The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

Not only that, after the Red King died, she excitedly ran over and devoured his body, which resulted in her becoming this grotesque creature.

Although the Red King's scheming played a part, Appepp's own intelligence also played an irreplaceable role—who told her to be so foolish?

Apep thought it best not to tell Ember about this embarrassing past. Otherwise, if he went to other dragons and embellished the story, where would she, the dignified Grass Dragon King, put her face?

"You can see the flaws in the body and grow such large fruits, so you must be a master of using the grass element. Speak up, feel free to ask any questions you may have about elemental power."

Apep looked at the tiny human before her, a rare display of kindness in her eyes. This strange creature could not only diagnose her ailment from a single blade of grass, but had also grown a fruit larger than a person!

This guy must be extremely skilled in using grass elemental power.

Looking at the huge fruit beside Ember, which was covered with a thin layer of yellow sand due to the sandstorm, Apep nodded approvingly.

It is truly remarkable that a human could wield the power of the grass element to such an extent.

However rare it may be, it's not as rare as being a grass dragon. Apep's use of grass element is almost instinctive, and her endless lifespan has given her an understanding of elemental power that is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

In short, she has full confidence in guiding Ember!

Unfortunately, Ember didn't listen to a word Appepp said. He squatted on the ground and poked the dusty white peach in front of him with his hand.

"What's wrong with you? Are you dead?" Yu Jin poked the somewhat dirty fruit several times, but it didn't budge.

Previously, not only could the yellow sand not touch it at all, but every time the embers poked it, it would roll over and bump into the embers before it would stop.

Now, Ember poked the big white peach many times, but it didn't react at all, which made Ember wonder if it had died when he wasn't paying attention.

"Hmm? The scent of this fruit..." Apep's attention was also drawn to Yu Jin's actions.

She squinted, staring intently at the fruit that was being poked and rolled around by the embers.

Why did the scent of this fruit seem somewhat familiar to her?

The fruit, now covered in sand, had a more restrained aroma. It had changed from its previous plump and translucent appearance to a lifeless, swollen growth resembling a withered tree root.

After observing for a while, Apep couldn't see anything unusual, so she could only attribute the strangeness to her own sensitivity.

"Your fruit must have adapted to the harsh desert climate. Its vitality is still strong. As long as the conditions are right, it will grow into a towering tree."

Apep analyzed the fruits on the ground, and her analysis sounded extremely reasonable. This made her appear like a knowledgeable and intelligent dragon.

"I see! That's great, King of Trees! Let's quickly find a place with rain and sunshine and plant the King of Grass!"

Upon hearing Appepp's words, Iwamoto Masaki immediately ran over excitedly to suggest something to Ember.

"King of Grass... that name sounds familiar."

"what!"

The screams of her kin below interrupted Apep's thoughts. She looked down and saw that the once grayish fruit had been cleansed of dust and was now pure white with a touch of emerald green.

However, the fruit's behavior at this moment was hardly befitting its vibrant and benevolent nature—it was bouncing wildly, its target the talkative Iwamoto Masaki.

"Damn it! I remember now! You're the usurper!!!"

Looking at the large white peach that was now "stepping" on his subordinates and jumping around, Apep finally remembered who it was.

It is the usurper who seized his authority and territory and acted arrogantly and domineeringly over him.

"You usurper! Since you've come looking for trouble, don't blame me for being impolite!!!"

Apep's roar was deafening, and his mouth was wide open.

"Hiccup~"

But soon, Appepp's roar suddenly stopped. Ember lowered his hands from his ears, somewhat confused as to what had happened.

"The King of Grass has jumped into the mouth of the Grass Dragon—"

The Iwamoto mushroom transformed into a tumbleweed in the desert, rolling and tumbling away in front of the embers. Its final message to the embers was this very reminder.

Ember looked up at Apep, whose head was tilted back and whose body was convulsing, then lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

He thought it was very likely that the large white peach had used the Iwamoto mushroom as a springboard to jump directly into Appepp's mouth.

Poor Iwamoto Masaki was rolled into some obscure corner by the enormous recoil.

Ember didn't care about Iwamoto Masaki's whereabouts; he believed that with Apep as a major beacon, Iwamoto Masaki would be found.

The most important thing now, of course, is to run into Apep's big mouth and join in the fun!

"Ha! Hah!"

Apep opened and closed its massive maw, exhaling continuous, enormous storms. Ember had reason to suspect that if dragons had arms, Apep would be gagging its throat right now.

"How can you fly?" Apep saw Ember flying straight towards him and for a moment forgot to cough.

It was mainly people who flew there; this was the first time Appepp had met them.

"Never mind, open your mouth."

"What do you want to do?"

Apep suddenly became alert; she began to suspect that Ember and the Grass King that had just flown into her mouth were in cahoots.

"Enough with the nonsense! Patients just need to follow the doctor's orders!" Ember flew to Apep's big mouth.

Apep tilted his head back.

But Ember moved forward faster than Appepp leaned back. He reached directly into Appepp's closed mouth.

"The doctor's orders now are: Open your mouth and let me in!"

"Oh!"

With a sudden burst of strength, Yu Jin forced Apep's mouth open with tremendous force.

"Hiccup~"

Apep hiccuped again—because another person had entered her body.

"Damn it! You guys are all in cahoots!!!"

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

After an angry roar, a series of coughs echoed across the deserted desert.

The coughing was heart-wrenching, as if something unbearable and filthy had gotten into the cougher's mouth.

Chapter 628 The Heart Is the World

2024-04-25

"Crack!"

The embers stepped on what was probably the fleshy wall of Apep's trachea, producing a crisp sound like withered leaves cracking.

"Boom!"

The enormous passage, which seemed to have no end, began to vibrate, and then the fleshy walls on both sides began to contract and expand rhythmically.

Then, suddenly, the surroundings brightened—Appepp opened his gaping maw. As the light poured in, a howling gale followed.

The gale, carrying boundless power, swept from the inside out, seemingly trying to blow out everything in the chest cavity that did not belong to the Grass Dragon.

Unfortunately, this gale was destined to be futile. Leaving aside the embers that were clinging tightly to the flesh, this gale blew through an unknown depth without carrying away a single filth.

Touching his dry breastplate, Yu Jin couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Not a wisp of phlegm. How dry must my throat be?"

"Hmm... maybe it's not illness, but rather from staying in the desert for too long?" Yu Jin thought of another possibility.

Perhaps Appepp's throat is so dry not because she's sick, but because she's always holed up in the desert and never goes out.

However, as the embers advanced, Appepp's dry throat, stemming from the desert, automatically became a weakness.

"What is this? Black mud from the Layered Rock Abyss? It's a bit too runny." Ahead, a black patch suddenly appeared on the fleshy wall that looked like countless ancient giant vines intertwined.

Yu Jin leaned closer to take a look, but it was too dark to see clearly.

"Open your mouth!!!" Ember stood still and roared at the surroundings. His voice was so loud that even the blackness clinging to Apep's flesh trembled a few times.

Apep remained silent.

"Boom!!!"

Near the embers, the grass dragon flesh, with a texture no different from old wood, began to ripple like water. These ripples lingered, spreading along the trachea to Apep's throat and into her internal organs.

"hiss……"

Light surged in, accompanied by faint inhalations, and the enormous trachea suddenly became bright again.

"Phew! Remember to listen to the doctor next time." Yu Jin blew on his fist and shouted loudly.

Then, regardless of whether Apep heard him or not, he began to observe the darkness beside him by the light.

The blackness clinging to Apep's flesh was neither the pure abyssal power seen by Ember, nor the black mud found in the Layered Rock Abyss.

Its state is somewhere between two, resembling a pool of viscous liquid.

Near this viscous liquid, the power of the Grass Dragon continues to struggle.

Surrounded by darkness, Apep's flesh was an extremely deep dark green; at first glance, an unwary person might mistake it for black.

Amidst the intertwined dark green vines, countless tender roots sprout, penetrating deep into the darkness to draw upon any possible "nutrients."

"This is called... what is this called again?" Yu Jin looked at the scene in front of him and felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"According to you humans, it should be called a nutrient solution?"

"Yes! It's nutrient solution!"

Yu Jin clapped his hands, then exclaimed in sudden realization, "This thing looks like it's for growing vegetables?"

"I used your human methods to knead the contents of my body into this shape, hoping it will make me feel better." Apep's voice seemed to come from all directions, extremely hoarse.

Seeing the vines stirring nearby, Ember took a few steps back, looked up, and said to Appepp:

"Also, I'm not like the humans here. I'm just a name. Can you please not be so malicious?"

"I see now, humans can't possibly be this strong." Apep's voice was a little weak; she was still a bit shaken by the punch Ember had given her in the stomach.

"Then why did you attack me?" The intertwined vines untied, transforming into long whips that cut through the wind, lashing at the fleeing embers.

"Sorry, this is a stress response from my self-healing system. I can't control it, just stay away from me."

Appepp offered a somewhat embarrassed explanation. Upon hearing this, Yu Jin stopped struggling and strode towards the deeper parts of Appepp's body.