The Elven Cultivator

Chapter 264: Chapter 243: The Natural Evolution of a Cultivation Clan

Dragon Beastmen, Furnace Dwarves, Sun Elves, Holy Mark Knights...

These offshoot races, which evolved from within the five great powers, gradually became the most distinguished and elite races on the continent after eons of procreation and inheritance.

Their emergence marked a critical step forward for intelligent species on the path of bloodline evolution.

Although they still couldn’t compare to the terrifying potential of the Dragon Race, who were born superior to the Ten Thousand Races, these new races also demonstrated astonishing talent.

The most exceptional among them were born with the power of the Silver Tier, and their advancement to the Golden Tier upon adulthood was practically guaranteed.

More importantly, their chances of awakening and manifesting the Power of Law far exceeded those of ordinary intelligent beings.

These were the first "Silver Races" of the Dawn Continent.

Of course, that was something for the distant future.

At least in the current era, whether it was the Dragon Beastmen, Furnace Dwarves, or Sun Elves, their bloodline inheritances were far from stable—nowhere near the level of the "Silver Races" of later generations.

In fact, the Cultivation Realm had similar methods for enhancing one’s aptitude or passing down a bloodline.

For the former, a fetus still in the womb could be nourished with Spiritual Liquid and steeped with Spirit Medicines, with the mother expending her own blood essence to nurture it day and night.

A child born this way would have Spiritual Light gathering at their crown from birth, possess an aptitude of at least three Spirit Roots, and have a considerable chance of awakening some kind of Spirit Body.

The latter method was more direct and simple.

When a Cultivator’s Cultivation Level reached a certain point, their very life essence would sublimate. Although it became difficult for them to have children, if they successfully conceived, their offspring’s aptitude would inevitably be far superior to that of ordinary people.

If two High-Tier Cultivators had a child together, the likelihood of their offspring awakening a Spirit Body increased dramatically.

This was bloodline inheritance in its purest form.

It was the natural result of a leap in one’s life essence, far more effective than any external intervention.

Given enough time and passed down through generations, a powerful group with innately superior aptitude could be cultivated.

In the Cultivation Realm, such groups were known as "Profound Veins," "Dao Veins," or even "Cultivation Clans."

The Silver Moon Clan of today was, in fact, already on such a path.

Whether in Taichu City, Nine Nether City, or the Silver Moon Forest, the energy concentration was far higher than in the outside world.

This high-concentration energy environment would subtly alter the constitutions of the clan members, causing the aptitude of their descendants to improve over time.

Furthermore, the overall increase in the clan’s strength would also have a positive impact on their descendants’ aptitude.

Although this improvement was minuscule, as it was passed down from one generation to the next, the long-term accumulation would eventually lead to a qualitative transformation.

During this process, the proportion of newborns in the Silver Moon Clan with Spirit Roots would inevitably increase, and the number of Taichu City disciples would grow accordingly.

And whether the disciples of Taichu City had children among themselves or with ordinary Elves, their offspring’s aptitude would certainly be superior to that of a regular Elf.

This was, in essence, the embryonic form of a "Profound Vein."

By passing this down generation after generation, the Silver Moon Clan would eventually and imperceptibly evolve into a true Profound Vein.

This path of natural evolution and long-term accumulation was far smoother, more natural, and more stable than the radical methods used by the five great powers.

While the latter’s methods produced faster results, they also planted the seeds of many hidden dangers.

For example, the Dragon Beastmen were constantly corroded by the Dragon Race factors in their blood, making their tempers more violent and irritable than ordinary Beastmen. They were bloodthirsty, bellicose, and possessed an almost instinctual craving for battle and slaughter.

The Furnace Dwarves had to regularly ingest Fire Element crystals to maintain the elemental balance within their bodies. Otherwise, their bodies would irreversibly elementalize, and they would eventually devolve into mindless Fire Element creatures.

As for the Sun Elves, Moon Elves, and Wood Elves, because their sub-racial differentiation was too rigid, they could generally only awaken and manifest a specific type of the Power of Law.

The Sun Elves, for example, could almost only awaken the power of the Fire Element, the Law of the Sun, and their derivative Laws. Cultivating any other Law would yield half the results for twice the effort.

This essentially locked the diversity of the Elf Race into a narrow path.

Furthermore, the emergence of multiple racial branches greatly exacerbated the factional struggles within the Jade Royal Court, sowing deep-seated seeds of discord for future schisms.

In contrast, the path of natural evolution followed by Cultivation Clans was more in line with what Anton truly wanted.

Just as Anton’s thoughts were wandering, the squad of Elves arrived before him.

Alvin stopped, his gaze lingering on Anton for a moment before he gave a slight nod. His posture was poised yet courteous.

"Alvin Emerald of the Jade Royal Court."

His voice was gentle and steady, carrying an innate nobility that didn’t feel arrogant.

"I saw someone fighting a Dragon Soul from a distance and came to investigate. I didn’t expect to find a kinsman, much less the renowned Fallen Dragon Sword Saint."

"You flatter me," Anton replied, his expression calm. "It seems you were about to offer your assistance just now. I appreciate the thought."

His Divine Sense had already observed all their movements, so he had naturally guessed their intentions.

Alvin was slightly taken aback, and the look he gave Anton became more profound.

’To be able to spare attention for his surroundings during such a fierce battle... It seems he was handling that fight with more ease than I thought.’

’Anton’s strength is likely even greater than what he just displayed.’

If Alvin’s attitude toward Anton before had merely been one of appreciation, now he was truly taking this kinsman from a remote clan seriously.

’An expert of this caliber is absolutely worth recruiting.’

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a warm smile appeared on Alvin’s face, and his tone became a little more enthusiastic.

"Anton Clan Leader, the Subspace is treacherous and unpredictable. Since our two squads have met, why don’t we travel together and watch each other’s backs? What do you think?"

Alvin was certain Anton could deduce his royal status.

His appearance said it all.

Therefore, he felt that by extending the invitation, Anton would surely not miss the chance to befriend him.

But Anton’s reply once again took him by surprise.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but we are used to traveling alone. We won’t trouble you."

He still needed to hunt Dragon Souls to improve the quality of his Sword Pill.

If he traveled with outsiders, the Sword Pill’s special attraction to Dragon Souls would be exposed sooner or later.

Explaining it then would be a hassle.

Alvin was surprised, but seeing Anton’s firm attitude, he simply nodded and said no more.

It was already a rare thing for him to extend an invitation personally. Since the other party had refused, he wasn’t going to lower himself by begging.

In any case, the war in the Subspace would continue for some time. There would be plenty of opportunities to interact after they got out.

"In that case, I won’t insist."

Alvin smiled faintly and gave Anton a slight nod.

"I wish you success and hope you find a spatial node soon."

Anton nodded slightly and returned the good wishes.

Alvin said no more, turning to leave with the Elves behind him.

The group’s figures soon disappeared among the hills at the edge of the plains.

Watching the Elven squad depart, Romance sidled up to Anton and asked, "Anton, was that man a Sun Elf? A member of the Jade Royal Court’s royal family?"

"That’s right," Anton nodded.

"No wonder he had such a noble air about him," Romance said with dawning realization.

"Let’s go." Anton withdrew his gaze. "We need to keep moving."

The Elves responded and followed.

...

In the days that followed, the Silver Moon Squad continuously hunted Dragon Souls in the Subspace while searching for the whereabouts of a spatial node.

They encountered several other squads during this time.

However, they only saw each other from a distance and went their separate ways, showing no intention of communicating.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Yet the Silver Moon Squad still hadn’t detected any spatial fluctuations.

"Are these spatial nodes hidden that well? It’s been half a month, and we haven’t found a single trace."

On the plains, Romance idly tossed her axe about as she walked, looking bored.

She shifted the heavy Thunderstrike Axe from her left hand to her right, and then back again.

"Didn’t the allied forces say there were eighteen spatial nodes in the Subspace? How have we not run into a single one?"

The three elders and Cedric also frowned.

Anton, however, remained calm. "The first spatial node is always the hardest to find," he said.

If the spatial nodes were that easy to find, the allied forces in the original history wouldn’t have taken forty years to destroy the Subspace.

However, the moment the words left his mouth, his expression shifted, and he turned to look into the distance.

The other Elves were only a step behind him, and they too soon sensed the spatial fluctuations coming from afar.

"A spatial node!"

Romance’s eyes lit up. She immediately shouldered her Thunderstrike Axe and dashed toward the source of the fluctuations.

"Let’s go!"

Anton shook his head slightly but didn’t stop her, striding to follow.

The Elves quickened their pace, hurrying toward the source of the spatial fluctuations.

As the distance shortened, the spatial fluctuations grew clearer and clearer.

When the Silver Moon Squad crested a low hill formed from the stacked ribs of an ancient behemoth, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

What came into view was a vast expanse of grayish-white mist.

The mist covered a huge area, stretching as far as the eye could see. At first glance, it looked like a colossal white wall spanning the heavens and the earth, piercing straight into the dark red sky.

It didn’t churn and flow like ordinary fog; instead, it seemed to have been frozen in place by some power, utterly motionless.

Yet every few breaths, the solidified mist would suddenly expand outward. Its volume would swell in an instant, and the fog at its edges would roil as if boiling.

Immediately after, it would slowly contract back to its original size, like the stillness after an exhalation.

It expanded and contracted, stretched and shrank, its rhythm steady and regular, like some ancient being breathing slowly in its sleep.

With each pulse, a visible, transparent ripple spread out in all directions from the center of the mist.

Wherever the ripple passed, the air distorted slightly, and even the dark red energy vortexes in the sky flickered for a moment.

That was the source of the spatial fluctuations they had sensed from a distance.

On the plains before the mist, quite a few squads had already gathered.

The atmosphere was heavy and quiet, like the final calm before a storm.