Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Chapter 331. Searching For Clues.

 “Hm…” Liu Shu pondered as her roots spread into the Wall Forest. “So strange. Why is it so easy to move through it?”

She had started spreading here for seven days already, trying to find traces of a Life Tree to create the temple. However, neither she nor her subordinates had any luck. Still, compared to any other forest she had invaded in the past, the Wall Forest felt the most tame one. 

When she entered the first time, the trees of the forest were active enough to check on her with their senses. However, after a while, they actually didn’t provoke or hold her back, allowing her free range of movement as long as she didn’t attack anyone. It felt like all her preparations to send the accumulation of roots ended up being useless. 

Without real obstacles in her search, Liu Shu expanded into the Wall Forest with extreme swiftness even compared to other World Trees. 

Fortuna’s voice reached Liu Shu, her tone filled with wonder. “No wonder you reached me so quickly in the past. Look at your roots expand! If I am walking, you are advancing as if a bird had taken your pollen!”

Liu Shu giggled. “What kind of comparison is that? Wouldn’t ‘running’ be better.”

“Hm… We can’t really run, no?”@@novelbin@@

Liu Shu asked back, bewildered.. “... What about walking, then? Can you actually walk?”

Fortuna coughed and changed the subject. She had wanted to sound clever, but she ended up just being silly. “Anyway, how far do you intend on entering the Wall Forest? You already found a corrupt World Tree in the Dark Aether Swamp, right? What if you find another in the Wall Forest?”

“Hm…” Liu Shu muttered. “Well, it doesn’t matter much, no…? I mean, that corrupted World Tree didn’t become aggressive towards my presence at all. She even allowed most of my roots to retreat without damaging them.”

Fortuna nodded. “Right… Such a strange thing. I always thought that corrupt World Trees would be ultra-aggressive, and once they caught onto your scent, they would chase you like rabid beasts.”

Liu Shu also thought similarly. But there seemed to be something more to corrupt World Trees than it appeared on the surface. Regardless, Liu Shu didn’t focus on that. 

“I wonder if there are any Life Trees in the Wall Forest?” 

It was such an expansive forest that she felt it was rather improbable that it did not have any World Trees, Life Trees, or anything of that kind. Still, seven days after starting the search, our World Tree didn’t even feel traces of one, making her doubtful. 

Fortuna chuckled. “We are not even ten percent into the Wall Forest, why are you feeling so impatient?”

Liu Shu sighed. “I want to finish the temple before the next big fight happens. It will give us a very big advantage…”

The Temple Of Destiny was a structure that could change the fate of everything. The influence was not tangible, but the slight tilting of scales in a section where everyone is supposed to be rather equal would influence things severely in the long run. 

Fortuna pondered, and eventually, she asked. “So… Why did you not try to buy them from other powers? I guess that, while they are rare materials, some people might have it.”

Liu Shu paused and muttered. “Will someone really have Life Tree branches that they are ready to sell?”

Fortuna chuckled. “Don’t we have World Tree branches because we are World Tree cities? There are plenty of Life Tree Cities around the continent. You just need to find the correct one that you need. Moreover, you could enter the inter-provincial market, making your influence spread around much quicker.”

Liu Shu hummed interestingly. “Speaking of selling and buying things… When will this caravan with skills arrive here? Do you know?”

“Caravan with skills?” Fortuna was confused for a few moments before she remembered. “Ah! Those guys! Well… They might come back in a few years, decades, or perhaps tomorrow.”

Fortuna felt a prickly gaze looking at her main body, making her chuckle. Liu Shu’s silence spoke volumes. 

Fortuna clarified. “Don’t blame me. From what I know, their numbers are not many, and their means are mysterious. The frequency of their appearance is similarly spontaneous and often unpredictable. So, I couldn’t really tell you when they will appear again.”

With that in mind, Liu Shu decided to forget about them and only refocus on that problem when they appeared. According to Verena and other high-level powerhouses, learning high-tiered skills could help increase the power quite a lot. Still, they were warned that if it was possible to increase one low-level skill to higher tiers, the potency of that skill would be higher than those at the same level. 

To summarize, the difference was instant power with low potential for growth or accumulating power that made you weak at the beginning but powerful later down the line. Having a good balance of both was essential to weave through the complicated nets of the world. 

Regardless, Liu Shu was not interested in those skills. Her talents and passives were already very powerful and had great potential. If she was lacking something, it was a way to fight remotely with her roots. But other than that, Liu Shu didn’t feel lacking in any way.

After speaking with Fortuna for a little while, Liu Shu refocused on the exploration of the Wall Forest. ‘Hm… There are many more people traversing it than I expected.’ Having covered several hectares of terrain, finding explorers roaming the place was not difficult. She even found a few caravans and started to listen to them to learn about the culture. 

After a few days, she finally stumbled upon an interesting conversation. “I didn’t expect so many people to want to cross the Wall Forest around this area. Usually, most traffic happens further north or south.”

A man with decent leather armor commented, and his companion answered. “Well, boss. You’ve heard about the miraculousness of the new World Tree that has appeared in White Flower Province. The number of summoners that are migrating to that place is staggering.”

The caravan consisted of seven carriages and four wagons full of items. The number of people guarding the caravan approached 40, while the passengers they escorted reached around 25. After hearing the second man speak, a woman corrected them. “Hey! Don’t misremember the new name of the province. It is now Golden Sap Province.”

“Bah. What does it matter? It’s honestly quite arrogant to change the name of the province just because of a new World Tree. Aren’t they afraid of provoking those who felt significance in the name it previously had?” The man snorted. Then, he added. “Moreover, I prefer White Flower Province. It’s much more elegant.”

The boss shook his head. “We’ve crossed the majority of the forest and we are approaching, so stop speaking about these matters. Once we reach the edges, Lady Fortuna and Lady Liu Shu might have their roots spread far enough to listen to us.”

Another person muttered, his tone doubtful. “That can’t be, right? No matter how gutsy, Lady Fortuna and Lady Liu Shu shouldn’t dare mess with the massive Wall Forest.”

The boss sighed. “The army of Baron Lorbase thought the same. Now, look. Other powers have already overtaken his territory. Plus, all his followers scattered like squirrels do when their home tree falls, leaving nothing but land for others.”

Liu Shu hummed with interest. “So, that happened. That’s nice… Should I ask these people about Life Trees roaming around? The wolf beastkin they call boss looks quite reasonable.”

After pondering for a little while, she decided to make herself known. Her energy pulsed through her roots, and then, her presence manifested in the land as the weight of her gaze made their faces change colors. 

The boss reacted and started barking orders. 

“To your posts! A powerful enemy is approaching!”

“No one gets out of the carriages! Stay inside so that we can protect you!”

“Prepare defensive spells!”

“Prepare sound containing spells! We don’t want to attract the attention of other beasts!”

“Focus on protecting the carriages and use the wages as distractions if necessary. A life is more important than an <Arbor>!”

Liu Shu looked, and her gaze shone with admiration. ‘Oh! He is quite righteous!’ Seeing this caravan made Liu Shu remember that human caravan that came when she was little. From what she heard from Flor, it seemed that they had left the White Flower Province due to some matters and had yet to return. 

Snapping out of her thoughts, Liu Shu giggled aloud and spoke softly. “Don’t worry. I am not here to harm all of you. I just have a few doubts.”

For the caravan, it felt as if the forest around them had suddenly come to life and started speaking to them. The face of most people changed and the boss spoke cautiously. “Who goes there? Identify yourself!”

Liu Shu did as he asked. “I am Tianlian Liu Shu, the World Tree of Golden Sap City.”

Everyone’s eyes widened to the extremes, but the boss quickly reacted. A scowl appeared on his face as he shouted. “Lies! How could Lady Tianlian Liu Shu be here? This zone is more than 100 kilometers away from the Golden Sap City. Lady Tianlian Liu Shu’s roots should not be this far!” He then added, his face somewhat angered. “You have the galls to make yourself appear as a Sacred World Tree? If the superpowers knew, you’d be hunted down for this contempt toward the sacred tree!”

Liu Shu was surprised. ‘Wow! He is a really good person. Worrying that I am my own impersonator? Hm…’

“Then… How should I convince you that I am the real deal? Do you want to see my roots? They are quite peculiar, so you should know how to differentiate them from other trees, right?”

The boss of the caravan frowned, looking around with squinted eyes. A woman by his side whispered. “Boss, what should we do? The presence feels too all-encompassing. Even if they are impersonating Lady World Tree, their strength is too overbearing and we might be at risk if we don’t go along with their demands.”

The boss gritted his teeth, but suddenly, Liu Shu answered the woman. “I am not an impersonator~. Let me prove it to you! Give me a chance.”

This came as a shock for both of them. They didn’t expect the being to be able to listen to such a faint whisper. In their experience, only World Trees who had taken over a location could achieve such a feat. This simple action gave Liu Shu some credibility. Still, the man was cautious and mulled over Liu Shu’s offer. After a little while, he spoke. “I agree. If you are, as you claim, Lady Tianlian Liu Shu, then your roots should resemble hers. I won’t speak about how they look and their peculiarities, and I hope you also say nothing. Just show them to us with no tricks in between.”

Liu Shu smiled to herself and answered softly. “Understood.” 

They felt the earth rumble slightly, and then, the dirt cracked open as several dozen roots varying in thickness appeared around them. The boss looked with a startled expression as they rose. However, he didn’t lower his guard and focused his gaze on them. He remembered what he read about the books circulating about the World Tree. ‘Lady Tianlian Liu Shu has gorgeous and smooth roots with ethereal-looking blue-glowing veins. The roots emit a calming fragrance and purify the air and earth around them by just being. A wonderful treasure in nature no one has ever managed to get since all who tried have been slaughtered without mercy by the powerful, imposing, and sacred World tree.’

Once the sight of the roots entered their eyes, everyone confirmed what they thought was unthinkable. These were indeed Lady Tianlian Liu Shu’s roots. The boss murmured, his face wearing an incredulous expression. “Impossible…”