Chapter 71: The Alchemist Emperor's Twilight Years

Xu Zhi had a clear understanding of this. Since it was possible to create "biological ship" type creatures, then developing a flying aggregated creature, an island in the sky, was certainly not impossible.

"If this could be achieved, my persistent problem with 'Achilles,' the Land of the Gods, would be instantly solved." A slight joy welled up in Xu Zhi's heart. This plan had to be attempted. If successful, it would mark a cross-era evolution in species.

As for the proposal's mention of nearly a hundred players working together, requiring immense manpower and resources, and being an incredibly complex and massive bio-engineering project? What did that have to do with Xu Zhi? After all, they would be the ones exhausting themselves.

"It must be put on the agenda!" Xu Zhi then briefly reviewed the other proposals and papers. Most were indeed good, showing potential for transcendent species. Compared to the abrupt emergency last time, there was ample preparation time, and the quality was several notches higher.

A mechanical voice came from the intelligent sub-brain: "If this plan succeeds, as the Mother Emperor of the Zerg, you might fully embark on the path of biological evolution towards transcendence..."

"Please call me Father Emperor." Xu Zhi smiled. "And these memorials, I have read them. You may withdraw... Let's designate these fifty spots and announce them on the Imperial Edict. As before, the third test will commence tomorrow at 6 AM, marking its first day."

"Understood." But clearly, the intelligent sub-brain was rather dull, still not grasping Xu Zhi's dry humor.

After reviewing everything, Xu Zhi calmly turned his gaze to the large sandbox. Another day had passed, which meant over a hundred more years had elapsed in the Wizard World. "This fellow has been in there for two days, and our transmigration alchemist emperor from another world is now over two hundred years old, entering his twilight years. What actions will he take before his death?"

Xu Zhi felt that this individual, like those from the previous two eras, would likely cause some stir before his end. Gilgamesh, in his later years, brandished his sword against the gods. The Three Witches, in their twilight, prayed to the gods for an audience.

"I hope this emperor isn't planning to go all-out and cause trouble for me before he dies." Xu Zhi felt a headache coming on. The founders of each era were all brilliant strategists, astonishingly talented, and capable of dominating their times. While Xu Zhi appreciated them, they became restless in their later years, requiring close monitoring to prevent major incidents. He had just dealt with 'Akina Speed,' confirming that he wasn't causing trouble but merely indulging in self-abuse and wild conjectures in his posts. Now, he had to be wary of this new individual. After all, if the natives could defy destiny to such an extent, what about a transmigrator?

To his surprise, after just a glance inside and a few seconds of observation, Xu Zhi burst out laughing. Currently, Li Shengjiang had no time to cause trouble for him because he was struggling to survive himself.

"Brother, your life has been miserable since you arrived. The Slime race became sex slaves. You barely managed to survive and developed for over ninety years, defeated Medusa, and entered a glorious period as emperor. But you haven't enjoyed it for long. Now that you're aging, the whole world is turning against you, with various forces gathering to overthrow the emperor."

***

Wizard World, Babylonian Kingdom, year 523.

The Alchemist Emperor was 221 years old. This invincible emperor, who had suppressed three major kingdoms, often stood atop the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, on a cliff, overlooking the vast lands of the Wizard World. His eyes were deep, occasionally flashing with sorrow and confusion.

"In the end, it's still too slow. I've been out several times, but they might not catch up..."

Over the years, people noticed that while the Alchemist Emperor still possessed a youthful, handsome appearance and a streamlined physique like a Norse god, his aura had gradually weakened. The terrifying mental pressure was gone, and the dominant aura of one who overlooked the world had vanished.

"The Alchemist Emperor's life might be coming to an end!" A Level 5 Wizard speculated. This news spread rapidly through wizard academies in various kingdoms, countless civilian wizard sects, organizations, and alchemist labs.

"The Alchemist Emperor has reigned for 131 years! His achievements are countless. He opened the Door of Truth, created two world-class alchemical wonders, and ushered in an era of alchemical explosion. He has now lived for 221 years. If you calculate the time, even the Three Witches only lived for a little over 240 years."

"This monarch emperor, who once dominated the world, has truly entered his twilight years!"

"Although the Alchemist Emperor suppressed the Level 7 Epic Death Emperor Medusa, he himself remains a Level 6 Wizard. Ultimately, he cannot escape the 250-year lifespan curse."

"Who in this world can escape death? No matter how peerless your glory, or how vast the empire you command, in the end, you will turn to dust! From Gilgamesh in the ancient Sumerian myths, to the Three Witches who founded our ancient Babylonian Kingdom, and now the Alchemist Emperor..."

Throughout the major kingdoms, people sighed, lamented, and sang dirges for the impending end of a great era. At the same time, many cults, even the hidden evil witch cult of the Rose, began to stir. The Alchemist Emperor was strong; friend or foe, this could not be denied. He ruled the world decisively; no one dared to oppose him or challenge his might. While he could suppress the world in his youth, as he neared his twilight years and his end approached, who would then dominate this world?

***

Rose Kingdom on the mountaintop. Over the years, the Rose Kingdom had completely fallen into the camp of orthodox witches, no different from the Babylonian Kingdom. However, remnants of the former evil witches still lurked in the shadows.

In an extremely secluded, dark red basement.

"Although the Alchemist Emperor's combat power is terrifying, comparable to a Level 7 Epic peak, he is ultimately... only Level 6. Our Emperor Medusa, a Level 7 Epic Wizard, still has a long lifespan, and despite being sealed, she is still in her prime..."

"In these past years, some of us have indeed broken through to the Level 6 Legendary Wizard tier. We can attempt to coordinate internally and externally, travel to Gorgon Alchemy Island beyond the Oceanus and the Land of Night, break the seal, and rescue the Level 7 Epic Wizard Medusa, the former Death Monarch Emperor."

The secret cult organization, the "Rose Salvation Society," was led by the remnants of the fallen evil witch kingdom. They had only eight members. Each wanted wizard was at least a Level 5 Legendary, and some were even traitorous genius wizards from major wizard academies.

After this day, they split into four two-person teams, each wearing mysterious rose wizard robes. Wearing blood-colored bamboo hats, with a scratch engraved on each of their wizard insignias as a mark of their defection, they moved through coastlines and ports. They secretly assassinated various royal ministers and infiltrated major wizard academies to obtain sealing information about Gorgon Alchemy Island, attempting to unseal the Death Emperor.

That night, a sudden explosion ripped through the night sky from the Wizard Truth Library at Chahar Royal Academy. Several blinding beams of light abruptly shot into the clouds, and a thin gray film suddenly covered the sky above the wizard academy.

"Enemy attack!!" Loud screams pierced the sky. The glow of flames erupted.

"Who dares to invade our wizard academy? Do you want to face a Fire Spear from Morpheus?" The figure of a patrolling mentor slowly emerged in front of the library, exuding dominance. Morpheus, clad in a deep blue mentor's robe, was wreathed in countless thin black flames. His hawk-like gaze instantly fixed on one of the two women before him. "Charlotte, my talented apprentice who defected from the academy three years ago, you've finally returned."

"Important business comes first. I'll take care of this arriving academy mentor!" Beside her, a fellow defected wizard member, holding a machete-shaped exotic staff and wearing a single black eye patch, was about to step forward but was restrained by Charlotte.

Charlotte's gaze lowered, slowly settling on her former mentor. "Mentor, although you are known as the Wind of Flames, you are now outdated and no match for me. If you don't wish to die, then leave."

Flames surged, interrupting her words. "Nonsense," Charlotte retorted angrily, a mental wave rapidly counterattacking.

"Thirty Days of Eternal Night!! Charlotte, you actually developed that forbidden art!!!" Morpheus's roar was filled with both shock and fury.

Meanwhile. "That's... the white moonlight of the Eye of Eternal Night..." Armin sat by the moonlit window, watching the terrifying light in the sky. She abruptly stood up, closed the thick black wizard book, and began to tremble.

"It's Charlotte Sherlock! The terrifying genius wizard who defected from the academy three years ago, the pioneer of the mental wizard's eye, the monster who opened up the field of eye techniques—she's back..." In her mind, she faintly recalled the days of their wizard trio. Under the guidance of Mentor Morpheus, the three of them—she, the clumsy one always at the bottom; kind and naive healing wizard Lucy; and Charlotte, the aloof genius who scored full marks in every subject and was hailed as the academy's once-in-a-century talent—had joyfully carried out missions.

"Those flames... Mentor must have actively confronted her. Now, he shouldn't... he couldn't..."

When Armin arrived at the library, despite an early sense of unease, she still saw Morpheus, one of the academy's strongest Level 5 genius mentors, lying in a pool of blood. Such injuries could only be inflicted by Charlotte's Eye of Eternal Night. Armin trembled and knelt. "Mentor, she joined the Rose Salvation Society. Has she really become this strong in three years? To be able to easily..."

"She has now stolen some of the academy's information on Gorgon Alchemy Island. She wants to unseal the Death Monarch Emperor Medusa, overthrow the entire world's order, and kill our aging Monarch Emperor, Granham!" Morpheus spoke in a low voice, his eyes growing hazy, looking at Armin, his most diligent, though not most talented, disciple. "Go, embark on your journey. Take everything from the academy and go protect our Alchemist Monarch Emperor... Go stop Charlotte, my former apprentice, your lost dear friend."

A moment later. The Headmaster of the Wizard Academy urgently convened the "Emergency Seal Book Retrieval Plan" in the academy square. He dispatched three top-tier academy mentors, leading elite students, to form three teams to pursue the academy's top-tier renegade wizard—Charlotte.

Half a day later, in front of a white waterfall. Charlotte, wearing her mysterious rose wizard robe and a bamboo hat, looked in surprise at her pursuers, and at the beautiful, enraged young woman Armin.

"Armin, you cannot stop our Rose Salvation Society. Although the Alchemist Monarch Emperor is benevolent and wise, and he ushered in an era of alchemy from which all of us wizards have benefited, we still must kill him!"

***

Nephthys Half-Orc Kingdom. Emery, King of the Harpies, sat quietly in a high place, overlooking the entire half-orc capital, Nephthys.

"It's the Rose Salvation Society again. I must send people to stop them from breaking the Death Emperor's seal to prevent Emperor Medusa from reappearing. Furthermore, I will go to the Babylonian capital to assassinate the Alchemist Emperor."

Emery, King of the Half-Orcs, a peak Level 6 Wizard, was one of the strongest wizards in the world apart from the Alchemist Emperor, and was known as the "Poisonous Liquid" by the people of the Half-Orc Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, that is the legendary Alchemist Emperor, possessing terrifying Level 7 Epic strength, even if he has entered his twilight years..." Numerous ministers could not help but voice their concerns. Everyone clearly understood that Monarch Emperor Granham, even in his twilight years, remained unfathomable and was the most powerful being in the world. The gap in power levels was insurmountable; a Level 7 wizard could easily slaughter hundreds of Level 6 wizards. Regrettably, their king was resolved to die.

In the Half-Orc Kingdom, even though the Alchemist Emperor advocated for treating half-orcs equally, many orthodox witches still regarded them with disdain and mockery because they were the alchemical products of the former evil witch kingdom. They were artificially created deformities. They were not recognized by human society, seen as lowly, vile, inferior, and deformed. No one held any goodwill towards them, and some secretly cursed them as mere trash, hybrids of monstrous beasts and demons.

Privately, many malevolent traditional witches still secretly hunted half-orcs, selling them to underground slave markets. Their fate there was nothing more than brutal fights in the coliseum, eliciting cheers from nobles. Or even more tragic fates: being directly killed, their bodies used as alchemical ingredients for staves, wizard robes, and various alchemical tools. Countless half-orcs had thus lost their relatives, families, friends, and their good lives.

"Everything is for the eternal glory of the Half-Orc Kingdom!!! If we can triumph, the half-orcs will become the masters of the next era..." Emery roared, his eyes ablaze with fierce flames. "Even though the Alchemist Emperor has been extremely friendly and kind to us half-orcs, and has enacted many policies for equality—we still must kill him!!"