The conversation between the two Mechanicus Archmagi was, to say the least, extremely tense.
Archmagos Phila stared directly into Archmagos Regulus' bionic eye, completely unafraid. The servo-skulls connected to their spines floated behind them, all focused on each other.
A barely concealed malice gleamed in their bionic eyes.
Both of their gazes conveyed their opinions of each other. Their conflict was also a microcosm of the current conflicts among various factions within the Imperium.
As the Imperium grew stronger, the Mechanicus, one of the heads of the double-headed eagle, also became an incredibly formidable behemoth. Their forge worlds were countless.
Once one became an Archmagos, they could command immense resources.
At their level, besides the pursuit of truth, they had no other desires. The competition between the various great schools of thought was over their respective doctrines.
Archmagos Phila already had his own plans.
He was secretly advancing several research projects that could enhance the influence of his school.
Vaguely, this newly promoted scholar already possessed the confidence to challenge the old Archmagi.
His only drawback was that he had not yet produced any results that could astound the world.
He could only express his rebellion verbally.
Besides the different schools of thought, the escalating conflicts between the Archmagi were also due to the unique research system of Terra and the re-emerging Genecult on the Moon.
All the great schools were competing to seize positions in the Hall of Truth.
After losing their leader and the Void Dragon, Mars' appeal to the various great schools severely declined.
Not only Mars, but even Terra gradually lost its status as a political and religious center.
Research scholars, religious figures, and bureaucrats now all centered around the Imperator, where the Emperor resided. To gain more favor from the Emperor, and to elevate their positions in the Hall of Truth,
the conflicts between the various great schools had long become public.
If not for the Emperor overseeing the entire situation, they would probably have directly engaged in war.
"Let him finish, Archmagos Phila." Calgar's voice was authoritative, halting the dispute between the two factions.
Archmagos Regulus' bionic eye shifted from Archmagos Phila's bulky physique.
He continued to introduce matters concerning the Heaven Realm.
"The Heaven Realm is severed by the Heavenly Abyss, a barrier that is extremely peculiar, like a zone of absolute stillness. Not even the aetheric winds blow there. We can observe nothing, not even read cosmic background data. It exists independently of all space-time, isolating all detection and probes. Even illusory concepts like fate, truth, and causality cannot affect the Heaven Realm."
"But the Doom Device can still function, suppressing the Heaven Realm and weakening the enemy's resistance. After detection and calculation by the God-Brain Matrix, there are three weak points in the Heavenly Abyss. These weak points are crucial for traversing the Heavenly Abyss, and each weak point has a super city established as a defensive fortress. They possess a large number of psyker devices, capable of releasing attacks powerful enough to destroy the shields of Imperial stellar-class warships."
"My suggestion is to concentrate our forces and attack these three weak points to penetrate their defenses."
"The casualties would be astonishing," said the eldar farseer Anvil. "I have a better way to break through the Heavenly Abyss' obstruction."
Hearing the eldar farseer's words, everyone turned their gaze towards him.
Anvil was tall and slender, with pointed ears.
His lifespan was extremely long.
He had witnessed many terrifying things.
And had learned much forbidden and dark knowledge.
"Outside the Heaven Realm, there are countless beings living in many other great realms. We can use them as sacrifices, offering them to the Warp, thereby stimulating a powerful enough aetheric storm to destroy the Heavenly Abyss, and then use the Doom Device to quell the storm. The Warp itself is a place that distorts all rules. As long as one masters enough techniques and offers enough, there is nothing the Warp cannot achieve. We can feign attacks on the three weak points, and then use blood sacrifice to transport the Imperial army into the Heaven Realm."
"To break through that bizarre Heavenly Abyss, the number of living beings required for sacrifice is unimaginable," said a Codicier, opposing the idea. "Such an act is something only Chaos Gods would do."
"This is war; we seek victory, not justice," said the eldar farseer Anvil. "A sword in the hands of a daemon is a killing tool, but in our hands, it is a righteous weapon for defending our home. Tools and methods are not inherently wrong; it is in the choice of how and on whom they are used."
"Such an act is still unacceptable," the Codicier retorted righteously. The eldar farseer Anvil smiled.
"Unfortunately, it is not for you to decide. Lord Calgar possesses the final authority."
Calgar looked at the Custodian Tribunate Reveff. The latter showed no sign of opposition.
Calgar took his silence as agreement.
Without the opposition of the Custodes, Calgar could do whatever he pleased.
He decided to adopt the eldar farseer's suggestion. The expeditionary force had been delayed in Universe 04 for too long; they had to speed up.
After destroying the Heaven Realm, he still needed to clear out xenos in other areas. Time was not on his side.
Using blood sacrifice to enter the Heaven Realm, bypassing the heavily defended fortresses, was an excellent idea.
"Then let's do it. We have delayed for too long. It is time to end all of this," Calgar said. "Let us present the first universe to the Emperor, my colleagues. History will remember each of our names."
Survivors from various realms continuously fled into the Heaven Realm.
Perhaps due to the sense of crisis brought by racial extinction, many races gave birth to incredibly powerful bloodline descendants.
Many physiques, Dao bones, immortal embryos, and sacred blood, only recorded in historical texts, appeared one after another.
Like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Their sheer number astonished many old monsters.
If not for this monstrous calamity, such a multitude of Heaven's Chosen would have ushered in a brilliant era.
Many worlds would have evolved because of these Heaven's Chosen, their overall strength skyrocketing. The entire transcendent civilization would have greatly advanced, radiating even more brilliant light.
However, powerhouses above the Immortal Emperor level felt increasingly anxious and worried at such a magnificent sight. The great tribulation was approaching; all glory and brilliance would dim, and blood would drown everything.
All splendor would become ruins. The new generation, however, was oblivious to this, filled with passion and zeal. They exuded their unique boundless ambition, venturing everywhere, competing for Dao companions, fame, and cultivation resources.
Yet, the great calamity could strike at any moment; no one knew when those extraterrestrial daemons would launch their final assault!
In the core region of the Heaven Realm, a vast plateau stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist, making the sky and earth appear dim and lifeless.
Innumerable ancient runes were carved into the mountains, rivers, and even the void.
Even an Immortal Emperor entering would lose their way and might even be annihilated by the inherent killing intent, their Dao fruit turning to ash. This was the origin of all realms, created by ancient sages to resist the tidal wave of an era where transcendence ceased to exist. The Heaven Realm was the trunk, the root system.
No matter how brilliant other worlds were, they were merely green leaves or flowers.
And in the central area of the plateau, stood a mottled, ancient palace filled with the aura of time.
Countless mysterious runes were interwoven on the palace, obscure yet possessing terrifying power.
If an Immortal Emperor or Dao Ancestor dared to act presumptuously, those runes could instantly obliterate them.
Nine terrifying figures were seated there.
Each figure was incomparably terrifying, having long surpassed the Great Dao by countless ages. They were eternal, imperishable existences.
Reincarnation, time, and causality were merely rubble that they could crush at will. They were already so powerful that a single breath could stir up storms and extinguish a major world.
Above the Great Dao, transcending all myths and imagination.
Only this plateau, imbued with the countless wisdom and power of ancient sages, could bear their power and the concept of their existence. The nine figures each sat at a corner of the mottled ancient palace.
Enshrouded in chaotic aura, their true forms were indiscernible.
Infinite Great Daos transformed into divine chains around them, then shattered.
Where their gaze fell, the birth and death of all things were but a single thought.
"The tribulation of all things, the tide of the era, is ultimately irresistible. Transcendence is about to perish, and everything will come to a complete end."
The voice of one of the figures was chillingly eerie.
His form was enveloped by chaotic qi and ominous light.
If one were to peel away the chaotic qi and light, one would see his true body.
Foul-smelling blood flowed from his entire body, and decaying tentacles and twisted facial features covered his bloated form.
Having reached their realm,
they were but one step away from being completely transformed into Spirit Realm creatures.
"Not necessarily, the Heaven Realm was born precisely to counter this crisis," another figure, clad in decaying garments like a specter, spoke of ancient events. The End of Dharma was the general trend of the era.
Every universe would experience it.
Yet, ancient sages defied fate, creating the Heaven Realm and extending the brilliant transcendent civilization.
"As long as the Heavenly Abyss is protected, the Heaven Realm will not be in danger."
"How to defend? The Heavenly Abyss is indeed powerful, but it is not impenetrable."
Among the nine figures, voices continuously spoke, debating the future of the Heaven Realm.
Some showed worry, while others still believed that as long as the Heavenly Abyss existed, there would be no major problems.
"The Heavenly Abyss is covered with supreme killing formations that can even harm us. As long as the grand formations are guarded, the Heavenly Abyss can be held. The only problem is manpower. Currently, survivors from various realms are fleeing to the Heaven Realm, making manpower more abundant, but it is still not enough. Once a great war breaks out, the enemy will definitely try to reduce our numbers. cultivating an Immortal Emperor-level powerhouse takes a long time; losing one is an unimaginable loss for us."
"Indeed, in the long run, we will inevitably be unable to sustain ourselves. Although the Heaven Realm is protected by supreme grand formations, if there are formations but no living beings to guard them, it is destined to be broken."
"I have a plan: combine our powers to create a special space where an instant is eternity. Let time flow countless times faster, and then send those Heaven's Chosen, along with various Great Dao spirit roots that can aid cultivation, and divine medicines into it. This way, we can compress the growth time of those powerhouses."
"This method is good."
A being spoke in a withered, chilling voice.
"Then let's do it."
The nine beings quickly reached a consensus. They would use this mysterious and unpredictable method to cultivate more powerhouses to combat this unprecedented and terrifying tribulation. Their actions were swift.
One figure reached out, using great divine abilities to intercept a piece of space-time from the void. The other figures then jointly refined that piece of space-time. They shaped it into a secret realm, filled it with countless spirit roots and divine materials, and infused it with infinite Dao rhythms and laws.
Within it, they set up trial stages, where cultivating for a single day could be equivalent to countless years in the outside world.
After completing this, they sent messages to the Immortal Emperors and Dao Ancestors.
Instructing those survivors to send their Heaven's Chosen over. The status of the nine figures was unimaginable.
Even Immortal Emperors and Dao Ancestors would have to kneel and respectfully greet them upon seeing them. Their decrees were naturally implemented quickly.
A large number of young, peerless Heaven's Chosen were sent into this secret realm by various races, allowing them to rapidly improve. The competition in the secret realm was fierce.
Like raising venomous insects, it was a brutal struggle for survival, where the weak were prey to the strong.
But the speed of improvement in the secret realm was terrifying.
In just a few days, one could achieve accomplishments unimaginable in the outside world.
Aside from a few unimaginable powerhouses making plans, discussions about the extraterrestrial daemons were rampant throughout the Heaven Realm. The most exceptional Heaven's Chosen and bloodlines were sent into the secret realm.
And those slightly less talented Heaven's Chosen also received a massive allocation of resources.
In just over a decade, they had already traversed the path their elders took tens of thousands of years to complete.
Such achievements filled them with confidence.
Believing that they would surely be able to block the daemons that terrified their elders.
In an ancient city rich in spiritual energy, a group of Heaven's Chosen gathered.
Immortal birds and spirit beasts walked through the streets. Those Heaven's Chosen sat atop them, radiating extraordinary presence, enveloped in light and aura. They eventually entered a garden. The host had already arranged fine wine on jade tables, awaiting their arrival. The sound of music filled the gathering place.
Whispers of immortal melodies stirred the resonance of the Great Dao, brushing past flowers, making them instantly bloom, and sweeping over clear springs, causing mist to rise.
It even attracted phoenixes and white birds, dancing in the air.
"If those daemons dare to invade the Heaven Realm, I will ensure they never return."
"Those daemons are merely humans who have obtained some strange power; they can be extinguished with a flick of a finger."
Such domineering words attracted the attention of other beings at the gathering. The speaker was a Heaven's Chosen of the Peng race, with a pair of wings on its back.
Its wings were interwoven with countless bizarre and ominous patterns, terrifyingly formidable, making any living being who gazed upon them feel a chill.
A third eye faintly emerged between the Peng bird's brows.
Clearly, it had already crossed the threshold of immortality.
Crossing the immortal threshold often led to such mutations, not originally part of one's bloodline.
"Legend has it that a formidable young prodigy emerged from the Heavenly Peng clan. Such domineering words, it seems the rumors are true."
Next to him, a Sky Ant, whose aura was equally powerful and whose back bore a shiny black carapace, spoke. There was a hint of mockery in his words.
"Ant, are you mocking me? If you're not convinced, fight me." The Heavenly Peng clan's prodigy was extremely overbearing, his gaze cold as he looked at the Sky Ant who dared to speak up.
"I wouldn't dare to mock the legendary Peng bird clan. Legend says you feed on dragons and are incredibly strong. How could I dare?!" The Sky Ant's eyes shifted. Not only was he not angered by the other's overbearing words, but he even smiled and made a gesture of apology. The Heavenly Peng clan's prodigy showed a hint of smugness.
Meanwhile, the Fish-Dragon clan's prodigy slammed the table in anger.
"What a load of nonsense! Feeding on dragons? I could swat three of them with one slap."
"Then come and try it?" The Heavenly Peng clan's prodigy already had a fiery temper.
Hearing the Fish-Dragon clan member's words, he abruptly stood up.
"Fight me, and we'll see if you can swat me to death with one slap, or if I'll have an extra meal tonight."
"Bring it on, as if I'm afraid of you." The Fish-Dragon clan's prodigy suddenly stood up. "You, a loud-mouthed good-for-nothing who claims to be able to destroy daemons with a flick of a finger. If it weren't for your parents having wings and running a little faster, you wouldn't be here spouting such nonsense."
As soon as these words came out, the other prodigies couldn't hold back and all chuckled softly. The Heavenly Peng clan's prodigy's gaze grew colder, his eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at the Fish-Dragon clan member.
Since his birth, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"Today, I will cut you down."
The Heavenly Peng clan's prodigy exuded overwhelming killing intent. His body carried a terrifying daemonic aura, emanating a sense of oppression that made all living beings revere him.
"Tonight, we'll roast a big bird." The Fish-Dragon clan's expert also stood up, releasing his full aura, not inferior to the other in the slightest.
At this moment, an even more terrifying aura appeared. The two immortal cultivators, who had been confronting each other, were both frozen in place by that aura.
"Perhaps the two of you could give me some face, fellow daoists."
A fire-elemental being with fiery red hair walked over.
He wore a bronze mask, obscuring his true appearance.
Only a pair of eyes that glowed with flames left a deep impression.
He effortlessly quelled the conflict.
Legend has it that the Fish-Dragon clan possesses the bloodline of true dragons, and upon reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, they can transform into true dragons.
As for the Heavenly Peng clan, they are even more terrifying, one of the legendary fierce beasts, and one of the most powerful bloodlines.
Yet, these two prodigies were easily suppressed by a fire-elemental being.
"It is rumored that there is a child in the Fire Clan who cultivated dao at the age of three, established his foundation at five, and by ten, had already fused with the Strange Fire — the Void Swallowing Flame, leaping across the threshold of the immortal path and becoming an unparalleled genius."
"Heavens, the Void Swallowing Flame! Legend has it that this flame was born in the void and chaos, shapeless and formless. It is an extremely terrifying flame that can devour all things for its own use, and once unleashed, it can incinerate everything. Even Immortal Kings would suffer a bitter end."
The identity of the fire-elemental being was revealed, and the many prodigies attending the gathering all showed astonished expressions. The fire-elemental being's expression was calm as he cupped his hands and bowed to the prodigies.
"Thank you all for your kindness in coming here to discuss important matters. Now that the mountains and rivers are overturned and daemons are invading, we should work together with utmost sincerity."
"May I ask, fellow daoist, what are your thoughts?" A prodigy from another race stood up and asked.
"The older generation has been scared out of their wits by the extraterrestrial daemons. Now, when they speak of them, their faces turn pale with fear. If this trend continues, it will surely poison future generations, making them afraid to fight those daemons. My friends and I have jointly formed a mask organization, preparing to reverse this trend," the fire-elemental being said.
"How do you plan to do that?"
During the gathering, a prodigy asked.
"Go to the Heavenly Abyss and slay the daemons," the fire-elemental being asked with great authority.
As soon as these words were spoken, all the prodigies fell silent.
No matter how confident they were, they dared not agree to this suggestion.
When their ancestors spoke of those extraterrestrial daemons, their faces were always pale, and they even trembled all over.
One must know that their cultivation was not low, and some of them had even broken through to the Immortal King realm after entering the Upper Realm.
Yet, they dared not speak of those daemons. That war was said to be one where immortal-level experts were slaughtered like chickens and dogs, and Immortal Kings were merely cannon fodder.
All the strong individuals who dared to resist died, their blood staining the shattered mountains and rivers.
Only their fathers and grandfathers escaped to the Upper Realm. The fire-elemental being saw the prodigies' reactions and showed no unusual expression.
He had already predicted this scene.
"The Mask Organization was not formed by me alone; there are also several fellow daoists."
As his voice fell, several cultivators, enveloped in brilliant light and exuding a sacred aura, walked out.
Among them was one with eight snake heads, each one golden and shimmering as if cast from pure gold.
From his mouth, Buddhist scriptures were chanted.
Behind him, eighteen thousand divine halos shone brightly, untainted by the mundane world. The other individuals were all extraordinary, possessing powerful bloodlines and great renown.
Each of them had the potential to become an unrivaled supreme being.
Now, united, they formed the Mask Organization, determined to turn the tide and save this world from peril. The appearance of these several top prodigies brought hope to the many prodigies who had been silent moments before. These peerless prodigies, possessing terrifying bloodlines and supreme secret arts, had boundless potential, and were backed by their families.
Going with them to the Heavenly Abyss to slay daemons!
It didn't sound like such an outrageous thing after all.
"If several fellow daoists are participating, then count me in."
"Yes, count me in too."
All the prodigies became active.
With strong leaders, they might be able to carve out a reputation for themselves, which would be of immense benefit to them in the future.
Perhaps they could even visit that special secret realm and become supreme powerhouses. The matter of the special secret realm was no longer a secret.
It is said that anyone who can emerge from that secret realm will at least be an Immortal King, and if they are even more ruthless, it is not impossible to even challenge for Immortal Emperor.
Immortal King level powerhouses, how many beings throughout history have sought but failed to obtain them?
Even more so for Immortal Emperor level powerhouses, each and every one of them was a truly brilliant and talented individual. They had to overcome countless competitors to become an Immortal Emperor. The Mask Organization absorbed many prodigies. They then set off for one of the three giant cities in the Heavenly Abyss. That colossal city was boundless, situated on the edge of the Upper Realm.
Its black walls soared into the endless void, incredibly oppressive, blocking the weak points of the Heavenly Abyss.
It stood like a black mountain across the sky, unscalable, exuding an aura of immortality.
Several powerhouses exuding the aura of Grand Unity True Immortals tried to persuade these young prodigies, who were acting like they had chuunibyou, to return.
"We shall forge glory here," the fire-elemental being declared spiritedly, "A true man should establish great deeds and spread his name for all eternity."
Before the veteran soldiers could respond, a colossal horn blast echoed, shaking the entire Upper Realm. This was an alarm from the giant city guarding the Heavenly Abyss, signaling the arrival of the enemy. Those daemons who had destroyed other great realms had finally set their sights on the Upper Realm.
Every strong individual knew this was an inevitable outcome.
But when it truly happened, they were all still so helpless. The strong individuals stationed in the Heavenly Abyss all showed expressions of despair.
Only the members of the Mask Organization were filled with excitement.
None of the clan members who had come into contact with the daemons had returned alive. Those who managed to escape to the Upper Realm had never seen the extraterrestrial daemons. They were completely unaware of how terrifying their goal of achieving great deeds and making a name for themselves in the world truly was. Their excitement lasted only until they ascended the city wall, then it vanished completely.
Countless killing arrays, born at the dawn of chaos, were activated. The array patterns, capable of annihilating Immortal Emperors, interwoven and spread, emitting an endless killing intent.
Yet, they were blocked by the steel structures of the extraterrestrial daemons.
Beams of light and cannonballs imbued with the power of rules poured out, causing the intricate runes to tremble incessantly.
"No!!"
A desperate scream drew their attention.
When they rushed over, they found an Immortal King level expert had been shattered alive.
A small flaw appeared in the operation of the great formation here, and the enemy focused their fire on it. The immense impact and the backlash from the broken formation directly caused the Immortal King in charge of the formation to perish. This scene made the faces of the Mask Organization members, led by the fire-elemental being and the eight-headed great serpent, turn pale.
An Immortal King level expert!
He just died like that!
A thick beam of light ignited.
WAAAAAGH!!
A deafening roar erupted as green-skinned daemons, clad in rusty armor, wielding choppas, and as burly as savage beasts, swarmed out of the light pillar. Those strong individuals who hadn't reacted yet were instantly cut down.
A Grand Unity True Immortal-level soldier, clad in armor, was surrounded and cut into pieces in a matter of dozens of seconds. The strange weapons in the daemons' hands suppressed the cultivators' terrifying self-healing abilities.
"Charge!!" The fire-elemental being suppressed the fear in his heart and unleashed the terrifying Void Swallowing Flame. That exotic flame could incinerate everything in the world, and once it touched something, it could not be extinguished.
However, after burning a few green-skinned daemons, the fire-elemental being clearly felt the Void Swallowing Flame weakening.
In the end, it dwindled into a tiny flicker.
Its power was also significantly weakened. The damage it inflicted was even more pitiful.
It couldn't even burn through the enemy's armor.
If he hadn't been rescued by another member of the Mask Organization, he would have been decapitated.
Seeing the defensive line about to collapse, another Immortal King level expert descended, controlling a supreme killing array, filling the void.
He cut off the Imperium's teleportation, and using the supreme array patterns, utterly annihilated all the Orks, thus protecting the city wall. The three giant cities guarding the entrance to the Heavenly Abyss simultaneously sounded alarms. The strong individuals of various races left their last words for their kin and embarked on the path of reinforcement. They all knew that this journey would be fraught with peril.
Only their corpses would be sent back.
After the initial bloody battle, the Mask Organization quickly grew. They cooperated with the city wall defenders to repel the daemon invasions time and again.
Another batch of green-skinned daemons, who had teleported into the city wall, were once again completely annihilated. The leaders of the Mask Organization who participated in the battle were also panting heavily. The power of their secret arts had diminished too much.
Killing a daemon was truly exhausting.
If it weren't for the protection of the great formation, this giant city would have fallen long ago.
After a few days, the many members of the Mask Organization discovered something unexpected. The power of their secret arts had increased.
It wasn't just them, but all cultivators had become stronger.
Later, they could simply wave their hands and crush those strong and terrifying green-skinned Orks into a pulp.
Even if they were wearing steel, they could easily crumple it into scrap metal.
"Could it be that Heaven is pitying us?"
"The power of the spiritual realm has been enhanced, that's great."
"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill all these guys, and then counterattack their homeland!"
A strong individual shouted excitedly.
Before, they had been too frustrated, their supreme secret arts suppressed so miserably.
Now that they could exert their power normally, they naturally went on a killing spree. Those daemons who dared to enter the city walls became the prey of many strong individuals.
Several Immortal Emperors were even more ruthless; as long as they sensed the appearance of green-skinned daemons, they would instantly crush them into pulp. The spiritual realm became extremely easy to manipulate. The air was filled with spiritual energy visible to the naked eye. Those runes imbued with Dao rhyme would even appear out of thin air, becoming extremely abundant and ubiquitous.
If it weren't for the war, many strong individuals would probably have sat down cross-legged to cultivate. The spiritual energy was concentrated to an unimaginable degree.
Many strong individuals believed that this was the Dao's resistance after being suppressed to the extreme, enhancing the spiritual energy concentration and lowering the cultivation threshold, thereby giving birth to more strong individuals to eliminate those extraterrestrial daemons. The concentration of spiritual energy continued to rise steadily.
It was even more terrifying than those blessed lands, immortal mountains, and spiritual veins!
"They can no longer suppress our power. It's time to retaliate."
"Repel the invaders and counterattack them."
"Charge into their world, capture those idiots who ordered the attack on our realm, and make them suffer endless torment, their souls forever enduring the pain of freezing and burning."
Countless strong individuals shouted, incredibly excited.
However, this optimistic demeanor vanished after more than two months.
A huge rift tore open in the sky.
Vast spiritual energy poured out from it, permeating the mundane ocean.
A battleship bearing a massive double-headed eagle emblem emerged from the rift. The enemy had bypassed the Heavenly Abyss directly.
Blood, pain, and fear flowed into the warp. They poured down through rituals and patterns of faith so ancient they were beyond verification, like water rushing through a collapsing dam, washing away everything in their path.
Anvil, the eldar farseer, stood on a platform enveloped by a protective shield, countless stars shining above his head. The amulet emitted a faint glow, allowing him to remain calm amidst the raging tide.
"In the name of the Emperor."
"In the name of the Emperor."
On a colossal platform,
the bound xenos were escorted along a wide corridor like an assembly line. They wailed, begging for mercy.
But the daemons in their war-plate were so cruel that they spared neither women nor children. They intended to utterly annihilate their entire race.
Driving them to the cold machines, letting them be devoured by the giant gears.
Ending all life through cruel, mechanical slaughter to complete the sacrificial ritual.
Billions of xenos were driven onto the altar and then killed.
Vast quantities of blood flowed through pipes, converging into a twin-headed eagle altar the size of a planet.
It was the Eagle of the Hunt, it was the Eagle of Flight.
Everything in the world would bow before it, none spared. The twin-headed eagle had become one of the most powerful symbols in the warp.
Praying to it would stir the unimaginably vast entity that was the Imperium,
causing its complex destinies to intertwine, ultimately dragging it into the abyss or incinerating it.
At the edge of the altar, the Ecclesiarchy priests chanted hymns of praise.
Well-trained tech-priests used their methods to kill the xenos in droves, watering the warp with their screams and blood.
A rift spanning countless light-years was torn open by the frantic sacrifice.
Death and despair pierced the core of the Higher Heavens.
A surging ocean of aether covered the Celestial Abyss, as if submerging the entire region, thus rendering the dam's flood control useless.
Under the gaze of the guardians, the Imperium arrived.
Like other Great Realms, it brought destruction.
Darkness rolled in the firmament, distorting the xenos' perception of this world. The frenzied ritual tore open a terrifying wound in spacetime.
All things had their fate predetermined.
Warships surged through the wound, then emerged from the Higher Heavens. The supreme, divine, omniscient, and omnipotent Emperor of Mankind blessed His warriors.
His glory guided the ships through the surging ocean of aether, directly to their targets.
In the throne room of the Macragge's Glory, Calgar stood at the observation point beside the throne, gazing into the void.
He watched the flagship of the Silver Skulls Chapter bombard the ground, seeing the warriors emerge from the teleportation beams, bestowing death and oblivion upon the xenos.
warriors of the Nova Marines attacked the flying psyker vessels. The Raven Guard stalked in the darkness, ending the lives of the xenos before they even realized what was happening.
"The final hour," Calgar murmured, his expression cold.
Several xenos, thrown into the throne room, guarded by two personal guards and completely bound, also witnessed this scene.
Before their capture, each of them had been a supreme being of a realm. The mantis-faced one was an unparalleled mighty figure who had entered the Dao through the sword.
With two sleeves of green snakes, a single move had slain a brilliant and peerless Immortal Emperor.
Enveloped in a dazzling divine kingdom, as if wrapped by three thousand worlds, was the Moth Empress.
She had once comprehended a supreme secret technique, her single palm strike overturning mountains and rivers, turning even Dao Ancestors into shattered fragments.
Each of them had a great background, surpassing Immortal Emperors, and were but one step away from the ultimate realm.
Yet now they were all imprisoned, witnessing the final collapse of their own factions.
As the machines hummed, these xenos let out their final screams.
Vast life energy and Dao Fruits cultivated over countless years were continuously extracted by these machines, which hummed with strange melodies, converting them into beams of destruction imbued with their mighty power.
It was the suffering and despair of these beings that allowed the Imperial fleet to traverse the Celestial Abyss and the terrifying warp storms. The light swirling in the flasks was their life force, and this light, mixed with energy, became the fuel for the engines. This machinery was the result of Philosopher Fila's work.
He was a challenger, not some incompetent seeking power.
It was always a pity to simply kill those powerful psyker lifeforms.
Philosopher Fila combined the principles and knowledge of many Imperial machines that utilized psykers for control.
Coupled with the inspiration from the Imperial Penitence Beacons and sacrificial rituals,
he created this machine driven by life energy and xenos psyker power.
Continuously extracting the life energy and so-called cultivation Dao Fruits of these xenos, converting them into attacks or navigation aids that could function in the warp.
It was well known that the Imperium's current conquests of the universe were achieved by following paths left by ancient civilizations.
Once these paths were lost, Imperial ships could become lost in the vast ocean of aether, never to be found again. The device created by Philosopher Fila could use xenos to construct universe-level lighthouses, making target universes glow in the vast ocean of aether. This would be a crucial step in the Imperium's conquest.
It was difficult to find fast passage and instantaneous communication methods between different universes.
Even if they deviated from the paths left by ancient civilizations, the weak connections between various universes would not be severed. The importance of this technology was no less than that of the various projects promoted by the Imperium.
Unfortunately, it still required more refinement before it could be applied. The one on Calgar's ship was merely a prototype, and the requirements for the sacrifice were also high, needing cultivators above the Immortal Emperor level for sacrifice.
It needed to be further perfected to fully exploit the value of the vast biological mine that were the xenos of the Immaterium.
At that time, the Imperium's conquest of these universes would not only yield vast resources and more expansive living space but also allow them to capture xenos from transcendent civilizations and use them as biological mines.
Amidst the screams of the powerful xenos, fuel was injected into the Imperium's engine system.
A rumbling sound echoed from the stern.
Getting closer and closer, like a giant engine pushing forward.
A tremor swept through the hull, growing stronger and stronger, as if the vibrations passed through the internal structure.
All machinery hummed, these sounds merging into the ship's perpetual hums, becoming one with them, drowning out the crew's warning calls. The Macragge's Glory erupted with a dazzling brilliance, covering a certain range of ships.
Preventing them from being thrown into the warp due to the interference of the Heavenly Dao of the Higher Heavens. The Age of Decline device had not yet fully activated. The Heavenly Dao of the Higher Heavens was still active.
Heavenly Dao, Gaia, cosmic consciousness, and similar entities were collectively referred to as pan-consciousness.
cultivators generally believed in the existence of the Heavenly Dao and the Great Dao. The warp echoes caused by this subconscious would also take effect. Thus becoming things like planetary will, cosmic will, and so on. The Heavenly Dao of the Higher Heavens was the same thing. The pan-conscious Heavenly Dao of the Higher Heavens would inevitably launch a counterattack against invaders who might destroy it. The souls and life energy of the top xenos being extracted happened to be able to disguise the warships, allowing them to easily enter other regions of the Higher Heavens. Tail flames spewed from the rear of the ship, and people felt a gentle push in their chests. The Macragge's Glory entered acceleration mode.
Other ships also accelerated, pressing deeper into the Higher Heavens. The defenders of the Celestial Abyss had no hope left. Their connection with other regions of the Higher Heavens had been severed.
Calgar did not want to waste time slaughtering those guys.
His primary goal now was to shatter the core of the Higher Heavens, the most important core of the entire transcendent civilization, which those xenos called the Plateau. That was the transformation hub, the key to the existence of the myriad realms.
It was also the key to the prosperity of transcendent civilization. To completely destroy the foundation of this transcendent civilization.
At that time, what awaited these xenos would be a complete massacre.
"WAAAAAAAAAGH."
On the vast city walls, the Ork Emperor, Gorgutz, was wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
His body was as massive as a towering steel mountain reaching into the clouds.
Equipped with various terrifying weapons, his rough steel jaw sparked as it ground, and deafening roars emanated from his half-mechanical, half-flesh throat.
He wielded heavy weapons, leaving only blood and wreckage in his wake.
ork Warbosses and Nobz were scattered around him. They were all howling in excitement for the grand slaughter.
A true dragon was torn apart by several Ork Warbosses.
Amidst mournful screams, the immortal dragon body was forcefully ripped asunder.
Dragon blood, imbued with terrifying power, splattered out, shimmering with brilliant psyker energy.
If any creature could obtain this dragon blood, they would surely be reborn and gain dragon bloodline talent.
But now it was wantonly wasted, scattered on the ground.
A dragon god covered in golden scales was also slain, its rotting wings hacked off, and black blood gushed forth.
Its headless body rapidly decayed, emitting an ominous and eerie aura. The Mask organization members, a gathering of numerous prodigies, watched in horror as countless powerhouses fell. The blood that fell to the ground nourished countless rare spiritual herbs.
Any single one of them was priceless, enough to incite countless prodigies to fight to the death.
Yet, on this battlefield, they were ubiquitous. Too many powerhouses had died; their spiritual blood irrigated the ground, rapidly accelerating the growth of these spiritual herbs.
Unfortunately, these spiritual herbs were ruthlessly trampled; the Imperium simply didn't care about these supreme elixirs that could transform living beings and purify their bloodlines.
Countless corpses fell to the ground.
Among them were Immortal Kings and Immortal Emperor level beings.
Laws and their Dao fruits escaped from the lifeless corpses, converging into forbidden zones.
However, these forbidden zones were quickly destroyed by the Imperium's artillery and those who wished to survive, covered by new corpses.
All surviving powerhouses from the various Great Realms gathered in the Supreme Realm.
Here in the Heavenly Abyss, Immortal Kings were as common as dogs, and Immortal Emperors were everywhere.
All of them were supreme powerhouses who once dominated their respective regions.
Yet now, they continuously perished, their bodies piled up like mountains. The powerhouses who had been brimming with confidence due to the previous surge in spiritual energy now had their morale shattered. They had still wished to counterattack, to invade the enemy's homeland and exact bloody revenge.
Now their illusion was shattered; they realized that their strength and advantageous situation were nothing but a moon in the water, easily broken upon touch. That terrifying battlefield completely shattered the so-called invincible Dao heart within the members of the Mask organization. Throughout the long eons, even Immortal Emperors would meet their end.
What were these prodigies considered then?
Merely specks of dust and ripples in the vast river of time, destined to vanish and be forgotten. The Ork Emperor, Gorgutz, roared incessantly.
Protected by the WAAAGH! field and Imperial technology, he was practically invincible.
Punching xenos, kicking daemons.
Numerous Orks converged into an overwhelming tide, sweeping everything away.
And the Imperium's massive legions poured forth, causing rivers of blood and utter rout everywhere.
"We need to leave here," said the Fire Clan being who had once spearheaded the formation of the Mask organization. The surviving members of the Mask organization nodded. There was no point in staying in the Heavenly Abyss anymore.
If this barrier fell, a terrible slaughter would await all living beings.
Staying here was utterly useless. The background of this organization was very special; even on the front lines, they still received the protection of an Immortal Emperor. That Immortal Emperor used a special Immortal King-level secret treasure to open a void, allowing them to escape. Their strength was too low to attract the enemy's attention.
Powerhouses above the Immortal King level, as soon as they tried to tear open the void, would be stopped and dragged back into the battlefield.
Only some weaker individuals could escape. They couldn't change anything, nor would they pose any threat to the Imperium, so they could be dealt with later.
When the members of the Mask organization used the Immortal King-level secret treasure to traverse the void, trying to return to a safe zone, they found that the entire Supreme Realm was engulfed in war. Those giant cities were even more tragic than the Heavenly Abyss, with corpses strewn everywhere, piled up like mountains, and blood and ruins everywhere. The destruction of the Supreme Realm was a foregone conclusion.
What made them even more desperate was that the Age of Dharma Decline had begun to invade the Supreme Realm.
Not only did their previously surged power completely plummet, but their realms also continuously fell. The Immortal King-level secret treasure also continuously lost its radiance under the erosion of the Dharma Decline tide, eventually becoming dim and completely disintegrated during a trans-dimensional flight.
In the Age of Dharma Decline, the transcendent was eternally silent, and myths ceased to exist.
Even if the Imperium didn't kill them, numerous races would face extinction. The few surviving members of the Mask organization lingered beside the ruins, their despair clearly visible on their faces, without any concealment. They knew very well that in this era of transcendent silence and absent myths, having been lost here, they could no longer find their kin, nor could they walk out of these vast mountains and forests. These young prodigies, who were once reckless and arrogant, full of ambition, and believed that all worldly affairs could be solved by them, now realized how cruel reality truly was. The Fire Clan being, utterly devoid of hope, finally climbed the nearest high mountain, gazing into the distance.
It picked up the radiant-less immortal sword and placed it against its neck. The immortal sword was its coming-of-age gift, bestowed by family elders.
Recalling the past, in the Fire Clan's ancestral land, distinguished guests filled the seats, and people from various clans came to celebrate its coming-of-age.
And it was full of vigor, considering itself a top-tier figure in the Supreme Realm.
It befriended prodigies from various clans and eventually spearheaded the establishment of the Mask organization.
Now, its dream was shattered, its heart dead.
"Heaven has fallen, the earth has perished, and all living beings will also die out."
The Fire Clan being slashed fiercely, and blood containing the essence of the Fire Clan gushed out.
Its body drifted down from the cliff edge, with only its last words echoing in the valley. The remaining members of the Mask organization, who were still trying to figure out a way to escape, watched the Fire Clan being's corpse fall from high above, their faces filled with shock, and their last glimmer of hope completely vanished.
Unfortunately, no living being would care, nor would any living being know what happened in this desolate mountain forest. The Immaterium are vast and boundless, and living beings are as tiny as specks of dust.
"You shouldn't do that!" The eldar farseer Anvar tried to dissuade Calgar, who was the ultimate commander, on the Macragge's Glory, "Time is on our side."
Nothing could stop the Imperium.
City after city was destroyed, turned into ruins. The Supreme Realm became a death trap engulfed in war. The final plateau was also breached.
Nine supreme grand cultivators performed one last act, pushing out the secret realm that contained countless prodigies. The Imperium arrived too quickly. This secret realm had not yet served its intended purpose when the Imperium had already torn through the Supreme Realm.
Even the plateau couldn't resist for long before it was breached. This secret realm was now useless. They jointly pushed it into the Eternal Spirit Realm, letting it drift with the tides of the Spirit World.
Leaving a seed for this transcendent civilization.
Dense fleets of warships enveloped the plateau, carrying out the final massacre of the survivors who had fled there.
Screams mingled with gunfire, echoing in this ancient land.
Only the last, mottled ancient hall remained there.
Calgar planned to personally lead a raid to kill those so-called guardians.
Several other senior generals and Mechanicus Sages also spoke up to dissuade him.
After all, if they just continued to wait, waiting for the Dharma Decline device to reinforce the veil between reality and illusion, they could easily achieve victory.
"They can't stir up any trouble," Calgar said in a deep voice. "The final judgment for these ringleaders will be delivered by me; delaying even a second longer will deepen my guilt towards the Holy Emperor."
On the 'Emperor's Supremacy'.
Guilliman was reviewing the messages sent back by the expeditionary fleet heading into the depths of the void. The expansion of the expeditionary fleet was going very smoothly, and the Imperium's territory was expanding at an unprecedented rate.
However, there were also some problems. They encountered a main tyranid fleet that had just devoured an entire local star cluster.
Its scale was terrifyingly exaggerated. The Hive Fleet Shadow formed by that main tyranid fleet was so powerful that even the Imperial Astronomican could not illuminate it; psykers protected by various devices almost had their brains burned out just by glancing at it.
It was countless times more terrifying than the few tyranid fleets that had previously invaded the Milky Way.
"A pile of messes," Guilliman muttered to himself.
At this moment, a voice sounded.
"Congratulations to the host for completing the requirements for the fifth-stage database. The fifth-stage database has been successfully opened. Please check the relevant information in a timely manner."