Sovereign of the Ashes

Gongsun Wudi’s command tent stood at the very heart of Rongyue World.

It was also the final stronghold where resistance on this plane remained at its fiercest.

The two Rank Six beings of Rongyue World—the King of Mount Yue and Rongdi the Earth Hound—were locked in a desperate last stand here.

This plane’s navel and its guardian were likely nearby as well.

When Sein arrived, the sounds of war, with blazing beacons streaking across the sky, had not ceased for even a moment.

Gongsun Wudi was not the only Rank Six being the Dawn Empire had deployed to this battlefield.

Whenever she withdrew briefly to rest, another would take her place.

By denying the Rongyue creatures any chance to recover, their resistance steadily weakened.

When Sein saw her, Gongsun Wudi was seated in the middle of the tent, listening to reports from across the Rongyue Star Domain.

Of the nearly two hundred complete planes that made up the Rongyue Civilization, more than one hundred seventy had already fallen fully under the control of the Dawn Empire’s legions.

The situation on the remaining planes was also largely in their favor.

If the Dawn Empire could bring the war in Rongyue World to a swift end, the impact of this central battlefield would significantly weaken resistance across the remaining planes.

After finishing her immediate duties, Gongsun Wudi looked up at Sein.

“Master Sein, your performance on the northern front these past few years has been impressive,” she commended with a smile.

This peak Rank Six powerhouse rarely smiled.

Most of the time, she carried herself with quiet authority, giving off the air of a true hero.

But when she did smile, even Sein found himself momentarily captivated.

She was unlike any woman he had met before—her presence alone set her apart.

Sein remained humble and said nothing.

Everything he had done on the Rongyue battlefield was simply to help the Dawn Empire end the war as quickly as possible.

“The magic you used on the battlefield back then—I believe it’s called a forbidden spell, yes?” Gongsun Wudi asked.

Without waiting for Sein to respond, she continued, “I want you to cast it again. This time, target the navel of this plane. Do not destroy it completely. I would rather take control of this medium-sized plane and extract its value than see it annihilated.”

“Destruction isn’t the goal—profit is,” she added softly.

Sein fell silent for a moment, then replied, “Forbidden spells are overwhelmingly destructive. When it comes to precise targeting, they’re not easy to control.”

“Instead of bombarding the navel of this plane with a forbidden spell, I’d suggest locating all the planar nodes within this world and triggering them to force the plane into its weakened state ahead of time. With better control over elemental forces and law power, we may even avoid causing excessive lasting damage to the plane,” he explained.

Everyone had their own area of expertise. Gongsun Wudi was stronger than Sein, but that did not mean she was more knowledgeable than him in specialized fields.

More accurately, the Martial Civilization’s understanding of planar law nodes, particularly the deeper principles tied to the mysteries of truth, was not as refined as that of the Magus Civilization.

Sein had already conducted research on planar nodes before.

This time, the scale was simply larger, and the law nodes were far more complex.

For him, it was also a valuable opportunity.

“Oh? If that’s the case, then I’d appreciate your assistance, Master Sein. I’ll arrange a stipend for you on behalf of the Dawn Empire,” Gongsun Wudi said.

Sein considered the offer for a brief moment, then shook his head. “There’s no need for that. I only hope that once the war in Rongyue World ends, your civilization will seriously consider cooperation with our Magus World.”

“That goes without saying,” Gongsun Wudi replied with a nod.

***

Sein left Gongsun Wudi’s tent with a new mission in Rongyue World.

His next targets were the nodes around the navel of the plane.

The closer a node was to the navel, the greater its influence over the entire world.

The fact that the Rongyue creatures could not even secure full control over the region surrounding the planar navel showed how weak and powerless they were.

In addition to Sein’s personal guard, Fermera, the Dawn Empire soon deployed a sizable legion along with several law-wielding powerhouses to secure the area around him.

The navel of the plane was still a dangerous place.

This world’s guardian had yet to submit to the Dawn Empire.

Even a Rank Five lifeform, when empowered by the plane itself, could rival a Rank Six being.

At first, Sein felt the extra protection was unnecessary.

With the concealment abilities of the Faceless Mask and Fermera at his side, they could withdraw at any sign of trouble.

In his view, mapping and adjusting the planar nodes discreetly would have been the most efficient approach.

But it did not take long for him to realize these Dawn Empire powerhouses were not here just to protect him—they were also observing, possibly even trying to learn from him.

Sein chose to let it slide without comment.

While he had been studying the Dawn Empire, they were just as curious about a mage from Magus World.

It was mainly the older generation of Dawn Empire powerhouses who had any real familiarity with the Magus Civilization.

As for Gongsun Wudi and the younger generation who had risen in the empire’s modern era, they had almost no direct contact with Magus World mages and were naturally curious.

Sein did not believe a brief observation would allow them to grasp the true essence of the Magus Civilization or the deeper principles behind its magic.

Besides, when it came to personal skills and techniques, he made sure to keep those hidden.

***

Mount Yuntai—this was the location marked on the Dawn Empire’s map and the planar node Sein was currently surveying.[1]

The Dawn Empire was clearly impatient. Even though they had not fully secured this medium-sized plane, plans for dividing its regions and even establishing prefectural cities were already in place.

Standing atop Mount Yuntai, Sein looked out over the lush land below.

He could not help but note how remarkable Rongyue World’s ability to heal itself was.

Despite more than a century of war, the area around the navel of the plane still appeared vibrant and full of life from this vantage point.

Sein drove a magic pole into the ground, intricate array patterns began to resonate with the nodes he had marked across other regions.

He knew this peaceful, thriving landscape would not last much longer.

1. Translator’s Note: Mount Yuntai literally means Mount Cloud Platform. ☜

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