A crimson Gate of Hell opened within the God of Alchemy's divine realm. As the laws of the two planes collided, violent red lightning erupted midair.
Watching the chaotic spectacle, Anbaixiu couldn't help but say, "I knew it! Zariel tampered with it! Isn't this going to blast all the mercury soul puppets to death?!"
The God of Alchemy shook his head. "You're overthinking it. It's simply that the laws between my divine realm and Hell differ too greatly. The rules I drafted aren't compatible with Hell; this is completely normal. If you had opened this gate back on the Prime Material Plane, you wouldn't see this effect."
"I only did this to be on the safe side... But this really makes no sense!"
Anbaixiu stroked his chin, utterly baffled. He had chosen to open it in the God of Alchemy's divine realm precisely because he feared some scheme on Zariel's part; inside a divine realm, they could easily withstand any ambush.
Yet now it turned out Zariel hadn't tampered with it at all. Why had she suddenly become so accommodating?
The God of Alchemy was somewhat puzzled as well, though he didn't share Anbaixiu's intense paranoia, simply getting on with the task at hand.
"Go, my children. You are creations of alchemy. Let those devils and demons witness what you can do."
As the swirling lightning began to subside, the God of Alchemy summoned a swarm of silvery-white blobs to enter the Gate of Hell.
Each of these little silvery-white blobs was only the size of a washbasin, yet their forms shifted continuously as they crawled.
Over flat ground, they grew structures resembling snake scales and centipede legs to scuttle quickly and smoothly; when encountering steps, their bodies naturally morphed into pump-like shapes to heave themselves upward.
These transformations appeared seamless, as though driven by pure instinct.
Such was the power of inherited memory—modes of movement that the ancestors of the mercury soul puppets had spent ages perfecting, both efficient and effortless.
Over a thousand mercury soul puppets traversed the Gate of Hell, quickly arriving in Melina's war zone.
By now, nearly half of this area was flooded with mercury, forming an enormous pool over a kilometer in diameter.
Plop, plop. One by one, the mercury soul puppets tumbled in, uttering delighted chirps and hums.
Mercury soul puppets survived by devouring metal, and their favorite was mercury itself—the easiest to absorb and the best match for their physical properties.
Morphing into sleek, silvery-white fish, the puppets swam merrily through the pool. The mercury had a novel taste, seemingly laced with something else that tasted thrilling.
Yet not every mercury soul puppet was so carefree. One slightly larger puppet assumed the form of a half-human, half-fish and bowed toward the magic mirror suspended midair.
"Great White Bone God, your loyal child Bater greets you. Please bestow your divine decree."
Anbaixiu looked at the mercury soul puppet, puzzled. "White Bone God? Who taught you that title?"
Bater replied respectfully, "It is inherited from the memories of our souls. Just like our bodies, no matter how we divide, you remain our greatest creator."
Creator—the title was not entirely accurate.
The bodies of the mercury soul puppets had been developed by the Alchemy Association; Anbaixiu had merely refined the manufacturing method, devising a cheaper way to forge suitable souls. At best, he was only half a creator.
Furthermore, due to cutting costs, the first generation had possessed mediocre intelligence. He hadn't expected future generations to cultivate genuine intellect.
Nevertheless, Anbaixiu accepted Bater's veneration without shame and promptly gave his orders: "Your mission is simple. Head up through this column of mercury into the other space and investigate the situation on the other side. Prioritize your own safety and gather as much intelligence about that side as possible."
Hearing this, Bater humbly replied, "We will surely carry out your command. However, permit me to boldly inquire: does the Great White Bone God seek a specific living entity in that other space, or perhaps a particular treasure? If we have a more precise objective, we will accomplish your command far more swiftly."
Anbaixiu couldn't help admiring how considerate this little fellow was. He handled affairs far more reliably than Dahei and Erha; those two looked full of schemes, but were never rigorous, only playing at petty tricks.
"Neither a person nor an object. What I need you to scout is the overall situation on the other side of the spatial conduit—just find out where the demons are coming from. Take the magic mirror with you, and if possible, I will guide you along the way."
Anbaixiu carefully explained the mission to Bater: the primary goal was to locate the River Styx, and ensuring their own survival was the foremost priority.
The spatial conduit had entry restrictions, making it difficult for powerful demons to cross over, but conditions on the other side were entirely different. Bater might emerge directly before the avatar of some demon lord and be crushed beneath a single foot.
Anbaixiu was sending scouts, not cannon fodder; it would be best if these little fellows returned with their intel without a single casualty.
Hearing this, Bater understood the gravity of his duty and the perils of the path ahead. Bowing to Anbaixiu, he reshaped himself into a fish and dived to the bottom of the mercury pool, whereupon the pool began to boil.
Before long, Anbaixiu saw the mercury pool noticeably recede. Then Bater surfaced with a dozen mercury soul puppets and surged toward the mercury column.
The flow rate of the spewing mercury had decreased considerably, yet the force blasting through the spatial conduit remained immense. Even so, Bater and the puppets assumed specialized spiral structures, shooting upward against the current the moment they entered the mercury column.
Their spiral configuration converted the surging downward thrust into rotational momentum. Since the mercury soul puppets lacked organs of equilibrium, dizziness was nonexistent, allowing them to swim upstream with minimal effort.
Watching this, Anbaixiu couldn't help but marvel, "Their grasp of physics is better than mine."
Such were the children raised by the God of Alchemy; who knew how much knowledge he had instilled into the race of mercury soul puppets?
Knowledge was not bound by Ao's rules, yet it could unleash astonishing power.
Bater surged upstream all the way, quickly passing through the spatial conduit into an even deeper pool of mercury.
Once past the breach, the mercury's flow slowed significantly, allowing him to swim freely as a fish. Not knowing how deep this reservoir of mercury reached, Bater created vacuum pockets inside his body to boost his buoyancy and rocket upward.
He had only risen a few meters when he emitted a series of vibrations.
Bater warned his companions, "Something is approaching. Be on your guard."
Just as he spoke, a massive shadow loomed in the mercury pool, gaping its jaws to swallow Bater whole.
Mercury soul puppets could not rely on vision in a mercury pool either, but they could sense the world through vibrations. Bater perceived that what had swallowed him was a grotesque, colossal fish—one bristling with numerous limbs.
Yet he did not panic in the least, for upon entering the belly, he discovered the creature was trying to digest him with magic-infused acid.
Acid capable of dissolving metal armor splashed over Bater, leaving only faint blemishes.
Before entering this place, Bater had gorged on mercury to stack his magic resistance, rendering him practically immune to magic for the duration of the effect. Deprived of magical empowerment, mere acid posed little threat to him. Furthermore, Bater realized the fish's interior contained vast amounts of mercury; its flesh and bone were packed with various metals. Whatever species this monster was, any metal fell right into a mercury soul puppet's diet.
The next instant, the massive creature convulsed in agony, desperately thrashing toward the surface.
Holes began perforating its body, wounds torn by bursting spikes. Normal mercury could not harm the monstrous fish, but the blob of mercury inside had sprouted rows of razor-sharp teeth, ripping through flesh and gorging on the metallic elements within.
The searing agony sent the beast into a frantic frenzy. Having devoured countless demons in this mercury pool, how could it have imagined swallowing something far more terrifying than itself?
By the time the strange fish breached the surface, it was nothing more than a mangled, riddle-holed corpse.
Two silvery-white tentacles emerged from the carcass's wounds, swiveling like sensory antennae before Bater crawled out from the beast's remains.
The other mercury soul puppets followed closely behind, surfacing one after another and warily scanning their surroundings.
The mercury reservoir here was exceedingly deep and vast—it looked more like a river of flowing mercury winding off into the distance. The breach opened at the bottom was insignificant compared to this immense Mercury River, hardly enough to cause its water level to drop.
Looking toward the nearest bank revealed a desolate wasteland billowing with dense smoke, and farther off floated fragmented landmasses drifting midair.
Dotted across these floating lands were interconnected portals, through which hordes of demons continually poured in and out.
None could say where they came from or where they were bound. Even during transit, the demons shrieked maniacally, constantly brawling among themselves.
The poisonous mists were the foul stench wafting from demonic corpses, rendering this entire realm noxious and perilous.
Bater quietly parted his body, revealing the intact magic mirror shielded within, and reported to Anbaixiu, "Great deity, we have reached the other side of the plain."
Anbaixiu's face appeared upon the small mirror. Looking at the sight before him, he too was deeply astonished.
This was hardly any better than the Blood River battlefield; it was another complete labyrinth.
With demons streaming in and out everywhere, it was impossible to tell which gate led to the true entrance to the Abyss. Without finding that location, identifying the River Styx's tributary was out of the question.
Anbaixiu said resignedly, "Press forward. If possible, capture a demon alive so I can read its soul."
This was the most expedient method; Anbaixiu could unravel a soul layer by layer to extract whatever memories he needed.
Then again, he had never dissected a demon's soul before, so he felt rather eager to try.
Obeying the order, Bater tucked the magic mirror away once more, yet he did not act rashly. As the leader of these mercury soul puppets, Bater had earned his position through composure and intellect—the direct fruit of the God of Alchemy's teachings.
The race of mercury soul puppets revered the wise over the brave.
"This Mercury River is quite far from those shattered landmasses. Our bodies are too conspicuous; crawling onto the bank like this will surely give us away in advance. What do you suggest?"
One mercury soul puppet piped up excitedly, "Bater, we could change color—match the color of the earth! Or use Invisibility! I know Invisibility."
Bater countered, "Camouflage and Invisibility last far too briefly—not nearly long enough to reach the nearest demon."
The mercury soul puppets' shapeshifting was formidable, but changing shape was completely different from altering color. The former required only mastery over their physical form, whereas the latter was magic. This generation could cast spells, but their magical aptitude was mediocre; exceptionally gifted individuals had yet to appear.
Soon, another puppet proposed, "Since we cannot conceal ourselves, why not do the reverse and lure the demons to us?"
Bater considered it and nodded in agreement.
"Well said. That is the best approach. There must be many other creatures lurking in the riverbed; that monstrous fish couldn't have sustained itself solely on intruders. Let's hunt down those monsters and drag them to the bank. Demons have little intellect; even if the carcasses aren't edible, curiosity will draw them over to inspect, and we can seize the opportunity to capture one!"
Bater's order was swiftly executed. The mercury soul puppets dove into the Mercury River and quickly dragged out a heap of grotesque creatures.
The multi-limbed fish was merely one of them; the river also harbored giant spider crabs and sundry aberrations, boasting a complete ecosystem.
On the Prime Material Plane, every one of these creatures would be a terrifying monstrosity. Enduring the crushing pressure of liquid mercury proved how tough their flesh and carapaces were; ordinary warriors likely couldn't even pierce their defenses.
Unfortunately for them, they had crossed paths with mercury soul puppets—beings born to counter metal—and were hollowed out from the inside before mounting any resistance.
The massive carcasses were dragged ashore, piling into a small hill.
Most of these beasts had silvery-white bodies, gleaming brilliantly even beneath the gloomy sky.
The sudden appearance of such a glittering mound along the tranquil riverbank instantly drew the attention of nearby demons.
With a whoosh, a swarm of dark silhouettes took flight from afar, heading straight toward the Mercury River.
Bater knew the plan had succeeded, yet when he saw the demons' numbers, he felt trouble brewing.
There were far too many—a dense, shadowy swarm easily numbering over a hundred.
Meanwhile, there were only a dozen or so mercury soul puppets here. How could they manage such a fight? The moment they showed themselves, they would be swarmed and torn apart.
Just as Bater was reluctantly preparing to switch tactics, Anbaixiu's voice came through the magic mirror: "Don't worry. I'll handle this."
Vast magical power began to coalesce. An instant later, an entrancing, shifting realm materialized before them.
Leira's True Phantasm—a spell Anbaixiu hadn't cast in a long time.
Yet every time he unleashed it, it held the power to turn the tide of battle.
Chapter 603