Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.
Chapter 429. Six Months and Lakeborn’s Discovery.

Liu Shu woke up half a year later. After all, the Tier Ups were to a higher <Tier> compared to before. She was an overall C- Tier World Tree, but now, after four Tier Ups, she was a B Tier World Tree, something quite up there in the global Tier scale for World Trees. 

After waking up, Liu Shu noticed the change in her senses and control. ‘Wow… I feel much more alive… Again.’ She chuckled and thought of why this happened. ‘Are the <Hidden Titles> related to them? Or did their seed unlock them because of a certain condition? I don’t understand why they are part of my <Hidden Titles> or needed to unlock them.’

She was quite confused. After all, in Liu Shu’s opinion, at least, her four lovers could’ve been anyone with enough incentive. ‘Well, not anyone. I wouldn’t change them for anyone. However… It is quite strange that so many coincidences are occurring, right?’

After her first time with Verdantia, she unlocked <Sprouts Of Chaos>; after her first time with Harmonixia, she unlocked <Songs Of Chaos>. While relation wouldn’t always correlate to causation, she felt that she was onto something. ‘Hm… should I do it with Cinderielle and Tempestria as well?’

However, when she thought of doing it just to see if they could unlock a <Title> for her, there was a hint of discomfort. ‘Making love shouldn’t be done with those ulterior motives. Even if they make me much stronger…’ Of course, Liu Shu was confident that her lovers wouldn’t say no to her if she asked. After all, they all loved her to quite an insane degree. 

Still, such an act was too intimate and pure to desecrate with ulterior motives. ‘Hm… Well, Cinderielle and Tempestria will eventually ask for it. I’ll just wait patiently.’

Putting those thoughts aside, she opened the eyes of her Avatar and looked down. Her lips arched delightedly. “Hehe~, my fertility is definitely SSS Class~.”

Liu Shu had, once again, a big stomach protruding out. “I am pregnant again! Hehehe~. So happy~.”

Her branches outside danced happily because she could give birth to another baby soon. When she moved, a frown etched on her face, the bounce of her breasts was somewhat painful. “Ah, right. They are swelling with milk because little Dewna is not here to empty them…”

She pondered, and soon, a vine came down from the ceiling. Looking at her own vine, she poked it with her finger, opening like a flower at the tip, dividing into four sides. Inside, there were a few soft suction cups. “Hm… I hope that those pouches I created can store the milk for later.”

The vines latched onto her and started sucking while she tapped her chin in thought. “Hm… What was I doing before I went to sleep? Ah, yeah, I was beginning to expand beyond the <Wall Forest>.”

Before she did so, a myriad voices reached her. “Liu Shu, are you awake?” 

Liu Shu looked at the origin and smiled. “Big Sister Lakeborn? What’s wrong?”

Lakeborn spoke softly. “We’ve spread quite a lot in the sea, and we’ve found a few intelligent races underwater. What should we do?”

Hearing her worries, our World Tree laughed faintly. “Well, do as you please. You can either take them under your protection, you can kill them so that they don’t give you trouble… Or you can ignore them and leave them for your people to deal with. How strong are they? Is there any Fourth Energy Cycle being?”

“Nothing like that.” Lakeborn commented. “They are quite numerous. However, their strongest combatants are Third Energy Cycle beings. We asked because they are somewhat peculiar.”

“Peculiar…?” Liu Shu moved her gaze and shared senses with Lakeborn. There, Liu Shu noticed a group of normal humans. Nothing like what she expected. They were all in an underwater city covered by a glass dome. This dome had a few tunnels that went up to the sea’s surface. There, Liu Shu observed a few large platforms where people came and went in large ships. 

She was somewhat confused. “Hm… Who are these people?” Her senses moved over, listening to the conversations of the people there. She didn’t find anything for a little while, until she finally caught one interesting conversation.

“When will the reinforcements arrive? We are here so far into the sea only to avoid that freakish World Tree.” 

“Who knows? The high (“People with influence”<- find the word please.) have been going ham on the territories of the Celestial Lotus Empire and Azure Rose Confederation. Once they conquer that side, we’ll probably be mobilized.”

“Sucks… Either way, did you go to the new brothel…”

Liu Shu stopped listening there and searched for another conversation. 

“Lady Evangeline is quite intelligent. Creating this offshore platform to avoid the World Tree’s sight and still be able to flank them is very creative.”

“Indeed. No matter how many times I see it, I am in awe. The Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind Aether Mana used to create this place is in the hundreds of thousands of cores in total. It’s quite an absurd place.”

Liu Shu paused. ‘Evangeline… That name is familiar…’ She searched her memories for a little while, and eventually she found it. ‘Ah. That's Jolie’s mother. Hm… She was part of the Nexus, right? So, this is a place for the nexus?’

Her eyes shone with curiosity. ‘Should I destroy it?’ However, she quickly denied that motion. ‘No… I will act as if I didn’t find it. Still, I’ll stretch my roots here and latch them at the base of the dome protecting the city. When time’s right… Hehe.’

With that in mind, Liu Shu spoke to Lakeborn. “Big Sister Lakeborn! This is quite a great discovery! Hehe. I’ll tell Flor to up your resource share for the next year!”

Lakeborn was somewhat surprised. “Is it? We appreciate your words, Liu Shu. By the way, did Liu Shu develop the underwater defensive structure?”

Liu Shu building a <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> in every surface city was widely known among the World Trees. However, that defensive structure was only good for land and air; underwater, it didn’t work. So, of all the World Trees, only Lakeborn’s city lacked such a city-wide, long-range, defensive structure. 

Still, our World Tree was working on ways to modify the structure for it to work underwater as well. She didn’t know how to do it yet. 

“I am still working on it, Lakeborn. I have no idea how to create something like it and make it work underwater.” Securing the surroundings of an underwater city was harder than one could imagine. 

Lakeborn answered, her tone curious. “Liu Shu wants to build a long-range attacking structure, right? However, projectiles underwater don’t work that well. Then, why don’t you use something similar to our nature but for long range?”

Liu Shu pondered. “Something similar to your nature?” Her mind started working and creating many ideas in her head. Eventually, there was a flash of inspiration. “Ah. I know! The projectiles just need to know how to steer themselves!”

Lakeborn was speechless. How could doing something like that be easy? Still, Liu Shu’s roots began moving around Lakeborn’s city, moving some sand. The people living in the underwater city freaked out for a moment before Lakeborn spoke.

“Don’t fret. Tianlian Liu Shu is helping us develop a defensive structure.”

The people calmed down and looked on curiously at what the World Tree above ground could be doing in their city. Some people even voiced their doubts. “Although I admire Lady Liu Shu, isn’t Lady Lakeborn much more suited to create underwater defensive measures?”

“There are already some, right? I don’t know why Lady Liu Shu feels the need to be involved with us. I think she should ignore the underwater domain.”

Lakeborn heard those words and felt somewhat uncomfortable. For her, Liu Shu was someone whom she owed a lot to. Not only did Liu Shu share her old Core with her, she managed to find her a place where she could stretch her roots in all directions with little to no resistance. Lakeborn’s current situation was like Heaven for a World Tree. 

Before she did something, Liu Shu’s roots gently coiled around her underwater vine-like roots. “Don’t worry, Lakeborn. Let them speak as they want. Actions speak louder than words. Once I create it, those who listened to him will be the first ones to bring it up and embarrass them for it.”

Lakeborn felt a soothing feeling when Liu Shu’s roots coiled around hers. She answered softly. “En. We understand.”

While working on that, Liu Shu finally focused on the outer side of the Wall Forest. ‘To make it not obvious that I’ve conquered the Wall Forest, I need to destroy a small part of it. My roots will then pass through that place and extend everywhere. Now, where do I plant this trap?’

She looked around and decided to open a path that led to the <Snow Lands>, otherwise known as <Savage Lands>. That place was quite a natural fortress. Forests surrounded the outer side while powerful World Trees guarded the land. If the Nexus decided on going through that opening, it would be like jumping into a fire pit. Even if they don’t burn alive, they will lose a few layers of their skin.

Her presence surged and then her Ternary Essences traveled through her complex root net to that area of the Wall Forest. Her powerful attributes allowed her to move the land, trees, and many other landscape-wide effects. 

The Snow Lands World Trees naturally noticed, and Snow asked as the representative. “Little Liu Shu, what are you doing?”

Liu Shu answered with a humming voice. “I am opening a path to the Azure Rose Confederation territory through the <Wall Forest>! They are right on the other side of the <Wall Forest> at the south. I’ll also open another path by our side to reach the central area, where the Celestial Lotus Empire’s territory resides. Once I open those two paths, the intelligent creatures can use them to create traps, ambushes, or whatever they want. Plus, since I control the <Wall Forest>, it won’t be as aggressive to all of you.”

Snow listened and moved her branches in thought. Her gorgeous white leaves made it look as if her canopy was a low-hanging cloud dancing under the wind’s whims. “I see. Will you send people to protect those entrances down here?”

Puzzled, Liu Shu spoke. “Of course! Big Sister Frost is quite near the Wall Forest, so her city makes for a perfect fortress!” Frost was another World Tree from the snow lands. Her city was down south and near the middle, making her position perfect for being the “destination” of the channel she was opening.

With that, she informed Flor and the others before starting “destroying” the <Wall Forest> so that her roots could pass through.