[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-549":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},1162671,1504,"Chapter 549: Facing the Three Gods","ember-dragon-chapter-549",549,"\u003Cp>>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 549: Facing the Three Gods\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rumble!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distant sky, a thunderous roar echoed across the heavens and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, the thousands-of-meters-high Abyss Wall was obliterated by dazzling silver light. Divine power pierced the chaotic veil and planar barrier, descending upon the Anzeta Wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He wields the silver hammer, reveals truth, punishes the guilty...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise Him! He is the brave Father, the stern Justice, the radiance of Truth and Fairness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drums rolled and joyous hymns echoed between heaven and earth. A one-armed man appeared, a brilliant white glow blooming from his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his lone hand, he held a steel-gray warhammer—the \"Hammer of Justice,\" the symbol of absolute truth, able to expose all falsehoods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man raised the hammer high. Brilliant light cascaded from the skies, dispersing the abyssal force and bathing all in order, honor, and truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The God of Justice, Stern Jaw, the Wounded One, the Arbiter—Tyr had arrived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr was a powerful deity of Mount Celestia and the Garden of Yster. Many celestial legionnaires were His followers, and at the sight of His divine incarnation, they knelt and prayed fervently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise the God of Justice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"O Lord...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise the great Wounded One, the Arbiter, the Maimed God, the Blind Lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Cassius also gazed at the distant avatar, feeling the divine pressure on a fundamental level. His light-golden vertical pupils shimmered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tyr, the God of Justice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, he’d known of this god—Tyr, a deity of great divine power, represented strict justice and opposed all deceit, defiance of rules, injustice, and crime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had once glimpsed the phantoms of Tiamat and Bahamut, this was his first time facing a real divine avatar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius knew—the true trial was just beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr’s avatar seemed to sense Cassius’s gaze. He turned, and with empty black sockets stared at the distant red dragon. The light on his forehead blazed even brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It was the light of absolute truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, Tyr saw through the cause and effect of the entire demonic invasion and let out a stern shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red dragon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was you who released Jezal Slak with your own hands, causing this catastrophe of slaughter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Vengeful Demon is dead, that body still does not belong to you. It is a threat to the world and must be surrendered to the gods!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice rang like a thunderclap—calm yet forceful—instilling dread in mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steel-gray warhammer hovered in the air, divine pressure spreading. Visions of Mount Celestia loomed behind him, and even Cassius’s wide wings trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the might of Tyr, deity of Justice, of the higher planes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as a mere avatar formed from a sliver of divine will and power, he placed immense pressure on Cassius—even within the Imperial Domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr’s voice surged across the land like waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red dragon, surrender Karrikex’s corpse to me, and we may forgive your crimes—for now, and spare your life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius glanced at Tyr’s avatar in the sky and chuckled, offering no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remained coiled atop Dragonblood Mountain, facing the divine avatar across dozens of miles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were in the higher planes, he would have fled without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was the Third Era—gods were not allowed to descend in full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a great deity like Tyr might not defeat Cassius within the Imperial Domain—despite the vast difference in divine rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That gave Cassius the confidence to face the gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tension crackled at the Anstica Mountains’ edge. Tempers flared, insults flew, and resentment simmered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire’s followers glared fiercely at the Celestial legions, some even cursing the divine avatars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That old cripple dares insult His Majesty Cassius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knew it! Those Mount Celestia bastards were behind the attacks on the North!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the Empire—drive those feathered freaks back to their heaven!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Celestial forces did not flinch. At the insults of the dragonblooded creatures, their silver swords shimmered and their gazes turned icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr’s followers were notoriously black-and-white, intolerant of evil. Their zeal made them seem like tyrants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Blasphemers will face the harshest judgment!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They dare insult the great God of Justice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These filthy dragonblooded beasts dare to stand beside our glorious legion? They’re only fit to die by our blades!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air bristled with hostility. Weapons were raised, skirmishes erupted. Faith-driven hatred flared—violence seemed inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a sorrowful cry echoed. A man, covered in open wounds, burns, and signs of torture, slowly appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight of the battered divine avatar, a strange wind swept through. A bright, white glow shimmered—and all pain vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ilmater, the Crying God, the Lord of Endurance, a deity of compassion and mercy—known for taking on mortals’ suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, the abyssal calamity has just ended. The enemy has fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This should be a time of prayer and mourning for the innocent dead. Why do you raise swords again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ilmater’s gentle, tear-laced voice floated like spring breeze and holy water, calming hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Celestial legionnaires lowered their weapons in unison, gazing respectfully at Ilmater’s avatar and chanting praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise the Crying God.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Glory to you, Great Martyr. Your kindness and forgiveness shame us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ilmater slowly turned his battered head, raising a bruised, broken arm, his eyes aglow with soft light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Tyr, must you be so aggressive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This red dragon slew a demon lord. He deserves the gods’ acknowledgment—and my praise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr’s anger lessened. He lowered the Hammer of Justice, appearing contemplative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius gazed at Ilmater’s limping, trembling avatar. A flicker of wariness appeared in his golden eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Crying God was far from gentle. Subtly manipulating all present—he was worth watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good cop, bad cop, is it? Seems their goal is clear: Karrikex’s ancestral corpse under my feet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose the Platinum Dragon will arrive next.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coiled atop Dragonblood Mountain, Cassius listened to Ilmater’s soft, weeping voice, thoughts stirring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, a long roar heralded a frigid northern wind and shimmering light on the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slender, coiling platinum dragon appeared, eyes shining with a summer-sky-blue glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s Lord Bahamut!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, Lord of the Northwind!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Praise you! Great Platinum Father, Lord of Dragons!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Anstica’s edge, gold, silver, and brass dragons raised their heads and roared joyously. Their wings shimmered like metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the dragon god’s pressure, the blue dragons of the Faria family, ancestral white dragons, and mixed-blood drakes bowed their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in their eyes was not only reverence—but subtle hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That hypocrite again! Two-faced old wyrm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for him, Lord Cassius would’ve returned to the Dragon Queen and mated with me to birth mighty heirs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kristina gritted her teeth, cursing silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she dared not speak it. Even chromatic dragons showed outward respect to the Dragon God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beings of all minds—dragon, angel, and mortal—looked up. The fifty-meter-long platinum dragon soared lightly, weaving through clouds, stopping just a few kilometers from Cassius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bahamut’s eyes shimmered with cerulean light. He looked at the red dragon atop the mountain and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cassius, we meet again. I’m glad to see you retained your reason, avoided corruption, and even slew a demon lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your presence is a surprise. It’s been long since the Material Plane saw such a powerful, victorious dragon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius spread his wings slightly, then nodded politely: \"Good day, Lord Bahamut. Compared to you, I’ve done nothing noteworthy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head, glancing at Tyr and Ilmater: \"And greetings to you as well, Lord Ilmater... Lord Tyr. Thank you for descending in our moment of crisis. Your presence eased my battle against Jezal Slak greatly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ilmater’s weeping face cracked into a gentle smile. Tyr remained stern, clutching the Hammer of Justice, letting out a cold snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bahamut nodded slightly, eyes drifting to the towering mountain under the red dragon. A chill wind blew from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cassius, you know why we’re here. This isn’t about gain. It’s advice from an elder to the young: greed for power has a heavy price—reason, personality, memory, even soul. I trust you understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The platinum dragon spread his wings. In his upraised claw, a fierce red dragon’s image appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even among my siblings, Karrikex’s power was the most uncontrollable. One misstep, and you’ll be—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bahamut clenched his claw, extinguishing the image, leaving only lingering flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—reduced to ash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned again, staring deeply at the red dragon, claw open: \"Admit it, Cassius. You can’t safeguard Karrikex’s remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For yourself, for mortals, for the world of Erezaghe—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your best choice is to temper your greed and surrender the corpse to the gods. The gods of justice and order will stand behind you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Righteous-sounding words—an elder’s advice to a younger kin, as if out of care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius sneered inwardly. All he heard was Bahamut’s longing for the corpse of his kin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—To the dragon gods seeking restored glory, this was unsurprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After many disasters, the Third Era’s dragon gods were far weaker than they were tens of thousands of years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Bahamut absorbed this corpse—hidden for ages in the Astral Plane—he would gain an immense edge over Tiamat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cassius had no intention of letting the prize slip through his claws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replied calmly: \"Thank you for the warning, Lord Bahamut, but I must disagree with the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jezal Slak’s escape, Karrikex’s corruption, the abyssal invasion—these only show the gods failed to manage the corpse. I can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius lifted his head and grinned: \"Honored Lords, don’t forget—I just killed a demon lord outside the Abyss. Even ancient gods could only seal him—I truly killed him—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Insolence!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr’s furious shout cut Cassius off, his booming voice echoing across the peaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I saw your nature from the start—filthy chromatic dragon! Arrogant, greedy, foolish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kind words are wasted on you. Only power can make you yield!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one-armed man raised his hammer. In the sky appeared scales of order and a phantom warhammer of justice. Blinding white light surged toward the red dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That was the authority of justice and order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brute force and theft—is this your gods’ idea of justice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even power won’t make me yield. Especially not here—where my power might be greater than yours!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius sneered, rising on his hind legs. He stood atop Dragonblood Mountain, spreading his massive wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor’s scepter appeared in his claw. Imperial Domain laws surged around him, overwhelming pressure flooding outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swish—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible shield formed before him, blocking the white radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a hundred-meter-long spectral warhammer appeared above, crashing down like a mountain with Tyr’s swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clang—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The metallic boom echoed. A shockwave burst out for hundreds of miles, kicking up circular dust storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the sky, the phantom scepter and hammer clashed, then rebounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius raised his left arm, gripping the scepter to block Tyr’s attack, roaring: \"God of Justice—is this your so-called overwhelming power?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the Imperial Domain, Cassius could barely block Tyr’s assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such was the dread of divine might. With only a basic avatar, Tyr could match Cassius’s divine-tier power within his domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wasn’t a battle to the death—it was a test. Cassius saw Tyr’s aim: to intimidate him into submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at Anstica’s edge, their clash had driven the Empire’s followers and Tyr’s zealots to the brink of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Ilmater’s mournful voice called: \"Enough. This land has suffered enough. We need no more senseless war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyr finally withdrew, lowering his hammer with a heavy sigh: \"Red dragon, your greed will destroy you. When that time comes, you’ll regret today—and pay the price.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon looked at the dazzling divine avatars and smiled: \"I see... You’ve lingered too long on the Material Plane. It’s rejecting you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A reminder—if I die outside the Material Plane, all Imperial restrictions vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that point, who knows where Karrikex’s corpse will end up? Perhaps... dragged into the Abyss by Jezal Slak’s final trap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1956,"2026-06-03T12:47:13.304Z","2026-06-03T12:47:20.796Z",1,"novelbin.me","62025d7d961aeb1ff75c17d6e822dad6d2f62d9de367f1e74493cddc5db3c096","ember-dragon-chapter-550","ember-dragon-chapter-548",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]