The Elven Cultivator

Chapter 143: Chapter 140: The Array is the Dao, and the Dao is Natural

The sudden phenomenon quickly drew the attention of the elves.

The first to cry out in surprise were the young elves sparring on the training grounds.

"Look up at the sky!"

An Elf Maiden stopped her movements, pointing up at the sky. Her emerald-green eyes, filled with astonishment, reflected the faint cyan curtain of light.

The others around her looked up in unison.

"What is that?"

"It’s so beautiful..."

"Huh? What are these specks of light?"

The young elves watched in astonishment as countless specks of light surged from the surrounding soil, trees, and flowers, floating upward and scrambling toward the Eternal Tree.

The specks of light were as tiny as dust motes, yet as dense as a swarm of fireflies on a summer night. Drifting slowly through the air, they left faint cyan trails, as if countless fine threads were weaving the entire forest into a vast web of light.

For a moment, the entire forest was bathed in a dreamlike halo of light.

The young elves were completely stunned by the scene before them.

A few of them even instinctively reached out to touch the drifting specks. The moment their fingertips made contact, they felt a gentle coolness seep into their skin, instantly spreading a comfortable sensation throughout their bodies.

Similar scenes were unfolding in every corner of the forest.

A physician preparing a remedy in the forest infirmary set down his crystal vial and walked to the window. He gazed at the marvelous sight outside, forgetting he was still holding a pestle.

Guards patrolling the forest tilted their heads back to look at the sky, their faces a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.

An elf preparing dinner in the kitchen, a handful of herbs in hand, walked outside. Watching the floating specks of light, they momentarily forgot what they were doing.

More and more elves stopped what they were doing to watch the changes around them, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

The specks of light drifted over the treetops, passed through walkways, and rounded the eaves, flying toward the Eternal Tree as if they were alive.

Everyone could feel that some profound, indescribable change was quietly taking place in the forest where they had lived for generations.

...

「Eternal Hall.」

The three elders stood at the entrance of the hall, gazing up at the phenomenon in the sky, expressions of awe appearing on all their faces.

The three of them almost immediately connected this to what Anton had been busy with lately.

"This is... the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array?"

The Third Elder murmured, his voice distant and dazed, as if he were talking in his sleep.

Although they had already heard a full description of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array from Anton and knew of the various changes its completion would bring, hearing about it was one thing; experiencing it firsthand was another entirely.

At this very moment, as far as the eye could see, all the trees and plants were emitting a faint cyan halo, as if the entire forest were glowing.

The concentration of elemental energy in the air was also skyrocketing at an incredible rate.

With every breath, a denser concentration of energy than ever before surged into their lungs, seeped into their blood, and flowed through their entire bodies.

To him, it felt as if the entire forest had transformed into a colossal spirit-gathering chamber.

This alone was staggering.

The Great Elder and Second Elder naturally felt this as well.

In fact, the Great Elder, who had awakened the Law of Thorns, perceived it even more clearly than the other two.

He could sense that the aura of the Eternal Tree was changing.

The massive tree, which had survived for countless years, was now absorbing the world’s energy at an unprecedented rate.

Its roots were spreading slowly but surely, reaching deeper and farther underground.

Recalling something Anton had once said, realization dawned on the Great Elder.

"I see. So this is what Anton meant when he said the Array would cause the forest to continuously expand."

The Great Elder’s tone was filled with unconcealable amazement.

Hearing this, the Second Elder and Third Elder’s expressions shifted. They quickly focused their senses and, sure enough, they too could faintly perceive the changes underground.

The two of them couldn’t help but reveal their amazement as well.

In all their long lives, they had never seen such a miraculous Array.

"I can’t imagine how Anton designed such an Array," the Third Elder lamented in awe.

If he had harbored even a sliver of instinctual doubt about the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array before, at this moment, it all vanished like smoke.

In turn, he began to look forward to the other functions of the Array that Anton had mentioned.

"With this Array, the Clan’s future development will surely be much smoother."

A joyful smile appeared on the Great Elder’s face.

The other two nodded in deep agreement.

...

「In a treehouse, by the window.」

Aili’s eyes, filled with wonder, reflected the floating cyan specks of light outside her window.

More than five years had passed since she had switched to cultivating the Cyan Emperor’s Profound Celestial Record.

Thanks to the foundation laid by her previous training, Eleanor’s progress was astonishingly fast.

Shortly after beginning the Cultivation Technique, she had converted all her Magic Power into Spiritual Qi, refining sixty-four strands of it and breaking through to the Peak of Qi Refining in one fell swoop.

After that, she continued to advance by leaps and bounds, her Spiritual Qi increasing by several strands each year.

Eleanor was well aware that her progress was not just due to her own talent and hard work, but also thanks to an abundant supply of resources.

Nourishing Yuan Pills, Spirit Gathering Arrays, body tempering with blood-essence...

The three elders had placed great hopes in her. They saw her as the first Caster after Anton to switch to the new system, an event of great significance, and spared no expense in supplying her with resources.

Of course, more important than all of that was the source: the person who had opened a brand-new door for her, revealing a world far more vast and profound than that of Magic.

Thinking of Anton, a hint of softness entered Eleanor’s eyes.

Having embarked on the path of cultivation, she could appreciate the mysteries of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array far more than the other elves.

To the other elves, the cyan specks of light pouring from the soil, trees, and plants were nothing more than a beautiful scene.

They marveled at the beauty before them and reveled in the soaring concentration of elemental energy, but they could not see through to the deeper meaning behind the spectacle.

But in Eleanor’s eyes, the flowing trajectories of these specks of light were in harmony with the workings of the Heaven and Earth Law.

The cyan light was the outward manifestation of Wood Attribute spiritual nature.

Their flowing trajectories were a manifestation of the interactions between the Five Elements.

The cyclical pattern was a demonstration of the mutual balance of yin and yang.

The abstract concepts she had read about countless times in ancient texts had now transformed into a tangible scene she could see and feel.

The Array was operating, and the Laws were manifesting.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array was like a magnifying glass, clearly presenting the abstruse and ineffable Laws right before her eyes.

The Cyan Emperor’s Profound Celestial Record began to circulate automatically within her. The Spiritual Qi in her Qi Sea coiled like a roving dragon, creating a powerful resonance with the Array’s energy.

She could feel her understanding of the Cultivation Technique deepening at an unprecedented rate.

Recalling the crucial points that had once deeply confused her, she now felt a flicker of sudden understanding.

This wasn’t merely her cultivation accelerating due to the increased energy concentration. More importantly, the Heaven and Earth Law manifested by the Array’s operation was subtly nourishing her Dao heart and enhancing her capacity for enlightenment.

’So this is what Anton meant by "the Array is the Dao."’

Eleanor finally understood the words Anton had once spoken to her.

An Array was not just a tool for defending against external enemies; it was a ladder to comprehending heaven and earth.

Through the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array, she could glimpse a corner of the Heaven and Earth Law.

Although it was just the tip of the iceberg, she had already benefited immensely.

’No wonder Anton placed so much importance on this Array.’

Eleanor marveled to herself, her heart filling with ever-increasing admiration and reverence for Anton, who had set up this entire Array virtually single-handedly.

...

「Beneath the Eternal Tree.」

Anton stood for a long time, holding the golden seal.

His Divine Sense was connected to the entire great Array, allowing him to clearly perceive its every detail.

Controlling the Array with the golden seal was not just about gaining a defensive system; it was about obtaining an entirely new dimension of perception.

Through the Array, he could "see" the condition of the entire forest, a view more comprehensive and in-depth than what his Divine Sense could provide.

Everything under the Array’s coverage was within his perception.

This sense of control was truly intoxicating.

After a long moment, Anton returned to his senses and nodded in satisfaction.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array was operating smoothly.

The array runes, array flags, Array Disc, and Array Hub—all components were performing their respective functions. The energy flowed without impediment, and the qi of the Five Elements was balanced and stable.

The three nested layers—the Cyan Wood Transformation Array, the Cyan Lock Dragon-Trapping Array, and the Green Emperor Demon Suppression Array—were interlinked and operating flawlessly.

’The Mountain Protection Array is a success!’

Amid his joy, Anton silently began to summarize the successes and failures of setting up this array.

His greatest gain from this endeavor was a deeper understanding of the two words: "leveraging momentum."

Initially, he had considered altering the landscape of the Silver Moon Forest—digging lakes, redirecting water, and piling earth into mountains—to meet the topographical requirements of certain classic Arrays.

But not only would that have been a massive undertaking, it also would have destroyed the forest’s original ecosystem. The costs would have far outweighed the benefits.

Ultimately, he chose the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array precisely for its philosophy of "leveraging momentum" rather than "creating momentum."

Instead of forcibly changing the landscape, it simply awakened the forest’s own Wood Attribute spiritual nature, making every tree a part of the Array.

It guided and utilized the power that already existed in the world, following its natural flow.

This not only saved a tremendous amount of effort in terraforming but also made the Array exceptionally compatible with the forest, until they were almost indistinguishable.

However, the two words "leveraging momentum," while simple to say, implied a profound understanding of the laws of heaven and earth.

Without understanding the momentum of the world, one cannot leverage it.

Forcibly leveraging it would instead disrupt the world’s original balance, doing more harm than good.

Only by truly understanding the laws governing the workings of the world can one act in harmony with its flow and use its own power to achieve one’s goals.

This experience of setting up the array gave Anton a deeper understanding of the four words: "The Dao follows Nature."

’The Array is complete. On the Eldron Plain, at least, the Silver Moon Race no longer has any opponent to fear.’

Anton pulled his thoughts back and looked up at the sky.

The faint cyan curtain of light was gradually fading, melting into the background of the sky.

The cyan specks of light within the forest also slowly dissipated, sinking back into the soil, trees, and plants.

Everything returned to tranquility.

But Anton knew the changes had only just begun.

Day after day, year after year, the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array would continue to operate, subtly transforming the Silver Moon Forest.

The soil would grow more fertile, the trees would grow more lush, and the elemental energy would grow richer.

The forest’s area would slowly expand, and the number of oak guards would gradually increase.

In thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, the Silver Moon Forest becoming a Grotto Heaven and Blessed Land might no longer be just an extravagant hope.