Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 614: Grand Reception

Tourmaline arrived at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring seven years ago. Shortly after Sein left the Western Archipelago, she began her journey here too.

Given the dragon turtle’s immense size, a land journey from the South Coast would have been impractical.

Thus, as she departed from the Western Archipelago, the giant Mermaid, White Stella, had already made all the necessary arrangements.

The Verdant Wave Canal, which connected directly to the South Coast, was constructed specifically to accommodate Tourmaline, allowing her easy passage not just to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, but also between the South Coast and the Western Archipelago.

The vastness of the Magus World, unimaginable to a Rank Two mage like Sein, was merely a familiar expanse to Tourmaline and her family.

With their long lifespans and leisurely lifestyles, the lengthy journey hardly posed an issue for them.

Although White Stella initially had a poor impression of Sein from his actions in the Western Archipelago, she ultimately permitted Tourmaline to visit the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring at her sister’s persistent request.

She preferred to have her younger sister remain within the Magus World rather than venture into an otherworldly plane.

Tourmaline’s family had an unwritten rule—only members of at least Rank Four life level were allowed to venture into the vast, boundless Astral Realm.

Until then, it was safer for them to stay at home under the protection of their older siblings.

This rule was mainly established to protect “underaged” hatchlings like Tourmaline from external threats.

Despite Tourmaline’s demigod-level strength, it paled in comparison to the forces in the billions of planes within the Astral Realm.

Her strong potential and rich dragon bloodline, however, ensured that not even foreign gods would risk an attack lightly.

While the Magus Civilization had left a significant mark on the world and surrounding planes, it faced numerous internal and external challenges.

Periodically, certain planes within the Magus Alliance caused disturbances, possibly dissatisfied with the Magus World’s dominion, or influenced by foreign gods with different agendas.

Against the backdrop of a seemingly thriving civilization, the Magus World was not as idyllic as it might appear.

Where there was enough profit to be made, there would always be those willing to take great risks.

White Stella, often complained to Tourmaline about the Quatar Star Pirates around the Magus Alliance, which she found highly troublesome.

They were always plundering and violating the member planes of the Magus Alliance without any apparent reason.

Sometimes, they even dared to confront those foreign gods of Rank Four or above in the Magus Alliance.

Under the influence of this mindset, Tourmaline knew that things were not as perfect as they seemed beyond the Magus World.

Coupled with Tourmaline’s reclusive nature, and despite her intense curiosity about the Astral Realm, she chose not to act on this curiosity for the time being.

Everything would have to wait until she attained the life level of Rank Four or higher.

For now, she found it quite fascinating to listen to Sein’s stories about the otherworldly planes and the latest updates from the Magus Alliance.

***

Tourmaline’s progress through the seawater was significantly faster than that of an airship.

It was a marvel to see such a colossal creature navigating the Jewel Sea.

The construction of the Verdant Wave Canal not only connected the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring with the South Coast and Byrne Empire but also enlarged the Jewel Sea overall.

The influx from the South Sea had more than tripled the Jewel Sea’s size.

Initially, Sein noticed no change because the Jewel Sea had always seemed vast to him; it was difficult to perceive any difference in its overall expanse at a glance.

However, as he ventured deeper, Sein could see, just by looking, how much the sea area had expanded.

Moreover, Sein observed that the once tranquil Jewel Sea was now teeming with unfamiliar sea creatures, likely having migrated here via the Verdant Wave Canal along with Tourmaline.

Though still not fully matured, Tourmaline bore the “Sea God” lineage, attracting various loyal aquatic races.

Sein felt that the Jewel Sea was just the beginning.

According to trends he had noted, the Jewel Sea would continue to grow.

He observed that the originally circular Jewel Sea was gradually becoming oval.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring could not completely ignore Jewel Sea and its bustling coast.

This shift toward an oval shape proved beneficial, particularly because the coastline was expanding more rapidly, and Lorianne was in an excellent position to collect more rent.

As Sein stood atop Tourmaline and approached the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, he was greeted by a crowd that had received advanced notice of his arrival.

Standing in front of the group was Lorianne, Sein’s mentor!

This grand reception for a Rank Two mage’s homecoming was unprecedented since the founding of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

It was well-deserved, given that at least seventy percent of the radical changes in the divine tower over the past decade could be credited to Sein.

Who would have imagined that after a mere journey, the tower master’s apprentice would gain a demigod-level dragon turtle as an ally?

On top of that, this dragon turtle held such a special identity and status in the Magus World that the Byrne Empire, the Dawning Secret Society, and the aquatic races eagerly financed the construction of the Verdant Wave Canal.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had not spent a single coin on its development—it was entirely gifted.

White Stella was actually the one who wanted to expand the Jewel Sea and construct the grand canal to accommodate her younger sister at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Since the dragon turtle’s family had connections with many top powers in the Magus World, everyone was eager to please them.

With these considerations, the lavish reception for Sein was justified.

Of course, one might argue that this large assembly was not just to welcome Sein, but to honor the dragon turtle, Tourmaline.

Sein was probably the only one from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring who dared to stand on the dragon turtle.

Even his mentor, Lorianne, would not presume to be so bold.

It was fortunate that Sein had thoughtfully moved from Tourmaline’s head to its back before arriving.

Riding directly on its head might have caused the senior Rank Two and Three mages in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to bristle at such disrespect.

Lorianne treated her apprentice with respect too. She floated mid-air and smiled at him.

“Welcome back, Sein.”

Despite the grand reception, Sein remained humble.

He bowed respectfully to his mentor and replied, “Greetings, Master Lorianne!”