The Elven Cultivator

Chapter 144: Chapter 141: Cave Abode

After confirming that the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array was operating smoothly, Anton didn’t linger and returned to his treehouse.

The treehouse was also filled with tangible, faint cyan specks of light, so numerous they almost formed a visible, ethereal mist.

The change in the greater environment caused the concentration of elemental energy in the treehouse, which already had a Spirit Gathering Array, to skyrocket once again.

Anton went to his quiet room, sat down cross-legged, and tried a round of cultivation. The speed at which he condensed True Essence had indeed increased significantly.

’At this rate, I’ll reach the peak of Foundation Establishment in seven or eight years at most.’

A faint smile appeared on Anton’s face. He then looked inward, his gaze falling upon the Dark Heavy Water floating above his Qi Sea.

After nearly ten years of refinement, the amount of Dark Heavy Water had surged to one hundred drops.

This amount had already reached the limit of what he could currently accumulate.

Any more, and he would begin to lose control, causing all the Dark Heavy Water to disperse.

’Without reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment, I really can’t fully master a near-divine technique.’

Anton sighed softly but quickly composed himself and began to think about his next steps.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array was already up and running smoothly.

From now on, it could operate on its own and continue to grow, even without his constant management.

’Still, it would be best to refine a batch of Spirit Stones to keep as a reserve energy source, just in case.’

Anton mused to himself.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array drew its energy from two main sources.

The first was the energy produced by the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life.

The second was the ambient energy from the world.

When there was no combat, the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array could sustain itself just by absorbing this ambient energy.

It could even spare some energy, which, combined with the wood qi it absorbed, could be stored as a reserve to activate the Green Emperor Demon Suppression Array.

But once a battle began, absorbing ambient energy from the world alone would not be enough.

It would have to draw energy from the Eternal Tree and the Spring of Life.

And the energy from these two sources was finite.

Once they were completely drained, the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array would become like a river without a source or a tree without roots, unable to continue operating.

Although the probability of this happening was low, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Anton had always been one to prepare for danger in times of peace.

He’d rather be a little busier and make a few extra preparations than be filled with regret when disaster struck.

Coincidentally, among the resources he had moved from the city-state, there was a considerable amount of Gemstones that could be used to refine Spirit Stones.

’Then there’s the Sword Pill.’

With a flicker of thought, the Sword Pill leaped from his chest and hovered before him, bobbing gently.

Under the light, he could clearly see that the dragon pattern on the Sword Pill’s surface now covered a little over three-quarters of its area.

The remaining blank portion looked particularly conspicuous.

’The Dragon Race consuls are all holed up in Dragon City and refuse to come out. It’s impossible to count on using them to strengthen the Sword Pill.’

’Looks like I’ll have to rely on the Sighing Crystal Clusters after all.’

But the thought of the Sighing Crystal Clusters made Anton’s brow furrow.

There were simply too many Sighing Crystal Clusters entrenched in the city-state, and most of the time, they gathered together.

If he made a move, he would easily draw a siege.

Even for him, being surrounded by a double-digit number of Sighing Crystal Clusters would, at best, end with him fleeing in disarray.

’My only option is to try and lure a few of them out and kill them individually.’

Anton estimated that with the trump cards he currently held, as long as he faced no more than ten Sighing Crystal Clusters, he was completely confident he could finish them off within a few breaths and then use Sword Escape to leave at his leisure.

And after absorbing four or five Sighing Crystal Clusters at most, the Sword Pill should be able to break through to the Profound Artifact level.

By then, his strength would take another great leap forward.

At the thought of a Profound Artifact, Anton’s heart burned with excitement, and his resolve to hunt the Sighing Crystal Clusters grew even firmer.

’I’ve also nearly mastered the "Split into Sixteen" technique of the Light Splitting and Reunification method.’

Anton glanced at the Sword Pill. With a buzz, the sword light suddenly split into eight. Then, the light flared and attempted to split in two again.

Although the entire process was extremely slow and the sword light showed faint signs of dissipating, it ultimately succeeded.

Now, he just needed to keep practicing this process, and before long, he would completely master the "Split into Sixteen" technique.

’Once the Sword Pill breaks through to the Profound Artifact level, I’ve mastered the "Split into Sixteen" technique, and with the help of the Dark Heavy Water and the Five Camp Divine Soldiers, I can start clearing out the Sighing Crystal Clusters.’

Among the resources brought back from the city-state were a large number of Magic Cores, allowing Anton to go all out in refining Daoist Soldiers.

Over the past ten years, he had intermittently refined over six hundred more Five Camp Divine Soldiers.

He had assembled three Five Elements arrays of six hundred and twenty-five each.

Although the Five Camp Divine Soldiers were not as effective against the Sighing Crystal Clusters as they were against the Mind Flayers, nearly two thousand of them could at least help him suppress three of the creatures.

That was no small contribution.

After some thought, Anton had a plan.

The city-state, or rather, the Earth Vein Node, was something he had to obtain.

Only with an Earth Vein Node could he build his own cultivation abode.

In the Cultivation Realm, the places where Cultivators practice are collectively known as cultivation abodes.

Depending on the abundance of qi veins and spiritual influence, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi, they can be divided into six grades, from highest to lowest: Grotto Heavens, Blessed Lands, True Palaces, Qi Mansions, Profound Cottages, and Spirit Houses.

Any cultivation abode was exceedingly precious.

Even the lowest-grade Spirit House was no different from a miraculous elixir for practitioners below the Cultivator rank!

The kind that had long-lasting effects!

For example, Anton’s previous treehouse, arranged with numerous Arrays including a Spirit Gathering Array, a Silencing Array, a Clear Heart Array, and a House Protection Array, already served multiple functions like enhancing cultivation efficiency, soundproofing, protection, and calming the mind. It could, in fact, already be considered a Spirit House.

Now, as the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array had greatly increased the concentration of elemental energy, the Spiritual Qi in the treehouse had risen accordingly, and it had transformed into a Profound Cottage-grade cultivation abode.

As for the entire Silver Moon Forest, it could barely be considered a Spirit House-grade cultivation abode.

In the future, as the Silver Moon Forest expanded and the power of the Array increased, it might even be possible to gradually evolve it into a Profound Cottage-grade cultivation abode.

This was one of the benefits of a Mountain Protection Array.

A sect that had built a Mountain Protection Array could essentially construct Spirit House and Profound Cottage-grade abodes at will within its territory.

As for the higher-level Qi Mansions and True Palaces, they couldn’t be achieved through Arrays alone.

They required a Spirit Vein.

This was also why Anton wanted to obtain the Earth Vein Node.

Only on an Earth Vein Node could he build a Qi Mansion or True Palace-grade cultivation abode, and subsequently establish various functional structures like a Spirit Plant Garden, a Beast Garden, and more specialized Alchemy Rooms and Artifact Refining workshops.

As for the highest-grade Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands, they were extremely rare.

Besides requiring a top-grade Spirit Vein, they also had to occupy an auspicious time and place, aligning with the very creation of heaven and earth. The conditions for their formation were extremely demanding and could not be forced by human effort.

According to legend, such Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands often formed their own separate realms, each containing a universe within. The Spiritual Qi inside was so dense it was nearly tangible, and it was no exaggeration to say that a Cultivator practicing within could advance a thousand miles in a single day.

Moreover, these Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands could also nurture Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, each one valuable enough to make even Golden Core or Nascent Soul Cultivators fight to the death for it.

However, such treasured lands were as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin’s horn in the Cultivation Realm—they could be chanced upon but never sought out.

Anton didn’t even dare to dream of such a thing right now; he would be perfectly content with just a Qi Mansion or a True Palace.

After laying out his plans for the near future, Anton let out a long breath.

Without delay, he immediately stood up, left the treehouse, and summoned a blade of light to envelop his body, shooting off like a bolt of electricity toward the Thousand Rock Hills.

He was going to hunt the Sighing Crystal Clusters now and first strengthen his Sword Pill to the Profound Artifact level.

...

Because he had been busy setting up the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array, Anton hadn’t set foot in the Dark Nether Realm for nearly ten years.

Entering the rift again after so long, he was surprised to find that significant changes had taken place.

The narrow, cramped passage he remembered, which could barely fit one person, had now been widened several times over.

The rock walls on both sides were cut perfectly smooth, and every few meters, a Light Source Stone was embedded, casting a soft, bright glow that illuminated the entire tunnel as if it were daytime.

The path underfoot was no longer rugged, uneven rubble but smooth stone slabs that felt solid and stable to walk on.

Anton walked along the tunnel, nodding to himself in approval.

It seemed the Clan had invested a great deal of effort in the Dark Nether Realm over the years, even going so far as to build infrastructure.

As he walked out of the tunnel, his view suddenly opened up.

Unsurprisingly, the scene before him was completely different from the dark, damp underground world he remembered, which had been dotted with only a few scattered patches of fluorescent moss.

Vast swathes of fluorescent moss now covered the rock walls, emitting a faint blue-green glow like flowing ribbons of light.

Bioluminescent mushrooms poked out from crevices in the rock, their pale purple caps edged with a shimmering white light. They grew in dense clusters, like stars scattered in the darkness.

Vine-like Fluorescent Vines climbed and spread along the walls, their small leaves dotted with glowing specks that traced winding paths in the dark.

The three types of plants illuminated each other, turning the once pitch-black Dark Nether Realm as bright as day, making it seem as though he had arrived in a fantastical underground garden.

Anton stopped to watch for a moment, the smile on his face deepening.

Fluorescent moss, bioluminescent mushrooms, and Fluorescent Vines were all common glowing plants in the Silver Moon Forest.

Their most prominent feature was their extremely tenacious Life Force.

They could thrive even in a harsh environment like the Dark Nether Realm.

Obviously, these plants had also been planted by the Clan, likely to improve the lighting conditions in the Dark Nether Realm and make it easier for the Elves to move around.

It had to be said that while this method was simple, it was quite effective.

At the very least, under well-lit conditions, the Elves’ vision was no longer restricted, and both their operational efficiency and safety were greatly improved.

Anton withdrew his gaze and continued forward.

Along the way, he occasionally saw patrols of Elf Guards.

They wore leather armor inscribed with Runes, carried weapons with Runes, and the Sensing Spirit Stones at their waists emitted a faint glimmer. Their steps were orderly as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

Seeing someone approach, the guards instinctively drew their weapons, their gazes wary.

Only after they clearly saw it was Anton did they relax, bowing respectfully to him.

"Lord Anton."

A few of the younger Elves looked at Anton with unconcealed reverence.