Sovereign of the Ashes

After placing a pre‑order for a Golden Apple with Thor, Sein wandered through the Titan gods’ activity area under Thor’s guidance.

The Magus Alliance Conference had not yet officially begun, and there were only about a thousand Titan gods present in this area.

Some Titan gods had yet to arrive, while others were unable to attend because of other commitments.

Even so, being surrounded by so many Rank Four or higher beings left Sein deeply impressed.

Though Sein did not have much cash on hand, he still had several million magicoins remaining.

Under Thor’s introductions and recommendations, Sein purchased quite a few specialties from Titan World.

In truth, the vast majority of foreign gods in the Magus Alliance were not wealthy. Someone like Thor, who casually talked about sums in the tens of millions, was rare.

Most Rank Four foreign deities likely had net worths of only a few million magicoins at most.

Rank Four or higher beings from Titan World were somewhat better off, but only slightly.

The spare cash Sein carried was still enough to buy many things.

By the time he realized it, he had unconsciously acquired numerous experimental materials. Before his remaining funds dwindled even further, a faint magical fluctuation from his robe finally snapped him out of his purchasing frenzy.

Pulling a Phantom Crow feather from his robe, Sein said, “I have a friend coming, so I’ll have to excuse myself for a moment.”

“What? You’re not going to buy anything else?” Thor asked regretfully, having just introduced him to the God of the Underworld, Muferra.

Muferra was an extremely young Rank Four Titan god, one who wielded divine abilities tied to death and darkness and had brought many treasures from the Titan World’s underworld.

In fact, most of the Titan gods Thor knew were relatively young.

Sein glanced at the black‑robed Rank Four Titan god, his gaze briefly pausing on the bone flute at Muferra’s waist. He shook his head and said, “I’ll come back later. I have something to attend to right now.”

“Alright.” Thor nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Sein flew toward the Howling Stone Demiplane.

In the days leading up to the Magus Alliance Conference, the Howling Stone World served both as a place for powerful beings to network and expand their connections and as a high‑tier trading platform.

Not only the deities of Titan World but also many foreign creatures and Magus World powerhouses were busy exchanging goods during this period.

Sein could have joined in as well.

Although he had not produced any top‑tier magic artifacts in recent years, he still had plenty of Rank One practice pieces. Putting them up for sale would at least test the market.

Many of Sein’s artifacts were designed as disposable consumables.

Even so, their destructive power was enough to threaten Rank Four creatures, which meant some foreign deities might find them worth buying.

Thanks to the Magus Civilization’s reputation, many creatures from allied planes believed that items produced by Magus World were of higher quality.

That same belief was what had fueled the craze for space fortresses across the Magus Alliance.

Conversely, powerhouses from the Magus World, including Sein, mostly acquired raw materials from these foreign deities.

It was an exchange that met everyone’s needs, but it was obvious who ultimately benefited most.

***

Outside the Howling Stone World, Sein searched for a while before finally spotting the Phantom Crow King hovering near a small asteroid, hesitating.

Unlike when Sein had first arrived in Phantom Crow World, this creature no longer radiated the same commanding aura.

The Rank Six Phantom Crow King looked more like a frightened quail than a mighty ruler right now.

Even its Rank Six life level gave it no sense of security here.

Inside and outside the Howling Stone World, hundreds of beings with power equal to, or greater than, its own were gathered.

“Why are so many powerful, terrifying lifeforms here?” the Phantom Crow King thought, shivering.

It remembered the fear the Shadowbone Dragon of Palebone World had shown when speaking of the Magus Civilization, and now it felt that same fear in its own heart.

The arrogance of once being an unchallenged ruler had been shattered by the cold, harsh reality.

Only now did the Phantom Crow King truly understand how naive it had been.

It was not the first to feel that way; nearly every deity from another plane attending the Magus Alliance Conference for the first time had experienced similar feelings.

Witnessing the sheer scale and strength of this gathering, beings who had grown accustomed to wielding absolute power in their own planes or star domains rediscovered something they had long forgotten—reverence and humility.

Compared to all the information one could gather from rumors, some things only truly struck home when seen with one’s own eyes.

Just as the Phantom Crow King was starting to feel lost and uncertain about the future, Sein appeared at its side.

“You’re a bit late. I arrived here earlier than you,” Sein greeted the Phantom Crow King.

Sein’s sudden appearance snapped the Phantom Crow King out of its daze.

It looked at Sein, who maintained a human form that was smaller than even one of its claws.

After a moment of thought, the Phantom Crow King shrank itself down and flew over to Sein.

The overwhelming presence within and beyond the Howling Stone Plane was far more than a mere Rank Six creature like the Phantom Crow King could feel comfortable with.

Even at a hundred meters in length, it felt far too conspicuous. By the time it reached Sein’s side, it had shrunk to just two or three meters tall.

This was the first time Sein had seen the Phantom Crow King compress itself so small.

“You didn’t have to do that. It’s fine to keep your true size,” Sein said.

“It’s fine. I think it’s better this way,” the Phantom Crow King replied, shaking its head.

Earlier, inside the Howling Stone World, Sein had seen more than one foreign god staying in their true forms, their bodies stretching hundreds of meters long.

Those beings had clearly attended the Magus Alliance Conference more than once, moving about as if they were right at home, unlike the Phantom Crow King, who was visibly cautious.

Right in front of Sein and the Phantom Crow King, a massive bamboo centipede floated past. It was at least eight hundred meters long.

The colorful spots along its body and the eerie black glow of its eyes marked this Rank Five lifeform as a formidable opponent.

Yet when it approached Sein and the Phantom Crow King, the giant centipede politely asked, “Excuse me, could you tell me where the activity areas of the divine towers on Magus World’s East Coast are? I am looking for Master Arnold.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know where they are stationed, my lady. Perhaps you could try the eastern region of the Howling Stone World,” Sein replied with a smile.

This monstrous‑looking centipede was actually female.

Unlike the relatively weak Sandworm Queen, this Bamboo Centipede was clearly a true powerhouse.

“I see. Thank you for your guidance,” the centipede said politely, before glancing at the Phantom Crow King with a faint look of respect.

Then, swaying its long, jointed body, it flew down toward the lower regions of the world.