The Elven Cultivator

“Yin and Yang… Two energies?”

In the Eternal Hall, the three elders looked at one another in utter confusion after hearing Anton speak.

’What on earth is that?’

“Yes, it’s something I stumbled upon in an ancient text.”

Anton chose his words with care, explaining the concept of Yin and Yang in a way the three elders could grasp.

“This ancient text proposed a fascinating theory. It states that all energy in the world can be divided into two types: opposing, yet complementary.”

“The first is called ’Yang.’ This energy is characterized by being expressive, warm, forceful, and vibrant—like fire and sunlight.”

“The second is ’Yin.’ This energy has the opposite characteristics: it’s contractive, cool, gentle, and tranquil—like moonlight.”

“Though these two energies are opposites, they can complement one another. Under certain conditions, they can even transform into each other…”

With Anton’s explanation, the three elders finally began to grasp the concept of Yin and Yang.

“Is it similar to positive and negative energy?” the Great Elder suggested, offering an analogy.

The system of Magic includes a theory of positive and negative energy.

Its core principle is that every type of elemental energy has both a positive and a negative aspect.

The positive aspect tends toward creation and sustenance.

The negative aspect tends toward deconstruction and stillness.

“It’s somewhat similar,” Anton agreed with a slight nod.

’Yin and Yang aren’t quite the same as positive and negative energy, but they share some common ground.’

“Why do you ask?” the Third Elder asked curiously.

Anton explained, “I’ve recently been trying to apply this theory to potion-making and Artifact Refining. I need materials that fit the properties of Yin and Yang energies. But I’ve been wracking my brain and can’t think of any suitable materials, so I’ve come to ask the three of you for help.”

The three elders exchanged a subtle glance.

’In all their long lives, they had never once heard of this concept of Yin and Yang.’

’And where could Anton have possibly found such an ancient text?’

’It couldn’t have been from the Root Library, at any rate. Clan members had read practically every book in that collection, and no one had ever mentioned anything like this.’

However, the three of them had a tacit understanding not to press the issue.

In truth, they had recently begun to suspect that Anton was hiding something. He would occasionally produce Magic Equipment and Magic Stones from unknown sources.

But by the same token, they had no intention of digging deeper.

After all, the changes Anton had brought to the Clan over the years were substantial and undeniable.

Thanks to Anton’s influence, the Silver Moon Race had grown and developed at a staggering pace.

It wasn’t so unacceptable for a genius capable of bringing such monumental change to the Clan to have a few secrets he’d rather not discuss.

Besides, Anton always acted with discretion and had never done anything to harm the Clan’s interests.

Having lived for several hundred years, the three elders were magnanimous enough to understand that.

After a moment of thought, the Great Elder spoke first. “I can think of one thing that fits your definition of energy with a Yang Attribute.”

Anton’s Spirit was roused. He hadn’t expected the Great Elder to have an idea so quickly and hurriedly asked, “What is it?”

“Dragon Breath,” the Great Elder said slowly. “Dragon Breath is the external manifestation of a Giant Dragon’s most fundamental power. It’s a triple fusion of the Dragon Race’s bloodline, Magic Power, and Life Force. It is expressive, searingly hot, fiercely powerful, and overbearing—very much like the Yang Attribute energy you described.”

Anton froze for a second, and then his eyes lit up.

’Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?’

Dragon Breath is pure and scorching. Its high temperature, searing heat, and outward eruption align perfectly with the ascendant, warm, and expressive characteristics of “Yang Qi.”

It was the perfect representation of ’Yang.’

This was especially true for a Fire Element Giant Dragon like the Radiant Ash Dragon. Its Dragon Breath is essentially highly concentrated Fire Element energy, containing generative, expressive, and robust properties. It could be called an energy of ultimate firmness and Yang.

’Its purity might not meet the quality requirements for the main ingredient of the Condensation Pill, but that’s okay. I can just collect more of it and then refine it.’

’It’s just like with Sun Essence and moon-glow. As long as the properties match, a quantitative change can bring about a qualitative one, refining them into Yang Crystal and Moon Marrow.’

But as he came down from his initial excitement, a new worry began to trouble Anton.

’Dragon Breath isn’t exactly easy to collect.’

’It means coming face-to-face with a Giant Dragon.’

’Although the Dragon God Ayo has likely fallen, and the Giant Dragons have been greatly weakened without his power, the ones still guarding their territories possess strength of at least the Legendary Tier. They would be no easy opponents.’

’A few lesser dragon species and even some of the Pure-blooded Dragon Race have mastered Dragon Breath, but it goes without saying that theirs would be incredibly impure.’

’Collecting that kind of Dragon Breath would be more trouble than just gathering Sun Essence.’

After a moment of fruitless thought, Anton shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

’In any case, at least he now had a lead on the Yang Attribute energy. That was infinitely better than being completely in the dark.’

Just then, the Third Elder spoke up. “As it happens, I’ve also thought of something. It might fit your concept of an energy with a Yin Attribute.”

At his words, the other three turned to look at him.

Anton quickly asked, “What is it?”

The Third Elder smiled. “Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid.”

Anton froze, then suddenly slapped his forehead.

’How could I have forgotten about the Moon Well!’

The Moon Well wasn’t a ’well’ in the traditional sense, but a crescent-shaped pool over ten meters in diameter, built from Moonlight Stone.

Legend has it that the Moon Well was a “Miracle Well” created by the first twelve Sages of the Elf Race. They joined forces and sacrificed a century of their own lives to draw down the first ray of moonlight and condense it upon the earth.

The core function of the Moon Well is to transform intangible moonlight into the tangible ’Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid.’

Its effects include, but are not limited to, healing wounds, removing curses, extending one’s lifespan, and accelerating the condensation of Magic Power. It is a supreme material in the fields of Alchemy and pharmacology.

The Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid, condensed from the essence of moonlight, could be considered a concentrated and refined form of moon-glow. It would be perfect for creating Moon Marrow.

’Isn’t this a ready-made source of Yin Attribute energy?’

It was no wonder Anton hadn’t thought of it. On the Dawn Continent today, only the City of Ten Thousand Trees, the sacred land of the Elf Race, possessed a Moon Well.

Forget outsiders—many Elves were not even aware the Moon Well existed. Only a handful of Clan elders knew of it.

If the Third Elder hadn’t reminded him, he would have completely forgotten about the Moon Well’s existence.

“The Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid certainly fits Anton’s definition of energy with a Yin Attribute,” the Second Elder agreed with a nod, but then his brow furrowed. “However, it is only produced by the Moon Well in the City of Ten Thousand Trees. The liquid is incredibly precious and not easy to come by.”

Anton quickly realized this as well.

The annual yield of Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid was limited, even less than the water from their own Clan’s Spring of Life. Every single drop was exceptionally precious.

Although the Silver Moon Race and the City of Ten Thousand Trees were both part of the Elf Race, their relationship was, in fact, somewhat delicate.

It was roughly equivalent to the relationship between a main family and a branch family within a greater lineage—connected, but not what you would call close.

Whether the City of Ten Thousand Trees would be willing to part with any Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid remained to be seen.

The Great Elder glanced at Anton’s slightly furrowed brow and mused, “I have a few friends in the City of Ten Thousand Trees. I can try to contact them and see if there’s a way to get some Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid… but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Thank you, Great Elder,” Anton said with a nod, mentally preparing himself.

’It would be best if I can get the Moon-Glow Spiritual Liquid. If not, I’ll just have to find another way.’

After a few more words, Anton took his leave.

Leaving the Eternal Hall, Anton walked along the arboreal hallways, his steps significantly lighter.

Neither material would be easy to obtain, but at least he finally had some leads. That was infinitely better than being completely in the dark.

’I’ll take it one step at a time.’

He was only at the Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment. He still had a long way to go to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment.

’He had plenty of time to gather the materials.’

…

「Kresol Dragon City.」

「Council Chamber.」

The massive Light Source Stone set into the dome cast a cold, even white light, illuminating the entire hall in stark detail and leaving no shadow untouched.

At the very center of the hall sat a massive round table, carved from a single slab of black Basalt.

Twelve high-backed stone chairs stood at equal intervals around the table. At the apex of each chairback was a carved draconic insignia, each one unique, representing the authority of the twelve consuls.

At this moment, each of the twelve stone chairs was occupied by a member of the Dragon Race.

The Supreme Consul, Aurion, sat in the central chair. His right elbow rested on the armrest, fingertips pressed to his temple, his eyes half-closed as if in quiet contemplation.

Sharp draconic horns, dark red scales covering his entire body, and an extra joint in the fingers of both hands… At first glance, the Supreme Consul looked like a Giant Dragon in humanoid form.

And this was the telltale sign of an extremely pure bloodline.

The silence in the hall had stretched on for a long time.

As long as Aurion remained silent, the other eleven consuls also kept their solemn expressions, not uttering a word.

The only sound in the hall was the faint hum of the Light Source Stone, a low drone that made the atmosphere feel all the more stagnant.

Finally, Aurion opened his eyes and spoke, his voice measured.

“Report. What is the status of the investigation?”

As Aurion’s voice faded, the stagnant atmosphere in the hall finally eased.

Walt, seated to his left, immediately reported, “Including Marcus, all members of the Dragon Race at the scene were gone. Only the bodies of some Gray Scale-man soldiers remained. We used certain… methods to reconstruct parts of the battle. Based on that and an analysis of the scene, we can confirm that the Fallen Dragon Association attacked Marcus’s convoy.”

He paused, his voice lowering. “Marcus is dead. The one who killed him was Canglan. He’s also the one who took the bodies.”

The consuls’ expressions shifted.

Canglan again!

That persistent phantom has destroyed more than twenty military outposts along the Dragon’s Fang Line, causing Dragon City immense losses.

They had dispatched teams to capture Canglan multiple times, but he was like a slippery eel, always managing to escape at the last second. It was infuriating!

“Can’t we use Astrology to find Canglan’s hiding place?” one of the consuls asked.

Walt shook his head.

Astrology isn’t such a convenient tool. The information it provides is often ambiguous and extremely vague.

Furthermore, its effectiveness diminishes the more powerful the target is.

Even a Sage at the Legendary Tier would struggle to obtain detailed information on a Golden Tier individual.

They had already paid a considerable price just to reconstruct the battle scene.

After all, it involved the Time Law.

“Besides Canglan, who else took part in the operation?”

“Five in total. Besides Canglan and Summers, there was also Scott. The other two were just minor players at the Lower Gold rank, not worthy of our attention.”

“I recall that before the incident, Marcus reported to the Consular Office that he had awakened the Power of Law. A mighty Golden Peak expert… how could he die at the hands of a mere three from the Upper Gold rank?”

“Exactly. I find that very strange as well.”

A murmur of discussion spread among the consuls.

Marcus would never have dared to deceive them; his claim of awakening the Power of Law must have been true.

But that only made it more baffling.

Never mind three at the Upper Gold rank—even if you doubled that number, it should have been impossible to kill someone at the Golden Peak.

Even if he couldn’t win, how could he not escape?

TAP, TAP!

The sudden sound of fingers tapping lightly on an armrest cut through the discussion, silencing the hall at once.

All eyes turned to Aurion at the head of the table.