Ashen Dragon

"I'm sorry, master, I was too reckless and failed to appreciate your painstaking efforts," Misha said hurriedly, bowing her head and speaking softly.

"Besides..." Cassius paused, his words filled with absolute confidence, "Without an army, without funds, they are merely puppets on the surface of the empire, what qualifications do they have to compete with us?"

Watching the back of Adrian, the Sun God's Favored, as he departed, the Emperor of the Crimson Dragon's long and narrow vertical pupils showed contempt and disdain.

Cassius was certainly not a selfless Holy Father.

He did not make territorial demands now just because the Dragon Worship Church had not been eliminated, and the Second Fadlan Front Line established by Adrian, Franz, and others still had a certain "legitimacy" that could attract rebels from all over Seleucis.

Moreover, the empire's territorial expansion is indeed too rapid now, and they have only initially digested the core areas of Thrace. If they were to annex Seleucis at this time, it would be an overwhelming burden on the imperial government.

Once the Dragon Worship Church is annihilated, the empire will substantively control the region of Seleucis through stationed troops, turning it into a semi-colony with the dumping of goods and capital export, ultimately completing the annexation gradually.

The empire's big merchants and factory owners are already quite adept at conducting this complete process.

"But right now, the more important matter should be dealing with the spoils obtained from that Ancient Green Dragon, something precious enough to make Tiamat willing to expend divine power to personally descend is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime find."

Cassius raised a dragon claw, gazing at the palm where an eerie light emanated from the Dragon's Eye, then tore through space, heading towards the empire's north, thousands of miles away.

In Lin Ying City below, people came and went, the hustle and bustle of the streets filled with Seleucis soldiers and players from the empire flooding in like a river, demolishing the altars of the Dragon Worship Church.

Countless humans, dressed in rags and with gaunt faces, were rescued from the cold and damp dungeons. Feeling the long-lost sunshine, their expressions on their faces were still somewhat numb...

...

Ashen Empire, Anzeta Great Wilderness, atop Dragon Blood Mountain.

With the development and growth of the Ashen Empire, the power of the imperial region has become extremely formidable, even divine beings cannot glimpse the internal situation.

For Cassius, this is the safest region.

The Emperor of the Crimson Dragon took out the Dragon's Eye that glowed with divine power, using the system to carefully investigate.

The Dragon's Eye floated in midair, its colors constantly changing; sometimes it was pale gold like lava, sometimes pristine white like frost, sometimes pure black like shadows... the brilliance of divine power intertwined, emitting a certain evil and profound vibe.

[Tiamat's Eye]

Oddity, Myth

Divine Position Domain: Dragons, Chromatic Dragons, wicked reptiles, conspiracy, greed

Effect: Unknown

Description: Tiamat, the colored giant dragon, after immortality, is revered as the legendary Mother of Evil Dragons in the multiverse. She is said to be the bloodline origin of all five-colored dragons, and her cult is rapidly spreading in Fianso.

Her vertical pupils are said to awaken the deepest greed and desires in people's hearts, causing even the poorest ascetic monks to succumb to pleasure, making the most loyal knights bought by money, and even those with the most determined wills, martial monks, succumb to beauty.

(Note: This oddity retains Tiamat's divinity and will, if forcibly used, it may twist one's mind and even transform them into a puppet.)

Scanning through the introduction, Cassius couldn't help but exclaim:

"Tsk, there really is Tiamat's handiwork inside. If it were in the past, I'm afraid I would have already fallen for the scheme and ended up like Erebos, an involuntary 'devoted believer'. "

In the original history, "Deep Red Embers" Kazuul devoured the other two of Tiamat's Favored—"Lord of the Rot Swamp" Erebos and "Thunder Tyrant" Gorazdan, evolving into a quasi-god level three-headed dragon, becoming the vessel for Tiamat's descent to the human world.

If Cassius recklessly used these eyes, he would most likely also fall as one of the three Favored, controlled by Tiamat.

Watching these eyes, Cassius sighed, "The item is indeed good, but it's a pity it doesn't belong to me."

His lips slightly curled into a sinister smile, "In that case... I'll have to use more brute force methods to forcibly erase Tiamat's traces within it."

Mortal beings can achieve extended lifespans and enhanced strength by absorbing divinity, but doing so is dangerous—since divinity contains the deity's personality and beliefs, which may lead to the deity's will occupying the mortal's body.

Typically, the collector erases the original deity information from the divinity and then absorbs it themselves, using it as the key to ignite divine fire.

——And this is what Cassius aims to do.

The Red Dragon Emperor opened his gaping maw, where the Dragon Crystal on his chest glowed with a breathtaking light. The Flame of Order and Chaos Flame intertwined and fused within, ultimately transforming into a red-and-white Plunder Breath, surging forth from deep within his throat!

"Boom——"

The air burst apart, as the dark red and silver-white flames intertwined, emitting layers of shimmering light patterns, blasting towards the "Tiamat's Eye" in the sky.

Upon sensing the imminent danger, those dragon eyes flickered continuously, as if alive, releasing an intense divine brilliance, forming a small phantom of a five-headed giant dragon, letting out a hoarse roar.

"In my territory, you still dare to resist?"

Cassius sneered coldly, extending his Dragon Claw. The Imperial Region's overpowering Power of Laws descended, instantly suppressing the resistance of "Tiamat's Eye".

Following this, the Dragonflame howled forth, transforming into a scorching torrent, annihilating the five-headed dragon phantom amidst its wails, and incinerating the dragon eyes to ashes.

Under the effects of the Chaos Flame, the mark of Tiamat within the Dragon's Eye was completely obliterated, and the divine power contained within was effortlessly dismantled, turning into countless scattered points of light, deconstructed into their most primal, chaotic energy body forms.

Then, under the influence of the silver-white flame, the dispersed energy bodies adhered to some form of order, regrouping, under Cassius's will, into a constantly radiating light cluster with rippling brilliance.

——This is Original Divinity, a trait possessed by Divine Beings, containing supernatural power, wisdom, influence, and mysterious essence, determining the status and influence of deities in the Multiverse, and also the source of individual might.

Since this mass of divine power originated from the Five-Colored Dragon Queen Tiamat, it contains a mysterious essence symbolizing dragons, chromatic dragons, evil reptiles, greed, and darkness, capable of producing extraordinary divine power in these domains.

"Divinity, truly an enthralling thing, no wonder Erebos, Kazuul, and other Ancient Dragons succumb to it, willingly becoming puppets of the Dragon Queen..."

Gazing at the divine light cluster, Cassius couldn't help but lick his lips, his eyes brimming with infinite greed, akin to Tiamat.

The Red Dragon Emperor extended his massive Dragon Claw, his tone resolute and filled with extreme confidence: "But now——it is mine!"

"Boom!"

Space quaked incessantly, multicolored brilliance shot skyward, its residual waves even penetrating the World Wall, affecting many Outer Planes.

Cassius roared angrily, exerting all his might to grasp the divinity, opening his gaping jaws wide.

At this moment, the Red Dragon Emperor's face twisted grotesquely, his entire body tensed, a massive, churning vortex appeared in his mouth, while around him stones and sand flew, lightning flashed, thunder roared, enveloped in a terrifying storm.

The Imperial Region's Power of Laws descended in full, suppressing the resistance of the divine light cluster, aiding the Red Dragon Emperor in completing the feat of devouring divinity.

In this mutual confrontation, Cassius's personality, beliefs, strength, and even behavioral principles were imprinted onto the divine light cluster, creating traits unique to him.

"Roar——"

Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, Cassius stretched his neck, opened his large mouth, and forcibly swallowed the divine light cluster.

In an instant, his body suddenly lit up, shrouded by hazy light, the torrent of divinity within him wildly surging, boiling unceasingly, forcefully reshaping every inch of the Red Dragon's flesh, every scale, down to every cell.

Enveloped by the light, Cassius curled up, his mountain-like massive body rising and falling with each breath, becoming increasingly sacred, majestic, exuding an aura of laws.

And Cassius's system panel instantly refreshed with numerous lines of information.

[You have acquired Original Divinity! You will gain immortal life, power transcending the essence of material existence!]

[Dragons are undoubtedly the most powerful beings originating from the Prime Material Plane, yet you have taken a step further, seeking to transcend the confines of material existence, attempting to become something beyond the Prime Material Plane, progressing towards the ultimate goal that all mortals long for——]

[You have acquired the Advanced Career Path: [God-sealing Dragon]]