Chapter 379: Do You Really Think the Emperor Needs Protection?

【Item Name: Zsigfried's Elixir】

【Origin: 22nd Century Earth — Future Department Store】

【Production Date: 271. 3】

【Function: Crafted after the legend of the hero Zsigfried, who bathed in dragon blood and became immortal, this item turns the skin blood-red upon bathing in its liquid substance, granting true immortality for thirty minutes, with only a small leaf-shaped vital point on the back.】

【Value: 89, 00, 00】

Zhou Yun sprinkled this item, modeled after the great hero Zsigfried from the Nibelungenlied, onto himself and both Primarchs.

For these thirty minutes, all three would be immune to any form of harm, pain, or mental control — an almost absolute state of immortality.

To compensate for the elixir's mere half-hour limitation, they used the Rush Mechanism to slow their own time flow.

They then accelerated their movements with speed gears and high-efficiency pills, keeping their action speed identical to normal.

Finally, they covered the single weak point on their backs with a rebounding cloak.

Thus, they gained prolonged immortality without hindering their own movement, while neutralizing the vulnerability on their backs.

They were not worried about the Imperial Guard — even the entire Ten-Thousand-Man Legion of the Guard could not harm Guilliman, Sanguinius, or Zhou Yun.

After all, every Imperial Guard wore gilded armor housing ancient, powerful machine spirits, which could not resist Zhou Yun's control over machine spirits.

What Zhou Yun and the two Primarchs truly feared was the Emperor himself.

Both Zhou Yun and Sanguinius had sensed it — the Emperor's mental state was poor, almost like senile dementia.

Even if the Emperor's mind was erratic, he remained one of the top two con artists in the galaxy, with negative credibility in both reality and the Warp.

Zhou Yun's trust in him — and even Guilliman and Sanguinius's trust — was never strong, since both Primarchs had been deceived by the Emperor before.

What puzzled Zhou Yun was the Imperial Guard's suspicion toward him and the two Primarchs.

As soon as they stepped out of the portal, Zhou Yun noticed the Guard's distrust in their eyes.

Following the principle that it's better to accuse first than be accused, Zhou Yun directly condemned the Guard for doubting loyal servants and doing nothing for ten thousand years.

But the Imperial Guard, one of the Emperor's most perfect creations, had been forged in body and mind through relentless refinement.

Even though their spirits had dulled over ten thousand years of isolation, they still maintained basic composure under Zhou Yun's accusation — not —

"We have guarded the Emperor of Mankind for ten thousand years since the Great Heresy!"

Before Zhou Yun could finish praising the Guard in his mind, a furious roar erupted from behind their commander, Trajan.

"I'd rather you had guarded the Emperor of Mankind during the Great Heresy ten thousand years ago," Zhou Yun shot back without hesitation.

A silence fell behind Trajan, then a chorus of harsh curses rose.

A Guard clad in adamantium power armor, wielding a double-eagle shield, stepped forward from Trajan's diagonal rear, raising a power spear to charge Zhou Yun for dishonoring the Guard.

"Koken! Maldoval Koken!" Commander Trajan roared, trying to stop the Guard named Koken.

But —

Thud!

Koken stumbled flat on his face, his corn-shaped helmet making intimate contact with the palace floor.

Zhou Yun calmly retracted his outstretched finger.

He had disabled the power in Koken's left leg armor, robbing him of balance.

Koken dragged his lifeless left leg, struggling to rise from the ground.

But before he could charge again to defend the Guard's honor with his blade, Trajan blocked him.

"Koken is hot-headed, but what he said isn't without merit."

Trajan's weathered face turned to Zhou Yun, speaking calmly:

"Your accusations are baseless. The Imperial Guard has never been part of the Empire. Our duty has never included protecting the Empire."

"We serve only the Emperor. Ten thousand years ago we failed — that is why, for these ten thousand years, we have guarded him with even greater diligence."

Leaving aside whether the Emperor ten thousand years ago needed protection, consider now —

"The current Emperor does not need your protection."

Zhou Yun stated this fact sincerely.

This was the most baffling thing to Zhou Yun.

Did the current Emperor truly need the Guard's protection?

If the Chaos Gods so much as blinked, that golden giant would set fire to Nurgle's garden, raid Slaanesh's six rings, plant a pole in the Brass Fortress, install a lie detector in the Crystal Labyrinth.

With his Six-Flavor Emperor's Fist, the old man could make the Four Merchants scream through sleepless nights.

And yet the Guard believed such a being needed their protection? Even the entire Ten-Thousand-Man Legion combined was far weaker than the current Emperor.

Moreover, if the half-dead Emperor now seated on the Golden Throne died, Zhou Yun guaranteed the entities in the Warp would panic far more than the Guard.

The Emperor has always been a true immortal — he cannot die; even if he did, he would inevitably return as before.

But the danger lies in this: if the current Emperor dies, the one who returns will not be the original Emperor — he will immediately ascend, becoming the true Destroyer.

This is an outcome neither the Emperor nor the Chaos Gods wish to see — or indeed, any being in the galaxy with a functioning mind.

Yet the Guard seemed utterly unaware of this, for when the Emperor designed them, he gave them not even one percent of a Rele or a Ji of psychic power.

"For ten thousand years, He protected a million human worlds and the souls of all uncorrupted humans from Chaos and xenos — though not well — yet you think a mere ten thousand men can protect Him?"

Zhou Yun sighed and waved his hand.

"Lord Trajan, your protection and suspicion are meaningless. Let us proceed to the Throne Room."

"Believe me — this is the Emperor's vision. He needs us."

After Zhou Yun made this point, the Guard grew even more agitated; without Trajan's restraint, the golden corn-heads would have rushed to tear Zhou Yun apart.

"My dear friend speaks harshly, but every word is true."

"My father is far stronger than you imagine — stronger even than he was ten thousand years ago."

Sanguinius spoke softly.

"He is the King of Endless Ages, a god. His physical form is grievously wounded, yet he remains a god — immeasurably powerful."

"He may even be another being more terrifying than anything you know. I will not speak his name here — even I fear the curse."

"The Imperial Guard witnessed the power behind that name aboard the Vengeance Spirit — the power of a black, cold sun. That power still exists, and is stronger now than ever."

If Zhou Yun's words had angered the Guard and cracked their hardened minds with irrationality,

then Sanguinius's words stirred their souls — his gentle tone was infectious, compelling belief.

But this was all within Zhou Yun and Sanguinius's plan.

Zhou Yun shattered their mental defenses; Sanguinius pierced through the cracks to convince them.

"I must reach the Throne Room."

Guilliman's words were absolute — no flattery, no pleading, only pure authority:

"One Guard may equal ten elite Astartes, but I assure you: one Primarch equals a thousand Guards."

"With Zhou Yun's aid, Saint and I together equal an entire Ten-Thousand-Man Legion."

Zhou Yun's accusation, Sanguinius's persuasion, and Guilliman's authority left the Guard momentarily bewildered and confused.

They had come to inspect Zhou Yun and the two Primarchs — to determine their loyalty, whether they could enter the Throne Room to meet the Emperor.

Now, the Guard felt that in mere words, they had become the ones under judgment.

And Zhou Yun and the two Primarchs had offered them a chance to correct their error.

The Guard had never left Terra or the Palace in ten thousand years. Their bodies and martial skills may not have decayed,

but their will, their thinking, their spirit had dulled — even deteriorated.

Like the Guard Koken just now — Zhou Yun remembered him.

In the normal timeline, Koken became a Guard Tribune, serving as liaison between the Guard and Guilliman.

Guilliman had noticed Koken's flaw: he had stayed on Terra too long, his will dulled, prone to rage, incapable of adaptation, even showing contempt for mortals and extreme distrust toward Primarchs and Astartes.

This problem was not unique to Koken — most Guards suffered from similar issues.

Yet among the Guard were still wise and capable individuals — after all, they were among the Emperor's most perfect creations.

Like Valerian, Captain of the Shield Guard who once aided Zhou Yun on the Moon, or Commander Trajan himself.

"The Eternal Gate shall open for the three of you."

"I choose to believe this is the Emperor's vision."

This stirred brief unrest among the Guard, but Trajan swiftly suppressed it.

"My decision is final!"

"Touching fire is always dangerous, but if humanity forever fears flame, it will never know warmth or light."

"You have made the right choice," Sanguinius said softly.

Trajan said nothing, only saluted Zhou Yun and the two Primarchs with the Eagle Salute.

"Come, the three of you."

"The Emperor awaits."

(End of Chapter)