A Lump of Requests

From beginning to end, Chen Chang'an never let his guard down or stopped observing Yi Tuo.

Where there’s an anomaly, there must be a trick. How could Chen Chang'an easily believe the nonsense Yi Tuo had written?

"You know this place far too well."

"It’s as if you’ve memorized every inch of it."

"There’s nowhere you aren’t familiar with."

"The Scarlet Moon Secret Realm is a fallen world, long devoid of any living beings."

"The only things that remain here are the Embers."

"But this time we entered, we haven’t seen a single Ember—not just us, but no one else has either."

"If I’m not mistaken, you’ve devoured the other Embers and become the Ember Lord—or perhaps the Ember King—of this place, right?" Chen Chang'an asked with a smile.

After Chen Chang'an finished speaking, Yi Tuo didn’t respond immediately, as if deep in thought.

A dried-up piece of excrement pondering—though it seemed absurd, there was no denying it had developed higher intelligence.

Chen Chang'an was curious. Da Huang had mentioned that Embers could gain intelligence, but never to such an extent. Why was Yi Tuo different?

A mutation?

Or… was there another reason?

"I mean you no harm. Let’s talk," Chen Chang'an said with a smile when Yi Tuo remained silent.

Hearing this, Yi Tuo launched into a lengthy explanation, holding nothing back.

Just as Chen Chang'an had guessed, Yi Tuo was indeed an Ember—the first Ember born in the Scarlet Moon Secret Realm from the moment this world fell.

It had absorbed the most destructive energy and was the strongest of its kind.

Originally, its intelligence had been limited, roughly equivalent to a child’s.

Embers didn’t coexist peacefully; they fought and devoured one another.

As Yi Tuo consumed more and more Embers, its strength and intelligence grew.

Until… the disciples of the Five Great Immortal Sects discovered this place and ventured inside. From their souls, Yi Tuo learned many things, and its intelligence became increasingly refined.

However, there was one thing Chen Chang'an hadn’t guessed correctly: Yi Tuo hadn’t devoured all the Embers. Many still existed within the Scarlet Moon Secret Realm.

After all, in an environment like this, Embers were constantly being born—there was no way to consume them all.

The only reason they hadn’t attacked the newcomers this time was because of Yi Tuo’s command.

"Why did you take this form?"

"And why wait at the entrance? What were you planning?"

"Wait, now that I’ve figured you out, can’t you change into something else?"

"Do you really like looking like a piece of shit that much?" Chen Chang'an asked, both exasperated and curious.

Boom!

After Chen Chang'an spoke, Yi Tuo indeed transformed—but into what kind of monstrosity was this?

"Can’t you at least turn into a living creature?"

It was no longer a dried-up turd, but now it had become… a rock?

Yi Tuo pondered for a moment before changing again. This time, it finally took the form of a living being.

Albeit… a turtle.

"I did my best."

"We have the ability to shapeshift, but transforming into living beings is heavily restricted. This is the best I can do."

Well, well—a talking turtle!

"See? This is much better. Sure, you’re a turtle, but at least you’re a turtle that can talk."

"Beats writing things out, doesn’t it?" Chen Chang'an said with a laugh.

"It does feel a lot better."

"By the way, what did you ask me earlier?"

"I asked why you were waiting here."

At first, Chen Chang'an suspected Yi Tuo had some sinister scheme or ulterior motives. But from start to finish, while Yi Tuo had concealed its identity, it hadn’t shown any real malice.

This made Chen Chang'an curious—it couldn’t have been waiting here for no reason.

"I didn’t like those other people, so I ignored them when they came in."

"You’re different. You’re interesting."

"I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to leave."

"I think the outside world is better than this place."

From the souls of the deceased disciples of the Five Great Immortal Sects, Yi Tuo had absorbed fragments of their memories. Through them, it had learned about the outside world.

And so, it yearned to see it for itself. The problem was, it couldn’t leave on its own—and it didn’t know whether a being like itself could even survive out there.

"Da Huang, stop fooling around. Come here—I need to ask you something."

Chen Chang'an called Da Huang over and explained Yi Tuo’s dilemma.

After listening, Da Huang frowned and said, "My memories don’t have any information about this."

"Embers are born from fallen worlds—or rather, from the energy of destruction."

"If it leaves this place, it’ll be cut off from the very force that sustains it."

"What happens then? I really don’t know."

"The outside world might be better for us, but for an Ember… I think staying here is its best bet."

Hearing this, Yi Tuo seemed dejected. It truly longed for the outside world. Here, there was nothing—just endless emptiness.

If its intelligence had remained stunted, it might have been content to drift mindlessly. But now, its intellect was no different from a human’s.

"Rather than wasting away here, I’d rather take my chances outside."

"Even if I die out there, so be it—that’s my fate."

"I led you to treasures as payment. All I ask is that you take me with you."

From the moment Yi Tuo had lured Chen Chang'an and the others into chasing it, this had been its plan.

Guiding them to the treasures hidden here was its way of bargaining for passage out.

"Fine. Consider it a good deed for the day."

"Taking you out isn’t impossible."

"You’re an energy entity, not a living being, so you should be able to enter my storage ring."

"Do you dare try?" Chen Chang'an asked.

Storage rings could hold many things, but the one Chen Chang'an wore couldn’t yet sustain living creatures.

"I dare. I’m not afraid," Yi Tuo said eagerly.

"Good."

Chen Chang'an nodded and stored Yi Tuo inside his ring.

"Xiao Yao, those people are dead. Their storage rings are unbound now."

"Go collect everything inside them."

"Yes, Elder."

Xiao Yao nodded and hurried over, gathering all the items from the storage rings of the Four Great Immortal Sect disciples into her own.

"Let’s go."

"The secret realm is about to close."