Chapter 806: Dragon of Divine Ascension!
Just as Adrian and the others were gripped by mounting tension, a regiment of searing fire suddenly descended from the sky, engulfing the evil Dragon Priest in a blazing inferno.
Karlberg’s face twisted in panic as he screamed toward the Red Dragon Emperor: “King Kai Xiusu! You must be mistaken! I am loyal to you! We are all willing to become your devoted believers!”
He writhed desperately, attempting to cast spells to resist the terrifying Dragon Flame—but the fire only grew fiercer, consuming his Robe of Arcana to ash, then climbing up his body like living flame.
Within moments, Karlberg’s skin blackened and cracked under the heat, his face distorted beyond recognition in the roaring blaze.
“No—Red Dragon! Why are you killing me?! We still have Utilitarian Value for you!”
But the Red Dragon Emperor merely watched coldly, letting the fire consume the priest’s body until only a charred skeleton remained.
“Utilitarian value?” Kai Xiusu swept his gaze across the battlefield, a mocking smile curling on his lips. His tone was light, almost casual—but to the followers of the Dragon Worship Cult, it carried the chill of death: “No. My dear followers, your faith means nothing to me. In my eyes, you are nothing but trash—wretched creatures abandoned by Tiamat.”
With a slight turn of his head, he locked eyes with the distant Player and issued a thunderous command:
“All nationals of the Empire of Ashen Flame, heed my decree! Eradicate these disgraceful cultists—leave no survivors!”
“Holy crap, a new quest just popped up! And we get Faction Contribution rewards too? This is pure gold!”
“For Contribution Points—not for the Empire!”
“Long live!”
“For the Emperor of the Ashen Flame!”
“Long live Emperor Kai Xiusu!”
Before the words even faded, the Players erupted into a deafening roar of triumph. Euphoric and frenzied, they surged forward like a tidal wave, charging headlong into the cultists in a full-scale assault.
They moved like a rabid pack of beasts—swinging massive hammers, slashing with longswords, eyes bloodshot and wild. The slaughter was one-sided, brutal and merciless. Onlookers could only stare in stunned horror.
“By Tiamat!”
“Gods above!”
“These are madmen! They really want to annihilate us!”
Most of the cultists fled in disarray. A few evil Dragon Priests attempted feeble rebellions, but were instantly drowned in the overwhelming tide of Player fury—silenced forever.
High above, the green dragons—now leaderless—flapped their wings frantically, desperately fleeing toward the depths of the thick forest.
But the elite guilds—Mechanical Divinity, Magic Coin—would not let such a golden opportunity slip away.
A barrage of energy beams tore through the sky. Massive, razor-sharp Dragon hunting arrows sliced through the air, and from afar, the cries of the green dragons echoed in agony as they plummeted from the heavens, falling into crimson pools of blood. They writhed in their final moments, only to be devoured by the hungry Players, like wolves upon their prey.
The battlefield reeked of blood, gunpowder, and the acrid scent of burning flesh. Kai Xiusu hovered above Linying City, watching the massacre with quiet fascination.
Baron Adrian approached the Red Dragon Emperor, bowing deeply in half-kneel. His voice was solemn:
“Your Majesty, I speak on behalf of all the people of Seleucus. We offer our deepest gratitude. You risked everything to descend here, slaying Erebus, eradicating the Green Dragon Sect, and saving the North. We are utterly at a loss for words to repay your generosity.”
Kai Xiusu waved his massive dragon claw dismissively, his tone light.
“Enough. The Empire and your people share common interests. Eradicating the Dragon Worship Church and preventing Tiamat’s descent are matters of universal importance. Why speak of gratitude?”
Adrian hesitated, his brow furrowed with tension, then forced the question:
“But Your Majesty… once the war ends, what shall become of the territories once held by the green dragons?”
Kai Xiusu smiled faintly.
“Of course, they belong to your Kingdom of Seleucus. Land seized by the Dragon Worship Church must be returned to its rightful people.”
Adrian blinked, stunned. Then, a flicker of surprise lit his eyes.
“You… you’re truly generous.”
Kai Xiusu glanced at him with detached amusement.
“Only because now, you lack the strength to hold these lands against future incursions. The Empire will station garrisons across the region, aiding you in governing and defending northwestern Seleucus.”
Adrian exhaled in relief, nodding slightly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor’s response had far exceeded Adrian’s expectations. He’d prepared himself for the Red Dragon to claim territory for itself—but instead, it offered not only mercy, but aid.
As he reflected, Adrian felt a growing sense of awe. All the rumors he’d heard about the Emperor of the Ashen Flame now seemed like baseless slander.
“Master,” Misha murmured beside the Red Dragon Emperor, her brow furrowed in disdain, “you’re far too lenient with these nobles. What use are they in this war? Without the Empire’s aid, these pitiful Fadalan people would’ve already died in the Green Dragon’s poison mist. And yet they still dare to demand territory—how shameless.”
“There’s no need to anger yourself, Misha,” Kai Xiusu replied calmly. “These Fadalan people still hold some Utilitarian value. We’ll discard them when the time comes—after the eradication of the Dragon Worship Church.”
“I apologize, Master. I acted too hastily. I failed to grasp your wisdom.” Misha bowed her head.
“Besides,” Kai Xiusu added, his voice dripping with absolute confidence, “without an army, without funds, they’re nothing more than puppets on our strings. What right do they have to bargain with us?”
His narrow, vertical pupils glinted with contempt as he watched Adrian’s retreating back—the Sun God’s former favorite, now reduced to a supplicant.
Kai Xiusu was no selfless saint.
His refusal to claim territory now wasn’t generosity—it was strategy. The Dragon Worship Church had not yet been destroyed. Adrian and Franz’s Second Fadalan Front still held legitimacy, able to attract rebels from across Seleucus.
Moreover, the Empire’s expansion had already outpaced its capacity to absorb new lands. At this stage, the core of Thrace was barely stabilized. Annexing Seleucus now would burden the Empire’s administration beyond endurance.
But once the cult was eradicated, the Empire could establish permanent garrisons, gradually taking control of Seleucus. Through trade, capital, and economic dominance, they would turn the region into a de facto colony—before finally completing full annexation.
This well-oiled machine of conquest—trade, influence, control—was already second nature to the Empire’s merchants and industrialists.
“Still,” Kai Xiusu mused, “the greater matter at hand is what we’ve gained from the primordial green dragon.”
He raised his dragon claw, staring at the twin eyes of divine radiance resting in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he ripped open space and vanished, teleporting across the realm to the northern reaches of the Empire.
Below, Linying City buzzed with activity—people rushing back and forth, carts and horses flowing like rivers. Seleucus soldiers and Empire Players poured into the city, tearing down the altar of the Dragon Worship Church.
Countless emaciated, hollow-eyed humans were dragged from cold, damp prisons. For the first time in years, they felt the warmth of sunlight on their skin—but their faces remained blank, numb, as if their souls had long since died.
Empire of Ashen, Anzeta Great Wasteland, Dragon Blood Peak.
As the Empire grew stronger, its domain became so vast and powerful that even deities could no longer peer into its inner workings. To Kai Xiusu, this place was the ultimate sanctuary.
The Red Dragon Emperor withdrew the glowing eyes—eyes that pulsed with divine light—and scanned them with his System.
The eyes hovered in midair, shifting colors: molten gold like lava, snow-white like frost, and pure black like shadow—each hue a pulse of divine power, intertwining with an aura of deep, ancient evil.
> [Tiamat’s Eyes]
> Relic, Mythical Divine Sphere: Dragon, Color Dragon, Evil Reptile, Conspiracy, Greed
> Effect: Unknown
>
> Description: Tiamat, the Colorful Dragon, The Everlasting One. Revered as the legendary Mother of Monsters across the Multiverse, she is said to be the origin of all Five-colored Dragons. Her cult spreads rapidly across Feanso. Legend claims her vertical pupils can awaken the deepest greed and desire within any soul—driving even the most ascetic monk to drown in pleasure, the most loyal knight to betray for gold, and even the most disciplined monk to fall to the siren call of beauty.
>
> Note: This relic still holds remnants of Tiamat’s divinity and will. Attempting to use it forcibly risks distorting one’s mind—or even transforming the user into her puppet.
Kai Xiusu’s gaze lingered over the descriptions. A low hum escaped his lips.
“Hmm… of course. There’s a trap here. If I were weaker, I’d have already fallen into her scheme—become another Erebus, bound by devotion, a slave to her will.”
In the original timeline, “Deep Crimson Embers” Kazul had consumed the other two of Tiamat’s chosen—“Lord of the Putrid Marsh” Erebus and “Thunderbolt Tyrant” Gorazdra—evolving into a three-headed primordial dragon, the vessel for Tiamat’s descent.
If Kai Xiusu had used these eyes without preparation, he would have become just another of her puppets.
Staring at the eyes, he sighed.
“Beautiful object… but it doesn’t belong to me.”
A fierce smile curled his lips.
“Then I’ll just have to take it by force—erasing every trace of Tiamat’s ownership.”
Mortals could absorb divinity to extend their lifespan and enhance their strength—but it was perilous. Divine essence carried the god’s will, personality, and essence. If not controlled, it could overwrite the mortal’s mind.
Most collectors would first purge the divine essence of the original deity’s identity, then absorb it as fuel to ignite their own divine flame.
That was exactly what Kai Xiusu intended.
The Red Dragon Emperor opened his colossal, blood-filled maw. The dragon crystal on his chest blazed with terrifying light. Flame and chaos clashed and merged within—red and white, fire and storm—until they erupted as Plunderbreath, a torrent of crimson and silver flame bursting from his throat.
“Boom—”
An implosion of air. Dark red and silver flames twisted together, weaving through the sky in luminous patterns. The blast struck the Tiamat’s Eyes.
In response, the eyes flared violently—alive, defiant. They pulsed with divine radiance, forming a miniature five-headed dragon phantom that roared with a voice like tearing metal.
“Dare to rebel in my domain?” Kai Xiusu sneered. He extended his claw, and the Empire’s Law Force descended like a divine hammer—crushing the phantom’s rebellion in an instant.
Then came the Dragon Flame—fierce, scorching, a flood of destruction. The five-headed phantom screamed as it was torn apart, dissolving into ash.
The eyes themselves burned to cinders.
Under the chaos flame’s fury, every trace of Tiamat’s divine imprint was erased. The divine power within shattered into countless glowing particles—scattered, raw, chaotic energy.
Then, under the silver-white flame, the fragments obeyed an unseen order. They reassembled, drawn by Kai Xiusu’s will, forming a single, radiant orb that pulsed with ripple-like light.
—This was Primordial Divinity, the essence of a divine entity. It contained supernatural strength, wisdom, influence, and a mysterious core essence—the very foundation of a god’s power across the multiverse.
Since it originated from the Five-Color Dragon Queen Tiamat, it carried the mystical essence of Symbol Dragon, Color Dragon, Evil Crawler, Greed, and Darkness—capable of generating supernatural power in those realms.
“Divinity… such a fascinating force,” Kai Xiusu murmured, licking his lips. His eyes burned with greed—just like Tiamat’s.
He raised his massive claw, his voice ringing with absolute certainty:
“Now… it’s mine!”
“Boom!”
Space trembled. Waves of radiant light exploded into the heavens, so powerful they pierced the Wall of the World, rippling into the outer planes.
Roaring, Kai Xiusu poured every ounce of will into seizing the divine orb. He opened his blood-red maw wide.
The Red Dragon Emperor looked monstrous—muscles taut, his body trembling with divine energy. A swirling vortex formed in his mouth, wind and lightning roaring around him. Sand and stone flew in every direction as a storm raged at his side.
The Empire’s Law Force descended in full force, suppressing the orb’s rebellion, aiding the Emperor in his sacred act of consuming divinity.
In this clash of wills, Kai Xiusu’s personality, strength, principle, and soul were imprinted onto the orb—giving it a unique, personal essence, utterly his own.
“ROOOOOOOOAR—”
With a thunderous bellow, Kai Xiusu stretched his neck, opened his maw wide—and swallowed the divine orb whole.
Instantly, his body blazed with light. A radiant aura enveloped him, and divine energy surged through his veins like a tidal wave. It tore through his flesh, reshaping every scale, every cell, every drop of blood—reforming him into something greater, more sacred, more divine.
In the glow, Kai Xiusu curled into a tight ball, his mountainous form rising and falling with each breath, becoming more majestic, more dignified—radiating an aura of absolute edict.
His System panel flashed, refreshing with a cascade of new data.
> [You have obtained Primordial Divinity! You now gain Immortality, and the Might of Transcendence Beyond Material Essence!]
> [You have unlocked Advanced Career Path: 【Dragon of Divine Ascension】]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
