Sovereign of the Ashes

The battle of the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Royal City concluded in less than a month.

The once lofty and majestic structures were reduced to blackened ruins.

Millions of Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies and other insect creatures were buried beneath the debris, along with the history of their clan.

Sein’s gains from this battle were serendipitous. He had not specifically targeted the higher-ranked Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies.

However, while scavenging through the residences that clearly belonged to the elite Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies, he discovered several items unique to the Verdant Leaf World, reminiscent of amber and natural resin.

Unfortunately, these were not particularly valuable for research. Research was a serious endeavor, so it was unrealistic to expect every discovery to hold significant research value.

Developing the special power of the Everburning Violet Flame in Verdant Leaf World was already Sein’s most significant achievement in this microplane. He dared not hope for more.

As the war wore on, Sein received several pieces of good news.

One of them, however, left him conflicted about whether it could be considered “good news” at all—he heard that Sia had sustained serious injuries.

Ha! That woman got injured during such an easy battle in the Royal City?

Despite the concerned look on Natalya’s face when they received this news, Sein’s initial reaction was one of concealed delight.

Of course, he made sure to mask his schadenfreude.

He even told Natalya he planned to visit Sia soon.

Beyond the news of Sia’s injuries, Sein received two updates concerning the Everburning Violet Flame, which interested him more.

From former adversaries like the Blazing Sunflower, he learned that the purple meteorites and particles he had initially found were not native to the Verdant Leaf World.

They descended upon this world centuries ago without warning, wreaking widespread havoc and bringing about severe disasters.

The flames from these meteorites were inextinguishable and had once caused big trouble for the inhabitants of Verdant Leaf World.

The fire that ravaged the plane persisted for decades before it was finally quelled.

The source of the fire was the largest meteorite, now sealed and suppressed by the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King and the guardian.

The Blazing Sunflower did not know the exact location of this main meteorite, only that it had been sealed somewhere in the ocean.

However, the ocean of the Verdant Leaf World was vast and deep.

Without the specific coordinates, locating the main meteorite remained a formidable challenge.

Since the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army initiated the war, two to three Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Kings had successively ascended the throne.

The current Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King had long been absent, presumably having joined the guardian’s side.

Sein was determined to obtain the Inextinguishable Meteorite, going so far as to consult his mentor.

Inside the command center, Lorianne’s elemental projection assented to Sein’s request.

To her, it was no difficult matter—it was merely a meteorite. Once the guardian, Ancient Verdant Banyan, was dealt with, Lorianne would find an answer for him.

Having a Tower Master as a mentor afforded Sein benefits that other mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring could only dream of. Even if they managed to unravel the mystery of the Everburning Violet Flame, it was unlikely they could match Sein’s progress.

”Some time ago, Tourmaline informed me she had found several purple stones that I needed in the ocean. It seems like it was a meteor storm that struck the Verdant Leaf World back then. Do you know where they come from?” Sein asked.

“They must have originated from the starry sky. The boundless, radiant Astral Realm has birthed countless wonders and rarities—of which I have explored less than a billionth. In my youth, I encountered a Void Flame that was even more peculiar, one that could influence the power of space itself,” Lorianne’s elemental projection replied.

“You have a lengthy journey ahead with the pyro element!” she remarked, patting Sein’s shoulder.

Sein was captivated by the mention of the “Void Flame” but Lorianne had no specimens on hand.

If Sein wished to uncover more in the future, he would have to either venture into the Astral Realm himself or visit the Magus Alliance’s commercial center.

Given the Magus Alliance’s vast heritage and extensive reach, acquiring resources through them was far more reliable than an independent exploration of the Astral Realm.

Although the boundless and glittering Astral Realm was filled with countless incredible resources and treasures, fully traversing this vast void was beyond the capabilities of ordinary creatures.

Currently, the items accessible to Sein through the Magus Alliance were all fairly ordinary and conventional.

However, the Magus Alliance had a more secretive and elite channel—reserved for those of Rank Four and higher, or certain demigods with significant potential.

Sein’s rank was not high enough to access this channel. Master Loarianne was qualified but she did not have the financial leeway to invest in those rarer experimental materials.

Instead of allocating substantial funds for rare material of dubious practical value, Lorianne preferred to invest in critical resources, such as... a space fortress.

Lorianne had recently broached this idea during a private conversation with her apprentice, suddenly asking whether a space fortress would be a wise purchase.

Sein recalled Lorianne expressing a similar desire before the Verdant Leaf World War. Back then, her tone was one of envy and longing, making it hard to take her seriously.

Hence, Sein indulged in her by nodding calmly and replying, “I think it is.”

“But a space fortress is so expensive. My savings might not be enough to cover the full cost. I wonder if I’ll have to take on another loan...” Lorianne mused, pressing a finger to her bottom lip and subconsciously gnawing on it.

Sein had heard these musings before.

Truthfully, the decision was beyond Sein’s scope; he did not even know the exact cost of a space fortress.

Given the immense size of a war platform, he guessed it would be in the seven-figure range.

He had lost count of the times they had this conversation, but every time he would say, “The decision is yours to make, Master Lorianne.”

“Hmm... With a space fortress, it would be much easier to wage war against the low-level Verdant Wilderness World,” Lorianne continued musing, pressing her finger on her lip.