Mechanical Alchemist

Was that novel in a hidden compartment of the room?

Cursed items of a binding class definitely couldn't be stored in ordinary storage spaces, and this statement wasn't wrong.

But Su Lun didn't think Ote Himeya would hand over the item that easily. He had initially wanted to ask a few more questions, but before he could speak, he suddenly felt a fiery burn surge up his throat.

With a "puff" sound, a scalding stream of blood sprayed out.

The temperature of the blood was extremely high, and when it landed on the tiles of the courtyard, it hissed out a stream of blue smoke.

"My body has reached its limit..."

Su Lun was very aware that his body couldn't withstand the "Hormonal Rampage" of the fifth stage, and struggling to hold on for even a dozen breaths was already pushing it to the limit.

Taking advantage of the fact that he still had control over Ote Himeya, he forcefully suppressed the rolling surges of blood and the debilitating pain flooding through his muscles. With the spider arms on his back extending as flexibly as real arms, he stripped Ote Himeya of all her clothing and accessories in an instant.

This woman's methods were too bizarre; Su Lun didn't dare take her lightly.

As he removed her clothes, he also used a few of the rare "Fifth Order Toughness Rune Threads" to tie the woman up like a mummy, tightly and securely.

Su Lun didn't harbor any sentiments of pity or leniency. At some joints, he even used special binding techniques to ensure she absolutely couldn't struggle free. He then took out the "Magic-Sealing Amulets" that Abe Yasukazu had specifically prepared for her and struck her with several yin-yang white talismans, completely severing any connection she might have had with the divine power.

...

Ote Himeya hadn't even registered what was happening before she was stripped and tied up, completely unable to move. She let out an indignant and embarrassed cry, "What are you doing!"

Su Lun paid no attention to her reproach and had no intent to press her with any question.

After completing all this, he finally took a deep breath as if relieved of a heavy burden, releasing the state of Hormonal Rampage.

"Huff," "Huff," "Huff,"...

Su Lun breathed rapidly, the cold air filling his lungs and slightly easing the burning sensation.

It was as if a pressure cooker had suddenly released its pressure, saving his body from the brink of exploding. Any longer and it would likely have ended with his body exploding.

Su Lun didn't dare delay. After catching his breath and being able to move normally again, he poised the black scythe at Ote Himeya's neck and said in a grave voice, "If I can't find the item, or if I trigger any seals, your head will immediately hit the ground."

"..."

A shock went through Ote Himeya's heart.

She could tell that this man was indeed here to stake his life against hers.

Whether it was daring to make a move inside Edo Castle or using that secret technique just now, it all screamed a desperado's tactics.

If he said he could do it, he definitely could!

Ote Himeya watched as Su Lun controlled the threads towards a hidden compartment inside the room, knowing full well that even if there were traps, they wouldn't necessarily be 100% effective against this cautious intruder.

If any seals were triggered, it would certainly be her head rolling first.

She hurriedly said, "Don't open it, first turn the candleholder on the left stone pillar clockwise!"

Having awakened from a slumber of nearly a thousand years, she had finally regained consciousness, and she had no intention of being killed now.

Moreover... not having fallen for her allure, she vaguely had a guess about the identity of her attacker.

"Heh."

A cold laugh echoed inside Su Lun's heart.

He had long concluded that this woman, having laid out her plans in the hidden depths for so long, must have a grand scheme and definitely wouldn't gamble her life against a "barefoot" desperado like him.

Hearing this, he then manipulated the threads to twist the candleholder, finally opening that hidden compartment.

"Click..."

A sound of a mechanism echoed softly.

The floor of the room slowly opened, revealing a hidden compartment underground.

Su Lun still dared not open his eyes, but instead used the threads to feel around.

Inside, there seemed to be a box with magical fluctuations.

"How do I open the box?"

"There's an alchemy key on the side. Turn the first ring to the left three times, the second ring to the right twice, the third ring..."

"..."

Su Lun carefully opened the box with the threads.

There weren't many items inside, and he immediately "felt" a mirror-shaped object.

"Could it really be one of the three Divine Artifacts of the Mountain Hermit, the 'Yata Mirror'?"

Su Lun thought to himself, taking out the mirror without looking at it directly, and immediately plastered it with talismans, then securely sealed it into a storage scroll.

Being alone, he wouldn't let his curiosity grant his enemies any chance to overturn the situation.

The suspended Ote Himeya, hearing these minute noises, finally let go of her last trace of luck. The assailant's caution was impeccable.

Su Lun ignored the mirror; the threads continued to search, skipping over several miscellaneous items, and sure enough, found a "book-shaped object" at the bottom of the box.

"Found it!"

Su Lun was overjoyed inside; he was all too familiar with the chilling aura emanating from that book.

"Isn't this the aura of the Netherworld?"

However, out of caution, he still hadn't opened his eyes.

Moreover, time didn't allow him to scrutinize.

Because at that moment, the noise from the battle outside the "Cocoon World" was growing more exaggerated, sounding like thousands of troops were in combat.

The shared vision through the black crow showed exactly that.

The commotion here was significant, and the Black Dragon Society and the city's guards hadn't broken through yet, all thanks to Abe Yasukazu fiercely blocking them outside.

That guy said he could hold them off for a quarter of an hour, and he was likely to risk his life to make sure of it. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

Don't be fooled by his usual flamboyant demeanor; he was actually quite decent to hang around with.

When it really came down to it, though he complained a lot, he truly dared to step up.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Su Lun shoved everything from the novels and the box into the sealing scroll.

After thinking it through, he didn't just leave,

He found the items, but he naturally had to take the "Puppeteer-created alchemical being" Ote Himeya with him.

Not to mention she was considered a treasure among Puppeteers, there were also the secrets she knew...

Furthermore, Su Lun was worried that the "Novel of Death" might have some restrictions attached.

But simply taking them away was definitely not going to work.

Thinking of this, he pinched his sorcerer's seals with both hands, lifting his left hand forward, a black vortex appeared in the center of his palm, gradually increasing suction power – he was employing the ability "Void Whale Swallow".

This technique was rather underwhelming in combat, but it was perfect for storing things.

Without needing too much suction power, as soon as the large space rift opened, Su Lun threw both Ote Himeya and the items he had just obtained into it.

This action was also to guard against any tracking or location devices on the woman or those items.

And, it could prevent Divination!

Though Divination was rare in Old Lington, it was quite prevalent in the outside world. And even more so within the Shinto belief system. There were many witches and miko proficient in this Shinto divination in the Mountain Hermit country, and Abe Yasukazu was adept as well...

Those bizarre practices were even more peculiar than the divinations in Alchemy.

Especially since Ote Himeya was involved with the "God Tsukuyomi".

Previously, Su Lun didn't have a solid method to deal with this situation, and he didn't possess any artifacts that could surely avoid divination. But after merging with the fourth-tier growth gear "Endless Stomach of the Traveling Whale", the "Minor Void Realm" he acquired now served a great purpose.

Divination location wasn't without cost; the further the distance, the greater the cost.

This Minor Void Realm wasn't just a storage space, but a "Minor Plane".

Not even being in the same plane, how could one perform divination?

If someone really forced a divination, the backlash from the divination might cause the majority of diviners to die on the spot.

...

Once the technique was und

one, the black hole in Su Lun's palm immediately disappeared.

Finally, everything was proceeding perfectly according to plan, a look of joy on his face, but he couldn't help spitting out another mouthful of blood.

He quickly administered two high-level healing agents to himself, then tossed a couple of incendiary grenades around the small courtyard to erase traces of the battle.

The black crow continued sharing its vision, he sensed the soul fluctuations in the Ginza district and easily avoided the center of the crowded combat.

With a slap of the Space Wizard seal, Su Lun teleported, appearing inside a house.

Another spatial displacement, and he had already left the Ginza district.

Explosions were erupting throughout the city, with a large number of warriors congregating on the streets, and there seemed to be combat activities at the foot of Sunlit Divine Mountain as well.

Su Lun didn't dare stop, stealthily sprinting all the way and directly found a part of the city wall unguarded by sentinels, jumping over it.

Then, he tore up the shiki-gami paper doll that Abe Yasukazu had given him and sprinted madly towards the wild countryside.

...

On the other hand.

In the core battlefield of Ginza, the battle was still evolving into increasingly intense noises.

At this very moment, the pressure Abe Yasukazu was facing was so immense it made his scalp numb. The masters of the Black Dragon Society, the ninja clans, the Shinto experts... He had to use all his trump methods just to protect himself.

But because he was tasked with keeping people from breaking into "Isshi-Space Geisha House", he had to engage in defensive warfare, which was really costing him.

However, since the lady he was supposed to protect deemed it necessary, Abe Yasukazu was naturally willing to lay down his life to see it through.

It probably wouldn't be long before Takeda's main forces closed in.

He thought it likely that this time he would end up giving his life for that reckless guy.

However, just then,

He felt the shiki-gami paper doll being torn apart!

Abe Yasukazu's heart suddenly jumped, "Has he already taken care of it?"

Did that guy really settle things with Ote Himeya?

In such a short amount of time, how did he manage it?

Abe Yasukazu screamed in disbelief and, at the same time, was greatly surprised.

Looking again, the guy didn't even withstand firmly, he turned into a ghostly shadow and hightailed it out of there.

.....

Su Lun sprinted southward all the way, planning to get as far away from Edo Castle as possible.

Since it was night, there was absolutely no one traveling on the official road. He didn't need to worry about being discovered, so he directly pulled out his prepared steam-powered motorcycle and rode at full speed.

After approximately several hundred kilometers at night, Su Lun didn't find any signs of being pursued, so he finally stopped at a deserted mountain.

He then used a spider spear to travel about ten more miles through the mountain's forests, carefully erasing tracks, smells, and all other possible traces that could be followed.

Before long, when the night was deep.

Su Lun finally hid in a cave where a grizzly bear resided.

After setting up a barrier and dealing with some inevitable injuries, he collapsed onto a stone stool and lay there, unable to get up for a full quarter of an hour.

From the initial battle up to just now, his nerves had been highly strained.

Now, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Without checking, Su Lun knew his current condition was terribly bad.

Forcefully using the "Tier Five" state of hormonal frenzy left his body like a dam bursting, cracks everywhere.

If it wasn't for the "X-serum" enhanced self-healing ability and relentless treatment by the [Healing Doll] regardless of cost, he would have died on the run long ago.

However... he'd just realized that the physical body, once mutated and strengthened by demonic energy, actually improved its endurance.

Lying and resting for a moment, Su Lun let out a long breath of foul air, barely managing to sit up.

He once again condensed sorcerer's seals, opening the "Minor Void Realm."

Ote Himeya, wrapped up like a cocoon, couldn't move at all, just hanging there.

Su Lun wasn't worried about her dying; a life force of an alchemical artificial person is beyond normal human imagination. Apart from chopping her into pieces with the Black Scythe, not even Su Lun himself could think of any way to kill her.

For now, Su Lun hadn't figured out what to do with this "most beautiful princess in the world", so he could only leave her hanging there.

The priority was to revive Chiyo and the Princess. He took out that novel.

As soon as the object appeared, a chilling cold air instantly swept through the entire cave.

Su Lun cautiously opened his left eye and took a look.

[Deadly Novel: Netherworld]

Quality: Epic

Description: Can you believe that someone used a mortal's quill to depict gods?

Curse Trait: Using this object can seal targets within the range whose understanding of laws is not higher than this object itself into the novel's world, never able to escape; this object must be activated by the Power of Faith, and its range of effect is determined by the Power of Faith; users below the prerequisite condition will suffer soul damage, and if the gap between the sealer and the target is too wide, it will cause soul disintegration;

Details: Great literary master 'Carl Gustav Jung' turned his journey to the Netherworld into a novel which, in reality, also utilized the 'Divine Country Technique' to create an independent world; the first page of the novel states, "If the world is a prison, then love is the key to unlock the prison"; he used the unique romance of a novelist to recount that passionate love in his life, waiting for the girl he was meant to meet. Can be used as a professional advancement material, upon fusion obtains the 'World' ability, requires spiritual power to reach saint level, Death Law, Space Law, and the ability of Imaginal Reality to achieve SS-grade evaluation.

...

Su Lun, looking at this novel, did not see any traps left behind, which finally allowed him to heave a sigh of relief.

"Epic?"

His gaze slightly hardened as he looked at the rank, higher than his Black Scythe and as rare as [Isaac's Alchemy Heart].

This thing was pretty useful, able to directly seal targets into the novel.

It's just that ordinary people can't use it.

It requires Divine Power to operate, otherwise it will directly harm the soul.

"So, does this mean Ote Himeya used this novel with Divine Power? An alchemical artificial person, actually possessing the power of a deity?"

Su Lun speculated in his heart. The curse backlash from sucking nearly all foreigners from Edo Castle into it definitely wasn't something humans could endure; it was probably connected to that sudden appearance of the "Moon Reading God."

It could also serve as material for professional advancement...

Su Lun looked and there were still some things he couldn't understand yet.

And he was still far from meeting those fusion conditions; it would probably be possible to consider them after reaching the seventh tier.

He didn't linger on those pages, instead he randomly flipped one open.

The moment he flipped it, a passage he wanted to see automatically appeared: 'Princess Shinfuku Mitsuko decisively gave up her own life and turned into a shower of cherry blossoms scattering through the sky...'

Another passage read: 'Chiyo, without any fear, slashed at Izanami with one sword strike. The Rakshasa Golden Body condensed a kilometer-long Sword Qi that slashed down from the sky, as if splitting the entire Netherworld. This sword strike, which even gods and spirits feared... but unfortunately, Izanami's True Flames of the Fire God Kagutsuchi could burn all matter in the world, and even the Sword Qi was totally consumed. After a hard struggle, Chiyo finally exhausted her strength. As the sea of fire thundered down around her, she was buried in that sea of fire...'

Su Lun, looking at the two passages, felt his eyes moisten slightly.

These were the scenes just before Chiyo and the Princess died.

A sense of guilt, stemming from surviving only by bearing the lives of others, crept into his heart. Because the two women sacrificed their lives, he was able to live up to this moment.

Gathering his spirits, Su Lun took a deep breath and exhaled a murky one, "So it was, truly diminished..."

Life turned into a string of text,

This journey to the Netherworld was an experience that overturned what he knew of life.

Su Lun's expression was very complicated.

Knowing his condition wasn't good, he gathered his spirits while he still had the energy and began setting up a demonic contract formation.

....

A magician making deals with demons was originally deemed heretical.

But Su Lun, the transmigrator, held none of these rigid views.

He used mercury and high-tier magical beast blood to draw a complex eight-pointed star alchemy formation on the ground, arranging some sacrificial beast blood and energy crystal cores for the demon.

Then, he carefully tore out two pages from The Deathly Novel that described the moments before their deaths.

These pages were made from the legendary material "Golden Sheep Parchment," collected with difficulty by Fujiwara Hayato, sourced from divine sheep bred by the gods capable of growing golden wool. This small book, found in an ancient ruin by the great adventurer, had turned into a novel; otherwise, even the Royal Library of Rule, famed to be the world's greatest, couldn't have gathered enough for such a thick volume.

Tearing out the two pages also degraded the quality of this forbidden item somewhat.

Yet Su Lun showed no regret for damaging this treasure.

He placed the two pages at the center of the formation, beginning the special incantation: "From the unknown abyss, the highest of gods, the monarch who controls death, the great dark lord of the lands, I call upon your revered name... please hear my prayer, I am willing to offer my soul to fulfill my wish..."

As the spell was spoken, the energy crystals in the formation began to glow.

Just as Fujiwara Hayato had said, he received a response from that indescribable being.

This was the first time Su Lun used an alchemy formation to communicate with a high deity from another plane, and he found it marvelous, yet instinctively felt a fear from the unknown. It felt as if he was being glanced at casually by an indescribable giant, feeling as though his future and past were thoroughly exposed.

In that moment of communication, he felt as if a "debt" marker had been placed on his soul, which he would ultimately have to repay one day.

It was probably like granting an ant a grain of rice; nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Even then, Su Lun wasn't actually qualified to exchange any words with that entity.

This made him realize for the first time how insignificant and trivial his life was.

However.

Having chosen to use this sacrificial secret technique, Su Lun was already prepared to pay the price.

....

Before long, the black light in the formation grew stronger, and those two parchment pages disintegrated into powder within the dark glow.

Su Lun saw two semi-transparent spiritual bodies appear in the glow of the formation.

Looking at those features, weren't they Princess and Chitose?

Regaining the most important friends in his life, he felt indescribable joy.

The hopeful gleam in his eyes grew more intense.

At that moment, with a significant consumption of energy, the two figures slowly condensed into solid forms.

Finally, Su Lun felt that they "lived"!

Princess and Chitose retained the memories from their time of death, then they were engulfed in darkness, as if trapped in a long nightmare.

But upon awakening, they found Su Lun standing in front of them?

Tears shimmered in Su Lun's eyes as he called out to them, "Sister Chitose, Princess."

Chitose seemed to understand what had happened, her eyebrows furrowing, "Su Lun, did you die too?"

Hearing this, the originally somber atmosphere suddenly lightened considerably.

Su Lun couldn't help but chuckle.

He walked up and gave Chitose a warm and firm hug.

Feeling the warmth of a living person, Chitose finally realized, "I'm not dead?"

Princess, well-versed in divine rites, seemed to guess something, her face showing disbelief.

Su Lun, seeing her standing alone and looking a bit lost,

thought about it and extended a hand, opening his arms to Princess.

Seeing Su Lun's gesture, Princess hesitated but also stretched out her arms, returning his embrace.

The three of them hugged tightly.

"Hey, hey, hey... what's going on here? Is this the Netherworld? Weren't we dead?"

As she was embraced, Chitose murmured a complaint.

It was then she noticed the alchemy formation on the ground, her expression mixing disbelief and awe, asking, "You resurrected us?"

"..."

With a pale smile on his face, Su Lun was about to say something when everything went black, and he fainted.