Mechanical Alchemist

"If it weren't for the age, and the dissipating enchantment that once covered these murals, I would never have discovered such a cunning hidden prohibition..."

Mr. Hei pointed at the faded lines of the murals and then to the protruding ancient inscriptions at the corner of the wall, sharing his discovery.

Su Lun looked over, and saw the following text: "bὺςδὲπατὴρΤιτῆναςἐπίκλησινκαλέεσκε..."

Upon searching his mind, he realized he had seen it before, appearing to be a kind of disused ancient script. However, without systematic study, he stammered and couldn't translate it.

Mr. Hei, on the other hand, directly said, "This is an ancient Robe scripture, there was a discovery in southern Luying of some unique literary works; a few were excavated from a site, conveniently held in the Royal Library of Luying. The text roughly says, 'Titans represent giants of sin, and can only be sealed in the eternal darkness of Erebus'..."

He translated the text that seemed to be part of a mythological tale and then added, "Of course, this part is not very important. What's crucial comes later. It says that there is a secret chamber beneath this temple, sealed with alchemical treasures and some very dangerous things."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun's mind immediately became active.

Curious, Qiantiao asked, "Alchemical treasures... what are those? And what's been sealed?"

It was obvious to them that this temple was of high importance. Correspondingly, whatever was sealed, as well as the seal itself and the items sealed, were definitely treasures.

Moreover, what was most important was that many of the treasures in the outer hall had decayed with time, but those sealed within were likely to be well-preserved.

When it came to treasure hunting, this secret chamber was undoubtedly the perfect place.

Hearing Qiantiao's inquiry, Mr. Hei shook his head and responded, "I don't know. Currently, we have only deciphered these clues from the texts and murals within this temple. I think we should completely break this hidden prohibition first before seeing what happens."

"Good!"

Both Su Lun and Qiantiao showed faces brimming with excitement.

The three of them consulted and immediately began decrypting the prohibition.

Su Lun and Mr. Hei were both proficient in various runes and prohibitions, and with the assistance of the All-knowing Eye, they were practically the strongest decryption combination in this plane.

They soon found the correct method.

After a while of research and tinkering, Mr. Hei touched several characters carved in the relief, and the temple's final hidden mechanism was triggered.

Almost simultaneously, Su Lun exclaimed in surprise, "Eh... there really is a hidden space."

Because in his perception, a considerable space had suddenly appeared beneath the floor that was previously solid.

This was what surprised him.

Before, this space was like a grain of normal sand, too small for anyone to notice any abnormality.

Now that it was broken open and exposed,

it meant that this was an extremely clever spatial prohibition, so advanced that even Su Lun's current understanding of the Space Law found it unbelievable.

...

Su Lun and the others gazed at the suddenly raised dragon-carved stone on the ground and lapsed into a brief silence.

The prohibition was broken; this was the last barrier to their treasure hunt.

All three looked at the seal, pondering over something.

At that moment, Mr. Hei said, "The extraordinary power of the seal has nearly dissipated, and it shouldn't be difficult to open. However... accordingly, it might trigger something unexpected."

This, of course, was meant as an inquiry.

After all, something that required such a magnificent temple to seal it must have been extremely dangerous. Nobody could guarantee there wouldn't be problems after opening it.

Without knowing what was inside, Su Lun was also hesitant to make a decision.

However, just when he felt troubled, the ghostly miss floating in the sky suddenly spoke up, "Shall I go down and check first?"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun immediately thought it was feasible!

He dared not go down in the flesh to investigate, but Pestoya could.

She was a Spiritual Body and had concentrated the divine fire; almost nothing in this plane could harm her.

Even if there were any calamities in the chamber below, she was the most suitable candidate for reconnaissance.

Although this was the case, Su Lun still felt slightly embarrassed to send a young girl into such an environment, asking in return, "Ah... can you do that?"

Pestoya, hearing this, gave him a 'I see right through you' look and wearily said, "Ah... Mr. Su Lun, don't pretend. You're clearly thinking: Go now, quickly!"

Su Lun laughed heartily.

"Hmph."

Pestoya snorted haughtily and flew towards the dragon-carved stone, then as a Spiritual Body, merged into it.

Su Lun and the others waited above with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

The space below wasn't large; they should have received some feedback quickly in theory.

But after waiting for a couple of seconds with no sign of activity, their expressions instinctively grew tense, fearing some accident had occurred.

Because there was a soul connection established, Su Lun could feel that Pestoya's soul was stable, but he still directly asked, "Pestoya, how are things?"

Soon, a reply came from Pestoya: "Hmm... there doesn't seem to be any danger in this chamber. There's an altar with a golden spear, a red gem that glows, and a piece of black amber-like substance..."

As she spoke, her voice suddenly became excited, and she added, "How come I feel like that red gemstone is the Philosopher's Stone recorded in the scriptures?"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun's pupils dilated sharply.

His mind went blank for a moment before he realized what he had heard.

The legendary Philosopher's Stone?

Damn, could it really exist?

...

Mr. Hei and Qiantiao, sensing the emotion in Su Lun's reaction, immediately grew alert and cast inquiring looks at him.

Su Lun took a deep breath before he managed to contain the shock in his eyes.

With a solemn voice, he said to Mr. Hei and the bewildered others, "Pestoya mentioned that there might be a gemstone resembling the 'Philosopher's Stone' below."

Even Mr. Hei, who was usually as unfazed as an ancient well, couldn't help but reveal the same look of shock and eager anticipation that Su Lun had just shown.

The normally unflappable Mr. Hei was a second late before blurting out, "The legendary Philosopher's Stone?"

It was no wonder that the three of them looked so astonished; the discovery was too shocking!

If Pestoya was not mistaken, and there indeed was an alchemical treasure—a Philosopher's Stone—in this secret chamber, then it might be the only one discovered in nearly ten thousand years in the alchemy plane!

Mr. Hei's eyes flickered with a shrewd light, clearly as unsettled on the inside as he said, "If... if that's really it, then no matter what, we have to try and break the seal."

The Philosopher's Stone is said to be an essential item made of cosmic essence needed by alchemy practitioners to advance to the ninth tier, encapsulating the ultimate secret of equivalent exchange.

Yes, a legend!

That's because in the recorded history of ten thousand years, no one on the alchemy plane had ever seen a real Philosopher's Stone.

Even the Alchemical Demigod, Sir Isaac, had only read about it in the books.

How could such a discovery not excite the heart?

....

While the three were lost in their thoughts, the ghostly miss had already floated up to them.

Su Lun quickly asked, "Pestoya, did you really see the Philosopher's Stone?"

"I don't know, it looked like it," she expressed with a somewhat unsure look.

After responding, she made a gesture with her hand, and a huge ruby took shape in the air, adding, "Anyway, it looked like this."

Upon seeing it, the eyes of Su Lun and the others were immediately fixed and could not look away.

No matter how one looked at it, it was exactly the same as the Philosopher's Stone recorded in the ancient books!

Seeing this, all three grew visibly excited.

While showing it, Pestoya also described what she saw in the secret chamber moments ago.

Mr. Hei's eyes darted around as he pondered for a while before making a judgment, "It seems to be the legendary Philosopher's Stone indeed. Such a high-grade altar requires energy circulation to maintain a long-term seal, and the Philosopher's Stone's ability for equivalent exchange is the perfect energy hub for all kinds of ultra-level seals. However...

He paused.

It wasn't just the Philosopher's Stone now; there was also that golden spear and the black amber, both of which were definitely treasures!

But the problem arose again, the higher the grade of the treasure, the greater the corresponding risk.

This made them hesitate.

Su Lun too understood the issue at stake and, after inquiring about some more details from Pestoya, he finally made a decision, "Then... shall we try to break the prohibition first?"

Mr. Hei nodded in agreement, "Hmm. Since we're pretty sure it's the Philosopher's Stone, the risk is worth taking. Plus, this is a cursed space, so even if something monstrous is released, the impact on the alchemy plane would be very limited."

As alchemists, they wouldn't give up the slightest chance to obtain the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

Su Lun shared the same thought.

After all, the cursed space was filled with all sorts of super-class monsters. Even releasing an extremely dangerous existence wouldn't be too much trouble.

...

Having made up their minds, Su Lun did not hesitate.

He first gathered his crew, who were still treasure hunting aside, and then notified the crew on the Eternal Night to prepare the activation of the ship's alchemical formation.

Originally, Su Lun wanted to take Mr. Hei and Mr. Qian with him and attempt to open the door alone.

But both of them refused.

They said it was to support each other and share the risk.

Moreover, if disaster struck so quickly that even Mr. Hei and Mr. Qian didn't have time to dodge, Su Lun's teleportation might not necessarily be able to avoid danger.

Su Lun did not insist.

There was no need for too many words between comrades who had faced adversity together.

The three of them and the ghost stared at the dragon relief on the ground, carefully studying it, afraid of getting a single detail wrong.

Finally, after feeling as though they had taken all details into account, they opened the prohibition.

However, their worries proved unnecessary.

The door-opening process went very smoothly.

Lord Raven perched on Su Lun's shoulder was quiet throughout the whole process, issuing no warnings.

"Click..."

"Click..."

The sound of the stone door grinding echoed through the temple, and the dragon-engraved ground slowly opened to reveal a staircase leading down to a dark secret chamber below.

Su Lun sent Lord Raven down first to scout around, and after detecting no problems, they then proceeded downwards.

The staircase descended dozens of meters before coming to an end.

The secret chamber was not large, only about two hundred square meters or so.

Su Lun, walking at the front, took in the whole room at a glance.

His left eye's pupil focused all around, reinforcing everything he saw.

Because Pestoya had previously described the layout of the secret chamber, Su Lun was quick to spot the key elements.

In the center of this secret chamber was an altar inscribed with densely packed high-level rune seals.

However, the attention of the three individuals was immediately drawn to the red gemstone at the center of the altar.

Su Lun's heart leaped with joy, "It really is the stuff of legends!"

While Pesto was uncertain, Su Lun recognized it at a glance.

[Philosopher's Stone]

Detailed explanation: An item originating from the ancient goblin civilization's alchemy, adhering to the principle of equivalent exchange; it contains the ultimate secrets of alchemy, granting the holder the ability to elevate all alchemy skills to 100% absolute equivalent exchange of any element; the item can gather cosmic power and manifest the essence of the universe, with the speed of condensation influenced by the environment and materials; it also contains too much information that surpasses common understanding.

Finally seeing the physical item, Mr. Hei and Qian Tiao were both filled with excitement and threw querying glances: Is it?

Su Lun nodded with certainty.

In an instant, the two felt an indescribable surge of exhilaration.

This is, after all, the "divine artifact" of alchemists in legends...

It represents the ultimate alchemical product of absolute equivalent exchange!

The Philosopher's Stone before them might be the most significant discovery in the history of alchemical adventures in recent millennia!

"So the records in the ancient texts are true..."

Seeing some of the limited information become clear, Su Lun could hardly contain his excitement.

Normally, the principle of "equivalent exchange" used by alchemists in their craft actually entails significant loss.

For example, exchanging 100 units of wind element for fire element would never yield 100 units in return and would be severely deficient, generally below 50 units.

The lower the rank of the practitioner, the lower the exchange rate.

Even now, at the seventh rank, Su Lun's equivalent exchange rate was only 50-60%.

Just as there is no such thing as an absolutely pure material in the world, this loss is normal.

But some ancient texts introduced that the Philosopher's Stone, a divine alchemical artifact, could make this conversion rate reach 100%.

Su Lun had originally thought it to be a rumor, but now he saw it was true.

Leaving aside other functions, with the Philosopher's Stone in hand, alchemy's power would increase exponentially under absolute equivalent exchange.

Su Lun felt that if it were him, his alchemy power could skyrocket by at least three times from nothing!

This is the most direct boost to combat power!

...

As alchemists, seeing this divine alchemical artifact, it was hard for Su Lun and the others to hide their excitement.

However, they did not rashly touch anything.

Su Lun then shifted his gaze to the "black amber" previously mentioned by Pesto.

Now he also had a deeper understanding of the world and knew that what meets the eye is not necessarily the essence of a thing.

It is just a representation limited by one's own understanding.

Just like the Naga's [Rainbow Well], though it looks like well water, it is actually a high-level manifestation of the Power of Laws in the form of rainbow-colored spring water.

The same is true for this amber.

Its essence is a manifestation of the universe's rules.

And indeed, it was.

[Universe Essence No. 31: Netherworld]

Detailed explanation: A crystallization of hell *** rules, one of the ultimate products of the principle of equivalent exchange in alchemy; can be used as a fusion material to allow the body to be recognized by the world's source quality and peek into the secrets of the universe's rules;

In fact, when Pesto described it previously, Su Lun had already guessed that it was an essence.

Because earlier, in the Royal Mirror Library of Luying, he had found one [Universe Essence No. 11: Myriad Forms].

This item is indispensable for alchemists to advance to the ninth rank.

Rare to come by.

But before this, even Mr. Jing only knew that the Philosopher's Stone was needed to refine the universe essence, unaware of the specifics of its formation.

Su Lun felt quite lucky as he looked at it.

This Universe Essence was like a "bonus" from the Philosopher's Stone.

The cursed space right now is connected to a hell rift, hence the thick hellish aura. And the Philosopher's Stone has the ability to collect the Power of Laws of the universe. It acts like a "purification refinery," manifesting the universe's rules scattered in the void into a physical state. Accumulated over countless years, this resulted in the [Netherworld].

Indispensable to the ninth rank, this too is an alchemical treasure.

Mr. Hei, who was beside, apparently also noticed the nature of the amber and asked Su Lun, "That amber seems to be a universe essence?"

Su Lun, too, smiled excitedly, "Yes."

After pausing for a moment, he glanced at Qian Tiao and said, "This is [Universe Essence No. 31: Netherworld], very suitable for Sister Qian Tiao."

Qian Tiao blinked, seemingly still not understanding what it was, and instinctively replied, "Suitable for me?"

Her naturally thick-skinned nature kept her from thinking too deeply.

Su Lun nodded affirmatively, "Mhm."

Identifying the essence as related to the laws of hell, although it had some compatibility with Su Lun himself, it wasn't very high.

It was more suitable for Qian Tiao, who followed the hell sword path.

Moreover, given her current pace of advancement, reaching the eighth rank was hopeful, and the ninth rank wasn't impossible either.

As for Su Lun himself, he was in no hurry.

Not to mention he hadn't even glimpsed the eighth rank, the ninth was still far off.

Besides, with the Philosopher's Stone in hand, he now had the possibility to refine essence on his own in the future.

With this alchemical relic, he could fully start to refine cosmic essence highly attuned to his own profession.

Even the whole Dawn Group, all the Magicians on the alchemical plane, wouldn't have to worry about a lack of ninth-rank essence blocking their path to advancement anymore!

This discovery was of crucial significance for the future of alchemical civilization.

Seeing this, Su Lun couldn't help but feel moved.

Before setting off, the Dawn Group had heard that Tanni's father, Sam Bellamy, leading the Black Sam pirate crew to the Dragon Country Waters, was also in search of cosmic essence and the opportunity to advance to the ninth rank.

But not only did they not find anything, they didn't even discover the east, instead they ended up buried in these seas.

Unexpectedly, the Dawn Group got lucky this time and actually found one.

They even found the legendary "Philosopher's Stone"!

...

After the two alchemical treasures had caught the trio's attention, they saw the last item in this secret chamber.

It was a golden spear.

The spear's tip had a single-edged blade, and the handle in the middle was inlaid with shining diamonds.

This was an incredibly luxurious spear.

Extravagant enough to seem like a ceremonial weapon used by royalty in a court.

However, upon closer inspection, Su Lun identified that it was a weapon made for actual combat.

"The Archangel's Golden Holy Spear"

Explanation: An alchemical replica of the eternal divine weapon "Spear of the Supreme," inscribed with the name of the Great Alchemist 'Alferic'; This is a sacred spear that brings fatal harm to demons, made from sun god metal that restrains the powers of darkness; it inherently bears the eternal holy attribute, inflicting real damage like burning, sanctifying, and soul searing on all dark and death-related creatures; it represents justice and light, and only those with a just heart can wield it;

This spear was also one of the core elements of the sealed prohibition.

In itself, it was a very powerful weapon.

But the conditions for its use were quite strict.

Seeing its attributes, Su Lun immediately thought of Number Nineteen.

Her talents should be well-suited to the usage conditions. And her mechanical armor was certainly lacking in means of inflicting damage on dark and death-related creatures, so this spear could not be more perfect.

Now, however, a problem arose.

All these things were treasures, but how were they to be taken away?

After scanning the other areas of the chamber once more and finding nothing else of value, the three members of the Su Lun party fell back into contemplation.

They certainly had to take the items, but the risk was also very great.

That these treasures were used for a seal made them even more wary of the potential dangers.

After thinking through several plans, it was still most appropriate for Su Lun to stay behind alone to take the treasure.

He said, "Sister Qiantiao, Mr. Hei, you two go back to the ship first. Once you are a good distance from this ruin, I'll make my move."

"Okay."

Qiantiao and the others nodded in agreement.

The plan was to "grab and run," as there were no better options at the moment.

Without further discussion, the two led Tanni and the others out of the temple.

As for Su Lun, he remained alone, beginning to set up a long-distance spatial alchemical formation.

This formation utilized a large number of energy barytes, saving him the energy-consuming process of forming the glyphs and achieving an almost instantaneous effect.

...

Half a day later, the Night Eternal was far enough away from the Atlantis Ruins.

At that moment, as Su Lun in the temple's secret chamber received the message that everything was going smoothly on their side, he began to take action.

He first activated the alchemical formation that had been prepared under his feet.

The moment the formation's light lit up, Su Lun raised his hand towards the three items on the altar, a myriad of threads wrapped around the three treasures in an instant, and he pulled them into the small void realm in the blink of an eye.

He had rehearsed this process countless times in his mind; there was no hesitation whatsoever.

However, at the very moment when the sealed treasures were extracted, Mr. Hei on his shoulder cawed sharply, signaling a deadly danger!

The sealing runes on the ground shattered into dust, and a terrifying oppressive force burst forth from the earth, sweeping through the entire chamber.

Just as Su Lun was engulfed, the spatial formation activated, and his body disappeared in the same instant the seal broke.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the Night Eternal several dozen miles away, all the members of the Dawn Group watched the alchemical formation light up, each of them on edge.

After a flash of intense light, the void passage opened.

Soon after, a figure "thumped" heavily onto the deck.

Su Lun spat out a mouthful of old blood, but seeing the worried faces around him, he bared his bloodstained teeth into a radiant grin.

He had narrowly escaped from the brink of danger.