Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos-Chapter 358. The Dignity of the Arboreal Winged Serpents.

"How is the feeling of your essence transforming?"

Liu Shu's core tightened as the voice of the Corrupted World Tree echoed in her mind. The feeling was similar to someone dragging their nails on a chalkboard. Moreover, together with the corrupted fluids traveling through her sap veins, Liu Shu's mood was starting to have some changes.

"Annoying! Obediently surrender and get destroyed!"

Liu Shu's energy surged as she counterattacked, the powerful roots striking the enemy and slowly overpowering her. After the few buffs that her skills and titles gave her, Liu Shu's

broke through the 10,000 mark, far above the Corrupted World Tree, which specialized in . Even then, the progress was very limited due to all the fauna and flora fighting back together with the Corrupted World Tree.

Once Liu Shu's roots tried to coil around one of the trees, a large quadrupedal beast jumped and started slashing and biting at it. Together with the pull from thousands of other trees resiting Liu Shu's advance at once, the situation was not optimistic. 'At this rate, I will need far longer than two and a half weeks to reach the Corrupted World Tree!'

Anxiety slowly spread inside her heart when she checked her corruption meter.

[Corruption: 10%]

'It hasn't been a day! Why is the corruption spreading so fast!? System! Wisdom!'

[System Hint:-]

[Wisdom: Stay silent. I'll explain. spreads rather quickly at first because your body's defenses are not accustomed. The spreading rate will start slowing down once it reaches 20%. Taking into account that this corruption will mainly affect your outer root layer, the speed will slow down with time. The closer to your own being it is, the slower it will be. However, there might be an inflection point if your mind becomes muddled enough and you start accepting the instead of fighting against it. This inflection point has been calculated to be around 75% .]

Liu Shu heard that explanation and quickly understood. Her heart didn't become calmer, though. 'Doesn't that mean that I'll reach 20% corruption in just a few hours?' An unknown anger bubbled as she exclaimed. "Shit!"

However, once that word left her mouth, Liu Shu paused and frowned. 'Huh? Why did I curse? No, why am I getting this angry?'

Liu Shu glanced at the Corruption meter and realized that it had jumped to 12%. An ominous premonition filled her heart.

"Little World Tree, your doom is arriving! You are going to become part of my . Once I defeat you, I can feel that I will be nourished enough to take over the entire continent! No one will be able to stop me!"

Liu Shu was about to answer out of unknown anger, but before she did that, Liu Shu heard two piercing hisses, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Ophion, you've arrived!"

Ophion didn't answer straight away and observed the situation. As an Arboreal Winged Serpent, he had an unparalleled affinity with nature. Hence, he could see beyond the surface and understood the situation below the ground. 'Liu Shu is getting corrupted? No wonder her usually pure and cleansing aura feels slightly muddy.'

"Ophion?"

Ophion snapped out of his thoughts and answered. "I am here, Liu Shu. However, I think you need to summon another one of my sisters instead of me. I am good at close-range fighting, but what you need now are elemental Arboreal Winged Serpents."

The Arboreal Winged Serpent by Ophion's side spoke, the voice sounding like a gentle and caring older sister. "Liu Shu, don't worry, I'll burn away all your worries. ."

The second Arboreal Winged Serpent was red colored, her lustrous scales shining with incredible vitality and her body slowly radiating heat. Once Ophion was summoned and understood the situation through the link between them, he instantly thought of this one Serpent to accompany him. She was not strong in one-against-one situations or against small groups of people who could quickly counterattack.

However, against armies, she was unparalleled at her level and tier.

Once the activated, the giant Winged Serpent began flapping her green wings, and the air around her ignited.

Air rushed from the ground and the sky, connecting in the middle and starting to spin the igniting air. As the red Arboreal Winged Serpent gathered her energy in the attack, the surrounding air was similarly sucked in to feed the growing whirlwind into a terrifying fire tornado.

Liu Shu looked on with surprise as the tornado grew to the point that it made the giant Arboreal Winged Serpents look like small birds flying by the side of a sky whale.

The ruby-colored serpent hissed, her green eyes shining with coldness and anger. "Daring to corrupt our chosen World Tree, a thousand deaths are not enough. GO!"

WHOOOSH!

From a distance, the incoming army suddenly saw a gargantuan fire tornado appearing in the depths of the , illuminating the gloomy sky and changing it into a flaming-red color.

The Corrupted World Tree's voice boomed outward in a powerful screech of pain. "AHHHHHH!!"

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

[-200,000]!

...

Everything within the tornado's range instantly caught on fire, and damage numbers filled the sky to everything that dared stand in the way of the fire tornado.

Liu Shu was so surprised that she almost forgot to attack. Seeing the gorgeous red flying serpent majestically floating midair, she couldn't help but coo in excitement. "Wow! Wow! Ophion's big sister is so strong!"

Hearing the praising of the World Tree, the corner of the serpent's mouth gently curved upward.

Ophion stood by his big sister's side, standing guard to block anything coming their way. As he expected, hundreds of flying beasts flew out of the forest and swarmed them. Ophion's face turned cold, and he fearlessly charged into the mob of flying monsters.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

His massive and solid body slammed into everything with brutal strength, breaking wings, shattering bones, and tearing muscles. He was merciless as he swept everything in his way, slamming several monsters toward the ground with each passing second.

"!"

The sky shook as Ophion's presence skyrocketed. The monsters that were about to ignore him and fly toward his big sister turned around as if aroused by Ophion's aura and quickly charged at him. had a myriad of effects depending on the individual using it. For Ophion, it made his presence impossible to ignore, like the Sun in the middle of the sky, and also increased his defensive capabilities by a large chunk.

In short, it was a mass area taunt effect with a defensive buff.

However, before Ophion could relax, a terrifying black lighting fell from the sky and struck his big sister squarely.

BOOM!

[-570,000]!

The Ruby-colored serpent crashed against the ground like a meteor, creating a massive column of dust. With this strike, the tornado also started dissipating, showing that the hard-hit managed to break the serpent's concentration.

Liu Shu was stunned by this development and quickly looked skyward. She saw a gargantuan black and yellow bird surrounded by electrical currents descending like a predator toward its prey. Analyzing it, she could only see the level and race.

***

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Name: ----

Race: Black Lightning Hawk King

Level: 70

***

The Corrupted World Tree's voice reached Liu Shu with a sneering tone. "Did you think you are the only one able to summon creatures? My main attribute is ; summoning is as natural as breathing for me! , !"

Liu Shu's face turned solemn as a black and yellow cloud rose in the distance. The Level of these monsters was probably not that high, but their numbers were ridiculous! 'These are first-type summons. How many years has she used to grow this many summons?'

Ophion first rushed to stop the charging Hawk. As he approached, his voice reached Liu Shu, sounding quite rushed. "Liu Shu! Summon more of us! Now that we are here, you can use us as an anchor point to make my sisters and brothers descend! Since those smaller hawks are Level 40, summon Level 30 Arboreal Winged Serpents! The consumption rate will also be more efficient for you that way."

Liu Shu was instantly against that idea. She'd rather summon same-leveled winged serpents, even if it would cause a strain on her essence reservers! She protested aloud. "Only Level 30? Some of them might die! I don't want any of you to die!"

Ophion was entangled with the Black Lightning Hawk King in a brutal aerial battle when Liu Shu's words reached him. He couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth. He spoke clearly and solemnly. "Don't worry." Then, he used an accelerating skill, sneaking through the Black Lighting Hawk King's defenses, and he tackled it powerfully. "Fall down!"

BOOM!

The Black Lightning Hawk King could not react to the sudden acceleration burst, and Ophion's tail smacked him toward the ground, leaving the giant serpent floating in the sky like a true monarch.

Liu Shu was stunned. 'Ophion is Level 50, and he could still send a Level 70 flying with one strike?'

Flapping his gargantuan wings midair, Ophion spoke with a solemn tone that sounded inviolable. "My race is not weak, Liu Shu. I promise that no one will die." Seeing the giant hawk recovering and flying toward him again, Ophion spoke quickly before getting entangled in the fight again. "Quickly, the swarm is arriving!"

Liu Shu felt somewhat anxious and slightly hesitant. Then, she heard the Big Sister serpent speaking with her gentle voice. She was not doing anything because she didn't want to get interrupted. Her spells were powerful but consumed a lot as well. Hence, she was waiting for a chance to cast once more. "Liu Shu, this will serve as training for those brats as well. If any of them dies, I promise to scold them fiercely once we return."

A slight pain poked Liu Shu's heart, but soon determination filled her. The World Tree's solemn presence descended, and a gargantuan vortex spread in the sky around the ruby-colored winged serpent. "!"

The vortex suddenly latched into space itself and started twisting it.

Liu Shu shouted with determination and strength.

"BURST THE SKY OPEN!"

BOOM!

The sky was torn asunder with a violent pull from Liu Shu's will and skill. A black maw appeared, stunning everyone who was rushing over. Then, dozens of Arobreal Winged Serpents poured down from that black void, hissing to the sky majestically.

Ophion's hiss spread around the loudest when he saw his little brothers and sisters emerging. "No one is allowed to die! Now, fight for our chosen World tree! DEATH TO HER ENEMIES!"

HISSS!

A piercing hiss pierced into the sky full of murderous and battle intent. Then, the almost 50 Level 30 Arboreal Winged Serpents rushed in formation toward the black and yellow swarm. There were 30 melee serpents, and 20 ranged ones. There were healers, buffers, and ranged attackers supporting an impenetrable steel wall, a perfect combination.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sky was instantly illuminated with several colors as the 50 Level 30 Arobreal Winged Serpents clashed with the 1000 Hawks that the Corrupted World Tree summoned.

Liu Shu observed the fighting, her nerves taut with worry over how the 20 to 1 battle developed.

While Liu Shu wanted to summon more of them, each Arboreal Winged Serpent consumed too much Aether and Anima Energy. If she summoned more than 50, her reserves would dry up too quickly. Hence, she could only trust the small army of Arobreal Winged Serpents to fight back the 1000 Level 40 Hawks.

To her surprise, once the two sides collided and the serpents were surrounded, they weren't as overwhelmed as Liu Shu had imagined. Instead, the fifty serpents started slicing through the Level 40 creatures like a knife through butter. Dead hawks fell from the sky each second, shaking Liu Shu's heart with awe.