The Elven Cultivator

“This…”

Elena stared, dumbfounded, at Anton’s back.

Even someone as composed as her was in a daze at this moment.

That was a Golden Tier Dragon-Lizard Man, after all.

If it were her, defeating Moloch wouldn’t have been difficult, but killing him would have been another matter entirely.

Golden Tier Warriors already possessed tenacious Life Force, to say nothing of a Dragon-Lizard Man with the blood of the Dragon Race flowing through his veins. His physical body was far stronger than that of an ordinary Golden Tier.

Even if he suffered grievous injuries, he would have likely found a chance to escape with his life.

Who could have imagined he would be killed by Anton in such a manner?

The power Anton had just displayed was enough to frighten even a battle-hardened Golden Tier Warrior like her.

’If I had faced that terrifying bolt of lightning just now,’ she thought, ’I’d be severely injured, if not dead.’

If even Elena felt this way, it went without saying for the other Elves. Shock and disbelief were written all over their faces.

Just then, a sharp sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

It was the Golden Tier Dragon-Lizard Man who had been fighting Elena just moments ago. Seeing that the situation had turned sour, he decisively fled, shouting as he went:

“Retreat!”

The Lizard-men snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream. Their morale, already shaken by Moloch’s death, completely collapsed at that moment.

They dropped their weapons and scattered, their gray-green figures flooding into the depths of the wasteland like a receding tide.

The sight of Moloch’s death had utterly shattered their will to fight. Now, their hearts were filled with nothing but terror, and they wished they had more legs to escape the battlefield.

Elena came to her senses and immediately ordered the Elf Guards to give chase.

Then, she too set off in pursuit of the fleeing Dragon-Lizard Man.

But Anton was faster. He shot forward like a meteor as a purple and white light once again erupted in his palm. He unleashed another Palm Thunder, sending it crashing down on the Dragon-Lizard Man.

Feeling the thunderous roar and searing heat from behind, a chill ran down the Dragon-Lizard Man’s spine, and the scales all over his body stood on end.

He roared in fury, and a crimson mist suddenly burst from the gaps in his Scale Armor, instantly enveloping his entire body and condensing into a viscous, almost tangible blood-red barrier.

The incoming lightning struck the blood mist, faltering for a moment. The mist rapidly melted away at a visible rate, producing a SIZZLE like boiling water on snow.

In an instant, the blood mist vanished completely. The remaining lightning then struck the Dragon-Lizard Man’s back and exploded violently.

Scales shattered and flesh flew in an instant.

The Dragon-Lizard Man screamed in agony. A gruesome wound was blasted open on his back, with charred flesh curling back to reveal the stark white bone beneath.

But he used the force of the blast to accelerate forward, disappearing into the Molten Spike Tribe’s military camp in the blink of an eye.

Anton stopped and narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction of the camp.

A ferocious and brutal aura erupted from the camp, soaring into the sky. It was like a slumbering demon dragon opening its vertical pupils, baring its fangs and claws as it swept toward him.

The aura carried an indescribable sense of pressure. It wasn’t simple suppression by force, but a deeper coercion that touched upon the very source of the world.

For a moment, it felt as if the very air had become heavy and stagnant.

In the next instant, however, a profound and steady aura surged forth from the direction of the Silver Moon Forest, deep and immovable like an ancient tree rooted in the earth, and slammed viciously into the ferocious presence.

Though the two auras were formless and intangible, their collision in the void created visible ripples of distortion that spread outward in circles, carrying heart-pounding fluctuations of energy.

Within a radius of four to five hundred meters from the point of impact, both Lizard-men and Elves felt as if their chests had been struck by a heavy hammer. They all grunted, their faces turning deathly pale.

Anton’s True Essence circulated on its own, forming an invisible shield around his body that insulated him from the shockwave of the clashing auras.

His eyes flickered, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.

’After successfully reaching Foundation Establishment,’ he mused, ’I feel I can face most Golden Tier opponents. Even if I can’t crush them, I can at least guarantee I won’t lose.’

’The only exception is Golden Peak.’

Among the three Extraordinary Tiers—Black Iron, Silver, and Gold—the key factors that determined one’s strength were skill (in combat techniques and Magic), Magic Power accumulation, and combat experience.

Among these, the accumulation of Magic Power was especially important.

It determined the upper limit of energy a Caster or Warrior could wield.

However, regardless of the race, there was a limit to how much Magic Power a physical body could contain.

Once that limit was reached, to advance further, one had to transcend the shackles of Magic Power and touch upon and comprehend the fundamental Laws of the world.

Only by comprehending and manifesting one’s own Power of Law could one break through the Golden Tier and achieve the rank of Legend.

In fact, cultivation was the same.

Above Foundation Establishment, one would form a Golden Core. At that stage, one’s essence and energy would condense and unify, generating immense power throughout the body, allowing one to learn Divine Techniques.

And Divine Techniques, in essence, were the initial utilization and control of the Heaven and Earth Law.

Golden Core and Legend were merely different names for what was, in reality, the same destination reached by different paths.

And Golden Peak was the level where Magic Power accumulation had reached its limit and one had just begun to awaken their own Power of Law, but was not yet able to fully manifest or freely control it.

It was just one step away from Legend.

But that single step was crucial.

Reaching Golden Peak didn’t guarantee one would master the Power of Law; it involved one’s comprehension of the Law itself.

Countless prodigies had remained stuck in the Golden realm their entire lives, unable to take that final step before their deaths.

That said, for any Warrior or Caster who had not yet touched the Power of Law, a Golden Peak existence was an unrivaled opponent.

Even Anton, if unprepared, would find his best-case scenario against a Golden Peak expert to be fleeing in defeat.

The Great Elder of the Silver Moon Clan and the chieftain of the Molten Spike Tribe were both Golden Peak experts.

After taking one last deep look in the direction of the military camp, Anton turned and left without hesitation.

As Anton departed, the two auras also retracted in unison, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye as if they had never been there.

At this point, the pursuit on the battlefield was nearing its end.

Hundreds of Lizard-men had been hunted down and killed by the Elf Guards as they fled. The few survivors scrambled into their military camp in a panic.

The battle came to a close.

The Elves cheered loudly, their gazes toward Anton filled with reverence.

If Anton hadn’t killed Moloch and scared off the other Golden Tier Dragon-Lizard Man, the Lizard-man army wouldn’t have collapsed so quickly.

This victory was undoubtedly brought to them by Anton.

Elena ordered the battlefield to be cleaned, then walked over to Anton. She looked him up and down with a complicated expression and asked, “When did you break through?”

“Today,” Anton said calmly. “Not long ago.”

Elena nodded and said nothing, but inwardly, she was even more amazed.

’The dead Moloch was also a newly advanced Golden Tier, yet he was killed so easily by Anton.’

’To possess the power to easily kill a Warrior of the same realm right after breaking through… Anton’s talent is truly unparalleled.’

’The three elders have probably learned about Anton’s advancement to the Golden Tier by now. I bet they’re going to be shocked too.’