Chapter 181: One of the Seven Sages of the Red King, Ahe·Apep

Find a group of mushroom beasts to serve as helpers.

Upon hearing this, Nadixa was somewhat puzzled.

In her view.

To face that Dendro Dragon head-on, one must at least call upon a powerful external ally for help.

At the very least, they need to be of divine status.

Even as Luo De spoke of needing help, she had already singled out two people who could assist her.

One is the Geo Archon Morax from neighboring Liyue, the other is the Hydro Archon Focalors from Fontaine.

Morax needs no further introduction.

The oldest living Archon on the Tiwatedalu continent, who earned a fearsome reputation during the Archon War and truly used force to suppress and expel all Archons in the Liyue region, is a top-tier Archon.

If he is willing to help, he will definitely be the best aid in seeking Apep.

As for the Hydro Archon Focalors of Fontaine,

She is relatively much younger, a second-generation Archon of the same age as Nadixa.

But she has nonetheless held the Hydro Archon's seat over Fontaine for five hundred years, and in terms of faith she is immeasurably stronger than I—far stronger than I am now.

However, Luo De said that divine help was not needed.

Nadixa did not immediately question Luo De; instead, after pondering, she asked, 'Mushroom beasts related to Apep?'

Hmm.

Strictly speaking.

These don't count as mushroom beasts.

Luo De told Nadixa what he knew.

The kind of mushroom beast he is seeking.

In fact, they are not true mushroom beasts, but rather the Dendro Dragon's people who once lived inside Apep, merely sharing the same outward appearance as mushroom beasts.

Different from the mushroom beasts that evolved from spores.

These Dendro Dragon people, like Apep, are genuine elemental beings.

Their bodily structure, aside from having the outward appearance of mushroom beasts, is essentially still a flow of elemental energy.

Just like Apep.

These Dendro Dragon people were also contaminated by forbidden knowledge.

Another similarity is that.

Apep's people also have top-tier adaptability to the natural environment.

Therefore, they were not tormented to the point of agony by the forbidden knowledge's contamination, nor did they develop madness like Te walin; over a long period of evolution, they, like Apep, successfully adapted to the forbidden knowledge within them, achieving a balance between elemental energy and forbidden knowledge.

And through their observation, they confirmed that the mushroom beast form is the most suited to the current environment.

Thus these Dendro Dragon people proactively changed their forms, gradually evolving into the appearance of mushroom beasts and gradually integrating into the mushroom beast community.

And that is precisely why.

When the forbidden knowledge is removed, they likewise exhibit symptoms identical to those of Apep.

That is, a huge void appears inside them, obstructing the flow of elemental energy, which then triggers a series of sudden symptoms such as fainting and mania.

If placed under normal circumstances.

It is very difficult to discern the true difference between these Dendro Dragon people and mushroom beasts.

But now it is easy to find.

At that time, with the help of these Dendro Dragon people, approaching Apep will be much safer.

Moreover, there is one more thing Luo De did not say.

That is, if an accident occurs with the fire seed during the treatment of Apep, these Dendro Dragon people can also help fill the gap in the fire seed, using their own strength to help Apep recover health.

It can be said to be a double safeguard.

After learning of these circumstances.

Nadixa immediately took the initiative to contact Lan Naluo in the rainforest, letting the clan of the Dendro Archon's attendants help search for any mushroom beasts with these traits, and at the same time notified the Thirty-Person Group to help search.

Afterward, they fell into a period of waiting.

During this period, Nadixa.

Besides continuing to irrigate the Patishalan transformed from the Great Merciful Tree King with elemental energy, she also paid attention to Luo De's condition.

Because she discovered.

Since she proposed going to treat Apep.

Luo De has been in poor spirits.

There have been several times when it seemed he had something to say to me, but he ended up swallowing it back.

If it weren't for being unable to read Luo De's mind.

Nadixa would surely not be able to resist wanting to see what he is agonizing over right now!

And this atmosphere persisted for a while.

Seeing Luo De still looking hesitant, Nadixa, unable to contain her curiosity, finally spoke up: 'You seem to have something to say; there's no one else here, so just say it. Although I am not strong, I am still a god of Sumeru, and for most things I am able to help you.'

Luo De glanced at her, then immediately shook his head and remained silent.

???

The more he acted like that, the stranger Nadixa found him.

Luo De's personality is not the type to hide things and dare not speak when something happens.

So what is his current behavior?

This shows that the trouble he encountered is likely something even a deity like the Little Auspicious Grass King cannot resolve.

What exactly could it be?

"Even if I can't solve the trouble, you should first say it out, then we can think of a solution together; keeping it to yourself only adds worries and brings no benefit."

Nadixa advised again.

Upon her saying that,

Luo De then sighed, his expression gloomy, and said: "I might not be able to go see Apep with you."

"Huh?"

Nadixa blinked her eyes: "Why?"

"Because I inherited the Red King's retinue power from the descendants of the Red King's priests."

Luo De looked troubled and said: "You remember I told you, Apep was tricked by the Red King, when the forbidden knowledge in the desert was about to get out of control, she swallowed the corpse of the Red King full of forbidden knowledge in one gulp, and as a result she almost wasn't tortured to death; the grassland commoners we are now looking for fled because after the Grass Dragon swallowed the forbidden knowledge, its internal environment suddenly changed from a carefree utopia to a terrifying apocalyptic disaster, forcing those Grass Dragon subjects to flee their homeland; I'm a bit worried."

As clever as Nadixa, she quickly figured out from Luo De's words what exactly he was worrying about.

"Are you afraid the Grass Dragon will sense the Archon power on you and then lose control due to hatred?"

She said.

Nadixa not only didn't try to think of a solution for Luo De, but instead let out a puff of laughter.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Could it be that you have a way to solve this?"

Nadixa's sudden laughter left Luo De feeling somewhat bewildered.

At the same time, he began to guess.

Nadixa seemed to really have a way to solve the problem of her encountering Apep, which could make that guy go crazy.

What method would she use, then?

"Ask another deity to lend a hand? Or use the big mouth cannon technique?"

However, Nadixa's subsequent answer was not the same as any of the solutions Luo De had thought of.

She said: "Who told you that Hermanubis's power is the Red King's power?"

"Huh?"

This unexpected answer, which he had never considered, left Luo De dazed for a moment.

"Isn't Hermanubis's power the retinue power granted by the Red King to his own priests?"

In an instant.

Luo De's mind was filled with countless thoughts.

He suddenly realized that, if Nadixa is right, then in treating the divine power sent by the priests, he has fallen into a huge misunderstanding.

"That is, he took it for granted!"

In Luo De's initial thought.

"The Red King's priests, such an important position, must necessarily be filled by the Red King's retinue; as members of the Red King's retinue, the Red King would certainly bestow divine grace as a reward and inheritance."

Therefore Luo De had always believed that Hermanubis's power was a power bestowed by the Red King.

He also consistently regarded himself as the orthodox emissary of the Red King, and never even doubted whether this power was truly the Red King's.

Nadixa's explanation came just in time again.

"Hermanubis's power."

"It is inherited from Hermanubis, the High Priest who is one of the Seven Sages under the Red King, and it is not the Red King's."

One of the Seven Sages under the Red King, High Priest Hermanubis.

This fresh term.

Luo De's mouth slightly opened, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond to Nadixa's words.

He suddenly realized.

He had always taken pride in being well-versed in the plot, but in fact it was still full of loopholes.

He actually knew nothing at all about the relationship between Hermanubis and the Red King!

Thinking of this,

Luo De's eyelid twitched involuntarily.

"Wait!"

"If Hermanubis's power is inherited from Hermanubis, then is Hermanubis also an Archon?"

Hermanubis's power is an inheritable Archon power.

And Nadixa also confirmed that Hermanubis's power is inherited from the Red King's High Priest Hermanubis.

In other words,

Under the Red King there is an Archon.

"No!"

"Seven Sages!"

"That means at least seven!"

This conclusion really startled Luo De.

He knew about the Archon War.

Over two thousand years ago.

Under the orchestration of Heaven's Principle, the gods vied for the title of the Seven World Governors, stirring up a bloody conflict.

At that time the entire Teyvat continent was plunged into fiery warfare; even the most stable Mondstadt experienced the war in which Barbatos led the masses to resist the Storm Archon.

The victor in the desert region was the Red King.

Merely, the Red King refused to accept Sky Island's grant, and finally chose to share rule over Sumeru with his good friend, the Flower God Tree King.

Above is all that Luo De knows about the rough history of the Archon War.

In his impression.

The losers of the Archon War were either executed or suppressed, and there is no record of any Archon submitting to another Archon.

Even the most cowardly Great Serpent Orobas did not submit, but chose to flee to Inazuma; the weakest Salt God Hewulia likewise chose to avoid war, and did not submit to Morax.

In Luo De's view.

Archons are inherently proud.

Even if utterly powerless to resist another mighty Archon, they would never choose the path of submission.

What on earth is going on over in Sumeru?!

"Well, do you know the Red King's title?"

Regarding Nadixa's question.

Luo De shook his head.

He only knew the Lord of the Great Red Sand Sea; the rest he truly didn't know.

Next.

Just then Nadixa began her little history lecture.

"The Red King has many titles."

"The first is the King of the Four Directions of the Earth, which is high praise for the Red King's absolute martial power; whether Archon or mortal, none object to his being the King of the Four Directions of the Earth."

"The second is the offspring fallen from the heavens, referring to his supreme lineage that surpasses all Archons."

"The third is the conqueror of the Archons; during the Archon War, anyone who did not submit either surrendered or died, and the Archons who died at his hand unleashed such towering resentment that it once dyed the skies and lands of Sumeru blood-red."

"The fourth is the leader of the Wise, meaning the seven sages who serve under him."

"The fifth is the Lord of Dunes and Oases, meaning the king of the Great Red Sand Sea and the lord of the Eternal Oasis, referring to the Red King's great achievements in ruling over the Great Red Sand Sea and the Eternal Oasis."

"After that."

"Also the guide of the living and the dead, the wielder of the elements, the king of blazing sun and yellow sand, the god of war and authority."

"And."

"The God of Wisdom."

Upon hearing this,

Luo De couldn't help but frown.

The previous titles were easy to understand; they were basically praises of the Red King's might.

What the heck is this God of Wisdom?

Isn't the God of Wisdom the Dendro Archon? How is the Red King also one?

"I knew you'd ask."

Nadixa patiently explained: "In the era when the three gods ruled together, the Great Merciful Tree King, the Flower Goddess Nabú·Márikatá, and the Red King Ahmar shared the title of God of Wisdom."

"In other words."

"All three of them are Gods of Wisdom."

Luo De listened attentively.

These were all things he didn't know.

How to put it?

Luo De knew the Red King was strong, and also knew that the Red King was the one who won the Archon War and gained recognition as the Dendro Archon from the Sky Island.

But he really hadn't imagined that.

The Red King turned out to be that strong.

He had both battle achievements and technology.

If it weren't for playing with fire and insisting on researching some forbidden knowledge, Sumeru probably wouldn't have withered to this extent.

"Hey, that's not right."

"Back then I asked Cyno, and he said that after I obtained Hermanubis's power, I could be considered a true envoy of the Red King."

"This Hermanubis's power isn't the Red King's power; he wouldn't not know that, would he?"

Luo De then thought of another bug point.

He remembered it very clearly.

Cyno personally admitted that obtaining Hermanubis's power made him equivalent to the Red King's retinue, that is, the Red King's envoy.

How then to explain this?

Regarding this question,

Nadixa laughed and cried, saying: "Hermanubis himself is the Red King's envoy; you inherited his power, so what's wrong with calling yourself the Red King's envoy?"

"Uh"

Luo De's expression instantly became a bit awkward.

He was just obsessing over whether the Hermanubis power he inherited wasn't the Red King's, and really hadn't thought about it that much.

However, this matter to Luo De,

really counts as a great piece of news.

Since he didn't inherit the Red King's power, for Apepu in his frenzied mental state, he wouldn't be jumping around in the danger zone as much, at least his safety would be much better.

"Huh?"

"Just then."

Nadixa's body froze, then she placed her right hand on her ear, her expression serious as she repeatedly nodded in a burst of green light, occasionally letting out an 'uh'.

When the light on her hand faded, she said to Luo De, 'The Lannaro have found the kind of fungus beast you mentioned!'

We must not delay.

Upon hearing the news, Luo De immediately set off with Nadixa, heading in the direction the Lannaro had indicated.

Along the way

Nadixa then told Luo De another matter.

It also concerns the history of the Red King.

That is the Seventh Sage under the Red King.

Its true name is Ahe·Apep.

A dragon that had been granted the Red King's flesh and blood, yet never considered itself one of the Seven Sages.

This is a historical record that Nadixa only found on the World Tree.

(End of chapter)