Sovereign of the Ashes

It was clear Destruction Spring intended to send Sein away.

Seeing this, Tourmaline rushed forward, grabbed his magic robe, and tried to follow him.

Sein was just as reluctant to leave her behind alone in the Myriad Springs Worlds.

But Destruction Spring spoke up. “As for supporting your Magus Civilization, even with my authority, I can’t make that decision alone. Leaving this little one here will help persuade the other Spring Lords, especially the neutral ones like Illusion Spring, my little sister.”

“Besides, her uncle will be arriving soon. If she leaves with you, how am I supposed to explain that to him?” Destruction Spring added with a chuckle.

Sein believed he was not lying. After all, an overlord-level being had no need to deceive him.

Compared to Sein’s own “little family”, the “greater family” of the Magus Civilization obviously mattered far more.

He had seen for himself how difficult the war had become in recent centuries. Having faced the elite legions of the Amenkha Empire, he knew exactly how badly the Magus Civilization needed powerful allies.

Even setting everything else aside, the Myriad Springs Worlds alone was an ally worth pursuing at all costs.

And that was without even considering Tourmaline’s ties to the Immortal Realm.

As for the civilization on the other side of the spatial spring, Destruction Spring offered no further explanation. Sein would have to see it for himself.

“Wait here for me, Tourmaline. I’ll be back soon. If not... then we’ll meet again in the Magus Civilization. Once I secure an alliance with the civilization on the other side, I’ll find a way back as quickly as I can.

“Maybe you can also ask your uncles to head to the Magus Star Domain as soon as possible. We’ll meet again back home, all right?” Sein said, ruffling her hair.

Tourmaline was no longer a child. Although she acted childish most of the time, she understood what was at stake.

At Sein’s words, she pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly.

With that settled, Sein looked up at Destruction Spring once more.

The Spring Lord let out a hearty laugh, and the surrounding waves surged forward, sending Sein and Fermera to the other end of the spatial spring.

The members of the Ashen Star Pirates were swept along as well, along with the Rank Four God of Dusk Desire.

None of them had expected that following Sein into the Myriad Springs Worlds would lead them even farther into some unknown, distant star domain.

But under the pressure of an overlord, resistance was not an option.

Destruction Spring had been relatively courteous to Sein and Tourmaline, but when it came to the others, he unceremoniously shoved them into the spatial spring like a flock of ducks.

As he was pulled into the current, Sein could not help but ask one last question. “May I ask the name of the civilization I am being sent to?”

This time, Destruction Spring answered. “Martial Civilization... though I believe it is now called the Dawn Empire.”

With that, Sein vanished completely into the space-time current.

Tourmaline tried to rush toward the spatial spring, but Destruction Spring caught her just in time.

“Although my laws do not align with yours, there’s a place you’ll certainly like and it’ll benefit you greatly,” Destruction Spring said.

“Who knows, you might even advance a rank there. Your energy reserves are exceptionally strong,” he added.

Tourmaline had no interest in what he was offering. She did not care much about advancing her life level either. Her large eyes remained fixed on the spring where Sein had just disappeared.

“Heh, it seems you two are quite close,” Destruction Spring commented with a chuckle.

“Come. I’ll have Dark Spring take you to Life Spring Plane. You’ll love the abundant life energy there. It’ll enhance all your attributes, and you might even receive a gift from Life Spring,” he said.

“If we want the Myriad Springs Worlds to support the Magus Civilization, my approval and Illusion Spring’s favor alone aren’t enough. At the very least, we need to ease the resistance of Life Spring and the others. You’ll play a key role in that.”

This time, Tourmaline finally stopped struggling.

Still, the slight pout on her face made it clear she was unhappy about not being able to leave with Sein.

In truth, there was no need for her to follow him to the Martial Civilization. The environment of the Myriad Springs Worlds was far better suited to her.

Perhaps there was no need to travel all the way to the vast Life Spring Plane either. Simply wandering through the other Spring Lords’ planes within the Myriad Springs Worlds would already be enough for Tourmaline to gain substantial benefits.

And this did not apply to Tourmaline alone. Her older sister, White Stella, was also a wielder of hydro elemental forces.

In fact, when it came to the application of laws, White Stella’s control over water was even more refined than Tourmaline’s.

After all, among the origin laws Tourmaline had mastered, the law of strength accounted for a greater share than the law of water.

If White Stella were to visit the Myriad Springs Worlds, she would undoubtedly gain a great deal as well.

Unfortunately, when it came to luck, she fell slightly short of her younger sister.

After sending Tourmaline away, Destruction Spring remained atop the massive lotus throne, its form rippling with destructive energy.

Beneath the throne, the swirling vortices of laws continued to draw in a unique form of power, nourishing both the lotus and Destruction Spring himself.

Glancing down at those vortices, Destruction Spring let out a faint sigh.

“The Myriad Springs Worlds has never pursued a path of expansion. Because of that, the growth of my power of destruction is nowhere near what it was during the war between the World of Despair and the Source Energy Civilization.

“The fact that I reached Rank Eight so quickly in recent years is largely due to past accumulation. My progress is already slowing. Even my Black Lotus of Destruction has hit a bottleneck. It has yet to break through to the twelfth grade and become a high-tier world-class secret treasure.

“I hope that this time, I can persuade the Spring Ancestor—my father—and the other Spring Lords to join the war alongside the Magus Civilization. It’s not only because of the ties between our worlds. For me as well, taking part in a war of this scale would allow me to absorb an astronomical amount of destructive power.”

As he spoke, the waves of law power surrounding Destruction Spring grew more turbulent, reflecting his restless state of mind.

In truth, no matter the life level of a lifeform, most decisions ultimately came down to self-interest.

Destruction Spring’s push to draw the Myriad Springs Worlds into this war was not based solely on its historical ties to the Magus Civilization—it was because he saw opportunity in the conflict.

This was the same for the Immortal Realm Civilization.

As for the Dawn Empire that Sein was heading toward, what could possibly persuade them to act?