Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun followed Elder Pasu through the dense forest and came to a giant tree.

This was a vast ash tree, probably the largest tree Su Lun had ever seen. The trunk's diameter exceeded thirty meters, with lush leaves reaching skyward like a green island bustling with chirping birds.

It was in full bloom, its branches hung with willow-like twigs decorated with clusters of small white flowers. A breeze scattered the white petals through the air, reminiscent of falling snow.

At the base of the trunk, there was a tree hollow framed by a three-tiered stone arch shaped in the form of the character "门".

The moss-covered stone frame, engraved with ancient patterns, invoked a sense of sacred solemnity in anyone who saw it.

Pasu and Yuta approached the giant tree and solemnly prayed with hands clasped.

After praying, Yuta introduced it to Su Lun, "This is our Dalu Tribe's Divine Tree, as ancient as our sacred land. Our ancestors say that the Great God of Nature once blessed it personally."

Su Lun also looked askance, sensing that this tree was indeed different, exuding a vibrant spiritual aura.

The branches swayed as if to welcome him, the guest.

Yuta continued, "Let's go inside. The clan leaders are in there."

Su Lun nodded and followed him into the tree hollow.

Once inside, it revealed a whole new world.

The space inside the tree hollow was larger than it appeared from the outside and very tall, with a spiral staircase winding up against the wall, reaching up to the height of three or four floors. The walls were lined with dense cabinets filled with various herbs, and many dried medicinal herbs hung from the ceiling.

Inside the tree hollow, there was a large rectangular wooden table lit brightly by magic stone lamps.

By the time Su Lun arrived, seven or eight people were already sitting on chairs.

Judging by their faces, they were all quite old.

These were the elders of the Dalu Tribe.

"Only two fifth-tiers?"

Su Lun sensed the soul fires of these people and clearly identified two among them as fifth-tier.

One of them was in the main seat, an elderly Deer Tribesman with a long beard.

His antlers were large, about half the size of his body, and he had a demeanor of untroubled wisdom, probably Clan Leader Mona.

Next to him was an old lady with gray wolf ears, likely the "Wolf Granny" whom Yuta often mentioned timidly.

No wonder the Dalu Tribe seemed so weak; there were only two fifth-tiers, and both were quite aged.

However, what drew Su Lun's attention was a broken spear displayed in a prominent position inside the room.

The All-knowing Eye glanced at it and realized its significance.

[Mauribreonak Spear (Damaged)]

Description: One of the four Holy Artifacts of the Dalu Tribe, a divine weapon bestowed by the God of Nature; in its complete state, it could be thrown over long distances, bypassing obstacles and defenses, piercing any object within the user's sensory range not higher in law than the spear, and inflicting additional law-piercing damage; after the attack, the divine spear returns to the thrower's hand; only those with divine power of nature can wield it;

"Is this the Holy Artifact that Katya brought back?"

Su Lun thought to himself as he looked on.

Its effects seemed somewhat similar to his black scythe, disregarding targets' defenses not exceeding those of the weapon's laws.

Even the laws contained within this divine spear might be higher.

It indeed qualified as a powerful weapon, but alas, it was damaged.

Su Lun did not linger his gaze.

Though the spear had no side effects, it did have usage restrictions.

It was a sacred artifact exclusive to the Dalu Tribe.

....

As Su Lun entered, Elder Pasu introduced him, "This is Mr. Su Lun."

The elders of the Dalu Tribe, already aware of Su Lun's background and purpose, stood up in unison and sincerely expressed, "Thank you, warrior, for rescuing our tribespeople of the Dalu Tribe."

"Elders are too kind,"

Su Lun politely responded.

At that moment, Clan Leader Mona stood up, clearing his throat twice and went straight to the point, "Elder Pasu told us Mr. Su Lun is the heir of Sir Isaac?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked at Su Lun with anticipation.

No one understood better than these elders the significance of that thousand-year-old "Pledge" to their Dalu Tribe.

The "warrior" who arrived yesterday brought back a Holy Artifact, which was a big surprise.

But upon questioning, they realized she was not the "Pledged One" prophesied.

And this young man in front of him, mentioning Sir Isaac, also brought new hope.

Su Lun nodded and said, "Yes. For some special reasons, I am a disciple of Lady Cereya, Sir Isaac's wife."

Now that he had met the clan leader of the Dalu, there was no need for him to hide his identity.

Yet, as he openly declared this identity, a room full of Dalu clan sages all showed a look of surprise.

What!

Lady Cereya's disciple?

If that were true,

this... this generational difference seems ridiculously high.

Were they people from their ancestor's generation?

But... how could this young man be the disciple of a lady from a thousand years ago?

Su Lun did not allow them time to speculate wildly. His lineage was indeed hard to explain in a few words, so he paused and added, "I have also heard Yuta mention the noble's ancient oath. But I think, the Pledged One may not be me..."

Before he even finished speaking, Yuta gave him a surprised look.

The elders also simultaneously showed expressions of astonishment, fearing that their hope would turn out to be in vain again.

Probably due to the pressure of their clan's potential extinction, Su Lun could see the intense hope in their flickering gaze.

He didn't beat around the bush and directly said, "My elder sister, who is also the biological daughter of Sir Isaac, 'Ophelia Fei Isaac,' is still alive. She entrusted me to come to the noble's sacred land to discuss matters regarding the oath..."

Very few people in this world knew Mr. Jing's identity, not even all the members of the Jing organization were aware of it.

Who would have thought a person from a thousand years ago was still alive?

When Su Lun revealed this, the entire room fell silent.

Initially, when Su Lun said he was Lady Cereya's disciple, they were skeptical. Although they wouldn't doubt a hero who had saved their tribe, the claim, after all, seemed far-fetched to anyone.

But now, he was also claiming that Sir Isaac's biological daughter was still alive?

This news was like a massive bomb, causing shockwaves in everyone's hearts.

A group of composed sages couldn't hide their shock.

For a moment, the large treehouse was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

People looked at each other, seemingly at a loss for words.

Seeing that they remained silent, Su Lun delivered Mr. Jing's exact words, "Lady Ophelia also said... the Isaac family will always remember the oath and will defend the friendship with the Dalu tribe with their lives."

He hadn't expected that these words, once spoken, seemed to have touched some mysterious prohibition.

Suddenly, Su Lun felt a force sweep over him, which refreshed his spirit and made him lightly exclaim, "Was that just now the power of nature?"

He looked around the room, as if it was the Divine Tree's will responding to the vow.

Only then did he realize that the oath from a thousand years ago was not so simple.

Su Lun had originally thought it was something like a "covenant contract," but it seemed to involve a very high level of legal force.

"Oath" is the most secretive and sacred part of the Dalu tribe, even a source of their power.

It is said that when the deities bestow on them the divine power, the warriors of the Dalu tribe are subjected to prohibitions, and this is a form of "oath." Abide by it and benefit; violate it and suffer.

This was something even Yuta hadn't clarified.

....

"Was that... the Divine Tree responding?!"

"The ancient oath has indeed come true..."

"The great nature deity has not forsaken His devout followers..."

"..."

The people of the Dalu tribe in the treehouse were more sensitive than Su Lun.

Obviously, they too felt that sudden surge of natural force, and they started praying excitedly.

After enduring hundreds of years of the darkest times, they thought the night would last forever.

At this moment, they suddenly saw the dawn's early light.

Su Lun saw devout and excited tears in the eyes of Yuta and these Dalu elders, and his heart could empathize.

The clouds were swept away, and all that was left was a light of hope.

After a while, when the prayers finished, the elders of the Dalu looked at Su Lun, and their eyes instantly changed.

Previously it was polite, grateful, respectful.

Nowadays, he regarded them as warmly and affectionately as one would a relative.

Su Lun felt this was quite nice; he had a good impression of the Dalu tribe and didn't mind being treated as a friend.

Yet, there was still one issue.

Due to seniority, everyone in the room, except for the Deer Tribe Chief Mona, was younger than Su Lun by several generations.

Despite Su Lun's repeated refusals, he was still invited to take the main seat, sitting next to the Clan Leader.

Now that the Divine Tree had recognized Su Lun, no one else harbored any doubts.

Everyone was visibly excited, discussing fervently and asking questions about the pledge and the heir of the Isaac family.

However, Su Lun himself didn't know much and could only honestly say, "I don't know much about the pledge. Lady Ophelia is still in seclusion recuperating due to some health issues, but after some time, she will personally visit…"

The elders of the Dalu tribe, upon hearing this, were overjoyed.

The appearance of the Pledged One meant that the prophecy was about to be fulfilled.

Recently, the continuous bad news had been suffocating them; now, they finally saw hope.

As they chatted, Clan Leader Mona took out a brass scripture cylinder, carved with secret inscriptions, from a wooden box in the treehouse.

Under everyone's gaze, he opened it and took out a yellowed parchment scroll, solemnly saying to Su Lun, "This is the pledge scroll handed down within our tribe. Now that the heir of the Isaac family has arrived, we witness the renewal of this pledge…"

The scroll was unfolded with a sense of ceremony, and the room filled with solemn faces.

Su Lun saw that the contract's contents were simple, roughly stating 'the eternal friendship between humans and the Dalu tribe'.

Looking at the signature at the bottom, his gaze slightly hardened.

It was the name signed by a Demigod a thousand years ago.

Merely seeing those few characters brought a profound sense of history and responsibility washing over him.

Su Lun took the quill pen that Yuta handed to him, signed his name, and pressed his handprint.
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On the scroll, the magical glyphs flashed and disappeared.

Originally, he felt it would be more appropriate for Mr. Jing to undertake this covenant.

But during his previous visit, he had contacted that senior sister of his.

Because of the reasons related to bloodline dormancy regression, she was still recovering her strength and needed some time.

Apart from bringing these words, she specifically told Su Lun that he could represent the Isaac family in making certain decisions.

Such as: signing the pledge.

Mr. Jing didn't treat Su Lun as an outsider,

and Su Lun himself didn't have any reservations.

Being the heir of the Isaac family, adhering to the pledge was only natural.

....

After the pledge was signed, the other elders left first.

Only Yuta, Deer Tribe Chief Mona, and Wolf Granny, the three Dalu tribespeople, remained in the cabin.

Su Lun had a personal issue as well.

He directly brought it up, "Aside from the matter of the contract, I have a personal issue for which I need to request the seniors' help. I would like to know if your tribe has a way to resolve anomalies in spiritual power?"

Deer Tribe Chief looked at Su Lun and asked, "Does young friend Su Lun have some problems with his spiritual power? Would you mind if this old one takes a look?"

"Of course not."

Su Lun extended his hand.

The Deer Tribe Chief's hand emitted a green light as he checked, his brow furrowing.

Then, he motioned for Wolf Granny to take a look.

Their gaze towards Su Lun also appeared very complex, akin to the astonishment of expecting a cat in the cage but seeing a tiger instead.

Seeing that their expressions were not very good, Su Lun knew that things might not go smoothly.

After the examination, he asked, "Elders, is this issue rather troublesome?"

"Indeed, it is quite thorny."

Deer Tribe Chief pondered for a moment and said, "This situation is likely because young friend Su Lun you listened to the whispers of a Dark Deity. Those high-level pieces of information are not bearable with your current understanding, which has caused the anomaly..."

There, his slightly murky yet wise eyes glanced at Su Lun, "and you, you've been forcefully suppressing this negative spiritual power with your will. This is causing it to potentially lose control at any time, bringing you trouble."

It was no wonder he was the Clan Leader of the Dalu tribe; his words pinpointed the issue precisely.

The Dalu tribe was a people of divine belief, having once come into close contact with deities. Thus, in some ways, they understood the power of gods better than the magicians did.

Su Lun listened attentively, waiting for a solution to be proposed.

The Deer Tribe Chief continued, "Your willpower is incredibly remarkable, but this has actually exacerbated the distortion issue."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded in agreement with the statement.

He had been aware of this problem quite some time ago; suppression would only make the issue worse.

It was like using dams to stop floods, a temporary solution at best, never solving the root cause but potentially making it more severe.

Yet, he had no better alternative.

He asked, "Elders, can this problem be resolved?"

The Deer Tribe Chief said, "There is indeed a way..."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun was overwhelmed with joy.

He had held no hopes initially, but now he received a definite answer.

The Deer Tribe Chief slightly shifted his tone, then added, "There are two methods, but neither can completely resolve the issue, only try them for now."

Having a method was good news!

Su Lun, with a sincere expression, looked at the elder, "Please, tell me."

The Deer Tribe Chief continued, "The first method is for you to stay in the sacred land. Here, under the protection of the natural god, the influence of the whispers of the Dark Deities will be suppressed. The dense natural power will also help sooth those negative spiritual forces. Over time, it might not completely solve the problem but will at least prevent backlash that endangers your life..."

"..."

Su Lun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

When he had entered earlier, he had distinctly felt a sense of relief and had already speculated that the old clan leader's method might work.

But to shy away in a corner of this fascinating world for a lifetime would indeed be a pity.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the Deer Tribe Chief smiled and said, "Our Dalu tribe's sacred land is always welcoming to friends. However, you young people should aspire to explore the exciting world outside. Thus, you might be more interested in the second method."

Su Lun did not hide his thoughts, earnestly saying, "Please enlighten me."

"That would be drawing the 'Devouring Demon Totem'."

The Deer Tribe Chief slowly explained, "Originally, mental distortions are not too troubling for our Dalu tribe. Our tribe has inherited a secret technique of totem mysticism involving the drawing of special totems that bear abnormalities the body cannot handle itself. It's like adding an external container to the body, absorbing all negative spiritual forces. However, your issue is a bit special... the source of the whispers comes from the Dark Deities, which means the grade of the totem needs to be very high."

"Totem Mysticism?"

Su Lun heard some knowledge beyond his understanding.

Listening to this tone, it seemed possible, yet also not.

The Deer Tribe Chief continued, "As you see, our Dalu tribe's tradition is broken. The kind of totem that can perfectly solve your mental distortions would need at least a seventh-level druid to draw it perfectly..."

Su Lun's eyes slightly flashed with contemplation.

This was similar to what Mr. Jing had said.

He did not feel regretful; since the old clan leader had mentioned this method, there were evidently some viable alternatives.

Indeed, the Deer Tribe Chief then said, "The tribe has passed down some incomplete secrets of totem mysticism. I am not sure I can resolve the issue, but I can draw a totem to temporarily suppress the distortions..."

"Temporary suppression, huh..."

As Su Lun digested these words, part of his mind set about devising a plan.

If there was a way to solve this problem, then he should pursue that goal.

If the conditions were not met, then he would find a way to meet them.

In an instant, an idea struck him.

A seventh-level druid or higher?

The strongest in the Dalu tribe was only fifth-level, but that didn't mean there hadn't been any before!

A thought crossed Su Lun's mind.

He remembered what Yuta had mentioned about the ancient relics in the "Cursed Valley" north of the forest.

The top elites of the Dalu tribe had all perished there. Su Lun speculated that the relic might be like the Dawn Relic, a passage to another dimension. Therefore, the mass demise of the elites could likely create a "cursed space."

In a cursed space, he might encounter a former druid.

He planned to seek the "Heartstealer," and it was a good opportunity to explore.

If there truly was a cursed space, and considering his current relationship with the Dalu tribe, the possibilities were vast...