Sovereign of the Ashes

Time always passed quickly during research.

After discovering a region rich in flame laws that held immense research value, Sein and Gongsun Wudi decided to remain on this massive pyro-attribute plane temporarily.

That temporary stay ended up lasting nearly ten years.

Gongsun Wudi was a surprisingly low-key and approachable princess.

Given her status, her arrival on a large-sized plane under the Dawn Empire’s rule should have attracted endless flattery and attention from the local officials.

But Gongsun Wudi had likely anticipated this long ago and deliberately concealed both her identity and whereabouts.

When it came to suppressing her aura and concealing her true strength, Sein thought she might even be better at it than Celloza.

Back then, Celloza had relied on specially crafted equipment provided by the Magus Civilization to suppress his overwhelming aura and excessive power.

Gongsun Wudi, however, used nothing of the sort. She merely stood there quietly. If one were not paying close attention, she could almost completely blend into her surroundings.

Sein could not tell whether this meant Gongsun Wudi’s cultivation had surpassed even Celloza’s, or if it was simply the result of the vastly different cultivation systems used by their two civilizations.

While Sein immersed himself in studying the pyro elemental mystery beneath the sea of molten lava, Gongsun Wudi honed her martial techniques on the surface.

She was every bit as obsessed with improvement as Sein was.

Many high-ranking knights in Magus World would intentionally slow down and spend time enjoying life after reaching a certain level.

Gongsun Wudi, however, was completely different. During all the years Sein had spent at her residence, he had never once seen her host a grand banquet or indulge in luxury.

Most of the time, she remained in seclusion.

Cultivation was what Gongsun Wudi devoted herself to more than anything else.

In that regard, she and Sein were actually quite similar.

Just as Gongsun Wudi constantly pursued martial mastery, Sein spent nearly all his time buried in laboratories and research.

Ten years later, a blazing pillar of elemental fire suddenly erupted from deep beneath the vast sea of lava.

The terrifying pyro elemental energy, along with that unusual aura, immediately alerted many of the Dawn Empire’s powerhouses stationed on this plane.

When those powerhouses arrived at the scene, they discovered that the Princess Guardian had descended upon this world.

The faces of many Dawn Empire officials instantly turned pale.

The phrase “incognito inspection” instantly flashed through their minds.

As far as governance went, the Dawn Empire’s officials on this plane had done a fairly decent job.

But no matter how prosperous or orderly a place appeared, corruption and hidden dealings always existed beneath the surface.

And among those present, there were definitely corrupt officials!

Just as several Dawn Empire officials were starting to panic inwardly, worried that their secrets might be exposed, Sein finally emerged after finishing his training and research.

He flew directly toward Gongsun Wudi.

After ten years apart, Sein’s aura had become noticeably stronger than before.

The deeper changes to his understanding of pyro elemental laws were difficult for outsiders to perceive. The more obvious transformation was the dramatic increase in his elemental energy and aura intensity, both of which had now nearly reached the late stage of Rank Five.

Naturally, the resilience of his tempered body had progressed to the same level.

Even without relying on his two world-class secret treasures, Sein could now directly contend with peak Rank Five beings!

And with the Magic Cube and the Faceless Mask supporting him, his combat strength would naturally become even more terrifying.

If he faced Rank Six opponents now, the pressure would definitely be far less than before.

“The cultivation methods of Magus World mages truly are unusual,” Gongsun Wudi remarked curiously. “Did you encounter something down there?”

Sein’s sudden rise in strength was difficult for the Martial Civilization to fully comprehend.

“You could say that,” Sein replied. “The law node within this large-sized pyro elemental plane is incredibly ingenious. I had never even thought of a spiral-structured spell model like that before... After understanding it, I was able to further optimize my Ashen spell. Both the fluidity of elemental release and its destructive power should improve somewhat.”

Much of what Sein said involved highly specialized terminology unique to Magus World mages.

The concepts touched upon profound aspects of the laws, to the point that even many Rank Four mages might not fully understand them. But Sein believed Grandmaster Feylis would immediately grasp what he meant if she were here.

As for Gongsun Wudi, she eventually gave a thoughtful nod, though whether she truly understood his explanation or was simply going along with it was hard to tell.

“Since you’ve gotten stronger, we should spar a few more rounds when we get back,” Gongsun Wudi suggested.

Sein’s expression immediately stiffened.

Sparring with Gongsun Wudi certainly had its benefits, but being beaten one-sidedly was incredibly frustrating.

Setting aside the sparring, Sein also noticed that more and more Dawn Empire powerhouses stationed on the plane were gradually gathering nearby.

A thoughtful look flashed across his face before he briefly informed Gongsun Wudi through voice transmission about what he had discovered within the cavern of flame laws below.

After hearing this, Gongsun Wudi revealed a knowing expression.

However, she did not comment on it immediately. She also declined the banquets and formal audiences offered by the local garrison officials, instead taking Sein with her and directly leaving the world.

It was not until the two of them had returned to the Astral Realm that Sein finally could not resist bringing up the matter again.

Only then did Gongsun Wudi calmly say, “We can report this to my brother and the Court of Justice later. There is no need for us to concern ourselves with it for now.”[1]

“It shouldn’t be anything major. Most likely just a minor issue,” she added.

Sein nodded and stopped thinking about it further.

***

After returning to the plane where the Dawn Empire’s capital was located, Gongsun Wudi did not immediately drag Sein away to spar or train with her again.

Instead, she disappeared for a period of time.

Another ten years had passed, and the Dawn Empire’s military mobilization had become increasingly large in scale, gradually nearing completion.

In just a few more years, the vanguard legions would officially set out.

During their journey back, Sein noticed that many planes under the Dawn Empire’s control were already undergoing massive changes in preparation for the Emperor’s upcoming campaign.

After returning, Sein first spent some time in his laboratory.

However, before long, Gongsun Wudi summoned him out once more for a round of sparring session.

The combat experience gained from fighting a peak Rank Six being was far more valuable than shutting himself inside a laboratory conducting research.

Even if he was beaten miserably every time, Sein still gritted his teeth and endured it.

And the truth was, he had indeed gained a tremendous number of insights from fighting Gongsun Wudi.

One day, after another sparring session ended, the Princess Guardian—dressed in a fitted martial outfit—suddenly tossed a massive piece of flame ore toward him.

The dense and oppressive law power contained within it was nearly comparable to the core crystal of a Rank Six creature.

“This is...?” Sein asked in surprise. From the flame ore, he sensed an aura strikingly similar to the one hidden deep within the massive pyro-attribute planar node they had visited before.

“You earned it,” Gongsun Wudi replied. “Besides, we are about to head off to war, so I won’t be asking you to spar again anytime soon.”

“Make your preparations well. We’ll all be deploying together with the vanguard legions,” Gongsun Wudi said.

Sein glanced at the ore in his hand before nodding.

“Alright.”

1. Translator’s Note: Also known as the Court of Judicial Review or the Office of Justice, this was the supreme court for criminal cases under most of the dynasties of imperial China. ☜