Chapter 923 - 454: Power of Short-lived Races (2)

The publicly known effects of the Green Dragon’s Jade Realm—life drain, plant activation, toxic spores—are just passive tools for crushing and clearing enemies. The true core effect is deceit.

Of course, this deceit isn’t about confusing the opponent through actions or words.

It’s a more fundamental power: as long as the opponent is focused on it, whether by sight, hearing, mental sense, or other means, the Green Dragon can impose specific influences over a long distance.

Under this influence, the target creature, from consciousness to body, even to the power source, is affected, resulting in chaotic effects.

For instance, hallucinations, the Mage’s spell losing effect, the Warrior’s strength draining away—all because their power sources and bodies are deceived, briefly betraying their masters.

Moreover, as the battle with Aiselas drags on, the scope and depth of this deceit effect will be fully enhanced, ultimately leading to a complete loss of resistance.

In the last war, Erich Xavier personally experienced the thorny nature of this domain; it is simply not something that can be evaded by awareness alone.

Even if one is aware that their power and body are out of control, as long as the battle continues, they will inevitably continue to be affected and gradually deepened until they fall completely into a chasm of loss of control.

Last time, he relied on a family heirloom, a Thousand Silk Ball, woven around his body to resist the deceit domain’s effect, then used his own domain, Fountain Surge, to amplify his spell’s potency, barely holding his ground on the front lines, essentially granting him an additional domain power to contend with the opponent.

But now, without the Thousand Silk Ball, the Green Dragon Aiselas has achieved a comprehensive breakthrough in strength over a hundred years later, placing them on different power levels.

It seems to be and ought to be the case.

Yet a smile played on Erich Xavier’s lips.

Far away, the Green Dragon Aiselas’s once confident expression suddenly changed, momentarily showing perplexity and shock.

Its deceit seemed to fail in capturing the target.

Was it unable to exert influence on Erich Xavier?

How could that be possible?

Its domain had become stronger, and the opponent had lost the protection of that special heirloom.

As Aiselas puzzled over this, Erich Xavier unleashed his long-dormant epic domain.

A familiar yet strange power emanated from his aging, decay-filled old man’s body.

Aiselas’s dragon eyes suddenly narrowed.

As an old adversary, it wouldn’t forget the aura of the Weaver’s domain, given that a hundred years haven’t really been long for it.

Unlike the pure and powerful augmentation domain of the past, this unfamiliar domain gave it a sense of eeriness mixed with familiarity.

It seemed intricately linked to its Jade Realm, yet upon closer inspection, it brimmed with a contradictory sense.

"Is it very strange?"

Erich Xavier shook his head.

He had little desire to explain.

Explaining one’s techniques to the enemy is the most foolish thing to do.

Even if the opponent might grasp something from their perception, it always leaves the enemy a tinge of caution and dread.

In these past years, he lived incognito, even feigned death, but he was never idle.

He wasn’t as powerful as the Green Dragon, and at any foreseeable point in the future, he would never be as strong; that seemed to be an established fact.

He wouldn’t underestimate his opponent’s strength out of sheer hatred; instead, if he had the thought of killing the other, he had to elevate its threat to the utmost, utilizing all his intellect, heart, strategy, and time to find that almost non-existent possibility of victory.

And this was the answer he provided.

A reverse domain, abandoning the once-proud and powerful Mage’s specialized domain, enduring the constant excruciating pain, and using the draconic curse deeply rooted in his own profession’s essence to develop a reverse domain against the opponent’s power.

It’s like a physician prescribing a specific remedy for a particular illness—a highly obsessive approach.

Most of his power could only be used against this vile dragon; if faced with any other epic combat power adversary, he’d be at a disadvantage.

Erich Xavier’s reverse Jade rapidly spread.

This power, like a toxin, infected Aiselas’s mighty and vast Jade Realm.

The Green Dragon Queen’s face changed; it felt its independent domain being violated, with the unknown "toxin" rapidly spreading within.

Things seemed to be spiraling out of control.

Sensing the aura from Erich Xavier, it finally realized something.

A hint of regret flashed across the majestic Green Dragon’s face.

It guessed why the opponent could possess such an almost unreasonable power against it.

Normally, having a domain invaded like this is almost an impossibility; everyone’s domain emerges from their power’s origin and therefore is entirely different.

One might crush and dismantle another’s domain, but this kind of invasion and devouring is altogether absurd.

But the curse it left on the opponent turned out to be the best teacher.