Sovereign of the Ashes

Verdant Wilderness World had not achieved great unification.

This world boasted nine large forests, alongside numerous medium and smaller ones, scattered across the primarily plains-dominated terrain and a smattering of mountains.

Despite its vast main continent, Verdant Wilderness World had fewer oceans compared to Verdant Leaf World.

According to Lorianne, the Rank Four native creature of this plane was a giant tree known as the Verdant Wilderness God.

It seemed that plant creatures like it often lacked expansionist tendencies, or perhaps this particular Rank Four being harbored no aspirations of dominion.

The Verdant Wilderness God's true sphere of influence was confined to only the Lush Verdant Forest, where his physical form resided, and two other large forests nearby.

Its influence over the rest of the forests and regions in Verdant Wilderness World was minimal as demigod-level plant sovereigns mainly governed them.

Lorianne's ability to shake the faith of the Green Spikefur King was likely due to the Verdant Wilderness God's passiveness.

In Verdant Wilderness World, warfare was exceedingly rare and the word was virtually foreign to most native creatures.

Only those who lived long enough like the Grenbeak Tree Sein had once encountered or those who maintained a rich oral tradition had any notion of warfare.

Therefore, the current outbreak of conflict in two of the nine forests was novel for the native creatures of Verdant Wilderness World.

Two demigod-level plant sovereigns, commanding a legion of hundreds of thousands lesser creatures, clashed ferociously within their homeplane.

For outsiders like Sein and Lorianne, this internal strife was a good thing.

The more Verdant Wilderness World was embroiled in internal conflict, the more opportunities arose for Magus Civilization invaders like Sein to benefit.

The fall of numerous creatures from this realm, particularly those of Rank One and above, diminished the power of law throughout the entire plane.

Should a few demigod-levels perish outright, it would be cause for celebration.

After all, those demigod-level creatures were the primary bulwark against the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring's efforts to conquer Verdant Wilderness World.

"After nearly ten thousand years of peace, it's surprising that this world would suddenly erupt into war, especially on such a large scale involving demigod-level creatures," Sein remarked.

"If we discount other factors, the most likely scenario is that a new Rank Four creature is about to emerge on this plane," Lorianne whispered in Sein's ear.

"A new Rank Four creature?!" Sein exclaimed in surprise.

"The total amount of resources in a plane is finite at any given time. If they relied solely on their homeplane's internal reserves that sustained three demigod-level beings, it won't suffice for the birth of a Rank Four creature.

"To successfully advance to Rank Four and transcend to a higher level, inciting a war within their world by following the instincts of biological evolution means nothing. According to the history of planar development, sacrificing a third of the inhabitants of a low-level plane to give rise to a Rank Four powerhouse has proved more beneficial than detrimental for the plane as a whole. The plane itself can become overburdened by excessive numbers of inhabitants, taxing the planar will.

"Sometimes, the Guardians might even tacitly approve of such upheaval, subtly manipulating events to ensure the ascension of favored powers and races," Lorianne explained.

Her profound knowledge was fitting for an erudite Rank Four mage, and Sein found the revelations eye-opening.

After digesting all the information and sorting out his thoughts, he had to admit that everything made sense.

"The guardians uphold certain planar laws, yet these laws can sometimes appear indifferent," Lorianne lamented.

"So, are we still heading north next?" Sein asked.

"Yes, of course, we're going! We must seize this opportunity amidst the chaos! If there is really a new Rank Four creature emerging on this plane, we can forget about setting up these Node Weakeners," Lorianne said.

"Instead, we'll directly eliminate this new being. The benefits of doing so will far surpass the minor gains from weakening the planar laws," she explained.

Sein listened intently, feeling the pressure from his mentor's words. Yet, he was prepared to follow her orders.

After leaving Blackrock City, Sein continued his journey north.

As Sein continued moving northward, the number of refugees and migrating creatures increased.

War proved catastrophic for the weaker species of any world.

The conflict between the two northern forests involved armies totaling five to six hundred thousand.

However, the broader devastation and casualties among the plane's ordinary inhabitants were incalculable.

Currently, four to five million indigenous creatures of the Verdant Wilderness World had suffered severely.

With the conflict escalating, it appeared that two more large forests were on the brink of becoming involved.

Even the Green Spikefur King had sent a cryptic message to Lorianne recently, hinting at unrest in its territory as well.

It seemed that Sein's infiltration on a special mission was almost unnecessary; the internal strife alone within the Verdant Wilderness World was sufficient to exact a heavy toll on it.

This world was at its most vulnerable just before the birth of a new Rank Four creature.

The arrival of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army would undoubtedly transform this low-level plane completely.

Half a year later, Sein arrived at the Plain Forest in the north, one of the large forests in the Verdant Wilderness World that was currently fighting in a war.

The two demigod-level beings were currently clashing in the western part of the forest, a confrontation Sein chose not to engage with just yet.

Now was not the time.

The ongoing war had turned the once vibrant Plain Forest into a somber and desolate landscape—a reflection of its weakening position in the conflict.

Many of the mobile native creatures in the lush forest had already fled the area.

Those that remained were primarily plant creatures, rooted to their spots and unable to escape.

Despite being known for their peaceful disposition, the creatures in this plant-dominated world were not any different than creatures of other planes during the war.

Death, killing, bullying, and howling became all too common sights within the forest.

Sein, as an extraplanar visitor, felt somewhat detached from the civil war tearing through the Verdant Wilderness World.

This was a catastrophe for the inhabitants of the Verdant Wilderness World, but Sein was merely an observer, an outsider to the internal strife of these native creatures.

In recent years, an increasing number of Verdant Wilderness World's inhabitants had sought refuge in the Green Spikefur King's Emerald Forest and pleaded for protection from the large green hedgehog.

The impact of this migration on Sein and Lorianne's mission was yet unclear.

That day, as Sein arrived at the planar node at the center of the Emerald Forest, he was met with an unexpected scene.

To his and Lorianne's astonishment, they were not the first to arrive.

"Ohohoho! Is this one of this world's planar nodes? Let's follow the commands of the great War Gorilla God and destroy this place!"

Dozens of gorillas with green fur appeared near the planar node where Sein was meant to be.

"What the hell is going on here? Are we reaching into the same pocket here?" Lorianne's surprised voice echoed in Sein's ear.