Elyne sat in the middle of the inner sanctum, kneeling with her hands clasped as she glanced at the sky with glazed eyes. While she was looking up, she was still trying to accept Liu Shu's vision. The intensity of the blessing was incomparable to whatever she received before. Moreover, as she received the blessing, any influence the other World Tree had on her was forcefully stripped from her.
Elyne didn't mind, though. Instead, she relished in the pure energy coursing within her as she connected with Liu Shu at a level she never expected before. 'Ah… My Lady. My Sacred World Tree. My Eternal object of worship…!'
Emotion flooded Elyne as she faithfully accepted the changes within her.
Liu Shu observed curiously as Elyne's body changed in real time. Her previously slender body became slightly fuller, not by much, while her skin became milkier. Even her facial features, which showed gentleness and elegance, gained a trace of innocence. At first look, it felt as if Liu Shu's Avatar traits were mixed with Elyne's previous looks.
However, those were very small changes, as the real difference from before and after was the color of her hair and eyes. Her unique blonde hair shifted, changing into gorgeous jade-green-colored hair. Her eyes, similarly, shifted from the previous leafy green into a light violet color, imitating Liu Shu's colors.
The process was not immediate, and it took around twenty-four hours from start to finish. During that time, Elyne communed with Liu Shu's existence, absorbing as much as she could from it.
"Ha…" A sigh full of emotion escaped Elyne. Then, feeling the changes in her body, she looked at her hands and body. "Oh my… such an ethereal skin. It is so soft~."
While she was marveling at the changes on her body, she noticed a wisp of her hair. Confused, she picked a few strands and noticed the change. There was no nervousness or flusteredness. Only a feeling of marvel. "This color… Is it the same color as your Avatar, Lady… Ahem, Liu Shu?"
"Um…" A voice as vast as the sky and as gentle as the trickling water of a mountain stream reached her. "Elyne, are you okay?"
Elyne could hear the worry in her tone, so she laughed and smiled. "I am, Liu Shu. I've never felt better than I do right now." Closing her violet eyes, she whispered softly. "I can feel the world through you… Such a wonderful feeling. Is this how World Trees look at the world?"
Liu Shu was a bit worried. But hearing that Elyne's tone had not changed much, she relaxed a bit. 'Hm… She looks like my biological elder sister in terms of appearance. Such a strange feeling.'
Meanwhile, Elyne opened her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. She spoke with a gentle smile. "Liu Shu, I want to discuss a few things with you. Still, before that, I will resolve the doubt you came to resolve."
"Doubt…?" Liu Shu blinked and then recalled. "Ah, right. I wanted to ask how other World Trees manage to spread their roots in space." She couldn't help but chuckle. "Things have truly gone quite… unexpectedly. Hahaha."
Elyne chuckled. Then, she answered in a soft tone. "To reach beyond your world, the first step is to envelop yourself with your surroundings. This is done so that you gain Space Aether Mana Affinity. While World Trees have affinities in which they specialize, all True World Trees are able to master any element with a bit of effort."
"Hm~." Liu Shu knew that her strongest affinity was Spatial Affinity. If it weren't for the Eternal aptitude being so limited and unique, she might've chosen the Dimensional Fracture Ascension path. 'Now that I think about it, the choice back then was truly difficult. I could've gone either path…'
Elyne smiled and continued. "After you gain enough Spatial Affinity, you must learn to create spatial channels. They are usually a bit difficult. However, once you get the hang of it, you won't take long to incorporate it."
Liu Shu blinked and asked. "A spatial channel… do you mean it like a path to shorten the distance between two points by folding space?"
Elyne shrugged. "I am unaware, Liu Shu. It is something World Trees understand and don't really share often. We know by observing them."
"So…"
Liu Shu focused on one of the chairs in the sanctum where Elyne was and manipulated the space there. First, she linked two points in space, and then, using her Aether Mana and Anima Energy, she twisted and pulled those two points in space together. For Liu Shu, it felt like pinching two edges of a dress and bringing them together. It was rather effortless.
"...Like this?
The second she did so, the chair suddenly fell through the floor and appeared in another corner of the room. Elyne's face was quite the sight to look at. She stupidly looked back and forth between the chair's current position and the previous one, blinking her violet eyes confusedly. "That… Um. Yeah. That's the method… Wait, no. How? Isn't this something that takes World Trees a few centuries to master?"
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Liu Shu looked at Elyne with contempt. "How could it take so long? It is not that difficult."
Our dear World Tree had the title <Fledging Dimensional World Tree>, boosting Spatial Aether efficiency and affinity. Just as a summary, Liu Shu had the following affinities unlocked and enhanced. Space: +1000% / Elemental: +500% / Soul: +500% / Wind: +200% / Fire: +200% / Eternal: +100% / Life: +0% / Sound: +0% / Earth: +0% / Light: +0% / Phoer: +0%.
So, her ability to manipulate Space has already reached ridiculous levels. It was to the point that manipulating space came as naturally as breathing. If Liu Shu had chosen the Dimensional Fracture path, this ability would've been further boosted, making her an extremely fearsome creature.
Elyne, unaware of all of this, just felt her heart ache. Rubbing her chest, she sighed. 'Other True World Trees struggle a lot in this step… It seems that Lady Liu Shu might skip it straight away.'
"Ahem." Clearing her throat, Elyne continued. "Lady Liu Shu, since you are able to move things through space to a degree, the answer is in front of you. What you need to do is create different spatial clusters where your roots can pierce through and anchor on the starry sky. Every World Tree does it differently. Nevertheless, other than physically elevating your roots, which comes with a myriad of disadvantages, I can't personally think of any better path."
Liu Shu hummed and started thinking about it. 'I should create these spatial clusters by anchoring them relative to myself. That way, even as we move through space, they will remain relative to my position. After reaching her current level and receiving the influence of the entire world's momentum, she realized that Ceperet, and the entire solar system for that matter, was moving through space at a rather ridiculous speed.
'Since we are moving through space, covering large distances will be easier as long as I do it in the opposite direction of our motion. Moreover, since I will be moving through a subdimensional layer, I might… No. Let's tackle this later.'
Liu Shu had read through scientific texts, and she knew that there were theoretical limits for speed and other things. Still, it was a bit too early to think about breaking through those limits. 'Speaking of those limits… My thoughts and ability to move everything already break a few basic universal laws, don't they?'
A headache appeared in Liu Shu's mind for a second before she threw it out the window. "Ah! Whatever! I am still too weak to think about those things! Future Liu Shu will probably take care of these things."
Elyne chuckled as she heard the childish tone. Then, she spoke with a smile. "Liu Shu, since we are speaking about these matters, may we discuss the ranks for your church?"
"Hm…" Liu Shu was extremely reluctant, but she knew that she couldn't keep ignoring it after what she did to Elyne. So, she nodded. "Alright… Tell me what you have in mind."
Elyne chuckled. "Nothing too complicated, don't worry. We already have a perfectly functional system that will not fail for a long while. So, let's just copy it. The only thing would be changing a few names."
"Oh? Which system?"
Hearing Liu Shu's curiosity, Elyne smiled. "Naturally, I am speaking about the Verdant Sanctity Covenant's religious administration."
"Ohh!" Liu Shu's eyes lit up, her roots wiggling happily. "Right! We can just copy them! How does it work?"
Elyne explained the Novice, Disciple, Priest, High Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Verdant Elder, and Verdant Hierarch ranks. Then, she added. "Those can be the normal religious followers. The levels are as I've explained. So, for now, our church would only have Novices, with a few people about to reach the Disciple level."
Liu Shu hummed, and then she tilted her head. "However, that ranking doesn't fit yours, right? You are my <Eternal Avatar>!"
Elyne felt fluffy and happy inside when Liu Shu said that she was "hers." Clearing her throat, Elyne blinked. "You don't have to worry. We can create special ranks among the clergy. These ranks, I am thinking, are <Saints>, <Avatars>, and <Apostles>. Your <Eternal Saints> will be those with the potential to become <Avatars>. Meanwhile, the <Apostles> will only be appointed by you, and they will be the most special. I recommend not naming more than ten people as <Apostles> to keep the specialness of the position."
"Hm… Then, how would the Saints and the others compare with those in the normal clergy?"
Elyne tapped her chin. "I would say that, in terms of influence, <Saints> are equal to <Verdant Elders>, and <Avatars> have more influence than <Verdant Hierarchs> and less than <Apostles>."
"I don't like Verdant! Let's change it to fit our church. How about… Golden! Also, are you suggesting that because you don't want to be under anyone?"
Elyne stuck out her tongue cutely. "Yes. I feel that <Golden Hierarchs> can become corrupted much more easily than <Eternal Avatars>. So, giving us a bit more influence will be beneficial to cleanse the church if anything similar happens."
"Wow…" Liu Shu giggled. "You are already looking at the worst-case scenario."
Elyne raised her jade-green eyebrow. "If we prepare for the worst, nothing bad will ever happen. At least nothing that can't be quickly solved."
Liu Shu snorted but accepted her words. She also felt that the Eternal Saints, Avatars, and Apostles would be like her roots and branches in the religious organization, while the rest would be a bit separated from her core being.
As she was pondering, she asked, curious. "Will everyone change like you did? If that happens, I won't be able to appoint Cinderielle and the others…"
Elyne shook her head. "Apostles won't change like Saints and Avatars do. The reason is that they will retain much more individuality as they are the closest to you. You can take it as Saints being your branches and roots, Avatars being your substitutes, and Apostles being your core helpers."
Liu Shu accepted her words and nodded. "Alright! We'll do as you say. Elyne, I will leave all matters of the church in your hands from now on. Also, don't forget to inform the Covenant. I don't want any future misunderstandings."
Elyne smiled. "Don't worry, I already sent a letter. It should have already arrived."
"Alright! Have fun then spreading the <Eternal Church>'s teachings! Hehehe."
Elyne laughed. "Oho~. We have a name already. Very nice."
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