Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun observed the entire process of the Dalu tribe's ritual and witnessed the magical moment when they all advanced together.

It was not just a promotion in rank, but also the continuation of a legacy.

From that moment on, the Dalu tribe was once again blessed by the gods.

This meant that the lineage of the Dalu tribe was continued.

Empowered by divine grace and protected by a faithful god, the number of masters in the Dalu tribe would increase. It was foreseeable that in the near future, the Dalu tribe would gradually regain its former glory.

Now with Sixth Order professionals, there would later be Seventh Order, Eighth Order, and even higher, Great Druids born.

They truly had a foundation to stand on.

Su Lun was genuinely happy for them from the bottom of his heart.

....

Su Lun looked at the glowing portal pensively.

Were deities higher forms of life, similar to "higher-dimensional beings"?

He had always thought so.

But upon feeling the descent of the will of the nature god, he felt it wasn't that simple; it was something beyond the five senses. Although he could not yet understand what he saw, this experience gave him a hint of insight beyond the mundane world.

Mr. Jing's face also maintained a thoughtful demeanor all along.

Standing at her height, she clearly perceived much more.

....

The anomaly at the Sacred Lake plunged the entire Emerald Holy Land into an atmosphere of jubilation.

Long after, the dazzling, multicolored radiance gradually dissipated, and that mysterious will also vanished behind the heavenly gate. Yet, the people of the Dalu tribe continued to pray devoutly for a long while.

After the ritual was completed, the crowd gathered near the altar.

There lay a black stone tablet engraved with an oath.

This was a stone monument commemorating the pact signed by Sir Isaac and the ancestors of the Dalu tribe a thousand years ago.

A thousand years ago, that Demigod stood right where Su Lun and Mr. Jing were standing now, and made a vow with the Dalu tribe.

Now, the crowd once again stood in front of the stone tablet, presenting fresh flowers, announcing that the friendship between humans and the Dalu tribe would endure.

Shortly after, all the ritualistic aspects were completed.

The Deer Tribe Chief and Wolf Granny led a group of elders away from the Sacred Lake.

Mr. Jing also departed.

Only Yuta and Su Lun remained.

Su Lun had another matter to attend to here, which was to draw totems to suppress spiritual anomalies.

With no one else around, Yuta excitedly called Su Lun to the altar, "Mr. Su Lun, come over here!"

With her words, the solemn atmosphere immediately dissipated.

Su Lun too felt much more relaxed without the Dalu tribe elders around.

But when he walked to the altar and saw Yuta reaching out to pull him up, he still asked, "Is this... okay?"

Previously, the Deer Tribe Chief and no one else could approach the altar, and he also felt that as a human, it might not be appropriate to ascend.

It was said that only Great Druids summoned by the gods had the right to step on this altar.

Yuta of course understood what he meant, and said with a smile, "The god will not mind. Besides, it's permitted by a divine oracle."

After a pause, she winked and said, "But, you have to take off your shoes."

When Su Lun heard this, looking at Yuta's bare feet, he reassuredly took off his shoes as well and stepped up.

The white stone altar was carved with various mystical motifs.

In the center was a sun totem with a human face, surrounded by flowers, birds, fish, trees, beasts, mountains, rivers... and everything under the sun.

Stepping on it barefoot was slightly uncomfortable.

Seeing Yuta's restless little feet, Su Lun knew that her dancing during the ritual must have been somewhat uncomfortable as well.

Yuta pulled Su Lun to sit on the altar, her face no longer serious.

She heaved a big sigh, "Phew... I was so worried that something would go wrong during the ritual. But thankfully, nothing did. Otherwise, I guess I would have been scolded by Wolf Granny again."

Su Lun couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Even though she was now the highest-ranking "Great Druid" of the Dalu tribe, she still appeared quite afraid of Wolf Granny. Childhood memories indeed run deep.

The altar was by the lake, and standing upon it one could clearly see the lake, which was as pristine as emerald.

Before, from a distance, he hadn't been able to see clearly, but now, here at the lake's edge, Su Lun realized that the lake seemed bottomless.

He found it somewhat unbelievable and casually asked, "Yuta, how deep is the Sacred Lake?"

Yuta thought for a moment and replied, "The elders in the tribe say that the Sacred Lake is bottomless. It seems to connect to another dimension."

Another dimensional gateway?

Listening to this, Su Lun couldn't help but take another look, although he didn't figure anything out.

He then asked, "Are we going to start drawing the totem now? What should I do?"

Without the elders around, Yuta appeared very relaxed. She gave a slight smile and said offhandedly, "Just take off your shirt."

Then she took out the materials she had prepared in advance, placing them on the altar while adding, "I will use divine power to draw 'Eclipse'. It might take a long time. It might also be a bit painful. Mr. Su Lun, you should be prepared."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded and sat down cross-legged on the ground.

Seeing Su Lun sitting so formally, Yuta chuckled, "There's no need to be so serious. The deity can sense the devotion of its followers, so many formalities... he actually doesn't mind them..."

Her words trailed off, and a playfulness appeared on her face for a moment. Likely it was a slight resentment towards the tiresome training Wolf Granny had given her these past few days, as well as these complicated ritual procedures...

As she spoke, she had already prepared the necessary materials and then began to pray.

Before long, a crack once again appeared above the altar, and a beam of multicolored light shone down.

But this time, unlike before, there was only one beam of light, like a spotlight, illuminating only the altar where Su Lun and Yuta were.

The multicolored light shone down, making Yuta's presence seem even more ethereal.

Su Lun also felt warm and comfortable.

However, as Yuta traced the totem on his body with her sanctified brush, Su Lun immediately felt a slight burning pain as if touched by flames.

Fortunately, it wasn't too intense. He calmed his mind and closed his eyes, entering into meditation.

....

The drawing of the totem lasted the whole day.

While Su Lun was still immersed in meditation, Yuta's voice suddenly broke the silence with a light exclamation of triumph, "Done."

Su Lun opened his eyes and immediately his gaze was drawn to the finished product.

The totem on his chest was the same 'Eclipse' he had seen before, a black sun pattern.

But it felt completely different now.

Before, it merely looked like an ordinary tattoo, but now, he felt as if a blazing sun was sealed within the pattern. The black lines looked like roaring flames, truly magical.

Su Lun carefully considered his feelings and expressed, "I feel like this totem is alive. Is this what the Deer Tribe Chief meant by 'Spirit of the Totem'?"

"Yes! Just like my totem~"

Yuta nodded.

She also seemed very pleased with her craftsmanship, gently tracing the contours of the totem with her finger, saying, "This is a Sacred Totem, now spirited. From now on, nurture it with your spiritual power, and it will grow along with you."

Hearing this, joy flickered in Su Lun's eyes.

With this totem, wouldn't he be unlimited in using the Reaper's Shadow?

Suddenly changing the subject, Yuta added, "However, being an overflow of mutant spiritual power, it also carries some risks. As the totem's spirit grows stronger, reaching a certain limit, if you can't control it, it might overwhelm you. But actually, those negative emotions are also a part of you, just beyond your current control. If used correctly, just like the Clan Leader said, it can also be a great aid... "

"Hmm."

Su Lun listened but didn't pay it much mind.

This was already an ideal situation.

With this totem, for a long time, he didn't have to worry about the distortion of his spiritual power.

In that time, it would be enough for him to seek other methods to completely solve the issue.

Like another lost artifact of the Dalu Tribe, 'Farrel's Holy Grail', or as Mr. Jing mentioned, the 'Spring of Youth' on a remote island overseas. Or other magical entities. There seem to be plenty of options to fully solve the issue of spiritual distortion, just difficult to find. This world is far more fascinating than it appears, filled with countless wonders.

Worst case, if he really couldn't control it, he could always return to the Emerald Holy Land to retire.

Enjoying the scenery, and Yuta's beautiful company, wouldn't be so bad.

However, having witnessed the miracle of the Dalu Tribe coming upon them, his outlook had shifted somewhat.

If possible, Su Lun hoped to advance further in the field of Alchemy.

He wanted to stand at the pinnacle of this world and see the view.

And perhaps, if it were possible, he wanted to visit other dimensions.

To see the complete picture of this wonderful world.

....

After the pilgrimage to the Sacred Lake, the entire Dalu tribe was engulfed in an atmosphere of joy.

Those who had been prepared to move decided to stay. Tribes from the Silent Forest sent their young successors to be trained as the new generation of Druids.

Yuta, who had been promoted to "Great Druid," was busy every day after coming down from the Sacred Lake.

As the only one who could communicate with the gods, she needed to convey the divine decrees and teach the knowledge bestowed by the gods to her tribespeople.

Only at night, when she could rest, did she have time to sneak off to see Su Lun, to talk and be affectionate.

Mr. Jing was also busy. The slave-hunting activities in the Silent Forest would not be completely extinguished just because the Unicorn Whale unit had suffered a setback.

Later, during this half-month period, several tribes also received information about attacks by the slave-hunting groups. Mr. Jing would personally go to these places and suppress the slave hunters with his imposing power.

This also led to intelligence that several major slave merchants in Emperor Luying's capital still posted rewards, inviting one of the "Top Ten Bounty Hunters" to come over to deal with her.

However, Su Lun didn't need to worry.

Mr. Jing wasn't in a hurry to leave, partly to protect the Dalu tribe and also because the Emerald Holy Land offered a better recovery environment.

Her current strength was on the brink of breaking through to the eighth tier; whatever bounty hunters came, it was useless.

Besides, the Dalu tribe truly had divine protection now; they were no longer the weak group that others could beat and squeeze without being able to fight back.

In the Emerald Holy Land, with divine protection and Yuta's magical skills, her combat power was beyond ordinary reasoning.

Even Mr. Jing blatantly said that she was very strong.

If those slave traders from Emperor Luying really assembled a large force to come over, they were likely to be taught a lesson and made to rethink their lives.

....

In this period, Su Lun also stayed in the village attending classes taught by Yuta, understanding the Divine Arts and cultural heritage of the Dalu tribe.

Although the Way of Nature and Alchemy were two different fields, their fundamental principles overlapped on some levels.

After a period of lectures, Su Lun gained immensely. These insights significantly benefited his own cultivation.

However, Su Lun didn't plan to stay in the Emerald Holy Land for a long time.

His rank was too low, and many things were beyond his understanding.

Advancement was his most urgent need.

He needed to find the heritage of the "Rune Magician" and then use that replica "Original Rune" to create materials for his advancement to the fourth tier.

Advancement below the sixth tier posed almost no hurdles for Su Lun, and with Isaac's Alchemical Heart replenishing his dark spiritual power, his state was brimming. He was ready to advance anytime with the right materials.

Besides, he also wanted to try his luck in Pirate City to see if he could find origins of the spatial gear that belonged to the King of the North Sea. Finding space-related materials or suitable alchemical gear would greatly fortify his combat abilities.

....

That day, Su Lun met Mr. Jing, who had just returned from outside.

He was waiting for his senior sister so he could bid her farewell in person before preparing to leave the Emerald Holy Land.

The two walked through the sacred land's forest, accompanied by the chirping of birds nearby.

"You're planning to go to Pirate City? Hmm... it's good to take a look. This world consists of more than just the Luying and Mafa empires. The North Sea is vast, hundreds, thousands of times larger than Luying territory. There are also many human territories and other intelligent species. Alchemists, after all, need to broaden their horizons and observe the myriad things of the world..."

"When you leave the Silent Forest, you might contact Qiantiao. She has been active near the Blizzard City region recently, and I hear it's quite lively there. Her temperament is fiery too, so you two might reflect each other well."

"..."

Mr. Jing wasn't surprised by Su Lun's decision to leave; on the contrary, he strongly supported him traveling around to gain more worldly experience.

Talking as they walked, they reached the edge of the forest.

Suddenly remembering something, Mr. Jing turned to Su Lun, revisiting an old topic, "I've given some thought to that 'revolutionary army' proposal you mentioned, and I think it might actually be necessary. Without strong military support, an absolute neutral ground is just an idealist's dream. So you also need to strive to become stronger. You are my mother's direct disciple, and rebuilding Dawn City in the future will need our collective effort."

Hearing these earnest words, Su Lun couldn't help but show a bittersweet expression, "Hmm."

Mr. Jing continued, "That's why I've also been considering plans for the future recently. I've made some changes to the plans. I sent Emmerich to Emperor Luying's capital, and the Reyes family followed him there. With the wealth accumulated in Old Lington and some of my ancestral background, they should be able to establish a major trading company soon. Rebuilding Dawn City in the future will also need a great deal of financial support..."

Listening to this, Su Lun roughly understood Mr. Jing's intentions.

The Reyes family, able to become top financiers in the harsh environment of Old Lington, definitely had strong capabilities. Such top business talent would quickly find stability in the surface world.

Moreover, Mr. Hei was there.

Thinking of the old man who had helped him many times, Su Lun always pictured those wise and profound eyes.

Mr. Hei was the most impressive sage Su Lun had met, and very strong in his own right.

Even among the organization led by his senior sister, he was the foremost figure.

"Ah, there's one more thing."

It was at this point that a rare mischievous gleam flashed in Mr. Jing's eyes.

After a pause, she added, "Emmerich asked me to tell you, your succubus maid also followed him to Emperor Luying's capital. Emmerich even praised her as a genius in intelligence gathering. So... what I want to say is, your person is now my person too."

"..."

Su Lun listened with a slightly strange expression on his face.

He actually had no long-term plans of his own.

It was Sabrina herself who wanted to play a role and create an intelligence network for Su Lun, similar to an umbrella organization.

He had planted the willows without intending to, and now it coincidentally matched Mr. Jing's plans perfectly.

Now that Mr. Hei and his companions were joining them, he no longer needed to worry about her safety.

Su Lun felt it was just right.

However, the tone of his senior sister seemed a bit teasing?

...

"Okay, I will leave you here."

"Mhm."

"Be careful."

"Okay. You take care too, senior sister."

...

Mr. Jing walked Su Lun to the edge of the sacred land, concluding their conversation just in time.

At the end of the forest path, several Dalu tribesmen who had been waiting for a while were present.

Since Su Lun was leaving, the Deer Tribe Chief naturally arranged for an escort.

Leading them was a young man from the White Wolf Tribe, none other than Yuta's brother Arcu.

As he looked at Su Lun, his first words were, "Mr. Su Lun, my sister said she has class during the day, so she won't come to see you off."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun turned and glanced toward the direction of the northern sacred lands village, his gaze slightly deep.

As if responding to his feelings, the wolf claw necklace around his neck warmed slightly.

At the same time, in the treehouse of the sacred land, Yuta was lecturing a group of young Druids. She stood in front of the blackboard, suddenly sensing something, and her pen halted. Then she walked to the window, gazing at the southern skies' rosy light, corners of her mouth lifting into a gentle curve as she whispered softly, "Mr. Su Lun, take care... until we meet again."

Su Lun nodded towards Arcu, "Mhm."

The party moved swiftly through the jungle.

....

During Su Lun's time in the Silent Forest, a "major event" occurred in the North Sea that shook the world.

That was the sudden recognition of the King of the North Sea's royal legitimacy by the Mafa Empire and the announcement of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

This initially sounded utterly absurd.

It was so because, on the "North Sea Kingdom's" sea map, most of the labelled land belonged to the territory of the Luying Empire. Supposedly, if there were to be an enfeoffment, it should be an affair of the Luying royal family. However, Luying would never acknowledge the legitimacy of a group comprising savages and pirates.
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Yet, because of this secret decree, the situation in the North Sea suddenly became turbulent and chaotic.

Although Luying did not acknowledge it, it did not hinder the pirates' celebrations.

The noble class in Luying was solidified, with almost no chance for new top-tier nobility to emerge.

But now, an exception had appeared.

Oleg suddenly transformed from a pirate leader to a "king"-level top-tier noble. This showed numerous great pirates and conspirators a "new route."

Inspired by this, countless new pirate groups were established; rookie pirates eagerly boarded ships, flooding into that vast blue sea...

They boldly plundered passing merchant ships, attacking various Luying territories in the North Sea, all striving for dominance.

With high-end military equipment secretly supported by the Mafa Empire, the fleet of the King of the North Sea even annihilated several navy forces sent by Luying officials to quell the uprising.

For a time, there was no equal in prominence.

The turmoil in the North Sea even caused pirates from the West Sea and South Sea to join in the revelry.

The era proclaimed by pirates as the "Great Pirate Era" had arrived.

....

Several days later, Su Lun returned to Blizzard City.

This human city "Blizzard City," located on the edge of the Silent Forest, had been completely occupied by pirates.

Upon entering the city, he immediately heard another startling piece of news—that the Ninth Fleet of the King of the North Sea had been annihilated!

Surprisingly, the force that annihilated the Ninth Fleet was not the Luying official navy, but Duke Raphael's fleet.

Oleg's claim to kingship had thrown the northern lands into chaos.

Duke Raphael, a sea territory lord who had always kept a low profile, revealed his substantial hidden combat strength for the first time!