Sovereign of the Ashes

Verdant Leaf World.

That was the name Lorianne bestowed upon the microplane upon its discovery.

She chose the name for its lush vegetation, with land vegetation coverage nearing seventy percent.

In the oceans, a significant variety of marine plants thrived as well, covering seventy percent of the entire world map.

Water was indeed the source of life.

Originally, this microplane was known as the “Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly World”, named after its primary inhabitants, the “Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan”.

It was common for the dominant intelligent race of a world to imprint its identity onto its homeplane’s name.

However, the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan was not the sole race in Verdant Leaf World.

This dendro elemental plane was home to a diverse array of plant and flesh creatures. Among the latter, the Bamboo Lead Dragonflies represented the largest insectoid species in this world.

The most abundant beings here were various plant creatures, inherently gentle and disinclined toward conflict or grouping.

The Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan had only established themselves as the dominant group in the microplane by defeating other threatening insectoid species.

According to the plane’s natural laws, the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan would eventually produce a Rank Four creature if the current trends persisted.

Such an advancement would elevate the microplane to its its low-level status, solidifying the clan’s supremacy as acknowledged by the planar will.

Yet, the clan had not achieved the ability to produce Rank Four creatures.

Although there was a demigod among its ranks, that creature was still far from reaching Rank Four, having only emerged several centuries ago.

In contrast, the ancient, verdant trees of Verdant Leaf World, with their deep roots entrenched in fertile soil for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years, hold the true potential to evolve into Rank Four creatures.

The longevity of plant creatures was well known throughout the Astral Realm.

Undead and elemental creatures were known to have the longest lifespans.

Conversely, the creatures of flesh and blood, which populated the vast majority of the Astral Realm’s billions of planes, typically have shorter lifespans.

In the advanced Magus Civilization, Rank One knights and mages typically lived only about a thousand years.

To achieve a lifespan exceeding ten thousand years, one must ascend to at least Rank Four.

In the Verdant Leaf World, over a dozen plant creatures had lived for more than ten thousand years, and most of them had reached at least Rank Three life level.

Over time, these ancient plant beings developed significant intelligence and cognitive abilities.

Among them, the Ancient Verdant Banyan in the southeast stood as one of the oldest and most powerful trees.

It was not only a formidable force due to its immense root system that penetrated thousands of meters into the ground, but it was also revered as the guardian of Verdant Leaf World by countless inhabitants!

The sky over Verdant Leaf World was clear today.

This microplane had a single sun by day but two moons by night. Its warm and peaceful environment fostered a sense of liberty throughout the Verdant Leaf World.

Yet, amidst this tranquil setting, the guardian—an ancient banyan tree—sensed a brewing danger and an impending storm.

A two-meter-tall Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly strode confidently toward the ancient tree. Armed with an arm blade, it led a procession of nearly two thousand followers.

Behind it, ladybug maids lifted its cloak and scattered flower petals.

This regal Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly was the current monarch of its clan and possessed Rank Three strength.

A month ago, it was urgently summoned by the guardian from Verdant Green, the capital of the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan’s territory.

Had there been more time and less need for restraint and respect in the presence of the guardian, the king would have orchestrated a far grander arrival.

The king was not the strongest member of the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan; above it stood a demigod-level ancestor who had ascended to this rank hundreds of years ago, but had since withdrawn from worldly affairs.

Despite this, the king’s royal status enabled him to rapidly mobilize the majority of the clan’s forces whenever necessary.

“Honorable Guardian, why have you summoned me here?” the Rank Three Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King asked, gazing up at the colossal tree before him.

In stark contrast to the king’s modest two-meter stature, the Ancient Verdant Banyan towered nearly ten thousand meters above the ground.

The grandeur of the demigod-level plant was beyond the comprehension of ordinary, low-level creatures. With the power of law enhancing its strength, it was likely the strongest being in the Verdant Leaf World.

Yet, in this moment, the powerful guardian betrayed a flicker of uncertainty and fear.

“Over the long years, I’ve begun to grasp the verdant truths. But recently, disturbances from the planar will and a foreboding meteor from the skies have cast shadows over my senses,” it said slowly.

“What concerns you so deeply that you felt compelled to warn us, Guardian?” the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King asked curiously.

An old, wise face materialized on the brown trunk of the Ancient Verdant Banyan, and with a deep sigh, it replied, “Flames will sweep through our beautiful world, causing countless beings to tremble.”

The Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King’s eyes narrowed at the guardian’s ominous words.

“Is this disaster comparable to the meteor impact two hundred years ago that led to the destruction of a quarter of the forests east of the Chiral Range and the loss of millions of lives?” it asked.

“Thankfully, with the valiant efforts of our Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan’s commander and your coordination with the other tree giants, we extinguished the fire and suppressed the otherworldly violet flame within twenty years. In the centuries that followed, the ravaged land was rejuvenated, returning to its verdant state,” he added, proudly holding its head high.

Indeed, it had every reason to be proud. After all, the figure who had led the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan and the other races of this plane in quelling the extraplanar evil flame was none other than this wise and heroic king.

It was surely an iconic figure for the annals of Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan’s royal history, rivaling those few ancestors who had achieved demigod status.

Its deeds were the kind that would inspire songs among the Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies for generations to come.