Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 507 : 506

"The Forbidden Nun" Jonabel Marsha likely didn't expect that due to the presence of Observer No. 19, Su Lun would so quickly notice the imperceptible flaw in her time secret technique.

Since he hadn't died, Su Lun also had some speculations about the enemy's peculiar time ability.

For example, the time point of a later time reversal most probably couldn't cover the previous one.

Just now, Su Lun had relied on his super-strong neural response to pull on a thread to save his life the instant his heart was pierced.

If the opponent could cast spells without any restrictions, no matter what Su Lun did, the enemy could just reverse time to the instant when his heart was pierced again. Then the opponent could "second-guess" that he would use a thread to escape and would simply predetermine this outcome, cutting off this escape route as well.

Su Lun's fate would be sealed as death was inevitable.

Even if he could hear Observer No. 19's conversation, he wouldn't be able to escape a second reversal.

But that hadn't happened.

So, for the time being, this speculation stood.

...

Su Lun quickly withdrew to flee, as his mind instantly thought of a counter-strategy against the enemy.

To that stoic nun, his decision to "flee" seemed logical.

Since he couldn't win, his only choice was to run away.

So when Su Lun took off, Jonabel Marsha pursued him relentlessly.

Su Lun was initially worried that the opponent might not be able to keep up; he even thought about holding back a bit. But to his surprise, as he used various instant movements, the figure of that stoic nun also hauntingly pursued him without giving up in his peripheral vision.

Watching the two of them employ spatial displacement, Su Lun was surprised that he didn't feel any fluctuations from the Space Law on the part of the opponent!

After thinking for a moment, he understood the essence of that instant movement.

The nun was using time magic, distorting local time to create the appearance of relative spatial displacement.

This was not difficult to understand.

Because Su Lun had a cursed object with a similar function in his possession.

But as his left eye shined brightly, looking at the magic wand in the nun's hands, a simultaneous doubt arose in his heart, "Strange, why did that time acceleration spell consume only 1 or 2 points of energy, while the time reversal she performed earlier consumed 500 points?"

This point was not only baffling to Su Lun but also to the spellcaster Jonabel Marsha, who couldn't voice her struggle.

The energy consumption of "Time Reversal" wasn't fixed but was affected by a series of factors such as the target's level, fate, causality, etc., hence the variable consumption.

But since she was using this spell, the opponent was doomed, so things like fate and causality didn't matter anymore.

Su Lun had never failed before.

Thus, this was what Jonabel Marsha couldn't fathom.

She also didn't know why targeting a rank six professional with Time Reversal would consume so much of the Time Staff's power of time?

This was the energy she had painstakingly extracted from adventurers and mountain dwarves using the "Forbidden Curse: Life Forbidden Zone."

Theoretically, the exaggerated energy consumption from just now should have been sufficient to reverse several rank eight enemies.

But it had been used on just a rank six?

But since she had already made her move, she found herself in a position where it was difficult to back down.

Jonabel Marsha had to kill the man in front of her who had disrupted their plans several times.

Only by killing him could she uncover why.

The enemy hadn't figured it out, but Su Lun had a sudden epiphany, "Could it be... the Mini Void Realm?"

The Mini Void Realm was his alchemical equipment!

Only then did Su Lun realize that to reverse him alone, the opponent actually had to reverse the thousands of people in the Mini Void Realm as well.

Such exaggerated energy consumption could make sense.

Before encountering such a sinister method from an enemy, Su Lun had never thought his Mini Void Realm could have such a wonderful utility.

It seemed to directly enhance his chances of survival.

Otherwise, if the enemy's energy consumption for a single Time Retrospection wasn't 500 points but 50 points...

Then, Su Lun felt he could employ the most ingenious strategies, but he would still likely meet his end here today.

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...

His mind whirling with thoughts, Su Lun also secretly felt fortunate that his luck seemed quite good.

He teleported all along the way and also factually reported his findings to Observer No. 19.

Aside from setting up his plan, it was to prevent himself from being reversed without realizing it.

The cold-faced nun behind him kept chasing relentlessly, with all sorts of magic exploding behind him.

With the abilities of "Time Acceleration" and "Time Deceleration" bolstering her, her magic spells were almost guaranteed to hit their mark.

Luckily, Su Lun's means of saving himself were not weak.

He not only had various cursed objects for survival; his own physical body was also incredibly strong.

As bizarre as the Time Law was, the attack spells released by "The Forbidden Nun" Jonabel Marsha still operated at the seventh rank.

Though they were enhanced by various magical tools and were the strongest Su Lun had seen at the seventh rank, they could not instantly kill him.

His "Rune Golden Body" and "Blood Devour" abilities allowed him to withstand the assaults.

Moreover, he had the "Isaac's Alchemical Heart," providing him with endless spiritual energy.

Having survived the initial onslaught and entering a war of attrition, the situation turned favorable for him.

The scene seemed to reach a deadlock.

...

Before long, the two had clashed for over a dozen rounds.

Dragging out for this length of time, Su Lun was not incapable of escaping; rather, it was to retain the memory of the period from when his "heart was pierced" until he discovered the clues.

He also figured out that the enemy was reluctant to waste her last opportunity to use Time Reversal carelessly.

Next time, that nun would surely have full confidence, or be in a situation where she had no choice, before she would act.

Additionally, after taking several more hits from magical attacks, Su Lun had found a way to turn the tables: predict the opponent's predictions.

Su Lun didn't know when the opponent would make her move, but he could create an opportunity for her, tempting her to act!

He then had control of the situation, and with that, he could predict the enemy's actions.

With his own teleportation ability, even an eighth-rank professional would not be able to hold onto him without some means of restraint. Especially since he had something like the [Fragmented Plane Crystal Core], a spatial treasure, in his possession.

Just then, seeing the opportunity had matured, Su Lun crushed a piece of plane crystal.

With a flicker of spatial fluctuation, he had already appeared in a secluded forest tens of kilometers away.

With long-distance teleportation, even the cold-faced nun who could control time wouldn't be able to catch up.

...

He escaped as expected.

Jonabel Marsha watched Su Lun vanish before her eyes, a flicker of gloom in her gaze.

She had easily recognized that the spatial fluctuation was the use of a spatial treasure and murmured to herself, "The Alchemy Plane really is full of opportunities everywhere. A mere sixth-rank magician actually possesses so many treasures..."

Now she had only two choices: to let him escape, or to use [Time Reversal] again.

Clearly, she chose the latter.

Although the Time Power from the magic wand was precious, the entire Alchemy Plane was a hunting ground, and she could completely replenish by extracting the lifespan of living beings; but once her prey had fled, there was no certainty she would encounter him again.

Without a moment's hesitation, Jonabel Marsha raised her magic wand and began chanting an arcane magic spell, "By the power of the gods, I glimpse the face of truth... Time Reversal!"

Just as the magic spell fell, there was a flash of light and shadow, and a figure moved backward to where it started.

...

The scene reversed.

In Su Lun's hand was a piece of plane crystal, and his mind had already deduced various countermeasures.

"As long as I teleport away, that person will not want to watch me escape and will surely reverse time..."

Thoughts flashed through his mind, Su Lun was about to crush the crystal to teleport away.

But at that moment, the overhead crow squawked loudly, sending out a deadly warning.

At the same time, that familiar feeling of déjà vu immediately surfaced in his heart.

If it were before, Su Lun would not know what happened, but now he understood instantly, "Time has been reversed?"

The Death Crow could preemptively sense danger, and this "prophecy" ability, in some respects, had a higher priority than time retrospection.

Time Retrospection reverses what has already happened, but prophecy senses the future that has not yet occurred!

Although the memories of the reversed segment were missing, since Su Lun was mentally prepared, his reaction was extremely quick.

He didn't need to look to know that a soul fluctuation had appeared out of nowhere behind him.

The enemy had not killed him with a stab to the heart last time, and this time, even though it seemed "superfluous," that deadly magic fluctuation aimed at Su Lun's heavily guarded head.

This wave of mortal danger made his scalp tingle.

Su Lun didn't wonder at all how his adversary did it and pressed on another object he had been hiding in his other hand.

In an instant, his speed surged to more than four times its normal rate!

With his powerful muscles and nerve reaction speed, Su Lun's reaction was even faster than Jonabel Marsha's, who had locally accelerated time.

"What!"

The enemy was clearly caught off guard, never expecting to see the familiar fluctuations of the Time Law!

...

This was a special cursed object Su Lun had once obtained.

[Watkins' Time Pocket Watch]

Description: The consequences of disturbing the order of time are severe, would you like to try?

Cursed characteristic: By pressing the pocket watch, the user can gain 2 to 5 times the speed of time for themselves; but if you do not master the Time Law, using it will shorten your life by a random amount, perhaps a second, perhaps a hundred years;

Explanation: A proud creation of an ancient alchemist named 'White Watkins', it was originally a family heirloom meant for his offspring;

Even now, as Su Lun was approaching the threshold of top-tier professionals, he could only tinker with small items containing the Law of Death.

To create something like a Time Pocket Watch, one must be a true Great Alchemist.

The Time Law on this pocket watch was no less profound than Jonabel Marsha's understanding of it.

Moreover, even if she saw through it, it was too late!

You can reverse a "Plan A" that has already occurred, but you can't consecutively reverse my "Plan B"!

I predicted your prediction!

Out of the corner of his eye, Su Lun saw indeed that the energy displayed on the Time Staff had decreased by another five hundred.

He predicted that if he tried to escape, his adversary would reverse time, and he had a Plan B for a counterattack the moment the reversal occurred!

Accelerated by the pocket watch, the blood-red drake-slaying dagger in Su Lun's hand had turned into a streak of light.

Between top-tier experts, the outcome is often determined in a single moment.

He watched as surprise surfaced on the cold-faced nun's face for the first time, his dagger showing no courtesy as it countered with a reverse slash.

To prevent this woman from having any special regenerative abilities, he aimed that slash straight at her head.

"Swish!"

A flash of crimson gleamed across the cold-faced nun's face, and the content of her skull showed itself.

This lethal blow didn't give the enemy a chance to survive!

Su Lun was certain that no matter if there were magic cooldowns or the remaining Time Power on the staff, it wouldn't be enough to support another reversal!

This person was undoubtedly doomed!

...

However, just as this thought crossed his mind and before Su Lun could feel any joy, another bizarre scene unfolded.

Suddenly, the light and shadow in front of him again rapidly reversed.

This time it was not Su Lun himself being reversed, but the cold-faced nun whose head had been split in two.

He helplessly watched as time flowed backward, the spurting blood retracting through the air, pouring back into the severed arteries. The bisected head also instantly healed, the wound instantly closing up.

However, the healing did not come without a cost.

This "Forbidden Nun" Jonabel had transformed from a middle-aged woman in her thirties into a child of seven or eight!

Upon seeing this, Su Lun finally understood this woman's talent.

It was a rarity that even a learned individual like Mr. Hei had only heard by name—[A-049-Time Trickery].

This talent belonged to those cursed by time. Although they possessed an affinity for the Time Law, they were born with the appearance of the elderly, and as their lifespan diminished, they grew younger.

The life-saving reversion ability she used just now had directly consumed most of her lifespan, turning her back into a child.

And with her resurrection, a formless will gently descended.

Clearly, killing the opponent had triggered some sort of chain reaction.

Watching the indescribable aura intensifying around the woman, Su Lun's left eye shimmered as he coldly snorted in his mind, "Hmph, still thinking of using 'Divine Protection' to save your life? How could I let you succeed!"

His gaze hardened, giving the enemy no quarter, as he directly crushed the [Divine Ban Scroll] Mr. Jing had crafted earlier, severing the connection for the divine will to descend.

He then surged forward and, with a flash of his blade, decapitated the enemy once more with a "swish"!

This time, she was dead beyond a doubt!

Jonabel herself, as a divine servant of the Holy Military Order, had been blessed with the "Divine Descent Secret Art" by the gods.

This would have saved her life in a critical moment.

But she never expected that the person before her actually had the means to block the descent of a divine will?

Death came that abruptly.

Your enemy won't explain anything to you.

As Su Lun sliced the enemy's head in two for the second time, he already saw a "grey mist" emerging from the corpse.

Like lightning, he teleported over, gave the foe no chance of resurrection, and devoured the grey mist.

'You have stripped the soul of "Jonabel Marsha"'

'You have gained a vast understanding of the Time Law, catching a glimpse of the mystery behind the Time Trickery.'

'You have perceived a bit of 'Divine Arts' related cognition.'

'You have stripped away a wealth of magical knowledge and elemental insights.'

'You have acquired intelligence: The Holy Military Order are servants of the gods, possessing exceptional talents, combat power, training systems, ecclesiastical structures...'

...

Su Lun stripped away everything he desired.

It was the very moment he digested the "Time Law" that the black crown atop his head suddenly blazed with intense radiance.

Su Lun felt as though he had entered a state of great enlightenment, akin to dispersing the clouds to see the sun, as his vision suddenly cleared.

"I finally know what's lacking in my domain!" he exclaimed with elation, his eyes sparkling with vitality.

In fact, Su Lun's "Domain of Death" was already quite remarkable; he could have advanced to tier seven relying solely on this domain field.

But he wasn't satisfied.

Just like Yekaterina's stellar domain, which to others may seem impenetrable and among the top-mysteries of its tier, both knew that their domains lacked a complete logical loop.

Now, the final piece of the logical loop was in place.

Like Ouroboros biting its own tail.

Time was like a string that threaded beads into a curtain, stringing together wisdom, poetry, war, death, healing, divine power, elements... each and every "bead".

Does time end with death?

Though it's not to say that Su Lun's current understanding of [Death] represents the ultimate truth about death in the cosmic laws.

Yet, from a certain perspective, this represents a complete logical loop.

Within this logical loop, it is impregnable.

A logical loop within its tier that no one can break!

What he needs to do now is to collect more "beads" to expand and perfect this logical loop.

Su Lun had a premonition that his completed domain would be extraordinary!

...

Su Lun felt exhilarated after dispatching a formidable enemy, as if all his pores were breathing freely.

The issue with his domain that had always plagued him also suddenly became clear, and he murmured to himself, "Indeed... it's only in battles that skirt the brink of death that one can gain uncommon insights."

The greater the crisis, the greater the reward.

It wasn't just the combat insights; those "Time Laws" he had stripped away were also extremely precious experiences and law insights.

Those who could peek into the mysteries of [Time] were one in a billion, and to have such profound insights, this windfall gave Su Lun a sense of law satisfaction he hadn't felt in a long time.

Moreover, because he comprehended the power of the Time Law, the curse backlash he was supposed to receive from using [Watkins's Time Pocket Watch] had not descended yet and was already dispelled.

A series of fortunate events.

Although Su Lun himself didn't possess the rare talent of [A-049-Time Trickery] and wasn't sheltered by a time god, he couldn't use those god-like time magic spells but encountering similar enemies in the future, with his current understanding of the Time Law, it certainly wouldn't be as perilous as before.

He sighed heavily in relief.

He collected the body on the ground, the Time Staff, and the Storage Ring.

Su Lun intended to rescue number nineteen, who was still pinned to a tree.

But just at that moment, the magic formation in the sky that had come to a halt suddenly lit up again.

"Eh... Has divine will descended after all?"

Su Lun realized what was happening.

An external force had reconnected the previously disrupted magic formation.

After all, the entity behind Jonabel, the "Master of Time," was a living, true deity, which was far different from the pseudo-god [Sea Giant] that once caused calamity in Luying.

The intensity of the battle just now would have been quite fierce for almost any job class.

To the gods, however, it probably seemed like ants fighting.

He saw it, but that didn't necessarily mean he had any interest in stepping in to help.

Yet, the death of his "ant servant" couldn't be said to have enraged him, but he had certainly been affronted.

That deity bestowed a touch of divine power from afar.

"Hmph, forcibly completing the magic formation, even for a god, must have come at some cost."

Su Lun was very calm in his heart.

What was destined to come would always arrive.

If the enemy had the capability, then you couldn't count on luck that they wouldn't use it.

The silver lining was that this was a one-off intervention.

Su Lun could see that even with divine intervention, the magic formation in the sky lit up for just an instant before collapsing due to the lack of a continuous supporting formation.

However, looking at the densely packed "ten thousand mage collective" floating in the sky, Su Lun pursed his lips.

He muttered to himself, "A ten thousand mage collective commanded by an eighth-tier Sage of Law. Tsk tsk... even a ninth tier would have to avoid its edge, quite a troublesome situation indeed."

A large-scale interplanar invasion was bound to come at some point, and now with the arrival of this ten thousand mage collective, it was as good a time as any to test the waters.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Moreover, Su Lun knew that these fellows didn't come just because a god wanted to crush him, an ant. Most likely, they'd discovered some treasure covetable even by gods.

He frowned at the sky, deep in thought.

But he didn't dare to delay, and with a teleportation, he appeared in front of number nineteen.

Number nineteen's mechanical body had been damaged, but her consciousness was still very clear.

She looked at the dense figures in the sky and asked, "What happened?"

Su Lun shrugged, "As you can see. A ten thousand mage collective has descended from the heavens."

Number nineteen asked again, "Because you killed that nun just now?"

Su Lun raised his eyebrow, "Hmm, that's just a contributing factor, I suppose. What's meant to come will always find its way."

Number nineteen fell into thought: "..."

"Alright, let's avoid the limelight for now."

Throughout, Su Lun hadn't shown much concern.

Having harvested the Time Law, he had filled a substantial gap in his own combat capabilities. Moreover, he had gained a more accurate impression of the 'ecclesiastical army,' high-end combat forces from the divine planes.

At this moment, he felt that this ten thousand mage collective was even less of a threat to him than that nun had been when he first encountered her.

It wasn't that the mage collective wasn't strong enough.

It was that he could leave if he wanted to, and these people couldn't keep him there.

Su Lun didn't think that by some coincidence this crowd would have another mage who knew the "Time Reversal" secret technique.

And even if there was one, the threat was not significant anymore.

Now, Su Lun's understanding of the Time Law meant that not even another 'forbidden nun' Jonabel Marsha could make him undergo a quiet retrospect.

...

As Su Lun expected, as soon as the ten thousand mage collective arrived, a chorus of mages started chanting, and intense magical fluctuations surged across the sky.

Seconds later, a vast number of red fireballs condensed into existence.

The mages, raising their magic wands, shouted in unison, "Forbidden Curse: World-Destroying City Burn!"

They kicked off their arrival with an intimidating display of power to those on the Alchemical Plane.

The Great Fireball Spell, comparable to a ninth-tier spell, aimed a carpet of fireballs at the forest where Su Lun was, completely engulfing it.

In an instant, it was as though countless heavy artillery shells were firing in unison, covering the area indiscriminately.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"..."

The explosion was deafening, shaking both earth and sky.

This commotion lasted for nearly three minutes.

A single coordinated attack from the ten thousand mages had obliterated all life within a dozen kilometers of the forest, turning everything to ashes and dust.

From high above, the land looked as though a dense green mane had been scorched bald in a vast swath.

The air was thick with the smell of charred matter.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away, Su Lun, who had teleported over, looked at the blackened forest and squinted, "This is to intimidate the mountain dwarf tribes, huh..."

Su Lun thought, his brows deeply furrowed.

This incident, though not caused by him, was still somewhat related to him.

He figured the dwarves were probably in for a bad time this round.

Given the volatile temper of those dwarves, they would never submit to the invaders from the divine planes.

But facing off against this ten thousand mage collective head-on, the dwarf tribe would likely be wiped out.

Su Lun's thoughts flashed through his mind, but before he could consider it further,

Suddenly, a strange and intense spatial fluctuation erupted from within the forest.

The fluctuation, like a tidal wave, swept across the land within dozens of kilometers in an instant.

Immediately, a high-pitched dragon's roar echoed through the entire Giant God Mountains.

Su Lun could have teleported away, but thinking of something, he remained where he was.

Number nineteen also heard the dragon's roar, her expression shifting slightly as she sensed something momentous had occurred.

She glanced at Su Lun and asked, "This... what's happened now?"

Su Lun's expression became somewhat odd, but he spoke calmly, "The dwarf tribe has lifted the seal on the Wailing Rift, pulling everyone nearby into that 'Tier-T' cursed space."

He added, "These mountain dwarves really are irascible, always ready to go down fighting. Tsk tsk, things are getting interesting now."