Ashen Dragon-Chapter 1243 - 280: Dragon of Destruction

Kazuul slowly raised his head, and his typically indifferent vertical pupils were stirred up with a hint of excitement, uncontrollably bursting into laughter: "Hahaha! Cassius, you’ve finally arrived! The centuries of waiting should finally come to an end!"

"His Majesty Tiamat will descend upon the world and become the supreme ruler of the Material Plane, and I shall be crowned a god!"

Cassius, bearing the scorching sun on his back, slowly flapped his dragon wings and said coldly, "How pathetic, Kazuul. To think an ancient Red Dragon like you would willingly become Tiamat’s lapdog and oppose me. Haven’t the tragic fates of the Green Dragon and Blue Dragon made you fearful?"

"You mean Erebos and Goraz Dera?"

Kazuul tilted his head slightly, a vicious smile appearing on his lips, responding in an odd tone, "They were just too useless. In fact, I should thank you for eliminating two competitors for me and delivering their divinity right to my doorstep, saving me the trouble of devouring them one by one."

Cassius shook his head, "Truly a worthy Favored of that old witch. In arrogance and conceit... it seems you all share the same lineage."

"Pride is the most important quality for a giant dragon."

Kazuul laughed, "As the future lords of this world, we should trample all mortals underfoot."

"We?"

Cassius first retorted, then coldly laughed, "I would never associate with you Tiamat followers, staking my everything, even abandoning my soul, just to serve a greedy divine, praying for its blessing.

Hehe... Kazuul, can you still speak of pride now? You can only show off in front of mortals but are actually unable to control your own actions."

"Was it Dracalis who told you all this? Truly my daughter, she does know how to create trouble for me."

Even hearing Cassius’s unreserved and piercing mockery, Kazuul didn’t get angry. Instead, he raised his head and calmly looked at his opponent, "Cassius, give up your futile struggle and offer up your flesh. I will preserve your soul to the New Era, making you the administrator of the Divine Realm. This will be your last chance..."

Cassius, fueled by rage, laughed, "Such ridiculous terms—are you provoking me?"

Kazuul shook his head, saying, "You cannot defeat me. If you insist on resisting, I will obliterate your soul, erasing you completely from this world."

"If that’s the case..."

Cassius flapped his dragon wings and said coldly, "Then let’s see true skill in action."

"As it should be."

"Boom—"

The next moment, the two demigod-level Red Dragons unleashed their domains and pressure completely, with gales howling, the earth trembling, and frenzied air pressure destroying everything around, the aftermath of their divine power clash shattering the surrounding mountains.

In an instant, the sky split into two halves.

One side was a doomsday zone filled with destructive divine power, ashes, and thick smoke, while the other was a domain covered in sun-like radiance, burning hot flames.

The fury of these two beasts ignited the heavens. Each wing flap carried the roar of a storm, each beat caused echoing shockwaves, shaking the boiling red lake below. The mountain ranges groaned under the shadows they cast.

The real battle had not yet begun; even in the probing phase, the space within a dozen kilometers below them was completely destroyed, reduced to ruins.

Cassius watched the ancient Red Dragon in the distance, carefully observing, eyes filled with vigorous fighting spirit.

[Master of Lava - Kazuul]

Challenge Level: 40

This "Master of Lava" Kazuul indeed was Tiamat’s most treasured Favored, regarded as a true god by the Dragon Worship Cult, arguably the most powerful giant dragon he had ever encountered on the Material Plane.

This ancient Red Dragon had a body length nearing a hundred meters, several circles larger than Cassius. The other’s form was far less coordinated than Cassius, exaggeratedly robust, the heavy scale armor seemingly about to be burst apart by the bulging muscles, giving an extremely powerful visual impact.

Behind Kazuul, wide wings suddenly spread, resembling two towering iron-red mountains dusted with ferocious bone spurs and folds, with jet-black wing membranes exhaling swirling ashes with each flap, enshrouding this ancient Red Dragon in a mist of ashen clouds.

Amid the pitch-black cloud masses, two piercing dark golden glows stabbed out, radiating endless killing intent—that was the pupils of Kazuul.

Unlike the immense pressure emitted by Cassius, Kazuul exuded an extremely despairing and ominous aura. All life around, merely nearing him, would ignite into ashes, fluttering in the air.

"Is this what they call the ’God of Epochal Destruction’..."

Cassius wondered in his heart.

[Ashen Emperor - Cassius] (Normal State)

Name: Cassius Claudius Norixius

Category: Super Giant Dragon, Lawful Evil

Race: Young Ancestral Red Dragon

Ac: 39 (natural armor, gilded scales)

Base Attributes:

Strength—36

Agility—12

Constitution—33

Intelligence—17

Perception—20

Charisma—35

Skill Proficiency: Ruling +42, Intimidation +31, Persuasion +19, Athletics +18, Appraisal +12, Deception +12, Stealth +6, Perception +8, Hunting +4, Mystery +4, Escape +4, Survival +4, Knowledge (Future) +4

Damage Immunity: Flame

Damage Resistance: Lightning, Cold

Senses: Blind Sight 30, Dark Vision 40, Passive Perception 21 (within Imperial Region 30)