Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

[Sapling born to reach the stars, you've grown greatly. I will now give you guidance. Please, accept it.]

A voice as vast as the cosmos and as gentle as that of a loving mother enveloped Liu Shu's existence. The presence behind the voice felt endless, like a giant ocean surrounding a tiny fish.

When this voice reached Liu Shu, her mind was immediately shaken as feelings bloomed in her heart. Attachment, longing, melancholy, calmness, and affection mixed together, making Liu Shu's entire being soften and nestle into the embrace of the being who manifested.

"Who… are you?"

If Flor, Tree, and Ignatia gave Liu Shu a feeling of loving reassurance and calm, this voice made her entire existence lean into it. It felt as if she was part of it, as if her self belonged within it.

[I don't have much time, sapling. I just hope that you become someone worth the name I gave you, but, above all, that you don't commit the same mistakes I did.]

A trace of melancholy appeared in the boundless voice of the cosmic being, affecting Liu Shu to the degree that she wanted to start crying. As her heart soured and her soul ached, Liu Shu answered in a tearful tone. "D-Don't be sad. I don't like it when you are sad."

The aura of the boundless being softened for a second before it spoke again.

[Tianlian Liu Shu, you've only met four shards, so I wasn't expecting to unlock it yet, but well, it is of no consequence. Since you seem to have fulfilled the conditions in an unknown manner, I will now impart to you the one and only source of my power. Accept it.]

From the depths of the cosmos, something surged and enveloped not Liu Shu, but her <Soul Tree> inside her <Shadow>. The self that Liu Shu discovered a long time ago and developed in a hidden dimension flickered. Over the years, together with Liu Shu, her <Shadow> had grown and developed, transforming from a sapling to a small, young tree.

This tree had five multicolored branches with sparse leaves, each of which represented one of Liu Shu's <Five Origin Branches>. Meanwhile, the trunk and roots had developed similarly to Liu Shu herself, but with a simple change. In the center of the female figure of the tree, a single shining core stood out.

This core, layered in shining sapphire and purple undertones, had a faint glow and ethereal beauty that captured the eyes. This was the representation of Liu Shu's core, which, in her physical body, she hid deeply within her.

Liu Shu, unaware as to why her vision had shifted to this <Shadow> dimension, noticed that the energy surging from the outside was rushing into the core. 'Ugh…'

A feeling of suffocation that was always there slowly unraveled, as if a clogged passage suddenly opened. A sense of liberation and fresh air forced out a sigh-like moan of relief from Liu Shu. "Ha~."

As soon as she did so, her gaze flashed white, and then, she found herself in another place.

"Huh? Where am I?"

Curious, Liu Shu expanded her vision, and the second she did so, her heart thumped. What she captured was not a world, but the universe. Countless galaxies interlocked across her roots, and her body melded with reality as the laws of the cosmos flowed within her very veins.

Her canopy, so vast that it could cover existence itself, flowed with the movement of cosmic energies and constantly created new stars, worlds, and life.

"W-What…?"

As she looked around, confused, she felt a deep, pulsing presence in the center of her chest. That core shone with infinite radiance and endless colors. Instinctively, she knew that the core in her chest was a source of her current boundless powers.

"...estia..."

The voice of a woman reached her from a corner of the cosmos, and she curiously looked over. There, what she was was a multicolored blur. The glow of iridescent light hid the being's figure, but instinctively, Liu Shu knew that she was facing a being close to her heart.

However, even when she wanted to speak, she couldn't. Not because she wasn't able to, nor because she didn't want to. The second Liu Shu thought of speaking, she noticed that she was about to use the energies of the cosmos around her, and it would cost several galaxies' worth of energy to just communicate.

So, with reluctance, Liu Shu turned away from that existence close to her. Instead, she looked out of the cosmos. It was an action made out of sheer curiosity, expecting to see nothing. However, when she did so, her mind froze for a second.

"...What is that?"

From outside the nearly infinite cosmos that her canopy protected and guided, she felt other existences. Beings that felt threatening even for her current self.

The second she tried to look deeper, countless eyes seemed to snap wide open all across the starry sky, shattering her mind and the vision with it.

Returning to reality, a string of messages appeared in her mind's eye.

[Congratulations, you've received part of the <Universal Tree>'s inheritance. Your <World Tree Core> will evolve and become an <Eternal Core>.]

[<Eternal Core> notices that you've linked with four <Chaos Shards> and will be enhanced accordingly…. <Hidden Title: Universal Tree> is partially unlocked through <Eternal Core> and <Chaos Shard> resonance.]

(Author note: <Universal Tree> title description will be written after the chapter due to its lengthy effects.)

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

[Limits of <Title: One With The World> will be raised until the next threshold and transform into <One With The Stars>.]

<One With The Stars>: You are a unique being, the seedling of a <Universal Tree>. Your inheritance is one that shall either wither in silence or bloom to illuminate all creation with your presence. Effect: You can assimilate all life forms and celestial objects, including planets and stars. Any lifeform that falls under your domain will keep its individuality, but if it adores you from the bottom of its heart, it will receive random buffs by pouring its <Faith> onto you.

[<Faith> attribute detected. The System considers Tianlian Liu Shu's strength too weak to wield such energy and will seal it until Tianlian Liu Shu can wield it.]

Liu Shu read everything with a disturbed mind, as the memories of what she had just experienced became increasingly blurry. "W-Wait… Why am I forgetting?"

As she tried her best to keep what she had just experienced, Liu Shu couldn't stop the memories from slipping away. It felt like trying to clutch loose sand with your bare hands.

[T#@%l#%n L#u Sh#, g#@w st#%ng. Y#u m#st a#h#%ve wh#t I f%#l#d t# d%. E#se, #ur $#sm#s i# $#%m#d.]

The voice of the cosmic being spoke softly one last time, but to Liu Shu, the voice was blurred and barely discernible, making it difficult to detect its meaning. "T-That… Repeat it, please. I don't understand."

Liu Shu, fighting through her terrible headache, asked the voice once again. Sadly, there was no one who answered her. Instead, the System sent her a completion message.

[Congratulations! All <Sylvan Quest Rewards> have been imparted. Now, due to the excessive amount of Ternary Essence swirling within Tianlian Liu Shu, you will be forced to Level Up.]

"W-What!? Wait! Wait, please, I want to talk with that being… I, I don't want it to leave."

Her voice sounded slightly desperate, but who stopped her was not the System.

[Wisdom: Liu Shu. Focus, for the <Fifth Energy Cycle>, you need to do delicate work. Now that you have the <Energy Cycle Harmony>, I will be able to guide you step by step. Nevertheless, you must understand the guidance to wield your power efficiently as you've done until now.]

Liu Shu was extremely reluctant; it felt as if something was forcefully ripped from her being, and they didn't want to return it. At that time, Wisdom's indifferent voice gains a touch of softness.

[Wisdom: Tianlian Liu Shu… Your family is waiting. You don't want to be late, do you?]

Those words startled Liu Shu's foggy consciousness awake. "Right… My family." Her convoluted emotions straightened, and then her gaze became determined. "I need to complete the Ascension and Energy Cycle to return to their side as quickly as possible."

[Wisdom: Exactly. Now, during your First to Fourth Energy Cycles, you changed your internal workings to interact with the ternary essences around you. The First Cycle created your energy paths within your root net. The Second Cycle connected your soul with your body. During the Third Cycle, your affinity and control increased exponentially. And when you completed your Fourth Cycle, you were able to interact with and manipulate the energy around yourself actively.]

Liu Shu nodded and listened attentively. "So… what do I do now? It feels as if it is completed."

[Wisdom: Far from it. To craft your <Fifth Energy Cycle>, you must be able to control higher energy tiers. Until now, the Ternary essence you used was a distilled version of the real deal. Therefore, the <Fifth Energy Cycle> consists of developing your senses so that you can manipulate and absorb the purer <Ternary Essence>.]

She understood it instantly. "I see. The Fourth Cycle was developed so that the Fifth could go smoothly. First, learn to interact with the energy around you, and then, develop senses to tap into a more complex version of that essence… I wonder what the Sixth Cycle will be about?"

[Wisdom: To create a 100% completion rate Energy Cycle, what you need to do is transform your <Ternary Essence Cores>. Of course, this step is usually impossible because creatures don't have enough cores for this transformation.]

"Wait a minute." Liu Shu paused, her mind swirling with confusion. "To transform <Shards> into a <Core>, I need 100,000 of them. That process has now become subconscious, and each time I gain new shards, I can easily convert them into Cores when it is right. So, following that logic, I would need 100,000 <Cores>, right? But I only have around 25,000 <Cores>!"

[Wisdom: That is the truth while you are Level 99. And most beings won't be able to form 100,000 Cores during their Level 100 Level Up. Therefore, a 100% Completion Rate is impossible for the grand majority. Still, they are not you.]

"... You are saying that, after reaching Level 100, I will have over 100,000 <Cores> in my three <Ternary Essence> reserves?"

[Wisdom: From my rough calculations of bonuses and guaranteed 100% Cycle, that is the case. Naturally, before that, you must decide on something more important.]

Liu Shu was shocked that her reserves would become so vast, but she didn't interject anymore. Instead, she asked about the more important part Wisdom alluded to.

[Wisdom: It is time for you to choose your <First Ascension> Path.]

A System message popped up.

[Tianlian Liu Shu is breaching the 100th Level. <First Ascension> has become available. Please choose one of the following <Ascension Paths>… <Ascension Paths> are evolving according to bonuses gathered in the past.]

Ascension Paths (Rarities):

[Young Elemental Heart Universal Tree (Legendary)]

[Juvenile Essence Purifying Universal Tree (Legendary)]

[Sapling Dimensional Fracture Universal Tree (Mythical)]

[Sapling Eternal Universal Tree (Mythical)]

[Juvenile Reincarnation Universal Tree (Mythical)]

Rarities: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare, Legendary, Mythical, World, Core, Star, Galactic, and Universal.

Ages: Sapling, Juvenile, Young, Blooming, Primeval, Mature, Elder, Ancient.

***

Author Note: From here on is the description of the <Universal Tree> title.

<Universal Tree>: You've gained the <Eternal Core>. For each Chaos Shard you pair with, you will partially unlock the true strength of your heritage. Each blessing increases in effect with each chaos shard unlocked. Shards paired with: Thermis, Phoer, Aether, Anima.

o Thermis Blessing: You are able to manipulate temperature-related elements. You gain an increased thermal resistance of 200%. You can add the hot/cold element to your attacks by using Aether Mana and gain 20% extra damage, plus 40% additional burning/freezing damage as a damage-over-time effect.

o Phoer Blessing: Your vitality is increased dramatically. Your Phoer regeneration is enhanced by 400% while releasing a wound-mending aura. You naturally increase the chances of having a breakthrough in <Physique> related skills by 10%, without needing to invest points. +10% <Physique>.

o Anima Blessing: Your soul is enhanced dramatically. Anima Energy regeneration is enhanced by 400% while releasing a soul-healing aura. You naturally increase the chances of having a breakthrough in <Anima> related skills by 10%, without needing to invest points. +10% <Anima> and <Willpower>.

o Aether Blessing: Your elemental affinity is enhanced dramatically. Aether Mana regeneration is enhanced by 400% while releasing an elemental calming effect that makes elemental manipulation easier. You naturally increase the chances of having a breakthrough in <Aether> related skills by 10%, without needing to invest points. +10% <Aether>.