Mortrexo

Small Notice!

Remember that Daylight Saving hours start today! So, the upload hour is 21:00 GMT+1! Search online to know the new updating time in your own timezone! <3

Dewna, Pyara, Eluan, and Sylvia As Adults. (Sketch)

Thorkell, for some reason, ghosted me after I paid for the children's image. T_T. It's strange since we've done business together often times in the past. So, this illustration comes from another artist named Woody. I hope you like it!

Chapter 1363. Reactions and Arriving at the Astral Death Sect.

While Yasenia traveled towards the Astral Death Sect’s continent, the rest of the powers in the Broken Star Continent were sent into a frenzy. It was the 102nd-ranked continent, which meant that there were no Seventh Realm powerhouses in the continent. Therefore, even the strongest people of the continent were unable to stop the influence of Tatyana’s attack. 

All around the continent, undead of varying strengths naturally manifested, creating a scenario akin to an undead apocalypse. Thankfully or not, people who were bitten by these creatures did not transform… On the bad side of the news, those people would be eaten.  

Of course, Yasenia’s intention to defend herself never really extended to the innocent people of the continent. Still, Tatyana’s attack, even if concentrated, was just too powerful and would have consequences regardless of their intentions. If Tatyana wanted to be as sure as she could and eliminate Yasenia’s enemies, holding even a drop of strength back would mean placing Yasenia in danger. Something that our Death Empress would rather not play around with. 

“What in Heaven's name happened, Astarea!?” 

Astarea stood in front of a council, and several Divines looked at her with confused, angry, or intrigued expressions. The Divine woman didn’t answer straight away. She thought for a few moments to sort out her wording. Then, she opened her mouth and spoke slowly.

“We weren’t the only group that knew about how to open the Star Breaker Realm Bead. So, our only chance to get it without conflict would be finding it without anyone else’s knowledge. Sadly, that was impossible since most of our strongest members were monitored by other powers. We, as well, didn’t have enough members because we needed to keep a lookout on others.” 

One of the members frowned and spoke. “Even then, we heard that the treasure fell into the hands of a Dragon! The Dragon group sent almost no one this time around. The only person you needed to be careful of was Ao Jiuyao!” 

Astarea glanced over indifferently, her facial expression not changing. “This Dragon is not from the Dragon Clan. She is… from the Astral Death Sect.” 

After much thinking, linking Yasenia with them couldn’t be considered wrong. Even if there was that link with the weak Star Immortal Sect, Yasenia had already left for the Astral Death Sect. ‘This can also be considered my apology for targeting a pregnant woman.’ 

As she muttered that in her head, she noticed the council people started discussing loudly. Astarea stood in the middle, ignoring everything until they asked her something. ‘This will take a while.’ 

***

In a distant location inside the 14th continent, Ao Jiuyao knelt in front of a group of middle-aged women and men. There were beauties and handsome men among them, with even the more mature-looking ones being desirable, like perfectly ripened fruits. 

“So… you say that this child took it from you?”

A woman with blue-colored slit eyes asked Jiuyao, confused. The man smiled wryly. “Indeed. Yasenia is young, but her strength against those in the same realm can be considered one of a kind. I don’t think any of our juniors can even compare to one of her wings.”

“Bold!” Another woman at the side slapped her chair, her body’s abundant curves bouncing up and down with her motion. “I don’t believe that youngling can rank in the top ten of our junior list. You are exaggerating because you took a fancy to her!” 

Ao Jiuyao almost rolled his eyes. He spoke lightly. “That’s not the case. The fact that she could beat Astarea should tell you quite a lot about her.” 

This time, those who were indifferent finally reacted. Astarea was famous due to her talent and strength. Those dragons who competed with her in the past were almost unilaterally forced to retreat when fighting in the same realm. After all, her defense was really tough to pierce, even for the Dragons.

“That’s a feat we can’t ignore. What other details are there about her? Do not hide anything.”

Ao Jiuyao’s face crumpled a bit. ‘I tried to hide it, but it seems that it will be impossible.’ “That… This young girl is already pregnant. She is also a Progenitor Queen with, probably, an immortal-level bloodline.” 

Everyone turned silent, looking at Ao Jiuyao with weird faces. Someone even asked, confused. “Why is his head not exploding for lying? Did the curse we put on this mischievous child get erased?”

“That…” A dragon man with black hair and eyes approached, touching Ao Jiuyao’s forehead. “It is there.” 

A female dragon was baffled. “You are telling me that he is telling the truth? Jiuyao, quickly tell us, where is this child?” 

Jiuyao sighed. ‘Ugh, there are times when I almost regret causing all that trouble to marry that girl back then. Well, it is a price I would be willing to pay again.’ 

So, he began spilling out everything he knew.

***

Similar scenes could be seen all around the world, and the name Yasenia Dravory began causing small ripples. While the Star Breaker Realm Bead was important, what caught the attention of those external books was Yasenia’s ability to summon the help of a powerful Death Attribute Demigoddess. 

To their knowledge, there was no Seventh Realm cultivator with the ability to cause an attack of that level, even among the powerhouses hidden in the top ten continents. 

Yasenia, not knowing that she had stirred the curiosity of several powerhouses, the hate of many, and the goodwill of others, returned to the Astral Death Sect’s main base with the elders. 

Fu Weiyang pointed at the front and spoke. “That mountain range is called [Holy Undead Mountain Range]. It is one of the purest locations to practice for Death Attribute practitioners. Many earth fissures extend deep into the continent, creating concentrated environments with powerful treasures associated with Death Energy. Among many, you might find inheritances, treasures, Natural Treasures, and more. It is quite a rich environment, but equally dangerous.”  

Yasenia blinked and nodded. “I understand. I will be careful and not roam it.” 

Fu Weiyang smiled. “That’s for the best.” 

He didn’t want to scare Yasenia, but if something happened to her, she wouldn’t be able to explain it to the big shot coming their way. 

“I have a few questions.” As the flying ship entered the mountain range and was guided by the elders to the Astral Death Sect’s location, Yasenia took the chance to solve a doubt she had. “That… Death Saintess, you called? Who is she?” 

Fu Weiyang pondered for a bit. “While she is called Saintess, it is not the same Saint that you might be thinking about. The title of True Heavenly Saint is sacred, as you might know. This woman is far from having anything similar. Her name is Xing Jimei, and she can be considered the number one talent in our Astral Death Sect. All those who reach that level will gain that title and receive some sort of guidance from Lady Death Empress.” 

Yasenia blinked, curious. “This sect… It was just set up a few decades ago. Does it already have such a complicated way of working?”

The man chuckled. “While we are a recently created group, Lady Death Empress’s methods are refined and quick to implement. With her ability to create incredibly complex formations, setting up one sect only takes a few years. After that, with the benefits she can offer just with those formations, it is more than enough to attract disciples.”

After thinking about it, the dragoness agreed. A single formation that could accelerate cultivation was worth a lot. With a location as rich in Death Energy as the mountain range, Yasenia was convinced. ‘If I could set up a sect in a decade or two as well, Mom can do it as well.’ 

With those doubts resolved, she could lay out a bit of Tatyana’s thinking process. ‘She probably wanted to create those Saint positions so that she could have someone to act like her arms and legs in all the locations she spread to.’ 

If her thoughts were accurate, this saintess was not someone who would cause her trouble. Instead, she might be the ticket to meet Tatyana the fastest.  

“We’ve arrived.”

The dragoness looked forward and couldn’t help but exclaim softly. “This is such a beautiful sect.” 

The sect in front of them, located in the rather dark environment, stood out easily. The buildings were a beautiful white color that didn’t hurt the eye. Emerald green and golden decorations wrapped all the architecture in a uniform manner. Then, the visible formation runes and lines streaked through the streets, houses, and large areas. 

Since the buildings weren’t taller than four floors, everything was evenly spread. Fu Weiyang explained. “This is our Main Peak. Here, most of our elders and core disciples live comfortably. Of course, to take classes, go cultivating, and do many other activities, we used other nearby mountain peaks, plains, and such. Overall, the sect’s terrain covers around ten mountains and the land connecting them.”

“Wow.” 

Yasenia was impressed. Compared with the Star Immortal Sect’s terrain, it was not much larger. However, the energy concentration and purity couldn’t be spoken in the same breath. Other than that, the buildings and formations were clearly several levels more luxurious. 

Yasenia landed near the entrance, and everyone jumped down from the flying ship. Once they landed, the dragoness noticed many presences approaching from the mountain peak. 

Feeling the strength behind each aura, there was a trace of wariness in Yasenia’s eyes. She had yet to place her life-saving treasures inside her new storage realm. ‘If they mean trouble, I will have to flatten the sect and then apologize to Mom.’ 

"Fu Weiyang, Yu Xiaolian, you are back already!”

Fu Weiyang bowed slightly and smiled at the man who approached them. “Sect Master. We are back.” 

His looks were not that pleasant. He had withered skin, sunken eyes, and appeared about to fall over with the slightest push. Even then, his voice was quite pleasant. Yasenia looked at him curiously. 

The Sect Master glanced over at Yasenia for a second, showing a confused expression. Then, he asked. “What happened to Shen Baihu? His life-jade cracked a few days ago, but we were unable to retrieve anything from his last moments.”

Fu Weiyang’s lips twitched, unsure as if he needed to speak the truth. He couldn’t help but look at Yasenia for help.

This small gesture startled the Sect Master, his sunken eyes looking at the gorgeous dragon woman deeply. Meanwhile, Yasenia spoke lightly. “Shen Baihu was killed for his offense, Sect Master. I would like to speak with you in depth. After all, there are a few things that you must know as the highest authority in this sect.”

The man showed a puzzled expression, but he was not flustered. Before he spoke, though, a voice as clear as a natural spring and as cold as a thousand-year-old ice reached them. “You dare kill one of our elders and walk forward so arrogantly? You are really courting death.”

Yasenia blinked and looked over. ‘Hm… Who is this?’ 

Chapter 575. My Roots Will Pierce The Heavens! [AotSC]

With a method in mind, setting up the space channels for her roots proved relatively straightforward. The first and most important detail she needed to consider was a method to lock on locations far beyond her domain.

Liu Shu’s vision was incredibly complicated. She could see far more than the visible light spectrum, touching on Ternary Essence flows and even dimensional channels. This enabled her to layer several views simultaneously, which she then processed through her remarkable mental abilities. 

‘Let’s see… Spatial stability has slightly softened since I took over Ceperet. Is it the <Temporal Flow> that my passive <Time Source> has created?’ 

Strangely, as she manipulated, got in touch, and experimented with <Eternal> energy, she noticed a link between time and space. She didn’t dare touch on it too much, fearful that something might go wrong. Nevertheless, noticing it helped her develop a wide range of skills. 

“To create a space channel that links the underground with far beyond the influence of Ceperet, I would need a lot more strength than I currently have. After all, Ceperet’s gravitational influence stretches out far.” 

In her mind, Liu Shu perceived Ceperet as a whole, with forces and energy flows clearly depicted through colors and flowing diagrams. They were nothing presentable or understandable, even if someone gained the ability to peer into her mind and recreate the same imagery. However, for Liu Shu, it worked.

“Alright… If I were to spread my roots physically, that would be quite inefficient. My body would eventually be overwhelmed as well… I don’t believe even a Level 200 World Tree would have the ability to spread throughout one solar system, not to mention several.” 

She still didn’t really know how “large” the true size that a Star took as its own. But through some simple math, she knew that the numbers made her current achievement look nonexistent. “It would be like a dust mote trying to take over the entire Golden Sap City, including myself.” 

A wry smile appeared on her lips; she truly couldn’t imagine it. “There must be something I am missing.” 

So, she began experimenting at the highest place she could reach through space-tunneling. Her ternary essence spread up, focusing on a single direction until her senses became faint. With that location locked, Liu Shu used her Aether Mana and transformed it into a steady stream of Space Aether Mana. 

This stream of essence drilled into the fabric of space, following similar principles to <World Tree Calling>. “In the end, summoning is like temporarily opening a space channel between dimensions that allows them to manifest here. Yet, since they are linked with some help from the system, they are also linked to their original place. This is why, when the energy you use to keep them runs out, they are forcibly unsummoned.”

Focusing on her current actions, Liu Shu’s spatial energies drilled through space from around 10,000 meters underground up to the maximum height she achieved, which was around 100,000 meters. 

“It’s… difficult. Like trying to pull on an already stretched-out elastic band.” However, focusing her energy and effort, she eventually linked both ends. The second both sides touched, Liu Shu noticed all the pressure disappeared from her mind as a visible anomaly appeared both in the sky and in the group. 

Firstly, the light distortion in the sky changed to a reddish hue, and then the material from the underground began flowing through it. Liu Shu looked at the magma dripping down from the “hole in the sky” with curiosity.

“There is… no resistance whatsoever after the channel is set up? Is this channel permanent now?” 

The hole was not too large, just a meter wide. Still, it was enough to create something like a magmafall. “Can I… close it?”

Her gaze pierced again into the dimensional layer, and her energy limbs tightly squeezed the opened passage. “Oh, branches in my canopy, you are so tough!”

Liu Shu screamed out her children's names while trying to squeeze out the last drop of strength from her roots. “My adorable Funaaa!!!”

BANG!

“Oh, it bro—” 

BOOM!

A gargantuan explosion occurred simultaneously in the sky and underground, resulting from the backlash of the spatial channel collapsing. “Wow~.” Liu Shu felt the earthquake while looking at the massive fireworks in the sky. “That’s quite the backlash.” 

Liu Shu utilized her roots to protect marine life from the falling debris and absorb most of the shockwaves. This way, the resulting tsunami from the explosion wouldn’t hurt anyone on land. “Thankfully, I am testing it above the ocean and in a secluded location. 

Rubbing her roots, she quickly grasped the cause and effect involved in the explosion. What Liu Shu did was cut the tensed spatial rope, disregarding the backlash from it reverting to its original form. “Alright, take notes. When you want to cut a spatial channel, gently drag both ends back to their original spatial coordinates.”

After nodding to herself, Liu Shu got the hang of it. “How much time… Three weeks!? Wow, after gaining the <Eternal> attribute, time passes by ridiculously fast if I am not paying attention. I should warn my family so that they don’t think about not bothering me, and suddenly, I spent 20 years on something.”

Speaking of her family, the four Sylvans seem to be almost prepared to tackle their Level 100 Level Up. During all the time she was sleeping, and even at her current moment, they had been fighting others like crazy and even discovering strange bonuses and benefits during their <Dungeon> explorations. 

Liu Shu had taken over all <Dungeons> across the entire world, so she currently had over 19 of them under her control. “Speaking of the <Dungeons>, I have yet to look into them and modify them.”

When Liu Shu was going to start looking through them, she paused. “...I almost got distracted again. Before I do anything else, I must set up the root spreading so that I can forget about it for a while!”

Spreading was relatively exponential. Therefore, the faster she started, the more time she would save when reaching very far-away locations. “Alright, I now understand how to create spatial channels. Now, I must do so much higher into space, at least at a distance slightly further than the Moon’s orbit.” 

How would she do that? Liu Shu was honestly clueless. “But! There is always a reliable method when doing things for the first time... Brute force it!” 

Liu Shu knew that she first needed to reach that place, and then, once there, she could make it more efficient with the knowledge gained from her initial approach. “So… Let’s create two space channels. A thin one and a thick one. If I can easily widen and shrink them after creating them, it would be more efficient to make them thin initially. If it turns out to be otherwise… Well, I’ll have to tunnel… tunnel…”

Liu Shu stopped as she thought aloud. Then, her eyes shone with brilliance. “Ah. I know how to do it!”

She focused on one of her thickest roots and then poured ridiculous amounts of Space Aether Mana into it, also coating it with Anima Energy. Once she did so, the tip of the massive root punched forward. 

BOOM!

The underground shook from the shockwave, but the planet absorbed it without a problem due to the depth of that root’s location. Together with the explosion, Liu Shu’s roots also disappeared from sight. 

Thankfully, it hadn’t disintegrated from the force; instead, the root’s tip had pierced into the dimensional gap and was now floating nowhere. Liu Shu focused her sight on that single root and grinned. “Great! Now… I will become the tree that pierces the heavens! Mega… Root… Breeaaaaakkk!!” 

Liu Shu screamed with a big grin as her dimensional root pierced skyward, tunneling through space and covering incredible distances far longer than its actual length. Moreover, the root didn’t bother the surface space, creating absolutely zero ripples in reality. This was thanks to Liu Shu’s ability to manipulate dimensions, creating a space-shrinking and subspace effect. 

“I need to adjust the ratio of space-shrinking and the resonance level with our current dimensional layer. However, once I do it, I will be able to detect everything, covering a fraction of the distances I would usually need to. After all, outer space is rather empty. So, as long as I detect layers of it instead of it as a whole, I will be able to notice any oddity.”

What Liu Shu wanted was to create something like a spider’s web. Did the spider need to create a solid layer of silk to capture the flying bugs? Not at all. With very thin but resistant threads, a spider covered incredible surfaces with barely any thread. 

“So… What I must do is create an upscaled version and increase its complexity to a three-dimensional plane so that I can cover the entire Solar System! If I add the spatial shrinkage to this method, the quantity and volume of roots I will need will decrease by several orders of magnitude!” 

She didn’t start coating her roots straight away, experimenting with the root for speed, detection range, etc. “Alright, let’s use my subconscious for these technical details… Now that I have the initial method, I just need to experiment. No need for my main consciousness to work on this actively.” 

So, Liu Shu metaphorically threw it to the back of her mind, focusing on the rest of the world. “So… I’ve dealt with urgent matters, I’ve dealt with the problem of how to spread my roots, and I’ve also informed the important people about my changes so that they can create new regulations and such following my rules…”

Liu Shu reviewed the law and politics book she had written a few years before, checking for any inconsistencies or loops. Once she did, she was baffled. “What was I thinking!? How could I not see these absurd loops that people can abuse when we start interacting with outer-world forces!? Bad past me! Bad! Bad! Bad! Short-sighted!”

If her past self were here, she would be aggravated, asking how in their branches' name would she know that there was life beyond Ceperet. 

And so, the World Tree absorbed a new batch of information from many libraries and quickly sorted out a new, much more refined and streamlined version of law. Seeing the relatively thick book, the World Tree blinked. “I am sure the people studying law will be quite happy to learn new stuff! Learning is very fun, after all.” 

Strangely, when she said that, there was a collective lament all around the world filled with the harrowing sadness from anyone working in law-related professions. Of course, Liu Shu ignored the strange feeling of resentment she would eventually receive and began extending her malevolent roots to all other social branches, such as the economy and science. 

Many scholars would name this the Knowledge Revolution Year, which sent all deeply educated people into a worldwide study session, forcing Liu Shu to remodel the Endless Library and expand its already expansive terrain to house as many experts as possible. 

Chapter 574. Inauguration Of The Eternal Church! [AotSC]

Elyne sat in the middle of the inner sanctum, kneeling with her hands clasped as she glanced at the sky with glazed eyes. While she was looking up, she was still trying to accept Liu Shu’s vision. The intensity of the blessing was incomparable to whatever she received before. Moreover, as she received the blessing, any influence the other World Tree had on her was forcefully stripped from her. 

Elyne didn’t mind, though. Instead, she relished in the pure energy coursing within her as she connected with Liu Shu at a level she never expected before. ‘Ah… My Lady. My Sacred World Tree. My Eternal object of worship…!’ 

Emotion flooded Elyne as she faithfully accepted the changes within her. 

Liu Shu observed curiously as Elyne’s body changed in real time. Her previously slender body became slightly fuller, not by much, while her skin became milkier. Even her facial features, which showed gentleness and elegance, gained a trace of innocence. At first look, it felt as if Liu Shu’s Avatar traits were mixed with Elyne’s previous looks. 

However, those were very small changes, as the real difference from before and after was the color of her hair and eyes. Her unique blonde hair shifted, changing into gorgeous jade-green-colored hair. Her eyes, similarly, shifted from the previous leafy green into a light violet color, imitating Liu Shu’s colors. 

The process was not immediate, and it took around twenty-four hours from start to finish. During that time, Elyne communed with Liu Shu’s existence, absorbing as much as she could from it. 

“Ha…” A sigh full of emotion escaped Elyne. Then, feeling the changes in her body, she looked at her hands and body. “Oh my… such an ethereal skin. It is so soft~.” 

While she was marveling at the changes on her body, she noticed a wisp of her hair. Confused, she picked a few strands and noticed the change. There was no nervousness or flusteredness. Only a feeling of marvel. “This color… Is it the same color as your Avatar, Lady… Ahem, Liu Shu?”

“Um…” A voice as vast as the sky and as gentle as the trickling water of a mountain stream reached her. “Elyne, are you okay?”  

Elyne could hear the worry in her tone, so she laughed and smiled. “I am, Liu Shu. I’ve never felt better than I do right now.” Closing her violet eyes, she whispered softly. “I can feel the world through you… Such a wonderful feeling. Is this how World Trees look at the world?” 

Liu Shu was a bit worried. But hearing that Elyne’s tone had not changed much, she relaxed a bit. ‘Hm… She looks like my biological elder sister in terms of appearance. Such a strange feeling.’ 

Meanwhile, Elyne opened her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. She spoke with a gentle smile. “Liu Shu, I want to discuss a few things with you. Still, before that, I will resolve the doubt you came to resolve.”

“Doubt…?” Liu Shu blinked and then recalled. “Ah, right. I wanted to ask how other World Trees manage to spread their roots in space.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Things have truly gone quite… unexpectedly. Hahaha.”

Elyne chuckled. Then, she answered in a soft tone. “To reach beyond your world, the first step is to envelop yourself with your surroundings. This is done so that you gain Space Aether Mana Affinity. While World Trees have affinities in which they specialize, all True World Trees are able to master any element with a bit of effort.”

“Hm~.” Liu Shu knew that her strongest affinity was Spatial Affinity. If it weren’t for the Eternal aptitude being so limited and unique, she might’ve chosen the Dimensional Fracture Ascension path. ‘Now that I think about it, the choice back then was truly difficult. I could’ve gone either path…’

Elyne smiled and continued. “After you gain enough Spatial Affinity, you must learn to create spatial channels. They are usually a bit difficult. However, once you get the hang of it, you won’t take long to incorporate it.”

Liu Shu blinked and asked. “A spatial channel… do you mean it like a path to shorten the distance between two points by folding space?” 

Elyne shrugged. “I am unaware, Liu Shu. It is something World Trees understand and don’t really share often. We know by observing them.” 

“So…” 

Liu Shu focused on one of the chairs in the sanctum where Elyne was and manipulated the space there. First, she linked two points in space, and then, using her Aether Mana and Anima Energy, she twisted and pulled those two points in space together. For Liu Shu, it felt like pinching two edges of a dress and bringing them together. It was rather effortless.

“...Like this?

The second she did so, the chair suddenly fell through the floor and appeared in another corner of the room. Elyne’s face was quite the sight to look at. She stupidly looked back and forth between the chair’s current position and the previous one, blinking her violet eyes confusedly. “That… Um. Yeah. That’s the method… Wait, no. How? Isn’t this something that takes World Trees a few centuries to master?” 

Liu Shu looked at Elyne with contempt. “How could it take so long? It is not that difficult.” 

Our dear World Tree had the title <Fledging Dimensional World Tree>, boosting Spatial Aether efficiency and affinity. Just as a summary, Liu Shu had the following affinities unlocked and enhanced. Space: +1000% / Elemental: +500% / Soul: +500% / Wind: +200% / Fire: +200% / Eternal: +100% / Life: +0% / Sound: +0% / Earth: +0% / Light: +0% / Phoer: +0%.  

So, her ability to manipulate Space has already reached ridiculous levels. It was to the point that manipulating space came as naturally as breathing. If Liu Shu had chosen the Dimensional Fracture path, this ability would’ve been further boosted, making her an extremely fearsome creature. 

Elyne, unaware of all of this, just felt her heart ache. Rubbing her chest, she sighed. ‘Other True World Trees struggle a lot in this step… It seems that Lady Liu Shu might skip it straight away.’ 

“Ahem.” Clearing her throat, Elyne continued. “Lady Liu Shu, since you are able to move things through space to a degree, the answer is in front of you. What you need to do is create different spatial clusters where your roots can pierce through and anchor on the starry sky. Every World Tree does it differently. Nevertheless, other than physically elevating your roots, which comes with a myriad of disadvantages, I can’t personally think of any better path.” 

Liu Shu hummed and started thinking about it. ‘I should create these spatial clusters by anchoring them relative to myself. That way, even as we move through space, they will remain relative to my position. After reaching her current level and receiving the influence of the entire world’s momentum, she realized that Ceperet, and the entire solar system for that matter, was moving through space at a rather ridiculous speed.

‘Since we are moving through space, covering large distances will be easier as long as I do it in the opposite direction of our motion. Moreover, since I will be moving through a subdimensional layer, I might… No. Let’s tackle this later.’ 

Liu Shu had read through scientific texts, and she knew that there were theoretical limits for speed and other things. Still, it was a bit too early to think about breaking through those limits. ‘Speaking of those limits… My thoughts and ability to move everything already break a few basic universal laws, don’t they?’ 

A headache appeared in Liu Shu’s mind for a second before she threw it out the window. “Ah! Whatever! I am still too weak to think about those things! Future Liu Shu will probably take care of these things.”

Elyne chuckled as she heard the childish tone. Then, she spoke with a smile. “Liu Shu, since we are speaking about these matters, may we discuss the ranks for your church?” 

“Hm…” Liu Shu was extremely reluctant, but she knew that she couldn’t keep ignoring it after what she did to Elyne. So, she nodded. “Alright… Tell me what you have in mind.”

Elyne chuckled. “Nothing too complicated, don’t worry. We already have a perfectly functional system that will not fail for a long while. So, let’s just copy it. The only thing would be changing a few names.”

“Oh? Which system?”

Hearing Liu Shu’s curiosity, Elyne smiled. “Naturally, I am speaking about the Verdant Sanctity Covenant’s religious administration.” 

“Ohh!” Liu Shu’s eyes lit up, her roots wiggling happily. “Right! We can just copy them! How does it work?” 

Elyne explained the Novice, Disciple, Priest, High Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Verdant Elder, and Verdant Hierarch ranks. Then, she added. “Those can be the normal religious followers. The levels are as I’ve explained. So, for now, our church would only have Novices, with a few people about to reach the Disciple level.”

Liu Shu hummed, and then she tilted her head. “However, that ranking doesn’t fit yours, right? You are my <Eternal Avatar>!” 

Elyne felt fluffy and happy inside when Liu Shu said that she was “hers.” Clearing her throat, Elyne blinked. “You don’t have to worry. We can create special ranks among the clergy. These ranks, I am thinking, are <Saints>, <Avatars>, and <Apostles>. Your <Eternal Saints> will be those with the potential to become <Avatars>. Meanwhile, the <Apostles> will only be appointed by you, and they will be the most special. I recommend not naming more than ten people as <Apostles> to keep the specialness of the position.”

“Hm… Then, how would the Saints and the others compare with those in the normal clergy?”

Elyne tapped her chin. “I would say that, in terms of influence, <Saints> are equal to <Verdant Elders>, and <Avatars> have more influence than <Verdant Hierarchs> and less than <Apostles>.”

“I don’t like Verdant! Let’s change it to fit our church. How about… Golden! Also, are you suggesting that because you don’t want to be under anyone?” 

Elyne stuck out her tongue cutely. “Yes. I feel that <Golden Hierarchs> can become corrupted much more easily than <Eternal Avatars>. So, giving us a bit more influence will be beneficial to cleanse the church if anything similar happens.”

“Wow…” Liu Shu giggled. “You are already looking at the worst-case scenario.” 

Elyne raised her jade-green eyebrow. “If we prepare for the worst, nothing bad will ever happen. At least nothing that can’t be quickly solved.” 

Liu Shu snorted but accepted her words. She also felt that the Eternal Saints, Avatars, and Apostles would be like her roots and branches in the religious organization, while the rest would be a bit separated from her core being.

As she was pondering, she asked, curious. “Will everyone change like you did? If that happens, I won’t be able to appoint Cinderielle and the others…” 

Elyne shook her head. “Apostles won’t change like Saints and Avatars do. The reason is that they will retain much more individuality as they are the closest to you. You can take it as Saints being your branches and roots, Avatars being your substitutes, and Apostles being your core helpers.”

Liu Shu accepted her words and nodded. “Alright! We’ll do as you say. Elyne, I will leave all matters of the church in your hands from now on. Also, don’t forget to inform the Covenant. I don’t want any future misunderstandings.”

Elyne smiled. “Don’t worry, I already sent a letter. It should have already arrived.” 

“Alright! Have fun then spreading the <Eternal Church>’s teachings! Hehehe.”

Elyne laughed. “Oho~. We have a name already. Very nice.” 

Chapter 1362. Aftermath and Information About Tatyana's Whereabouts.

Everyone on the continent and even beyond got alarmed when the dense aura of Tatyana’s attack passed through them. Like a shockwave traveling through the air, it made its presence known by drilling a sensation of dread into everyone who could feel it. 

Ao Jiuyao looked at Yasenia with an extremely complicated mood. He was quite clear about the strength of the Dragon faction in the Blue Pearl World. Nevertheless, the strength shown by the being who descended was especially dreadful, even among Seventh Realm cultivators. 

If they knew that this talisman was something Tatyana had made more than a century ago, before her current breakthrough, they would probably feel a sense of desperation strong enough to give them chills. 

Astarea patted Ao Jiuyao’s back and spoke silently, as if she didn’t want to fall into Yasenia’s gaze again. “Let’s go. We have nothing else to see here.”

Someone by Astarea’s side frowned. “You are being too hasty. There is no way that the dragon girl has more than one of those attack talismans. Each of these is created by an expert and requires quite a big sacrifice. As you’ve seen, the illusory avatar had a trace of intelligence, which means that the powerhouse left a soul thread in them.”

Lataria’s face crumpled in anger as she glared at the male divine who spoke. “If you want to die, speak for yourself! Yasenia was already merciful, leaving us alive. Do you want to prove that her decision was wrong!?” 

Ao Jiuyao sighed and extended his wings. Then, the wine-colored dragon soared and left. “Yasenia, we will meet again. Take care until then, and thank you for your mercy. I’ll make sure those oldies won’t bother you too much.”

Yasenia heard the Dragon’s words but didn’t answer. She just observed as he flew away, carrying the survivors. By her side, the nine remaining people from the Astral Death Sect had yet to stand up, kneeling in Yasenia’s direction. Yasenia turned to look at them and asked. “Tell me, where is she?”

Fu Weiyang took charge, and he spoke solemnly. “Miss Yasenia, Lady Death Empress is not on the Blue Pearl World. However, she is in a linked world, so traveling there won’t take longer than a few years.” 

“Linked world?” Yasenia asked back, confused. 

Fu Weiyang paused, feeling somewhat confused. After all, the existence of linked worlds was common sense that even mortals knew about. Still, he didn’t dare to question her. Even if Yasenia asked him what one plus one was, he would answer it without hesitation! 

“Yes, Miss Yasenia. Linked Worlds are those that have two-way [World Connection Teleportation Formations] linking each other. There are arrays that are one-way but reach much longer distances.”

The dragoness hummed and nodded. “I see. Since this is quite a high-level Heavenly Layer, things like that shouldn’t be too strange. After all, even with large worlds, Seventh Realm cultivators should have enough influence to spread throughout different worlds, right?” 

“It is as you say, Miss Yasenia.” 

Yasenia tapped her chin and asked, curious. “If Tatyana wanted to come here as fast as possible, disregarding everything else, how long would she take?” 

While they all respected Yasenia, there were still some who felt that she was a bit too arrogant. In their minds, it was impossible for an existence so high up to leave everything behind for a disciple. Of course, while they felt dissatisfied, they didn’t dare speak. 

Thankfully, there were those who were attentive during the previous interaction, noticing the oddity between Yasenia and Tatyana’s relationship. Yu Xiaolian and Fu Weiyang were among those who did. It was Yu Xiaolian who answered. “Miss Yasenia, if Lady Death Empress would disregard everything like you said and rush here as fast as possible, she would probably take around one or two months. 

Yasenia nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. “That’s a bit long. But, well, I guess that it’s normal when distances are so vast.”

Another woman in the group couldn’t help but remark. “Miss Yasenia should be prepared to wait a bit longer. It’s unrealistic for Lady Death Empress to leave everything behind to rush here.”

Yasenia’s thoughtful expression paused while the two leaders almost turned to curse at that person. ‘Was your eyesight fed to the dog!? Can’t you see that this girl has a profound relationship with Lady Death Empress!?'

“You, what is your name?” 

When Yasenia asked with a light tone, Yu Xiaolian and Fu Weiyang felt chills climb through their spines. Xiaolian spoke up. “Miss Yasenia, she…”

“Silence.” Yasenia lightly pinned Yu Xiaolian with her gaze before looking at the other woman. The other one frowned and raised her head when she saw the white and blue embroidered shoes stop in front of her.

“This one is named Ye Sixing. I am an elder at the seventh level of the Transcendence Realm.” 

“Oh. So you are durable.” Yasenia answered dryly, and then her tail flashed.

SLAP!

Ye Sixing’s face was slapped sideways, a red mark streaking across her fair and tender skin. Everyone froze, not expecting Yasenia’s actions. The woman was severely stunned as well, her face stuck in the slapped position. 

“You, who I can guess has lived at least over 5,000 years, are acting like a stupid, jealous woman who can’t even fathom the person whom they adore being close to others. This slap is my attempt to wake you up from whatever delusion you are forming in your head and try to look at the real world.”

Ye Sixing looked back at Yasenia stiffly. The dragoness looked down at her coldly. “Am I understood, Ye Sixing? You are all now my subordinates and guardians until Tatyana arrives. I don’t need someone who has even a trace of malice or contempt in that group.”

Ye Sixing lowered her head and spoke. “Yes, Miss Yasenia.”

The dragoness hummed and turned around, her gaze landing on Fu Weiyang. “You are the leader now, right?”

Fu Weiyang answered solemnly. “It is as you say, Miss Yasenia! This one will serve you to the best of one’s capabilities.” 

“Good. I like people who know their place and understand things quickly. Now, all of you rise and guide me to the Astral Death Sect. If we stay here, things will get complicated.” 

When they saw Yasenia look around as she ordered them, they couldn’t help but follow Yasenia’s gaze. The sight around them was truly fearsome. The Death Energy was so dense that natural Undead creatures had begun appearing. Moreover, the massive chasm in the distance looked like a maw ready to swallow the Moon and Sun.  

Yu Xiaolian asked Yasenia, her tone respectful. “Miss Yasenia, how is your speed with a flying sword? If you are slow, I can carry you with me.”

Yasenia felt the provocation with her words. They, after all, would feel disrespectful for someone who was boundlessly arrogant. It was clear that, while Yu Xiaolian was convinced, she was still poking here and there to know about herself deeper.

With a single look, Yu Xiaolian stiffened. That pair of golden dragon eyes looked as if they could pierce deeply into her soul. “I don’t like meaningless personality tests. But you didn’t know that, so I’ll let it slide this once.”

Then, she waved her hand and summoned her flying ship. “I believe none of you is faster than my <Profound Skeletal World Jumping Warship>. We’ll use this to travel unless you have better transportation methods.” 

The second Yasenia summoned the large and luxurious ship, and the elders of the Astral Death Sect became slack-jawed. While the Skeletal Warship was not a Supreme-level treasure, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t valuable. Flying Ships were costly to make, needing endless resources even for a Transcendence-ranked treasure. So, having one close to the Supreme Rank showed deep wealth and background. 

Their expressions gave Yasenia the answer she needed, so she turned and flew on top of it without saying anything else. The nine cultivators looked at each other helplessly before following behind. 

Once abroad, they noticed that it was even larger than it looked. Clearly, it had spatial formations active. Yu Xiaolian coughed and bowed toward Yasenia. “Sorry, Miss Yasenia. I couldn’t control my urge before.”

The dragoness waved her hand and then focused on activating the formations of the ship. Now that she was in the Sixth Realm, she could expertly manipulate the formations that previously took terrible strain. “Place the location on the map.”

Seeing nothing similar, they were about to ask what map, only to feel a strange pulse spread out from the center of the ship. Then, in front of Yasenia, a three-dimensional map of the world, several tens of millions of kilometers around her, spread out. While it couldn’t show the entirety of the Blue Pearl World, it was enough to capture their current continent and those around it. 

Not hearing an answer, Yasenia blinked and turned to look at the group. They were all staring stupidly at the map. She frowned a bit, confused. ‘Is this type of ship not common even in a higher Heaven Layer?’ 

“Ahem. Directions.” 

The nine cultivators snapped out of their daze and quickly recovered their indifferent expressions. Fu Weiyang stepped forward and poked at a point at the edge of the map. “The Astral Death Sect is in this direction, Miss Yasenia. We are located on the 42nd Continent.” 

“42nd position…” Yasenia recalled in her mind as she manipulated the movement formations. “If I remember correctly, numbers 200th and beyond are low-class, from 199th to 100th are middle-class continents, from 100th to the 40th, there must be one Law-Creator at the very least. Then, to be qualified 40th and lower, there must be one Demigod living on the continent among the Law Creators… right?” 

“You are right, Miss Yasenia.” Fu Weiyang added. “Those in the 10th position and below have multiworld connections besides one or more leaders who managed to become Demigods. They are essentially the protectors of the Blue Pearl World against foreign invasions.”

“I see.” Yasenia moved one finger up through a formation, and suddenly, the Skeletal Warship burst forward, its shields soaking up all the acceleration momentum and making them feel absolutely nothing. “I didn’t know about that information. But, since Tatyana is your leader, wouldn’t it be correct for the Astral Death Sect to be located in the top forty?” 

Fu Weiyang smiled. “That would be the case if we were a main branch. The Astral Death Sect is one of the branches that a subordinate of Lady Death Empress started.”

Yasenia blinked, tilting her head. “A Law-Creator subordinate?” Puzzlement flashed in her eyes. “Since when did she have any at that level?”

Since Tatyana stuck herself to the Sky Continent, which prohibited ascension to the Seventh Realm through normal means, Tatyana’s strongest subordinates had always been at the peak of the Transcendence Realm. Of course, not counting those from the [Underworld]. 

Yu Xiaolian answered, her voice full of worship. “Lady Death Empress appeared a few decades ago in our home world, and she directly beat the God of Light, taking over his domain. From then on, Lady Death Empress went from power to power, beating up all the Seventh Realm cultivators until they submitted to her. It wasn’t until around ten years ago that many of them gathered and tried besieging her in a group.”

Yasenia showed concern. “That did happen? Is she okay?”

Yu Xiaolian chuckled. “Lady Death Empress summoned a mysterious, robed, skeletal undead holding a complicated staff, and overwhelmed everyone. From then on, Lady Death Empress became the ruler of the world. The Ruby Mountain Emperor’s family accepted her rule strangely easily. Rumors say that Lady Death Empress made a deal with him. Some even say that she might’ve betrothed herself to the Emperor to avoid an all-out war.” 

Yu Xiaolian sighed emotionally. “Truthfully, no one other than Lord Ruby Mountain Emperor is worthy of someone as high and mighty as Lady Death Empress.” 

Yasenia almost choked, and she instantly became angry. Not because she believed the rumors, but just because those rumors existed. ‘I’ll have to beat her up once we meet. First, that whatever saint, and now an emperor? Attracting all kinds of swallows and orioles, hmph! Now that my Dragon form is small… Hehe, you'd better prepare yourself, Tatyana.’ 

The nine Astral Death Sect elders turned silent as Yasenia’s tail rhythmically struck the ground in a rotating motion, showing anger, while her lips arched menacingly into a cold smile. 

In the distance, a certain black-haired, red-eyed woman traveling through the stars suddenly sneezed. “Huh? Is Little Treasure speaking of me? But… Why do I feel a strange chill up my spine instead of happiness?”

Chapter 573. Heavenly Willow Eternal Cathedral. [AotSC]

“Everyone is silently training to become Level 100, so I should focus on myself in the meantime.” 

After waking up, Liu Shu initially wanted to spend time with her core family. To interact with her children and grandchildren, Liu Shu used her subconscious processes. It felt the easiest and the best. Also, while she didn’t really want to, paying attention to her increasingly large family tree was slightly difficult. 

Overall, Liu Shu’s number of alraune children was 123—a very nice number in Liu Shu’s opinion. Moreover, even the youngest among them was over 11 years old, with Dewna, the oldest, having her 46th birthday not too long ago. 

On average, her <Alraune> children had three or four partners, the <Farlune> had fewer, between two and three, while the <Sylphaiths> rarely managed to have one partner. Their monstrous exterior made it a bit of a challenge to gain affection from most of the population. Finally, the Sanguine Blazes were all monogamous, with a strong leading partner.

Looking at a few of the Sanguine Blazes gathering together with their partners, Liu Shu almost laughed. Every one of their partners was either female or male, but all shared one trait. They were tall, confident, and competitive. 

‘They are really picky, aren’t they? Hahaha.’ 

If someone heard her thoughts, they would deadpan and point at her four gorgeous Sylvan wives. 

‘In comparison, the <Alraune> and <Farlune> have a great variety of tastes. As for my <Sylphaith> babies… Strangely, their partners are quite good-looking. Do good-looking people search for exciting partners? The most beautiful among my daughters and sons-in-law is probably Sylvia’s wife.’ 

The woman looked truly perfect. She was slightly above average in height, with smooth midnight black hair, and enchanting light-grey phoenix eyes. Her natural red lips, soft nose, willowy eyebrows, and long eyelashes felt like a work of art crafted by a higher existence. Then, her body was neither too curvy nor too slim, maintaining perfect proportions with long legs.

Even Liu Shu had to admit defeat in terms of raw beauty in front of this girl. ‘...So, who is this? Is it strange for me to think that someone like her doesn’t really look like a woman who would love someone like my baby Sylvia?’ 

Strangely, there was no sense of incongruity. The girl confidently hugged Sylvia’s waist, making the poor <Sylphaith> shy all over and behave like an obedient little wife. Sylvia’s purplish-grey-colored skin looked much darker than usual, clearly blushing, but her abnormally large eyes were full of smiles and love. 

When the gorgeous girl moved her storm-colored eyes to Sylvia, they softened from their usual aloofness, showing a pampering look. Liu Shu swore that she could see Sylvia melt in real time under the woman’s gaze. ‘Oh dear, my baby Sylvia is about to explode from shyness. Are they newlyweds?’ 

She searched the family registry and noticed that they’ve been formally married for over 6 years! ‘Her name is Luniere Nocthaze, and she comes from a lineage with a recent World Tree ancestor. That World Tree died under the Abyssal Void Nexus around four hundred years ago… Luniere is a Sylvan, 72 years older than Sylvia…’  

An unbearable itch to stalk them around appeared in Liu Shu’s mind, but she held it in. ‘Alright, she is your daughter; you can’t stalk her in her private time! The background doesn’t seem to have any problem, so swallow your curiosity! …How did they get to know each other? ARGH! I AM TOO CURIOUS! Where did this perfect beauty even come from!?’

After chanting mantras to hold back her urge, she moved away from the loving couple with endless reluctance. Instead, she searched for Elyne and quickly contacted her.

“Elyne, I have questions!”

Noticing the slight urge in Liu Shu’s tone, Elyne turned serious. She didn’t know that the urging tone was because our dear World Tree was trying her best to divert her attention from her daughter’s relationship. 

“Tell me, Liu Shu; I will answer the best that I can.” 

“Alright…” Liu Shu was about to ask when she noticed the structure Elyne stood in. She was instantly shocked. “...When did you build a building almost as large as the Colosseum!? This isn’t a church! It’s an ancient cathedral made of wood!”

The structure was almost 400 meters in height, towering even above the <Town Hall> structures. Its shape was very different from the other buildings, showing highly decorated pillars on the exterior with massive arches and glass windows. The level of detail placed the building beyond the level of a structure, entering the level of an art piece. 

“Huh?” Elyne blinked innocently. “Didn’t you help me build it? I even communicated with you during the construction, and you told me not to worry about the budget. So, I used 56 <Arbor> to build this with all A Rank materials from the World Tree materials you had stored and mixed it with yours. The result is quite good.”

“Fifty-six…” Liu Shu was instantly stunned, and she quickly checked on their past conversations. 

Elyne: “Liu Shu, let’s build a nice church building! Give me a location that’s a bit isolated to give it a sense of sacredness!”

Liu Shu: “Alright!”

Elyne: “Liu Shu, can we use slightly nicer materials? I promise you won’t regret it!”

Liu Shu: “Go ahead!”

Elyne: “Liu Shu, if we want to not bother with expansions, we should make it a bit bigger. What do you think? I can also add some nice details. I promise it will look nice.”

Liu Shu: “I don’t mind it. Use my roots as you please.”

The more Liu Shu recalled their conversations, the more she wanted to cry. ‘I didn’t expect that my reluctance in participating in the building’s construction would lead to a megastructure that doesn’t lose out even in front of my <Temples>!’

Filled with trepidation, Liu Shu analyzed it.

[Level 100 Heavenly Willow Eternal Cathedral (A+ Tier)] 

[Description: It is a religious structure built to worship and gather faith for their holy being, the Heavenly Willow Tree Tianlian Liu Shu. Built from the remains of corrupted and natural World Trees and then mixed with Tianlian Liu Shu’s roots, the building encompasses both extremes of purity and sin. It has the ability to guard against those who want to harm the World Tree. Additionally, it can also cleanse or punish those whose faith becomes tainted or who have impure thoughts.] 

[Due to the quality, size, and quantity of materials, this structure developed two active <Rune Fields>: a natural one and one created by the <Otherworldly Rune and Nature Empire> talent.]

[<World Faith Gathering Rune Field>.]

[<Holy Hierarchy Rune Field>.]

<World Faith Gathering Rune Field>: As the center of faith for the World Tree, it can use the Heavenly Willow’s very roots to connect with nodes and suck the <Faith Essence> from all over the world, delivering it directly to the World Tree. Additionally, it increases the <Faith Purity> output by 10% and makes it easier for believers to receive blessings according to the strength of their faith.

<Holy Hierarchy Rune Field>: You can appoint different high-class followers with authority to manage your church and receive buffs accordingly. The current levels have not yet been decided.

Liu Shu almost flipped a mountain. “What is this!?”

Elyne puffed her chest proudly. “Your church!”

“What church!? You created a megastructure comparable to a <Temple>!”

Liu Shu’s mind was almost short-circuiting. How could this woman pop up with Temple-level structures just because she wanted to? Did she think that a <Temple> was something easy to create!? 

Elyne also looked emotional. “I also didn’t expect it to end up so well. I tried my best to interlock it with your energies, and it became quite a masterpiece. Who knew that adding the core of a Level 120 World Tree in the mix would make something this good? Moreover, it can grow, can’t it?”

“... You added what?” Liu Shu didn’t know how to react to this woman! ‘Is this how my family feels each time I break the news of my advancement?’

A sense of melancholy and sympathy appeared in Liu Shu’s core. 

After that, Liu Shu sighed and accepted the new structure that appeared quite literally out of nowhere. “Alright… Then I should appoint you as the highest authority, right?”

“No!” Elyne instantly rattled her head from side to side. “The highest authority must be yourself. That way, you can always stomp down any rogue church person who dares to become blasphemous!” 

Liu Shu hummed. “Alright… How do I do that?”

Elyne smiled widely and answered. “Who knows?” 

Thankfully, Liu Shu was anchored to the core of the planet, or her body would’ve fallen even while standing in place! Lamenting about the strange existence she attracted to become her religious leader, Liu Shu’s gaze pierced into the complex <Runic Fields>. It wasn’t until almost three weeks had passed that she deciphered how to use them. Usually, it would take much longer. Thankfully, the <Runic Fields> were made out of, well, herself. So, it was much easier. 

“Hm… I can divide the ability to administer my own <Faith Essence> to people according to the levels. These people will then become something like priests who can harness part of my overall strength… I understand. The maximum authority can harness up to 20% of my total <Faith Essence>, while I can share with all church members a total of 49% <Faith Essence>...”

After reading through the meaning of the runes, Liu Shu felt strange. ‘Why such a specific number? Is it a problem if more than half of the essence is held by the people?’ 

She wouldn’t doubt something that was done by herself, so she made sure always to remember not to give over half of her <Essence> to the people, just in case. 

“Then…” Liu Shu nodded, and suddenly, the space around Elyne congested. Energies all around the cathedral swirled, pouring into Elyne at an incredible pace. Elyne’s eyes opened wide as she looked skyward. 

Her gaze suddenly flashed, detaching from her usual sight as she felt the very pulse of the World Tree and looked at the world through Liu Shu’s eyes. She noticed Liu Shu not interlocking with the surface, but with the entire Ceperet Planet. The sight of oceans, mountains, rivers, underwater magma, the heat of the core, and the motion of the planet. Everything fell into her gaze for a second, and then, she heard a word that felt as if it was coming out of Ceperet itself.

“Elyne Mossheart, you are now one of my <Eternal Avatars>, a being only below the <Eternal Apostles> and myself. Accept the blessing and lead the church well.” 

Elyne’s mind, even as a <Sixth Energy Cycle>, was almost fried as Liu Shu’s existence poured into her body. Then, endless energy engulfed her, and the system went crazy. 

[Congratulations! You’ve gained <Title: Avatar Of The Eternal Cathedral>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve gained <Title: Religious Leader>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve gained the <Passive Skill: Eternal Avatar (S+ Tier Level MAX)>] 

<Avatar Of The Eternal Cathedral>: While residing inside the <Cathedral> or fighting for the being of your worship, you gain several bonuses. +10% Stats. +10% Comprehension Rate. +10% Learning Rate. +100% Recovery Rate. Cleansing and immunity to corruption, curses, and any death-inducing affliction.

<Religious Leader>: Those following your same religion will listen attentively to your words. Your influence over them is increased as long as your goals align with the being you worship. 

<Eternal Avatar>: Becoming the <Avatar> of the Heavenly Willow Tree, you are now able to use the unique <Eternal> attribute through your faith. Using it without the help of the <Faith Essence> will result in severe backlash, with death as the worst side effect. 

Chapter 1361. [Divine Lich Avatar Descent Talisman]

When Yasenia began speaking, Ao Jiuyao knew what was about to happen. So, he instantly transformed into his massive dragon form and carried everyone who was his ally out of there at his top speed.

Astarea was confused, but seeing the horrified look in Jiuyao’s dragon face as Yasenia raised her hand and channeled her energy, she didn’t say a single word. Instead, she looked on at Yasenia’s actions. 

And then, Yasenia ended her speech.

“...Activate, [Divine Lich Avatar Descent Talisman].” 

The paper made of unknown precious materials lit up as Yasenia picked it from between her breasts and raised it to the sky. Then, the talisman’s influence pulsed out and gathered energy from hundreds of thousands of kilometers around them. 

Everyone who wanted to leave now couldn’t. The pressure from the world itself pressed down on them. In the distance, Ao Jiuyao managed to slowly crawl away from the central area, his gigantic wine-red dragon body moving with extreme difficulty. 

Astarea grunted, her mouth almost unable to move. “What is… happening?” 

Ao Jiuyao answered with difficulty. “That crazy child has activated a life-saving treasure.” 

Lataria, who was currently flattened against Ao Jiuyao’s back, spoke muffledly. “Are you sure… It isn’t a life-ending treasure!?” 

Meanwhile, those from the Astral Death Sect looked at Yasenia’s floating back with fear in their eyes. They had not expected Yasenia to have a talisman of this quality. ‘What is happening? Why does this energy feel so familiar?’ 

Yasenia looked around coldly, her face full of indifference. “You forced me; remember this.” 

The energies that were whirling in the sky condensed, and from them, a single being appeared.

The terrifyingly powerful being was a woman wearing a royal-red dress. The upper part of the garment framed her shapely breasts, leaving her stomach and torso bare, yet nothing about the design felt like simple seduction. Below, a thick and voluminous crimson skirt fluttered with the overwhelming energy that engulfed her entire form.

Black accessories inlaid with jade jewels adorned the otherwise scarlet attire, and her proportions were so perfect that every other woman present suddenly seemed lacking.

Then, the mist veiling her face dispersed.

The woman, who descended like a goddess of death walking straight out of the underworld, radiated a presence that was blinding to behold. Her beauty could only be described as violently gorgeous. Aloof, regal eyes, blood-red orbs leaking faint crimson fumes that streaked through the air as she looked down, captured all attention. Yet every divine feature was steeped in a coldness so absolute that only Death’s embrace could be compared to it.

Yasenia looked up at that figure and her eyes teared up slightly. How much did she miss her? How much she wanted to rush forward and pounce into her loving arms? However, she knew that this was a mere illusion, like the reflection of the moon on the surface of the lake. 

If Yasenia felt emotional, the Astral Death Group was petrified. They had not expected their supreme leader, the Death Empress herself, to descend with a simple call from Yasenia. 

Shen Baihu, especially, was currently trembling as he lowered his body in reverence.

As the image that descended looked around, it seemed to notice that there was no immediate danger. Therefore, with a single step, she disappeared and reappeared in front of Yasenia. This action stunned Yasenia. 

The woman who felt as if the entire world could only drag its bodies under her feet smiled faintly. “Was it too difficult?”

“Huh?” The dragoness couldn’t react when Tatyana’s voice reached her. 

Tatyana’s avatar chuckled and lightly pinched Yasenia’s cheek. “Silly girl. Tell me, who bullied you? I will get rid of everyone who dared put you in danger.”

Yasenia looked around her and felt some grievances appear in her heart. Now with her mother seemingly present, Yasenia pointed out and whined. “They are all bullying me! They want to kill me for my treasures!”

Tatyana’s expression turned cold as she turned around. “I understand. Don’t worry, Little Treasure, no one will dare steal what’s yours now that I am here.” 

“W-Wait!” Ralgar, the demon who had followed the group to besiege Yasenia, felt his intestines twist in regret. “E-Exalted Venerable, we were unaware that she had your protection! Please spare us!”

Tatyana’s eyes glanced over, and the second she did, her soul pressure descended on top of Ralgar with the weight of a thousand mountains. The Demon Monarch’s expression changed as he was forcefully slammed against the ground.

BOOM!

“You dared bully this eminence’s precious. Yet you still are trying to ask for mercy? Ridiculous!” Her blood-red eyes then pierced through space as she looked at Ao Jiuyao’s figure, trying to escape. 

“What about that dragon, Little Treasure?” 

Ao Jiuyao thought that he was far enough, but when he heard these words, he felt his entire heart chill. Lataria and Astarea’s faces also crumpled; they had not expected this young dragon to have such backing! This time, they all kicked a steel plate with thorns!

Yasenia’s eyes looked cold. Ao Jiuyao quickly spoke. “Yasenia! Please have mercy. We were all here with the intention of recruiting you into our power. We didn’t want to forcefully steal from you!” 

Yasenia asked back, her lips arched in a faint sneer. “What if I refused everyone like I did? Astarea said it well. ‘If I refuse everyone here, I will die.’ Didn’t she?”

Astarea really wanted to bite her own tongue! However, would Yasenia forgive them?

Lataria’s voice pierced the space. “Yasenia, please! Forgive us this once! I swear that I never had any intentions of letting you suffer! The Divines will also become grateful if you spare us!”

The dragoness looked at Lataria and also recalled that she was constantly against it. ‘If I kill everyone but Lataria, she will resent me either way. So, if I choose to spare Lataria, I should also spare the others… However, how influential are they truly?’ 

Tatyana spoke at this time. “Are you trying to create a power in this place?” 

Yasenia blinked, confused. “No, I am not.”

Tatyana asked again. “Are you trying to stay permanently in this place?”

“No…”

“Then, what does it matter if you anger them or not? They are inconsequential to you since you will be leaving either way, aren't they?”

Yasenia became silent. Tatyana’s words were ruthless but true. She, whom the Death Empress raised, naturally found them logical as well. Moreover, Yasenia had never been a warm-hearted person toward those who attacked her. There have been exceptions, but those exceptions worked immensely for years while sacrificing a lot just to earn Yasenia’s partial forgiveness. All of that on top of very special conditions and situations.

Seeing coldness seep deeply within Yasenia’s golden eyes, Lataria’s heart squeezed. “Does… our friendship mean nothing?” 

Tatyana squinted at Lataria for a second, but she didn’t interrupt again. She was unaware of Yasenia’s situation, as she was nothing but a soul-strand that the real Tatyana sealed within the talisman.

The dragoness heard pleas of mercy all around, while the ten people from the Astral Death Sect stayed prostrate, unwilling to raise their heads in Tatyana’s presence.

Seeing this scene, her heart felt stifled and angry. “Would any of you have forgiven me if I pleaded to keep the treasures? Would any of you protect me from those attacking me for those treasures? In this place, there are only 10 people who might’ve reacted like that!”

Yasenia’s words were directed at Lataria and all the Astral Death Sect people except Shen Baihu. His attitude was apparent from the beginning, as he never really liked her.

Still, as she wanted to be completely ruthless, there was one very small chain that pulled her heart. ‘If I annihilate everyone here, they will probably unleash their stifled anger on the Star Immortal Sect.’ 

While they didn’t treat her exemplarily, Yasenia linked with people whom she could confidently call friends in that sect. She even had a little disciple whose connection with her had yet to disappear. 

So, after taking a deep breath, Yasenia’s judgment descended. “Kill everyone except the nine people from the Astral Death Sect I am marking and the people on top of the scarlet dragon’s back.” 

There were divines whom Ao Jiuyao didn’t manage to pick up in his hasty retreat. However, the dragoness didn’t care. After all, among them, there was the red-winged Divine who attacked her before. So, those could die for all she cared.

“Hmm…” Tatyana glanced at Yasenia with a squint and muttered. “You’ve become quite soft-hearted. But, while your words are somewhat soft-hearted, they are ruthless enough.”  

“Wait!”

“Yasenia! Please have mercy!” 

By Yasenia’s side, Fu Weiyang spoke hastily. “Yasenia, forgive Shen Baihu. He is just a bit too serious!”

“I don’t like that.” Yasenia glared at the man prostrating himself. “The fact that he attacked me once is enough for him to die. Also, I don’t like how he thinks of himself as someone who can decide for Tatyana. So, he will die here.”  

Her way of choosing who lived and died was utterly arbitrary, but Yasenia didn’t care. This is what made her heart the most comfortable. 

Tatyana raised her hand, Fate and Death Energies gathering around her. Then, her power surged and pierced the world’s very essence. 

“For my power, I command…” 

Like a chant carrying the words of a thousand wailing ghosts, Tatyana’s death energy pierced a hole in the sky as the gates of the [Underworld] manifested.

“...A terrible Fate looms.”

As Death and Fate energies spiralled all around Tatyana’s being, no one could move. With a wave of Tatyana’s hand, all beings whom Yasenia condemned were shifted in space and appeared gathered in a group a few thousand kilometers away from Yasenia.

“...From the World, I demand…”

The sky above the hundreds of people changed, and Shen Baihu looked at the sky with a reverent expression. There was only madness in his eyes as Tatyana’s power gathered. 

“...To bring these fools doom.”

The massive gates of the [Underworld] opened, the creaking sound making the souls of all living beings tremble. Behind them, darkness so deep that it felt as if it could swallow all life, revealed itself. 

When the doors fully opened, Tatyana’s eyes glowed with scarlet light as she made a descending motion with her hand.

“[Death Empress Decree: Underworld’s Condemnation].” 

With her words, a black pillar that connected the sky and earth manifested silently. No large explosion, no massive shockwave. A silent pillar of pure death that swallowed the world and absorbed all light. 

The pillar’s ridiculously pure Death Energy infected everything in hundreds of thousands of kilometers around the impact zone, transforming more than half of the continent in just a few instants. 

After the pillar disappeared, what remained was a perfectly circular abyss, with no trace of anyone whom Yasenia condemned.

Tatyana looked at Yasenia and smiled. “Since you’ve used this, I will come find you soon. Take care, Little Treasure.”

Yasenia nodded, a sweet smile appearing on her lips. She whispered so that only Tatyana heard her. “Thank you, Mom. I love you.” 

Chapter 572. Mountains Of Berries! The Sylvans' Peculiar Ascension Path. [AotSC]

After speaking with the Dragon, Liu Shu touched on her berry production and added the <Eternity Strand> cost into the calculations. However, as she did so, the large numbers began bothering her a little bit. “I can produce so many fruits… Will they even be able to get them all? I feel that it is impossible.” 

Liu Shu, instead of doing calculations with raw numbers, decided to divide the costs and use percentages. That way, she would be able to allocate her available regeneration much more easily. “Let’s see, for starters, let’s give the <Delicious Berry> a total of 20% of my energy capability. After doing the math, I can produce… 82,815,561 <Delicious Fruits>... per hour. This translates to 12.4 billion <Delicious Fruits> monthly.” 

After Liu Shu realized the sheer amount of fruit she could produce with just 20% of her energy, her mouth became a bit dry. “That’s an insane amount, no?” 

If it were without her regeneration boosts, she guessed that the numbers wouldn’t be this ridiculous. However, with an 800% boost to her regeneration, it didn’t just translate into better battle efficiency; it poured over to her berry production with incredible momentum.

Liu Shu slowly did all the numbers, and after a while, she realized another thing. “Oh… My babies won’t really be able to take the same proportion of my production compared to before, either. Right? So, I need to tweak the numbers here. Since I have an 800% boost… Does that mean that my babies produce at a ninth of their previous pace…? Yes. After all, an 800% boost means a 9x, my base production plus the 8 times from the boosts.” 

Liu Shu tweaked all her mental calculations with ridiculous processing speed. The numbers slowly came to her, and eventually, she smiled. “Alright. I’ve allocated all percentages. The results are… Show me, system.” 

[Showing Tianlian Liu Shu’s personal berry monthly production, leaving aside enough energy always to produce <Eternity Strands>. Current production from local <Lignified> species is equal to 1.1 times Tianlian Liu Shu’s personal production.]

<Delicious Berry (20%)>: 12.4 billion (12,422,334,150)

<Phoer Berry (10%)>: 6.2 billion (6,211,167,150)

<Mana Berry (10%)>: 6.2 billion (6,211,167,150) 

<Energy Berry (10%)>: 6.2 billion (6,211,167,150)

<Breakthrough Berry (5%)>: 628,290

<Resonant Berry (2%)>: 84.8 million (84,878,068)

<Refinement Berry (2%)>: 84.8 million (84,878,068)

<Affinity Berry (2%)>: 84.8 million (84,878,068)

<Palace Berry (2%)>: 84.8 million (84,878,068)

<Energy Cycle Experience Berry (5%)>: 987,886

<Cerulean Bloodfruit (5%)>: 258,199

<Element Lord Fruit (10%)>: 668,089

<Focus Fruit (11%)>: 1,133,450

Total Percentage: 89%. The final 11% will be reserved for the <Eternity Strand>. 

Liu Shu hummed a few times after seeing the final numbers. Then, she looked around the city and searched for Flor. Once she found her, she spoke lightly. “Um… Flor. If the berries I can produce are in the tens of billions, what should we do?”

Flor, who was playing with one of her great-grandsons, froze in place. Then, she blurted out her honest feelings from the bottom of her soul. “Reduce it.”

“U-Uh?” Liu Shu was baffled by the answer. 

“Please reduce it!” Flor begged, tears almost gathering in her eyes. “How are we supposed to collect tens of billions of fruits monthly from a World Tree that’s 9,000 meters tall! Just flying up and down ONCE takes a while, not to mention the number of times they must do it because of the sheer amount of berries!

Liu Shu coughed a bit. She could actually reduce the number. However, she was reluctant. “Isn’t having over 12 billion <Delicious Fruits> monthly good? We can feed a sizable army to have them constantly Leveling Up, can’t we?” 

“We could do that…” Flor nodded. 

Right after, the child in her arms patted Flor’s shoulder and asked innocently. “Great-grandma Flor, why do you look like you're about to cry?” 

Flor looked down and showed a smile uglier than crying. “Because great-grandma is happy.”

“Oh!” The little bun smiled widely and nodded. “That’s good!”

Liu Shu looked at that with an awkward expression. “Ahem… I could reduce it. I just have to use higher percentages of my energy on costlier fruits. That way, there will be much fewer berries to worry about.” 

Flor reached to the side, taking a sip from the teacup. Liu Shu blinked, confused. ‘Huh? Where did the teacup come from? Wasn’t that small table empty a second ago?’ 

After drinking, Flor muttered, awed. “After you reached Level 100, this tea is truly—”

[Congratulations! You’ve triggered a random <Eternal> attribute buff. You won’t age for the next three months!]

Flor almost dropped her teacup. “WHAT IS HAPPENING!? AHHH!”

The great-grandson clapped. “Wow! Great-grandma is doing flips in the air! So fun!” 

Liu Shu felt her lips twitch for a second, wanting to burst into laughter. However, she knew that if she did so, Flor would spank her… somehow.

After thinking for a few moments, she used her roots to create a table with the numbers for her berries. “Ahem. Flor, that’s the table with the new numbers. Do… As you please with it.”

The Flower Fairy continued spinning in the air. “I WILL LOSE MORE LIFESPAN THAN I GAIN FROM THESE BUFFS! AHHHH!!”

So, guiltily leaving behind a spinning fairy, she moved to look for her dears. While she had been awake, her lovers had yet to come into her <Core Room>, so she was curious as to why. 

After searching throughout her domain, she was able to find one of the four. “Hello, Cinderielle!” 

The tall, elegant, and red-haired Sylvan blinked and smiled. “Tiantian, how are you doing?” 

Cinderielle was currently in the forest surrounding the city, scorching a few <Fourth Energy Cycle> beasts that had appeared. While this was usually the job of the <Explorer Association>, Liu Shu’s growth had made it a bit hard to keep under control. After the Level 100 power-up, all her titles and abilities influenced her surroundings much more, giving birth to stronger monsters.

There were rumors around that the <Fifth Energy Cycle> natural monsters were about to pop into existence at any moment. Hence, to not cause any problems, the government moved the armies together with the <Explorer Association> to clean up the surroundings. They didn’t mind if the affected places were remote, but when the trade routes became affected, it was a problem that couldn’t be ignored. 

“I am doing great! Sorting out my domain so that I can forget about it and look at how to start spreading out…” 

Cinderielle jumped, dodging the pounce of a large tiger-like beast, and then summoned a house-sized fireball.  

BOOM!

The tiger was blasted away, its body full of scorch marks. “That’s great to hear… Wait, it’s not!” The Fire Sylvan glanced over at the giant tree in the distance, a wall of fire blocking the attacks from the outside. “What do you mean that you are still clueless as to how to stretch your roots out?” 

Liu Shu spoke with a pouty tone. “Why? Can’t I struggle? There is no guidance at all on how to extend beyond the planetary level. So, I am having a hard time with it! I can’t just… I don’t know, create a pillar of roots that pierces into the sky, right?”

“Why not? That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” 

Cinderielle moved the firewall and mixed a foreign energy, creating a faint multicolored glow. The fire leaped into the form of different beasts, swallowing the pack of wolves that came to attack her.  

Liu Shu observed the agile dance of her lover. When she heard her question, she chuckled. “Do you know how sturdy I must make those pillars? Not to mention… It is ugly! There must be another way to reach space without creating a spiky planet!” 

Seeing that there were no more beasts, Cinderielle landed on the ground and smiled wryly. “Love, you can’t really expect to have everything aesthetically pleasing, right? Sometimes, rough work is more than needed.”

“I refuse!” Liu Shu harrumphed. “With my skills, there must be a way to do it!”

Cinderielle chuckled and extended her hand to touch one of Liu Shu’s roots that poked out of the ground. “Alright, alright. My love is always right. Still, I think that creating large root spores that spread once outside the atmosphere is not a bad idea. You can even sort those spires through spatial sections. That way, you will have them rely on information orderly from different space locations.”

“But what about the World’s rotation? Such big structures might throw the entire ecosystem out of balance!”

The Fire Sylvan snorted. “Love, you ARE the ecosystem. You can throw it off-balance and then fix it. There are no problems at all!”

“...” 

Liu Shu blinked in her mind a few times. “Well… you are right… But!”

“Alright, alright.” Cinderielle smiled and kissed the root. “Tell me, dear. Why have you searched for me? There must be something, right?”

“Yeah…” Liu Shu asked, somewhat timidly. “Why have none of you come to my <Core Room> ever since I’ve awakened? Do you not want to have more children? Even if you don’t, you can come visit my Avatar, right…?” 

Cinderielle was startled. “Oh, dear. You were worrying about this?”

“Well… Not worrying, but I am a bit confused.” 

Hearing Liu Shu’s timid voice, Cinderielle felt her heart soften. “Love. We are not going because we want to cross into Level 100 as fast as possible. From what I know, all four of us have enough Experience to reach it. Nevertheless, we are waiting and fighting outside to consolidate our foundation before doing so. We want to have as high an Energy Cycle as possible.”

Getting the answer, Liu Shu let go of her worries and sighed in relief. “That’s great. But, if you want to Level Up, isn’t it better to go to the <Dungeon> in the <Origin Water Continent>?” 

Cinderielle nodded. “We are rotating our turns monthly. This month is my turn to take care of our work in Golden Sap City. If you want to search for those three, you’ll have to wait until they come out of the <Dungeon>.” 

“Oh… I see.”

Hearing the clear, depressed tone, Cinderielle laughed and smiled. “Do you want me to go for a little while? To be honest, our Evol… Ah, right, the name was different. Our <Ascension Paths> are quite similar, which is probably a result of us being your wives.”

“Oh?” Liu Shu asked, curious. “What are they called?”

Cinderielle sighed. “While we have many options, the comparison between ‘That’ option and the others is just too large. So, I will only say the shared option. In my case, it is called [Infant Thermis Chaos Sylvan (Mythical)]. The others similarly have an <Infant> stage and <Mythical> rarity species with the Chaos modifier.”

“Infant…” Liu Shu asked, confused. “Will you become a young girl after you evolve?”

Cinderielle burst into laughter. “I won’t. Have you returned to your child form after becoming a Sapling, dear? The age is more to show the potential of the species. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can go from a high-maturity form to a younger one. Only, the chances are much lower.” 

Liu Shu hummed. “I see… Huh? How do you know that my species is a Sapling Stage form?”

Cinderielle blinked innocently. “Hm? I can read your <System Page>. That’s why.”

“...” Liu Shu asked, baffled. “Since when?”

The Fire Sylvan smiled happily. “Since I unlocked the <Hidden Title> after our first steamy session~.”

“...” Liu Shu didn’t know what to say. ‘I guess love does miracles.’ 

***

Author Note: Sorry for the delaaaay! QAQ! 

Chapter 1360. Surrounded and Forced Into Action.

“You. What did you say your leader is called?”  

Shen Baihu frowned when Yasenia asked that question. Looking at her pair of intense golden slit eyes, he knew that the title resonated with the dragon girl. Still, Shen Baihu, who adored Tatyana like an untouchable goddess, didn’t like her tone. “You'd better be respectful, dragon. While our Sect Leader, who is one of the branch masters personally selected by Lady Death Empress, asked us to search for someone with your traits, that doesn’t mean that you are worthy!” 

Yasenia’s intense gaze cooled down. That gaze was so piercingly cold that those looking felt a prickle in their eyes. “I didn’t really confirm my doubts until now because you all didn’t really act how Tatyana’s subordinates usually would. However, it seems that the rotten apple managed to become the leader this time around, making things overly complicated!”

After hearing Shen Baihu’s answer, Yasenia quickly discerned everything that had happened until that point. She understood why she fell unwillingly into the [Star Breaker Realm Bead]; she also understood why she was so easily found when she hid rather perfectly, and she finally knew that her current situation was due to this man adding some ridiculous personal feelings in his quest. 

Shen Baihu’s face turned extremely angry at Yasenia’s comments, and he palmed forward. “You dare speak her name!? Who gave you the authority!? [Blood Death Palm]!”

Being the only Level 9 Transcendence Cultivator around, his strength was also the most extraordinary. When his palm moved, the Death Energy in the surroundings manifested, twisted, evolved, multiplied, and finally formed into a black palm that blotted the sky.

This single attack was the strongest attack Yasenia had ever received. Fu Weiyang, Yu Xiaolian, and the others opened their eyes widely. “Shen Baihu! STOP!” 

Nobody had expected that he would suddenly attack—no one but Yasenia. While she was young in comparison to these old monsters, she dealt with overly zealous people far too many times. 

Even before Baihu completed his palm strike, Yasenia used 10 barrier talismans at once to block the attack. 

The gargantuan palm strike instantly struck the ten-layered barrier, the barriers breaking one after another and showing just how ridiculously strong Shen Baihu was. Thankfully, the attack only pierced nine of the barriers before stopping, leaving Yasenia relatively uninjured. 

Of course, since Yasenia was maintaining them with her energy, she received backlash each time a barrier was destroyed with too much force. Her inner organs ruptured, forcing out a mouthful of blood. “Cough!” 

With a serious expression, Yasenia quickly used a healing talisman, recovering from her internal injuries. ‘If I blocked one of his attacks, this man will probably use another two or three of them before he is satisfied. All of them are ridiculous like that.’ 

She only had five barrier talismans left. So, she couldn’t use the same tactic again. 

As she was preparing to use other life-saving treasures, Fu Weiyang, slightly weaker than Shen Baihu, stepped forward and tightly grabbed his colleague’s wrist. His eyes were burning with anger as he shouted. “How dare you attack the person that Sect Master told us to protect!!? While I didn’t agree, I allowed you to make those little tests because stepping in at the right moment and saving her was more than possible! Moreover, if she overcame them, you would have nothing to say, and things would go smoothly later. But you’ve gone too far!”

Shen Baihu glared at Fu Weiyang. “No one is allowed to speak Lady Death Empress’s name! Even if she is to become her direct disciple, only after Lady Death Empress gives the verbal permission will she be able to speak it!” 

Before anyone answered, Yasenia interrupted with a sneer. “And how do you know that I haven’t received it already?” 

‘Don’t joke. I can call my own mother’s name whenever I want to. I just didn’t refer to her as “Mom” because things will get too complicated otherwise.’ 

Shen Baihu laughed and looked at Yasenia disdainfully. “Wishful thinking! Not even our Death Saintess has earned that privilege. What can a little dragon like you achieve compared to Lady Death Saintess?”

Yasenia frowned for a second and asked. “And who is this Death Saintess that you so highly speak of?”

Everyone looked at Yasenia strangely. As if she just asked the most absurd thing in the world. Yu Xiaolian, the woman at the side, coughed once and spoke. “Lady Death Saintess is the person closest to the Death Empress. She will inherit her throne in the future. She is the closest being to Lady Death Empress in the entire world.”

Yasenia’s lips twitched as she felt a light, uncomfortable feeling in her heart. It was like a small squeeze, showing as a flinch in her gestures. 

Still, she soon discarded it. ‘As always, don’t misunderstand anything. Once you encounter Mom, she will explain everything. This might be an exaggerated and unreliable rumor that has been blown out of proportion. Knowing Mom, she would never bother with these small things that don’t affect her.’   

Shen Baihu noticed Yasenia’s flinch and sneered. “Now you know how to be fearful? You even dare to lie about having such a privileged position; you deserve ten thousand deaths!” 

Yasenia wanted to continue arguing, but soon, she blinked as an idea popped into her mind. “You are right.”

Everyone paused, their minds tangling after Yasenia’s unexpected answer. The dragoness spoke seriously. “I deserve death, so bring me in front of the Death Empress so that she can administer it herself. Such a deep offense—who else other than Lady Death Empress can resolve it? Otherwise, this stain will remain forever in Lady Death Empress's mind. Solving things personally and through subordinates is different, after all.” 

Of course, no one was stupid among those gathered. Who in their right mind would court death in this manner? Yasenia had defended herself so fiercely that she almost killed a Level Eight Transcendence Realm cultivator and killed a Fifth Level one.

So, what did her words mean? Yasenia was 100% sure that once the Death Empress saw her, she would be forgiven. 

Still, unlike what they were thinking, Yasenia was not that sure. ‘If this Death Empress turns out to be a random person who took Mom’s title… I will be in a dangerous position. Still, Death Empress as a title and Tatyana as a name… If this person is someone other than Mom, I might as well smash my head against tofu until I kill myself.’ 

Shen Baihu frowned deeply, and his eyes flashed coldly. “You are too overconfident and disrespectful!”

Yasenia rolled her eyes. “Are you done? Or do you want to vent a little bit more? Now, take me with you and protect me from this bunch. If the Death Empress you speak about is the one I know, I am indeed someone who belongs to the [Astral Death Sect].” 

Yasenia’s words left the other groups somewhat wary. They didn’t want to offend a power as strong as the Astral Death Sect for Yasenia’s treasures. While the [Star Breaker Realm Bead] was powerful, sacrificing their lives was not something they’d like to do after so many thousands of years living. 

So, with Yasenia’s words, the Astral Death Sect stepped forward and surrounded Yasenia. Shen Baihu looked at Yasenia and spoke solemnly. “You'd better prepare to meet Lady Death Saintess. Only after her agreement will you be able to meet with Lady Death Empress.” 

Yasenia was about to nod when several auras surged from the distance, engulfing the entire place in a suffocating pressure.

Those gathered frowned deeply.

“Where do you think you are going, Yasenia Dravory!”

Looking around, Yasenia noticed Astarea, Meng Lihua, and many other powerhouses. The number of Transcendence Realm cultivators suddenly shot up from around fifty to over 400.

Yasenia looked around with a deep frown. “What is the meaning of this? I already said that I belong to the Astral Death Sect.” 

“Lies!” The person who spoke was a middle-aged man with a heroic complexion. His blue robes and short black hair gave him a free and unrestrained look. “You are someone from the Star Immortal Sect. A weak sect of a remote island. Don’t think that the Astral Death Sect are good people.”

Yasenia blinked, confused. ‘What is this guy talking about? And how did they discover it so quickly?’

Although thinking about it, it wasn’t that complicated. Just asking around the Seven Star Cities was enough to find out about her. The man looked at Shen Baihu and the others and condemned them. “These people belong to a Demonic Sect. While the Astral Death sect looks righteous on the outside, there are plenty who desecrate graveyards and other sites of rest just to get corpses to reanimate. That goes against the heavens!”

Yasenia nodded and smiled. “Right. So?”

The man paused. “So… you wouldn’t like to join a Demonic sect, right? They are people who have fallen into an unfit path. Someone with a bright future, as you will only be twisted if you follow them! Instead, join my Azure Cloud Pavilion. You won’t regret it.”

“Huh? You old man! How dare you sneak in an invitation! We spoke clearly together that Yasenia will choose a major sect by herself.”

Yasenia saw that many other people were about to jump, so she interrupted. “If that’s the case…”

Everyone looked over and heard Yasenia speak in a solemn tone. “I choose the [Astral Death Sect]. Now that we are done, can you all leave?”  

Everyone looked at her speechlessly. ‘Can you not think about it? Do you not want to be in a sect with a good reputation? What’s so good about playing with corpses!? Aren’t your tastes somewhat crooked!?’

Astarea spoke at this moment; her cold and clear voice reached Yasenia. “If you choose them, we will have no other option but to forcefully strip you of your treasure.” Astarea sighed softly. “Come with me, child. Lataria is also hoping for you to come with us. I promise that you won’t get treated wrongly.” 

Yasenia’s expression turned cold as she looked at Astarea. “I don’t want to hear anything from someone like you. After what you did, you are lucky that I am not seeking vengeance!”

Astarea’s expression became complicated, but she just shook her head. “If you don’t accept one of us, you will die here. This time, you bit off more than you could swallow.” 

Lataria, by Astarea’s side, opened her eyes. “What do you mean, Grandma? We must save her!”

Ao Jiuyao was in the mix as well, so he spoke out. “Yasenia. The choice is actually quite easy. Come with me, and no one will be able to bully you. You belong with those of your same species.”

Yasenia looked at him and sighed. “Indeed. The choice is quite clear.”

Her energy surged, and as she looked at the over 400 people surrounding her, she warned aloud. “I don’t have any resentment against any of you. However, I won’t allow myself to be killed obediently. Even mortal rabbits bite when they are cornered, not to mention a Dragon. Activate, [Divine Lich Avatar Descent Talisman].”  

As Yasenia’s words echoed, a whirlpool of energies twisted the fabric of space, surging to the sky as Death and Fate energies swallowed the world. 

***

Author Note: Again, sorry for the delay, Dears! QAQ! 

Dewna, Sylvia, Eluan, and Pyara Playing In The House. (Completed)

The Babies are playing happily! I hope you like how it turned out. <3

Chapter 571. Liu Shu Exploring Her New Skills. [AotSC]

The past year had been quite hectic for Liu Shu. To begin with, all her <Lignified> buildings had begun their Level Up to Level 100. Strangely, the speed of advancement became much slower than what the <Title> said. So, she asked the System and Wisdom about it. 

[The reason for the delay is that they are all choosing a path to advance. Your <Miracle Tree Architect> title is not omnipotent, and it can’t force all of them to develop their <First Ascension> in a single week.]

Liu Shu hummed and accepted it. There were other skills that didn’t really show what they could and couldn’t do in words. Most effects that appeared for skills, titles, etc., were based on a non-extraordinary situation. 

“So… If I understood it right, my babies will take a while to reach Level 100. However, once they do, they will Level Up once a week again.” 

Both the System and Wisdom answered affirmatively. “I see…” Liu Shu blinked and moved towards her berries and Eternity Strand production. In terms of fruits, since her skill remained at the same level, there were no changes yet. “I will need to upgrade it to S Rank if I want the new berries I can produce to appear.”

On the other hand, the cost of an Eternity Strand was truly something that intimidated her. “10,000 <Essence Cores> of each Ternary Essence to produce one of them.” It was a mighty skill, but it was normal since Liu Shu needed to use her own vitality to produce it. Of course, thanks to her <Eternal> attribute affinity buffs and the ones that lowered the cost of time-related skills, the cost was lower at around 8,000 <Essence Cores>. 

“How many can I store? How fast can I produce them? Do they dissipate with time?” Liu Shu’s thoughts moved around as she manipulated the <Eternity Strand> talent. Her Phoer, Aether, and Anima all flowed into her new <Eternal Core> and transformed into the new type of energy. The speed of pouring was at 1,000 cores per minute. So, eight minutes later, a new strand appeared in her heart. 

“Hm~. Let’s continue pouring to see the limit.” 

Her current raw regeneration was slightly less than 10,000 <Cores> per hour for each of her attributes. So, it would’ve taken almost everything to produce the <Eternity Strands>. Thankfully, her buffs made her regeneration 800% stronger. So, there was no problem keeping it active at the maximum output for a long time. With 1,000 cores per minute, she could consume 60,000 cores per hour, just shy of the 80,000 recovery limit that her boosted recovery speed allowed. 

Her energy flows strongly, constantly regenerating and spending as it cycles through her <Eternal Core>. Not seeing a limit approaching after waiting for an hour, Liu Shu instead focused on how her new titles and their effects interacted.

“Let’s see… <Being Of Eternity> can affect those who consume my products. The effects are unknown, and it doesn’t specify whether they will be positive. Nevertheless, I doubt my energy could become harmful. So, that’s something I must keep an eye on for the next years.” 

Her gaze moved down to her large <System Page>. “The next one is the title <Source Of Time>, not to be confused with the very similar <Time Source> passive skill. The title allows me to create a domain effect that slows or accelerates time.”

The text said up to 100%, so she tested what this meant exactly. In her mind, slowing something down 100% would make it stop. Of course, she knew that a <Title> couldn't create a domain-wide time-stop relative to the rest of the universe. The time force of the cosmos would rip their anchoring apart like a hurricane blowing a leaf into the sky.  

When she used it, she noticed her <Eternity Strands> being consumed. “Hm… The rate of consumption for the domain-wide slowdown is… two strands per hour? Not impossible to maintain. And the effects…” Liu Shu used her new sense of time, and she could easily measure the difference in the time passage outside and inside her domain. “Alright. What the text means is the <Time Ticking Rate>, not overall speed. After a 100% slowdown, a day outside is equivalent to two days inside my domain.” 

“So, if I accelerate it by 100%...” Liu Shu changed the time rate and soon chuckled. “As expected, it just flips around. One day inside is now equivalent to two days outside.” 

With that confirmed, she returned the time around her domain to a normal speed. Since she wanted to check her skill’s limits, she couldn’t consume <Eternity Strands> for now. 

“My final new title… Hm… Again, confusing wording. Does the final sentence mean that I can instantly restore my <World Tree Heart> once every 100 years? Or that, after it is destroyed, it takes 100 years to reconstruct…” Liu Shu felt stifled for a second, and soon she burst. 

“WAH! SYSTEM! BE CLEAR WITH THESE IMPORTANT DETAILS! USELESS THING!” 

[...] 

After venting to the heavens, Liu Shu instantly calmed down and moved onto her passives. “Hm… Nothing too strange. They just let me manipulate <Eternal> and <Temporal> energies and give me a few buffs… Speaking of which, to kill me, you need to kill me three times.” 

Her passive <Eternity Heart> could revive her once every 10 years. And her <Immortal> title could do it once every 100 years. “Moreover… I can return to past states with my <Eternity Strands>. So… It’s quite difficult to kill me, isn’t it? You either destroy me in one hit, or you are in for a very hard battle… Oh? Storage limit reached?”  

Checking the time, Liu Shu instantly knew that two hours and fifty-six minutes had passed. “So… Is twenty-two the storage limit? No, I used two of those to activate the domain-wide skill. I can store twenty <Eternity Strands> at a time…” 

Liu Shu was silent before blurting, stunned. “Isn’t that too strong? Now, forget three times! You must kill me 23 times before I recover, or you’ll be in trouble!” 

While there were messages that the overuse of eternal energy could cause adverse effects, that was meant for people who weren’t literally made out of that energy. She, as an <Eternal Being>, was quite literally immune to its negative effects. Of course, to an extent, there was no such thing as complete immunity. 

Details aside, Liu Shu had become an absolute unstoppable behemoth. “No wonder my next chain quest is as broad as the previous one…”

Her gaze moved toward the message that appeared not long after she woke up.

[Congratulations! You’ve gained <Sylvan Quest: Envelop Your Solar System>]

[Description: You’ve become a <True World Tree>. However, this is nothing but your first step in a long journey towards supremacy. With your new powers, your ascension is inevitable unless you meet a disastrous calamity. Take your next step and stretch your domain until you cover your <Solar System>!] 

[Objective 1: Envelop your <Solar System> in the embrace of your roots.]

[Objective 2: Build your <Fifth Temple>.] 

The description and objectives were similar to her previous mission. She expected that the next <Sylvan Quests> would be the same as this one, but with larger and larger objectives. “Hm… the question is, do I need to sink my roots into my main star?” 

Liu Shu had valid concerns; after all, the reward for reaching the core of her own planet ended up catapulting her into the ranks of ridiculous and almost invincible beings… at least at the same level. 

“Oh, right! I could ask Uncle Earth Dragon!” 

So, with a small consciousness shift, Liu Shu entered the <Dungeon> and searched for him. ‘Oh? He is fighting a group of people…’ 

The number of enemies was over 300 people, all <Fourth Energy Cycles>. There was no one among them that Liu Shu recognized, so she watched in silence. 

“Surround it! We are breaking through his defense!”

ROAR!

The mountain-sized dragon roared and raised his massive claw, stomping it down onto the people keeping him at bay.

BOOM!!

The entire <Dungeon> shook with his attack, sending all the people in that area flying as if they were small bugs. Liu Shu was startled. ‘Wow. So strong! Two people died with a single stomp… Also, why is he still pressing against the dirt?’

The claw that sank halfway into the rocky terrain trembled, creating small cracks all around. Then, the Earth Dragon roared. “<Mountain Pillars>!”

In an instant, the floor everywhere parted, and countless pillars soared to the sky. The ridiculous strength of the pillars sent over 40 people flying high up, their bones broken from the impact. 

The worst thing was that they couldn’t fly! Even as <Fourth Energy Cycles>, the Earth Dragon produced a domain that disrupted energy and disallowed flight, making it even more difficult to fight him.

The battle didn’t last over two hours. By the end, only 140 of the initial 300 managed to flee the dragon’s terrain. After the group fled, Liu Shu spoke to the dragon. “Hehe. Congratulations! You have yet to be killed!” 

The Earth Dragon blinked and slowly lay back down with a chuckle. “Well, the groups are starting to become stronger and more coordinated. It is just a matter of time. Especially that lion-knight; was he called Edharen? His group has quite a high chance of defeating me in their next… fourth try.” 

“Pfft. The fourth? Quite a few people will need to die to collect your corpse then.”

The Earth Dragon smirked. “Dragon materials are not inferior to World Tree materials. So, they must work for them.” After that, the Dragon asked. “What did you need, Liu Shu?”

“Ah, right! I got distracted by your valiant fight and almost forgot!” Liu shu giggled and asked the question. “When a Quest speaks of taking over the Solar System, does it refer to everything, including the insides of the main star?” 

“How can that be?” The Earth Dragon laughed, his body slowly regenerating from the wounds those people caused. “You just need to spread to all the planets and occupy around 1% of the space with your roots. That can be considered as a successful take-over.” 

“Wow!” Liu Shu asked, confused. “What if I take over everything?” 

“It’s just not worth it.” The Earth Dragon explained slowly. “You would be multiplying and spreading your roots into nothingness for who-knows how long. Moreover, you’d need to maintain that vast network and constantly take care of small problems that appear here and there. After all, without the legendary <Perfect Energy Cycle>, you can’t really leave complete management to your subconsciousness.”

The Earth Dragon proceeded to speak about some other disadvantages, like how taking over other Solar Systems would benefit her quicker and was much more time-efficient. 

Liu Shu listened, carefully asking how things would differ with some of her natural advantages. 

The final conclusion Liu Shu reached was that she needed to take over the Sun, planets, asteroids, if possible, and as much of the empty space as she could. 

Chapter 1359. Who Dares Step Forward?

After keeping both treasures under control, Yasenia was able to fuse them quickly. Not because the process was easy, but because of the method she used for it. 

‘The ring and garden are, in the end, a spatial region with peculiar rules and effects. They are something similar to a secret realm in the form of an item and with heavy restrictions.’ 

Those restrictions were much looser inside the garden, so Yasenia used the garden’s control center as the main core of the new treasure, leaving the previous administrative consciousness of her ring as a sub-process.

And then, Yasenia sucked both treasures into her dantian and placed them in the outer orbit, mixing them with the Celestial Energy to transform them into a new, large planet inside her domain. 

This new planet, which Yasenia named [Five Realm World], acted as both a space ring and a botanical garden. Instead of perfectly mixing, they were now in a situation of addition, similar to two paints before mixing. ‘I must find a talented blacksmith to help me refine it to perfection. But, well, for now it will work. At least, I can access the treasures inside once again.’ 

Moreover, the energy released through their mixing helped her assimilate her own realm and break through as well. ‘I still have plenty of energy, but I can’t digest it yet. First, I must deal with what is happening outside.’

With those two processes that would take some time on pause, Yasenia was able to move freely without feeling stifled. So, she went out, and instantly, one person dared to attack her.

Her eyes looked coldly at the Level Five Transcendence Cultivator, and she waved her hand, releasing almost a dozen of the talismans she gained during the Secret Realm. 

Out of the secret realm, their strength surged with a rumbling force. Each was equal to a full-powered attack of a strong mid-realm Transcendence Realm, leaving that cultivator with no chance to react. 

The explosion shook the mountain range, and Yasenia emerged from the dust, looking at the group that gathered in front of her. ‘There are 47 people… It’s less than I expected, but not a small number. I can sense the auras of eight high-level people, while the rest are mid-level…’ 

Strangely, Yasenia noticed that the most powerful group was the one from the [Astral Death Sect]. Moreover, the leader of that group was currently telling her to go with them. ‘Are these people allies or not?’ 

As she thought that, her eyes squinted for a moment before she put on a reckless smile and shouted confidently. “Try to kill me then. Let’s see what happens!” 

After she shouted that, her voice echoing throughout the mountain range, Yasenia noticed everyone’s expressions becoming solemn, some people glaring at her and others looking at her disdainfully. Yasenia didn’t care. Instead, she focused on the Astral Death group’s reaction.

‘If they are truly allies that have been sent by Mom, they will ignore my words and protect me either way. Let’s see how things develop from here.’

While Yasenia stealthily prepared defensive talismans with her hands, her energy swirled around her chest area, ready to break Tatyana’s talismans in a worst-case scenario.

As the nearly fifty cultivators glared at Yasenia, a few of them moved and surrounded her, cutting off her escape routes.

A Divine waved his hand and activated a formation. “[Spatial Locking Formation].”

Now, all teleporting talismans were unable to be used. Yasenia didn’t consider it a disadvantage. Without teleporting being allowed, she wouldn’t receive surprise attacks. 

One of the stronger demons patted the back of a female demon and moved his chin. “Attack her. Even if she has a lot of attack talismans, you should be able to protect yourself now that you know.”

The female demon’s skin was pitch black, with white eyes and black sclera. Her two large wings flapped, and her body transformed into a shadow that moved quickly in Yasenia’s direction.

The dragoness waved her hand, five [Thunder Strike Talismans] appearing right in front of her. 

RUMBLE!

The female demon, having expected an attack, quickly used a strange crystal of her own, accelerating her body and dodging those attacks. “Go to hell!”

Yasenia’s right-hand fingers gently tore a [Profound Energy Shield Talisman], manifesting a barrier. 

Boom!

The fist collided strongly, making the barrier wobble. The face of the woman was ugly to the extreme. The reason? Yasenia had torn another 10 [Thunder Strike Talismans] just before the demon punched the barrier.

With perfect timing, defending against them forced the female demon to use a defensive treasure on her own. A black barrier surrounded her, but it was far from enough.

A cloud of pure lightning engulfed her body, breaking through her defensive barrier and heavily injuring her.  

“AHH!” 

A scream of pain escaped her throat before she hastily retreated. Yasenia didn’t chase her; instead, she observed the group with a satisfied grin. “It’s difficult to charge first when you are bound to die, isn't it? So, who is valiant enough to give up their life so that others benefit from their treasures?”

This was something Yasenia had to her advantage. Yes, she was surrounded by powerful enemies. However, these enemies were not of a single group. On the contrary, they came from many different powers with complex power dynamics. What if Yasenia’s treasures fell into the hands of their enemies? That would be like sacrificing the bait to lose the house.

At this moment, the Divine with red wings squinted and waved her hand. “Child, don’t be so rude. We all here can use attacks from a distance.”

The flames that focused in front of the winged woman burned fiercely, streaking across the sky like a laser and arriving in front of Yasenia so quickly that even her improved Spiritual Sense almost failed to perceive it. 

BOOM!

The barrier she set up broke, and some of the attack’s remnant struck her body and shifted her inner organs. A trace of blood taste spread at the back of her throat, but she held it in. ‘That woman is a Level Eight… Truly ferocious.’ 

“Oh? Not a bad defensive treasure. However, can you resist if we all attack?”

Her ribs ached subtly with every breath, but she forced her expression to remain cold. “And who will get my things after that? My miscellaneous treasures pile up like mountains, so searching for the good stuff will take a while. Who knows who will get it and if you’ll discover them taking it?”

The Divine’s confident expression faltered for a moment, but she didn’t show much outwardly. While Yasenia spoke, someone sneaked behind her and used a dagger to stab at her back.

The dragoness noticed it even before he moved, so she broke another energy shield talisman, blocking the dagger and pushing that person back. Expecting retaliation, the man who attacked Yasenia quickly retreated. “A ghost sect indeed. Your attacks are hard to detect.”  

The group frowned. ‘Why didn’t she use attack talismans? Is she bluffing and has run out of them?’ 

Somewhat confident, another cultivator rushed ahead. This time, it was someone in the Eighth Level of the Transcendence Realm. Their power was truly profound, making Yasenia’s body tense up as her body became heavy. 

The fist of that male cultivator struck the shield, instantly shattering it. The shockwave pushed Yasenia back, making the cultivator think that she was in a pinch. 

Then, with incredible speed, his body surged forward with red light covering his fist. “My Young Master got into danger because of you. Now, you should pay and become his blood puppet for him to play as he pleases.” 

However, at that moment, he noticed that behind Yasenia’s long and thick black hair, the dragoness’s eyes were shining as her lips arched. “Die.” 

Among the talismans inside Yasenia’s storage space, there were a few special ones. These unique talismans had even stronger strength compared to the basic ones. 

Yasenia ripped five of them at the same time, even using a Profound Energy Shield Talisman to trap the Level Eight cultivator inside.

The second she did so, the elements of the atmosphere went berserk. A gargantuan fire mountain, another covered with ice, a powerful blizzard, and numerous shadows engulfed that person. 

Feeling danger, his expression changed as he activated his true strength. “[Blood Swamp Intent Domain Level 6]!”

However, would Yasenia leave him now that he dared step forward? That was not part of her plans! A formation disk appeared on her hand, and she activated the [Slaughter Fate Bending Array] on top of the other treasures.

From a distance, everyone felt their lips twitching as Yasenia buried the strong cultivator with unique treasures. 

BOOM!

For the first time, the explosion actually damaged the mountain range, showing the ridiculous force behind the combination attack. Yasenia couldn’t use her Intent Domain to leave for two reasons. The first reason is that, even if she fled, the people around her were quicker and would find her eventually. Perhaps, at that time, she would have even more pursuers on her tail.

The second and most important reason is that Yasenia’s Intent Domain was Level 1. The people who surrounded her had recovered their original strengths, having Level 5, 6, and perhaps even Level 7 Intent Domains. Trying to trick these people was the same as courting death. 

“Cough…” 

The dragoness’ expression changed for a moment. ‘He survived that? I’ve underestimated the durability of these high-level Transcendence Realm people.’

While he was in a sorry state, his body covered in burns and mangled beyond recognition, he maintained his consciousness and life. The dragoness hesitated, but she didn’t attack again. There were still over 40 powerful cultivators around her, and her attack talismans were half of what she started with. 

Looking at the group, she chuckled and asked with a gorgeous smile. “Any other senior who wants to test their luck? I still have plenty of ownerless treasures who would love to attach themselves to your heads.” 

Fu Weiyang looked around, and to his surprise, he noticed that the almighty groups were actually hesitating! In front of a young dragon that had barely stepped into the Transcendence Realm, these people felt hand-tied. 

Ranged attacks were good, but if they accidentally killed her, the treasure would be instantly lost in the mountains of treasures, and the situation would only change owners. Whether they liked it or not, in Yasenia’s hands, the treasure had the least amount of threat towards them.

Fu Weiyang understood the current situation well and looked at Shen Baihu. “Do you still have any complaints? If not, let’s go help her.” 

Baihu’s face was indifferent as he looked at the stubborn dragon woman. “She has yet to ask for help. Why should we?”

Yu Xiaolian got fed up and finally snapped. “Because Lady Death Empress told us!”

Suddenly, everyone noticed Yasenia’s gaze move towards the Astral Death group. The intensity behind her eyes told everyone that something was wrong. Yasenia asked, her tone trying to appear measured but clearly agitated. “You. What did you say that your leader is called?”   

Chapter 570. Deep in the Covenant’s Heart. [AotSC]

In the Verdant Sanctity Covenant’s home world, the scenery was very different from that of other planets. Even looking from a distance, one was able to see the World Tree latching onto the world. Its size, slowly arriving at cosmic heights, was worthy of awe. 

Other than the World Tree visible from outer space, the large world had pillars of light stretching out at regular intervals. Moreover, around these pillars, you could spot thick roots that surrounded them for a few million kilometers before melding into the space and disappearing, hiding from sight.

The world was mostly made up of continents, with small lakes and seas in between, and looked like an emerald jewel with blue inlaid gems floating in space.

Near the gargantuan World Tree, a large temple made out of polished white roots and verdant green accents stood imposingly. Looking closely, the temple appeared layered, with distinct floors, yet looking from a distance, it seemed to be a single, large structure with a single floor. 

These layers represented the living space of those with different levels of authority, strength, influence, and power. They were also what Elyne was thinking of using as a model for Liu Shu’s religious power.

A woman wearing a white and green robe spoke softly. “<Verdant Elder>, you shouldn’t worry that much for <Priestess> Elyne. I am sure that there won’t be any accidents this time around.”

The man who listened looked mature with distinct facial features. His attire was simple, with few details, and green in color. The only thing that stood out about him was that sense of unfathomable power surrounding him. “While you say that, <Archbishop>, it has been over two decades since she has sent any information back.”

The man sighed lightly, his finger tapping the lustrous white wooden armchair he sat on. The woman who heard him also showed a hint of confusion. They knew that their journey would last around two decades. Now that the time had passed, Elyne was supposed to send back a message, informing them about this peculiar being that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the corner of the galaxy. 

As the man frowned, deep in thought, someone knocked on the door. 

“Verdant Elder, we’ve received a top-secret message from Priestess Elyne. Would you like to receive it?”

The man blinked and chuckled. “Just as I was starting to worry, that child finally sent something. Come in.”

A woman in plain white attire entered, her head lowered and not daring to look upward. When she saw the edge of the man’s robe, she stopped and extended her hands slowly forward, bending her waist. “Respected Verdant Elder, please receive it.”

The man hummed and took the leafy booklet. “You can retire. Thank you for your work, <Disciple>.”

The Verdant Sanctity Church was divided into many levels. The lowest in the hierarchy were those with the <Novice> title. They were the basic workers who carried out most menial tasks. 

Beyond the <Novice> rank, you encountered <Disciple>, <Priest>, <High Priest>, <Bishop>, <Archbishop>, <Verdant Elder>, and finally <Verdant Hierarch>. There were only three <Verdant Hierarchs>. Any title beyond those was special, not bound by levels or achievements, but more from status. 

The man, with the title of <Verdant Elder>, was the person who took Elyne into the church and nurtured her from a very young age. Advancing from one position to the next was complicated and time-consuming because you needed to accumulate personal strength and merits. 

For example, to pass from Novice to Disciple, you needed to reach Level 100 at the very least. From Disciple to Priest, Level 150 was necessary. After that, the Level differences shrank. High Priests and Bishops, respectively, required Levels 175 and 190. The last benchmark that ordinary people knew was that Archbishops were all Level 200 people and beyond. 

“So it is true…” The Verdant Elder rubbed his beardless chin with a pondering look. His fingers holding the report in his hands lightly clenched and relaxed, showing that his mood was not as calm as it appeared on the surface. 

Even then, he still showed a somewhat disaffected expression. “Even then, is it really worth losing her potential <Saintess> post for <World Flower> just to serve that little World Tree?” 

“Huh?” The woman who had been accompanying the Verdant Elder for a long while instantly understood the implications of his muttered words. Her expression turned solemn as she spoke gravely. “Lord Ezra, you mustn’t spoil her. How could a little World Tree that just completed her first Ascension be better than Lady World Flower? Lady World Flower is a peerless genius who reached Level 150 in under 6,000 years. She has also fully controlled her home solar system and stretched her roots to its neighboring stars already.” 

Ezra nodded at her words, showing agreement. “But, tell me, Emma. Do you think Elyne is an impulsive child who moves without thinking? If she were that youngster named Orwen, I would’ve already sent someone to fetch her and forcibly bring her back. But you and I know that she is not that type of child. Elyne was working hard and excited to become Lady World Flower’s <Saintess>. Yet, once there, she changed her mind.”

Emma noticed Ezra stretching the report towards her. She took it with respectful gestures and then read it slowly. After she finished reading, Emma was silent for almost a full minute before finding her voice. “This… it should be impossible.” 

Ezra chuckled. “That’s why, while I am not agreeable, I won’t hastily judge before getting to know that little one myself.” 

Emma blinked her light-brown eyes incredulously and asked. “Lord Ezra, are you really visiting that remote star zone personally?”

Ezra flicked Emma’s forehead and asked with a sigh. “Do you want me to indirectly kill that sapling? If I move there, myriad eyes will land on that location. No one beyond the <Bishop> rank must move over there…” Ezra smirked. “Also, according to Elyne, that sapling defeated that youngster Orwen in battle. Her strength is truly something that makes you doubt your eyes and ears.” 

Emma agreed. While World Trees were incomparably stronger than those at the same Level, did it make sense for a Level 100 to beat someone over 50 Levels above them? The distance between a Level 100 and a Level 150 was not something that could be covered by talent!

“What do you plan to do, then?” Emma tilted her head, confused. 

Ezra walked out with leisurely steps and smiled. “I plan on gently taping that sapling’s back. If, even when Elyne is there, she can’t swallow the surrounding starfields in less than 300 years, I don’t really think that she is worth it.” 

Emma’s expression almost collapsed. “You… Lord Ezra, aren’t you overestimating her? Even Lady World Flower took almost a millennium to conquer her own sun field, and after her 6,000 years, she has just started reaching out to surrounding stars.”  

Ezra didn’t answer. Instead, he chuckled. “If her strength is similar to the report and Elyne is not sweating her achievements… 300 years is almost too long!” 

Emma sighed, and suddenly, the entire temple trembled.

Ezra paused and looked to his right, his eyes piercing through the walls. “Incredible. That child’s advancement is too fast.”

There was only one person currently in the entire temple who could make Ezra speak like that. Emma’s eyes widened a bit. “There is no way, right? She arrived at Level 100 only twenty years ago!” 

“Do you think anyone other than that child has this aura of thick Dark Essence? An 87-year-old Level 150… Truly phenomenal progress.”

Emma sighed, troubled. “This will only complicate things. Those higher powers will come running to recruit her soon.”

Ezra spoke lightly. “We can’t stop her <Destiny>. Should we cage her in our small power just to keep a bird with tied wings? I prefer to see her spread her shadow and swallow as much of the world as she can. Although it is a shame that child, Veyra, won’t see her child when she returns.” 

While both of them were talking, another rumble came from the other side of the temple. This time, the energy washing everything felt like the complete opposite of the dark wave. A gush of pure Light Essence pushed against the Dark Essence, as if telling it not to overstep its boundaries. 

As the auras clashed, Emma and Ezra's eyebrows twitched. “As expected… Rivals won’t allow the other side to take even a single step forward.” 

Emma chuckled. “It’s good to have a competitor. Those two clash often, but I can feel that their bond is deep.” 

On another part of the temple, the two people Emma and Ezra had been discussing emerged from their seclusion. Their figures were similar, yet complete opposites. 

As they glared at each other, a purple gaze met a golden one, creating sparks in the middle. The woman, enveloped in darkness, raised her lips, her long, dark violet hair covering half her face. “If you continue being this slow, I will reach Level 200 before you even step beyond Level 175.” 

The other one snorted, her gorgeous face covered in a sense of duty and elegance. “You speak too much. How about you stop looking like a second-rate villain before you talk to me again?”

“You are the one to talk, Miss I-will-cleanse-the-world. How about you relax and start looking less like a strange valkyrie obsessed with delivering justice?” 

Both glowered before pointing at each other. 

WHOOSH!

A monstrous wave of darkness surged, but a powerful light boom soon blasted it away. 

Those around them looked back and forth with twitching eyebrows. ‘Can these two not try to kill each other whenever they spot a single strand of hair of the other party?’

“Tsk.”

“Tsk.”

Meanwhile, back in Ceperet, Elyne finally received an answer from her master. She had been sitting in her room, praying to Liu Shu with the ultimate devout heart for her master to accept her selfishness. 

Strangely, as she waited, a single message popped up in her eyes.

[<Temple Of Desinity> activates! You will be lucky.]

“Oh… Oh!”

Elyne felt her communication tool vibrate right after and quickly looked over with sparkling eyes. 

“Elyne, child, I will delay your sainthood for 300 more years. During this time, show me how far Tianlian Liu Shu can truly grow. Don’t disappoint me. You must prove me wrong for thinking that your choice is incorrect and short-sighted. Also, congratulate Veyra that her child has reached the <Priestess> level and will leave shortly for the major sects. Finally, the Abyssal Void Nexus will soon make its move in that stellar zone. Be careful.”

Elyne raised the communication device, her green eyes sparkling. “Ohhh! Thank you, master! Thank you, <Temple Of Destiny>! Thank you, Liu Shu! I won’t let you both down!” Liu Shu blinked and looked at Elyne strangely. ‘Why is she thanking me now? What did I even do!? QAQ!’  

Unaware that Liu Shu was staring at her like a weirdo, Elyne cleansed her body and went to share the good news with Veyra.

Chapter 1358. Breakthrough! Confrontation.

“Why is this happening!? These five defensive layers should be enough to block people at the high levels of the Transcendence Realm!” 

As Yasenia’s energy surged wildly through her meridians, Sui Xing spoke with a thoughtful tone. “I admit that these barriers are strong. However, in the end, they are peak-level Transcendence-ranked formations. Your ring, [Five Realm Spatial Ring], is a Supreme treasure—quite a good one at that. Meanwhile, the [Five Time Rivers Garden] is a 9-Star Supreme Ranked Treasure.”

Yasenia’s heart felt stifled. “Can you not speak as if this is none of your business!? Help me suppress it! I’ll be discovered at this pace, and we are dead if that happens!”

Sui Xing chuckled. “We can’t do anything. Do you think that bossy star of yours wouldn’t have moved already if we were able to do something?”

The dragoness felt an urge to summon all her treasures and beat their bums until they were red! Still, she knew that she was at a critical juncture. 

‘Alright, focus. The three cultivation paths will now move forward, so I must steer the energy in their respective directions.’

Yasenia spoke to herself, clearing her mind. “First, the Spiritual Path. To step out of [Mortal Shackles] and enter the [Spiritual Awakening] step, I must focus on controlling my spiritual sense and strengthening my spiritual energy in the process. Of course, I must finish purifying my body of any remnant mortal trace, which is basically done.” 

With that in mind, Yasenia’s spiritual energy got to work. Her pure energy continuously refined the few mortal traces and slowly poured out in the form of grayish impurities. As she began sweating out these impurities profusely, her mind focused on the second path. 

“Second, the Soul Path. Thanks to my [Temple] already having emerged, the first path, [Soul Palace Surfacing], had long been completed. What I needed was enough Soul Energy to shatter the barrier between levels and reach the [Soul Expansion] level. This step is self-explanatory. I must stretch my soul as much as I can without losing my solid foundation.” 

Therefore, Soul Energy enveloped her soul and nourished it. The process was smooth, requiring minimal focus from Yasenia. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t something flashy, as there were constant waves of soul aura blasting out and clashing against the defensive formations.

“Thirdly, the Body Path. I must advance from [Skin Shedding] into [Bone Carving]. The process of shedding my skin and transforming it with Body Energy was done a while ago, so I must now focus all the Body Energy into my bones to start the strengthening… This step will hurt, but it is nothing new, so there is nothing to fear.” 

With her thoughts, the Body Energy that came from the depths of her cells stimulated her limits and began drilling into her bones. The feeling was similar to that of a thousand ants gnawing on them, but Yasenia clenched her jaw and resisted.

“Finally, my Beast Path. The only thing I must do here is enhance my Beast Core and make it larger and purer. After changing the core, the body will follow naturally without any need for my attention.” 

Her energies flowed into the Beast Core and nourished it, slowly cracking its surface as it molted to become larger and stronger. 

All those four breakthroughs were occurring at once. Yet, Yasenia could not relax. After all, there were two top-tier Supreme Ranked treasures fighting for dominance with each other that she needed to control!

“You two… I swear that if you don’t come to an agreement, I will destroy you both and throw you into deep space so that no one can find you ever again!”

Her roar of anger startled the two semi-sentient treasures. They looked at each other and then reluctantly started cooperating. 

Yasenia’s influence on her spatial ring was natural, so it listened to her. The garden, on the other side, had felt an energy so pure and rich that it could probably nourish it to become stronger inside Yasenia. This essence was so tempting that the treasure didn’t dare contradict its new master. 

Now that they were cooperating, the violent energy clashes were not as monstrous. Did this mean that the defensive formation could resist? Not exactly. 

With her four paths creating resonance and the two treasures taking advantage of the rivers of energy pouring in from all sides, the shockwaves that struck her surroundings were flattening everything with incredible strength.

The cave had long become several times larger, the rock compressing each time Yasenia’s aura burst collided with its walls. 

Meanwhile, outside Yasenia’s current location, around ten people looked around with confusion. “Are you sure it was in this area?” 

“Yes. Can’t you feel the energy moving oddly here?”

“But… Lord Baihu, are you sure you want to interact with that woman?”

“The leader of the supreme sect has spoken; we must follow her words. Of course, not any random person can become such a blessed person.”

A man at the side frowned. “Shen Baihu. I understand that you are a big fan of the new Sect Master. However, aren’t you meddling a bit too much in her business? If she asks us something, we must follow it without question.”

“Hmph. Fu Weiyang, would you smile and nod as a parasite latches onto someone you hold dear just because that person told you that they like the parasite?” Baihu sneered. “While I admit that the dragon woman has talent, I must still see if they have enough talent as they have hunger. Taking those treasures without thinking of consequences is a sure-fire way of bringing calamity onto herself.” 

A woman at the side raised her eyebrow. “Is that why you forcefully trigger the [Star Breaker Realm Bead]? To test her?”

“Yes.” Shen Baihu nodded indifferently. “If she can’t even survive that test, what’s her worth?” 

Fu Weiyang looked at Shen Baihu and spoke lightly. “You are going to get killed at this pace. What would YOU do if someone forced their tests on a person you love? Would you smile and nod, thinking that they were for your own good?”   

“Narrow-minded.” Baihu softly berated, his words filled with scorn. “If my filtering Yasenia Dravory means my death, I’ll gladly become a sacrifice so that Lady Death Empress can soar higher into the skies.” 

“Lunatic. You are dead the second she discovers you are doing this, regardless of the results.” 

Shen Baihu ignored the man’s words and looked at the woman. “How is it, Yu Xiaolian? Can you sense her?” 

The woman closed her eyes and nodded. “I can.” Her gaze moved toward a mountain in the distance, and she moved her chin. “She is breaking through over there. She is covered in formations, but with our [Thousand Miles Soul Searching Device], the wisps of energy are easily detectable.” 

“Careless.” Shen Baihu snorted. “Is she so poor that she can only set up a mediocre concealing formation?”

Fu Weiyang smiled somewhat angrily. “Can’t you think that, perhaps, she has her own reasons for the sloppy defensive methods?” 

As the group of ten floated up, they suddenly frowned and looked behind them. A few people from various sects stood behind them. These people were not as powerful as they were, but they were much more numerous. 

A demon at the lead grinned. “I guess I should thank you. I can feel that a certain someone is hiding within this mountain range.” 

Shen Baihu, being the leader, raised his eyebrow lightly. “Who can you detect?”

The Demon laughed and grinned. “My leader has asked me to collect some goods. So, I will do as such. I ask the elders of the [Astral Death Sect] not to get involved.”

“You should be a follower of Ralgar. If you don’t want to die, I recommend you leave this place.”

“If there is nothing, why should we leave?”

Baihu squinted. “Because we are here. If you don’t want your entire power to be flattened and revived to serve us eternally, you'd better think about your next actions.

“Domineering.” A woman with red, feathered wings spoke with a smile. Her valiant expression showed fearlessness as she raised her eyebrow. “Are you sure the [Astral Death Sect] can offend Demons, Divines, and major sects at the same time?” 

Fu Weiyang stepped forward, his face solemn. “The person you are searching for is from our sect. We can’t give it to you, and as previously agreed, you should accept it.” 

“Sure. Show us proof.” The Divine woman with red wings smiled. “If you do that, we will all leave. Of course, if you are speaking nonsense, we will call our elders. They shouldn’t be too far from here.”  

The ten people of the Astral Death Sect looked around and wanted to speak when the mountain behind them shook.

BOOM!

A powerful and profound aura spread all around the mountain range, and soon, a pillar of light pierced the clouds. Everyone’s eyes widened. “This… The aura of an Ancient Treasure!? How is this possible?”

Looking over at the middle of the pillar of light, they saw Yasenia’s figure floating with closed eyes. Someone squinted and didn’t dare wait, stepping forward with a killing blow. 

‘I will rob her before the others; that way we will have the advantage.’ 

Yasenia felt a presence approach, and her eyes opened, flashing with sharp coldness. “Scram!”

Waving her arm, dozens of attack talismans she gathered in the Secret Realm appeared in front of her. The dozens of attacks, carrying mid-level Transcendence Rank strength, barreled against the Level 5 Transcendence Realm cultivator.

BOOM!

Everyone became silent as an explosion that rocked the mountain range swept over them. From the cloud of dust, only Yasenia emerged and floated up in the air. Her eyes scanned everyone who had gathered with a solemn expression. 

“I didn’t know that any chicken and pig could now team up to bully a junior for her treasures! Shameless!”

Everyone glared at Yasenia, but they didn’t lose control over their emotions. All the people gathered were several thousand years old, so they knew that Yasenia had some tricks up her sleeve for her to appear so confident. 

Shen Baihu looked at her with cold eyes and spoke aloud. “Yasenia Dravory. We are from the [Astral Death Sect]. We are here to pick you up. Come with us.”

The dragoness looked at them and snorted. “Why should I? I don’t even know your sect.”

“Foolish! Do you think you can escape this situation with your pitiful strength? I admit that you are strong for a Level 2 Transcendence Realm cultivator. However, don’t be arrogant. There are plenty of Level 7, 8, and 9 Transcendence among us to flatten you in an instant.”

The dragoness’s lips arched mockingly. “Try it. See what happens.”

Chapter 569. Orwen Wakes Up. [AotSC]

Orwen woke up, his consciousness stirring the thorns as his senses spread out. The two holes where his eyes would usually be glowed with purple light, showing that he was conscious. “What… happened?” 

His head hurt for a moment as he tried to recall the last events before he fainted. Once he did, his facial expression twisted, his thorns wriggling as anger and reluctance spread from the bottom of his heart. 

“You are finally awake.”

Orwen jumped, startled by hearing a voice right by his side. Looking sideways, he noticed Lysara sitting on a wooden chair and reading a book. As Lysara flipped the page, Orwen couldn’t help but speak up. 

“...What happened after that?” 

Lysara answered lightly. “We spoke with Liu Shu, made a deal, and became her followers.” Her translucent eyes filled with glowing green veins raised, looking at Orwen. “What were you thinking…? No, were you even thinking at all?”

Orwen frowned deeply. “What do you mean? It was that World Tree who attacked me first. Do you want me to stay still and not retaliate when she was damaging me so grievously?”

“Yes,” Lysara answered flatly. “That was the point. To show forgiveness, you were meant to just defend and not retaliate until her anger was relieved.” 

Orwen scowled. “Didn’t you see that her strength is abnormal? If I had not retaliated, I would’ve been killed!”

“Do you really think so?” Lysara sighed, closing the book with a crisp sound. “She let you live even after making you lose consciousness. Do you really think that if you showed a remorseful attitude, or an honestly apologetic one, she would’ve been more ruthless?”

Orwen couldn’t answer. Or, more precisely, he didn’t want to answer. While he was impulsive and wasn’t the brightest leaf in the canopy, that didn’t mean that he was hopelessly irrational. “...So, she won’t be punished for attacking our delegation?”

Lysara snorted, crossing her legs and placing the book on a small table at the side. “You are lucky that she decided to let you live, even at the risk of you becoming resentful and later backstabbing her.” 

Her words made Orwen silent. He sat on the bed, his thoughts running in his head. After a little bit, he spoke up. His tone remained cold and indifferent, but there was no resentment in his aura like before. “How long did I sleep?”

“Two weeks.” Lysara saw Orwen’s surprised expression and sympathized. “Honestly, I am as astonished as you are. Elyne tried to heal you properly after three days. Nevertheless, she was unable to bring back your consciousness. It felt as if you were… What words did Lady Elyne use…? Ah, right. Unsynchronized with reality.”

Puzzlement flashed in his expression. “What does that mean?”

“Even Lady Elyne doesn’t know accurately, so you should ask her.”

After saying such words, Lysara stood up and warned. “Orwen, I really hope that you’ve learned your lesson. If you don’t want anything to do with Liu Shu, stay silent for the duration of our stay. Once we return, you will be placed in another branch far away.” 

Orwen said, unresigned. “If the situation were not so sudden, I wouldn’t have been beaten so one-sidedly.”

“On the contrary.” Lysara paused at the door and turned to look. “I think that if you dare attack her again, things won’t end in something as tame as grievous wounds.” 

Then, she left the room. Her willingness to leave him on his own showed that she didn’t fear Orwen retaliating. With a complicated mood, Orwen slowly moved his legs and stood up from the bed. Looking around the room, he quickly noticed a wardrobe with clothes similar to the ones he had worn previously.

After changing, he stepped out of the room and saw many stairs going down in a square spiral. Leaning over the railing, he noticed that there were a few floors above and below him. ‘What kind of building is this?’ 

The image of large trees making up the entire city flashed in his mind for a second. “Am I inside one of those?”

“Lord Orwen, you’ve woken up!”

A woman’s voice reached Orwen, and looking sideways, he saw a short Sylvan woman smiling at him. The woman had pink hair and eyes, with a cute face and slender body. Orwen nodded lightly and also showed a hint of a smile. “Sweris.”

Sweris smiled happily, showing a bit of shyness. Then, as if recalling something, her face became complicated. “That… Lord Orwen, do not feel too bad about your defeat! I am sure that if Lord Orwen weren’t holding back at first, things would’ve developed much differently.”

Orwen felt his stifled mood relax when he heard Sweris’ serious words. Looking at her earnest pink eyes, Orwen raised his hand and moved his thorns on top of Sweris’ head. “I understand. Even then, this defeat is a sign that I was taking things too easily.”

“That’s not true!” Sweris, who was comfortably being patted, raised her head and showed a serious expression. “Lord Orwen is always working hard! I can see you train and practice almost every day that you have free!”

Orwen shook his head and sighed. “Let’s go down. Since we’ll be staying in this place for a while, we should visit the place. Have you gone out during these two weeks?”

Sweris scratched her cheek, showing a bit of embarrassment. “That… I was too worried about Lord Orwen and didn’t dare to leave Lord’s side. What if something stirred during your sleep? I was here to inform Lady Elyne in case something happened!” 

Orwen’s heart finally relaxed completely as he showed a gentle expression. “Let’s go, Sweris. Let’s explore together.” 

Sweris walked behind Orwen with a big smile. “Alright, Lord Orwen!” 

They went down and stepped outside. The fresh air and thick ternary essence in their surroundings made both of them feel like taking a deep breath. Sweris muttered. “The air here is quite refreshing… Ah. But! Of course, it is not that good. Hmph. How can that rude World Tree produce nice air?”

Orwen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Clearly, the Sylvan was worried that praising the World Tree would affect him negatively. “You silly girl. If things are good, they are good. Don’t resent the World Tree too much. She showed mercy, and now I am able to walk around, fully recovered.” 

“But…”

Orwen looked down at the woman chewing her lips and finally let go. ‘I can’t linger on my resentment now, can I? They were rude, but my answers were clearly too emotional at that time.’

“No buts. Forget about it.” 

Sweris was a bit reluctant, but she nodded. “Alright… I will.”

While they were talking, a vast presence enveloped them. “I didn’t expect this.”

Sweris jumped and quickly took out her spear, showing a wary look. Orwen raised his hand and lowered it.

Bonk!

“Ow!”

Sweris held the top of her head and turned around with teary eyes. “L-Lord Orwen, why did you hit me?”

Orwen smiled faintly. “Didn’t I say to forgive? Don’t overreact.” Then, while Sweris rubbed the top of her head, he turned to look at the massive World Tree. “I won’t apologize. However, know that I do not have resentment about what happened.” 

“Hm~. You are a stubborn person, but not an evil one.”  

“E-Evil!?” Sweris looked like a cat whose fur was puffing out. “Lord Orwen has saved more people than this small planet currently holds! How dare you—”

Bonk!

“Ow!”

Sweris turned around with crying eyes once more. Lord Orwen chuckled and slowly rubbed the place he hit. “Either way, we will just roam the place. Is that okay with you, World Tree?”

“You can roam the place. I don’t mind. Nevertheless, I hope that you hold back your arrogance and status when speaking with people here… Right, the coins we use here are…”

Liu Shu explained about the currency, and Orwen took out a single coin and asked. “How many <Arbor> is this worth?”

Liu Shu hummed and looked at his hand. “Is this the Interstellar currency Elyne talked about?”

Orwen nodded. “This is a <Grastar> coin. Usually, one of these is enough for a mortal citizen to eat and live in a normal house for a year. There are lower-ranked currencies, but you probably won’t see them with your status.”

The World Tree’s root slowly rose out of the ground as she asked. “Can I hold it? I want to test the energy purity compared to the <Arbor> coins.” 

“Sure.” Orwen let the root take the coin. The root then went underground for a moment.

“Hm~. From what I can sense, this coin has the same energy stored inside compared to our <Arbor> coins. That’s quite good news.”

“Oh?” Orwen was honestly surprised by this. “Can I see one of those <Arbor> coins?”

Sweris harrumphed. “You are probably bragging.”

Liu Shu ignored the fiercely defensive girl and manifested an <Arbor> coin, showing it to Orwen. The thorn-vine man analyzed it and nodded, curious. “With so much pure essence, your analysis is somewhat tame. I honestly feel that each <Arbor> coin is worth one and a half <Grastar> coins.” 

“While that might be true in total energy, there are a few more impurities inside the <Arbor> coin compared to the <Grastar> one. Therefore, I think that an exchange of one-to-one is fair.”

Orwen slightly admired Liu Shu’s non-greedy heart. Looking at the large World Tree, who had her eyes closed, he sighed. “How is the buying power of an <Arbor> on this planet?” 

Liu Shu chuckled. “If we use the same comparison that you used, a common family can probably live… over 300,000 years comfortably with one <Arbor>.” 

“Huh?” Both Orwen and Sweris showed shocked expressions. 

Liu Shu explained. “In our place, there are <Lir>, <Tyn>, <Bren>, <Syl>, and finally <Arbor> coins. Each coin level requires 500 of the previous level. So, 500 <Lir> are equal to 1 <Tyn> and so on. For a person to live comfortably in Golden Sap city, they need to spend around 1 <Tyn> a day. Of course, I am speaking of a commoner's life with no other expenses—a house for three, food, and clothes. Since one <Arbor> is equal to 125,000,000 <Tyn>, you can do the math and come to a conclusion yourself, haha.” 

Orwen showed a look of surprise for a second, but he quickly accepted it. The cases where a <Grastar> could buy cities and even countries on foreign planets were not small. 

Sweris became a bit bold and asked. “U-Um, World Tree, how many <Arbor> do you have accumulated?”

“Not that many. My treasury has around 375 <Arbor>.” 

Orwen hummed. “375 <Grastar> is a decent sum. You can probably buy a few Level 110 or 120 <Alpha> equipment of the Profound Rank (B Tier) for that price.”

“Alpha?”

Orwen nodded. “Equipment with skills attached has different suffixes. <Alpha> for one skill, <Beta> for two, and it goes on.” 

“I see.” Liu Shu nodded and spoke softly. “Have a good time in my city. One Arbor can buy you anything you want. If you want more coin exchange, call my name.” 

Chapter 1357. Escaping The Secret Realm. Anxious.

Did Star Forge want to beat Yasenia up? Probably, quite a lot. She really wanted to bend over the dragon woman and spank her fleshy butt until it turned red. ‘Didn’t I tell Yasenia not to take treasures that she couldn’t afford to hold?’ 

As she battled the person in front of her, her heart was somewhat stifled. Of course, she couldn’t do anything about it now. So, with a heavy sigh, she spoke aloud. “Everyone, retreat. We are leaving!” 

The sect battling them was baffled. After all, Star Forge and the others were winning the confrontation. Honestly, those fighting them were about to retreat. They were only holding on because of pure stubbornness. 

Star Forge didn’t care about them and gathered all the disciples, turning around to leave the area together. 

Tai Qingzhe looked at Star Forge with a frown and asked, confused. “Why are we retreating? We were about to defeat them.”

Star Forge hesitated before she sighed and spoke. “Yas… Our big reptile queen has attracted trouble. So, we must leave the Secret Realm and go to the Star Immortal Sect straight away. Once there, I will speak in detail.”

“Reptile queen, pfft. Why did you call Ya—”

“Don’t.” Star Forge’s face became stern as she glared at Mo Yun. “Don’t say it. I will explain everything, but you must ensure you don't show any connection to that woman. Am I clear?”

Everyone was bewildered. They knew that Star Forge had a great relationship with Yasenia, so hearing her words made them all feel ominous. 

Star Forge sighed to herself. ‘This is probably the calamity that was predicted… Let’s hope that we can overcome it.’ 

Meanwhile, Yasenia was fleeing towards the Secret Realm entrance at her top speed. ‘Hold on, you two. I know you want to battle it out, but please listen to the powerful star in the middle and hold back for a little while!!’ 

Complaining in her mind, Yasenia took only two months to arrive at the entrance of the Secret Realm. While it sounded long, she moved very stealthily, and the Secret Realm was also ridiculously large. So, even while moving without rest, walking back the distance she covered was not that easy. 

Once she arrived near the entrance, Yasenia hid and frowned. “Trouble…”

There were many more people than she expected gathered here. Moreover, these people were not just standing still, but warily looking around. “While I don’t want to put on airs… Aren’t all these cultivators waiting for me?” 

The dimensional gate behind them was tightly guarded, and Yasenia was sure that spatial movement would get caught in some kind of trap if she were to try. ‘Thankfully, during my confrontations, I always managed to keep Soluna hidden. This is my last card to get out safely.’ 

Soluna appeared by her side and tilted her head. “What do you want me to do, Yasenia?”

The dragon looked down at Soluna and spoke rather ridiculously. “Eat me.”

Soluna instantly blushed deeply and squirmed. “H-Here? Although you are delicious, I don’t think that doing it in the open like this is proper! What if we get discovered?” 

Yasenia, Sui Xing, and the others deadpanned, looking at the squirming and shy spirit with astonished looks. The dragoness pinched Soluna’s soft cheek and smiled menacingly. “Is now the time for jokes, dear Soluna? Quadruple your height, put on the mantle, and keep me within you as you pass the gate.”   

“Oh, you meant it in that direction!” 

Sui Xing sighed. “It seems that you’ve completely corrupted the pure spirit. I must admit, your prowess in that regard is almost superior to your martial prowess.” 

The dragoness felt her teeth itching. ‘I am going to throw these two inside the Celestial Black Hole Star for a little while; let’s see if they dare disrespect their master later!’ 

Both Sui Xing and Soluna felt chills and started pleading for forgiveness. 

After a little scene, Soluna put on Yasenia’s mantle and instantly grew in size to a ten-meter-tall woman. Then, without further ado, she picked Yasenia and opened her mouth wide. 

“Nom~.”

The dragoness’s eyebrow twitched. After sliding down Solana’s throat, she curled into a ball inside her. “Did you have to make an eating sound?”

Soluna giggled. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ll also do the same sound later~, hehehe.” 

Yasenia smiled and chuckled. “Sure, sure. Now, go.”

The ten-meter-tall Soluna walked forward confidently, her entire body covered with the mantle. When she landed in front of the dimensional gate, many people looked over with frowns.

A man swept down and looked at Soluna up and down. “Take off your mantle.” 

“Ha?” Soluna showed a bewildered expression. “Why should I?”

The man squinted. “Didn’t you hear the communication?”

Soluna snorted. “What communication? I am not part of any sect, so what can I listen to? Now get out of my way.” 

She then walked forward. However, as she did so, the man actually slapped his palm forward, gathering incredible force behind it.

Not deterred, Soluna also extended her own hand and gathered her spirit energy.

BOOM!

Soluna took a step back, but the other side was blasted backward, burns and ice covering his body. Soluna spoke coldly. “Are you done?” 

Yasenia listened to everything outside, but she didn’t know what was happening. After all, she didn’t even dare use her spiritual sense. ‘Is everything alright, Soluna?’ 

‘Yes, don’t worry, Yasenia.’

After clashing with that man, Soluna noticed a few people surrounding her. She looked around with squinted eyes and sighed. “Alright, is it enough if I reveal myself? I really don’t have time for this.” 

A person sneered. “Why are you so hasty, eh?”

Soluna took off her mantle as she glared at that person. “I am in a hurry because I don’t want stupid people like you holding me back.”

After Soluna revealed herself, everyone was startled. The giant in front of them had the shape of an adorable beauty. Her proportions were slender, with gentle curves and a flawless face. Her golden and silver hair, divided by a celestial blue line right down the middle, gorgeously fluttered even without wind. 

Her entire body seemed to be made out of pure energy, while her sapphire-colored eyes glowed lightly, showing her Moon and Sun pupils. Eclipsing the radiance of the sun and the beauty of the moon, Soluna stood tall and proud. 

“...Spirit? Your aura is not that of a human cultivator.”

“Why?” Soluna squinted at dangerous, elemental energies gathering around her as the world rumbled under her power. “Can’t spirits participate in Secret Realms?”

Those who were sure that this woman was either the person who took the garden or Yasenia felt a bit awkward. It was clearly stated that both those people were a beast and a human-beast. So, it was impossible that this person was them.

“That… Excuse us.”

Soluna harrumphed and draped her mantle over her body again. Then, she stepped into the Dimensional barrier. 

After she exited the place, she sighed in relief inside her heart. Still, she was not assured. So, she stepped into the sky and shot into the distance with remarkable speed.

Yasenia would love to retrieve her flying ship, but her spatial ring was not responding to her. 

After flying to a corner of the continent, Soluna communicated with Yasenia. “I think we are safe. Do you want to come out?” 

Yasenia spoke to her. “Use the [Defensive Death Crystal Array]. It has isolating characteristics that will help us.”

Soluna frowned. “Are you sure? This thing only has five uses, right?”

“Those five uses are there to be spent. Use it.” Yasenia grumbled. “I’ve accumulated so many riches and resources, but now I am isolated from them. So, I must be sure to get access before something bad happens. There are only two months until the Secret Realm ends, after all. Once it ends, they will know that I am already outside. They might even link you to me, since your appearance is too timely and striking to forget.”

Soluna nodded in agreement and threw the formation onto the ground. It quickly deployed, covering the cave Soluna entered and hiding the entrance. Then, Soluna opened her mouth. “Alright, crawl out~.”

Yasenia rolled her eyes and waved her hand. Soluna felt a suction force and shouted exaggeratedly. “Oh nooo, I am being eaten from the insideeeeee. Heeeeelppp!!!”

And then, she was sucked into Yasenia’s Dantian, revealing the dragoness’s figure. The mantle fell down, and Yasenia quickly put it on. “Alright…” She glared at the garden and the ring. “You two already gave me too much trouble. You will now feel my wrath!” 

Finally, the star stopped suppressing the treasures, and Yasenia’s energy barreled into the two of them.

BOOM!

As Yasenia had expected, a massive energy ripple spread out. The formation Yasenia deployed wobbled dangerously, about to shatter from that first collision. “It seems that I must use all of them…” 

So, with an aching heart, Yasenia deployed all remaining barriers, destroying the [Defensive Death Crystal Array] core in the process. 

Meanwhile, in the dimensional entrance, time passed. People from major sects returned and gathered, looking around with confused expressions.

Lataria muttered, confused. “Yasenia wouldn’t have decided to stay inside the Secret Realm, right…? This secret realm will close for a long time after losing a few of its core treasures.” 

Astarea spoke lightly by her side. “If she is clever, that would be her best path of action. While this Secret Realm will stunt her growth for five hundred years to one thousand years, she can accumulate a few treasures in the meantime and come out later.” 

Ao Jiuyao shook his head. “She is young and impatient. I am sure that she will come out… Only, she might’ve already exited the Secret Realm.” 

“Impossible.”

The person who spoke was not any of them, but someone standing in the distance. Looking over, Ao Jiuyao snorted. “What will you know, people of the Astral Death Sect?” 

The man was about to answer when his gaze changed. Looking at the artifact in his hands, his face was full of disbelief. Then, not saying anything, he turned around. “We are leaving.”

“Huh?” 

Everyone looked at them in confusion. These people were part of the group that suggested this idea. So, they thought they would stay behind until the very end. 

Confusion and suspicion flashed in their eyes. So, some people sent a few to follow them secretly. 

Meanwhile, in the remote mountain where Yasenia was staying, the dragoness was almost cursing at the heavens. Her aura was going berserk, her energies clashing against the multiple barriers around her and creating powerful waves. 

This was not only because of the two treasures that were being merged, but because Yasenia herself was breaking through! These small cracks created wisps of energy that escaped from the formation, making her anxious. ‘Quickly, quickly. I must complete the breakthrough and fuse these treasures quickly!’ 

With an anxious heart, Yasenia sat crossed-legged and cultivated. 

Chapter 568. Resolution and Elyne's Vow. [AotSC]

The conversation between them was clear, and Liu Shu got to learn a lot of information. First, and most importantly, Ceperet was now considered an “Open” planet. This meant that anyone could come here and mess with it because the natural Level Limit was lifted. 

One might think that, after a World Tree opened the world, they would be instantly invaded by a foreign force. This was not true for many reasons.

Veyra explained. “First. We are very high-level people. Killing low-level people punishes us with terrible Experience Point penalties. For someone at our level to be willing to massacre non-ascended creatures, it would take a lot of accumulated grudges and hatred.”

Liu Shu understood this principle. She had sadly experienced it, an event that still flashed in her mind from time to time. 

“Secondly,” Veyra continued, snapping Liu Shu out of her daze. “Whenever a world is opened, a higher-tiered power is usually staying there. So, by accepting recruitment offers, you can walk under the protective canopy of an interstellar power. If someone attacks you after that, the interstellar power will defend you and send powerful experts your way.” 

“Hm~.” Liu Shu wasn’t against being part of a power as long as her freedom wasn’t too limited. She was willing even to pay fees for them. Of course, within limits. 

Noticing that Liu Shu was thinking, Veyra didn’t rush and waited patiently. The World Tree’s face returned to normal a few seconds later, and she nodded. “Anything else?”

“Definitely.” Veyra laughed. “The most glaring and important limiter for these actions was resources. It is not easy to move people between stars, and it isn’t cheap either. The only reason the Covenant spent a large sum to send us here was because you, Liu Shu, showed incredible promise.”

Liu Shu knew that her worth was high. She was not stupid enough to humble herself. Of course, she was careful not to overestimate her own worth. Nevertheless, with the new titles and blessings, she was more than sure that she would be valuable to all beings up to Level 199. 

For those above that level, her aura lacked influence to affect them. While it didn’t explicitly state that her buffs couldn’t affect those above Level 199, she could see the limits by looking at the five powerful envoys.

In her mind, if she wanted to accept them, she would need to use quite a bit of effort to link them with her bonuses. After the link, the strain would lower tremendously. Nevertheless, that new feeling of strain told her that her blessings had limits.

With that in mind, Liu Shu was not polite and spoke confidently. “Alright. If the Covenant wants me to form part of itself as I grow, you will need to fulfill a few conditions. Naturally, as I grow stronger, these conditions might change.” 

Veyra’s white eyebrow gently rose, her purple eyes flashing with amusement. “So… You are just making time until you become large enough to swallow us?”

“Yeah!” Liu Shu nodded frankly. She didn’t have anything to hide from these people, since these were her sincere expectations. 

Elyne covered her mouth, hiding her smile. While Cael and Lysara raised their eyebrows, their gazes filled with interest. 

Veyra chuckled. “Alright, speak. What do you want from us?”

Liu Shu proceeded to list several conditions. Nothing overbearing, but in the vacuum, they sounded quite greedy. Veyra frowned after listening to the list. “That’s… Too difficult. I understand your potential, Liu Shu. Nevertheless, you must understand our position as well. We can’t give you that much freedom and preference without a proper reason…” After speaking as such, she glanced at the World Tree and asked, smiling. “So… Do you have a proper reason?”

“I do.” Liu Shu spoke confidently, and then, her aura flowed around the four envoys. They initially frowned deeply, but Liu Shu calmed them down. “Don’t resist. I am giving you my blessings. I promise that there is nothing harmful in them.”

She thought to herself. ‘My titles influencing your psyche a little is not really harmful. You just will be very slightly more agreeable to be on my side~.’

When they heard her, Elyne was the first one to relax her defenses and allow Liu Shu’s blessings to flow into her being. The instant they did so, her eyes widened, and pure strength and vitality flooded her insides. 

“What… Is this…?”

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Embers of Chaos>.]

[Congratulations! You’ve been…]

[Congratulations! You’ve been…]

[Congratulations! You’ve been…]

…

At that instant, Elyne’s heart almost burst with emotion. As she saw her stats skyrocket, she looked at Liu Shu with eyes full of disbelief but with hidden worship. She was someone who followed the teachings that all World Trees were sacred and that there were specific World Trees that needed protection and nurturing to bloom their incredible potential.

She had already been sure that she wanted to protect Liu Shu. But now, that thought transformed from an opinion into a conviction. She rose to her feet, and then she lowered her body, her dress spreading out like an open flower as she lowered her head. “Oh, Lady Liu Shu. You who blessed the World with your existence will reach far beyond the stars! This Elyne swears to follow and protect you. To be your priestess and apostle!” 

Her sudden actions were baffling not only for Liu Shu but for almost everyone involved. Only Cael, Veyra, and Leysara understood Elyne’s heart. They, too, rose to their feet and lowered their bodies behind Elyne. While they didn’t pledge anything, their solemn actions spoke volumes.

“That… Huh? What is happening?” 

Elyne looked up at Liu Shu’s bewildered face and laughed gently, her eyes shining with boundless gentleness. “Don’t worry, Liu Shu.” She slowly stood up, Lysara, Cael, and Veyra following her gestures. “It was me mumbling some unimportant things.” 

The young World Tree blinked a few times, and she looked over to her family members. Seeing Liu Shu look over for her, they all rattled their faces from side to side. ‘Don’t look at me! I know nothing!’

Meanwhile, the guards who followed Elyne and the others were so surprised that they couldn’t keep their stoic nature. “...Did Lady Elyne really make that vow? Wasn’t she going to bow to Lady World Flower after completing her training?” 

“I also thought that. Her talent to reach her current level at her age is not that outstanding. However, she has cultivated her foundation beyond perfection, making her basically matchless within the same cycle.” 

“Yeah, I heard the High Priestess speak about that as well… Now, though…”

Ignatia kept her ears on their conversations, and she instantly knew that this was trouble. ‘In the future, we will probably clash with those people. Ugh. Well, Elyne’s support should be much more important than preventing such things. Moreover…’ 

Looking at Elyne’s face, Ignatia sighed. ‘It’s not like we can make her retract her words.’ 

So, from then on, the talks with Liu Shu were quite smooth. 

After a few hours, Elyne asked where Skyflower was located. Liu Shu told her, but she also warned that she was in the middle of her advancement. 

“That’s a shame. I wanted to see that little flower.” Elyne showed reluctance, but she later shook her head and chuckled. “Let’s wait until she wakes up.”

Ignatia spoke up at this moment, curious. “Speaking of which, what is the average time for this jump in strength among World Trees?”

Veyra answered. “They usually take between one and two centuries. Of course, the higher the quality of the First Ascension, the more time it will take.”  

“Hm… I understand.”

After their diplomatic conversation, Liu Shu moved them all to an empty <Lignified Tree House>. She also asked the child to modify its internal structure to fit 200 people comfortably. Being Level 99, the Lignified Tree House remodeled its structure in less than a day. 

From that day on, they all explored and got in touch with the Golden Sap Arborarchy’s culture. Elyne was especially enthusiastic, visiting everywhere and observing the lifestyle of those living here.

“They are so…” Elyne trailed her words, and Lysara finished them. “Happy. Right?” 

“Yes.” Elyne smiled widely. “It’s as if they don’t fear anything and can walk safely as long as they are under Liu Shu’s canopy.” 

The reason Elyne didn’t use respectful speech was Liu Shu’s own preference. “When creating the church here, I should force those on the lower ranks to speak respectfully, and only those above to direct their words with familiarity… That will allow us to separate the ranks more clearly. After all, we can’t plant any type of seed. A wrong move, and the entire place will soon grow hard-to-kill weeds.”   

“...Church?” 

Hearing Liu Shu’s questioning and, honestly, somewhat reluctant voice, Elyne chuckled. “Of course, Lady Liu Shu. You must have a way to gather and process the power of <Faith>. You are still immature, so don’t worry too much for now. Nevertheless, we must lay down a strong foundation!”

Liu Shu muttered. “O-Oh. I see. Is it that important?”

Elyne explained slowly. “Gathering the power of <Faith> is very important. You can use it to create miracles and overcome impossible situations. Of course, a religious community is not the only way to gather. If you are a strong leader who seeks the good of the empire, they will trust in you. If you are a hero who fights the enemies of the people, they will adore you.”

Liu Shu asked back, confused. “Then… Why not do that? I don’t really like people worshiping me… It feels too foreign and isolating…” 

While she had become accustomed to people revering her, it wasn’t any formal form of adoration. So, Liu Shu just ignored it. But if it became official, then she would probably need to partake in some kind of ceremonies in the future.  

Elyne spoke with a slightly helpless tone. “All my thousands of years, I’ve learned the path of religion and belief. Therefore, it is the path where I can help you the most. Do not fear it, Liu Shu. I understand you might be reluctant, but I promise I won’t create a group of fanatics, but one of wholehearted believers.”

“Alright…” Liu Shu agreed, but inside, she was crying to the sky. ‘Why are those two descriptions so similar! I can’t feel the difference! QAQ!’

Lysara, hearing the doubts and fears in Liu Shu’s voice, chuckled and reassured her. “Lady Elyne will take good care of it. Do not worry, Liu Shu. You just need to follow some of our arrangements and keep an eye so that we don’t overstep.” 

With another reluctant sigh, Liu Shu decided to trust them. She still remembered how she stopped Taro from creating something similar in the past. ‘If Taro had started it back then, would it have been beneficial?’ 

Chapter 1356. Final Trial. Important Communication.

Yasenia didn’t rush her concoction. The better the concoction result, the easier her transmutation process would be. Therefore, for the next year, Yasenia slowly stripped away the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s aura and mixed it with all the auxiliary pills. The final result was much better than Yasenia anticipated.

Looking at the round pinkish pill with black spots here and there, Yasenia squinted. “59% purity and three tribulation marks…” Her gaze turned toward the door, and she presented the pill, hoping that this would be enough. After all, she was just two percent off from the minimum acceptance ratio she had personally discovered. 

Sadly, the door didn’t budge. “Ugh… As expected, it must be at least sixty percent. Otherwise, it is not considered a successful pill.” Looking at the little ball on her palm, Yasenia sighed and got thoughtful. “Still… If it is just 2% extra, I think I can do it without using one of the last two Star Soul Chrysantheums.” 

With that in mind, the dragoness used auxiliary herbs and Star Brain Daisy to enhance the pill’s purity. Two months later, exactly a year since she began concocting the pill after her failure, Yasenia retrieved the pill from the Transmutation Cauldron with a satisfied expression.

“Sixty-two percent~. Done!”

Click. 

Hearing the sound of the door opening, a sigh of relief escaped her. “I managed to keep them. Great. This will give me a cushion for the last one.”

“You don’t have enough time for the cushion, though.” Sui Xing chuckled. “Only one and a half years until you are forced to leave. And, considering your situation, you shouldn’t wait until the very last moment.” 

The dragoness’s expression tensed slightly. “You are right. I can’t relax.”

With a wave of her hand, the concealing formation around her disappeared, revealing her cloaked self. 

Seeing the person appear after one year, the now much larger group was startled. “She is out?”

“You are confident she is a woman?”

“If there is a person who can fake that body, lower chin, and lips, I will give up my life right here and swear to be single for my next eight reincarnations! The mantle can only hide so much!”  

Yasenia looked at the passionate man with a weird look before checking on the people concocting the first pill. ‘Hm? They are still in the first one?’ 

Sui Xing was not surprised. “They are all mortal children. For them to concoct a Transcendence Realm pill in less than three years, their talent must be exceptional.”

Yasenia looked for a little bit, only looking away after someone approached. The woman who approached her was actually someone she was acquainted with.

“Miss, I would like to ask. What is the reward for opening these houses? Also, do you have any idea on how to collect the central [Heaven-Born Spring]?”

The mantle distorted Yasenia’s voice, aura, and even scent. So, she wasn't afraid that this person would recognize her. “Protector of the Radiant Flow Sect, Meng Lihua, I don’t think it is too courteous to ask such questions.”

The woman blinked twice, her lips arching lightly. “Oh? So you do know me.”

“Who doesn’t?” 

Yasenia answered flatly, her tone aloof and indifferent. Then, she turned around to walk in front of the fifth door. 

Meng Lihua squinted and rubbed her chin. “Hey, do you know Yasenia Dravory?” 

Yasenia didn’t stop her steps and answered. “I know about her. Everyone is searching for her.”

Meng Lihua chuckled. “I guess so. So, do you not know about my questions?” 

“I do know the answer. But why would I share? It’s not like I can ask Lady Protector’s favor when I am hiding my identity.” 

Hearing her answers, Meng Lihua rubbed her chin and sighed. ‘Hm… Was I confused? I am quite sure that this person might be Yasenia.’ 

Still, her answers were basically flawless. While that made her look even more suspicious, it also placed her in the same category as a random hiding person. In short, it revealed nothing.

Yasenia was not flustered. Even if they suspected her, only forcefully removing her mantle would reveal her identity. When she arrived in front of the fifth door, Yasenia looked at the last pill’s name. [Star Essence Pill]. Then, she checked the ingredients, and her heart calmed down when she saw the main ingredient. “As expected, it was the [Star Spirit Spider Lily]. That’s great.” 

So, without further ado, Yasenia began the refinement. The difficulty for this pill was higher than the [Star Soul Pill] because you refined two million-year-old herbs in the same concoction.

Yasenia didn’t hesitate and started her concoction straight away. Knowing that the essence of the plants would attack her during the process, she hardened both her mind and body. Then, it came. 

Together, the two ancient herbs struck her soul and dantian, trying to break her and take them down with them. Yasenia was not worried, and she slowly deflected everything. Attack after attack, Yasenia defended and bore the brunt of their strength. 

Together with her incredible regeneration that didn’t lose to phoenixes and with a sturdy body surpassing dragons, her process continued without any significant setbacks. 

It took almost 11 months, slightly longer due to the complexity, but Yasenia had her final pill in her hand. Looking at the round pellet, the dragoness smiled, satisfied and gratified. Then, without even checking the result, she threw the pill into the transmutation cauldron and threw in the remaining spiritual herbs to help her with the process.

Three months later, Yasenia opened her eyes and saw the final product float in front of her. The second she did so, a voice similar to the one she had heard during all the trials echoed in her mind.

“Congratulations. You’ve passed all the tests and managed to unlock the entirety of the <Five Time Rivers Garden>. You will get ownership of the garden.” 

Those words echoed like music, and the second they did, everyone who was fighting and collecting around the garden was shifted outward. 

“Huh?”

“What happened? Why am I outside?” 

“Who did this!? Come out and show your face!”

The people of stronger sects, on the other hand, showed faces full of disbelief. “There is no way…”

“How? Was there even a trial?”

“Impossible! I never heard that others could own the garden.”

Among them, Meng Lihua stood stiff, gazing at the large glass structure before her. ‘That woman… Did she really get it? Is this why she didn’t want to tell us what happened when you completed one of the doors?’ 

As she thought deeply, she also understood that each of the five doors would need some sort of condition. So, even if they knew, they wouldn’t have been able to complete it with the little time they had left.

‘Clever devil.’ Meng Lihua laughed crookedly. ‘I was deceived.’  

While everyone was discussing, they suddenly saw the massive glass structure disappear, leaving nothing behind. What was left was a massive empty dirt plain extending as far as their eyes could see. 

Reacting quickly, thousands of spiritual senses burst forward and scanned the entire island. Sadly for them, there was no trace of people. 

“Someone actually managed to steal this massive garden under the noses of all the major sects…” 

When that person voiced what everyone was thinking, people’s hearts twisted with myriad emotions. 

Meanwhile, Yasenia was rushing in the direction of the exit through her Celestial Intent Domain. While she couldn’t control the distance precisely, at least she could establish a straight path to follow.

Yasenia rushed forward for a week straight, her face sweating as if she were holding something from exploding from within. “Sui Xing! I didn’t hear of this!? What will I do when the energy wave spreads outward!?” 

Sui Xing was also baffled. When Yasenia got the garden, she gained a miniature form of the structure. It was similar to a control unit. From it, she could see, manipulate, and even check the amount of herbs in it. Naturally, now that the garden was hers, she wanted to check the number of spiritual plants that were plundered from her!

“Oh… It’s not that bad. From the inner area out, the rates are 14.5%, 21.3%, 8.5%, 4.5%, and 0.2%. Hm… I suppose that, given the significantly fewer spiritual herbs in the central areas, even with similar plundering rates, the percentage is much higher. Garden, tell me how many species were plundered completely in the inner three circles.” 

The garden showed the information in her mind, and Yasenia sighed in relief. “None in the central area, around 13% in the 500,000-year-old area, and less than 4% in the 100,000-year-old area. That’s great, that’s great.”

Then, without thinking too deeply about it, she waved her hand and stored the garden in her Spatial Ring.

It was then that the problems started. 

When the garden and the ring tried to mix, both treasures resonated. Yasenia’s [Five Realm Spatial Ring] also had a “garden” realm where she could store life. Therefore, both treasures with similar functions resonated. 

Being high-level treasures, they instantly began fighting for dominance. This caused Yasenia’s energy, which was linked to both of them, to go berserk. Her face changed as she instantly understood the consequences of the collision between the two treasures. 

“I need to find a place to set up a concealing array quickly!” 

She could suppress both treasures with the help of her Celestial Black Hole Star Energy Core. Nevertheless, this was nothing but a temporary measure. 

Sui Xing calmed her down. “Yasenia, you have nothing else to get in this Secret Realm. How about leaving straightaway? There are only four months left, after all.” 

The dragoness hesitated. She wanted to find Star Forge and the others to warn them about what she did. After all, now that she had these treasures, the chances of the Star Immortal Sect being targeted skyrocketed. Of course, no one knew she had the garden. But, compared with the Star Breaker Realm Bead, it was nothing. 

After mulling over it, Yasenia sighed. “I can’t. If I leave without any words, the Star Immortal Sect will probably be exterminated. I must warn… Ah.” The dragoness blinked and remembered something. “Didn’t I have a communication bead that Star Forge gave me?”

Looking at her unstable Spatial Ring, her heart tensed. “Please work… Just this once, let me retrieve this one item.” 

She still had Tatyana’s talismans outside, coupled with the doll and the few formations. So, in terms of life-saving treasures, she was not that worried even if her spatial ring didn’t function. 

Therefore, this time, she begged as her spiritual sense dove deep inside the ring. Pain assaulted her mind, the colliding treasures injuring her Spiritual Sense unwillingly. 

Far away from Yasenia’s current position, Star Forge and the others from the Star Immortal Sect were battling another sect for resources. This enemy sect was not that big of a deal, which gave them enough courage. 

At this moment, Star Forge suddenly sensed the communication talisman lighting up. Her hand moved, and the stars floating around Star Forge moved to her will, keeping the person away.

“Yasenia? What’s wrong?”

“Thankfully, you answered.” Yasenia’s relieved voice reached Star Forge, giving her an ominous premonition. “Hear me well, you need to disband the Star Immortal Sect temporarily.”

Star Forge almost failed to block the attack of her enemy. “W-What?”

Yasenia then proceeded to explain everything that happened. Thankfully, the communication talisman directed Yasenia’s words straight into Star Forge’s mind, or there would’ve been a considerable commotion. 

After hearing everything, Star Forge didn’t know how to react. 

Chapter 567. Soothing Tensions. [AotSC]

Even after personally looking at the whole battle process, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Veyra, especially, felt her heart beating erratically. She, who always liked to have things under control, instantly felt everything slip through her fingers. 

“Now that the annoyance is sleeping, we can talk.” 

The World Tree’s disdainful and cold words as she looked down at them made Veyra’s skin crawl. An overwhelming urge to leave the planet enveloped her. ‘Deep breaths. According to Skyflower, this World Tree is a gentle one. Even though Orwen looks miserable, he is alive with around 10% of his <Phoer> reserves left.’

The person who spoke was, surprisingly, Cael. The man who had been silent all this time stepped forward and looked up with a serious look. “Lady Liu Shu, please understand that we have no malice. Lady Elyne and Lady Veyra tried to stop Orwen, but he acted individually. Once we return, he will be punished accordingly. However, know that if you continue threatening our safety, we will be forced to use everything to protect Lady Elyne.” 

The World Tree’s expression didn’t change even after he heard Cael’s words. Instead, she spoke lightly. “It seems that you became too scared and didn’t hear my words. I said that, since the annoyance is sleeping, meaning Orwen is unconscious, we can talk and communicate properly.” 

Cael’s expression became slightly strange when the World Tree’s cold expression showed confusion and repeated her previous words. At that moment, much of their fear was pacified as they slightly understood how this World Tree thought. ‘Ah… She meant her words literally, not with hidden threats.’ 

Veyra’s mind, which had been so tense as thousands of thoughts flashed in her mind, relaxed. A sigh escaped her, and then she chuckled. “Lady Elyne, may I be the one who speaks?” 

Elyne, who had been looking troubled, nodded. “Alright… Don’t offend Lady Liu Shu.”  

Veyra smiled and floated forward. Looking up, she smiled and spoke softly. “Lady Liu Shu, we are here because Skyflower spoke about you and told us many of your peculiarities. Please, could you explain to us if there are any conditions for you to assimilate other World Trees?”

Liu Shu spoke lightly. “First… Would you like to fly up? Looking down all the time is somewhat tiring.” Her large eyes blinked twice, most of the ferocity behind them disappearing. 

Liu Shu had already heard from the <Town Hall> that these four protected Ignatia. ‘Even if it was their fault for not controlling their colleague, they later apologized and tried to steer back into an amicable conversation… They look like good people.’  

Veyra answered with a nod. “It will be our pleasure, but… where do we sit?” 

The World Tree’s energy flowed gently, stirring the ambiance around her figure. Then, an empty platform from a city plaza was thrown into the sky by her roots and placed right in front of her face. The relatively petite wood surface, compared to her large visage, hung from her willow branches, swaying a few times before it came to a complete stop. 

Looking down again, Liu Shu blinked and smiled. “How about here?”

Her soft and gentle voice enveloped the entire city. All the citizens who had been scared by Liu Shu’s previous outburst felt a wave of relief together with her change of tone. Although they didn’t know why their Lady World Tree attacked, they understood that everything was now fixed. 

Elyne and the others also felt their hearts soften and their souls relax as Liu Shu’s incomparably soft voice reached them. Elyne looked up with glowing eyes. “Ah… to think that we almost angered this beautiful being. Such a sin! We will all receive punishment when we return!” 

The envoys almost dropped from mid-air, showing faces full of lamentation. Still, it only took a few minutes for everyone to reach the platform. There were even new arrivals. 

After Liu Shu woke up and showed anger, naturally, the four Sylvans stopped all that they were doing and rushed toward her worriedly. Liu Shu, using her incomparable processing speed, spoke with them individually and explained the situation.

Upon hearing what happened, all four demanded to be present in the dialogue. Liu Shu didn’t mind at all, so she accepted them. While the Sylvans pampered Liu Shu with love, that didn’t mean that Liu Shu didn’t like pampering her Sylvans as well! 

Elyne and the others noticed the new arrivals, and their eyes shone with curiosity. The reason was that the energy of these four Sylvans was incredibly pure and had traces of the World Tree! 

Veyra, among them, looked at them with a baffled expression. ‘These four…’ 

Cinderielle took the lead, stepping forward with a gentle bend of her knees as she held her long skirt. “Welcome, envoys from the Verdant Sanctity Covenant. This one is named Cinderielle, surnamed Emberites. Although after I become Liu Shu’s wife, you can also call me Tianlian Cinderielle.”

Elyne exclaimed lightly. “Oh my! Liu Shu already has a wife?” 

Verdantia stepped forward next, mimicking Verdantia’s gestures, and presented herself. “This one is the second wife, named Verdantia, surnamed Liferoot…”

After hearing about the second wife, their gazes didn’t show any awkwardness. It was clear that polygamy was not viewed as strange. 

“This one is the third wife, named Tempestria, surnamed Rawinzor…”

“This one is the fourth wife, named Harmonixia, surnamed Songtree…” 

Veyra smirked. “Oh my, it seems that Lady Liu Shu likes tall and beautiful Sylvan women.” 

Liu Shu spoke with a smile, not ashamed at all. “Yes! They are charming, and being hugged by them feels very nice!” 

Even if Liu Shu has gone through many things, her core personality hasn’t really changed much. After all, of the almost 70 years of age, she has passed over half of them asleep or spacing out. For a long-lived, well, now immortal being, a bit over 30 years was just a tiny droplet in the ocean that their life could become. 

Hearing Liu Shu’s unabashed praise, the four Sylvans became a bit shy. Still, they maintained their expressions, showing perfect manners. 

After they joined the table, Elyne thought about looking at their stat pages. However, she ended up not doing so. ‘At first, I thought Liu Shu was interesting but nothing else. Looking at their stat pages would’ve given me an accurate assessment. However, now it’s different. It isn’t worth offending Liu Shu by being rude.’ 

Thinking as such, Elyne took the initiative to confess. “Ah, Lady Liu Shu. Previously, I utilized my skills to inspect your world leaders. I apologize for that.”

Liu Shu blinked, her large eyes looking thoughtful. “Hm… Well, don’t do that again. It’s a bit rude to look into other people’s System Page.”

Elyne nodded eagerly, her lips arching into a beautiful smile. “I won’t, Lady Liu Shu.”

“Also…” Liu Shu looked at the 199 envoys and spoke softly. “I don’t really like formal addressing and those complicated things. Let’s get along normally. Can I call you by your names?” 

Veyra covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile. ‘So cute.’ “Ahem. Of course, you can do as you please, Liu Shu. We will also accept your suggestion.” 

“Great~.” Liu Shu hummed pleasantly. “Then, let’s leave Orwen here and start our talks for real!”

Everyone blinked and then saw a branch throw the thorn-man creature onto the stage, making a splat. Their lips twitched, but Liu Shu didn’t notice as she spoke. “I asked my best healer, Aurelise, to heal him, but she said she couldn’t. His <Phoer> reserves are just too large for a Level 99 Life Tree to heal him.”

Elyne waved her hand with a smile. “Don’t worry, Liu Shu. Leave that to me.”

Incomparably profound Life Energy enveloped Orwen, stopping his bleeding. But, as soon as the bleeding stopped, Elyne gestured with her hand and retrieved the healing energies. “That’s enough for him not to have lasting damage. He can sleep for a little while more.” 

Her tone was gentle, but there was a sense of disdain in her face as she looked at Orwen. She was extremely displeased that this person dared to attack Liu Shu. 

Veyra looked at the World Tree’s giant, beautiful face and asked lightly. “Now that we are set up, would you please answer my previous question? Your answer is very important, as it will guide how we will treat you from here on.” 

Liu Shu recalled the question. “Ah. You asked the conditions to assimilate other World Trees, right? Well…” Liu Shu tilted her head lightly, her beautiful verdant green hair moving with her gesture and spilling some flowers into the air. “...As far as I know, the World Tree’s agreement is the only condition.” 

Elyne, Veyra, Cael, and Lysara all showed stupefied expressions. Veyra couldn’t help but ask for confirmation. “Really? There is nothing else?”

Liu Shu nodded, her face innocent. “Until now, at least, there has not been a problem. As long as I can spread my roots into their domain and they accept me, I will be able to assimilate them.” She added, unsure. “I can guarantee that it will be the same with stronger World Trees that span not continents but worlds or solar systems. Still, I have never experienced any difficulties during the process. Assimilating World Trees and Life Trees comes very naturally to me.”

While Veyra, Lysara, and Cael were stunned by this information, Elyne’s eyes were about to glow brighter than a nightlamp. ‘Such a blessed being! Ah! I am glad that I was sent here to witness Lady Liu Shu’s awakening!’

Not knowing that she had earned a number one fan, Liu Shu asked questions back. “That… What does the Covenant want from me? Also, how do you tie yourselves to the Explorer Association? Ah, and will the Abyssal Void Nexus continue to bother me? I was once almost corrupted, and that feeling is really bad…” 

“What!?” Elyne stood up, her face full of shock and anger. “W-W-Who dares to insult Your Ladyship, Lady Liu Shu’s, pure existence!?” 

Everyone looked at the agitated woman with baffled expressions. ‘Why is she so worked up!?’ 

Veyra coughed once. “Lady Elyne, please calm down a bit.” 

Elyne blinked twice and then sat back down, her face showing a bit of embarrassment. “That. Sorry, I lost control for a second.” 

Liu Shu giggled. “Don’t apologize. It makes me happy that you can feel anger for me. It’s quite an honor for someone as strong as you to feel empathy.”

Elyne’s fingers tangled together. If she had a tail, it would’ve been wagging quite rapidly. 

“To answer your questions,” Veyra started. “First, the Covenant usually would want obedience from the newly formed <True World Trees> in their domain. After all, like most intergalactic powers, the Covenant has its own main World Tree. Spreading roots across interstellar distances is slow, so we don’t outright deny the existence of other World Trees. In the first place, our current World Tree is actually not the first one.”

That statement caused everyone to forget about Elyne and focus on Veyra. Veyra spoke at a pleasant cadence. “When a new <True World Tree> appears, they will, for a long while, be unable to leave their home Solar System. If covering the world is the first step, the second is covering the solar system. The third step typically involves reaching out to the closest star and then spreading outward.”

“Hm…” Liu Shu tilted her head. “The third step feels easier than the second one.”

Veyra chuckled. “Do not underestimate distances in space, Liu Shu. Your Solar System’s inner region, the most useful one because of its planets, might cover a distance of billions of kilometers. But the distance between stars is as far as a few trillion, or, put another way, several light-years.”

“Light years…” Liu Shu muttered lightly before she asked Veyra to explain a bit more about her questions. 

Chapter 1355. Surprise In The Central Area. Failure.

The group of people felt flustered. Ao Jiuyao, who was about to sprint into chase, was stopped by Astarea. “Jiuyao! Don’t chase! While the number of Spider Lilies has decreased, the number of Ruby Spiders has gone nowhere! All of them have fallen under the last Spider Lily’s control and are attacking us fiercely!”

The dragon man bit his lip with his fang, his wine-colored eyes looking complicated. As he hesitated, he heard Lataria's painful scream and turned back to see one of the spiders latching onto one of her wings. 

He muttered a few curses and then turned around, returning to help the group. 

Seeing his ferocious appearance, Astarea spoke lightly. “Don’t be so angered. The other side left behind one Star Soul Chrysanthemum. So, in a way, we’ve made a trade of two Spider Lilies for a Spider Lily and a Soul Chrysanthemum. We didn’t lose out since we’ve gained variety.”

Ao Jiuyao was not convinced, but he could only chew his lips in anger as he unleashed his dragon strength and beat up the spiders as fast as he could. ‘If I ever catch who did this, I swear that I will make you cough up half your treasures!’ 

Meanwhile, the little thief was returning through the path toward the central area. Soluna giggled. “You now have three Star Soul Chrysanthemums and two Star Spirit Spider Lilies. That’s great!”

Yasenia grumbled lightly. “I could’ve had four Star Soul Chrysanthemum and three Star Spirit Spider Lilies.” 

The treasures were speechless at the greedy grumbling of the Dragon. While they were hesitating about whether to console their upset, greedy dragoness or not, they saw her stop and stiffen.

Confused, the treasures followed Yasenia’s Spiritual Sense and noticed a group of people in the central area! “...When did they come?” 

Yasenia frowned and sighed. “I guess that asking for no one ever to find the path during all these years was too much. Even if you stumbled around, you would eventually encounter it once or twice.”  

While she was waiting, she heard someone in the group speak aloud. “We need to gather the [Star Arm Rose] and [Star Leg Orchid]. You four go gather it.” 

“Got it.”

Yasenia saw four people rush down the path, and her thoughts began spinning rapidly. ‘What do I do? There are fourteen cultivators inside, but they don’t appear to be of the same group.’ 

That was a blessing in disguise. If they were all from the same group, Yasenia would’ve needed to fight her way inside. However, now that these four people of different powers were left to gather the herbs for the first concoction, Yasenia could maneuver the situation without fighting.

After thinking for a little while, she nodded to herself and continued along with a confident stride. 

The four people who left naturally noticed Yasenia and frowned deeply. “You there! Stop!” 

The dragoness stopped and tilted her head. “What’s wrong?” 

The man who spoke first opened his mouth again. “Turn around. You have no business going any deeper.”

Yasenia snorted. “If you want to throw me off the path for me to die, you'd better think twice. I am not becoming plant food! Just go your way, and I will go mine.

Seeing Yasenia approach them, their eyes flashed dangerously. However, before they attacked, the dragoness summoned Soluna and her sword, her aura exploding outward and swallowing those four cultivators. 

Since they weren’t geniuses of any kind, just four average Transcendence Realm cultivators, Yasenia’s aura instantly overwhelmed them. Terror grew in their hearts as they looked at Yasenia as if she were a monster. They were so scared that they moved aside, leaving a clear path for her to advance.

The dragoness snorted once and quickly entered the central area after hiding Soluna in her dantian. Those waiting noticed her, and they instantly became guarded. 

‘Let’s see… Two sects I don’t know, the Radiant Flow Sect and the Verdant Jade Sect. If these two superpowers are compromising and leaving the other two to stay, it means that the groups here don’t have much strength or influence.’  

Yasenia quickly scanned the auras, and she realized that there were a few mortals among the fourteen people. ‘Ho~. It seems that my situation is not as bad as I thought.’ She even felt a bit reluctant about having left those four to leave freely. ‘I could’ve killed them and then slaughtered everyone here.’

Well, since she couldn’t gamble at that time and things were a bit urgent, she just ignored her missed opportunity. 

The fourteen cultivators, with six mortals and eight immortals, carefully observed as Yasenia walked in front of the fourth-tallest house and sat down in front of it. One of the mortals snorted. “Starting from the second most difficult, truly brainless.” 

One of the elders slapped the back of her head. “Don’t be rude! Do you know her? Do you even know if she is stronger or weaker? Who told you to be so arrogant when a hidden cultivator appears in front of you!?”

Yasenia’s eyebrow raised lightly as she looked over. ‘What a good elder. He saved that girl’s life.’ 

So, without any more delay, Yasenia placed a concealing formation on the ground and disappeared from their view. 

The action was so instantaneous that some people almost mistook Yasenia for a ghost. “W-Where did she go?”

The elder snorted. “See? Is a person who has such a high-level concealing formation someone you can boss around? One day, this arrogance of yours will kill you!” 

The girl was a bit ashamed and lowered her head. 

“Still…” Another elder spoke with a frown. “What if this is not their first time here? If that’s her fourth trial, it would be quite a problem.” 

The first elder sighed. “Can you deal with her?” 

That person stiffened. When Yasenia used her aura burst before, the people here also felt it. So, they were aware of the dragoness’s strength. “Even you, the elder of the only combat sect here, are not confident. What can we, from alchemy sects, even do? And, if it is as you say, it means that the individual is also skilled in Alchemy, so any tricks from us might backfire.” 

Another female elder added, her tone soft. “We also must protect the children. Fighting here is completely out of the question. It is too small for the children to hide from the aftershocks of our battle.”

A male mortal cultivator asked, curious. “I wonder what the rewards are for completing this strange pill? I’ve never heard of it.”

“You will know if you manage to complete it. You are our Verdant Jade Sect’s genius. So, only you can concoct this pill before the time remaining for the secret realm finishes. Focus and wait patiently for the materials to be brought for you.”

A timid girl spoke. “We could ask that person… With enough compensation, perhaps…”

The elders shook their heads and looked at the place where Yasenia had disappeared. ‘It’s better not to mess with someone with an aura that can scare us.’    

Yasenia listened to their conversation for a little while. After she heard them, she nodded and smiled. “Good. Also, the Radiant Flow Sect … Lidia’s sect, right? I met with Meng Lihua and the others before I fell into the Star Shatter Realm Bead’s trial, and they were quite good people.”

Soluna spoke happily. “Will you go there after the Secret Realm?”

“No.” Yasenia smiled wryly. “I can’t show any connections between myself and Angel’s sister. Have you forgotten that I am currently a fugitive, Soluna?”

Soluna blinked. “Right. You are a juicy piece of meat that every sect wants a bite of.”

“...” 

Yasenia’s lips twitched, but she refused to answer. Then, she took a deep breath and began her essence-extracting practice with the one-million-year-old herbs she gathered. 

“...No wonder there is a jump in difficulty when working with these ancient herbs.”

Yasenia looked at her bleeding hand with a surprised expression. When Yasenia went to extract the essence, she was attacked so quickly that her hand got injured. If her body was not as sturdy as it was, her hand might’ve been ripped off!

“But… while this is a problem, now that I know, I can fix it rather easily. Is this really all?” 

A frown appeared, gently creasing the skin between her beautiful eyebrows. “There must be something more.” 

So, Yasenia continued her tests. But all the plants from which she extracted the essence reacted the same. First, a wild resistance. This resistance lasted until the first drops of pure essence were extracted. Once that occurred, the Spiritual Herb would calm down and do something very strange. 

‘Why is it pouring such pure energy from within into the essence I am extracting?’  

It felt strange that the Spiritual Herb that acted so unruly suddenly changed its attitude 180 degrees and infused its essence with an intense purity and energy. 

After dealing with the extra Spiritual Herbs during the last two months, Yasenia crossed her arms and became thoughtful. “Hm…” Even as the weight of her abundant breasts pressed on her arms, the dragoness couldn’t come to a conclusion. 

“I guess that this will be revealed after I get to work in the concocting process.”

So, without hesitation, Yasenia began the concoction process of the [Star Soul Pill]. Similar to the other plants, the Star Soul Chrysanthemum resisted fiercely when it was squeezed. Even if it was small, its attacks were the most dangerous. After all, it didn’t attack the body, but the mind.

Her soul received almost one hundred strikes before the first drop of essence appeared from the tiny Star Soul Chrysanthemum. Once it appeared, the flower, like the others, changed and focused all of its pure essence into the squeezing, helping Yasenia squeeze itself. 

Yasenia ignored it and continued with her work. Her hands moved deftly, and soon, she began the concoction process. She threw the auxiliary herbs, heated them up, coated the insides of the cauldron, extracted impurities… The process she had repeated many times came easily to the dragoness.

Then, when she poured the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s essence, the change happened. As soon as Yasenia’s spiritual sense touched the essence, intending to process it, a ridiculously violent reaction struck her mind.

BANG!

It felt as if someone had struck her brain with a hammer, making her lose control of the concoction. The second she did so, the cauldron trembled and then exploded.

BOOM!

The lid flew up, striking the concealing dome and making it ripple. Thankfully, it didn’t break.

Soluna exclaimed, startled. “Y-Yasenia!? Are you okay!? What happened!? You are bleeding from your nose and eyes!”

Yasenia blinked, and her vision instantly turned reddish. With a deep frown, she touched her nose and felt the sticky liquid on her fingers. “...So that’s what happens. Once again, if I were a normal alchemist, that might’ve killed me.” 

Taking a deep breath, she asked the treasures. “How much time left before the Secret Realm closes?”

Sui Xing answered. “Two and a half years. If you concoct at that speed again, you might barely concoct the two of them. However, you must be quick and do your Transmutation faster than you’ve ever done it.”

“Got it.” Yasenia cleaned her face and focused. “Alright, now that I know, you won’t get me again.”

And so, the final concocting sessions began. 

Chapter 1354. Discovering the Final Spirtual Herb!

Even after collecting the first Star Soul Chrysanthemum, Yasenia didn’t return. She went around and collected another three of them. This would give her two chances for each of the final pills. 

In her mind, she didn’t have that much time, but just in case. Moreover, it only took an extra day to collect them. Now that she could sense them within their domain, they were not much more difficult to collect compared to the average 500,000-year-old spiritual herbs.

What delayed Yasenia from returning was the other plant type she encountered in the middle with a peculiar name. “So… According to the encyclopedia of that alchemist, these monsters belong to the [Star Spirit Spider Lily].” 

In front of Yasenia, there was a large twitching ruby-red spider with green eyes. As she was roaming the inner forest in search of the Star Soul Chrysanthemums, this beast suddenly jumped on her, trying to bite her. 

Of course, like any person would do the moment a spider jumped at their face, Yasenia struck it down and pummeled it until it was dead. Soluna chuckled. “Your face while smashing that spider was a piece of art. Did it scare you?” 

Yasenia rolled her eyes. “It surprised me, not scared me. Do you know how it feels to look around, only for an ugly insectoid mouth to appear right in front of your eyes? This thing doesn’t even have a shred of presence! It’s like a rock at the side.” 

Sui Xing chuckled and pointed at the book. “According to the book, these spiders are something like seeds for the [Star Spirit Spider Lily]. Their cores are hidden below a layer of dead petal carapace, and they plant themselves on people they immobilize.”

Yasenia’s face twitched. “Thank you for clarifying information that was utterly not necessary to know, Sui Xing.” 

Sighing, the dragoness looked around and grumbled. “There are not many flowers in the inner core area either way, so this one is probably the one I will need for the last pill, right?” 

The four beings who actively talked inside her Dantian nodded.

“Yes.”

“Yup!”

“Most likely.”

“Yasenia, you are so clever! Hehehe.” 

The dragoness blinked and tilted her head. “So… How do I approach a plant that’s guarded by thousands of these monsters, which I can’t detect even with my improved Spiritual Sense?”

“Well…” Soluna spoke adorably. “How about smashing your way in and just pummeling everything in your way? I think that among all the flowers you’ve found, this one is the most suitable for such methods.”

Yasenia tapped her chin with her finger, thoughtful. For once, Sui Xing supported the idea. “The Star Spirit Spider Lily’s monsters have better stealth and detection than you. However, their strength is lacking compared to yours. After all, you beat it up without any buffs whatsoever. So, even if a few hundred of these appear, you will be able to deal with them.” 

The dragoness crossed her arms and eventually nodded. “Alright, let’s get this one so that we don’t have to exit the central area of the garden again. Each time I come out, I feel like I end up encountering someone I don’t want to.” 

Dramel spoke with a tilted head. “Haven’t you collected quite a few Spatial Rings after those meetings and benefited?”

The dragoness, who was about to take a confident step forward, didn’t even change her expression as she answered. “It’s their fortune for their treasures to fall into my claws. How would I have saved them otherwise?”

Dramel admired. “Whoa… You don’t even blush when saying such shameless things.” 

Clearing her throat, Yasenia stepped forward. “Let’s go get the Star Spirit Spider Lily!” 

“Don’t ignore me!” 

***

Far inside the Star Spirit Spider Lily domain, a group of people fought desperately against the endless barrage of spiders jumping their way. The person at the front held her large shield high, effortlessly blocking all of the attacks. Sadly, she could only protect so many people with one shield. 

“Lataria, move towards the middle. Let your aunt step forward!” 

“Got it!” 

The blue-winged Divine nodded and jumped back, instantly changing positions with another Divine. As they fought, Lataria’s expression crumpled slightly. “Who would’ve thought that this place had three [Star Spirit Spider Lilies] living together? The number of defenders is overwhelming!” 

The shielding blonde Divine with gorgeous white wings spoke lightly. “We will eventually tire them out. Creating these spider monsters is not easy for them. Once we do, we will be able to collect all three of them.” 

A sigh escaped Lataria. “It would be nice if no one intervened, though.”

A man’s voice reached Lataria from another part of the battlefield. “Child, can you not be such a pessimistic fellow? Look at Astarea, your grandmother! She is always looking forward optimistically.” 

Astarea refuted lightly. “I am just speaking logically.” 

A distance away from the ground, Yasenia crouched on a thick branch, using her tail to steady her body. Her eyes were complicated as she looked at this group of people. 

Soluna harrumphed. “How about you find a chance to kill that annoying woman? How dare she aim for your baby back then!?”

Yasenia sighed. She was also angry, but now that her hot-headedness from that moment didn’t blind her feelings, she understood that doing anything to Astarea would be a very bad idea. “That woman is a leader of a powerful faction. Once I am outside, I have enough people targeting me actively. So, I don’t really want to have the Divines on my tail as well.” 

“Aren’t they going to be either way?” Dramel asked, confused. “You’ve stolen the treasure they wanted and now will probably steal this one as well.”

Yasenia stayed silent for a second before explaining. “If… or when I manage to get proper ownership of this bead, the Divines will be a bit resentful but not too angry. On the other hand, if I have Astarea’s blood on my hands, our relationship will always be one of enemies.” 

“Moreover…” Yasenia looked at the blue-haired and winged Divine and sighed. “Lataria and I have become somewhat close. That man, Ao Jiuyao, is not an irreconcilable enemy, either. To survive after I leave this Secret Realm, I must wander and dance between the interested groups that are not my enemies, only my opponents.” 

Dramel was silent before speaking shyly. “I don’t understand…” 

Yasenia chuckled, using her soul to caress Dramel gently. “Don’t worry, leave the thinking part to me. You just focus on playing your beautiful melodies.”  

Sui Xing asked. “So… What are you going to do? Give up?” 

“No. I will steal these flowers as well.” Yasenia smiled faintly. “Unlike the other ones, the [Star Spirit Spider Lily] doesn’t really have personal fighting power. In a way, they are similar to the Star Soul Chrysanthemum.” 

Sui Xing hummed. Yasenia didn’t answer anymore and planned out her moves. ‘I can’t approach and dig them up. The second I get close, I will be targeted by all those spiders. That will reveal my position to the others, making them guarded of my presence.’ She knew that if she failed to get them during her first try, it would be too difficult to get them. 

‘Think… How do I do it…?’ 

Rubbing her chin, an idea flashed in her mind. 

Meanwhile, down below, the Divines, Dragon, and a few other allies fought fiercely against the waves of giant scarlet spiders. While some struggled, they were sure of their victory. After all, Astarea’s ability to protect and heal, coupled with the brutal offensive of Ao Jiuyao, was more than enough to cover their defense and offense.

As the fighting continued, a person sensitive to soul-related matters frowned and glanced around. “Be careful; I can sense some sort of spiritual attack gathering around us.” 

Astarea, Lataria, and Ao Jiuyao became puzzled. Ao Jiuyao asked aloud. “Astarea, does the Star Spirit Spider Lily have soul attacks?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Little Lataria?”

“It shouldn’t have any!” 

Hearing the two negatives, everyone understood that the matter was not simple. Ao Jiuyao asked aloud. “Any alchemist who is knowledgeable of spiritual herbs. Which spiritual herb within the 1,000,000-year-old lifespan has an ability to affect the soul?” 

Everyone fell silent during the fight, using spiritual senses to communicate and reserving vocal communication for those with knowledge.  

Eventually, someone spoke. It was a young-looking man who was struggling. “From what I know, there are just too many to narrow it down. However, if I were to guess, and following the trend of the flowers we’ve been finding, there is a high chance for it to be the [Star Soul Chrysanthemum].” 

Hiding in the shadows, Yasenia couldn’t help but look over. ‘Wow. He hit the nail on the head in his first swing. Quite a skilled person.’

Sadly, even if they knew, they couldn’t do anything about it. 

Astarea asked, bashing the heads of three spiders before moving to save another person with her shield. “What are its characteristics? Why would it appear here?”

That man frowned. “I am unsure. It is almost impossible to grow these two flowers close to each other because they are fiercely protective. Not to mention, while the [Star Soul Chrysanthemum] is powerful, its soul attacks have terrible compatibility against the Star Spirit Spider Lily. So, they both keep a distance from each other if possible.” 

Lataria frowned and asked aloud. “What if… we gathered all of the Star Spirit Spider Lily’s monsters here, so the Chrysanthemum thought it had a chance and spread here?” 

The man found it plausible. “That’s more than possible.” Then, he continued and explained a few peculiarities of the flower.

Yasenia waited for around twenty minutes and saw them reorganize and send people to search for the Chrysanthemum. ‘Hehe. You want to find it? Good luck with that.’

As time passed, the Soul Pollen of the flower permeated the surroundings. Those with weaker minds began faltering, mistakes occurring increasingly more often in their actions.

This placed people at risk, thereby increasing the pressure those at the top had to bear. 

When the one-hour mark hit, Yasenia could see Astarea, Ao Jiuyao, and everyone of similar levels moving around frantically, their eyes almost unable to focus on the surroundings.

‘Alright, this is my chance. They won’t take that much longer to find the Chrysanthemum since I placed it relatively close.’  

As Yasenia circled their fighting zone and looked straight at the Star Spirit Spider Lilies, her gaze hardened. ‘This time, I can’t be greedy. Focus on what you need to do, Yasenia.’ 

Calming her breath, Yasenia’s aura was enveloped in her spiritual sense as she harmonized with her surroundings. Then, with a light kick, she silently shot forward.

Her body movement was ghostly, with no presence whatsoever. It wasn’t until she was right in front of the lilies that they reacted. 

Screech!

The red flower made a piercing sound, and all the spiders turned their heads and rushed back madly. 

However, it was too late.

Yasenia’s sword flashed, already having studied the roots through the encyclopedia. After cutting everything down, she stomped the ground to bounce two of the three 2-meter-tall flowers off the ground. ‘Gather.’

With suction power, two of the three flowers disappeared into her spatial ring.

“YOU DARE!?”

Ao Jiuyao, as a Dragon, was naturally extremely annoyed when someone stole his treasure right in front of his nose. Yasenia wanted to get the third one, but she swallowed her greed and turned around.

“Stop him!”

“Don’t let him leave!” 

However, how could they catch up? Yasenia activated her [Celestial Intent Domain] and escaped their perception. 

Chapter 566. When the Eternal Tree Revealed Her True Strength. [AotSC]

A few minutes back, Liu Shu’s energy and consciousness finally merged and became one with the world. Her senses, sharper than ever before and further enhanced by her <True Ruler World Tree> title, could sense everything in the world with ease.

The overwhelming amount of information dazed Liu Shu. Even when she could distinguish and sense “everything,” the feeling was too new compared to her previous senses. Like opening her eyes to brightly flashing colors that you understood separately but not jointly. 

‘Ugh… My head and vision are aching a bit.’ 

To say that she was overwhelmed wouldn’t be accurate. Still, it was far from comfortable when the sounds, ternary essence, and actions of each and every living being registered in her mind. 

As she sifted through the myriad of conversations, her <Eternal> energy helped her. The mysterious energy, now forming an integral part of herself, helped her processing speed even further.

‘Ah… much better.’ Looking around with her <World Tree Eye> and natural sight, she noticed 200 strange presences. If everyone were like a firefly in her eyes, these 200 presences were like lamps. Among them, five glowed with such intensity that they naturally overshadowed the lights around them. 

‘Huh? Who are these people?’ 

When she asked herself that question, as if it had been waiting, all the imagery from the second they appeared on Ceperet until the moment she opened her eyes flashed in her mind. ‘Otherworlders… Sixth Energy Cycles… Envoys? Mostly good intentions… Overbearing…’ 

Her mind quickly labeled the people who arrived from outside, and a sense of incongruity formed in her. ‘I was lucky enough to wake up the day they arrived? That’s quite a coincidence…’

As she looked at the myriad of System Messages that had accumulated during her ten years of sleep, one that had popped up recently caught her eye. 

[<Destiny Blessing> activates!] 

And right after that blessing, another System message appeared.

[You had a lucky encounter with a hidden trace of <Eternal> energy. The process is completed. You will wake up after your senses synchronize.] 

“Oh…” Liu Shu chuckled for a second. “So it was the <Temple Of Destiny> who helped me. Each time, I am really glad that I chose it back then and resisted the temptation of the Temple Of War and similar ones.” 

As she organized her thoughts, she suddenly sensed one of her children sending urgent communication signals. Blinking inwardly, she looked over and asked, her voice gentle and motherly. “Baby <Town Hall>, what’s wrong?” 

The childish voice of the <Town Hall> reached her, sounding somewhat flustered and wronged. “Mommy! A really bad guy is hurting me and Grandma Ignatia! Help!”

The soft feeling around Liu Shu ignited as a storm rumbled deep in her core. Instantly, Liu Shu’s real body opened her eyes, and she chanted inwardly, a voice that seemed to strike her surroundings like a gong. 

“<Stop>.”  

After her words struck the space around Golden Sap City, the flow of time paused for a little over a second. This time was enough for Liu Shu to search throughout her city and know where they were. 

Her glowing verdant green eyes snapped over, pinning down all the beings in the <Town Hall> as her presence weighed down on them like a heavy mountain. 

The scene inside the room entered her eyes, and while she didn’t feel any hostility from any side, there was an extremely tiny patch of red on the wood that stung Liu Shu’s eyes as if a needle had poked her.  

A low and menacing tone descended upon them. 

“...Who are you? And why are there bloodstains belonging to my Mom on the ground?” 

While Liu Shu asked those questions, they weren’t meant to be answered. Her <Town Hall> baby was already pointing at the culprit and telling her mom to beat him up! 

Naturally, Liu Shu wouldn’t disappoint her. Her roots, moving so fast that they left blurs on their path, smashed through the windows and latched around the culprit. 

“You will pay.” 

A single sentence full of murderous intent dominated the whole area. Then, the thorny creature was slung out by the irresistible force, his body streaking through the air and crashing outside the walls!

BOOM!

[-3,805,400,000] (38,054)!

Orwen’s body collided against a sturdy, reinforced hill on the outside. With Liu Shu’s Level Up and taking over, the world’s durability against powerful impacts was enhanced beyond measure. What would’ve flattened a mountain before could now only leave large craters on the ground.

Having received over 3 billion shards of damage from a single impact, Orwen’s face crumpled in pain, but it was just that, some pain. Compared to his Phoer reserves, 3 billion shards were not that much. 

Crawling out of the crater, Orwen glared at the World Tree in the distance. Even when over 25 kilometers separated them, Liu Shu’s 9,000-meter-tall figure was bright and clear; he could even distinguish her facial features. 

“World Tree! What is the meaning of this!?” 

Liu Shu ignored the calls from the people inside the <Town Hall> and spoke coldly at him, her voice swamping the surroundings with thick energy. “You who have dared hurt my mother will naturally have to pay an appropriate price. You better be as resilient as you look, or your life will be forfeited here.”

Orwen wanted to sneer at her. With his current stats and Flawless World Level Equipment, his <Phoer Body> reserves were over 700,000 Cores, or over 7 Essence Stars. Not to mention, his <Physique> attribute was at over 1.5 million points. He was not considered a talented person for nothing.

“A little World Tree who doesn’t understand the true heights of those in the sky!” Orwen’s aura exploded outward, his presence pushing back Liu Shu’s and overpowering it for a moment. “Since you want a fight, I’ll give you one and teach you a lesson.” 

Liu Shu’s answer was a combination of skills. “<Elemental Lord Willow Catastrophe>, <Eternity Strand>...”

Orwen’s expression stiffened as the space around him fell under Liu Shu’s absolute control. 

“...<Eternal Void>.” 

CRASH!

Reality around Orwen shattered into pieces, the force of the splitting dimension ravenously trying to tear his body apart. Thankfully, his sturdy body could bear the strain of the shattered space. Even then, the damage numbers flashing in his eyes every half a second were truly frightening. 

[-895,560,000] (8,955)!

[-895,560,000] (8,955)!

[-895,560,000] (8,955)!

Orwen, who was clenching his body as the dimensional breaking tried to pull his being apart, began doubting his sight. ‘...Why isn’t reality mending itself!?’

In the distance, looking through his fractured vision, he could see the World Tree indifferently looking his way before a single word struck his mind. “<Slow>.” 

At that instant, his senses turned sluggish as everything around him began speeding up. But Liu Shu was not done. Focusing on the spatial fracture, Liu Shu’s voice struck it again. “<Accelerate>.”

When the ternary essences are combined with the <Eternal> energy, they mix together, and the damage-rate ticks speed up tremendously, going over a third faster than before.

“AARGH!”  

Even with his ridiculously large <Phoer> reserves, losing almost 10,000 every half a second was too much. Some of the durable thorns that made up his body began splitting, sap-like blood sprouting out from his wounds. ‘What is this!? What is happening!? I need to leave this strange area immediately!’ 

“<Endless Thornpath Shift>!” 

Forcing his <Aether Mana> and <Anima Energy> to pierce into the still fractured space around him, his body transformed into several vines and moved forward quickly. 

Liu Shu couldn’t keep him inside the area, but she didn’t care. A system message flashed in her eyes and made her know that it wasn’t for nothing. 

[You’ve dealt a total of 234,555 cores of damage!] 

Orwen’s body swelled once he was outside, and he roared to the sky as a pillar of pure essence pierced the clouds. “GRAAAH! <Mountain Swallowing Thornbody>”

Within less than an instant, the thorns that made up his body multiplied, and he grew in size to over 1,000 meters in height. While he was smaller than Liu Shu by a factor of nine, he could now face the World Tree properly.

In the city, Elyne and the others were floating mid-air, looking with stunned expressions at the place where Orwen had landed. There was a spatial fissure that seemingly refused to mend, while their companion was bleeding profusely after almost a third of his <Phoer> reserves were sliced in a few seconds. 

“...This is the strength of a Level 100 World Tree?” 

Veyra’s face was full of disbelief and, honestly, a slight sense of fear. Her body was not as durable as Orwen’s, so she could only imagine how much damage she would receive if Liu Shu hit her.   

“World Tree!”

The loud scream of the thorn creature snapped them out of their daze. They saw Orwen pulling his arm back, and Elyne’s expression changed slightly. “Orwen, stop!” 

“<Mountain Piercing Thorn>!”

As Orwen punched forward, a mass of thorns shot toward Liu Shu at ridiculous speed, reaching her body before Liu Shu could react. Liu Shu’s face, looking at that mass of roots, was indifferent. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

[-2,456,500,000] (-24,565)!

[-2,456,500,000] (-24,565)!

[-2,456,500,000] (-24,565)!

…

The thorns struck Liu Shu’s durable body and managed to pierce through, creating several holes on her belly and chest. Elyne’s face twisted in anger for the first time as she shouted with deep anger. “ORWEN!”

However, before Elyne continued speaking, something ridiculous occurred. When Orwen pulled back his roots with a sneer, Liu Shu spoke lightly. “<Eternity Strand: Return>.” 

[+2,456,500,000] (+24,565)!

[+2,456,500,000] (+24,565)!

[+2,456,500,000] (+24,565)!

…

Liu Shu activated the second skill of the <Eternity Strand>, which allowed her to lock herself in a past state and return to it! Naturally, before fighting with Orwen, Liu Shu created such a state.

Now, not only did her <Phoer> recover to its peak, her <Aether Mana> and <Anima Energy> reserves were also completely full. The faint sense of tiredness that Liu Shu was exuding after dealing such a big hit to Orwen was gone, replaced by endless vitality. 

Orwen looked stupefied at that scene, and for the first time since the battle started, he felt a sense of fear in his heart. “W-What are you?”

Liu Shu’s voice was cold and flat. “I am Tianlian Liu Shu, the True World Tree of Ceperet…” Her energy surged with her words as she coldly sentenced him. “I am also the one who defeated you. <Stop>.” 

The instant Orwen was frozen, Liu Shu’s willow branches were enveloped with boundless ternary essence as they lashed at him, surrounded by a myriad of elemental effects. “<Accelerate>, <Elemental Willow Catastrophe: Elemental Cascade>.”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Even if the time-stop only lasted for 1.5 seconds, the number of strikes that landed on Orwen numbered in the thousands. After all, Liu Shu could move each individual branch of her vast canopy when attacking. From a distance, it looked as if all of Liu Shu’s branches had suddenly stretched like a mass of living whips and madly struck Orwen’s frozen body.

No one could see any damage appearing on Orwen, which confused them. Yet, after time began flowing around Orwen again, Liu Shu snorted once. “<Temporal Fracture: Activate>.”  

RRRRIPPP!!

BOOM!

[-33,845,800,000!] (-338,458)! 

Orwen’s body was torn asunder, viscerally exploding. A massive blood-red damage number flashed in his eyesight. “What… happened?” 

His body shrank and crumbled, the excess roots falling over dead and leaking endless blood.

After her entire barrage of attacks, Liu Shu managed to deal nearly 600,000 Cores of damage. Even if that didn’t kill Orwen, the heavy damage sent him into shock, forcing his brain to shut down.

Liu Shu stopped looking at Orwen, and her eyes landed on the remaining four envoys. “Now that the annoyance is sleeping, we can talk.”  

Suddenly, the four envoys felt their sense of superiority stripped from them, making their nerves taut as they looked at the recently ascended World Tree. 

Chapter 1353. Spiritual Sense Evolution. Getting the Star Soul Chrysanthemum.

To her surprise, the three spatial rings had a lot of interesting treasures. The one from the alchemy woman was a lucky stroke, since there were three one-million-year-old plants. “Four of them in total… It should be enough to get some practice before I start with the real deal. After all, I don’t really need to use them in their entirety if it is to practice.” 

Doubtful, Sui Xing asked her. “Are you sure four are enough? It would be quite a hassle if you needed to return because you ran out of materials, right?”

The dragoness blinked. “I mean, while I understand that spiritual herbs aged to this degree need some special processes, it shouldn’t be a problem. In alchemy, I am most confident in the preparation. What I lack is ingenuity and control over the concocting process. Otherwise, in the preparation phase, I am no worse than my Honey!” 

Those words were said proudly, since Yasenia held her lovers in exceptionally high regard when it came to professional practices.  

Sui Xing was confused. “Why are you so good at preparation?”

“Simple.” Yasenia smiled. “It is the part of the process I’ve practiced the most. After all, my thoughts were to become a great assistant for my lovers, not to become an independent crafter. All I know of the concocting process was learned mainly because, to help them, I had to delve into processing some of them.”

Sui Xing admired Yasenia. There weren't many people who were this sincere with their partners. He honestly was curious about these mysterious lovers who came out of Yasenia’s mouth at any opportunity she got to speak of them. 

Focusing on what she needed to do, Yasenia approached the territory of the [Star Soul Chrysanthemum]. She didn’t know anything about it, so there was a need to be cautious. 

The closer she got, the more the surroundings pressed on her soul. ‘Hm…’ The dragoness frowned, looking around as she kept up her soul defenses. ‘A plant that can attack souls will be a pain to deal with. Still, its focus on the soul means that its body should be quite weak. As long as I can approach, I can deal with it cleanly.’ 

“Ah.” 

Yasenia blinked and stopped walking, jumping up to a tree branch and hiding her presence.

“What’s wrong?”

Sui Xing’s question was answered by Yasenia taking out the spatial ring of the alchemist woman. Then, her spiritual sense pierced into it easily after destroying the defensive formation with her Formation Shattering Bead. “You should have one… There must be one… Where is it?” 

As Yasenia muttered and shifted through the mountains of items inside the ring, her lips arched, and she exclaimed. “Found it!”

Sui Xing and the other treasures saw a book appear in Yasenia’s hands. It was thick, and the letters on the cover read as such: [Myriad Immortal Alchemy Encyclopedia].

They instantly knew why Yasenia paused and smiled. “Right, that woman must have something about it.” 

“Yeah, it would be strange if an alchemist at her level didn’t have books about plants of this level.” 

The dragoness shifted through the pages with thick and dense writing. Her golden slit eyes took in everything quickly, and in just four minutes, she found what she wanted.

“Here it is, the page of the Star Soul Chrysanthemum. Let’s see…” Yasenia scanned it and muttered. “A plant mutation that happens under certain conditions… The spiritual herb can only become one after it feeds on… Hm… Ah, here it is.”

The dragoness looked at that text and read it slowly. “The Star Soul Chrysanthemum can afflict those who are near it with Soul Poison through its pollen. Moreover, it is able to harm souls with the thorns of its vines directly. The most dangerous part is that if you fall into its illusions, you will die by having your soul energy sucked out.”

The dragoness smiled. “Great. It is annoying but far from impossible to deal with. If anything, I have confidence in my soul strength and defense.” 

So, without hesitating anymore, Yasenia jumped from the branch and quickly approached the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s domain. 

It was around ten minutes later that her soul suddenly tingled, causing her eyebrows to twitch. Carefully, she observed the area with sparse flora and tried to spot the flower. “I can’t sense it. My Spiritual Sense gets stuck on the pollen flying in the air…”

Thankfully, the pollen was too weak to pierce her soul defenses. So, with the major danger avoided, it was a matter of time. 

“Still…” As Yasenia journeyed through the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s domain, she noticed corpses here and there. There were even some half-living people who stared dazedly at the front. She couldn’t help but thank her soul resistance. “... This flower is probably the scariest I’ve found yet. This area feels like an apocalyptic illusion realm.” 

The greyish colors, wandering people, and strewn corpses being chewed slowly by the roots were things out of a nightmare. 

“Where is it?” Yasenia stopped wandering aimlessly and frowned, looking around her. As she stopped, she noticed a strange fluctuation in the air. “Hm? The surroundings are changing?” 

Confused about this phenomenon, Yasenia was tempted to keep looking. As she observed her surroundings slowly change, her mind suddenly jolted, and her eyes widened. “Oh dear, I am falling into an illusion!” 

Using all her soul strength, Yasenia burst out a powerful aura.

BOOM!

The surroundings shattered, sending her back towards the grey and desolate location. 

“Yasenia? Are you okay?”

Soluna’s anxious voice reached her, and Yasenia frowned. “How long did I space out?”

A sigh of relief escaped Soluna. “Not that long. It was only two hours.”

“Only…?” Yasenia was honestly somewhat scared. She had felt as if she were inside that strange space for less than a minute! Patting her cheeks, Yasenia’s face gained a touch of seriousness. “I can’t underestimate the spiritual herbs. Alright, let’s find it quickly.”

Sui Xing spoke before Yasenia wandered aimlessly again. “Yasenia, this is a good chance to increase your soul acuity. How about instead of searching, you sit cross-legged and try to find the Star Soul Chrysanthemum that way? If you are able to do it, your soul control will probably reach the next level.”

Those words resonated with Yasenia. Still, she was torn. “I’d love to, but… I am in a bit of a time crunch, Sui Xing.” 

Seeing Yasenia smile sadly, Sui Xing smiled and encouraged her. “You need more than one, right? I think that, if you manage to find the first one with this method, you will be able to pick the others like picking up mortal flowers in a garden.” 

Soluna supported his words. “He has a point, Yasenia. I think that it won’t hurt you to do as he says.” 

Their reasoning was sound. Moreover, it has been a while since she actually fell into the illusion of an enemy. This spoke volumes about how strong the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s Soul Power was. So, after taking a deep breath, Yasenia nodded and sat cross-legged on the spot. 

Looking around, she muttered. “Either way, this entire domain is the same. Plus, since I was affected here, it means that the soul power is stronger than in the other locations. That’s a hint about the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s proximity.” 

Yasenia crossed her legs, curling her tail around her. Then, after creating a layer of protective energy below her sitting place, she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. 

“First, I need to spread my spiritual sense.” 

As a ripple expanded from her sitting position, Yasenia’s senses captured everything in a 500-meter radius. Compared to her usual reach, this was nothing.

“Now, feel the reason for the Spiritual Sense’s lack of effective range. What makes it slow down? What makes my Spiritual Sense weak?”   

Yasenia’s breathing was even, and her energy slowly rotated around her body. Her soul, powerfully beating at the rhythm of her heart, sent constant ripples out and tried to push against the layer of Soul Pollen around her. 

Two weeks passed quickly, but Yasenia’s efforts only allowed her Spiritual Sense to expand from 500 meters to 3000. Yasenia, who would usually be able to search areas of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers with a single sweep of her senses, felt that her progress was still too slow.

“...It’s not about the strength of the Spiritual Sense, is it?” Yasenia looked deeply, as closely as possible to the edge between her Spiritual Sense. “It’s not about forcefully opening a passage that allows me in. I must… fuse it and camouflage it.”

The next energy ripple Yasenia extended got stuck at just 10 meters around her. It was incomparable to her best attempt. This change confused Soluna, but it made Sui Xing smile. 

After the spiritual sense spread 10 meters, Yasenia noticed that the pollen particles were fighting off her soul like an enemy. ‘Harmonize and change the aura.’

A single thread of energy touched the pollen particle, but it was instantly obliterated, giving Yasenia a headache. ‘Again.’ 

Try after try, strand after strand, Yasenia’s spiritual sense entered a cycle of creation and destruction. Yet, it was not all for naught. 

Each time Yasenia’s Spiritual Strand touched a pollen particle, the pollen would take a longer amount of time to direct its hostility toward her.

‘Again.’

This time, something different occurred. The spiritual strand touched the pollen particle, and instead of reacting, the pollen particle silently drifted past it. A smile tugged at the corner of Yasenia’s lips. 

‘Now… Two strands.’ 

And two were maintained.

‘Four…’

‘Sixteen…’

‘A hundred…’

‘An area…’

‘A circle…’

‘And finally… A sphere.’ 

At that moment, Yasenia’s Spiritual Sense rippled outward like a water wave on top of a calm ocean. 

100 meters… 1,000 meters… 10 kilometers… 100 kilometers… 

As Yasenia’s eyes slowly opened, they flashed with profound light. Unlike before, there was a sense of mystery behind her eyes, as if she could pierce the souls of others with just a single glance. 

The dragoness stood up, pushing her body up with her tail, and smiled. “Found it.”

“Congratulations.” Sui Xing chuckled. “You have reached a new level of soul manipulation. While they are nameless, you can consider the change as follows. Before, your spiritual sense was like a blunt sword piercing through the surroundings. Now, it is finally sharpened.”

“It really feels like that.” Yasenia laughed as she unhesitatingly ran towards her target.

Soluna exclaimed, quite happy. “To think you only took four months! That’s great!”

The dragoness almost tripped and fell. “Four months!?” 

Sui Xing chuckled. “Don’t put on a face as if the world is about to collapse. It is ridiculously fast to learn what you did in such a short amount of time. It usually takes over a century for geniuses at your level to learn it.”

“...A century? How? I admit it was difficult, but a century feels like too much.”

Sui Xing explained. “Actually, it is because they don’t usually use dangerous locations such as this one. A genius at your cultivation level would probably take around six to ten years if they practiced here. Not many would be willing, though. After all, it only takes falling into the Star Soul Chrysanthemum’s illusion once to forfeit your life.” 

Yasenia laughed awkwardly. “It’s still over twenty times the time, even at your shortest estimate.” 

Sui Xing chuckled. “Are you surprised, Miss Transcendental Cultivator, at just a century old?” 

Yasenia coughed and changed the subject. “Ah, here it is.”

Looking over curiously, the treasures became speechless. Soluna muttered. “...So tiny.”

Yasenia’s lips twitched a little as well. The Star Soul Chrysanthemum was a flower as tall as a finger. “...If I had tried to find it by force, I might’ve never found it before the Secret Realm closes.” 

Yasenia crouched down, hardening her hands with her dragon scales, and then gently and carefully dug it out. “And… Got it.”

As soon as the Star Soul Chrysanthemum disappeared into her spatial ring, the constant soul pressure weighing on her dissipated like morning mist. “Wah…” Yasenia stretched. “So comfortable, I feel as if a weight was relieved off my shoulders.”

Dramel giggled. “Even then, your shoulders should still feel heavy. After all, you have two large, ripe melons hanging on them.”

Yasenia’s tail twitched once. 

Chapter 565. Orwen's Burst. Awakened. [AotSC]

The top floor of a <Town Hall> was usually sorted out to look like a large ballroom. There were wooden pillars symmetrically lined up, while a large circular table occupied the middle. The best feature of these rooms was neither of those details, though. What caught the eye was the ability to look out of the windows and look far beyond to the horizon. 

The <Town Hall> structure was the second-tallest one, excluding the defensive <Guardian Trees>, Life Trees, and Liu Shu herself. The only structure taller than them was the gigantic colosseum that could be seen from almost anywhere in the city. 

That building, now an integral part of the city’s power balances, continued to deliver even more than what it was intended for. 

However, neither of those things impressed the five envoys. What made them gasp in surprise was the single figure far in the distance. 

“Is that…” Lysara squinted her eyes, the green glowing veins gaining luminosity. “A World Tree?”

While such a discovery was usually not a cause of surprise, they were currently on a planet with a <True World Tree>! Other than some lucky Life Trees, World Trees shouldn’t be appearing on Ceperet. 

And yet, standing tall and proud at a distance, a gorgeous World Tree, much smaller than Liu Shu, could be spotted. 

Ignatia smiled faintly and nodded. “Yes, Lady Lysara. That’s Lady Fortuna, a neighboring World Tree, and also the first World Tree Liu Shu assimilated.” 

Orwen’s expression was dark as he looked at the being far away. With his powerful senses, it was easy to distinguish whether the large tree was a World Tree or just a giant tree of an unknown species. “...That’s impossible.”

Ignatia blinked twice, looking at Orwen’s expression for a little bit. Then, she shook her head and gestured towards the table in the middle. “Let’s sit.”

“Don’t ignore me, bug!”

Orwen’s aura exploded outward, damaging the floor and ceiling as he glared at Ignatia. Before Ignatia could register what was happening, her entire body was slammed against the ground. 

Flor shouted, frightened. “Ignatia!” 

Thankfully, before the pressure crushed Ignatia’s body, Veyra stepped forward. 

“ORWEN!”

Veyra’s voice erupted outward with even more strength, blasting Orwen’s aura back. Orwen frowned at Veyra’s words, and he growled. “What is wrong with you? We are the envoys of the Covenant! How dare a little <Fourth Energy Cycle> ignore the words of a <Sixth Energy Cycle>?” 

Veyra was about to thrash him when a ripple full of strength and life energy engulfed the area like a deep ocean. 

“Enough.” 

Everyone felt as if their bodies were held in place for a second, and all gazes moved towards the woman emitting such a monstrous aura. 

Elyne’s gentle and smiling face was now indifferent as she looked at Orwen. “This is no place for you to wield your strength at will. Remember that the floor you are standing on is a living being.” 

Orwen couldn’t even open his mouth, his body fringed by the raw aura of the priestess. Ignoring him, Elyne crouched down and gently caressed the wooden floor. “Sorry, little one. That hurt a lot, didn’t it?”

Her healing energies sank into the ground, spreading to Ignatia as well. In a single instant, everything was healed back to how it was before Orwen’s emotional outburst.

Ignatia coughed up old blood twice from the internal wounds before taking in a deep breath. As she calmed Flor with her hand, she noticed someone approaching and looked over.  

Elyne smiled apologetically and extended her hand. “Sorry, Ignatia. It was so sudden that I couldn’t block him in time. Are you alright?” 

Ignatia swallowed her complaints and forced a smile. “Yes. Thank you, Lady Elyne.” 

After grabbing Elyne’s hand and standing up, Ignatia patted her dress and breathed in and out once to calm her feelings. ‘That was dangerous. Even if Orwen killed me, the other side would probably end it with just a scolding. No matter how much I look down on that being, I should be more courteous just to not fall victim to his random emotional outbursts.’ 

Looking at Orwen, Ignatia bowed once and spoke softly. “I am sorry for my rudeness, Lord Orwen. I thought that, since you could easily see Lady Fortuna, Lord Orwen’s words were of astonishment.” 

After straightening her back, Ignatia’s mind flashed with cold emotions. ‘You wait until I am stronger than you. When that happens, you'd better pray that you are not in my vicinity. Otherwise, you’ll become food for my young.’ 

Elyne suddenly spoke. “Ignatia, please don’t resent him.” 

Ignatia’s lips twitched once. ‘It seems that who I needed to be the most careful of was not Veyra but this woman.’

Elyne, as if reading her thoughts, smiled lightly. “We are not your enemy, Ignatia. Please let it slide this once. I promise that Orwen won’t be able to deal any more damage to his surroundings.” She looked sideways and spoke lightly. “Cael, walk by his side. If he dares to attack others like before, subdue him.” 

“Yes, Priestess.” 

The tall and muscular wolf-plant man walked to Orwen’s side and looked down at him. “You’ll be punished once we return. For now, stay silent and continue listening to Lady Veyra and Lady Ignatia’s conversation. Try to learn one or two things while you are at it.” 

Ignatia’s lips twitched, but unexpectedly, Elyne spoke up before anyone. “No. I will take charge from here on.”

The four envoys blinked and looked at Elyne with puzzled eyes. The woman smiled faintly. “Veyra’s probing nature was getting on my nerves. So, we will ask directly and receive honest answers. If we want to trust each other in the future, playing word battles will only result in planting seeds of resentment in each other’s hearts.” Looking outside the window at Fortuna, Elyne chuckled. “That little flower’s presence is more than enough for us to treat Ceperet as a potential superpower.” 

Ignatia honestly felt pressured when facing Elyne. While Veyra was intelligent and powerful, cunning and able to put traps every other sentence, she was still someone whom Ignatia could somewhat read. 

However, with Elyne, Ignatia was blind. ‘She looks like a gentle and sincere woman. However, there is a feeling of overwhelming power that lingers beneath her calm surface, unnerving me.’ 

Elyne sat on the main seat for the guests while Ignatia took the main seat for the leaders. After sitting down, Ignatia took a silent breath and smiled. “Lady Elyne, please speak. What do you need from us?”

Elyne tapped her round chin, her large and beautiful green eyes looking thoughtful. “I want to ask… What are the conditions for Little Liu Shu to swallow a World Tree in her domain? Are they complicated? Do you need powerful resources or enchantments?” 

Ignatia shook her head lightly, her long antennae bobbing from side to side. “Neither of those, Lady Elyne…” Ignatia paused and spoke carefully. “I am going to be honest. However, none of us is sure how she can do that. From our knowledge, such actions should’ve been impossible from the start. Yet, Liu Shu did those impossible actions as easily as if she were breathing.”

With a sigh, Ignatia smiled wryly. “Liu Shu is… Someone I hold very dear in my heart. She is someone I am willing to die for. Yet, at the same time, there is always this sense of mystery surrounding her. When I try to peer into her, I am stuck in a mist of unknowns and questions. The more I answer some mysteries, the more complicated it gets to understand her as a whole.”

Ignatia sincerely looked at Elyne and chuckled. “I love her to bits, but I never really understood her core existence. Still, I can assure you. Liu Shu is one of the most gentle and loving beings towards those who don’t go against her.”  

Elyne listened to Ignatia’s confession and smiled softly. “Great. That’s all I wanted to hear. You, who have gained a title that places you as Liu Shu’s mother, are someone whom I can trust.”

Her words struck the minds of the other four like a loud thunderclap. Veyra looked at Ignatia with widened eyes for a second before she controlled her expression and smiled. ‘Interesting.’ 

Meanwhile, the other three were full of disbelief, especially Lysara. She couldn’t help but ask, looking at the Humanoid Ant Queen with a complex expression. “You… How? How were you able to achieve that?”

Ignatia was not flustered. She just smiled and answered as simply as possible. “I just love her to bits. Down to her last leaf, I adore her with all my heart.”  

The five envoys became silent and looked at the motherly expression on the Ant Queen’s face. Even when her insectoid eyes would usually show no emotion, at this exact moment, they could somewhat feel a soft glow in them. 

“...”

Silence descended in the room for a few seconds before Elyne chuckled. “Right. There doesn’t really need to be any other feeling.”   

Leaning back on the chair, Elyne sighed softly. “This will get complicated.” 

Veyra and Lysara frowned at her words, not really understanding her reasoning. As if reading them, Elyne asked aloud, her eyes glancing sideways toward a certain individual. “Having such a loving mother, what do you think the reaction of the child will be when she learns that someone almost killed her mother?” 

At that instant, not only Veyra and Lysara, but also Orwen's expression fell slightly. Orwen opened his mouth lightly. “Even if she is angry, I can just block her attacks for a little while until she calms down. I doubt her strength is enough to damage me.”

Elyne looked deeply at Orwen and warned him. “You will only defend. If you dare retaliate, I will get angry.”  

“Understood, Lady—”

BOOM!

Everyone in the room suddenly felt their hearts constrict as an endless aura surged from the center of the city. The power behind it was such that the <Fifth Energy Cycles> standing on guard outside quickly rushed inside and surrounded the five envoys warily. 

Elyne and the other five looked out of the large window towards the gargantuan World Tree and saw its eyes slowly flutter open. 

As they looked up, Liu Shu’s eyes fully opened, and the world stopped. Not figuratively, but literally. 

As everyone felt their very beings frozen in time, they saw her look over. Her verdant green eyes, shining with endless ternary essence, locked onto them. 

“...Who are you? And why are there bloodstains belonging to my Mom on the ground?” 

Elyne’s heart jumped as she felt control of her body returning. ‘I… I was locked down by the aura of a Level 100 World Tree? Just how absurdly high are her stats!?’ 

Seeing the face of the World Tree gain a touch of anger, they wanted to speak up and clarify. However, before that, they saw a single root pierce through the window and latch around Orwen. The speed of the root was so fast that the <Sixth Energy Cycles> barely reacted to it.

Then, Orwen was flung outside the room and thrown into the sky. 

“You will pay.”

A single sentence full of murderous intent dominated the whole area. The World Tree was furious. 

Valeria Dominating the Dragon! (R-18) (Colored Sketch)

Welp.... Here it is Taka's work in progress art... Really nice is it not? With a mirror and all to show you everything~. Ahem. Hope you like it!

Chapter 564. A Battle Of Cunning. Ignatia Steps Up.

Once the Manta Ray descended, the group of 200 powerhouses and Ceperet leaders lightly jumped down. The place the Manta Ray used to put down those riding it was above where Flor specified. 

Veyra looked around and, as the voice of diplomacy, spoke up. “This city is gorgeous. The trees acting as buildings are not only mighty but also enormous. Moreover, since they are well spaced, walking around doesn’t feel stifling. On the contrary, it feels like walking around a forest with sparse flora.” Her lips arched faintly. “Whoever planned out the city architecture is a genius.” 

While Flor wanted to feel proud and happy that someone on Veyra’s level praised Liu Shu, she was too tense to feel any positive emotions. 

Not minding the silence from Ceperet leaders, Veyra looked at Liu Shu’s figure. The rest also followed her gaze. 

For the first time, the being made out of thorns and branches spoke up. His voice, an echo that seemed to spread from within the creature’s stomach, was masculine but clear. “Verdant Skyflower must’ve confused some data points. Is this truly a World Tree that’s younger than a century?”

Veyra glanced at Orwen lightly. After looking back at Liu Shu’s gorgeous figure, she opened her mouth. “Flor, tell me truthfully, what Level is this World Tree?”

Flor was confused and spoke, her words cautious. “Lady Veyra, Liu… Lady Heavenly Willow is Level 99, currently advancing into the 100th Level.” 

Orwen snorted and moved his head made out of thorns to glare at Flor. Inside two voids placed where eyes would normally be, two light red lights shone brighter than before. “Flor, just because Lady Elyne can’t pierce through her defense, your lies are too easy to discern. There is no way that a World Tree that is in the middle of advancing to its first Ascension would reach such heights.”

Flor’s eyebrows gently scrunched, puzzled about the strange hostility in his tone. ‘When did we offend this thorny creature?’ 

“Lord Orwen.” It wasn’t Flor but Ignatia who finally opened her mouth. “I am unsure of the reasons for your attitude. Nevertheless, we will not lie to beings whose strength is far beyond what we can even discern.”

Orwen’s gaze pinned Ignatia, and he spoke lowly. “Ant Queen, the fact that you are still alive even after so confidently coming out of your nest is due to Lady Elyne’s mercy. Otherwise, your life would’ve been ended right as we discovered you.”

Ignatia’s mind flashed with many thoughts. ‘Ho~? Humanoid Ant Queens are a source of fear even among interstellar powers?’ She was not worried that this man would lash out and kill her. ‘That woman, Veyra, is constantly keeping an eye on Orwen. It seems that this person is the one with the least amount of influence among the five main envoys.’ 

She had been closely looking at the five people, and now she completely discerned their dynamics. ‘Elyne is the leader, the wolf-plant person appears to be a protector, Lysara is a support and supervisor of some sort, Veyra is the spokesperson, and Orwen is a follower of some sort with no real influence. That being the case, Veyra should…’ 

“Orwen, cut it. I told you to behave yourself. What do you gain by antagonizing them?” 

As Ignatia expected, Veyra spoke up, her tone curt as her purple eyes locked Orwen down. ‘Great, this can work.’ 

She patted Flor’s back lightly and smiled. “Let me lead.” 

Veyra, Cael, and Lysara instantly glanced at Ignatia, their eyes flashing with different emotions. Flor felt a sense of relief when her reliable wife spoke to her, and she nodded obediently. “Alright.” 

Seeing through Flor’s emotions through her body language and tone, Veyra’s eyebrows rose imperceptibly. ‘Those two don’t have a common relationship.’

Ignatia, therefore, took the lead as Ceperet’s representative. “Lords and Ladies, I will be guiding you from now on. I do not mean offense, but Lady Flor is currently not at her best. To avoid mistakes and misunderstandings, please allow me to interact with the Lords and Ladies.”

The main envoys looked at Elyne, asking her with their eyes if that was okay. Elyne’s eyelashes fluttered, and slowly, she opened them. The previously pristine green eyes had a few streaks of red on them, showing the damage she received a few moments ago when trying to spy on Liu Shu.

A gentle smile spread on the woman’s lips. “Go ahead, Ant Queen. You are someone who is trustworthy and won’t do something to hurt Lady Heavenly Willow, are you not?”

Ignatia’s smile deepened, her insectoid eyes leaking no emotions. “That’s right, Lady Elyne. For that child, I can do anything.”

Orwen quipped. “Even destroying your own nest?”

Elyne frowned. “Orwen.” 

Ignatia didn’t mind, though. Her body remained steadfast as she answered her honest feelings. “I won’t give up my nest, because without it, my ability to help her would basically disappear. My strength and my nest’s strength are two interlocked attributes. Moreover, while I dearly love all my children, I only have one Tianlian Liu Shu.”

Whatever conclusions they drew from those words were left up to interpretation. Orwen, who thought Ignatia would find herself torn, felt uncomfortable with Ignatia’s great response. 

Veyra’s lips gained an amused arc before she spoke lightly. “Sorry for this. Lady Heavenly Willow is too large for a Level 100 World Tree. Therefore, we were doubtful. Usually, Level 100 World Trees are half her current size. And that measure is for those World Trees who have reached the S Tier. While the profundity and aura of Lady Heavenly Willow are incredible, the quality doesn’t seem to reach that of an S Tier.”  

Ignatia used her hands to gesture in the direction they should walk and spoke after the group started walking toward the <Town Hall>. “Our Lady doesn’t really like formal titles, so later, when communicating with her, I recommend addressing her intimately as Liu Shu.” Setting up a friendly mood, Ignatia moved towards explaining some peculiarities of our big girl. 

“Liu Shu has always been rather tall compared to her peers. Her strength similarly surpasses that of her peers at the same cycle.” 

Veyra hummed. “That’s interesting. Although I would recommend you not to expect… Liu Shu to continue that trend. The difference between a Fifth and Sixth Energy Cycle is 50 levels. Surmounting all those would mean for Liu Shu to have more stats than someone who goes through 5 <First Subcycles>, 2 <Second Subcycles>, 1 <Third Subcycle>, and 1 <Fourth Subcycle>.” 

Ignatia tapped her chin and eventually nodded. “I understand.” Then, she slightly veered the conversation off of Liu Shu. “Liu Shu managed to conquer the world rather swiftly, so our information and foundations are still light. I am unsure as to what your superiors want from us. May you resolve our curiosity?”

Veyra smiled lightly, almost forcefully pulling back the focal point where she wanted it. “Well, our leaders were interested in the information letter Verdant Skyflower sent. In that letter, details about Liu Shu were explained at length, assuring us that allying with her would be a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. Those who received the communication were skeptical until they read one piece of unreal information.” 

Ignatia answered with a smile. “What could that be?” 

Veyra’s smile became more prominent, and she didn’t answer. Instead, her two purple eyes glowed lightly as they glanced at the colossal World Tree. 

The silence stretched for a few moments before Ignatia had to give up. ‘Other than Liu Shu’s specialness, there is nothing much that can move an Interstellar power… Sigh. She wants to force it out of my mouth to see if they are missing information.’ 

Ignatia read Veyra correctly. The woman left everything vague because it was sensitive information. So, if Ignatia was not careful, she would reveal more than what Veyra had. And if she didn’t? That would give Veyra leverage while asking her why she lied or hid information. 

Overall, this placed our Ant Queen in a cornered state if she wanted to keep important details hidden. ‘...Why didn’t Skyflower send us a copy of the letter? Now I am walking blind!’  

“Lady Veyra, while I am unsure what Lady Verdant Skyflower spoke about in the letter, there might be some inaccuracies with reality. So, please excuse me if what I said differs from the knowledge you have.”

Veyra internally clicked her tongue. ‘Masterful cover. This Ant Queen is really intelligent.’ 

“Our Liu Shu’s abilities are plenty. Among them, she can profoundly influence the skills, experience gain, and stats of those living within her domain, among many other effects. Other than that, what made Liu Shu’s conquest several times faster and have so little resistance from the world’s inhabitants is her ability to assimilate large flora in her domain.”

Orwen wanted to speak at this moment, but Lysara put pressure on him. Veyra ignored the small altercation. “That’s indeed impressive. You should have a list of Liu Shu’s blessings for those living within her domain, right? May I take a look?” 

Ignatia paused, confused and thrown out of rhythm for a moment. ‘She didn’t push further on the ability to assimilate large flora?’ 

Still, she didn’t have much time to think, so she answered straight away. “While we do have a list. I don’t have it on me right now.” Ignatia showed a slightly apologetic expression. “Once we arrive at the meeting location, I will ask a secretary to sort it and give it to us.”

In their position, hiding the information they asked for was not really an option. Even if they were currently in talks to become allies, it was more of a subordinate position. After all, when someone had a weapon and the other side was unarmed, every single claim was bound to be advantageous for the former. 

So, amid word battles, Veyra tried to squeeze information while Ignatia put effort into hiding as much as she could. The only advantage Ignatia had in their conversations was that the other side was there to become their allies. So, they couldn’t be too rude and be blatant in their information search. 

Flor looked from behind as Ignatia battled with words, with Veyra not showing a single trace of weakness, and her ruby-like eyes glittered like gems. Even amid the suffocating tension, Flor’s mind could only admire her wife’s poise. ‘Ahhh! My wife is so attractive!’ She really wanted to reward Ignatia with a thousand kisses and mark her with her pollen!  

Meanwhile, Elyne, Lysara, and Cael glanced at Ignatia with faint surprise in their eyes. They had not expected Veyra, who usually extracted almost every single piece of information she wanted in a few minutes, to struggle with this relatively low-level Humanoid Ant Queen.

Lysara frowned lightly. ‘Were Humanoid Ant Queens this intelligent? While they aren’t stupid, their intelligence is usually focused on war tactics and expansion, not on diplomacy and wisdom…’ She felt a hint of threat from Ignatia. ‘With such profound intelligence… she is more dangerous than I gave her credit for.’

At the same time, Elyne looked at Ignatia’s back with curiosity. ‘So different from others of her species… Does becoming the mother of a World Tree have so much influence on them?’ 

With her skills, she was able to examine the status pages of others in detail. It was something almost insulting, but Elyne was forced to do so for her own safety. A multitude of skills enabled low-level beings to kill high-level ones, and some envoys fell victim in the past. So, being careful overshadowed any uncomfortable feelings. 

Once they arrived at the <Town Hall>’s highest floor, one with expansive windows covering all four sides, the five main envoys and the leaders moved toward the circular table in the middle. 

Chapter 1352. Endless Temptation Flower Appears Again.

Yasenia walked down the stone path with heavy steps, her mood radiating an intense “I am sad” aura. Seeing the dragon woman walk as if her feet weighed down on her entire being, the treasures couldn’t help but find her amusing. 

Draheart spoke softly, her usually indifferent tone layered with almost imperceptible amusement. “Why are you so depressed? You are more than able to fight off those plants if you are serious.”

Yasenia grumbled. “I know… The problem is not getting them.”

Dramel giggled. “Then, what’s wrong?”

“Concoction!” Yasenia blurted, her tail whipping the floor with loud slapping sounds. “To concoct, extract, and then craft a pill with a million-year-old spiritual herb is not something I’ve ever practiced! I used half a million plants in the past thanks to Valeria and Kali. However, I have absolutely no idea how to do it with these!”

“Oh.” The treasures stopped feeling amusing, Yasenia’s worries spreading over to them like an infectious disease.

Sui Xing asked, confused. “Then, what are you planning to do?”

Yasenia sighed as she looked around and checked the mental map. “I will gather not only the spiritual herbs I need, but others as well. While I don’t want to waste one-million-year-old herbs, I want even less to lose this garden after so many years stuck inside.”

The others nodded, accepting Yasenia’s words. It was a shame to waste precious resources, but they couldn’t really gamble. After Yasenia arrived at the location where the [Endless Temptation Flower] was located, she stepped off the stone path.

The reason she chose this location was that she was immune to the plant’s pollen. That effectively negated over half of the plant’s attacking power. The second she stepped outside, Yasenia saw hundreds of vines shooting from all around her. Draheart flashed, cutting down all of them.

“I can feel it.” Yasenia hummed, her eyes slightly more serious. When she cut the weaker plants, Draheart could slice through almost without effort. A light movement of her wrist was enough to divide tens or hundreds of vines. 

Now, though, she could feel some resistance. Clearly, the strength and durability of the vines were more than phenomenal. 

“Hehe, Draheart, are you tired? Your edge is faltering~.” 

Draheart snorted at Dramel’s tease. Then, Yasenia felt her energy draining for a bit as Draheart’s sword shape changed minutely. From a distance, it looked the same. However, when she looked closer, she could sense that the weight had spread towards the center as the edges sharpened. The overall balance remained similar, but her cutting power increased. 

In the next wave of attacks, Yasenia moved Draheart and noticed much less resistance when cutting down the vines. “Ho? Why do you not use this shape usually?” 

Draheart replied back. “Feel the balance.”

At first, Yasenia didn’t feel anything off. However, when she began using skills and such, she squinted her eyes. “Aha. I understand now. This balance is good for cutting but makes my movements stiffer in complex motions.”

With a sharper sword, her exploration speed accelerated. It was when she was rather confident that Yasenia felt the ground below her feet tremble slightly, and a silent, slippery vine shot up, latching onto her leg and shooting towards the middle of her legs. 

“Huh?” 

Even before she registered it, her own tail slashed down, cutting it. Even then, the vine’s momentum managed to reach up and tap her panties once. 

“Hyan! W-Wha?” Yasenia, utterly baffled, asked aloud. “Why was the plant aiming there!?”

Dramel and the others were silent, no less bewildered than our dragoness. Sui Xing coughed. “That… Perhaps the plant sensed your fertility and…”

“They are plants!” Yasenia retorted, her face crumpled. “Do they want to do some strange tentacle play or something!?” 

Sui Xing answered awkwardly. “Actually, not all plants…”

“Ah! Stop! I don’t want to know!” Yasenia grumbled as she stomped the ground, annoyed. “Who would’ve thought that my… defenses were almost pierced by a plant?” 

With a light jump, her body floated above the ground a few meters, not going over the canopy. This way, she would have much more time to react to those attacks again.

As she flew, Yasenia tilted her head and looked sideways. “Hm… What is that aura? It doesn’t feel like someone is fighting.”

From a distance, Yasenia could sense messy energy fluctuations, but none were violent clashes of energy. “Should I go check?” 

Soluna muttered. “Perhaps someone got trapped by those vines…” 

“...”

Everyone became silent, and even Yasenia felt a pang of empathy as a woman. “Let’s check at least… If the plant is distracted, we can harvest it with less trouble.”

So, hiding her presence, Yasenia moved alongside the shadows of the trees and arrived near the location. Once she reached it, her face crumpled slightly. 

Soluna exclaimed. “Wao! There are three victims! One man and two women!” 

Yasenia sighed and ignored the moans of frustration mixed with other tones, asking Sui Xing. “So… is that the [Endless Temptation Flower]?” 

“Indeed. The plant, although it is mainly used for permanent increase in appearance and beauty, is considered an aphrodisiac plant.”

Dramel suddenly asked, confused. “Hey, Yasenia. Isn’t that woman the one following the woman who entered with you into the garden?” 

“Huh?” Yasenia blinked and squinted. The woman, entangled in dozens of slimy vines and drenched in slimy liquids, was in her birthday suit, making her difficult to distinguish at first. However, now that she looked closer, she instantly distinguished her. “That’s indeed the alchemist who was with Feng Shaotian. Did she fall into the trap of the Endless Temptation Flower?” 

Looking at the other two, she recognized the man as another person from Feng Shaotian’s group, while the last woman was unknown to Yasenia. 

In the middle, the alchemist shouted, full of annoyance. “W-When are you going to stop, you stupidly horny plaAahnt!”

The man sighed at the side, his lower half also covered with vines. “Give up. I can feel that what this plant wants isn’t your pregnancy, but to absorb our Yin and Yang Essence to grow stronger.” 

Yasenia blinked at their conversation. ‘As expected, Transcendence Realm cultivators won’t despair just because they fall into a lewd trap! Impressive!’

The treasures: “...” 

Since saving them didn’t seem urgent, Yasenia looked around carefully and quickly spotted the main body of the plant. It was a twenty-meter-tall herb with large petals that rose up and opened. In the middle of the flower, a bluish-green pillar stood tall, emitting pollen all around. ‘There is so much pollen that it looks like a mist… How do I uproot it?’ 

The size was not too large, but Yasenia didn’t know how deep she needed to dig in order to scoop up the spiritual herb. If she destroyed the wrong roots, the effectiveness of the herb would decrease significantly. 

“Hm…” 

After devising a plan, she took action.

Meanwhile, the three trapped people felt a slight energy fluctuation. Even in their current state, their senses were sharp and alert. Or, it was better to say that their senses were sharp because they were in their current situation. 

The Endless Temptation Flower also seemed to notice something, and it paused for a second, that pause clearly felt by the three people connected to it. The man spoke aloud. “Hey, plant! I am ready for the next round. Or are you an impotent little plant that can’t squeeze a man how it is proper?” 

His mocking tone was quickly caught by the other two, and they followed his lead. “Hmph. As expected, you can’t even make a woman moan properly. Hey, move faster and deeper; I can’t feel it!”

“Right? Here I thought that, since you dared to capture us, you could at least make us submit. It seems I was confused.” 

The plant, having very low spiritual intelligence compared to a human, felt instantly provoked and summoned more vines, attacking the three people and filling all holes available. Their expression crumbled, but they didn’t complain and tried to go along with the plant.

When the Endless Temptation Flower started feeling fulfilled, its danger senses flared up like crazy. 

BOOM!

Just a few hundred meters from his body, a pillar of energy pierced the sky as Yasenia’s figure, covered in a mantle, appeared not far away.

Then, using Pegasus Gallop and her powerful sword techniques, Yasenia sliced the ground below it almost a hundred times over.  

The Endless Temptation Flower screeched as its connection with her main roots was severed. Then, the dragon woman appeared atop its pollen pillar and pulled skyward. 

RRRIPPP!

The entire flower rose to the sky, together with a large chunk of the dirt it was clutching. The brute strength of the dragon woman made it impossible for Endless Temptation Flower to resist. 

As the spiritual herb flew, Yasenia used her spiritual pressure to knock away its consciousness and absorbed it into her spatial ring. 

As it disappeared, all the vines latching onto the three people also disappeared, and they fell into the crater Yasenia created with loud thumps. 

“Ah…! Freedom!” The alchemist sighed loudly and sprawled on the ground. Having recovered control of her body, she used it to cleanse herself inside and out. The other two did the same as well. 

Yasenia landed lightly on the ground and looked at them once before turning around. 

“H-Hey! Wait!” 

Yasenia paused and looked back, her dark mantle covering her expression. “What’s wrong?”

The alchemist smiled awkwardly and spoke lightly. “That… Sorry. I was a bit rude all those years ago. I will remember this grace.” 

Yasenia didn’t care about that. She nodded lightly and prepared to leave.

“Wait!”

“...What now?” 

A hint of annoyance appeared on Yasenia’s face, but she answered either way. The alchemist looked around and asked softly. “That… Can you help us find our spatial rings? The plant ate them, but we don’t know where they are. Without them, we are dead since we have no treasures to protect ourselves.”

Yasenia paused. ‘...Since I saved them, I guess I must go all the way? Tsk, I was intending to steal their rings as compensation.’ Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.

“I don’t know where they are. However, I have a few treasures here that might help you.”

With a wave of her hand, Yasenia retrieved the weapons and armors of the people she killed in the secret realm and gave some of them to the three cultivators. They were all Transcendence-ranked treasures, so they couldn’t complain. 

After leaving a few treasures behind, the dragoness turned and left for real.

“Ah!” The three cultivators exclaimed, but Yasenia was already gone.

Looking at the clothes and weapons on the ground, they sighed and nodded. “At least she didn’t leave us behind.”

“...Right.”

Meanwhile, the dragon woman looked at the three rings in her hands with glittering eyes. ‘Treasures! I hope there are some million-year-old plants!’  

Random question for you.

So... Would you like to see a Yasenia animation looking at you sensually with and without clothes? It would be Vtuber style, a still animation of her moving back and forth between two poses... Hmhm. I just want to make sure before I make the investment, it is not cheap, after all. QAQ!

This would be the artist: https://x.com/silverpixia

Chapter 563. Insurmountable Existences. [AotSC]

Five days was neither a short nor a long time. However, when you were preparing to welcome beings who could potentially destroy you with little to no effort, time crawled slowly, and nerves increased each passing second.

Ignatia looked at Flor’s tense face and sighed softly, her hand gently caressing her hair. “Relax, you will explode if you keep holding back so many emotions.”

Flor would’ve usually laughed at Ignatia’s comments, but she was so nervous that she could only obediently listen and try to take deep breaths.    

The people gathered around Flor and Ignatia numbered sixteen. They are Melody, Verena, and the leaders of the thirteen major cities other than Golden Sap City scattered around the world. The thirteen major cities all had Level 99 leaders who had close ties with the Golden Sap City. 

As time passed, Flor once again recalled her journey until standing on this very spot. ‘A little Rose Fairy is now standing as the representative of the world… How did this even happen?’ 

A disbelieving laugh escaped her as her crossed arms tightened. “Galen, are you sure that they will land here?” 

They were in a mountain near <Golden Sap City>. This mountain was neither tall nor small. Interestingly, the top was rather flat and uniform, as if it had been ground down into a curved platform by the wind. Even when they were atop one of the tallest mountains of the continent, they only needed to look sideways to spot a certain someone who towered even above their current position tens of kilometers away. 

Galen spoke calmly. “The answer is the same as the previous twelve times you asked, Lady Flor. According to our observations, they should land in this area of the Golden Sap Continent. While our strength is not something that would impress them, they should be able to detect us.” He raised his hand, which held a strange disk. “This is a signal emitter, just to ensure that they can see us.” 

Flor nodded again, her body hovering right beside Ignatia.

Around three hours later, Flor finally spotted something high up in the sky. Looking above them, they spotted a very small dot that wasn’t in the clear blue sky a few moments ago. 

“Is that…?” Melody’s words trailed, unsure. 

One of the city leaders spoke confidently. “It must be.” 

As they looked at the dot, it suddenly magnified and approached at a speed they couldn’t really understand.  

WHOOSH! 

A powerful wind pushed all of them back, and above them, a giant floating beast riding starlight appeared. Its size, covering almost 500 meters from tail to head and even longer horizontally, was a sight to behold. The bluish-white flying manta ray’s aura was powerful enough to make everyone feel their breath hitching.

Flor’s eyes were full of confusion and fear. ‘W-What is that monster? Why is it so strong!?’ 

While every one of the leaders felt like a bug looking up to a powerful monster, a smiling female voice reached them. “I can guess that you are the leaders of the world… Should I say that you are an interesting group?” 

Before they could even register it, 200 people appeared right in front of them. The 200 people had an aura that could shake mountains and stir waves in the ocean. However, compared to the five people standing right at the front, those behind looked like normal people. 

Flor looked at them and felt her brain short-circuit for a moment. ‘Didn’t Galen say seventy-five…? Where in the name of the branches above does this look like seventy-five powerhouses!?’

She honestly felt as if she were about to have a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, Ignatia was there, supporting her body even as she involuntarily trembled when exposed to the passive pressure of these people. 

The woman who spoke was a beautiful lady with intelligent eyes and greyish-black skin. Her white hair and purple eyes completed her mysterious looks, while her tall and slender body released a hidden sense of pressure and darkness that felt as if it could swallow the surroundings. 

Her aura pressured the gathered group so hard that, even when Flor tried to speak, her words kept getting stuck at the back of her throat. ‘...Why are they so strong? Is it truly a <Fifth Energy Cycle> powerhouse?’

Ignatia was prepared to step forward when she felt a pair of green eyes locking onto her. The Ant Queen stopped and looked at the origin of the gaze. There, a woman who radiated gentleness and softness stood lightly, her green eyes shining with reassurance as her blonde hair fluttered even without wind. 

Ignatia almost bit her tongue when a sense of reliance was close to blooming in her heart involuntarily. If it weren’t because Liu Shu’s auras and blessings supported their mind, she was unsure if she could’ve continued to resist so stubbornly. ‘They are not on the Fifth Energy Cycle… These five are beings beyond that level of strength.’

Once Ignatia came to that realization, she felt as if she was forced to swallow an extremely bitter pill. ‘Our plans… were for naught. These beings have enough overwhelming power to stomp us all lightly.’ 

The grey-skinned woman at the front smirked, looking at the gathered group. “Is there no one who wants to step forward? Who is your leader?”

At that moment, a gentle voice intervened. “Veyra, don’t bully these children. I told you not to mess around, did I?” 

Veyra’s expression showed a hint of disappointment, but then she sighed softly. As if that sigh was a signal, the leaders of Ceperet felt the mountainous weight disappear from their bodies. As if the strings holding their bodies were cut, some of them fell to the ground while others stumbled, breathing harshly.

Flor, feeling her throat liberated, looked up. She was on the ground, resting her palms on her knees for a second or two before taking a deep breath and straightening her body. Then, with a determined expression, she pushed the courage she gathered during the past decades to speak in front of these monstrous beings. 

“I am Tianlian Flor, the current leader of Ceperet ruling right below our Lady World Tree.”

The five main envoys blinked once and then looked down at the petite fairy. Elyne’s expression was quite the sight, her eyes shining as if she had seen the cutest little thing in the world. 

“A fairy?” Veyra muttered, confused. “What fairy species is she, Lysara?” 

The tall, serene Sylvan whose veins glow faintly green, like flowing sap beneath translucent skin, frowned for a second. “I am… unsure. Her elemental affinities are all over the place. Her red hair and eyes are characteristic of Rose Fairies, but…” 

“Rose Fairies?” Veyra tilted her head. “Aren’t those part of the garden fairy species who can’t really reach beyond the <Third Energy Cycle>?” 

Flor looked at the woman named Veyra and decided to speak. “Lady Veyra, I have evolved from a Rose Fairy a while ago, gaining intelligence, potential, and strength.” 

While they were talking, Elyne exclaimed. “Huh? How come you have those titles?” 

Flor’s body tensed as she looked at the gentle-looking woman. Currently, her eyes were widened, as if she were looking at something truly incomprehensible. 

“Have you discovered something interesting, Lady Elyne?”

Elyne’s green eyes glowed lightly as she glanced at the Ceperet Leaders one after another. After a few seconds, she covered her mouth as her lips arched with interest. “Oh my… Ceperet is a planet much more interesting than I expected. I am glad we were sent instead of a normal delegation.”  

Her gaze then moved sideways, the other four following Elyne’s gaze. In the distance, they could easily spot the gargantuan World Tree soaring beyond the clouds. Elyne squinted, her glowing green eyes trying to pierce through and look into the World Tree’s <System Page>.

However, as she did so, a powerful pulse of energy surged from the World Tree and barreled right into her eyes. “Ah!” A scream left her mouth as she covered her eyes with her hands. 

“Lady Elyne!?” Lysara’s eyes widened as she quickly approached and used healing magic on her. 

Elyne raised her hand quickly. “D-Don’t worry. I just got a backlash. Do not overreact.” 

Veyra, Orwen, and Cael’s tensed bodies relaxed as Elyna slowly recovered her calm. Without opening her eyes, Elyne looked at Flor and spoke softly. “This place is not somewhere where we can speak at length. How about you guide us into the city so that we can have a conversation?”

Flor was extremely reluctant. Her baby was Leveling Up, and these people’s strength was so high that she didn’t feel confident in her ability to scratch their skin. Still, there was a strangely soothing aura coming from the blonde woman that lowered her guard. 

As she was about to speak, a trace of surprise flashed in her ruby-colored eyes. ‘Blood?’ 

Elyne, as if she were able to see the world around her even with her eyes closed, chuckled and spoke. “The backlash hurt my eyes a bit. Do not worry about these few blood tears. I will recover in less than ten minutes. So, what are your thoughts, Flower Fairy?” 

When she said those words, the rest of the delegation jumped a little, and all 199 people looked straight at Flor. The weight of 199 <First Ascension> powerhouses was something that squeezed her very organs. “T-That… It would be my pleasure.”

Reluctant as she was, powerlessness overwhelmed everything else. Right now, Flor could only meet their demands to the best of her ability and hope that their intentions were not evil. The situation had completely escaped her hands. ‘Sigh… Is this how the Nexus felt when Liu Shu invaded? It’s truly a stifling feeling.’ 

Elyne looked at Veyra, and the woman smiled and nodded once. “Since that’s the case, please don’t resist.” 

Veyra waved her hand, and a wave of dense Dark Aether Mana engulfed them all. The next second, the shadow moved through the air and landed on the back of the manta ray. When the shadow opened, all the people were now standing on the back of the gargantuan creature. 

Flor looked around with wariness, and then, the manta ray moved. With a gentle flap of its fins, the manta ray covered the distance between the mountain and Liu Shu, appearing right above the city and at the edge of the World Tree’s canopy. 

Veyra was about to speak when they felt hundreds of thousands of auras locking onto them. Then, reacting to their sudden reaction, <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> released a barrage of attacks against the Manta Ray. 

Noticing Lysara frown and raise her hand, Flor exclaimed. “A-Ah! Please be merciful! That’s an automatic defensive measure!” 

Lysara, who raised her hand lightly, paused and then lowered it. A large green shield appeared below the Manta Ray, blocking the endless barrage of elemental seeds. 

Lysara hummed, interested. “Space, Earth, Light, Life, Fire… So many different elements are mixed in the attacks.” 

Elyne, her eyes still closed, smiled softly. “Flor, could you please tell them to stop? We can’t lower our altitude otherwise.”

Flor nodded quickly and spoke aloud. “Wisdom, stop it! They are the delegation!” 

Not long after she shouted, a pulse of energy spread from Liu Shu’s body, stopping the endless barrage coming from <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field>. 

Lysara spoke lightly, her translucent eyes with green glowing veins glancing at Liu Shu. “I really want to know how you raised an entire flower field with offensive flowers that have an average strength of a <Fourth Energy Cycle>... Not only that…” Looking around, her lips arched. “All the trees in this city are Level 99.” 

Veyra giggled, her purple eyes showing deep interest. “Did Skyflower lie to us… Or are there secrets hiding in this place? The journey was well worth it~.” 

Flor and the others could only press their lips tightly as the five envoys looked around with gazes full of intrigue.