Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun achieved enlightenment in the midst of battle and successfully advanced to the third rank of Rakshasa Woman.

At that moment, the six-armed Rakshasa behind her was no longer an illusion but a fiercely frowning golden body of cast gold. Upon closer inspection, it was slightly ethereal yet was the condensation of Gang Qi at its utmost purity. This Gang Qi, like armor, radiated golden light one foot from her body, visibly exuding an indestructible and substantial aura.

Su Lun's eyes were filled with darkness as he watched.

Both Mr. Jing and the previously encountered "Sword Saint" Akutagawa Ryuichi had praised her for possessing an almost immaculate heart of Sword Dao, which promised immeasurable mastery in her future sword path. Now, she had utilized the opportunity provided by the "Bodhi Seed" to break through the legendary triple talent unlock.

Unfortunately, it was her swan song.

As Su Lun herself said, this was the strongest she would ever be in this lifetime.

At that moment, she pointed her sword towards the sky, fearlessly invoking the name "Izanami."

The sky above was terrifyingly low, with tumbling purple-red thunderclouds seeming to slowly descend, rumbling as if to shatter the heavens with thunder.

Once the majestic Rakshasa Golden Body appeared, even the myriad demons and ghosts were stunned.

A group of Ghost Kings looked at each other, none daring to touch its sharpness.

Just then, it suddenly sounded as though a chant of Buddhist scriptures began resonating beside her ear, echoing through the heavens and earth.

"I see the evil ghosts of hell, Mara's forms, all forms do not enter my eyes... I see the Lords of Hell, the Yomi Country Lord, Yama, all gods do not disturb my heart... Across nine mountains and eight seas, there is nothing I cannot sever, all specters and spirits, there is none I cannot slash. With my sword drawn, I can split mountains, sever rivers, cleave seas, and slay demons and gods..."

Before these words had even finished, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred in the sky.

A crack abruptly appeared in the thick thunderclouds, and a blinding golden light shone down from the gap. In the gloomy Land of Yomi, it was as if a golden sword had pierced down from the heavens.

Wherever the Buddha's light shone, evil spirits scrambled to evade, wailing in pain, instantly burned to ash by the radiance.

That beam of light ultimately pierced through the murky mists and shone upon Su Lun's Rakshasa Golden Body.

For a moment, the golden light intensely flared, as if a deity had descended.

As if prophesized by divine command, the Sword Intent accumulating within her also reached its peak with the chanting.

Furthermore, the inexhaustible dark Spiritual Power continuously gathered in the sword, the Sword Qi overflowing for three hundred meters. It seemed as if her single strike could shatter the entire Yomi.

Just then, an even more astonishing scene unfolded.

Looking up, a grand Rakshasa Golden Body of boundless golden light suddenly appeared in the crack, majestically overlooking all beings of Yomi.

Suddenly, the giant Rakshasa Golden Body in the sky frowned fiercely and glared at the Yomi Country Lord who had been watching the battle from the beginning.

Immediately afterward, there came the venomous curse of Izanami, offended, "Wretched ants, you dare to offend a great deity!"

"Hmph!"

Su Lun let out a cold shout.

Regardless of whether the Country Lord responded or not,

Her swing was already imbued with the intent to "slay a god."

But how could those mountain spirits and ghosts tolerate a human offending their revered Country Lord?

How could they allow Su Lun to bypass them and confront their king directly?

Although they instinctively feared the glaring Buddha's light, at the shout of the Ghost Kings, the immense spectral energy that had just calmed suddenly surged again.

That ghostly energy gathering black torrents sweeping across the sky,

like tidal waves crashing against the shore, seemed intent on extinguishing the Buddha's light in the sky.

But it was already too late.

The entire world was pitch black, Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

but suddenly, a beam of light lit up.

It was feeble,

isolated and forlorn,

but it...

pierced through the endless darkness!

With six arms wielding the sword, Su Lun charged fearlessly into the black tidal wave of ghosts, her mouth full of exhilarating laughter: "Hahahaha...Izanami, your demons and ghosts can't stop me!"

Like a War God, wherever she passed, she demolished all in her path, unstoppable.

....

At that moment, Su Lun had already charged up to Izanami,

The high and mighty deity seemingly felt fear for the first time.

Is He a god?

No!

He is far from it!

The "Fallen Angel" was indeed a genuine god-tier being. Could any part of its body be matched by Izanami, who attempted to simulate the appearance of a deity through unknown methods?

Under the pinnacle strike of Chizuru's blade, it too felt the fear of being erased.

At that moment, as the myriad ghosts failed to stop the human charging fiercely towards them, Izanami finally made her move.

She raised her hand, and a bizarre sea of green flames appeared in front of her.

Those flames, as if capable of burning everything, left nothing unburned in their path—be it mountains, rocks, vegetation, fairies, or ghosts.

Yet Chizuru did not stop advancing.

In the last instant before plunging into the green inferno, she looked back one last time.

It just so happened that her gaze met Su Lun's from afar.

The last backward glance of her life,

She smiled.

In Edo, the blind Qin Master had once foretold this scene: Chizuru would advance into the sea of fire with her sword, but her face would show no regrets, no complaints.

...

Ah...!

Ah...!!

Ah...!!!

Su Lun watched in agony as Chizuru's body began to burn.

He knew that Chizuru was creating an opportunity for him.

Without drawing Izanami's attention, even the strongest lifesaving methods would have been futile.

At that moment, Su Lun seemed to hallucinate, as if hearing those words of farewell again, "Su Lun, goodbye. Live well. Don't let my death be in vain."

Su Lun suddenly calmed from his almost frenzied state.

Afraid of dying?

No.

Having once experienced death, he no longer harbored such fear.

To die alongside someone he could entrust his life to was worth it for this lifetime.

Yet at this moment, the more he watched Chizuru's figure, the more those words echoed in his mind: "Don't let my death... be in vain."

Just like the previous Princess, Chizuru sacrificed her life hoping Su Lun would survive.

It was like being haunted.

That sentence echoed incessantly in his mind.

Why should I!? Why should I carry on living carrying the weight of your lives!?

Su Lun raged within, manipulating his mechanical armor to furiously battle through the ghostly mist tide, seemingly attempting to drown his sorrow with slaughter. He wanted to charge forward and join Chizuru in striking down that supreme deity.

But why...

Why am I powerless!

Su Lun could only watch helplessly.

The more he killed, the calmer he became within.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Just then, Chizuru roared from a distance, finally unleashing that long-accumulated ultimate secret Technique.

In Asakusa Temple, Su Lun had once practiced swordplay with Chizuru for a long time.

They had once had a conversation like this.

"Inside me lies the strongest sword, still uncut. But one day, it can cut down all gods and demons. Su Lun, help me choose a domineering name..."

"Tyrant Dragon Slash?"

"Pfft, could your naming be any more clichéd? Can't you think of a name... um, something that sounds poetic?"

"How about... Dawn of the New World?"

"Yes! That's it. My sword will bring the 'light of dawn,' a blade that brings hope."

"..."

And so, Chizuru had chosen a beautiful name for this sword technique—"Secret Art·Dawn of the New World!"

...

With a single slash, the towering Rakshasa Golden Body illusion in the sky also swept down its blade.

In an instant, thunder rained down filling the sky, the noise and movement reaching an exaggerated peak.

The rolling thunder elements pervaded the entire field of vision.

This slash directly shattered the "Gate of Yomi" in the sky.

The lightning connected into a net, covering vision, perception, energy fluctuations... everything.

The sea of lightning obliterated almost all the demons in the center of the battlefield that couldn't escape in time. Yet, right where Su Lun was, the lightning was slightly less potent.

Su Lun knew this was his only chance to survive.

This was what Qiantiao had sacrificed his life for.

Grief appeared in his eyes, he gritted his teeth, still made a magician's seal, and detached from the armor's cockpit.

No demon paid any attention to this spot; all eyes were drawn to Qiantiao's slash.

After a loud "rumble",

Su Lun could no longer hear or see.

....

He didn't know how long it had been.

Su Lun woke from his deep sleep.

He struggled a bit and realized he must have been buried.

Moments later, Su Lun's memories seemed to pick up from a "fragmented state".

"Did I survive..."

Su Lun murmured to himself.

But he couldn't muster any joy at having survived the ordeal.

He remembered everything.

Qiantiao had delivered the final sword strike.

Su Lun hadn't seen it.

He had jumped into a crevice in the ground, hidden himself, and now he had woken up.

This was a technique Su Lun had learned from Mr. Jing, a vampire's "Feigned Death Dormancy Technique," using some alchemist potions that allowed him to suspend breathing and reduce his bodily functions to an extremely low level to enter a state of feigned death. Together with the "Wrapping Cloths of an Oz Ice Man" to conceal his presence and a "body double" he had cultivated from his own body's tissues, these multiple methods almost completely blocked any means of detection.

It seemed the plan was a success.

He was still alive, which meant he hadn't been discovered by Izanami.

Su Lun struggled a bit and disengaged the "Thousand Threads" implant gear, sending sharp strands of filament into the soil's crevices, extending outward like plant roots.

Then, he felt the ground.

About ten meters above.

Using the filaments, Su Lun loosened the soil, straining like a zombie crawling out of a grave, finally able to breathe again.

He sighed with relief, shed the wrapping cloth, and looked around.

Due to that battle, the scene was a complete wreck; mountains and rivers were shattered, and the ground was fissured everywhere. More terrifying, a bottomless abyss abruptly appeared in the distance.

The abyss was oddly shaped in the form of a "T."

The horizontal part looked as if it had been burnt by flames, with obvious signs of scorching.

The vertical part of the cut was very sharp, dozens of meters across, as if it had been slashed.

Su Lun remembered the last scene he saw was Qiantiao charging at Izanami with that slash.

Had he killed her?

No.

The vertical slash marks were completely blocked by the scorch marks.

In his last glance, Su Lun identified the origin of those green flames.

[True Flames of the Fire God Kagutsuchi]

Detailed explanation: The unquenchable divine fire, one of the primeval true fires of the heavens; condensed from high-level gods' death laws and fire laws, it can burn everything; as long as there are targets, the flames will not extinguish.

"Even that sword Qi was burnt away..."

Su Lun looked at the traces of the battlefield, analyzing the results.

[Fire God Kagutsuchi] in the Mountain Hermit mythology is a very special existence, He is a divine child born by Izanami.

But because she gave birth to this Fire God, Izanami also died from those special flames, and thus became the Yomi Country Lord.

The flames controlled by this deity were the primal true flames that could kill a True God.

"Fujiwara Hayato really did find some special treasures... Could it really be from the Land of Yomi?"

Su Lun thought to himself, the curse space must naturally hold the collection of that great adventurer and literary master.

Suddenly, as these thoughts ran through his mind, it was as if thunder exploded in his head!

He realized, "I understand now... I finally understand what this cursed space is all about!"

....

Meanwhile, in the Land of Yomi, inside a tavern in Ghost Town.

An elegant old woman leisurely held a book, engrossed in reading.

The passing ghosts and monsters around her seemed not to see her, completely ignoring her presence.

As she read, she occasionally murmured to herself.

"Gustav, you still love writing tragic endings. Those tragic novels you wrote made readers throw stones and shattered a lot of your house's windows. Don't you know readers dislike such stories? Or, are you holding a grudge because I obeyed my family and married to the south?"

"You actually used high-level rune symbols to depict the deity in the book... Oh my, your literary talent truly has no match in this era."

"Oh...? If the world is a prison, then love is the key to unlocking it. You still leave some hope for those gorgeous romances."

"..."

She read the final ending in the book, which said: "Su Lun ultimately survived. Having absorbed a massive amount of ghost energy, he surpassed the threshold of Death's laws contained in space and saw the true nature of the world."

This was an unfinished book.

But the story concluded here.

Seeing this, the old woman seemed to glimpse an ending that satisfied her, and her eyes suddenly smiled, "Eh... I thought I might need to lend him a hand, but it seems not. Katya's judgment is indeed good. I really look forward to seeing how far that girl can go..."

The story continued, but she didn't keep reading.

Because at this point, the old woman saw the words the author left for her: "Natasha, I can't wait for you anymore. I can only leave my story in this book. I hope one day, you will read it."

Upon reading this, she smiled tenderly, her eyes blooming like flowers, as if she was responding across the ages to the writer, "Yes, I am here."

Having finished someone else's story, she seemed to decide to take action herself.

Holding the novel, she gently spoke to herself, "Gustav, you are gone, and I am also at the end of my life. Our story has reached its conclusion. But I know, you are surely waiting for me there. When this story is opened anew, our tale should begin anew as well. I am curious what I look like under your pen..."

Reaching this point, the elderly woman seemed to have used up her last bit of energy, as she slowly closed the thick novel.

With the anticipation of a young girl, she opened the never-before-opened first page and began reading from the beginning.

The story started with the words: "It was a sunny and pleasant morning; I finally enrolled in the much-longed-for Royal Academy of Rueil. And there, I met the most beautiful girl of my life..."

The old woman read on, tears brimming in her eyes.

Just then, something magical happened.

The scenery around her began to transform, as if the space itself was twisting and time rapidly rewinding.

The wrinkles on her face visibly changed. Deep creases slowly faded, then smoothed out, turning her visage into that of a jade-like young girl.

Her silver hair also gradually took on color, turning into a cascade of purple, wavy locks.

The shriveled and stooped figure became voluptuous, with a rounded chest and pert buttocks, exuding the unique beauty of youthful radiance.

Such an exceptionally radiant young girl she was.

Once, she too had been this young.

The surroundings shifted from Ghost Town to a classroom in the Royal Academy of Rueil.

She closed the brand-new notebook and heard someone greeting her.

Turning her head, a young man with a sunny expression extended his hand, introducing himself warmly, "Hello, my beautiful classmate, my name is Gustav. I am happy to meet you. I dream of becoming a great literary master and adventurer! Now, we are classmates."

He was not particularly handsome, and his clothes were cheap, indicating his humble background.

But the bright sunlight outside just happened to shine on his face, illuminating a pair of pretty light blue pupils that were deep and pure, as if hiding the stars in a summer night sky.

The purple-haired girl extended her slender hand, returning a noblewoman's smile, "Hello, my name is Natasha."

Their hands gently clasped together, each feeling the warmth of the other.

From their very first meeting, Natasha had a premonition that she was about to embark on a passionate love affair.

Just then.

Some notes appeared in a notebook describing the author's personal thoughts: "Actually, I've known all along that we weren't suitable, but you still refused all suitors and accompanied me on a path that had no outcome. Although it wasn't long, it was unforgettable. Natasha, I hold no grievances, only some regrets. It's regrettable that at the most dream-driven and empty time of my life, I met the most beautiful you. And this life, I am forever grateful for having met you... I've written our story into this novel, so that our youth will never fade. Forever loving you—Carl Gustav Jung."

The story of Gustav and Natasha, a commoner boy and a noble girl, concluded here.