Sovereign of the Ashes

The airship bound for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring spread its “wings” and soared between the expanse of sea and sky.

Sein considered himself quite lucky after learning from Tom that this was the last flight for the day.

The vessel he was riding on bore a resemblance to the one Sein had previously ridden in Mystralora City, yet subtle distinctions set them apart.

The airship Sein had ridden in Mystralora City paled in comparison to the aesthetic appeal of the current vessel he was on.

Sein astutely identified the airship’s power sources, pinpointing three potential locations.

One was the turbocharger positioned at the ship’s stern, the second was the several broad white “wings” adorning the hull, and the third were the intricate magic arrays etched deep within the hull.

Even with the use of an exceptionally swift airship, the journey from Jewel Bay to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring demanded a two-day and two-night voyage to reach the outskirts of the divine tower.

It was no wonder the locals of the Jewel Bay referred to it as the “Viridescent Sea”. Considering its immense expanse, it truly deserved to be referred to as a sea.

Several individuals shared this flight to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring with Sein, likely due to it being the final flight of the day.

In total, there were forty to fifty passengers, with seven or eight initiates conspicuously wearing the badges of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring on their chests.

These initiates were mostly in their teens and twenties, with only very few surpassing the age of thirty.

Despite their young age, they held commendable ranks, all attaining at least the level of intermediate initiate or higher.

This was proof of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s reputation as a nurturing ground for accomplished spellcasters.

These initiates looked rather weary and appeared to have just returned from a mission.

The strongest among them were a pair of male and female senior initiates.

They appeared to be around Sein’s age, with the male possibly slightly older, and the female’s age eluding precise estimation.

In contrast to the majority of airship passengers, these seven or eight initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring occupied the central space with a subtle air of arrogance.

Their entitlement to pride was justified, as at least half of the airship’s passengers cast envious glances their way.

Aside from the conspicuous initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein observed that knights outnumbered magic initiates on this airship.

More than half of the passengers were knights, and Sein also observed a few ordinary humans among them.

The knights and the sparse number of ordinary humans were likely heading to the outskirts of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring for business transactions.

Every year, the divine towers in the Magus World would offer a significant array of magic equipment, alchemy potions, elemental array diagrams, and even spell models to the surrounding areas.

In comparison to smaller, less reliable mage councils, major divine towers recognized in the Magus World set the trend and wield authority in the surrounding regions.

Though the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was relatively newly established, having been around for just over two hundred years, it had gradually earned a reputable name in the vicinity during its development.

As a result, many knights and mages would traverse long distances annually to trade for goods at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

These travelers brought basic wealth such as energy crystals, rare raw materials, and magicoins to the divine tower to acquire the items they desired in return.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Some powerful divine towers refused to set up commercial areas on their outskirts.

They believed it might negatively impact the overall image of their divine tower, and the modest profits were hardly worth their consideration.

However, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring embraced the practice.

Being a newly constructed divine tower, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring lacked the extensive resources and wealth accumulated by the more established towers with thousands or even tens of thousands of years of history.

Nevertheless, the divine towers with tens of thousands of years of history were not that impressive in the Magus World...

There were countless more ancient and powerful divine towers in the Magus World, not to mention the more prestigious soul towers that surpassed the divine towers...

Those were the core forces in dominating the Magus World, led by Rank Seven overlords.

***

After two days and two nights, Sein finally reached the outskirts of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

After navigating through what seemed like an endless black tornado storm, the expansive blue scenery of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s outskirts finally unfolded before Sein.

Situated in the heart of the Viridescent Sea, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring consisted of a massive central island and seven or eight smaller chain islands.

The outskirts of the divine town referred to the two furthest smaller islands from the central island.

The remaining islands, along with the central Verdant Spring Island, comprised the main section of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

From the vantage point of the airship, Sein could appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Beyond the splendor of the smaller islands, the attention of Sein and the other passengers on the airship was immediately captivated by a tower on the central island, standing nearly a thousand meters tall.

This colossal tower, while predominantly white, revealed a subtle touch of pale green in the sunlight and the sea’s reflection.

Majestic and solemn—these were the initial impressions that Sein experienced as he gazed upon the towering structure.

“So, this is the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring?” Sein could not help but sigh in amazement.

* * *

The airship landed on one of the two smaller islands on the outskirts of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Despite being furthest away from the central island, the area was buzzing with activity.

Rather than hurrying to find the place to enroll himself, Sein decided to leisurely explore the island where he had landed.

While the island might not have seemed particularly large from above, Sein soon realized that it was larger than his initial expectations upon landing.

Even after spending half a day leisurely strolling, he had only covered a quarter of the island he landed on, not to mention the other outer island.

Sein could only imagine the size of the main island where the divine tower was located.

As he wandered through the lively commercial street, the clamor around him created the atmosphere of a bustling downtown area.

However, what caught many by surprise was that more than ninety percent of the establishments on the commercial street were operated by distinguished knights or mages in the secular world.

It was mostly the knights who were shouting unceremoniously like vendors, paying little heed to maintaining their image.

Their voices, amplified by the power of battle qi, proved more impactful than those amplified by intermediate magic spells.

On the other hand, the mages who set up stalls and stores on the commercial street maintained a reserved and low-profile demeanor.

They rarely hawked their wares and simply showcased their goods, patiently waiting for potential buyers to approach.

Surprisingly, the mages tended to attract a significant crowd in front of their stalls.

Only a small number of patrons showed interest in the wares presented by the knights.