"Reisgem, did you gather a full set of Sovereign artifacts on the Planar Battlefield?"
Ignis looked at the exaggerated set of Sovereign artifacts on Reisgem's body and couldn't help but ask.
"Not quite," Reisgem replied. "But as a gatekeeper, the Overgod graciously granted me a full set of Sovereign artifacts—ones that suit me perfectly."
"You and I have always been on the same side in the Planar Battlefield. Don't make this trial too hard for me today. Just consider it a favor I owe you."
"Ah, that's hard to do. The Overgod personally instructed me to conduct a serious assessment of you. After all, you're the strongest among all the trial participants."
"Fine, then let's fight. I also want to prove myself to the Overgod—that I, Ashura, am truly worthy of becoming the next Overgod of Destruction."
But Reisgem wasn't weak either.
A top-tier Five-Fusion expert, a supreme Divine Beast, and equipped with a full set of Sovereign artifacts.
Even more importantly, he wielded an immense quantity of Sovereign power.
Although Reisgem's overall strength might not match Ignis' at present, defeating him would still be impossible for Ignis.
Within the Twelve Castles, all the Sovereigns were watching the battle.
"Congratulations, Lord Uhtred. Ignis being noticed by the Overgod indicates that he is currently the most likely candidate to become the next Overgod of Destruction."
Uhtred wore a pleased expression on the surface, but inwardly, he remained indifferent.
The reason was simple: Ignis was merely his Sovereign Emissary. No binding contract had ever been signed.
If Ignis were to become a Sovereign of Destruction, all Uhtred would gain was a personal favor at best.
Uhtred sighed. He had become a God at the dawn of creation, but unfortunately had chosen to become a deity through internal Divinity and did not possess a divine clone.
As the Divine Beast Wukun, Uhtred actually had a natural affinity for the water element.
Had he known that soul mutation could offer a chance to become a Sovereign, he would never have chosen internal Divinity—even if it meant risking the fall of his divine clone, he would have pursued soul mutation.
Within the Amethyst Mountains…
Two top-tier Shura-level powerhouses clashed in a fierce battle.
Reisgem's claws swiped toward Ignis, who countered with a mighty sword slash.
Both sides unleashed their Sovereign power.
Clearly, neither was holding back.
Each possessed a Destruction-type divine clone, which meant the boost from the Sovereign power of Destruction was amplified hundreds of times.
Upon colliding, both were forced to retreat from the sheer impact.
The mountain peaks of the range shattered as the two combatants slammed into them.
They charged again, clashing with full force once more.
"If we disregard the influence of will-based Edicts, their combat strength is already no less than that of a Highgod Paragon," commented one of the watching Sovereigns.
These sixty-plus Sovereigns, though exalted in status, mostly achieved their rank through fortune—gaining their Sovereign sparks by chance when they descended.
Had their power, rather than luck, been the deciding factor back then, many suspected they never would have become Sovereigns at all.
Fortunately, that worry was moot—they were Sovereigns now, high above all.
The battle between Reisgem and Ignis was unimaginably intense.
Even the mountain peaks of the Infernal Realm were shattered with ease.
One must understand—the Amethyst Mountains had been specially reinforced by Sadius himself.
And still, they couldn't withstand the impact of the two.
"Reisgem, even with your full set of Sovereign artifacts, you still can't defeat me," Ignis roared with growing momentum.
"So what? You can't beat me either."
"Are you sure about that? Do you know what I've been doing for the past trillion years in the Abyssal Plane?"
Reisgem narrowed his eyes. Has Ignis made another breakthrough?
Ignis' three divine clones had long since reached the pinnacle of the Five-Fusion level.
If he had advanced further, he'd now be a Paragon Highgod.
But clearly, Ignis had not yet reached that stage—otherwise, Reisgem would already be defeated.
"Don't tell me…you fused three different types of profound mysteries into one?"
"I should thank you for that," Ignis said, smiling.
"I'd been stuck at the bottleneck of mixed-type Three-Fusion for over a billion years. I even tried challenging the Paragon of my Abyssal Plane—still no breakthrough. Who would've thought that battling you today would finally push me past it? As thanks, I'll use my strongest move against you!"
Reisgem immediately became alert.
Mixed-type Triple-Fusion was comparable in power to same-type Five-Fusion.
And Reisgem knew all too well the power of Sadius' Triple-Fusion finishing move: World-Ending Sword Intent.
That technique was already invincible beneath Six-Fusion.
Some even rumored it had reached a Six-Fusion level—without the aid of will-based Edicts.
The fact that Ignis had succeeded in a mixed-type Triple-Fusion sent chills down Reisgem's spine.
Instantly, Reisgem activated his innate divine ability—Amethyst Barrier—and unleashed his Five-Fusion finishing move: Amethyst Space.
Most importantly, he released a single drop of golden Destruction-type Sovereign power.
As it was released, the golden glow gradually faded.
This was Sovereign power that had been tinted by Sadius' golden energy. It increased the effectiveness of the Sovereign power tenfold.
That golden energy was partially formed by supreme essence.
Had it been complete, it could boost the Sovereign power by a thousandfold—and would not dissipate.
Ignis gripped his Sovereign sword. The moment arrived.
He unleashed his newly fused mixed-type Triple-Fusion technique.
Dark red Heaven-Searing Flames engulfed the blade.
The intent of Destruction.
Destruction. Darkness. Flame. Three intense forces combined.
"This sword is named—Heavenfall!"
As the sword slashed down, the world dimmed.
A massive illusory sword shadow manifested in the sky.
Unlike Sadius' World-Ending Sword Intent, Ignis' Heavenfall integrated the Fire element's Explosion mystery, making it far more ferocious.
However, its destructive aura was slightly inferior.
After all, Sadius' World-Ending Sword Intent included his personal Destruction–Slaughter Sword Dao, giving it absolute, pure devastation.
Truthfully, if Sadius hadn't been the first to achieve the Overgod realm…
Then he would've been the ideal inheritor of the Destruction Overgod title.
But due to a twist of fate, he created the Aether origin and became the Aether Sovereign instead.
In the heart of the Amethyst Mountains, within the divine mansion of the Redbud Sovereign—the one fortified for soul defense—
Another clone of Sadius sat quietly with his wife and children, watching the live broadcast of the trial.
Whether Linley, Luoshen, or the red-haired Eunice—they all gained insights from observing.
Clearly, Ignis' sword strike was remarkable.
"Do you think Reisgem can withstand that sword?"
Lina and Reyna asked curiously.
After all, Reisgem was helping Sadius. If he were injured, it would be troublesome.
"Don't underestimate Reisgem—nor that single drop of golden Destruction-type Sovereign power."
Ignis' Heavenfall sword slammed into Reisgem's Amethyst Barrier.
The barrier trembled violently, seeming as though it might collapse under the pressure of the strike.
Fortunately, Sadius had reinforced the surrounding space beforehand.
Without a will-based Edict, even the strongest couldn't shatter space itself.
Otherwise, the area would have collapsed long ago.
The strike carved a massive canyon into the mountain range.
As the dust finally settled, Reisgem's figure reemerged.
"Ashura! Bet you didn't expect this—this young master withstood your ultimate move!"
Reisgem roared with laughter.