Sovereign of the Ashes

In the third year of the war, a major upheaval shook Divine Descendants World.

Rumor had it that one of the overgod’s arms had fallen from the sky.

When it struck the ground, the severed arm smashed through the Overgod Temple and caused the tallest peak in Divine Descendants World to collapse.

By then, the heart of this large-sized world had already become a forbidden zone. No one knew what had truly happened there.

A few daring souls had considered sneaking in to search for precious materials, such as overlord blood.

However, most knew their limits and had no intention of recklessly wading into that deadly quagmire.

Getting in might have been possible. Getting out alive was another matter entirely.

Even the lingering waves of overlord power spilling from the central battlefield were enough to injure most Rank Five or Rank Six creatures.

Over the past two years, Sein had kept an extremely low profile.

He had devoted nearly all his attention to pursuing the mysteries of truth, paying little mind to the turmoil unfolding outside.

As for his research into the Cobalt Flame, he had already completed the second phase of his experiment!

The next step was to fuse this special flame with his Ashen Flame. This would be the most critical phase of all.

After careful consideration, Sein finally informed Gongsun Wudi, Belphane, and the others of his plans.

Belphane grumbled as expected, but when the time came, she still made sure to cover for him.

Gongsun Wudi took an even more practical approach. She immediately dispatched a guard unit to surround Sein’s planetary fortress and ensure that no one disturbed his experiment.

Their support touched Sein.

Yet what came next caught him completely off guard. The Quatar Star Pirates had sent him a large shipment of top-grade Blood Crystals, along with the method for refining them.

Sein could tell that the crystals were fresh. They had clearly been refined in the Divine Descendants World not long ago.

As for how much flesh and blood from the creatures of this world had been condensed into those crystals and refined into pure essence, Sein had no idea.

This batch alone was more than enough to support his breakthrough to the peak of Rank Five. There might even be some left over by the time he succeeded!

Sein stared at the mountain of Blood Crystals before him with a conflicted look on his face.

“I already felt somewhat guilty for spending more than two-thirds of my time conducting experiments after arriving in Divine Descendants World. Does this mean I’ll have to extend my research schedule even further...?”

The method for refining Blood Crystals involved an extremely complex demonic array diagram.

It also revealed some of the secrets behind constructing a gate of flesh and blood, along with the profound principles of spatial, demonic, bloodline, and energy laws woven into both the array and the gate itself.

A single glance at it was enough to draw one’s mind in completely.

“No! I can’t pursue this line of research right now. This could easily turn into a long experiment lasting two or three centuries—perhaps even longer.”

Sein suppressed the urge to delve deeper.

“I should wait until the war in Divine Descendants World is over before starting this research,” he decided, putting the demonic array diagram away.

Still, Sein could not help marveling at how generous the demons had been.

They had given him both resources and knowledge.

Several demons were still imprisoned in Faeloria. To repay the Demon Clan’s generosity, Sein silently resolved to do his part in liberating that world someday.

The only thing that disappointed him slightly was that neither Sethem nor Enrique had delivered the Blood Crystals and array diagram. Instead, the package had been brought by an unfamiliar demon king.

The Rank Four demon appeared to be of mixed blood and had likely risen from the lowest ranks of the Demon Clan. He had a round, ball-like body, with a pair of small batlike wings sprouting from his back.

Looking at the Rank Four demon, Sein said, “Please convey my thanks to the Demon Clan, as well as to Sethem and Lord Enrique.”

The little demon was all smiles and bows before Sein.

He repeatedly assured Sein that his message would be delivered, then hurriedly flapped his wings and flew away without lingering for even a moment.

As Sein watched the demon disappear into the distance, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

Could Setem have avoided delivering the gift personally not because he was busy with the war, but because he was afraid I might ask him for something else?

After thinking it over, Sein realized that he had indeed managed to get quite a lot out of the Demon Clan lately.

Enrique had even sent him the method for refining Blood Crystals.

Could this be his way of hinting that if Sein wanted more in the future, he should refine the crystals himself instead of constantly asking them for more?

“Demons may not value knowledge as highly as Magus World mages, but the methods for refining Blood Crystals and constructing a gate of flesh and blood are hardly secrets they would casually share with outsiders.”

Sein stared in the direction the little demon had disappeared. A strange look crossed his face.

“I said this would be an exchange of equal value. Why did he leave in such a hurry? I haven’t even paid him yet...”

***

With an abundant supply of Blood Crystals at his disposal, Sein’s experiments became far more varied.

He alternated between body-tempering research and experiments involving the pyro element. The work was deeply fulfilling, but it also left him increasingly exhausted.

Five years later...

A pillar of crimson and blue flame erupted from a snow-covered peak in the western region of Divine Descendants World, piercing straight through the clouds.

In the past, the natives of this world would undoubtedly have hailed such a phenomenon as a “divine miracle”.

By now, however, they had witnessed far too many incomprehensible sights over the course of the war. Even the fall of a god was no longer rare.

As a result, aside from a handful of powerhouses who noticed the disturbance, few paid much attention to what was happening atop the snowy peak.

At its center, Sein gazed at the elemental flames surging around him, his eyes filled with wonder.

He had already learned that the Cobalt Flame was a unique flame possessing powerful restraining and freezing properties. It could even be said to contain certain characteristics of cryo elemental law.

Even so, Sein had never expected it to undergo such an extraordinary transformation after merging with the Ashen Flame.

He raised his hand and studied the flame dancing on his palm. Its color shifted continuously, from deep blue to gray, then finally to a vivid verdant green.

“The Ashen Flame has grown far more powerful than before. Even without the Faceless Mask or the Magic Cube boosting my strength, I should now be able to threaten a Rank Six being on my own.”

The dense pyro elemental particles radiating from his body caused the snow and ice covering the surrounding mountains to melt at a visible rate. As a result, the thick layers blanketing the peaks rapidly thinned.

The Dawn Empire’s guards stationed nearby did not dare approach beyond a certain distance.

“The power I can unleash by using mana to leverage the elemental forces has definitely reached the peak of Rank Five. My focus, mana, constitution, and other attributes still need time to catch up, but it should only take a few more years.”

Sein looked around at the wildly fluctuating elemental energy surrounding him.

“With the energy this unstable and active, continuing my research inside the laboratory is no longer practical. I might as well join the war for a while.”

A faint smile appeared on his face as he gazed toward the distant horizon.

“I can’t stay cooped up in the laboratory forever.”