Mechanical Alchemist

As soon as Qian Tiao made her appearance, she directly beheaded the Ghost King "Hundred Faces Hair Ghost," leaving Su Lun and the Princess dumbfounded.

Having crossed the "Sword Saint" threshold, her combat power had more than doubled, without exaggeration.

Moreover, it was even more evident that Qian Tiao was handling the "Ghost Maru Hundred Eyes Munemasa" with increasing ease. At this moment, this Demon Blade in her hands finally displayed its true might as a hellish magic weapon. The Sword Qi was focused and unyielding, gathering on the peerlessly sharp blade, making chopping through the armored ghost soldiers as easy as slicing through melons and vegetables. With one slash, she would trigger a sky full of purple-red thunder, resembling an electric prison that exploded with countless ghosts wailing in pain within.

This was indeed the true spectacle of "Thunderous Hell."

The three did not catch up on old times. After Qian Tiao killed the "Hair Ghost," she immediately attacked "Ghost Hero·Toyotomi Hideyoshi," who was engaged in combat with Su Lun.

Both were swordsmen, and their swords clashed with sparks flying everywhere.

But Qian Tiao clearly had the upper hand, each of her slashes carried the momentum of thunder, incredibly domineering, forcing the Ghost King to retreat step by step.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Lun broke away. The technique of four-stage hormone rampage was undone; he gasped for air heavily.

This time, because he hadn't fought to the point of desperation, and he had timed it just right, his muscles were hot and steaming, but luckily he was not as injured as last time, unable to even walk.

He walked over and protected the Princess by his side, then devoured the "grey fog" on the scorched ground.

Unfortunately, a thunderous baptism had burned away much of the souls and demonic aura, so the fragments harvested by Su Lun were few.

But it was better than nothing.

With Qian Tiao's entrance, the situation turned around instantaneously.

While Su Lun controlled the puppet to kill minor monsters, cleaning up the "materials" left on the battlefield was quite leisurely.

Soon, the battle ended, with a ground strewn with corpses of ghosts and monsters.

Su Lun went on to harvest the soul of "Toyotomi Hideyoshi," gaining a wealth of ancient military formation tactics. The demonic aura from the corpse also significantly boosted his Death's Shadow's "experience."

The news of their encirclement spread among the monsters, and the three didn't dare linger near Cangshan, finding a direction to break out.

...

Not long after, they came upon a nameless mountain stream with flowing water.

The trio walked on a pebbled beach.

On their journey, they had killed another minor Ghost King and had finally broken through successfully.

For miles around, they no longer saw any trace of monsters.

Since they had been moving quickly before, and the Princess had been continuously carried by Su Lun. Now that the situation didn't seem as critical, he set her down.

Now that they had a moment to rest, the three finally had the chance to chat casually.

Curious about Qian Tiao's current realm, Su Lun asked, "Qian Tiao, have you advanced to 'Sword Saint'?"

Qian Tiao was in a good mood, her face decorated with a smug smile, "Of course."

After a pause, she continued, "I always felt I was missing something. When I saw that 'Konjin Thunder God' statue in the underground palace, I had an epiphany about that hint of high-level thunder Sword Intent, and suddenly I understood. It also helped to invoke the Sword Intent contained within the Demon Blade from the previous swordmasters, and it made me think of the hellish scene filled with thunder, which led me to develop this 'Thunderous Hell'."

Hearing this, Su Lun felt happy for her, "That's great."

He figured that if they encountered a Great Ghost King of the same caliber as Shuten-doji, even if they couldn't beat it, they would at least be able to protect themselves with ease.

Only when Sword Intent turned into Gang Qi did Qian Tiao truly gain the ability to slash through Protecting Body Qi.

As she spoke, Qian Tiao fiddled with the Bodhi pendant hanging on her waist, adding, "I owe it to this 'Bodhi Seed' too. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to perceive that almost imperceptible trace of divinity."

Su Lun, curious, asked, "What does it feel like to have an epiphany?"

Qian Tiao reflected for a moment, "It's magical. It's like suddenly becoming enlightened, grasping that sensation that once seemed like sand slipping through your fingers."

The Princess, standing nearby, blinked and interjected apologetically, "Qian Tiao, did we interrupt your moment of enlightenment?"
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She naturally knew that if Su Lun hadn't been burdened with her, Qian Tiao wouldn't have felt the need to rush to their aid.

"Ah... interrupt? That's not the case," Qian Tiao responded with an indifferent expression.

The conversation continued, and with a mischievous look, she suddenly draped her arm over Su Lun's shoulder and whispered with a mysterious grin, "By the way, Su Lun, did you try out the surprise I mentioned to you?"

"..."

Su Lun just rolled his eyes upon hearing this, showing no intention of engaging the topic.

Though she claimed to speak softly, her words were clear to the Princess standing beside them.

Then, Qian Tiao hooked her arm around the Princess, saying, "Oh dear, it would be a pity not to try it if we can't get out, wouldn't it?"

Hearing such blatant teasing, the Princess couldn't help but roll her eyes at her helplessly.

...

Over the next few days, Su Lun and his two companions were on the road, ambushing various ghosts and monsters.

The effect of the Princess's "monk's meat" was indeed impressive; those demons could find her from a long distance.

Su Lun's fighting power was now ridiculously exaggerated. Although she was only at the fifth rank, she had mastered the "domineering force" that only those of the sixth rank could wield skillfully. This endowed her sword qi with an immensely strong armor-piercing effect, making it extremely sharp against spiritual and elemental creatures.

Moreover, the "Thunderous Hell" sword intent she had grasped harmonized incredibly well with the Demon Blade, even managing to unleash all the abilities of the "Sōjōbō" hellish demon weapon. The demonic aura was originally too exaggerated and using the power of the Demon Blade carelessly could have led to possession by demons, but with the "Bodhi Seed's" Buddhist restraints supplementing it, she completed that most crucial link.

With the Demon Blade in hand, Su Lun was like someone wielding a "forbidden weapon" that wouldn't backfire with a curse, chopping wildly.

Even Su Lun couldn't accurately assess her combat strength anymore.

Gauging roughly, as long as she didn't encounter an ability that countered hers, she could take on practitioners of the sixth rank.

The trio's teamwork and coordination were impeccable as they ambushed demons in various mountains and wild ridges.

The Princess acted as the bait, sensing the monsters, while Su Lun and Su Lun took care of killing them.

In just a few short days, they had slain more than a dozen Ghost Kings and thousands of ghosts around Ghost Town.

As a result, Su Lun stripped away a massive amount of demonic aura, and his law of death surged by multiple times.

This gave him a vague sense that the underworld in the book seemed a bit different now.

However, those ghosts were not fools; as tempting as the Princess's aura was, it wasn't as important as their own lives.

Gradually, the efficiency of their ambushes declined.

Su Lun harvested a wealth of information about the Yomi Country, and he had almost a complete grasp of the demons there, especially the more well-known ones, knowing their abilities clearly. If they encountered something they couldn't beat, they would circumvent and whittle it down; if they could beat it, they would annihilate it.

It was after they had set up an ambush and wiped out a large group of zombies led by "Blood Drought," one of the "Eight Great Demons of Yomi" with the same status as "Shuten-doji," that they finally ran out of "business."

No matter how much they provoked or lured them in, those Ghost Kings wouldn't be foolish enough to seek them out again. Occasionally, they could take out a few lesser-known ghosts unaware of their "notorious reputation," but that was hardly satisfying.

....

Before they knew it, Su Lun and his companions had been in the Yomi Country for more than twenty days.

The sky of the Yomi Country was eternally shrouded with a dim, cold, grey moon.

Come dinnertime, in a dilapidated small temple.

Having wandered about for half a day with little to show for it, the trio decided to spend the night there.

Su Lun had initially planned to wait until the thirty-day effect of the "Mendicant's Pellet" wore off before figuring out a way to leave.

But now, it seemed there was no difference whether their presence was detected or not.

Monsters no longer came looking for them, and there seemed to be no threat to life outside the city.

However, it was impossible to stay in this cursed space forever. The Eye of Omniscience showed that, even though they were absorbing dark spiritual power through battle, the aura of Yomi was still polluting their bodies through their breathing.

So, leaving a few days earlier or later made no real difference.

They planned to make contact with the Yomi Country Lord Izanami the next day.

Su Lun set up the tent, took out the stove, and then took out a bunch of food.

The Princess was helping with the arrangements. Without anyone to tend to her these days, the princess, who had never cooked before, had also learned to manage quite well.

Although it was instant food, the meal was extraordinarily abundant, complete with dried fish, air-dried meats, canned fruits, and dehydrated vegetables.

Once heated, the aroma was tantalizing.

The three gathered around the steaming stew pot, eating merrily.

The absence of monsters to fight wasn't entirely bad.

The upside was that they no longer needed to hide, and they could get a good night's sleep and eat something substantial without worry.

Su Lun's sitting posture was full of swagger, always holding her sword even while eating. She complained as she ate, "Ah, life's become unbearable. Now these demons have all gotten wise and no longer come to their deaths..."

The Hell Path's sword fighters lived for combat, not afraid to fight, only afraid of nothing to fight.

It had been a good while since they encountered a demon that required her to draw a second strike, so naturally, she felt somewhat uneasy from idleness.

Hearing this, Su Lun's face showed a hint of a smile, but there was a grave look in his eyes, "Su Lun, rest well today. If things go as expected, tomorrow's business won't be so smooth."

Hearing this, Su Lun just shrugged indifferently.

After a moment of thought, she asked, "Su Lun, you've been gathering so much intelligence these recent days. What do you think about the real strength of that Yomi Country Lord?"

Su Lun revealed a thoughtful look, saying, "That King is very mysterious. All the ghosts in Yomi have an almost incomprehensibly fervent worship of Him. Naturally, there's no record of any battles."

Thinking for a moment, he changed the subject and analyzed, "However, we can make some guesses about strength. 'Generally speaking,' the curse space subjects and the laws of the plane restrict, so an individual entity within the space won't be too high. I think… He probably has the special powers of a seventh rank."

This was the most logical conclusion.

On their Alchemy plane, the rules were shattered, and the upper limit was locked at the "Demigod rank."

This is still the limit.

Under normal circumstances, even the cursed space formed after the death of a Demigod is at most of the seventh or eighth order. Over time, it is also subject to the influence of the environment and energy.

In these days, Su Lun had almost fully grasped the entire Ghost Town of Yomi Country; [Shuten-doji] with the strength of a sixth-order professional was considered one of the top demons in Yomi Country.

There were a few legendary Great Ghost Kings in the city, but it was estimated that their power barely exceeded the seventh order.

They were notorious mostly because of certain special abilities they possessed.

After all, Su Lun had truly seen beings of divine level.

He didn't think this "Izanami" would be infinitely strong.

Whether it is the "Fallen Angel" or the "Nature God" of the Dalu tribe, these are genuine living deities.

And those gods of the Mountain Hermit, perhaps in ancient times they really were high-ranking deities. But without surprise, in that "Great Catastrophe," Ying should have mostly fallen.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have never descended till now.

The many gods of Mountain Hermit now are actually personifications of a collective faith, essentially being "pseudo-gods," "outer gods"–that level of existence.

To put it more casually, they are very powerful "Great Demons."

Upon hearing this analysis, Qian Tiao's brows also furrowed tightly.

After pondering for a moment, she said, "Even if it's seventh order, facing it directly, we have no chance of winning. Let's hope it bears no malice..."

However, Su Lun was not optimistic and nodded, "Mm. We Ying Ai should focus on what to do in case of unexpected outcomes... and also, I always feel like something is not quite right."

After the insight into the law of Death improved, this feeling became increasingly strong.

Qian Tiao: "..."

As the two talked,

The Princess beside them had not said a word the whole time.

After all, believers cannot blaspheme the gods. Even here, she still adhered to her faith.

....

After finishing dinner, the three of them cleaned up and prepared to rest.

The snowflakes in the sky became denser and soon created a thick layer outside the threshold of the dilapidated temple. The cold moonlight shone on the snow, reflecting a strange and hazy blue glow.

Perhaps because tomorrow was the day when their fates would be decided, the three of them actually relaxed a bit.

Su Lun held the notebook he had used to collect information these past days, like a student reviewing before handing in an exam paper, trying to find possible "mistakes" in the plan.

The Princess was getting ready to rest because she had to perform a ritual tomorrow.

Next to her, Qian Tiao, wearing a loose kimono, lay there with her legs crossed, as lazily as ever.

Qian Tiao looked at the serious-looking Su Lun, patted the spot next to her, and beckoned, "Come over and rest properly, Su Lun kid. We've done all we could."

On hearing this, the wrinkles on Su Lun's brows finally eased, and then he raised his eyebrows with a smile, "Mm."

Indeed, they had done everything they could.

If they truly could not overcome the force, tactics would not change it.

He walked to the edge of the tent.

The Princess inside made room, and Qian Tiao also shifted her buttocks, leaving a spot for him to lie down.

Su Lun did not stand on ceremony and lay down next to Qian Tiao.

The three of them lay back on the mats, and from this angle, they could see out of the doorway of the dilapidated temple and view the snowy scene outside.

For a while, no one spoke, and they just lay there quietly.

Without any hint of sleepiness, their eyes reflected the desolate beauty of the snow in Yomi Country.

Suddenly, Qian Tiao asked, "Su Lun, do you have any regrets if we really can't get out of here?"

Su Lun replied with a light tone, "Quite a few regrets. It's such a fascinating world, there's still so much to see..."

As he spoke, he counted on his fingers, "For instance, I haven't stood at the pinnacle of the alchemy domain to view the scenery; I haven't experienced the bustling capital cities of the two great empires; I haven't seen other dimensions. Mm... Also, the many friends I've made, not being able to meet them again, that's the most regrettable."

Listening, Qian Tiao also heaved a slight sigh, "Ah, we even talked about going on pirate adventures together. I didn't expect our first venture to be so unsuccessful. And you know what, I'm really starting to admire those great adventurers like 'Fujiwara Hayato' and 'Pirate King Black Sam.' Exploring the world and discovering the unknown is truly wonderful."

Su Lun replied with a smile, "Yeah, I also think the profession of an adventurer is quite nice."

Their tones carried a subtle note of pessimism.

And indeed, that was the case.

Until now, Su Lun had not the slightest confidence that they would definitely make it out alive.

If Ote Himeya chose to use this [Death Novel], she certainly intended to trap all outsiders here; it wouldn't be easy to break free.

```

Moreover, this was a "T-Class" space, as judged by the Eye of Omniscience. Without finding a one in ten thousand chance, it was absolutely impossible to escape.

The situation for tomorrow,

Grim.

Su Lun then asked, "What about you, Sister Qiantiao?"

"Me? I'm pretty good..."

Qiantiao was quite philosophical about it, saying, "I have now entered the 'Sword Saint Realm,' glimpsed the supreme height of the Sword Dao, and have thus fulfilled my wishes. If I could have one more exhilarating battle, that would be even better."

At this moment, she thought of something and turned to the Princess on her right, "Miss Princess, what about you?"

The Princess's character was gentle and serene, barely noticeable when she did not speak.

Even when the three of them were together, most of the time she just quietly listened on the side.

Upon being asked, she replied with a very calm voice, "For us of the Shinto lineage, the process of death is merely awaiting the next cycle of reincarnation."

While speaking, she took a deep breath, her plain white garment rising and falling significantly.

She wasn't concerned about her own life or death but felt sorry for involving her friends.

The Princess said somberly, "I'm sorry. I've implicated Mr. Su Lun and Sister Qiantiao. If it wasn't for..."

Before she could finish, Qiantiao hugged her tightly and said with dissatisfaction, "Hey, hey, hey... Princess, saying things like that is really alienating."

The Princess's head was pressed against Qiantiao's chest, feeling a suffocating pressure.

She could only plead, "Sister Qiantiao, I'm having trouble breathing..."

Qiantiao then let go with a playful laugh.

...

The three chatted sporadically for a while and gradually fell silent.

The magic lamp was turned off, and the surroundings grew dim.

In the tent, only the even sound of breathing remained.

Su Lun was not sleepy, lying on his back on the mat, and the more he thought, the stranger the premonition grew in his heart.

He felt he had vaguely touched upon some key point, but it seemed like looking at flowers through fog, elusive and indistinct.

Qiantiao was sleeping beside him, very close. Their skin touched extensively, but neither found it uncomfortable. Such intimacy had become commonplace over these days.

Neither of them was asleep.

Suddenly, Qiantiao turned towards him.

Su Lun just felt his arm sink into a mass of heavy softness.

Qiantiao pressed her face to his ear and whispered softly, "Su Lun, if you have the chance to survive, live well."

Previously in Edo, the blind qin master with the "Heavenly Eye" talent foresaw her own death.

Since her fate could not be changed, if possible, she did not want to drag Su Lun down with her.

Su Lun listened, but did not respond to her.

Their understanding of each other let him immediately know what she meant.

Would Sister Qiantiao die?

But if it's going to happen, it would be here.

This was a thorn in Su Lun's heart.

....

It should have been a very sentimental atmosphere, but at that moment, Qiantiao suddenly rolled over and directly across Su Lun, "Switch places!"

She squeezed Su Lun into the middle without ceremony.

"Give me your hand."

"???"

"How does it feel?"

"..."

Su Lun guessed Qiantiao probably had some mischievous idea,

but after changing positions, she quietly fell asleep holding his arm.

On one side was Qiantiao, and on the other was the Princess.

To Su Lun's slight surprise, the Princess did not shy away either. She shifted slightly and leaned in closer, her breathing gradually becoming steady.

```