Mechanical Alchemist

The plan that Lirong and his companions had discussed was for Mr. Jing and his two associates to distract top-tier Mages at all costs, thereby creating an opportunity for Su Lun.

As long as they could hold on for a moment, the plan would succeed.

And indeed, as they had anticipated, they were immediately met with fierce attacks upon their infiltration.

Especially since Mr. Jing's group's every move was so dramatic, it compelled the enemy to focus their attacks on them.

Even with the support of magic constraints, Mr. Jing's seemingly invincible mirror duplication ability was hit repeatedly by a joint attack from several ninth-tier Sages of Law in a short period and suffered severe injuries with blood spouting.

Pandora's Tsukuyomi Law Phase also was shattered multiple times. Though not fatal, her Divine Power embodiment was faintly disintegrating, putting her in a precarious state.

Qiantiao was even worse off; her style was to use offense as her defense in the Sword Dao. Either she would quickly slay the enemy or, if she failed, she would be at great risk of injury. At the moment, she was holding off Demi-God Constantine Reiloz alone, who, helped by countless magic circles, had combat power not even half as weak as Princess Oktaavia had with Divine Power at her disposal.

Facing this consummate battle strength, Qiantiao's Sword Dao, no matter how sharp, could not prevail. After several clashes, even though her Sword Qi was so fierce it sliced several gashes in the cabin, she was only able to inflict a few non-fatal sword wounds on the old Archmage, while she herself was seriously injured.

In the vast command room, Alchemy and magic were entirely in disarray.

The Mages paid a minimal price to completely suppress the three top-tier combatants from the Alchemy plane, leaving them gasping for air.

Moreover, as soon as they burst in, various defensive constraints were activated to prevent any escape.

If things continued like this, it was feared that it would not be long before all three were slain on the spot.

However, at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.

...

The command cabin of the Gold Airship had turned into complete chaos.

Almost everyone's gaze was concentrated on Mr. Jing, Qiantiao, and Pandora, who had caused a major commotion as soon as they broke in, while they ignored Su Lun, who had been silent after entering.

It was Mr. Jing's group's sacrifice that created the opportunity for Su Lun to execute his technique.

In that instant, it was as if someone softly chanted, "Puppetry Technique: I am the deity!"

With these words barely ending,

Just a second before, those Mages had amplified their Magic Power by a hundredfold, fighting like they were possessed by deities, and had nearly beaten Mr. Jing to death.

Yet in the blink of an eye, they found themselves losing that sense of control, and their magic capabilities plummeted by dozens of times!

The battling Mages were still unsure what had happened, but in that moment of rigidity, Mr. Jing, Qiantiao, and Pandora suddenly burst forth, switching from defense to offense, and in the blink of an eye, they had already slain several people.

The situation seemed to have taken a turn.

"Archmage of Evil," Constantine immediately realized something and his face turned pale as he shouted, "Not good, quickly kill that Puppet Master!"

He had been paying attention to the whole scene all along and had noticed the countless transparent threads.

But until now, he had not understood the significance of these actions.

Because in the context of the Magic Army Legion's battle array, no matter how strong Puppetry Technique was, it would be utterly ineffective.

However, in that fleeting moment, as the Sage watched that vast spiritual power spread along each thread, Constantine realized something: Was this person trying to take control over everyone in the command room?

This idea was fine,

As long as he seized control over the Mages manipulating the constraints, the situation could be reversed instantly.

But for the life of him, he couldn't comprehend how it could be done!

The command room was filled with high-level Mages of fifth or sixth tier; even his demi-god level spiritual power could barely control a hundred people with spiritual secret techniques.

Not to mention someone else?

What was the point of the Puppet Master's actions?

Unaware of the subtleties of Alchemy, Constantine naturally did not know about the "God Profaner."

Although he didn't grasp why that native Alchemist took such actions, his instincts told him he had to be stopped.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Mr. Jing and his companions risked their lives to distract the top-tier Mages in the command room, longing for this very moment!

Besides, without the enhancement of the magic circles, nowhere on the Magic Airship, except for Demi-God Constantine, did anyone have the capacity to kill Su Lun.

...

The plan was in place.

Su Lun's Soul Perception accurately locked onto the precise locations of all the Mages aboard the main ship and several nearby airships, as the threads extended accurately toward them.

This Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle was formed from the main ship and several combat airships. It was originally designed with many scenarios in mind, like being invaded by top-tier powerhouses releasing wide-spread Illusion Techniques, intimidating Aura, etc., which could cause low-level Mages to fall en masse.

Therefore, intricate spatial constraints were designed between the cabins and the airships to block various spiritual power techniques and area magic.

Under normal circumstances, even if the threads were extremely sharp, they could only spread within the cabins of the main ship and would have great difficulty penetrating into other cabins.

However, Su Lun had become exceedingly skilled with the use of the "Urobolos Space-Time Ring."

The threads too had the ability to penetrate the void.

Previously, it would have been impossible for Su Lun to create so many sand-grain-like spatial wormholes, but now, having merged with the "God Profaner," he did it with ease. It was as if his concentration could be split into hundreds of thousands of threads, each precisely controlled.

At this moment, one could see that the tips of those threads each had a faint spatial fluctuation.

Countless threads, like needles, pierced directly into the space, silently puncturing through various prohibitions and into the core cabins of the magical fleet's battle array.

Even for the escort airships hundreds of meters away, space folding brought them within arm's reach. With Su Lun's power now comparable to that of a ninth-tier, controlling those sixth or seventh-tier mages was almost unimpeded, as the threads instantly penetrated the bodies of numerous mages.

Almost at the very instant the threads established a connection, spiritual power surged along the threads with a ferocious rush.

In that moment, Su Lun felt as if he were a deity, dominating everything.

Finally,

At this moment.

He finally understood what his teacher, Seria, had taught him about the ultimate essence of being a Puppeteer.

His expression turned solemn as if filled with boundless boldness, and he murmured in his heart, "Puppets are not mere idle playthings; wherever my eyes fall, all is puppets."

In an instant, tens of thousands of mages simultaneously stiffened in expression, their eyes revealing a vacant look, having fallen into an endless nightmare.

....

Controlling a thinking human is thousands of times more complex than manipulating a puppet. This unstable control is also greatly influenced by the target's spiritual power and willpower.

In the past, Su Lun was able to precisely control two or three thousand stone gargoyles, but when it came to humans of around fifth-tier, he could at most control a hundred persons.

But now it was different. After merging with the "God Profaner" symbiont, the mental control technique "Heartstealer's Mental Domination" had advanced into "Nightmare of the Divine."

This was a kind of awe-inspiring power similar to that of gods or dragons, emanating from the depth of one's life force, able to overwhelm the will of most professionals below the eighth-tier. It directly intimidated, then controlled their consciousness.

The controlled would be subjected to a dream realm created by Su Lun, viewing him as a deity.

Moreover, Su Lun's threads were a physical means of conduction, a hundred times more effective than remote conduction.

Once they were controlled, escape was almost impossible.

....

And taking control of the mages in the command center was only the first step.

Su Lun's ultimate goal was to directly destroy the structure of this magical airship fleet!

The "Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle" was a super battle array assembled using countless resources. It was like a massive castle built by ants with time, effort, and materials, something not a single or couple of ants could destroy. Even if the ants were strong, it would be of no use.

Only an attack of equivalent magnitude could destroy this magical airship fleet!

So Su Lun planned to use the various magical prohibitions in the command center to destroy the Big Bird battle array from the inside.

"Success!"

Mr. Jing and his two companions, struggling in battle, heard Su Lun's voice through the communicator and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The most dangerous step in their surprise attack plan was the time they broke in and Su Lun took control of the command center.

During that time, they had to face various top-tier mages augmented by magical prohibitions, a matter of life and death.

Once they entered, it was a path of no return.

The group had come prepared to die.

If the plan failed, Su Lun wouldn't have a chance to save them; they could only fight to the death.

Fortunately, their resolve allowed the plan to proceed very smoothly. They had even calculated the estimated battle time down to the second. Su Lun too, as planned, successfully took control of the majority of the enemy's command center!

Upon hearing the communication, the three of them in sync retreated their defensive line.

This was just the beginning.

Their most urgent task now was to protect Su Lun, securing him the conditions for safe output.

...

Seeing this, Demi-God Constantine's face changed dramatically!

He too raised his magic wand immediately and cast an instantaneous ninth-tier magic spell towards Su Lun, trying to eliminate this biggest variable.

However, the "Annihilation Beam" that shot through was deflected by a mirror reflection.

The nine clones of Mr. Jing were already guarding Su Lun's sides, forming a defensive formation.

Yet, as soon as this attack landed, another ninth-tier rune mage acted with extreme swiftness. He rushed toward Su Lun like an erupting volcano, launching a fist that was already burning like molten lava.

But just as he surged forward, a "snap" of stepping into nothingness was heard, and space rippled.

Completely covered in blood, Su Lun fearlessly transformed into a thunderbolt to intercept the oncoming attack.

With a "bang," the Sword Qi infused with lightning clashed with the lava magic, explosively bursting apart.

Waves of fiery flames surged through the massive cabin.

The two parties separated immediately upon contact.

However, the mages at the command center were the elite of the elite, their coordination was impeccably in sync.

As Su Lun blocked one mage, three spells struck her transformed form of light together. Her Sword Qi was halved and abruptly stopped.

Her movements were as fast as lightning, normally very difficult to capture.

But the enemy had anticipated that she would certainly come to Su Lun's aid, so they struck with a Combination Attack Technique, hitting their mark!

With a "pfft," Su Lun spat out a mouthful of blood.

Her face was as pale as gold leaf, and the Rakshasa Golden Body behind her was badly damaged and dispersed.

Mr. Jing was tasked with guarding Su Lun and could not withdraw, while Pandora was too late to come to the rescue.

At this moment of extreme crisis, suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!

The nine crystal pillars in the command room lit up with dazzling magical runes, and in an instant, a burst of white light shone forth, followed by the "crackle" and "crackle" of dense lightning strikes.

Everyone looked closely and realized it was the previously employed epic magic restriction, "Eye of Regulus," activating its attack again!

Countless bolts of lightning wove into a net, converging into spears, broadly covering the entire cabin.

This time, however, the target of the lightning wasn't the group of four, but the "Archmage of Evil," Constantine Reiloz, who knew the situation was dire and was invoking the will of the gods to prepare a fierce attack on the intruders.

"Not good!"

The old mage's face changed drastically, muttering to himself that this was bad news.

But he was not of the divine lineage, his divine invocation was much slower compared to the Grand Princess Oktaavia earlier.

Su Lun had already anticipated this.

Yet, even the time it took to chant was enough for the situation to have reversed!

"Crack!"

A thunderous explosion sounded.

The "Eye of Regulus" had a range that covered the entire command center; the old mage had no escape. Lightning struck him in an instant, piercing through the Body-Protecting Sanctuary and blasting him away like a cannonball. With a "thud," he was smashed against the wall a hundred meters away.

The air immediately filled with the thick scent of char.

But he was a demigod after all, and even after taking this horrific blow, he was only injured, not killed.

However, the others were not so lucky.

The magical restrictions within this flagship weren't limited to just the "Eye of Regulus"!

No sooner had that bolt of lightning fallen than the dozen or so super-restrictions on the flagship, having finished gathering energy, were released all at once.

These restrictions were precise and targeted, not just enveloping large areas.

Each was lethal to top-tier professionals.

Moreover, Su Lun knew the strength of everyone present, and the effects of the damage were amplified. He multitasked a thousand ways, almost every restriction targeting a mage's weakness.

Those with weak flesh received mental attacks, those with strong magic power were banned from using magic, those with strong mental power had their life force drained... every move was targeted!

In just an instant, those high-ranking mages in the command room not controlled by the threads were knocked down en masse, with screams of agony echoing non-stop.

How terrifying was the might of the super-restrictions? Just after this round of attacks, the vast majority of mages below the ninth tier were killed on the spot!

As severely suppressed as Su Lun and his companions were before, now the mages faced an equally brutal fate.

The cabin was littered with corpses, with limbs and body parts strewn everywhere.

Controlling those tens of thousands of mages, Su Lun mobilized combat strength hundreds of times greater than his own and wreaked havoc in every corner of the cabin.

The mages struggled, but in the face of such destructive power, there was simply no resistance.

In just a few moments, only Constantine and a few eighth and ninth-tier mages were left, huddling together in defense and barely alive.

And the other mages not under control were all dead!

....

Su Lun knew he could not kill Constantine quickly, and if they tarried, a million legions nearby would reinforce the area.

Seeing this, he unhesitatingly issued the "ship self-destruct" command.

The "Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle" was one of the most sophisticated flying fortress arrays from the divine realms, with a very comprehensive security system. It was composed of independent cabins, each controlled by a separate team. Normally, even if enemies infiltrated and aimed to cause destruction, they could only damage parts of it.

However, Su Lun now forcefully used his spatial ability and threads to directly control almost all the cabins in the core command room.

He was also intimately familiar with nearly all the arrangements within the fleet.

Even the all-access commands and magic keys that only a Marshal would know.

The order for self-destruction was transmitted through the multitude of threads to the minds of nearly a hundred thousand controlled mages. Together, they started manipulating their respective part of the restrictions, initiating the self-destruct protocol.

Right after the command was issued, the runes on the massive Gold flagship and the nearby dozen or so magic airships grew increasingly bright, streaming out destructive magic power.

Constantine and the few surviving ninth-level individuals watched helplessly, unable to do anything.

That surge of magic power showed no sign of stopping, continuing to grow unchecked.

Like a balloon inflated to its limit, it suddenly "Bang!"—burst open.

For a moment, it seemed as though the world had gone silent.

But in the next instant, a terrifying shockwave exploded outward in all directions.

Boom...

Boom...

Boom...

In the sky, the thousand airships forming the Cross Big Bird were shattered into pieces at this moment.

With the core destroyed, the invincible defense of the "Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle" was completely breached.

Hundreds of magic airships, like the feathers of a giant bird, scattered and drifted away.

...

Meanwhile.

In the distance, the United Empire's fleet that was constantly monitoring this million-strong magic army saw this bizarre scene through their lookout glasses.

Watching the sudden fiery explosion in the sky, everyone's faces were filled with disbelief, thinking they were seeing things.

That Cross Big Bird in the Heavenly Divine Plane, which had withstood countless ammunition showers over the past few days, now exploded? And it was the most central command unit?

"What happened!"

"Marshal Sir, urgent report! Urgent report!"

"What? The enemy's magic airships exploded, and their battle array broke on its own?"

"Yes! For whatever reason, a violent explosion occurred, but it's confirmed, the Cross Bird Battle Array is broken, and now the enemy's airship fleet is in complete disarray..."

"..."

Instantly, this sudden situation spread throughout dozens of naval fleets and various steam-powered airship fleets.

Tens of thousands of battleships on the nearby seas came alive all at once.

Everyone, with binoculars in hand, watched from the deck at the terrible explosion amidst the distant storm.

It was a blue mushroom cloud.

This was a sign of a magic energy overload detonation.

The commanders were just as bewildered, completely at a loss as to what had happened.

Nobody had received any prior orders, and now this unexpected event unfolded, leaving everyone briefly dumbfounded.

Seeing this incredible scene, one thought immediately came to everyone's mind: Dawn!

"What's the situation with the Dawn Group?"

"The Eternal Night is already speeding towards the direction of the blast!"

"My goodness, it must be the work of those big shots from Dawn! Hahahaha... it's too incredible. Inform the brothers, charge! All forces, advance!"

"General, shouldn't we wait for orders? If we launch an attack without permission, we might..."

"Hahaha, command won't have a clue what's happening either. Don't worry, the orders will come. Let's move! Otherwise, if we're late, those fellows from the Heavenly Divine Plane might escape!"

"..."

Although no one knew exactly what had happened, those experienced generals immediately recognized this as an unparalleled opportunity not to be missed.

Instantly, even without orders, the fleet that had discovered the explosion moved in unison, racing at full speed towards the site of the incident.

And just as the generals predicted, it wasn't long before the central command of the United Fleet received accurate intel and issued the order for all forces to strike!

Suddenly, millions of soldiers pressed forward towards the Heavenly Divine Plane's million-strong army, in an overwhelming surge.

Nobody could have anticipated that this major showdown between the Alchemy Plane and the Heavenly Divine Plane would come prematurely, due to what seemed like an accidental explosion!