Chapter 229: Chapter 213: Forest Expansion and Exploration Progress

In the Silver Moon Forest, before the Eternal Tree.

Anton lowered his head, studying the piece of wood in his palm.

The Myriad Wood Origin Heart didn’t look remarkable. At first glance, it resembled a piece of heartwood cut from some ancient tree, its surface displaying fine, wood-grain textures that spiraled inward like tree rings.

But if one looked closely, they would discover a faint, faint emerald halo flowing slowly beneath the seemingly static wood grain. At times it would condense into a point of light, and at others, it would disperse into a hazy mist, as if a living thing were breathing and pulsing within.

Holding the Myriad Wood Origin Heart in his palm, Anton could clearly feel the vigorous Life Force contained within.

"This thing is indeed a high-grade Wood Attribute material."

Anton felt a slight sense of regret.

If he weren’t planning to strengthen the Eternal Tree, this Myriad Wood Origin Heart could have served as the core material for refining a Profound Artifact.

’Oh well. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll find a way to get another one.’

Anton gathered his thoughts and looked up at the Eternal Tree before him.

This giant tree, which had stood for who knows how many years, was now taller and more lush than ever before under the nourishment of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.

Its crown covered half the sky like a dome, and aerial roots descended from its branches, burrowing deep into the earth to form new trunks.

Just by standing beneath it, one could feel the tranquil and ancient life force emanating from its body.

Anton released his Divine Sense, letting it seep into the ground and spread out in all directions along the Eternal Tree’s root network.

In an instant, the entire condition of the Eternal Tree was reflected in his perception.

Immediately after, Anton stepped forward and gently pressed the Myriad Wood Origin Heart against the trunk of the Eternal Tree.

Like snow melting into water, the moment the Myriad Wood Origin Heart touched the bark, it sank into the trunk and vanished.

The next moment, a warm wave of vitality suddenly surged from the depths of the tree’s core, spreading out in all directions along the trunk’s veins like a spring that had been dormant for years suddenly erupting.

Wherever that vitality passed, the wood fibers trembled slightly, emitting a faint RUSTLING sound, as if the ancient tree were stretching its limbs.

At first, the change was not intense.

At the edge of the crown, new buds emerged from the tips of branches, then expanded and unfurled at a speed visible to the naked eye, growing into full leaves in just a few moments.

The color of the leaves shifted from tender green to emerald green, and then from emerald green to a deep green, progressing in stages as if the cycle of seasons had been accelerated a thousandfold.

At the same time, the deeply buried root systems, like reanimated pythons, began to slowly but surely extend deeper and farther into the earth.

New rootlets extended from the main roots, winding their way through the cracks between soil and rock.

With every inch they advanced, dense root hairs grew from their tips, greedily absorbing moisture and nutrients from the soil.

The air began to grow moist and sweet.

It was a sign that the concentration of Wood Attribute Spiritual Qi was rising sharply.

The Elves in the forest quickly noticed the change. They all stopped what they were doing and looked around in confusion.

However, the changes to the Eternal Tree were happening underground and high up in its crown, making it difficult to see the full picture from the outside. For a moment, they couldn’t find the source of the transformation.

Only a few sharp-minded Elves, connecting the changes in the air’s energy concentration, immediately understood that the phenomenon was related to the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array.

On the first day, the Eternal Tree’s height increased by nearly ten percent.

Its crown expanded outward, obscuring the once-exposed sky even more completely.

At the forest’s edge, saplings that had been only half a person’s height shot up to over two meters tall overnight.

On the second day, the change was even more pronounced.

The trunk of the Eternal Tree had grown thicker by more than a full circle, and the patterns on its bark had deepened, with a faint emerald light now flowing between the lines.

The shadow of its crown extended outward by several dozen meters, bringing more clearings that were once exposed to the sun under its protection.

On the outskirts of the forest, new trees sprouted branches and leaves at an astonishing rate, spreading outward by a hundred meters overnight.

On the third day, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the gaps in the canopy and dappled the forest floor, the entire Silver Moon Forest was bathed in a dreamlike halo.

The Eternal Tree’s height had increased by nearly thirty percent compared to three days ago.

Its crown was like a giant, open umbrella, completely covering the sky for several square kilometers.

Looking down from high above, one could see that the forest had extended five or six kilometers toward Taichu City and the Thousand Rock Hills, incorporating more wasteland and fields into its territory.

Beneath the Eternal Tree, Anton, who was perceiving the forest’s changes in real-time through the Array, suddenly showed a flicker of expression.

The very moment the Eternal Tree completely absorbed the Myriad Wood Origin Heart, he abruptly detected a vague, nascent ’emotion’ from the tree, like that of a newborn infant.

It was very similar to the ’emotion’ he had sensed when his Sword Pill broke through and advanced to become a Profound Artifact.

’A nascent Spirit.’

A flash of pleasant surprise appeared in Anton’s eyes.

’I never expected the Myriad Wood Origin Heart would not only enhance the Eternal Tree’s growth but also awaken this ancient tree’s Spirit.’

In Anton’s original estimation, even with the nourishment of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array, it would have taken at least several hundred years for the Eternal Tree to develop a Spirit similar to the Profound Light of a Profound Artifact.

But now, that process had been skipped entirely.

What a pleasant surprise!

It might still take hundreds or even thousands of years for that nascent Spirit to truly condense and form a complete consciousness.

But without a doubt, the Eternal Tree had already begun its transformation from a "tree" into a "living being."

Now possessing a faint trace of self-awareness, the Eternal Tree would no longer passively accept the nourishment of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array. Instead, it would actively and consciously guide the Array’s operation, coordinating with it to act in the forest’s best interests.

Externally, this meant the effectiveness of the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array would be greatly enhanced.

Its various functions, such as Gathering Spirit, nurturing spirits, and defense, would all rise to a new level.

From now on, the Silver Moon Forest’s expansion speed would increase significantly.

A journey that would have previously taken a century might now only require a few decades.

At this rate, in a century at most, the Silver Moon Forest would be able to completely envelop the Thousand Rock Hills and Taichu City.

Furthermore, the evolution of the Eternal Tree would also drive the expansion of the Spring of Life.

The two were always complementary, integral parts of a whole.

It was just that this process wouldn’t be too fast; it would take a considerable amount of time to see the effects.

A satisfied smile appeared on Anton’s face.

His preparations for this "upgrade" had not been in vain. Not only had he guided the process from start to finish, channeling every wisp of the Myriad Wood Origin Heart’s vitality to where it was needed most, but he had also consumed all the energy the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array had accumulated for over a decade, using it in conjunction with the Myriad Wood Origin Heart to expand the forest’s area.

This effort had yielded a huge return.

Not only had the Silver Moon Forest transformed from its original "Refined Abode"-class Grotto-Heaven into a "Profound Lodge"-class one, but the Eternal Tree had also completed a crucial step in its evolution.

’What a massive harvest!’

’The current Eternal Tree could also be considered a rare Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.’

A thought suddenly flashed through Anton’s mind.

’I’ve been wondering how to eliminate the death qi from that earth-element core. Isn’t this a ready-made solution?’

The surging Life Force now contained within the Eternal Tree was the perfect tool for eliminating death qi.

As Anton was lost in thought, a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Clan Leader."

He turned his head slightly and saw Eleanor approaching from the end of the tree-lined corridor.

The Elf Maiden’s gaze went past Anton to the Eternal Tree behind him, and an undisguised look of amazement flashed in her eyes.

"The change is so great..."

The moment she stepped into the Silver Moon Forest, Eleanor had sensed the changes within it.

But seeing the Eternal Tree with her own eyes still left her stunned.

This giant tree, which should have been so familiar to her, now had a completely new appearance.

"When I was little, my grandfather told me that the Silver Moon Forest’s Eternal Tree was considered middle-to-low tier among the many clans of the Elf Race, far inferior to the World Tree of the Jade Royal Court."

"But looking at it now, I feel like it’s starting to catch up, bit by bit."

Eleanor sighed, her tone tinged with reminiscence.

Anton smiled slightly. "It’s still early, but at least now it’s qualified to be in the race."

Eleanor looked at Anton, a slight smile on her face.

She believed that their Clan’s Eternal Tree would sooner or later surpass the World Tree of the Jade Royal Court.

Not because the Eternal Tree itself was so special, but because Anton was here.

He could always achieve things that others thought were impossible.

"Let’s go. We can talk more back at the Eternal Hall."

Anton turned and walked toward the tree-lined corridor.

Eleanor followed by his side. The two walked shoulder to shoulder at a leisurely pace.

"You were gone for the past three days. Did you go to the Dark Nether Realm?" Anton asked casually.

"Yes. Three more subterranean races near Nine Nether City were willing to accept our recruitment offer, so I went to handle it."

Speaking of business, Eleanor’s expression grew much more serious as she recounted recent events.

The exploration of the Dark Nether Realm had been underway for three years now.

The exploration force was divided into four squads, which extended like four probes from Nine Nether City into the depths of the Dark Nether Realm.

The exploration process was not always smooth sailing.

Attacks from subterranean monsters were a common occurrence.

Basilisk nests, burrowing worm tunnels, the territory of Burrowing Bears... the exploration teams had to face these native subterranean predators almost every day.

Fortunately, the members of the exploration teams were elites, and they managed to gain the upper hand in the vast majority of their encounters.

In addition, the exploration teams also encountered many native races of the Dark Nether Realm.

Gray Dwarves, deep gnomes, Mushroom-men, Sol Stone Monsters...

With these subterranean races, the exploration teams would usually attempt to make contact.

If the other party was willing to interact peacefully, they would try to recruit them.

Of course, the treatment was certainly not as good as that offered to the Catmen, the Ghost Scale Race, and the Aridborn.

They had to undergo a period of observation to ensure their loyalty before the merit system was opened up to them.

If a race was unwilling to be recruited, the teams would try to establish trade cooperation, dumping goods like potions, salt, and daily necessities on them in exchange for ore and other resources.

Once the other party gradually adapted to this trade relationship and became dependent on the Clan’s goods, it was essentially no different from becoming a Vassal Race.

If they were unwilling to be recruited, refused to engage in trade, and even showed hostility toward the exploration teams, then there was nothing more to be said.

It was time to fight!

These subterranean groups, let alone having Legendary Tier combatants, mostly didn’t even have anyone at the Golden Peak.

There was no need for Taichu City or the Silver Moon Forest to send reinforcements; the exploration teams could handle it themselves.

After defeating their enemies, the exploration teams would escort the captives back to Nine Nether City to serve as slaves, sending them to work in the mining areas.

Over the past three years, the slave population of Nine Nether City had more than doubled.

At the same time, they had recruited over ten Vassal Races.

These Vassal Races were not powerful in combat, but each had its own unique talents and abilities.

The deep gnomes excelled at engineering and mechanics, the Mushroom-men could cultivate various rare fungi, and the Sol Stone Monsters could move freely through subterranean rock, making them natural-born ore prospectors.

They played a significant role in the growth and development of Nine Nether City.

Putting loyalty aside, these subterranean groups were indeed an excellent source of labor.

In addition to the Vassal Races, Nine Nether City had also incorporated over thirty other races into the Clan’s trade network, greatly enriching the variety of the Clan’s trade goods.

As time went on, the Silver Moon Race was slowly but surely putting down roots in the Dark Nether Realm.

They were no longer just outsiders, but a faction in this subterranean world that was becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

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