Chapter 212. World Tree Clash!

After that day, every single power in the surrounding areas started moving. All powers who had a strong enough military in the area activated it, starting an era of unrest among common people. Many were startled and asked about what was happening. Sadly, not many got the whole truth.

Propaganda was a strong weapon in long-term wars that could help respective City Lords and Leaders take control of the future population. Therefore, depending on who the place was allied with, the news got distorted. 

In Fortuna City, the people heard that the World Tree in Golden Sap Forest was expanding aggressively and targeted Fortuna. Therefore, the new City Lord, Eila Neoflora, decided to join hands and defend the place once more from the new threat. 

Thinking of giving Liu Shu as much support as possible, Delia spread a completely opposite narrative. She spread that Fortuna World Tree didn't like the presence of other World Trees nearby, so driven by her greed to conquer, they found excuses to find casus belli and uproot the new and innocent World Tree, taking over its land.

People in both cities were outraged, and during the next week, tensions rose between those who supported and cared for the new and innocent World Tree and those who thought the World Tree that was here before had the right to exist over the new one. 

Meanwhile, while Taro was supporting Liu Shu, he told people about the objective facts that he knew of. First, he reported about the conflict of interest between Fortuna and Liu Shu, and then he announced his stance as the City Lord of supporting the World Tree that would benefit this region the most, Tianlian Liu Shu.

War naturally didn't start right away. After returning, they needed time to plan defensive and offensive groups that would attack both areas dominated by the World Trees. 

"Tianlian Liu Shu!" 

A voice boomed through her roots, startling Liu Shu. She looked toward the West and felt Fortuna's presence. However, since she reached Level 20, her feeling of fear toward Fortuna was actually reduced by a lot. Without feeling intimidated, Liu Shu asked. "What's wrong?"

Fortuna asked, confused. "Why did you agree to start a war? Are you really challenging me!? I told you that doing so was stupid and would get you killed or worse, you ignorant sapling!" 

Liu Shu hummed and asked. "Fortuna, what do you think our fate is? Do you think we can live together in the same place? Would you be able to live peacefully while I expand outward?" 

Her voice echoed in the empty plains where their conversations were occurring. No one could see that below the peaceful and flat land, the roots of two enormous beings had extended and had created something like a wall. 

Fortuna's voice echoed in the plains. "Tianlian Liu Shu." Her tone was low and menacing. "You are playing with fire. If you really think that your strength is near mine, being eight levels below me, you are very confused."

Liu Shu looked at Fortuna's thick and complex root network and asked, her tone similarly lowering. "Shall we try?" 

Then, she activated <Land Modifying>, preparing the underground for the battle.

Back in the Golden Sap Town, people suddenly saw blue lines start glowing around Liu Shu's trunk as her Aether Mana and Anima Energy surged. 

Many who were paying attention frowned, starting a discussion around the town that soon reached the ears of Flor, Wert, and the rest. 

The serpent comfortably coiled around Liu Shu's body, behaving as her clothes, slowly opened her eyes and moved its head west. 'Liu Shu, do you need my help?' 

Liu Shu spoke softly. 'I am greeting Fortuna. There is no need for you to get involved. Moreover, you are quite comfortable, right? Stay here.'

The serpent squinted and hugged Liu Shu tighter with her wings and body. If she could purr, she would. 'Ah~, your energy is so comforting. I could live here hugging you for the rest of my life~.' 

Liu Shu giggled. 'I am glad you are comfortable. Don't let anyone bother me, okay? Also, if you don't grow bigger, that will be quite impossible~.''

The serpent rubbed its scaly face with Liu Shu's trunk and hummed. 'Don't worry, I won't let anyone bother you.' 

Fortuna naturally felt the energy surge and earth vibrations; her energy similarly increased, alerting those in Fortuna City. Eila asked with a frown. "Fortuna, what's happening?"

Fortuna sent a cold and cutting message to her. "Don't bother me. This sapling is testing my patience too much!"

Eila frowned and looked east. 'Is Liu Shu attacking Fortuna?' 

Meanwhile, in the plains, surges of energy coming from both World Trees began making the land tremble. Fortuna warned once more. "Sapling, you might be the first World Tree I've fought, but not the first being more powerful than me. Don't try me."

Liu Shu's answer was not words but a chant that echoed in the area, her Aether Mana booming through her root systems. "<Root Manipulation>!"

The ground cracked as several of Liu Shu's roots shot through the malleable ground at tremendous speeds, swiftly entering Fortuna's domain and tangling with hers in a violent manner. Fortuna was startled when several hundreds of roots shot through the ground fast enough to leave trails on the surface. 'What is this speed!?'

She quickly reacted, trying to reinforce the roots that were attacked and pulling at them to break them. To her surprise, Liu Shu's roots only tensed and didn't break. Instead, she heard Liu Shu's soft snort. "These are your roots? They feel like twigs!" 

Liu Shu pulled on Fortuna's roots, and the land exploded from the force exerted. Fortuna felt an electrifying sensation of pain that traveled through her entire root system as Liu Shu tore apart her roots. For the first time in a few decades, Fortuna's energy became turbulent as a relatively small wail spread outward. "Ah!"

Eila's face dropped, and she quickly analyzed Fortuna. Seeing her Phoer being reduced, her heart sank. 'Liu Shu can fight Fortuna? How strong is she really?'

When she looked at Liu Shu for the first time, she understood that she was different from other typical World Trees. The buffs, the aura, the presence, and even the personality. Everything felt different from a typical <World Tree>.

She stood up, ready to go help. However, Fortuna's voice boomed in her room. "Stay out of this!" 

Eila had to block her ears for a few seconds as Fortuna's scream echoed in her room. Her face sank, and she shouted around. "Prepare to move out with me! World Tree Liu Shu is attacking Lady Fortuna!"

Fortuna's seething voice rumbled in the room. "My hatred towards you will never be able to be put into words if you do this, Eila Neoflora. There will be no forgiveness!"

Eila paused and hesitated. Until now, while Fortuna has clearly shown disdain toward her, there has never really been a moment when Fortuna said she hated her. Hearing such a declaration actually made Eila feel her heart tighten, and after pondering for a while, she walked outside the room.

Fortuna looked at Eila, her soul starting to burn in anger. Still, that anger quickly calmed when she saw Eila move toward her instead of the fighting area. Eila jumped and rushed, arriving by Fortuna's side not long after. "Since you want me just to watch, I will do that. Tianlian Liu Shu can't stretch her roots until here either way."

Fortuna looked at Eila for a few seconds, and she muttered. "Thank you." Eila's eyes widened for a second, but then, she returned to her usual cold face and just sat at the base of the World Tree's enormous figure, looking east with a lost gaze. 

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, everything was turned over, creating a land that looked as if a giant catastrophe had occurred. 

Liu Shu's roots continued attacking Fortuna's, coiling around them and pulling apart with enough strength to create mini bursts of soil that blew upward from the explosive physical energy.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

Fortuna groaned in pain as several of her own roots suddenly ambushed one of Liu Shu's thickest roots and pulled with terrifying strength. Liu Shu's nervous system flashed with pain, together with Fortuna being able to tear that root apart. "GAH!"

"Don't underestimate me, SAPLING!"

Liu Shu roared back. "You think that breaking one of my roots is enough to push me back!? Age seems to have affected your core! <ROOT MANIPULATION>!"

Liu Shu's body in the Golden Sap Town created a shockwave of pure Aether Mana as almost an entire <Aether Mana Core> worth of essence flowed through her roots.

Once it arrived, Liu Shu's roots gained terrible vitality and rushed forward like a mass of predators, coiling and tearing into Fortuna's roots like a pack of hungry wolves. 

Fortuna's soul trembled in pain at the incredible offensive. Liu Shu's <Physique > stat was clearly higher than her own, and not by a small stretch.

While she was a relatively old World Tree, Fortuna never truly developed varied methods of attacks against other tree beings. She had been the strongest tree, nourished even before she could start showing her World Tree traits and fighting off surrounding flora to expand her roots. 

Some people would even call Fortuna a greenhouse World Tree. Did that mean that she was weak? Not at all. Fortuna's Anima Energy similarly surged, and a pulse of pure mental power rushed through her roots. "<Mental Collapse>!"

While Liu Shu was a mainly <Physique > focused World Tree, Fortuna was an <Anima > focused one. This attack rushed through Fortuna's roots, covering more than fifteen kilometers of distance instantly, and it exploded on Liu Shu's soul.

BOOM!

An invisible shockwave pushed the grass flat against the ground. Then, a message of damage appeared in front of Fortuna's eyes.

[-5,250]! 

Fortuna froze. The pathetic little number from her full-strength attack was like an ax impacting her core. 'Huh? I used 70,000 Anima Energy for that attack… How…?'

Liu Shu saw that Fortuna had paused the attack, and she did so as well. She glared at Fortuna and asked. "What was that? It tickled. Are you still holding back with me? If you really think that I am powerless, you've seen nothing!" Liu Shu's voice sounded confused and complaining, she didn't like to be underestimated by Fortuna. 

But for Fortuna, it was mocking and condescending. Fortuna asked, stuttering. "Y-You… What's your <Anima > and <Willpower > stat?" 

Liu Shu asked back, sullen. "Do you really think I would reveal my stats?" Her roots started moving forward again. "Take this!" 

However, to Liu Shu's shock, Fortuna actually retreated and avoided the clash. 'Huh?' 

The World Tree asked, her voice lowering as she threatened. "What are you doing? We've just started!" 

Fortuna spoke one sentence before retreating far enough that Liu Shu's roots couldn't reach her. "I am done for today. I am not a fan of fighting either way."

Liu Shu stared dumbfounded as Fortuna severed all the roots that she had caught and fled. "Huh? HEY!" Liu Shu's voice boomed outward. "COME BACK! I am not done with you!"

However, to Liu Shu's bewilderment, the enemy World Tree had actually retreated. "What is wrong with her? Hmph! Whatever!" Then, Liu Shu's conscience left, returning to the Golden Sap Forest. 

Meanwhile, back in Fortuna City, Eila felt the aura of the World Tree calming down. She was perplexed, as she expected their battle to last much longer. "Huh? Done already? Pushing that young World Tree back must've been easy."

Fortuna looked at Eila and spoke a single sentence. "I didn't push her back. I fled."

Eila froze, her eyes widening in surprise. Then, her face fell, and her heart sank. If Fortuna lost severely enough that she confessed to her, the difference in strength between them must've been higher than she ever expected. Sighing, she looked upward and muttered. "Is that so…?"

Fortuna hummed. "It is so."

Eila closed her eyes and laughed mirthlessly once. "This is not a way to motivate me before fighting for you, Fortuna. It truly is not… something I would've liked to hear."

"Reality and truth are rarely things we like to hear."

After Fortuna said so, she entered a regenerative state, trying to heal all the roots that Liu Shu had destroyed.