Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Dawn, Observation, and War Preparations

Outside Changhu Town, the long, narrow lake shimmered under the midday sun.

On the southern shore of the lake, Scott emerged from behind a rock. He habitually scanned his surroundings, and once certain he wasn’t being followed, he took a waterproof, azure Scroll from his coat and broke the seal.

A thin, light-blue film flowed out from the Scroll, enveloping his entire body.

Then, he leaped into the lake.

The frigid lake water instantly submerged him, but the light-blue film kept it at bay.

Scott dove downward, passing through layers of waterweeds and hidden reefs, until he reached an inconspicuous rock wall at the bottom of the lake.

Embedded in the rock wall was a palm-sized rune slate. Its surface was covered in algae and sediment, making it look indistinguishable from the surrounding rock.

He placed his hand on the slate and infused it with a sliver of Magic Power.

The slate suddenly lit up, and the rock wall slid silently apart, revealing an opening just large enough for one person to pass through.

The edges of the opening were carved with waterproof runes, a light-blue halo flowing between the patterns, firmly holding back the lake water.

Scott slipped through the opening, and the stone gate slowly closed behind him.

Inside was a downward-sloping passage. The walls were inlaid with waterproof Light Source Stones that emitted a soft, white glow.

The stone path underfoot was dry and flat, making it seem like a different world from the lakebed outside.

Scott quickened his pace through the passage and soon arrived in a spacious underground area.

This had once been a natural underwater cavern, but after years of modification by the Fallen Dragon Association, it had long since become a fully-functional, secret stronghold.

The vaulted ceiling hung high above. Thick stalactites descended from it, their surfaces cut flat and carved with reinforcing runes.

Countless tunnels and rooms had been carved into the four walls, extending in all directions like a spiderweb.

A few members passed by a corridor corner. Upon seeing Scott, they all stopped and bowed to him in salute.

Scott gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, his feet never pausing.

After passing through three magical wards and rounding a few corners in the corridor, Scott soon arrived before a wooden door and pushed it open.

It was a sparsely furnished room, containing nothing more than a bed and a set of a table and chairs.

Sieg was leaning against the headboard, his face deathly pale without a trace of color, and his spirit seemed listless.

A long time had passed since the surprise attack launched by Dragon City.

But his injuries were too severe, and he still hadn’t fully recovered.

Summers was sitting on a wooden chair by the bed, speaking quietly with Sieg. Hearing the door open, both turned their heads at the same time.

Seeing it was Scott, Sieg’s spirits lifted, and he quickly asked, "What’s the situation?"

Summers also looked over with a concerned gaze.

Not long ago, they had received news that Isaac had once again left Kresol Dragon City.

This time, his target was the Silver Moon Race living in the Silver Moon Forest.

Upon learning this, Sieg immediately sent men to gather intelligence.

Based on their understanding of the Silver Moon Race, while this particular Elf Race had developed rapidly in recent years and their strength had grown significantly, there was no doubt about the outcome if a Legendary Giant Dragon made a move himself.

Sending scouts was merely to confirm Isaac’s current condition, so as to provide a basis for subsequent intelligence analysis.

But to their confusion, Scott wore an incredibly strange expression upon hearing this.

It was a complex expression, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and something he couldn’t quite place—bitterness, or perhaps excitement.

"What happened?" Sieg pressed.

"The way things developed... was a little different from what we expected."

In clear and concise language, Scott quickly recounted the events of the battle in the Silver Moon Forest.

After listening, Sieg and Summers were left completely stunned, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

They had long suspected that Canglan used some method to disguise his identity and evade magical detection, but they never imagined his true identity was an Elf of the Silver Moon Race!

’This disguise is a little *too* good.’

What shocked them even more was that Canglan had actually severely wounded Isaac, even forcing the latter to flee in disgrace!

’What kind of ridiculous turn of events is this?’

It would have been one thing if Canglan were a Legendary Powerhouse, but he clearly hadn’t fully manifested a Law yet; he was still only at Golden Peak.

Defeating a Legendary Giant Dragon while at Golden Peak was simply beyond their comprehension.

"This is just too much..."

After a long while, Sieg finally managed to squeeze out those words.

For someone with his usually calm and serious personality to say such a thing, it was clear how shocked and astonished he was.

"I’ve made inquiries," Scott continued. "Canglan’s real name is Anton Silver Moon. He’s the most outstanding genius of the Silver Moon Race’s younger generation. It’s said he possesses a Super Magical Physique, is a master of both magic and martial arts, and is also proficient in potions, Alchemy, and Enchantment. He is the undisputed choice to be the next Clan Leader of the Silver Moon Race."

"Furthermore, the Array that the Silver Moon Race used to block Isaac’s attack was also supposedly set up by him alone."

With every sentence Scott spoke, the expressions on Sieg and Summers’s faces grew more complex.

And his final sentence made both of them stare wide-eyed.

"Anton is only one hundred and thirty-nine years old this year."

Sieg and Summers were both rendered speechless.

A Golden Peak at one hundred thirty-nine years old would be considered exceptionally young even among the Human Race, whose lifespans are far shorter than those of the long-lived races.

Not to mention, this Golden Peak powerhouse also possessed the strength to contend head-on with a Legendary Giant Dragon.

A genius like that... you couldn’t find a second one in the entire Eldron Plain.

No, across the entire Dawn Continent, such talents were likely exceedingly rare.

Just as the two were silently processing their shock and complex emotions, Sieg suddenly realized something else.

He snapped his head up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Scott.

"Scott, in his fight with Anton, did Isaac use the power of the Dragon God?"

"I was just about to mention that." Scott’s expression turned grim. "According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, Isaac never used the power of the Dragon God from beginning to end."

A sharp glint flashed in Sieg’s eyes, and he subconsciously sat up straight.

Even Summers’s expression grew solemn.

According to Scott’s description, Isaac had been on the brink of death at one point.

Yet even under those circumstances, he still didn’t use the power of the Dragon God. This was completely illogical.

’Was it that he didn’t want to use it? Or... was he unable to use it?’

The room fell silent once again.

The three of them looked at each other, and they could all read the same astonishing conjecture in one another’s eyes.

This speculation was too momentous. So momentous that if it were confirmed, the entire political landscape of the Dawn Continent would change with it.

Sieg abruptly threw off his blanket and, enduring the pain, sat up in bed.

"Help me contact headquarters. We need to report this to our superiors immediately."

Sieg’s face was grave, but a scorching light ignited in the depths of his eyes.

It was the flame of hope, suppressed for far too long, finally seeing a glimmer of dawn.

"If our guess is correct... then I’m afraid the entire Dawn Continent is in for a period of unrest."

...

Similar scenes were playing out almost simultaneously among various powers across the Eldron Plain.

News of the battle in the Silver Moon Forest swept across the entire Eldron Plain like a hurricane, stirring up monstrous waves that would not be calmed for a long time.

Anton Silver Moon!

This name, replacing the former "Canglan," echoed through every corner of the Eldron Plain with unprecedented speed.

The powers that had once speculated endlessly about Canglan’s identity were now shocked to realize that the man who had terrified the Dragon Race and single-handedly forced Kresol Dragon City to retreat into its shell was actually an Elf!

And a member of the Silver Moon Race, no less!

But what shocked them even more was the outcome of that battle.

Isaac—the great Radiant Ash Dragon of the Legendary Tier, the City Lord of Kresol Dragon City, the acknowledged strongest powerhouse on the Eldron Plain—had actually been severely wounded by Anton in a head-on confrontation and forced to flee in disgrace!

The rule of the Dragon Race had persisted on the Eldron Plain for thousands of years.

No one had ever been able to challenge their authority.

No power had ever managed to make a Giant Dragon look so pathetic.

And now, this ironclad rule had been broken.

The one who broke it wasn’t even a Legendary Powerhouse, but merely someone at Golden Peak!

For a time, the entire Eldron Plain was abuzz with talk of this world-shaking battle.

As for Kresol Dragon City, what little prestige it had just regained through Isaac’s bloody retaliation plummeted to rock bottom once more after this battle.

It had fallen even further than before.

After all, this time, even the Radiant Ash Dragon had suffered a defeat at Canglan’s hands.

Although the many Vassal Races didn’t immediately tamper with their resource tributes, they all, without exception, privately adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Everyone was waiting to see how the situation would develop, waiting for the final outcome of this storm.

In the midst of this chaos and turmoil, all eyes were focused on the Silver Moon Forest and Kresol Dragon City.

...

While the outside world was in an uproar, the Silver Moon Race entered a state of tense war preparation.

The entire Silver Moon Forest began to operate at high speed, like a precision machine.

Even though their opponent was Kresol Dragon City, which had ruled the Eldron Plain for millennia, the entire Clan felt no fear or panic. Instead, they were united as one, with morale soaring.

And the source of all this was, naturally, Anton, who was seen as the hope of the Clan.

Over the years, under Anton’s guidance, the Silver Moon Race had developed and grown at an astonishing rate, its strength increasing several times over.

Just recently, they had even repelled the surprise attack of a Legendary Giant Dragon.

With a powerhouse capable of repelling a Legendary Giant Dragon in a direct confrontation and sending it fleeing for its life, the entire Clan was naturally fearless.

They now had the confidence to take on even the strongest power on the Eldron Plain.

The hall of the Dao Transmission Pavilion.

Twelve students sat on cattail cushions, but for once, none of them were meditating peacefully.

"I heard from my father that our teacher blocked the Giant Dragon’s Dragon Breath all by himself! It was such a huge dragon, and the fire it breathed out turned the sky red, but our teacher just dispelled it with ease!"

Mia spoke with great animation, even making an exaggerated chopping motion with her hands as if she had witnessed it herself.

She was the youngest of the children, but also the most lively, always with an endless stream of words.

"Our teacher is so amazing, to be able to fight a Giant Dragon."

"It was more than just a fight! Our teacher wounded that dragon."

"I heard the dragon lost an eye and almost its life!"

Everyone chattered excitedly, their young voices echoing in the hall.

For the past few days, similar topics of conversation had been endless.

Some of their fathers and older brothers were in the Forest Guard and had witnessed the entire battle firsthand.

These thrilling details were passed down by word of mouth, fermenting among the children. With each retelling, their admiration deepened.

And growing alongside that admiration was another, more fervent emotion.

Aspiration.

They had always known that the Dao of cultivation was powerful, but they never had a clear concept of just *how* powerful.

Only now did they finally understand the kind of vista that lay ahead on this path.

’If we become as strong as our teacher, we can defeat Giant Dragons!’

In their still-small worlds, defeating a Giant Dragon was the most incredible thing imaginable.

Laine sat in a corner, listening to his peers’ discussion, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

He had never felt such an urgent desire to become stronger as he did at this moment.

’I want to be as powerful as our teacher, so dazzling, an object of respect and adoration for so many of our people.’

At this thought, Laine could no longer sit still. He got up and headed for the meditation room.

He was desperate to refine his first wisp of Spiritual Qi as soon as possible.

Lucius, who was sitting across from Laine, also silently stood up and followed him.

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