Chapter 926. Nexus’s Stance and Dangerous Presence.

Chapter 926: Chapter 926. Nexus’s Stance and Dangerous Presence.

The battle between Liu Shu and Balaya spread absolutely everywhere. Their month-long confrontation was no longer a battle between two small empires, but something grander.

Even Balaya’s battles against other <Third Ascension> World Trees didn’t get as much traction as this one. There were plenty of reasons, but two were especially clear.

First, Liu Shu wasn’t a <Third Ascension> being, yet she fought one to a standstill. It wasn’t a World Tree fighting a human or a Sylvan either. It was a confrontation between two powerful World Trees.

Second, Liu Shu had been in the mouths of the public a lot, and she even had some fans in Globular Star System Empires and other zones where news about her reached.

So when news arrived that Liu Shu not only fought but also ended in a stalemate against Balaya, everyone was astonished. Liu Shu’s feat was not something you could see even once every millennium.

In the Nexus, the leaders were gathered in one room with relaxed faces. Liu Shu’s strength was high, and until recently, they had been quite worried. Nevertheless, good news arrived lately.

Galaya, the half-dragon, glanced at Artos and smirked. "How many did you say?"

Artos commented with a serious look. "Around 10,000. It is a number that no one in this area can underestimate. Even the Globular Star System Empires will need to be careful of us."

Galaya nodded. "10,000 might not be enough for a frontal confrontation with those super empires. However, some of the more average Globular Star Cluster Empires, of which there are a few dozen, might fall right into our hands. We will be able to advance deeper into the galaxy through the Verdant Sanctity Covenant’s territory."

These two have been rivals for a long time, but when forces far beyond their current reach were about to arrive, they knew that they would soon fall to secondary leaders. Artos commented, a faint satisfaction in his calm voice. "I also heard that they sent a few experts who know true corruption, not the Darkness Aether Mana type we’ve been using."

Galaya snorted. "If that’s the case, World Trees are no longer our problem. What do you think they will do with us?"

Artos pondered. "Advisors for the leaders that are coming with the army. We know this zone much better than they do, after all. No matter what, our strengths are also decent enough to be among the top."

Galaya sighed. "It’s quite anticlimactic. Our battle for leadership ended futilely. Now we just have to sit back and wait. Once they arrive, we can go on the offensive."

Her dragon tail swished around, tapping the ground with some annoyance. So many years only for their supporters to say "no more" and put down their foot. "We should communicate with a few of the stronger Globular Star System Empires and become allies with them during this time. That way, we’ll hold even more weight in the new government."

Artos glanced at her and smiled faintly. "I’ve already sent the messages, don’t worry."

Galaya paused and then glared at him. "You are always like this, eh? Trying to get one over me all the time."

Artos let out a nasal breath, like laughter.

***

Liu Shu, meanwhile, was adapting to her new territory. In the end, after absorbing Deadly Petal and the Solar Systems in between, the total size of her Star System power was a little over 100 worlds.

If she wanted, Liu Shu could now complete her <Sylvan Quest>. However, there was a lot to do before clicking completion.

First, Liu Shu needed to dive into all the stars with her roots to get total control. She had already begun harvesting resources for <Eternity Of Stars>. Even if Liu Shu could dive into small to slightly below mid-sized stars, some of the giant stars nearby were far too powerful for her.

Moreover, resisting one star’s constant violence took some strain, not to mention 100. Therefore, <Eternity Of Stars> was a necessary Runic Array even for the future. It just gave her immense control over the stars she conquered, not to build it.

"Not to mention, if I manage to connect them and create its final form of what I designed, meaning an SS- Rank <Eternity Of Stars>, I might be able to draw some power from the stars."

She didn’t have the ability to finish it yet, but Liu Shu was sure she’d advance her knowledge of runes and arrays enough before she reached Level 400 to complete it at least once.

SS- Rank arrays were no joke. Even for someone of Liu Shu’s level, constructing one was a matter of both luck and incredibly profound mastery. For instance, her SS- Rank building daughters reached it because Liu Shu’s <Titles> and her skill can push <Tiers> of completed buildings up by one sub-tier, or even a whole major tier, depending on conditions.

Otherwise, Apothea, Stella, or even many of her Star Reaching Lignified Trees and the others would be much, much weaker. The name <Divine Tree Architect> was not for show!

Either way, her current priority was to take all 106 solar systems and unify them into one large entity. The terrain they covered spanned many light-years, and Stella had yet to create portals to the new ones. Her portal-creation rate was, depending on distance, between 2 and 10 years as of now.

’My Star Reaching starships are enough to guard these worlds, and my army is also growing by the day. Then, the space in between the stars needs to be taken care of as well... Also, Flor had something important to say?’

Leaving her subconscious to handle the tedious, methodical tasks, Liu Shu finally returned home for the first time in a long while. She had been conquering one side of their surroundings, then helping Dadly Petal, and at the same time, dealing with World Trees everywhere.

The number of times she had the exact same conversation with many stubborn World Trees was already in the hundreds. Thankfully, only very few besides Chestnut decided not to join.

Her aura, titles, and many other perks helped her convince most of them.

"Moommyyyyy~. I am fully back now! Oh!"

Flor blinked a few times and looked between the illusory form of Liu Shu in the middle of the city and the avatar sitting in front of her. Her lips arched in amusement. "Oh, I see. So you were not here until now."

As the memories of the Avatar’s recent few hours reached Liu Shu, she quickly coughed and spoke through it. "Ahem. Sorry, Mom. You know that I am not ignoring you or anything. It’s just that I am doing so many things..."

Flor laughed and fluttered over, sitting on Liu Shu’s shoulder and hugging her face into her bosom. Flor was tall enough to bury Liu Shu’s nose in her softness as she kissed the top of her forehead. "I know, I know. You don’t need to explain, love. Don’t feel awkward."

Liu Shu giggled and rubbed her nose against Flor’s chest. "Hehehe. I love you, Mommy."

Flor smiled gently and then sat by her side again. "So, what do you think?"

Liu Shu followed the same idea consciousness her Avatar was having. "Those <Astraelis> are most likely part of the <Hive>. To think they’ve already reached this far. Sarlos warned us about their means of transportation between stars, too. So, we need to be careful. What did those girls do?"

The girls Liu Shu referred to were her two Sylvan daughters that Flor sent to the frontline. They explored the area quite effectively and even managed to capture one of the weaker and smaller ones. Still, knowing that they couldn’t bring it back, the girls had to wait a few years in the middle of space until the reinforcements arrived.

Now, they had chained the massive <Astraelis> with the shape of a short-legged, lion whale. It had a gorgeous, icy mane around its head. It was a curious creature.

Flor was about to say that the results still had not reached them when Liu Shu closed her eyes for a moment. "...Let’s see."

Flor blinked and laughed. ’Right, unlike us, she can move between stars in a matter of moments.’

"Choriel, Ignira."

The two gorgeous Sylvans blinked and turned to look. Ignira, her hair jade-green and her eyes a gorgeous, sunset orange, smiled brightly. "Mom! Ah. I mean, Lady Heavenly Willow, Lieutenant Ignira Tianlian greets you!"

Choriel chuckled gently, her pleasant, harmonic voice and shifting hair colors inherited from Harmonixia herself. "Lieutenant Choriel greets you, Lady Heavenly Willow."

Liu Shu blinked and laughed. "At ease." Right after, her roots manifested and entangled her babies in a hug. "So, where is the report for Mommy to see?"

Choriel patted the roots with a helpless look, while Ignira giggled happily and hugged them back.

"Mom, let us go first. Otherwise we won’t be able to guide you."

Liu Shu couldn’t say that there was no need to guide her. However, to accompany them, she manifested a wooden avatar from her roots and walked beside them.

Grabbing their hands, Liu Shu asked about this and that. Both answered with happy smiles and recounted their tales as they explored and tracked the <Astraelis>. Unlike normal <Astraelis>, these ones acted much sneakier, and they even had skills that didn’t belong to their species group.

Most of these were stealth and regenerative skills.

"...In short. They parasitize them, and once the <Astraelis> arrives near a world, they die while precisely aiming toward a world. Even if that world stops the large corpse from crashing, some of the flesh falls onto the surface. The flesh is infested with small, resilient eggs that activate and take over local fauna and flora. It doesn’t take long before intelligent species become infected and the <Hive> takes over."

"Ruthless." Liu Shu picked up the papers, then opened her chest and shoved everything into the blue-glowing insides, closing right after. The "wooden avatar" was a mix of perfectly interlocked roots, so Wisdom worked through it perfectly.

Choriel and Ignira blinked twice and looked at their mother. Liu Shu tilted her head and nodded. "I’ve read it."

"...So envious."

Ignira pouted, and even Choriel looked slightly sulky. Liu Shu blinked her blue-glowing eyes, confused. "What are you envious about, love?"

"Mom! You even have the high branches to ask!? That skill of yours to eat information and digest it is absolutely unfair!"

Liu Shu’s lips twitched. "Love, your Mom can even manipulate time."

"I don’t care!" Ignira protested. "Isn’t eating information the same as manipulating time? All the time you should’ve wasted reading goes poof with a single gesture! It is much more impressive than your time abilities, Mom!"

Choriel supported her sister’s statements. "It is indeed more impressive."

Liu Shu laughed and hugged them both, giving them soft cheek kisses. "You are both so cute~. Here, some of Mommy’s milk as a reward for the job well done! If you need anything, call for Mommy whenever!"

And so, with a gesture, space twisted in front of both mature and beautiful sylvans, and a massive wooden jug, 2 liters in volume, fell into their hands.

Leaving two speechless daughters behind, Liu Shu returned to speak with Flor.