Sovereign of the Ashes

The battlefield in the southern part of the Petrified Forest was even more intense and horrifying than one could imagine.

It was no wonder that the Magus World had prohibited Rank Four or higher powerhouses from fighting each other in their homeplane.

When a being’s life level reached a certain extent, the destructive power they could unleash upon the surrounding environment and the weaker creatures within it was simply unimaginable.

Fights involving not just Rank Four creatures, but also Rank Three and demigod-level entities within the Magus World, were exceedingly rare.

Only Rank One and Rank Two mages, who ventured into the depths of the magic beast forests to gather materials for their experiments, occasionally clashed with native magic beasts.

At Rank Three and above, however, nearly all common resources could be purchased using magicoins.

Even when it came to extremely rare materials, individuals of this status rarely encountered difficulties obtaining what they needed.

For instance, if the sovereign of the magic beasts deep within the Petrified Forest possessed rare materials, it certainly would not dare to refuse if Sein or Adrian offered to purchase them.

Sein’s confrontation with Adrian and the other Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages ultimately left him at a disadvantage.

Facing three Rank Three opponents as a newly advanced Rank Three grand mage, Sein’s ability to hold his ground was nothing short of remarkable.

In addition to Adrian and Janice, the old Rank Three grand mage named Adolff eventually joined the battle too.

While the seven-thousand-year-old Adolff did not directly gang up with the rest to overwhelm Sein through numbers, he used his unique hydro elemental energy to create a damp and oppressive environment.

It was a well-known fact that hydro elemental energy was the most effective counter to pyro elemental energy.

The lingering dark clouds overhead were none other than the work of Master Adolff.

This ability to influence the battlefield reminded Sein of the power of domains wielded by Rank Four and higher beings.

In certain foreign planes, native gods referred to this kind of power as their “divine domain”.

As expected, age brought mastery.

The mages of the Magus World were known for growing stronger and more refined with age, and Adolff was no exception.

Adrian’s mastery of Nuclear Fusion granted him overwhelming explosive combat power, while Janice’s pacts with two powerful otherworldly Rank Three creatures made her a dominant force in summoning arts.

Unlike them, Adolff’s strength lay in his unmatched insight and precise judgment, far surpassing younger mages of the same rank.

Had it been an ordinary Rank Three grand mage facing the lineup from the Divine Tower of Astral Sun, the battle would have ended in utter defeat long ago.

But Sein was no ordinary Rank Three.

The bizarre Ashen Flame was a devastating force, its combat prowess rivaling Adrian’s Nuclear Fusion in sheer destructive capability.

Having mastered the Verdant Flame Body Tempering Technique, Sein’s formidable constitution—comparable to that of magic beasts and knights of the same rank—granted him astonishing endurance, allowing him to sustain prolonged battles.

This extraordinary physical resilience was most evident in the aftermath of his battle with Janice.

The Baneful Green Python lay severely injured, while the Golden Steelback Pangolin, still glowing with golden light, valiantly held the front line despite its visible fatigue.

Fighting a Rank Three mage like Sein gave Adrian and the others the impression they were up against the hybrid of a knight and a magic beast, clad in a magic robe.

“Could he be a magiknight?” Adrian found himself wondering repeatedly as the battle raged on.

His disbelief peaked when the Flame Demon Giant, which Sein had transformed into, caught Adrian’s Plasma Fusion Bomb with his bare hands.[2]

The sight nearly made Adrian’s eyes pop out of their sockets.

The Plasma Fusion Bomb was one of Adrian’s trump cards, a spell comparable to Sein’s Radiant Heart from his earlier days.

Both were devastating spells reserved for moments of absolute necessity.

It was no wonder Adrian was so shocked.

Had anyone managed to block the light pillar of Sein’s Radiant Heart spell with their body, Sein would have been equally stunned.

The clash of such powerful magic left the battlefield in ruins.

The once hilly terrain was now riddled with craters, the hills and basins rendered completely unrecognizable.

Fortunately, this battle had taken place on the outskirts of the magic beast forest, far away from human settlements.

As a result, the devastation did not cause significant casualties among innocent beings.

On an interplanar battlefield, such environmental destruction would have carried no consequences, and those involved would not have been held accountable.

Yet in the Magus World, excessive chaos and destruction could lead to serious consequences.

Still in his Flame Demon form, Sein stood wreathed in Ashen Flame, his breaths coming in heavy gasps as he watched the mages before him.

This was not a fight to the death, and the confrontation had reached a point where continuing further was unnecessary.

Adrian and the other Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages slowly disengaged, signaling an end to the confrontation.

The Rank Three Summoner, Janice, shot Sein a final glare before flying over to her injured Baneful Green Python and sending her precious summoned beast back to its homeplane.

All around the battlefield, low-ranking creatures lay scattered in varying conditions.

Some still clung to life, while others had turned into lifeless, cold bodies.

These unknown extraplanar creatures were the helpers Janice had summoned through her Summoning Gates, and their massive losses only fueled her frustration.

It was no surprise that Janice was extremely upset with Sein.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...!

Streams of light streaked across the sky, their speed increasing as they drew closer to the chaotic battlefield.

About ten or so figures, arriving from various directions, descended upon the scene.

After stirring trouble in the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s territory for so long, the Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages had finally drawn out the leaders of this domain.

Leading the newly arrived group were none other than Bob and Weems, vice deans of the Divine Tower of Dark Flame.

The moment Bob spotted Sein, his expression froze in astonishment.

Sein’s unexpected presence had taken them completely by surprise.

The group had been dispatched to the Petrified Forest on Dean Keith’s orders to receive Harris, Jenny, and the others who were part of the initiate escort mission.

In other words, Adrian, Janice, and the Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages had originally planned to ambush this very group.

Instead, they ended up encountering Sein, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and disrupted their plans entirely.

While the details of what had transpired remained unclear to Bob and the other mages, they quickly grasped the overall situation.

Without any instructions from Sein, the ten or so full-fledged mages from the Divine Tower of Dark Flame instinctively gathered around him.

Together, they stood ready, prepared for another clash with the Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages.

The ravaged battlefield and the lingering Ashen Flame crackling in the air were clear signs that the battle was not over yet.

It felt as though all that was needed was a single spark to ignite a massive group battle between the two divine towers in the southern part of the Petrified Forest.

Taking a deep breath, Sein undid his Flame Demon transformation.

The Verdant Flame Amethyst Rod reappeared in his hand, having already reverted to its original form—a pair of dragons playing with a pearl.

Before this, the exceptionally durable magic rod had served as a melee weapon in Sein’s hands, delivering powerful blows that had left several lumps on the Golden Steelback Pangolin’s head.[1]

The sight of the rod alone was enough to make Adrian and the other mages from the Divine Tower of Astral Sun visibly tense, their eyelids twitching in nervous anticipation.

Meanwhile, the Golden Steelback Pangolin rubbed its gleaming metallic bald head before inching closer to its master, Janice, as if seeking comfort.

1. Translator’s Note: Author never mentioned this, but the Verdant Flame Amethyst Rod seems to have the ability to transform when wielded by Sein in his elemental giant form. ☜

2. Please take note that there is a term change for ”Demon” and ”Devil”. For more information, please visit the footnote of Chapter 910. ☜