Ashen Dragon

Under the watchful eyes of countless people and Rose's malicious gaze, Catherine was enveloped in invisible moonlight, lifted up, gradually suspended in mid-air, her gauzy robe fluttering like a goddess descending into the mortal world.

"Shanee, you haven't won! Her life—it's mine!"

Rose's face twisted with rage, she let out a hoarse roar, and those eight hideous limbs swung, countless pitch-black blades shooting forth, as if she intended to shred the Elf Queen into fragments.

However, a more intense light emanated from Catherine, forming a barrier hundreds of meters tall, like undulating silver mountains, extinguishing the blades.

Rose remained relentless; she spread her eight arms, and a thick black light flowed from her body, coalescing in the sky behind her into a massive black widow spider, its body like a small mountain, merging with the night, each limb reaching hundreds of meters long, like grotesque giant pillars.

"Die, you pathetic mortal!"

The spider formed from Rose's divine power swung its sharp, slick forelegs, carrying terrifying chaos divine power, cleaving through the moonlight divine power barrier like a giant blade, striking towards Catherine's seemingly delicate and frail body.

"Rose, I told you—"

Rhea unfolded her wings, under the blessing of Shanee's divine power, her wings no longer black with the power of revenge but turned a pure white, as if washed by moonlight.

"I will make you pay the price!"

The half-elf paladin shouted in fury, swinging the Silver Sword from below, unleashing endless light from the slender blade, like an overwhelming wave, breaking through the pitch-black night, heading for the enormous spider monster.

"Swish—"

With Shanee's divine power blessing it, the silver light severed one of its forelegs, from which thick black mist emanated, crashing down amidst Rose's incredulous wailing, raising a cloud of dust.

"Just a half-elf mongrel, how dare—"

Rose unleashed a venomous roar, spewing out strands of scarlet spider silk from her fanged mouth, shooting at Rhea.

However, Rhea flew gracefully in the air like a dancer under the moon, brandishing the Silver Sword, forming hundreds of interweaving light blades that roared "swish swish," becoming a tight web that severed the incoming strands of spider silk in the air.

Rose extended several limbs, their tips converging at a point, overwhelming divine power flowing and condensing into a terrifying black orb, then releasing a thick chaos beam straight at Rhea.

This was the same move that had destroyed the shoulder and arm of the half-elf paladin in an instant just moments ago!

"Boom—"

Amidst the sound of space twisting, the spider magic web's roar, the beam cut through the sky, its power astounding.

But Rhea was no longer the avenger paladin she was before; she had become the "Left Hand of the Moon God" with Shanee's divinity upon her.

Facing the approaching beam, Rhea instinctively extended that flawless, softly glowing arm, spreading her fingers.

The flowing moonlight divine power traveled down her arm to her palm, coalescing into a silver disc in her palm.

"Boom—"

In an instant, a silver-white beam shot forth, colliding with Rose's black beam in mid-air, black and white entangled, light and dark intertwined, triggering an explosion that spread for kilometers around, unleashing overwhelming shockwaves.

For a moment, a fierce gale rose, dust billowed, and the sky alternated between light and dark.

In the distance, Cassius watched calmly, bowing his head in contemplation,

"Impossible, that is not a power a mortal can endure!" Rose exclaimed in disbelief.

Suddenly, her crimson eyes widened, and she stared intently at Rhea's left arm, speaking in a deep voice, "No, this is... a divine body."

"I didn't expect that bitch to hate me to such an extent, even at the cost of her own divinity, to thwart my plan!" Rose's face contorted as if she had gone mad.

"It's useless! Even if you possess such power, you cannot protect Catherine! She belongs to me!"

The enormous spider monster swung its limbs, manipulating the spider web demon realm that shrouded the Elf Forest's sky, tearing through space, appearing suddenly behind Catherine, thrusting its venomous, sharp limbs toward her.

Just before the limb tips reached Catherine, Rhea transformed into a streaming light, coming from afar, blocking Rose's thoracic limb with the Silver Sword imbued with divine power.

In the exaggerated size comparison, she was like a firefly in front of a giant, insignificant.

"Clang—"

A crisp metallic sound was heard, countless light patterns scattered, and she actually managed to block it!

[Ashen Emperor - Cassius] (Normal State)

Name: Cassius Claudius Norixius

Category: Super Giant Dragon, Lawful Evil

Race: Young Ancestral Red Dragon ji

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 the Imperial Region 30)

Language: Common Tongue, Draconic, Ancient Giant Language (partial)

Abilities: Chaos Breath, Primordial Breath, Empire Domain: Seal, Empire Domain: Burst, Empire Domain: Control, Remnant of the Storm, Eternal Frost Rune Power, Extremely Effective Flame Breath, Targeted Flame Breath, Gilded Carapace, Bloodline Gift, Fearsome Presence, Dracon's Fury, Scales of Blood, Incarnate Ancient Dragon, Energy Replacement, Summon Elemental, Energy Focus, Energy Coordination, Energy Burst

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