.

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind of stray thoughts, focused his spirit, and immersed himself in comprehending Dark Heavy Water.

...

「Eldron Plain.」

A procession was traveling south along a winding trade route, their pace steady and unhurried.

Every member of the group was an Elf, and all of them were mounted on a type of elegant, four-legged beast.

Their bodies were covered in short, silver-gray fur, with a ring of light blue mane around their necks. Two short, bony horns curved backward from their heads, their slightly forked tips giving them a gentle beauty.

Any well-traveled merchant passing by would have recognized them as Silver-Horned Beasts from the Jade Royal Court.

The leader of the procession, Kalefin, gazed into the distance, where the faint outline of a forest was emerging at the edge of his vision.

"So that’s the Silver Moon Forest? It doesn’t look very big."

Half a step behind and to Kalefin’s side, a young Elf idly fiddled with his reins, his tone casual but laced with a hint of complaint.

"Lord Kalefin, is it really necessary to make a special trip to inspect a Clan that doesn’t even have a Clan Leader? I don’t think this Clan is worth recruiting."

Since receiving his orders from the Royal Court and joining the envoy to the various Elf Races, Daniels had been on the road for a full three years.

He couldn’t wait to return to the City of Ten Thousand Trees and have a long-overdue drink of Moon Fruit Brew to relieve the exhaustion of the past three years of travel.

Instead, he was stuck on a mission to a weak, long-declined Clan, wasting his time.

Kalefin glanced back at Daniels.

Had any other member of the envoy said such a thing, he would have reprimanded them long ago.

But Daniels was different.

He was a genius who had earned the title of ’Shining Star’ from the Jade Royal Court. He had advanced to the Golden Tier before the age of two hundred and had a high chance of achieving the rank of Legend in the future.

Even he couldn’t casually rebuke a prodigy with such limitless potential.

"The Royal Court must now unite all the forces it can. As long as a Clan isn’t on the verge of collapse without even a single Golden Tier combatant, it has value in being recruited."

Kalefin paused, then added a reminder, "It’s fine to say such things in private, but don’t say it to their faces later."

"I understand," Daniels said with a pout, saying no more.

Before long, the procession arrived at the edge of the Silver Moon Forest.

The three elders of the Silver Moon Race were already waiting at the forest’s edge.

Accompanying them were Elena, Darian, and other high-ranking members of the Clan.

Cedric didn’t join them, as he had to oversee the mining area.

"Welcome to the Silver Moon Race, Your Excellency Kalefin."

The Great Elder, who already knew the identities of the envoy members, greeted the procession with a smile.

"Thank you all for making such a long journey."

"You are too kind, Elder Leonard."

Kalefin returned the smile and the courtesy, then proceeded to greet the others one by one, with introductions all around.

"Everyone, please follow me. First, let us rest in our clan’s territory."

After a round of pleasantries, the Great Elder stepped to the side and made a gesture of invitation.

"Then we shall impose on your hospitality," Kalefin readily accepted.

The group passed through the perimeter line and entered the Silver Moon Forest.

Unlike the group of Elves who first arrived in the Silver Moon Forest, the members of the envoy were calm about everything in the forest, even appearing somewhat nonchalant.

Daniels didn’t even bat an eye.

’This level of elemental energy concentration might be considered decent for an ordinary Clan, but compared to the Jade Royal Court, it’s not even worth mentioning.’

The Eternal Tree in the City of Ten Thousand Trees was the largest and oldest Eternal Tree on the Dawn Continent, also known as the ’World Tree’.

Under the canopy of the World Tree, the concentration of elemental energy in the City of Ten Thousand Trees was several times greater than it was here.

Daniels sneered inwardly, but his face still wore a polite smile as he followed the Great Elder along a corridor of trees deeper into the forest.

Along the way, he discreetly surveyed his surroundings.

The other Elves in the envoy also let their gazes roam.

From the moment they stepped into the Silver Moon Forest, their sense of superiority flowed out of them as naturally as breathing.

It required no deliberate display, nor any words.

That deep-seated air of arrogance made Darian, Elena, and the others at their side unconsciously retract their smiles, their brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

It wasn’t until they saw a squad of Elf Guards pass by, clad in Runic leather armor and wielding Runic weapons, that a hint of surprise appeared on their faces.

’Micro-Light Level Magic Equipment?’

’And quite a lot of it, too.’

’It seems the Silver Moon Race’s foundation is a bit better than they imagined.’

The envoy members’ opinion of the Silver Moon Race improved slightly, but only just.

’Micro-Light Level Magic Equipment is commonplace in the Jade Royal Court. It’s nothing rare.’

The group soon arrived at the Eternal Hall.

The elders took their seats at the head of the hall, while Kalefin and the members of his envoy sat on the other side of a long table.

Once both parties were seated, the Great Elder got straight to the point. "Your Excellency Kalefin, we have carefully considered the Jade Royal Court’s proposal. The Silver Moon Race is willing to recognize the Jade Royal Court as the royal family of the Elf Race."

A smile appeared on Kalefin’s face. "Elder Leonard, you see the bigger picture. The Royal Court will remember the Silver Moon Race’s support."

In truth, both sides had already reached a tacit understanding on this matter.

The main purpose of the envoy’s visit this time was to negotiate the specific details of the agreement.

With the topic broached, the two sides began to discuss the details.

Trade routes, types of goods, tax allocation... As the terms were settled one by one, the atmosphere gradually became more cordial.

The topic soon shifted to the Moon Essence Spiritual Liquid.

"The production of Moon Essence Spiritual Liquid is limited, and the Royal Court generally does not circulate it externally. However, since your esteemed Clan has decided to support the Royal Court, we can grant your Clan a trade quota of one ounce per year."

Kalefin said with a smile:

"Of course, this would be in the form of barter. You can exchange it for Life Spring Water, branches of the Eternal Tree, or other rare materials."

"One ounce?" The Great Elder frowned and shook his head. "That’s too little. How about five ounces per year?"

"Five ounces?" Kalefin let out a laugh, half in disbelief. "Elder Leonard, Moon Essence Spiritual Liquid is no ordinary material. Even for the Jade Royal Court, the annual output is extremely limited. One ounce is already a very generous quota."

"How about this? On my own authority, I will add another ounce, making it two ounces per year. This is the greatest sincerity we can offer."

The Great Elder was silent for a moment before saying, "Four ounces."

Kalefin shook his head. Just as everyone thought he was about to refuse, he suddenly changed the subject. "Elder Leonard, I have a proposal."

"How about we have a little spar?"

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