Chapter 714 - Chapter 714. Warlya's Powerful Abilities. New Visitors.

As the two talked, Warlya asked Liu Shu, curious. "How many years did it take for me to break through?" 

"Hm…" Liu Shu pondered and commented. "Around 45 years? Perhaps more, I don't really recall in which year you started Leveling Up." 

"So little?" Warlya pondered and looked at her Accumulated Experience Points. "I thought it would've been much longer. Still, it's not too short. Within those years, I have accumulated a few million extra Experience Points. I can probably boost myself to over Level 140 easily." 

She looked over and quickly spent the Experience Points. Warlya's body grew, her energy condensing as she underwent a . After reaching Level 140, she stopped investing her Experience Points into Levels. 

Liu Shu was somewhat confused when she saw that. "So fast?" 

"Hm? What do you mean?" 

Liu Shu commented. "Don't you need to go to sleep when you upgrade yourself?" 

"Not at all," Warlya answered, somewhat confused. "After a World Tree overcomes their , the need for sleep disappears until the . Our growth is quite gradual, so the feedback is not strong to the point that we need rest." 

Liu Shu frowned slightly. Then, she commented. "But I had around 9 years of sleep after Leveling Up." 

Hearing Liu Shu's experience, Warlya was somewhat confused. "How many Levels did you cross at once?" 

"49." 

The number made Warlya stay silent. "So… you are Level 150?" 

"Mhm." 

Hearing the soft, affirming sound, Warlya felt conflicted. "I thought you had already reached Level 190 or so." 

She was happy that Liu Shu was not so out of reach as she had expected. However, she felt that her path, which should've focused on individual strength, was not as powerful as Liu Shu's!

Somewhat guessing what Warlya was thinking, Liu Shu chuckled and spoke. "I have six pieces of World Tree equipment that grow with me. My stats are several leagues above my peers due to them. Besides that, my Cycle Completion is also very high." 

She didn't say that she had perfect cycles to Warlya, as that was something too abnormal to speak about freely. What she revealed was enough to make Warlya feel more relaxed. "I see." 

Then, Warlya sank her consciousness into Liu Shu's roots, which she was intricately connected to, and quickly noticed just how vast Liu Shu's domain had become. "Unbelievable… Have you really expanded that far in around 50 years?" 

Liu Shu knew that she was quick, but not exactly how quick. The information she had read on the databases she invaded spoke about averages, but the numbers didn't really match, so she ignored them. 

"Am I too fast? Or just somewhat fast?" 

Warlya glanced over at the Heavenly Pillar-like World Tree and sighed. "Incredibly fast. For a World Tree, as long as you have control over your domain and your root network remains sturdy, there is no such thing as spreading 'too fast'." 

Liu Shu also thought like that. However, hearing the confirmation from her big sister made her even more sure that she was not making some inexplicable mistake by speeding outward.

Warlya muttered to herself, her powerful voice murmuring. "You've reached all seven main planets, and you've even latched some of your roots to the Sun… Hiss. That place is quite hot. Even my consciousness feels strained approaching the star."

Liu Shu didn't interrupt, wondering what she was calculating. "Hm… Alright, my should work if it is like this." 

"What talent?" Liu Shu asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

Warlya smiled at Liu Shu. "As a World Tree, I am naturally unable to move. However, my race is considered a race. How could a race of my level be practically useless? After all, I've sacrificed most of my spreading power. If, on top of that, I can't defend my territory, wouldn't I practically be a joke of a species?" 

Liu Shu had naturally thought of this problem. However, since Warlya was her big sister, she didn't really care even if Warlya's evolution was not very useful! Couldn't she, Tianlan Liu Shu, take care of her big sister? 

However, hearing her words, there must be something special about that Warlya mentioned. 

Warlya smiled and explained. "It's one of my two Talents. Its name is . As you might guess from the name, I can project my main body anywhere within my domain to fight. My domain is the domain I am connected to. Of course, this projection is not free. The damage it receives, I do so as well at a 50% rate." 

Liu Shu blinked a few times, and then her mind began doing some calculations. She became speechless in the next second. "So, if we add the 60% natural durability you gained, your natural defenses, your big poor, and then this 50% extra reduction… Aren't you just being prickled by attacks on the same level as yours?" 

Warlya chuckled. "A World Tree Of War that can't stay on the frontlines, causing destruction, can't be considered a proper World Tree Of War!" 

"...absurd." 

Liu Shu felt that if Warlya fought her using the projection, she would not be at much of an advantage! Her damage would be mitigated to the extreme, while the other party could basically pummel her freely. 

Of course, Liu Shu's own buffs were nothing to scoff at. So, in the end, Warlya would most likely lose the one-on-one. 'However… We are not enemies.' 

That was the main point. Warlya didn't just have her own buffs; she had Liu Shu's as well. 

"Branches in the sky… You've become a literal war machine." 

Ridiculous regeneration.

Ridiculous defense. 

Ridiculous attack damage. 

Warlya was an unkillable piece of wood! 

Hearing Liu Shu's praise honestly delighted Warlya. After all, this little sister of hers was an absolute anomaly. If she was strong under such a creature's lens, then she was not just strong. She was completely abnormal. 'With these skills, I am quite sure that I can help Liu Shu with the burden.' 

While she, as a World Tree, wouldn't mind staying silently in Liu Shu's domain and developing freely, Warlya was not a precisely normal World Tree. She, who had defeated a Humanoid Ant Queen in the past, was an extremely ambitious World Tree with a mindset of striving for excellence! 

Even if that Ant Queen had been in her infancy, wasn't Warlya also in her own infancy back then? The clash was not advantageous for either side, and yet, Warlya came out on top! 

"Oh, another thing," Warlya spoke softly. "I, unlike other World Trees, won't grow too much in size. From what I've seen, I am Level 140 already and barely 18,000 meters tall. Moreover, I can feel that my growth after the will not be too explosive." 

Liu Shu was not surprised. Warlya's World Tree species clearly specialized in individual strength. Being too big would not help her fight. 

"Hm…" Liu Shu chuckled. "That makes me quite happy. I can have you stay in with me as a first and final line of defense."

"Mhm. That was my intention. No need to move me to another planet. I will work best when fighting by your side." 

While both of them spoke, Liu Shu's roots detected something. "Hm?" 

Warlya asked, curious. "What's wrong?" 

"I've felt a fluctuation at the edge of my Domain. Let me check." 

Liu Shu moved over at the edge of her domain, her senses scanning everything quickly. Soon, she saw quite a large fleet of ships. These ships were all quite similar to one she had seen in the past as well. 

'That ship in the middle…' 

Even she could feel a hint of danger from it. 'Mothership-Type starship? Moreover, this design… It is the same one that Xalis's group used when they first arrived.' 

Just to check, she went back to the Moon and observed the ships, confirming her guesses. 

After pondering for a bit, she scanned Ceperet and the Moon, and she soon found Xalis overseeing the construction of some sort of weapon. The weapon was a large anti-starship turret, a design stolen from Darius's database. Each of their shots dealt ridiculous damage to the starship's shields, sacrificing damage to the hull. 

"Xalis."

The hornet woman jumped a little, her wings spreading out for a second. "Lady Heavenly Willow?" 

"Yes. It is me. I have something to ask." 

Xalis smiled, her wings buzzing with happiness. "Please ask, Lady Heavenly Willow!" 

Seeing her like this, Liu Shu almost couldn't connect her with the confident and arrogant hornetkin that once lived in the Moon. A small chuckle escaped her before she answered. "Mhm. I have encountered a rather large fleet led by a Mothership-Type starship. They are not passing by, as their direction is clearly pointed my way. Their designs are quite similar to your ships, so I wanted to ask if you know about it." 

Xalis pondered only for a second before quickly connecting the dots. "Ah! Lady Heavenly Willow, don't attack them. They have not come to make trouble." 

"Oh?"

Xalis smiled and explained. "Lady Heavenly Willow, do you remember a few years ago when I asked for permission to communicate with my Queen?" Xalis proceeded to explain the types of exchanges and answers she received superficially. 

"I have written down most of the details in one of our databases, Lady Heavenly Willow." 

Hearing her say that, Liu Shu quickly found them and devoured the copies. It was something most high-ranking people had become accustomed to. After all, just making a copy was several times faster than explaining to their Lady Heavenly Willow. Just let her nom~ the information, and she will know everything as if she had been involved from start to finish! 

After "reading" the exchanges, Liu Shu felt quite amused. "You were quite enthusiastic. Aren't you scared that they will get disappointed once they arrive?" 

Xalis laughed at Liu Shu's words. "How could that be? Lady Liu Shu's domain is incredible. The only thing that's a bit of a shame is that, since Lady Heavenly Willow is so young, the expansion is still quite shallow. Otherwise, I would've directly asked our Queen to join you!"

Liu Shu couldn't help but glance at Xalis with amusement and fondness. She used a root to pat her head. "Thank you for your vote of confidence, Xalis." 

Xalis's wings buzzed in delight when she felt the root pat her. If she had normal eyes, she would probably be squinting with happiness.

"Alright, since the one arriving is most likely your Queen, I'll have to welcome her properly. I just hope she doesn't do something silly like testing my strength." 

Xalis froze for a second, and then she spoke with clear hesitation in her voice. "She… shouldn't do that… probably…" 

Liu Shu wanted to roll her eyes at Xalis. Hornetkin were clearly a warmongering species where the strong were respected. Their society was a mix of Empire Type and Sect Type civilizations, with the strongest female hornet becoming the queen. This