https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-829-The-Plunder-of-Red-Dragon-Emperor-The-Ashen-Empire-s-Anzeta-Great-Wasteland-Governorate-Dragonblood-Mountain-Forbidden-Zone/13677764/
Chapter 830: The Empire's Faith
"Who would’ve thought… this single fragment of a Divine Body could grant me a four-tier Ascension in one go? The effect is absolutely staggering."
Kai Xiusu stared at the constantly refreshing Data Panel, his expression etched with genuine surprise. Four tiers—this kind of leap, in ordinary circumstances, would have taken him months of relentless slaughter, hunting down countless powerful enemies. Yet this horn of Tiamat had shattered the very limits of his progress, granting him an instantaneous, explosive surge in power—especially for a职业 like the Dragon of Divine Ascension, one that sought nothing less than Deity-level strength.
He could feel the divine essence—raw, chaotic, and fiercely potent—leaking from the shattered horn, flowing through his body along the basal vessels, seeping into every fiber of his dragon form. As he lowered his head to examine himself, he sensed an overwhelming surge of energy radiating from his body, forming a hazy halo around his scales. The once-dull surface now shimmered with fractured light, cloaking his massive frame in a luminous aura that exuded undeniable dignity.
Deep within his body, a world-altering transformation was underway. Flesh writhed and shifted, as if every cell, every strand of muscle, pulsed with active divine power—vibrant, restless, and constantly reshaping the very environment around him.
But then, a surge of violent, malevolent thought erupted in the mind of the Red Dragon Emperor. The evil divine energy of Tiamat surged through him like a storm, desperate to tear his body free from the bonds of the Material Plane and drag him back to the Outer Plane.
In an instant, his scales flared open, his flesh bulged unnaturally, and it felt as though countless frenzied beasts were trying to burst through his skin. The sound of flesh tearing echoed across the sky. Blood, scalding hot, spurted from the gaps in his scales, forming crimson mists that hung in the air.
Kai Xiusu roared in agony, his head throbbing with unbearable pain. He reared back, his form terrifying in its fury, eyes blazing with blood-red light. The shockwave from his scream rippled across the earth, causing nearby mountains to tremble violently.
"Boom!"
The Red Dragon Emperor crashed headfirst into the face of a towering mountain. A massive cloud of dust and debris erupted into the sky. Rock shattered and tumbled down in a torrential avalanche. The aftermath swept across the entire range, and even the mountain’s core began to fracture, slowly collapsing.
Yet even amid such violent upheaval, Kai Xiusu remained locked in a state of crimson-eyed torment—his gaze wild, his posture that of a raging beast.
For any mortal walking the path toward divinity, failure to control the divine energy within could mean total surrender. The soul would be consumed by the will of higher realms, corrupted by celestial force, descending into endless madness. Worse still, one might become a Divine Abomination, an ancient, twisted evil entity—utterly beyond reason.
But then, the effect of the Dragon of Divine Ascension’s unique ability, Steel Heart, took hold. Calmness washed over Kai Xiusu like a sedative. His eyes regained clarity, his breathing steadied. Yet the pain in his head remained—like countless fine silver needles piercing his skull, making his scales tingle and his nerves scream.
The madness surged again, spreading like wildfire through his dragon body.
The Red Dragon Emperor convulsed violently—shaking, trembling, roaring uncontrollably, leaping, thrashing. His thick tail lashed out without control. With a thunderous boom, a nearby mound collapsed instantly, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing into the air.
"ROOOOAAARRR!" Kai Xiusu let out a full-force roar, desperately trying to reclaim control of his body. But the divine power wrapped around his spiritual soul like a suffocating shroud. He found himself adrift in a boundless sea of chaos, where stars flickered into existence in the void—endless, infinite.
Whispers echoed from the emptiness, seductive and insidious. His very cells seemed to awaken with individual consciousness, each yearning to break free from the prison of flesh. His body writhed, shifting grotesquely. In moments, it was no longer the form of a dragon. Instead, it became a chaotic fusion of flesh and spirit—a monstrous, distorting mass, slowly tearing itself apart into countless formless, divine-laden fragments.
Within his chest, the Karex’s Heart, the highest concentration of divine essence, pulsed wildly, heaving with each beat. It beat like a living thing, desperate to burst free from his ribs.
"Matter is illusion. The void is the true home!"
"Return—!"
The overwhelming desire of the divine essence roared in his mind. If Kai Xiusu’s soul drowned in that craving, he would lose all control, ascend beyond the Material Plane, and become a distorted, reasonless Divine Abomination—adrift in the Stellar Realm, a wandering horror.
This was the Divine Catastrophe, as chronicled by ancient divine scholars. Countless semi-gods had fallen to it—driven mad by divine influence, unleashing devastation upon the world.
Ten thousand years ago, a semi-god-level Storm Giant had lost control, becoming a Divine Abomination. For decades, it raged across the earth, hurling thunderbolts that reduced dozens of cities to rubble—until the gods themselves intervened and erased it from existence.
If Kai Xiusu, a powerful Ancestral True Dragon among semi-gods, were to fall into such a fate, the consequences would be catastrophic—not just for Feanso, but for the entire Material Plane. And with the Empire of Ashen having colonies across multiple planes, the Emperor’s descent into madness could send shockwaves through the multiverse itself.
But luck was on his side. Years of resisting abyssal will, of clinging to the residual consciousness of Karex—his experience points had not been wasted. With every fiber of his being, he fought to hold himself together. His flesh and scales, which had begun to disintegrate, reassembled, barely regaining the form of a dragon.
Yet the turbulence returned. His body shattered once more, reformed—only to shatter again. A never-ending cycle, trapped in an eternity of torment, like a monster doomed to repeat its own destruction.
Then, from the depths of fate, a sound emerged—not the chaotic whispering of madness, but something else entirely. A chorus of voices, layered and overlapping: prayers of piety, frenzied cries, desperate pleas, all echoing from afar yet piercingly clear in his mind.
Alongside the voices, visions bloomed in his consciousness—luminous particles flashing and bursting, each releasing vivid scenes from the Empire.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live Emperor Kai Xiusu!"
In a military battalion’s victory celebration, Imperial soldiers screamed in ecstatic frenzy, flushed with wine and triumph, cheering their Red Dragon Emperor, raising their voices in drunken exultation.
"O Supreme Emperor, God of War and Victory—protect my husband, grant him safety in battle, armor him with glory, and let him return home with honor!"
In a small northern town—Silver City—a woman in a long robe knelt before a statue of the Red Dragon Emperor, hands clasped in devout prayer. Her eyes were filled with desperate hope, praying that her husband would return from the frontlines unharmed, and that he might bring back spoils enough to see their family through a warm, peaceful winter.
"Great Emperor of Weapons, Lord of Firearms and Heavy Cannons—bless our order! Let our shipments succeed, and may your wealth grow ever greater!"
Inside the headquarters of the Claudew Military Industry Group, salesmen in sharp suits gathered, praying fervently. Their statue depicted the Red Dragon Emperor with one claw crushing a cannon, the other gripping a rifle, perched atop a hill of stacked weapons—purely Steampunk in spirit.
"This gratitude—how can it ever be repaid? All people worship together, the great red dragon in the heavens!"
In the capital city of Isdalia, a choir clad in crimson robes sang the Song of Kai Xiusu without pause. The soaring melody had long since merged with the clamor of the city, becoming a permanent part of its soul.
"Kai Xiusu—the man among men, the alpha of males, the ruler, the master, the terminator of all who dare oppose!"
Deep in the Anzeta Great Wasteland, in a cave abandoned by an owlbear, members of the Dragon Enthusiasts Club wore red robes emblazoned with Kai Xiusu’s image. They chanted like a frenzied cult, their voices echoing around a statue of the Red Dragon.
Though the statue’s pose was bizarre—clearly inspired by fan-made art—had it been displayed in the city, the Tiefling Imperial Guard would have arrested them on the spot. Under the Imperial Imperial Law, such disrespect would be punishable by the highest charge—blasphemy against the Emperor—and the statue would be destroyed as an illegal artifact.
And yet, Kai Xiusu saw familiar faces among the visions—Misha, Dolo, Anthony. Their devotion, compared to the scattered masses of common citizens, was deeper, purer, more intense.
In the Seleucus Conquest region, Dolo swung his Bloodfire Battle Axe with brutal force, cleaving an evil dragon priest in half from crown to crotch. Blood and brains sprayed in all directions.
"Long live the Emperor! This is what awaits those who oppose King Kai Xiusu!"
He raised the bloodied axe high, roaring, his body covered in filth, his voice drowned out by the frenzied cheers of the crowd below.
In the Thrace Governorate, atop a high platform in Akalia’s square, an ogre stood motionless, his gaze cold and piercing, voice sharp with fury.
"How dare these nobles still remain ignorant? Treacherous, ungrateful rebels—how dare they rise against the Empire? They have forgotten the peace we gave them, the grace bestowed by King Kai Xiusu!"
With a sweeping gesture, he declared, "For the Empire! For Emperor Kai Xiusu—execute!"
On the square, Tiefling executioners released their grip. Guillotines dropped with chilling precision, severing the heads of Thrace nobles in one clean motion. Blood poured out, pooling on the ground, forming a crimson lake.
For their faith, these followers would disregard, even destroy, all that was beautiful. They would use the most brutal, dishonorable means—yet still feel no guilt. They weren’t merely fanatical followers willing to die for their deity. They were bound by bloodline, their faith inseparable from their very existence.
In that chorus of voices, in those vivid visions, Kai Xiusu felt countless luminous particles—each a fragment of miraculous strength—converging from every corner of the Empire. Warm currents surged into his body, stabilizing his form and fortifying his life force.
Each particle forged an invisible thread, binding his fate to that of his followers.
Where once the Red Dragon Emperor had been a ship adrift in a storm-tossed sea, teetering on the brink of being swallowed by the endless void—now, these threads became anchors. They tethered him to the Material Plane, to the very ground beneath him. No matter how fierce the storm, he remained anchored, unshaken by the divine tides.
"No wonder every semi-god who walks the earth builds a church, tirelessly spreading their faith. This is how they stabilize their form."
Kai Xiusu murmured, overwhelmed by the flood of fragmented thoughts.
But then, a new sensation crept in—something was wrong.
The flood of faith was too vast. Too much. The entire expanse of his mind felt like it was being filled, compressed, drowning under an avalanche of information.
In the Empire of Ashen, worship of the Emperor had become a cultural tide, woven into every aspect of life. Millions of citizens—over half the population—were devoted followers. Even those who secretly resented the Emperor had to feign ecstatic piety under the muzzle of the Imperial Guard. Over time, many had been transformed—genuinely converted, if only shallowly.
And now, even on an ordinary day, tens of thousands prayed simultaneously, pouring their hopes and dreams into the sky, calling upon the Emperor. Faith sparks rose from every village, every city, every corner of the realm—converging into a vast, luminous river of divine energy, surging toward Kai Xiusu in relentless, unstoppable waves.
"Kai Xiusu above!"
"Great Red Dragon, bless me so I may survive this land!"
"Your Majesty, Lord of infinite gold coins—bless me with wealth beyond measure!"
The flood of information poured into his mind like a deluge. It threatened to drown his spirit. If his willpower faltered, if he failed to control the tide, the Red Dragon Emperor would gradually lose his free will—becoming not a god, but a puppet, a perfect statue of divine perfection in the eyes of his followers.
This was faith—both anchor and flood. A crushing wave that could snap the strongest soul like dry straw. Only by mastering the balance could one truly ascend to divinity.
"I must not be controlled by faith. I must use it as a tether—to the Material Plane, to my own existence."
Kai Xiusu lowered his massive head, letting out a low, guttural growl. He snapped back to awareness, focusing his mind. In the depths of his consciousness, he erected an unbreakable, towering mental barrier—imposing, majestic, invincible.
He sealed off the flood. Let only the essential fragments of faith enter—those that could sustain his form, that could be transformed by the divine cells within his body.
Fire and thunder erupted around the Red Dragon Emperor, swirling into a terrifying elemental storm. The air crackled with power, ready to rend and destroy everything in its path.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
