The Elven Cultivator

The most crucial point was that an array’s power wasn’t the only thing that mattered; its compatibility with the array’s foundation—the Earth Vein Nodes—was also vital.

High compatibility meant the array and the earth veins would complement each other, producing an effect greater than the sum of their parts.

Low compatibility meant the array couldn’t even unleash half its inherent power, resulting in a waste of resources.

The Silver Moon Forest had no Earth Vein Nodes, but thankfully, it had the Spring of Life and the Eternal Tree.

If a Mountain Protection Array were to be established, the core Array Hub would have to be one of these two, or both simultaneously.

After taking this precondition into account and eliminating arrays with harsh requirements or materials that were difficult to gather, the number of arrays Anton could choose from was drastically reduced.

After repeatedly deliberating on the Silver Moon Forest’s current conditions, Anton finally selected an array called the ”Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.”

Great Derivation manifests the myriad phenomena; Cyan Profound pacifies the eight directions.

This array was one of the finest arrays, perfectly suited for forest terrains and Wood Attribute Spirit Veins.

Its essence was the Dao of natural proliferation, rooted in wood.

Its principle lay in ”borrowing power.”

Instead of forcibly altering the terrain, it awakened the inherent Wood Attribute spirituality within the forest. It turned every tree into a part of the array, converting the forest’s wood qi into a force of protection and repulsion. The array would become one with the landscape, violating neither nature nor heavenly principle.

The two would complement each other: the array was born from the forest, and the forest flourished because of the array.

One could say it was a perfect fit for the Silver Moon Forest.

However, Anton didn’t just copy the existing array diagram. Instead, he delved deep into understanding every critical point of the array. He then made suitable modifications based on the Silver Moon Forest’s actual environment and conditions, creating a more perfect union between the array and the forest.

At the same time, he also integrated some of his own understanding and insights regarding the arrays of the Dawn Continent.

This process was simple to describe but extremely difficult to execute.

It took Anton a full three years to finally perfect and finalize the array diagram.

By then, he had already broken through to the Seventh-Layer Foundation Establishment.

The perfected Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array comprised over a hundred individual arrays, but it was primarily composed of three major ones, making it a three-layered, nested array cluster.

The main Array Hub was the Eternal Tree, and the secondary Array Hub was the Spring of Life.

There was no other way. The Silver Moon Forest lacked Earth Vein Nodes, so it had to rely on these two treasures of the Elf Race to support the array’s operation.

In the process of perfecting the array diagram, Anton discovered that neither the Eternal Tree nor the Spring of Life was sufficient to support this array on its own.

Only by using both as Array Hubs simultaneously could the array’s stable operation be maintained.

These two also served as the array’s power source.

The entire array system could be divided into three main parts: the outer array, the middle array, and the inner array.

The outer array was called the Cyan Wood Transformation Array.

Transformation, in this context, meant turning the mundane into the spiritual, the barren into the fertile.

The Cyan Wood Transformation Array embodied this meaning of ”transformation”: it turned barren soil into spiritual earth, ordinary trees into Spirit Plants, and the world’s turbid qi into pure Spiritual Qi.

This array primarily had three functions.

First, expansion.

The entire array was centered on the Eternal Tree. Its array patterns spread out in all directions along the tree’s roots, the ground’s surface, and its vines, covering the entire Silver Moon Forest.

For every inch the Eternal Tree’s roots extended, the array patterns would expand by an inch as well.

The land in newly expanded areas would be ”activated” by the array patterns. The minerals and elemental energies in the soil would be stimulated, making it suitable for the growth of Spirit Plants.

Land that was originally barren could be transformed into fertile soil within three to five years.

Shrubs that were once sparse could grow into towering ancient trees within a decade.

The entire area of the forest would gradually expand over time.

Second, Gathering Spirit.

The array would automatically gather the surrounding world’s energy, which would surge into the Silver Moon Forest like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea. This would increase the concentration of elemental energy, turning the entire forest into a massive version of a Spirit Gathering Array.

The higher the energy concentration, the faster the trees would grow.

The more trees there were, the more efficient the energy gathering would become.

This would create a positive feedback loop: the forest gives birth to the array, the array nourishes the forest, and a stronger forest leads to a more powerful array.

Third, nurturing spirituality.

The array would automatically ”select” the trees in the forest with the most potential and subtly infuse them with spirituality.

The chosen trees would have a very high probability of transforming into new Oak Guards within a few decades.

In the long run, the Silver Moon Race’s army of animated plants would experience explosive growth.

Of course, the one to absorb the most spirituality would undoubtedly be the Eternal Tree, the main Array Hub.

Nourished by the array, the Eternal Tree’s size would continuously increase, its roots would grow denser, and its spirituality would accumulate over time. Eventually, like a Spiritual Artifact, it would awaken a sense of self and gain intelligence.

However, given the Eternal Tree’s sheer scale, this process would be incredibly long if it relied solely on the array without any external help.

In summary, although the Cyan Wood Transformation Array couldn’t kill or trap enemies, it was the very foundation of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.

Without this array, the forest would not expand and Spiritual Qi would not increase. The other two arrays would be like water without a source or a tree without roots.

The middle array was named the Cyanvine Constrictor Array.

As the name suggests, it was a constricting array.

The array embodied the concept of ”locking and trapping.”

When foreign enemies invaded, the array would transform the wood qi in the forest into countless green vines. Like chains, like great serpents, they would entangle and crush all intruders.

These green vines were no ordinary plants.

They were formed from pure Spiritual Energy and were astonishingly tough.

A slash from an ordinary sword was like cutting through water; they reformed the instant the blade was withdrawn.

Fire burned them as it would burn bluestone; they remained even after the flames died out.

The more a trapped enemy struggled, the tighter the vines would constrict, until their bones snapped and they could no longer move.

And the larger the forest’s area and the more abundant its wood qi, the more powerful the array would become.

The last was the inner array, named the ’Green Emperor Demon Suppression Array’.

The Green Emperor is the god of the East, who governs wood and rules over life.

Demon Suppression refers to quelling evil and executing invaders.

The Green Emperor Demon Suppression Array was the core killing move of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.

The array operated year-round, gradually storing the excess Wood Attribute Spiritual Qi from the Silver Moon Forest.

It was like dripping water into a cistern; over days and months, the trickles would become a sea.

When a powerful enemy attacked, all the stored energy could be drawn out at once, condensing above the forest into a colossal incarnation of the Green Emperor that would deliver a devastating blow.

To put it simply, it was a Big Move.

Its power depended on two factors: the charging time and the scale of the forest.

The longer it charged and the more lush the forest, the stronger its power.

But the most profound aspect of the Green Emperor Demon Suppression Array wasn’t its current power, but its potential.

Initially, the Green Emperor incarnation was just a phantom formed by the array’s condensed energy.

It had form but no spirit, might but no soul.

But as the Silver Moon Forest grew over thousands or even tens of thousands of years, and as the Eternal Tree continued to strengthen, this incarnation might one day truly come to life through the Eternal Tree.

At that point, it would no longer be a mere energy construct that dissipated after a single strike.

It would open its eyes, possess a will of its own, and become a true god guarding the Silver Moon Forest.

Besides these three arrays, the system also had a basic defensive function.

When attacked, it would form a translucent cyan curtain around the forest to block incoming attacks.

If attackers wanted to break through the array’s defenses, they would either have to completely exhaust the energy of the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life, causing the array to naturally collapse...

...or they would need a single attack powerful enough to exceed the array’s instantaneous defensive limit, shattering the entire grand array in one move.

However, to achieve the latter, the attacker would need the power to turn the entire Silver Moon Forest to ash in a single blow.

Even a Legendary Powerhouse couldn’t accomplish such a feat.

In a way, the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array actually possessed a degree of growth potential.

As long as the array exists, the forest will grow; as the forest grows, the array will strengthen.

After thousands or tens of thousands of years, the Silver Moon Forest would breathe and grow like a living creature, perhaps even becoming a Grotto Heaven.

Overall, Anton was quite satisfied with the array diagram.

At his current stage, this was the absolute best he could achieve.

Later, as his Cultivation Level and attainments in array formations improved, he could continue to strengthen and perfect the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.

In fact, the Mountain Protection Arrays of many great sects and clans were not overwhelmingly powerful from the very beginning.

They only gradually became the impenetrable, inviolable behemoths they were known as after countless members of those sects spent thousands or tens of thousands of years continuously perfecting them.

No Mountain Protection Array was built in a day.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array would certainly have to go through the same process.

After finalizing the array diagram, the next step was to begin the preliminary preparations.

This included refining various array flags and Array Discs, as well as preparing all the necessary materials.

Anton went directly to the Elder Council with the array diagram and explained his intentions.

When they heard that Anton planned to set up an array that would cover the entire Silver Moon Forest, the three elders were stunned.

”You mean... build a City Defense Array?” the Great Elder asked hesitantly.

On the Dawn Continent, some of the core cities belonging to top-tier powers would build numerous mage towers near the inner side of their city walls. Using these towers as nodes, they would connect them to establish a large-scale array that covered the entire city.

When faced with an invasion, they would activate the array to block enemies from entering the city and to defend against their attacks.

This type of array offered extremely strong defense, but it also had many drawbacks.

First, the construction cost was astronomical; only a top-tier power could afford to build one.

Second, it required multiple Casters to operate and consumed a vast amount of Magic Stones each time it was activated.

They would not activate the array unless it was a critical emergency.

Even when inactive, the array’s annual maintenance costs were staggering. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a gold-devouring beast.

On the Dawn Continent, aside from the handful of absolute top-tier powers, basically no faction could afford to support such a large-scale array.

”It’s not quite the same.”

Anton shook his head and explained the functions of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array to the three elders in simple terms.

After he finished, the three elders were left standing there, completely dumbfounded.

’An array like this actually exists in the world?’

’Not only are its functions so powerful, but it can also grow and strengthen over time?’

’The key is that the array can absorb energy on its own for daily operation, and it draws power from the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life for activation. It doesn’t require huge activation or maintenance costs!’

Although this would reduce the output of Life Spring Water...

...that price was negligible compared to the benefits the array would bring.

The three elders immediately realized the immense benefits this array would bring to the Silver Moon Race.

With this array, the Silver Moon Race would have a foundation that could last for ten thousand generations.

If they’d had this array back when they discovered the rift leading to the Dark Nether Realm, they wouldn’t have had to worry about an invasion from the subterranean races at all.

Snapping back to their senses, the three elders immediately declared that they would fully support Anton, whether with materials or manpower.