Sovereign of the Ashes

Behind the Magus Civilization’s main forces, Bev watched the battlefield intently, draped in a pristine white robe.

The peak Rank Seven soul overmage radiated gentle yet powerful waves of lumen elemental energy.

She was not the only overlord-level being from the Magus Civilization present.

After the legions launched their all-out assault, other overlords from both the Magus Civilization and allied planes appeared one after another.

At the same time, elite Magus World legions bypassed the Gallant Federation’s main vanguard fleet, flanking it from the sides and rear through the teleportation nodes Commander Blood River had created from blood mist.

“Looks like this war will take a heavy toll on the Byrne Empire’s Dragon Knight Legion,” Bev commented, fixing her gaze on the frontlines.

Renowned as Magus World’s strongest knight legion, the Dragon Knights charged faster than anyone across the stellar battlefield. Naturally, they were also the first Magus World troops to face the concentrated firepower of the Gallant Federation’s fleets right after the Netherworld legions.

Both sides always bled in war. Victory never came without loss.

Soldiers were trained for a thousand days to be expended in a single battle.

And since the Dragon Knight Legion bore the honor of being Magus World’s finest, they had to be deployed as vanguards in this decisive moment!

Aside from the Dragon Knight Legion, not many other Magus World forces had the strength or decisiveness to punch through the federation’s defense line.

Losses were inevitable. Bev, a Lumimancer, was by nature a soft-hearted mage.

During her tenure as leader of the Magus Civilization, she had never been known as a radical powerhouse.

Her calm temperament and empathy earned her immense respect not only within Magus World but also throughout the Magus Alliance, even among foreign gods.

“I see no problem with the Dragon Knights and the Titan Legion breaking through the federation’s defense line. Those overlord-class fleets won’t be able to retreat unscathed. Should we deploy the Wisdom Light?” Zenasus asked.

“We must break the Gallant Federation’s limb this time, no matter the cost. We still don’t know exactly how many overlord-class fleets they have, but the forces gathered here in the Netherworld Star Domain are already enough of a feast for us,” the Rank Seven soul overmage added.

The Pyro Secret Society, a major faction founded by him within Magus World, had also deployed several legions to the Saronas Star Domain.

However, the legions formed by the various divine towers and knightly orders under the Pyro Secret Society still fell short of the elite forces of the Magus Civilization that had already demonstrated their capabilities earlier.

Nevertheless, those legions under his the Pyro Secret Society had also plunged into the massive stellar battlefield before them.

The scale and chaos across this stretch of the starry void defied imagination. Even a wandering overlord passing through would likely tremble and feel eager to escape this accursed place.

The Magus Civilization had prepared for this war for ages, pouring in countless troops and paying a tremendous price. Their goal was not simply to destroy a few of the Gallant Federation’s middle and lower-tier fleets.

Their true target was the overlord-class forces!

At Zenasus’s suggestion, Bev raised her right hand. A white orb of light appeared and quietly floated beside her.

Given the strategic importance of the Netherworld Star Domain, she had brought the Wisdom Light, a civilizational treasure, to the frontlines.

It was the Magus Civilization’s ultimate treasure, capable of doubling even an overlord’s combat effectiveness!

As a top-tier civilization feared across surrounding star domains, Magus World possessed only two such artifacts, and the Wisdom Light was one of them.

It represented the very foundation of their civilization and was considered the enhancement artifact most attuned to mages.

The other civilizational treasure was more suited for the knights. Its peculiar properties and absurdly strict usage conditions made it impractical for deployment on this battlefield.

The Wisdom Light possessed intelligence that far surpassed ordinary beings; some even said it held greater knowledge and insight than some overlords or overmages.

Zenasus looked at the glowing sphere in awe. Despite his immense power and influence, he was not qualified to wield it.

“The Wisdom Light is one of our civilization’s ultimate treasures. Master Douglas asked me to bring it along, anticipating complications in this battle. As a fellow top-tier civilization, the Gallant Federation should have its own civilizational treasures too,” Bev replied calmly.

“Let’s not act rashly yet,” she continued. “I want to see what other aces the federation has up its sleeve. I refuse to believe its leaders would just sit back and watch while so many of their overlord-class fleets are trapped inside our Netherworld Star Domain.”

Zenasus nodded.

Up to this point, the Gallant Federation had been the aggressor in the Clash of Civilizations, the one to strike first.

But with the Netherworld Star Domain’s counteroffensive and several of the federation’s overlord-class fleets now caught in the Magus Civilization’s encirclement, the tide had begun to turn.

The Magus Civilization was in no hurry.

Forcing the Gallant Federation to reveal its remaining cards and the true depth of its civilization’s foundation would allow the Magus Civilization to fight the next stage of the war with greater clarity and precision.

“According to intel from the survivors of the Rosen Dynasty, their civilization collapsed so quickly under the Gallant Federation’s invasion because their Rank Eight Psychic was crippled by some kind of long-range technological weapon the federation used,” Zenasus said.

“Unfortunately, our information is still too limited. Back then, all we detected was a massive elemental disturbance within the Rosen Dynasty’s star domain. Even our spies haven’t managed to uncover any details about the federation’s ultimate artifact. Otherwise, our odds in this war would be much higher,” he added with a hint of frustration.

The existence of a secret weapon capable of crippling Rank Eight beings was no longer a rumor. It was a fact known to certain people within the Magus Civilization’s high command.

Even among the overlord-class fleets currently trapped inside the Netherworld Star Domain, at least two were believed to possess enough firepower to threaten Rank Eight beings.

Zenasus’ words made Bev pause for a moment. She then unclasped a crystal necklace from around her neck.

As the leader of an entire civilization, Lady Bev’s wealth and arsenal were beyond imagination.

The necklace she held had twelve Radiant Jades. It was a high-grade, world-class secret artifact![1]

“Let’s use this to test the waters,” she suggested.

1. Translator’s Note: Radiant Jade was briefly mentioned once before in Chapter 1157, where Sein learned from Sky City’s archive that it was something condensed by the angels of the Radiant Celestials. ☜