Sovereign of the Ashes

A few days later, a vast magic array appeared in the graveyard, showcasing Leena’s budding talents in summoning arts and spatial magic.

In addition to utilizing energy crystals and soul crystals, she harnessed the dense necromantic fog pervading the graveyard as the energy source for the spatial passage.

The black crystal, which Sein would eventually use for Leena’s new magic rod, was currently functioning as the eye of the magic array.

Once Leena activated the spatial coordinates embedded within the black crystal, it became the core of the operation.

The magic array, acting as the conduit, was powered by the energy crystals, soul crystals, and the necromantic fog.

From the center of the graveyard, a towering white portal gate emerged.

After completing the setup, Leena returned to Sein’s side and explained, “All of this isn’t my doing. The mage named Peano had already included a sophisticated teleportation mechanism within the black crystal, complete with the spatial coordinates of the Undead World. I only activated them and integrated some auxiliary magic arrays.”

The appearance of the portal gate, coupled with the powerful surge of necromantic energy from its other side, incited excitement among all the undead creatures in the graveyard.

“Is that the Undead World, the homeland of all the undead?” the undead knight mused, drawing nearer to the portal gate atop its white skeletal warhorse.

Although not the most powerful Rank One undead under Sanchez’s command, this knight held the greatest potential and was highly regarded by the skeletal dragon.

The agitation of all the undead creatures in the graveyard brought Sein, Leena, and Angreas to a stark realization of their sheer number.

It appeared that not all the undead had awakened upon their entry into the graveyard.

Many were still slumbering deeper in the ground, their unnaturally long lifespans drawing to a close with their soul flames on the verge of extinguishing.

Beyond the four Rank One undead creatures that Sein had previously encountered, three additional Rank One undead emerged one after another.

These newly emerged undead exuded an even stronger aura of death, yet their soul flames were noticeably weak, underscoring the fact that even undead creatures are not immortal.

They were all believed to be over two thousand years old. The strongest among them was a zombie with rotting flesh, on the verge of advancing to Rank Two.

Sein noticed a corroded longsword strapped around its waist—likely a magic sword from the Magus World.

Sanchez also noticed the zombie.

Meeting Sein’s inquisitive gaze, Sanchez responded awkwardly, “I don’t recognize this one. He must have been an explorer who found his way here while my consciousness was still clouded.”

“Unlike you, who managed to extract the black crystal from my eye socket, he was overwhelmed by the relentless undead creatures here and eventually became one of them. What a pitiful guy,” Sanchez said with a sigh.

It was from Sanchez that Sein and Leena learned why the aura of the undead creatures in this graveyard differed from those in the Catacomb Chasm in Blackhaven.

“I’ve heard of this Blackhaven of the Magus World. Peano told me about it before. He was a mage from Western Archipelago,” Sanchez began.

“The Catacomb Chasm was built by the black mages. To intensify the necromantic essence there, these black mages engage in rampant killing and perform blood sacrifices, both within and around the catacomb.

“While this practice does indeed amplify the necromantic essence quickly, it also significantly increases negative energy. You might view the Undead World as a grim realm where countless undead creatures gather. However, for us, the native beings of the Undead World, it’s a tranquil, peaceful sanctuary where billions of dead souls rest.

“Most undead prefer to spend their entire existence in slumber rather than engage in senseless killing. Pure undead does not harbor strong grievances or resentment. Only the artificially created undead exhibit such traits because they retain obsessions from their former lives. This explains the difference you sensed,” Sanchez explained.

Having lived for eons and possessed extensive knowledge of undead creatures and necromancy, Sanchez’s insights far surpassed those of pure mages like Sein and Leena.

Angreas was also listening intently to the explanation. Despite being a bloodline warlock, he was eager to broaden his horizons and expand his knowledge base.

On the fourth day since their arrival at the graveyard, the portal to the Undead World was finally opened.

This one-way spatial passage meant they could now visit the Undead World. However, returning to the Magus World might take some time.

The Undead World was extremely distant from the Magus World, and traveling through the spatial passage alone could take years, partly because the passage Leena had activated was of a lower grade.

Among the forces within the Magus World, the Marmett Union Alliance maintained the strongest connection to the Undead World.

In addition, the Undead World also frequently interacted and collaborated with several small to medium-sized groups established by necromancers.

For now, Sein, Leena, and Angreas had no immediate plans to explore the Undead World.

Given their Rank One life levels, they were unlikely to make any significant impact in the vast expanse of the Undead World.

Moreover, compared to the opportunities available in the Knight Continent’s trial zones—a veritable treasure trove—the Undead World held less allure.

Besides, traveling to the Undead World from the Magus World was relatively straightforward.

Anyone could travel to the Undead World with just a simple payment of magicoin at any divine tower that had a stable spatial passage connected to the Undead World.

Many Rank One and Rank Two mages in the Magus World were keen to explore the myriad civilizations under the Magus Alliance.

Among them was Lance, a mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, who first introduced Sein to advanced extraplanar knowledge.

“According to the usual pattern, the subspace secret realm within the Knight Continent’s trial zone will close in about a day. Will all of you be able to enter the portal in such a short time?” Sein asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“It won’t be a problem. It’ll only take half a day for all of us to leave!” Sanchez replied confidently.

True to Sanchez’s word, after the undead knight on the white skeletal warhorse took the lead, tens of thousands of undead creatures from the graveyard proceeded toward the spatial passage in an orderly fashion.

Sein and the others were fortunate to witness such a grand spectacle.

During this process, Leena leaned on Sein’s shoulder, feeling slightly drained.

As each undead creature entered the spatial passage, it was marked with a special brand perceptible only to Leena.

While branding a few undead was manageable, marking tens of thousands proved to be a significant strain on her.

Although each individual branding consumed only a negligible amount of Leena’s focus, the cumulative effect was substantial and taxing.