Chương 802: Heavenly Willow's Summons.

As Liu Shu awakened, her entire domain came to a momentary halt. Her new presence, combined with her new species and new skills, caused her to become a divine existence. This time, it was not an exaggerated label, as she had gained the ability to receive and store <Faith> among many other powerful buffs that increased her influence within her domain.

Her height, having reached 3, 000, 000 meters or 3, 000 kilometers at Level 200, towered far above the surface, matching the size of the Moon and even faintly surpassing it. Looking from space, it looked a bit odd. Ceperet had a rather large tree sticking out from the side, giving it a peculiar look. It looked both horrifying and somewhat funny. Liu Shu didn't care much, though.

As her eyes awakened, she scanned all worlds with her powerful mind, and she quickly found out about most things that happened during her eight-year rest. Seeing what Seraphina and Obsidianis did with Xakira, she felt somewhat grateful but also a bit helpless. She didn't think that the Verdant Elder or anyone else would be stupid enough to do anything after the punishment she delivered.

If they had dared to mess with her <Ascension>, the result would've been gaining a mortal enemy out of a potential ally or neutral force. The Covenant envoys were not stupid, as that singular outlier didn't really define the whole group.

'Speaking of that, I guess that the punishment should be lifted already. While I won't return the starships, everything else can return to normal. Moreover… this is a good chance to meet the envoys face to face.' Now that she had reached Level 200 and her stats had all grown to over 10 million without buffs, Liu Shu's confidence was boundless. With her current strength, Liu Shu felt that she would've been able to push back Rhazor's entire army and reinforcements all by herself.

"Gather." Her voice boomed around the place, and before the envoys or her lovers and other government officials could react, their bodies were swallowed by spatial fissures and transported into Liu Shu's <Realm>. She placed them quite far away so that they could look at her entire body, but not so far that they would be unable to feel her massive body. Once they appeared, everyone got combat-ready; being forcefully moved was not a pleasant experience.

Yet, the moment they arrived, all their battle will was immediately crushed. In front of them, the Heavenly Willow stood tall, her glowing green eyes glancing down at them indifferently. The pressure around her was such that, even when they were in the void, a sense of asphyxiation clung to them, as if the space around them was being constricted around their bodies.

The divine entity's body was covered in a gorgeous dress made out of her flowery hair, giving the being a sense of beauty, like a goddess who had used nature itself to cover her perfect figure. The six Sylvans looked, their pupils dilated, as they almost began drooling. For them, forget fear, they were currently feeling so aroused that their pants and skirts were about to show an unsightly bulge! Flor and Ignatia glanced at their daughter, softly exclaiming in awe. Their baby had truly grown magnificently.

Even without words, the entire place had been seized by her presence. Xakira glanced at Liu Shu, and a moment later, her lips twitched.

'... Why do I feel as if she can swat me to death with a single root strike? How strong has she become!?' For the Verdant Elder, Liu Shu's current presence was truly… jarring. He was a loyal person, so he had never thought of feeling reverence for other World Trees besides the Covenant's main world Tree. And yet, the moment he laid eyes on Liu Shu, an urge to bow down and praise her overflowed to the point that he almost acted out of impulse. Thankfully, he managed to hold it in, but others were not so steadfast.

Around the Verdant Elder, over 80% of the envoys fell into a kneeling position, even though they were in the void of Liu Shu's <Realm>.

"Envoys of the Covenant, it seems that it is the first time we meet like this. Welcome to my domain." Liu Shu's voice was not loud, but it carried such strength that those below Level 175 had their systems dinging that they were suffering points of damage. The damage was measured in shards, so it healed right away. Yet, it spoke volumes about the magnitude of Liu Shu's existence. She was already a being whom people below the <First Ascension> could not meet directly.

The Verdant Elder swallowed stealthily, trying to calm his wildly palpitating heart. He bowed courteously and spoke cautiously. After all, he didn't know why the World Tree had dragged them here.

"It is our honor to stand before the Heavenly Willow's true form. Your existence is like a star at the depths of the cosmos." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Liu Shu glanced at him and spoke, her tone gentle but without losing strength.

"It has been long, and while I couldn't attend to you because of my personal matters, I believe that the punishment I applied is sufficient. From now on, your living conditions will return to normal. Beyond that… I will give you a chance to have my blessings." The Verdant Elder was surprised, yet also fearful. Liu Shu, who had been secretive and also cautious, was now smashing her hand onto the table and smiling at him.

This was akin to a provocation full of confidence, as if she had already gained enough time for what she had been preparing for.

'How long has it been?' Since the envoys arrived, not longer than 16 years had passed. It was neither a long nor short time. However, the World Tree, which the Verdant Elder couldn't feel much threat from, was now standing in front of him with an indifferent look. Moreover, the strength her body constantly radiated was such that the Verdant Elder could only shrink away from it. Now, their envoy party, which was already at a bit of a disadvantage, had fallen into nothingness.

Envoys usually had both strength and political leverage, so they could discuss matters on equal footing. Now, the Verdant Elder had nothing much. Liu Shu's blessings were about to be revealed, so they could not be used as leverage anymore. The only thing the Verdant Elder could offer from now on was benefits.

'If it weren't because that madman…' The person who brainwashed that child… The Verdant Elder, for the first time, resented him. Because of him, the groundwork he had been slowly building was instantly crushed by an "angry" World Tree. Regardless of Liu Shu's true feelings back then, it was true that it became an excuse for Liu Shu to suppress them for almost ten years straight. In summary, the Verdant Elder was pressured to the point of suffocation.

As the Verdant Elder was hesitating on how to answer Liu Shu's confident declaration that she would offer her buffs, some people crawled forward and spoke loudly.

"Lady Heavenly Willow, this one wishes to receive your buffs." Almost everyone's gaze snapped over, but while he was the first… he was not the last. A few Sylvans also moved forward, while some beastkins similarly felt Liu Shu's weight and couldn't resist. The archbishop behind the Verdant Elder became furious, wanting to shout at them. Yet, the second she was about to, her surroundings solidified. A sense of dread surged within her heart, and when she glanced at Liu Shu, she saw the giant being glancing at her.

Those profound, glowing green eyes only glanced momentarily, yet her throat could no longer utter a single word. The archbishop could only swallow everything and lower her face, her body trembling in sheer dread.

'I thought I would die.' Liu Shu's gaze was intense to that degree. That second, it felt as if Liu Shu had taken control of her surroundings, and to an extent, she had. While her natural presence was currently horrifyingly strong, her glances felt so weighty because she was subtly manipulating the <Pressure> around those targets with her new <Force Essence Manipulation (S+ Rank)>. Due to the shock of her presence, no one noticed those subtle changes, not even the Level 200s present.

"I accept you. However, you must know that you are all Covenant envoys. I hope you don't disregard your work. Your profound feelings to serve must not go unrewarded." Empty words. Everyone present was intelligent and knew it. The important words in that sentence were the first three; everything after that was nothing but sophistry. The Verdant Elder's lips twitched as he brought himself to speak.

"If that's the case, I will gladly receive Lady Heavenly Willow's blessings as well." The archbishop was momentarily confused, but together with him, they followed his lead.

"Since that's the case, we will accept it gladly, Lady Heavenly Willow." Liu Shu's eyes couldn't help but flash momentarily.

'Oho, good move.' Instead of allowing her to divide their group, the Verdant Elder chose to allow everyone to accept it so that the sense of closeness wouldn't degrade too much. It was a good attempt to keep the group that was about to be torn into two afloat.

'But he made a mistake.' Liu Shu's smile, hidden behind her faintly indifferent face, deepened.

"Since that's the case, allow me to bless you all." Her energy changed from pressuring to gentle and reassuring. With her new divine presence, it felt as if a nature goddess had opened her arms and hugged them all into her warm and comfortable bosom. A rush of excitement swept them as Liu Shu's buffs permeated them. [Congratulations! You've received the blessing <Title: Embers Of Chaos>!] [Congratulations! You've received the blessing <Talent: Interstellar Rune Array Lignified Arborarchy>!] [Congratulations! You've received the blessing…] [Congratulations! You've received the blessing…] [Congratulations! You've received the blessing…] [Congratulations! You've received the blessing…] …. Every single envoy felt their eyes widen as the sheer amount of strength that surged from deep within them overwhelmed them. Suddenly… BOOM! Someone managed to break through the Level 149 bottleneck and reach Level 150. BOOM! Another person managed to reach Level 175, becoming an official Star Lord.

This was because among Liu Shu's many buffs, comprehension was deeply integrated and had quite monstrous modifiers. So, everyone who was at that point about to understand, but unable to push, had epiphanies. The Verdant Elder felt his heart sinking, knowing that he had fallen into Liu Shu's trap, when the worst good news reached him. Behind him, the Level 199 Archbishop's strength suddenly surged tremendously, and together with it, Liu Shu's voice reached him, carrying a gentle tone.

"Congratulations, Lord Verdant Elder. The Covenant is about to gain another Level 200 powerhouse." The Verdant Elder's face crumpled, unable to feel happy even when such an event was occurring.