To say that there was a battle after Liu Shu awakened the city was an overstatement. It ended almost as soon as it began. The <Lignified> species, being Liu Shu's children, had offensive skills similar to Liu Shu's. They were able to manipulate different Aether Mana or use their branches as weapons across long distances.

Moreover, Tree and Aurelise weren't too far and involved themselves as well. The sky was instantly covered with several skills that shot to the sky, swallowing most of the <Fourth Energy Cycles>.

Liu Shu observed this with calmness. She knew where these people came from, what their objective was, and the reason for such a nonsensical action. 'I've been slowly discussing the assimilation process with Skyflower and the others, and the talks are going well. However, it seems that there are many who are not comfortable. These people used their connections and tried to infiltrate.'

She knew that they had decided to fight on the Flower Day Festival because civilians and children gathered nearby. If she were to attack recklessly, accidentally killing these people along with the enemies, it could cause backlash. The people who formed part of the new alliance, who were left at home, would then spread what happened and label her as evil.

It was both a sacrifice and a scheme for her to be unable to dominate the world through dialogue. In short, they wanted to force Skyflower and the rest to fight Liu Shu.

'Well… Their scheme is interesting, but they just don't understand me at a fundamental level. What they know is that I am capable of large-scale destruction attacks. They don't think that I can make subtle and controlled attacks.'

It was a bit ridiculous, in Liu Shu's opinion. However, what else could they do when others at their level accepted her? Only one last attempt, even if it was suicidal, to bring her down would satisfy these people's ambitions and egos. People like them would rather govern over the ashes of a burnt kingdom than relinquish their power so that the country can reach new heights.

After the explosion, Liu Shu saw around fifteen of them appear from the cloud, heavily injured, and rush toward her with crazed expressions. "TIANLIAN LIU SHU!"

Liu Shu sighed. "Senseless struggles because you are unable to accept change. Now, rest."

With her words, her Phoer surged inside her body.

Before the fifteen people could reach her, Liu Shu lashed with exactly fifteen branches. These branches extended, slashing through the air with both ridiculous speed and precision.

Those below could only see a blur as the giant branches struck the fifteen bodies simultaneously. The impact lasted for a fraction of a second, but those at high levels somehow felt the time stop as the branch deformed the bodies of the <Fourth Energy Cycles>.

Then, the raw, monstrous force behind the World Tree's strikes exploded and transformed into a numerical, blood-red value.

BOOM!

[-614,560,000]!

Over 350,000 <Physique> struck them, exploding in the form of over 6,000 <Phoer Cores> of damage. Their bones, muscles, and internal organs were like a mature fruit being struck by a wooden bat. Squished, broken, and eventually, exploding out.

[Congratulations! You've defeated <Level 89 Ceperet Human (B+ Rank)>. You've earned 5,391 Experience Points.]

[Congratulations! You've defeated <Level 86 Lightning Catkin (A- Rank)>. You've earned 6,202 Experience Points.]

[Congratulations! You've defeated…

…

[You've earned a total of 103,030 Experience Points.]

After the loud shockwaves from the impacts, the world was silent. Fifteen people whom the citizens of Ceperet considered "peak powerhouses" disappeared just like that. A single strike from the Heavenly Willow sent them to the afterlife.

Ignatia tilted her head and muttered. "I thought I could participate a bit… It seems that even I underestimate my baby."

Flor stayed silent. She was thinking the same. When the group decided to let this group grow, she was somewhat scared that they might grow too powerful and be able to hurt Liu Shu. Nevertheless, today, Flor learned that her precious baby had gained strength beyond her comprehension.

It was not like she didn't know that Liu Shu was powerful. After all, a single World Tree alone was enough to bring down an entire continent. However, seeing and knowing were two different things.

Liu Shu looked at everyone gathered and spoke gently. "The threat is gone. Continue with the festivities. Don't worry, this time, nothing else will happen."

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Then, they saw the World Tree look away and close her eyes, looking relaxed and calm like before.

Everyone swallowed to wet their dry throats, while the children felt awe surge from the bottom of their hearts.

Dewna and the others were all starry-eyed, looking at their mother with worshipful gazes.

A young Alraune muttered, her cheeks red with excitement. "Mother is so strong…!"

Eluan snorted, his gaze somewhat disdainful. "Did those people think they could cause a ruckus in front of Mother? People overestimate themselves too much!"

Harmonixia smiled, amused. "Weren't you worried and gripping my hand tightly when they appeared?"

Eluan's handsome face flushed with a hint of red. "Y-You are misremembering, Mother."

With the threat cleared, the festivities continued without interruptions. Flor and Ignatia finished their speech, and then some locations to play around with children opened. It was around ten in the morning, so there were two hours left until the flowers bloomed.

Thanks to everyone being from a relatively noble standing, you could say that everyone was at the same level. So, knowing that you might find a big shot if you weren't careful, everyone was respectful and welcoming.

Of course, there were some second-generation and third-generation spoiled brats here and there. Nevertheless, they were quickly smacked down by their guardians before any problem arose.

Particularly, in front of Dewna or anyone related to Liu Shu, no one dared say a word or show a hint of arrogance. The impactful image of fifteen <Fourth Energy Cycles> popping out of existence was vividly burned in their brains.

Time flew by, and noon arrived quickly. Everyone gathered in the garden where the flowers were planted.

The garden was large, and each child had around 3 square meters free for their flowers. Between the sections, there was a meter of space, allowing you to walk without any problems. This allowed for enough free movement for everyone to stay near their flowers.

To know whose flower was each, they use signs with the child's name.

Dewna was looking intently at the flower, slowly raising its head. "Little Dew, it's time to shine brightly! Shine the brightest!"

The signs that named whose flower it was were not simple. Mariane helped in creating a tool to measure brightness. The numbers ranged from 0 to 10,000, allowing for more accurate judgment, with 10,000 being bright enough to cause eye strain.

Soon, the entire garden was illuminated by a wave of light. While each flower individually didn't produce much light, together, they created a wave that made everyone shimmer in different colors.

The color of each flower was different, so when they bloomed together, it was like standing in the middle of a rainbow. Colors flew everywhere, illuminating the day.

Those participating for the first time exclaimed at the beauty of the spectacle beyond their expectations. Dewna was clenching her fists, looking excitedly as her Little Dew opened wide and exploded with gorgeous brilliance.

Verdantia, standing behind Dewna, showed a hint of surprise. 'Oh wow. The little girl put real effort into growing Little Dew.'

Her gaze moved toward the value, and she read it aloud, her tone full of pride. "7,560! That's incredible, Dewna!"

Dewna puffed her ample chest, showing a wide smile. "Great job, Little Dew!"

For reference, the current record holder managed to make their flower bloom with a brightness of 8,141, so Dewna's achievement was among the top 5%.

She looked sideways and spoke to Eluan with a loud and proud tone. "Hehe. Little brother, my Little Dew is blooming with 7,560 radiance! What about yours? Don't be shy and tell me, hehehe."

Eluan looked at Dewna and sighed once with a faint smile. "Congratulations, Big Sister. You've won by 21 Radiance."

Dewna's proud face froze for a moment. "O-Only 21?" She moved with her thick, thorny vines and looked at Eluan's signal. It was easy to see the 7,539 number in the display.

Her face was complex, but soon, she snorted. "Even if it were just one point, I won! So, I am the best! You lose this year, Eluan. Hmph!"

The other years she lost it by over 300 points, so this didn't feel like a true victory. But she was satisfied. Harmonixia patted Dewna's soft hair with a smile. "Great job, Dewna. You've shown this cheeky boy."

"Hehe." Dewna's smile widened with the pats. "Thank you, Aunty Harmonixia!"

Around the place, you could see many different reactions. For those who scored over 3,000, it was an okay score. Normally, <Midyear Flowers> bloomed with a luminosity of around 2,500. So, surpassing that by 20% was quite a decent result.

For everyone who scored less than the natural brightness of the <Midyear Flower>, they would be somewhat looked down upon. But, as long as the score was over 2,000, it could pass as a barely passable mark.

Anyone below 2,000, though… You only had to look at their parents' faces to know that it was a really bad score. A real scolding was waiting back at home.

After the blooming, all the children stepped forward and moved to uproot the flowers. The movements were careful, trying to avoid hurting the roots. They had been taught, and they needed to do it by themselves.

Some were clumsier than others, hurting more or less of their roots.

In this regard, Sylvans and other plant species had an advantage because they could easily sense the roots underground with their inborn senses.

It took around half an hour for every participant to transplant the flowers into a new pot to take home. Later, a group of teachers and botanists would come to renew the dirt to prepare for the new year's Flower Seeding ceremony, to prepare for next year's Flower Day Festival.

While walking home, Dewna looked at Little Dew. The plant was slowly losing brightness, and by the end of the day, it would close entirely. Of course, she was thinking of planting Little Dew in her room together with the other <Midyear Flowers> she had grown in the past. These flowers had a lifespan of five years, so it was not a bother getting them.

Verdantia looked at Dewna's smiling face and then observed the rest of her children. 'Ah… Such a fulfilling time. I hope it can last forever.'

With that, all mothers and children returned, while Liu Shu started her serious expansion. 'The day the <Dungeon> opens is the day I start entering the domains of all the <Fourth Energy Cycle> World Trees.'

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