Sovereign of the Ashes

The teleportation array Sein and his party used at the edge of the Divine Descendants Star Domain had been constructed by the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce.

Thus, during the first leg of their journey, they had no choice but to follow the teleportation routes established by the chamber across the surrounding star domains.

Those routes were rather chaotic. Most of the teleportation arrays connected directly to planes and worlds with which the Arriba Chamber of Commerce conducted trade.

As a result, Sein and his companions ended up making several detours along the way, taking the opportunity to visit a few foreign planes near the Divine Descendants Star Domain.

Their journey only became smoother after they reached the main battlefield between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation.

Their destination was the Valthwain Star Domain.

This region had once been one of the Gallant Federation’s central star domains. It could just barely be considered part of the federation’s heartland and marked the deepest point the Magus Civilization had reached along the front lines.

At that moment, fierce Clashes of Civilizations were raging across more than two-thirds of the surrounding region.

The Gallant Federation was desperate to reclaim the Valthwain Star Domain.

Ever since the Titan Legion of the Magus Civilization first invaded the region, it was as though the Magus Civilization had planted one foot directly on the federation’s heart. As long as that foot remained there, the federation’s high command could neither eat nor sleep in peace.

Faced with the Gallant Federation’s frenzied counterattacks, the Magus Civilization responded in the most direct manner possible.

Lady Bev, the civilization’s leader, personally led a delegation of high-ranking officials from Magus World, together with their command center, into the Valthwain Star Domain.

The Magus Civilization’s stance could not have been clearer. They intended to hold this star domain deep within the federation’s heartland and would not retreat under any circumstances!

War was, in itself, a constant struggle of advance and retreat.

The arrival of the civilization leader and so many high-ranking officials in the Valthwain Star Domain greatly boosted the morale of the Magus Civilization legions stationed throughout the region.

Having only just returned to the main battlefield, Sein felt his blood pumping when he heard the latest battle report.

He could not help but admire the boldness of the civilization leader and Magus World’s leadership. At the same time, he felt a deep sense of pride in the Magus Civilization’s formidable strength.

Although more than two-thirds of the region surrounding the Valthwain Star Domain was engulfed in fierce warfare, Sein felt little unease upon arriving in this star domain surrounded by the flames of war.

But then again, if even the high-ranking officials of the Magus Civilization stationed here were not afraid, why should he panic?

Shortly after arriving on the battlefield, Sein was stunned by the sights unfolding before him.

Apart from the usual Magus Alliance legions and the knights and mages of Magus World, large numbers of cultivators from the Immortal Realm Civilization could also be seen throughout the Valthwain Star Domain.

There were bald monks dressed in monastic robes and clutching prayer beads, cultivators standing atop immortal swords, and members of the Yao Clan with all sorts of bizarrely shaped heads.

***

All of a sudden, the Magus Civilization’s battlefield seemed to be teeming with gods, immortals, yaos, and strange alien creatures. They swept past in every direction, wearing aloof expressions as though nothing around them was worth their attention.

The entire battlefield was filled with an extraordinary sense of chaos and vitality.

And that was not even counting the countless races and species belonging to the Magus Alliance.

The sheer variety was so overwhelming that even Sein found himself somewhat dazzled by the sights of the Valthwain Star Domain.

He imagined their opponents in the Gallant Federation must have felt much the same way. How could there possibly be so many different kinds of enemies?

A merchant fleet from the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had arrived in the Valthwain Star Domain alongside Sein and his group.

These interstellar merchants were no strangers to walking the line between life and death, so they did not consider the Valthwain Star Domain particularly dangerous.

In fact, over the past few years, the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had gradually reopened its markets within the Gallant Federation.

Despite the obvious hostility between the two sides, merchants from the chamber still dared to sneak into Gallant Federation territory in search of profit.

Money could indeed drive people mad.

A fleet leader named Asori smiled at Sein and said, “There’s no need to be surprised, Master Sein. It isn’t only the Valthwain Star Domain. The entire Magus Civilization battlefield is like this now.”

“The Immortal Realm Civilization has fully intervened in the war between your Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation. As a result, Arriba has made quite a profit by doing business with both sides. This is a perfect example of mutually beneficial cooperation,” Asori added with a smile.

Sein merely nodded without comment.

The Immortal Realm’s full-scale intervention in the Magus Civilization’s battlefield had only begun after Sein and Tourmaline entered the shattered space-time corridor, so Sein knew nothing about it.

According to Asori, cultivators from the Immortal Realm had only begun deploying in large numbers across the Magus Civilization’s battlefield in the past five hundred years or so.

“In the past, it was mostly the Dragon Clan legions fighting on the Magus Civilization’s battlefield. Most of the cultivators you see here are rogue cultivators from the Immortal Realm Civilization,” Asori explained.

“There aren’t many cultivators from the Buddhist faction, the Yao Clan, or the sage dao courts on the main battlefield. Most of them have been deployed elsewhere.”

Having spent some time on the battlefield of Divine Descendants World, Asori knew that Sein possessed considerable status and influence. That was why he was willing to fill him in.

“Oh? Which battlefield were they sent to?” Sein asked.

Asori paused briefly before replying, “I heard they were deployed to the Amenkha Empire’s front lines near the border of the Grand Cosmic World Star Domain, but I don’t know much about the situation there. If you’re interested, Master Sein, you may have to look into it yourself.”

For a Rank Five steward of the Arriba Chamber of Commerce, Asori already knew quite a lot.

Sein nodded and thanked him for the information.

“My divine tower should have accumulated quite a bit of wealth from the war over the past few years,” Sein said. “Steward Asori, should you be interested, you’re welcome to visit the Divine Tower of Ashes later to discuss potential trade partnerships.”

A broad smile immediately spread across Asori’s face. “In that case, I look forward to your continued support, Master Sein!”

“Also, regarding the letter you entrusted to me last time, I’ve already arranged for someone to deliver it ahead of schedule. If you have any further requests, please feel free to come to me at any time,” he added with a smile.

“You’re too kind, Steward Asori,” Sein replied, returning the smile.

The letter Sein had entrusted to him was addressed to his mentor.

During the war in Divine Descendants World, Sein had exchanged several letters with Lorianne and learned that his mentor was currently serving on the front lines of the Magus Civilization’s battlefield.

Grandmaster Feylis and the others, however, were still fighting in the outer sectors surrounding the main battlefield. For the time being, it would be difficult for Sein to meet his grandmaster and the other elders of the Verdant Flame Faction.

In the letter he sent to Lorianne, Sein asked whether she could meet him in the Valthwain Star Domain.

Come to think of it, more than a thousand years had passed since he last saw his mentor. Sein missed her quite a bit.

He also wondered whether Leena and the others were currently with Lorianne, or if they were still fighting alongside his grandmaster and the others.

As Sein travelled through the Valthwain Star Domain aboard a large aircraft belonging to the Arriba Chamber of Commerce, he watched cultivators from the Immortal Realm streak past the window one after another.

The sight set his thoughts wandering.

When I first learned about the Immortal Realm Civilization, I thought about travelling there myself to learn more about that unique top-tier civilization and its cultivation systems.

I never imagined I would be able to interact with all kinds of Immortal Realm cultivators right here on the Magus Civilization’s battlefield without even visiting the Immortal Realm.

Now that these two top-tier civilizations have formed a strategic partnership, there should already be a stable cross-star-domain teleportation channel connecting the Magus Civilization to the Immortal Realm. Travelling there should be far easier than it was before.

And what about the battlefield near the Amenkha Empire, at the border of the Grand Cosmic World Star Domain?

While the Magus Civilization and the Immortal Realm are strengthening their cooperation, has the Gallant Federation also reached some sort of agreement with the Amenkha Empire?

He had not forgotten how the monsters led by that Rank Six vizier of the Amenkha Empire had forced him and Tourmaline into a shattered space-time passage that they had almost no hope of returning alive.

Sein did not have an ounce of goodwill toward the Amenkha Empire, a top-tier civilization steeped in the primal powers of death and darkness.