Mortrexo

Chapter 1297. Yasenia's High-Profile Entrance Into the Secret Realm. [End Of Volume Twenty]

When Yasenia told Star Forge to prepare because there would be more similar interactions, it was not a joking statement. During the following weeks until the Secret Realm opened, Star Forge had to drive away people almost daily. She was confused why there would be so many people interested, so she investigated a bit. 

She learned that there were some people who had drawn Yasenia and copied it to share around. Many people couldn’t help but become interested and decided to shoot their shot using their influence, positions, or even strength. 

Some were more forceful than others. Nevertheless, when those with high cultivation levels became forceful, the Guardian Phoenix’s pressure descended from the sky, pressuring them away.

Star Forge sat down and sank into the comfortable, soft sofa, sighing deeply. “How do you even live normally?” She was not annoyed anymore; that phase passed during the second week. Now, she was fascinated. “Do you know that there were even some females among those who came? It’s ridiculous.” 

Yasenia chuckled softly. “The hardest part is already over. So, don’t worry. We should see a sharp decrease in people trying to court me from now on.” 

Mo Yun looked at Yasenia's strangely confident look and was curious about her reasoning. “How do you know?”   

The dragoness explained briefly. “There is a difference between a beauty who rejects one person and a beauty who rejects everyone. If only one or two people get rejected, the ones who might lose face are those who asked in the first place. Nevertheless, once dozens or even hundreds of people have been rejected, everyone understands that it wasn’t them but the beauty’s lack of interest.” 

Star Forge chuckled. “Ah. You are using the same logic that some use for excellence, right? You can be jealous of someone who is slightly better than you. Nevertheless, when the distance between you and that person becomes too wide, that jealousy transforms. First, it is helplessness, and then acceptance.”

“Basically, yes.” Yasenia smiled. “Nevertheless, we’ve talked almost daily about this. Let’s change the subject. Do you know at what hour the Secret Realm will open? I want to approach the [Astral Death Sect] soon.” 

Tai Qingzhe took out a jade scroll and poured her spiritual sense into it. “Hm… According to the energy readings, it should open early in the morning tomorrow at the earliest, or during the night of the day after tomorrow.” 

The dragoness nodded. “We should wake up all the meditating disciples then. Have all the groups been made?” 

“Of course.”

After asking, time was quick to pass, and the small camp they created was cleaned. During the wait, Star Forge warned the mortal disciples about the dangers inside. “You, as mortals, need to be extremely careful. I’ve given each of you a life-saving treasure that can transport you out of the Secret Realm and into the city we were previously staying in. Remember that before we return to the sect, we will visit that hotel to make sure that we have everyone. Therefore, if you ever use the life-saving treasure,” Star Forge emphasized. “Stay. Inside. The. Room.” 

Her gaze made the mortals feel as if their muscles had stiffened. 

Yasenia knew about this item, which was quite famous among the Secret Realm divers. Its drawback was that it only worked on mortal realm cultivators. Transporting a Transcendence Realm cultivator instantly out of the Secret Realm was a bit too complicated for a cheap life-saving treasure like the one they were using.

One of the mortal cultivators asked, confused. “But, Elder Star Forge, if a Transcendence Realm cultivator ambushes us, we won’t be able to react to it, right?”

“Yes.” Star Forge was quite frank. “But Transcendence Realm cultivators, even the demonic ones, won’t attack you for no rhyme or reason. Only if they are interested in one of your treasures, they might.”   

That mortal cultivator was not convinced. “So, if a Sixth Realm cultivator wants my treasures, I can’t do anything about it and have to give them away?”

“As long as you don’t want to die, yes. Only if you are with one of our elders can you think of using the life-saving treasure to go out with whatever treasure you got.” 

There was no fairness in the world. Inside the Secret Realm, even more so. Strength made right, and those right were the strong. 

Yasenia looked at their unsatisfied expressions and looked away. ‘This is the problem of cultivators that grow inside a sect. They are not aware of how greedy and ruthless the true free-for-all cultivation world is.’ She herself was not going to have any mercy on other mortals if they got something she wanted. Only a few things would bar her from acting if anyone had something she coveted. 

Yasenia looked into the distance, and her sharp eyes suddenly caught a strange spatial distortion. ‘Oh? Is it opening already? Quite early.’

Looking at the sky, the Moon was gently shining in the middle of the clear sky. The sound of waves crashing in the distance was very clear during the night, even among the murmurs of people talking. The sea breeze caressing her skin felt slightly ticklish as the sand particles grazed her face. 

‘I wonder, will this Secret Realm have a beach or island structure? There are six zones that can appear. Among them, two are beach-like, two are mountainous, and two are full-blown jungles.’

If Yasenia could choose, she would very much prefer the non-beach landscapes. That way, she could use her nose. After all, smelling treasures underwater was harder than those hidden in caves or tall mountains. 

“Yasenia, what are your plans?”

Mo Yun’s question was normal. Among all the elders, Star Forge gave Yasenia full independence. This decision was not based on preference but strength. She knew full well that Yasenia was quite strong inside the Secret Realm, no worse than herself. So, placing her to babysit mortal cultivators was a waste of resources.

“I don’t know yet. I’ll see depending on which Secret Realm we fall into.”

Star Forge looked at Yasenia and spoke. “Yasenia, I know that it is sometimes difficult while searching for treasures yourself. Nevertheless, don’t forget to get some treasures for the sect if you can.” 

“Got it.” Yasenia smiled. “You’ve helped me get this opportunity; paying back is natural.” 

Tai Qingzhe snorted. “Trying to cut karmic ties?”

“No. I am trying to keep them even.” 

CRACK!

A crisp sound spread from the distance, attracting everyone’s attention. Star Forge spoke solemnly. “Stay together at first. The first few moments can be a bit chaotic, so separating will do you more harm than good. If you see a chance to go, take it.”

“Understood!” 

Everyone tensed up, and Yasenia squinted. ‘It seems that we will all enter together. This will be my first Secret Realm where I will not wait to enter. Star Forge told me that there are some sects that deploy formations to hurt those trying to take advantage of the chaos, so the waiting strategy is not ideal.’

Yasenia pouted a bit. ‘If only my Baby or Mom were here… It would be much easier.’ Yasenia paused and frowned. ‘I am thinking of them more often lately. I guess I am missing them even more than I thought…’ 

She wanted to hear Evelyn’s lovely banter, fulfill Angel’s pampered requests, feel Kali’s gentle reassurance, soak in Cecile's calm love, sink in Andrea’s trustworthy embrace, and relish in Tatyana’s supporting gaze. 

Looking around, there was no lack of some malicious and lustful looks. Yasenia knew that she would be targeted inside the secret realm. Nevertheless, this only made her more determined. 

CRACK—BOOM! 

The portal opened, and everyone rushed forward while using defensive and offensive techniques. Star Forge waved her hand, her aura exploding outward like a supernova. “[Star Forging Intent Domain Level 5]!” 

Yasenia’s eyes flashed with surprise. ‘Fifth Level? I still was underestimating her.’ 

Their surroundings were instantly enveloped by a space filled with different stars, each emitting dangerous and mysterious energies. Moving her hands, Star Forge manifested tens of thousands of stars around them and created a dome to protect the group. 

The attacks that rained on them quickly dismantled and destroyed Star Forge’s powerful Intent Domain. 

Nevertheless, it gave them enough time to cross the distance and enter the Secret Domain’s space. Once they did, Star Forge’s domain and everyone else’s attacks were suppressed by an incredible force. 

The beachy landscape was revealed. Simultaneously, Yasenia could feel all the overwhelming presences squeezing her all around disappear and transform into lackluster ones. Her Celestial Black Hole Star Energy Core began rotating, pumping energy through her meridians, soul, and body. 

‘To see my dears faster…’

Her eyes shone with ruthlessness as she suppressed all superfluous emotions. 

‘To see them in the shortest amount of time…’

Yasenia’s energy began boiling as her aura transformed. 

‘I mustn’t linger here and grow my strength as fast as possible…’

A group of two men and two women appeared in their path, clearly wanting to stop some of them. Star Forge was about to move when time seemed to freeze for a second. During this second, a presence like an ancient primordial predator appeared behind her. A chill ran up her spine as she looked backwards. ‘What is this presence!?’

When she looked over, her heart jumped. She saw Yasenia’s aura transform as killing intent and raw energy surrounded her body like a cloak of blood and strength. Her warm, golden slit eyes were now swirling with streaks of blood-red light as her energy made even her breath stagnant. 

“Those who delay me from seeing my dears! DIE! [Firmament Dividing Celestial Twilight]!” 

Spiritual Energy gathered in her giant sword as she transformed into a beam of light and rushed forward. Everyone could feel the surge of energy and turned to look over, only to have their hearts jump with terror. 

Where the Celestial Dragon was, the sky had transformed into a gradient of daytime. From night to morning, through twilight and daytime, back to midnight; all hours of the day seemed to each have taken a space in the sky as a gargantuan sword light enveloped the four cultivators. 

Those four felt as if the world was about to collapse around them as Yasenia’s overwhelmingly strong presence surrounded them. Extreme terror swallowed them before Yasenia completed her powerful technique. ‘M-Monster.’

Every single celestial body the attack illustrated transformed into rays of light that collided just as the sword light enveloped the four Transcendence Realm cultivators.

What followed was a gargantuan explosion that swallowed the sky and created a giant mushroom cloud.  

BOOOM!!!!

Star Forge looked on with a stupefied expression as the bodies of the four Transcendence Realm cultivators flew, blood dripping everywhere. Extremely heavy wounds covered them, limbs bursting into gore as they crashed against the sandy beach, creating four giant pillars of sand. 

With Celestial Energy swirling around her body, Yasenia turned to Star Forge and nodded faintly once. Then, Pegasus's wings merged with her own draconic wings, and her body shot into the distance like a ray of light with a single flap of her wings.

Most spectators, especially mortals, had their mouths open in shock at what had just happened. In the Mortal Cultivator’s mind, Transcendence Realm Cultivators were not only powerful but also resilient. So, even when they battled together, fights would take a while. 

Seeing four of those all-powerful cultivators be slammed against the sand half-dead with a single strike was shocking, to say the least. 

Mo Yun whispered to the stunned leader. “Star Forge, we should use this chance to get going.”

“R-Right.” Star Forge blinked and quickly guided everyone away. 

Fylia, Ten Eyed Qilin Spirit. Cecile's companion. (Sketch)

Cecile's Spirit Companion. She has not really appered much, but the concept is quite nice, so I wanted to illustrate her. Here is the sketch!

Chapter 1296. Secret Realm's Esplanade. Blossom Dance Pavilion.

“So… This is the place?”

Star Forge looked at Yasenia’s curious expression and nodded. “Yes. This is it. Is there something wrong?”

“More than something wrong…” Yasenia trailed her words before speaking. “There is nothing here.”

Before Yasenia and the others, a rocky esplanade extended beyond their eyesight. This place had some traces of sand, and the water moved through the rocky area’s holes, creating some geysers.

Star Forge snorted. “Were you expecting a hotel or something?”

“I was expecting a city, yes.” Yasenia commented. “Isn’t this a significant secret realm? Creating a city in the nearby area feels like a matter of course. We are in the middle of nowhere.”

“It's because it is a Secret Realm that attracts the attention of many that there can’t be a city here. If there were, those powerful sects would take control of the city and then create barriers. The Broken Star Continent understands that they are far from being the strongest. Therefore, in a few millennia, they might lose access to it through gradual prohibitions.”

Yasenia thought about it and accepted the explanation. “While you are right, it’s more a matter of laziness and not wanting to administer a city while juggling around top powers and themselves.” 

“Would you do it?” Star Forge asked knowingly. 

“I wouldn’t,” Yasenia answered easily. “While I am in favor of creating or joining powers to gain some backing, I do not want to get stuck in one place for too long. I need to keep moving forward and explore new places if I want to get stronger and encounter lucky opportunities.” 

Star Forge sighed. “That’s a privilege, Yasenia. Not everyone has the chance to do that. Not because they can’t travel, but because their talent limits them.” 

Yasenia didn’t argue against that. Talent was extremely important in cultivation. Nevertheless, there were heavenly treasures that could change one’s destiny and elevate talentless people to peerless geniuses. 

No risk, no reward.  

At the same time, wanting to live a comfortable life was something that Yasenia didn’t mock. She was actually somewhat envious of those people. If she could just lean back and live with her family while slowly cultivating, how happy would she be? 

‘But I can’t. Too many threats to deal with after I return to the Sky Continent.’ 

Yasenia knew that once she returned, she would probably be caught up in another storm. That tower was suspicious; the Demon’s insistence was suspicious. The delay of help from the Divines was suspicious. Everything honestly felt too out of place. 

‘When Jaxon and Isla faced off during the Secret Realm, they didn’t go at each other's throats right away. That in itself is strange. The fact that Isla, a newly born Divine, didn’t have an urge to prove herself in front of others and almost allied with Demons to deal with me is something that has been nagging at the back of my mind ever since.’

Yasenia shook her head, focusing on the matters in front of her. ‘Step forward slowly. Looking ahead is something that you can’t do if you lose sight of what’s right before you.’ 

Qingzhe approached and smiled. “Yasenia, weren’t you curious about the Astral Death Sect? Look over there.”

Yasenia blinked and turned in the direction Qingzhe pointed with her chin. Her spiritual sense expanded, and around 500 kilometers in that direction, she saw a group of nearly 800 people. There were around 80 Transcendence Realm cultivators, while the rest were peak-level mortal realm cultivators. 

“Hm…” She scanned everyone with curious eyes, but she couldn’t feel anything strange from them. ‘If they had something to do with Tatyana, wouldn’t they use something to make me aware of it?’ 

Yasenia knew that Tatyana had a Soul Bead with her soul trace in it. Moreover, this bead was created with her young soul and evolved with her. Therefore, it was now an incredibly powerful treasure to locate and track her down.  

‘If Mom arrives at my Heavenly Layer, that bead should show some kind of reaction. From what I know, the Blue Pearl World is not too far away from one of the cities that connects the Heavenly Layers.’

“Yasenia.”

“Hm? Yeah?” 

Yasenia blinked twice and looked sideways at the golden-haired woman. Qingzhe chuckled. “Don’t show such an adorably dazed expression outside. You are making people fall in love with you.” 

The dragoness teased, her eyebrow rising seductively. “Oh? Are you among those people~? If so, we can have some fun, little Zhe Zhe.” 

Qingzhe snorted, her cheeks turning slightly red. Even after all these years, she was not completely accustomed to Yasenia’s teasing. After all, resisting the temptation from the soul-stealing beauty was a bit too hard! 

Still, having grown some courage, Qingzhe looked up and took a step forward. “What if it is like that? Are you going to do something? If so, come and get me!”

Yasenia’s eyes were filled with laughter as she hugged the woman, stunning her, and then… she tickled her.

“Pft, hahahaha! Ya-Yasenia! Stop! Stop! Hahaha!”

The dragoness chuckled and stopped, keeping the woman between her arms. “Hm. Very cute laughter, and very cute red cheeks as well. I want to take a bite.” 

Qingzhe surrendered and covered her embarrassed face with her hands. “My dignity as a senior… It is gone. It has been trampled through this humiliation.”

Yasenia wanted to laugh, but she was somewhat apprehensive. “Um. Qingzhe, are you okay? I am sorry if I overdid—”

“Ha!” Qingzhe separated her hands, a sly grin appearing on her slightly reddish face. “I got you!”

Yasenia showed surprise for a second before laughing. “You truly did. I thought you were actually mad.”

“I am!” Qingzhe flicked the dragon’s forehead. “What are you thinking when you do that in the open? One day, I am truly going to lose all the respect from others!”

Yasenia snorted coldly. “If that’s enough to lose their respect, you didn’t need it in the first place.”

Those words reached not only Qingzhe but the others as well. Star Forge hummed and smiled faintly. “That’s actually quite nice and refreshing to hear. It is true that reputation is very important. Nevertheless, I never thought about how much we actually care about it.”

Mo Yun commented. “I guess we get accustomed to searching for that reputation as we grow older. After all, we can’t use our strength for everything. Having that edge gives you chances at many opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise.” 

Yasenia hummed. “I guess you are right. Still, the reputation for that won’t be based on how cold you are or how noble you look. The reputation tied to opportunity is always about talent, strength, and influence. Not how good you look…” The dragoness paused. “Unless you are a Dual Cultivator. Then, my arguments go down the drain.” 

Star Forge didn’t completely agree. “Don’t you think that, for example, a Sect Master needs to maintain a high-above and untouchable reputation? If they don’t, there will always be elders who try to take over, thinking you are weak.”

“Correct. But I ask you back.” Yasenia smiled. “Does it mean anything to be a Sect Master based solely on displaying an attitude that’s not truly yours? A Sect Master must have strength above all others. And if they don’t, they must at least have the support of those who are the strongest in the sect, not through lies, but through charisma.”

Both sides made valid points, neither being completely correct. This was one of those gray areas, where determining what was white and what was black became too complicated. 

Nevertheless, it was a fun conversation where others participated.

After a little while, they were interrupted by a group of people. “Hello, friends of the [Star Immortal Sect]. We are disciples of the [Blossom Dance Pavilion]. Do you have a moment to chat?”

Yasenia and the others looked over, and some of their disciples and elders showed hints of surprise. After all, the group in front of them was made up of extremely handsome and beautiful women. 

Nevertheless, their surprise only lasted for a few moments before they recovered their bearing. 

This surprised the people from the [Blossom Dance Pavilion]. They couldn’t understand how every other group looked at them while almost salivating, while the sect from a weak continent actually resisted their charm. 

Nevertheless, as they looked on confusedly, they spotted Yasenia standing in the middle with the same outfit she had worn during her outing in the city. The purple cultivation dress with golden accents, coupled with her black, transparent veil and the beautiful hair updo, struck them like an arrow to the heart. 

Yasenia’s golden slit eyes looked over, their impactful beauty throwing some of them into a daze. ‘No wonder they could resist. With someone like that woman around them constantly, other beauties are like mud.’ 

Star Forge coughed, gathering their attention. Internally, she was quite amused. ‘A Dual Cultivation sect being the ones charmed instead of the opposite. Quite ironic.’ 

“Friends from the Blossom Dance Pavilion, I wonder what you want to discuss with our little sect.” 

The leading man controlled his urge to continue looking at Yasenia and smiled politely. “Actually, we were here to ask about what happened between one of your elders and our two disciples. However, I can imagine it just by looking at Fellow Daoist.” 

Yasenia didn’t speak. Star Forge was the leader of their group, so without her speaking first, she would remain silent and respect the hierarchy. 

Star Forge smiled back as well. “That’s understandable. Our Sect Elder was slightly heavy-handed. Nevertheless, you must understand that the number of people approaching her when she goes outside is basically endless. Therefore, she needs to have that kind of temper; otherwise, she will be drowned in love letters and admirers.” 

The man leading waved his hand, showing a handsome smile. “I understand. Also, I know that it might come off as insensitive after we’ve come here for a similar reason. Still, I must ask for this beauty’s name.”

Star Forge looked over, signaling to Yasenia to deal with it as she saw fit. Yasenia took a step forward and bowed gently. The great curve was highlighted for just a second, accompanied by a gentle bounce. The weight they showed when Yasenia moved was enough to tell a thousand stories about their size. 

After she straightened, Yasenia spoke indifferently, her eyes showing coldness. “I am sorry, I am not interested. Do not insist, please. I do not want to offend anyone by rejecting you over and over again.” 

The man waved his hand. “Not at all. I wouldn’t dare.” He took a last look at Yasenia and turned toward Star Forge. “If we encounter each other inside, I hope we can help each other. Farewell.”

Star Forge answered politely. “Have a safe trip. Good luck on your treasure hunt.”

After they left, Star Forge snorted. “Having you in our group sure is tiring.”

The dragoness smirked. “This is the first of many, so prepare your heart.” 

Star Forge rolled her eyes. 

Chapter 507. Exploring The Ocean. [AotSC]

Liu Shu’s roots were extremely swift thanks to the <World Embracing Endless Roots> Passive Skill. If before, in terms of root speed, she was running while the rest of the World Trees were walking, this skill made her look as if she took flight instead. Of course, the energy consumption to create and extend her roots was nothing to joke about. 

Nevertheless, with Liu Shu’s current insane regeneration, she was more than okay using the skill to its maximum capacity. ‘I wonder if natural <Lignified> species have started sprouting?’ 

She chuckled and muttered. “I am too impatient. After all, these babies will basically be a new species I’ve created, so I really want to see them grow!”

The specialness of Lignified Species was their ability to become building-type flora. Liu Shu pondered for a bit and knew that this peculiarity could lead to them being exploited. Nevertheless, since they only appeared within her domain, she should be able to protect them. 

While thinking about that, her roots moved quickly across the seafloor. The oceans that divided the seven continents were large and deep. How deep? Liu Shu didn’t really know. Nevertheless, after crossing over the 400 kilometers from the coast, she could get an idea.  

“It’s… so dark. I can’t see anything with my <World Tree Eye> sight. I can only use my natural receptors to look around.” Thankfully, she never developed dependence on the skill. Usually, when she looked at things, she would first look with her normal sight and then overlay the <World Tree Eye> skill. This way, the skill would work like glasses did for a nearsighted person. 

In this dark environment, Liu Shu thanked herself for always thinking about ways to keep her sight functional even if <World Tree Eye> didn’t work. ‘Hm… There are quite a few creatures down here. Moreover, they are not weak. Most creatures at this depth are at the <Third Energy Cycle>!’

This came as a surprise. Nevertheless, she thought that underwater creatures didn’t really need to deal with the Intelligent Beings. Therefore, it was a much more brutal battle for survival. This made them much worse intelligence-wise but stronger strength-wise.

‘If these monsters could walk on land, people would be in quite a lot of trouble—EHYAH! Who is grabbing my roots so suddenly!? Don’t you know how to ask a lady first before making a move!?’

Looking over, she noticed a giant shadow with many root-like appendages drilling into the ground and pulling her roots. ‘Hm… Octopus? Its strength is quite high…’

***

Name:

Race: Krakenus Abyssalis

Level: 91

***

“Woah!” Liu Shu muttered. “No wonder it felt somewhat stronger than the rest. It’s a <Fourth Energy Cycle> Octopus! Or, well, a kraken?” 

Liu Shu waved her root back and forth, wanting to escape the octopus’s slimy grasp, but the suckers were latched quite tightly, and she couldn’t throw it off. “Ugh… Why are you nibbling now? Have you become arrogant because you are a <Fourth Energy Cycle>? Stupid octopus, take this!” 

One of her free roots shone with Light Aether Mana, momentarily creating a spot of light on the always dark ocean floor, and then, she swung it.

PAK!

The Kraken was hit right on its head, the soft tissue deforming under the strong power of our World Tree. Not having expected such a strong strike, the Kraken spat a cloud of corrosive ink due to panic. 

“Aw…” Liu Shu muttered. “Now I feel bad. Look how panicked the cute kraken is! Hey! Don’t gooo! I didn’t want to startle you!” 

Cute for Liu Shu meant that the monster was a few hundred meters long. Of course, for our big lady, who measured over 5000 meters in height, such length was almost perfect for a pet. 

The kraken didn’t stop, though. It had never felt such a powerful hit from anyone ever. It swore that if it encountered those delicious, blue-glowing roots, it wouldn’t fall for the bait!

Seeing the kraken shoot away while her roots tingled lightly from the corrosive ink, Liu Shu was a bit depressed. ‘It was quite cute… I just wanted it not to suck with the strange mouths in the suckers; it was tingly and painful. If I find it ever again, I’ll capture it for me to hug when I am anxious!’

The kraken strangely felt a chill all around its body and swam away even quicker. It didn’t even care if it bumped into other <Fourth Energy Cycle> overlords at the bottom of the ocean.

While traversing the seafloor, Liu Shu’s roots encountered a myriad of interesting things. Thanks to the adaptability given by the System, many species had become specialized to live underwater and at the terrifying pressure of being this deep under the ocean.

“Hm… That’s an underwater volcano, right? There are a few volcanoes in the Wild Continent, but they are all inactive. I guess it is because our continent is not too prone to quakes.” 

Speaking of quakes, the knowledge about them was quite deep. The theory of moving tectonic plates was something that the entire scientific community was aware of. Nevertheless, Liu Shu was a bit doubtful. “Where did that knowledge come from?” 

Liu Shu could guess that it was either World Trees attuned to the Earth Attribute or people with that same affinity who explored these concepts. ‘I need to glomp a few more scientific books. Perhaps I’ll gain some delicious knowledge!’ 

When you ate knowledge instead of learning it, books were more about taste than interest. Thinking of how jealous everyone who learned about it became, Liu Shu giggled. ‘I wonder if it is that hard to learn not by eating, but by memorizing and understanding like the others do.’ 

Traversing the ocean floor gave Liu Shu a window to just think about things. Something unusual since Liu Shu was always preoccupied with other matters. 

‘Speaking of other matters, I still have to continue the experiment of how my children with those four work! Let’s call Verdantia today! I’ll focus on expanding, though. I want to explore the ocean~!’

Verdantia was called suddenly and went to the <Core Room> to visit the Avatar. Once inside, she was grabbed by the World Tree’s soft vines. “O-Oh. I understand.” Verdantia’s smile was uglier than crying. “I am going to get squeezed quite a lot, aren’t I?”

The avatar moved over and straddled Verdantia with a tempting smile and a faint blush. “Verdantia, let’s have another baby!” 

And then, Verdantia became a fruit-producing, fluid-losing Sylvan. The poor woman ended up lying on top of Liu Shu’s body and falling asleep while Liu Shu’s avatar munched on her fruits happily.

Meanwhile, under the ocean, Liu Shu encountered the first wild World Tree.

“Oh! Hello!”

The other side started communicating, but the way of communication was through tree speech. Liu Shu was not in a hurry, so she continued exploring the surroundings while listening to her. 

After around thirty-five minutes, a sentence was successfully completed: “Get out of my domain or I’ll attack you!” 

Liu Shu was baffled. ‘Wow. Thirty-five minutes to tell me to go root myself!” 

Thankfully, Flor wasn’t here, or our big lady would’ve been scolded by her mother for the foul language! 

Unresigned to just killing the interesting suboceanic World Tree, Liu Shu answered back. Her tree speech was relatively fast, but still slow. Twenty minutes later, she replied. “Why are you so aggressive? I come in peace~.” 

40 minutes.

“Peace? There is no peace between World Trees. Moreover, I can feel something strange about you. Leave!”

30 minutes.

“I won’t leave~. I am conquering the entire world, so I need to either assimilate or destroy you. I don’t really want the latter to occur, so listen to me, okay?” 

1 Hour. 

“Destroy me? I am the third strongest World Tree in this area of the ocean. Don’t underestimate me!”

Liu Shu hummed and pondered how to deal with this stubborn lady. ‘Should I just pressure her with my aura? After being enhanced with my titles and such, it should be quite strong, right?’ 

So, after thinking about it, Liu Shu manifested her presence forcefully and targeted the World Tree. In the Golden Sap City, the air solidified for a second, making everyone feel short of breath for a moment. Then, that presence slammed against the ground and rushed along Liu Shu’s root system toward that location. 

When her presence arrived, the water wobbled and the ground shook. 

“Are you sure you want to make me your enemy?”

The other World Tree was arrogant because it was a Level 74 World Tree. Moreover, it was a B+ Tier World Tree, so her stats could match up to some <Fourth Energy Cycle> beings. 

However, the second Liu Shu’s presence manifested, it almost shrank and whimpered out of pure fear and instinct. Liu Shu’s menacing aura felt like a giant hand that could uproot her as if she were a common weed. 

A whimpering sound reached Liu Shu, clearly asking for mercy and forgiveness. Liu Shu immediately stopped pressuring with her aura and chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I just want to assimilate you. Then, you can continue growing as you like, okay?” 

The wild World Tree that never came across other creatures besides underwater monsters quickly accepted Liu Shu’s conditions. Thanks to all the skills Liu Shu had in terms of coercion towards plant beings, a single aura burst was enough to make any creature in the <Third Energy Cycle> and below surrender. 

Thanks to the difference in strength between the two sides, the assimilation only took one day. After that, Liu Shu connected the new World Tree to the I.C.A.R.E. network. 

Prarya’s voice reached the area first. “Oh? A new sister! Are you a big or a little sister?” 

Fortuna sighed softly. “Don’t overwhelm her, Prarya. Since she is someone from the ocean, she must not have been in contact with anyone.”

Liu Shu giggled. “That’s right. This Big Sister only knows how to communicate in tree language as well, so be gentle for a while, okay?” 

“Will do, Liu Shu~.”

“Since Little Liu Shu said so, I’ll be gentle with this one.”

Warlya’s voice reached them, her tone gentle. “With this World Tree and all my new petite neighbors, I feel like I am taking care of my children once again~.”

There were many of the World Trees that Liu Shu purified. Some of these were reborn, making eight baby World Trees in the process. After the Abyssal Void Nexus war, only Warlya remained as a mature World Tree beyond the Wall Tree. Therefore, she was basically an old grandma surrounded by babies. 

Liu Shu smelled gossip and quickly caught the strangeness in the sentence. “Again? Warlya, you had babies!?”

Warlya felt all the World Trees and Life Trees suddenly look her way, almost overwhelming the powerful World Tree. “O-Okay, I’ll speak about it. So, don’t focus on me with such intensity.” 

Liu Shu and the others listened attentively. After a while, our World Tree muttered. ‘Oh wow! She actually had some Sylvan children. Sadly, she doesn’t know what happened to them because they moved out to the Celestial Lotus Empire after the final war started…’ Liu Shu hummed. “A thousand years have passed… I wonder how they are doing?” 

Chapter 1295. Yasenia's Shock. Radiant Flow Sect.

While walking around the city, Yasenia got approached by plenty of people. After the fifteenth rejection, Mo Yun was already numb and understood how Yasenia could be so indifferent. ‘She has rejected so many people that she can respond by pure instinct.’ 

Yasenia looked at a few items displayed on a street vendor’s stall with curiosity. “Look, Mo Yun, aren’t these quite cute?”

Mo Yun snapped out of her daze and looked at the items Yasenia was pointing at. “Oh… They are pretty cute.” 

The row of items was jade figurines of cute girls and beautiful women. They didn’t really have anything special other than their exquisite and lifelike appearance. The dragoness chuckled. “Although… They look so real that they are a bit creepy.” 

Mo Yun agreed with that. “That’s true…” Looking sideways, her eyebrow twitched. ‘Another one? Really?’

Yasenia was about to reach out to pick a petite blonde figurine that looked similar to Angel when someone else took it from her. She frowned and looked sideways, seeing a man smiling at the vendor. “I’ll buy this for the beautiful lady.”

Yasenia didn’t say anything and waited for the transaction to happen. After the man was done buying it, Yasenia picked the figurine.

“What’s your—”

Yasenia ignored him and smiled at Mo Yun. “Do you want one? I bet that this generous man will buy it for us.”

Mo Yun blinked twice, confused. ‘Does she like people like him?’ 

Looking over, the other man was taller than Yasenia and had good facial features and a good body. Overall, he looked like a handsome warrior. Still, she shook her head. “No. No need to.”

“Great.” Yasenia nodded and then grabbed Mo Yun’s hands, walking away. 

Both Mo Yun and the man looked bewildered at Yasenia. “Um… What about that man?”

“What about him?” Yasenia blinked her golden slit eyes twice, confused. 

Mo Yun looked at the figure and asked again, her confusion increasing. “That… Didn’t you accept that figurine?”

“Hm?” Yasenia looked at it and nodded. “Right, he was so eager to buy it for me. How could I miss a chance to get something I wanted for free?”

Mo Yun’s brain twisted, and she finally understood what was happening. Right after, she burst into laughter. ‘Oh! Hahaha. She just wanted free things! Hahahaha.’    

“What’s wrong? What’s so funny?” Yasenia asked with a head tilt. Meanwhile, behind them, the man who heard everything only felt his heart and wallet hurt. 

“Nothing, nothing! Haha.” Mo Yun smiled. “I guess that people are quite generous.”

“Isn’t that right?” Yasenia smiled. “I’ve had this happen quite a few times.” Then, she warned Mo Yun seriously. “Although sometimes some people do it with hidden intentions. So you have to be careful.”

“Pfft hahahaha!” Mo Yun laughed louder. “You are so adorable! Hahaha!”

The dragoness blinked a few times, not getting what was so funny. After all, for her, this kind of thing was a regular occurrence. Using gifts to court people was quite a common tactic, and some felt too awkward to say anything after Yasenia completely ignored them after snatching their gift. 

So, for Yasenia, it was the generosity of the people around her. Only when the people got a bit touchy would Yasenia retaliate or throw the gift back. But, honestly speaking, whatever “gift” entered Yasenia’s greedy claws, it was quite difficult to snatch back. 

Yasenia looked at the figurine with curiosity. “Hm… I wonder who the artist modeled this after?”

Mo Yun looked at it and commented. “I think she is quite a famous cultivator. She appeared around half a century ago, with the cultivation level of a Fifth Realm cultivator.”

“Oh? How come you know about her? Mortal Cultivators with fame must be few and far between, right?” 

“That’s true.” Mo Yun smiled. “Still, the geniuses are easy to remember. One like her even more. She appeared in a tournament and demolished the competition. Only a few peerless geniuses were able to stand up to her. Nevertheless, she eventually won the tournament without losing once.” 

“That’s impressive.” Yasenia sincerely praised the woman. Looking closely at the figurine, Yasenia kept feeling that she looked somewhat familiar. Nevertheless, she just couldn’t remember.

“Why are you interested?” Mo Yun asked. 

After pondering, Yasenia spoke with uncertainty. “She just feels familiar, as if I’d seen her before. She is also similar to… one of… my wives…” Yasenia stopped walking, and her pupils shrank. Her gaze locked onto the figurine. ‘Blonde hair, big breasts, round green eyes, a stern yet cute-looking appearance…’ Her mouth opened a little before blurting out incredulously. “Lidia!?”  

Mo Yun exclaimed. “Oh! How did you know her name? Lidia Glassheart; that’s her full name. She is quite a rare Light-attributed cultivator. Were you around during the tournament?” 

Yasenia didn’t listen to Mo Yun’s words as her head was a bit of a mess. ‘Why is Angel’s big sister here? I thought that the people could only be thrown to the lower Heavenly Layers after being randomly teleported by the Demon’s formation!’ 

As she looked at the figurine, Yasenia looked at Mo Yun and asked. “What is her current realm? Where does she cultivate?”

Her tone was outwardly calm, even if inside she had received the shock of the decade. “Hm~, it is true that you like cute girls, but don’t you think that aiming for a junior is a bit weird?”

Yasenia deadpanned at Mo Yun’s lecturing look. “Hey, what weird things are you thinking? I am just curious.”

“Right, right. That’s the excuse all junior hunters say!”

“J-Junior what?” Yasenia asked, befuddled. 

Mo Yun blinked. “Haven’t you heard? There are some perverted immortals who aim only for juniors. They like them young. Other cultivators have coined them as Junior Hunters.”

Yasenia almost choked on her saliva. Still, after thinking, her lips arched with amusement. ‘I should call Mom like that at least once to see her reaction. Although thinking about it, I might end up on a bed, pinned face down…’

The dragoness cleared her throat. “Anyway, tell me about her. You know that I am a pregnant woman, so you shouldn’t make those kinds of jokes.”

Mo Yun teased further. “I heard that pregnant women have a spike in their libido. Who knows~?”

Looking at the teasing, cute woman, Yasenia squinted seductively. “If you want to squirm in my arms, there is no need to be so indirect.”

Her low, tempting tone made people around crash, while some closed their legs and whimpered. They somehow felt violated just from the tone. 

Mo Yun felt somehow tempted to become a “victim.” But, knowing that provoking this seductive dragoness was a bad idea, she relented with a cough. “Ahem. I’ll stop teasing you, then. From what I know, she is in a relatively high-level continent. I think it was the… 81st? Something like that. The sect she belongs to is the [Radiant Flow Sect]. They are participating this time around, so you might get to see her up close if she is chosen as one of the peak-level mortal cultivators.”

Yasenia hummed. “Oh? She is still a peak-level mortal cultivator?”

“Of course.” Mo Yun chuckled. “She is around 130 years old, which makes her a super genius. Not many can reach her level at her current age.” 

Yasenia muttered to herself. ‘That’s quite fast progress. Still, if she has been treated as a genius of her sect, I guess it makes sense. High-quality energy, powerful treasures, and high-level teachers. Overall, achieving peak-level mortal realm in less than 200 years is more than possible.’

In the Sky Continent, reaching the Dantian Spiritualization Realm at Yasenia’s current age was a standard to divide geniuses from non-geniuses. Here, two layers above the Sky Continent’s Heavenly Layer, reaching peak-level Dantian Spiritualization Realm at 100 years of age, one must be considered a super genius.  

Moreover, breaking through into the Sixth Realm after reaching the peak of the mortal realms was a lengthy process. Some people took centuries to complete it. 

“Hm… I guess I’ll need to find a way to contact her one way or another.” Yasenia sighed. ‘I bet she is worried sick about Angel. Back when we met, I could easily tell how much Lidia loved Angel.’ 

The rest of their journey wasn’t much different from a normal tour. Yasenia used it to buy a few interesting culinary plants to grow and some animals as well. After all, her spatial ring could easily hold low-level life.

When Mo Yun noticed, she was quite surprised. “That spatial ring must be powerful.”

Yasenia smirked. “Don’t get jealous. I think it is a Nine-Star Supreme Ranked Treasure.”

“What!?” Mo Yun’s eyes opened wide, and she instantly became as sour as a lemon. “Ugh. My Spatial Ring is only a Quasi-Supreme-Ranked spatial ring. Moreover, mine doesn’t have the ability to keep living things inside.”  

Yasenia commented, extending her hand and summoning one jar of red, thick liquid. “Here, some red honey.” 

“Red honey!? You actually have a Scarlet Queen Bee in your spatial ring? That’s an almost extinct species…” Mo Yun harrumphed as she snatched the honey jar. “You really are a dragon, eh? Your pockets are full of treasures…” Squinting dangerously, Mo Yun spoke sinisterly. “I really want to pop you like a balloon so that I can see a rain of treasures explode from that greedy belly of yours.”

Yasenia picked her up like a kid and smiled gently. “Look how my baby has grown up! I could almost feel a hint of killing intent from you! Great Job!”

The eight-thousand-year-old woman was speechless. She had not been held up like this ever in her life. Still, looking down at Yasenia’s smiling, gentle gaze, she felt strangely comforted and not offended. She even felt a bit reluctant when Yasenia placed her back down on the ground. 

‘Hm… It doesn’t feel bad to be babied by Yasenia. She had this… motherly aura around her that makes one feel comforted.’ 

Yasenia, not knowing that she had almost tricked Mo Yun into having a mommy fetish, looked around one last time before sighing. “We should return. I don’t think there is much more to look around.” 

Mo Yun smiled. “It’s almost a month already. It’s a shame that we couldn’t find anyone from either the Astral Death Sect or the Radiant Flow Sect. You were quite eager to find them.”

“Well, it can’t be forced. I’ll meet them later either way.” Yasenia smiled. 

Then, both of them returned and prepared to go to the place where they’d wait for the Secret Realm to open. 

Chapter 506. Warlya Conversing With The Leaders. [AotSC]

Flor and the others looked at the World Tree overflowing with energy and strength, not knowing what to say. 

“So… Why is Warlya giving me such a dangerous feeling?” 

Flor asked, her head unable to properly keep up with what was happening. 

Liu Shu answered with a big smile. “I healed Warlya!”

“Oh.” Answered the Flower Fairy. “I see.” She added after that. 

Warlya spoke to them, her voice peaceful and gentle without losing any nobility she previously had. “Welcome to my… Oh, right. It is now Little Liu Shu’s territory. Then, I should instead say: Welcome to my city.” 

Ignatia walked with the others, not caring about hiding her figure. Naturally, many of the citizens looked at her with bewildered gazes, not understanding if what they were seeing was what they thought they were seeing.

But, since Liu Shu finally took over the continent, Ignatia was done hiding. Everyone will know that Liu Shu had her as a Mommy as well! So, she walked around with a proud gait fit for a queen. 

Liu Shu commented to them. “Anyway, you all deal with whatever you need to deal with. I’ll go expand outward as fast as I can. Now that I’ve finally patched this central piece of the continent, my root network has become extremely sturdy and ready to take more space!”

Melody and the others felt Liu Shu’s presence leaving, and Warlya chuckled. “She is quite busy, isn’t she? Also, the root network between World Trees and Life Trees is exciting. I never thought that we could get along together like that.”  

Seeing that the powerful World Tree was friendly, everyone let go of their reservations. Warlya was situated at the very center of the continent, and her presence as a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree put her unmistakably as the number two strength-wise in Liu Shu’s domain.

After recovering her lost strength, Warlya thought that she would be able to face Liu Shu, or at least not feel inferior to her. Nevertheless, she got a rude awakening once she recovered her strength.

Their stats were two worlds apart. Even after regaining her former strength, Warlya felt that Liu Shu wouldn’t even need to use half her strength to turn her into firewood. And, with all her instincts from her past self coming back to her, that feeling didn’t become fainter. It only strengthened.

Flor and the rest entered the council room and looked around at the seven people sitting there. Verena asked, confused. “Weren’t there around 20 council members in your city, Lady Warlya?”

“Yes.” Warlya spoke calmly. “I got rid of those who were too annoying.” 

Everyone felt their eyebrows twitch, while the remaining seven council members started sweating. ‘Thankfully, we escaped Lady Warlya’s purge. Almost 4,000 people died in a single instant after she recovered her former strength.’

Flor didn’t mind; she was accustomed to Liu Shu’s purges of people who did evil. “No wonder Liu Shu mentioned that your city was the cleanest city she had ever assimilated. You actually cleaned house before she showed up.”

Warlya answered with a faintly smiling voice. “Naturally. Before, I just didn’t care and didn’t interact with people. Whatever they did, as long as they didn’t compromise the city’s citizens, I didn’t care. However, I couldn’t keep those with traitorous thoughts anymore. So, I just got rid of everyone. These seven that remain and all their subordinates are very talented and will help a lot with managing the country.”

“That’s great.” Flor smiled. “Still, I will let you know that they won’t start from too high a position. Regardless of their previous position, you are all now part of the <Golden Sap Arborarchy>. Therefore, we will use talents based on their abilities, not their connections… At least not most of the time.” 

The council members felt their eyebrows twitch. ‘So you admit to nepotism practices!? Is that okay to admit to!?’

“I understand,” Warlya commented to Ignatia. “Ignatia, can you avoid your ant tunnels getting too close to me for now? While I don’t have anything against you, being near your ants is making me somewhat squirmish. It will take a while to get accustomed to seeing them as allies and not creatures to squash.” 

“Of course. That’s not a problem. How about I tell them to avoid your city and create closer and closer tunnels each year?” Ignatia gave a solution good-naturedly. “We can try to slowly get you accustomed to their presence by getting closer little by little. You can even interact with them as you like. I promise that they are extremely careful and loving of World Trees.”  

Warlya answered, grateful. “Thank you.”

After that, they started discussing how to use Warlya’s city resources. Warlya was a powerful World Tree not only because of her personal strength but also because of her deep reserves of treasures. She had collected many things during the war and the following millennium. 

Now that she was part of Liu Shu’s domain, like almost every other World Tree, she was going to move most of her treasures to the <Lignified Vault>. It was without a doubt the most secure location to save treasures in the entire continent.

The <Lignified Vault> was the first building-type plant life that Liu Shu assimilated. Therefore, it has been there during all of Liu Shu’s changes. If one asked which one of Liu Shu’s building daughters was the strongest, it wouldn’t be <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> or the <Guardian Trees>, it would be the <Lignified Vault>. Its entire body was made of roots almost identical in strength to Tianlian Liu Shu, and during the last three decades, it had even gained a trace of intelligence.

Not to mention, its size was ridiculous. Nobody noticed the growth because it was underground. The <Lignified Vault> was an underground structure over 300 meters in depth and around 500 meters in width. It was divided into 30 floors, where the Vault systematically divided treasures. Moreover, it also had a list of users, owners, and values that gathered each and every single thing inside of it. 

The last five floors had A Rank and below materials that Liu Shu and the others gathered over the years. While the five floors above those held the items of other World Trees.

Each time a World Tree wanted to retrieve one of their items, they would directly communicate with the I.C.A.R.E. network, and the <Lignified Vault> would use Liu Shu’s root network to move items underground several times faster than traveling through the air.

Warlya got the explanation about the vault and other peculiarities of being part of the Golden Sap Arborarchy, and she accepted them easily. “So, I’ll be surrounded by this thing called <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field>. I guess it is both a prevention and a way to strengthen our defenses, right? Moreover, the <Lignified Living Wall> and <Guardian Trees> also look quite powerful.”

Flor nodded and explained faintly. “I won’t lie to you, Lady Warlya. You are right that these Flower Fields are there for both your and our security. We don’t know when a World Tree with rebellious thoughts might appear, so we don’t want to risk things. Liu Shu trusts all of you dearly, and she has shown it plenty of times by allowing all of you to use the I.C.A.R.E. Root system.”

Warlya admitted it. “That’s right. If someone wants to hurt Liu Shu, they just have to forcefully attack the I.C.A.R.E. network, which is closely linked to Liu Shu’s soul. The blow won’t be debilitating, but it can disorient her for a while.” Warlya sighed softly. “That silly sapling… She has too much strength and too much trust as well. But…” Warlya smiled. “I guess that’s part of her charm. I feel really… good when she does that. It makes me feel not like a subordinate of her ecosystem, but part of it.” 

The others smiled as well, and Ignatia commented. “That girl had many triggers to grow into a ruthless and unfeeling World Tree. The wars she has faced have been many and often. Most of the time during her life, she had spent it Leveling Up, Tiering Up, understanding new skills, getting stronger, building defenses, expanding the territory, dealing with World Trees and Life Trees, cleaning up evil organizations, making sure there is no corruption… and I could go on and on.” 

“But she has not become unfeeling and ruthless.” Warlya declared softly. It was not a question but a statement. 

Ignatia shook her head. “On the contrary, the more she suffered, the gentler she has become. If it were the young Liu Shu, she wouldn’t have given those Corrupt Trees a chance even to speak back, destroying them by force. But as time passes, as that pretty baby matures, her personality develops and becomes as warm as the sun during a spring day.”

Warlya looked at Ignatia, knowing that she had something else to say. 

“Warlya. There will be times in the future when Liu Shu’s kindness might be directed toward the wrong people. Therefore, I want you to be a hidden blade together with me in the future.” Her tone was indifferent as she spoke. “Anyone who dares to even think of taking advantage of my baby’s kindness should have the most gruesome of deaths.”

Warlya asked, her tone curious. “Why me?”

“Strength,” Ignatia answered simply. “You, who have bested one of my ancestors, are someone who won’t fall too far behind compared to us. Your strength will develop with time and make you influential. Fortuna and the others are not weak, but they are better suited for defense. You, on the other hand, are suited for war.”  

Warlya hummed. “That’s interesting… Still, I won’t agree nor disagree for now. I’ll see how Liu Shu deals with problems and support her. If, one day, I need to do some dirty root work, I don’t mind doing it. Nevertheless, Ignatia, I want you to know that I won’t do it behind Liu Shu’s back.”

“That was not my intention.” Ignatia laughed. “Liu Shu is my baby, so I won’t hide things from her. Just… Sometimes it might be better to jump the trigger and ask later.”

“I’ll think about it.” Warlya insisted. Still, she had similar thoughts to Ignatia. Liu Shu’s gentleness was all-encompassing. But, for now, Warlya knew that she was resolute when dealing with her enemies. So, she felt that Ignatia’s worries were superfluous. 

‘Only time will tell. Before anything, I need to stretch my roots. I feel quite cramped here. Thankfully, following Liu Shu’s energy guidelines, I can easily expand my roots.’ 

Liu Shu heard their conversation in the back of her mind as she expanded her domain across the ocean. Even then, she didn’t react. She knew that they were just worried for her, and she accepted their care. She also trusted them not to do something that would upset her. So, if they wanted to deal with those they considered dangerous and she forgave, she didn’t have anything against it. As long as they discussed things with her, Liu Shu would support her family. 

After all, during the first day she gained proper intelligence, that gentle voice told her not to lose sight of those around her while searching for strength. She wasn’t going to forget that ever, and she would closely follow those words. 

Chapter 1294. A Walk With Mo Yun. A Hint?

Although Mo Yun was utterly charmed by Yasenia’s actions, she was also slightly worried. “Yasenia, what if they go and tell their elders? They are quite a powerful sect. So, their strongest people are much stronger than ours.” 

Yasenia didn’t care. “If they are so petty, I’ll discuss with them in the open. I wonder if they’ll dare do something in a place like this. A Dual Cultivation Sect is already morally corrupt for most. I can bet that their disciples and elders have offended plenty of people, and those people are just waiting for an opportunity, or better put, an excuse, to go to war with them.”

Yasenia smiled coldly. “If they dare pull some stupid tricks, I don’t mind becoming the trigger that will end up razing their sect to the ground.”

Mo Yun blinked twice, thoughtful. She was a cheerful and usually innocent girl. Nevertheless, she was over 8,000 years old. Her current strength was naturally not achieved by just luck, so she could make the connections after Yasenia pointed them out. “Oh… No wonder you are not fearful of them. Still, they can target us during the Secret Realm. After all, what happens inside the Secret Realm stays inside the Secret Realm.” 

Yasenia looked at Mo Yun and asked. “You make a point. I heard about the limits in level. Nevertheless, is there a limit for Intent Domains and such?”  

“Of course.” Mo Yun chuckled. “Someone at the first level can’t deploy an Intent Domain beyond Level 3. Not because their understanding is not powerful enough, but because their bodies would be unable to handle its effects.” Mo Yun added. “Intent Domains can almost be divided into low, middle, high, and perfect levels. Intent Domains from level one to three are low, four to six are medium, and seven to nine are high, and the perfect level is when they become a Nascent Law.”

“Nascent Law…” Yasenia muttered. “I see. I can guess that cultivators can handle those levels as well at specific realms, right?”

“The same ones.” Mo Yun giggled. “So, a Level One to Three Transcendence Realm cultivator can’t deploy an Intent Domain beyond Level 3, a Level Four to Six beyond Level 6, etc.”

Yasenia suddenly frowned. ‘Hm? Didn’t Mom use a Level 4 Intent Domain when she wiped out those Dragon Hunters? Her body was a Level 1 Transcendence Realm cultivator at the time…’

Curious, Yasenia asked. “Is there a theoretical way to avoid those limits?” 

“Well…” Mo Yun pondered and chuckled. “There are tales of people with strong enough bodies or souls being able to support the strain… but it is just that: a tale, a story.” 

Yasenia understood with that explanation. ‘Mom has the soul of a Demigoddess. So she could easily support an Intent of that level. If there were no limitations, she would use the Level 9 or even the Perfect Level Intent Domain like she did with the Death Intent during the mortal realms.’ 

“If that’s the case, then I am confident in facing them. A Level Three Intent Domain will not be easy to deal with, but it is not impossible.” 

Mo Yun was surprised. “Really? I would flee if I faced someone like that.”

“Well, you have only a Level 1 Intent Domain, right?” Yasenia chuckled.

“Hmph. Who told you that?” Mo Yun commented. “For your information, after seeing your fight, I was able to develop my Intent Domain to Level 2!” 

“Speaking of which, you never told me about your Intent Domain…” Yasenia paused and scowled. “That Star Forge and Qingzhe also didn’t! To think that I’ve forgotten to ask after so long.”

“Wow!” Mo Yun clapped. “I won the bet!” 

“What bet?” Yasenia asked, puzzled.

The little girl grinned mischievously. “Well, we were thinking of when you would ask. Star Forge said that you would ask during the Secret Realm, Qingzhe said that you would ask during our travel to the city, and I said that you would ask in the time in between! Hehehehe, I won!”   

Yasenia looked at Mo Yun with a deadpan expression, and her fingers wiggled. “You…” 

Mo Yun saw it, and her face changed. Without a sign of hesitation, Mo Yun turned and fled, “N-Not my cheeks!” 

“Come here!” Yasenia quickly caught up and started fondling Mo Yun’s soft and round cheeks. “You mischievous little girl, did you guide the conversation so that you could win the bet, eh!? If you hadn’t bet that way, would you have avoided speaking about it, eh!?” 

“Foghive mheeee!” 

“Ahem.”

Yasenia and Mo Yun stopped and looked sideways. With her cheeks still pulled, Mo Yun exclaimed. “Oh zhey ahre the zity guarzhs!” 

Yasenia blinked and released Mo Yun’s cheeks. Then, she asked, her temperament indifferent. “Is there something wrong?”

The guard was impressed by Yasenia’s ability to completely ignore their previous embarrassed position. He cleared her throat before speaking. “Ahem. Miss, we’ve received reports of you attacking a mortal cultivator. Could you come with us?” 

Yasenia waved her hand, and a rounded pearl appeared before them. Then, the pearl projected an image above it, which perfectly replicated what happened, sound included. After it was done, Yasenia retrieved it and asked. “Can I go now?”

The guards and Mo Yun were stupefied. Still, they understood what had happened, and they understood that Yasenia had actually been merciful. Other cultivators would’ve broken a limb or two when a mortal acted like that towards them without reason. 

The guard bowed and spoke with a serious expression. “Please, go on your way, Lady. We will deal with those two mortals. Also, excuse us for interrupting your time.”

Yasenia waved her hand. “You are just doing your work. No need to ask for forgiveness.”

The guards bowed once more and then left. Mo Yun was once more stunned. “Wow! How did you know that they would come?”

“I didn’t.” Yasenia smiled. “But you can never be too careful. Especially when you are approached by all kinds of people almost every time you appear in public.”  

“People? More like creeps. Hmph.” Mo Yun pouted.

Yasenia chuckled. “They are not all creeps. Some approach with honest courting intentions. That’s why, as long as I decline them and they go away, I don’t mind. Only those who persistently insist are unlikable.”  

Mo Yun blinked, surprised. “I am impressed that you can maintain that mentality.” Mo Yun asked as they walked down the street. “Have you ever thought about hiding your appearance?”

“Have I thought about it?” Yasenia smiled. “Of course. But I don’t want to escape who I am. Hiding my appearance can be interpreted as an intelligent method to avoid being bothered. And I know that not doing so is, in part, my stubbornness. Nevertheless, I don’t want to hide my beauty. I want it to shine. After all, it is something my lovers adore.” 

Patting Mo Yun’s head, Yasenia smiled. “Even if it is a bit troublesome, it is something I am willing to endure.” 

‘Moreover, if my beauty spreads far and wide, it might reach them. I don’t know if those silly girls are searching for me instead of honestly practicing.’ 

Feeling Mo Yun grab her hand, Yasenia looked down. The girl smiled and spoke softly, showing a maturity that rarely appeared on her. “Don’t worry. I am sure that they are all okay.” 

The dragoness laughed and fondled Mo Yun’s face under her veil. “I like you, little Mo Yun~.”

Mo Yun giggled. “I like you, too~.” 

After holding hands again, both continued walking. Mo Yun commented. “Speaking of which, have you heard about the most powerful factions that have come this time around?” 

“I have not.” Yasenia commented. “I have studied the factions that have come during the last two weeks. Nevertheless, they weren’t separated by strengths.” 

“Let me tell you.” Mo Yun commented. “The ones that you must be the most careful with are… well, quite a few.” Yasenia almost rolled her eyes. “But! Among those, I heard that there are a few who are very unreasonable! On the Demonic Side, the most unreasonable ones are [Crimson Lotus Hall], [Thousand Serpent Cult], [Blood Moon Hall], and [Ghost Flame Sect]. They are all unhinged and do as they please for the most part.” 

“Oh. I know those. What about the righteous side?” Yasenia asked. 

“Well… From what I heard, the [Azure Cloud Pavilion], [Verdant Jade Sect], and [Radiant Sword Peak] are extremely arrogant and hypocritical. Then, there is a new sect that has appeared. I think they are Righteous as well, but they are so strange…” Mo Yun muttered. 

“What’s their name?” Yasenia asked, curious. 

“[Astral Death Sect]!” 

Yasenia’s eyebrow jumped. “Come again?” 

Mo Yun blinked. “[Astral Death Sect]. Do I speak louder? Did your ears get an infection or something? Hahaha.”

Yasenia laughed back. “Oh, no. I was a bit distracted.”

Inside, she was somewhat suspicious. ‘That name… It feels like a name Mom would use to catch my attention if she created a sect.’ She was excited, but soon, she took a deep breath and calmed her heart. ‘I can’t jump to a conclusion. It’s not like I have the ownership of the Astral name for sects and such. Take it slow, make contact with them if possible, and then see how it goes.’ 

Yasenia asked, her tone light. “What do you know about this new sect?”

Mo Yun shook her head. “Not much. I heard Star Forge talk about it. If you want information about them, you can ask her later.”

“Sure. I will do so.” Yasenia smiled and then changed the subject. She didn’t really want others to see her eagerness for that sect. 

The city was bustling, and the number of people living there was staggering. Yasenia heard that there were a few tens of billions of people spread around the seven Broken Star Cities. The one they were in was among the ones with the least traffic because it was the furthest away from the Broken Star Realm.

While looking around, Yasenia could smell quite a few nice treasures. So, she went with Mo Yun from shop to shop. Nevertheless, while they were good treasures, their prices were staggering. So, Yasenia lost interest. Moreover, she didn’t really need anything for herself. 

“Hm?” Yasenia looked toward one shop at the right and asked. “Mo Yun, do they sell [Natural Treasures] here?”

“Natural Treasures?” Mo Yun blinked. 

Yasenia smiled. “Yes. You know, like a [Heaven-Born Flame] and similar items.

“Oh! Those Natural Treasures! I thought you spoke about treasures naturally born from nature!”

Yasenia laughed awkwardly twice. 

“From what I know, there should not be a shop that sells such treasures. Why do you ask?”

“Look over there,” Yasenia pointed to the side with her chin. “I just smelled a wide variety of Natural Treasures inside that building. I was curious.”

Mo Yun turned her head and opened her eyes. “Ah! Well, that’s an Alchemy Shop! One of the most popular. Most masters who practice alchemy have a Natural Treasure as their Alchemy Fire, so it is normal for you to sense them.”

Yasenia hummed and looked at the name. ‘[Thousand Pills Verdant Pavilion]... Interesting.’ 

Chapter 505. War World Tree: Warlya. [End Of Volume 7 [AotSC]

Warlya has been thinking a lot during the last few years. After Ignatia visited her, she also learned about what happened with the Abyssal Void Nexus empire. It was good and bad news for her. The good news was, as a matter of course, that the Nexus incurred a significant loss thanks to Liu Shu. On the other side, Liu Shu’s ability to cause such significant losses meant that she was far stronger than what she had imagined. 

‘I wonder if Liu Shu will change her mind once she becomes stronger than I?’ Previously, she knew that Liu Shu’s potential was great. Nevertheless, she never felt inferior as a World Tree, strength-wise. In fact, she wasn’t inferior prior to the war. Otherwise, the Void Nexus army wouldn’t have avoided her domain and left her for last. 

Recently, her thoughts had changed. The Ternary Essences all around her were falling under Liu Shu’s absolute control, and there was nothing she could do. Even when the World Tree was Leveling Up, its instinctive movements were enough to push Warlya back and force her to move her roots away. 

Observing Liu Shu’s aura transformation at such a close distance made the ancient World Tree realize the difference between them. She was a crippled World Tree, and the other side was a young and talented World Tree that had already caught up to her peak during her own youth. 

‘Sigh… I don’t regret refusing to join her back then. That’s too different from my usual convictions, after all. Nevertheless, I am now doubtful of my future.’ 

Did Warlya mind dying? Not entirely. Like almost all World Trees, she was very accepting of her time of death approaching. Nevertheless, unlike other World Trees, she was not someone who would go down without a fight. 

‘But now… Can it even be considered a fight? Liu Shu’s strength is far over mine. If we clash, it will be like a common tree fighting a World Tree. Only, I am a bit larger than a common tree.’ 

The almost 2,000-meter-tall World Tree chuckled deprecatingly. ‘My townspeople also seem to notice the change in the environment. Some people have come from the outside and spoken about Liu Shu as well…’ 

Warlya didn’t stop it and just observed the changes in the population’s mindset. The people she had protected for centuries and kept safe, even as she tiredly carried her crippled body to fight external threats, were now divided. 

One side was the purists. They didn’t want to accept other World Tree influences, as they believed in Warlya. But, surprisingly, these people were the minority, mostly older citizens. 

The other side, filled with younger people, clearly noticed the changes of the continent and didn’t want to be dragged down while being stubborn. 

Oversimplifying, there was the side that was overly loyal to Warlya and the side that wanted Warlya to adapt to new times and join the unstoppable power called Golden Sap Arborarchy. 

Warlya observed both sides silently, even when she had made up her mind after Ignatia’s visit. 

‘If Liu Shu tries to assimilate me by force, I’ll fight back until the very end. I won’t let myself be overrun and enslaved forcefully. But, if she comes and talks to me like she did before she gained strength… Then, I guess I’ll have no reason not to accept her.’ 

This was her conviction, and she would follow it until the very end, like she always had. 

And so, time passed quickly, and soon Liu Shu’s presence manifested all around the world. That day, every single plant in the world could feel its very soul trembling.  

‘Liu Shu… She is much more powerful than I ever imagined.’ It’s not that Warlya was underestimating Liu Shu, but that Liu Shu’s growth was just too out of the norm. Even overestimating would fail to measure Liu Shu’s staggering growth accurately. 

When the World Tree awakened, the city around Warlya saw uprisings. The number of stubbornly loyal followers didn’t change much, but many people who were standing on the sidelines understood that their options were much more limited than they had thought in the past.  

Hence, the city council was pushed to make a decision. They needed to convince Warlya about joining the Golden Sap Arborarchy. “Lady Warlya, we ask for your graceful presence to manifest in our council room.” 

Warlya observed everything silently and spoke in the room, her tone faint. “I have nothing to say nor hear.” 

The council’s face became ugly, and Warlya observed with cold interest. ‘Now, let’s see how many of you are truthful to your loyalty and how many of you will jump ship when it looks like it's about to collapse.’

In the past, Warlya was able to push back the powerful Humanoid Ant Queen but not just with military power. After all, to gather and guide armies, she needed military and political knowledge. ‘In case I join Liu Shu, I’ll clean up the bureaucracy before she contacts me. That way, the assimilation will be seamless and protect the lifestyle of most citizens.’

So, for the few days that Liu Shu was practicing her strength, contacting her family, and dealing with the System Messages, Warlya managed to silently root out the corrupt and greedy bunch from the small government of her city. Moreover, no one noticed, thinking that those people had fled the city, and Warlya just ignored them.

It was then that Warlya felt an overwhelmingly vast and profound presence surrounding her domain. For the first time since her initial battle with the Humanoid Ant Queen, Warlya felt like a small tree bracing against a tempest.

‘This presence… Incredible.’ 

However, to her confusion, the presence just lingered around her and didn’t make any demands. This confused Warlya for a few moments. ‘Is she thinking about how to deal with me silently?’ Warlya felt a pang of sadness. ‘You should… discuss with me. After all, what if I had a change of mind?’

Nevertheless, Warlya’s sadness was replaced with curiosity when she noticed Liu Shu’s roots hesitating to reach out. ‘Hm? Was I mistaken?’ 

Gathering her courage, Warlya decided to reach out to the overwhelming force of nature Liu Shu represented. “Liu Shu, you are there, right?”   

Her voice sounded peaceful, but only Warlya knew how nervous she was inside. Unlike other World Trees, Warlya was one of the few that wanted to fight and live longer. Accepting death and not fighting for survival were two very different things in Warlya’s mind.  

The other World Tree didn’t answer straight away, increasing Warlya’s internal unease. ‘Did… something change in her mind after gaining so much strength?’

It was when Warlya was about to speak once more that Liu Shu finally spoke. And the voice she heard almost made Warlya’s mind gasp. 

“Yes. I am…” 

A voice clear like the surface of a mountain stream.

“...Let’s speak.” 

A voice that traveled through her roots and seeped deep into her soul like morning dew. Warlya almost couldn’t answer because of how fascinated she was by Liu Shu’s gentle voice. 

“Let’s speak.” Warlya answered, her tone softer than before and carrying a hint of respect.

Liu Shu spoke softly, not hiding from the citizens in Warlya’s city. “Warlya, you’ve fought and protected this patch of land for more than a millennium.”

A gentle breeze picked up, caressing everyone’s bodies with a hint of protective warmth. 

“Nevertheless, I’ve grown far enough and need to develop. This piece of land, I can’t leave it untouched.”

Warlya couldn’t guess what Liu Shu would do with those words. Therefore, she answered back in a similar manner, not hiding from the citizens.  

“Answer me this: What will you do to obtain this patch of land I protect?” 

The firm and noble voice of their World Tree echoed around, not losing in terms of temperament with the other voice that seemingly came from the very soul of nature itself. 

“Who is speaking?” One person asked, confused.

“I know that the second voice is from Lady Warlya. The first… I am unsure. Perhaps another World Tree?” 

Someone clarified, his voice laced with a trace of both fear and respect. “The first voice is from Lady Heavenly Willow. The strongest World Tree in the Wild Continent, and its ruler.” 

Everyone was stunned, while some people who weren’t informed about outside matters spoke against that statement. After all, in their minds, there was no World Tree stronger than Warlya in the Wild Continent. 

Liu Shu and Warlya ignored the discussion in the city. The reason for Liu Shu being so vague was to measure Warlya’s answer. ‘She doesn’t seem… hostile? Since she knows what I came for and she isn’t reacting in a hostile manner…’ Liu Shu’s mind sparkled with a hint of joy. ‘Perhaps there is an actual chance to convince her without fighting! Let’s try!’

“Warlya, you’ve fought here for centuries. You’ve become this city’s guardian tree. I don’t want to tarnish that resolve or harm someone as noble as you.” Her tone sounded powerful and with conviction. “Join me, Warlya. Become part of my domain and accept my presence. I’ll make sure you are not slighted and live with the dignity a World Tree should have without limiting you.”

The ancient World Tree relished in those words, her soul settling down as a peace like no other grew inside of her. ‘Thankfully… She has not changed. I can tell that, even if her tone is stern, there is a slight trembling behind it. I can sense it because my roots are close to hers.’ Warlya laughed faintly in her mind. ‘So, I wasn’t the only one who was nervous.’

Taking a deep breath through her leaves and roots, Warlya answered. 

“I agree.” Her voice was so soft and gentle that it was difficult to link it with the previous noble tone. “Thank you, Liu Shu, for accepting me. Even though I am crippled, I’ll do my best to help you with everything I can.”

Liu Shu felt as if her entire body was softening. ‘Oh, thank the branches above, I would lie down on the ground if I could!’ Liu Shu laughed softly and answered, her tone clearly cheerful and relaxed. 

“Great. Warlya, from now on, you are part of my domain.”

[Ding! World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu wants to accept you in her <Domain>. Do you accept?]

Warlya looked at that message and answered firmly. “Yes, I do.”

The second she did so, Warlya’s domain was instantly enveloped with Liu Shu’s presence as her aura mixed with Warlya’s. 

[Congratulations! You are now affected by…] 

[Congratulations! You are now affected by…] 

[Congratulations! You are now affected by…] 

…

Warlya’s eyes flashed continuously with messages of different auras entering her body. She looked on with her mind in chaos as buff after buff enveloped her body, strengthening, healing, and enhancing the very essence of the nature that surrounded her.  

BOOM!

A pillar of vitality soared to the sky as Warlya’s stats soared. Then, that pillar broke in the sky and transformed into droplets of energy. It didn’t end there, though. 

“Aurelise, and all the others, please help me.” 

Liu Shu’s call was answered, and healing energy surged all around the continent. All plant life with healing powers, regardless of their level and power, poured their everything into Liu Shu’s roots. 

Then, the World Tree gathered, enhanced, and purified that energy, transforming it into a single stream of pure healing energies. Another massive explosion of healing energies burst around Warlya. 

The shockwave of healing energies rushed outward, speeding up each second at an incredible pace. This shockwave spread outward from the very center of the continent, where Warlya was located, and using Liu Shu as a medium, spread everywhere. Yet, this shockwave didn’t harm creatures wherever it passed. Instead, it healed and revitalized all creatures. 

Liu Shu spoke softly, her gentle presence enveloping everything. “Accept it. It is a small gift.” 

Everyone didn’t doubt for a second and closed their eyes momentarily when the shockwave passed through them. 

Then, after the shockwave disappeared, Warlya saw a system message appear in her eyes. 

[<Crippled> Status has been purified.] 

Warlya’s soul trembled, and she muttered with a quivering voice. “Ah… I am healed…”

BOOM!!

[Level Up!] x25

[Level Limit reached! Unable to break through <Ceperet World Level Limit>.]

[Extra Experience Points gathered during the last 1320 years will be transformed into points.]

***

Name: Warlya

Titles:

<War World Tree>

<Myth Killer>

<A World Tree Who Gave Up The World To Save It>

<World Savior>

…

Level: 99

Overall Stars: 16 (A Tier)

Accumulated Experience Points: 115,560,000

***

Chapter 1293. Preparing To Walk Around.

Two weeks have gone by since they arrived at the Second Broken Star City. During this time, Yasenia didn’t go out and instead observed the outside with her spiritual sense. She was trying to comprehend the personalities of the cultivators in this place and their attitudes toward beautiful cultivators, regardless of gender.

‘It’s much better than I expected. As long as a veil covers the beauties, they are likely to be left alone. Even if they are intercepted, a small show of strength is accepted.’ Yasenia had seen a gorgeous woman flipping around a man and slamming him against the pavement. She has also seen the opposite, where a magnificent man sent a persistent woman flying with a palm strike.

‘I have not really seen many Beast Humans, though. Regardless, there doesn’t seem to be any discrimination between races at first glance. It shouldn’t be too bothersome to go out.’

Yasenia looked behind her and took a deep breath. Energy enveloped her body, and the air rushed towards her back. Then, her folded wings began pressing against her naked back and slowly melding into her body. After a few moments, Yasenia only had her dragon tail out. Her normal appearance was that of a human woman with a tail, so hiding her tail was not easy.

Moreover, she didn’t want to.  

The only reason she chose to hide her wings is that they might be bothersome when walking through the streets and shops built primarily for humans. Her tail might also be inconvenient, but she has lived her entire life with it. So, she was accustomed to moving it out of the way and avoiding hitting people or furniture with it.

Yasenia approached the mirror, and energy reached into her [Five Realm Spatial Ring]. Then, with a flash of light, her dress changed. An elegant, modest, but waist-cinching dress surrounded her body. The dress was light purple in color, with flowery golden accents and edges that gave it a noble aura. A wide white band surrounded her stomach with a thinner purple-gold line in the middle. The long, wide-sleeved dress covered her skin entirely, with a floor-length skirt that dragged behind her beautifully. 

She would love to wear her usual seductive dress, but that would be calling for trouble. Moreover, she also liked how this dress fit her with her tail, white skin, golden eyes, and black hair. 

With a few deft movements of her fingers, Yasenia gathered her long black hair into a half-updo. Then, to add a finishing touch, she took a golden phoenix hairpin and slowly fitted it across her bun. This hairpin would usually look tacky. Nevertheless, thanks to her sun-like slit eyes, it matched her exceptionally well.  

Finally, Yasenia took out a semi-transparent black veil and placed it just below her eyes, hanging right above the tip of her nose and reaching slightly below her chin. The veil could be blown by the wind, revealing parts of her gorgeous neck and chin, but Yasenia didn’t mind that much. 

“Perfect~. Hm… Should I touch my eyelashes and eyebrows?” She looked at the reflection in the mirror and hummed. “Just… a little bit won’t hurt, right?” She took out some makeup tools and picked up an eyeliner Evelyn made. After Evelyn learned makeup, she also taught herself how to create makeup tools. Naturally, she gave a set to Yasenia. 

A smile appeared on Yasenia’s soft and glistening lips as she remembered the first few times Evelyn put makeup on her. ‘Dear was so bad at it… I love her~.’ 

After retouching her eyes and eyebrows, Yasenia’s gaze gained a tangible intensity. A single glance from her could make anyone clutch their chest as if struck. A smile reached her eyes from below the veil, very slightly curving her gaze. “Perfect.” 

Then, Yasenia turned around and left the building for the first time. “Star Forge, I am leaving to look around.”

“Wait!”

Star Forge’s voice reached her, and Yasenia stopped in the middle of the hallway. Before she asked what was wrong, Mo Yun, Tai Qingzhe, and Star Forge appeared in front of her with scrutinizing eyes.

Once they saw the elegant and noble beauty in front of them, their breaths stagnated for a second. Yasenia’s back was straight, her hands gathered in front of her elegantly, and her golden slit eyes seemed to have physical force once they glanced at them. 

Mo Yun muttered. “Oh, Heavens. Yasenia is going to break so many hearts…” 

Star Forge spoke with a complicated expression. “Thankfully, you are not wearing that brain-stimulating blue dress of yours. Still… Try not to look at people directly, yeah? I think you’ll steal their souls if you cross eyes with someone.”

Tai Qingzhe didn’t speak, her eyes fixed on the gorgeous and tall dragon woman standing in front of them. ‘She looks straight out of a painting…’    

Yasenia gently rolled her eyes. “Am I a child or something?”

Mo Yun and Qingzhe blushed while Star Forge coughed. “Also, don’t roll your eyes. You made my spine tingle.” 

Yasenia’s eyebrow raised playfully, creating yet another prohibited gesture for Star Forge to warn about. “Hey. It’s not my fault for being expressive. Should I walk around with a constant deadpan?”

“That would be great.” Star Forge and the other two nodded.

Yasenia rolled her eyes once more and walked forward. She used her tail to bonk the three of them as she passed them and chuckled. “I know what to do. Don’t worry too much. If you are worried, you can come with me if you want.” 

Star Forge spoke as Yasenia walked further away. “I can’t follow you, sadly. I have some things to deal with.”

Qingzhe muttered. “Should I skip…”

“No.” Star Forge deadpanned. “But… Mo Yun, you can go with her, right?”

Mo Yun looked at herself and showed a semi-crying expression. “I feel like my confidence in my beauty is going to—Woah!”

The dragoness used energy to yank the short woman to her side. “Don’t be so whiny and come with me. Here, I’ll give you my hand so that you don’t get lost.”

Yasenia’s elegant and slender hand appeared in front of Mo Yun’s eyes, and she grabbed it with a faint blush. “O-Okay. I’ll accompany you.”

“Great.” Yasenia turned her head and smiled at Mo Yun. Thinking for a moment, Yasenia guided Mo Yun to her own room again and changed her clothes to ones similar to hers. 

Seeing the little beauty wearing matching clothes with her, Yasenia was delighted. “So pretty, our Mo Yun~. I really want to plant a big kiss on your forehead. Let’s go.” 

And so, Mo Yun was dragged outside while wearing a remarkably similar lilac-colored dress with golden wave accents and a sash at the waist. Only, Mo Yun had a white-colored hairpin instead of a golden one. 

Once Yasenia and Mo Yun arrived at the entrance lobby of the place they were staying, the Star Immortal Sect Disciples and Elders stopped whatever they were doing and stared blankly until they passed. 

“W-Was that Elder Yasenia?”

“Of course she was! Only Elder Yasenia has that pair of impacting golden-slit eyes!”

“Have you all been so blinded by her face’s beauty that you forgot she has a giant tail behind her? Who else has a dragon tail other than our peerless Elder Yasenia!?” 

Meanwhile, Yasenia opened the doors and finally stepped outside. The sound of the door grabbed a few people’s attention, and while Yasenia admired the surroundings, the movement in the street seemed to have come to a stop in her presence. 

“Say, Mo Yun. Where do we go now?”

“Um…” Mo Yun looked between the stunned crowd and the seemingly blind dragon woman. “That… The crowd… Do we do something?”

Yasenia chuckled softly, her laugh making some people lose strength in their legs. “Silly, if I had to stop each time, I would reach nowhere. Either way, let’s go east.” 

Then, hand in hand, Yasenia guided the stupefied Mo Yun away. The cheerful girl could confidently say that she was a beautiful woman. Her face was round, her eyes big, her lips like flower petals, and her nose was pretty and slim. Her body radiated an innocent beauty that attracted gazes from time to time.

Nevertheless, this was the first time she was with someone who could, quite literally, bring a country to its ruin only with her looks. Looking around as some people tripped, others collided, and others dropped whatever they were holding, Mo Yun got to truly understand the extent of Yasenia’s appearance. ‘For her to be alive until now… I wonder how she managed it? There must be countless evil people who should want to…’

Mo Yun shook her head quickly, her eyes complicated as she looked at Yasenia’s stunning profile. ‘Perhaps…’

Yasenia, unaware that she had become a pitiful white flower in Mo Yun’s heart, asked curiously. “So, Star Forge has been investigating which sects have come, right? Any sect I must be wary of?” 

Mo Yun snapped out of her thoughts and answered softly. “Yes. Quite a few. While our continent doesn’t have many Dual-Cultivation-focused sects, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. On the contrary, there are a few locations where they are the main cultivation method.” 

Yasenia sighed. “That bunch again…” 

“Um…” Mo Yun asked, her tone cautious. “Have you dealt with them in the past?” 

“Many times.” Yasenia snorted. “They really won’t give up until they see their graves. I’ve had enough deterrents in the past. But now… Anyway, tell me about their robes so that I can avoid them as much as possible.” 

“There are… too many to describe.” Mo Yun laughed. Then, she started thinking. 

Yasenia asked. “Do some of them have white robes with plum blossoms and an image of a woman in their sash covered by the blossom petals?”

“Huh?” Mo Yun blinked, surprised. “That’s one of the strongest Dual Cultivation sect attires, yes. How did you… know…” 

Following Yasenia’s gaze, Mo Yun’s eyebrow began twitching. ‘How are we so unlucky?’ A man and a woman were walking over, wearing that precise combination of colors. Their gazes looked calm and relaxed, but with Mo Yun and Yasenia’s perception, they could easily tell that they were sizing up Yasenia. 

Looking at the edge of their clothes, Mo Yun sighed in relief. ‘Thankfully, they are mortal disciples. If we deal with this properly, we shouldn’t be bothered later.” 

Among many sects, Dual Cultivators were few of the ones that dared to approach Transcendence Realm cultivators. The reason was that, thanks to their special cultivation, their Yin and Yang energies were usually pure enough to benefit Immortal Cultivators as long as they reached near the peak of the mortal realms. 

Of course, the Mortal Dual Cultivator would benefit the most. But if both sides were willing, it was a win-win situation.

Once they approached, the man spoke with a smile. “Greetings, senior. Your—”

“Not interested,” Yasenia answered coldly and curtly. Then, she took a step forward and reappeared behind the two mortal cultivators while holding Mo Yun. 

A wind blew the clothes of the two Dual Cultivators, freezing them in place.  

Mo Yun was stunned. ‘I-Is it okay to answer like this?’ 

The man and woman frowned deeply after snapping out of their daze. 

“They really overestimated themselves.”

“Really, they are like toads lusting for swans.”

“Did they think they could approach a respected immortal like that peerless fairy with such impure thoughts?”

“Tsk. Blasphemous bunch."

Their faces flushed with embarrassment as they heard the people around whispering that they had overestimated themselves. 

With a bit of rage and plenty of indignation, the man turned around, ready to raise his voice. However, before he could let out a sound from his mouth, Draheart was pointing straight at his forehead and piercing his skin. 

A drop of blood slowly fell down the middle of his forehead, tracing his nose and dripping down to the ground. Yasenia’s cold and murderous eyes were visible on the other side of the giant sword as she spoke, her tone full of killing intent. “Not. Interested. Am I clear?”

A strangled scream left their mouths as both the woman and man fell backward under the pressure of Yasenia’s killing intent. The man almost pissed his pants in fear. When Yasenia locked on them with her boundless killing intent, it felt as if a sea of corpses surrounded them, the metallic smell of blood filling their nostrils. 

Yasenia put away her giant sword after they fell on their butts and walked away with Mo Yun. The cheerful woman looked at Yasenia with glittering eyes. ‘Wow! Yasenia is so cool~!’ 

Chapter 504. Family Time. Reaching Out. [AotSC]

Everyone expressed their disbelief while looking at the World Tree. Only Tree spoke, her tone as peaceful and gentle as ever. “That’s great, Little Seedling. Did everything go alright? How are you feeling?” 

“Hehe. I am great, Mom! How are you feeling? Have you gotten accustomed to the changes after you became a Life Tree?”

Tree answered gently. “Of course, love. With your aura and nurturing, I could quickly adapt and develop my special characteristics. Now, I have the ability to manipulate space to a degree within your domain without a problem.” 

“That’s great! Is that how you interrupted Kaelis back then?”

“Yes, Love. That’s how I did it.”

The rest of the family wanted to interrupt and get answers about Liu Shu’s changes. However, hearing Tree and Liu Shu speak, they stayed silent and sipped their tea. They didn’t want to interrupt the mother and daughter's conversation.

After a while, Liu Shu directed a question to Flor. “Flor, Flor! I can see that you’ve reached the <Fourth Energy Cycle>. Congratulations! We are now stronger!” 

Flor tilted her head up and saw the World Tree smiling at her. ‘Sigh… Whatever. Even if she is Level 900, as long as there are no detriments, I should not be too shocked. I should be happy for what my baby has accomplished.’

A smile appeared on her lips, and she laughed. “Yes. We are now stronger. However, baby, you seem to have become a true force to reckon with. I fear that you will be the one protecting us in the future, and not the opposite.”

“Of course!” Liu Shu exclaimed proudly, her ethereal voice sounding proud and delighted. “My skills are now much stronger. The only thing I am lacking is a proper defensive skill. Nevertheless, my body is enough to defend against anything. My offense, on the other hand, has made a tremendous leap forward. Now, I can probably raze an entire city in one move!” 

Melody asked, her tone incredulous. “How is that possible, Little Lian’er? I don’t think even Auzre Rose and those others can raze down an entire city in one attack. They’d usually need a few before they flattened a city.”

Verena snorted a laugh. “One or a few, I don’t see much difference. <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Trees are truly terrifying.” Looking up with a smile, Verena commented. “Baby Liu Shu, you’ve become strong. Congratulations.”

“Hehehe. Thank you, Aunty Verenaaaa!”

Dewna and the other children giggled when they heard their mother’s tone. Dewna raised her arms and exclaimed. “Ma is happy!”

Sylvia copied her eldest sister and did the same. “Ma is happy~.” 

Pyara clapped slowly, her eyes focused on the giant tree’s face. “Mama is so pretty…”

Cinderielle looked at Pyara and patted her head. Her fingers sank into Pyara’s flaming hair, making the girl squint happily. During the last two years, Pyara has learned to like this second mother of hers.

“Yes, yes, yes. Ma is happy.” Liu Shu giggled. “Oh, speaking of which.” Liu Shu exclaimed, and her energy flowed gently. Everyone looked curiously as one branch twisted and pierced into Liu Shu’s body. 

They were baffled for a second before that branch descended from the sky and reached them. Verena asked, curious. “Oh? She can extend her branches?” 

Tree commented. “More than extending, Liu Shu is lowering them. As a Willow Tree, our branches go up before falling down loosely; they are quite long and can easily reach the ground if straightened straight down from the root of the branch.”

When Liu Shu’s branch reached them, everyone looked at the stupefied baby lying there. Cinderielle’s eyebrow twitched, and she coughed. “Is that…”

“Pyara number two!” Liu Shu exclaimed. 

Cinderielle almost choked. “For starters, that won’t be her name. But, yeah. Give her to my mom.” Looking at Pyara between her arms, she noticed her glaring at the new arrival. ‘Oh girl, Pyara and her future Sanguine Blaze sisters might not get along too well.’ 

Cinderielle’s Mom was usually silent and stayed peacefully among them. She was the lowest-level and most ordinary Sylvan present, without a doubt. Honestly, she didn’t really know how she gave birth to such a special child as Cinderielle. After all, she was just a D+ Tier Sylvan, and her husband was similarly a D Tier human.

Picking up the baby, the woman smiled faintly. “My second granddaughter. We need to visit your father later and show him. I bet he will be happy.”

“Of course.” Cinderielle smiled somewhat sadly. Her human father was almost 80 years old, and he was reaching the end of his lifespan. So, it was not good to move him around. He and Verena’s husband were together back with Red, Green, Grey, and Purple. 

“Another child…” Melody muttered. “Is it possible to miss? Or does Lian’er always have a child after…”

“Mom!” Harmonixia coughed. “Children are around.” 

Melody, who was hugging Eluan to the point that the poor boy was asking for help from her mother, snorted twice. “Do you think I don’t know that I have my handsome grandson in my arms? I was going to use a euphemism!” 

Melody’s mother smiled faintly. “It’s good that my granddaughter-in-law is so fertile. In the future, our Songtree family will spread its branches without problems…” She glared at Melody. “Unlike you and your other four sisters. Only having one or two children each, you should have many more!” 

Melody smiled wryly. “Mom, at least I gave birth to Harmonixia.”

The Sylvan grandmother shook her head. “Speaking of which. Little Liu Shu, why do I feel as if my vitality is regenerating lately? As days pass, I feel much younger.”

The other people looked surprised and glanced at the giant World Tree. “Hm…” Liu Shu checked her system and spoke lightly. “Ah, it should be because of the combination of <Sprouts Of Chaos> and my new <Talent: Otherworldly Rune And Nature Empire>.”

Melody looked curious at the buffs. “Huh? Since when was this Empire thingy buff there?”

“Oh, it’s a new skill I got not long ago and deployed just as I’ve woken up!”

Everyone deadpanned simultaneously. They thought they were too numb to be shocked again… Or so they thought until they started reading the new array of buffs from Liu Shu’s transformed titles, talents, and passive skills. 

“What is this… If we age one-fifth slower, and we have twenty percent more lifespan… Doesn’t this mean that a Sylvan born here will live around 40% longer on average than any other Sylvan… just because?” 

“Not only Sylvans.” Flor frowned. “This works for all plant beings. Moreover, with the growth enhancement, our food supply has become completely self-reliant. No need to hunt and buy food from other places anymore.”

Liu Shu asked, confused. “Why are you frowning? Isn’t this good, Flor?”

“Of course it is!” Flor sighed before smiling. “It’s just… the paperwork…”

Ignatia commented after gently swallowing the berry inside her mouth. “Didn’t you teach the secretary group already?”

“Yes. But when it comes to important matters, I check them myself. I wouldn’t dare leave them in another person’s hands. I trust them, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want them to have an unknown perception that my trust in them gives them excessive power.”

Melody smiled. “Clever. Power can corrupt minds easily. It is a good thing that you keep an eye on them before they take the wrong path. It’s a bit more exhausting, but you’ll thank yourself in the future for keeping a tight rein that you can pull at any time.

Looking at Liu Shu, Flor asked softly. “Dear, can you give me all the buff messages at once? That way, I’ll be able to know how to deal with things better.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Liu Shu hummed. “Sure. There you go!” 

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Defender>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Continental World Tree>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Tempest Of Chaos>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Songs Of Chaos>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Sprouts of Chaos>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Title: Embers of Chaos>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Talent: Otherworldly Rune And Nature Empire>!]

[Congratulations! You’ve been affected by <Passive Skill: Soul Enthralling World Tree>!]

Liu Shu commented. “Those are my personal auras. The rest would be the <Temples>, <Runic Fields>, and any <Title> you’ve gained in the past, like <Gratitude> from the <Sylvan Quests>.”

Flor nodded. “Great. Thank you, love.”  

Ignatia smiled and looked at Liu Shu. “Dear, have you spoken with Warlya yet?”

“Hm…” Liu Shu sounded a bit reluctant. “I have not…”

“Why not?” Ignatia asked gently, as she had in the past when comforting her big baby. 

“Well…” Liu Shu was among family, so she didn’t hide her feelings. 

“I am a bit scared.” 

Everyone looked at the over 5000-meter-tall World Tree with soft looks. 

“When I go and tell her about everything, I fear that Warlya will deny coming under my domain. If she denies, I will have to kill her. So… I have not told her yet.”

Ignatia smiled. “You can’t put it off forever, right, love?”

“... I can’t.” Liu Shu whined a bit. Hearing her tone made the Ant Queen chuckle. “You are so big already and with plenty of babies, yet you still act like this?”

Liu Shu harrumphed. “Hmph. You are my Mommy! Of course I will act like this!”

Looking up, they could see that the World Tree was actually pouting adorably. Melody and Verena clutched their hearts. ‘My daughter-in-law is too cute! How can she act so spoiled when she is so big!? I need a giantifying potion so that I can hug and squeeze her cheeks!’ 

Ignatia smiled tenderly. “I know, love. You will be my baby forever. Now, love. You can’t delay what needs to be done. So, go ahead. I am sure Warlya is also waiting for you to contact her.” 

“... Okay.” Liu Shu sighed and looked toward the horizon in the direction of the troublesome World Tree. Then, she moved her consciousness over. 

Once she arrived, she could easily see Warlya’s body in the distance. After reaching the <Fourth Energy Cycle>, seeing things beyond her root domain was not impossible. Now, she could see the relatively large World Tree in the distance. Reaching almost 2000 meters in height, Warlya’s body was tall and powerful. The female body was athletic and full of carefully carved lines. 

The canopy was that of an oak tree, and its bark looked tough and durable. 

Liu Shu’s presence was easy to detect when she wasn’t hiding. Warlya’s voice reached her before she herself spoke. “Liu Shu, you are there, right?”

The World Tree’s voice was peaceful, leaving Liu Shu no way of knowing what she was thinking. After waiting for a bit, Liu Shu sighed and answered back. “Yes. I am. Let’s speak.” 

Chapter 1292. Arriving at the Broken Star Continent.

The group that prepared to leave for the Secret Realm was organized quickly. The one leading would be Star Forge, while the Sect Master would stay behind to protect the sect. They were, after all, relatively active in terms of the conflict against the Demonic Sects.

The number of Transcendence Realm elders who went with Star Forge was 20. Other than them, some disciples, around 100 of them, at the peak of the mortal realms also accompanied them. A few of the elders would guide these disciples to see if they could get a great opportunity inside.

When everyone gathered, Star Forge whistled, the sharp sound echoing through the sky. Yasenia raised her eyebrow. ‘Oh? Does the sect have a mount for long-distance travels?’ 

Knowing that Yasenia was curious, Star Forge explained to her and everyone who didn’t know. “Our Star Immortal Sect has a robust foundation. All the ones who have gathered here today are trustworthy people, so I will reveal this small secret. The Star Immortal Sect has a guardian beast. This guardian beast is…”

Star Forge looked upward, and a gargantuan bird with white wings appeared from beyond the clouds. Yasenia’s pupils thinned as the presence of the creature descended on her. 

“...Part of the family of the famous [Moon Phoenix], the [Star Feathered Phoenix]. He is a Level 9 Mythical Core Beast and one of our strongest hidden aces.”

Everyone opened their eyes in awe. Meanwhile, Yasenia thoughtfully muttered to herself. “No wonder I felt a familiar breath from this creature. It is related to Moon Phoenixes.” Cecile’s peerlessly beautiful face flashed in Yasenia’s mind, and a pang of melancholy appeared in her eyes. ‘I miss my sweetheart…’ 

Meanwhile, the majestic white phoenix with a wingspan nearing 5,000 meters landed in front of them. Then, as soon as he landed, he bowed down, and his deep, ancient voice sounded out. “I greet my Queen.” 

Everyone froze and looked at each other, not knowing who he was referring to. A mellow and charming voice spread out, the tone calm and natural. “Rise. You are a Guardian Beast of a sect. You shouldn’t bow down to others so easily.” 

Everyone’s head snapped towards Yasenia, their eyes full of wonder and awe. 

The Phoenix raised his head and looked at Yasenia with a respectful gaze. “I will fulfill my duties. Nevertheless, a peerless beastkind of your level is someone I need to show respect to. Moreover, I can smell a trace of the Moon Phoenix bloodline within your soul.”

Yasenia smiled faintly. “I understand, and I accept your gesture.” 

Seeing that no one was speaking, Yasenia blinked twice innocently and looked at Star Forge. “Go ahead. Weren’t you explaining something?” 

Star Forge almost choked on her saliva. ‘You stupid dragon! I knew that your bloodline was strong, but not so much that a Peak-level Ancient Beast would bow down to you!’

Still, she managed to maintain an outward appearance and nodded. “Lord Guardian Beast. Please, carry us to the [Seven Broken Stars Secret Realm].”

“Understood.” The Star Feathered Phoenix already knew the location, so he lowered his massive wing and waited for everyone to mount. When Yasenia landed on his back, the sharp people noticed the feathered tail of the majestic phoenix start to wag. However, out of respect for the majestic beast, they swallowed whatever they wanted to say. 

Star Forge pinched Yasenia’s side, her fingers easily twisting the woman’s soft and elastic flesh. The dragoness blinked twice and looked at her with a smile. “Star Forge, if you want to pinch, my butt is softer.” 

The woman surrendered to the shamelessness of her friend. “You win, alright? I won’t ask about the trace the phoenix mentioned.”

Yasenia laughed and used her tail to drag the woman closer. Then, she hugged her side with a grin. “I will tell you if you tell me what your objective is in the Secret Realm.

“Don’t even think about stealing the treasure.” Star Forge looked up at the tall woman and poked her chin with her index finger. “This treasure is too important for you to snatch it. If you do, I will be forced to fight you to the death.” 

Seeing that Star Forge was not joking, Yasenia hummed and nodded. “Alright. I will be good this time around.” 

Mo Yun poked Yasenia’s arm, getting the attention of our dragoness. “How are you related to Moon Phoenixes, Yasenia?” 

The dragoness released Star Forge and hugged the short woman from the back, leaning her chin on top of her head. “Hm~. Perfect fit. Also, my Interlocked Soul is a Moon Phoenix. That’s why Lord Guardian Beast can smell the scent of one on me.”

“Wow!” Mo Yun looked up at the glittering stars. “I heard that Moon Phoenixes rarely decide on a mate outside of their tribe. You actually managed to seduce one?”

Tai Qingzhe was somewhat knowledgeable about beasts, so she added. “Since that Moon Phoenix is Yasenia’s Interlocked Soul, that means that, more like seducing one, Yasenia and that Moon Phoenix were made for each other…” Qingzhe looked at Yasenia inquisitively. “Or am I wrong? I read a bit about beasts in the past.”

“Haha.” Yasenia chuckled a bit. “You are not wrong. One point for Little Zhe Zhe!” 

Qingzhe gritted her teeth. “Can you stop calling me Little Zhe Zhe? Not even my parents called me that way when I was a child.” 

“Such a lost opportunity…” Sighed our dragoness. “It sounds so cute. Right, Mo Yun?” 

“Yeah!” Mo Yun giggled. “Little Zhe Zhe is very cute~.”     

Qingzhe extended her claw and began pinching Mo Yun’s face. “Should I call you Little Yun Yun, eh? Do you like that, eh?” 

“It dhoeshn’ shound baathh!” Mo Yun laughed even while Qingzhe's fingers deformed her soft cheeks.  

The dragoness chuckled and leaned the side of her head on Mo Yun’s soft and silky black hair. “Star Forge, how long will it take to reach this place?”

“Not long.” Star Forge commented. “Even when this is the 102nd Continent, the location is very close to ours. As I said before, this continent was part of our continent cluster. Of course, what I am speaking about is a long time ago. Nowadays, no power controls more than one continent. It was an agreement made to maintain a certain level of… limits. Otherwise, war would be constant between continents.” 

Yasenia hummed. “It’s an interesting but limiting method.”

Mo Yun looked up and blinked. “How is it limiting?”

Yasenia looked at Mo Yun’s cute face and smiled softly, making the woman blush. “Well, imagine this, Mo Yun. Where do you think a strong cultivator is more likely to appear? A world where war is constant, or a world where there is no conflict?”

Mo Yun looked at Yasenia’s smiling face for a while before muttering. “Eh? What did you say?”

“Hahaha,” Yasenia burst into laughter and started tickling the girl between her arms. The girl burst into laughter and wriggled within her embrace. “You are so cute, Mo Yun~.”

The other two caught what Yasenia was saying, and they also understood her perspective. Star Forge hummed and asked. “Do you think the death that would appear from such conflicts justifies the birth of an unmatched powerhouse?” 

“No one is unmatched.” Yasenia stopped tickling Mo Yun and returned to just hugging her from the back. Her love for adorable things was ever-present. “Still, for the security of the world, do you think it is better to have 100 peak-level Transcendence Realm cultivators, or one Demigod?” 

Star Forge paused and understood where Yasenia was going. A true powerhouse was a deterrent not because it was unbeatable, but because defeating it was too difficult without people in the same realm.

Yasenia and the others continued discussing things, while some other elders actually joined the discussion. The dragoness didn’t have anything against them, so she humored everyone. Meanwhile, the disciples listened from the back.

The journey was peaceful, with no beasts interrupting them because of the Guardian Beast’s aura. Eventually, they could spot land in the distance. 

Yasenia hummed. “Is that the 102nd continent? Speaking of which, I can guess that each continent has a name. You never mentioned this one to me.”

“Well.” Star Forge chuckled. “It has been named after the Secret Realm. It is an event that almost everyone in the world sends people to participate in.” Making a slightly exaggerated yet elegant gesture, Star Forge presented it to Yasenia. “Welcome, Your Majesty, the Dragon Queen, to the Broken Star Continent.”

Yasenia raised her chin. “Celestial Dragon Queen, peasant. Don’t confuse it the next time.” 

Both burst into laughter right after.

The Guardian Beast arrived at the edge of the continent and flew inside without any problem. Yasenia could instantly feel several hundred auras sweeping over them the second they approached. Annoyed, the Star Feathered Phoenix’s aura exploded, breaking the spiritual sense of everyone who dared to spy on them. 

The dragoness smirked. ‘Spiritual Sense breaking… That can give a good headache.’

Meanwhile, she took the chance to observe the place. Similar to the continent she came from, the Broken Star Continent was enveloped in rich Star energies. The other elements were not lacking at all, though. 

Other than that, the diverse ecosystems changed constantly as they flew over the land, with some cities or towns appearing from time to time. Yasenia hummed. “We took a while to arrive. I guess that this [Blue Pearl World] is quite… large. The size feels more like a small galaxy made out of sea and land instead of space.”  

Star Forge explained to everyone. “We will be resting in the second city of the [Seven Broken Star Cities] group. These seven cities have some rivalry between them, but they are very united against foreigners. Therefore, be careful with what you do inside the city. Try not to offend anyone, because they are quite unreasonable. Moreover, as the 102nd continent, there are a few hidden monsters in here that are too dangerous. Our Guardian Beast’s protection can only cover so much.” 

She continued. “We will be staying in the city for a month, and then, we will depart for the Secret Realm area. Once there, we will make camp and wait for its opening. While I won’t tell you not to communicate with others, be careful. We are quite low in the rankings, so we will be looked down upon. Please don’t lash out easily. Of course, don’t let yourselves be bullied either. You have an honor to uphold as a disciple of the Star Immortal Sect.”

“Yes, Lady Star Forge!” 

Yasenia’s eyes shone with interest. “I wonder what I will find here.”  

Chapter 503. Reaction Of World Leaders. Liu Shu's Changes. [AotSC]

Once Liu Shu was done with her Leveling Up, she awakened. 

The World Tree’s breath covered not only the continent, but it burst out like a wave of true power and presence. This aura shockwave spread at ridiculous speed, reaching all corners of the world and alerting all powerhouses in the Ceperet World. 

In the deepest parts of the Verdant Sanctity Covenant, Verdant Skyflower shook slightly before her own presence surged outward and enveloped her own domain. ‘This presence… It’s overwhelming. Even I feel lacking in front of it.’

A ray of Ternary Essence shot skyward and struck the floating seeds. Then, this ray started bouncing around as her mind connected with all the floating seeds around the world. ‘Let’s see. Where did you originate from?’ 

Her vision expanded outward, and the many floating seeds spread all around the world transmitted visions into her own mind. Then, she finally realized where the change had occurred. ‘That’s… Tianlian Liu Shu?’ 

Disbelief and surprise surged inside her. ‘How can that be possible? How can a World Tree grow to this extent in just a few short years?’ 

Skyflower’s movement was captured by some of the high-level people, and they communicated with her through prayers. “Lady Skyflower, is there something wrong?”

Her voice spread around, her tone airy but carrying the inherent gentleness of the World Tree species. She sounded like a soft whisper, yet clear like a cloudless sky. “I think that Ceperet will finally take that step. Tell all Level 99s to prepare to go into retreat to breach the limit.” 

“At your command, Lady Skyflower.” 

***

In the middle of the Azure Rose Confederation, Azure Rose noticed as well and extended her gaze as much as she could in the direction of the imposing presence. ‘Who is this? This aura is stronger than mine…’ One of the azure roses leaned backward, acting as a catapult, and then flung forward. Dozens of seeds flew across the ocean, their trajectories not falling due to the hollowness inside of them. 

Their low density and velocity allowed something similar to flight. After flying for a few hours, Azure Rose finally noticed the direction and source of what was happening. ‘Tianlian Liu Shu? Does she have something to do with what Skyflower told me all those centuries ago?’ 

Unsure, yet not willing to take it lightly, Azure Rose’s voice spread throughout her entire domain. The tone was imposing yet soft, carrying with it a soothing presence full of strength. 

“All attacks must cease, and we must enter a defensive strategy. Order all our high-level powerhouses to return and stay alert in their assigned cities.” 

While confused, no one dared disobey the Level 99 World Tree. Her strength had been tested many times in the past, and it never ended with Azure Rose on the losing side. The leaders of the states forming the confederation were not stupid enough to go against domain-wide orders.

***

Simultaneously, Celestial Lotus also started ordering something similar. “It seems that, as that child said, Tianlian Liu Shu has awakened much sooner than expected.” Celestial Lotus glanced at the brown-haired Sylvan with a hint of appreciation. “Thank you, Naeris. If it weren’t for you, we might’ve done something that we would regret forever.” 

Naeris took a gentle sip of a tea that would feel familiar to Flor and the others, and then smiled. “Lady Tianlian Liu Shu feels like a being beyond World Trees… I would not want my mother to perish because we, children, were careless and misinformed.”

Celestial Lotus laughed faintly. “I guess…” Then, she hummed pleasantly. “I wonder what the Nexus will do now? Tianlian Liu Shu seems to have matured. Now, they will have to pay for what they’ve tried in the past.”

***

Meanwhile, in the Nexus Empire, everyone was gathered in the middle of a massive palace. All Fourth Energy Cycle powerhouses were able to attend because of the unexpected retreat of the other three global superpowers from the front lines. 

“This is too strange. Who would retreat like this without any rhyme or reason?”

“Before that.” A man spoke with a calm tone and looked around with a frown. “Where is Kaelis?” 

Some of the Fourth Energy Cycles became a bit nervous. Still, they feared that they would be involved, so they confessed. “L-Lord, Kaelis said that she wanted to go deal with Tianlian Liu Shu. We have not heard from her since around a year ago.” 

Everyone in the room looked over with strange expressions. Some of them didn’t even know who these people were referring to. 

“Tianlian Liu Shu?” A woman with dark hair and eyes asked, confused. “Who is that?” 

The man leading the room, named Dain, spoke to her. “Right, you’ve been battling against the Verdant Sanctity Covenant, so you are not up to speed on the Wild Continent matters.”

The woman snorted. “Why are you being so mysterious? Speak up already, Dain. Did the conquest of the continent get delayed or something?” 

“Not exactly.” The man spoke calmly. “Thyra, our forces in the Wild Continent have been annihilated. Now, the Wild Continent belongs to a new faction. This faction is called <Golden Sap Arborarchy>.” 

Looking sideways, Dain spoke to a woman. “Explain in detail. You are in charge of most information processing about the Wild Continent, right?” 

“Right away, Lord.” 

The woman stepped forward and started explaining to everyone present. 

After she finished, many of the <Fourth Energy Cycles> that were uninformed were so baffled that they couldn’t believe it. 

“How can that be?”

“Can a single Young World Tree really give us so many problems?”

“It seems that it is a World Tree with purification qualities. Our usual methods won’t work.”

“Even then, annihilation? Something’s wrong with it. We should take it seriously.” 

Thyra looked at those who informed them about Kaelis and asked carefully. “So… You useless fools actually allowed for a World Tree to grow to the peak of the <Third Energy Cycle>. Then, when you received news of the army’s annihilation, you actually decided on just… sending one of you to see what happened? Now, Kaelis is missing, and the overpowering presence that we felt a day ago seems to be related to the <Golden Sap Arborarchy>.” 

The man nodded with a cough. “That’s correct. Nevertheless, the World Tree is too young, Lady Thyra. Her roots probably won’t be able to develop into a <Fourth Energy Cycle> for a long time. We have nothing to worry about.” 

Thyra looked at Dain and asked. “I know we can’t deal with the Wild Continent with our usual means due to the treaty. Nevertheless, couldn’t you assign someone with… I don’t know…” Thyra slammed the table and shouted. “A FUCKING FUNCTIONING BRAIN!?” 

Everyone jumped at her scream, but no one dared complain. This woman was an A+ Tier Level 99 powerhouse. Only a handful of people could even hope to match her. 

Dain looked at her and spoke faintly. “Relax. Ceperet has always been difficult. Powerful creatures appearing to disrupt our plans won’t be the first nor the last time. Didn’t our predecessors even defeat a Humanoid Ant Queen who actually went interplanetary? What’s a less than 40-year-old World Tree in comparison?” 

Thyra leaned back and released a long breath. “Well, you are right. Still, that presence we felt a day ago was no joke. If I ever faced such a being, I would run. While it was not equal to a <Fifth Energy Cycle> and <First Evolution> powerhouse, the feeling of terror I felt was similar.” 

Dain agreed on that point. “I sent people to investigate. They are all Level 74 spies with Shadow Affinity methods that can hide even from the eyes of a World Tree. They should return in a week or so with accurate information. If they don’t…” Dain looked at the four <Fourth Energy Cycles> and spoke coldly. “You four will go and check.” 

“Yes, Lord Dain!” 

***

In the Golden Sap City, Liu Shu finally accustomed all her senses to the new buffs and strength. During this time, she didn’t even dare twitch because her strength had become egregious compared to before. So, she feared that if she moved a root a bit too much, she would open a fissure on the landscape or destroy some of her children. 

“Finally, the moment of truth… Hm?” Liu Shu was about to move when she felt a group of creatures with blurry presences cross her domain’s edge. Thanks to <World Ruling World Tree>, her natural perception had been boosted by 1000%. So, whatever hiding methods these people were using were sorely lacking. 

Her gaze moved over and saw a bunch of shadowy people rushing forward while running above the ocean at high speed. “Hm… I don’t like their auras. Nexus soldiers, probably.”

A root rose from the water, creating a massive column of water that almost reached the clouds. Then, the root fell down and slammed onto the stupefied group of people. 

The strength behind the root was such that a giant wave formed and began rushing toward the shore, while Liu Shu’s terrifying strength crushed down all shadowy figures. 

[Congratulations on defeating…] x21 

“Nice 11,340 Experience points for free!” Liu Shu giggled and then hummed. “Where was I before I cleaned those smudges…? Ah, right, strength control.” 

Looking at the approaching wave due to her attack, Liu Shu decided to use her roots to slow down the momentum before it reached the shore. Her roots moved the water, creating countercurrents and underwater waves that slowly broke down the wave’s momentum. 

“Oh~, this is fun and quite effective!” 

So, our World Tree started splashing water like a child playing around. Of course, the sentence made it appear cute. However, all creatures that were even slightly close to Liu Shu’s “play area” started fleeing as if doomsday were about to descend in that location. 

Columns of water soared to the sky while waves several tens of meters tall rushed upward with each strike. 

After playing for a few hours and creating a no-fish zone in the middle of the ocean, Liu Shu stopped splashing around. “Great! Strength: Controlled. Mood: Improved. Fun: Great. Hehehe. The only thing left is to receive lots of love and praise from Mom, Mommy, Tree, and my family in general!” 

Flor and the rest knew that Liu Shu had woken up, so they were all gathered around Tree, having a picnic with all the children they could carry with them. 

While they all played, they felt a presence as vast as the ocean envelop them. Everyone stopped and instinctively looked up at the towering World Tree. 

The gargantuan being had turned her head and was now looking down at them with a faint smile. Her gaze was gorgeous, shining with vivid green colors. Her body, detailed beyond perfection, appeared so real that one could almost feel the velvety touch just by looking. Additionally, her facial features seemed so real that it looked as if pure life exuded from each piece of smooth and soft bark that made the exterior of the Arcadian beauty.

Melody muttered, her voice full of awe. “Incredible. Her presence when she is sleeping and awake is like night and day.”

“I am awake. Sorry for keeping you waiting.” 

Liu Shu’s voice had also changed plenty when it reached them. Before, Liu Shu’s presence was not entirely mixed, so her voice sounded like the chorus of a thousand voices. After reaching the <Fourth Energy Cycle>, our adorable World Tree had assimilated all creatures within her domain and linked with everything. Hence, only her will was supreme, and only her will was transmitted through her voice.  

Of course, that didn’t make her voice less fantastical. When Liu Shu spoke, it didn’t feel like someone was talking. Instead, they felt as if the surrounding energy were speaking directly to their soul. 

Cinderielle, Verdantia, Tempestria, and Harmonixia blushed and almost lost their footing. ‘W-Why does it feel as if Liu Shu’s voice is caressing my insides? Mmmh~, I might need a change later…’ 

Thankfully, the effects were different from person to person. It all depended on their connection with Liu Shu herself. 

“So… since only family is gathered here, I don’t mind saying, and proudly so, that I’ve reached Level 90!” 

Everyone’s expression froze, while those who were taking a sip of tea started coughing violently. 

Chapter 1291. Checking On Disciples. Luan Feixue's Growth.

Learning about Yasenia’s pregnancy was something they didn’t expect. Naturally, all three women were curious about who could even make Yasenia willing to bear their child. While Yasenia looked approachable and beautiful from a distance, only the three of them knew how misleading that was.

Yasenia was a woman who was warm on the outside but extremely cold inside. They didn’t really know how deep Yasenia’s coldness or ruthlessness reached. For them to know about her true attitude, they’d need to see her in a more extreme situation, something that had yet to happen around them. Nevertheless, Star Forge, Tai Qingzhe, and Mo Yun were close enough to our dragoness to see the hints of coldness radiating from deep within her soul. This let them know that Yasenia could be extremely ruthless. 

With that in mind, their curiosity was nothing but a natural reaction. Yasenia pondered on how to answer their question. “Hm… I can’t really tell you about that person without revealing a few personal details about them. If we get to know each other a bit better, I’ll tell you. Still, my pregnancy is slow, and I can’t really stay holed up during the entire process. So, I hope that you three don’t start looking after me as if I am a fragile porcelain doll.” 

Star Forge laughed. “Are you sure?”

Yasenia pouted, her seductive facial features adding a charming, adorable touch that felt illegal. “You should nod to my words while protecting me in the shadows! Can’t you be a bit romantic for once?” 

Star Forge rolled her eyes. “Ask the person who made you pregnant. We are not your wives.”

Yasenia blinked and looked at the other two with a slightly pitiful expression. “You won’t protect my baby and me?” 

Three critical hits struck the hearts of the women in the bath. Qingzhe coughed, trying to calm her pounding heart. “Y-You just be honest and stay by our side when we leave.”

Mo Yun nodded like a pecking chicken. “Right, right, right. You are someone who needs protection, so of course, we will be by your side.”

Star Forge clicked her tongue. “Seductress. I’ll tell your husband later.”

The dragoness smiled teasingly. “Sure. Tell my husband.” 

‘After all, I have no husband. Only wives. Hohohoh.’ 

They all continued teasing each other for a while, and after two days of bathing together, they left the water. With their cultivation realm, staying in a pool for a day or two was not a significant matter. 

Yasenia, Star Forge, Mo Yun, and Tai Qingzhe all went together to check on Yasenia’s disciples. It has been almost 14 years since she accepted the first disciples. Therefore, there have been major changes in terms of the realm of the most veteran disciples.

After they all gathered in a large stadium Yasenia built, the dragoness smiled faintly. “Not bad.” 

While the increase in realms was not exaggerated, the changes she could see at a glance told her that they had not been lazing around. Looking at Luan Feixue, Yasenia could easily see the changes in maturity. The youthfulness of the past was mostly gone, leaving behind a beautiful and mature woman pushing 40. Of course, as a cultivator, her appearance remained perfectly young and beautiful. The change was more in aura and temperament. 

‘Has she gone through a lot during the last 14 years? I should ask her in depth later.’ 

Yasenia moved her gaze away and spoke to everyone in the room. “Almost 14 years have passed since I came to the Star Immortal Sect. During this time, I’ve stayed in the sect for about half of that time. Naturally, I’ve been observing you and know who practiced, who didn’t, and who abused others.”

Star Forge could easily keep track of these matters with a simple sweep of her spiritual sense around the area. Therefore, there was nothing that could escape her eyes. Also, while Yasenia was here, she marked the problematic disciplines as well.

Those who committed wrongs became slightly nervous. Yasenia commented. “I won’t punish anyone, though. Well, not exactly.” Yasenia started. “Those who have committed wrongs won’t receive penalizations. Nevertheless, there are benefits to be divided among all of you, and those I marked will stay off of the reward list.” 

Her words caused a commotion. No one was happy about this. Those who were abused wanted justice, and those who abused were jealous of the ones who would receive benefits just for being “weak.” After all, they were convinced that if the strengths were switched, the other party would’ve done the same. 

Mo Yun, Tai Qingzhe, and Star Forge were somewhat confused about Yasenia’s way of doing things. They could tell that she was quite good at teaching others. Therefore, instead of judging, they remained silent and observed Yasenia’s next moves. 

Yasenia smiled secretly while looking around and commented. “Now, those whom I call will leave the stadium until I call you again. Althan Farthur, Xie Fuxue, Tang…” 

Yasenia's mellow and rich voice echoed around, pleasant for everyone listening except those who were named. She continued naming people for around 10 minutes. 

“Great.” Yasenia smiled at those who were left behind. “Now, the reward for all of you is the following: I’ll pressure all of you with my presence. This will last until you can’t hold on. If you faint, you will be taken out as well. So, there is no chance of death. We begin in one minute. Prepare.”   

The disciples frowned and were confused. They saw how Yasenia sat cross-legged and closed her eyes, her hands gathered in the hollow of her legs. 

“Um. Elder Yasenia, how is this a reward?” 

“Right. Elder Yasenia, isn’t this more like a punishment?”

While there were people complaining, others were not that daft. Luan Feixue looked at those complaining with a sneer. ‘Stupid people. You should shut up and follow Yasenia’s orders.’ Then, she sat cross-legged and regulated her breath. 

Many others followed Luan Feixue’s example before the minute passed. 

After that minute went by, Yasenia opened her eyes, and pressure spread out without a single shred of mercy. 

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Those unprepared people were slammed against the ground with such force that some of them lost consciousness straight away. Yasenia’s energy flowed, and they were thrown behind her, away from the area she was pressuring with her energy. 

The others who were prepared fared better, their bodies instantly tensing up. Yasenia’s pressure felt like a giant trying to squeeze their bodies, making even breathing difficult. 

Everyone began perspiring under Yasenia’s coercion, and after 3 minutes, the first people started leaving on their own, too scared to continue until they fainted.

When those disciples who had left wanted to stay with those who had fainted, Yasenia spoke to them. “Those who have not fainted stand on the left behind me.”

Her cold voice compelled them to obey, not daring to ask for the reason. 

For the following 3 hours, the disciples would either faint or leave on their own. By the time the event ended, Yasenia had separated the bulk into three groups. Those who fainted straight away, those who left on their own, and those who stayed inside her pressure until they fainted.

Yasenia looked at Feixue, who was among the last people to faint, and smiled. ‘That girl has come a long way.’ 

After she stood up from her seated position, Yasenia turned and looked at all the disciples. “That was the reward. Now, those who fainted straight away will stop being my disciples and will be expelled from my mountain peak. Those who stood up and left on their own will have no extra rewards. Finally, those who strained their bodies until they fainted will receive an extra chance each month to challenge the Tower. Moreover, they will receive one pill that costs less than 200 Sect Points. That’s all.”

Those who fainted straight away were naturally indignant. Therefore, they stood up and began complaining. 

“Elder Yasenia, that’s not fair!”

“Right! We are no less qualified than others!”

“It was Elder Yasenia who ambushed us! You can’t be so arbitrary with such important matters!”  

Luan Feixue got annoyed and spoke up, her tone cold and piercing. “A bunch of trash who can’t even follow one simple order wants a second chance? You should look into yourselves before speaking a bunch of rubbish in front of a Sect Elder.”

One woman in the first group frowned deeply and spoke up. “It is easy for you to speak when you were not disqualified unjustly! Can you stop asking for affection from Elder Yasenia? She won’t take you in even if you want her to!”

Feixue snorted. “You can’t even understand the reasoning behind Elder Yasenia’s test, yet you dare speak up. Your current actions are enough to justify Elder Yasenia expelling you!”  

Yasenia didn’t intervene and looked at them with an indifferent look. 

The woman who complained snorted and spoke disdainfully. “If you are so clever, why don’t you explain what Elder Yasenia is thinking!?” 

“A cheap attempt!” Luan Feixue spoke coldly. “If you think that my guessing Elder Yasenia’s thoughts is going to make her somehow angry, you are truly short-sighted. Now, let me school you.”

“First! The reason Elder Yasenia didn’t punish those who abused people is that they did nothing wrong! They are just competing within the Sect Rules for resources and showing strength in character. After all, there have been no cripplings, just a few beatings. Their methods are not reward-worthy, but they are not punishment-worthy! We, cultivators, rule by strength!”

“Second! Elder Yasenia gave out orders to see who here can follow orders from a superior and who can not. Outside the sect, going against a high-level cultivator’s words, even if they are in the wrong and you are in the right, can very easily end up with you being the one who dies! Again, we live in a world where strength makes right! No amount of pity or correctness will save you from being killed by an annoyed senior!” 

“Third! Elder Yasenia tested the strength of character through mounting pressure on us and pushing our wills to the limit. Those who left on their own were fearful, so they left! What is there to fear when there is no threat of death? Elder Yasenia even warned us that she would personally take care of our safety. So, those who left do not only lack trust in their Elder, but their will is weak enough not to push themselves to the limit in a situation where rewards await us.”

“Fourth! We, those who persevered, had shown all the qualities Elder Yasenia considered positive. Therefore, we are receiving rewards. We’ve shown that, while we don’t abuse others and show strength outwardly, we are not pushovers! In a situation where it is necessary, we have enough will to do what those abusing others are doing, and even more!” 

Once Luan Feixue was done, everyone was looking at her with a stupefied expression. 

Star Forge, Tai Qingzhe, and Mo Yun looked at Feixue with appreciation and faint smiles. ‘A talent worth nurturing.’

‘A great child. Her future is boundless.’

‘What a cute girl! I should give her some rewards later!’

Meanwhile, the woman who was scolded without a single slur to such an extent was pale-faced, unable to retort a single word.

Yasenia chuckled and spoke. “Nothing else to add. Great job, everyone.”

Then, she turned and left with the other three elders. They needed to prepare to depart for the Secret Realm.  

Chapter 502. Level ** Full System Page! A Terrifying Stat Boost. [AotSC]

Author Note: Today's chapter has Liu Shu's System Page. So, bon appetite to those who love System shenanigans! Also, yes the Level is purposely hidden in the title. HEHEHE. CLIFFHANGERS EVEN IN TITLES. I'VE REACHED NEW HEIGHTSSSSS.

Enjoy the chapter, Dears.Hahaha.

***

During the last year, Liu Shu’s transformation was ridiculous, to say the least. Previously, Liu Shu was close to being the tallest World Tree in the world, with almost 3000 meters in height. However, as the two years of her transformation occurred and changes moved at an accelerated pace, people started to notice just how tall Liu Shu was growing. 

When a month had passed, sharp-eyed people noticed the difference. The difference must’ve been tremendous when people could see the changes in height of a being nearing 3,000 meters in height. After all, how could someone feel a difference when something measuring 2800 meters changed to 2900 meters? 

However, they weren’t alone. 

Golden Sap City was built quite far away from Liu Shu’s main body. When she first started building, Liu Shu made sure to separate the circular city into an outer and inner ring at a fixed distance from each other. This would leave most of the area for people to live in while keeping a place for Liu Shu to fight, create farms, and engage in various personal endeavors. 

The dividing line between the inner and outer edges had always been <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field>, which was right at the middle distance between Liu Shu and <Lignified Living Wall>. 

During the few decades people lived in Golden Sap City, they understood that the gorgeous sea of flowers spanning tens of thousands of meters was part of Liu Shu’s protective strategy. Citizens saw how the flowers rose and rained hell on their enemies, and they also saw the same flowers blast people who thought they were too clever and approached them without permission. 

The power of <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> was the best deterrent against people trespassing into the city’s inner domain. As a matter of fact, the closest they could come to Liu Shu without permission was right at the dividing line inside the <World Tree’s Endless Library>. 

Nevertheless, Liu Shu didn’t just create the divide to have a personal land. The true purpose was to have personal space. After all, while living near a tree 200 meters tall was bearable, even if you were close, its giant canopy would still swallow your house almost 24/7. 

Now, what if that tree grew to Liu Shu’s height? Forget the Sun, you’d live permanently in the shadow of the gargantuan World Tree. The only sunlight would fall during Dawn and Dusk! 

The World Tree’s city had never stopped growing in size. The walls constantly moved outward. The places that people previously called the edge were now almost in the middle of the habitable space. 

During the last two years, Liu Shu’s outer edge had reached an absurd distance of 17,400 meters! That meant that the city, from one side to the other, was now nearly 35,000 meters, or 35 kilometers (22~ miles). 

One might think that the place was just too large. Nevertheless, the size of this massive city paled in comparison with the actual gargantuan being that resided within it. If the city were not this large, everyone would feel cramped because of the permanent shadow of their World Tree.

After the growth the World Tree experienced during her Level Ups and changes, her size had reached an absurd 5,670 meters in height. Moreover, this height was calculated from the base of the tree to the top of its canopy. Meaning, the underground was not counted at all.

This gargantuan being, which towered so high that clouds started to gather around its canopy, was the beacon of power and zeal for all who lived in the Wild Continent. Her body doubles could also be spotted in different parts of the continent, and while they lacked the true majesty of the World Tree’s main body, their power was truly fearsome. 

Flor and Ignatia sat on the branches of one of the Lignified Town Halls, looking up in silence at the colossal monster towering above them. This being, whom they called their daughter, was a creature far beyond them. They could tell that Liu Shu had finally left her infancy phase and had become a Young World Tree.

Flor muttered. “I feel that she can destroy a mountain with just a single flick of her branches…” 

Ignatia chuckled while hugging the petite fairy within her embrace. Flor’s back was pressed against Ignatia’s softness, relaxing her entire being. Ignatia spoke with a chuckle. “Regardless, remember that she is our big baby. So, don’t feel stressed. I know it is difficult to look at our Liu Shu and feel anything but awe. Nevertheless, Liu Shu’s soul, her core being, won’t change with her size.” She spoke firmly. “I believe that Liu Shu will change if we stop treating her… as if she were another being other than Liu Shu.” 

Flor smiled. “I understand this, Ignatia. It’s just that I fear that people around the world will become too aggressive once they receive news of her. Now, it is harder than ever to control all the information. I know for a fact that people had already sent news outside. Although thankfully, we were able to delay it enough for Liu Shu to finish her Leveling Up process.” 

Ignatia laughed. “Although I am considered powerful, I think that Liu Shu is too much of an outlier. Honestly, even if I gather my entire colony and try to take her down, I doubt I’ll be successful.”   

“Really?” Flor blinked. “Hasn’t that big baby, Solaria, become a <Fourth Energy Cycle> <Ant Princess>? She has another three siblings that have also reached the <Fourth Energy Cycle>, right?” 

“It doesn’t matter. Against a World Tree, numbers matter so little that it is laughable. Moreover, I am ignoring the surrounding city, <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field>, and the Guardian that is silently lurking at Liu Shu’s base.” 

“Right!” Flor blinked. “Liu Shu built a guardian at the base of her tree a long time ago. Only, it had never seen action other than that time we restrained Delia.” 

“It was superfluous.” Ignatia laughed.

Remembering their girl’s attitude toward the System, Flor’s lips arched. “It is just a hunch, but I feel that Liu Shu will be super annoyed at the barrage of System Messages she is about to receive.”

Ignatia’s antennae twitched as her lips arched with laughter. “Honestly… I think she will as well. We’ll have to prepare to hear her whines later.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Flor smiled softly. “She is my big baby. As her mother, listening to her whining is my privilege, even if it is tiring or annoying.”

Meanwhile, as both mothers very well guessed, Liu Shu was looking at the hundreds of messages in front of her with a headache. “Why are there so many messages!? Systeeemmm!!!” 

[Congratulations! Leveling Up has been successful!] 

[Congratulations! You’ve managed to maintain a 100% Completion Rate for your <Fourth Energy Cycle>!]

[There are a few messages the System wants to show before moving on to the Leveling Up. Do you want to look at these messages?]

Liu Shu read that and harrumphed. “If you word it that way, aren’t I at a loss if I don’t hear the messages? Go ahead and throw them at me!”  

[<Five Origin Branches> have gone through a change. After Tianlian Liu Shu has developed the ability to interact with the surrounding Ternary Essence, part of their strength has finally been unlocked.]

“Hm? What do you mean? They were sealed?”

Liu Shu’s question was quickly answered.

[<Five Origin Branches> were not sealed. You are just too weak to bring out their true strength and value. While Tianlian Liu Shu is still too weak to see their true abilities, their stats have been updated. They have also reached the Flawless Level World Rank equipment.]

“Flawless World…” Liu Shu muttered before exclaiming. “Isn’t that an A+ Rank Treasure!?”

[That’s correct. Do you want to see the changes?]

Liu Shu hummed. “Go ahead, then… Ah. Wait.”

The System paused, and Liu Shu muttered. “If I see the branches, I’ll see my Level, right? Can you hide my Level? I want to be surprised with the rest of the messages!” 

[...Understood. Hiding Level of <Five Origin Branches>. The System will show the <Sylvanium Branch> and <Etherium Branch>. The <Celestium Branch>, <Ascensdium Branch>, and <Cognium Branch> have the same attributes as the <Etherium Branch>, but with their respective attributes being the strongest.]

“Understood. Now, show me!”

***

[Level ** Sylvanium Branch (Flawless Level World Rank)]

+8,692,542 Aether Mana Shards

+8,692,542 Phoer Body Shards

+8,692,542 Anima Energy Shards

Aether (+9,469), Physique (+9,469), Anima (+9,469), Willpower (+9,469)

Aether Resonance (+26), Physique Refinement (+26), Anima Affinity (+26), Mental Palace (+26)

***

[Level ** Etherium Branch (Flawless Level World Rank)]

+11,635,650 Aether Mana Shards

+4,702,500 Phoer Body Shards

+4,702,500 Anima Energy Shards

Aether (+9,945), Physique (+5,500), Anima (+5,500), Willpower (+5,500)

Aether Resonance (+54), Physique Refinement (+19), Anima Affinity (+19), Mental Palace (+19)

***

Liu Shu spluttered in her mind. “WHAT!?” She made the calculations, and she exclaimed. “In total, the branches give me 36,000 raw stat points for each <Stat>, 34 million shards, and 132% Affinity! Moreover, they also give <Mental Palace> affinity!” 

The numbers were truly stupidly high. If a <Third Energy Cycle> was holding these branches, an F Rank person would probably be able to beat a B Rank person without any mercy. What was that concept? Just holding these branches, someone who would die without resistance was able to jump four major tiers and fight!

For Liu Shu, they were not that significant, but they probably would end up doubling her stats thanks to the amount of raw stats they gave. 

Liu Shu looked at the two asterisks hiding her level, and she felt anticipation bubbling inside her body. “Hehehe. Numbers will go big! They will go very BIG! o(≧∇≦o)!”

“System! Show me the Leveling Up messages!” 

[Understood! As per Liu Shu’s desire, the System will show a <Level Up> message per Level Up that has occurred. The stats will be summarized at the bottom.]

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Level Up]!

[Aether +272, Phoer +272, Anima +272, Willpower +272, Destiny +500]

Liu Shu burst into incredulous laughter. “BAHAHAHA! How many levels are those!? Also, while 272 seems small, these numbers will be affected by the Aether Resonance, etc. So, in truth, it is much more than 272 points… Hehe. Continue!”

[<First Energy Cycle> Upgraded! Receiving stats!] x2

[Aether +450, Physique +450, Anima +450, Willpower +450] x2

[<First Energy Cycle> Upgraded! Unlocking Potential!] x2

[Aether Resonance +18%, Physique Refinement +18%, Anima Affinity +18%] x2

[<Second Energy Cycle> Upgraded! Receiving stats!]

[Aether +1500, Physique +1500, Anima +1500, Willpower +1500]

[<Second Energy Cycle> Upgraded! Unlocking Potential!]

[Aether Resonance +54%, Physique Refinement +54%, Anima Affinity +54%]

[<Fourth Energy Cycle> Completed! Receiving stats!]

[Aether +5400, Physique +5400, Anima +5400, Willpower +5400]

[<Fourth Energy Cycle> Completed! Unlocking Potential!]

[Aether Resonance +210%, Physique Refinement +210%, Anima Affinity +210%]

Liu Shu’s real body almost spasmed. “What are those numbers!? Also… First Energy Cycle is an x2? Wait… Don’t tell me… System, it has been a while but… Show me the entire [System Page].”

(Author Note: There is no more story from here on. Only Liu Shu’s system page. So, if you want to check it, you have it here. All new titles, skills, etc., have been added and fixed. The stats are also BEFORE any of the title or skill buffs take effect. Meaning, those are Liu Shu’s raw stats without any enhancement.)

***

Name: Tianlian Liu Shu

Titles: 

<Awakened>: A title that's gained when a tree gains sapience and evolves, gaining human-like intelligence. 

<World Tree>: A tree that can grow to be an overlord, admired by many, hated by some.

<World Ruling World Tree>: You are the World Tree that will rule the World. All plant life, including World Trees, forms part of yourself as a whole without losing their individuality. Your ability to process information and catch small details is increased by 1,000%. All creatures will instinctively know you are a ruler, and it will be easier to convince them to come under your domain. 

<Defender>: All creatures considered allies will gain 10% stats when fighting a defensive battle.

<Miracle Tree Architect>: All buildings will receive the following benefits if they haven’t already. 

All buildings created/assimilated by the World Tree will increase one Major-tier.

All buildings created/assimilated by the World Tree will grow and reach the World Tree’s Levels, advancing 1 Level per week. 

Any building created/assimilated by the World Tree can’t be two major Tiers below the World Tree. Any building below that rank will be improved over time. 1 Sub-tier per half a year. (Current minimum Tier: C+ Tier)  

<Apprentice World Builder>: A creature that has taken the first step to become a World Builder. You will receive insights on how to become a <World Builder> depending on your <Destiny> value. Additionally, Tianlian Liu Shu will receive:

+300% building speed.

+25% Material Cost Reduction.

-10% Material Rank Requirement.

<Continental World Tree>: The title will affect all non-hostile creatures entering the Continents you control. First, they will feel a soothing, calming, and mind-cleansing aura. Crafters have an increased 10% chance of success in their projects. Additionally, everyone’s comprehension speed is increased by 5% regardless of what they are trying to do. 

<Perfect Cycle>: When creating new <Energy Cycles> in the future, it will be impossible to go under the 90% Completion Rate.

<Touched By Dimensions>: You have increased ease of connecting with or sensing other dimensions. 

<One With The World>: You are a unique being that’s similar to a World Tree but not entirely one. Your inheritance is one that shall either wither in silence or bloom to illuminate all creation with your presence. Effect: You are able to assimilate all types of plant creatures in your domain, without exceptions, and keep their individuality unchanged while reducing their rebelliousness several times over. Moreover, your influence over other plant beings is increased by 100%, while other plant-based creatures have 50% less influence over you.

<Galactic Overlord>: You have unlocked hidden and unique paths of Evolution. Stats +20%. This title can be improved.

<Tempest Of Chaos>: All Wind-related attacks deal 36% less damage to you. The World Tree gains <Wind Aether Affinity>. Any Wind-attributed life form under your influence gains a 200% increase in Wind Affinity. All beings under your domain gain an extra 40% movement speed, 20% Damage Rate, and their basic attributes increase by 8%. Wind-attributed skills up to <S Tier> are 20% cheaper to upgrade.

<Songs Of Chaos>: You gain a buff when listening to the sounds of nature or being near the World Tree’s domain. The World Tree gains <Sound Aether Affinity>. Anima and Aether regeneration is increased by 400%. All elemental energies and soul energy are much tamer around you, making it easier to cast spells up to <S Tier>. All life forms under its influence gain a 20% Aether and Anima comprehension rate, have 20% more Aether Mana and Anima Energy, have their spell cost reduced by 20%, and have their basic attributes increased by 8%.

<Sprouts of Chaos>: Phoer regeneration is increased by 400% to all plant life. The World Tree gains <Life Aether Affinity>. You can summon plant-based lifeforms that rank higher than the summoning skill until <S Tier>. All life forms under your influence age 20% slower, have 20% more Phoer, and have their basic attributes increased by 8%. All plant life under your influence gains Experience Points 100% faster (Until the World Tree’s Level). The World Tree will gain an additional 0.20% Experience of what the plant-attributed creatures gain (Maximum: Level*3 daily).

<Embers of Chaos>: Fire Aether spells deal 36% less damage to you. The World Tree gains <Fire Aether Affinity>. Any Fire-attributed life-form under your influence gains 200% more Fire Affinity. All creatures under its influence have 20% damage reduction, and their basic attributes are increased by 8%. Fire-attributed skills up to <S Tier> are 20% cheaper to upgrade.

Hidden titles: [7]

Race: World Tree. (?)

Energy Method: Basic World Energy Gathering (Gathers daily 450 Experience Points: Level*(Complete Energy Cycle+1).)

Level: 90 [0/3,029,380

Aether Mana Cores: 20,322/20,322 (2,032,153,255) (+732 Cores/Hour)

Phoer Body Cores: 20,700/20,700 (2,069,989,586) (+746 Cores/Hour)  

Anima Energy Cores: 20,134/20,134 (2,013,361,855) (+725 Cores/Hour)  

Attributes: Aether 208,239 (54,994+153,245) / Physique 210,117 (54,994+155,123) / Anima 207,300 (54,994+152,306) / Willpower 80,478 (54,749+25,729) / Destiny 9,000 (9,000)

Affinity Percentage: Aether Resonance (816), Physique Refinement (826), Anima Affinity (811), Mental Palace (137) 

Resistance Percentage: Aether Resistance (88), Physique Resistance (88), Spiritual Resistance (88), Mental Resistance (85)

Summoning Affinity: Summon Cost (-85%), Summon Enhancement (+40%), Summoning Invoking Time (-85%), Summon Upkeep (-85%)

Tier Stars:

Aether Stars: 17 (A+ Tier)

Phoer Stars: 17 (A+ Tier)

Anima Stars: 17 (A+ Tier)

Willpower Stars: 17 (A+ Tier)

Overall Stars: 17 (A+ Tier)

Talents:

<Recolocation (S- Rank)>: As a <Galactic Overlord>, your followers can be relocated at your will as long as it is within your domain. You can relocate any immobile flora, including World Trees and Life Trees, as long as their target location meets the affinity requirements. There is no distance limit for this skill. Cooldown: 10 years.

<Soulseed Projection (A Rank Level 2 [125,580/4,718,600])>: You can produce one <Soulseed> every ten years, completing a <Sylvan Quest>, or assimilating other <World Trees>. A <Soulseed> can be planted anywhere within your domain, creating a waypoint that connects your main body with that location. You can project yourself with 70% of your stats into that location, accommodating the location’s space. You have 27 <Soulseeds>.

<Temple Seed (A Rank Level 1 [0/589,900])>: You can create three <Temple Seeds> for each <Temple> every five years, or you can create one for assimilating other <World Trees> and completing <Sylvan Quests>. A <Temple Seed> can be planted in a city outside your domain to grant the buffs of that particular temple in the city and its surroundings. This seed will grow into a <Temple Tree> with the same <Level> and <Tier> as the <Temple> they represent. You have 42 <Summon Temple Seeds>, 35 <Destiny Temple Seeds>, and 30 <Craft Temple Seeds>.

<Curse Cleansing Aurora (A- Rank Level 3 [598,500/13,122,000])>: Your purifying aura has gone beyond the restraints of your sap, becoming a part of your body and existence. Your aura can emanate and cleanse all corruption and curses as long as the tier and level do not exceed the skill. There is a slight chance to reverse the <Curse> and transform it into a <Blessed> skill.

<Otherworldly Rune and Nature Empire (A Tier Level 1 [0/589,900])>: The World Tree has become the ruler of her land. All plant beings within her domain will receive benefits in growth and lifespan. Moreover, the trees can develop into a new species with the prefix <Lignified>. <Lignified> plant beings can only be basic plant species, such as, but not limited to, trees, bushes, and flowers.

[Buffs for the World Tree]

You can grow a wide variety of berries and fruits: <Delicious Berry (A Rank)>, <Phoer Berry <A Rank>… (Click Here to expand details)

Your comprehension rates in the Rune Field and Woodcrafting are increased by 250%.

Your success rate on Rune Field and Woodcrafting items and fields tiered one below yours or lower will always be 100%.

Material-usage-efficiency when creating <Lignified> species is increased by 500%.

You can grow a <Lignified Rune Workshop> where your bonuses are increased by 100%.

[Buffs For Plant Species]

Plant beings will have a 500% growth speed. (It doesn’t affect semi or fully Intelligent species such as, but not limited to, Sylvans, Alraunes, Dryads, Rose Fairies...)

Plant Beings will have their lifespan extended by 20% as long as they live for 10 years within the domain.

Plant Beings will be born at the C- Tier and above. (Lower-tiered species can exist as long as their potential prevents them from reaching the C- Tier.)

[Bonuses for <Lignified> species]

+250% Experience Point Gain from non-killing until they reach the World Tree’s level.

Lignified species can develop <Building> skills and become habitable for Intelligent Species or Monster kind.

Lignified species will have a link towards the World Tree and will always develop according to their interests.

Lignified species built by the World Tree will be born with <Living Rune Fields> etched onto them. These fields can grow and evolve together with their host.

Finally, all Lignified Species will be able to grow one or two varieties, at random, that the World Tree can grow herself.

<Elemental Lord Willow Catastrophe (A Tier Level 1 [0/589,900])>: The World Tree is able to unleash devastating attacks with both her branches and roots. The attacks can be coated with Aether Mana and Anima Energy. Each element will give the World Tree’s attacks a different characteristic.

The attacks can shrink space and reach up to 5 times the length of the World Tree’s limb. The further the World Tree attacks, the more energy it consumes. Attacks beyond that range are possible, but with power and accuracy penalties.

Additionally, the World Tree can gather elemental ternary essences and unleash them in a catastrophic attack on an area as wide as 15 times the World Tree’s height. This attack consumes large amounts of Aether Mana and Anima Energy, and it can be cast anywhere within the World Tree’s viewing range up to 3 times the distance of her domain.

<World Tree Calling (D- Rank Level MAX)>: The World Tree has a connection with the World and everything else at a fundamental level. You can use Anima Energy to call for a summon. You’ve chosen Arboreal Winged Serpents as your summons. You can summon creatures that are up to D- Tier.

Passive Skills:

<World Tree Heart (A Rank Level 3 [538,540/15,925,300])>: A core has formed in the middle of the Tree. The tree can recover from any external injury if the core doesn’t receive heavy damage. Depending on the damage, it will take longer. Innate Regeneration increased, Innate Resistances increased, and Innate Affinities increased.

<World Tree Eye (B- Rank level 1 [0/248,900])>: You can see as far as your roots extend. Clarity of vision and ability to process increased.

<World Tree Wisdom (SSS Rank Level MAX)>: You can understand all languages as long as they are complex enough to be considered a language by the system.

<Cerulean Bloodsap (B- Rank Level MAX)>: Your sap has now become a panacea. It can cure most poisons and ailments that don’t outrank you while also serving as a naturally purifying and healing substance. The world around you will now be deeply influenced by your essence, and all flora will receive several growth boosts.

<World Embracing Endless Roots (A Tier Level 1 [0/589,900])>: Your roots move with unmatched speed and can traverse both material and immaterial. They’ve gained resistance to extreme locations and can feed on all matter. The feeding won’t ever destroy an environment or balance as long as the World Tree doesn’t want it to. Your roots can extend as long as your root net can maintain its integrity, making your reach potentially endless.

<Soul Enthralling World Tree (A Tier Level 1 [0/589,900])>: Your aura is both material and immaterial. Your charm affects all beings, regardless of their level of intelligence. Moreover, your aura will incur a sense of awe from deep within the soul of anyone who looks at your main body. Additionally, your voice can affect and even damage souls. Finally, all souls of those who die within your domain will be purified by you and reborn within your domain if possible.

Accumulated Experience: 7,436,730

Currency: Sylvanium Shards [], Etherium Shards [], Ascendium Shards [], Celestium Shards [], Cognium Shards [], Lir [], Tyn [], Bren [], Syl [], Arbor [].

Inventory: 27 <Soulseeds>, 42 <Summon Temple Seeds>, 35 <Destiny Temple Seeds>, and 30 <Craft Temple Seeds>…

***

Chapter 501. Doubts. World Presence. [AotSC]

Melody and Ignatia looked at the system with deep frowns. While there were different races of humans in their world, they were all Ceperet Humans. For example, a human could be a <Ceperet Flame Human> or a <Ceperet Cat Human>. Nevertheless, the <Ceperet> prefix would be there since they were humans born and raised in this world. 

Now, seeing a human with <Vesial> in their name instead of <Ceperet>, Ignatia and Melody couldn’t help but raise eyebrows. 

“Melody.” Ignatia looked at the corpse stuck on her arm with her antennae twitching. “Do you know anything about this?”

Melody shook her head. “No. What about you?”

The Ant Queen pondered for a few seconds, making Melody look over with suspicious eyes. The Ant Queen smiled wryly. “Don’t look at me like that. As I’ve said in the past, I have memories of past Ant Queens. And, not all Ant Queens failed in their quest to become World Rulers. Nevertheless, the Ant Queens were eventually defeated.” 

Melody frowned. “How? It’s not like there can be something that can challenge an Ant Queen that has achieved World Ruling.” 

Ignatia smiled and flew back while carrying Kaelis’s corpse by the hair. “I also thought the same. However, during the visions and memories, I saw the starry sky glittering. The attacks during the final moments of that Ant Queen also came from the sky.” She muttered. “Back then, I thought that someone with long-range bombardment spells had appeared among the intelligent races, leading the charge against the Ant Queen. Now…” 

Melody looked at Ignatia with a surprised expression. “You are not thinking of creatures beyond our world, right?”

“What else can it be, then?”

Melody frowned deeply. “But, there is no information about life beyond our world.”  

“There is also no information about skills beyond S Rank.” Ignatia smiled wryly. 

Melody paused and looked at Ignatia with a surprised look. “There are skills beyond S Rank?”

“Perhaps.” Ignatia sighed. “Either way, if what we are discussing is remotely truthful, killing Kaelis will cause much bigger consequences than we thought previously. Moreover, Kaelis is far from being a top powerhouse in the Abyssal Void Nexus. We can assume two scenarios from that information.

Melody muttered. “The first should be that the people above her are either from the same place as her, or Kaelis infiltrated, intending to eventually take over.”  

Ignatia agreed. “Yes. The first is that the other side is somewhat equal to us and is trying to slowly infiltrate our planet to take over by any means, eventually.” Her tone became somewhat heavy as she spoke about the second option. “The other is… We are part of a system so big and powerful that we are considered a backward world. So, they sent some of their juniors here to train them before picking them. Naturally, those juniors have parents, and if one of them is too strong…”

Melody’s face paled, and she began thinking of different scenarios. “That… Aren’t we doomed in that scenario then?” 

“The only way we are not is that there is more than one otherworldly power in our world, and they are at odds. That way, even if some important junior dies, the other side won’t move within a short amount of time. The other side will be quite happy about it, after all.”   

Ignatia and Melody’s conversation reached Liu Shu as well. Curious, she asked the system a few things. ‘System, are there any <Vesial Humans> in the kill notifications I overlooked after my war against the Nexus?’

[Analyzing…]

[Completed! There are 87 matches for <Vesial Human> among the death notifications.]

Liu Shu frowned deeply as she caressed her flat stomach. “Hm… So few among the hundreds of thousands I killed. Well, whatever, I’ll discuss it when I wake up.” Liu Shu looked down and muttered. “It’s so strange not to have a baby growing in my stomach.” The child with an unknown parent growing in her stomach had long since been born. It was currently in arms, suckling her milk with eyes closed in joy. The girl’s flaming hair, blood-red eyes, and lower flower half were extremely similar to her big sister Pyara.

“To think that I have given birth to another Sanguine Blaze… Is the semi-intelligent race I give birth to unique to each Sylvan, or was it a coincidence?” Liu Shu yawned, feeling sleepy because her Leveling Up took up a lot of her energy. “Well, it doesn’t matter. The threat is done, so I should go back to sleep.” 

She leaned back with eyes closed and fell into a deep sleep again while protective energies surrounded her Avatar body and the Sanguine Blaze. 

Ignatia and Melody wanted to discuss with Liu Shu, but they could feel the energy focused on their current location dissipate. This was a clear sign of Liu Shu going back to sleep after the problem was dealt with. 

The two women smiled wryly. “Couldn’t she stay behind a bit to discuss?”

Ignatia chuckled. “Let her rest. The attack she received from Kaelis is quite heavy. So, recovering might take a while.”

Melody pointed and shook her head. “You might be wrong. Look, I can visibly see the wood growing back and reattaching.” 

Thinking that Liu Shu’s body was full of precious materials, Ignatia looked down and started making clicking sounds with her throat. The clicks were not too loud, but the sound was piercing and far-reaching.  

Melody was curious about what Ignatia was doing. Her doubts were answered almost straight away.  

Tens of thousands of ants surged from the ground and moved as one entity, gathering Liu Shu’s spilled sap, leaves, bark, and roots. With the tireless ants working on it, the field was cleaned up in less than 30 minutes. Melody didn’t move during the whole time, admiring the ant’s work.

“If Intelligent Races were half as efficient as your races, the world would be much different.”

Ignatia chuckled. “If that were true, then I would never surface and mimic the Terragore lifestyle. Who would want to deal with such a coordinated and tireless group of intelligent creators? I would just be asking for a beating.” Then, she snorted. “Thankfully, greed, envy, and many other qualities make for a great stopper of what the intelligent races could’ve been.” 

“I guess you are right.” Melody smiled before she looked around. “So, should we leave?” 

Ignatia nodded. “I can feel that Flor is almost done with her Leveling Up, so I want to go and meet her.”   

“Meet with her?” Melody teased. “Right. We are both old-timers, and I know what you want to do. Still, consider leaving the corpse of that woman somewhere.”

“Hm? I was thinking of giving it to my babies.” 

“Don’t.” Melody spoke lightly and explained her reasoning. “If the enemy is truly some otherworldly power, they might want the corpse of their deceased back. It is better to keep it just in case. It can be our chip for survival with an uncertain future.”

Ignatia struggled. “Ugh… But my babies will love it!” 

Melody knew that the Ant Queen was messing around. So, she just smiled and bumped her shoulder with hers. “Stop being silly. I will return and take a good shower. After that, gather the trustworthy leaders so that we can discuss what we discovered.” 

Both women left the place, leaving the coast as peaceful as it was before they came. No one would believe that three peak powerhouses had fought a life-and-death battle here, were it not for the altered landscape bearing witness to their clash.

Meanwhile, back in the Abyssal Void Nexus, the people cooperating with Kaelis had already started working on a method to prevent news of their mistakes from leaving the surface of the world. They really didn’t want a Star Lord to be on their back because of Eryndis.

“Is that person so vengeful?” Asked one of them, doubtful about Kaelis’ hurried actions.  

“Actually, Kaelis is just one of his bastard children. Some Star Lords go from planet to planet and have children with locals. The children who end up becoming strong powerhouses then become the proof that the planet they were on is one of quality. A Star Lord usually governs a very small region of space. Some only govern a single Solar System, while others govern three or four of them.” 

“How high is their level?”

“How high…?” The person frowned and muttered. “I am honestly somewhat unsure. However, they should at least be Level 150 or so, right? Only after Level 100 can someone traverse space without dying. Of course, the speed is extremely slow, and usually, it’s not worth it. Do you know how large distances in space are? Even with the lifespan of Sylvans, it is difficult to cover anything at just Level 100.” 

While they planned and discussed, time passed without news from Kaelis. 

This made them somewhat doubtful.

“She might not want to be discovered.”

“Right. If she wants to be stealthy so as not to leave any traces behind, taking this long shouldn’t be something unusual.”

A month later, they started becoming nervous. “Hey. Even if she wants to take her time, a whole month is a bit long, right?”

Another commented. “Not so much. After all, isn’t the Wild Continent quite far away? She might’ve found something odd with the continent. Moreover, she has some teleporting treasures. It should be impossible to hold her back if she wants to escape.” 

Half a year later, they all gathered again. They were still confused as to why Kaelis didn’t even send news back once. 

“Did something go wrong?”

“Impossible. She is a <Fourth Energy Cycle>. A decently powerful one at that. Moreover, she is a long-range fighter, and her ability to flee is top-notch. Only the major World Trees would have a chance to impede her escape.” The person denying it added. “The news about Eryndis is about to leave the world. We should focus on stopping that for now. Whenever Kaelis returns, she will put us up to pace.”  

After that, some chaos occurred within the Abyssal Void Nexus as a few important people were ambushed within their domain and killed. Eventually, a whole year had gone by since Kaelis left.

That day, the world shifted as Ternary Essence sources around the world began trembling. Everyone in the entire world felt the presence of a new overlord permeating the entire land that day.

The source of the surreal power spreading all around came from, most surprisingly, the Wild Continent.  

Chapter 1290. Relaxing Bath. Noticing One Big Detail.

When they arrived at the changing room, they arrived just in time to see Yasenia stopping in front of a shelf with a basket and reaching out to her shoulder. With the arm movement, Yasenia’s whole chest shifted, and the robe was slowly pulled to the side. A natural head flick moved her long black hair to the other side just as the robe reached just below her rounded and beautiful shoulder. 

Then, Yasenia moved to her other shoulder while placing her right hand on her upper left chest to hold the robe. Her expression, with lowered eyes and a faint arc on her lips, pictured an alluring beauty without equal, making the hearts of those looking thump. 

After the robe was pushed wide open, Yasenia slowly raised her hidden eyes. The long eyelashes stopped covering the two gorgeous golden slit eyes, revealing such a stirring gaze that they felt chills going up their arms. It was as if their bodies were so aroused that they didn’t know how to react. 

Yasenia asked softly, her mellow and rich voice vibrating their eardrums like a seductive whisper. “What’s wrong? Is the show so good that you can’t look away?” 

The teasing tone and smirk made even Star Forge feel a hint of inferiority. ‘Really, I can’t compete with this woman’s beauty. I actually almost drooled over her taking off her robes.’

To break the awkwardly heated moment, Star Forge cleared her throat and asked. “Ahem. So, how does your robe work? I mean, your wings and tail clearly go through it. However, I have always been curious as to how you wear it and take it off.”

Yasenia walked over to Star Forge, ignoring the unblinking Mo Yun and Qiingzhe drooling over her almost revealed breasts. “How about you learn… by undoing it yourself?” 

Star Forge looked up and met Yasenia's clearly teasing but hopelessly seductive look. Her heart swayed, thumping twice before she forcefully calmed it down. ‘Lust Spirit! Not even the Succubus race was able to have this effect on me!’

Still, she was not a woman who would back down. So, she pushed down the strange feelings and raised her chin slightly, looking straight at the soul-stealing golden slit eyes. “Why not? Teach me then. I’ll make sure that you have no pieces of clothing on you when I am done.”

Yasenia laughed lowly, her tone almost softening the knees of the three women. “Go ahead, then. Strip me.” 

Star Forge then saw the tall woman slowly turn and give her back to her. Then, she gathered her long and glossy black hair into a bun, giving better access to the woman. Qingzhe and Mo Yun looked at Star Forge with eyes overflowing with jealousy. If they had had a handkerchief, they would’ve been biting it as they looked at Star Forge resentfully. 

“You two…” Star Forge looked at Qingzhe and Mo Yun strangely. “Have you actually fallen for the dragon girl? Why are you giving me those jealous looks?” 

Tai Qingzhe’s face exploded in red as she pointed at Star Forge and yelled. “W-Who has fallen for that seductress!? Moreover, isn’t she married or something!? I am not a homewrecker, alright!?”

Mo Yun nodded a few times. “Right, right. It’s just that Yasenia is too beautiful! I mean, look at her upper back! That slender nape and perfect shoulder curve! Moreover, while soft, there are a few traces of muscle that make you want to take a bite!”

Star Forge and Yasenia deadpanned. 

“Hey. You might want to clear your dripping drool, Mo Yun.”

Hearing Star Forge’s words, the girl panicked and used her hand to clean her chin, only to feel dryness. 

“Pfft. Hahahaha!”

Mo Yun’s face turned beet red. “You tricked me!” 

Star Forge raised her eyebrow. “Who told you to be swooning so hard for her? I couldn’t lose the chance.”

The golden-haired beauty looked at Star Forge and muttered. “Star Forge, you weren’t like this in the past. Has Yasenia’s teasing ghost clung to you or something?”

“What ghost are you talking about?” Yasenia glared sideways, her eyes shining with coquettishness even as she glared. “I am alive and well, okay? Don’t curse me!” Then, looking over her shoulder, Yasenia snorted. “Also, are you done admiring my upper back? If so, there is around 80% more to reveal. And, if you like my back, you will probably drool over my butt cheeks and thighs, so be quick. I want to enter the water already.” 

Star Forge rolled her eyes. “You are one of the most narcissistic people I’ve known.”

Yasenia smirked, her eyes shining with laughter. “Can it be called narcissism when it is the truth~?” 

Star Forge snorted and looked at how to take off the robe. Yasenia’s clothes were hanging right above the two wing-holes, revealing her naked upper back. Looking closer, Star Forge noticed that there was an almost invisible line above them. So, following her instinct, she poured energy into that nearly imperceptible line.

Yasenia’s voice sounded with a tinge of surprise. “Oh? You were actually able to see it?” 

Right as her words finished, the robe opened above her wings, dropping down until it hung right above her tail. Naturally, the rest was revealed as it slid to her waist level. 

Qingzhe blurted in a shrill voice as her face blushed. “W-Why don’t you have a dudou!? I thought it was the kind that only covered the lower half of the breast, but you are completely bare!”

“Dudou?” Yasenia blinked and turned sideways, throwing the two jiggly mountains into a swaying motion. “Is that an undergarment thing similar to a bra?”

Qingzhe was stunned by that movement. ‘How can breasts move like that? Is their jiggliness tweaked by a Heavenly Law or something!?’ 

Mo Yun’s eyes were wide open, like someone who saw a naked woman for the first time. “Mother of Heaven. They look even bigger when they are not covered. How is that possible? Are all dragons your size, or are you particularly big among your kind? How are they so… prettily shaped as well? Can I touch them?”

Yasenia raised her eyebrow and smiled. “My body is of the slender type among dragonkind. Also, you can touch them later.”

“Ha?” Those words snapped Qingzhe out of her daze from witnessing the two gorgeous and massive white mountains. “You must be lying! How can you be considered slender!? If you are slender, what am I?”

“Flat.” Answered Yasenia without a single touch of mercy.

The golden-haired woman almost spat blood. “F-Flat!? For your own knowledge, I am rather full below my robe! I am at least one or two cups bigger than Mo Yun!” 

“Hey! Why am I getting attacked here?” Mo Yun jumped. “For you to know, I am a proper C Cup!”

Star Forge suddenly muttered. “Oh. Here it is.”

Then, while the three of them discussed, Yasenia’s robe fell to the ground with a plop, leaving her wearing only her panties. 

This time, the three people fell silent at the same time for a while.

Yasenia raised her eyebrow and looked down. ‘Why are they so surprised? I have my extra member hidden, no?’

“Fuck.” Star Forge muttered as she glanced down, the annoyance distinct within her tone. “I thought your breasts were your best-shaped part… How is this even fair? Are your breasts a distraction so that people don’t realize about your hips?” 

Mo Yun muttered. “If she sits on me…” She quickly snapped out of the trance and smacked her own face. “Oh, Heaven Lord, I have sinned thinking like that! Please forgive this lost cultivator!”  

Yaseinia flicked her tail once and looked to the side at a full-body mirror. The woman there had a slim waist that could easily be hugged with one arm, and perfectly shaped butt cheeks connecting to thighs that looked trained yet soft. The overall figure would give vertigo to those looking from all the high peaks and valleys. 

“Hm. Not bad. Now, time to bathe.” 

Then, she walked towards the large hot spring lake she artificially created. The three others could only look as Yasenia’s sashaying hips moved further away, the swinging tail tickling their hearts.  

The other three only started getting naked after Yasenia entered the water and leaned on the side with a sigh. Her wings adorably flicked as comfort filled her body. The tiredness of the four years of constant training gradually disappeared with the medicinal water deeply permeating into her. 

“Speaking of which…” Star Forge sat by Yasenia’s side without any shame, revealing her perfectly slender and trained body. “Why do you have underwear? Are you shy?” 

The dragoness raised her eyebrow and opened her eyes. “Well, if you three are already horny with my current nakedness… I think that something might actually happen if I reveal everything.”

Star Forge snorted. “Who is horny besides those two?”

Mo Yun and Qingzhe coughed, looking sideways. Meanwhile, Yasenia didn’t let Star Forge slip by. “Star Forge, my dear. A Dragon’s nose is extremely sharp.” Lifting one of her slender fingers to caress Star Forge’s chin, Yasenia smiled deeply. “You, beauty, can’t hide your desires from me~.” 

To say that Mo Yun and Qingzhe were surprised was an understatement. “No way! Star Forge actually got aroused!? That piece of Ancient Ice!?” 

The woman’s eyebrow trembled at Qingzhe’s comment. If they were not naked, Qingzhe would’ve probably been slapped into a distant mountain for that comment. “You comment well for a virgin cultivator!”

Qingzhe retaliated with a snort. “It is part of my cultivation technique! My technique is too heavy Yang-Energy-wise, so I need my pure Yin to balance it out. If I had lost my Pure Yin Essence, I would need to find a Yin-attributed Dual Cultivation partner!”  

“Ahem.” Mo Yun blinked her large eyes and smiled shyly. “Big Sister Qingzhe, if you ever need it, my Yin Attribute is very strong.” 

Qingzhe choked while the other two burst into laughter. The four of them started bickering with each other good-naturedly, getting comfortable as time passed by.

After a while, Mo Yun had gained enough courage to approach and actually follow through on the promise of fondling the white peaks floating on the water. “This is… incredible. I feel as if my hands are going to melt into Yasenia’s breasts.” 

Star Forge was suspicious about another thing, though. “Say, Yasenia, did you eat quite a lot not long ago?” 

“Hm?” Yasenia raised her eyebrow. “Why do you ask?

Star Forge muttered. “Honestly, your curves had taken my attention from your waist. I admit it. But now that I am looking, you have quite a bump there.” She joked. “It looks as if you are in the early stages of pregnancy.”

The other two laughed, but soon they couldn’t. 

“Oh. Well, I am indeed pregnant.” 

Three startled women looked at Yasenia as if her words had spelled the most disastrous calamity known to man. 

“HUH!?”   

Yasenia frowned. “Why are you shouting so loudly!? Annoying, annoying.” 

“No, no, no! Weren’t you joking back then when you said you were pregnant!?” Qingzhe asked while tripping over her words.

Mo Yun nodded. “Right! Right!” 

Yasenia blinked, confused. “I never denied that I am pregnant, did I? I was being honest, but people misunderstood my words on their own. I have no reason to clarify it and announce it to the world, no?” 

Star Forge thought of something and frowned deeply. “Wait. So, when we sent you to fight the Abyssal Worshiper Sect… You were pregnant all along?” 

Yasenia looked at her without answering, but even if she said nothing, all three understood. Star Forge’s face became complicated and then bowed deeply. “I am extremely sorry. If I knew, I would’ve done everything in my power to delay any kind of mission until you safely gave birth.”

Yasenia chuckled. “Apologies accepted. Don’t bow anymore. I don’t really like that.”

Star Forge straightened with a complicated look. She truly never expected Yasenia to be genuinely pregnant. 

Yasenia smiled faintly. “I don’t blame anyone. Nevertheless, you must know that my feelings for the sect are superficial. If I ever get the chance without hurting the sect, I will leave. I have nothing against you, but I have nothing to do with you. I am just a guest elder, and guests need to leave eventually.” 

The other three looked at Yasenia with complicated expressions. But, after a while, they just sighed and began asking Yasenia questions about the baby. Yasenia answered slowly without revealing too much personal information. Still, they got to know that Yasenia had been pregnant for over 30 years already.

Evangeline, Corrupted Sylvan Witch. (Completed)

Don't worry, Evangeline. You are immortalized now... very prettily as well, I must say.

Chapter 1289. Four More Years. Progress In Cultivation.

Yasenia turned back into her human form after almost 4 years without changing back. Her eyes were full of tenderness and amusement as she held the blob-like Soluna in her arms. The pretty transparent tricolored jelly glittered with starlight as she made an adorable snoring sound. “You are so cute, love.” 

During the last four years, Yasenia had never stopped using [Celestial Intent Domain] and her other skills. Other than that, she used her Dual Cultivation Technique to practice and feed on the Nascent Celestial Spirit’s fluids. Naturally, she gave back more than enough to compensate for any loss. After all, Yasenia’s Dual Cultivation was one focused on reinforcement loops—both parties became stronger. 

“Soluna, love, are you okay?”

Soluna answered with slurred speech. “Sho good~... Can’t think straaigghhtt.” 

The dragoness teased. “Good, good. Your thoughts should be like a mosquito coil, spiraling inwards towards loving me more and more~.” 

“Yessh…” 

Yasenia burst into laughter and rained kisses on the pretty jelly blob between her arms. Honestly, she had not expected that Soluna’s humanoid body could transform into this. Or, better said, that this was what Soluna would become when she lost control. “Say, Soluna. I’ve seen it happen for a few years already, but I am still not too sure about why you become this… blob. Isn’t your Human Form your true form after the Sixth Realm Tribulation?” 

Soluna answered while enveloping Yasenia’s body with her jelly-like body. “Hm~, I think you are misunderstanding something, Yasenia.” 

“Oh?” 

“In my current form, I can’t fight. I can’t even do anything other than circulate energy. Therefore, this is not my… natural form. My natural form is my humanoid self.”

“So… What’s up with your pretty, jelly-like appearance?” 

Hearing Yasenia’s question, Soluna snorted adorably. “This is because you made my body surrender through sheer pleasure! How can I think of maintaining any form when your delicious dragon is rearranging my internal organs!?”

The dragoness blinked a few times while she allowed the jelly-like Soluna to fondle her body. “Hmph!”

The dragoness blinked. “What now, Love?”

Soluna complained. “Why is your body so soft!? It doesn’t lose out to my jelly-like body. Ugghh! I want to hug you forever! Being so pretty is against the rules!” 

The dragoness kissed the jelly between her arms and smiled. “Transform back into your human form, love.”

Soluna quickly regained her form and looked up with curious eyes. “Why—Mmmph!”

The deep kiss quickly made the spirit fall limply within the dragon’s arms, her eyes misting over with a layer of moisture. After the deep kiss, the dragoness patted her little butt with her tail and smiled softly. “That’s for being so adorable.” 

Then, she took out the jade the Sect Master gave her and saw that it had already begun illuminating. “Time to go back. I wonder if there have been any changes in the War situation during the last four years? Now that I’ve reached quite a high level within the first realm, my strength has increased quite a bit.”

After reaching such advanced stages of cultivation, strength didn’t just increase after each cultivation advancement. During the realm, the cultivator’s strength would also increase and grow. Of course, if breaking through was comparable to a large pool of water in terms of improvement, the progress from a recently advanced to a peak cultivator within the level was a difference of a tenth of that pool. 

It was not too much nor too little. Still, for someone like Yasenia, they were relevant. 

“In my spiritual path, the process of getting rid of my [Mortal Shackles] is going perfectly. Then, my [Skin Shedding] for my Body Cultivation is done at around 60%. Finally, my soul realm, [Soul Palace Surfacing], is already completed in theory; I only need the energy for the breakthrough.” 

Yasenia quickly summarized her gains. “As my [Mortal Shackles] disappear, I can feel my connection with the world around me deepening. It is as if I am preparing to become part of the very essence below the surface instead of swimming above it. Meanwhile, during my [Skin Shedding], the durability of my skin has also become ridiculous. Now, I am practically immune to treasures below the low-level Transcendence Rank. If I use my scales, even mid-level Transcendence Rank treasures will have some difficulty damaging me even when I stand still.” 

The final improvement on her soul path was an overall increase in strength for her soul-related skills. She could also feel a very light connection with the [Primordial Palace]. Thanks to that, staying inside the rooms has become much less time-consuming. Before, a month of cultivation would feel like a few hours. Now, that phenomenon was much easier to control. 

Soluna poked Yasenia’s cheeks, grabbing the dragoness’s attention. Looking down at the beautiful girl in her arms, the dragoness smiled. “What’s wrong, Love?”

Soluna blushed a bit and pointed around them. “Yasenia, look around. You didn’t check when you left the domain…”

Yasenia blinked and looked around her. Her eyebrow twitches, and her eyes become complicated. She was standing in the middle of a street. The people around her were looking at her with lost eyes, clearly entranced by her transcendental beauty. “Ugh… What to do about this?” 

“Lady Immortal! Please restrain yourself!” 

Yasenia looked up and saw a man with stern facial features flying towards her and landing around 100 meters away from her. Yasenia coughed and smiled. “I am sorry, but I am already restraining myself. I’ll leave this place now. Also, if you need compensation, I’ll do my best to a certain degree. It was not my intention to appear here.” Her body vanished as she threw out a few words. “If you want to find me, you can come to the Star Immortal Sect and ask for Elder Dravory.” 

Everyone was baffled as the dreamy dragon woman, hugging an enchanting shorter girl, disappeared like an illusion. The Transcendence Realm cultivators who had come to speak with Yasenia became serious, looking around with eyes full of cautiousness. ‘Where did she go? How can someone disappear like that?’ 

As she flew towards the Star Immortal Sect, Yasenia noticed the effects of her Celestial Intent Domain. “Although it was not a planned experiment, it seems that my domain’s concealing capabilities are super. Not even the Level 4 Transcendence Realm cultivator could tell where I went.” 

Soluna smiled widely, snuggling deeply in Yasenia’s arms as they flew. “I think that this ability is probably the strongest and most useful. You never really had an ability that could help you escape in a difficult situation…” Soluna paused. “Speaking of which, why did you never have something like that?” 

“Life-saving treasures,” Yasenia answered simply. “I didn’t feel the necessity of developing or learning a fleeing skill when I could use my Life-saving treasures. Moreover, any skill I developed would not be on par with those treasures. Now, though, the Celestial Intent Domain can combine with those treasures to make it hard to catch me.” Yasenia’s smile became a bit devilish. “And… if they are not careful, they might fall into my domain and change from the predator to the prey~.”

Soluna’s face blushed deeply when she saw Yasenia’s devilish expression. ‘Oh my Heavens. She is too pretty! Ahhh!!’  

Yasenia took around 2 months to arrive at the Star Immortal Sect. From what she learned, traveling within her Intent Domain created a “space shrinking” effect around her, so to speak. If Yasenia would advance, let’s say, 10 meters with one step, that distance would lengthen to 100 meters or more when she was within her domain. That was the reason why Yasenia appeared in the middle of nowhere the first time. She had used her top speed and energy, amplifying that space-shrinking capability to the limits. 

After four years of practice, Yasenia’s control over the Celestial Intent Domain had sublimated. Now, she could control all minor details to a very high degree. Of course, she was not surgically proficient, but she had enough control to manipulate the domain comfortably. 

Inside the Star Immortal Sect, Star Forge and Tai Qingzhe sat together, with a third visitor accompanying them. Qingzhe looked at the cheerful woman at the side and asked, curious. “Mo Yun, I understand that you like Yasenia. However, she is not fond of people entering her house if they aren’t accepted by her. Are you sure that it is okay to be here?”

Mo Yun snorted. “Qingzhe, why do I smell a sour scent coming from you? Are lemons ripe in your head? You’ve already threatened me with soft and hard methods, as if Yasenia’s house is yours! Control your jealousy! You look like her wife guarding her home! I am also Yasenia’s friend!”

“Ha!?” Qingzhe blushed and shouted shrilly. “Who is that woman’s wife!? I am not that greedy woman’s wife!”

A mellow and seductive voice reached them, making their bones tingle with pleasure as she whined like a wronged lover. “I didn’t expect this! Little Zhe Zhe, I always thought that we had something going…” 

Star Forge looked sideways, and her eyes flashed with surprise. ‘I didn’t sense her approach? How is that possible?’ Once she looked at the dragon woman, though, her pupils shrank. ‘What is that power swirling around her? She feels like the personification of the cosmos.’

It wasn’t just Star Forge who noticed. Qingzhe and Mo Yun were hit by Yasenia’s refined aura after developing the Celestial Intent Domain, and their bodies burst into chills. Before, they knew that fighting Yasenia would be extremely dangerous. Now, there was a sense of despair when thinking about that. It was as if Yasenia were utterly unbeatable for them. 

Yasenia noticed their expressions and smiled. “I know I am beautiful. However, you don’t have to ogle at me that blatantly. If you want to see, though…” Yasenia winked, striking their hearts with a love arrow. “I don’t mind showing you as we bathe together~.” 

After those words, she turned toward the large bathing area in her room, preparing to soak for a long, relaxing time. Tai Qingzhe blushed with Mo Yun as their eyes followed the sashaying hips of the dragon woman. 

Meanwhile, Star Forge stood up and followed. 

“H-Hey! Where are you going, Star Forge?!” 

Hearing Qingzhe’s cry, Star Forge answered without turning back. “To the bath, of course. Since the beauty invited us, I won’t be thick enough to decline. It’s not every day you get to see Yasenia’s beauty in that environment.” 

Mo Yun stood up with a blush, skipping over with quick steps. Qingzhe looked at them with a baffled expression before she slammed the table with both her hands. “W-Whatever! We are all women, after all! There is nothing to be shy about!” 

And so, the woman followed the other two, who in turn followed the hypnotic hips of the dragon woman. 

Chapter 500. Fourth Energy Cycle Battle! [AotSC]

Author Note: To celebrate the 500th chapter. I've asked an artist to illustrate the four Alraune children! I will upload those arts outside of the usual art schedule as extra art~. Thank you for your support dears, enjoy the chapter!

*****

Author Note: To celebrate the 500th chapter. I've asked an artist to illustrate the four Alraune children! I will upload those arts outside of the usual art schedule as extra art~. Thank you for your support dears, enjoy the chapter!

*****

Author Note: To celebrate the 500th chapter. I've asked an artist to illustrate the four Alraune children! I will upload those arts outside of the usual art schedule as extra art~. Thank you for your support dears, enjoy the chapter!

*****

Liu Shu observed the battle with an anxious heart. She had not expected her <Soulseed> to be so useless. Since she couldn’t properly fight, she used that time to pierce through Kaelis’ soul defense and analyze her <System Page>. After trying throughout the entirety of that first exchange, Kaelis’ main attributes popped up before her. 

***

Name: Kaelis Nalur

Level: 83

Overall Stars: 15 (A- Tier)

Aether Mana Cores: 4,105/4,533

Phoer Body Cores: 4,882/6,367 

Anima Energy Cores: 2,750/3,080

Attributes: Aether 83,128; Physique 105,482; Anima 63,392; Willpower 31,448; Destiny 332 

Affinity Percentage: Aether Resonance (423), Physique Refinement (502), Anima Affinity (343), Mental Palace (0)

Resistance Percentage: Aether Resistance (65), Physique Resistance (69), Spiritual Resistance (61), Mental Resistance (58)

***

Liu Shu’s heart jumped when she saw those numbers. After all, what her system was telling her was the “before buff” numbers and added equipment. If Kaelis used some skill to boost her stats, these numbers would skyrocket to heights she found hard to match. ‘No wonder her arrows can destroy most of my defense; her numbers are quite insane…’ 

Ignatia and Melody suddenly received Liu Shu’s message, a copy of Kaelis’ stat window. When both women looked at it, their bearing remained steady. Melody smiled faintly. “That’s great to see. Thank you, Little Lian’er. Knowing that her numbers are such… she can’t defeat us.” 

Ignatia even chuckled mockingly. “Just that? I was being careful, thinking that she would be much stronger. It seems that her Completion Rate is only around 70 percent.” Then, she waved her hand and a status page appeared in front of Liu Shu. 

***

Name: Ignatia 

Level 76

Overall Stars: 15

Aether Mana Cores: 2,533/3,533

Phoer Body Cores: 6,230/6,440

Anima Energy Cores: 3,147/3,147

Attributes: Aether 36,344; Physique 117,155; Anima 51,000; Willpower 23,393; Destiny 2,216

Affinity Percentage: Aether Resonance (228), Physique Refinement (579), Anima Affinity (250), Mental Palace (15)

Resistance Percentage: Aether Resistance (35), Physique Resistance (60), Spiritual Resistance (39), Mental Resistance (34)

***

Liu Shu was impressed, but she didn’t feel like it was too much. Not enough to compel Ignatia to look down on Kaelis. “Mommy, are you sure you are okay?”

Ignatia looked at Kaelis, who flew up from the debris, enveloped in flames, and answered Liu Shu before starting to fight again. “Those numbers are raw numbers. Meaning, none of my or your buffs have been applied.”

Liu Shu’s core jumped. ‘What? How high are her numbers now, then?’

The Humanoid Ant Queen stomped the ground, and the entire place collapsed inward as her body shot toward Kaelis at ridiculous speed. 

Melody’s fingers gently caressed the stringed instrument, and <Songtree War Song> enveloped the Ant Queen’s body, further boosting her already ridiculously high <Physique>.    

Kaelis glared at Ignatia and drew her bow into a full moon. “Die, monster! <Mountain Bursting Shot>!” 

Ignatia was about to snort when her insectoid eyes caught a strange twitch from Kaelis’s waist muscles. Her vision sharpened to an incredible degree, and her face changed when she realized the reason behind the oddity. “Liu Shu! Careful!” 

Liu Shu was confused but quickly raised up her ternary essence to defend her <Soulseed>. Roots and branches formed shields just as Kaelis suddenly turned sideways and shot the arrow straight at Liu Shu. 

THUMP! 

The dull sound of the bow’s string releasing the terrifying projectile echoed outwards, followed by a thunderous explosion against the <Soulseed>’s body. 

BOOM!!!

Liu Shu’s mind was engulfed in pain as a massive damage number popped in her vision.

[-54,392,707]!

More than 500 Phoer Body Cores of damage exploded against her body after being reduced by all her defensive layers. Liu Shu was enveloped by Melody’s War song, increasing her defense by 50%. Additionally, her own percentage had reached 87% damage reduction. Then, added to <Embers Of Chaos>, which added 20% damage reduction to whatever damage managed to make it through, the attack reaching her bark was but a fraction of the initial burst. 

Therefore, even as a <Soulseed>, her body’s toughness was on par with the average, defense-focused <Fourth Energy Cycle>. This was also the reason why she could spawn in front of the Nexus army back then and hold them back. Damaging her was just too complicated.

Yet, a single arrow from Kaelis striking her body blew a massive hole in her chest area. Moreover, this was after the arrow pierced through her attempt at defending herself. The crater on her body looked so large that it appeared as if someone had taken a bite out of her body. 

Kaelis didn’t have time to assess the damage done to Liu Shu, though. Right as her arrow exploded against Liu Shu’s <Soulseed>, a presence enveloped in a storm of murderous intent appeared by her side. 

“I’LL DEVOUR YOU, HUMAN!! <ELEMENTAL AETHER FEAST>!” 

A sense of death enveloped Kaelis’s body, her face changing to one of dread. Around her, countless elemental ants made out of several different types of Aether Mana manifested and then rushed into Ignatia’s body. 

RUMBLE!

The world rumbled in the wake of Ignatia’s strike, pressure like no other grazing Kaelis’ body. Thankfully, Kaelis was barely able to avoid a direct hit. 

BANG! 

Even when she avoided it, the shockwave from the blow felt like a steel wall smacking her at high speed, blowing her body away as she lost dozens of Phoer Cores. “What is this strength!? Is this the true power of a legendary Humanoid Ant Queen?” 

After fighting for a short while, Kaelis had already seen through Ignatia’s true identity. While she was confused as to why a being focused on destruction would ally with a World Tree, her priorities right now were surviving and dealing with the damaged World Tree. ‘Her stats are much higher than mine. After whatever ability she used now, the distance between us has become a chasm. Is this a berserk skill that lasts for a while? Or a permanent buff?’

Her mind processed things quickly, trying to find a way out of the mess she was thrown into. Nevertheless, while her attention was completely grabbed by the Ant Queen surrounded in elemental energies, a pleasant yet unwelcome voice reached her. 

“Am I that easy to ignore? <Subito Cresendo>, <Sharp Soundwave Melody>.” 

Razor-sharp sound waves surrounded her position, forcing Kaelis to use a life-saving artifact. A sphere surrounded in purplish-white runes appeared in her hand, creating a sphere around her.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The rain of attacks from the Sound Sylvan struck like droplets of water during a storm. Kaelis snorted. “You two are annoying.”

Ignatia’s freezing voice reached her as an answer. “Come out of your shell! I want to devour your flesh!”

Kaelis was about to mock when Ignatia’s punch landed against the spherical shield. 

BOOM!!!!

Her mocking smirk quickly turned into a stunned expression as cracks quickly spread around the purple sphere protecting her. “Ha!? How!? That’s impossible! This shield can absorb tens of thousands of <Phoer Body Cores> of damage! Not even a Level 99 powerhouse would be able to create cracks in a single blow!” 

Ignatia didn’t care about that, though. “An eggshell is easy to break as long as the rock is hard enough. <Ant Queen’s Ire>.” 

Somehow, Kaelis felt Ignatia’s strength skyrocketing once more as her stats made another giant leap. By now, her stats had passed 200,000 <Physique> and were nearing 250,000. Moreover, thanks to <Elemental Aether Feast>, her physical strikes carried Aether Mana with all her elemental affinities. The stronger the affinity, the more powerful the mix of Aether Mana would be. 

“Burst!”

Ignatia’s arms almost blurred as her punches rained on the protective sphere without a single moment of rest. 

Melody was pushed back and quickly shielded herself as Ignatia’s attack blasted the atmosphere with each punch, creating voids around her. 

Kaelis’s face paled as cracks quickly spread all around the protective shield and the item in her hand. The shield that she thought would last for a few minutes was going to break in just a few seconds! “Crazy monster!” 

While Kaelis was arrogant, she knew better than to fight the rampaging Ant Queen. At her current state, Kaelis feared that one punch from the Ant Queen would shatter all her organs as if they were marble being struck by a hammer. “This is not over, monster! Tianlian Liu Shu will eventually fall!” 

A disc appeared in Kaelis's hand. Melody’s face changed as she shouted. “Ignatia, attack faster! That’s a <Space Breaching Rune Disk>! Once she uses it, she will be teleported 100 kilometers in a single direction! Catching up after that will be impossible!”

Ignatia’s face became serious as her body exploded with even more energy. By now, the aura around Ignatia was so powerful that even the <Soulseed> was wobbling back and forth from the hurricane-like winds. “Burst! Open! <Elemental Burst Wave>!” 

Countless colors flashed around Ignatia’s fist as her arm flashed like a streaking meteor. 

However, Kaelis was smiling even as Ignatia’s attack would rupture her shield. “Too late. Open!” 

BOOM!!!

Ignatia blasted the shield open, and the shockwave struck Kaelis right before she disappeared from her standing place.

“Argh!”

[-34,988,000]!

Just the shockwave almost sliced over 350 Phoer Cores of vitality, a testament to the powerful strength that the attack carried.

“Mom!”

Liu Shu’s voice echoed around. Ignatia was about to sigh and answer when another presence descended. The ancient yet gentle presence spoke softly. “Don’t worry, my little seedling. She won’t escape. <Space Collapse>.”

CRASH!

Reality seemed to crack for an instant, followed by Kaelis’s anguished scream. “AHHH!” 

A body appeared seven kilometers away from Ignatia and Melody, blood bursting around her as red lines filled her body and dripped from her body. Her eyes were both filled with confusion and fear. “What happened!? Why did the space channel collapse and try to crush me inside of it?” 

What answered the woman was Ignatia’s terrifyingly cold void. “I almost forgot that she is always watching. Playing with space around her is asking to be humiliated.”

Kaelis turned around, and her eyes were almost blinded by the multicolored light streaking toward her. “Wait—!”

“<Elemental Burst Wave>.”

“<Sharp Soundwave Melody>.”

BOOM!!

Kaelis’s body broke down when both attacks landed on her. Ignatia’s punch pierced through her leather armor, blasting her muscles, bones, and organs as if she were a clay figurine. Meanwhile, all her flesh was cut into pieces by Melody’s sharp sound waves. 

[-234,000,000]! 

[-15,000,000]! [-15,000,000]! [-15,000,000]!...

[Congratulations on defeating <Vesial Human Level 83>! You’ve earned 34,560 Experience Points!] 

Chapter 499. Kaelis Arrival. [AotSC]

Author Note: Sorry for the small delay~. <3

****

Liu Shu knew that she couldn’t underestimate a Fourth Energy Cycle. Therefore, she quickly checked her own stats. Sadly, when she did so, the system malfunctioned.

[System Error: Stats are being updated. An accurate numerical value is impossible to show. Level is unknown.]

Our adorable World Tree looked at that message with a baffled expression. ‘I didn’t know that this could happen. Didn’t you show me numbers in the past… Oh, wait. It actually never really showed me numbers when I was Leveling Up, right? Or did it…? AGH! STUPID SYSTEM, ARE YOU GASLIGHTING ME!? (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻’

[System Hint: <System Error> occurs when the transformation is too drastic. If Tianlian Liu Shu were in the process of Leveling Up from Level 60 to 65, it wouldn’t have problems with quantification. However, Tianlian Liu Shu is currently Leveling Up to an unknown level after pouring tens of millions of Experience Points from the 74th Level.] 

“Oh.” The angry World Tree calmed down instantly. “That makes sense, actually. I hope you clarify the next time before I start throwing words around! Hmph.”

[...]

Liu Shu, unapologetic as ever towards the system, focused on Ignatia and Melody’s plan. “According to our plan… The first thing I need to do is be loud! I am an expert in that! Hehehehe.”

Kaelis flew quickly above the ocean surface, her speed creating an upward column of water behind her. Suddenly, as she approached, she felt a powerful presence envelop her. Then, it was as if an overwhelmingly powerful gaze locked right onto her. This astonished her, not because of the strength, but because she was still quite far from land. “Have Tianlian Liu Shu’s roots spread until here already?”

“That’s right!” A voice that mixed gentleness and cheekiness reached her. It was such an odd mix, but it fit perfectly as if the owner of the voice were a motherly woman about to make an innocent joke. “Who are you, eh? I don’t like your aura.”

Kaelis raised her eyebrow, curious. ‘Well, I have a bit of time until I arrive and destroy her. Might as well distract her until I do so.’

“Are you World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu? I’ve heard quite a few things about you, so I just wanted to come and see for myself. I am a rogue <Fourth Energy Cycle> in search of adventure.” 

Liu Shu almost smacked her. ‘Liar! Ugly liar! I’ll see what you do later when I spank you until your soul and body separate!’

“Oh! I see! That’s very not suspicious! You can come without problems!”

Liu Shu answered with a serious tone, making Kaelis’ lips spasm. ‘Is she mocking me? Or is she telling the truth? Why does she sound so serious saying those words!?’ 

“R-Right.” Kaelis stumbled with her words, not knowing how to answer. “Either way,” she quickly decided to change subjects altogether. “I heard that you are quite powerful. Have you reached the <Fourth Energy Cycle>?” 

Liu Shu glanced at the woman with a strange look. ‘Does she think I am a child who would answer all her words? Still, with how they treat World Trees, they probably are not that aware of the intelligence a World Tree can achieve at my age. Even if I am relatively young, I am not stupid!’ 

“Who would tell that to someone they just met? Moreover, your aura is so… smelly. I don’t like it. So, even if you come with good intentions, I won’t be friends with you! It is too dangerous…” 

Kaelis sighed in her mind. ‘Why am I even trying to speak with her? I heard that she was a young World Tree, so I am trying to speak to her as if she were a child. Her attitude is making it too difficult. Hm?’

Kaelis frowned as she looked in the distance. “That’s… you? I thought you were much further inland.”

“I moved.” Liu Shu blurted out, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Kaelis almost lost flight and fell into the ocean. “Y-You moved? How did you move? You are a World Tree!”

Imagining the World Tree uprooting itself and starting to walk around was too frightening. A walking mountain was not exactly something that a person would want to see! 

“How do you know that I am a World Tree?” Liu Shu accused, knowing full well that she indirectly admitted it before. 

‘Since you think that I am childish and ignorant, I should lean into the role with courage!’ 

Kaelis’ guard lowered slightly as a sense of contempt grew in her heart. ‘Did Evangeline and Eryndis die to this… childish World Tree? She couldn’t even recognize that I checked her World Tree identity indirectly when I first asked.’ 

Kaelis slowly took her bow from her back and asked. “Hey, Liu Shu. Why did you move to the coast?”

“Well.” Liu Shu asked, observing her little movements. “I was quite hurt after fighting the baddies. So, I decided to move to the coast to recuperate. There is a Life Tree nearby that can heal me from those wounds. In ten years, I’ll be as good as new! Perhaps I can even break through into the <Fourth Energy Cycle>!”

‘Right. That won’t happen.’ Kaelis snorted. Then, she sighed softly. ‘This is one of the strangest conversations I’ve ever had. Sadly, I won’t ever be able to ask her… Wait.’

While Kaelis flew toward Liu Shu’s <Soulseed>, she remembered that in the reports, there were sightings of multiple large World Trees strewn around the area. ‘What if this isn’t her, but something like a clone?’ 

Kaelis’ aura suddenly surged as her senses sharpened to the limits and flew outward, enveloping Liu Shu’s <Soulseed>. 

Liu Shu was startled at the sudden change in atmosphere. “Hey, woman. What’s wrong?”

Kaelis searched, but sadly, she couldn’t find anything out of place. The reason was simple: Liu Shu’s skill used to create these <Soulseeds> was S Tier. A skill of that level could not be seen through with mediocre sensing methods.

“Well, regardless of whether you are a clone or not, you can’t survive.”

“Huh?”  

Kaelis smiled. “Sorry. You were never meant to survive this long, Tianlian Liu Shu. <Cloud Dividing Flaming Arrow>.” 

Even when she was almost 50 kilometers away, Kaelis confidently pulled her bow and released a single arrow. When that arrow shot, the air around Kaelis exploded as a shockwave pushed the ocean below her down, creating a crater on the water’s surface for a moment. Then, that strength rebounded and shot upward in a column of water that hid Kaelis’ body. 

Liu Shu was startled for a moment when she sensed the power behind the arrow. However, as the arrow flew toward her, she was not flustered. “Hmph. You finally reveal your true colors, Abyss Void Nexus scum!” 

The land before the <Soulseed> split open as thousands of roots soared skyward, creating massive defensive walls in the arrow’s trajectory. 

The arrow was like a flaming eastern dragon as it reached the first of the two dozen shields Liu Shu deployed. Then, the shield exploded.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

One after another, the arrows pierced through Liu Shu’s shields, showing attack power several times above the artillery she had previously fought against. The power behind the arrow only stopped after 90% of the shields were destroyed. This made Liu Shu reevaluate Kaelis’ strength. 

‘That arrow came from over 50 kilometers away. Yet, I almost couldn’t stop it. Moreover, after firing that arrow, Kaelis took advantage of the column of water and disappeared from my sensing range. Where is she?’

<World Tree Eye> received rivers of ternary essence from Liu Shu, and her sight expanded outward as she covered everything within 50 kilometers of her <Soulseed>. 

“Above!” Her voice boomed, and then, a red streak divided the sky as the clouds burst open. Behind them, Kaelis’s windblown brown hair fluttered, and her cold gaze looked down with indifference and murderous intent. 

She was surprised that Liu Shu blocked her first attack. Nevertheless, that gave her an overall strength measurement of the <Soulseed>’s combat strength. ‘I can easily kill her.’ 

With that in mind, now at around 30 kilometers distance, Kaelis pulled her bow and released a barrage of <Cloud Dividing Flaming Arrows>. 

Liu Shu exclaimed, panicking slightly. “Ha? That was an attack she can repeat at will!? Impossible!” 

At that time, the sound of a pipa reached her, and a system message appeared in her sight. 

[You’ve been affected by Melody Songtree’s <Songtree War Song>.]

[+25% Stats for 5 minutes.] 

[+50% defense for 5 minutes.]

[+10% damage for 5 minutes.]

[You’ll be recovering 1 Phoer Body Core a second for 5 minutes.] 

Liu Shu’s roots jumped in surprise. ‘Such a powerful buff!’

That was not all. Even before the first arrow arrived, Melody appeared in front of her <Soulseed> while playing a fast-paced song on her pipa. “Sorry, Little Lian’er. Like Ignatia said, I don’t want to see your <Soulseed> die. Change of plans. <Songtree bastion>!” 

Her fingers quickly created a melody on top of the other melody without disrupting each of their rhythms. Then, a gargantuan shield manifested in front of the World Tree. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Liu Shu’s shields and Melody’s buffs and defense combined perfectly, blocking Kaelis' barrage. 

In the sky, the woman frowned deeply, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes. “Melody? Why is that disgusting Sylvan here?”

“She is not the only one. <Ember Wave>!”

Kaelis felt as if the sun suddenly manifested above her, and she quickly looked upward while using a defensive skill. “<Nexus Dome>!”    

BOOM!!!

A giant fireball appeared in the sky, accompanied by the body of someone streaking down from the clouds. Her descending speed made her appear like a meteor about to impact the land. 

However, before she reached the ground, Kaelis shouted and released a burst of Ternary Essence, blocking her descent a few hundred meters before she impacted. “Who dares sneak attack this lady!?”

Looking up, Kaelis was unable to distinguish the figure of her attacker. Before she could squint, the land below her exploded and hundreds of roots surged upward. 

“Hmph.” Kaelis snorted and stepped forward. With a loud sonic boom, her body transformed into a blur as she closed the distance between her and Liu Shu to less than 10 kilometers.

“Melody, your presence is inconsequential. Today, I will kill Tianlian Liu Shu.” 

Melody floated in front of Liu Shu with a cold face. “You’ll have to kill me if you want to do that. <Sharp Soundwave Melody>.” 

The entire air around Melody transformed together with the agitated sounds of the Sylvan’s song, and thousands of sharp sound waves streaked across space like invisible death sickles. 

Kaelis drew her bow back into a full moon, flames exploding around her figure. “<Mountain Bursting Shot>!” 

The arrow exploded outward, shattering the ground around Kaelis just with the shockwave, and then, both attacks collided into a massive explosion. 

Kaelis didn’t stop there, though. She turned around with a cold smile and released one of her normal flaming arrows. “Gotcha.”

However, the murderous face of the Ant Queen didn’t look surprised. “Did you?” 

The ant queen’s body quickly accelerated and closed the distance, avoiding Kaelis’ arrow. “<Ember Wave>.” 

BOOM!!

The body of the human woman transformed into a flaming meteor, impacting against a cliffside hill and creating a giant wave of dust.

Chapter 1288. One With The Cosmos. Cosmic And Celestial Energy.

The wind’s flow caressed Yasenia’s scales, and the sun shone against her back. The clouds floated in her path, some below and some above her. A sea of white extended before her, with holes from cloud to cloud revealing the diverse ecosystem down below. She saw mountain ranges, forests, towns, and cities. 

It had been four months since she started flying freely and seemingly without any restrictions. Yasenia felt incredibly liberated during all this time. Wherever she passed, all beings on land would raise their heads. After all, her giant body could blot out the sun when she flew over them due to her incredible dimensions.

A few children in a town opened their mouths wide while looking up, while others called their parents. “Father! Father! Look up! Quickly!” 

The parents followed their children’s pointing just in time to see Yasenia flying past. The giant dragon was like a patch of night sky streaking through the sky, leaving a trail of starlight in her wake. The ethereal and otherworldly spectacle left everyone speechless. 

Meanwhile, Yasenia flapped her wings slowly and flew. She just flew without any fixed direction and allowed the energy flows and wind to guide her through the sky. ‘While this is not my first time flying in my dragon form, since I’ve done similar flights with my dears, I never really… flew alone and relaxed.’ 

Yasenia’s eyes looked toward the horizon as her senses soaked in the silence and sensations that came from flying so high up. “Where to go… Where I come from… Everything feels so irrelevant when I fly like this.” A smile full of contentment appeared on her lips. “Flying is so… wonderful. I feel like this is my first time truly sinking into my Dragon nature.”

A chuckle escaped her as a feeling of joy rushed up. Then, with a smile, she opened her maw and roared to the sky.

“ROAR!” 

Yasenia’s dragon cry reverberated around, echoing for thousands of kilometers. “Hahaha!”

With a laugh full of joy, Yasenia flapped her wings powerfully and soared upward. Her golden eyes reflected the space far above, and her body trembled as the energies of the cosmos became clearer. 

While she ascended, Yasenia felt the [Celestial Pearl] stir within her. Her sight blurred as she entered a trance-like state. Even then, thanks to the dreamy sensations flowing inside of her, Yasenia’s lips were kept in a faint upward arch. 

Once she had almost reached outer space, Yasenia stopped ascending and took in a deep breath. The cosmic energy filled her body, while the celestial energies of the cosmos surrounded every single inch of her massive dragon body. 

The [Celestial Pearl], as if sensing Yasenia’s current mood and situation, exploded out with incredible energy. The petite artifact, despite its size, quickly flooded Yasenia’s entire body with Celestial Energy and pulled Yasenia into an enlightened state.

“So… This is the true nature of the Cosmos… this is what hides behind the so-called Cosmic Energy.” 

In the past, when she learned to control Cosmic Energy, Yasenia could see the energy flow in the otherwise empty cosmos. Her change in energy control allowed her to see the beauty of the cosmos beyond the usual emptiness reflected in the gaze of others.

Now, as her body soaked in the high-quality energies of a superior Heavenly Layer, Yasenia could finally sense a very fundamental energy that hid behind the Cosmic Energy. 

“It’s diluted primordial Celestial Energy. Energy so old that one can’t even start guessing its age.”

As Yasenia relaxed her body in the cosmic soup of energies, her [Celestial Intent] was forcefully triggered by the [Celestial Pearl]. At that moment when truths of the cosmos around her flooded Yasenia’s insights, Yasenia’s aura disappeared. 

If one looked at her, it would look as if she had become part of the environment around her. It would be easy to confuse her with an asteroid drifting through space without any aim. However, if that same person were to be gazed at by our dragoness, they would feel as if the entire cosmos had suddenly turned to look at them. 

“Being part of the cosmos is my nature. Cosmic Energy is the primordial form of the Celestial Energy, and not the other way around. That doesn’t mean that Celestial Energy is weaker…” Yasenia closed her eyes and breathed in the cosmos around her. “If I needed to explain it simply: Cosmic Energy is a lump of extremely pure iron, while Celestial Energy is a forged iron sword.” 

Yasenia stopped drifting and allowed gravity to take over, pulling her down to Earth. Her enlightened state slowly came to an end as her aura slowly returned to normal. However, as Yasenia’s body descended, she absorbed Heavenly and Cosmic Energies inside of herself.  

Her wings were loosely opened, slowing down her fall and giving her just enough time to end her realization. 

“To create a domain through Celestial Energy… I need to transform my surroundings into the cosmos.”

Her eyes opened, and all creatures within several thousand kilometers felt their hearts stop for a fraction of a second. The feeling was extremely clear because that fleeting instant stretched seemingly without end. 

Finally, all creatures in the area heard a voice that seemed to come from the stars. 

“[Celestial Intent Domain].”

Her wings opened wide, stopping her descent. Right after, the sky and land around Yasenia disappeared, leaving behind a patch of relatively empty cosmos. Looking around her, Yasenia smiled. “No wonder I couldn’t develop my Celestial Intent no matter what I did. I needed to stir my bloodline and energy within the cosmos itself to understand some basic truths.” 

She was curious about what the Celestial Intent Domain could do. After three years of experimentation with the [Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain], Yasenia understood that this intent was perfectly fit for battle. It not only steeply boosted her strength, but she could read everything that happened within the domain as if time had slowed down. Her instincts sharpened, her energy consumption reduced, and finally, everyone who couldn’t resist the coercion of the Intent Domain would fall under her influence. 

Oversimplifying, Yasenia’s strength increased sharply, and everyone around her became weaker. 

Her mind sank deeply into the Celestial Intent Domain, and she quickly tried to see through it and its uses. “Hm… So strange.” 

Yasenia was confused as time passed, and she continued looking around with puzzled eyes. Her Celestial Intent in the past would boost all her Celestial Energy usage while making it easier to manipulate. It was because of the Celestial Intent that Yasenia could freely use many of the Celestial Skills before Transcendence.

Now, as she looked around the Celestial Intent Domain, Yasenia became confused. “Why does it feel like… I am not inside the world?” 

It was such a strangely specific feeling that our dragoness felt confused. “Right… Now that I think about it, there is nothing here.” 

Looking around, the Celestial Intent Domain should’ve swallowed a large patch of land, which included wild monsters and animals, of course. However, the entire space around her was empty, and there was not even a single patch of earth. Only cosmos.  

With that in mind, Yasenia flew around the Intent Domain with a thoughtful look. “For starters, energy consumption is more than agreeable. If I only had my Spiritual Path, I would end up dry in just a few hours. However, with the support of all my cultivation paths and my powerful energy regeneration, I can maintain it indefinitely.” 

That was good. After all, what Yasenia feared the most was running out of energy mid-fight. Her ability to fight above her weight class meant that she was always fighting in a disadvantageous situation in drawn-out fights. The other party would have better energy reserves and much more advanced energy to use, after all.

“Hm…” Yasenia frowned deeply. “How large is this space? I’ve been flying for two hours already!” Her body streaked through the mostly empty cosmos at ridiculous speed, yet she couldn’t see anything other than occasional stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. 

Yasenia decided to stop using the Intent Domain and activate it again to feel the process more clearly. During her enlightened state, she peered more into how to develop it, not how it worked. So, there was some work left to do. 

Once the domain disappeared, Yasenia looked around her with puzzled eyes. “Um… Where am I?” 

She was flying in the middle of the ocean, water spreading in all directions, and without a single patch of land in her vicinity. “Did I… leave the continent?” 

The dragoness was confused. After all, that should be impossible. The continents were enormous. For Yasenia to fly out of it, she would need at least half a day at her top speed. Moreover, the location she was at before she deployed the Intent Domain was clearly deep inland. A mere two hours of flying should not have landed her in the middle of nowhere. 

Her intelligent mind spun, information about a myriad of intents and other information flashing through her mind. After a while, she finally came to a conclusion. “There is no way… Does it really do that?” 

Yasenia deployed the Celestial Intent Domain once more and looked around it. Then, her mind sharpened further, and her Spiritual Sense flew out and expanded outward violently. Soon, her spiritual sense reached the confines of the rather empty space and came into contact with… the world outside. 

“Dimensional Intent Domain! It is actually an Intent Domain that creates its own dimension when unfurled!” Yasenia exclaimed with a look of excitement. Only the strongest Intent Domains could do something similar to this. For example, Yasenia was sure that when her Baby Angel developed her Truth Intent Domain, she would also be able to create this type of separate dimension. 

“From what I know, this kind of domain is basically invincible within the same level. Once someone falls into it, the effect is similar to a foreign soul entering your own soul. Unless the other side has enough strength to shatter the domain open, they’d be completely under your mercy.” 

Yasenia muttered the summary of her knowledge, leaving complicated details aside so that she could grasp the essence of the Intent Domain. “Then… Attack power-wise, these domains are not worse than offense-focused Intent Domains. The reason is because…”

Yasenia looked around and thought of creating a thousand stars ten times bigger than her. The second she thought about that, Celestial Energy stirred around her and thousands of gargantuan fireballs manifested in her surroundings. “Yep.” Yasenia chuckled. “As long as it is related to my Celestial Energy, I should be able to manifest and manipulate this space to my will.”

Yasenia had wanted to find a place to stir the Celestial Intent Domain when she left the sect. She never imagined that the trick to do that was just… flying around. 

If other geniuses learned of that, they’d probably bash their heads against tofu until they died, feeling inappropriate to even continue living. After all, their many years of accumulation couldn’t even compare to Yasenia flying around and doing acrobatics for a few months! 

Either way, Yasenia still had 4 years before she needed to return to the sect. So, she thought of using this time to perfect her Intent Domain control and, if she could, reach the peak of the first level of the Transcendence Realm. 

“Soluna, love,” Yasenia smirked and commented. “Come out. Since I can manipulate this space, I probably can reduce my dragon form into a… human-sized form, hehe.” 

Soluna appeared with a bashful look, and then, she was jumped by the dragoness. ‘Dragon form? Can she do it in this form?’ 

The poor spirit learned that Yasenia, in her dragon form, was too dangerous to copulate with; her mind almost got enslaved due to the soul-deep pleasure. Soluna, melted into a blob, thought slurredly. ‘I will never be the same…’ 

Chapter 498. Approaching Threat. [AotSC]

It had been around a year since Liu Shu began her Leveling Up Process. During this year, Ignatia managed to convince Warlya and Wisdom to spread her roots throughout the entirety of the Wild Continent. Only Warlya’s domain remains untouched, since that would later be approached by Liu Shu herself.

Other than that, Flor finally became hands-free in most of her administrative duties. After so many years, she finally developed a group of secretaries that would deal with most miscellaneous tasks, leaving her to only sign important matters. 

The Flower Fairy used this time to dive into the Terragore Dungeon and reach Level 75. While she was inside with a group of powerful fairies from many other species, Ignatia, Wisdom, and Melody detected a presence approaching from the northeast of the continent. 

The person rushing over was not silent, as if she wanted to let those on the other side know that she was coming for them. Wisdom quickly communicated with Ignatia and Melody. 

[Wisdom: Warning. Powerful Ternary Essence Traces detected on the edge of the domain. These traces belong to a <Fourth Energy Cycle> of an intelligent species.]

Ignatia frowned, and Melody’s face turned serious. Unlike the Terragore Queen and King, whoever was coming was not someone who would fight them head-on if she felt that things were too complicated.

Melody quickly met up with Ignatia and asked her. “Ant Queen, do you have a plan?”

“A few of them,” Ignatia spoke calmly while both of them stood on the Golden Sap City’s walls. “It all depends on what this person’s objective is. Since they are blasting off their aura like there are no opponents left around her, we can also assume that she might not have evil intent.” 

Melody shook her head. “Impossible. No <Fourth Energy Cycle> moves like this. Her aura feels quite violent, as if there is anger in her tune.” 

“Tune?” 

Ignatia tilted her head, and Melody smiled in response.

“Have you forgotten my species, Ignatia?”

“I have not.” Ignatia laughed. “However. I have never thought that you could decipher intentions from the… sound? Of one’s aura.”

“Well, I can do much more than that. The reason I was able to defend against one of the most powerful branches of the Abyssal Void Nexus is that our attunement with sound gives us several strategic advantages. Ambushing us is basically impossible, among many others.” 

Ignatia hummed with interest. “That’s good to hear. Still, we only have three hours before that person crosses the ocean and arrives at our coast. What should we do?” 

Melody asked aloud. “Wisdom, right? I heard that you are part of Little Lian’er herself. You are, unlike when she is awake, much more objective, ruthless, and rational. So, what do you think we should do?”

Melody’s way of calling Liu Shu was similar to her daughter’s. Only, her tone was affectionate in the way an elder talked with their juniors. 

[Wisdom: Use <Soulseed> as bait. Information about Liu Shu’s Level Up should not have spread outside yet, thanks to the emigration control.] 

Ignatia didn’t like that too much. “I know what you intend to do. However, the Soulseed won’t start leveling up until Liu Shu reaches Level 75 herself. The chances of the Soulseed dying after being attacked by a <Fourth Energy Cycle> are too high.”

[Wisdom: It doesn’t matter. The death of a <Soulseed> won’t have any permanent effects on Tianlian Liu Shu.]

Melody observed the interaction between them, and her eyes flickered with unknown emotions. ‘She refers to herself in the third person…? No. Wisdom is not the subconscious of Little Lian’er. I can tell that she is not something harmful. On the contrary, the aura it gives me is one of infinite profundity. One that would make others look like creatures without essence. Such a strange… phenomenon.’

Ignatia was still against it. “What if the Soulseed’s death interrupts Liu Shu’s Leveling Up? The Completion Percentage is too important to gamble so freely.” 

[Wisdom: Tinalian Liu Shu has already achieved a 100% completion rate. Now, she is assimilating the changes while developing her body for the consecutive Level Ups.] 

Melody and Ignatia looked at that message with such bafflement that even Wisdom detected the strangeness in their expressions. 

[Wisdom: Ignatia. Melody. Are you afflicted by some kind of mental attack?]

“Mental attack!?” Melody almost screamed. “How can someone have a 100% completion rate!? That’s impossible! The highest I’ve heard is 92% Completion Rate! Although the World Tree that managed to reach such heights was hunted by the Abyssal Void Nexus and killed, she holds firmly as the highest completion rate ever registered in the Ceperet Planet’s history!”  

Ignatia coughed. “Although I knew that the previous Completion Rates of baby Liu Shu were high, I didn’t expect her to continue achieving them during the <Fourth Energy Cycle>. Impressive.” 

Melody looked at Ignatia weirdly. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Ignatia coughed. “Let’s focus on the oncoming threat, shall we? Less than three hours left until then!” 

Melody agreed and put her doubts aside until the threat was dealt with. “Still…” Melody was confused. “Assuming that this <Fourth Energy Cycle> is an enemy. Why would someone at that level come alone? Isn’t it better to gather a group and deal with Liu Shu in one fell swoop?” 

Ignatia shook her head. “Impossible. The reason is probably because they think that Liu Shu is still at the <Third Energy Cycle> and an easy prey. If this person has long-range attacks, they can bombard Liu Shu from a safe distance and destroy her even before we can set up defenses. After all, the difference between the Fourth and the Third Cycles is their ability to fly without aid.” 

Melody understood Ignatia’s concerns. The reason <Fourth Energy Cycles> were considered such big threats was their ability to ignore traditional defenses just by existing. A giant wall? They would just fly over and land inside the city. Then, you would be trapped by the walls you thought were protecting you inside your city.

With such thoughts, Melody reconsidered Wisdom’s words. “Then, sacrificing one <Soulseed> is the best we can do. If we use one as bait, we might be able to corner them and kill them. Otherwise, they might be able to flee if things get tricky for them.” 

Ignatia denied it again. “I don’t care. They can escape for all I know. Now, Liu Shu is in the middle of the <Fourth Energy Cycle>. I don’t want her to suffer the pain that comes with one of her <Soulseeds> dying. The feeling must be very uncomfortable, to put it lightly.”   

Looking at the Humanoid Ant Queen, Melody sighed softly. Still, there was a faint smile at the corner of her lips. Ignatia’s priority was clearly Liu Shu’s safety, and she didn’t mind sacrificing her own to achieve that. “So, what do you suggest?” 

Ignatia looked at Melody and spoke. “Don’t get me wrong, Melody. Those who come to threaten my most precious baby, I will make sure they die and suffer. This person came at such a sensitive time. What if you and I weren’t here? Things could quickly go terribly wrong. Therefore, I have no intention of allowing them to flee.”

Meanwhile, Kaelis was crossing the large ocean with a trace of annoyance on her beautiful face. “Why did this happen? Should I have sent more <Third Energy Cycles>?” She quickly denied that. “No, that’s not the problem at all. Moreover, it's not like we have so many troops at our beck and call. We need to keep the other superpowers at bay, after all.” 

Kaelis frowned. “If that’s not the problem, then what happened? Not strength… Then, were they ambushed? An ambush can flip the battle situation extremely quickly. Nevertheless, for the ambush to be successful, both sides must have a somewhat similar military force. Does this mean that the other side also has several tens of thousands of <Third Energy Cycles>?”

The last option that Kaelis could think of for an annihilation outcome to occur was that Tianlian Liu Shu had the support of a <Fourth Energy Cycle>. Nevertheless, there were no traces on the continent when they analyzed the battlefields. All energy belonged to <Third Energy Cycle> creatures.

This is one of the reasons that she was blasting her aura without any care. ‘If there is truly a hidden <Fourth Energy Cycle>, they should be able to detect my energy flaring and come face me. Either that, or they might ambush me during our fight.’ Her face arched in a sneer. “Nevertheless, they better not allow me to get close to that World Tree, or they will regret it dearly.” 

Her aura swept into the distance, detecting the northern shore of the Wild Continent. When she did so, a strange aura flickered in her sensing range. “Hm? Was there a World Tree near the shore in the past?” 

The aura of the World Tree she was perceiving was clearly of the <Third Energy Cycle>. Nevertheless, the problem was that the strength it had was immense for someone at their level.

While she flared aura waves to detect the aura, Ignatia, Melody, and Wisdom all received the auras. 

[Wisdom: Ignatia, Melody. Please help Tianlian Liu Shu.]

Ignatia and Melody were confused for a moment when they felt the World Tree stir. Looking over at the <Soulseed>, they noticed Liu Shu’s actual presence awakening within it. 

Ignatia quickly communicated. “Liu Shu? Is that you?”

“Hm?” A groggy voice reached Ignatia and Melody. “Mommy? Why did you wake me up?”

Ignatia spoke softly. “We didn’t wake you up. Love, go to sleep. We will deal with—”

At that moment, Kaelis’ aura blast swept their place, and Liu Shu clearly caught on to it. “Huh?”

Ignatia’s face twisted with anger. ‘That annoying flesh bag! How dare they wake up my darling!?’ 

Liu Shu’s aura suddenly surged as her consciousness surged. “There is a threat… <Fourth Energy Cycle>? Why is a <Fourth Energy Cycle> flying towards us?” 

Melody spoke at this time. “Little Lian’er, go to sleep, love. We can deal with them easily.” 

“No!” Liu Shu spoke with a determined tone. “I will use my <Soulseed> as bait so that you two can deal with her.”

Ignatia knew that this was going to happen when Liu Shu was fully awakened, and she felt anger surging inside of her, not towards Liu Shu, but toward the other person. After all, Ignatia didn’t want to go against her dearest wishes, and using the <Soulseed> as bait was indeed the most efficient plan. 

Liu Shu’s aura gently surrounded Ignatia’s angered form, soothing her with an embracing presence. “Mommy, use it. I don’t want you to be in any danger. Even if it dies, it will just hurt a little tiny bit. I promise I will be okay.” 

Those words made Ignatia feel a sourness in her nose. Still, she wouldn’t go against it. Instead, she sent a pulse of energy toward the ground to call for healing ants. “I will protect your <Soulseed>, love. Your mother is not so useless that she needs you to sacrifice something to deal with a flesh bag!”

Liu Shu giggled lovingly, wanting to hug her Ant Queen mother very much. Still, she knew that it was not time now and began planning with them. 

Chapter 1287. The 10th Year At The Blue Pearl World.

The news that their beautiful and charming sect elder was a massive Dragon spread all around the Star Immortal Sect and beyond its walls. Even if the higher-ups wanted to hide it, it was impossible when Yasenia stayed in her Dragon form. The creature that dwarfed many of the mountains around it was not too hard to spot from several thousand kilometers away.

Yasenia didn’t mind and stayed put in that place and gave the classes she promised the sect in that form. 

For the disciples, this experience was peculiar, to say the least. When a gargantuan dragon that could hide the sky above you with one wing spoke to you about cultivation, the only choice was to pay attention as if your life depended on it. Even when they understood that Yasenia was not someone heavy-handed, who dared to act stupid when a giant scaly mountain with eyes like the sun glanced at you from beyond the clouds? 

“...And that’s why Heart Demons are, and will always be, a challenge that you need to overcome if you want to advance. Putting them off for later is what the Heart Demons want. The longer they live within you, the stronger they will become.” Yasenia raised her claw and pointed at Feixue with perfect control. 

Even when Feixue was in a contract and was 100% sure that Yasenia wouldn’t hurt her, she almost burst into tears when Yasenia’s gargantuan claw poked her chest. ‘Why has the seductive and powerful senior transformed into an outrageously powerful and beautiful giant dragon? I feel like a little ant that will pop like a bubble if she sneezes!’ 

“Luan Xuefei, your classmate here, barely managed to enter the Sect because she was plagued by Heart Demons. Do not look down on her because of that. Many of you wouldn’t even last a single month under the harassment Luan Xuefei was under for more than a year.” 

Yasenia kept to herself that Feixue actually gave up at some point. Had their coincidental encounter not happened, the girl would’ve embarked on her journey to the reincarnation cycle a long time ago. 

“What she did back then was to put aside cultivation for a while and focus on regaining her mental condition. She did excellently during the time that she retreated to make peace with her traumas.”

Feixue felt a bit embarrassed to be used as an example. Still, she was proud that Yasenia found what she achieved back then admirable. Nowadays, while she couldn’t say that she was Heart Demon-free, they were extremely weak and only waiting for the resolution of her grudges.

Yasenia then gave them tasks to do and sent them away. Everyone bowed towards their Dragon Elder and used their swords or any other flying items to fly away. Either way, with Yasenia there, no beast dared to fly nearby, meaning it was extremely safe. 

Star Forge appeared right after the class with a faint smile. “Yasenia, good news.” 

“Hm?” The dragoness turned her head curiously. “What’s wrong?” 

“Two things.” Star Forge commented with a smile. “First of all, we’ve located a Secret Realm that will open soon. This Secret Realm is full of powerful treasures and inheritances. Moreover, it is perfect for you.” 

Interest shone in Yasenia’s eyes. “Tell me. What’s the deal with it?” 

Star Forge planted her butt down on Yasenia’s snout and smirked. “First of all, the name of this Secret Realm is [Seven Broken Stars Secret Realm]. It was created by one of our ancestors, named Broken Star Immortal. That person liked to create realm-restricting test spaces. So, when we all enter that secret realm, our strength will be relatively on par. Or, at least, that’s the intention.”

Yasenia instantly understood where Star Forge was going. This Secret Realm was probably one of her level, so she would be one of the strongest beings there due to her ability to challenge cultivators above her own realm.  

“That’s great to hear. When is the Secret Realm opening? Who will participate?” 

Star Forge nodded. “I was getting there, impatient lizard.” 

Yasenia flicked Star Forge into the air and opened her maw. “[Celestial Dragon Breath].” 

The entire sect suddenly saw a giant pillar of energy shoot to the sky, blasting the clouds open. However, no one went to investigate since this was not the first time that had happened. Moreover, the entire sect was familiar with their Dragon Elder’s attacks by now.

Star Forge coughed a few times, her skin full of burns here and there. “You—cough! Did you need to be so heavy-handed? Cough, cough.”  

Yasenia snorted playfully. “Think well the next time you decide to call me a lizard.”

Of course, she was not angry. Star Forge would sometimes tease her like that, and Yasenia didn’t mind that much. Still, it was a chance to attack her friend without repercussions, and she would not miss it! 

“What are you two doing now?”

The elegant and soothing voice of the golden-haired beauty reached both of them. Yasenia looked over and lowered her head, booping the person with her snout. “Welcome, Qingzhe~.” 

Qingzhe, who was suddenly slammed by a giant wall of scales, almost flew away from the strength behind the impact. ‘Receiving the affection of a giant dragon is adorably terrifying.’ 

After sighing endlessly at the mass of contradictions her dragon friend was, Qingzhe asked once more. “So. What are you two doing?”

“Playing around.” Answered Yasenia with a chuckle. Then, she looked at Star Forge. “You said that there were two things you wanted to tell me. You’ve spoken about the Secret Realm. What’s the other thing?”

“Hehe.” Star Forge smirked. “The other thing is that this Secret Realm is on another Continent. The one currently ranked 102nd!”  

“Oh?” Yasenia was surprised. “Why is the legacy of your sect’s ancestors in that continent?” 

Qingzhe spoke up. “I know about that. The reason is simple. Those continents were part of the sect’s properties in the past. Controlling more than one continent is not impossible as long as you don’t touch the reverse scale of someone more powerful than you. The thing is, it is difficult to take into account all relations. You can destroy a sect that didn’t even have a mid-level Transcendence Realm, and the next day, a Law-Creator comes and knocks on your door, asking for explanations. So, unless it is Demonic versus Righteous, you won’t ever hear about conflicts leading to sect destruction.”

“Ho~?” Yasenia muttered. “So. Will there be people from higher-ranked continents coming to this secret realm?”

Star Forge smiled. “You can bet on it. After all, those people are quite arrogant…” She paused and looked at Yasenia with a tentative expression. “Yasenia, I am warning you because I know your temper. Please ignore those people. Also, it would be great if you could become a smaller dragon instead of your humanoid form.”

Qingzhe realized where Star Forge was going and nodded hastily. “That’s right. That’s right.” 

Yasenia almost rolled her eyes. “Do you think that I’ve reached my current realm by being a sheltered woman who had never traveled the world?” 

“Oh.” Both women blinked twice, realizing that Yasenia had been herself for a while already. 

Yasenia clicked her tongue playfully. “I would’ve kept quiet had I known I would gain two old mothers instead of friends after revealing my age.” 

Star Forge and Qingzhe smiled awkwardly. However, could you blame them? They were already several thousand years old, while Yasenia was barely over 100 years old! Their elder instincts were shouting for them to take care of the dragon! 

“Regardless.” Yasenia returned to the conversation’s main meat. “I want to know the details about it.”

Star Forge quickly nodded and began explaining at length. “Sure.”    

Yasenia listened for a while, nodding and humming from time to time. Eventually, she summarized in her head. ‘The limit on cultivation will be the first level of the Transcendence Realm. This cuts off most of the mortal cultivators. Only those with a lot of courage or background will participate. Now, high-level cultivators will have an advantage in the sense that their Intent Domains will be more advanced than normal. So, being at the same level doesn’t automatically make me invincible. 

Yasenia had been in the sect for quite a few years already. The first four years of cultivation in the sect. Then, she spent around three years during the war efforts. After the war, three more years went by with Yasenia slowly cultivating and refining her strength. 

In total, 10 years had passed since she arrived at the Blue Pearl World. “Five more years before the Secret Realm opens. I guess I can develop the Celestial Intent Domain and perhaps upgrade my Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain. For that, I need to go on a bit of a journey.” 

Yasenia flew towards the Sect Master’s peak and landed nearby. Her presence was too overwhelming to pass unperceived, so she just waited for him to appear. 

Soon, the handsome man wearing white robes and with long dark hair appeared in front of her. His face was calm, but there were hints of superiority in his gaze. This was normal, though. His strength and position were higher than Yasenia’s, after all. Unbothered, Yasenia spoke neither humbly nor overbearingly. “Sect Master, I need to go out and explore for a while to increase my strength for the Secret Realm. None of my disciples will achieve Sixth Realm Cultivation before the five years pass, so I was thinking of focusing on myself instead to reap as many benefits as possible.”  

The man hummed and pondered for a while. After around ten seconds, he asked. “Where are you planning to go? I am honestly unsure where you can find a place for you to practice better than our sect grounds.”

His words were honest. The sect had many formations and naturally grown locations that augmented the energy’s quality. Moreover, there were spots focused on cultivation as well. Overall, in their continent, Yasenia would have a hard time finding a place comparable to the worst cultivation rooms in the Star Immortal Sect.

Yasenia understood this. However, even if she used all her available treasures and techniques to try and break through, reaching Level 2 of the Transcendence Realm was basically impossible. What she needed was not a place with a lot of energy, but a place where observing the nature of the cosmos was possible. For that, she needed to leave the Sect.  

Yasenia explained it briefly. “The Secret Realm doesn’t care about the cultivation realm. Therefore, I am planning on exploring the continent for an opportunity that might help me develop my Intent Domain further. My strength is certainly high at the moment, but I am unsure of being strong enough to fight off all the threats.”

The Sect Master agreed, but he was confused. “You can go then. However, what threats are you speaking about? Didn’t you say that you weren’t from our world?”

Yasenia explained some basic truths about herself after she heard about the prophecy. She also told them that while she would remain as a guest elder, they should not expect her to push their sect back to its previous heights miraculously.  

Yasenia smiled faintly. “Sect Master. You might’ve forgotten one very important detail about me. Please, try and remember my human form.”

His confusion only lasted for a second before his lips twitched. “Right. You can’t appear in your dragon form since it is too large. So you will need to appear in your humanoid form… You will attract trouble even if you don’t want to.” Nodding his head, the man smiled and agreed. “Go then. We will depart three months prior to the Secret Realm opening. Here is a jade that will glow when there are 6 months left until it opens.”

Yasenia saw the small jade and used her energy to envelop it and store it in her ring. “Thank you, Sect Master.” 

Without any extra delays, she opened her wings and flapped them at the same time as she jumped. 

Chapter 1286. Hearing Star Forge's Explanation.

After arriving at a deserted location among the mountains, Star Forge commented. “How about here? The mountains are not that tall, and you should be able to rest comfortably.” 

The dragoness circled the place and looked at it closely. The tallest peak was around 15,000 meters tall from the ground, nearing her own height. However, all the others were much shorter, reaching around her belly in height. Moreover, the terrain wasn’t hardened to the point that it would bother her. 

Without saying much, Yasenia landed on the location and created a massive earthquake. Some surrounding mountains had landslides occur from the vibrations, and when Yasenia swept the area with her tail, giant pieces of rock flew everywhere. 

Star Forge and Qingzhe looked on with strange gazes as the massive dragon flattened the area and then circled it twice before smiling. “Great.”

Without doing much else, Yasenia sat down, the rest of her body following as her wings folded onto her back. Then, her neck curved to place her chin on top of her claws. 

Star Forge waved her hand, blowing all the dust clouds and rubble into the distance, cleaning the area with just a single gesture. Meanwhile, Qingzhe floated near one of Yasenia’s eyes with a curious look. “Yasenia, did something happen?”

To be fair, she really wanted to praise Yasenia’s dragon form. She was by far the most beautiful dragon she had ever seen in her life. Still, she could see that her mood was not right. 

Yasenia's eyes were almost 2,000 meters wide, so when she opened them, Qingzhe saw a giant golden orb with a slit pupil looking straight at her. Honestly, it was intimidating even for someone of her strength. She was like a dust mote floating near Yasenia’s eye. For comparison, you’d need to stack more than 1500 humans standing on each other’s shoulders to reach from the bottom of Yasenia’s eye to the top. 

“Nothing happened…” Yasenia spoke casually before Star Forge stopped her. 

“Yasenia, don’t lie to us.” 

Star Forge reached Qingzhe’s side and looked at the giant golden orb with a gentle expression. “I know something happened. So, tell us. I don’t know about others, but you should at least consider us your allies within this sect, right?”

“Who knows?” Yasenia’s lips arched faintly without any mirth shining in her eyes. “Sending me to a place with a Level 3 Abyssal Human who had a Level 2 Intent Domain is a bit… complicated for a quest that was meant to prove my skills, don’t you think so?” 

Star Forge and Qingzhe’s eyes showed a trace of shock. Star Forge spoke up, her tone disbelieving. “That’s impossible! We checked the sect, and we only found 13 Sixth Realm cultivators, with the strongest being a Level 2 Sixth Realm cultivator!” 

“Oh.” Yasenia didn’t discuss it and answered with a single sound. 

Qingzhe looked at Star Forge with a frown. “Yasenia wouldn’t lie about something like that, and you know it.” 

After the dragoness confessed her age, Star Forge and Qingzhe’s perception of Yasenia changed a lot. The sometimes playful and childish bursts were all clearly because, even if she was mature, she was still in her early years as a dragon. For all they knew, high-level dragons weren’t even considered adults until they reached 500 years of age. 

Yasenia noticed Qingzhe’s tone and snorted once. “No need to treat me like a child. That was never my intention when revealing my age to you two. I just… trusted you. Now, I am not so sure if I did the correct thing.” Closing her eyes, Yasenia commented indifferently. “If I had the strength that someone in my realm should have, everyone that went, me included, would’ve either died or become part of the sect you wanted to destroy.” 

Star Forge couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ‘We should’ve investigated more. How could a Demonic Sect be so easy to investigate and deal with?’  

“Yasenia, I know that you are angry. And I know that you have every right to be angry. However, I need to know what happened and all the details to help you.” Her tone was softer than ever. “I want to help you, and our friendship is not something I’d sell to do such a cheap thing.”

Yasenia opened her eyes once more and spoke calmly. “I know. If I didn’t understand that, I wouldn’t have returned to the sect.”

Qingzhe and Star Forge felt their hearts skip a beat. 

“Moreover,” Yasenia added. “It seems that you are all quite ignorant of the [Abyss] as a threat. If it were me, I would’ve gone personally to stomp the sect the second I knew that it existed.” 

“What do you mean?” Tai Qingzhe asked, confused. 

Yasenia didn’t keep them guessing anymore and explained all that happened and what the Abyss intended to do.  

The two women listened to everything while feeling traces of fear during the entirety of the tale. Once Yasenia was done, both of them knew how deeply messed up the mission ended up being. Yasenia not becoming their enemy was already the dragoness being patient with them! 

Star Forge opened her mouth and sighed. “Sorry. I should’ve never agreed to sending you out to test that ridiculous prophecy.” 

“Prophecy…” Yasenia hummed and asked. “Not the first time I heard about it. What is that prophecy about?”

After hearing Yasenia’s tale, Star Forge didn’t hide anything and spoke about it at length. “As you might’ve noticed, our Star Immortal Sect is in decline. It has been in decline since the previous two Sect Masters. The reason is that some of our core staff were killed during a war before they could leave behind their knowledge. Therefore, many of our sect’s techniques and inheritances were either lost or left half-completed. Even I know that our teaching quality has dropped sharply since then.” 

Yasenia listened and blinked once. Then, using a bit of energy, she summoned a table with some wine cups on it. “That’s a 20,000-year-old wine I’ve cultivated. My spatial ring has the ability to accelerate the growth and fermentation of things placed inside.” 

Star Forge and Qingzhe looked at those two cups with smiles on their faces while their hearts settled down. They understood that this was Yasenia’s way of telling them that she didn’t blame them.

With a cup of wine in hand, Star Forge explained a bit of the Star Immortal Sect’s past and the place they were inside. “The world we are in is called [Blue Pearl World]. The name comes from the extensive oceans that cover the distance between continents. Each continent has its own name as well, and the number of continents is in the hundreds. Our continent is the [Star Mountain Continent].” 

Yasenia’s scaly eyebrow rose, interest clear in her draconic eye. Star Forge noticed and smiled. “That’s right. This continent was named after our Sect in ancient times. That’s how influential we actually were.”

“You really declined since then,” Yasenia commented, making both women smile wryly.  

Star Forge continued. “The continents usually can participate in competitions for resources and other types of benefits so that they can increase the energy purity of their place. As you know, the higher the energy quality, the easier it is to cultivate, for new treasures to be born, secret realms to appear, and many more things. Now, the [Star Mountain Continent] is ranked 209th. We are considered a low-class continent.” 

“Hm~.” Yasenia asked, curious. “How are continents divided?”

“Oh, it's very simple.” Tai Qingzhe smiled. “From the 100th to 199th, they are called medium continents. Beyond that, they are all low class.” 

“What about above the 100th position?” 

Having expected Yasenia’s question, Star Forge commented. “Beyond that, you can find the heavyweights of the world. To reach that height, the world needs to have at least one Law-Creator cultivator. Beyond the 40th, there must be at least one Demigod or Demigoddess among the Law-Creator cultivators. And for the top 10 and beyond… I am unsure. You can’t visit them without being a High-Level Transcendence Realm cultivator.” 

Yasenia was stunned. ‘I was lucky, then. Had I landed on any of those continents, I’d have been in deep trouble.’ Curious, Yasenia asked. “So… What position did this continent reach in ancient times?”

Star Forge commented. “From what I know, the highest position we’ve ever reached is the 79th position. 

“Huh?” Yasenia was baffled. “Doesn’t that mean that you had Law-Creator Cultivators? How did they disappear without leaving a powerful legacy?”

Star Forge smiled wryly. “They did leave behind a legacy, but it is locked behind Secret Realms, talent tests, and many other layers of precautions. Not everyone is qualified to receive them.” She added. “My strength comes because I gained part of the legacy when I was young and participated in a Secret Realm as a rogue cultivator.”

Yasenia hummed. “I see.” Thinking that Tatyana might be searching for her, Yasenia asked. “Can high-level cultivators come to lower-level continents?” 

“They can.” Star Forge answered, but then she smiled. “Don’t worry, though. There is no reason for a high-level cultivator to come here because our resources are limited. If anything, they might come to participate in a Secret Realm they suspect of having Law-Creator Realm inheritances.” 

Yasenia hummed and raised her head. Even while lying down, her head rose for thousands of meters, beyond most mountaintops that surrounded her. Looking into the distance, Yasenia became thoughtful. ‘If everything Star Forge said is true, leaving this sect will be too disadvantageous. Only through a relatively influential sect on the continent will I have access to the highest-end resources of the continent. Still…’

Yasenia frowned, her gaze thoughtful. ‘Why are there Abyss-related monsters here? I thought that in higher realms, everyone was knowledgeable about them and hated them. Or… did Mirrory and Valeria refer to the Ancient Heavenly Layer with “Higher Realms”? Perhaps, for powerful creatures like them, the Sublime Heavens are nothing but low-level Heavenly Layers.’ Yasenia sighed. ‘I should’ve asked for specifics.’

Qingzhe looked up with awe into her golden eyes. She couldn’t help but admire the gorgeous creature, more so when she knew that she had defeated a Level Three Transcendence Realm with a Domain equivalent to a Second Level Intent Domain. Such strength was truly abnormal!

“So, tell me more about this prophecy of yours.” 

Star Forge flew up to elevate her body to Yasenia’s head’s height, and Qingzhe followed closely behind. “Well, this prophecy was cast around 100 years ago, and it says the following: Once the Moon and Sun meet the stars. Once the Moon and Sun land within our land. Our people will reclaim the inheritance from the stars. Only when Celestial might eliminates evil will our sect shine beyond our past glories.” 

Yasenia’s eyes became thoughtful for a few moments. ‘Around 100 years ago… during that time, I had not started my cultivation journey seriously and was still a slave of my Heavenly Fate.’ As she pondered, her eyes shone with understanding. ‘Ah. No wonder, no wonder. If Fate went according to what was planned, I would’ve become the puppet of the “Sun” and “Moon”. Those two would then notice Qingzhe or her family and use them as a base to restart their empire. With their methods, reaching the top of this world is a matter of time…’

Now everything finally clicked, all the puzzle pieces falling into place. ‘Still, the fact that I arrived at the place that they were supposed to come shows how strongly that Heavenly Fate affected me back then. Even now, with all my Fate Strings cut, I was guided here through sheer remnant forces of my previous Fate.’  

Yasenia sighed and muttered. “What do I do with this…?” Her lips arched in a money-grubbing smile. “I guess that I could steal their opportunities and get rich~. Hehe.” 

Star Forge and Qingzhe couldn’t help but give her weird looks. ‘Why does she look as if she is going to steal something from someone?’

Chapter 497. Agreement. Abyss Void Nexus' True Background. [AotSC]

To say that Warlya was reluctant to even consider forgiving the Humanoid Ant Queen for past mistakes was an understatement. She physically recoiled just thinking about it. After all, most of her grieving moments were directly or indirectly related to her. ‘Speaking of which, when the Golden Sap Army came to help her clean up the domain, they all had a strange aura around them that didn’t really click with me.’

She clearly remembered at that time almost telling them to back off from her domain. Still, knowing that such a request would cause the death of the people in her domain, she refrained from saying it. After that war, almost 40% of the population in her domain were killed, most deaths occurring before evacuating most of the population into her main city.  

“Lady Warlya. Important report.”

Warlya’s wandering thoughts refocused, and she looked at the room where the male’s voice came from. The man holding a few documents looked old, but there was energy in his movements and gaze. “We’ve discovered a humanoid flying into your branches. Is there a problem? Does Lady Warlya need help?” 

Looking at Ignatia’s resting body on her branches, Warlya was somewhat tempted. ‘If the entire city fights her, killing her won’t be impossible.’ 

Still, only she knew how strong a Fourth Energy Cycle Humanoid Ant Queen was. The terror of that creature was deeply imprinted in her. In the war in the past, the Ant Queen literally punched a hole so deep in her trunk that her core was exposed. Back then, she thought that her entire body would snap in half after receiving her last desperate attack. 

To make a World Tree of the <Fourth Energy Cycle> feel that way, one could imagine just how strong that single strike was. Warlya’s eyes moved toward that location, and she saw a giant scar running across the bottom half of her trunk. 

And yet… Her gaze shifted once more to the peaceful creature sitting on her branches with a complicated mood. ‘How did Liu Shu do it? Or is this one trick of the Ant Queen? Humanoid Ant Queens are too intelligent.’

After struggling for almost ten minutes straight, Warlya eventually answered the person who spoke. “No need to. I can deal with this. Moreover… She isn’t an enemy.” 

The old man bowed forward with respect. “As you wish, Lady Warlya.” 

Warlya sighed and finally directed her words to the Ant Queen. “Ignatia… right?” 

“Yes.” Ignatia smiled. “You can also call me Liu Shu’s Mommy~. Either way is okay for me, haha.” 

“... Ignatia. You do understand that you’ve crippled my entire existence.”

“As I’ve said,” Ignatia answered calmly. “That was not me. Me knowing that creature’s actions, memories, and skills doesn’t mean that I am them.”

Warlya didn’t argue with that. Instead, she asked. “Why are you doing this?” 

“Doing what?” Ignatia asked. “If you are asking about why I am trying to convince you, it is for Liu Shu’s sake.” She chuckled and added. “If you are asking why I am mothering Liu Shu, that’s also for my baby’s sake. I just love her too much and want her to be a happy little tree~.”

Warlya wanted to rebuke her words, but when she looked at Ignatia’s face, she couldn’t. The Ant Queen’s expression, even with her insectoid eyes being unable to communicate emotions, was impossible to confuse with anything other than motherly determination and love. 

“You…” Warlya’s entire mood became extremely complicated. “If you and the previous Ant Queen had similar memories, why did you choose this path, while she chose that one?”

Ignatia admitted. “If I had not met Liu Shu, my path wouldn’t have been much different from my predecessors. It’s just that when I met Liu Shu and interacted with her, I fell in love with her. Not romantically, but in a way that I just wanted to protect her, hug her, and make her giggle and smile. She was just a puzzle piece that my predecessors had overlooked.”

The Ant Queen’s tone was soft and loving, her entire body radiating warmth and comfort. “My baby Liu Shu is the most lovely and cute baby in the world. That’s what I firmly believe, and if I need to become a catastrophe or guardian to maintain her smile, I will.” 

Warlya couldn’t speak for a while. Then, she sighed and muttered. “I can see the same traces of her on you. You both believed that giving your everything for those you loved was correct. Only, it seems that the love you felt this time is not only directed at your children, but at a World Tree as well.” 

“Hey! Liu Shu is my baby as well, okay?” Ignatia rebuffed with a huff. 

A faint chuckle escaped Warlya. Ignatia could hear the complex emotions in that laugh. She didn’t speak anymore and just waited.

It wasn’t until more than a day had gone by that Warlya spoke to Ignatia. “... Alright.”

Ignatia sat up, tilting her head. “Hm? What do you mean?”

“I said, I’ll give you a chance.” Warlya sighed deeply, and one of her branches moved down. “If you ever change your nature, I’ll deal with you regardless of what price I need to pay.” 

Then, Ignatia was thrown out of Warlya’s canopy without any decorum. The Ant Queen’s antennae flopped around in the wind as she completed the throw’s trajectory. Even then, she was not upset. ‘It didn’t take that long. I was prepared to battle with Warlya for a month straight just to start a conversation. I wonder why she gave up so quickly.’

Ignatia missed one very simple detail. The Warlya of the past and present were drastically different. Before, Warlya had a powerful will and strength, and she was unbending in her ways. That single-mindedness to defeat the Humanoid Ant Queen of the past is what pushed her to break all limits and reach incredible strength.  

After the war, a broken World Tree was left behind. While wounds healed, they were too deep and left deep scars both physically and psychologically. Warlya learned to compromise during the hundreds of years after the war, and nowadays, she has become a recluse. Whatever happened around her was almost always none of her concern. If it weren’t because Liu Shu started a conversation with her in the past, she would’ve never reached out on her own accord. Only if she were invaded would Warlya pay attention.  

Ignatia continued flying back while pondering, but eventually, she placed it at the back of her mind. “Anyway, the last obstacle for my darling baby is gone. Now, she just needs to take over the world~. After that…” Ignatia looked up, her compound black eyes seemingly piercing beyond the atmosphere and reaching far away.

Meanwhile, the Abyssal Void Nexus gathered some of their Fourth Energy Cycles to discuss what happened in the Wild Continent. 

“Annihilated?” Spoke one man, his tone full of confusion. “How is this possible? Didn’t the other three superpowers send no one? Moreover, they are now attacking our borders, so they shouldn’t have any chance or resources to interrupt or participate in our Wild Continent conquest.”

Kaelis, a human who formed part of the group that decided to send Evangeline back, frowned as well. “What about Evangeline and Eryndis? Those two were not only intelligent and talented, but their plans were quite thorough when they sent them back for inspection.” 

The man they were speaking with was tall and stern, his facial features leaning towards average but with a hint of superiority. “Annihilated means no survivors. So, naturally, those two must be dead as well.” Looking at the paper in his hand, he commented. “It seems that a World Tree named Tianlian Liu Shu has appeared on that continent and reversed the entire situation. What information do you all have about her?” 

“Impossible!” Kaelis blurted with wide eyes. “How can it be possible for that young World Tree to be so influential!?”

A man by her side frowned. “Evangeline did warn us about her. Were we too dismissive of her?”

The average-looking man squinted his eyes, making the others feel a chill. Even when his appearance was not too remarkable, his strength was ridiculously high. “Have you been hiding reports? What is happening, and why have I only learned about this disaster after it occurred? Foler, search the documents and gather them in my palace three days later.”

He stood up, his gaze freezing as he swept the Fourth Energy Cycle powerhouses in the room. “As for all of you… You'd better pray that the mistake this time around is not too large. Otherwise, I don’t mind killing you and replacing you with new <Fourth Energy Cycles>. You should know the reason why you are here!”

When he left, the Fourth Energy Cycles gathered in the room all looked a little pale; their original arrogant looks were nowhere to be seen. Kaelis muttered. “He wouldn’t inform the higher-ups because of this, right? While we lost a few million, they are all cannon fodder.” 

Renvar, the man who spoke at first, glared at Kaelis. “You stupid woman. Do you know whose daughter Eryndis is!? If she has truly died, not because of her incompetence but because the information she had was incorrect, you'd better pray! Her father is a lesser Star Lord who sent her here to test her!” 

“Star—!” Kaelis almost released a strangled scream as fear rushed up her spine. Kaelis’s eyes shifted around, and suddenly, a crazed light appeared in the depths of her eyes. “I-If we get rid of Tianlian Liu Shu, they shouldn’t be too angry with us, right?”

“Are you crazy, woman!?” Renvar shouted. “If you dare leave the continent and the other side uses this chance to start an all-out war against us, we will be in deep trouble! Remember that we are not the only interstellar power in this remote country! Otherwise, why would we even need to be careful!? The Explorer Association, the Verdant Sanctity Covenant, and even those mysterious Skill Traders that come from time to time. Do you think they’d be fine with you breaking the rules!? Only a powerhouse that was born in this world and grown through it can do as they please!” 

Kaelis shook her head. “Eryndis is dead! Do you really think that Star Lord will not act after he learns that we messed up and got her killed with inaccurate information?” She whispered to him and the others. “It is better to just kill Folar, get rid of the important documents, and then get rid of Tianlian Liu Shu. That way, we can throw all the blame onto that dead plant and save our lives!”

Renvar and the others frowned deeply, but they didn’t deny her words. Kaelis commented. “I’ll go to deal with Tianlian Liu Shu. You four deal with Foler.” 

Then, she rushed out and flew off into the distance with her bow in hand. Her gaze was murderous as she cursed under her breath. ‘A little Third Energy Cycle World Tree, how dare you threaten my existence with your pitiful strength!? I’ll make sure you burn down!’

Chapter 1285. Return to The Star Immortal Sect.

Back in the Star Immortal Sect, some of the top leaders were gathered with the Sect Master and Star Forge. Inside the large and modest room, a spiritual map showed the state of the ongoing war. Righteous and Demonic Sects had started a battle unlike any other in the past 50,000 years. 

Until today, most conflicts could be considered skirmishes for resources. However, the force of the attacks on both sides this time around was large enough to cripple the other side if they were not careful. 

Naturally, a war of this scale was not fought alone by the Star Immortal Sect. It enveloped most of the continent they were in. 

“How is the conflict in the Abyssal Worshiper Sect area going?”

Star Forge had asked this question often, making some of the elders dissatisfied. One of them looked over and smiled mockingly. “Why? Are you scared that your little lover won’t return from her expedition? If she is that good, I really need to give her a good look if she ever returns, haha.” 

Star Forge looked over and spoke lightly. “Luan Qinju, did your guts grow because you’ve become the Peak Master of the Daring Peak? One more transgression like that and I’ll cripple your cultivation.” 

She didn’t even release her aura or speak threateningly. Instead, her tone was calm and matter-of-course, as if whatever she said would become the truth simply because she was the one saying it. Xing Tianlan, the Sect Master, interrupted. “Enough. Luan Qinju, stop bothering Star Forge. Star Forge, Luan Qinju is a powerful cultivator with peculiar Star Techniques; losing her would be a big hit for our sect. If you raise your hand, you won’t remain unpunished.” 

Luan Qinju’s face was somewhat ugly when she saw that interaction. There was a hidden trace of jealousy deep within her gaze. Star Forge didn’t bother and looked at Chen Jixing. He was the Star Chart Master of the sect and the one who predicted the prophecy. His aged appearance due to the excessive energy and life force used back then was a symbol of respect. 

“I can’t know, Star Forge.”

“Hm.” Star Forge made a small sound. Internally, she was confused. Chen Jixing had easily told them news about the other battlefields. Only when it came to Yasenia’s did he remain silent. ‘It is not possible to hide information since Chen Jizhen has gone to that battlefield as well. He won’t ignore his own son just because he wants to hide information about Yasenia, right? Moreover, he didn’t say, “I don’t know.” He said, “I can’t know,” showing that he can’t even start looking at that battlefield.’ 

Xing Tianlan spoke up. “Most of our battlefields are winning. However, their most powerful Demonic Sects are more powerful than we expected. Their foundation is also pretty solid, so this war won’t end as quickly as we expected. They might even be able to counterattack.” 

Lian Yuexin, one of the elders present, spoke up with an uncertain tone. “Is it really under control? The Seven Mystery Immortal Sect has revealed a powerful formation we can’t break through around their important territory. Then, the Crimson Orchid Demonic Sect has methods to strengthen physical bodies and use blood arts. Finally, the Thousand Soul Screams Demonic Sect is using soul attacks from places you can’t even spot them. There was a Level One Transcendence Cultivator that got killed from almost 200,000 kilometers away.” 

Another elder echoed her words. “Their methods are too unorthodox, and our side is suffering because of it at the front lines. Not to mention their typical cultivators are extremely strong as well.” 

Star Forge almost smiled insincerely. “What a surprise. It appears that we’ve jumped the fence too quickly.”

The Sect Master gave a reproachful glance at her. “Star Forge, don’t disrespect Lord Chen.”

She was about to speak when her senses caught a powerful presence approaching from a distance at a quick speed. She wasn’t the only one, and without saying anything, everyone quickly rushed towards the edge of the sect. 

Star Forge squinted and looked into the distance, her Spiritual Sense spreading outwards seemingly without end. Then, at the end of her spiritual sense, she finally saw the gargantuan creature flying towards them. “Dragon?”

She was as confused as the others. Luan Qinju asked aloud. “Why did the Dragon Clan get involved this time around? Aren’t they always spectators with most conflicts?” 

Xing Tianlan commented, his tone unhurried. “The strength of this Dragon is high. However, it is only high for low-level Transcendence Realm cultivators. I don’t know what its intention is.”

They all agreed, and one elder commented. “The bloodline is not a common one. The Dragon looks ethereal and beautiful. Just a look makes you want to revere it. Moreover, the images of the Sun and Moon on the wings are truly exceptional.”

Star Forge’s head suddenly clicked when that elder spoke that way. ‘Sun and Moon imagery on the wings? That’s like Yasenia’s wings… Is this dragon related to Yasenia in any way?’

The woman had never seen Yasenia’s dragon form, but she knew the usual dimensions for dragons at the first few levels of the Sixth Realm. The one flying over dwarfed any dragons on that level, so she couldn’t link it with Yasenia. 

“Look at its back!”

One of the elders spoke aloud, his tone full of surprise. Everyone looked over, and their eyes widened slightly. “Aren’t those our disciples?”

Chen Jixing frowned, his eyes flashing with uncertainty. “I can also sense young Chen among them, but I can’t see him.” 

With the Dragon’s speed, it didn’t take long before it arrived near them. They had noticed that it was large from a distance; they could even make some sense of the dimensions with their spiritual sense. However, now that it was flying right in front of them, they realized just how huge it was. 

In front of them, a dragon that dwarfed mountains was floating with a noble temperament. The face was full of confidence and calmness even in front of all of them. 

Star Forge heard Tai Qingzhe’s voice transmission from the side. “Hey, what is happening?” 

“I don’t know. A Dragon related to Yasenia, probably. Look at its wings.” 

Tai Qingzhe observed and noticed the two realistic Celestial Bodies identical to Yasenia’s. Suddenly, Tai Qingzhe felt the dragon’s eyes fall onto her and show a hint of surprise and understanding. It was as if a puzzling matter had suddenly become clear. 

Still, the dragon didn’t say anything and moved on. Only after looking at everyone present did her voice spread around, even when her mouth didn’t move. “Children, get down. We’ve arrived.” 

The tens of thousands of cultivators quickly flew down, and some elders went forward to welcome them. ‘Why is the voice so… familiar?’ The Sect Master was puzzled, but he just shook his head and spoke up. “Lady Dragon, thank you for carrying our disciples back to our sect. May I ask how the situation turned this way? Where did Lady Dragon find them?”

The Dragon showed a hint of confusion. “Sect Master, I am Yasenia Dravory.” 

Everyone froze for a moment, their eyes widening with stupefaction. 

“EH!?”

“That’s impossible! Yasenia Dravory is a Beast Human, not a full-fledged Dragon! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to teach Spiritual Cultivation!” 

Yasenia opened her mouth, and the five Transcendence Realm cultivators flew out in sorry states. They had some burn marks, and their faces were tired and pale. Still, there was a trace of relaxation in their eyes, as if they’d experienced a massage.

Seeing the five people fly out of the dragon’s mouth, the people had no other choice but to believe Yasenia. Even the person who shouted in denial couldn’t say anything. 

Yasenia saw someone appear in front of her with eyes full of wonder and interest. “Is this really you, Yasenia?” 

“Star Forge.” Yasenia blinked her giant eyes and tilted her head slightly to look at her easily. “Yes. Didn’t I tell you in the past that I was a Dragon? You didn’t report it?” 

Her words threw away any doubts about her hiding her identity as a True Dragon on the woman’s back. Star Forge internally rolled her eyes, but she went along with it. “Oh! Look at my head! I forgot to inform the rest!”

Everyone deadpanned, looking at her terrible acting. The words were too monotonous. Nevertheless, if Star Forge said she forgot, who dared to say she didn’t? They didn’t want to get beaten up by the unreasonably powerful woman!  

Yasenia looked at Tai Qingzhe with a complicated look, pushing the woman to show a puzzled look. “Is there something wrong, Yasenia?” 

“No.” Yasenia shook her giant head and smiled faintly. “Nothing’s wrong. I am just… a bit confused.”

“About what?”

“Where do I sit down? There are not many places where I can fit in the Sect’s territory, right?” 

Tai Qingzhe felt Yasenia had lied, but she didn’t pry into it. If she wanted to tell her in the future, she would. They were friends, so Tai Qingzhe trusted Yasenia. Meanwhile, Yasenia was sighing endlessly in her mind. 

‘No wonder Tai Qingzhe acted so strangely. She has a trace of bloodline from the Sun God. Although the bloodline is extremely thin, she is indeed a descendant.’ Still, there were doubts in her mind. ‘It takes effect even with traces of bloodline as thin as Tai Qingzhe’s? This curse is truly powerful. If I find a direct descendant, I fear that they will attack me without saying a single word, regardless of the time and location.’

Xing Tianlan finally reacted. He didn’t expect that the supposed savior was going to be a full-fledged dragon. Thinking until this point, his attitude became calmer, and he asked. “Elder Yasenia, can’t you transform back into your human form?”

“I could…” Yasenia started but then added. “But I don’t want to.” The dragoness stretched her body and muscles, causing several hurricanes and other natural disasters around her due to her size. “I feel more comfortable in my Dragon Form, so I’ll stay like this for a while.” 

Star Forge and Tai Qingzhe were the closest people to Yasenia, and both of them felt something strange from her tone and attitude. The eyes that she looked at Xing Tianlan with were full of indifference and nonchalance. In the past, there was at least a hint of respect. Now, she was just completely dismissive.

Star Forge interrupted the man’s next words and spoke. “Don’t worry, I’ll flatten an area we are not using for you. We have more than enough resources to afford flattening a few mountains to find a place where you can rest in your Dragon Form.”

Xing Tianlan frowned, but he didn’t interrupt. Instead, he asked about the battle. “Elder Yasenia, we will be waiting for a report about the situation with the Abyssal Worshiper Sect.” 

The dragoness jumped upward and flew away, her voice echoing around as her shadow blotted the sky above them. “Ask Chen Jizhen and the others. I am tired. Star Forge, guide me to my resting place. I want to sleep.”   

Star Forge and Tai Qingzhe looked at each other before they flew after her.

Meanwhile, the Sect Master looked at Mo Yun and the others and ordered them to come with him and inform him about everything in detail.  

Chapter 496. Past Conflicts. Warlya's Anger. [AotSC]

Warlya looked at her surroundings with a serious heart. She had always known that the young World Tree was powerful, but the events around her were something she had never seen before in her life. Just the presence gave her a sense of impotency and an urge to surrender to the being surrounding her domain. ‘My Level Up from Level 74 to Level 75 didn’t even cause a tenth of what Liu Shu’s transformation is achieving.’ 

As Warlya observed her surroundings, she couldn’t help but become apprehensive. ‘I expected Liu Shu to face me before she reached the <Fourth Energy Cycle>. Now, she has actually given me two choices…’ 

Warlya understood that she had two paths from now onwards. 

The first path was attacking Liu Shu right now and trying to destabilize her <Fourth Energy Cycle> as much as possible. If she did that, she would become enemies with the entire continent and would most likely be defeated eventually. She wasn’t afraid of dying, but Warlya refused to die without a purpose. Among other World Trees, she was another exception that didn’t accept death easily.   

The second path was allying with Liu Shu and falling under her domain. She had already met with another one of the World Trees under Liu Shu’s control, and she noticed that the World Tree was its own free individual. Liu Shu’s influence was only around them, while the rest of the World Tree’s aura represented itself. 

The World Tree she met was the closest one to her other than Liu Shu: Fortuna. 

While she was thinking deeply, the elegant and gentle voice of the World Tree of Destiny reached her again. “Lady Warlya, fighting doesn’t make sense.” 

“Why not?” Warlya was stubborn. Several thousand years of wars had made her personality somewhat stubborn and upright. How many times was she told just to give up and stop fighting? That defeating the Ant Queen back then was impossible? Yet, she persevered until the end and eventually held back the ant colony’s expansion enough for the army to gather enough strength and defeat the threat.  

“Lady Warlya,” Fortuna spoke gently and calmly. “Liu Shu is not a World Tree that wants to eliminate all creatures around her. While she is ruthless when she decides to act, she gives options as long as the opponent is someone who has not offended her.” Fortuna laughed faintly. “But you should already know that. Are you waiting for Liu Shu to become strong enough to forcefully restrain you?”

“You are talking nonsense.” 

Warlya snorted and stopped answering Fortuna’s words. Fortuna sighed softly and spoke. “Soon, someone you might hate at first glance will enter your territory. Please, for your own sake, don’t attack straight away and try to listen with an open mind.” 

Warlya was confused at that strange warning. It wasn’t until a week later that she finally understood Fortuna’s words. 

At the edge of her territory, Warlya was looking at a tall and beautiful red-haired woman. Her curvy body was the envy of most, but her insectoid eyes, long antennae sprouting from her forehead, and the large ant abdomen above her full and round butt gave away her true identity. 

The Ant Queen smiled and spoke, her tone slightly melancholic. “Warlya… Long time no see.” 

Warlya’s entire being tensed up as her energy exploded and surged to the sky. A terrifying presence descended on the Ant Queen, trying to squeeze her with sheer pressure. Ignatia looked at the massive pillar of Ternary Essences in the distance and sighed softly. ‘Here she comes.’

“DIE! <ARMY DECIMATION>!”

The land around Ignatia exploded as thousands of roots covered with life and a metallic luster rose dozens of meters into the air. Ignatia was also flung to the sky by the explosion of land around her. 

“Warlya, listen to me.”

“SHUT UP! MONSTER!” Warlya’s voice boomed around as her roots rushed toward Ignatia, each with enough strength to injure a Level 74 powerhouse heavily. 

Ignatia looked on calmly and reinforced her defense. “<Ant Queen’s Royal Endurance>.” 

Her defense increased several times over just before the root landed on her body. 

BOOM!

The explosive force behind the strike sent Ignatia flying, but even before she could register, the roots coordinated and beat Ignatia around without allowing her to recover. 

The endless strikes shaved around 10,000 Phoer Body Shards each. With Ignatia’s current strength, she would need to receive tens of thousands of blows like that before she was heavily injured. 

“Warlya. Let me speak.”  

“I SAID TO SHUT UP! <WARBORN WORLD TREE ANNIHILATION>!”

Ignatia’s face gained a touch of seriousness. 

The roots at the edge suddenly pointed at Ignatia, their tips shining with small balls of pure light. 

Ignatia quickly landed on the destroyed land below her, and the fire attribute bloomed like a flower around her.  

“EXPLODE!”

Warlya’s terrifying shout was accompanied by hundreds of beams rushing at Ignatia from all directions. 

“<Ember Wave>!” 

The people who had come with Ignatia looked solemnly when a new Sun was born in the land where Ignatia was. The mushroom cloud rising into the sky was accompanied by a terrifying shockwave that almost deafened them. 

BANG!! 

Flor’s face gained a touch of worry as she looked at the mushroom cloud. “If I knew that Warlya still had this level of strength, I wouldn’t have agreed to her words!” 

By her side, Verena spoke with a serious expression. “Warlya might’ve dropped to Level 74. However, her strength is truly terrifying. Only Level 90 people might have a chance to face her one-on-one.”

Melody smiled calmly, already expecting this. “All who underestimate a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree will end up dead. They are almost untouchable existences. Otherwise, the Abyssal Void Nexus wouldn’t have just fought on the edges of their domains.” 

While they spoke, they suddenly saw a gargantuan tornado blow away the mushroom cloud, revealing Ignatia flying in the middle while mostly unharmed.

Melody’s eyes shone with surprise. “How is that possible? No Third Energy Cycle should be able to withstand that attack without serious injuries.”

It was then that Warlya spoke with a wrathful but surprised tone. “MONSTER! YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO REACH THE <FOURTH ENERGY CYCLE>!? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?”

Everyone was stunned and looked at Flor. Their eyes were basically asking, “When did your wife become a <Fourth Energy Cycle> powerhouse?” 

Flor’s lips twitched. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t know as well.” Gritting her teeth, she muttered under her breath. “How dare you hide it from me? I’ll spank you until you cry when you return!” 

Meanwhile, Ignatia stood in midair, her face showing calmness and eerie indifference. “Warlya. Let’s talk. You should understand what it means for me to reach this level. You currently lack the strength to face me.”

Then, Ignatia unfurled her aura.

BOOM!!!

The entire place was covered by Ignatia’s royal presence in an instant, her small body appearing as tall as a mountain for those who looked at her. 

Melody’s eyes flashed with cautiousness and a trace of fear. ‘From the legends I’ve read, a Humanoid Ant Queen has enough power to fight a powerful World Tree at the same Level as them. Now, I can see that it was hardly an exaggeration and more like an understatement. Humanoid Ant Queen… What a terrifying existence. Thankfully, I am on her side.’ 

Even without Liu Shu, Melody knew that Ignatia and her children alone were enough to face the rest of the world and become a new global superpower. The Ant Colony had matured, and now, they were almost unstoppable. Back then, it was only by sacrificing a <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Tree that they put an end to the Queen’s terror. There were registered accounts of the Abyssal Nexus and the other powers cooperating to defeat the Ant Queen. 

Meanwhile, Warlya stopped her attacks, but her wrathful glare was locked onto Ignatia, condensed as if she wanted to tear her apart limb by limb with just her gaze.

Ignatia sighed and slowly flew towards Warlya’s main body. “Warlya, I am not the Ant Queen you faced.”

“Ha!” The World Tree spoke with animosity and disdain. “You use the same skill as her, and you dare say that! Moreover, your tone is clearly not one of someone who has interacted with me for the first time!” 

“I know.” Ignatia never lost her calm. “I have a skill called <Ant Queen’s Legacy>. This skill gives me traces of knowledge of previous Humanoid Ant Queens.”

Everyone listening couldn’t help but widen their eyes. Flor, though, remained calm. It was clear that she already knew about it. 

Warlya was startled and thought of the strategies and attacks the Ant Queen she had fought with used. “No wonder back then you could trap armies! So your soul is kept alive through a skill! This time, I’ll make sure to destroy your soul then!” 

“You can’t.” Ignatia’s voice echoed in the world with nobleness. “You are too weak. Moreover, as I said, I am not that Ant Queen. The only things this skill gives me are memories from a third-person perspective. This skill makes sure that each Humanoid Ant Queen can learn from their predecessor's mistakes. What sense would it make if you became the person who failed? Past Ant Queens are all losers who died without accomplishing anything.”  

There was a tone of disdain in her last sentence. Clearly, she was not amused nor in favor of the past Ant Queen’s actions. This was normal, though. Ignatia had fully accepted Liu Shu as her dearest eldest daughter. Therefore, the actions of past Ant Queens who devoured and destroyed World Trees were nothing but barbaric and short-sighted in her eyes.  

If Ignatia met those Humanoid Ant Queens, she wouldn’t wait for anyone before ripping their heads off herself. 

“Regardless.” Ignatia’s tone softened, and she spoke with her. “Warlya, I am now Liu Shu’s mother. I won’t let anything happen to her, and I also don’t want her to make difficult choices that tear her inside with guilt. So, I’ve come to converse with you about you joining Liu Shu’s domain.”

“HA!” Warlya sneered as she glared at the Ant Queen. “I would rather become corrupted than join any group that has any relations with disgusting vermin like you! You might’ve brainwashed others, but you won’t—”

Seeing the World Tree stop speaking so suddenly, they were all confused. 

After a few seconds, they heard Warlya’s trembling voice. “H-How is this possible? No, this is a lie! You can’t have these titles!” 

“But I do.” Ignatia smiled. “I am Liu Shu’s Mom, so of course I do.”

“You!” Warlya wanted to say that she was cheating her. However, as a World Tree, she had a powerful ability to discern real system messages from fake ones.  

After a few moments of tension, Warlya’s aura seemed to deflate as she muttered with disbelief. “How is this possible?” 

Everyone could feel the heartbreaking tone behind her tone. It was as if the entirety of her worldview had suddenly collapsed like a sandcastle. Ignatia finally arrived in front of the World Tree’s body and sat on one of her branches. “I am different, Warlya. So, can you give me a chance?”

Warlya looked at the woman sitting on her branches with such a complicated mood that she didn’t know how to even answer. So, she just kept silent while her aura wobbled turbulently. 

Ignatia noticed, so she didn’t move and leaned against her trunk. “Take your time. I’ll wait here. I just want the best for my baby, and you joining her is, in my opinion, the best-case scenario. To achieve that, I don’t mind if I have to receive your attacks for a while so that you can vent.”

Warlya’s mood became even more complicated because she could easily tell that Ignatia was not lying. This Ant Queen was willing to receive punishment for someone who wasn’t her just so that Liu Shu didn’t have to make a difficult choice. 

“You… Let me think.” 

Ignatia smiled faintly and relaxed. “Go ahead.” 

From a distance, the other leaders observed for a while before leaving and letting those two resolve past conflicts. 

Chapter 1284. Cleaning Up The Battlefield.

The ten Abyssal Cultivators looked on with horror as the person they previously thought was impossible to defeat disappeared with the dragon’s attack. A sense of despair and fear appeared in their hearts as they saw the giant dragon turn to look their way.

Without even hesitating, all ten of them turned tail and tried to run. Naturally, escaping was easier said than done. Even before they tried to escape, the five Transcendence Realm cultivators deployed their Intent Domains and skills to restrain the space around them. 

The exchange between them was fast and gruesome, the Abyssal Cultivators not caring about flesh wounds as they tried their best to put distance between them and Yasenia. 

Nevertheless, the dragoness was too quick for them, and her influence arrived quickly.

Once the [Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain] enveloped all 15 cultivators, the battle became completely one-sided. The Intent Domain didn't give Yasenia just incredible fighting power. After all, at the end of the day, it was an Intent Domain related to War. Hence, all her allies would also be affected positively.

“Annihilate them,” Yasenia spoke curtly, her intentions spreading through her intent. “Mo Yun covers North; Mo Zifei covers South; Gao Yan covers East; Jilang Qin covers West; lastly, Chen Jizhen blocks anyone who tries to escape the encirclement.  

Everyone moved together, and the 10 enemies tried to take advantage and overtake the gaps created between them. However, under Yasenia’s Intent Domain, all their intentions were as easy to read as letters in an open scroll.

Yasenia used her giant body to cover most of the places with larger escaping paths, and after fighting for a few minutes, the dragoness systematically got rid of every one of them. 

In the middle, there were many bellows full of insanity, screams pleading for mercy, and yells full of pain. Nevertheless, the result didn’t change until the very end, finishing the fight much sooner than everyone expected. 

Once the fight finished and Yasenia released everyone from the influence of her Intent Domain, everyone snapped back to their normal selves. Knowing that they’ve been manipulated throughout this fight, Gao Yan and Chen Jizhen showed somewhat unreconciled faces. 

However, when they wanted to complain and turned their heads, their gaze was fully occupied by the gargantuan dragon’s body size. A being that reached several tens of kilometers in length and had a wingspan of over 100 kilometers was enough to cover the entire sky above a mortal sect, basically. Even some of the cultivator cities were dwarfed by her incredible size. 

The dragoness's eyes had returned to their warm and golden color, but that didn’t mean that people would feel comfortable around her. The unrestrained aura of Yasenia’s body, even after she stopped buffing her body, was powerful enough to send mortals to their knees. One glance at Yasenia in her dragon form weighted like a mountain on your back.

Yasenia looked at them with an indifferent expression and spoke. “Everything's done. Thanks for the help and cooperation.”

It was clear that Yasenia basically forced them to obey her orders during the last section of the battle through her Intent Domain. Nevertheless, no one dared complain. Mo Yun had no problem, and the same was true for Jilang Qin and Mo Zifei. 

“Yasenia! I didn’t know your dragon form was sooo huuuuge!” Mo Yun opened her arms with glittering eyes. “Your body is probably larger than my family’s compound! It’s truly incredible and majestic!” 

Mo Zifei agreed and spoke with a faint smile. “You are also very strong. I didn’t expect that you had the ability to kill a Level Three Sixth Realm cultivator with a Level 2 Intent Domain.” 

Yasenia’s facial expression softened a touch as she answered. “He made a mistake at the end. He thought that he could fight me with numbers.”

Jilang Qin asked, curious. “If he hadn’t done that, how long would it have taken for you to defeat him?”

Somehow, Jilang Qin couldn’t see Yasenia losing after seeing that battle. So, the question was not if she would be defeated, but how long it would take for Yasenia to achieve victory. 

Gao Yan, somewhat annoyed about the situation mentioned above, snorted. “She was lucky that he made that mistake. Otherwise, the winner and loser wouldn’t be clear.” 

Mo Yun’s eyebrows scrunched, and she glared at him. “Hey, why are your words so… sour? Were you hoping for Yasenia to lose or something!?”     

Gao Yan crossed his arms. “What are you talking about? Little Sister Mo Yun, I’ll tell you now so that you don’t make that mistake again. Control your mouth. Words said are not easy to retract!”

“Exactly.” Yasenia finally opened her maw, the tone both sarcastic and ethereal. It felt as if a goddess was mocking a mortal for being stupid, making Gao Yan’s heart somewhat stuffy. 

Yasenia spoke to him, landing on the ground but still reaching their height due to her gargantuan size. “You should be careful about how you speak. Otherwise, I might become upset and leave the sect.” 

After this battle, Yasenia’s mind was clear, and she knew that this mission was something to test her limits. With their strength, defeating the Abyssal Worshiper Sect would be too difficult and would take at least a few decades. Nevertheless, they underestimated her. Or, at the very least, underestimated her talent and capability to gain strength.

This was a very unpleasant matter for our dragoness. The thing she hated the most was people whom she considered allies scheming behind her back. ‘Once we return, they'd better give me a good explanation. Otherwise, heh.’ 

Sensing the coldness radiating from Yasenia’s entire body, Gao Yan didn’t dare refute Yasenia’s words. Even the cheerful Mo Yun acted somewhat carefully. “Um. Yasenia, are you okay?” 

Snapping out of her thoughts, Yasenia observed them and spoke. “First of all, to not have any accident, I propose that I cleanse your bodies from Abyssal influence.” 

Chen Jizhen was mad but had not lost his cool. Therefore, he agreed and asked. “How to do this? We don’t really have any purification methods, right?”

“Aren’t I here?”

The five cultivators glanced over and saw Yasenia’s lips arching very faintly. This gave her draconic facial features a somewhat devilish edge. Mo Yun gulped and asked, her tone strangely shy. “S-So, how are you going to do it? Does it involve intimate matters?”

Everyone deadpanned and looked at the squirmish woman. Mo Zifei coughed and smiled awkwardly. “Ignore her, Yasenia. She has… peculiar tastes.” 

Yasenia blinked a few times and asked, confused. “Is that peculiarness related to dragons?”

Mo Yun blinked her eyes a few times. “M-More like powerful and beautiful female beasts…” 

The dragoness deadpanned. “Just… Stand together.” 

All of them were confused, but they followed her words. Once they stood together, the dragoness opened her mouth and…

CHOMP!

She ate them. To say that the five cultivators were stunned was an understatement. However, before they panicked, Yasenia’s voice reached them. “Stay still and don’t move. It will hurt a bit, but this is the fastest and most thorough way I can think of to do it right now.” 

Inside Yasenia’s mouth, it was dark and moist, but because of her size, they had plenty of space to move around. As they waited, a blue light appeared from the back of the dragoness’s throat and quickly enveloped the bottom of the mouth. 

The Celestial flames covered the place and warmed the area, confusing them. “I will slowly increase the temperature and purity of these flames. You all approach slowly and bathe in them. They will burn any Abyss-related traces on you. Remember that they hurt, so just tread carefully. In the meantime, I’ll fly toward the disciples.”

The five cultivators looked strangely at their surroundings. Not everyone could say that they had been inside a dragon’s mouth and lived to tell the tale. Mo Yun’s eyes were glittering as she looked around. “This is so cool.” 

Then, she slowly descended down toward the flames and touched them. “Hiss!”

When she touched them, there was a stinging pain that hurt even her soul. This made her gain a strangely serious expression. “Yasenia. Didn’t you say that it will only hurt a bit? I barely touched the flames and got a powerful sting.” 

The dragoness’s voice echoed in her mouth. “Isn’t that hurting only a bit? It’s not like the pain is even close to constantly breaking your bones and opening your skin.” 

Suddenly, they all thought that, perhaps, the dragon’s pain tolerance and theirs might not be exactly the same. Mo Zifei sighed and commented. “It seems that we will need to suffer.”

Gao Yan asked, reluctant. “Is it really necessary? We don’t need to follow Yasenia’s words religiously, right?”

Chen Jizhen snorted. “Are you willing to risk becoming one of those things? I’d rather be in pain for a while than transform into one of those ugly abominations over time. You even heard Yasenia previously say that even the soul gets corrupted and separates from the reincarnation cycle.”

After hearing his words, the others also came to terms and quickly dove into the fire.  

A few moments before that, Yasenia arrived near the disciples of their sect. 

“Look over there!”

“Giant Dragon! Everyone, be careful!”

“Prepare to defend yourselves!” 

“Oh heavens. That dragon is too big!” 

“A Sixth Realm Dragon!? Where did it come from!?”

Before they all entered a full panic attack, Yasenia’s voice swept the entire place, reaching all of them. “Children, don’t panic. It is me, Elder Yasenia Dravory.”

Yasenia slowly landed in front of a crowd of nearly 80,000 people. Her enormous body made them look like a small group of ants in front of an elephant. 

The dragoness looked at them and almost laughed at the various reactions from the disciples. The grand majority were shocked speechless, while others were either swooning or showing respect and fear.  

One of them muttered, his eyes like torches. “We have a Dragon Elder? I always thought that Elder Yasenia was a Dragon Human! Not a full-fledged Dragon!” 

“AHHH!”

Suddenly, from Yasenia’s mouth, a bunch of screams spread around, startling the disciples and Yasenia. 

“Um… What are those screams, Elder Yasenia?”

The dragoness didn’t know how to explain without looking suspicious. So, she smiled, and her voice echoed around. “Ignore it. It’s just a bunch of weak-willed people unable to bear a bit of pain for their own good.” 

While everyone was confused, they didn’t dare doubt the enormous dragon in front of them. Yasenia looked thoughtful for a moment before she lowered one of her wings as a ramp and spoke. “Come, I’ll carry all of you back to the sect. The enemy is already done for.” 

While she didn’t really like people other than her family riding her back, these were her extended disciples. So, she didn’t mind doing it once. 

Yasenia didn’t bother cleansing the entire place of Abyssal Energy because the world would do that better than her. After all, without someone to support and defend the Abyss Territory, Heaven would be the first to strike it down to the ground.

While Yasenia left, an enormous Tribulation Cloud gathered above the Abyssal Worshiper Sect territory. Then, lightning fell there for several hundred days, exterminating every last speck of Abyss that was left there.

Chapter 495. Effects Of The Level Ups Shake The Continent. [AotSC]

To say that the Wild Continent was going through a collective wave of shocks was an understatement. When Liu Shu’s titles and <Fourth Energy Cycle> promotion were ongoing at an accelerated pace, it meant that the people were currently feeling the changes in quite a brusque manner. 

Usually, the Level Up and changes of titles would be gradual. And while the World Tree’s aura would become turbulent as it developed, it didn’t really affect everyday matters. 

However, Liu Shu was a World Tree whose roots covered the entire continent, other than Warlya’s comparatively small domain. Moreover, the energy from the Tier-Ups made the Leveling Up process even faster.

Thanks to the new skill, all structures that were connected with Liu Shu were increasing in both tier and level as well. To say that the Golden Sap City was transforming into an impenetrable fortress was not an exaggeration. After all, Liu Shu’s <Lignified> structures followed their mother’s level through the connection. So, all Tree Houses were going through the <Fourth Energy Cycle> process together with their mother. 

Flor, Melody, and many other people were gathered in one of the Lignified Town Hall trees, looking out of the large window as the Ternary Essence in the entire city rushed around the place like wild beasts without control. 

Melody’s eyes trembled as she saw and felt the entire place changing into an otherworldly place. “W-What is happening? Why does it feel as if the World is about to end?”

Flor took a sip from the teacup and smiled. “Haha…” She looked at Melody and commented. “It’s quite interesting, isn’t it?”

Melody almost had a breakdown when she heard that comment. “Interesting!? I want to know what is happening, Flor! Why is the Ternary Essence in the entire continent boiling as if it is about to explode!? Also, why is all that ridiculously large amount of Ternary Essence flowing into Liu Shu!?”  

Flor waved her hand, moving a teapot and pouring tea into Melody’s empty cup. “Drink a bit first. It is our best-selling recipe of tea made out of my baby’s leaves. It’s an A Rank beverage that can calm the mind and soothe the soul. Extremely good for moments like this. Oh! And it also gives some <Anima> and <Willpower> buffs among many others. But, well, those are just secondary effects. The most important thing and what people use it for is to calm one’s nerves.”

Ignatia at the side also sipped calmly and smiled. “The teacup was made by our best artisans as well. It can enhance the effects of the beverage poured on it. You might even get a small Exp boost. Although it is just a few dozen Experience points, it can amount to something if you drink it daily.” 

Melody was baffled and looked around the room. Everyone looked calm and relaxed while the world literally shook from Liu Shu’s changes. ‘Is this tea that magical?’

Verena added from the side. “One more thing. There’s nothing in this tea that could cause dependency. So, you can drink it without worrying. I personally tried not to drink the tea for a few years to see if there were any symptoms, and I didn’t feel a single urge to drink during that time.”

Melody’s face was somewhat strange, but hearing their reassurance, she took a sip. A refreshing and slightly sweet taste spread in her mouth with a generous and pleasant fragrance. Then, as she gulped it down, the liquid seemed to cleanse her throat and stomach, quickly spreading a calming effect through her veins and arteries. Her rapidly beating heart quickly calmed down, and her mind cleared from anxious thoughts without losing any sharpness. 

Her eyes couldn’t help but marvel at the beverage. Now, looking outside, Melody could analyze and feel the changes in the surroundings much more clearly. Once she understood on a deeper level, the previous panic was replaced by wonder and awe. “No wonder… Little Liu Shu’s <Tier> must be incredibly high. Moreover, she is connected with the entire city and beyond. Now that she is entering the <Fourth Energy Cycle>, she needs to transform the entire continent-spanning root-net.”

Harmonixia glanced at her mother with a smile and commented. “Liu Shu is currently A+ Tier. Or, at least, the last time I checked, that was her tier.”

Melody exclaimed in surprise. “A+ Tier? Isn’t that the limit of normal living creatures?” 

Everyone in the room looked at Melody with curious gazes. Flor asked, confused. “Limit? Is there a limit in tier? From Liu Shu’s <Titles>, it is clear to see that there is an S Tier beyond the A Tier, right?” 

Melody laughed. “S Tier is possible with exceptionally extraordinary natural skills. Meaning, only skills that are born in the S Tier will reach such heights. However, a Living Being can’t become an S Tier being or upgrade an A+ Tier skill to the S Tier.”

Cinderielle felt strange and asked, confused. “Why not?” 

Melody leaned on the side of the balcony, admiring Liu Shu’s all-encompassing presence and powerful strength. “Do you know the names for each tier? Most people call them by the letter because, well, it is the easiest way to refer to them. However, those System Scientists have named them differently.”

Flor asked, interested. “I do know the names for a few: <Basic> for F Tier, <Low> for E Tier, <Medium> for D Tier, and <Advanced> for C Tier. For example, a C Tier skill named <Fire Ball> can also be called <Advanced Fire Ball>. However, beyond those, I am unaware of the labeling.” 

“It is not difficult to say or know.” Melody smiled. “For B Tier, they are called <Profound> skills, materials, etc. Meanwhile, for A Tier, the denominator is <World>.”

“World?” Tempestria asked, surprised.

“Yes.” Melody chuckled. “The naming is not random. Any skill that has reached A Tier has the potential to destroy, control, or transform the World. They are skills with godly abilities that can reshape an entire era.”

“Then…” Verdantia muttered. “How are the S Tier skills called? What about beyond S Tier?” 

Melody didn’t hide anything and spoke straightforwardly. “From my knowledge, there should not be skills beyond S Tier. I know that the three Major World Trees have one or two S Tier skills. And, these skills are denoted with the <Core> label.” 

Cinderielle muttered. “It doesn’t sound that powerful.”

Melody chuckled. “It doesn’t until you know what this ‘Core’ refers to, haha.” 

“Oh?” Everyone looked at the woman with shifting blue and purple colored hair curiously. 

Melody didn’t keep them guessing. 

“<Core> skills are called like such because they can affect the fundamental nature of things. An S Tier skill has the potential not to destroy but to create worlds, stars, and more. They are skills with such high potential that they can affect the reality around them.” 

Everyone was silent, their eyes opening with surprise. The Songtree family’s matriarch reassured them. “Of course, those are legends and texts passed down from ancient times. For them to exert such power, the user needs to have incredible strength. Therefore, in the hands of <Fourth Energy Cycles>, their strength is not much different from A Tier Skills. Even some of the more powerful B Tier Skills can compare to them.”

Everyone relaxed slightly and took a sip of the tea. Melody’s words were truly shocking. 

Flor looked at Liu Shu and asked the four Sylvans. “Where have you left the four children?”

Cinderielle commented. “They are in the room at the side. Mariane has created a <Runic Field> in there so that the aura from the outside doesn’t bother them.”

“They are… alone?” Flor asked, confused. Those four were not really little darlings that could be easily left alone. Tempestria commented. “Of course not. We’ve asked the Lignified Town Hall to keep an eye on them.” 

Even then, the Wind Sylvan stood up and walked to the room on the side. Once she opened the room, the others saw the four children playing around with nothing too strange happening.

Dewna is the oldest and had the most strength with her vines, so she was raising the other three while they desperately tried to escape the Alraune’s clutches. Dewna grinned, the smile strangely seductive due to her nature, and spoke with a clear and pleasant voice. “Haha~. No escape! Dewna will squeeze little sisters and brothers until surrender!” 

The speech was not perfect, and the wording could certainly improve significantly. Nevertheless, the meaning was nothing more than that her little brothers couldn’t escape her clutches. There were no strange intentions behind her words. 

Tempestria walked inside, and Sylvia’s big eyes lit up. “Ma! Help Sylvia!”

As a Sylphaith, the girl’s voice was ethereal. They were an Alraune species that attracted prey with sound and illusions while using Death and Wind Aether mana to protect themselves. Their <Echo> affinity made them stand out in their voice department. 

Nevertheless, since the Sylphaith were primarily carrion species, they only hunted when they were very hungry. Otherwise, they were very gentle and harmless if, well, you disregarded their naturally poisonous nature.

Tempestria naturally adored her child, so she didn’t deny her request and approached. “Dewna love, can you give Sylvia to Mom?” 

Dewna was as sweet as honey with her elders, so she smiled like a little sun and nodded. “Yes!” 

Tempestria hugged Sylvia and looked into her large, purple eyes. “There~. You are safe now in Mom’s arms.”

Sylvia opened her stomach mouth, and a large slimy tongue licked Tempestria’s navel with love. The slightly poisonous nature of her saliva was completely ineffective on Tempestria. “I love you too, baby.” Tempestria laughed and looked at the other three. “Come, the grandmas and aunts want to play with you.” 

Their flower-like lower half grew tendrils as they rose above the ground and began to walk. For short distances, they would bounce to move. But if they wanted to move long distances, they could use strong vines or tendrils to move their bodies. Only Pyara, the youngest by far, had some trouble moving around.

Even then, Tempestria didn’t help besides keeping an eye on her so that she wouldn’t hurt herself too badly. 

Dewna quickly rushed into Verdantia’s arms, and Eluan walked calmly toward Harmonixia. At the same time, Cinderielle stood up and moved forward to pick up Pyara. 

Melody approached with three fruits and one piece of raw meat and gave it to them. 

Dewna, Eluan, and Pyara could eat fruits and meat without problem. However, being a carrion species, Sylvia preferred meat and dying plant matter. Her taste buds and digestive system were slightly different, but that didn’t bother anyone. 

Seeing her daughter place the piece of meat in her belly-mouth and munching happily, Tempestria kissed her baby’s forehead. “Delicious?” 

Sylvia nodded her head up and down while her mouth kept busily triturating the meat inside. 

Ignatia spoke up curiously. “Speaking of which, Liu Shu should be about to deliver another little one, right?” 

“That should be the case, unless the baby is a Sylvan,” Flor answered calmly. There have been a lot of children already, so her excitement was much more soothed. Not that it had disappeared, mind you. It just changed from a “passionate” excitement to a “calm and accepting” excitement.  

Melody asked while pampering her grandson. “Whose baby is it this time?”

Harmonixia answered with an embarrassed cough. “We… don’t know.”

“Oh.” Melody blinked, and then a wide grin spread on her lips. “It looks like you all have fun together~. I don’t judge, though. More chances for a baby that way, which is good. Sigh, my daughter-in-law’s fruit-bearing capabilities are truly extraordinary.”

“I-It’s not like that, stupid Mom! Also, don’t say strange things!”

The embarrassed scream of the Sound Sylvan echoed in the room, pushing everyone except our four embarrassed Sylvans into a fit of laughter. 

Chapter 1283. Abyss Descent vs Dragon Form Yasenia.

The gargantuan Celestial Dragon and powerful Abyssal Human rushed at each other. From a distance, one would be able to see a ball of celestial blue energy ascending to the sky while a dark and murky purplish aura descended from the same. 

The dragon that could dwarf mountain ranges opened her maw once more, and a beam exploded skyward, covering hundreds of kilometers in diameter and swallowing the black aura with its diameter. It was as if a pillar of pure destructive energy connected the sky and the dragon, creating humbling imagery. 

However, as the auras collided, the only survivors, the 15 Sixth Realm people, saw the dragon stop her attack and summon a shield around her with [Celestial Aegis]. 

A ball of black light burst from the beam, showing that the Abyssal Human was able to defend against the attack. Nevertheless, the price to pay for using such forceful methods was easy to see. The Abyssal Human’s body was melting, as if the skin were about to detach from the muscle with the slightest strike. 

Then, the black ball collided with the large shield around the dragon. An explosion swallowed hundreds of kilometers around them with ease, the shockwave reaching the 15 spectators and pushing them back a few steps.

“Her strength is comparable to those historic monsters that appear from time to time.”

Mo Yun muttered, her eyes unable to look away as the dragon clawed the sky and summoned tens of thousands of stars to counterattack the other side. 

The gargantuan dragon and the Abyssal Human then exchanged attacks, moving across the sky as they collided in continuous clashes that could level mountains with just the aftershocks. 

The 15 people who had been fighting just gave up their battle and observed. They knew that both sides could restrain each other from leaving. Therefore, whoever won in the fight between leaders would be the ultimate winner. 

Yasenia’s draconic eyes glowed with celestial light, looking as if they were able to pierce through the cosmos itself and see its truths. In her dragon form, she refrained from using her skills and used pure raw power to transform energy. Stars appeared around her, her claws carried burning flames, and her tail could create a wave of chilling frost. 

Each of her movements was cataclysmic as she released energy and manipulated the battle situation through the [Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain]. 

Meanwhile, the Abyssal Human felt the precariousness of his situation. In each clash, Yasenia’s massive body would be pushed back for just a few hundred meters. This, for a creature that measures in the tens of kilometers, was nothing but a slight push. Meanwhile, when he deviated from Yasenia’s massive claw, tail, or wing strike, he felt as if his body were about to fall apart.

After a while, he couldn’t hold back anymore and decided to go for a last-ditch effort and defeat this powerful Dragon. “You’ve forced me, Yasenia Dravory! [Innate Skill: Abyss Descent]!” 

Yasenia’s cold eyes flashed with a touch of seriousness and, strangely, anticipation. This skill was one all Abyssal Humans were born with. It allowed them to connect with the Abyss and summon creatures at the cost of their own strength. It was a last-ditch effort to defeat their opponent and be successful in summoning the Abyss.

The problem was that, once they were killed, the Abyss portal and everything summoned by them would instantly collapse and be struck down by Heaven. So, it was a double-edged sword that placed both sides into an all-or-nothing situation. 

However, Yasenia didn’t show any flusteredness. The Abyssal Human knew that with all Yasenia’s information about his race, she had to be aware of the skill’s effects. This was a skill that some Abyssal Humans didn’t dare use even until death. After all, they would become vulnerable for a long time, to the point that even mortal cultivators could kill them. ‘What is she planning?’

Even if he didn’t know, it was impossible to stop the skill. Without any answer to his question, the Abyssal Human’s body exploded with energy, blasting the space around him into pieces and breaching a tear in reality. 

Yasenia flew a few hundred kilometers beyond him as the breach opened. Interacting with it during the summoning was too dangerous, and she might get entangled in the spatial turbulence. If she were absorbed into the Abyss dimension, she would die regardless of how many life-saving items she had on her. 

Chen Jizhen frowned as he looked at them. “What is happening? How did someone at just the third level tear a hole in space?” 

Gao Yan mirrored his confusion. “Only those close to the Law Creator Realm are able to do something similar. However, the explosion was not that powerful. Is it using some kind of integrated law to open a spatial tear?” 

Mo Yun’s confused gaze suddenly transformed into one of fear and disgust as abominations began pouring in the thousands from the spatial tear. 

The 10 Sixth Realm Abyss cultivators by their side burst into wild laughter. “The Lord has opened a gate to the [Abyss]! That Dragon is done for! Hahaha!” 

The five human cultivators became somewhat worried, but they decided to place their trust in the calm dragon. They could see that her gaze was without ripples as her aura continued to burn with the same power and steadiness it did before.

The Abyssal Human looked around him and grinned. “It seems that my work until now wasn’t completely for nothing, Yasenia! Thanks to the remaining energy of the Abyss lingering in this place, I was able to summon over ten times the usual amount of [Abyss Horrors]! I want to see how you deal with over 20,000 [Abyssal Horrors] and 20 [Abyssal Cosmic Horrors]!”

All the 20 thousand Abyssal Horrors were at the peak of the mortal realms, while the 20 Abyssal Cosmic Horrors were all at the first level of the Transcendence Realm. Moreover, they were all boosted by the Abyssal Human’s [Abyss Corrupt Domain Level 2]. 

The Celestial Dragon looked at the mass of abominations in front of her with cold eyes. Her gargantuan body made their numbers look pathetic, as their size didn’t exceed 100 meters. 

“Abyssal Human.” Yasenia’s draconic voice echoed around, rippling with power coming from the depths of her soul. “If there is one thing I’ve never feared, it is group battles.” 

Feeling that something was wrong, the Abyssal Human showed a trace of unease. Still, he commanded loudly. “Devour her! Don’t leave anything behind!”

The thousands of Abyssal Horrors screeched, their voices sounding like someone scratching a piece of metal and gurgling in water at the same time. Even Mo Yun and the others winced at the cacophony of distorted screams. 

Yasenia’s aura solidified the second the other side charged at her. “[Empyrean Galaxy Domain].” 

The world shifted colors when her voice echoed. A phantom night sky covered the sky, and there, a gargantuan spiral galaxy 1,000 kilometers across, manifested. Inside the galaxy, hundreds of thousands of giant white stars glowed, illuminating the dark world with starlight.

Then, the Sun and Moon in Yasenia’s wings burst with brilliance and manifested within the night sky. Each of the Celestial Bodies was 20 kilometers across. While they were small compared with the galaxy, they dwarfed the individual stars in both size and strength. 

Yasenia’s regal voice echoed within her domain. 

“You dare to start a war with this Dragon Queen. That’s your arrogance.”

The [Tyrant Warlord Intent Domain] covered the battlefield, and Yasenia raised her claw. “I, who rule over War, am not someone you can challenge with numbers! [Empyrean Galaxy Domain: Sky Collapse]!”   

The thousands of [Abyssal Horrors] felt as if Yasenia’s massive soul locked their very existence. Her two dragon eyes, flowing with Celestial Energy, pinned them down through sheer pressure. Then, the galaxy in the sky detached and accelerated toward the ground.

The Abyssal Human’s face turned ugly, and he shouted, his voice distorting and losing human qualities. “[Abyssal Cosmic Horrors], protect them!” 

“They can’t.” 

With her words, the Sun and Moon transformed into ten beams each, locking onto the 20 Abyssal Cosmic Horrors and raining down like celestial judgment pillars of light.

BOOM!!!

The entire location shook as explosions covered the battlefield. Thousands of Abyssal Horrors were consumed by the stars, their bodies losing most of their forms and cratering down like rain. Those who were luckier and managed to survive were riddled with burns, leaving not one Abyssal Horror unharmed. 

Meanwhile, the twenty Abyssal Cosmic Horrors couldn’t resist the world-destroying power of the beams and were blasted down collectively while trying to resist. Half of them received severe burns, while the others felt as if their very souls were being frozen to death.

The previous delighted 10 Abyss Cultivators looked at everything and felt as if time had frozen. The giant dragon didn’t even move as she annihilated most of the army that appeared with one move.

This was not a normal mortal army. Each of the Abyssal Horrors was enhanced by the surroundings, allowing around 100 of them to keep a normal Level One Transcendence Cultivator busy. 

Even the ratio is one cultivator without a domain per 100 Abyssal Horrors, when 20,000 gathered, even a Level Two or Three Transcendence Cultivator would need to be careful. Then, the 20 Abyssal Cosmic Horrors had an even stronger combat power, acting as leaders of groups and organizing the battlefield for absolute advantage.

All of these creatures together would make a Level Four Transcendence Cultivator have a headache.

However, Yasenia’s current form, buffed beyond normal bounds by all her new powers, could cause both soul and body damage without effort. Each of her blows was enough to kill tens of these monsters. 

Looking at the damaged creatures, Yasenia’s lips arched into a disdainful sneer. “You are already like this after one attack? Then die, pathetic creatures. [Celestial Dragon Roar]!”

Her maw opened, and the air exploded together with her dragon cry.

ROAR!!!

The heavily damaged souls of the 20,020 creatures transferred all those wounds to their physical bodies. That moment when Yasenia roared, thousands of the remaining living monsters exploded in gory fireworks. The ones that had weak souls were killed without any resistance, while the rest howled in pain.

“[Celestial Dragon Breath].”

As the monsters screamed in pain, Yasenia’s maw opened once more and a beam of pure Celestial Energy impacted the ground where they fell. 

BOOM!!! 

An energy explosion razed the entire field, annihilating all the creatures that the Abyssal Human had summoned. Yasenia’s gaze focused on the Abyssal Human, and the monstrous being felt true fear from the bottom of his distorted heart for the first time. 

“W-What are you?”

Yasenia flapped her wings, activating [Pegasus Gallop]. “Your Death.” 

Her claw streaked across the sky and summoned a giant Celestial phantom, swallowing the weakened Abyssal Human and destroying him.