Chapter 910. Ripples in the Galaxy.

Chapter 910: Chapter 910. Ripples in the Galaxy.

News of Liu Shu’s advance spread rather quickly. While it was normal for World Trees to conquer a Solar System here and there from time to time, Liu Shu’s advance was unstoppable. For Liu Shu, it had been around fifteen years since she started expanding, but for the rest of the people, only five years had gone by.

And yet, in that time, Liu Shu spread to over 30 nearby Solar Systems.

That was not expansion. It felt as if Liu Shu had found a cheat in the system and was abusing it to get an unfair advantage.

What was worse was that, usually, when such forceful conquest of so many Solar Systems happened in quick succession, riots and other situations that worked against them in terms of both administration and culture would cause tons of trouble. After conquering a Solar System, you usually needed a few years to digest it, unless you were a massive superpower like a Globular Star Cluster.

Strangely, whenever Liu Shu conquered a new place, forget riots, people welcomed her quite eagerly.

This was part of Liu Shu’s tactic when spreading her situation with the Covenant. Because of her conflict, many powers had researched her and stumbled upon Liu Shu’s list of blessings.

The previous territory of the Nexus was a zone people looked into with tons of interest because, usually, an anti-World Tree society would cause endless trouble when absorbed by a World Tree.

When they investigated, expecting riots, city paralysis, and many other problems, they encountered the polar opposite. The 11 or so worlds from the two Solar Systems had adapted to the point that they looked unrecognizable.

Forests previously restricted to the wild areas had grown in a controlled manner.

Lignified Trees had substituted for around 60% of the structures, creating massive forest cities.

The people worked with pleasant smiles all around, and those who had been following Liu Shu’s laws were now blessed by her and doing incredibly well in life.

If you deeply searched in the privileged zones where some individuals had lost many of their advantages, you could find individuals who were unhappy and dissatisfied here and there. Otherwise, it was almost impossible.

Health, lifespan, talent, comprehension, education, affordable pricing, affordable living, reduced overall taxes, basically free healthcare, healthy children, increased fertility, increased overall beauty thanks to new healthy habits, massively reduced crime rates... and the list went on.

The new citizens all realized that living within Liu Shu’s sphere of influence was not something to be bothered about, and it showed. Even online posts spoke positively about Liu Shu. Only a few tried to write sensationalist posts or rile up the crowd and spoke strongly against her.

Having found a way to succeed in conquering thanks to those Nexus Solar Systems acting as her experimental ground, Liu Shu applied almost identical conditions to every newly conquered Solar System.

The five-year adaptation period, followed by new blessings every few years and gradual improvements in everyday life, worked tremendously well.

What became public knowledge after a while was something the Covenant and Nexus allowed to slip so that more eyes would look Liu Shu’s way, and not the kind type.

"The Heavenly Willow’s domain has time-altering properties. Time flows rapidly within the Golden Sap Empire domain, from two to three times faster."

Liu Shu was not flustered when they uncovered it. Instead, Liu Shu took their reveal and pushed it even further, making her <Title> completely public.

***

<Source of Time>: You are the root from which time itself flows, a sapling that touches every moment at once.

Time-based skills cost 10% less to activate and upgrade.Domain effect: You can speed or slow the passage of time within your territory by up to 200%.Allies’ cooldowns are reduced by 15%. Enemy cooldowns within your domain are increased by 15%.+10% Stats.

***

Once it was revealed, every single power looked her way. Globular Star Cluster Empires, other Star System Empires, Sects, Merchants...

This was the first time anyone had publicly revealed they could control time, even if only in a limited way.

Sarlos, who had been checking on recent news, burst into laughter when he saw that title. ’It seems that my forwardness back then has been one of my better decisions.’

Of course, his connection with Liu Shu was quickly dug up as well, and soon, Sarlos received a message from the ruling group of the <Shattered Ring>. If one were to summarize, it would read: "Is that real? Come and explain."

Sarlos, of course, answered positively and prepared to leave. Either way, the Lignified Cities were still growing and being tended to by Liu Shu’s delegation. So, the benefits of living there had yet to materialize. ’By the time I return, those trees might have matured enough.’

***

In the Covenant, Danlier looked at the report with a twitching face. She had already guessed it, but having confirmation of what they had feared was... not a welcome event. If some big shot took a fancy to Liu Shu and decided to become her supporter, the Covenant would be unable to touch Liu Shu anymore.

’...We won’t be able to touch her?’

Danlier paused here, a thoughtful look flashing in her intelligent eyes.

’That might not be a bad thing.’

Moreover, this was the most dubious piece of information. Once this one was confirmed, all else that the Verdant Elder explained to them would become much more credible. Danlier leaned on her chair, looking at the ongoing battlefield against the Nexus.

’If Lady Heavenly Willow absorbed us... Balaya wouldn’t really need to be sacrificed. After all, Lady Heavenly Willow accepts other World Trees at a level no other World Tree does.’

Her gaze on the plans to uproot Deadly Petal caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. "I should delay this as much as I can. I just hope Balaya doesn’t take matters into her own roots. Stopping her once she decides on something is impossible."

***

The Nexus’s leadership looked at the pouring information, and Artos opened his mouth. "We must send a message to the central power."

Artos admitted that Liu Shu had escaped their level. She was becoming not a new power, but a movement.

A World Tree that gave endless blessings.

A World Tree that allowed other World Trees into her domain.

A World Tree that managed to fully naturalize the Nexus’s Solar Systems.

A World Tree that controlled time to a certain extent.

Too big. In the blink of an eye, Liu Shu had grown to a level and size that Artos himself had started to be wary of. He, of course, didn’t think that Liu Shu had the strength to face off against <Third Ascension> powerhouses. However, he had received news that Liu Shu had connections with the <Shattered Ring>, a powerful Globular Star Cluster superpower.

"Contact the <Umbral Imperium> and <Crimson Dominion> as well. Also, tell Galaya to stop being a pain in the ass and focus. It is not time to fight for legitimacy or positions. Tell her I want to meet her in person."

As he was leaving, he added. "Finally, stop the war against the Covenant. We need to deal with the Heavenly Willow before her roots catch up to our ankles."

***

Liu Shu threw the entire galactic sector into complete disarray with one revelation. This revelation didn’t just stop at her current area, though.

An obscure power somewhere in the central galaxy: "...Useless. Even when he is in such a desolate place, he managed to let a World Tree that controls time develop? Useless man and woman. Send a group. Although we can’t send <Fourth Ascension> powerhouses, send a group of 10,000 <Hollow Star Monarchs> and push the Abyssal Void Nexus to become a <Globluar Star Cluster Empire>, at least."

<Explorer Association> headquarters: "Time...? Dungeons with stretched time... Ho~. Quite an interesting little one has appeared in a corner of our Galaxy. Send some of our explorers. Also, keep communications with the local branch. There are quite a few interesting little places over there, aren’t there? Hehe. My adventurous soul is about to awaken!"

<Seekers Of True Essence Merchants>: "Time skills... If we can buy some from her, we will be able to make a massive profit. Who is nearby? Flamar and Leafara? Let’s see their reports... Wow. Why didn’t anyone tell me that there is a place with such peculiar skills? Send them! Send them! So what if they are not a Nebula Class Empire? Do you think this type of everyday skill can be earned anywhere? Send them to settle permanently. If they are not enough, send another group!"

Central Galaxy’s Core area, inside a magnificent palace the size of an entire world:

"...I can’t see." A woman spoke, her voice ethereal, yet surprised.

"...I can’t see." A man, sitting near her, repeated, solemn yet confused.

"A being of such caliber is hiding in the corner of the Galaxy?"

The woman shook her head. "It’s not a forceful blockage... It is a natural one. As if reading or even glimpsing her future is impossible."

The man spoke thoughtfully. "Powerful... she is not. I heard she is only at the <Second Ascension>."

"I see. Let’s wait and see for now. What about the disaster?"

The woman sighed. "Unstoppable. A chaos calamity beyond our galaxy’s capabilities is moving our way. Nothing can stop it, and nothing will stop it."

The man shook his head as well. "Too weak. Everyone is too weak in comparison. We are living on borrowed time."

The man in ruler clothes who had been speaking to the two ethereal individuals sighed deeply. "Not even a <Fifth Ascension> powerhouse can stop it... We are doomed."

***

Liu Shu had expected to cause some ripples, but she had never dreamed that her presence not only became deeply etched in her current Galactic Sector, but also in the most powerful powers in the entire Galaxy.

For now, though, almost everyone was taking a wait-and-see approach. Near Liu Shu, a disaster was growing and being held back by the Globular Star System powers, but that disaster could wipe Liu Shu out of the equation.

Therefore, only stealthy undercurrents flowed toward the Golden Sap Empire... for the most part.

Still, Liu Shu didn’t care about it. Even if she knew, there was nothing she could do. Therefore, she focused on what she needed to do. ’Take over more Solar Systems. Expand quickly. Level Up. Develop Technology.’

After Apricot and Xara joined, Liu Shu’s focus went entirely into absorbing all of Xakira’s and the other two’s empires. In total, the Solar Systems Liu Shu had planned to take over were around 52, and she had already taken over over 30 of them. So, she was advancing at a terrifying pace.

’Once I get these, I must focus on reinforcing everything once more.’

If there was a saving grace, it was that, because many worlds were below Level 100, the number of World Trees she met increased rapidly. The new World Trees and Life Trees didn’t join straightforwardly to her <Faith> acquisition, but they did provide Liu Shu with a large supply of <Temple Seeds> and <Soulseeds>. How many, you ask?

Liu Shu’s total seeds soared to the point that she had almost reached a total of 1,000 of them.