[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-463":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162401,1504,"Chapter 463: Decapitation","ember-dragon-chapter-463",463,"\u003Cp>Chapter 463: Decapitation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swoosh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon twisted his body, narrowly evading the scimitar’s swing. In an instant, he reversed direction, swinging his muscular tail heavily toward his opponent’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air tore apart once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s tail, lined with bone spikes, struck the fire elemental squarely on the face, distorting his features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magma-like scorching blood splattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Argh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll kill you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crisp crack, the fire elemental was sent flying back dozens of meters, wailing in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire elemental crashed outside the cloud cover, leaving only swirling gray smoke around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huff, huff.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius concealed himself in the smoke, breathing heavily as he thought to himself, \"This is getting tricky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest and back now had several deep gashes, dozens of tough scales were shattered, and a significant tear had appeared on the membrane of his left wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire elemental truly lived up to its title as the natural ruler of the Fire Elemental Plane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After unleashing the power bestowed by the Grand Sultan, this fire elemental’s size nearly rivaled his own—perhaps even slightly surpassing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the planar energy granted Ismail overwhelming strength, giving him the advantage in their power struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Cassius made contact with the fire elemental’s massive body, he felt a repelling force emanating from the plane itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Cassius was a true dragon and a master of fire magic, he wasn’t a native of the Fire Elemental Plane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Cassius couldn’t draw much strength from the environment, but the fire elemental could receive aid from the plane itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine-like power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius confirmed this once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Erezaghe, the gap between gods and mortals was massive, nearly insurmountable—a difference in the fundamental essence of their existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how powerful a mortal was, they remained an individual entity within the vast cosmos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But gods were different. Their power was tied to \"authority,\" allowing them to manipulate forces several magnitudes greater than those available to mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail’s displayed strength wasn’t at the level of true godhood but shared a similar nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this is the Grand Sultan’s trump card, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s eyes narrowed as he observed the distant fire elemental through the smoke, a gleam of intrigue flickering in his golden pupils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s see just how far you can go in this fight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon raised his head and let out a thunderous roar before spreading his wings and diving into the swirling smoke, vanishing from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Die, you cowardly snake! I can see you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoosh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trusting his warrior instincts and planar senses, Ismail hurled a spear, but Cassius evaded it with a swift maneuver midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spear barely grazed Cassius’s underbelly, producing a sonic boom as it ripped through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius soared upward and suddenly swooped down from behind, sinking his jaws filled with dagger-sized teeth into the fire elemental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rip.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of flesh being torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A panicked roar followed, accompanied by anguished howls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Argh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You despicable lizard! You sneaky, shameless attacker!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acting on instinct, Ismail grabbed at Cassius’s head, struggling to pull him over his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clutched his brass scimitar in the other hand, slashing backward, but the awkward angle made it difficult to exert full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade clanged against Cassius’s hard scales, producing metallic ringing sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius wasn’t about to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bit down harder, his sharp teeth sinking deeper into the fire elemental’s flesh—even breaking a few teeth in the process due to Ismail’s violent thrashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius wrapped his muscular arms around Ismail’s shoulders, locking him in place and preventing him from using his full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His powerful hind legs kicked up, claws digging into the fire elemental’s body, tearing through flesh and causing blood to gush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Cassius rarely used such grappling techniques—his size made it impractical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the time, he fought enemies small enough to fit under his claws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, facing a fire elemental nearly 40 meters tall, Cassius could finally indulge in the thrill of hand-to-hand combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaahhh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me go, you damned lizard!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail broke free of the hold on his arms and let out a furious roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius’s forelimbs remained latched onto his back, and his bite only tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a \"ruler\" of the Fire Elemental Plane, the surrounding flames surged into Ismail’s body, visibly healing his wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius bit deeper, but Ismail’s neck wounds continued to regenerate in a bizarre cycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Ismail felt an icy chill creeping along the back of his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alarm bells went off in his mind, filling him with unprecedented tension and fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the red dragon planning?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Cassius had often wondered—why didn’t dragons use their breath attacks while grappling enemies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he intended to test this novel approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a 9th-tier spell—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Frozen Icefall]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though cold-based magic was heavily suppressed in the Fire Elemental Plane, Cassius didn’t believe it would be entirely ineffective at such close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blast of extreme cold surged out, nearly freezing the fire elemental’s back solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re desecrating the Fire Lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparks erupted from Ismail’s eyes. He knew he had to give it his all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the frost could freeze him completely—or worse, destroy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red dragon! Get off me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He roared, flexing his muscles as he activated the golden rings embedded in his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing upon the Grand Sultan’s power—or more accurately, the plane’s core essence—he unleashed its gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blazing flames engulfed him, causing the surrounding space to tremble violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waves of searing red energy pulsed outward, piercing through Cassius’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A transparent crimson sphere encased both the fire elemental and the red dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius felt an immense repelling force; every scale and tooth on his body was being rejected and destroyed by this energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This power... is dangerous. Staying within this affected zone will be disastrous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Cassius released his bite and claws, letting out a low growl as he flapped his wings and rapidly ascended like a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ismail turned around, glaring at the airborne red dragon, his eyes shooting out orange-red fire beams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire beams surged toward Cassius, followed by massive fiery hands forming from raging tongues of flame, grasping at the red dragon from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius was still within the crimson sphere!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plane’s primal fire entwined around his body and wings, slowing his movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Ismail, this was all he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enraged fire elemental Pasha let out a triumphant roar, his twisted smile suggesting victory was near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red dragon! I told you, you’re strong, but—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one can defeat a fire elemental Pasha in this plane! Your head is already mine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You seem familiar with magic, but have you seen this before?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail leapt high, gripping his glowing brass scimitar with both hands. The weapon’s inscriptions lit up ominously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swoosh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Ismail’s ultimate trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beheading Blade]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s pupils contracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Beheading Blade—legendary in his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once activated, if the target couldn’t move, the weapon would ensure decapitation and instant death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail’s Beheading Blade, likely a gift from the Grand Sultan, could only be countered by beings with the [Immortal] trait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius, trapped for five seconds by the plane’s energy, wouldn’t have time to escape before the blade struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius’s lips curled into a smirk, eyes glinting with amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, this is your trump card.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ismail closed in, his scimitar inches away from the red dragon’s neck, Cassius remained calm, without a hint of panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail noticed this but dismissed it as despair in the face of certain death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red dragon! Your head is mine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember my name—the great fire elemental Pasha, Ismail Enver!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous roar, a space-tearing slash, and a sea of fire—a grand funeral worthy of respect for any mighty being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amidst the chaos, a faint, crisp \"click\" echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swoosh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, a massive head tumbled from the sky, its face frozen in ecstatic triumph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t the red dragon’s head—it was the fire elemental Pasha’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius held the blood-soaked brass scimitar in his claw, toying with it casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scalding blood splattered across his red scales, blending in seamlessly, but Cassius grinned, revealing a cruel smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks, Ismail Enver Pasha. I was just wondering how to kill you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius had many ways to kill Ismail—Chaos Breath was one option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he chose the most reliable method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The process was simple: using the ancient Time Dragon’s gifted watch, he cast the 9th-tier spell [Time Stop], escaping the plane’s restraints and stealing the brass scimitar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he leisurely flew behind Ismail and prepared himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment time resumed, he swung the scimitar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Decapitation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon swung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene looked odd, but it worked—the fire elemental Pasha’s head was severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ismail’s planar energy could block most spells, including those from dragon sorcerers, but not divine-like power—such as the runes inscribed by the ancient Time Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if mourning the Pasha’s death, the Fire Elemental Plane groaned, steam clouds gathered, and gray ash rained down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the Fire Lord...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Pasha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elemental creatures, trembling from the battle’s intensity, peeked out in disbelief, witnessing their Pasha’s downfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Long live Emperor Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The great red dragon is invincible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial soldiers had expected this outcome, and their triumphant shouts filled the battlefield as cheers erupted across the Ember Empire’s ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive body of the fire elemental Pasha slowly fell, scattering ash and flame as it disintegrated into its purest form—an elemental essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a prize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s golden eyes gleamed with greed as he eagerly flapped his wings, diving toward the Pasha’s remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice boomed like thunder across the burning plains, echoing endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was vast, powerful, and filled with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You dare kill a Pasha in my domain?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s expression grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the voice’s source—the true ruler of this nation, the pinnacle of the plane, and a being of divine-like power: the Grand Sultan of the fire elementals.\u003C\u002Fp>",1664,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.951Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","6a5b9b89e559d76d9cd70bbc648db3441df3d34ac0c58833d8c3aa18cfc58e91","ember-dragon-chapter-170","ember-dragon-chapter-169",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]