Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun had escaped the pursuit of the jackal-headed mummy and followed the direction indicated by the demigod Apophis to find a very hidden underground passage.

This passage, left by the divine craftsmen who originally built the pyramid for their own survival, would have remained undiscovered by Su Lun if the demigod had not pointed out its exact location, hidden within a spatial rift.

Su Lun dived in and slid down the sandy tunnel that was like a slide.

The skilled Dwarf Divine General had created a "wormhole" within the nearly airtight, beyond-advanced prohibition array of the pyramid, allowing one to escape without triggering those prohibitions.

It was only in his escape that Su Lun realized the pyramid was more than just the surface; there was a hugely vast and complex foundation underneath.

Now that he was fleeing, he made no apologies, stuffing every "Asgard gemstone" he encountered, which could be disassembled and carried away, into his small void world.

And because the passage was extremely covert, avoiding direct confrontation with the Taris divine tribe on the surface, he wasn't the least bit worried about being discovered.

So he continued downward, likely leaving the pyramid's foundation riddled with holes, until he saw an underground world that resembled a mass of roots.

It was then that Su Lun realized, could these root-bearing pyramids be alive? Seemed like they were absorbing energy from the entire sandy plane?

This was probably part of the Taris divine tribe's secret of resurrection. Although Su Lun had an interest in exploring, the grave warning from Mr. Crow on his shoulder meant he couldn't delay and immediately used spatial teleportation to enter the spatial rift deep underground.

With the "Urobolos Space-Time Ring" protecting his body, he wasn't afraid of being stirred into the turbulent flows of space by spatial winds.

Because he had left markers all along his way when he first arrived, Su Lun teleported towards them.

Coming here was smooth sailing under the demigod's divine power, but now alone on his return, he had to be cautious at every step.

Spatial winds posed a risk of falling even for divine beings, let alone for a ninth-rank like himself.

So Su Lun carefully navigated through the space rifts that resembled roots.

During his travel, he increasingly sensed that the world was like a tree, planted in the infinite soil of the universe.

Each plane was like a giant tree, forming an endless forest.

Without coordinates, one would surely get lost in this forest.

Thus, a journey that took three days on the way took a full four months to return.

Even with utmost caution, the omnipresent spatial winds nearly cost him his life in the void on several occasions.

Still, he returned safely to the Alchemy plane in the end, collecting some stray pieces of space and spatial gemstones along the way to expand his small void world.

...

On this day, atop the azure sea,

two people, a Dragon Maiden, and a centaur stood on the sea surface.

Su Lun let out a long breath, "Finally back."

Pandora, with her face hidden under the cloak, also revealed a warm smile, "Yes, indeed. While the journey outside brought great harvests, it feels better to be back."

However, standing atop the sea and sensing nature's spiritual energy, the other two wore slightly odd expressions.

The centaur Makamul frowned in confusion, "Is this the Alchemy plane? Why do the laws of nature seem a bit low here..."

As he spoke, he glanced at Su Lun. Assuming that such a formidable being had emerged from the Alchemy plane, Makamul had expected it to be a powerful plane.

But upon arrival, he found the ceiling of this plane's laws to be much lower, even less than that of the Centaur plane.

Seemingly... a shattered plane?

Though aware of the ancient legend that the Alchemy plane had been destroyed, it was unlikely for a ninth-rank to appear from a broken plane, let alone such an anomaly as Su Lun.

Masia, the Dragon Maiden beside him, harbored similar doubts.

Su Lun looked at the two of them and said calmly, "The laws of nature here have improved a lot from before."

Hearing this, Makamul and Masia both felt relieved, thinking in unison: Fortunately, there's only one oddity like him.

Without intending to explain further, Su Lun smiled, "Let's go. As we travel, I'll introduce you to our Alchemy plane."

Without saying much more, Makamul and the others nodded. After all, they had signed a war pact and were prepared for what lay ahead.

Plus, the prospect of seeing the legendary Alchemy civilization filled them with anticipation.

With that, a spatial fluctuation flashed, and the four of them vanished on the spot.

...

Including the time spent on the journey, nearly half a year had passed since Su Lun had left the Alchemy plane until his return.

Leading the three others via teleportation across the sea, upon returning, he immediately reached for his communicator, "Sister, I'm back."

After a moment's wait, a voice from the communicator replied, "Hmm."

His sister's tone was as indifferent as ever, but then she added, "Good to have you back."

Listening to her, the corners of Su Lun's mouth lifted slightly.

Teleporting from the North Sea, he noticed that the coastal defenses had become much denser than before, with patrol warships almost everywhere in key maritime areas.

Which meant that the condition of the inter-plane war might already be quite dire.

Hopefully, he had not returned too late.

Su Lun didn't dare delay and teleported swiftly.

Shortly, the four appeared over the Imperial Strait.

Before they could get close to Mr. Jing's position, Su Lun noticed the turbulent waves and chaotic storm cyclones howling across the sea. Clearly, these were not normal weather patterns, but the result of legion magics and battle.

There were also fragments of warships and flying ships floating on the surface.

As a centaur bound by a battle pact, Makamul was ready for war and immediately assumed his role.

The centaur race possessed a strong sense of perception. Sniffing the elemental air, he said, "Twenty nautical miles to the north and about seventy to the northwest, there are intense energy fluctuations in both directions."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded.

Although he knew behind him was Mr. Jing's location, he was unaware that the enemy from the divine plane had come so close on the other side.

It seemed both sides were in a standoff.

After a brief halt, they teleported again.

As the scenery around them changed, they had already arrived in the direction of the United Empire's fleet headquarters.

Both the centaur Makamul and the Dragon Maiden Masia came from a world completely devoid of technology, a realm of pure magic. They had originally thought that the war would be much like the conflicts in their world.

But as they teleported over and saw the sky full of mechanical airships and the sea teeming with massive cannon warships, they were awe-struck, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Makamul: "What... what kind of airships are these? Made of steel? And they can actually fly in the sky?"

Masia: "All these warships are made of steel? So heavy, and yet they float on water?"

Makamul: "And those long tubes, what are they? They feel a bit like the dwarf's cannons."

Masia: "Is this alchemy..."

The Divine Power realm had been an agrarian society for countless years; they had never seen such technology. Even as ninth-tier beings, they were like curious babies, seeing everything as brand new.

When the four appeared above the sea, the people in the imperial fleet naturally spotted them immediately.

Just as they were touching down, a part of the clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, revealing numerous unevenly sized gun barrels aiming at them. That was when the four realized that the cloud concealed an incredibly large city of steel, its constructions and defensive towers densely packed and large rivets joining giant, thick armor plates.

It was simply too massive, resembling a huge whale while the floating steam airships nearby looked like little fish.

Upon close inspection, a faint layer of rune energy encircled the fortress.

"What's all this about!"

Makamul and Masia felt like they were facing a formidable enemy. Even though they didn't recognize the cannons, the black muzzles still conveyed a deadly threat.

Su Lun saw this and chuckled, raising his voice to shout at the war fortress, "Dora, stop messing around. We've got guests."

This was, of course, the "Sky Mechanical War Fortress" that had been secretly under construction for many years.

And at the control core of this mechanical war fortress was Dora, who had also integrated the mechanism of a "God Profaner" mechanical lifeform.

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of sirens rang out next to his ear, "Wow... Mr. Su Lun is back."

With that, the mechanical arms on the steel fortress waved in unison towards the four, as if excitedly welcoming them.

Su Lun looked on and smiled faintly, "Hmm."

Now, looking at the scale of the Sky War Fortress, it had reached the design envisioned at its conception; it was the ultimate mechanical creation, an absolute weapon of war.

But employing this Sky War Fortress also meant that the current interdimensional war was edging towards a grand decisive battle.

Yet to Makamul and Masia, outsiders, the scene was once again astonishing.

They hadn't yet figured out why the steel fortress could fly in the sky, and now they watched as the entire fortress's mechanical arms greeted them.

It was then that they realized... the fortress was alive?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Makamul inquired earnestly, "Mr. Su Lun, were you just... greeting this flying steel city?"

"Hmm. The fortress is a companion of mine."

Su Lun, not knowing quite where to start explaining, and realizing that mechanical life was difficult to explain to most alchemists, let alone divine followers, laughed and said, "Let's go aboard the ship and talk more."

With a flicker of spatial disturbance, the four vanished on the spot.

....

"Mr. Su Lun is back!"

"Hahaha, everyone come quick, Mr. Su Lun is back!"

"Oh, Mr. Su Lun has brought two very special guests!"

"..."

Su Lun and his companions landed on the deck, and as soon as someone shouted out, the entire fleet immediately erupted in excitement.

From inside the cabins and on the gun platforms, windows swung open, and faces full of anticipation turned towards the deck.

The moment they saw Su Lun, they cheered him on excitedly.

Su Lun scanned with his senses and noted that there were over 200,000 people within the entire Sky War Fortress.

Some belonged to the Dawn Group, and many were imperial soldiers; after all, such a colossal Sky Mechanical War Fortress required a substantial number of combat forces and mechanics to operate.

But everyone recognized Su Lun, the "Puppet Emperor" whose face had been printed countless times in the newspapers.

His solo feat of breaking through the million-strong legion of the Heavenly Divine realm was too shocking, and it remained the most legendary battle in the history of the alchemy realm to date.

As soon as the four stepped onto the ship, the crowd immediately swarmed them.

Makamul and Masia were astounded as their feet stepped onto the hard steel deck; the sky fortress felt no different from standing on solid ground.

Listening to the tide-like cheers, their awe was quite overwhelming.

But it was as expected, after all, such an outlandish powerhouse was naturally a leader.

The two glanced around and were immediately drawn to the highest structure in the steel city. In the sky, numerous thunderbolts poured down, landing on that tower which resembled a lightning rod.

What caught their attention was not the tower, but the half-revealed, flickering white lance of lightning within it.

Makamul's eyelids twitched at the sight: "A fragment of a Divine Artifact?"

Su Lun offered an explanation, "Hmm."

This lance was a treasure found during their very first hunt for a pure-blooded giant dragon in the waters of Dragon Country.

The lance had already shattered, its sole purpose being to attract lightning.

With current technology in the alchemy realm capable of harnessing lightning for power, it had become a continuous source of energy for the fortress.

The tower itself had been converted into a supercharged lightning magic cannon.

Before they could ask more questions,

a striking figure with golden wings swooped down from the sky. Her metal wings retracted as she landed before Su Lun, unable to hide her joy, "Su Lun, you're back!"

Of course, this was Number 19, the "Mechanical Angel."

At this moment, most of her body was in combat mode, without synthetic skin, giving her an extremely sharp, metallic presence.

Makamul didn't know how to describe his feelings at the moment: "A... metal person?"

Dragon Maiden Masia's expression was equally complex.

Their understanding just couldn't grasp the concept of a super mechanical warrior.

And turning around, it wasn't just this one—on the vast deck, there were also quite a few people with mechanical arms, mechanical legs, mechanical eyes, operating mechanical tools...

The sight left the two newcomers greatly shocked, to the point where even their world views began to crumble.

In the divine realm, power always came from the gods, and all unusual skills were considered heresy.

But in the alchemy realm, these things were everywhere.

Fortunately for them, these strange mechanical humans didn't seem to pose much of a threat to them, being ninth-tier power holders, based on their energy fluctuations.

Barrett and Masia both sighed with relief in their hearts: indeed, not all alchemists were freaks.

But just as they had relaxed a bit, something else shocking happened.

At this moment, the crowd had already gathered around.

"Mr. Su Lun!"

"..."

The people crowded around, excitedly asking all sorts of questions.

Having not seen Su Lun for nearly half a year, those with keen intuition had faintly guessed that something might have gone wrong. But now, seeing his return, everyone's anxiety was eased.

It was then that Barrett and Masia realized that those gathering around were all unusually tall, with a very obvious bloodline oppression that belonged to superior creatures.

A large group of people coming together made this feeling particularly evident.

This was... the might of a dragon!

Masia was a high-blooded dragonblood herself, and she felt a certain kinship with these warriors, noticing an echo in their bloodlines.

What shocked her was not the discovery of her kin; after all, "Mr. Su Lun" himself had a strong dragon lineage.

What shocked her was that among the tens of thousands of people who had gathered on the ship, almost every one of them was a dragonblood!

Even if they were not dragonbloods, there were some who possessed the aura of ancient mythological bloodlines.

This... what was going on?

In her realm, bloodline was a gift from heaven. Someone with as pure a dragonblood lineage as herself was one in a billion.

Yet here, she found that nearly every person had an exceptionally high dragon blood resonance.

She remembered the words Su Lun had said when she signed the contract, that he could evolve her bloodline... Now it seemed, he had spoken the truth.

Barrett and Masia exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

But they said nothing.

After all, they still needed to maintain the demeanor of ninth-tier masters.

"Mr. Su Lun!"

"Teacher!"

"..."

At this time, Lolo, Gik, Tanni, the disciple Aberk, Kama... and others who were very familiar with Su Lun all crowded around.

A robust voice also greeted, "Su Lun, you're back?"

Upon closer look, it was Barrett.

Seeing his robust life force, Barrett and Masia turned their eyes slightly, thinking: Only eighth-tier? How can he achieve this level, strange...

Immediately after, an old man with a sword at his waist also appeared on the tower above, smiling and calling out, "Young friend Su Lun, you've returned."

Just looking at this old man, Barrett and Masia felt a sense of gravity: so strong!

This old man posed a lethal threat to them.

Su Lun smiled, "Elder Bartolo, it's been a while~"

No sooner had he spoken, two other persons approached.

One was a middle-aged man in a black robe, with an eyepatch over one eye; the other was a middle-aged man with a pale face, wearing a black cape with a red lining, whose age was indiscernible.

Su Lun took the initiative to greet them: "Mr. Hei, Wazhwas, all's well I trust."

Both were ninth-tier members of the Dawn group, and they both knew where Su Lun had been during this time.

Seeing him return, both of them also felt relieved.

Mr. Hei said with a kindly smile, "It's good you're back."

Wazhwas also said, "Indeed..."

Before they could finish speaking, suddenly a small head popped out from below deck.

The little ghostly miss suddenly emerged from the lower deck, shooting up and clinging to Su Lun's neck like a koala, muttering, "Ah... Su Lun, why did you take so long to come back?"

As she spoke, Pestoia's eyes reddened, and then she opened her mouth and began to cry loudly.

She had the closest relationship with Su Lun, and without any news for half a year, she had feared the worst.

Now, seeing him return, little Pestoia was naturally the happiest.

Su Lun gently patted her head, soothing the crying ghostly miss: "Alright, I have brought you a gift."

On hearing this, Pestoia's expression instantly brightened up and she stopped crying, "Really?"

Su Lun couldn't help but smile wryly, "Yes. I'll give it to you in a bit."

Yet this scene had Barrett and Masia's eyes twitching.

Others couldn't see Pestoia, but they could see that indescribable twist of soul fire.

If they weren't mistaken, that was an entity... that had congealed god-fire!

What was this?

A god?

There was a godly presence aboard this ship?

However, before they could ponder any further, a flash of mirror light, and suddenly another person appeared on the deck.

As Mr. Jing arrived, everyone together responded, "Leader."

Su Lun looked on and smiled, "Senior sister."

Mr. Jing nodded slightly, a tender joy emerging in his eyes.

Kamul and Masia observed discreetly, several threats having already appeared that made them feel uneasy.

Being powerful was one thing, but this was a peculiar kind of powerful.

It gave off an inscrutable and mysterious vibe.

Having seen the endless tricks up Su Lun's sleeve before, the two felt no contempt for the alchemists before them.

However, upon the appearance of this leader, both immediately recognized a top-tier powerhouse.

Su Lun introduced them, "This is Mr. Kamul, a ninth-tier centaur master. And this is Miss Masia, a very formidable Dragonborn."

He had mentioned them briefly in the communicator before, and Mr. Jing, aware that the two were allies, also politely said, "Welcome, friends from another plane of existence."

Kamul and his companion did not dare to take their status for granted and hurriedly placed their hands over their chests in a gesture of courtesy.

Thanks to language proficiency, communication was not an issue.

....

After meeting Su Lun, everyone on the ship was curious about the two friends she had brought back.

After all, whether it was centaurs from mythological tales or Dragonborn, no one had seen such beings before, and they gazed upon them with fascination, as if they were a novel species.

But the tradition of the Dawn group was to be very hospitable; friends would invariably be welcomed and treated warmly.

Lolota said, "Wow... so are centaurs also those that can sprout wings and fly into the sky?"

Tanni replied, "You dummy, Lolota, that's not it, those are pegasus. Centaurs are powerful warriors... In the Mythological Era, they were considered among the higher races alongside dwarves, elves, and gnomes."

Lolota commented, "Oh, I see. That Dragon Maiden sister looks really powerful, like her dragon's might is no less than the ninth-tier dragon we encountered before."

Gic said, "I don't know. But friends brought back by Mr. Su Lun must be extremely capable."

"..."

There was much discussion among the crowd.

Kamul and Masia did not feel uncomfortable, as goodwill transcends species, and they could easily tell the humans were friendly toward them.

They were also slightly surprised.

After all, on their planes, tolerance amongst races wasn't so strong; encountering guests of different species usually triggered necessary caution.

But these humans... seemed special, the benevolence in their eyes made both guests comfortable.

However, it was at this moment that the alarming "woo woo woo" siren sounded on the Sky Mechanical War Fortress's deck.

Su Lun thought it was a hostile attack and glanced at her senior sister, "???"

Mr. Jing, accustomed to such occurrences, said, "Typical surveillance behavior of the Angelic plane. They probably detected something unusual on the deck and sent someone to check it out."

Mr. Hei's expression also showed a hint of helplessness as he said, "An Angelic plane's ninth-tier wind mage with a rather special magic apparatus, very fast and cautious. We've tried several times but failed to catch him."

Su Lun followed the direction and saw a bearded figure in the winds almost ten kilometers away.

A ninth-tier Sage of Law on a reconnaissance mission would naturally be hard to capture.

At that moment, Kamul seemed to understand something and proactively asked, "An enemy?"

Su Lun nodded, "Yes."

Kamul's eyes flashed with resolve, "Then may I try?"

Su Lun thought for a moment and then smiled, "Then I'll trouble Mr. Kamul."

Others might not know of Kamul's abilities, but he was very aware.

An archer to deal with a fleet-footed target couldn't be more fitting.

Su Lun also noted that Kamul was eager to showcase his strength. After all, whether it was a contract or something else, powerhouses have their own pride.

With that, Kamul's expression turned solemn, and a terrifying aura of destruction rose around him as he made a bow-pulling gesture.

To the astonishment of all watching, a space-twisting arrow formed on the bow made of the elements.

In the distance, the wind mage conducting reconnaissance seemed to sense the danger and instantly transformed into a gust of wind, disappearing from sight.

Su Lun watched with an intense gaze, thinking: It's too late!

He had witnessed the power of that arrow; it could slay a demigod, let alone someone of the ninth-tier.

By the time one saw it, the arrow would have already struck its target.

And sure enough, as Kamul's bowstring was released, a storm erupted in the distance, exploding into fragments.

Blood stained the sky, and the ninth-tier wind mage could no longer maintain his elemental form, plummeting from the sky.

Witnessing this scene, everyone on the deck, both the Dawn members and the imperial warriors, were stunned: An arrow had severely wounded a ninth-tier Sage of Law?

Even Mr. Jing and a few of the Dawn group's ninth-tier forces took a moment to look on seriously.

To achieve this was to say, did this Kamul possess the power to contend with a demigod?

That strong?

The Dragon Maiden Masia also didn't want to be outdone. Seeing the enemy struck by the arrow, she leaped from the deck, transforming into a grim fiery dragon midair.

"Aaang~"

The high-pitched dragon roar sent a shiver through everyone.

The members of the Dawn had seen real dragons before, and at this moment, they realized that Miss Masia was truly a humanoid dragon!

The fiery figure shot through the sky like lightning, seizing the falling Sage of Law mid-plummet.

The mage, who seemed to have been spared death by some secret artifact just moments ago, coughed up blood and turned deathly pale from the grip, completely losing consciousness.

A gust of wind swept across the deck, and in the next moment, the red dragon had already returned with the captive in tow.

This time, it was the turn of everyone on the deck to be dumbfounded.

Only then did everyone realize just how astoundingly strong Su Lun's two friends were!