The Holy Emperor's praise caught Imperial Chancellor Terra LeBlanc off guard.
He bowed in trepidation, vowing never to betray Guilliman's trust.
Even after leaving the Holy Emperor's study, he couldn't calm down for a long time.
His heart was filled with fear and anxiety. The Holy Emperor's words possessed a divine magic.
Stirring the heart of Imperial Chancellor Terra LeBlanc.
Making him feel an urge to give up everything, just to gain His approval and recognition.
Imperial Chancellor Terra LeBlanc's reaction was nothing out of the ordinary.
Within the Imperium, receiving praise from the Holy Emperor was enough to make many people so excited they'd want to end their lives.
Among them were many high-ranking human elites with vast wealth.
No one would deny that the Holy Emperor was the greatest monarch ever born in human history.
From the dawn of human civilization to humanity's journey into deep space and beyond the universe.
No one could ever compare to His achievements.
Even the creator of the Imperium, the great Emperor who had departed, could not reach the Holy Emperor's current accomplishments. The Emperor's contributions were indelible.
Destined to be recorded in the Imperium's historical annals. The Emperor established the Prototype of the Imperium, taking the first step in humanity's great endeavor.
But without the Holy Emperor, humanity's great endeavor would ultimately collapse.
It would be utterly destroyed by those despicable Chaos Gods.
Bringing about a catastrophe so tragic it would be indescribable. The deeper the confrontation between the Imperium and the gods, the clearer people would understand how terrifying the gods truly were.
And how insignificant humanity was in the vast cosmos.
Yet, the Holy Emperor led humanity out of this perilous cosmos.
Fighting against the gods and sweeping across the heavens.
Pushing human civilization to its glorious peak time and time again.
In the past, people always thought that the Imperium's expulsion of Abaddon had reached its ultimate peak.
Many scholars feared that the Imperium would fall into the historical cycle of flourishing and then declining.
Who would have thought that under the Holy Emperor's wise guidance, the Imperium would not only flourish but become even more brilliant?
Ignoring opposition to research the Warp, learning xenos technology, and using lighthouses and various anti-Warp weapons to find powerful tools against the Warp.
Using vast resources to build cross-universe roads that were initially unprofitable.
Promoting human literacy and the Imperial Auxiliary System throughout the Imperium.
Striving to ensure that every citizen of the Imperium could receive an education.
Reforming the system multiple times to maximize the selection of talents from the masses.
Many of these measures were initially not favored by people, some even believing they would lead humanity to destruction.
Back then, when the Holy Emperor proposed abolishing hereditary nobility and centralizing power on Terra, conservative factions even publicly cursed Him as a traitor. That period recorded in historical texts was truly arduous. The Holy Emperor, who awoke on Macragge, was merely a Primarch at the time. The galaxy was already shattered, even the Astronomican that humanity relied on had dimmed, and the light of the Astronomican couldn't even be seen on the other side of the Great Rift.
It was truly a precarious situation, just one step away from ultimate demise.
All enlightened individuals were almost in despair, believing that the Imperium would inevitably perish at the hands of Chaos. The Holy Emperor at that time faced such a mess.
In addition to the covetous xenos and the claws of Chaos, there were also the traitor Primarchs.
At that time, the Holy Emperor was also troubled by conservatives and vested interests who wanted to protect their own benefits.
It could be said that external enemies were surging, and internal troubles were endless.
Even a slight misstep could lead to the Imperium fragmenting and ending. The Holy Emperor turned the tide, fighting His way out of Macragge, reorganizing the Imperial order, suppressing the Ecclesiarchy, and the High Lords of Terra.
Not only did He pull back the then fragmented empire, but He also propelled it onto a glorious path.
Now, the entire Milky Way galaxy belongs to the Imperium.
Even the local group of galaxies is fast becoming the Imperium's backyard, and the human population is countless. The development of this civilization has been pushed to an extremely glorious level.
Many people subconsciously feel that the Holy Emperor saved humanity and the Imperium, but He also became the supreme Emperor, which was a kind of reward. Terra LeBlanc, who had reached the position of Imperial Chancellor, would not have such thoughts.
Just the position of Chancellor made him feel suffocated. Traditional leisure activities had been almost entirely cut off. Terra LeBlanc had already forgotten what the last girl he had intimacy with looked like. There were too many government affairs, an unbelievably large amount.
Balancing the interests of various star systems, factions, schools, and organizations.
And military deployments.
Annual conscription, the progress of the Mechanicum's production, and so on. There were so many things that simply couldn't be dealt with, couldn't be dealt with at all.
Even with a large number of administrative personnel, governing an empire was an extremely painful task.
Successive Imperial Chancellors were literally drained dry by the sheer volume of government affairs.
Only after climbing to the top did Terra LeBlanc deeply realize the hardships involved.
Wielding such power was no longer a blessing, but a terrible burden. There was no longer any of the ancient extolled joy of being an official and enjoying life.
Every day, upon opening his eyes, it was data, it was government affairs. The position of Imperial Emperor was no longer a good position for enjoyment.
Only endless responsibilities.
In Terra's officialdom, the higher one climbed, the more one worshipped and fanatically adored the Holy Emperor.
Such a great undertaking, if it were up to them, would only provide another head for the enemy. Throughout history, any ruler who achieved even one of the Holy Emperor's accomplishments would be enough to be remembered for a thousand generations and become a wise monarch praised by the world.
However, such achievements, for the Holy Emperor, were merely insignificant matters.
Humanity's armies campaigned across the east and west, achieving results that were unimaginably glorious.
However, what the Holy Emperor said still shocked Terra LeBlanc.
Soon, a messenger from Universe 04 would arrive.
He would return to the Imperium with news that would shock and excite countless people.
A universe, even a significantly shrunken one, was still a complete universe.
Now, it belonged to the Imperium.
Humanity emerged from Earth, and after long ages, established the first stellar empire.
Would the ancestors of that time have imagined that one day, humanity would travel to the heavens and create an immortal legend belonging to this race?
the Imperium's dominion would no longer be measured by planets, but by universes. The Holy Emperor's authority would transcend the gods.
With just a command or a will from Him, the universe would tremble. Terra LeBlanc quickly walked out.
He had to handle this matter beautifully, to show the imperial citizens his ability.
And also to let the Holy Emperor know that he would never betray His expectations.
Guilliman watched the Imperial Chancellor's retreating back.
Until the door closed again.
Universe 04 has been conquered, and the Phase 5 database is in hand. The Imperium will usher in an even fiercer upgrade. The Phase 5 Primaris technology must be advanced quickly.
Once all the knowledge from the Phase 5 database is absorbed. The Imperium's offensive against the heavens will no longer be what it was before.
Instead, it will be a true war of annihilation.
Anyone who dares to obstruct the Imperium will be crushed like withered weeds.
No longer wasting such a long time as now.
It's also time for some people to leave this universe.
Guilliman mused.
Currently, the Lion, Lion El'Jonson's, battles in areas like the Eye of Terror and the Great Rift have largely concluded.
Even if there are wars, they are minor skirmishes.
It's time for the Lion to go to other universes. The hunter's claws have been sharpened, and they should be unleashed to hunt in the cruel cosmos.
Little Fulgrim, and those Dark Angels, should all be repositioned.
Guilliman pondered his next plan. The Lion was about to embark on a distant expedition. The Imperium needed the help of the Primarchs to continue expanding its foundation.
Guilliman paced back and forth a few times. Then summoned other officials and Mechanicus Archmagos.
He even took the time to send a message to Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, inquiring about the progress of several projects, and at the same time, asking him to assign people to be responsible for the Phase 5 Primaris upgrade project.
And also about the comprehensive upgrade of the Imperial system, and management agencies for Travelers and the like.
After dealing with all this, Guilliman had to bury himself again, continuing to deal with other matters. The Imperium's government affairs were endless.
A brief respite was already a rare blessing.
A large number of data screens reappeared, their glow reflecting on Guilliman's face.
Making him once again immersed in the ocean of data.
With this data, he could control the direction of the Imperial vessel, discover small problems within it, and dispatch people to fix them.
Having reached his current position.
It was no longer possible for Guilliman to personally fight as he once did.
Only if the Omniscient Ones appeared would he possibly leave the Sol System to confront them.
Of course, Guilliman had a premonition that he wouldn't have to wait long. The Imperium's expansion would inevitably affect the interests of those entities.
A great war was inevitable between the two sides.
He had to seize this time to perfect the Imperium's various measures. Then, he could focus on dealing with the Omniscient Ones.
Destruction enveloped the plateau. The last sanctuary would be breached.
Countless heroes roared, engaging in their final struggles across the plateau.
Desiring to spill their hot blood before the end arrived, wanting to fight to the last moment. To let these damned invaders know their unyielding spirit, their integrity.
However, fate was already sealed.
Destruction would ultimately devour everything, including themselves.
Wave after wave of Imperial troops landed on the plateau through teleports, aerial drops, transport ships, and other means. Titans led the way, their hundreds-of-meters-tall steel beasts unleashing continuous bombardment, shattering mountains and rivers in their wake.
Knight mechs and heavy vehicle formations rumbled forward, carving out paths through the ruins along the way.
At this moment, there was no place on the plateau untouched by the flames of war.
Everywhere was filled with the sounds of battle and cries of despair.
Nine guardians stood at the center of the palace, gazing at the torn sky.
Countless souls screamed in the spirit realm.
Death, despair, unwillingness, and pain transformed into a torrent, stirring up terrifying storms in the spirit realm. The plateau, once holding hope and future, was dead.
It once possessed countless divine medicines and immortal artifacts, countless immortal caves and secret realms left by ancient sages and immortal emperors.
Now, it had become a hell drowned in blood. The palaces and immortal caves that contained the dao fruits and insights of immortal emperors, dao ancestors, and ancient sages were all burned to ashes.
All sacred objects, all ancient inheritances were utterly annihilated. The plateau, comparable to a great realm, was reduced to ruins. Terrifying cracks tore through mountains and rivers.
Even the runes imbued with dao rhyme dimmed, or were even torn apart. The Great Dao itself suffered an unprecedented attack. The nine guardians watched as this plateau burned in the cruel war unleashed by the invaders.
Witnessing the shattering of the Great Dao, the explosion of suns, moons, and stars into fragments, and the complete destruction of mountains and rivers.
Above the palace where they stood, battleships lined up, all raising their protective shields. Those shields were incredibly strange, capable of weakening their earth-shattering precious arts.
When attacking those shields, they would feel a sense of powerlessness.
As if a terrifying wave had risen to a hundred meters, only to crash against a stone.
Looking imposing, but with very limited lethality.
Suddenly, hundreds of light beams burst from those metal ships, landing in various parts of the vast palace.
"They're here, to take our lives." A guardian whispered.
"How arrogant."
Another guardian said coldly.
"Then let them come. Even if we can't win, we'll make them suffer."
The nine guardians exchanged glances, each seeing determination in the other's eyes.
With their homeland shattered, and sun and moon overturned, they too should contribute their part. The sounds of battle cries were incessant.
Everywhere were the dead and the sounds of weeping. The surviving beings were forced to retreat.
Until there was nowhere left to retreat. The Imperium showed no mercy, slaughtering all the way.
No one, regardless of gender or age, was spared.
It was truly a scene of corpses strewn across the land and rivers of blood.
Compared to the mournful cries of numerous xenos species, the Imperial officials were already celebrating the Imperium's victory.
In a while, the power of the End of Magic device would gradually strengthen.
Suppressing the power of the plateau.
Bringing true silence to the extraordinary, and letting myths truly die.
By then, none of the xenos still hiding in various parts of the plateau would survive.
On the muster deck of the Macragge's Glory.
Several veterans looked helplessly at Calgar, who was donning his power armor components.
"Commander, I truly don't advise you to take such a risk. Victory is already within our grasp, and a commander personally entering the fray is a grave mistake."
"The heads of those xenos will be severed by me."
Facing his subordinates' dissuasion, Calgar said with an unyielding tone.
"For this cause, we have shed too much blood. Many mortals embarked from their homelands but could not return to see their parents, nor could they ever return to their native soil, only to have their souls return to the Golden Throne. I will sever the heads of those xenos, declaring victory to all Imperial soldiers, proclaiming their honor and achievements."
The veterans exchanged glances, then finally bowed in salute.
Calgar's will was not to be defied.
Because he represented the Holy Emperor.
"Praise the Holy Emperor, power armor operating status perfect."
The binary chant rang out. The servitors and priests who had performed the final checks on the armor bowed and then withdrew.
Calgar moved his limbs, the servo motors, nanobots, and spatial projection modules emitting faint sounds, mingling together like an ethereal death symphony. The armor he wore was crafted using the Imperium's most advanced technology.
After confirming there were no issues, he turned to look at the many warriors who were ready, their oath papers affixed.
"Now, warriors, it is time to unleash destruction upon the enemy." Calgar raised his power fist high and roared.
"For the Holy Emperor!"
"For the Holy Emperor!"
The numerous Primaris warriors roared. Their combined shouts were enough to drown out the battlefield.
Calgar's personal guards, armed with shields and power axes, formed a circle, preparing to teleport directly to the most perilous part of the battle.
A flash of teleportation light engulfed the deck.
Space-time was distorted.
After a blinding flash, they appeared in the mottled, ancient palace. The palace was ancient, having stood for an unknown number of years.
Alas, nothing in the multiverse is eternal.
No matter how long it stood, it would eventually meet its end. Thousands of xenos stood there. They were enveloped in light.
Strange sounds echoed around them.
And terrifying anomalies formed from aether swirled.
Each of them bore horrifying and repulsive mutations. They had completely deviated from their original racial forms. The essence of the Warp had long been corrupted. The deeper one delved into it, the more terrifying the distortion became. They roared in anger at the sudden appearance of Calgar's forces.
"Crush them!" Calgar roared. The Primaris Marines raised their weapons and unleashed their first volley.
Instantly, the xenos ranks were filled with agonizing screams and flying flesh. Terrifying psyker fluctuations erupted. The xenos who dodged the first volley charged forward, weapons in hand.
A Primaris Marine was instantly pierced through; the longsword, shining with intense psyker energy, couldn't be suppressed even by the armor's built-in anti-Warp field. These xenos knew this was their last struggle. They held nothing back, pouring all their strength into their weapons, aiming to break through the Primaris Marines' defenses and tear open their armor. The battle between the two sides was incredibly fierce, with flesh flying and debris everywhere.
Calgar joined the battle with a roar.
His massive fists swung. The blue arcs of electricity covering his gauntlets easily tore through the xenos' bodies. Their immortal swords and precious cauldrons were shattered by Calgar's iron fists.
Fragments of magical artifacts and their mangled corpses fell to the ground.
A creature enveloped in light, with a peculiar halo behind it, charged at Calgar.
Strange whispers echoed around that creature.
As it moved, various illusions frequently appeared in the void.
According to the indigenous xenos, this was the practitioner themselves resonating with the Great Dao.
Calgar, however, felt a sense of disgust. This was clearly a sign of Warp corruption. The higher the level of the practitioner, the more terrifying the signs of corruption. That xenos charged forward.
Calgar swung his iron fist, blocking the longsword wielded by the opponent.
His shield blocked the so-called sword energy, transferring the immense impact force into the Warp.
He delivered a punch, shattering half of the opponent's face. Then another punch struck the opponent's body, causing it to explode violently.
Calgar and his team fought their way in.
Countless xenos fell along the way.
All of them had once been peerless powerhouses dominating their regions.
Now, they were ruthlessly cut down.
Under the suppression of the End-of-Magic device, these xenos powerhouses were like fish trapped in puddles in a dried-up ocean. The Imperium had drained the ocean of extraordinary power, and these extraordinary beings could only hide in puddles, no longer able to exert their former strength.
The team pushed deeper, finally reaching the innermost and widest hall, where Calgar saw the main objective of their mission.
Innumerable runes floated in the air of that great hall.
In the center of the hall was an altar, mottled and ancient. The center of the altar emitted a strange light and whispering sounds. The altar seemed to connect to another terrifying space-time, appearing as a bizarre spiral device, slowly rotating.
With each rotation, pure extraordinary power overflowed.
It was as if the altar was some kind of conversion mechanism. The High Heaven Realm was the core of all realms.
It could be inferred that this altar was the core of the core. The Warp had been corrupted, which was a consensus within the Imperium. The more it was used, the easier it was to be targeted by the Unborn, and the more likely mutations would occur.
Just like the Thousand Sons Legion before their betrayal. They were originally meant to supplement the Imperium's psyker power.
However, psyker power made them, and also poisoned them.
Members of the Thousand Sons Legion frequently grew various twisted limbs. That was the consequence of abusing Warp power. This civilization, however, collectively cultivated extraordinary power.
Without the help of the High Heaven Realm, such widespread cultivation would only give birth to a group of self-lost monsters.
Nine xenos, shrouded in strange light, sat cross-legged on their respective thrones. The only thing visible was a pair of eyes. Their bodies were very tall, even taller than the Primaris Marines. The nine beings watched Calgar as he entered.
"Humans," one Guardian whispered, "I didn't expect it to actually succeed. Has the outcome of the civilization war we debated back then already been decided? Has the extraordinary truly declined?"
Every word from the Guardian caused the Great Dao to rumble; if a cultivator stood here, merely listening to its words would allow them to comprehend the Dao and embark on an invincible path.
"Despicable xenos." Calgar heard no rumbling of the Great Dao; instead, he found the voice extremely strange.
"An ignorant, short-lived creature." Another Guardian's tone was filled with disdain.
Even facing impending defeat, it did not hinder its arrogance.
"It's finally time for this to end," Calgar said coldly, understanding their words through the translator. "All of you, die, in the name of the Emperor."
Calgar raised his gauntlet, and the twin-linked bolter mounted beneath it roared. The fired bolter rounds were blocked by the light shields summoned by the nine Guardians with a wave of their hands.
"Is that all?!" One Guardian expressed disdain for such an attack; to try and kill immortal beings like them with such means was simply wishful thinking.
Before he could finish speaking, the exploding bolter rounds caused that Guardian to suffer a great loss. The bolter rounds were no longer simple high-explosive ordnance, but anti-Warp bolter rounds specifically designed to target psyker beings.
Upon explosion, they would release and scatter. They could easily pierce psyker shields and destroy the immortal properties of psyker beings.
After the explosion, several Guardians screamed.
Black blood flowed from their twisted bodies. Then Calgar charged towards one of the Guardians.
His massive iron fists continuously smashed against the opponent's strange body.
His few personal guards, after letting out roars, also charged forward. The two sides engaged in fierce combat.
Using remote magical arts or artillery bombardment had become meaningless.
At such close range, melee combat was the most effective.
Ranged attacks were difficult to inflict damage on each other when both sides were wary. The nine Guardians fought with all their might in close combat.
Slippery tentacles lashed through the air. The battle quickly escalated to a fever pitch.
However, Calgar's personal guards were no match for those Guardians.
Several warriors were entangled, and with a sudden squeeze, their power armor and all their bones were crushed.
It should be noted that their power armor had a hardness comparable to neutron star material, yet it was easily twisted into a pretzel shape.
After two Guardians were killed, Calgar was left alone.
All his other battle brothers had fallen. They had been crushed and pierced by the xenos' tentacles and grotesque limbs.
Calgar was fearless.
He swung his iron fist, unleashing what could only be described as catastrophic force onto the opponent's skull.
One Guardian's head immediately exploded.
Its twisted body was carried by the immense impact, flying backward and igniting in the air.
Seven Guardians, and another one was slain.
"Even if we lose, we'll take him with us," one Guardian said coldly.
"Dream on!" Calgar grabbed another Guardian with a backhand, lifted it, and then slammed it onto his knee.
He snapped its spine clean in half. Then he punched its head, causing it to explode.
Calgar's entire life had been spent either fighting or on the way to a fight. The years he had lived were far less than a fraction of these Guardians' lifespans.
But his close-quarters combat skills were far superior to these so-called Guardians.
In most battles, he needed to fight at close range.
Unlike these Guardians, who claimed to have emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Yet they relied excessively on psyker power, rather than physical combat.
In terms of close-quarters combat, their experience could be said to be meager.
After a fierce struggle with the remaining six Guardians, Calgar, at the cost of a shattered jaw and a blown-out eye, managed to kill all but three of them.
Calgar bled profusely, yet he fought with even greater ferocity, completely risking his life.
Another one of the three Guardians was quickly beaten to the brink of death by him, seemingly just one last blow away.
However, Calgar felt a sharp pain in his back, a searing, burning sensation.
A Guardian, taking him by surprise, plunged a mottled, rusted iron sword into his body.
"This is a sword left by an ancient Magos, said to possess the power to slay supreme beings," the Guardian said coldly, "This sword has been nurtured for countless years, and is incredibly fierce."
Calgar let out a fierce roar, punching the opponent's head, directly breaking its bones and tendons, sending the entire body flying backward.
"Strike while he's weak, take his life," another Guardian roared, again pulling out a weapon left by an ancient Magos, intending to completely kill the leader of the invaders.
"WAAAAAAAAGH!!" A deafening roar erupted. The palace collapsed. The massive Ork Emperor, Gorgutz, burst in from another direction with his subordinates. That Guardian was sent flying backward by the enormous impact.
Under the influence of the End-of-Magic device, its power was no longer as terrifying as before, unable to withstand even the Ork Emperor's savage charge. The remaining three Guardians were quickly slain, and one was captured.
Calgar forcibly pulled out the rusted sword embedded in his body and used the self-healing function of the Heart of the Imperium to heal his wound.
He cut off the head of a Guardian, proclaiming the arrival of victory to the expeditionary force.
After a long campaign, they had offered the first universe to the Emperor.
However, as soon as he left the public eye,
Calgar collapsed. The wound caused by the sword reopened, and the Heart of the Imperium could no longer heal it.
Calgar was rushed into surgery.
"His vital signs are still dropping."
"Keep the news under wraps."
"The Heart of the Imperium is sustaining his life, but the situation is dire."
The clean, sterile medical bay was like a gleaming desert.
Steel cabinets lined the tiled walls.
Indicator lights shone within them.
Cold, daemons glass rooms intertwined with laboratories.
Medical personnel hurried about, their faces anxious.
Several renowned Medical Savants and Gene Savants were directing the medical staff to treat the giant lying on the bed.
A group of high-ranking expeditionary force generals stood outside the medical bay, separated by hardened glass, each with worried expressions.
As the expeditionary commander of Universe 04, Calgar now lay in the spotless operating room.
His entire body was covered in a dense web of tubes and cables.
Several gleaming metal cylinders, too large for one person to embrace, were placed around the operating table.
Pistons moved back and forth, machines hummed, pumping various liquids and blood mercury into the tubes and into Calgar's body.
"Father!!"
Calgar, lying on the operating table, was in a daze, mumbling to himself.
Blood gushed from the unstopping wound, staining the white operating table red in mere seconds.
It even flowed onto the floor.
Such a terrifying amount of blood loss.
If not for the Heart of the Imperium's sustenance, Calgar would have surely died instantly.
He could clearly feel the xenos' final, venomous strike raging through his body, which contained his immortal power.
Calgar felt death closer than ever before.
It was descending, trying to take him away.
No!!
Calgar roared in his heart.
His duty was not yet fulfilled; how could he fall here?!
A feeling of dread swelled in Calgar's heart.
He did not fear death, nor did he fear eternal oblivion.
But he feared the disappointment and pain of his genetic father.
He had sworn an oath: he would never abandon his duty until it was fulfilled.
"I cannot die!!"
Calgar tried to use his formidable willpower to make his body respond to the Heart of the Imperium's repair protocols once more.
However, this was a meaningless endeavor.
His organs were failing. The urgent alarm of the Heart of the Imperium constantly rang in his ears.
Everything before his eyes began to blur.
"Quick, pressurize, inject the nanorepair fluid."
A Medical Savant shouted.
News of the expeditionary fleet's victory arrived faster than Guilliman. The conquest of Universe 04 was a storm.
As Guilliman had predicted, it caused a huge stir within the Imperium.
Countless cheers erupted on Terra, in the Sol System, and throughout humanity, even in every human colony.
Humanity had successfully conquered its first universe.
Such an achievement was as important to humanity as the first discovery of fire.
Countless people ran to tell others, and some wept with joy, celebrating the great victory achieved by the Imperium.
However, people only knew that Universe 04 had been conquered. The news received by the high echelons of Terra, however, carried a shadow.
Lord Calgar, the expeditionary commander of Universe 04, was wounded in the final battle. The Medical Savants' efforts were in vain; they could only barely preserve his life.
Lord Calgar had already been placed in a stasis coffin and was being urgently transported back to the home universe, back to Terra. To say who in the Imperium could still save this great hero, it could only be the supreme, holy, and luminous Emperor.