How to Do "The Secret of Al-Ahmar" in Genshin Impact

Uncovering the Secrets of Sumeru: An In-Depth Guide to Genshin Impact‘s Epic "The Secret of Al-Ahmar" Quest

Hey there, adventurers! If you‘ve been exploring the vibrant rainforests and desert ruins of Sumeru in Genshin Impact version 3.1, you‘ve probably come across the monumental world quest known as "The Secret of Al-Ahmar." This sprawling, lore-heavy quest takes you deep into the mysteries of King Deshret‘s ancient civilization – but it‘s not for the faint of heart!

Don‘t worry though, because I‘m here to guide you through every twist and turn with expert tips, story analysis, and more. By the time we‘re done, you‘ll be an Al-Ahmar expert ready to uncover all of Sumeru‘s secrets. Let‘s dive in!

First off, let‘s set the stage with some background on Genshin Impact‘s 3.1 update, "King Deshret and the Three Magi." Launched on September 28, 2022, this Desert of Hadramaveth-themed update introduced a ton of new content, including:

• Four new playable characters: Cyno, Nilou, Candace, and Nahida
• New Sumeru desert map expansion
• Two new boss enemies: Algorithm of Semi-Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network and Aeonblight Drake
• Tablet Analytics System for artifacts
• New weapons, including Cyno and Nilou‘s signature 5-stars
• New Archon Quest Chapter III continuation
• Character story quests for Cyno and Nilou
• 23 new achievements
• And of course, new world quests like The Secret of Al-Ahmar!

To access The Secret of Al-Ahmar, you‘ll need to progress the Archon Quest to Chapter III, Act IV ("King Deshret and the Three Magi"), and raise your Adventure Rank to 40 or above. The quest begins automatically in Aaru Village after finishing the prior story quests.

Now, let‘s get into the meat of this guide – a full walkthrough of The Secret of Al-Ahmar. I‘ve broken the quest down into several digestible parts with clear directions, puzzle solutions, and combat strategies.

Part 1: Pathway to the Past

• Start by following the quest marker into the tunnel behind the Mural of Departure in Aaru Village. Ride the elevator down into the depths.
• Explore the underground ruins, following the linear path and defeating groups of Hilichurls and Treasure Hoarders along the way.
• After dealing with the enemies, continue along the quest marker trail until you emerge in King Deshret‘s Mausoleum, a massive underground chamber.
• Here you‘ll face off against multiple waves of Desert Mercenaries and Eremites. Ranged attackers like Yoimiya, Ganyu, and Tighnari excel at picking them off safely.
• Once the coast is clear, thoroughly investigate this ancient tomb, which is filled with lore tidbits about King Deshret and Sumeru‘s history. Don‘t miss the Sword of Swaying Mass that tells of a legendary battle!

Part 2: Kindling the Flames

• Your next objective is to open the four giant coffins surrounding the Mausoleum. Each one requires navigating a puzzle to guide a Primal Ember to the coffin lid.
• Start with the northwest coffin. Spot the Four-Leaf Sigil and use it to fly over and release the Primal Ember behind a gate. Chase after it to lead it to the coffin.
• For the southwest coffin, look for a carving resembling King Deshret himself. Stand in front of it and jump to reveal an invisible platform. Climb up to find and free the Ember.
• The northeast coffin is trickier – you‘ll need to bypass a flame trap and open a locked door to reach the Sigil. Sprint, don‘t walk, to avoid activating the trap!
• Finally, the southeast coffin requires climbing two long staircases. The Sigil is tucked away in a dark corner, so explore thoroughly.
• After opening all four coffins, a staircase will appear in the Mausoleum‘s center. Climb to the top to advance.

Part 3: Danger Among the Dunes

• Emerge into a windy desert canyon in pursuit of the archaeology team. Glide over to the marker on the cliffs above.
• Here you‘ll encounter a gang of powerful Fatui Pyroslinger Braziers and Fatui Electrohammer Vanguards. Bring a strong Hydro character like Childe or Yelan to smash their shields.
• After the battle, locate the archaeology team further ahead, including a familiar face – Benben, previously seen in the Golden Slumber questline.
• However, you‘ll have to protect the archaeologists from yet another Fatui ambush led by Samail. This multi-phase encounter is reminiscent of a Trounce Domain, so come prepared with healing and buffs.
• Once Samail is subdued, Benben will share some intriguing details about King Deshret‘s past, hinting at an ancient conflict with the previous Dendro Archon. Hmm…

Part 4: Illuminating the Opet Hall

• Return into the depths of the ruins, following the quest marker into the famed Opet Hall, mentioned in many Sumeru texts.
• In the first chamber, grab a Forged Primal Light and stand atop the Replicator Keystone. You can now aim the Light to guide the Primal Ember across gaps and to the far platform.
• Lead the Ember all the way to the Opet Hall antechamber to ignite one of the unlit torches. One down!
• The second Ember is tougher to free. You‘ll need to reposition cells (those huge stone cubes) to open gates and clear the path.
• In the chamber with the Red Barrier, grab another Forged Primal Light behind the locked door and use it to rotate the cell until the Ember is released.
• Once again, carefully guide this Ember to join its sibling in the Opet Hall antechamber. With both torches lit, the giant door will rumble open!
• Head inside to finally reach the hallowed hall and complete the quest. Whew!

Congratulations – by finishing The Secret of Al-Ahmar, you‘ve achieved a grand feat that will be remembered in Sumeru‘s history! Aside from the juicy lore drops, your reward is a whopping 220 Primogems, 28600 Mora, 4 Hero‘s Wit, and a Dendro Sigil. You‘ll also unlock the "Secret of Al-Ahmar" World Quest achievement.

But loot aside, I think the real treasure of completing this quest is the insight into the mystery of King Deshret‘s reign. Along with the main Archon Quests about the Traveler, Cyno, Nilou and Nahida, it offers tantalizing pieces of Sumeru‘s forgotten past.

The buried mural in the Mausoleum showing King Deshret battling the Dendro Archon Rukkhadevata with an unfamiliar crimson power is a major revelation. Benben also tells us that the ancient King once waged a war for the sake of knowledge, implying a complex motivation beyond simple greed.

I believe The Secret of Al-Ahmar is meant to set the stage for the Traveler‘s true purpose in Sumeru – not just stopping the Fatui as usual, but uncovering a more primal war between gods and mortals. The references to a forbidden knowledge within the desert sands brings to mind the Biblical Tree of Wisdom and humanity‘s folly in seeking to rival the divine.

Of course, only time and future updates will tell if these speculations bear fruit. But in my analysis, Genshin‘s storytelling is reaching a new level of intrigue and philosophical weight that elevates the gameplay experience.

Speaking of gameplay, The Secret of Al-Ahmar is a satisfying mix of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving that should please most Genshin fans. The Mausoleum and Opet Hall are atmospheric, intricately-designed dungeons full of secrets and treasures that reward curiosity.

The cell-rotating mechanics to guide the Primal Embers are a fun evolution of Sumeru‘s four-leaf sigil navigation challenges. And the Fatui ambush with Samail offers a surprisingly tough battle to break up the riddle rooms.

It‘s not a flawless experience – the quest is quite long and requires lots of backtracking that can get tedious. The puzzles, while clever, never venture too far outside Genshin‘s pre-established formula. And if you‘re not a lore fiend, the barrage of esoteric names and historical references may make your eyes glaze over.

But overall, I consider The Secret of Al-Ahmar a resounding success as an epic, world-building adventure that ranks alongside Sumeru‘s finest story chapters. The Genshin community seems to agree, with endless fan art, theories, and discussions inspired by the tragic legend of King Deshret.

As we head into Genshin‘s future updates, I‘m excited to see how The Secret of Al-Ahmar‘s revelations will recontextualize Sumeru‘s ongoing story of the Archons, Fatui, and humanity‘s pursuit of knowledge. The Traveler‘s journey has never felt more consequential or rife with mystery.

But for now, all we can do is wait and wonder as the desert sands shift over the ruins of a forgotten kingdom. To all my fellow adventurers who braved The Secret of Al-Ahmar – I salute you! Let‘s meet again soon in the lush rainforests and eternal desert of Sumeru.