Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos

With the seemingly appearing nearby, Liu Shu told Zaros to return. Zaros had been stationed in Deadly Petal’s domain, in case Balaya went on the offensive.

After Liu Shu and Balaya fought, the Covenant moved significant forces to the front line between their empires to keep each other in check. Zaros also told Liu Shu something that surprised her.

"Danlier wants us to assimilate the Verdant Sanctity Covenant. Her main point is that we never, ever take a path that will put Balaya at risk of dying."

Liu Shu had no intention to kill Balaya either way. Still, Liu Shu was skeptical after hearing his words. "Can we even trust her? From the information we’ve collected, Danlier is Balaya’s shadow. I doubt she would ever betray her in this manner."

Zaros agreed. "We thought the same at first. However, these are the reasons we used to put a vote of confidence in her words."

Their conversation continued for a while longer, and Zaros presented a few printed documents for Liu Shu to devour, each with an exact transcript of their exchange during Balaya’s and Liu Shu’s fight.

"Hm... you took a while to inform me. It’s been a while since then.2"

Zaros had a reason. "We didn’t want to affect your future steps with this. We also didn’t agree with Danlier, leaving everything vague. We didn’t appear to reject her, though. You’ve seen the transcript and our conversation afterward in the documents, right?"

Liu Shu did, which is why she wasn’t displeased by his actions. Zaros had used his means properly and made sure to keep many details in mind. "Got it. Now that I know, some plans have to change."

First of all, their guard against the Verdant Sanctity Covenant could loosen up tremendously. Now, their biggest threat, without a shred of a doubt, was the Nexus. At least the biggest immediate threat.

"Alright. Zaros, start a slow war against the Nexus. Don’t be too aggressive, but push some fronts to create proper frontlines. Take out the Star Reaching starships for a ride from time to time, too. I’ll leave everything under your guidance."

Right now, the Golden Sap Empire has been much more aggressive against the Covenant than the Nexus, and that couldn’t continue to be the truth. Therefore, Liu Shu had to begin a slow expansion against the Nexus. If their powerhouses came to block them, Liu Shu had confidence she could stop them and let her people escape.

Balaya’s battle told her more or less the level of Level 300+ individuals.

"Tempestria, send appropriate generals to guard our domain’s edges. Also, create a few hunting groups that can help us catch any attempt by the ."

Finally, she spoke to Flor. "Flor, begin preparing to turtle down for at least 50 to 100 years. The are about to be completed, and knowing how long they’ve taken to evolve, the results will probably cause a lot of chaos. Also, fortify the governments in all Solar Systems and tell them to create local . I’ll move World Trees and Life Trees to help while taking part myself. We have to make sure we and create ."

Flor understood where Liu Shu was going. If they were compared to an ancient empire, their larger provinces were properly connected by long roads, but the "streets", meaning the interplanetary distances, were still lacking.

With those orders given, the entire Golden Sap Empire’s internal structure began moving like one giant breathing beast.

’Next... .’

Liu Shu took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ’I must create at least one for each cycle in each world.’

She lacked Legendary-and-above BOSS Monsters—only one Mythical and one Core Rank remained in her reserves. Nevertheless, Ultra Rare and Super Rare were far from lacking.

So, after a long time, Liu Shu connected with the and began creating everywhere, depending on the local environment. Her mind spun, and after she created the layout, and kicked into gear, helping Liu Shu tighten everything into a coherent, fluid whole on raw instinct.

It was like painting without a sketch and adding all the details with the first movements

The also began working overtime to keep up with Liu Shu’s monstrous creation speed. It wasn’t just creation.

If any existed in her domain, Liu Shu and the would swallow, modify, and re-release them. During this time, Liu Shu became incredibly silent.

Only her Avatar moved and interacted with her lovers and daughters, informing them of what she was doing. The tree daughters didn’t bother Liu Shu either because they could sense the ternary essences constantly moving within Liu Shu’s roots.

Even the I-CARE network grew a little quieter as everyone was infected by Liu Shu’s monstrous drive to improve themselves.

The of the Golden Sap Empire felt stretched thin. Every month or so, a new would appear, another one would suddenly close, and a they thought was lost would reopen... They were going crazy from the sudden surge in activity.

It was so bad that Arven, the leader of the Golden Sap Empire , had to call for help from the nearby main branch. He did so after consulting with Flor and Liu Shu and receiving their go-ahead.

When Arven stepped out to greet the arriving group, his usual calm expression almost shattered. "U-Um... L-Lord Quince... What might you be doing here?"

Quince was a tall, feline beastkin with a confident grin and a lean but gorgeously sculpted body. Several scars marred his arms and body, visible through his open fur clothes. His handsome features made him look both playful and dangerously charming. The women nearby couldn’t help but look, their cheeks faintly flushed.

The problem was that Arven knew this person because... he was a Level 375 powerhouse. Liu Shu spoke to Arven. "He comes from the main association branch."

Naturally, someone at his level could never reach Ceperet without Liu Shu’s direct approval. When Quince arrived, he used a contract that, as long as no threatening force attacked him, would prevent him from using his strength freely.

It was a basic contract the Explorer Association used to protect its Guild Masters, and it included several other complex clauses. Liu Shu read through them all and let Quince come over.

Not to mention, Ceperet was quite literally Liu Shu’s personal space. If Quince dared to do anything dangerous here, the one in trouble wouldn’t be Liu Shu, but Quince.

"Arven, Arven... I’ve been following your trajectory in the Golden Sap Empire for a while. Tsk, tsk, you’ve been truly lucky."

Arven smiled wryly. "Since Lord Quince is here, I am guessing that you will take over."

Quince shrugged. "That’s obvious. The people behind me are also not decoration. Still, don’t worry, I’ve reached a deal with Lady Heavenly Willow."

Arven was surprised, and Liu Shu’s voice reached them. "Lord Quince will become the Explorer Association Leader, substituting Lord Arven. Nevertheless, Lord Arven will remain Lord Quince’s personal secretary and second-in-command. Unless either side feels that this arrangement is deeply affecting the cooperation and functioning of the as a whole, it will continue indefinitely or until someone better legitimately substitutes either of you."

"...Or so she says."

Seeing Quince speak so nonchalantly, Arven had nothing to say. He was grateful, though. ’I had never expected to continue leading either way. There are already quite a few juniors who are catching up. So, I would’ve probably been substituted by someone in less than 50 years.’

Liu Shu spoke to Arven softly. "Arven, you’ve done a great job. However, the scale has become a touch too large. If you want to recover your position, you know what to do."

Arven, who had lived his whole life in the Golden Sap Empire, naturally knew what Liu Shu meant. He grinned and glanced at Quince, who looked confused. "Lord Quince, you will need to be careful. The Golden Sap Empire’s people are voracious... and I am a citizen as well."

Quince blinked, his vertical pupils looking at Arven with curiosity and amusement. "I don’t understand well, but I will take it into account."

Liu Shu spoke. "Alright. Since all of you have arrived in Ceperet, I shall bless you. You are a special guest, so I can’t really apply the same rules as to most people."

Quince laughed playfully. "Oh my. World Tree buffs! It’s been a while since I received a few. I hope there are not too many."

Arven looked at him, a trace of pity and amusement flashing in his eyes. ’This will be fun.’

Ding...! Ding...! Ding! Ding! DING! DING! DING!

Quince’s and his entourage behind him received Liu Shu blessings one after another. Their faces changed in an incredibly amusing way as their stats crazily skyrocketed.

Comprehension, ternary essence... everything surged inside them as if they were about to explode from the overflowing strength flowing through their veins. Quince’s playful smile vanished, his vertical pupils widening as he quickly read through the detailed descriptions of each of them.

"What... is this?"

Arven gently opened his arms. "Welcome to the Golden Sap Empire, Lord Quince. Now, shall we apply for the blessings you want from local World Trees and Life Trees? There might be some that suit you. Oh, there are also some fruits that you can apply for with benefits, but you’ll need to work for that. Let me guide you and explain everything slowly."

Quince walked behind Arven with a stupefied face. ’T-There are more than these!?’

Liu Shu glanced at Quince with interest. ’Level 375... Although he won’t really participate in wars, at least for now, he is a resource I can slowly win over. Hehe.’

The rest of Quince’s entourage were also incredibly powerful. There were over 1,000 Level 299 individuals, and around 5,000 more Level 200+ individuals. All of them were distinguished Explorers who would spread throughout Liu Shu’s domain to take control of the Explorer Association.

Of course, just because they arrived didn’t mean they would take leadership. Unlike Quince, who was a super-powerhouse that Arven couldn’t compare to, the others were not that special in Liu Shu’s domain.

So, they would need to prove that they had what it took to take over. ’You are now in my Golden Sap Empire, so you will participate under my rules. Hehehe. Let’s see if you take over, or if my people devour you.’

Liu Shu loved it when foreign merchants or groups arrived, thinking they could easily devour certain sectors, only to run into Golden Sap Empire citizens and experts who HAD TO adapt to the ridiculously swift changes Liu Shu had brought about over the years.

Competing within the Golden Sap Empire for the highest positions was, without a doubt, an incredibly challenging endeavor. After all, your competition was everyone.