Mechanical Alchemist

"Wow, Mr. Makamul is so amazing!"

"Miss Masia can actually transform into a giant dragon, that's so cool~"

"..."

As the two effortlessly inflicted heavy injuries and captured a ninth-tier Mage, cheers erupted throughout the sky fortress and the entire fleet of mechanical flying ships.

Everyone had just realized that the two friends Su Lun had brought back from who knows where possessed combat abilities far exceeding those of the ninth tier.

Powerful individuals are respected everywhere, and the atmosphere instantly became warm and friendly.

Having severely injured that Mage, Makamul and Masia also felt a mysterious sense of relief. The bizarre oppressive feeling they had been under the whole time in the yellow sand dimension, pressed down by a certain freak without daring to breathe, had finally dissipated.

Su Lun watched with a faint smile on his face.

He glanced around and, not seeing someone, asked, "Sister, where is Qian Tiao? How come I haven't seen her?"

Mr. Jing's elegant eyebrows raised slightly as he said, "She cannot sit still for a day. She has been causing trouble for the Celestial Empire fleet these days. I just told her you were back, so she should be returning soon."

Su Lun: "Oh."

Speaking of coincidences, it was shortly after these words were spoken that suddenly a lookout on the watchtower shouted, "Qian Tiao is back!"

Everyone looked over to see a figure in the distant sky, coming with the force of wind and thunder, moving extremely fast.

Even from a great distance, they could sense an uncontrollable aura of fierce energy emanating from that person.

Su Lun's expression immediately turned strange and he glanced at Mr. Jing, asking, "Sister, has Qian Tiao reached the Demigod realm?"

Compared to half a year ago, that oppressive feeling had intensified too much.

Moreover, that outward radiating fierce energy, in the eyes of the All-knowing Eye, had already become threads of rules.

This was the clearest sign of being a Demigod.

"Yes."

Mr. Jing nodded, his smile full of relief yet his tone somewhat melancholic, "The three realms of 'Rakshasa Woman' are quite special. After she went to the Yellow Springs Country, she seems to have realized something impressive. Later, observing the 'Green Jade' black stele, her enlightenment progressed unlike others. Two fronts before, during Dawn's encounter with the Celestial Empire's ambush, she suddenly came to master the power of rules."

Su Lun listened and came to understand, but at the same time, his expression grew slightly solemn: "Is the current battle situation not very good?"

Although his Sister's tone was laid-back, he too detected that the recent dimensional wars were definitely not looking good. The fact that the Celestial Empire's forces dared to ambush the Dawn meant there must have been overwhelming force present.

After pondering for a moment, Mr. Jing nodded seriously, "Yes. It's pretty bad. We'll discuss this in detail later."

Before they could discuss further, Qian Tiao had already arrived, stepping on the deck.

...

Qian Tiao landed on the deck of the fortress and strode directly towards Su Lun with a bright smile, saying, "Hey! Su Lun, you finally came back!"

She came over and gave Su Lun a firm hug.

Su Lun felt a surge of tenderness in his arms, "Yes, I'm back."

Qian Tiao hugged his arm and whispered in his ear, "It's good you're alive."

Su Lun smiled faintly.

Naturally forthright, Qian Tiao didn't say much in front of others. She turned her gaze to the two friends Su Lun had brought back, as if she had discovered some treasure, her eyes gleaming, "The two of you are very strong~"

Recognizing them as allies, she enthusiastically introduced herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Since you are friends of Su Lun, you are friends of Dawn too. Got time for a spar?"

At her mention of "spar", both Makamul and Masia couldn't help but twitch, thinking, "So strong!"

No,

Not just strong

But terrifyingly strong!

Just now, having defeated a ninth-tier Mage, they had felt a surge of confidence as top-tier warriors, but their confidence was instantly dispersed by the swordsman before them.

This female swordsman seemed to have killed many recently; her Sword Dao robe was stained with dark red blood spots everywhere. The blood of high-class professionals doesn't fade easily and retains some very special energy fluctuations.

Both the centaur and the dragon maiden had very sharp senses, and they certainly knew this person must have killed a lot of top-class masters.

That gaze just now felt like a blade had passed over their bodies, giving them a feeling that any sign of hostility would lead to immediate beheading.

For beings of their realm, the existence below the divine tier should hardly ever give such a terrifying oppressive feeling.

Just who was this female swordsman?

Makamul and Masia glanced at Su Lun who stood beside her, both thinking the same thing.

Indeed, this freak from the Alchemy Plane was not an exception.

Damn, here's another one!

No, three!

And that leader with the mirror-light ability, utterly unfathomable.

Among thousands on the vast deck, no one knew how complicated the feelings of these two extraordinary realm forces were at this moment.

Su Lun, seeing Qian Tiao's genuinely enthusiastic expression, quickly intervened to ease the situation, with a laugh, "Qian Tiao, Mr. Makamul and Miss Masia are guests, let's talk about the sparring later."

Hearing this from someone else, it might sound somewhat like taking advantage of their long journey.

But in Qian Tiao's mouth, there was absolutely no hidden agenda.

She was purely eager for a chance to spar and to see the power of masters from other dimensions.

Sword heart transparent.

With these words, tens of thousands on the deck cheered in unison.

Today was a day worth celebrating, Su Lun's return, and bringing back two immensely strong friends, brought a glimmer of hope to an otherwise dismal war situation.

...

A grand banquet was held in the sky fortress to celebrate Su Lun's return and welcome the two friends from afar.

Before long, everyone was satisfied with food and drink.

The fortress had an enormous internal structure, designed to maximize defense, almost completely cutting off natural light.

In the slightly gloomy metallic corridor, alchemical lamps on the walls illuminated the riveted metal walls.

Su Lun, Qian Tiao, and Pandora walked unhurriedly, planning to head back to their cabins to rest.

At that moment, a translucent little head suddenly popped out from the wall. She blinked her eyes, full of anticipation, and asked, "Su Lun, where's the gift you said you'd bring me?"

Su Lun looked at the little ghost Miss and pretended not to know, "Ah... did I say I would bring you a gift?"

Seeing his demeanor, Pestoya suddenly jumped onto his neck, baring her tiny sharp teeth and angrily threatened, "You nasty fellow... hand over the gift now, or I'll bite you to death!"

Su Lun laughed heartily, "Hahaha, of course, I brought it. Do you like it?"

With that, he took out a well-behaved life-sized doll from his miniature void realm, and it floated in mid-air.

This was no ordinary puppet doll.

In the months since he returned from the Yellow Sand Realm, Su Lun had been busy, crafting a Flawless Spirit Embryo into this alchemic homunculus.

This was the body he had promised to the ghost Miss who was riding on his neck; he had always taken it to heart.

"This..."

Seeing it, Pestoya instantly covered her small mouth with both hands, her starry clear eyes immediately sparkled with brilliance.

Looking at the doll, it was like looking in a mirror, she saw an exact replica of herself.

Light brown wavy curls, delicate and well-behaved features, goth-style smokey makeup, she looked exactly like a little princess deep in sleep. Even with her eyes closed, that quirky spirit seemed as if it had come to life. The dress she wore was also Pestoya's favorite dark Lolita dress, with lots of pretty lace and adorable puffy skirts. Just one look at it sent a rush of pure maidenly essence.

Seeing the doll, Qiantiao also brightened up, admiringly said, "Yo~ it's just like Pestoya."

The materials were all top-notch, and the craftsmanship was meticulous to perfection, naturally flawless.

Pandora also pursed her lips and smiled, chiming in, "Su Lun put a lot of thought into this homunculus body."

Su Lun gazed at his work, clearly very satisfied, "Do you like it?"

Pestoya nodded earnestly, "Mm!"

Her playful big eyes surveyed "her" body up and down, her eyelashes fluttering lightly, her eyes filled with joy and fraught with eager anticipation.

"I'm glad you like it."

Su Lun's eyes softly rippled with laughter, then he suggested, "Why don't you try it?"

Pestoya couldn't wait and, with permission granted, she no longer restrained herself but drifted over and attached herself to the alchemic body.

It had been a thousand years.

She had been a ghost for a whole thousand years.

Although she had used Pandora's body before, it was ultimately not her own.

After possession, that feeling of sensing her own body's presence finally returned.

Not only was the Flawless Spirit Embryo a divine-tier material well-matched to the soul, but Su Lun's extensive top-tier understanding and thorough research on souls meant that after the soul possession, there would absolutely be no rejection.

It was just like her own body.

Therefore, it took only a very short time for Pestoya to completely adapt to her body.

She looked at her hands, no longer just a spiritual body, her face filled with delight. But, not knowing what crossed her mind, her eyes suddenly began glistening with shining ripples.

Su Lun chuckled and asked, "How does it feel? If there's anything you're too pleased with, tell me, and we can still make adjustments."

After all, this was made just based on his own intuition.

Pestoya heard this and looked up at Su Lun, then she jumped up like a kangaroo, hanging around his neck, giving him a passionate kiss, "mua~very satisfied!"

Feeling the moist touch on his cheek, Su Lun couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

Since he was no longer a ghost, he was afraid that this girl might fall off him, so he reached out and held her in his arms.

Pestoya yelled with a smile, "Wow...I love it! Su Lun, you're amazing!"

Su Lun had long gotten used to this girl's capricious personality, but with this hug, his hand was also just under her poufy skirt, feeling very tangible.

He wasn't really thinking anything untoward and joked, "A lady should be careful with her image, you're exposing yourself."

Although this alchemical body was crafted by him down to the smallest detail, sculpted and shaped bit by bit, he was more than familiar with it.

But now that the alchemical being had a soul, she was truly a person with feelings.

Pestoya also felt the big hand supporting her butt and instinctively blushed a bit.

But her eyes twinkled mischievously, clinging on and not climbing down, "Hehehe...there's no one else here, just giving Su Lun a bargain~"

Su Lun rolled his eyes and released a devastating retort, "I'm not even interested in little girls. No chest, no butt."

Upon hearing this, Pestoya reacted like a cat stepped on its tail, her fangs bared instantaneously, "Ah... you dreadful fellow, despising me after taking advantage! I...I will bite you to death!"

Saying this, she unceremoniously mounted Su Lun's neck, baring her teeth and bit at him.

But since she was not in her spiritual body anymore and was wearing a dress, this whole action was ambiguous and intimate.

Qiǎntiáo and Pandora, watching them joke around, were already used to it and only smiled, saying nothing.

Su Lun also felt quite helpless, only able to carry this girl on his shoulders and continue walking towards the cabin.

...

The sky fortress could accommodate two hundred thousand people; naturally, the space was enormous.

Although the ordinary combat member cabins were somewhat cramped, the captain's quarters were quite spacious.

Mr. Jing always had a cool disposition, disliking bustling environments. He returned to his room to rest soon after the party began.

Qiǎntiáo directly pushed open the door, and several people walked in.

After entering, Su Lun discovered that the captain's quarters on the fortress, apart from being somewhat larger, were almost identical to those on the Eternal Night.

Except for the same furniture, that 4x4 meters huge bathtub was also in the same spot.

When the four of them entered, the curtains of the bath were drawn, and steam was wafting around, apparently, Mr. Jing was taking a bath.

"Ah...finally back again..."

As soon as Qiǎntiáo entered the room, she removed her sword and placed it on a nearby rack, then began to peel off her blood-stained Sword Dao robe, revealing a back full of fierce tattoos and a wrapped chest underneath.

With no strangers around, she unabashedly began unwinding her bandages, letting them fall to the floor while speaking, "Philo, make the water hotter, I want to soak too."

Someone responded from the other side, "Okay."

Fortunately, everyone in the room was used to it, and no one thought it strange.

Su Lun also felt that the familiar environment gave a very relaxing feeling. He walked to the sofa and dumped Pestoya, who was still huffing, on it.

The little girl still looked puffed up, like a groundhog puffing out its cheeks.

Su Lun reached out his finger and rubbed her chubby cheeks, magically producing a few candies.

He knew well that this greedy girl loved candies of various flavors.

Now that she had a body and could smell the candies, it was a whole different experience from the simulated candies before.

As expected, upon smelling the candies, Pestoaya's eyes lit up immediately. She snatched the candies and popped two into her mouth, chewing and exclaiming with delight, "Wow...so delicious~"

This girl, even though a bit peculiar in temperament, was easily satisfied.

That settled her.

Su Lun smiled and ruffled her hair.

Pestoaya seemed to recall something and ran towards the bathroom. "Sister, look, Su Lun helped me create a body too~"

She flung back the shower curtain, and Mr. Jing was lazily lying by the pool. He saw the brilliant smile on his sister's face and his lips curled up in a gentle arc, "Yes, Pestoaya is very beautiful."

Mr. Jing's eyes were filled with memories.

That glance took him back a thousand years.

The naive and carefree little girl brought her favorite doll to share with her sister.

The atmosphere in the room became very warm at once.

Su Lun also looked over and asked, "By the way, senior sister, how are things on the heavenly plane now?"

He had not had the chance to discuss it before, and only now could they properly talk about the serious matters.

Mr. Jing looked at him and responded, "Very bad. The Ascieden Empire, the Golden Griffin Empire, and the Holy Crown Empire have already assembled more than seven million magical armies, and the number is still increasing. According to current intelligence, at least ten demigods have descended. It's almost certain that the divine will resides permanently at the plane's portal, leaving no chance for any surprise attacks. I estimate that even if the deities themselves have not descended yet, it's quite close..."

"..."

Su Lun's brow furrowed slightly as he listened.

Indeed, only terrible news.

After a pause, Mr. Jing continued. "The only good news is that the three empires seem to be competing for merit, fighting independently and not banding together. The eight million army is now split into three massive forces, with dozens of legions besieging Luying's mainland. On the imperial side, they have also made targeted counterattacks, deploying various secret mechanized units and ten-thousand Magician groups. Currently, both sides are pulling back and forth in the Imperial Strait. Their advance isn't fast... but our casualties are also far from optimistic..."

"And most importantly, on the mainland of Old Lington, secret infiltrations by mages have been detected. It seems the enemy is setting up a massive trap. When the battle starts, they might not give us any chance..."

"..."

Su Lun understood as well.

Normally, with a magical army of seven million and over ten demigods, the best outcome for the Alchemy Plane would be to have a decisive battle on Luying's mainland, ending in mutual destruction.

But now, those from the heavenly plane weren't rushing their advance.

After all, half a year ago, Su Lun and their breaking of the million-troop formation had made the heavenly plane's people aware of the Alchemy Plane's capacity to annihilate a million armies. This apprehension was one of the most significant reasons the stalemate continued.

Initially, the Ascieden Empire wanted to monopolize the Alchemy Plane alone, which led to their aggressive tactics and a significant setback.

But now, with three empires involved, there's no need to hurry.

Any side that rushes would receive the most painful retribution.

So, the enemies of the three empires are not pressing forward hastily but are proceeding cautiously.

Currently, both sides are still clashing back and forth in the Imperial Strait.

But the foundation of the Divine Plane was much stronger than that of the Alchemy Plane, and if they were to keep fighting, the situation would only get worse.

...

At this point, Mr. Jing seemed to guess what Su Lun was about to say. He added, "Our intelligence agents have also carefully observed. After we annihilated that million-strong legion of the Ascieden Empire, those from the Divine Plane have already taken precautions. The decapitation strategy we used before will be difficult now."

"Mm."

Su Lun listened and fell into deep thought.

Actually, even without saying it, he had guessed as much.

Seeing that the mechanical war castles were now exposed, it was clear that the last tactic would be direct tough confrontation.

Those from the Divine Plane, having been defeated once, would definitely be on guard. Trying to teleport directly to their headquarters for a surprise attack like last time, this time even a demigod would be killed on the spot.

But the previous Su Lun really had no other choice. Now, having visited the Yellow Sand Plane, he had merged with the "God Slayer", and it might be possible.

Su Lun already had an even crazier plan in mind and said, "Elder Sister, I have an idea..."

But just as he began to speak, the sound of water had already started nearby.

The naked Masia walked into the bathroom, began washing herself, and called out, "Hey, hey, hey... Su Lun, don't just stand there talking. Come take a bath with me. Scrub my back while you're at it."

This gambler lady was unreserved, and there was no need for politeness among them.

As she spoke, she didn't forget Pandora, asking, "Miss Pandora, would you like to join as well?"

Su Lun listened, raised his eyebrow, and smiled, "Okay."

Pandora also wore an expression of utter nonchalance, cheerfully consenting, "Sure."

It had been a long time.

The familiar atmosphere was delightful and pleasing.

The companionship among them had become a usual daily routine.

Su Lun naturally walked over, took off his clothes, and planned to wash himself first.

The bathroom was spacious, accommodating several people.

It was one thing for Masia to be naked, but Pandora, acting as if Su Lun didn't exist, came directly and took off her robe, revealing her bare self without any inhibition to the sunlight shining on her.

Su Lun looked on with a slightly helpless expression, yet he also found it pleasing to the eye.

The two women didn't mind the gaze, and he didn't shy away either, quite openly.

Water droplets cascaded down their bodies, making the bathroom blissfully spring-like.

Masia unabashedly naked slipped into the bath, Su Lun changed into a pair of shorts, while Pandora donned a thin chiffon bathrobe.

Along with Mr. Jing, the four of them soaked in the bath.

The warm clear water rose to their necks, and Su Lun felt as if every pore in his body was relaxed.

After enduring a tough survival environment akin to walking on thin ice for months, returning to the Dawn Brigade allowed him to experience this completely relaxing sensation.

Thinking back, Su Lun remembered that this habit of soaking in hot springs started back in Old Spiriton Outer City at Akun's Cross Society "Akun Family Bathhouse," a routine started by Captain Kai.

Time flew by, and he realized that it had already been many years ago.

Back then, I was just a first-tier professional, but now I've reached the ninth tier.

For a moment, my thoughts turned somewhat melancholic.

The four of us fell silent.

In the vast room, only the trickling sound of water and the smacking noise of that mischievous girl chewing candy could be heard.

At that moment, a towel was thrown over.

"Su Lun, help me scrub my back," she said.

"Mhm," he replied.

Su Lun looked at Qian Tiao's lazy demeanor, took the towel, and walked over.

As he approached, Qian Tiao, who had been lying next to Mr. Jing, shifted a bit to make room between them.

Su Lun sat beside Mr. Jing, holding the towel.

Qian Tiao turned her back to him without any hesitation, pressing her whole body against Su Lun.

As she was wearing no clothes at all, their bare skin touched, creating a tender sensation.

It wasn't the first time, and although Su Lun found the touch extremely pleasant, he naturally began to help the gambling-addicted woman scrub her back.

Qian Tiao really enjoyed the process, her eyes slightly squinted, a contented breath escaping from her nostrils.

It was then she remembered something and lazily asked, "By the way, Su Lun, where did you go this time? How come you brought back two such powerful allies?"

While scrubbing her tattoo-covered back, Su Lun calmly recounted, "Oh, I went to a special plane controlled by the Taris deities... The previous contract master turned out to be a high-ranking demon god..."

...

As Su Lun spoke, he briefly went through his experiences in the Sandy Plane.

This trip to the higher plane had yielded far too many gains and he had found a crucial way to resolve the plane wars.

Qian Tiao and Mr. Jing listened to his peril-filled adventures, their expressions shifting numerous times.

Even though Su Lun had returned safely, just the recounting of these events was heart-stopping.

Higher planes, millions of slaves, divine tombs, the secret of immortality...

All of this sounded like a mythical tale to people from lower planes.

If it had been any of them who went, they definitely wouldn't have had any assurance of returning alive.

But Su Lun had come back safely.

Amid their shock, they also felt joy.

"This time, I owe a lot to Miss Pandora," he said.

Before long, Su Lun had roughly explained his experiences fulfilling the contract with the demon god.

He finished scrubbing Qian Tiao's back, and then, as before, they switched places.

The two of them switched positions, and Qian Tiao began to scrub his back.

With no bandages, his majestic chest was unrestrained, occasionally creating a mysteriously soft touch.

Qian Tiao didn't mind at all, and even occasionally teased him, stretching her hand to scrub places other than his back.

Suddenly, Su Lun remembered something else and added, "Oh, and there's this."

As he spoke, his palm shaped like he was holding something, and a grey flame arose within it.

The appearance of the flame seemed to burn a hole in the void, visibly eerie.

Seeing this strange fire, Mr. Jing's eyes flickered, seemingly coming to a realization, "Is this... the legendary exotic fire from the Battle Qi Continent?"

"Senior sister is indeed knowledgeable," he replied.

Su Lun nodded and smiled, "The second-ranked exotic fire from the Battle Qi Continent, 'Void Poison Flame'. It's a rule-level spirit of heaven and earth. After fusing, it allows a professional to control a specific kind of void rule power..."

Turning his head, he continued, "I've calculated, and the chances of Sister Qian Tiao successfully fusing with it are very high. If the fusion succeeds, this exotic fire will greatly enhance your Sword Dao."

Qian Tiao looked intensely interested, her brows furrowing as she leaned entirely on Su Lun's back, trying to touch the small flame with her fingers, "Ouch, this is good stuff!"

Although she didn't know what this exotic fire was, the instant her fingers touched it, she immediately felt a strong resonating sensation.

Su Lun, burdened by a majestic pair, couldn't help but feel a mix of amusements as he added, "And this time, I also learned a method from that demon god that can resolve the plane channel issue."

At this, Mr. Jing and Qian Tiao's expressions were simultaneously shaken: A solution?

First feeling incredulous, they were soon filled with intense anticipation.

"That demon god said... using space fragments can increase the risk of encounters from the Celestial planes..."

Su Lun briefly mentioned the method and revealed his plans, "By then, as long as I can break into the plane channel, there's a high chance I can execute this plan."

The plan was theoretically feasible!

Mr. Jing listened, her bright eyes turning.

But after a moment of contemplation, her face, still grave, thickened with concern as she raised a concern, "But... really charging towards the plane channel, goddesses from the Celestial planes will surely intervene, and the risk will be enormous."

Qian Tiao also felt the plan had little chance of success, her expression seriously considering the odds, "Yes. If a god-tier being truly descends, given our current alchemy plane's combat power, the likelihood of victory wouldn't exceed ten percent."

This ten percent chance not only included peak personnel combat power, but also methods left by Sir Isaac for dealing with goddesses, and the final secret weapon, "Twilight of the Gods."

Even with all cards on the table, it wouldn't exceed ten percent.

Hearing this, Su Lun's eyes gradually deepened, as he had naturally considered the alchemy plane's trump cards long before, then he slowly said, "That's alright."

After a pause, he declared with a calm yet resounding tone, "Because... I've successfully fused with the 'God Slayer' armor."

"What!!!"

Hearing this, Mr. Jing and Qian Tiao were both profoundly shocked.

Their expressions were even more astonished than when they had heard about his erstwhile adventures in the exotic planes.

Few people in the alchemy plane knew about the "God Slayer" armor, but the two of them did.

And because they knew what the armor meant, they also understood how immensely difficult it was to fuse with it, almost impossible for a human to succeed.

But more importantly,

once someone succeeded in fusing... a mere mortal would possess the power to slay a goddess!