Ashen Dragon

"No, no! Your Majesty Cassius, please stop, I'll talk, I'll talk!" Amidst the flames consuming its core, even the cries of the Chaotic Evil Eye carried a hint of humanity.

"When, when the Divine Fire is ignited using the divinity of other gods, the one holding more divinity can influence the will of the lesser, gradually assimilating them into itself..." the Chaotic Evil Eye feebly explained within the inferno.

"Heh, so it's true. It seems trusting these ancient evils isn't wise; their words… half-truths and half-lies."

Cassius thought to himself, continuing to burn the Chaotic Evil Eye for a long while, until it could barely extend its tendrils. Only then did he reluctantly withdraw the flames and command, "Keep talking, or I won't spare you."

The Chaotic Evil Eye weakly raised a burnt tendril, its voice rasping as it said, "But the third path to godhood is also derived from these laws.

Divinity possesses a material form, whether in the Prime Material Plane or the Outer Planes—such as the Goddess of Magic's divine Magic Web cloak."

"Of course, all gods are extraordinarily careful in guarding their "Divine Symbols," deploying terrifying traps and powerful entities—mostly their true selves within their Divine Realm—to protect them with utmost effort."

Cassius pondered for a moment, then asked, "So you're saying… I can seize their divinity, ascend to a Divine Position, and devour them?"

The body of the Chaotic Evil Eye trembled, unable to suppress its awe at the greed and confidence of this dragon. The other party dared to contemplate robbing the gods within their Divine Realm!

Even its own true form, or its father—the mighty Beastman God Gush—had never attempted such audacious acts.

But then it thought, if this Red Dragon is bold enough to invade a Divine Realm to loot a god, wouldn't that mean its sealing would soon be undone? The Chaotic Evil Eye celebrated secretly in its heart.

Thinking this, under the glaring threat of the Flame of Order, the Chaotic Evil Eye shivered and stammered, "Of course, Your Majesty Cassius, the third pathway I mentioned is exactly this.

A mortal with enough courage can steal the majority of a god's Divine Symbols, ignite their own Divine Fire, become the new god, and dethrone the original one."

The Chaotic Evil Eye deliberately avoided mentioning the more widely known "faith-based ascension" pathway, as during the time it was sealed, faith had yet to become the fuel for Divine Power.

"Very well, that's enough questioning for today. Remember, do not attempt to deceive me in the future."

Cassius nodded slightly, then extended his claw, unfurled his Dragon Wings, and under the terrified gaze of the Chaotic Evil Eye, unleashed [Imperial Region] to its fullest extent.

The Chaotic Evil Eye was caught in a powerful surge of energy and pinned deeply into the ground. It struggled and pleaded, "Your Majesty Cassius, I am innocent! I've spoken nothing but the truth. What are you doing? You ought to keep your promises..."

"Evnis, your threat is too great; it makes me feel unsafe," Cassius said calmly, then suddenly clenched his claws.

[Imperial Region: Seal Exclusion]

In an instant, an immense torrent of Power of Laws poured out, freezing the elements, space, and even time around the Chaotic Evil Eye.

Immediately after, Cassius muttered an ancient Draconic Spell Incantation in a low voice, and countless runes formed into luminous chains that appeared on the ground, interlacing and binding layer upon layer around the Chaotic Evil Eye's location.

As if still unconvinced of its security, Cassius curled his claw toes, causing nearby rocks to compress and the ground to quake violently. The terrain surged upward suddenly, forming a towering hill that pressed upon the seal of the Chaotic Evil Eye.

Once the dust settled, Cassius dusted off his Dragon Claw, nodded in satisfaction, and said decisively, "Henceforth, this area shall be an Imperial forbidden zone, classified at the highest level. Any trespasser will meet death."

After sealing the Chaotic Evil Eye deep underground, Cassius continued mulling over the ascension pathways he had gleaned from its revelations.

Though the words of this Ancient Evil could never be fully trusted, Cassius could rely on his own experimentation to discern truth from falsehood.

Attaining Primordial Divinity, becoming a sub-god, seizing Divine Symbols, faith-based ascension...

"It seems… the paths to godhood before me are quite abundant indeed." A faint glow flickered in Cassius's pale golden eyes, his face curling into a sinister, gleeful smile.