Ashen Dragon-Chapter 1196 - 349: Power of Faith

"I didn’t expect this divine body to allow me to ascend four levels at once. This effect is truly... outrageous."

As he gazed at the continuously refreshing data panel, even Cassius showed surprise, unable to help but sigh.

This was a full four levels. In the past, he would have needed at least several months, killing countless powerful enemies to achieve such a magnitude of improvement.

But this "Horn of Tiamat" allowed him to instantly break through multiple level constraints, bringing him a leap in progress, let alone enhancing a profession like [God-sealing Dragon], which sought the ultimate power of the divine.

He lowered his head, observing his own dragon body, feeling an unparalleled energy radiating outward, forming a layer of faint halo covering the surface of his scales.

His body was quietly undergoing earth-shaking changes internally, with flesh and blood writhing, as if every cell and every muscle fiber was filled with active divine power, constantly surging and altering the surrounding environment.

But immediately, a frenzied and evil thought surged in the brain of the Red Dragon Emperor. The evil divine power from Tiamat raged wildly, as if it was trying to drag his body to break through the limitations of the material plane and return to the outer planes.

Instantly, the Red Dragon Emperor’s scales unfolded, flesh and blood swelling, as if innumerable frenzied beasts inside him were trying to break through his skin, tearing the red dragon’s body apart. The sound of flesh being ripped echoed in the sky, and scorching hot blood spurted from between the gaps of his scales, releasing a mist of blood into the air.

Cassius felt a splitting headache, involuntarily raising his head, face contorted, letting out an extremely painful roar, with blood-red light shining in his eyes. The powerful shockwave swept across the land, causing nearby mountains to tremble incessantly.

Mortals on the path of divinity, if unable to control the divinity within themselves, would be controlled by the divinity, corrupted by wills from higher dimensions, falling into endless madness, and possibly becoming god scourges or ancient evils.

But soon, the effect of the God-sealing Dragon’s [Iron Ambition] caused Cassius to calm himself, as if injected with a sedative. His eyes regained clarity, though his headache remained intense, as if innumerable fine silver needles were piercing his brain, making Cassius’s scalp tingle, and his scales twitch.

The frenzied thoughts surged out again, rapidly infecting Cassius’s dragon body.

The Red Dragon Emperor trembled all over, quivering uncontrollably, roaring, and leaping. His thick dragon tail swung uncontrollably, with a loud "boom," causing a small hill behind him to collapse, splattering rocks and raising dust.

"Roar——"

Cassius roared at the top of his lungs, trying to regain control of his body, but the divine power wrapped around his soul, making him feel like he was drifting in an infinite chaotic sea of stars, where countless stars appeared in the boundless space.

In the void, an alluring whisper echoed, and every cell in his body seemed to possess its own consciousness, yearning to break free from material constraints.

The flesh and blood within the Red Dragon Emperor constantly squirmed. Within moments, his body no longer resembled that of a dragon. He was like a massive and distorted mass of flesh, gradually disintegrating and collapsing.

"Matter is but an illusory bubble, and the void is the ultimate destination!"

"Return——"

The intense desire within his divinity transformed into a roar. Once Cassius’s soul succumbed to this desire, he would lose control, ascending to the outer planes, becoming a mindless, wandering twisted god scourge in the star realm.

This was what the divine researchers documented as the "Divine Catastrophe." Many demigod-level beings had been influenced by divinity, falling into madness and bringing great disaster to the continent.

If Cassius, a formidable demigod-level progenitor True Dragon, succumbed to being a god scourge, it would undoubtedly cause a disaster affecting the entire material plane.

Fortunately, Cassius possessed years of experience battling the Will of the Abyss and residual consciousness of Karex. Determined, he exerted all his strength to control his body, causing his flesh and scales to reassemble from disintegration, barely restoring his dragon form.

But quickly, the chaotic currents of divinity surged once more, causing the Red Dragon Emperor’s body to disintegrate and reassemble repeatedly, like a monster trapped in eternal time, endlessly repeating this "cycle."

At this moment, Cassius heard a voice from the void, not the chaotic whispers, but perhaps devout prayers, fervent shouts, or urgent calls. They overlapped, seemingly from a distant place yet incredibly clear, echoing in Cassius’s mind.

Alongside those voices in Cassius’s mind appeared fragmented scenes.

"Long Live the Empire!"

"Long Live His Majesty Cassius!"

In the military camp, the imperial soldiers shouted at the victory banquet, their faces flushed with excitement, fervently cheering and celebrating for the victory of the war in honor of the Red Dragon Emperor, feasting and drinking.

"Oh supreme Emperor, the God of War and Victory, I pray for your protection over my husband, that he returns from the battlefield safely and honored."

In a small town in Anzeta, a woman in a robe stood before the statue of the Red Dragon Emperor, hands clasped in devout prayer, hoping her husband would return safely from the frontline, ideally bringing back rich spoils of war.

"Honored protector of trade, Emperor of Armaments, please bless us in securing this batch of orders!"

Within the Kraubau Military Group Building, suited arms salesmen prayed devoutly as well.