Chen Chang'an glanced over and finally realized—Da Huang, that bastard, wasn’t struggling to understand. It had outright ignored him and tossed out a half-hearted reply.
“Da Huang, you little shit.”
Chen Chang'an shot Da Huang an annoyed glare before turning to Yi Tuo. “What’s the rush?”
“I said I’d let you go, but did I ever specify when?”
“You’ll be free once I’m gone.”
Turns out, Yi Tuo had grown impatient after Chen Chang'an kept refusing to release it.
“Huh? You think I’m going back on my word?”
“If that’s how you want to see it, fine. I won’t argue. Keep at it.”
Chen Chang'an’s words silenced Yi Tuo, and it obediently flopped to the ground, no longer scribbling furiously.
“They’ve fought enough.”
“Now it’s our turn.”
By now, the disciples of the four great immortal sects had battered each other senseless in their scramble for treasures.
In this free-for-all, there were no allies—anyone outside one’s own sect was fair game.
“Gentlemen!”
“Had your fill of fighting?”
“If so, I’ll be taking the spoils now.” Chen Chang'an smirked.
“You—you better behave! Even though—”
Smack!
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
“Show some respect to my big bro.”
Before the speaker could finish, Da Huang, ever the loyal lackey, swatted him with a paw.
“Da Huang, what was that?”
“That hit was pathetic.”
“Do it again.” Chen Chang'an frowned.
“You got it!”
Thud!
This time, Da Huang held nothing back. The target, already grievously wounded, couldn’t withstand the blow.
“D-dead?”
“Chen Chang'an! You dare kill a disciple of the Jade Sword Immortal Sect?”
“Are you out of your mind?” The Jade Sword disciples glared at him in fury.
“Don’t pin this on me. He did it. I didn’t lift a finger.”
Huh?
What the—
Big bro, you’re throwing me under the cart!
Da Huang shot Chen Chang'an an indignant look. This bastard really had no qualms about making him take the fall.
“Chen Chang'an, what the hell do you want?” A Qian Yuan Immortal Sect disciple snarled.
“What do I want? Same as you—to loot treasures.”
“But before that, I’ve got a question. Last time the Crimson Moon Secret Realm opened, why did every single disciple from the Huan Hua Immortal Sect end up dead?” Chen Chang'an’s voice turned icy.
The moment those words left his mouth, the veterans who’d entered the realm last time paled. None answered.
“Not talking?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Without another word, Chen Chang'an yanked someone forward and performed a soul search.
Chen Wanqing had been right. This person’s soul was indeed sealed with a restriction—meant to block soul searches.
But to Chen Chang'an, such a barrier was child’s play.
“Y-you’re searching his soul?”
“How are you unharmed? That’s impossible!”
“Who are you? How did you break through?”
As Chen Chang'an succeeded, the crowd’s gazes shifted.
This man couldn’t possibly be just at the first level of the Quasi-Immortal Realm. Otherwise, how could he shatter a soul restriction placed by their sect’s elites?
From the memories he’d extracted, Chen Chang'an now knew the truth.
“Hahahaha!”
“So much for the ‘five great immortal sects standing united.’”
“A bunch of men, capable of this.”
“What kind of monsters are you?”
“You’re worse than beasts!”
Seeing Chen Chang'an’s frosty gaze, even Da Huang tensed up. It knew him well—if he was this furious, these people must have crossed an unforgivable line.
“Elder Chen… you know the truth now, don’t you?”
“What… what happened to those senior sisters?” Xiao Yao asked anxiously.
Chen Chang'an glanced at her and shook his head. Xiao Yao was too innocent. Some things were better left unknown.
“Leave this to me. Don’t ask. Just watch.”
“O-okay.” Xiao Yao nodded obediently and stepped aside.
“Originally, I just planned to rob and kill.”
“But now, I’ve changed my mind.”
His words sent a chill through the disciples. They couldn’t fathom how someone could say “rob and kill” with such righteous conviction.
Since when was that something to boast about?
The scenes from the extracted memories filled Chen Chang'an with disgust.
Only half of those present had participated, but that didn’t mean the other half would escape punishment.
“Da Huang, what do you think we should do with them?” Chen Chang'an asked lightly.
“Hmm. How about making them eat shit first?”
Yi Tuo immediately started scribbling frantic protests.
“See? Even the shit objects.”
“Da Huang, letting them eat shit is merciful.”
“You want them to die on a full stomach?”
“Let’s start with flaying them alive.”
With a thought, countless sword energies materialized behind Chen Chang'an and shot toward the crowd.
Screams erupted as the blades, infused with deathly energy, tore into them. Under Chen Chang'an’s control, the wounds festered instantly—impossible to heal, even for Quasi-Immortals.
The gruesome sight made Xiao Yao tremble, her eyes wide with horror. Raised in the sheltered Huan Hua Immortal Sect, she’d never witnessed such brutality.
“E-Elder Chen… they’re so pitiful. Maybe… just kill them quickly?” she whispered.
“Xiao Yao, you’re too kind. For some, a quick death is a mercy.”
“An endless, agonizing demise is the only justice they deserve.”
With three days left before the Crimson Moon Secret Realm closed, Chen Chang'an made sure they felt every second of it.
Eventually, Xiao Yao couldn’t take it anymore, and Chen Chang'an sent Da Huang to distract her elsewhere.
Surveying the corpses, Chen Chang'an sighed regretfully. “Such a tight schedule. I’d have loved more playtime.”
“But the realm’s about to close. Now… it’s your turn.”
His gaze landed on Yi Tuo.
Noticing his attention, Yi Tuo stiffened and resumed scribbling desperately.
“Enough!”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t figure you out?”
“Though… what should I call you?”
“Lord of Embers?”
“Or something else?” Chen Chang'an mused.