Chapter 475
The basic rules of farming involved placing the fields where the soil and terrain matched what was intended to grow. Terrain and soil quality could be changed, but rearranging fields that were functioning perfectly well was a waste of time. There was a small suspicion in his mind that Everheart was calling for such changes exactly for that reason but then again, maybe there were minute improvements in the flow of energy. Would that tiny amount matter, even with formations meant to cover a continent? That, Anton was unsure of.
But ultimately it only required a small amount of labor- Everheart didnt force replantings midseason or anything troublesome like that. He just redrew fields and windbreaks, how they would be rearranged between plantings of fields. It wasnt a small amount of work, but with cultivation being commonplace it was more possible. Even full trees could be uprooted and replanted if necessary.
When it came to proposals for rearranging void ant colonies, Everheart left such tasks to Anton. He wouldnt personally participate in mapping or persuading such places. And while there were only a relatively small number of sizable void ant colonies, Anton understood that they could have a large influence on the flow of energy. Yet rearranging was only a small part of things, and was much the same as Everhearts plans for human cities- to be implemented over the course of decades, or a century. Not everyone would agree to the plans, but if a few cities altered the path of their new constructions it might make a difference. If Anton had wanted to force the void ants down a path, bringing the Great Queen with him would help, but he stuck to more traditional persuasion. If Everheart had deemed it critical he might have done more, but it was just one of many moving pieces.
Some people had to suspect Scholar Eulogius, but determining that he was a great cultivator in disguise would not necessarily reveal the truth. Even the Tomb Seeking Cult hadnt figured it out.. Yet. Maxine in particular was far too busy tracking down the new Tombs that had revealed themselves.
Everheart had far too large a store of materials and completed components. Anton saw that he had to adjust them to function with the use of lower energy, and was amazed he had managed to rip so much away from the upper realms with almost no notice. He had to have been prepared paranoid, if it werent true that everyone was out to get him. Though Anton suspected it was mostly Everhearts own fault. Not that he thought the upper realms were full of magnanimous or good individuals. If anything, they were just about the same as any other cultivators but more powerful. It was just that Everheart was quite likely to escalate things and engage in unnecessary provocations. But at least he was enthusiastic.
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I dont like unknown intruders entering my system, Everheart declared to Anton, his arms folded. But I dont have the time or resources to make it impossible. How much control do you have over the sun?
That was something Anton didnt really know. He took in a small flow of excess power that slightly altered the normal way of things, but he didnt really change anything. Though there was some idea that he could. Why? Anton asked.
So you can whip out a solar flare and incinerate anything that tries to slip by, Everheart said.
They moved incredibly fast, Anton pointed out, steering away from the topic of what he could accomplish. I dont know if anything of the sort would be terribly quick.
Okay so, Everheart frowned, What about doing what that Rutera place does? We could make a big planetary defensive formation.
Out of what? Anton asked. If you want to volunteer your materials, we could certainly try but we dont exactly have satellites.
We could drag in some rocks, Everheart said. Wouldnt be too hard. Or cut chunks off the moon- no, nevermind. That would screw up too many things. He waved Tons of rocks out there though.
Great, Ill start carrying them one by one and we can be done in a century or two.
Oh yeah? Everheart set his jaw. You got a better idea?
We could make a net, Anton said. Or something to catch them.
What, like a planet-sized net with a mesh small enough to catch a ship? Everheart just looked at Anton.
It was just a suggestion off the top of my head, Anton began to explain. Im sure there are other-
You think it would work better as a solo technique or a duo? Nah, youd need at least three to form an even net. Everheart scratched his chin. Solo it is. Come on, lets get started. He grabbed Anton by the upper arm and was yanking him up into the sky before Anton could react. If there had been some sort of hostility Antons instinct would have taken over, but he was still a bit concerned about how much he had lowered his guard- even if harming him would be much more difficult than moving him around. So I think it just starts like this, Everheart said, forming strands of energy into a square, then forming eight more around it and continuing to expand that pattern. Then he flicked his wrist and dissolved the whole thing. No wait, squares arent good enough. Triangles? Hexagons?
Why? Because you could kill me? Everheart grinned. You wont do that. I havent done anything to make you change your mind, and you already didnt kill me. Besides, you need me.
I want Ceretos to be safe, Anton said. As long as youre contributing to that, its good enough. Anton was fairly certain Everheart should have something else up his sleeve in case Anton did attack. Everfull Cup, for example. That energy replenishment technique allowed a user to refill their personal reserves of energy at a cost in the future. Though if used carelessly in battle, the consequences might come immediately afterwards, draining someone of energy. Everheart could probably do it fast enough to not be disrupted. Or something else. Maybe hed just throw a mountain at Anton. His storage bag certainly had more in it than even the very best should have been able to contain. A mountain wouldnt stop Anton, but it could certainly slow him a bit.
Is this how you make all your techniques? Anton asked.
Nah, some of them I just toss onto paper, Everheart said. Do a little thinking, refine them every once and a while. Like this one, Everheart pulled a scroll out of the pile, Thought it up while we were working on this.
... Venomous Energy? Anton asked. As described, it involved infiltrating energy into an enemys wounds and disabling them from the inside. If it worked, it would certainly be effective. What made you think of this?
Were making big webs, Everheart said. Webs have spiders. Spiders have venom. Therefore, we can make energy spiders bite people.
Or you could use that same energy to just make the wound deeper.
Everheart shrugged, Not everythings going to be a hit.
You actually make a lot of techniques like this? Anton asked. I figured you had just reimagined some you stole. For most of them, anyway.
Anything I put my name on I came up with at least as much as anyone else. Obviously the details come from somewhere. Nothings entirely new. Everheart shrugged, Yeah, mostly I make them like this. Or while working on formations. Or think about them while Im sorting through a pile. You dont?
I find that focusing on techniques I already have, pushing them to their maximum, is much more effective.
Fair enough, Everheart said. But I want to do everything, so I cant just limit myself like that.
... Why? Anton asked. He could understand wanting more and more power. That was a pretty common motivation for cultivators for any number of reasons. Having a wide skillset was also reasonable, but it didnt sound like that at all.
Someone told me I couldnt, Everheart said. There had to be more than that. At least, Anton presumed so. Then again, besides everything, he wasnt sure if there was anything Everheart hadnt been able to do yet. He certainly seemed the type to rise to provocations. Hey. Wanna go net a ship?
What, one of the skyships? Seems kind of petty.
Ooh, I didnt think of that. I meant the one that just entered the system.
Anton sat up. Its back?
Cant say, Everheart shrugged. That, or something similar. Vaguely the same direction of origin, as well.
Lets make haste, Anton said. Everheart was a moment behind as they swiftly pushed their way back towards Ceretos. The trip from the moon was not one easily traversed in a few hours, but if they didnt worry about decelerating the normal way they might be able to accomplish it.
