Chapter 447 World Tree - Socially Anxious Witch in the Apocalypse

Seeing Su Miao, Xia Xiao An, Lin Jiu Jiu, and Su Luo Li had a multitude of things they wanted to say. "Stop." Su Miao raised her hand, "You should go to your meeting first. Whatever you want to say, save it for when you come back." It was evident that during this period, Xia Xiao An, Lin Jiu Jiu, and Su Luo Li had fully integrated into Shelter No. 1, significantly contributing to Earth's regeneration. Though reluctant, Xia Xiao An, Lin Jiu Jiu, and Su Luo Li looked back multiple times as they headed to the meeting at Shelter No. 1. Su Miao sat down in a chair in the living room and took a sip of fruit juice. Hmm... The taste of this juice paled in comparison to the red tea the Star Mage had offered her. Nevertheless, Su Miao finished the juice. Her gaze shifted to the window. The town built around the magical barrier of the mutated tree was bustling with activity. Children played tag among the temporary shelters, their laughter infusing the reborn land with energy. Adults carted load after load of stones, their calloused hands building new homes, as if reconstructing a shattered dream. The marketplace showed signs of lively activity, vendors hawked their limited goods, and customers haggled at the stalls. Elders taught reading and writing in makeshift outdoor classrooms, recounting the past's grandeur in trembling voices, while children's eyes brimmed with hope for the future. Outside the magical barrier, they had no such opportunities. But here, they found peace. Su Miao's gaze swept over the town, then moved beyond the magical barrier. The long-term cooling had rendered Earth an ice and snow world. Under the twilight of this frozen apocalypse, a gray sky seemed frozen in place, endless snow blanketing the ground. The howling wind swept up billowing snow, concealing past splendors and leaving solitary towns intermittently visible amidst the storm. On this forgotten land, a group of survivors clad in thick protective clothing labored determinedly on reconstruction efforts. Their faces were reddened by the chilling wind, yet their eyes remained steely and spirited. The clamor of hammers and anvils, the screech of metal cutting, pierced the cold air, injecting life into this desolate place. Before long, a brand-new city would rise here. There were several, but not many teams involved in similar reconstruction activities. After all, years of apocalyptic effects had drastically reduced Earth's survivor population, leaving many areas deserted. In areas blanketed by night, bonfires blazed fiercely in the city centers, illuminating faces with a warm glow. People gathered around the flames, sharing meager provisions and recounting personal tales, their voices infused with boundless hopes for the future. Children leaped and played in the firelight, their laughter mingling with the crackling wood, weaving new legends. On this reborn land, every life was striving to live, and bit by bit, they constructed a new world with their hands. "It’s time to bring my parents over." Su Miao’s figure vanished, and in the next moment, she reached the realm of the magical town. Over the thirty years, it seemed the realm had undergone remarkable transformations. The "people" who should've been mere illusions appeared to be coming to life. Additionally, the internal expansion of the realm was nearly the size of an entire world. Su Miao didn’t intervene in these changes. She traversed the world passage to the inner world. Upon her sudden appearance, the oddities around churned and rushed towards the sky. Su Miao glanced downward, and the advancing oddities instantly disintegrated, while those concealed beneath the land trembled in fear. Starlight bloomed. She casually unleashed a simple burst of starlight. In an instant, the region surrounding the passage was completely purified, the terrifying aura causing the distant demon lords and evil gods to tremble in fear. As for Su Miao in the sky, she had long vanished without a trace. Su Miao arrived in the city where her parents resided, and finally saw them after a long time. They were sitting at a table, discussing something over spread-out blueprints. “Dad, Mom.” Su Miao spoke softly. Her parents looked up and saw Su Miao. “Miao Miao.” Her mother immediately put down the blueprints, walked over, and hugged Su Miao, "It’s good you’re back." Though she was comforting Su Miao with her words, tears had already begun to flow. Since Su Miao's departure, they thought of her every day. Year after year, they waited for over thirty years, enduring through the agony of longing. Fortunately, they had their research as a distraction, without which they could not have managed to persevere. After their reunion, Su Miao briefly recounted her journey to the Star Boundary Sea, a tale about leaving Earth, reaching a unique star region through star gates, traveling across the river of time, and eventually reaching the chaos beyond the universe. Then, she followed guidance to the river of chaos, journeyed on it to reach the Star Boundary City, destroyed the Star Boundary City, and killed some demon gods. She destroyed the Star Boundary Sea and killed some demon gods. Mission completed. Then she took a nap, waking up recently to return. The recount was exceptionally brief. If it were so simple, Earth wouldn't have faced an apocalypse. Su Miao said, "Dad, Mom, I’ve come to bring you back to Earth." Her parents exchanged glances and said, "Alright, let me inform my colleagues and speak to the main ritualist in charge here." Su Miao nodded, "Alright, gather everyone and teleport directly." Her parents were momentarily stunned but quickly nodded in understanding. Su Miao’s growth had surpassed their imaginations; failing to instantly grasp it was normal. Just like the concepts of star gates, rivers of time, and rivers of chaos Su Miao mentioned. Understanding them normally was even more challenging. Upon learning Su Miao's parents were leaving, neither the chief ritualist nor street supervisors attempted to stop them. However, some people who arrived with her parents were reluctant to leave. Because they had married local cat-eared and fox-eared maidens and had children, planning to spend their old age here. Yet, they decided to contribute their research. Those contributions were their efforts, their mission, and shouldn't be buried in the inner world. Su Miao's parents understood these decisions, gathering with the research results. “Could we go with you?” A pair of young cat-eared individuals approached, carrying a wooden box, “We wish to visit the world our father once lived in.” They were descendants of one of the researchers who met a disastrous end during an eccentric experiment, becoming something neither human nor ghost, ultimately needing purification. He once wished to bring his children back to Earth, but circumstances prevented it. As a gesture of sincerity, they first presented a wooden box containing research notes. After exchanging glances, Su Miao’s parents replied, “You may, but please register to avoid worrying those concerned about you.” Overjoyed, the young cat-eared couple responded, “We’ve registered it already, and the elders approved our request.” Su Miao's mother said, “Good.” Three hours later, everyone was assembled. Seeing Su Miao holding the Star Glimmer Staff, some couldn't resist the urge to kneel in worship, but as they were about to kneel, they found themselves unable to do so. Su Miao stopped these individuals but didn’t stop others in the city. Including the two guardian main gods, the city's residents knelt down towards them. Feeling helpless, Su Miao casually melded some of the ash from the divinity into the city, then waved the Star Glimmer Staff, bringing back to Earth the researchers who had spent over thirty years in the inner world. In the blink of an eye, the world shifted. "This is Earth!" "We’ve returned! We’re really back!" "Is this the power of gods?" "We’re back!" "......" Some were crying. Some knelt on the ground, kissing the cold earth. Though the ground was cold, this Earth was warmer than anything else in their hearts. “I’ll inform Shelter No. 1 to arrange for personnel.” Su Miao spoke to her parents. Shelter No. 1 responded swiftly, arranging for multiple aircrafts to arrive in the blink of an eye. The leader was someone familiar, Major General Qin Long Zhang. "Su Miao." Qin Long Zhang saluted Su Miao, "Thank you for bringing them back." Su Miao replied, “It was nothing.” Qin Long Zhang inquired, "Shelter wishes to consult you about a pressing matter. Has the apocalypse ended?” Su Miao answered, “It has ended.” Receiving the definitive answer, Qin Long Zhang saluted once more, "Thank you for your contributions to the world." Su Miao blinked and asked, "In Shelter No. 1, there's a blonde girl managing the library who has the same level of authority as I do. Are you aware of her?" A blonde girl? Qin Long Zhang frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'm sorry, I have no recollection of that." Su Miao responded, "Hmm, I understand." In theory, the blonde girl should have been known earlier, but it was intriguing that Qin Long Zhang had no memory of her. However, considering the unique traits of the blonde girl, it was quite normal for Qin Long Zhang to forget. "I'll leave this to you." With that, Su Miao vanished. Reappearing at the library where she had first encountered the mysterious blonde girl, Su Miao found the seat empty save for a letter. The envelope read: "For Su Miao." Su Miao picked up the letter and opened it. A faint scent of a young girl lingered on the paper, and the handwriting was elegant. [Su Miao, welcome back. If you're reading this, it means the apocalypse has ended, and the universe will not face destruction again.] [No need to look for me; I've gone traveling.] [We might meet again someday.] [This book is for you; you might find it useful.] [Oh, and if you have questions, seek out Xin Meow Meow, assuming she hasn't left yet.] Placing the letter down, Su Miao noticed a book on the table. The book was moderately sized, titled "World Tree Cultivation Manual." This was precisely what she needed. Although she could theoretically deduce how to cultivate a world tree, it would take considerable time. Flipping through casually, Su Miao absorbed the book's contents immediately, her expression turning peculiar upon reaching the later sections. "World Tree, Cosmic Tree?" According to the book, a world tree roots in and supports a world, safeguarding it. Ideally, no more than three should exist in a single world. As for a cosmic tree, it stabilizes a universe. Particularly after the fusion of multiple universes, the cosmos, like an overfed human, suffers various issues. Planting a cosmic tree can absorb excess energy dispersed during cosmic expansion, mitigating these dangers. If necessary, the cosmic tree can root in chaos to draw energy. However, the book emphasizes restricting the cosmic tree to prevent it from rooting in other universes, potentially sparking cosmic conflict. Interestingly, the book noted that both world trees and cosmic trees, upon reaching a certain maturity, could foster sprouting of Spirit Springs (Springs of the Spirits). The higher the tree's quality, the better the spring water, and this may lead to spirit evolution. This needs particular attention. Utilized well, Spirit Springs benefit the whole world but can also attract wars and calamities. Su Miao put the book away and left the library, ascending to a height of twenty thousand meters. She retrieved three seeds of mutated silver fir from her magical space, and under the influence of the Life Law and the Water Law, the seeds quickly germinated into young saplings. Then, various laws converged into the seeds, forming a foundational magical array within. At this moment, they transformed into genuine world tree saplings. "Go." With a wave of her hand, Su Miao sent one world tree to root and rapidly grow in the snow zone's valley, soon towering at over 3,000 meters. Another world tree landed in the Pacific Ocean's Hawaii region. Though affected by the apocalypse and completely submerged in the sea, the growth of the world tree was unhindered. In no time, a towering tree of over 3,000 meters rose from the ocean. The third world tree was planted on a Pacific island off the western coast of Africa. Similarly, it grew to over 3,000 meters in a remarkably short time. The emergence of the three world trees caused global temperatures to fluctuate under their influence. Regions with low temperatures began to warm, bringing rainfall. Some arid areas experienced gentle sprinkles. In moist regions, new grasses began to sprout and break through the soil. "A miracle!" An explorer at sea marveled at the majestic sight of the world tree. An ability user started a live stream, broadcasting the phenomenon of world trees appearing on Earth, igniting global sensation. "My goodness, these are world trees, aren’t they?" "Is the apocalypse truly over, or is this the start of a new phase?" "Haven’t you seen the news? Just now, Long Kingdom announced publicly that the apocalypse has ended and nations can begin rebuilding the world." "Is it true? Has the apocalypse really ended?" "Woo-hoo..." "Hahaha!" "It’s over! Hahaha, it's over!" "Don't be too quick to celebrate; even if the apocalypse is over, the Earth is no longer pre-apocalypse. We still have to watch out for ability users, mutated animals, mutated insects, and the strange beings from the inner world." "Not only that, but food is the most vital concern." "I remember Witch Su Miao loved planting trees. Could these world trees have been planted by her?" "These world trees seem to have appeared out of nowhere, so maybe they were indeed planted by someone." "The climate in Long Kingdom is favorable because Her Majesty Su Miao has planted many trees." (End of this chapter.)