Mechanical Alchemist

"Frank" looked at the sky filled with petrifying grey light, his face grim and cold.

Even as a True God, he couldn't think of any way to deal with Queen Medusa at this moment.

He had realized that the power of the petrification curse was nearly at its peak; being merely a thread of his consciousness here, he was utterly helpless against her.

He had underestimated her indeed.

From the beginning, he had thought that avoiding that demigod Cyclops in the sea would be sufficient to handle everything.

Yet now, he was being driven to this extent by a group of humans, none of whom were even ninth tier.

A false god capable of stealing divine powers, a ghost of divine fire, Queen Medusa, a spatial divine artifact...and an alchemist Reaper at his second release.

If they were to grow further, they would be a great menace.

"Frank" sighed inwardly, already knowing that his defeat was sealed.

But this body was an extremely rare return to the ancestral bloodline of the "Celestial Tribe," and he had no intention of losing it here.

Protected by the projection of the Divine Artifact "Shield of Purity" in the petrifying beam, he was safe.

A strange halo flashed over his body, and he had already vanished on the spot.

...

Without any spatial fluctuations, nor physical displacement, "Frank" simply disappeared right under the watchful eyes of Su Lun and the others.

Even Queen Medusa looked puzzled as she searched everywhere with her hundreds of snake hair eyes but couldn't find where he was hidden.

However, Su Lun's gaze hardened, his heart ruthlessly set: "Still trying to escape? There's no way I'm letting you get away!"

Since so many methods had been revealed today, he was determined to eradicate them completely.

In the second release of the All-knowing Eye, he clearly saw that the guy was hiding in a ray of sunlight.

This guy's hiding technique was very clever; he had dimensionally concealed himself within the beam of light, physically not in the same dimension.

That's why even the most clever sensing methods couldn't detect him.

With a pinch of the Suren Sorcerer's Seal, Su Lun formed a trianglular shape with his hands aimed at the distant beam of light and uttered softly, "Spatial Banishment!"

At the same time, the old crow on his shoulder cawed and flew over.

Mid-flight, the black crow had already turned into multiple two-dimensional black lines, perfectly entangling the ray of light that was behaving abnormally.

Seeing this technique, "Frank" knew he had been discovered.

In that instant, his figure reappeared in the field of view.

And just as he was about to act recklessly, Queen Medusa's petrifying beam hit him directly. Although it didn't petrify him on the spot, it slowed him considerably.

At the same time, Su Lun had already pulled out an ancient bronze lamp, and with a long hooked iron chain, he hooked it towards "Frank."

The fully repaired "Tartarus's Soul Lantern" served primarily to hook souls!

Once the target was locked, it could bind their soul within the illuminated range of the soul lamp.

As long as Su Lun, the holder, was not dead, this restraint wouldn't be lifted.

He hadn't used this method before for fear of not being strong enough, but now, the timing was perfect!

"Frank" saw the light from the soul lamp approaching and his expression changed.

But with the space already bound, his body slowed by the petrifying beam and no chance to dimensionally hide as even his ability was being restrained by a two-dimensional death bird.

This directly caused the release of his True Removal beam to be delayed by half a beat.

For a moment, he could only watch helplessly as the soul chain struck him.

"Soul Lock?!"

As a widely knowledgeable deity, how could he not know what this was?

But before he could react, a figure appeared behind him.

Su Lun, holding a runic black umbrella, struck fiercely toward Frank's back, not letting him escape this time and landing a solid blow.

The black umbrella, surrounded by Su Lun and the Death God's Fire from Pestoya, made contact with Frank's protective aura in an instant, and burning phosphorous fire poured in ferociously.

Not giving the enemy any chance to react, the green fire completely engulfed the opponent's soul.

"Frank," bound by both soul and space, and slowed in movement, had no power to turn the tide, even as a divine consciousness.

This time, it had to be a kill in one strike!

Just as Su Lun's Death God's Fire was about to burn his soul to ashes, suddenly, that indescribable sense of oppression instantly vanished.

Frank looked as if his soul had been drawn out, his eyes instantly dim and lifeless.

Almost at the same time, Su Lun sensed the anomaly and murmured, "It seems I can't limit a deity after all."

Originally, the plan was to severely damage that strand of divine will, but the soul-bound lamp's imprisonment was only effective on mortal souls and failed to confine it from escaping.

However, the good news was that once the divine will had left its believer's vessel, it could not possibly exist isolated in the alchemical plane.

Su Lun too relaxed a bit in his heart.

Finally, he no longer had to feel constantly watched by an enemy.

In just an instant, Frank's gravely injured soul was completely incinerated by both Su Lun.

The body of the Saint Heir went limp, clearly devoid of life.

Su Lun didn't continue the attack, fearing unexpected complications, and clapped his hands forcefully, "Black Coffin Seal!"

With a series of clattering noises, several rune-engraved wooden boards appeared out of nowhere, assembling into a coffin that instantly enveloped the body.

He then raised his hand, summoning the coffin into a minor void world.

Having done all this, Su Lun finally exhaled deeply, "At last, it is thoroughly resolved."

He inquired with the Eternal Night, and the battle there had ended as well.

The divine will that had descended returned to the realm of the gods, and without control, the Titan spirit vanished into the ocean.

The remaining Undead Black Dragon was like a cornered beast, unable to hold out much longer.

Su Lun hung up the communicator and finally relaxed his slightly furrowed brows.

He looked at the Ghost Lady beside him and praised, "Pestoya, you were fantastic just now."

Their cooperation had grown steadily more in sync, which is why they had overcome powerful enemies multiple times.

Upon hearing this, Pestoya's face broke into a radiant smile. Tugging at her Gothic black veil princess dress, she twirled mid-air, her face clearly expecting continued praise: "Of course, I am quite formidable."

"Mm."

Su Lun smiled and nodded affirmatively.

This Ghost Lady was the first person he had met in this world, and the materials for her Puppeteer profession advancement had been provided by her. Since then, she had helped him out of perilous situations multiple times.

It could be said that without Pestoya, Su Lun might not have survived to this day.

Similarly, Su Lun had become this Ghost Lady's most important friend.

Both exchanged smiles, and the tense atmosphere from moments before instantly lightened.

Su Lun didn't say much more; he teleported right in front of Queen Medusa and said, "Your Highness, thank you for your assistance this time."

Queen Medusa glanced at Su Lun; her stunningly beautiful face remained expressionless as she replied indifferently, "I was merely fulfilling the contract. Since the matters here are settled, I will return to the temple now."

As she spoke, she paused, then added, "If you need my help in the future, you can find me on Cocoloco Island. I will remember my promise."

Hearing this, Su Lun bowed politely, "Thank you."

Queen Medusa paid no attention to these details and turned around indifferently. Just as she was leaving, her eyes briefly flickered with a strange color as she glanced at Su Lun and Pestoya.

...

With that divine will gone, the Faith Stealing at Pandora's side was progressing more smoothly.

Once she stole the Divine Power of the Lord of Grey Mist, her strength would surge significantly.

Too many terrifying beings lurked near Hell Volcano, so Su Lun didn't dare linger.

He returned to the Eternal Night, and after helping to kill the Hell Black Dragon together, the ship gradually sailed eastward, preparing to leave the waters of Dragon Country and return to Emperor Luying's realm.

News came from Mr. Jing that the battle against planar invasion was not looking optimistic, and they needed to return to provide support.

Recalling his voyage to the Dragon Country Waters, although it was fraught with dangers, the gains were tremendous.

Not only did they thwart the plans of those from the divine realm, annihilating several legions of ten thousand mages, but the Dawn Group also amassed many opportunities.

Spring of Wisdom, Dragon Progeny Armor, gene potions, countless ancient treasures, the Naga tribe, Queen Medusa...

It wasn't just Su Lun; the combat abilities of all members of the Dawn Group had ascended a major step.

Moreover, these gains were sustainable.

The ancient ruins they discovered contained a wealth of ancient alchemy knowledge, which, once fully assimilated, could greatly influence today's world of alchemy.

And those gene potions were especially significant; once produced in large quantities, they could enhance the physical talents of all alchemists on the alchemical plane by a huge margin.

The Eternal Night continued its voyage on the sea.

Unlike the bumpy journey there, the return trip was much smoother.

Without enemies from the divine realm lurking in the shadows, they only had to deal with deep-sea monsters and magical beasts.

But by now, the Dawn Group had the power to easily hunt eighth-tier dragons, and even encounters with high-level sea creatures essentially turned into mere material deliveries.

Avoiding those highly dangerous areas, the Dawn Group smoothly sailed eastward.

...

This day.

It was already the ninth day since the Eternal Night had left Cocolo Island.

It was midnight, and a dense fog had drifted above the sea.

The moonlight was obscured, rendering the sky pitch dark.

Since the day he had killed Frank, Su Lun had not left his quarters, as he had been busy using the hell black dragon he had acquired to forge the alchemy prosthetic essential for his seventh-tier needs.

But today, he had come out.

Because there was something very important to do.

Tanni had planned to go to the Netherworld.

By the time Su Lun arrived, the deck was already crowded with many people.

Bartolo, Number Nineteen, Barrett, Tanni, Mr. Hei, Wuzhuasi, Kite ... all the high-ranking members of the Dawn Group were here.

They all knew Tanni's trip would most likely be a one-way journey, and they had come to say goodbye.

In Tanni's own words, this journey to Netherworld was a do-or-die mission.

"Ah, Su Lun is here."

"Mr. Su Lun has arrived!"

"..."

As Su Lun stepped onto the deck, the crowd began to greet him.

He glanced over the crowd, noticing that the Dawn Group was gradually turning into a "Giants Group."

Over the past days, every member of the Dawn Group had accessed potions matching their own genetic lineage.

Whether they were dragon blood or titan gene potions, these genes inherently contained the factor for immense growth.

As a result, the members of the Dawn Group had become exceptionally robust.

Normal people are less than two meters tall, but the members of the Dawn Group ranged from three to five meters tall.

Especially the Giant Three Brothers, who had grown from nearly five meters to over ten meters tall, and their strength had increased tenfold as well.

Moreover, the genetic potions by their nature had the possibility of lifelong impact due to their growth properties.

The strength of the group members was increasing day by day.

The members of Dawn Group now emanated an overwhelming oppressive aura, so much so that even as Su Lun walked on deck, he felt as though he was witnessing human-shaped dragons.

Since it was a farewell, after greeting him, few people spoke.

Su Lun moved to the side of the ship and quietly awaited.

Lolota, as Tanni's sole disciple, knew her master was heading to the Netherworld and might never return, which made her extremely downcast.

Seeing Su Lun approach, her face finally showed some expression as she looked up at the two to three hundred meter tall mast and softly said, "Mr. Su Lun, the teacher is still up in the mast."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded.

He naturally knew what Tanni was waiting for, since he himself had drawn the map to the Netherworld.

Checking the time on his pocket watch, the "Ghost Train" would arrive in fifteen minutes.

Su Lun stood quietly on the mast.

At that moment, Dr. Banks, clad in a black robe, approached him.

"You've been indoors these past few days, I couldn't even find you."

He took out a golden potion and handed it to Su Lun, saying, "Take a look at this."

Su Lun examined the potion.

[Titan Demigod Gene Potion]

Details: Divine-grade gene potion; this is the divine blood from the second-generation Divine King, known as Titan, a race born to bring darkness and destruction to the world; true divine blood, inherently possessing immense destructive power; injection leads to significant enhancement of physical attributes, raises level cap, and transforms bloodline; high likelihood of acquiring darkness and destruction rules; mutation probability no less than 98%.

The item was indeed extraordinary, far more potent even than the "X Serum" Su Lun had once fused with.

But looking at the nearly certain mutation rate, Su Lun also showed a hint of bemusement, "This...?"

Dr. Banks guessed what he was thinking and explained, "The drop of [Titan Ancient God's Blood] you gave me earlier, I split the gene chain and cultivated it into various enhanced sub-grade potions. Everyone in the group has used them with good effects. As for this original version, its effects are too violent, even instruments can't analyze it fully, so I wanted you to take a look first. Perhaps you're the only one in the group who could integrate it."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun wryly smiled, "I can't either. My chance of mutation is also close to one hundred percent."

[Titan Ancient God's Blood] was something he had found in Frank's storage ring.

Those from the divine realms had also found quite a few treasures in the waters of Dragon Country, and this divine blood was among them.

He understood what Dr. Banks meant, and added an explanation about the appraisal results.

He had a pair of All-knowing Eyes, which had now also become Dr. Banks's special "detection instrument."

Many of the problems that current precision instruments could not solve were first assessed by him. Because of this ability, the efficiency and accuracy of the biological laboratory had significantly increased.

As Dr. Banks listened, he noted, "Oh, so that's how it is. Now I know the direction for the next phase of research."

Su Lun smiled slightly, not minding being used as a tool.

At that moment, Dr. Banks thought of something else and said, "Oh, there's one more thing."

He paused, then continued, "I've dissected the body of Saint Frank. By comparing him to Augustus, who had also awakened the [True Understanding of All Things] talent, I've found that Frank's manifestation of three additional eyes could potentially be due to ancestral reversion in bloodline genes."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun immediately became intrigued.

He had collected Frank's body, not for the purpose of creating zombie puppets.

The [True Understanding of All Things] talent was his real objective!

Currently, with the amplification from Dragon Blood and Titan's genes, everyone in the Dawn Group had significantly powered up.

If this talent could be replicated through a gene potion...

But before his thoughts could wander further, Dr. Banks threw cold water on them, "Theoretically speaking, if that gene segment could be replicated, this kind of three-eyed anomaly could indeed be replicated in other humans. However, after my research, I found it to be impossible. Even if possessing three eyes were possible, the [True Understanding of All Things] talent couldn't be carried over. The ancestral gene isn't just a biological issue. I had been perplexed all this time until I gained some insight after reading ancient medical texts from the Dawn Era. It involves secrets of higher life forms."

Su Lun listened and frowned, finding it somewhat hard to grasp even for himself.

Clearly, Dr. Banks didn't regard it as an obstacle but rather as a significant challenge. He added, "To put it simply, a professional's talent is not merely an inheritance of bloodline, but also involves a kind of power unreachable by us humans."

As he said this, he gazed intensely at Su Lun with his distorted eyes, "So, I need your help."

Su Lun listening to this "help," felt oddly unsettled, guessing something.

Dr. Banks said, "I have an idea. The body of the Saint now remains highly viable, and his eyes function exactly as when he was alive. Thus, the body still possesses the [True Understanding of All Things] ability...."

"..."

Su Lun was of course aware of this.

This was intentionally done by him to maximize the preservation of the body.

At that point, Dr. Banks finally revealed his purpose, "If possible, I'd like to transplant that eye along with some neural tissue into a living body, directly transferring the [True Understanding of All Things] talent."

"..."

Su Lun, hearing this, twitched the corner of his eye, thinking it was just as he suspected.

This idea...

Dr. Banks continued, "But I've already tested it, almost everyone in the group would reject that gene segment, or the talent would vanish after the transplantation. It's not an issue of genetics or technology. I suspect it's on a higher-dimensional level. Others might not work, but only you and Emmerich are different in the group."

Su Lun listened silently, pondering over this proposal.

Dr. Banks added, "I know you're busy... so I've asked Emmerich, he thought the idea was good and was willing to help me with the experiment. But he wanted to ask you first. After all, the body is precious, and if it's lost, it's gone."

Su Lun, having prepared himself to sacrifice for the experiment, was surprised to learn it wasn't for him to be the subject, but Mr. Hei?

The risks of the transplant weren't high, but the procedure required a considerable amount of time before and after to accommodate various observations.

He was on the critical threshold of progressing to the eighth rank; any change could impact his future advancement, which was his greatest concern.

Moreover, he himself possessed the All-knowing Eye and, although he needed the [True Understanding of All Things], his greater desire was to create living zombies, and it wasn't necessary at the moment.

That's why he had hesitated a bit earlier.

But surprisingly, Dr. Banks needed Mr. Hei's help for the experiment.

Su Lun thought it was good too.

Mr. Hei was more suitable than him.

After all, the old gentleman had previously sacrificed his right eye, preparing to have a new one transplanted.

Wasn't Saint Frank's divine eye perfect for this?

If it were successful, it was hard for Su Lun to imagine what it would be like for a Scholar, already knowledgeable, to also have the [True Understanding of All Things]—what an exaggerated combination that would be?

Su Lun nodded, "Of course you can."

This transplant held significant meaning.

...

While Su Lun and Dr. Banks had been talking, midnight had arrived.

Suddenly, the fog over the sea thickened to the point where one couldn't see their own hand.

At that time, everyone seemed to hear a distant train horn sound "woo... woo..." coming from the sea.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the distance.

It was a desolate sea; where could a train come from?