Liu Shu's speech didn't just spread through the Golden Sap Empire. Her speech was recorded by many and uploaded to several websites on the interconnected net. Informants and other people shared it, bought it, and spread it well beyond the Golden Sap Empire territory.
It gained so much momentum that it even reached Sarlos's ears while he was away in the capital Solar System of the
"...didn't I share that technology only a few years ago? Are you telling me she has already built a station of those dimensions that can interconnect her entire domain?"
Even with perfect blueprints and all the materials, building a single gate that connected two stars could take from 10 to 100 years depending on distance. And that was for someone of Sarlos's level of wealth and ability to hire deeply studied and experienced professionals in the area.
By his side, a Sylvan woman heard his muttering and turned to look at what he was seeing. "Oh? You know that adorable Heavenly Willow?"
"Adorable?"
Sarlos blinked and looked over, his face gaining a touch of surprise and awe. The woman smiled deeply. "Isn't she absolutely adorable? Look at her speech. 'We've conquered the stars!' Just hearing it makes goosebumps of excitement rise on my skin, even though she's just a baby in our eyes. If that's not considered adorable to the point that you just want to squeeze her in a hug and feed her candies while patting her head, I don't know what is. Fufu~."
Sarlos asked cautiously. "Um… Lady Queriane, are you perhaps a fan of Lady Heavenly Willow?"
Queriane glanced at Sarlos with a squint. "So you are familiar with her… Tsk. Sadly, my territory is located in the complete opposite direction from the adorable willow baby. Otherwise, I would've already gone over there and opened a trading route. I heard that her leaves make for an excellent tea. That alone is a good enough product. Plus, I get to interact with her!"
Sarlos pondered. 'To think that someone at her level is interested… This is good news.'
Queriane was a Level 380 Sylvan. Moreover, her talent was considered good even among
Queriane, as if she could see through Sarlos, commented. "Have you thought about how you will answer?"
Sarlos felt his lips twitch. He was a Third Ascension powerhouse himself, but in front of a Queriane, who was specialized in Soulmancy and combat, hiding his reactions or thoughts was almost impossible.
"Yes, Lady Queriane. Truthfully, I have met with Lady Heavenly Willow in person. Here is the deal we made…"
Queriane raised her elegant blonde eyebrow, her purplish eyes gleaming with interest. "...Oho. Now that's an interesting matter. You've always been quite clever, and that's why I keep you close as an ally. Great. I don't have time right now since the Hive is accelerating its efforts. However, after I am done with those matters, set me up to meet her. I am interested in all the items you've mentioned and in Little Heavenly Willow herself."
Sarlos bowed at the waist while seated. "It will be my pleasure, Lady Queriane. I've brought some tea with me, so we can taste it together later. I have the perfect tools to brew it into a perfect concoction."
Later, when Queriane tasted the tea and a "Ding~!" notification sound reached her mind, Sarlos got to see this supreme individual wear an utterly shocked and bewildered look for the first time in a long time. He had to stifle his laughter. 'At least, it is not just me.'
Queriane looked at Sarlos and blinked. "How much are you selling this for? I want enough to last me for two decades."
Sarlos showed an honest merchant smile. Since he couldn't really hide it, why bother? Queriane saw it and gently rolled her eyes, but she ended up striking the deal at a price much costlier than it would've usually been.
"Tsk, tsk. I'll get my supply from Little Heavenly Willow later. Until then, I'll let you rip me off."
Sarlos smiled deeply. "It will be a pleasure doing business with you until then, Lady Queriane."
***
Other nearby Globular Star System Empires were similarly surprised that Liu Shu managed to achieve interstellar travel so quickly. Those with deep networks quickly connected Sarlos with Liu Shu. No matter how much he wanted to hide it, it was difficult.
Still, since none of them truly had a bad relationship with Liu Shu yet, they didn't overreact. This was like seeing an ancient civilization finally harness electricity when you had computers and such going on.
However, it was not the same for the Star System Empires. The nearby Star System Empires that received Liu Shu's speech were shook. If they were like sandcastles, Liu Shu had become a steel fortress in a single step under their very noses.
The Nexus and Covenant, especially, looked at the new intelligence report with dazed looks. While they also had interstellar travel that connected a few of their inner Solar Systems, as mentioned before, even someone like Sarlos struggled for a while to build such things.
Balaya, being a World Tree that focused on expansion while mostly ignoring those living within her, had never cared to develop any technology.
So, by now, Liu Shu finally extended her roots and caught the backs of both the Nexus and Covenant firmly. Using that grip, Liu Shu pulled and skipped ahead, placing them firmly behind her.
Her efforts over the years, expertise, and expensive investment in talent and culture finally, after over two centuries, almost three, allowed her to catch up.
She lacked nothing in comparison now. Be it transportation, technology, strength, population, territory… she had lacked none of those. Now, with Stella manifesting and breaching the distance between the stars by herself, she surpassed them.
Moreover, Liu Shu could proudly say that she had substantial influence in it. It wasn't that her people were extraordinarily talented, which they were, but that Liu Shu herself cared, mixed ideas with them, and learned from them, evolving without end.
Danlier sat in her chair, reading the report with a face full of wonder. '...As expected. Lady Heavenly Willow is different.'
She had not really cared much for Liu Shu previously, but after she started looking into how she ran her empire, she fully understood how different Liu Shu was from other World Trees.
'She… cares.'
That little bit was enough. Liu Shu didn't micromanage her empire, but she also didn't completely ignore them like an aloof god. Instead, she quietly but constantly contributed.
'I heard that the strange biological computers are her creation. She is also a master of Rune, Array, and Woodcrafting master. Her ability to create incredibly complex structures lands her the master architect title. Plus, the city planning and farmlands were initially designed by her as well… The government, laws, culture… everything has her trace. Precious touched that, giving everything cohesion never seen before in a World Tree Empire.'
She felt jealous.
Truly, from the bottom of her heart, Danlier felt jealous of the Golden Sap Empire people. Taking a deep breath, Danlier tightened her lips. 'Balaya has asked me about Deadly Petal, but I just told her we will deal with her later by using some excuses. Thankfully, she seems to have listened this time. So, I have at least two or three decades before she asks again.'
It was that time-frame which would become vital. 'I need to silently and carefully spread a positive image of Liu Shu. I don't have to smear Balaya because there truly is no need to. Balaya is doing her best in her own way.'
Yes, Balaya was bossy.
Yes, she was wild.
Yes, she was aloof.
However, even if it was because she didn't want to lose her own territory, Balaya defended them with her very soul. If there was a Solar System within her roots that was attacked, Balaya would immediately react and sacrifice everything in that location to gain an advantage and push back invaders.
After all, Balaya was not the only
And in that direction there was the Nexus, which explained why these two were like fire and water. The Nexus wanted to expand inward by trampling the Covenant, while the Covenant wanted to expand outward because they met a wall in the opposite direction.
'But now there is a third party.'
The Globular Star System Empires existed, but unless provoked, they didn't bother expanding outward. As explained before, the better resources usually lay close to the center of the galaxy because of the massive activity and star density in those zones.
Therefore, the further out, the lower the overall level of the worlds and resources. Conquering Solar Systems at the edge of the Galaxy would cost almost as much in resources to modify and link to the whole as whatever they could give.
It was, in essence, like conquering a desert. Yes, you got the land… but what then? You got a whole expanse of nothingness, congratulations!
Truthfully, the Goden Sap Empire was the weird kid for conquering all those Solar Systems that were clearly low-level and non-profitable. Sadly for everyone else, Liu Shu's blessings could transform even a desert into a rainforest full of resources.
Moreover, Liu Shu was a terraforming expert and gained related titles thanks to her early efforts on Vorathen, the Moon, and the other planets. So, as always, the only thing Liu Shu lacked the most was time.
If Liu Shu could time-skip 1,000 years into the future without conflict, forget Star System Empires, even Globular Star System Empires would have to give way to our World Tree.
The environment was not that forgiving, though.
Either way, Danlier's tactic was quite simple. Looking at her trustworthy advisor, she ordered her one simple thing. "Don't censor information from the Golden Sap Empire as harshly. Try to let it slip slowly."
That was all that was needed. Danlier just had to let the truth be heard, and everything else would flow exactly as she wanted. Only… 'Ugh, I already have a headache with the thousands of questions that will fly my way as the Golden Sap Empire's truth begins to divulge.'
Still, it was a bitter pill she had to swallow if she wanted the medicine to work. As they were, Danlier was quite sure that they couldn't really stop Liu Shu anymore. Yes, if she and all the other Level 300s went and raided her, the result would be Liu Shu's death. However, the Nexus would probably use that time to kill Balaya in return and crush the Covenant itself.
A three-way situation where the most sensible option was letting the Golden Sap Empire take over the Covenant and together, crush the Nexus. Danlier's lips arched. 'Anyway, politics or whatever, I've been doing this for thousands of years. Come at me, I'll deal with all of you all at once!'