Sovereign of the Ashes

"It's a pity that Sein has only just begun his advancement to Rank Four. It'll still be some time before he can establish his divine tower," Feylis remarked with a hint of regret during the faction gathering.

"All previous Magus Alliance Conferences have only invited the tower masters of established divine towers, along with Rank Four and above powerhouses who have made notable contributions. I guess he won't be attending this one."

The Magus Alliance Conference was more than just a formal event—it was a symbol of status. It also offered a rare chance to meet overlord-class beings and mingle with tens of thousands of foreign gods.

For powerhouses of the Magus World, this was an opportunity to expand their networks and gain firsthand insight into the inner workings of the Magus Alliance system.

For Rank Four mages attending for the first time, like Sein and Lorianne, it would be an incredibly rewarding experience.

Even a simple conversation or a new connection might lead to exclusive trading rights with entire enslaved-creature market planes.

For Magus World powerhouses, the Magus Alliance Conference was a place of opportunity.

For foreign creatures from other allied planes, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to form ties with the Magus World mages.

Many of these planes were isolated and rigid in structure.

Most dealt with only one Magus World powerhouse and were left at the mercy of that individual's control and exploitation.

The conference gave these allied members a rare opportunity to present themselves, compare terms, and improve their situation.

One must understand that the Magus World did not maintain dominance over the Alliance through sheer force and superior intelligence alone. It also ruled through calculated incentives.

Whether it was in the form of subsidies, rewards, or access to hidden resources and privileges, the benefits were tangible. They were not just propaganda.

While most planes within the alliance were being exploited, a select few had begun to thrive under the capable leadership of their native gods.

Of course, in the more heavily oppressed planes, the burden usually fell on dwindling resources and a declining quality of life.

Even so, the Rank Four and above powerhouses ruling those planes were still getting filthy rich.

Many of the less perceptive gods could not understand why people claimed they were being exploited, especially when their personal wealth had clearly increased after joining the Magus Alliance.

Thanks to the alliance's far-reaching trade networks, they had also gained access to resources and treasures they never could have imagined before.

The truth was, these gods were not exactly smart. They saw only their own gain, but failed to notice the worsening environments of their homeplanes and the suffering of those who lived under them.

It was no surprise, really. Most gods lived far above the concerns of the world below. How many of them truly cared about the hardships of the ground-dwellers?

"If Sein failed to advance to Rank Four... I suppose I could arrange for him to attend the conference as a demigod-level promising seed, considering the potential he has shown," Feylis said thoughtfully.

Then she added, more solemnly, "But it doesn't matter. Compared to attending the conference, it's far more important that he break through to Rank Four. The Clash of Civilizations is coming, and when it does, strength will be the deciding factor in whether we survive or not."

At the mention of the Clash of Civilizations, Gregory, Bernice, and the others fell silent.

Feylis had already briefed her apprentices and grand apprentices on the rising tensions with the Gallant Federation, along with the major issues likely to be discussed at the upcoming 25th Magus Alliance Conference.

This was the advantage of belonging to a well-established and well-connected faction.

Most Magus World mages, especially those at the lower ranks, had no access to this kind of privileged information. Many would remain oblivious about the impending war until they found themselves standing on the front lines.

After urging her apprentices to begin preparing early, Feylis shifted to the second item on the agenda.

The other purpose of this gathering was to announce a new interplanar war, this time led by the Divine Tower of Floating Flame. Other members of the Verdant Flame Faction would be invited to participate.

The Divine Tower of Blazing Sword had initiated the previous campaign. Now, it was the Divine Tower of Floating Flame's turn.

The reason why access to resources was growing but remained concentrated in the hands of a few was simple.

When opportunities came, people naturally prioritized their own circle—their allies, their faction, their family. Very few shared those benefits without a reason.

After nodding to her apprentices, Bernice stepped forward and began introducing the foreign plane she had discovered to the crowd gathered atop the tower.

"I wasn't actually the one who discovered this low-level hydro-elemental plane. Credit goes to my good friend, the grand master of the Order of the Green Bounty."

"Even though the elemental attribute of this plane does not match well with our divine towers, its overall resource output is quite good. The dominant species there is the Clawfins, somewhat similar to the Naga of the Magus World..."

Though Bernice addressed the whole crowd, her explanation was actually aimed at Lorianne, Gregory, and Aelid.

This interplanar war was more than just a resource grab for their divine towers—it could also be seen as a warm-up, a rehearsal for the impending civilization war.

Every tower was trying to get in as much practice as possible.

Even if the plane's top-tier hydro elemental resources were not useful to Bernice and the others, they could always trade them with other Rank Four and above powerhouses in the Magus World for materials more suited to their needs.

As the Magus Civilization gradually brought all neighboring territories under its control, the number of foreign planes left for conquest grew increasingly scarce.

That was why a low-level hydro elemental plane would attract the attention of four divine towers and one knightly order.

One had to wonder if that plane was just unlucky.

Naturally, Feylis and her Divine Tower of Verdant Flame would not be joining the invasion. Those modest spoils would be left for her apprentices to share.

Besides, Feylis had already earned more than enough from the previous campaign in the Wild Gorilla World.

That medium-sized plane had brought her greater gains than a dozen or more low-grade and microplane wars combined.

As for Sein, who was still deep within the volcano, whether he would be able to join the final phase of this interplanar war remained uncertain.

After all, the advancement to Rank Four was notoriously unpredictable.

Some mages broke through in just a few years, or slightly over a decade.

Others could take more than two hundred years to complete the process.

In the end, it varied from person to person.