After Queen Xakira's ships landed outside Golden Sap City, they all stepped out in formation. Liu Shu waited until all of them were out before deciding to speak up. Even if Ignatia and Xalis were the main delegation, she, as the ruler, could not be absent.
Therefore, after all 10,000 troops and Xakira alighted, they heard Liu Shu's gentle and profound voice echo around them with a soft tone. "Welcome to my Golden Sap Empire, Queen Xakira. I hope we can have a long-standing alliance and prosper together from now on."
Xakira blinked in surprise, not having expected to be welcomed by Liu Shu. After all, for all she knew, World Trees were incredibly aloof to what happened unless it involved their interests.
Feeling slightly flattered, Queen Xakira smiled genially and answered with an elegant bow. "It is us who want to thank you, Lady Heavenly Willow. Your figure is endlessly impressive, only on par with your profound strength and immeasurable vitality."
Liu Shu chuckled when she heard her words. They were truly flattering. Still, she was not someone who put on airs with those who decided to respect her, just the correct amount of distance. "Queen Xakira, I really appreciate your words. Still, I usually prefer to be straightforward when talking instead. Therefore, be free to be more familiar with me."
Xakira nodded. "It will be as you ask, Lady Heavenly Willow."
"Follow my root, I will guide you and your core members to the meeting room. As for your army, I hope they can stay stationed where they are if possible. Naturally, if you feel like you need them by your side, I will allow for you to have the core of your army accompany you."
Xakira was currently at the heart of the domain of a World Tree whom she knew was extremely powerful. Having her army with her or not made almost no difference. Alighting from the ships was already a big show of respect and confidence in Liu Shu.
"There is no need to complicate things. I will have some of my people and advisors accompany me."
So, around 20 people followed Xakira inside Golden Sap City.
As they approached, they didn't see a gate on the walls, but since Liu Shu's roots told them to walk forward, they continued doing so. When they were close, the massive wall trembled faintly, and the bottom of the wall opened a space large enough for them to pass.
Xakira was surprised and subconsciously used her system to analyze.
***
Name: Living Wall
Species: Auraform Living Wall
Level: 150
***
Beyond those three lines of text, Xakira was unable to see anything else. Even then, her heart couldn't help but leap. 'A Living Wall? How did they build such a massively large Living Wall? Moreover, it has gone through an
Living Walls were not some obscure existence. Nevertheless, they usually only worked during the first stage of a civilization. After all, leveling them up needed large investments of manpower and materials.
A civilization that could develop an obedient and highly leveled Living Wall was one with, putting it bluntly, deep pockets.
When they entered, Xakira was further impressed. While she had seen from above that Golden Sap City was basically a city-shaped forest, now that she was on land, she could feel the terrifying auras that each of these trees emitted. A quick System Analysis made her realize that each and every single tree was a Level 150 powerhouse!
Her heart made a small jump. 'How are there so many
Queen Xakira felt that Liu Shu's main city was much more of a fortress than her own!
Moreover, as she walked through the streets and felt the auras of the passerby, she also noticed that even low-level ones felt extremely powerful for their Level.
She admitted that her initial expectations, even after reading Xalis's reports, were utterly flipped on their head and then transformed, only to have her feel confused and awed as she walked further.
Her advisors were taking in as much information as they could, analyzing it in their respective specialties, and looking for details that would give them an advantage during the conversation.
Liu Shu spoke to them softly, her voice controlled to sound just by their side. "Golden Sap City is the heart of my Empire. It has taken quite a bit to develop as I had in mind, but now that's completed, I am quite proud of what my citizens and I accomplished."
Xakira, her interest piqued by Liu Shu's speech mannerism, asked. "Lady Heavenly Willow, I might be wrong for doubting. However, you speak as if this city were developed by you. Is that the case?"
Liu Shu answered without hiding anything. "Yes. I studied architecture, city planning, and many other specialties to create a city that is both walkable and welcoming for people from Level 0 onwards. After I Ascended, I noticed that Level 100 and above individuals were slightly more special, requiring some extra services. Therefore, I have now, with the help of my accomplished city planners, been implementing reforms. Nothing drastic, but it streamlines everything."
One advisor, with the permission of Xakira, couldn't help but speak up. "Lady Heavenly Willow is truly unique. I have not heard of World Trees that care so much for their cities and people as much as you do."
Liu Shu was also somewhat curious about this subject. While she had read and heard about it, there were never enough perspectives on the matter. "That I heard. How do other True World Trees develop? I mean, our growth in size is truly unstoppable. I do believe that any city around a World Tree that's not prepared for our growth will eventually collapse, right?"
The hornetkin who spoke explained patiently. "That is not the case. After all, a World Tree's growth encompasses several decades and centuries. As their roots spread outward and thicken, they might cause unintentional cracks in the infrastructure. But overall, they are amenable costs. Even during big breakthroughs, their size increases gradually and not explosively. With a century in a civilization's hands, rebuilding cities to accommodate their ever-growing World Trees is not difficult in the slightest."
'That makes sense.' Liu Shu nodded.
"What about their relationship with their people?"
This time, it was Queen Xakira who answered with one simple word. "Indifferent." She added. "True World Trees don't care about who lives under their canopy as long as they don't bother them. They, most of the time, will protect their people from invaders as killing those people might cause damage to their peaceful growth. However, if it is internal strife, most of the time, they remain aloof."
The 21 hornetkin heard Liu Shu hum. "I also allow for wars among cities and towns. However, I do prohibit them from killing innocents wantonly or mistreating them. Everyone has the right to fight for power and land. However, the people who want to live peacefully should be left alone. That has been how I treated my people."
As she scanned her domain, she spoke softly. "There are currently three wars ongoing, spanning across seven cities. Do you think I should stop those wars?"
Queen Xakira was surprised that the World Tree would ask this question. She pondered and spoke. "I, as a Queen, naturally want to keep my domain peaceful. Therefore, I do not allow for wars among my own people. Still, I can't completely say that what Lady Heavenly Willow is doing is cruel, indifferent, or incorrect. After all, those fighting are willing soldiers, generals, and leaders, right?"
"Yes. Forcefully conscripting people is naturally prohibited. Only I have that right."
Queen Xakira smiled faintly. "Then, there is no reason for you to stop them. I do believe that Lady Heavenly Willow, you, have your own ideas. Do not let yourself be influenced too much by what mundane people think. What you see and what they see will always be different."
Liu Shu heard her words and felt that they were quite right. While she could listen to opposition and different ideas, being influenced by them without any self control would only cause her reign to be messy.
Therefore, following her own ideas took priority. "Thank you. This small talk was quite helpful for me. I want to have my Golden Sap Empire prosper, but I also want it to be independent and not always rely on me. So, I am always wondering, as striking a balance between those two is quite difficult."
Hearing those words allowed Queen Xakira to finally understand what kind of existence Liu Shu was. Her mind flashed with many thoughts, and eventually, her lips arched faintly. 'Interesting. A World Tree that wants to be a natural deity.'
Even if Liu Shu had not noticed and considered herself a ruler, her actions were not much different from a guardian deity. She was not the one who pointed the flag forward, but the sun that rose behind the Empire every day without fault, giving them light in their darkest moments.
A faint rush of excitement bloomed inside Xakira. No amount of cards from Xalis had managed to convince her that allying with a True World Tree was a wise decision, regardless of how special. 'However, Lady Heavenly Willow is not a True World Tree in thought. She is… much more. So much more.'
A strange thought appeared in her mind. 'If she is like this… does she have personal likes like normal Intelligent Species?'
Xakira suddenly wondered what kind of personal life such a being lived. "Lady Heavenly Willow, do you have… hobbies?"
The other 20 advisors looked at their Queen strangely for a second, but they didn't interrupt. Still, inside, they were thinking. 'My Queen, clearly, as a True World Tree, her hobbies will be expansion and feeling nature.'
"Hobbies? Yes! I have a few! For example, I really like
"I have quite a few Alraune children, a little over 190 humanoid ones! There are, naturally, many more plant babies! My humanoid babies are all so pretty and cuddly, hehehe. I love them tons!"
Hearing Liu Shu's previously placid voice gain an excited pitch as she spoke endlessly about her children and family, Xakira's slightly tensed expression relaxed as an urge to burst into laughter overcame her. 'It seems… I still misjudged her. This World Tree is not only exceptional… She is terrifyingly adorable.'
Meanwhile, the 20 advisors listened as Liu Shu rambled, with peculiar expressions. 'Are you sure we aren't speaking with a random woman in the street that somehow overtook the body of a World Tree?'
In the