Mechanical Alchemist

"Seems like we've got trouble..."

Su Lun hadn't harvested Pharaoh Cleopatra IX's soul and immediately guessed where the problem lay.

With no soul on the body, there were only two possibilities.

The first was that the Pharaoh was dead, and the soul was missing for some special reason;

The second was that she was feigning death, with another motive in mind.

After recently harvesting the memories of those guards, Su Lun was more inclined to believe the latter.

And as for the inheritance treasure like the "Key to Eternal Life," naturally, if the Pharaoh wasn't dead, she wouldn't let it be taken away so easily.

But now, Jay, Ralph, and Masia had already gotten hold of the key and were proceeding to open the Pyramid Tomb.

So, where was the problem?

Su Lun's thoughts raced, and he had already come up with a possibility, "It looks like the Tares God Clan probably wants to find out who is behind this..."

This time the five of them were Contractors summoned by a demonic contract, and even if captured, it would be meaningless.

Su Lun felt that if the Pharaoh wasn't dead, she probably decided to use their plan against them and find the root of the problem.

He looked at the body on the ground. A plan flashed through his mind in an instant, and he swiftly stuffed the body into a storage ring.

The surrounding guard legion tried to intercept, but with a few swooshes of the black scythe, he cleared another swath of guards.

At that moment, Su Lun looked at the dazzling Sun Temple not far away and decisively charged towards it.

It was his very action that caused the top-tier Tares God Clan experts, originally heading to trouble Sage Jay, to retreat greatly.

However, suddenly, from behind, the centaur Makamul bellowed a stark warning, "Be careful!"

Su Lun's eyes narrowed sharply, a needle-like killing intent rapidly closing in on him.

At this distance, there was no way to avoid it.

"A demigod of the Tares God Clan, huh..."

Su Lun murmured in his heart, had he not noticed?

Not to mention that the Crow's vision had already captured the sudden disappearance of the eagle-headed Demigod, his Soul Perception had also clearly detected the one who had suddenly appeared behind him.

Without any hesitation, Su Lun turned and threw a punch straight at the source of the aggressive killing intent behind him.

"Thud!"

As their fists connected, the point of contact in space shattered like a broken mirror, fracturing into large swaths of black cracks filled with lightning-like energy. Terrifying shockwaves kicked up a sandstorm all around.

Su Lun felt a heavy center of gravity, the stones beneath his feet cracking inch by inch, yet he firmly withstood the punch.

Opposite him, the figure of a being with a pair of golden wings and the head of an eagle also became visible.

For a ninth-tier human to withstand his direct punch, the Demigod was also visibly astonished.

...

This scene left the nearby centaur Makamul utterly shocked, as he held his fully drawn bow, frozen in place.

Having discovered the disappearance of the Demigod, he immediately guessed that the eagle-headed figure was targeting them.

Makamul warned them right away and intended to shoot an arrow to restrain, as a precaution.

After all, if their bodyguard died, so would he.

Yet, he never expected that this "Nicholas" would actually catch a Demigod's punch with his bare hands?

This was a genuine Demigod.

He had thought that among the five, only the barbarian Ralph had the physical toughness to withstand the strength of a Demigod's flesh. Perhaps the Dragon Maiden Masia could do so too. But was it possible for the supposedly physically frail "Death Magician" as well?

By comparison, he, almost an invincible Demigod Archer of the ninth order in the Dakla plane, seemed to become the weakest among the five?

Kamul's eyes twitched as he looked at the shining runes like dragon scales, "Is this what his dragon bloodline amounts to?"

Although he had known about this "Nicholas" having a dragon bloodline before, seeing it with his own eyes still found it unbelievable.

Is this what being a dragonkin is?

After the Dragon Maiden Masia transforms, she has an external beastly scale armor, but what on earth is this thing of yours?

Rune Dominator?

Before, seeing those strange various abilities was one thing, but now to have a body that can withstand a Demigod, what kind of monster is this?

...

It was after this punch collided that the two of them had already entangled in combat, fighting from the ground to the sky, with mountains collapsing and the earth splitting.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"..."

The combat power of a Demigod level battle is terrifying, and just the shockwaves alone could kill high-order powerhouses.

"So he really is an Alchemist." Kamul watched with a very complex look in his eyes.

A single hit could be chalked up to luck or a secret technique, but to be evenly matched after so many rounds of combat, this was already a testament of strength.

He thought of some ancient legends passed down by the centaur race.

An epidemic-like Alchemy civilization that conquered the heavens, that was once the nightmare and dark era of countless planes, as well as the gods' nightmare.

But oddly, those individuals called their civilization "Dawn."

He never expected to see that legendary God-Thief— the Alchemist—again today!

At the same time, he also heaved a sigh of relief.

At least, for now, it was a teammate, and a bodyguard at that.

Not an enemy.

The stronger that guy was, the greater Kamul's own chances of survival.

Where could Kamul not notice that this Nicholas, even in the midst of the great battle, was making every effort to fulfill the protection contract.

Although he didn't know how that person managed to be distracted while fighting with a Demigod, that black sickle kept chopping over, and the energy shockwaves from the two colliding were conveniently scattering some of the assembling battalions of thousands.

Lower-order professionals might not see through the intricacies within, but having observed this, Kamul sincerely mused, "What terrifying calculating ability..."

...

Su Lun had already confronted Demigods head-on at the eighth order, and now at the ninth order, without the suppression of rank, he was no less inferior.

Moreover, the [God Profaner] gear allowed him to rapidly digest the various intelligence he had gathered before, and he now almost had Cecil He, the Demigod "Judge," at his fingertips.

The Tares Divine Tribe's race of hawk falcons, excelling in Spatial Ability and wind control, were extremely fast and their melee capabilities extraordinarily extraordinary.

Once this person stuck to you, there was almost no possibility of escape.

But no matter whether it was Spatial Ability or physical strength, Su Lun had no shortcomings, and even in the understanding of Laws at the fundamental level, he was in no way inferior.

The two engaged in a fierce battle near the Golden Temple.

Su Lun appeared poised to rush into the divine temple to profane the deities, forcing Cecil He to defend the temple and be put on the back foot everywhere.

However, with neither side having an overwhelming advantage in a battle of this level, it is very difficult to determine a winner in a short period of time.

As forces converged around him, Su Lun had no intention of engaging in a fight to the death with this eagle-headed person here.

Because he was very aware that this sandy plane was the ancestral tomb of the Tares god clan. Although it couldn't accommodate other deities descending into this plane, that did not mean the gods of the Tares had not left any backdoors.

If Su Lun were to really kill all these guards, it would inevitably bring about even bigger trouble.

The best choice was to hold ground.

If a god-tier was watching, they would not be interested in entering the fray prematurely over an ant fight.

Moreover, with the eagle-headed demigod falling back to defend the Sun Temple, the three Saint Fighters had already entered the huge pyramid.

Whatever they had triggered, the ground itself started trembling with it.

Seeing this, Su Lun decisively chose to withdraw, and he shouted at centaur Makamul, "Go!"

Makamul had long been ready, "Valiant Charge!"

Despite being in a weakened state, as soon as he spoke of leaving, currents of air wove around his hooves like waves, and with a "whoosh," he burst out at a speed that left a trail of afterimages.

He charged out alone, yet numerous valiant spirits followed him, like an army of thousands.

This was a spatial ability, as well as a group attack skill – where the centaur tread, the momentum was unstoppable, and even a ten-thousand-strong army could not bar the way.

Su Lun looked on in admiration. This fellow claimed to be weak, but he indeed had life-saving tricks up his sleeve.

He did not delay either, contending with the eagle-headed demigod while charging towards the pyramid.

The two moved with incredible speed, and before the Tares clan warriors could react, they had already charged past them.

The three Saint Fighters, who had just opened the door to the tomb's passageway, looked a bit uneasy as they saw Su Lun and his companion charging over, given their earlier betrayal.

But at this moment, they didn't dare to stop them.

Having seen the terrifying combat power of "Nicholas," they had recognized him as the legendary alchemist.

With an eagle-headed demigod and a large number of pursuers behind the pair, the trio could not stop them even if they wanted to resort to foul play.

And for Su Lun and centaur Makamul, there was no time to dally, as completing the demonic contract in the tomb was the urgent matter.

In a few moments, the two groups united.

Suddenly, an aura surge from Saint Fighter Jay was released, centaur Makamul unleashed another volley of arrows, barbarian Ralph cleaved a path with his thunderous axe, Dragon Maiden Masia breathed out dragon fire, and Su Lun swung his dark scythe...

The five unleashed their power together, and even the eagle-headed demigod could not avoid them in time, as the several ten-thousand-strong regiments that pursued them were instantly scattered, allowing the group to smoothly enter the tomb's passage.

...

It was a dark passage leading underground, and Su Lun's group charged down, quickly losing the sound of pursuers behind them.

"Keep going down! As long as we can place the 'Key of Eternity' on the altar at the bottom, the task will be complete!"

"Alright!"

The group continued to descend.

Although Su Lun and Makamul had been outmaneuvered before, neither of them said anything at this point.

They were well aware that even if they were to inflict mutual injuries, it would be meaningless.

The atmosphere among the team was slightly tense, but they still moved together deeper into the tomb.

The structure beneath the pyramid was very complex, and the space was much larger than it appeared.

Even this small tomb passage used for transporting corpses had a height of over five meters.

All five of them were in this plane for the first time, and they were cautious of the unfamiliar environment. However, after half a month of moving bricks, they also learned some necessary information.

This was a tomb, naturally a place for storing bodies.

Not far inside, the walls of the tomb passage were already adorned with a vast array of colorful murals.

The Tares tribe worshipped the sun god, so depictions of sun worship were everywhere on the murals. The murals also featured a multitude of creatures with the heads of wolves, eagles, crocodiles, baboons... and people with brown or tawny skin, these were the Tares divine beings.

Most of all, there were depictions concerning the process of making mummies from corpses.

Su Lun had harvested a great deal of memory and knew this quite clearly.

The Tares divine beings believed the body was a vessel for the soul. They were convinced that the soul would resurrect after death, so preserving the body was essential to provide a dwelling for the soul. Hence, they invented various embalming secret techniques, turning corpses into mummies to be stored in tombs, awaiting potential resurrection.

Of course, this was information accessible to the believers.

Su Lun himself had a deep understanding of the Law of Death, and "resurrection" was not so simple.

Since entering, he had been observing the various energy fluctuations permeating the tomb corridor.

However, suddenly, a sound of stone scraping came from within the passage.

The centaur Makamul spoke gravely, "The tomb gate we just entered through has been sealed."

The other three also showed a slight change in their expressions.

Naturally, Su Lun was the first to notice as well, as soon as the tomb door was sealed, all kinds of defensive prohibitions within the pyramid were activated.

These were divine prohibitions!

Luckily, the prohibitions did not seem to be offensive; they seemed only to trap those who intruded into the tomb.

Su Lun realized the most obvious of these prohibitions: This place prohibited spatial displacement.

However, he was not panicked because he already had some information before entering. Moreover, he had the Divine King's Divine Artifact, the "Urobolos Space-Time Ring," which still worked when he tested it.

The other few also seemed to have realized this.

The atmosphere grew somewhat tense.

The only piece of good news was that they no longer had to deal with the pursuers from outside.

With things as they were, the group did not delay further and continued to walk deeper into the tomb passage.

They would not consider how to get out for now; their priority was to deliver the "Key to Immortality" to its designated location and lift the curse of the demonic pact first; maybe everything would take a turn for the better afterwards.

All five of them were peak human beings after all, and despite encountering some difficulties in the tomb passage, they managed to resolve them without any real danger.

Soon, they arrived at an incredibly vast space.

It was deathly still, with no end in sight.

And even more astounding was the sheer number of coffins densely arranged here.

The coffins bore the distinctive features of Tares civilization, with human figures on the lids, painted in vibrant peacock blue, black, red, and other splendid colors, and were inlaid with various exquisite gemstones.

A few were forged entirely of gold, some were wooden coffins, and others were ceramic jars.

The worth of the coffins directly indicated the status of the mummies inside during their lifetimes.

Su Lun knew, only Tares divine beings of seventh order and above were entitled to have their mummies placed in the tombs to await resurrection.

For countless years, innumerable coffins had accumulated here.

And this was just one of the numerous sites across the entire sandy plane.

The bottom level?

Clearly, it was not.

The crypt hid far more secrets than what met the eye.

Su Lun's eyes gleamed with insight as he carefully examined everything before him.

His gaze fell upon the surrounding reliefs and murals that had been carved with various mysterious symbols—this was the "Book of the Dead."

The most important scripture of the Taris civilization, it was said to be a book written by high-ranking deities for the dead to read, hiding within it the secrets of resurrection.

"These look somewhat familiar..."

Su Lun stared intently at the symbols that resembled runes, lost in thought.

Written language is a simplification of runes, in essence expressing the mysteries of the universe, and the written language of any civilization is no different.

And alchemical civilization excelled in studying and deciphering various languages.

Su Lun was proficient in deciphering various languages, and now, endowed with the supercomputing power from God Profaner, he automatically began to decode those symbols the moment he saw them.

Looking at the source of laws that those symbols pointed to, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Weren't they similar to the Death Secret Technique inscribed on the gold scroll in his hand, "Words of the Sage"?

However, before he could ponder any further, a stern voice not far from his side exclaimed, "Don't look at them! I feel there's something wrong with those symbols."

Su Lun turned his head to see that it was the War Saint Jay who had spoken.

Indeed, there was an issue with those symbols, for they were intended for viewing by the deceased or those who had a mastery of the Death Law.

Otherwise, ordinary people who looked upon them would inadvertently have their life-force drained.

It was like a curse.

However, Su Lun's concern was not this. He looked at Jay, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

Even without the reminder, Camuel, Ralph, and Masia had also realized there was a problem and had restrained their gazes.

Jay continued, "Past this cluster of tombs lies the altar. Let's hurry on."

Ralph and the others had no objections and were ready to move forward.

However, Su Lun remained where he was.

Seeing that he didn't move, the other four also immediately became alert.

In this gloomy graveyard, any abnormality could make one fear that something bad would happen.

Half-Centaur Camuel, given his previously favorable impression during their battle together, didn't believe the danger came from Su Lun and asked, "What's wrong?"

The other three also cast puzzled looks.

Su Lun's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "That... I want to ask, where is the 'Key of Immortality'?"

Jay said, "It's with me, what about it?"

Su Lun pressed, "May I have a look at it?"

Upon hearing this, Jay, with a cautious look, countered, "What do you mean by that?"

Clearly, he had no intention of taking it out and then pretended to realize, "Are you referring to the incident before?"

With that said, Ralph and Masia also grew serious, subtly positioning themselves to protect Jay.

They thought Su Lun was now bringing this up to question the betrayal that had occurred earlier.

Since the three were just temporary allies, they naturally banded together at this moment.

Having already witnessed the prowess of the Magician "Nicholas" previously, they dared not underestimate him.

"Heh..."

Su Lun saw their stance and his lips curved into a slight smile, his suspicions now confirmed.

He chuckled and shook his head, then said, "Don't be so nervous. You don't have to give it to me; just take it out for me to look at. I just want to confirm something."

"... "

Upon hearing this, Jay's expression visibly faltered.

He made no move.

Just having a look shouldn't be a big issue, naturally.

But intuition told "him" that under no circumstances should it be taken out!

And it was this hesitation of his that immediately raised suspicions among his allies Ralph and Masia.

Both were shrewd and immediately sensed something was wrong with the current situation, so they decisively put some distance between themselves and the others.

In an instant, the five stood apart as if they had become five separate forces, each filled with mutual distrust.

Having seen through everything, Su Lun spoke again, "If you're unwilling to take it out, that's fine. I suggest you just give the 'Key of Immortality' to anyone here you trust to keep."

The 'Key of Immortality' was the key to opening the crypt's most central location and was the Taris clan's hereditary treasure, naturally not something that could be given to an outsider.

Jay, seeing his cover blown, no longer concealed his intentions and let out a "kakaka" of cold laughter.

As soon as that laughter sounded, Ralph and the others felt chills down their spines.

In that moment, how could they not realize that there was a major problem with this "Jay"!

....

Jay looked at Su Lun, his eyes revealing a trace of seduction as he coldly smiled, "How did you figure it out?"

Unfazed by that psychic control, Su Lun replied, "Do you think I'd tell you?"

At his words, the atmosphere suddenly turned sharply lethal.

The enemy was now very clear.

The barbarian Ralph also roared furiously, instantly entering a frenzied state, his stature growing several meters as his body radiated a blood-red murderous aura like flames.

Dragon Maiden Masia instantly transformed, dark red dragon scales covering her entire body.

And the half-centaur Camuel, not yet fully recovered, quickly created some distance, his bow of elements already forming in his hands.

But Jay was even faster!

He chose to ambush!

The War Saint's aura surged outwards, shrouded in a layer of dark grey flames.

This was none other than the second-ranked "Abyssal Poison Flame" of the Dou Qi Continent!

With this strange fire embodying him, the surrounding void seemed to be half-burned through, displaying waves and ripples.

Ralph and the others regarded it with wariness.

They had previously witnessed the power of this strange fire, ready to incinerate an eighth-tier professional into ash with a rule attack. Even they had to be extremely careful.

However, for Su Lun, all was calm.

In his eyes, the strange fire held no secrets anymore.

It was somewhat like the cosmic essence in the field of Alchemy, allowing professionals to touch upon the secrets of the laws with external force.

The difference was that the strange fire was also a form of attack.

And this "Abyssal Poison Flame" was a special kind of fire that contained the Space Law, enabling one's attacks to bear spatial damage.

However, the might of a strange fire was proportionate to the user's strength and comprehension of the laws.

This Jay's understanding of the Space Law, in Su Lun's eyes... was hardly anything significant!

...

Jay charged fiercely!

On the Fighting Spirit Continent, there are no fancy techniques, just relying on a body of martial prowess in close combat brawls.

And he is also supported by "Void Poison Flame," which burns everything it touches, whether it be realms, shields, or armor, to ashes.

This is practically a nightmare for all close-combat professionals.

And Jay himself has mastered a movement speed akin to lightning, dashing forward, nearly impossible to avoid!

When he claimed he could hold his own against two or three level nine fighters, he was really hiding his strength. With power like this, even demigods would have a headache!

His target was very clear as he launched a flash attack at Su Lun.

The punch wrapped in fighting spirit was like a sharp dagger, easily piercing through Su Lun's domain of death and even his protective aura.

Jay's face lit up with joy.

He was confident that at such close range, a strike like this was impossible for someone of the same rank to evade!

The distant centaur Makamul and his two companions watched anxiously. If "Nicholas" died, the problem could evolve into a very bad situation. After all, he was the only one who had identified the issue.

However, at that very second, something completely unexpected happened.

Su Lun just stood there, showing no intention of dodging, and his expression remained calm and collected.

He seemed not to have reacted at all, until Jay's fighting spirit blade had already pierced his chest.

At that moment,

Time seemed to stand still!

Su Lun's eyes flashed sharply as he threw a punch.

The other four saw a mind-boggling scene.

His movements appeared to speed up several times, while Jay's slowed down just as much!

It was with this punch, right before the dagger-hand touched his chest, that he landed a blow on Jay's chest.

With a "thud," a figure was sent flying backward!

...

Seeing that eerie scene from a distance, Ralph and the other two instantly understood, exclaiming in shock, "The power of the Time Law!"

It was one of the most mysterious and hardest to master powers in the universe.

They never imagined that "Nicholas" had mastered it!

To think that to control a peak level nine being also meant that his understanding of the Time Law was at the pinnacle of humanity.

How is that possible...

Is this guy a freak?

It was already mind-blowing that so many powerful abilities were concentrated in one person, and now this?

Oh,

Right!

This guy is the legendary Alchemist!

However, without waiting for their thoughts to drift, a "bang" resounded as a figure hit the ground. Jay crashed through dozens of coffins before finally stopping and couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes red.

Just from this encounter, he was severely injured!

The three looked incredulously at the person in the ruins, then turned their gaze to "Nicholas" who was still standing in place.

What surprised them even more was that this guy ignored the burning rule of "Void Poison Flame" and punched directly at Jay's chest?

That also meant that he possessed a profound understanding of the Space Law, to be able to disregard the strange fire!

Seeing this, Makamul suddenly felt much better, consoling himself: I knew it wasn't because I'm weak, but because this guy is too abnormal.

Breaking out with "Nicholas" earlier made him feel like a lousy chicken.

Now, seeing Jay knocked flying with a single punch, he suddenly felt much less gloomy.

But this wasn't the time to watch the show.

Jay's protective fighting spirit was shattered by that punch, and it hadn't recovered for a moment. The other three, all top masters, had already seen their chance.

Makamul shot an arrow at Jay's lower abdomen. It wasn't fatal, but it prevented him from consolidating his fighting spirit.

Ralph and Masia, both incredibly fast, had already teleported to Jay's side and broke both of his arms.

They all wanted a live capture.

Losing the advantage and being seriously injured by one move.

Surrounded by four top-level powerhouses, Jay, no matter how strong, couldn't stir up any trouble.

However, Jay, unable to move after being captured, revealed a strange smile at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this, Ralph and Masia's expressions changed drastically as they quickly retreated.

This guy chose to "self-destruct"!

On the Fighting Spirit Continent, where fighting spirit is essential, a person is like a pressurized gas container, and once detonated, the power can be immensely terrifying.

The explosive power of a self-destructing level nine Fighting Saint is enough to kill even a demigod.

But at this critical moment, a figure flashed in front of Jay, stretching out a finger and pressing it on a vital point.

A bizarre scene ensued.

Jay, who was still swollen as if ready to explode, suddenly had all the fighting spirit gushing out of him as if a dam had burst.

The self-destruction was halted!

Even Jay, the person involved, was shocked: How did he do that?

...

Su Lun's piercing gaze, his All-knowing Eye already saw the flow of qi channels throughout Jay's body, who was in a self-destruct state.

After quick mental analysis of the pressure release points, he found the spot and that solved the problem.

Even if he had guessed wrong, it wasn't a big deal.

Su Lun estimated the destructive power of the explosion, and the chances were he wouldn't die.

This time, Su Lun did not give him a chance.

Compared to interrogating a living person, he preferred to search the soul.

That one fingertip directly touched Jay's life force, causing the fighting spirit to spill out, and a "grey mist" also emerged.

However, at that moment, with no fighting spirit to control it, "Void Poison Flame" immediately backlashed, burning the body to nothing.

An energy as terrifying as a nuclear blast spread wildly.

Su Lun was unafraid of the terrifying spatial fluctuations, reaching out his hand toward it.

A grey flame reflected in his eyes as he murmured to himself, "A strange fire... what a treasure."