Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun and his team had devised a surprise attack plan that was kept secret even from those aboard the Eternal Night, including Mr. Hei, to ensure it wouldn't be discovered by any prophecy or divinations.

Thus, when the blue mushroom cloud suddenly exploded in the sky, not only were the members of the Allied Fleet caught off guard, but everyone from the Dawn Group was equally shocked.

However, the solidarity of the team meant that the Dawn members immediately guessed that it was Su Lun's doing, and they went into battle mode without hesitation.

The alchemical sails were activated, and with Tanni the Navigator controlling the boost from the ocean currents and waves, the ship's speed reached its utmost limit. The vast black-sailed ship flew across the sea like a shuttle, leaving a long trail of foam behind it and soon leaving the Empire's steel warships far behind.

On the deck, the Dragon Language Magician group of the Dawn Group had already assembled.

Old Sword God Bartolo, Number Nineteen, 'Blood Duke' Wuzhuasi, Barrett, and other high-level fighters were also gathered on the deck.

The sight of the magical airships falling like raindrops in the distant storm due to the explosion left everyone's faces filled with shock beyond measure.

Once the Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle was destroyed, the fog of war started to fade away, revealing the scattered and falling airships to everyone's view.

"The plan conceived by the Progenitor is truly insane, opting for a surprise attack on the enemy's headquarters. Ha... My old bones haven't felt this fired up in hundreds of years."

"Indeed. The staff officers had conducted countless simulations before. Unless we also had more than five demigod-level powerhouses, there was no chance of success. I can't believe the leaders actually pulled it off."

"It's utterly unbelievable, how did they do it? This legendary battle will surely be recorded in the annals of the alchemical world. If I weren't just at tier seven, I too would wish to join the battle, even if it were to end in death!"

"Regardless, prepare for battle. Our flying war formation has been disrupted, and the mages from the divine plane will be fighting desperately. With the final battle drawn near, the difficult fight begins now..."

"Yes, it's a matter of life and death this time."

"..."

A solitary surprise attack, destroying the enemy's command in the midst of a million troops—what could be more thrilling news?

But everyone was aware of the incredible risk of the operation.

Even for Mr. Jing and his peers, who represented the pinnacle of power in the alchemical world, this mission was likely a life-or-death gamble.

And yet, for all their concern, they were powerless to assist.

The insanity of attacking the enemy headquarters was a plan beyond the capabilities of anyone below tier nine, and even participating was out of the question.

All they could do was rush to the battlefield as quickly as possible. By engaging some of the mages, they hoped to relieve some of the pressure on the others.

On the deck, everyone's expression was uniformly serious.

Only Mr. Hei appeared utterly calm.

Gazing into the distance, a wise light flickered in his eyes.

The others failed to grasp the truth, but he, who had acquired "wisdom," had roughly deduced the reality behind their actions, murmuring to himself, "It seems, Su Lun's endless army of puppets has come to fruition..."

In the entire Dawn Group, aside from Su Lun and Mr. Jing, he was the only one who had read through the complete Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript.

And only he was aware of just how powerful Su Lun would become after integrating with the God Profaner's armor.

Thinking of something, Mr. Hei's pupils contracted as he thought the idea too incredible to believe and muttered to himself, "Perhaps... we are about to witness another miracle."

...

Elsewhere.

Within the fleet of magical airships of the divine plane.

The violent explosion on the golden flagship caused the surrounding airships to fall like rain onto the sea, scattering the thousand-strong formation as they were hit by tidal wave-sized surges.

The heart of the Cross Bird, though not completely dead, was blown up. It had utterly lost its previous force and dominance.

Like a castle with shaken foundations, it was already on the brink of collapse.

The moment the explosion occurred, four figures shot back several miles in an instant. Su Lun, Mr. Jing, Qiantiao, and Pandora stood suspended in the air.

Gazing at the magnificent blue mushroom cloud before them, they showed expressions of overt relief.

Finally, they had succeeded in sabotage—the risk they faced in this surprise attack was not in vain.

With the destruction of the giant bird war formation, the mages from the divine plane had lost their greatest reliance.

Thinking of attacking the mainland of Ruying now?

No, they won't have the chance.

Today marks the day of the demise of the million-strong magical army!

And just as the four of them teleported over, 'Archmage of Evil' Constantine and several surviving eighth and ninth tier mages also teleported in relentless pursuit.

An explosion of this magnitude was insufficient to kill these top-tier mages.

Looking at the completely destroyed airship, the faces of the few people were so grim they seemed as if they could drip with water.

How could they not know? Once the battle formation broke, on this isolated alchemical plane, their million-strong legion awaited a certain death trap.

The direct assault on Luying was chosen precisely because it was the Ascieden Empire's last chance.

Only if their million-man legion destroyed the civilization of alchemy would their previous sacrifices be rewarded, and the benefits from subsequently colonizing the plane maximize. For this, they had even paid the price of the Grand Princess Oktaavia's death in battle.

But now, with the Cease Giant Bird Magic Circle broken, their last hope had shattered.

Without the battle array's enhancement, even though they were a million mages, facing the several millions of alchemists surrounding them by sea, the outcome was already predictable.

If they were to be defeated in this pioneering battle, it would be the most severe and humiliating defeat in the history of the Ascieden Empire. A million troops lost here could even lead the Empire towards decline.

What was more crucial was the failure to fulfill the divine orders!

At the root of it all were these few individuals before them!

They not only killed the Grand Princess but were also the main culprits behind the destruction of the battle formation.

The mages never imagined that there would actually be someone capable of destroying the Cease Giant Bird Formation of a million-man legion.

The bizarrely broad-range mental control method, now recalled, felt like a nightmare.

But there was no point in discussing any of this now.

The blue mushroom cloud before them had not yet fully dissipated, and the stark reality lay before their eyes.

Constantine's expression darkened as he issued the command, "Kill them!"

Although the million-man legion was routed and scattered, they still comprised several ten-thousands-strong mage groups.

This was also a world-ending power!

Now, there was only the resolve for a fight to the death.

The indigenous forces currently before their eyes had already been severely damaged, and there was a chance to turn defeat into victory.

At this command, hundreds of nearby magic airships surged with dense magic fluctuations.

As for Demigod Constantine, he was the first to charge into battle, raising his magic wand and chanting devout prayers, "Great divine beings above, please bestow upon me the power of the divine weapon to slay the heretics..."

Finally, he completed the Divine Arts that he had left unfinished moments before.

Instead of summoning a god, as his prayer concluded, strands of the rules of reality condensed into a light shield in his left hand, manifesting the Artifact Projection—the "Shield of Purity."

Another look revealed that the epic "Helvir Magic Wand" in his right hand, adorned with a colorless gem, also gathered filaments of the rules, displaying the resplendent brilliance only Divine Artifacts could emit, turning it into a "Sub-Divine" grade item.

With the arrival of these two Sub-Divine magical instruments, even the sky seemed to dim in comparison.

"Archmage of Evil" Constantine Reiloz appeared godlike, his robes fluttering amidst rolling magic power.

For a moment, as he unfolded his magical domain, elements within dozens of miles were commandeered, as though he were the sole ruler of this world.

...

Su Lun's All-knowing Eye had already foreseen everything.

The expressions of Mr. Jing and the other two companions by his side could not hide their gravity.

The strength added by the projection of this hundred percent magic-immune Artifact to a Demigod was something they had personally experienced before.

Even without the "Eye of the Heavenly God," Demigod Constantine's prowess was not to be underestimated.

This was the epitome of humanity's ultimate power, and with the enhancement of Artifact Projection, he was an undefeated force on the plane.

Their previous victory was entirely due to the enemy's underestimation and their own thorough preparation. But now, besides Su Lun, the rest—Mr. Jing, Qian Tiao, and Pandora—were all in a severely wounded state.

If they were to truly engage in battle, the odds of winning were extremely low.

There was a chance to retreat.

But at this moment, they did not retreat, nor could they afford to.

If they were to flee, they would likely lose this perfect opportunity to completely annihilate the million-man mage army.

They would also fail to contain this unstoppable Demigod, which would inevitably lead to heavy losses for the united fleet, possibly even a counterattack from the deities of the celestial plane.

Mr. Jing and the others took the time to steady their restive vital energy. They did not strike again, instead forming a triangular formation in silent defense around Su Lun.

Because they knew that what followed would be the time for miracles to unfold.

....

Su Lun looked indifferently at the Mage who was summoning the terrifying elements to cast a forbidden spell, and a flicker of disdain flashed in his eyes, "Still not giving up, huh... Pity that now my endless army of puppets has been established, in front of me, numbers have lost all meaning."

What of a Demigod?

What of a million-strong legion?

Now that his endless army of puppets was assembled, he couldn't think of any reason he would lose in the plane of Alchemy!

It was at this moment that Su Lun raised his hand to summon thousands of space scrolls, and with a light shout, "Unfurl!"

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

The runes on the space scrolls shone brightly and exploded in the void.

Upon looking again, what could be called the most legendary scene since the onset of the planar wars appeared.

Above the sea, puppets materialized out of thin air, densely packed, covering the sky and obscuring the sun.

At a rough count, there were as many as a million!

The number of gargoyles hadn't exceeded two hundred thousand before the trip to God Burial Ground due to the scarcity of the main material "Animating Silver," with various qualities that were inconsistent. Then there were some other animated corpses, ancient puppets, traditional mechanical puppets, combat mecha puppets... all adding up to only about five hundred thousand.

And that dense swarm was made up of octopuses with eight tentacles, which could roam freely in the void, "Void Mechanical Octopuses."

The larger mechanical octopuses spanned hundreds of meters, the smaller ones the length of a single person, but there were countless numbers of them.

Gargoyles were the most perfectly structured puppets, while the mechanical octopuses were the most perfect mechanical creatures!

All of these were produced by the war workshops in the lesser void over the years, consuming endless resources, working day and night.

All for today!

This is the endless puppet army.

He alone,

Is the legion.

Capable of opposing,

An army of a million!

As soon as this million-strong legion appeared, although there were only four members of the Dawn Group, their momentum matched that of the opposing million-strong magic army.

Su Lun summoned the puppet army, like a deity commanding billions of lives, regarded everything born with intention, his aura imposing, "Ultimate Secret Art: Grand Puppet World!"

...

When the million-strong puppet army appeared out of nowhere, the mages from the divine plane were all dumbfounded.

Even as they were preparing to attack, they were so intimidated by the million-strong legion that they halted the magic power they had been gathering in their hands.

Even the Demi-God Constantine Reiloz watched with widened eyes, utterly incredulous.

In his life, he had seen countless powerful beings, having dabbled in professions of all sorts and seen all manner of strange and unusual methods.

But now, looking at this million-strong puppet army, it was unheard of and unseen before!

This old mage truly didn't know how to describe the complex emotions within his heart.

Puppet Masters existed in the magic system too, and Brady Robinson, the head of the Puppetry Academy at the Ascidon Imperial Royal Magic Academy, was one of the top Puppet Masters in the divine plane.

But even Brady, as a level nine Puppet Master capable of controlling hundreds of magic puppets, was already at his limit.

And previously, Constantine was surprised to learn from intelligence reports that there was a native alchemist of the alchemy plane who could control tens of thousands of puppets.

But now, this million-level... How had it been done?!

Tens of thousands could be attributed to exceptional talent, but a million? That level is outright beyond human comprehension, something only a deity could possibly achieve.

And it wasn't just the numbers.

Looking at those densely packed mechanical octopuses in the sky, the mages clearly struggled to comprehend what they were facing.

Biological?

Mechanical?

Mechanical beast?

Looking at the precise components, which should be inanimate, why did they feel the presence of the vibrancy of living flesh and soul?

Everything was beyond belief.

Yet the reality was right before their eyes.

These mages, they had witnessed a miracle.

A miracle of puppets, created by an alchemist!

...

On the other hand, aboard the Eternal Night.

A million-strong legion appeared out of thin air; such a massive commotion could be seen even by the blind.

The lookout on the watchtower saw the anomaly first and shouted, "Come and look over there! Good heavens, what is that?"

The blue mushroom cloud in the distant sky hadn't yet dissipated when suddenly, dense specks appeared in everyone's field of vision.

At first, they suspected the gods' mages of crafting some new battle formation, but once they looked through their telescopes, they realized those points, shimmering with a metallic luster, were actually puppets!

An endless sea of puppets!

This discovery was like cold water sizzling into a hot oil pan, igniting excitement among everyone on the deck.

"That's... puppets! The puppet legion of Mister Su Lun!"

"My god, am I seeing things? Surely, there must be a million puppets?"

"You're not seeing things! Hahaha, I finally understand why the war workshops were producing so many mechanical octopuses; they were all Mister Su Lun's puppets!"

"..."

The members of the Dawn Brigade who looked at the terrifying puppet legion were all shocked yet immensely thrilled.

Somehow, it seemed everyone had grown accustomed to "miracles" happening.

The familiar puppet theatre with crosses, the familiar stone gargoyles, the familiar threads...

It seemed like at every crucial moment of desperation, Su Lun would always step forward.

And every time he did, he was stronger than before!

The excitement from the enemy fleet's explosion was still in their blood, and when they saw the million-strong puppet legion, it was like a flame had been kindled in their hearts. Just looking at those four figures in the sky filled everyone with an ardent reverence!

The Old Sword God Bartolo said with a complex expression, "To control a million puppets, just the number alone means Su Lun no longer has any rivals in this realm..."

Number Nineteen smiled contentedly, "Indeed. When I think about it, I've known him for many years and each time, he brings new surprises."

Wazhwas sighed, "One man is worth a million in the enemy army. Without demi-god level strength to suppress him, numbers have lost all meaning to him."

Mr. Hei's face was touched with a kindly smile, "And that's not all... Su Lun is more than an ordinary Puppet Master. What makes him impressive isn't just controlling puppets. Everything he sees is within his puppetry. This is the art of the Puppeteer..."

Everyone: "..."

Abelc, being a disciple, clenched his fists in excitement, murmuring to himself, "Endless puppets, this is the way of my teacher's puppetry."

In that moment, he saw the light.

He saw the brilliance of a Puppeteer shining endlessly and dazzling from his mentor!

...

Not only were the people of the Dawn Brigade aboard the Eternal Night astonished.

The imperial soldiers from the joint fleet that had gathered around were also stunned.

They had intended to reinforce and help eradicate the enemy's million-strong magic legion.

But looking at the sudden appearance of a million blockades, they started to feel... perhaps they weren't needed after all?

It was just that one lord, Prince Fick, who had control of everything.

One man, capable of contending with an entire magic legion on his own.

On a communication ship that kept in real-time contact with the capital Lyndon, the intelligence officer had already lost words to describe the current situation.

All they could send was a brief message: "Prince Fick summons a million puppets, marshaling forces against the enemy."

The message was instantly relayed back to Lyndon.

In Frederick Palace, where Ekaterina was discussing the details of the final battle with her ministers, she received the urgent news first.

Upon seeing that line of text which not even the communicator could articulate, the worry in her eyes vanished, and she looked southeast through the stained-glass window with a pleasant smile, "As expected..."

Suddenly, the grand empire was abuzz with excitement.