While Thalric “escaped” through the forest, the other three battlefields were in a mess. First, they discovered that the encampments they thought were far enough from the cities were, in fact, well within range of the Mother of Thousand Flower Field. This led to Vaelin and Eryndis' bases being destroyed before they could return to protect them. 

Thanks to the defensive array that the Artillery Monoliths created, Evangeline was the only one able to defend against the bombardment. However, this meant that the Artillery was focused on defense, giving a few moments of respite to the Fortuna City residents.

It was then that the world trembled. 

Evangeline was still discussing with her people about Liu Shu’s ability to manifest in the outskirts of the Olive Vine Fortress when suddenly, the ground by their side began trembling. Evangeline quickly stood up and walked outside. “What’s wrong?” 

Then, around 2 kilometers away from their temporary settlement, the ground bulged and something started growing at a tremendous speed. Evangeline, Jolie, and the other generals looked on with horror as Liu Shu’s Soulseed formed near them. Everyone strained their necks as they looked toward the sky, only to see a gargantuan canopy that covered the sun. 

When the World Tree manifested in all three battlefields right beside their encampments, no one knew how to react. Their hearts were beating fast, and their faces were pale. Evangeline shouted, her voice booming all around. “Artillery, focus on her body! Since the World Tree dares to deliver herself to us, destroy it!”

Liu Shu’s Soulseed tilted her head down as she glanced at the people swarming that location. Among them, she was quick to spot the person whom she wanted to see the most. 

“Jolie.” Liu Shu’s voice reverberated as she focused on the person who caused her many tragedies in the past. “How do you feel after seeing me, Jolie? That small World Tree that could be put down at any time has grown to this extent, all thanks to you.”

The beautiful Sylvan’s face turned ferocious, showing no signs of weakness when facing the gargantuan World Tree. “What are you talking about!? You are no one, and you will remain as no one for the rest of history! Once the corruption you are containing affects you, you are done!” 

“Corruption?” Liu Shu acted as if she had just remembered. “Ah. You mean that. Now that I’ve revealed myself, there is no reason to keep acting, right?”

A sense of both doubt and dread spread over everyone as the energy in the surroundings stirred under the will of the World Tree. 

“Curse Cleansing Aurora.”

With a melodic chant that echoed with the world’s essence, a gorgeous, multicolored cloud rose to the skies from Liu Shu’s canopy. Then, that cloud fell down and phased through everything, aiming to sink into the ground.

Evangeline shouted. “Stop that! Attack it with skills or anything you know! The second you sense something that can block it, we’ll be able to deal with it!”

As a non-offensive skill, Liu Shu’s aurora phased through the barriers and reached the ground easily. Everyone feared that they’d be hurt by it when the multicolored cloud enveloped them. However, something very different happened. 

When the purifying aura representing Liu Shu’s purifying nature swept these people, a sense of unprecedented calmness and peace enveloped them. It was as if they had reached nirvana, and their souls found a resting place. Some corrupt Sylvans, though, felt the exact opposite.

“AHH!”

Screams of some were heard amidst the grand majority of peaceful-looking people. 

Evangeline and Jolie felt the burning as well, but compared with others, their body’s connection to corruption was not that deep. Jolie and Evangeline used tools and other means to channel corruption into the land, maintaining much of their own purity as Sylvans. 

Even then, having killed World Trees before and done many atrocious and unforgivable things, the cleansing aurora was far from a gentle breeze. They didn’t scream, but pain came from everywhere in their body, as if millions of ants were biting their bodies. The pain was like getting a terrible sunburn and multiplying that pain a few times. 

Evangeline looked at one of her officials, and she realized that their eyes were somewhat muddled. Without much of an option, she struck them to snap them out of their daze and ordered. “Quickly go check the Artillery Arrays and Runic Fields! Also, send some to check the state of the contained corruption!” 

“You are all a bit too tough for me to crack open in just a day. Still, I am curious… How strong are these defenses of your Artillery Monoliths?”

Those words made the people have a bad premonition. So, when they looked at the gargantuan tree and saw her massive branches begin moving as phantom limbs extended their range, their stomachs all collectively sank. 

“Weeping Willow’s Aether Barrage.”

The branches fell onto the dome-like shield with so much agility and speed that you could see them blur. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Thundering booming sounds covered the land while the World Tree assaulted their encampment endlessly. 

Evangeline’s back became covered in sweat as she ordered. “What are you all staring at!? Attack! She is just one being! Attack her and she will eventually fall!” 

A smaller but not much weaker multicolored light rushed from the distance and struck the barrier Liu Shu was trying to smash open. Looking over, a red-haired and red-eyed Fairy Queen, accompanied by several thousand other creatures, arrived in front of the Soulseed and started attacking their defensive dome. 

Flor looked on coldly as she released a myriad of skills. “Daring to try and corrupt my child. You truly don’t know how to spell Death even when you are asking for it!”

Seeing the one-woman artillery firing away dozens of powerful spells each second, the people around them gulped in fear. The Flower Fairy was a being attuned infinitely close to the ternary essences, similar to a World Tree. So, her offensive capabilities were one of a kind. 

By her side, Eila and other Sylvans used their closeness with Liu Shu’s Soulseed to draw strength and besiege them. 

Ironically, Evangeline’s group had become the people being besieged and in dire need of defending themselves. The woman bit her long nail as she waited for the analysis of what Liu Shu’s cleanse did to the corruption. 

“Lady Evangeline, it is bad! Almost 20% of the accumulated corruption has been wiped out!”

Evangeline stumbled, and her eyes widened in fright. “We’ve been pouring corruption for almost a week straight! What kind of purifying spell did she use!?”

The army was on the edge of the settlement, firing back at Liu Shu and the army besieging them. However, Fortuna was not there as decoration. While Liu Shu focused on attacking, Fortuna’s Anima Energy expertise allowed her to create barriers of all kinds. 

With a surge of her energy, a wall that didn’t lose out to the Artillery Monolith combination defense array was deployed, protecting everyone from harm. Jolie’s face fell. “That energy is not Tianlian Liu Shu’s… Fortuna is defending them.” 

“Two World Trees fighting together…? Doesn’t that go against the Natural Order?”

A general spoke with a face full of disbelief. While both sides were in a stalemate, the situation would change quickly the moment either side breached the defenses of the other. And, looking at the creaking Artillery Monoliths, they didn’t see a way that Fortuna would get tired before their dome broke down.

Meanwhile, Eryndis and Vaelin were not that lucky. While Liu Shu focused a large part of her army on keeping Evangeline from gaining an advantage, she didn’t ignore the other threats.  

When her Soulseed appeared, Vaelin’s side reacted similarly to Thalric’s. Chaos ensued, people started to scatter, and Liu Shu’s forces and Arboreal Winged Serpents were free to catch the disbanded army of fleeing people. Many thought that the Wall Forest would be a safe way to retreat, but once inside, they became plant or beast food. 

Liu Shu, not using the Wall Forest at first, had created a situation that made them think it was their “retreat path.” When one was fighting a war as brutal as this one, having such a thing as a retreat path was deadly for morale because, at the end of the day, not many were as decisive to die for the cause. 

Vaelin, unlike Thalric, decided to fight to the end and guided his elites to fight Liu Shu’s Soulseed: Seeing the group of nearly 2,000 well-equipped Third Energy Cycles attack her, Liu Shu squinted and called for her Arboreal Winged Serpents to help her. 

Vaelin shouted. “Attack and topple her down! She is not an invincible deity, but a World Tree that we have toppled several times!” 

Thousands of attacks flew toward Liu Shu, exploding against her trunk and creating damage. Her hardwood splintered, and craters appeared on her body. “If you think my body will topple with such attacks, you are looking to be humiliated!” 

Her branches and other attacks rushed toward the 2,000 people, starting a quick exchange. Or, well, a turn-by-turn fly-by. Each time Liu Shu scored a hit, that person would feel their bones break as the ridiculous strength the branches carried blasted them into the ground like meteors. 

Unlike other times, she didn’t have any intention of leaving the leader alive until the end. Her eyes focused on him, and Vaelin’s entire body burst into chills. “She is aiming for me! Defend!”

Liu Shu sneered. “Defend, then. Weeping Willow’s Aether Barrage!” 

Instead of using her branches, this time, Liu Shu summoned thousands of gargantuan ethereal thorns, and then, with sonic booms, each of them soared through the air and descended onto Vaelin. 

Vaelin opened his eyes wide as he clutched his weapons and shouted. “BREAK THEM!”

The elites shouted with him as they summoned a myriad of skills to defend against the falling thorns. Each thorn, almost 20 meters long, carried the full strength of the World Tree. When they collided, the impact was like a bomb exploding. 

BOOM!!!

The constant barrage combined into a single, explosive sound that silenced everything else. Both sides couldn’t help but look at the area by the World Tree and shudder. The attack had left several people without limbs, others falling unconscious because of the explosions, and others straight up dying with large chunks of their bodies missing. 

Vaelin, the target, was nowhere to be seen. However, people didn’t need to guess where he went since Liu Shu spoke up. “Now that your leader has been belatedly turned into little bits, it is time to do a cleanup.” Her voice echoed with cruel mirth. “Now, run. You might make it to the Wall Forest and be able to escape from me. I doubt you can, though.” 

Many people hesitated for only a moment before turning around and trying to flee. Seeing the last cohesive group on Vaelin’s side break down and scatter, she knew that this side was also sorted. What remained was hunting those people down.