Chapter 1244
Upon entering the area protected by this alchemical array, one finds a three-story building inside. The architectural style is unmistakably that of the Early Third Dynasty, and it is remarkably well preserved. Several damaged alchemical golems lie within, but aside from salvaging a few spare parts, they are practically useless.
Stepping inside, most of the small alchemical arrays had already lost their magic and become scrap. Time had corroded almost everything—just a slight touch and things would collapse with a crash, shattering into fragments across the floor.
He found a tattered diary, written in a muddled blend of two prophetic scripts. Its owner was one of the leaders of this site, overseeing countless affairs.
But most of the diary was worthless—today, the author fancied a female mage ten kilometers away; tomorrow, he boasted about being assigned some task by a powerful mage from the east.
Most of the diary was damaged, but within it, Leon found a single piece of information worth anything—the owner had a map of the site.
To prevent people in the site from accidentally wandering into forbidden areas and getting killed by automated alchemical arrays, all leaders possessed a copy of the site map. Both managers and alchemical golems had strictly defined activity zones.
Heading up to the third floor, Leon quickly found something unusual. He knocked open a hole in the corner of a wall, and inside was a wooden box made of Shadowvein Ironwood.
The box fit perfectly into the opening. If you didn’t know about it ahead of time, even magical detection wouldn’t reveal the hidden compartment—Shadowvein Ironwood has exceptional resistance to magic, so anything placed inside a box made from it can’t be found by magical means. And, of course, mages trust their magic above all else.
Opening the box, inside was a crystal ball the size of a fist, with the illusion of a small island floating within. Leon channeled a trace of magic into the crystal ball, focused his mind on a spot on the island, and the image rapidly zoomed in, transforming into a vivid three-dimensional projection.
A narrow passage stretched from the void and connected to the island—this was the same tunnel Leon had entered through earlier.
As Leon channeled more magic into the crystal ball, the scene kept shifting. Many locations were labeled, most in red—signifying danger, boundaries not to be crossed. The crystal ball’s owner could only control the surrounding buildings.
This place was originally meant for producing spare parts for alchemical golems. Some areas manufactured critical components, but every one of those was marked in red.
Surveying the map, Leon swept his gaze across it. Most red-marked areas were still protected by intact alchemical arrays. Adjusting his view felt like soaring above the ruins, peering down from midair.
When Leon shifted the crystal ball’s display to the easternmost part of the ruins, he saw only a massive alchemical array. Nothing else was visible—no buildings, no details, just the faint outlines of magical constructs.
Elsewhere, at least the details were visible through a haze, blurred but still discernible. Only the far east was completely obscured. On the map, that entire region was marked in blood-red letters: ‘Unseeable. Unapproachable.’
After a moment’s thought, Leon stowed away the crystal ball. This was the place—he was searching for the Redpush Core. Judging by the map, it was almost certainly hidden in that eastern zone, shrouded by alchemical arrays.
The Redpush Core must be where the master of the ruins resided. Leon had to go there eventually, but for now, he needed to explore elsewhere first.
One region was labeled as the Power Core production area for alchemical golems; another was marked as the Combat Model production zone.
According to the map, these two areas were the largest and most heavily classified—even higher than the weapons systems sector.
Suddenly, Lin Yun paused, shrinking the map to examine the overall layout. Something about this distribution felt familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before. Once he zoomed out and saw all the regions together, the memory struck him.
The massive alchemical golem base within the natural demi-plane was arranged almost exactly like this. The only difference was that base had been a subterranean facility, so he’d overlooked the similarity before.
Now that he thought about it, it really was the same. The entire base was a colossal alchemical golem, with the Power Core as the centerpiece located at the far eastern edge, while the assembly line was set up on the westernmost side. Back then, he’d entered the base from the west.
Every section, every system was isolated in its own space—no interference, pure division. The design was identical to the alchemical golem base.
Not every golem alchemist worked this way; each had their own style. Now, as Lin Yun compared the two, he realized this ruin was deeply connected to that alchemical golem base.
Those Bladestorm Alchemical Golems were a cut above the blade-wielding alchemical golems from the base, and even the casting golems shared a similar style.
Lin Yun frowned, suddenly wondering—how could this place be linked to the alchemical golem base of the Blazeforge Realm?
He followed the map, sticking to the safest routes, but still encountered several alchemical golems awakening. After dismantling them into spare parts, he compared them to those he’d found before. Sure enough, most of these components were assembly line products—almost identical, with matching material ratios and molding methods.
These were clearly assembly line parts, put together into alchemical golems—purely for building a golem army.
Thinking back to the alchemical golems produced by the base, their flaws were eerily similar to those found in the golems of this ruin.
Except here, the Combat System seemed unusually powerful—or maybe, when enough golems gathered, the Combat System scaled up in strength…
Lin Yun had just tried to crack it, but found the Combat System of these alchemical golems to be downright strange. Most of the results were normal, just standard combat routines, but a portion remained completely indecipherable.
What little he could crack turned out to be meaningless junk. Lin Yun refused to believe the Combat System was filled with random, pointless runes.
After more than a day, he reached the zone where the Power Core was made. Lin Yun quickly set about cracking the alchemical arrays here. Unexpectedly, after breaking the arrays, there were barely any functional alchemical golems inside.
There were still plenty of completed Mana Reactors, but none contained any mana—they hadn’t been used yet.
These Mana Reactors would be shipped off to other zones for infusing pure mana. Every step happened in a separate place, each region spaced apart from the next.
He stored this batch of Mana Reactors away, planning to study them later.
But something else he found here puzzled Lin Yun even more—a production assembly line, surrounded by mechanical alchemical golems that had lost their mana and become inert.
The methods and habits here were almost indistinguishable from those of the alchemical golem base. The strong personal style was still present, albeit with slight differences. Lin Yun was sure—these things were all part of the same lineage.
Even if it wasn’t the legendary alchemist himself, there had to be a significant connection.
Following the map’s markers, Lin Yun found a safe route to the broad region where the Combat System was housed. What he discovered here confirmed it—the Ancient Ruins were definitely tied to the alchemical golem base of the Blazeforge Realm, and the connection ran deep.
He stowed away the remaining mechanical alchemical golems and several finished Combat System components, then prepared to head for the easternmost part of the ruin.
But as soon as he stepped out of the building, Lin Yun instantly drew the Dragon Staff, his gaze growing grave as he looked into the distance.
The glow of the alchemical array and a faint mist obscured vision and masked most magical fluctuations, yet Lin Yun suddenly sensed a powerful presence approaching.
A shimmer surfaced on the Dragon Staff as the Purple Dragon Avatar emerged, floating beside Lin Yun. The Book of Death materialized in his left hand, its crossed chains snapping apart as the power of the Elemental Chapter burst forth, enveloping him.
The Wheel of All Magic solidified from a phantom, and Andefa, three-faced and solemn, controlled it, staring into the mist. The Wheel began to turn slowly, and waves of magical fluctuation surfaced.
To Lin Yun’s left, the Book of All Curses appeared, its burning flames swirling into a pair of eyes that fixed on the distant mist.
"Merlin, be careful. It seems a powerful entity is about to emerge. Even from this distance, without any overwhelming aura, you can feel the pressure. Whoever’s coming is at least Sky Rank Two—and on the stronger side of that tier."
Andefa’s sense for danger surpassed Lin Yun’s; as an artifact avatar, his intuition stemmed from magical force. The magic and elements ahead were actively avoiding something, which meant the opponent wasn’t some newly advanced Sky Rank—at minimum, Sky Rank Two.
Lin Yun’s face grew grave. He couldn’t tell if the approaching entity was alive or an alchemical golem. After advancing to Sky Rank, there was little difference between the two.
Especially with this kind of pressure, any alchemical golem would be at least level forty-two. Once awakened to intelligence, a golem at this level would be no less cunning than a human—perhaps even more so. With their unique abilities, they might be stronger than a Sky Rank Two mage.
The pressure intensified as the figure drew closer. The Purple Dragon Avatar transformed into a massive purple dragon behind Lin Yun, clutching a spectral wheel to its chest. In that instant, they seemed to merge, and the elemental glow within the wheel surged violently.
In the mist, a middle-aged Sword Saint with a longsword strapped to his back stared ahead, his expression grave. Dressed in tight battle gear, his face was resolute, and his eyes blazed with battle intent. Though he held back his aura, the sheer pressure forced the surrounding elements to give way.
A glow of douqi slowly radiated from him, and a thin layer of battle armor formed on his body. The longsword on his back flew into his hand, ready for combat.
The pitch-black longsword was only a meter sixty, shorter and much narrower than the typical greatsword. No light reflected from its surface, not even the glow of douqi—it seemed to absorb everything, looking for all the world like a scorched iron blade. Yet the aura of danger it emitted skyrocketed.
Standing in place, separated by mist and the glow of the alchemical array, Labour’s brow furrowed, his expression growing ever more grim.
The opponent’s aura grew stronger—or rather, the sense of danger did. Their magical fluctuations weren’t intense, but their penetration was formidable. Even the glow of the alchemical array couldn’t block it; this was a true powerhouse.
Could it be a powerful alchemical golem awakened to intelligence?
The opponent stood motionless, releasing their aura and waiting for me. They must have already noticed my presence…
Labour took a slow breath and suddenly unleashed his douqi, a gray radiance bursting forth—not silent at all, but blinding as the noonday sun. The vigorous douqi seemed to brim with life force; even lesser undead would be incinerated if they came close.
Labour advanced with measured steps, the pressure intensifying. Each footfall made the surrounding space tremble, as if he were stomping on the world itself.
Across from him, Lin Yun’s gaze grew more serious, a flicker of battle intent in his eyes. This oppressive sense of crisis—this was exactly the kind of fight Lin Yun needed. His opponent was someone who would force him to go all out, far more exciting than any battle before.
Lin Yun raised the Dragon Staff, his robe fluttering as violent magic erupted like a volcanic blast. The savage surge became a tidal wave, triggering the surrounding alchemical arrays, which activated instantly.
The dormant protective alchemical arrays within the earth responded to Lin Yun’s magic, glowing to life. In an instant, the power of the ground seemed to coalesce. No matter how the magic surged, nothing could shake the earth beneath his feet.
Separated by the glow of the alchemical array, the two powers collided. As both sides pushed their strength higher, the radiance of douqi slammed into the array’s barrier, while Lin Yun’s magic surged like crashing waves, mixing with the wild aura and battering against it just as fiercely.