Sovereign of the Ashes

The conflict near the navel of the plane spanned two years.

However, the mages from the Magus Civilization were more of spectators rather than participants. The ones that were truly fighting were the native creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Sein also noticed that the ferocity of their clashes surpassed even the destructive interventions of external civilizations.

Over these two years, the sea of molten lava had turned significantly redder, as it had become a grave for countless native creatures.

Sein and the other mages from the Magus Civilization could easily acquire their remains from the lava sea during their patrols.

The elite native forces of the Viridian Venom Flame World had been depleted long before.

Many of the pyro elemental creatures that perished here were ordinary creatures that were as weak as the common beasts of the Magus World.

While mages from the Magus Civilization harvested useful parts from the recovered remains of these pyro elemental creatures, the majority were relegated to the legions of enslaved creatures as food.

Some curious mages also tried to sample the flesh of these pyro elemental creatures.

Sein also tried cooking a piece of loin from a rhinoceros-looking pyro elemental creature and sampling it. He had to admit that it was surprisingly delicious!

This bizarre conflict concluded after two years with a sorrowful cry.

Since Sein was further away from the heart of the battlefield, the situation there remained unclear to him.

However, rumors quickly circulated within the fortress and among the mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring—Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King had been defeated by the divine tower masters!

Following this revelation, the Magus Civilization Army began to withdraw from the vicinity.

Their next objective encompassed both the sea of molten lava and the eastern continent, which remained unconquered by the Magus forces.

Yet, astute mages recognized that this interplanar war had pretty much concluded.

Future battles, if any, would unlikely escalate to large-scale conflicts of the past.

***

Near the navel of the plane...

The fury of Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King appeared to be eternally captured in the moment of his sealing and imprisonment.

A cage with a ten-meter-square base appeared directly above the vortex at the navel of the plane, ablaze with purple flames.

Encased within the cage was the Venom Flame Demon King, towering at an impressive height of over three thousand meters, casting a resentful gaze upon the surrounding creatures.

The sea of molten lava beneath it was boiling the remains of pyro elemental creatures, filling the air of this sacred site of the Viridian Venom Flame World with the scent of blood.

A prawn-like pyro elemental creature curled itself up, crying within the whirlpool of lava.

It was mourning the Viridian Venom Flame World and the pyro elemental creatures that had fallen near the navel of the plane.

An external force had savagely torn its left pincer off, from which hot blood spurted, revealing the vivid red of its flesh.

Yet, physical agony paled in comparison to its heartache.

“Hehe... I guess you still earned some credit for your decision to switch sides in the decisive moment of this war, Guardian. Don’t worry, we can agree to most of the terms you’ve requested,” Gregory crossed his arms, addressing the guardian nearby.

His words briefly subdued the guardian’s visible sorrow.

However, the guardian remained skeptical of Gregory’s assurances. It shifted its gaze upward, looking beyond the cage enveloped by purple flames.

Floating behind the cage imprisoning Anridar, was Feylis, a Rank Six mage from the Magus World.

The Magus Civilization Army’s swift destruction of the azure mecha within half a year and the capture of Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King in two years were monumental feats, significantly attributed to Feylis.

Without her involvement, relying solely on Lorianne and her seniors, such a comprehensive victory would have been unattainable.

Defeating a Rank Five creature was daunting, but capturing one alive was an even greater feat.

Beyond Feylis’ exceptional elemental prowess, the guardian of the Viridian Venom Flame World also played a crucial role in defeating Anridar.

The guardian’s unexpected decision to use the origin energy of the Viridian Venom Flame World to imprison and suppress Anridar, a Rank Five creature, was a surprise to all.

This turn of events led Feylis and other high-ranking mages from the Magus World to surmise that Anridar must have fallen out of favor with the Planar Will.

Under normal circumstances, the Planar Will would not act against its own high-level creatures, given that every entity born on the plane was considered its child.

Particularly those of Rank Four and higher, they were the Planar Will’s most cherished offspring, nurtured extensively by their homeplane.

The fact that Anridar was spurned by the Planar Will suggested its severe misdeeds, but none of that mattered now.

Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King had been reduced to a living specimen in the laboratory of a powerful mage, where it would face the cruelty of the mages from the Magus World.

Despite this, Feylis maintained some ethical standards toward the guardian of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

The culture on the surface of the Magus World, where lying was rare and the contracts were held in high regard, contrasted sharply with the actions of unscrupulous black mages who disregard these principles in the underground world.

After a few moments of consideration, Feylis said, “I promise that after a thousand years, the Viridian Venom Flame World will be introduced into the Magus Alliance as the vassal plane of our four divine towers. However, for the next millennium, this low-level plane will be under our governance.”

“Rest assured, we intend to minimize ecological damage. After all, any degradation of this world to a lesser plane would not benefit us. We’ll also help in restoring your fragile world by replenishing it with special resources,” she added.

“But make no mistake, from this moment on, the will of the Magus Civilization reigns supreme in the Viridian Venom Flame World!” Feylis declared unequivocally.

Despite the guardian’s profound reservations, it lowered its head and conceded on behalf of all life forms within the Viridian Venom Flame World.

The guardian was right—it had indeed reduced itself to the sinner of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

However, this was all for the better future of the living creatures in this world.

It was willing to accept the role of a sinner if it meant sparing the Viridian Venom Flame World from greater adversities.