"Begone. I won't accept it."

Liu Shu was stumped. She looked in the distance at the relatively weak World Tree with confused eyes. "You…"

"I don't want to hear it. If you want my territory, destroy me."

Liu Shu was speechless. She had been going from one World Tree city to another, and for now, she had failed to convince any of them. All of them denied her words stubbornly, while some even decided to attack her.

This World Tree was the worst one yet, though. Before she even spoke, the World Tree had already attacked her. After there was no effect, she refused to accept her communication attempts until she forced her way inside.

After finally managing to make contact, Liu Shu was relieved and explained the situation.

The first thing she did was introduce herself and her objective. Yet, what she received was a refusal so blunt that Liu Shu didn't even know where to start.

'Begone? What is this World Tree even thinking to speak like that!? She is just a Level 61 World Tree!'

While Liu Shu thought, she noticed the World Tree stretching out and daring to attack her again! Liu Shu looked at the relatively weak roots of the World Tree, which struck her underground, and felt her mood worsening. She was already frustrated from her previous failures, but this was touching her nerves in the worst manner.

Liu Shu stated, her tone as if she was trying not to lash out. "You can't hurt me. Stop it."

"I know. But that doesn't mean that I can't try. Go away already. I will continue attacking you regardless."

Liu Shu's gaze was complex as she looked into the distance. "Why are you so…" She didn't even know what word to use to describe this World Tree.

"Why am I so what?" The World Tree asked plainly. "If you are not going to say anything, why start speaking? Just destroy me and be done with it."

Liu Shu spoke through gritted teeth. "...Infuriating."

Azure Rose was listening to Liu Shu and the World Tree, and she couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. "That… Sorry, Liu Shu. It seems that she doesn't really understand the difference in strength."

"I do." The World Tree answered. "But will the gracious Heavenly Willow force others to accept her? If she dares force us, the people of the world won't see her any differently than they did the Abyssal Void Nexus."

Liu Shu paused for a moment, waves rising in her heart. The Nexus has become a bit of a delicate spot, so touching it was not pleasant at all.

Azure Rose, who was now fairly tangled with our girl's roots, noticed the unpleasant feelings surging up. "Liu Shu, relax. You know perfectly well that's not true."

"... I know." Liu Shu spoke after a pause. "It's just… I've never killed a World Tree that was not corrupted. I hoped… I really did hope I'd never need to do something like that. Us, World Trees, are already so few that I feel uncomfortable each time one of us perishes."

The World Tree listened, confused. "What do you mean? Don't your roots cover the entirety of the Wild Continent and Abyssal Void Nexus Continent?"

Liu Shu didn't bother correcting the new names. She instead answered the vital part of the question. "I don't know if you are doing it on purpose. Nevertheless, as I explained in my world declaration, I am special. I have the ability to help all of you connect with each other and overcome your instinct to fight among yourselves. Under my domain, World Trees and Life Trees live together and help each other."

"That's a lie."

The World Tree didn't believe it and refuted it. How was it so easy to do something that even the System didn't allow? There were instances of World Trees attempting to merge their domains, yet the System consistently denied them.

Based solely on that fact, Liu Shu's words were easy to find unbelievable, even with all the evidence and living cases of such being the case.

Liu Shu felt choked, so Azure Rose spoke this time around. "Isn't Liu Shu inside my domain? Why are you refusing to believe it? You are not so close-minded as not to believe it when you are seeing it with your own eyes, right?" Azure Rose moved her roots, which were resting near Liu Shu's. "Look, these are my roots, and these are Liu Shu's."

"It's too good to be true."

The World Tree answered simply. She had not once lost her calm, answering as if it were a matter of course. It was as if her brain was blocked by something, unable to change, stubborn like an unbending piece of wood.

This made it even more infuriating for Liu Shu. Our World Tree felt as if her root veins were getting clogged, like eating something and having it stuck in your throat, unable to spit or swallow. She wanted to refute it, but what could she do when the other side just refused to believe?

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"I… I don't want to kill you, please. Stop resisting."

She could only beg at this point. Pushing back the feelings growing in her heart and the killing intent about to burst, Liu Shu begged. "D-Don't make me do something I'll regret."

"You won't kill me. As I said, it would be bad publicity if you did so. My citizens might get assimilated, but eventually, some of them who want revenge will appear. You are tied down because of the nature of intelligent creatures, who favor the weak and criticize the strong. Even if it isn't my people, it will be the people of another World Tree you killed. So, you are unable to do anything."

"..."

Azure Rose suddenly felt a change in Liu Shu's mood. As if the warmth that surrounded the roots seeped out of them, a chilling coldness replaced the previous comfortable sensation. When helplessness and frustration transformed, the new emotion fed on them and fogged one's rationality.

"You…" Liu Shu's voice was almost trembling. "How can you be so… so…!"

"Most of us know it, so give up." The World Tree ignored Liu Shu's tone, answering as if invisible chains bound the other side. "Naturally, there are some that Azure Rose and the others managed to convince, but they were never too bright to begin with. Those stupid World Trees are unable to see that if we resist together, we can maintain the status quo, as we've done for hundreds and thousands of years. So, go away, Heavenly Willow. There were three World Trees like you before you came, and none of them managed to achieve what you want to do."

The World Tree sneered. "You are not any different from us, Heavenly Willow. Eventually, as time passes, you will be like the rest. Your lovers, children, and your ideas will die."

Azure Rose suddenly felt her core jump. "You—!"

But it was too late.

Liu Shu saw red at that comment, and the frustration that had built up exploded with the force of an erupting volcano.

"YOU THOUGHTLESS BROKEN TREE!"

BOOM!!

The land exploded as Liu Shu literally flipped the landscape with her giant roots. Massive chunks of rock, larger than hills, soared hundreds of meters into the air as columns of dust reached to the sky.

Azure Rose and the other World Tree felt their minds short-circuit for a second when Liu Shu's anger struck them like a steel wall.

"IGNORANT AND UNDERDEVELOPED ASININE CREATURE! YOU ARE A SHAME TO THE NAME OF YOUR RACE! HOW DARE YOU CURSE MY FAMILY WHEN I AM TRYING MY BEST TO GATHER ALL OF YOU WITHOUT SHEDDING BLOOD!"

Azure Rose recovered from the shock and quickly tried to hold Liu Shu's roots from altering the continent's geography further. "L-Liu Shu! Stop! There will be people who might die from your fit! You must stop!"

Liu Shu's mind, seeing red for the first time in a long time, lost part of her reason. "DIE!? SO WHAT IF THEY DIE! IF I DON'T DEAL WITH THESE SAPLESS PIECES OF WOOD, THEY WILL LEAD EVERYONE INTO A PATH OF DESTRUCTION AND DEATH!"

The other World Tree, unable to understand where the sudden burst of emotions came from, felt as if the world itself was becoming her enemy. As Liu Shu's bloodlust enveloped everything, it felt as if the air she was breathing had turned into blood mist, with earthquakes rumbling through the earth. 'W-What is this strength!? Even Azure Rose's roots are being destroyed!'

"Tianlian Liu Shu! Stop at this instant!"

A scream boomed in her head, carrying a very ancient, gentle, but now stern aura. Liu Shu's roots froze in place. Sadly, the damage from the burst of emotions was already done.

As she stopped, some mountains on the side collapsed, unable to resist the damage Liu Shu had done, and the clouds of dust darkened the sky. Looking around, Liu Shu noticed that the terrain had been utterly destroyed.

[You've defeated many creatures far below your strength unfairly. You will lose 5,345,000 Experience Points.]

Liu Shu read that message, and her real eyes widened. "W-What have I done…?" Her mind reacted, and she shouted. "Life Trees! Lend me your healing powers!"

Healing energies surged through her roots, enveloping the place and trying to save the lives of the creatures on the land.

[You've defeated… You lost…]

[You've defeated… You lost…]

[You've defeated… You lost…]

…

Liu Shu's mood crumbled as some bled out and died over time. Regardless, as her mind rang, she anxiously tried to heal and move those who survived from the collapsed landmass. "Don't die… Don't die… I can use my strength to heal all of you, so don't die, please."

"…Shu."

Time passed quickly as Liu Shu's roots moved tirelessly and single-mindedly.

"More healing, more healing, please."

"...u Shu!"

Minutes turned into hours.

"I got you. You are safe… Is there anyone else? Where are the—"

"Little Sapling!"

"A-Ah!?" The World Tree finally reacted to Tree's voice, and she noticed that all large flora was tightly embracing her roots around her domain.

Tree spoke slowly. "Relax. Take a deep breath, love." Liu Shu followed Tree's soothing voice, her tangled mind reacting. "You've already saved as much as you can; there are no more creatures in the rubble. Check on everyone slowly, and don't lose your mind. We are here to help."

Azure Rose noticed Liu Shu's mood calming down, so she intervened. "I've sent the army to recover the people and monsters you've saved. You've done well, Liu Shu."

"..."

Liu Shu didn't speak and observed the flipped landscape. 'W-Why did I?' Her mind hurt. 'Why did I get provoked to such an extent?'

Liu Shu stared blankly at the sky as a message flashed in her eyes. "..."

[You've lost a total of 6,504,000 Experience Points.]

Tree spoke to Azure Rose and the others. "Let's delay taking over for a bit…" The Life Tree spoke lowly, her tone holding a hint of anger. "We'll talk about this later."

***

Author Note: A reader asked me about the ages and saw a few inconsistencies, so I went through the chapters with them, and I noticed that Liu Shu's age was wrong. Currently, Liu Shu is 50 years old on the dot, with a few months up or down, but well. The Sylvans are 16 years older than Liu Shu, while Dewna is 24 years younger than Liu Shu. This would align with Dewna's 18th birthday as well, so yeah, Liu Shu is already half a century old!

I've written it down on the Excel now instead of tracking it mentally, so I should never misremember her age again from now on! Sorry for the inconsistencies~ OwO.

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