Chapter 756: The Body of Tiamat

The final catastrophe had not yet arrived. Erezaghe was still in the Third Age, and the barrier between the Material Plane and the Outer Planes remained unbreakable.

Deities could not descend upon the mortal world; they could only send down projections or dispatch followers bearing their will.

Yet Tiamat dared to claim that She would descend upon the Material Plane in Her true form, rule over the Feanso Continent, and even establish Her own earthly divine kingdom.

Something about this didn’t add up.

The rise of the Ember Empire had changed too much.

The Red Dragon Emperor’s fame had shaken the world, and under his influence, Tiamat—the goddess of evil dragons—had likely gained a considerable amount of divine power.

Upon hearing Cassius’s question, Dracarys paused and said tentatively, "Your Majesty Cassius, do you wish to know about Her descent?"

"Of course," Cassius chuckled and said, "After all, as you’ve seen, my relationship with this so-called ’Mother Goddess’ is anything but harmonious. It’s necessary to prepare in advance."

"I’m just curious—how can a deity like Her descend in true form into this world?"

Dracarys replied, "You should know, She is also called the ’Shapeshifter Queen’ and possesses nearly infinite aspects, ever-changing and unfathomable."

"But many of these aspects weren’t created by Her. Instead, She possessed the bodies of chromatic dragon offspring and transformed them into avatars using the power of the evil dragon god."

Hearing this, though he had his suspicions, Cassius still felt a jolt in his heart.

Following Tiamat isn’t just costly—it’s lethal!

Thankfully, he had always remained vigilant and never became a so-called ’Dragon Prince.’ Otherwise, his fate would’ve been miserable.

Still confused, he asked directly, "Dracarys, you’re just an adult red dragon. How do you know such secrets?"

"True gods cannot descend in person to the Material Plane, but the Dragon Queen scattered parts of Her divine essence into the three most powerful ancient dragons in the Seleucia region—the ancient blue dragon of the Farias family, the ancient green dragon of the Verdant Glade, and a noble-blooded ancient red dragon."

"These three ancient dragons each received a part of the Dragon Queen’s divine body—horns, eyes, and heart—thus earning the title ’Divine Bodies.’"

Dracarys said in a deep voice, "And my father, Crimson Ember Kazuul, was one of those chosen by the Dragon Queen, the most powerful among them. He received an Evil Dragon Heart."

"He longed for godhood and disguised himself as a human, becoming a war hero in the eyes of the Seleucians, and even founded a religion that worshipped him."

"But I can tell—he’s no longer the father I knew. After receiving that divine flesh, his mind has been twisted by divine power. He’s become a fanatic, obsessed with bringing the Dragon Queen into the world."

Cassius narrowed his eyes. "That’s why you refuse divine favor?"

"Yes. I crave power, but I don’t want to unknowingly become some god’s vessel," Dracarys said coldly.

Then she shifted tones: "Your Majesty Cassius, I’ve told you everything I know. Do you now wish to mate with me and bear offspring?"

Cassius felt helpless. The corner of his mouth twitched. "I’m not at the point where I urgently need heirs. Go, I’ll consider what you said."

Dracarys nodded, licked her lips, and smiled politely. "Very well, Your Majesty. I await your glorious visit at any time."

She gave him one last intense look before turning away. Her undisguised hunger made even Cassius feel a little creeped out.

"What a lunatic."

Watching the female red dragon’s retreating back, Cassius shook his head and sighed.

Even among red dragons, Dracarys was insane.

Though of noble blood and formidable power, Cassius would never consider her a mate, much less the future Empress of the Empire.

Dracarys was too ambitious and uncontrollable. Putting her in power could destabilize the Empire—something Cassius could not tolerate.

However, the intelligence she brought was extremely important.

"The Body of Tiamat."

Cassius looked grave. He had never imagined the evil dragon goddess would go this far.

In order to descend upon the Material Plane, Tiamat had split off parts of Her divine essence and bestowed them upon three powerful ancient draconic abominations.

Among those three ancient dragons, besides Kazuul, Cassius had also heard of the blue dragon from the Farias family—after all, Kristina had once visited the Empire as their representative.

"I’ll have to speak with that blue dragon when I get the chance."

"To stop Tiamat’s descent, I must also begin preparations for an assault on the Seleucia Kingdom."

Soon after, at Cassius’s decree, the Empire’s three most illustrious dukes—Langpu, Dolo, and Medrolash—entered the palace and knelt respectfully at the steps of the throne.

"Rise."

Cassius turned to the tiefling and asked calmly, "What’s the current situation in the Seleucia Kingdom?"

Medrolash stood up, stepped forward, and replied in a steady, powerful voice.

"Your Majesty, according to our intelligence, a bloody purge has occurred within Seleucia. Many former nobles were killed, even some divine-blooded aristocrats were assassinated."

"The Cult of the Dragon now controls most of Seleucia. Numerous chromatic dragons have appeared within its borders, and even the king himself has become a devout follower of Tiamat."

"The current commander of Seleucia’s military is a human marshal named Kazuul. He rose to prominence during the Battle of the Three Emperors, nearly defeating the invading army single-handedly. But this marshal seems to have deep ties with the Cult of the Dragon."

Hearing this, Cassius nodded. At the very least, it confirmed the reliability of Dracarys’s intel.

Langpu also stepped forward, offering an invitation. "Three days ago, the Seleucia Kingdom invited the Empire to form an alliance to jointly oppose the Kingdom of Kassander."

Cassius sneered. "And why should we form an alliance with them? On what grounds?"

"They claimed," Langpu said cautiously, "that you are Tiamat’s most favored offspring and should follow the divine will—merge the Empire with the Seleucia Kingdom."

"What a joke!"

Cassius laughed in fury.

Langpu quickly added, "Master, don’t worry. I’ve already rejected their offer sternly and made it clear that the Ember Empire worships no gods—we revere only our great Emperor."

Dolo also stepped forward, clenching his fists. "Your Majesty, how dare those Seleucians insult you like this? We must show them the might of the Empire!"

Langpu frowned slightly. "But Master, we haven’t yet fully integrated the Thrace region, and the army has suffered considerable attrition from ongoing wars. I worry..."

"Indeed, it’s time to prepare for an assault on the Seleucia Kingdom," Cassius said calmly.

"But not because they insulted me—because Tiamat’s true body is about to descend onto the Material Plane through the Seleucia Kingdom."

"What?!"

At that moment, Langpu, Dolo, and Medrolash all turned pale with terror.

The descent of a true deity—this hadn’t happened since the Second Age, over ten thousand years ago. Should it occur, it would shake the entire multiverse.

"That’s impossible! A true god can’t enter the Material Plane—the plane’s consciousness itself would stop them!"

Langpu, a mage, furrowed his brow, visibly distressed, his voice trembling.

But he quickly fell silent.

Langpu knew his master’s intuition had never been wrong—and he had no reason to lie.

Cassius gave his retainers a condensed version of the intelligence obtained from Dracarys.

Then he said coldly, "The age of peace has ended. An age of chaos is coming. Such events will only grow more frequent."

"Begin preparations. I want a full assault plan within a month and full mobilization within three months. Time is tight—Tiamat may descend at any moment."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The three imperial dukes responded in unison and hurried back to their duties. They would launch a war that would once again reshape the Feanso Continent.

"I thought we’d get a moment of peace after defeating Thrace. Guess trouble never ends."

Still seated on the throne, Cassius let out a heartfelt sigh.

At that moment, his golden dragon avatar in the Eternal Order Realm was also stirred awake by some unknown force.

"What a turbulent season."

Cassius furrowed his brow and projected his mighty will into the golden dragon avatar.

Eternal Order Realm, White Monastery.

A massive ancient gold dragon was soaking in a clear pool, his body etched with runes and his scales gleaming like a mountain of gold.

The holy water emanated pure energy, slowly healing his battered body.

This was the renowned champion of the good-aligned forces in recent years—Titus the Dawnwing.

Yet few knew that this widely praised "hero of justice" had another identity.

—The most terrifying and ruthless tyrant of the Feanso Continent in the past century, the strongest draconic abomination alive, the Ember Emperor Cassius’s avatar.

Splash.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of water, the ancient gold dragon rose from the pool on powerful limbs.

He slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep, wise, yet gentle golden slit pupils. His chin whiskers floated midair, exuding grace.

"Such a familiar feeling."

Titus—no, Cassius—could clearly feel that as the True Dragon Sorcerer reached max level, this golden dragon avatar’s spellcasting had significantly improved.

He stretched out a claw, and a dancing flame appeared in his palm, taking the vivid shape of a red dragon.

Then Cassius turned to face the culprit who had awakened his avatar—a pure orb of light, radiating gentle magical pulses.

"Elven aura."

"Sent from Serenia?"

Cassius activated the orb. A high-quality magical projection appeared before him.

A noble-looking female elf appeared in the image.

She wore a jewel-encrusted golden crown and mithril light armor. Her silver hair was tied neatly, and her violet eyes shone with resolve.

—She was the seventeenth Queen of the Elven Kingdom, Catherine Moonchaser.

Behind Catherine stood a half-elf paladin with a solemn expression, resting on her sword—none other than Rhea, the "Blade of Twilight."

"Dawnwing, righteous foe of the Red Dragon Tyrant, mighty and wise Lord Titus, forgive me for disturbing your slumber. I am Catherine Moonchaser, Queen of Serenia," Catherine’s voice was clear and gentle, yet full of strength.

"General Rhea has likely informed you of the situation in Serenia. The Veil of Moonlight is unraveling, and darkness has seeped into the roots of the sacred tree."

"The elders who once swore to the sacred tree now bear the glow of the Abyss in their eyes. My people are now displaced."

"As the monarch of Serenia, for my people, for the glory of the Silvermoon Elves, I must launch a holy coup, purge the darkness, and return my kin to the protection of the moonlight."

Her words were firm, her gaze seemingly able to cross space and meet the ancient gold dragon’s eyes, full of unprecedented resolve.

Cassius watched the magical image of the elven queen and smiled. "Don’t worry. Even if you didn’t call for help, I’d have taken action."

"After all... this avatar was designed to be a righteous champion."

Catherine’s projection continued, "Lord Titus, I implore your aid. Use your holy dragonfire to burn away the roots of corruption. Help us complete this coup and return Serenia to the path of light and hope."

"I—Catherine Moonchaser—swear by my name as the seventeenth Queen of Serenia: you shall be handsomely rewarded, and the Silvermoon Elves shall be your eternal allies."

"Lastly... may moonlight ever shine, and justice endure."

A smile appeared on Catherine’s face.

The magical image ended. The orb dissolved, leaving only a teleportation coordinate—somewhere near the Silvermoon Elven Forest.

"So the Serenia coup is finally about to begin."

A flicker of anticipation gleamed in Cassius’s golden eyes.

Under Queen Catherine of the Silver Moon, Serenia would become a major force for good in the mid-to-late stages, even influencing the fate of the entire Feanso Continent.

In the multiverse-shaking "Dark Moon Cataclysm," Serenia would be the absolute protagonist.

Stroking the whiskers on his chin, Cassius muttered, "In that case, I’ll preemptively form the so-called ’Holy Alliance’ and pull in those shield dwarves as well."

"It’s been a while since I visited the volcanic secret realm. Time to see how the dwarves are doing."

The ancient gold dragon waved his claw. A portal to a demiplane opened before him.