"Is this the return of Sanguinius?"
Inquisitor Rostov had only stared at the giant emerging from the light for a few seconds before he was in tears, unable to control his emotions.
He had once thought that Sanguinius had resurrected, but quickly denied the idea, because he had seen related videos and heard Imperial commanders like Cassandra say that this was a Saint, the Emperor's earthly incarnation.
"Emperor, have you heard the prayers of your faithful, and so sent your messenger?"
Rostov's lips trembled, and he wanted to kneel.
A servant beside him ran over and dragged him to a safer place; after all, Skarbrand was still there, and if a battle broke out, the Inquisitor would surely be instantly torn apart by the overflowing power.
The golden radiance, like surging ripples, continuously spread outwards from Alex as its core, in all directions.
Wherever the radiance reached, the daemons shrieked and fled to more distant places.
The Imperial heroes, upon touching the radiance, were surprised to find an infinite surge of power within their weary bodies.
Their poisoned souls were soothed and healed, and their shocking wounds healed at a visible rate.
Anyone who still had a breath left could clearly perceive an endless vitality pouring into their bodies.
Golden light appeared on flesh wounds, and granulation tissue grew at a visible rate.
Shattered war-plate was restored to its original state, becoming shiny and new again, as if freshly assembled on the production line.
"This is simply a miracle."
Messinius watched his dying subordinates rise again, completely unharmed.
Among them were those with severed limbs, injuries that couldn't even be saved and could only be interred in a Dreadnought, yet they were all restored to their original state.
A living miracle appeared before his eyes, leaving him dumbfounded.
"Another god?"
Kilke looked at the figure in the light, panting, feeling a trace of pressure and pain.
The golden radiance, which felt like a spring breeze to those humans, became a burden to her.
Although not intentionally targeted, the mere existence of the Emperor Saint had already caused damage to her soul's essence.
An invisible force was attempting to alter her soul, reshape her body, and assimilate her into a part of some grand will.
Just as the Four Chaos Gods subtly convert ignorant mortals into their followers and Dependents.
Kilke also felt that assimilating power from the Emperor Saint, which sought to assimilate all things.
Of course, those humans could not empathize with her, because that was their god, empowered by their faith.
Humans habitually view the Four Chaos Gods as enemies.
However, from the perspective of psychers of other races, the Emperor, whom humans worship, is no different in essence from the Four Chaos Gods.
The Players of the Soulless Warband also cheered.
Psychic power had no effect on them, but the Guide's power came from the pure faith and belief of humanity, and thus had the same healing effect on them.
"The Guide's healing ability is getting more and more exaggerated; I'm willing to call him the Great Healer of the Warhammer Universe, the Holy Light Anduin of the 40K version."
"Great Healer? What a blasphemous term! You should be tied to a stake and burned with white phosphorus for forty-nine days."
"It's not that serious, is it? Sun Wukong overturned the Heavenly Court and was only burned for forty-nine days. I just said 'Great Healer,' and I also have to burn for forty-nine days? Is there no justice in this world?"
"How can you compare yourself to the leader of Flower Fruit Mountain? What good person gets a mere three cups of punishment after rebelling?"
"You call Sun Wukong being thrown into Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace 'three cups of punishment'? Is there arsenic in your wine?"
"Sun Wukong was a natural spirit stone; being thrown into fire was just three cups of self-punishment!"
"Sun Wukong causing havoc in the Heavenly Court was a joke; he never even broke into the Lingxiao Palace!"
"If he had broken in, would it still be called Journey to the West? He would have changed dynasties and become the Heavenly Emperor; who would follow you to obtain scriptures and become a monk? Isn't it better to watch Chang'e dance?"
The Players' ability to derail a conversation was as strong as ever.
From discussing the Guide's healing effects, they suddenly shifted to who had the most connections in Journey to the West.
Finally, they unanimously agreed it was Sun Wukong.
A single Ruyi Jingu Bang sent all the gods and buddhas in the sky scurrying, yet he was only imprisoned for five hundred days, then went through the process of becoming a Buddha.
He was still unruly along the way, seeing the Jade Emperor as the Jade Emperor, and the Buddha as the Buddha, yet he still became a Buddha.
Searching through the entire history of immortals and buddhas in the Three Realms, there was no one so heaven-defying!
He was simply the favored son of the Heavenly Dao.
"You guys are enough. Is this the time to be discussing this?"
Zigman, whose lower body had regrown, saw the chat content in the Warband channel and was speechless.
Damn, I'm really impressed by these clowns!
We're in a battle right now, and you're discussing whether Sun Wukong has the strongest connections in the Three Realms?
Can it get any more outrageous?
After being reprimanded by Zigman, the off-topic companions finally quieted down.
"Skarbrand is currently being held back by the Guide; we will immediately launch an assault on the Dark Temple and destroy the Blackstone Device as quickly as possible to end this battle."
Zigman issued the order for all Players to attack the Dark Temple; destroying the Blackstone Device would weaken Skarbrand to the greatest extent, banishing him back to the Warp again.
Messinius and Inquisitor Rostov, having recovered, also rallied their surviving subordinates and jointly launched an attack on the Dark Temple.
The Saint Ast Battle Group in the void also gained an advantage due to Alex's appearance.
Asagaai and other fleet commanders found that the performance of the warships had significantly improved due to the Saint's presence.
The previously frenzied daemon tide also temporarily scattered due to the appearance of the Light of the Emperor, giving the Imperial fleet a chance to catch its breath.
"This is the best opportunity; concentrate fire and destroy that Hell Ship!" Asagaai shouted.
"In the name of the Emperor, in the name of the Saint, we must win."
The captains executed her order, moving their warships to optimal firing positions.
Asagaai stood on the Bridge of the St. Astra, looking up through the observation window, using her visual augmentation organs to gaze at the Hell Ship in the void.
According to intelligence provided by the Inquisition, that Hell Ship was originally the Imperial vessel Duke Randell.
It had distinguished itself in battle when Abaddon launched the Twelfth Black Crusade.
Towards the end of the campaign, the ship was invaded by Chaos forces during a Warp jump maneuver, and the ensuing battle caused its Geller Field to fail, plunging it into the depths of the Warp.
When it reappeared, it had become a minion of Chaos.
It was unimaginable that the crew had not suffered a fate worse than death.
This ship belonged neither to the material realm nor to the immaterial realm; it was an abomination, a fusion of matter and malevolent will, a machine controlled by evil forces.
Its hull was covered in thick flesh; where ramming prows and lances should have been, there was now a terrifying, gaping maw.
The faces of ancient statues were twisted into horrifying screams, peering out through writhing fleshy fissures.
Malicious eyes grew all around the ship's hull, watching the human warships.
Such blasphemy, such evil, merely looking directly at this terrifying ship was enough to cause irreversible damage.
"Die, abomination!"
Asagaai glared at the Hell Ship with furious eyes.
Her soul and spirit were unharmed due to the protection of the Emperor and the Saint.
"All warships have reached their designated positions!" the weapons officer shouted.
"Our lances and nova cannons are fully charged."
"Fire," Asagaai ordered coolly.
Alex and Skarbrand were confronting each other.
In terms of combat, Alex was currently weaker than Skarbrand.
After all, Alex follows an all-rounder path, capable of offense, defense, and healing.
After disengaging from combat, he can also farm and develop the economy, assisting with logistical support.
The cost is that his combat ability isn't top-tier.
Even now, he can't compare to the top Greater Daemons; he can only rely on consuming Faith to receive the Light of the Emperor, allowing him to fight them to a stalemate.
Things might improve once his level increases further.
However, Alex doesn't need to win this battle.
He only needs to stall until Zigman, Inquisitor Rostov, other Players, and Imperial heroes destroy the Blackstone Device.
Plus, with Cortana as backup, if he can't win, he'll just call her over.
Two against one, what's there to fear about not winning? With many trump cards, the advantage is mine; there's no need to be afraid at all.
Skarbrand witnessed the Emperor's servants recovering to their peak state due to the appearance of outsiders, and he roared again.
Immediately, the sky tore open with shocking fissures, and crimson blood poured down the cracks like waterfalls, cascading onto the ground.
Khorne's legions formed within the blood.
They rode colossal brass bulls and chariots, rumbling across the land, charging towards the Imperial army to prevent them from entering the Dark Temple.
A fierce battle quickly erupted between the two sides.
The Blackstone Device was the key to tearing open Reality.
According to Abaddon's plan, merely opening the crimson path to Reality would cause the Imperium to lose control of most of its territories, thereby completely crushing the Imperium and leading it to division and demise.
It would also cause the entire galaxy to slowly but unstoppably fall into the Warp.
At that time, the galaxy would become a paradise for the Chaos Gods, a terrifying hell where, as far as the eye could see, there would only be cruel indulgence and rivers of blood.
Pain and despair would be everywhere.
Humanity, and all races that would be born later, would never be able to escape this hell.
This was because the lawgivers of this terrifying hell were not ordinary enemies, nor were they some top civilization destined for destruction, but rather a group of immortal demons.
The Chaos Gods initially did not strongly support this plan because all things would eventually come to an end, and the Warp ruling the universe was a predetermined fate.
However, the actions of The Cursed One once again frightened them.
Fate was not unchangeable, and the greatest variable was The Cursed One.
This was also why Skarbrand was here.
The Chaos Gods were trying to hasten the coming of the End Times.
"Roar!"
After a terrifying roar, Skarbrand launched his attack.
The Khorne Greater Daemon's body was incredibly heavy; when his massive hooves landed, the ground cracked open, spewing forth crimson blood, which then ignited.
"Protect me."
Alex flapped his wings, holding a longsword and a long spear, and swooped down towards his opponent.
Clang~
Both sides were incredibly fast.
In an instant, their weapons collided, and a terrifying sound, defying the laws of Reality, echoed across the entire battlefield.
A dreadful shockwave swept out, almost extinguishing the flames fueled by blood.
Skarbrand's rage continued to escalate; endless fury turned his spiritual will into a crimson expanse.
There was nothing but rage and slaughter.
The continuous collisions between the two sides created a terrifying momentum that left the Players and Imperial heroes in the distance with shocked expressions.
"What a terrifying battle!"
Inquisitor Rostov's face was pale; if the Saint had not descended, this operation would undoubtedly have ended in their failure.
"The rise of a new god."
Kilke murmured, no matter how much that Emperor Saint denied it, it couldn't change this fact.
Skarbrand was the harbinger of destruction, passed down by countless races and civilizations.
Although he was only considered a Greater Daemon, his power had long surpassed the gods spoken of by those civilizations.
On any planet where Skarbrand appeared, the gods worshipped by those weaker races and the civilizations he parasitized would become sacrifices to the Blood God.
There was no explanation for an existence capable of confronting such an avatar of destruction, other than another god.
"For a moment, I can't tell if Warhammer is sci-fi or fantasy."
Bai Lang cleaved through the hound in front of him with his chainaxe.
He looked up at the battle between the Guide and Skarbrand in the distance, his eyes filled with shock.
"You can think of it as a mixture of Stellaris and Sea Tiger," Don't Eat Beef replied, "Now it's two million-horsepower magnetic field powerhouses clashing."
"Uh, don't say any more, I have a mental image now," Zigman raised his gun and shot down a diving winged daemon, "The magnetic field madmen will beat the Chaos Gods to their knees! That image is beautiful to imagine!"
The shock and banter of outsiders did not affect Skarbrand and Alex.
They were still fighting with all their might, intending to completely crush each other.
The power released by both sides was cataclysmic, enough to easily destroy cities and tear open the earth.
Skarbrand's body burned with Warp flames, and the battleaxe in his hand was like advancing thunder, each strike containing the power to destroy all things.
His eyes gleamed with madness and a thirst for blood.
Amidst continuous roars, the battleaxe swung out repeatedly.
Alex constantly dodged, escaping the opponent's devastating blows, then used his superb marksmanship to counterattack.
Dragon's Tooth, guided by the Emperor, was forged by Vulcan and blessed.
Every swing was accompanied by scorching flames and continuously echoing roars.
After another collision, having created some distance,
Alex executed a spinning flip, his Dragon's Tooth also rotating three hundred and sixty degrees with him, using the momentum to cleave towards the Greater Daemon.
Skarbrand raised his battleaxe, blocking the long spear.
The shockwave formed by the collision of the two weapons swept out, raising a cloud of dust.
The terrifying force caused the battleaxe to sink sharply, but it still held the block.
Alex retracted his long spear, then swung the Holy Judgement Blade, covered in flames, and a fire dragon swept out, but it was once again shattered by Skarbrand.
Skarbrand charged over, swinging his battleaxe at Alex.
He blocked with his sword, but this time, the opponent's strength was too terrifying.
As if struck by a rapidly spinning neutron star, the Holy Judgement Blade flew from his hand and fell into the distance.
"Binding swords with chains really has its benefits!"
Alex retreated sharply, creating distance.
He looked at the longsword in the distance and understood why warriors from Warbands like the Black Templars and Minotaurs liked to bind their weapons with chains.
Dropping one's weapon in combat was a very fatal mistake.
Alex tried to retrieve the Holy Judgement Blade with his psychic powers, but the surging blood waves interfered with him.
Skarbrand charged over again, swinging his battleaxe horizontally once more.
Alex no longer paid attention to the dropped sword; instead, he gripped Dragon's Tooth with both hands, blocking the opponent's battleaxe, and seized the opportunity to counterattack.
Clang!
The collision of weapon against weapon echoed like the bells of doomsday, resonating persistently.
Skarbrand's immense power forced Alex to retreat step by step, making it difficult for him to parry.
In another clash, the battleaxe grazed Alex's body.
Even though he pulled back in time, the sharp axe blade still tore through his golden power armor, and sacred blood splattered out.
The injured Alex wanted to flap his wings and fly, creating distance.
Skarbrand's battleaxe in one hand disappeared; instead, he grabbed Alex's ankle and slammed him violently onto the ground.
Bang!
A huge impact sound rang out, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly appeared on the ground.
Skarbrand charged up, swinging his battleaxe downwards, intending to finish off this Emperor Saint.
However, the next second, Dragon's Tooth suddenly thrust out from the dust, forcing the Khorne Greater Daemon to block with his battleaxe, giving Alex an opportunity to escape.
He flapped his wings and flew up, then swooped down, launching an attack, and once again became entangled with Skarbrand.
Meanwhile, at the Dark Temple, the Players and Imperial heroes were still battling the tide of daemons; the fighting was brutal.
But several Players and Imperial heroes, under the cover of others, charged into the Dark Temple.
The interior of the shrine was very spacious.
A blasphemous eight-pointed star was spinning at high speed, like a gray-black solid sphere.
Green lightning and red Warp currents flickered within it, emitting a deafening, terrifying sound.
Numerous machines were regularly arranged around it, like prehistoric megaliths.
All the machines bore the blasphemous marks of the Dark Mechanicum, and fallen sages tended to them.
Beside the machines, large piles of corpses lay, with damp conduits wriggling, drawing essences from the bodies to nourish the machines.
Near the hovering eight-pointed star stood some Chaos Space Marines.
They wore armor covered in bone spikes and adorned with demonic mouths.
Human skin scrolls were pasted on the surface of the armor, and the text on them would slowly crawl when read.
"These are Word Bearers!! Why are these Warhammer scraps here!!"
Zigman recognized these Chaos Space Marines at a glance; they were not Khorne Berserkers, but Word Bearers who worshipped Chaos Undivided.
This explained why the Khorne Berserkers outside had fortifications.
Previously, they had thought those Khorne Berserkers could suppress their rage and build fortifications themselves!
Now it seemed they had completely overthought it.
The defensive fortifications outside were made by these Word Bearers.
The Word Bearers stood around the inner ring of machines, arms outstretched, raising evil totems towards the Blackstone eight-pointed star.
An evil force flowed between them, the machines, and the eight-pointed star.
"Kill them, then implant this device into the core of that Blackstone Device."
Inquisitor Rostov stepped forward, taking out an alien device.
Messinius nodded, "Do it."
They ran, charging towards the Chaos Space Marines.
Zigman and the other Players also activated their thrusters and charged forward.
The enemies didn't react in time, and they were already upon them.
There were eight Word Bearers in total presiding over the ritual.
Realizing the intrusion of Messinius and the others, they tried to draw their weapons, but it was too late.
As bolter fire roared, four Word Bearers had their heads blown off on the spot.
Zigman charged forward and pierced one with his sword.
The opponent's face, twisted into a child's nightmare, showed terror.
"The False Emperor's claws…" Zigman didn't give him a chance to finish, striking several consecutive blows with his sword, piercing through the opponent's body.
The other three Word Bearers were also terminated one by one.
"Victory belongs to us."
Inquisitor Rostov coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He took a glowing metallic device with Necron symbols from Kilke's bag and threw it into the core of the Blackstone Device.
Immediately after, a miraculous scene occurred.
Silver threads spread out, reshaping the Blackstone Device at a visible speed.
Boom!
The eight-pointed star exploded, sending fragments flying.
The Dark Mechanicum's machines sparked with electricity and burst into flames.
After the silver threads covered the entire Blackstone Device, they severed the conduits connected to the corpses, transforming it into a device that solidified the Reality and Warp veil.
Blackstone obelisks could both amplify the Warp and strengthen the Reality, depending on how they were used.
Green light appeared on the surface of the Blackstone Device, then surged along the pipes into the giant obelisks outside, making them emit a green glow.
They formed pulse waves that continuously spread outward.
Green lightning continuously jumped between the obelisks, so intense that it seemed to become solid.
The daemons near the obelisks became listless, then shattered and returned to the Warp.
Skarbrand in the distance also felt the power of the Warp rapidly fading.
His power weakened.
Alex, who had been on the defensive, began to gain the upper hand.
Skarbrand retreated steadily.
"It's over, Skarbrand, it's time to roll back to your Warp; this time, I win again."
Alex once again ascended, then swooped down to end the battle.
"I will never let you win!!"
Skarbrand roared, feeling the Blood God's attention.
Winning this battle was his only chance to return to the Brass Citadel.
Alex completely abandoned defense; when the Khorne Greater Daemon's battle-axe fell, he activated the Dark Tongue skill—Invincible.
Even if it only lasted for six seconds, it was enough.
Clang!
Skarbrand's battle-axe struck Alex, emitting a clanging sound, failing to harm him in the slightest.
The Greater Daemon's face rarely showed an expression other than anger.
Confusion, shock, disbelief, and more were all present.
Alex seized the opportunity to pierce Skarbrand with the spear in his hand; a fiery dragon roared, tearing open the opponent's body.
Immediately after, Alex reached out and summoned the Holy Judgement Blade that had fallen in the distance.
With the original Blackstone Device destroyed and reshaped, the power of the Warp was weakened, and interference was reduced.
Alex easily retrieved his sword with his psychic power.
Then, he swung his war-sword, cutting off Skarbrand's head, completely banishing him back to the Warp, ending this campaign.
And in the void,
As the Blackstone Device was destroyed, the Hellship lost the mysterious power protecting it and was blown up by several volleys from the Imperial Fleet.
The torn spatial rift quietly returned to normal, as if it had never appeared.
A deafening roar echoed from the Brass Citadel deep within the Warp.
Immediately after, numerous Khorne daemons roared up to the sky simultaneously.
The terrifying rage made the Warp boil, causing countless Warp creatures to tremble, fearing the Khorne daemon army's deployment.
Khorne, seated on his Brass Throne, gazed at the Reality Universe.
He looked at the outsider enveloped in light.
Undoubtedly, Skarbrand's defeat was another shameful defeat!
Why could The Cursed One find such good servants?
While he could only command the defective remnants he discarded.
Khorne turned his gaze to the gladiatorial arena, where Angron was roaring and tearing apart an opponent who challenged him.
Angron did not possess the essence of anger; his rage originated from the Butcher's Nails; it was artificial anger.
In a sense, he was a defective product.
What was worse, this defective product had always been trying to resist him.
Now, he was suppressed purely by the Butcher's Nails; once he regained a shred of sanity, the first thing he would do was challenge Khorne himself.
It was fine that he hadn't managed to get Sanguinius before.
Now, this Sanguinius 2.0 version, he had to get his hands on him no matter what.
Acquiring the outsider would not only provide a good-looking figurine but also a powerful servant.
Then, he would be able to expand and strengthen the Brass Citadel, create glory, reach the peak of his divine life, reclaim Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh, win the Great Game, and obtain supreme authority over the entire Warp.
Perhaps sensing the Blood God's gaze,
Golden light suddenly erupted, becoming increasingly intense, completely obscuring Alex's figure, leaving only a golden expanse.
"Damn The Cursed One."
Khorne let out an angry roar, stirring up an even more terrifying Warp Storm.
Meanwhile, in the Reality Universe, Alex didn't notice anything unusual.
After the battle, he found that he had leveled up again and gained two good skills.