Sovereign of the Ashes

A civilizational treasure could indeed play a decisive role in certain critical battles.

However, expecting a civilizational treasure to easily kill Rank Eight beings with Eternal Souls was clearly unrealistic.

No matter how powerful a civilizational treasure might be, it was still only an inanimate object at the end of the day.

War remained a contest between living beings.

The Magus Civilization understood this well. That was why they had only used their civilizational treasures a handful of times.

Of course, there was also another possibility—the Magus Civilization’s civilizational treasures simply were not very practical.

After all, it was impossible for the Magus Civilization to hold every advantage!

At least when it came to civilizational treasures, whether it was the Light of Wisdom or the Supreme Knight Overlord Armor Set, both were powerful artifacts meant for specific, exceptionally strong individuals.

They were unlike the Gallant Federation’s Infinity Light device and Ultimate Quantum Computer, which were far less selective about their users.

Anyone could operate them and put them to good use.

This was especially true of the Ultimate Quantum Computer.

Throughout the Magus Civilization’s long war against the Gallant Federation, they had not truly been fighting the federation’s leadership. What they had been facing was actually a cold, calculating machine.

More than seventy percent of the Gallant Federation’s war decisions, from broad strategic deployments down to the movement of individual military units, were based on recommendations issued by the Ultimate Quantum Computer.

The Federation leadership merely reviewed those proposals before adopting them in most cases.

In the end, the adoption rate reached an astonishing ninety-seven percent.

The failure to eliminate the Great Monkey of Destruction outright had been within the federation leadership’s expectations.

Even so, disappointment was inevitable.

Moreover, the extraordinary combat power the Great Monkey of Destruction displayed afterward forced the federal generals to reassess their evaluation of him.

For the federation, the battle on this large-sized mechanical planet had produced both gains and losses.

Unfortunately, the losses outweighed the gains.

They had not expected that monkey to be so terrifying in battle.

Worse still, the breach through the planet’s core represented an extremely heavy loss for the federation.

However, not long afterward, two pieces of news arrived and lifted the spirits of the entire Gallant Federation.

Their reinforcements had arrived!

***

The first to arrive on the Gallant Federation’s civilizational battlefield was the combat legion from Myriad Manifestations World.

This expeditionary force was led by three overlords and numbered in the tens of billions.

For Myriad Manifestations World to muster and mobilize such a vast expeditionary force in so short a time, the Magus Civilization would never believe they had not been preparing for this well in advance.

Given the long-standing animosity between the two civilizations, Myriad Manifestations World’s appearance was hardly surprising.

Their expeditionary force emerged in the mid-to-rear sectors of the Gallant Federation’s home star domain.

Here, massive stargates had been constructed from vast accumulations of energy blocks.

It was through these colossal stargates that the legions of Myriad Manifestations World arrived at the frontlines of this civilizational battlefield.

Whether by coincidence or design, just as the expeditionary force of Myriad Manifestations World strode proudly out of the massive stargates, ready to “champion justice” on this distant battlefield in a foreign star domain, the Gallant Federation’s ultimate weapon was unleashed.

The Infinity Light tore across the void, aimed at the Great Monkey of Destruction on the large-sized mechanical planet.

The Gallant Federation had paid a heavy price to persuade Myriad Manifestations World to deploy its forces ahead of schedule.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the federation’s lobbying group had begged and pleaded relentlessly.

Although the Gallant Federation had been the weaker party in these negotiations, and had signed numerous treaties with Myriad Manifestations World that compromised its own interests, its status as a top-tier civilization still spoke for itself.

When that single beam of Infinity Light tore through the void and reached deep into the distant battlefield, shockwaves rippled through the beings of Myriad Manifestations World!

“What in the world is that?” a Rank Six being from Myriad Manifestations World murmured.

Although he was considered a top-tier powerhouse within his local star domain, he was nothing more than a speck of dust before such an apocalyptical strike.

At the same time, Venerable Yunqi, one of the three overlords standing at the very forefront of Myriad Manifestations World’s legions, was utterly stunned by the strike unfolding beyond the distant starry expanse.

“Is this what the battlefield of a top-tier civilization looks like?” the remarkably young Venerable Yunqi could not help but wonder.

Having unintentionally struck a blow against the morale of Myriad Manifestations World’s legions, the Gallant Federation immediately dispatched a high-ranking official with the rank of marshal to negotiate with their venerables.

This marshal was yet another elderly man. Aside from Rommel the Desert Fox, the vast majority of federal marshals were already advanced in age.

In fact, there were hardly any young faces at the pinnacle of the federation’s power.

This marshal’s name was Holfstad. He demanded that the Myriad Manifestations World’s legions split into three and head separately to the main front of the civilizational battlefield, the mechanical planet where the Great Monkey of Destruction was, and the Divine Descendants World battlefield.

Marshal Holfstad’s tone was very firm and left no room for negotiation.

He was completely different from the federation lobbyists Myriad Manifestations World had dealt with before.

With the deterrence of the Infinity Light still hanging over them, the other two Rank Seven venerables, whose life levels were slightly higher, were momentarily stunned by Marshal Holfstad’s demands.

This was not what they had agreed upon earlier.

Venerable Yunqi, an early-stage Rank Seven venerable, stepped forward. He did not seem intimidated by the Gallant Federation’s Infinity Light.

In a deep voice, he reminded the marshal, “Our two civilizations reached an agreement long ago. Myriad Manifestations World retains considerable autonomy on your civilizational battlefields.

“Furthermore, the signed treaty clearly states that Myriad Manifestations World will not prematurely intervene in the main battlefield between the federation and the Magus Civilization until Venerable Weiwu of our world arrives!” Venerable Yunqi said, neither arrogant nor servile.

His words were quickly echoed by the other two venerables.

They had merely been stunned for a moment by the Infinity Light earlier. It was not as if they had lost the dignity and backbone expected of overlord-level beings.

How could they allow the Gallant Federation to go back on an agreement that had already been settled?

In any case, Myriad Manifestations World had already reaped a portion of the benefits. At worst, they could simply part ways with the federation and construct a teleportation array to return home.

The Gallant Federation could not press the matter too hard either.

After exchanging a few words with the rear command, Marshal Holfstad said, “Then your forces shall split into two groups and provide reinforcements to the Divine Descendants Star Domain and Teyran, the massive mechanical planet.”

“These two battlefields are not part of the main theater of war between our civilization and the Magus Civilization,” he added.

Venerable Yunqi exchanged a few words with the other two venerables, then nodded in agreement to the federation’s arrangement.

Myriad Manifestations World was clearly playing this very cunningly. For the Divine Descendants Star Domain front, they decided to dispatch two venerables and two-thirds of their expeditionary force.

However, for Teyran, which had just been struck by the Federation’s Infinity Light, they were only willing to send a single venerable.

After all, even a devastating weapon like the Infinity Light had only been used out of sheer necessity. Who knew what terrifying forces might be lurking on that battlefield?

Even they themselves believed that no overlord-level being could withstand such an attack.

The strongest individual present, a late-stage Rank Seven venerable, had originally been assigned to the Teyran battlefield.

However, Venerable Yunqi volunteered to take on that responsibility himself.

“I want to see for myself what kind of being could withstand such a blow,” he said.

“If the two of you go to the Divine Descendants Star Domain, you can preserve as much of our forces’ strength as possible while also seeking out the benefits hidden within this Clash of Civilizations. I hear that star domain currently has only three overlords from the Magus Civilization.

“Marduk possesses peak Rank Seven strength. With the two of you there, you should be able to turn the tide of the war and create better conditions for the arrival of Venerable Weiwu and the others,” Venerable Yunqi said.

He was a young powerhouse brimming with ambition and vitality, someone who actively sought out danger and willingly embraced the unknown. That alone set him apart from most beings.

Faced with Venerable Yunqi’s firm stance, the two venerables could only nod in agreement and urge him to be extremely careful.

As for their own journey to the Divine Descendants Star Domain, at least for now, it did indeed seem to offer great rewards with very little danger.

After all, the Divine Descendants Star Domain was extremely vast and prosperous.

Myriad Manifestations World had done Marduk such a great favor. Surely he would have to show some gratitude?

Before long, the Myriad Manifestations World’s legions split into two groups and began advancing under the Gallant Federation’s urging.

Just as Venerable Yunqi set off for Planet Teyran, another uninvited guest appeared on the federation’s battlefield.

Coincidentally, this enemy also materialized within the same star domain as Teyran.

On the surface of a defunct artificial satellite orbiting Teyran, a blood mosquito with a wingspan of half a meter silently appeared.

It quietly fused itself with the federation satellite’s solar panels.

No, more accurately, it was siphoning energy from them.

The light of the surrounding stars grew dim and uncertain.

Below, within the plane, another wave of violent turbulence and energy impacts erupted, sending the already defunct satellite drifting uncontrollably toward a remote region.

By the time the satellite finally came to a stop, a closer look revealed that the surrounding starry sky was already swarming with countless blood-red mosquitoes.

Every one of those blood mosquitoes possessed an absurd number of compound eyes.

A single glance was enough to send a chill down one’s spine!