Starlight Calendar 6254, Quentin Westbrook, one of the three Wizard thrones of the Dark Throne, was ambushed by over a dozen Nest Mother Insects during the war against the Ancient Insects. After destroying half a Plane and annihilating over thirty million Ancient Insects, he fell.
His Sky City was also destroyed under the siege of the Ancient Insects' Colossal Calamity Nest.
This was the first appearance of the Colossal Calamity Nest.
According to research, this is a unique biological war construct of the Ancient Insects, with combat power between a large Wizard Tower and a Sky City.
The emergence of the Colossal Calamity Nest pushed the war into full-scale intensity.
Many factions were on edge.
Starlight Calendar 6429, the Ancient Insects invaded the divine realm of the deity [Thunder Scale's Fang], using their swarm tactics to annihilate billions of Petitioners, destroying the divine realm, and causing [Thunder Scale's Fang] to fall.
This was the first instance of a deity falling outside the Realm of Truth in the new era.
The news caused a massive uproar across the Multiverse.
The factions gained a new understanding of the terror of the Ancient Insects.
Starlight Calendar 6793, the Ancient Insects invaded the divine realm of [Mist Sovereign]. To resist the swarm, [Mist Sovereign] detonated the divine realm, instantly annihilating billions of insects, but also fell into a deep slumber.
Starlight Calendar 7025, the headquarters of the Myriad-Headed Bird was destroyed by the Ancient Insects, with over ninety percent of their Wizards killed in battle, and only a few managed to escape.
From then on, the Myriad-Headed Bird was removed from the ranks of Wizard factions, becoming a part of history.
Starlight Calendar 7229, the smoke of war spread to every corner of the Multiverse. Under the threat of the Ancient Insects, various races and factions from different Planes and civilizations united to discuss how to deal with the Ancient Insects.
Starlight Calendar 7300, a Multiverse conference convened by Wizards and deities was held in the Realm of Truth.
All participants were without exception powerful beings of level four or above from various races.
Su Nan did not attend this meeting, choosing instead to focus on his cultivation, with Lize representing the Star Alliance.
As early as Starlight Calendar 7000, Lize had successfully advanced to the rank of True Spirit Wizard, earning her the qualification to enter the Realm of Truth.
"So, the Truth Council wants the Star Alliance to join the fight against the Ancient Insects?"
In the study, Su Nan and Lize sat facing each other.
Lize, returning from the meeting, brought news that the Star Alliance was being asked to become one of the main forces against the Ancient Insects.
It should be noted that those who could join the main forces were either the divine civilizations of great deities or large Wizard factions.
The Truth Council's invitation to the Star Alliance was undoubtedly a recognition of the Star Alliance's current strength.
However, Su Nan was noncommittal.
If there was any remaining sanctuary in the Multiverse, it was undoubtedly the territory of the Star Alliance.
As the first faction to eradicate the Ancient Insects, the Star Alliance's performance was the most outstanding and attention-grabbing in the entire Multiverse.
While many factions united to solve the problem of the Ancient Insect invasion, the Star Alliance had already driven out the Ancient Insects and had no need to join their ranks or expend effort to exterminate the insects.
Under these circumstances, the Star Alliance naturally would not easily agree to the Truth Council's invitation.
"According to what you said, I told the Truth Council that if they want the Star Alliance to join their ranks, they must provide us with certain compensation," Lize said. "The Truth Council agreed, promising to give us sufficient resources as compensation."
"Not enough."
Su Nan shook his head.
"A mere amount of resources is far from compensating for our participation in the war. Moreover, resources are tight everywhere, and the Truth Council likely cannot offer a number that would satisfy us."
"Then what should we ask for?" Lize inquired.
Su Nan's eyes flickered as he said solemnly, "Territory, a sufficient number of Planes."
"Convey my response to the Truth Council. The Star Alliance can join them, but after the war, all the Planes occupied by the Ancient Insects in the Dark Throne must be incorporated into the Star Alliance's territory, and the Truth Council must support the Star Alliance."
Lize was taken aback, hesitating, "Will the Dark Throne agree to these terms?"
That was over a third of their territory. The Dark Throne would never agree to such harsh conditions.
It was undoubtedly cutting a large piece of flesh from their body.
"Whether they agree or not is irrelevant," Su Nan chuckled. "The Dark Throne is severely weakened, with nearly half of their top-tier combatants fallen. Their reputation as a large Wizard faction is no longer justified. They have no right to refuse these terms."
"Even if they disagree, the Truth Council will force them to comply."
In the Multiverse, strength ultimately speaks.
The Dark Throne's power has significantly declined, and they are deeply mired in the battlefield against the Ancient Insects, unable to extricate themselves in the short term.
Although they have joined the united front, at this stage, they can barely protect themselves and cannot be expected to contribute to the frontlines in the upcoming battles against the Ancient Insects.
In terms of combat value, the Dark Throne is far inferior to the Star Alliance, which remains uninvolved.
The Truth Council surely understands this, knowing that winning over the Star Alliance is far more important than appeasing the Dark Throne.
Unless the Dark Throne launches a counteroffensive and reclaims that third of their territory themselves.
However, given their current state, the likelihood of them achieving this is slim.
"Convey our demands to the Truth Council and see what they say."
Su Nan decisively waved his hand.
His comprehension of the Law of Gravity was at a critical juncture, and he did not want to be too involved in these matters.
If the Truth Council agreed to his terms, the Star Alliance could join the war, and the war coordination could be left to the subordinates.
As for how the Wizards and deities on the united front would negotiate, he would not concern himself.
Once he advanced to the sixth level of Wizard, and the Star Alliance swallowed a third of the Dark Throne's territory, the Star Alliance's rise to a large Wizard faction would be a natural progression.
Just three days later, Lize returned with the Truth Council's response.
They agreed to the Star Alliance's conditions.
As expected, the Dark Throne vehemently opposed, but with their power greatly diminished in the war, their voice carried little weight, and their opposition was futile.
After this, the Star Alliance joined the united front.
The various factions of the Multiverse united and launched a full-scale counteroffensive against the Ancient Insects.
The united front did not exterminate the Ancient Insects one Plane at a time, as this method was too inefficient.
Wizards and deities worked together to investigate the source of the Ancient Insects, eventually finding a spatial passage in a remote Plane.
They suspected it was a spatial passage connecting to another Multiverse, and that the Ancient Insects originated from that Multiverse.
Only this could explain why the Ancient Insects had such a massive population yet showed no signs before.
The united front named that Plane the Ancient Insect Plane.
The Ancient Insect Plane was originally a low-level Plane without intelligent civilization, with an area less than half of the Starlight Continent.
But the Ancient Insects, using some unknown method, expanded the area of the Ancient Insect Plane more than tenfold.
They also used some means to link over a hundred Planes to the Ancient Insect Plane, serving as 'walls' and 'moats,' forming a unique Plane cluster.
To enter the Ancient Insect Plane, one must first pass through these layered Planes, each guarded by countless Ancient Insects.
This was why the Wizards and deities initially failed to detect the source of the Ancient Insects.
After identifying the source of the Ancient Insects, the united front launched an attack on the Ancient Insect Plane.
Wizards, deities, and other factions formed three Legions, simultaneously attacking the Ancient Insect Plane cluster from different directions.
Starlight Calendar 7304, the largest war of the new era in the Multiverse officially began.
The Ancient Insects were indeed powerful and terrifying, but they could not easily withstand the entire Multiverse.
Facing the fierce onslaught of the various factions, the Ancient Insects had to contract their frontlines, gradually recalling their swarms from various Planes to defend the Ancient Insect Plane cluster.
Starlight Calendar 7459, the battlefield gradually shifted to the Ancient Insect Plane cluster, where over a hundred Planes had become hellish battlefields, with countless lives lost.
Starlight Calendar 7734, under the united front's offensive, the Ancient Insects were in retreat, with the outer regions of the Ancient Insect Plane cluster completely fallen.
The Ancient Insects had to recall all their swarms to resist the united front's attack.
The swarms in the Planes occupied by the Dark Throne all retreated, and the Star Alliance immediately sent troops to take over and govern these Planes.
Perhaps intimidated by the Truth Council's authority, or perhaps still recovering from their heavy losses, the Dark Throne tacitly accepted this move without any reaction.
Thanks to this, the Star Alliance's reputation soared, showing signs of replacing the Dark Throne as a new large Wizard faction.
Starlight Calendar 8037, Su Nan's Law of Gravity broke through to the Dominance level, officially advancing to the sixth level of Wizard.
The following year, on the frontlines, Su Nan single-handedly infiltrated the rear of the insect swarm, killing a Nest Mother Insect and causing the swarm to collapse, earning him great fame and causing a significant stir in the Multiverse.
By then, even the most remote intelligent races in the Multiverse had heard of Su Nan and the Star Alliance.
Starlight Calendar 8403, the united front captured most of the Ancient Insect Plane cluster, leaving only the last Ancient Insect Plane, and the battlefield shifted to the core of the Ancient Insect Plane cluster.
However, here, the united front's unstoppable advance was halted for the first time, as an endless stream of insects poured out from the spatial passage, severely obstructing the united front's attack.
Having finally reached the Ancient Insects' lair, the united front naturally would not retreat and had to commit more forces.
The war became increasingly intense, and the Ancient Insect Plane turned into a hellish meat grinder.
Starlight Calendar 8848, just as the war reached its peak, the Dark Throne suddenly broke their promise and brazenly invaded the Star Alliance's territory.
"The Dark Throne intends to take advantage of the Truth Council's focus on the war, with no time to spare, to reclaim the Planes previously occupied by the Ancient Insects."
In the study, Lize frowned as she spoke. "By reclaiming those Planes and creating a fait accompli, even if the Truth Council wants to mediate after the war, it would be difficult for them to intervene."
Su Nan shook his head. "Not difficult to intervene, but they simply won't intervene."
The Truth Council was originally a loose organization with minimal control over the major Wizard factions.
With the Ancient Insects as a significant external threat, everyone could unite, but once the threat was removed, they would return to their previous state of differing agendas.
Moreover, the Truth Council had a ready-made reason not to intervene.
Those Planes had already been handed over to the Star Alliance. If the Dark Throne took them back, it would purely be due to the Star Alliance's lack of strength, and it would have nothing to do with them.
Thus, Su Nan never intended to rely on the Truth Council from the start.
"If the Dark Throne wants to fight, then we'll fight them."
"Stop sending troops to the Ancient Insect Plane. From now on, focus our forces on dealing with the Dark Throne."
By now, the Star Alliance was no longer the ordinary second-tier Wizard faction it once was. It now had the confidence and qualifications to confront large Wizard factions.
Moreover, the Dark Throne's power had significantly declined due to the war. In a real fight, the Star Alliance had a higher chance of winning.
Lize naturally had no objections.
War ultimately comes down to manpower and resources.
The Star Alliance might not have an advantage in the former, but it certainly surpassed the Dark Throne in the latter.
The continuous production of Magic Stones ensured that the Star Alliance could withstand any war of attrition.
Thus, even before the war against the Ancient Insects ended, a new war erupted within the Wizard factions. (End of Chapter)