Sovereign of the Ashes

The Arriba Chamber of Commerce and the sea race’s legions threw themselves into the conflict on Sandstorm World with full force.

However, the reinforcements brought by Feylis and the other Magus Civilization powerhouses remained stationary, not because the reinforcements believed the forces in the Sandstorm World could easily defeat the Wild Gorilla Army on their own.

Rather, the issue lay in Sandstorm World’s planar depth and capacity—the plane simply could not accommodate the presence of so many Rank Four and above powerhouses.

Every complete plane had a certain capacity for the number of high-level lifeforms and battles it could endure. Even medium or large planes faced the risk of collapse and disintegration if this limit was exceeded.

With the remnants of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, the Wild Gorilla Army, and now an ultra-luxurious legion and a dozen Rank Four or above Sea Kings battling in Sandstorm World, there were nearly fifty Rank Four and higher creatures were present—a staggering number for a low-level plane!

If this were a medium-sized plane like Wild Gorilla World, even an additional hundred such powerhouses would not be an issue.

The presence of even one or two dozen Rank Four or higher beings in certain low-level planes with sensitive and fragile laws could wreak havoc on their environment.

However, the capacity of Sandstorm World was exceptional compared to most low-level planes.

Perhaps this rough, sand world was somehow able to withstand the influx of so many high-level creatures and vast legions due to its naturally harsh and rugged environment, or because this yellow sand-filled plane had already been “widened” by the more than ten Rank Four and higher beings from both sides fighting each other.

No matter the reason, Sandstorm World had its limit.

In its current state, even the arrival of another Rank Six being, like Feylis, could trigger an inevitable collapse of the plane.

This limitation left the other Magus World powerhouses and war legions with no choice but to observe the ongoing war from above.

Of course, if any Wild Gorilla managed to break free, they could seize the opportunity to strike.

Escaping Sandstorm World’s brutal battlefield was already an immense challenge, but to emerge only to face a waiting army of so many terrifying Magus Civilization powerhouses beyond the plane would surely plunge any Wild Gorilla into utter despair.

Sandstorm World was already on the brink of collapse, overloaded with dozens of Rank Four and higher creatures.

This was why the middle-aged man in violet had refrained from entering the plane to rescue his niece and nephew.

If an overlord like him were to descend, his overwhelming presence alone would surely bring about a catastrophic disaster to Sandstorm World.

Just as Rank Four and higher beings were unable to enter microplanes, overlords were similarly restricted from entering low-level planes and microplanes.

This was because the Astral Realm was guarded by the laws of balance and strength.

It could be said that these limitations served as a safeguard for weaker creatures and their worlds, ensuring that the vast Astral Realm’s billions of races and civilizations had the opportunity to survive and grow.

However, the real reason these higher-level beings could not enter weaker planes was because their sheer energy and mass could destroy them during the descent.

The plane’s destruction would also inflict collateral damage on the invading higher-level lifeforms.

For this reason, high-level creatures rarely risked entering planes that could not withstand their presence unnecessarily.

While conversing with the Magus Civilization powerhouses, the middle-aged man in violet kept a watchful eye on his nephew and niece battling below.

However, he suddenly frowned while he was speaking with White Stella.

Moments later, a spatial storm tore through the surrounding starry sky.

With a swift motion, the man reached his right hand into the void and grabbed about a dozen silver-white humanoid metal robots from somewhere in his grasp.

Under his immense strength as an overlord, the robots were quickly compressed into metal spheres.

Yet, curiously, they did not explode—perhaps their metal bodies were incredibly elastic, or perhaps the man had deliberately chosen not to destroy them outright.

The crushed robots emitted bursts of complex electromagnetic signals, but their struggles failed to elicit even a flicker of reaction from the violet-clad man.

Interestingly, while the man’s effortless manipulation of spatial laws drew admiration from the Magus Civilization powerhouses, including Feylis, none of them were particularly surprised by the appearance of the metal robots.

The group was already well aware of the Gallant Federation’s covert involvement in the Wild Gorilla World War.

Over the years, even after the Magus Civilization severed diplomatic ties with the opposing side and prepared for war, it never ceased its efforts to infiltrate its adversary.

Both sides employed underhanded tactics, leaving neither with the moral high ground to judge or condemn the other.

The Gallant Federation oversaw numerous vassal civilizations, including Feral Beast Star, a medium-sized civilization. Having only recently joined the federation, it was only an insignificant underling in its ranks.

Over the past few millennia, there had been two incidents of vassal civilizations rebelling against the Gallant Federation.

In both cases, the influence of the Magus Civilization was unmistakable.

When the Gallant Federation destroyed the Rosen Dynasty Civilization, it was the Magus Civilization’s covert intervention that allowed members of the Rosen royal family, their elite royal guards, and remnants of their forces to break through the Federation’s blockade and seek refuge within Magus Civilization’s territory.

As the Wild Star War neared its conclusion, the growing rivalry and hostility between these two top-tier civilizations became more apparent.

Each side seemed to tread carefully, testing the limits of their restraint and waiting to see who would falter first.

“The artificial intelligence technology developed by the Gallant Federation in recent years has become increasingly sophisticated. These self-aware metal robots capable of independent judgment and thought are truly amazing,” the middle-aged man in violet remarked with a hint of admiration.

“Compared to the androids produced by the Norman Federation, that large technological civilization under the Magus Alliance, the Gallant Federation’s manufacturing processes are clearly superior,” he added.

***

While the group of powerhouses continued conversing with each other beyond the plane, the war in Sandstorm World took a dramatic turn.

The sight of countless powerful demons and devils in their true forms falling from the sky like meteors was enough to make Sein’s heart race.

With his limited experience, he had initially feared that another army of demons and devils was invading Sandstorm World.

After all, within the Magus Civilization and beyond, demons and devils carried notoriously bad reputations.

Although Sein, Natalya, and Sia possessed traces of devil blood, they bore no real connection to the true devils.

When these vicious creatures were in the mood for slaughter, they would not even spare their own kind, let alone care for “half-devils” in the Magus World like them.

As for demons, their cunningness and mastery of deceit gave them a reputation even worse than the bloodthirsty devils.

Among the smarter members of the Magus Alliance, they knew that signing a contract with a mage required careful consideration. The contractual loopholes mages exploited could blindside even the most shrewd negotiator.

Yet when it came to demons and devils, every creature in the Astral Realm knew better than to make a deal with them.

While mages only exploited their victims through contractual loopholes, these demons and devils achieved their goals through outright fraud, intimidation, and deceit.

Their reputation was so foul that it spoke volumes about how many lives and civilizations they had left in ruins.

To Sein’s growing confusion, the mixed army of demons and devils that were now descending upon Sandstorm World appeared to be on the Magus Civilization’s side.

Amidst the chaos, Sein witnessed a demon of immense strength, its form enveloped in a swirling halo of violet energy, as it unleashed a piercing purple beam of light that tore straight through the body of the Rank Four Gorilla God that had been bullying Tourmaline moments before.

Before the Gorilla God could even react, a devil engulfed in raging inferno flames appeared, wielding a massive whip sword that cleaved the creature’s arm clean off!

The oppressive heat of the devil’s purgatory flames made it clear that this being was even stronger than Master Gregory!

Sein barely had time to process the shocking turn of events when yet another force arrived—a legion of sea races surrounded by an azure aura of hydro elemental energy.

The rich moisture was definitely a welcome addition to the dry and arid atmosphere of the Sandstorm World.

At this moment, Sein finally realized the tides of war had shifted—he and his allies were safe now.