Ember Dragon

"I never expected that just this one piece of divine body could allow me to advance four levels at once. This effect is truly extraordinary."

Even Kaisius was surprised and astonished as he stared at the constantly updating data panel.

This is a full level four. In the past, it would have taken him at least several months and countless powerful enemies to achieve this level of improvement.

However, this "Horn of Tiamat" allowed him to break through several levels of limitations in an instant, bringing him a leap in improvement. What's more, the improvement was for a profession like "God Dragon," which is extremely powerful and seeks divine power.

Kaisius could feel the divinity released after the "Horn of Tiamat" shattered flowing through his body along his basal vessels, transforming his dragon body.

He lowered his head and observed his dragon body, feeling an incomparably powerful energy emanating from it, forming a hazy halo that enveloped the surface of his scales, making his massive dragon body shrouded in mottled light and exuding an aura of majesty.

Its internal organs are also undergoing tremendous changes. Its flesh and blood are writhing, and it seems that every cell and every muscle is filled with active divine power, constantly surging and changing the surrounding environment.

But then, a frenzied and evil thought surged in the Red Dragon Emperor's mind. The evil divine power from Tiamat surged wildly, seemingly trying to carry his body out of the material world and back to the outer plane.

In an instant, the Red Dragon Emperor's scales opened, his flesh bulged, and it seemed as if countless ferocious beasts inside him wanted to break through his skin and tear his body apart. The sound of flesh being torn apart resounded through the sky, and scalding blood gushed out from the gaps in his scales, releasing a cloud of blood mist.

Kaisius felt a splitting headache and couldn't help but raise his head, his face contorted in agony, letting out a roar of extreme pain. Blood-red light flashed in his eyes, and the powerful shockwave swept across the earth, causing the nearby mountains to tremble.

"boom!"

The Red Dragon Emperor crashed headfirst into the mountain peak in front of him, sending dust and rocks soaring into the sky. Rocks shattered and tumbled down, the aftershocks sweeping across the entire mountain range, and even the mountain itself gradually collapsed.

Despite the violent impact, Kaisius's eyes remained bloodshot, his expression pained and frantic, like a raging wild beast.

Mortals who are on the path to divinity will be controlled by divinity if they cannot control the divinity within them. They will be corrupted by the will from higher dimensions, fall into endless madness, and may even become divine abominations or ancient evil beings.

But soon, the effects of the Divine Dragon [Iron Heart] calmed Kaisius down, as if he had been injected with a calming agent, and his eyes regained their clarity. However, his headache was still severe, as if countless fine silver needles were piercing his brain, making Kaisius's scalp tingle and his scales flare up.

That insane thought surged forth again, quickly infecting Kaisius's dragon body.

The Red Dragon Emperor trembled and shuddered violently, roaring and leaping uncontrollably. His thick dragon tail lashed out uncontrollably, and with a loud "boom," a small hill behind him collapsed, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

"Roar--"

Kaisius roared with all his might, trying to regain control of his body, but the divine power enveloped his soul, making him feel as if he were in an endless chaotic starry sea, with countless stars appearing in the boundless space.

A series of incredibly seductive murmurs echoed from the void, as if every cell in his body had acquired individual consciousness, all yearning to break free from the constraints of matter.

The flesh and blood within the Red Dragon Emperor's body writhed continuously. In just a short while, his body was no longer in the shape of a dragon. He was like a huge and twisted aggregate of flesh and blood, gradually collapsing, disintegrating, and splitting into countless indescribable yet divine fragments of flesh and blood.

The "Heart of Karix," the most divinely concentrated core within Kaisius's chest, pounded wildly, causing his chest to heave violently. It seemed as if it were a sentient being, trying to burst out of his chest.

"Matter is an illusion, emptiness is the ultimate destination!"

"return--"

The intense yearning of the divinity within him manifested as a roar. Once Kaisius's soul succumbed to this desire, it would lose control, ascend to the outer planes, and become a twisted abomination that had lost its mind and wandered the astral planes.

This is what researchers of deities have described as the "divine catastrophe," in which many demigods were influenced by divinity, fell into madness, and brought profound disasters to the continent.

Tens of thousands of years ago, a demigod-level storm giant lost control and became a divine abomination, wandering the earth day and night, destroying dozens of cities with his overwhelming lightning, before finally being annihilated by the gods.

If a powerful dragon like Kasius, who is considered a demigod, were to become a divine abomination, it would undoubtedly cause a cataclysmic event that would affect Feanso and even the entire material plane.

Moreover, the Burning Empire has considerable colonies in various planes. If the emperor goes mad, the multiverse will likely be greatly shaken.

Fortunately, Kaisius had years of experience fighting against the will of the abyss and the remnants of Karix's consciousness. He was completely focused and did his best to control his body. His flesh and scales reassembled from the disintegration, barely restoring his dragon form.

But soon, the divine turbulence surged again, and the Red Dragon Emperor's body disintegrated and then reassembled, like a monster trapped in eternal spacetime, endlessly repeating this "cycle".

Just then, Caesus heard a voice from the darkness, but it was not a frantic babbling. It was either a devout prayer, a fervent shout, or an urgent call. The overlapping and intertwining sounds seemed to come from a distant place, yet they were incredibly clear, echoing in Caesus's mind.

Along with those sounds, flashing points of light also appeared in Kaisius's mind, and when those points of light broke apart, they released clear images.

"Long live the Empire!"

"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"

Inside the military camp, imperial soldiers cheered and shouted at a victory banquet. Their faces were flushed and their expressions were fervent as they celebrated the victory of the war with the Red Dragon Emperor, drinking and making merry.

"Supreme Emperor, God of War and Victory, I beg you to protect my husband, that he may be safe and sound, victorious in war, and return from the battlefield with honor."

In Silver City, a small town in northern Anzeta, a woman in a long robe kneels before the statue of the Red Dragon Emperor, her hands clasped together, praying fervently for her husband's safe return from the front lines, preferably bringing back rich spoils so that their family can enjoy a warm and pleasant winter.

"Honorable trade protector, emperor of arms, great red dragon who controls firearms and cannons, please bless us to take this order and bring you even more wealth!" Inside the Klauber Military Industry Group building, arms salesmen in neat suits also gathered together, praying devoutly.

However, on the statue they worship, the Red Dragon Emperor has a cannon under his left paw and a rifle in his right paw, and his whole body is perched on a hill made of crates of munitions, which has a bit of a steampunk style.

"How can this kindness be repaid? All people worship together, the great red dragon in heaven!"

On the streets of Istalia's main city, choir members dressed in red robes chant the "Song of Kessius" day and night. The stirring melody has become an integral part of this bustling city, blending seamlessly with the clamor of voices.

"Casius, the man among men, the male among males, the ruler among men, the master of men, the terminator of men, the king of men!"

In the desolate wilderness of Anzeta, deep within a cave abandoned by the Owl Bear, players of the Dragon Folk, clad in red robes emblazoned with the image of Cassius, gathered like a group of fanatical cultists, shouting loudly around a red dragon statue.

Well, their emperor statues have strange and unusual poses, as if they absorbed the essence of some fan works.

If it were placed in the city, it would most likely be arrested by the Imperial Guard's Tifflin and convicted of disrespecting the emperor according to the Imperial Law, or even directly sentenced to the maximum penalty of blasphemy against the emperor. The statue would also be destroyed immediately as a "non-compliant product".

In addition, Kaisius saw many familiar figures, including Misha, Dolo, and Antony. Compared to the previous lower-class people of the empire, they exuded more intense and pure emotions.

In the Seleucia-occupied territory, Doro wielded his Bloodfire Battle Axe, cleaving a captured evil dragon priest in two from head to toe, red and white blood splattering everywhere.

"Long live the Emperor! This is the consequence of opposing His Majesty Caesus!"

He raised his blood-stained battle axe high, ignoring his filthy clothes, and shouted loudly, drawing cheers from the crowd below.

In the square of Acalia, in the Thracian governorate, the ogre stood atop a high platform, his expression furious, his words fierce, yet his eyes revealed indifference.

"I never expected that these nobles would still be so shameless and ungrateful, rebelling against the Empire. They have failed the peaceful life the Empire provided for them and the grace bestowed upon them by His Majesty Caesus!"

"For the Empire, and even more so for His Majesty Caesus—execute!" He waved his hand.

On the square, the Tifelin executioners released their grip on the ropes without hesitation. On the guillotines, the gleaming blades fell with a whoosh, cleanly severing the heads of a row of Thracian nobles. Blood gushed out, gradually pooling on the ground to form a crimson lake.

For the sake of their faith, these devotees are willing to disregard or even destroy all beautiful things, and can use the most brutal and despicable means to do any dirty thing without feeling guilty.

These are no longer just fanatical believers willing to die for their gods, but devoted followers connected by blood and bound by faith!
Amidst these calls and scenes, Kaisius felt countless points of light, imbued with miraculous power, converging from all directions of the empire. Warm currents flowed into his body, stabilizing his form and life.

Each point of light brings Kesseus an invisible bond, closely connecting him with the fate of his followers.

If the Red Dragon Emperor, previously swayed by divinity, was like a ship adrift in a raging storm, about to sink into a vast ocean filled with endless void.

These beliefs from all over the empire acted like anchors, firmly securing him in the harbor called the material plane. No matter how strong the wind and rain, he remained in place, untouched by the monstrous waves unleashed by divinity.

“No wonder these demigods who walk on the earth are establishing churches and tirelessly spreading their faith. So this is how they can stabilize their form,” Kaisius thought with a sigh as he felt the fragmented thoughts flooding his mind.

But as more and more faith power poured in, Kaisius realized that things were getting more and more right, and his entire mind seemed to be filled with this incredibly huge flow of information.

This power of faith seemed to be too much, more than he could bear.

Within the Burning Empire, worshipping the emperor has long been a social trend, permeating all aspects of life.

Of the tens of millions of citizens of the empire, almost the entire majority were followers of Kaisius. Even those who harbored resentment towards the emperor had to feign fanaticism and devotion under the guns of the Imperial Guard, treating the emperor as the sun. Over time, many of them were converted into casual believers.

Even though it wasn't a special holiday, hundreds of thousands of people were praying simultaneously, expressing their hopes and aspirations to the emperor. These points of faith rose from all over the empire, eventually converging into a vast river of light, flowing ceaselessly and mightily towards Kaisius.

"Cassius above"

"Great red dragon, please bless me so that I may survive in this land."

"Your Majesty, you are the lord of wealth, controlling endless gold coins. Please bless me to become rich!"

In an instant, a massive amount of mixed and fragmented information flooded into his mind, like a raging flood that almost overwhelmed Kesius's mind.

If one's own will cannot be effectively controlled, the Red Dragon Emperor will gradually lose his free will in the repeated surges of the tide of faith, becoming more and more like the perfect idol that people yearn for, and turning into a puppet of his own believers.

This is faith, both an anchor and a devastating flood. One must grasp the "degree" within it in order to truly ascend to the divine position.

"One should not be controlled by the power of faith, but rather use it as a link to maintain one's connection with the material plane, thereby stabilizing oneself." Feeling the erosion and erosion of that faith, Kaisius lowered his massive head and let out a low growl.

He reacted quickly, focused his mind, and built an indestructible and magnificent mental barrier in his mind, blocking the massive flow of information outside and leaving only the part of his faith that could sustain his existence. That faith was transformed by divine cells inside his body, releasing a powerful divine force.

Flames and lightning swirled around the Red Dragon Emperor, forming a terrifying elemental storm that seemed poised to tear everything in its path apart and destroy it without mercy. (End of Chapter)