The skies above Astralis rippled with overlapping dimensions, multicolored auroras twisting into the shape of wings as the Dominion Fleet broke through the Realm Veil. Each ship surged with mythsteel-reinforced hulls, powered by divine reactors and soulforged batteries, casting shadows across the shattered space.
Inside the Voidpiercer Flagship, Li Tianming stood at the central command console, his hands spread across the Dominion System interface. Runes and projections hovered in midair, mapping sectors of the multiverse, highlighting warp storms, abyssal incursions, and rival Lords' banners.
> "System Alert: Interdimensional Gate Network—Online."
> "Phase One: Multiversal Expansion has commenced."
He leaned forward, eyes blazing.
"Begin the Dominion Spread. All Lords must kneel."
---
Dominion Protocol Alpha: Starfield Deployment
Twelve starships unfolded from the Spatial Nesting Core, each guided by a Heroic Core Unit. Technopriestess Elira oversaw the distribution, her voice resonating like temple bells as she spoke:
"Deploying the first armada to the Scarlet Shard Galaxy. Target sectors: Zeta-9 and Wraithborn remnants."
Across the bridge, Xue Qingning summoned an Arctic Phoenix Avatar, directing frost-infused fighter wings toward rift-clogged zones. These skies were infected—shattered timelines, abyssal fog, unstable causality loops. But the Dominion System accounted for all of it.
> "System Bonus Activated: [Reality Conqueror]." Effect: Allows terraforming of unstable multiverse fragments into usable empire nodes.
New worlds were forged in the flames of conquest.
---
The Warlords React
Far from Astralis, within a neutral multiversal convergence called the Crimson Parallax, powerful Warlords convened in astral projections. Some were scaled with draconic flesh, others wore planetary crowns or breathed equations.
Lord Krazhul of the Voidblade Clans snarled: "Who dares overwrite Starfield Command Protocols in Zone-Theta?"
Empress Nyzara of the Soul Chain Empire flicked her six sapphire tongues. "Dominion System. Ancient tech. Forbidden."
General Thron of the Eternal Gear Revolt spat gears and sparks. "He just annexed a Hyperconstruct Vault in ten minutes."
From deep within a collapsed dimension, an eldritch whisper stirred the council.
"Summon him to the Warlord Summit. Let us see this mortal lord who defies causality."
---
Summoning of the Lords
In the heart of Astralis, the Dominion Hall flared with cosmic light. A holographic seal opened as Li Tianming received a direct invitation:
> [Initiate Grand Warlord Summit?] Yes / No
He smirked. "Let them come."
With a wave of his hand, he authorized the gathering.
Within moments, celestial avatars of a hundred Lords descended into his throne hall—projected minds, souls, and even divine clones. Some bowed. Others glared.
"You seek to rewrite the Law of Conquest?" one ancient voice boomed.
Li Tianming stood, adorned in the divine weave of the Dominion Crown.
"I do more than seek. I've already started."
The hall fell silent.
---
Rise of the Five Vanguard Legions
While the summit raged in astral politics, his empires moved.
The Sovereign Phalanx: Starforged martial monks with orbiting blade satellites.
Oblivion Mechanists: A faction of technomancers who used soul-runes to fuse AI with ancient qi.
Phoenix Legion: Led by Xue Qingning, capable of terraforming frozen voids.
Stormbound Commandos: Lightning-infused guerrilla squads able to blink between timelines.
Titanium Nomads: Weaponized pilgrims whose armor doubles as mobile fortresses.
Each legion captured and secured Dominion Nodes—anchors that stitched fragmented realms into empire modules.
With every world taken, the System dropped loot:
> Legendary Drop: [Soul Star Engine Core] x3 Mythic Blueprint Unlocked: [Sovereign World-Cracker Cannon] Skill Chip Gained: [Domain Compression – Create an empire within a single pocket dimension]
---
A Challenge Issued
Toward the end of the summit, a new presence emerged.
He wore a crown made of dying suns, and each footstep cracked reality.
"I am Zarnaxis, Ruler of the 9th Collapse. Accept duel-by-realm, or forfeit dominion of the Nexus Spiral."
Li Tianming rose.
> System Ping: Realm Duel Conditions Accepted. Battlefield: Fracture Star Zero. Stakes: Title of Galactic Sovereign.
And thus, the next chapter was etched in fate:
> A realm-wide duel that would define the next cosmic era.