Mechanical Alchemist

As it turned out, even the bulkiest of strongmen couldn't peel off a small piece of paper stuck on his back by himself.

Su Lun's plan to use a mechanical octopus to restrain the lightning blue dragon was very effective. The octopus, with its special suckers and eight tentacles, clung to the dragon's back continuously. No matter how the dragon dove, soared, or crashed into the sea, it couldn't shake it off.

The mechanical octopus was like an iron lock on the dragon, completely immobilizing it.

Having lost its speed advantage, the blue dragon became the target of everyone's concentrated fire,

The only slight trouble was, this creature had tough skin and flesh, making it hard to break through its defenses.

However, the magic legions from Rainbow Island had already worn it down somewhat, and when the people of the Dawn brigade took over, it saved them a lot of effort.

Su Lun held a dragon-slaying dagger, and everyone else's weapons were smeared with dragon-slaying potion, dealing "true damage" with every strike.

So, even if each stab could only cause a small blood hole, several hundred stabs would still leave it full of bleeding wounds everywhere.

...

The noise from the battle was tremendous, with thunder flashing over the sea and relentless fierce waves and wind.

Only high-ranking professionals were qualified to participate in this dragon hunting battle.

Meanwhile, more than ten kilometers away from the battlefield, the ship Eternal Night was drifting there, ready for fire support in case of any emergencies.

But obviously, there were no emergencies.

Everyone knew that the commanders had completely mastered the rhythm of the battle.

They all gathered at the deck's lookout window, using telescopes to watch the distant, blood-pumping fierce battle, occasionally making comments.

"Wow, Sister Qiantiao is so incredible! Her Thunderous Sword Qi is so sharp, it can even break through dragon scales. Oh, Raksaha Woman in her third form is just like a hellish god of death descending, so strong..."

"Lady Nineteen's fighting style is too elegant, she's truly like a Mechanical Angel."

"Oh, Captain Barret's 'Void Stacked Armor Domain' is also amazing, to withstand the dragon's claw. Hahaha, even though he was also knocked back into the water, he has the coolest posture among the captains after taking a hit..."

"Did you notice, Mr. Hei's moves are so eerie, the evil dragon's Dragon Breath couldn't hit him even once. That insight is simply terrifying..."

"Hahaha, Mr. Su Lun's fighting style is really too sly. He just kept dodging, the evil dragon couldn't touch him at all."

"Old Ancestor Wazhuaz absorbed so much dragon blood. It turns out even a giant dragon, when wounded, can have its blood sucked. Ouch~ Dragon blood is such a treasure, I wonder what it tastes like..."

"The bosses are all so powerful, when will I become that strong."

"..."

This was everyone's first sight of a mythical dragon.

Even from such a distance, the terrifying dragon's authority still made their scalps tingle.

But watching the team leaders fight with the evil dragon, everyone's blood surged as if they were turning the pages of a mythological tale, witnessing in person the epic "Dragon Slayer versus Evil Dragon."

What an exhilarating and magnificent deed!

Even just witnessing it was a magical adventure they could boast about to future generations!

...

From the very beginning, when the lightning blue dragon fell step by step into Su Lun's trap, its fate had already been sealed.

As time passed, after a fierce battle, the exhausted blue dragon was visibly drained.

At this moment, its once gleaming crystalline blue scales were now dull and full of unhealed, blood-soaked wounds, especially on its back.

Su Lun and Wazhuaz, transformed into giant bats, clung to the dragon's back, one using "Blood Devour," the other biting, taking every opportunity to fiercely suck the blood.

Throughout the fight, the two must have absorbed several hundred pounds of dragon blood.

The more they fought, the stronger they became, while the dragon grew increasingly weaker.

Lady Nineteen, Qiantiao, Mr. Hei, along with Captain Barret and several seven-tier blood clan members were facing it head-on, and with the continual substitutions of various puppets, the exhausted dragon gradually lost the strength to struggle.

Its breaths of Dragon Breath also weakened, and the frequency of its wing flapping slowed, becoming unsteady.

It still tried to flee into the distance, but the remaining strength was insufficient to support its increasingly heavy body.

Suddenly!

The wings of the blue dragon stopped moving.

Lingering in the sky for a moment, the fierceness in its eyes faded, its life dimmed, and it rapidly fell toward the sea surface.

Seeing this, everyone exhaled a huge breath of relief together.

They had struggled for so long and finally saw the moment of harvest.

But since it was their first time hunting a giant dragon, Su Lun didn't dare to be careless as long as he didn't see the "ashes."

Watching the dragon fall from the sky, he quickly directed the mechanical octopus to lock it down completely. Then he rapidly took out several extra-large anti-magic mechanical locks to secure the dragon's wings and head.

With these measures in place, even if the cunning dragon awakened, it would absolutely have no chance of turning the tables.

As these actions were performed, countless strands of thread in the sky woven into a net, wrapping the falling dragon into a cocoon.

Su Lun gathered the threads, a black hole appeared in his palm, and he successfully stuffed the entire dragon into the miniature void realm.

In the biological workshop, Dr. Banks and the laboratory researchers had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing the dragon being stuffed in, everyone immediately got busy, attended with various instruments, drawing blood from some, peeling scales from others...

Before this blue dragon was processed into breeding gear, Dr. Banks still needed live samples for genetic potion research.

This was an indispensable step.

This Thunder Lightning Blue Dragon fit Qiantiao's professional characteristics very well, it was prepared just for her.

But theoretically, if it were a pure-blooded dragon, the tier of the progeny it could produce might be very high.

Correspondingly, the integration threshold would definitely be very strict.

Therefore, the probability of successful integration for normal professionals would be very low.

For others, this indeed poses a big problem.

This top biological alchemist once led a team in Old Lington to extract blood from the heart of a demigod fallen angel, successfully concocting a "X Potion" that could transform human bloodlines.

Like when Su Lun merged with the "Isaac's Alchemic Heart," it was because he had been transformed by the X serum with fallen angel bloodlines that he was able to integrate smoothly.

Also, when the team members previously merged with the Void Progeny, it was Dr. Banks who created the "Void Potion," significantly enhancing their bodily tolerance and directly increasing the success rate of progeny integration.

Genetic potions are a crucial way for modern alchemists to enhance their strength.

If they could really successfully concoct the "Dragon Potion," then at that time, every member of the Dawn Squad could become a Dragon Blood Warrior, and their strength would surge once again!

Now, whether it's technical theories or equipment personnel, the Dawn Squad lacks nothing.

Now that a pure-blooded dragon has been captured, all conditions are met.

However, the task of developing potions has been assigned to the technicians; Su Lun and the other combatants are only responsible for the capture and need not worry about it.

After the battle, everyone landed on the sea surface, all panting heavily.

The group exchanged smiles with one another.

Although they had successfully captured the dragon, everyone had been greeted by a barrage of thunderous dragon breath just now, leaving them all disheveled and funny-looking with dust in their hair and faces.

For this level of enemy, any mistake would result in death or severe injury.

The peril of this battle was known only to them.

A seventh-tier pure-blooded dragon was already this challenging; one could only imagine how terrifying the combat power of eighth and ninth tier dragons could be.

But ultimately, they had succeeded, and the significance was tremendous.

Not only did they hunt a blue dragon, but the insights gained from the battle were even more precious.

The dominance of dragon-kind, these sovereign creatures, exerts a pressure that no other enemy can.

Several members had gained some insights.

"Duke Blood," Hwass had just ingested a great deal of dragon blood and, having returned to human form, his eyes sparkled brilliantly.

As the planar gateway was established, high-order laws from the divine plane flowed into the alchemy plane, and this old vampire, who had been stuck at tier seven for centuries, had already vaguely sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough.

It was just at the moment the battle ended that he suddenly said, "I feel I have some confidence in advancing to tier eight."

Su Lun clearly sensed a difference in his demeanor and joyfully responded, "Congratulations, Mr. Hwass."

This old vampire was knowledgeable and, despite his age, was a very approachable elder. Often he would share his cultivation experiences and tell odd stories within the group. Because of this, he had a very good relationship with everyone.

Upon hearing this, the others also extended their congratulations.

Tier seven is the threshold for top-tier professionals, but advancing further from there is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

With the growing strength of the Dawn Squad, everyone seemed to see hope.

In the distance, the Eternal Night was speeding towards them.

On deck, people frantically waved their hands, excitedly calling out to their captains.

Su Lun and the others were still calming the tumultuous energy from the fierce battle, and took the opportunity to discuss some insights from combat.

At that moment, sensing something, suddenly spoke up, "Su Lun, did you feel that the dragon's aura was very similar to the Sovereign Kind's dominance over yours?"

Beside him, Captain Barrett also remarked, "Yes. The essence of Dragon's Presence and Dominance should be the same kind of special biological energy overflow. And, Su Lun, your Dominance and Dragon's Presence seem even more alike, both giving off a vibe of ruling and subjugating everything."

With that, the others also chimed in agreement.

The fierce battle was the first time the members of Dawn Squad saw a real dragon and felt its powerful presence.

But it was also the first time they saw the full combat power of Su Lun after advancing to tier seven.

Su Lun himself was somewhat surprised to hear this, "Dominance like Dragon's Presence?"

He himself hadn't noticed, but others had pointed it out.

However, since no one had the experience, no one could specify what was special about that sensation.

Before long, the Eternal Night arrived, and everyone leapt aboard.

The deck erupted in cheers.

The airship continued northward, planning another visit to Thunder Sea Island.

Previously, due to that Thunder Dragon, Su Lun had left with just the Thunder Lance and Dragon Breath Fruit; there was still a vast trove of treasure on the island.

Now that the dragon had been captured, they could leisurely move the remaining items from the island.

The blue dragon Kazkaz had been on this type of island for a century, and a dragon's nest was filled with treasures everywhere.

Not just the Dragon Breath Fruit, but many rare materials too.

Even the "Dragon Dung" was a very rare find.

Elsewhere, it was difficult to find pure-blood dragon dung.

This was not only an ingredient for some legendary potion recipes.

The scent from the excrement of such higher-order creatures has a repelling effect on nearly all other creatures; smeared on a ship's hull, the scent keeps most magical sea creatures at bay.

...

The Eternal Night swiftly sprinted across the sea surface, sailing against the wind.

The Dawn Brigade was gathered around various captains, listening intently as they detailed the recent dragon-hunting battle.

But before long, a sudden shout erupted from the lookout tower, "Everyone, be careful, a large number of flying objects approaching from the northwest!"

Su Lun, who was meditating at the mast, opened his eyes upon hearing the noise and indeed saw a group of dragons flying towards them from the horizon.

"The Dragon Knight Legion of the Silver Dragon Kingdom?"

As Su Lun spotted the armored knights on the backs of the dragons, he muttered to himself.

His eyes flickered as he recalled the bounty he had seen in the tavern, and he quickly guessed, "Could they be after the Dragon Breath Fruit?"

This dragon legion, boasting over a thousand members, was also extremely formidable in battle.

And to think, he had encountered the Dragon Hunter, Bartolo Figaro, in the city as well.

With so many coincidences piling up, it was no longer a coincidence.

In an instant, Su Lun reached a conclusion, "So... we beat them to it by hunting the blue dragon first?"

However, it was their hard-earned trophy regardless of others' motives, and nothing could change that fact.

All members immediately heightened their alertness, and the cannons were aimed towards those distant specks in the sky.

If the other party bore ill intentions, the Dawn Brigade was ready to teach them a harsh lesson.

To Su Lun, dealing with these dragon knights seemed far easier than facing that giant dragon.

As for that Dragon Hunter, Bartolo, he didn't appear to be on any of the dragons' backs.

...

The Eternal Night continued its journey towards Thunder Sea Island.

In the sky, over a thousand dragon knights swiftly approached.

This was the elite "Miracle Dragon Squad" of the Silver Dragon Kingdom's royal family.

The commander, Bennett Pickhis, was a seventh-tier Dragon Knight, mounted on a seventh-tier Flame Sub-Dragon.

They had come to Atalan City this time specifically to seek the Dragon Breath Fruit, which was needed to prepare a potion for the queen to relieve a petrification curse.

As one of the three great kingdoms of Dragon Country, the Silver Dragon Kingdom's knights had a profound understanding of dragon habits.

Although pure-blooded giant dragons were rare, they had been hunted before.

They had already devised a detailed hunting plan and even recruited the Dragon Hunter, Bartolo...

But to their complete surprise, someone else was also eyeing that giant dragon.

Bennett had wanted to come check during the previous battle.

But it was only after listening to the Dragon Hunter Bartolo's advice that he arrived after the battle had ended.

After all, approaching someone else's dragon hunt mid-battle would inevitably be seen as having malicious intent.

Although Bennett felt his dragon legion was among the strongest in the kingdom, Bartolo had said that those dragon hunters were very powerful.

And indeed, they were.

The battle had lasted much shorter than anticipated, indicating that those people were extremely strong.

Bennett felt both relieved and utterly puzzled at the same time.

Where had such a formidable group come from?

But they were set on obtaining the Dragon Breath Fruit, so they had to make the trip.

Riding on the back of a dragon, everyone in the regiment stared at the colossal black-sailed ship on the distant sea, stunned.

The ship was hundreds of meters long?

My goodness, could it even carry tens of thousands of people?

They had never seen such a gigantic sea vessel before.

Dragon Country was not without ships, but mostly they were flat-bottomed boats that dipped slightly into the water, sufficient for fishing locally but ill-suited for long voyages against big waves.

It wasn't that they didn't want to build big ships, but they saw no need.

Deep sea creatures that regarded humans as food lurked in the deep waters, making setting out to sea tantamount to courting death.

Dragon Country once had nine kingdoms scattered across a vast expanse of sea. Now only three remained, primarily due to monster attacks.

The surviving three were all on the same landmass.

The abundant resources from the land and coastal waters were sufficient for survival.

Over time, their need for large ocean-going ships faded.

Seeing this super-sized ship, the people of the Miracle Regiment immediately realized that this might be the legendary "overseas visitor."

Although they had always heard legends that human civilization also existed east of the Endless Sea, they had never seen it.

Since they were capable of hunting a giant dragon, their strength was undoubtedly formidable.

Flying to a distance of several nautical miles, Commander Bennett ordered the dragon legion to circle in the sky while he sent a messenger forward to approach the large sea ship.

...

The members of the Dawn Brigade watched with great interest as the dragon knights circled in the sky. Apart from Su Lun and a few others, everyone was seeing the native inhabitants of Dragon Country for the first time.

They also learned that besides the Luying and Mafa Empires, there were indeed human civilizations overseas.

Upon seeing a flying dragon approaching, Su Lun and his group knew that the other party wanted to negotiate, not fight.

The eyes of the people on the deck brightened considerably, and the gunners in the cannon chamber also calmed their eagerness to fire.

The messenger on the dragon called out loudly, "We are the Miracle Legion of the Silver Dragon Country. Commander Bennett, our knight, would like to have a word with your captain..."

The crew listened to the long, foreign-sounding speech, baffled.

Only Su Lun and Tatu understood.

Tatu translated the message for everyone.

Su Lun wasn't particularly interested in what negotiations might entail and glanced at the nearby Tatu.

Su Lun raised an eyebrow and said to Tatu, "Tell their commander to come aboard."

He wasn't interested in communicating, but since the formula for the anti-petrification potion was in the hands of the royal family of Silver Dragon Country, if he could obtain it through this channel, it would save a lot of trouble.

Tatu nodded and translated the response.

The dragon rider turned and headed back to the main force.

Soon after, the leader of the dragon riders, a silver-armored commander, flew over with four attendants.

The dragon wasn't very large, spanning just over ten meters, with the leading seventh-tier Fire Dragon only about twenty meters.

With folded wings, it was only slightly larger than two elephants.

These dragons were massive compared to other sea vessels, but for the deck of the Eternal Night, there was plenty of room for dozens of them.

The dragons dived down from the sky, and under the control of their knights, their flapping wings stirred up wild gusts as they smoothly landed on the deck.

Su Lun looked at the composed, blond-haired commander and silently praised his courage.

Coming aboard with just four people was bold.

Commander Bennett and his group felt a novelty; it was also their first time landing a dragon on a sea vessel.

Furthermore, the close-up view of the ship left them indescribably shocked.

Upon seeing the "foreigners from overseas," they recognized that these people were incredibly strong.

What was key was that some of these individuals had metallic bodies?

Too many things beyond their understanding appeared before them; Commander Bennett suppressed the shock in his heart and greeted with a knight's courtesy, "Miracle Legion, Bennett Pickhis, pleased to meet friends from afar..."

...

The visitors adhered strictly to etiquette, and Dawn Legion reciprocated the courtesy.

Chairs and fruits were arranged on the deck, and both parties exchanged a few words.

Upon confirming that it was Dawn Legion who captured the blue dragon, Bennett expressed his shock and congratulations.

However, the magnitude of the overseas matter was too much for a legion commander to decide.

Fortunately, he sensed that this adventure group bore no malice.

Bennett cut straight to the chase, "Do you have 'Dragon Breath Fruit' by any chance? I mean, our queen has been afflicted with a petrification curse, and our legion has come to Atalan city just for those fruits. If possible, I'd like to exchange something valuable for one of the fruits."

The other party was very courteous, and upon hearing that only one fruit was needed, Su Lun immediately replied, "Yes, I have the 'Dragon Breath Fruit.'"

Without this bargaining chip, many conditions would be undiscussable.

He wanted to know about the formula and tentatively asked, "Unfortunately, we have a friend who has also been afflicted by petrification and needs a cure. By offering a fruit, could we possibly exchange it for a cure or even the formula for it?"

"If it's to exchange for the potion... I'm afraid that's not possible,"

Commander Bennett shook his head.

He looked troubled and explained, "Although I am not a magician, I know that the ingredients needed to concoct the antidote for petrification are very rare. 'Dragon Breath Fruit' is just one of them. There are also others like 'Tears of the Dead' and 'Blood of Medusa', all extremely hard to find. Even the royalty hasn't managed to gather them completely. Moreover, one set of ingredients can only produce one potion..."

Su Lun had seen the bounty earlier, so he wasn't surprised.

If curing petrification were easy, Medusa wouldn't be the demigod she was known to be.

Bennett paused, then added, "As for the formula... If you could provide the 'Dragon Breath Fruit', I think it might be possible to make the exchange. However, it would require some of your people to accompany me to the capital because this is not a decision I can make alone. I think His Majesty the King would also welcome you."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun thought for a moment and then agreed, "All right!"

The waters of Dragon Country harbored too many secrets, and acting rashly with the little information that Dawn Legion had was too risky.

After just hunting that seventh-tier blue dragon, he felt more than ever the need to be cautious.

There was no rush, and a trip to the Silver Dragon capital sounded beneficial.

...

Upon hearing that these "foreigners" were willing to go to the capital, Commander Bennett breathed a sigh of relief.

With a promising lead on the 'Dragon Breath Fruit', many unexplainable matters could now be accounted for.

At that moment, Su Lun boldly asked, "Excuse me, Commander, do you know Mr. Bartolo, the 'Dragon Hunter'?"

Upon hearing that name, Bennett's respect was evident as he responded, "I know of him, but we're not acquainted. His coming this time was merely an arrangement from above. Now that the Dragon Hunting plan has failed, he's already left."

"Oh."

Su Lun felt it was a pity.

He always thought that if Mr. Bartolo, purportedly a surviving member of the Black Sam pirate crew, could provide significant help.

It was unfortunate to have missed him.

He simply hoped that the trip to the capital would yield some information about his whereabouts.