Sovereign of the Ashes

News that the remnants of the army led by the Tenth Pharaoh of the Amenkha Empire had been chased into a panic by the Buddhist faction’s powerhouses soon reached the Magus Civilization’s high command.

The Magus Civilization’s leadership found the situation both amusing and exasperating.

Initially, they had been rather displeased that the Buddhist faction had interfered in their civilizational war without so much as a heads-up.

Then again, the Buddhist faction had already arrived—and immediately helped the Magus Civilization settle an old score. Under such circumstances, the high command could only accept their participation.

Still, that did not mean the Buddhist powerhouses could simply lead hundreds of millions of cultivators onto the Magus Civilization’s front lines and join whichever battle they pleased.

Most importantly, they could not be allowed to disrupt the Magus Civilization’s existing war plans, especially when the Insectoids, the Dawn Empire, the Dragon Clan of the Immortal Realm, and the Great Monkey of Destruction had already intervened across the Magus Civilization’s main battlefronts.

Thus, the Magus Civilization decided to send the Buddhist Army through another cross-star-domain teleportation array, directing them toward the Amenkha Empire battlefield at the edge of the Grand Cosmic World Star Domain.

The Magus Civilization and the Immortal Realm might be allied civilizations, but when it came to matters involving such fundamental interests, the Magus Civilization would never give way!

The Buddhist faction understood this perfectly well.

Most of the benefits on the main battlefield had already been divided among the forces present. Even if they intervened now, there would be little left for them to gain. They might as well try their luck on the Amenkha Empire battlefield instead.

After routing the remnants of the vanguard led by the Tenth Pharaoh, the Buddhist faction’s high monks had also gained considerable confidence in dealing with the armies of the Amenkha Empire.

At this moment, their army was riding a wave of overwhelming momentum.

When they heard that the battlefield near the Grand Cosmic World Star Domain would once again pit them against the Amenkha Empire, the middle and high-ranking powerhouses of the Buddhist faction eagerly rubbed their hands.

They were already preparing to demonstrate their “profound” Buddhist might to these heretical and malevolent creatures from a distant foreign star domain.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Clan of the Immortal Realm had already reaped considerable rewards on the Magus Civilization’s front lines.

Upon learning of the Tenth Pharaoh’s whereabouts, many of them immediately felt the urge to pursue their old enemy once more.

However, Baxia and the Flood Dragon King quickly talked them out of it.

The dragon turtle had deep ties to the upper echelons of the Magus Civilization, so he knew far more than most about what was happening behind the scenes.

Turning to his siblings, he said in a low voice, “The Tenth Pharaoh is already fleeing toward the Amenkha Empire. By the time we catch up, she’ll probably be long gone.”

“As long as she refuses to turn around and fight us, pursuing her would only be a waste of time,” he added.

The Flood Dragon King, one of the younger and less experienced brothers, also spoke up.

“I received a jade talisman from our eldest brother and the others. From what they said, the situation on the Amenkha Empire battlefield is far from easy. Makhast’s second unsealed form has been placing enormous pressure on them. Not long ago, he even drew his blade and nearly broke through the Three Poles Formation set up by Celestial Venerable Duobao and the others. Furthermore, the Amenkha Empire is still gathering more forces along that front, with reinforcements continuously arriving from the rear.

“The Buddhist faction is already heading there, and that should be enough support for now. I don’t think we need to get dragged into that war as well,” he advised.

As an overlord born and raised in the Immortal Realm, with an uncomplicated background and the title of the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas, the Flood Dragon King naturally spoke more bluntly.

Baxia already knew everything he had mentioned. In fact, he knew even more.

In fact, Baxia’s ties to the Magus Civilization ran so deep that the two sides could almost be considered a community of shared interests.

Compared with the distant Immortal Realm civilization, which had grown increasingly unfamiliar to him over the years, Baxia considered the Magus Civilization to be his true home.

His partners and children were all here, and they had rarely ever left Magus World.

That was why Baxia had phrased his earlier words more tactfully instead of speaking as bluntly as the Flood Dragon King.

With both Baxia and the Flood Dragon King voicing their opposition, the others finally stopped insisting on pursuing the Tenth Pharaoh for revenge.

The nine dragon sons of the Immortal Realm had always stood together.

Although the fourth and ninth sons were no longer in this Astral Realm, the remaining seven brothers were still as close as ever. None of them would ever do anything that might place their own kin in danger.

Torch Dragon had also reaped considerable benefits from this civilizational war. Despite being the weakest overlord present, he was among the most enthusiastic whenever another battle was mentioned.

Since they had already decided against pursuing the Tenth Pharaoh, Torch Dragon immediately urged, “Then let us keep moving forward!”

He twisted and coiled his enormous body in excitement.

“The Star Cores gathered by the Gallant Federation and those enormous piles of energy blocks sitting in their warehouses are calling out to me already!”

The dragons loved nothing more than treasures.

Over the years since arriving on the Gallant Federation’s battlefields, they had gradually discovered the two kinds of spoils that appealed to them most.

The first was the Star Core.

Among the law-wielding dragons, Star Cores were regarded as the most valuable prizes of all. They were also one of the Gallant Federation’s most commonly used energy sources for its powerful space vessels, as well as giant mobile suits of Rank Four and above.

After every battle, the dragon powerhouses would privately compare the number and quality of the Star Cores they had gained.

The second was the neutral energy block.

These were the favourite treasures of ordinary dragons below Rank Four, as well as the lesser forces and Dragon Palace legions serving under them.

The Gallant Federation’s technology for producing neutral energy blocks was truly astonishing. It had thoroughly stunned these visitors from the Immortal Realm.

After all, they could be considered “man-made spirit stones”!

Some of the energy sources used by giant mobile suits and specialised warships even contained energy comparable to rare energy sources of Rank Four or higher.

Many of the Immortal Realm dragons who came to the Gallant Federation’s battlefields had made a fortune.

Naturally, the juiciest share of the spoils would never fall to low-ranking minions lacking strength or influence.

Even so, they rarely walked away empty-handed, especially whenever one of the Gallant Federation’s life planets was conquered.

The Dragon Clan, accustomed to feasting on the finest treasures, looked down on civilian-grade energy crystals and ordinary resources. Their low-ranking soldiers, however, were not picky!

Almost every Immortal Realm creature that had come to the Magus Civilization’s battlefield had made a profit!

Provided they survived, of course.

***

Not long after the Buddhist faction entered the Magus Civilization’s war, two more legions from the Immortal Realm arrived in succession.

It was no wonder the Insectoids and the Dawn Empire had shown little urgency in reinforcing the Magus Civilization’s main battlefield.

At this rate, there was hardly any need for them to intervene at all.

The first Immortal Realm force to arrive marched under the banner of Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi, a highly respected figure known throughout the Immortal Realm as the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals.

Compared with the Buddhist faction, Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi had more tact.

His ties to Magus World were nowhere near as close as those of the Jie Sect or the Dragon Clan. Therefore, rather than personally descending upon the Magus Civilization’s battlefield as a Rank Eight Sage, he merely dispatched the sect forces under his command, along with a large number of rogue cultivators affiliated with the Five Villages Temple.

Every cultivator in this army was below Rank Seven. There were not even many Great Luo Golden Immortals among them, and only two had reached the Quasi-Saint level.

Through a long-distance communication spanning several star domains, Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi personally explained his intentions to Lady Bev, leader of the Magus Civilization.

“These disciples of mine have only come to the Magus Civilization’s battlefield to gain experience. Many of them have never ventured beyond the Immortal Realm civilization and know little of the vastness and splendour of the Astral Realm. The considerable spoils offered by a Clash of Civilizations are not the main reason these young cultivators have come.”

“As for the division of spoils, I have already instructed every sect under my command to share their gains equally with the Magus Civilization. They will also accept the Magus Civilization’s coordination and deployment whenever necessary.”

He conveyed his intentions with complete sincerity.

Only after receiving Lady Bev’s approval did he allow his disciples to enter the battlefield.

This was entirely different from the Buddhist faction, which had come uninvited.

Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi was truly generous. Not only were his cultivators willing to divide their spoils equally with the Magus Civilization, but they were also prepared to accept a certain degree of command and coordination.

It was practically an army delivered straight to the Magus Civilization’s doorstep to help them earn a profit. How could the Magus Civilization possibly refuse?

Most Immortal Realm legions fighting on the Magus Civilization’s battlefields enjoyed a high degree of independence, whether in handling their spoils or making day-to-day military decisions. The Magus Civilization rarely interfered with them too heavily.

Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi’s forces, however, consisted entirely of cultivators below Rank Seven. Their presence posed no threat to the Magus Civilization’s most important interests on the battlefield.

At most, the Magus Civilization would have to share a portion of the more ordinary spoils with them.

They were more than willing to offer such a small benefit.

Lady Bev readily approved Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi’s request and spoke highly of his actions, praising the noble spirit he had shown by standing up for the ordinary sects and vulnerable rogue cultivators of the Immortal Realm.

A kind-hearted figure like him was truly rare in any plane or civilization.

The only thing that caught the Magus Civilization’s high command somewhat off guard was the sheer number of rogue cultivators and disciples from small and medium-sized sects he had sent!

Hundreds of millions had already arrived, yet more continued pouring onto the Magus battlefield through the teleportation arrays, with no sign of stopping.

But that was only natural. Within the Immortal Realm civilization, the largest group of cultivators had never belonged to the sage courts or the major top-tier sects.

Instead, they came from countless small and medium-sized sects.

In fact, rogue cultivators formed the largest cultivation group in the entire Immortal Realm.

And Great Immortal Zhenyuanzi was currently the first Sage-level powerhouse willing to speak on their behalf.

***

Mellifluous Plane, a world under the rule of the Magus Civilization...

Duan Po, a rogue cultivator from the Immortal Realm, rested one hand on the machete at his waist as he stepped out of a teleportation array glowing with dazzling elemental light.

The moment he emerged, he began looking around with unconcealed curiosity.

Two pink full moons hung high above the plane, drawing his gaze upward. Duan Po stared at them for several moments before finally looking away.

The other Immortal Realm cultivators who had arrived alongside him were even more fascinated by the numerous Magus Civilization structures and colossal platforms scattered across the plane and its surrounding space.

Several space fortresses were currently taking turns patrolling the area.

As these behemoths rose and descended through the sky, waves of astonished gasps broke out among the rogue cultivators, many of whom had never witnessed anything like them before.

The prism forts and war airships constantly crossing the skies of Mellifluous Plane also drew their attention, as did the multifunctional magic armor produced by Steel City.

“Welcome to the Magus Civilization battlefield.”

A voice transmitted through mental focus suddenly appeared in Duan Po’s mind.

He turned around and saw a Rank Two female mage riding a broomstick. She was an elderly witch with white hair and only a few teeth left.

Despite her appearance, she seemed like a nice and warm person.

With one hand still resting on his machete, Duan Po felt no hostility toward this unfamiliar female mage, even though her appearance differed greatly from the standards of beauty among humans of the Immortal Realm.

Although Duan Po had already reached the Earthly Immortal Realm[1], he showed no trace of disdain toward the Rank Two mage. Instead, he gave her a slight nod.

“Greetings.”

“Hehe, every newcomer from the Immortal Realm must register. You’ll also need to wear an identity tag. It’ll track your location and record your achievements. You should already have been informed of this before arriving, correct?” the Rank Two mage explained.

Without waiting for a response, she continued, “Head toward the Prism Fort Number Two. Someone there will receive and assist you.”

Duan Po nodded and began walking in the direction she had indicated. Before leaving, however, he could not help but glance back one last time.

Another Magus Civilization space fortress was slowly ascending into the sky, while a war airship roared through the space beneath it.

“So this is the Magus Civilization battlefield, huh...?” Duan Po murmured in amazement.

1. Translator’s Note: That’s peak Rank Three! A demigod! ☜