Sovereign of the Ashes

Yes, the phantom figure that appeared in the starry sky beyond Divine Descendants World was Venerable Weiwu, the strongest being in Myriad Manifestations World.

He was also the central figure behind Myriad Manifestations World’s alliance with the Gallant Federation against the Magus Civilization.

Venerable Weiwu appeared to be a dignified middle-aged man who naturally exuded the righteous bearing of a supreme powerhouse.

He wore a lavish black robe and a golden crown.

Though only a phantom, he still radiated the terrifying aura of a peak Rank Eight being throughout the surrounding starry sky.

Even within a top-tier civilization, a being of Venerable Weiwu’s caliber would be considered a pillar capable of safeguarding its very foundation.

It was no wonder that he dreamed of breaking through to Rank Nine and leading Myriad Manifestations World into the ranks of top-tier civilizations!

The immense pressure radiating from his life force struck fear into the hearts of most overlords present on the battlefield.

Sein and the other lesser beings within the plane could not clearly make out what was happening among the overlords. From their perspective, the battlefield beyond the plane was shrouded in a hazy mist.

A vortex of violent law energy was gathering within it, creating the deceptive calm before a storm.

The appearance of Venerable Weiwu’s phantom startled even Marduk and Venerable Muge within Divine Descendants World.

Once again, Marduk was reminded that there were beings stronger than him out there!

For the first time in his life, he began to question his past actions. Had he been wrong to exploit and purge the powerful beings born within his own plane?

Divine Descendants World was undeniably vast and ruled over more than a thousand subordinate planes. Yet compared with the boundless Astral Realm, it was still nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

Marduk had never ventured beyond the Divine Descendants Star Domain. He had no idea just how vast the Astral Realm truly was.

When he first encountered the Gallant Federation, he had believed its power had already surpassed anything he could imagine.

Yet who could have expected that the once-mighty Gallant Federation would be beaten so badly by the Magus Civilization that it could barely raise its head?

In terms of foresight and experience, Marduk had always remained isolated within the Divine Descendants Star Domain and spent much of his time caught up in internal conflicts.

He might not even compare to some well-traveled Rank Six beings who had roamed the Astral Realm for countless years.

Strength alone did not determine everything. Even overlord-level beings could be ignorant frogs trapped at the bottom of a well.

When Venerable Weiwu’s phantom descended, only two beings present remained completely unaffected by his aura.

One was Fermont the Deathspawn, who continued suppressing Marduk within the plane.

Fermont’s enormous body loomed over the entire overlord battlefield.

Its pitch-black shadow stretched as far as the eye could see, striking fear into countless living beings below.

The Deathspawn had existed for an unimaginably long time. Throughout its long life, it had encountered countless powerhouses and witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations.

Venerable Weiwu was undoubtedly one of the few true powerhouses of the Astral Realm. Even the pharaohs of the Amenkha Empire would likely restrain their arrogance in his presence.

Yet the Deathspawn remained completely unfazed!

It was almost impossible to draw any obvious reaction from the creature.

Born under some of the most extreme conditions in the Astral Realm, it was practically an embodiment of the death laws. Calling it a mobile death zone would not have been an exaggeration.

Before being subdued by a Magus Civilization powerhouse, Fermont had wandered through the cosmos, devouring and absorbing any planes that drifted too close to it while pushing necromantic energy to its absolute limit.

It was hard to imagine that such a terrifying creature would eventually become the Empress of Blades’ mount. More surprisingly, it also served as an enormous mobile habitat for the Insectoids.

Inside the Deathspawn’s body was a complete ecosystem and a vast network of structures designed specifically for them.

Whenever the need arose, an astronomical number of Insectoid legions could surge out from within it at any moment.

The Insectoids under the Empress of Blades had already developed a subtle symbiotic relationship with the Deathspawn.

Some of the more unusual Insectoid units even carried distinct traces of death energy in their claws, fangs, and attacks.

Following the Empress of Blades’ orders, Fermont continued to keep Marduk firmly under control.

Marduk was still deeply frustrated. However, with the greatest threat to his life temporarily gone, he felt that he might be able to hold out a little longer.

His thoughts immediately began racing.

Throughout his relentless battle with the Deathspawn, Marduk had repeatedly tried to shift toward the edges of the battlefield. From his movements, it was obvious that he was constantly searching for an opportunity to flee.

Unfortunately, escaping the plane was almost impossible.

Even if he managed to break away, he could only flee elsewhere within Divine Descendants World.

At best, he would merely prolong his futile struggle and delay his inevitable death.

Aside from the Deathspawn, only one other being on the battlefield remained unaffected by Venerable Weiwu’s imposing aura—Liese, the Empress of Blades!

In terms of rank, the Empress of Blades was indeed slightly below Venerable Weiwu.

However, rank alone did not determine combat strength!

Whether it was the power of her bloodline, her pride as the Empress of the Insectoids, or the long-standing grudges between the Magus Civilization and Myriad Manifestations World, none of these would allow her to show even the slightest hint of weakness before Venerable Weiwu.

In fact, the aura radiating from the Empress of Blades was even fiercer than it had been during her battle with Marduk.

She had never even unleashed her full strength against Marduk!

There had been no need.

The difference in their life levels already made the battle overwhelmingly one-sided. With Fermont fighting beside her as well, there had been no reason for the Empress of Blades to take Marduk seriously.

Venerable Weiwu was another matter entirely.

As the Empress of Blades’ aura continued to intensify with every passing moment, the genes within her body gradually awakened.

Subtle changes began taking place beneath her seemingly calm exterior.

Her ancient combat instincts were stirring.

Anyone who looked into her serene eyes might have imagined the terrifying spectacle of billions of Insectoids roaring as one.

The other overlords on the battlefield were still intimidated by Venerable Weiwu’s overwhelming presence.

Venerable Weiwu, however, was likely the only one who fully sensed the changes happening within the Empress of Blades.

“I expected no less from that man’s child,” Venerable Weiwu said calmly. “Do you intend to fight me?”

A strange light flashed through the Empress of Blades’ sepia-colored pupils. The corners of her lips curled into a faint, almost seductive smile.

“Who knows?” she replied. “Perhaps I do.”

Two razor-sharp blades slowly extended from her elbows.

At the same time, the bone wings behind her began transforming into an even more intricate and terrifying shape.

Bone blades and spikes emerged across her body one after another. From a distance, she resembled a beautiful yet deadly flower in full bloom.

Even her height and physique began undergoing subtle changes.

Her body was evolving into the form best suited for combat.

As the Insectoids’ ultimate weapon of war and the Mother of all insects, the Empress of Blades represented the pinnacle of their evolutionary path.

The moment she entered combat mode, the overlords behind her prepared themselves for battle as well.

The Dawn Emperor held the Heirloom Seal in one hand and the Son of Heaven Sword in the other. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.

The Holy Dragon King once again circled beneath him, staring solemnly at the enemy ahead.

The Bladeist lowered his body and bent his legs slightly, assuming a stance from which he could charge at any moment. He was prepared to unleash everything he had. Even if he died fighting for Her Majesty the Empress, he would have no regrets.

The Thunder Beast King released a deafening roar. As the frontline shield, he had endured the brunt of Venerable Tianyang’s attacks earlier. Large sections of his bone armor had fallen away, and many of his scales were cracked or shattered. Yet judging by his spirit alone, he seemed more eager to fight than anyone else present.

This time, even the demon overlord Gustavo did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward to face the threat head-on.

There were times when retreat was the sensible choice—such as moments earlier, when Venerable Tianyang had lost all reason and intended to drag someone down with him.

But there were also times when retreat was not an option.

This was one of them.

Cunning and calculating as he was, Gustavo understood that perfectly.

At that moment, every overlord aligned with the Magus Civilization entered combat mode.