Chapter 196: Angel

Heart of Baal, Mephiston chanted the name of this place in his heart.

The Aeldari believe in the existence of the World Spirit, believe that every planet has its will, has its soul, has its spirit.

If what they said is true, then the soul of Baal might reside before Mephiston's eyes.

The Heart of Baal is a crystal layer hidden deep in the mountains of Baal. Only by going through a series of complex tunnels can one reach here. Those tunnels are longer than the history of the Blood Angels, and they are wide and low, clearly not for humans to pass through.

Presumably, the aliens who once occupied Baal discovered this place and transformed it.

What appeared before Mephiston was a world composed entirely of bloodstone. From the soles of his feet to the walls, from the walls to the ceiling, everything here was composed of bloodstone as pure as blood, and it burst out with blood-red light, illuminating this entire crystal layer.

Countless hexagonal columnar bloodstones extended out, pointing to the center of this crystal layer, a natural high platform.

Bloodstone is a specialty of Baal, a precious gemstone. A pure bloodstone is a symbol of honor for every warrior flowing with the blood of Sanguinius, representing the merits they once made on the battlefield. And for mortals, even the most turbid bloodstone is a rare wealth.

However, only the Blood Angels Librarians know that bloodstone is not just jewelry. Beyond wealth and honor, bloodstone also possesses unique Warp characteristics.

Every bloodstone can produce a slight resonance in the spirit, be in sync with the power in the Warp to a certain extent, and even allow the wearer to have stronger limbs and a sharper mind to a certain extent.

It is just that elsewhere, the number of bloodstones is too small to cause any significant impact.

But here, in the Heart of Baal, in this cave wrapped in bloodstone, every bloodstone is playing a role, is resonating with Mephiston's spirit, is blurring the boundary between reality and the Warp,

Sometimes Mephiston even feels that this cave wrapped in bloodstone is even sinking into the Warp to a certain extent, and the power of the Warp is becoming active under the thin veil of reality.

Mephiston could not help but glance at Zhou Yun beside him, only feeling a chill down his spine.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Yun noticed Mephiston's gaze and turned his head to ask with a smile.

In Mephiston's perspective,

He saw Zhou Yun's entire body overflowing with gray death aura, like an old gray robe entrenched on his body, his face withered like a dried corpse.

And after a blink of an eye, those gray robes intertwined together, turning into endless metal gears circling and twisting, his face covered by complex machinery.

And the moment Zhou Yun smiled at Mephiston, those gears intertwined together to form a circling Ouroboros dragon. Zhou Yun's mouth seemed to split open, stretching into a bloody mouth to swallow him.

Finally, these strange scenes slowly settled down, combining on Zhou Yun's body, making Zhou Yun seem to have turned into a raccoon cat glowing with metallic blue light.

This strange illusion always entrenched on Zhou Yun's body, but he himself seemed to ignore it as if he couldn't see it.

Mephiston even suspected whether it was because the Heart of Baal was too close to the Warp, and Zhou Yun's body in the material universe could no longer carry the power he projected from the Warp.

"No, nothing." Mephiston remained silent for a long time before shaking his head.

Zhou Yun shrugged and didn't ask much, just looking at the bloodstones around him, muttering in a low voice: "How much money are these things worth?"

Mephiston's eye twitched. He really couldn't understand why a Warp existence would care about money... Could it be that he was also involved in the field related to wealth in the Warp?

Mephiston, who couldn't figure it out, could only take a deep breath and reach out to signal Zhou Yun to walk onto the high platform pointed to by many hexagonal columnar bloodstones together.

"This way." Mephiston took Zhou Yun onto the high platform.

On the high platform, the Blood Angels Librarians were standing before a Warp engine that looked like a mechanical tower.

A symbol was drawn on this Warp engine: an arrow shot from within a triple ring, surrounded by two ears of wheat composed of twenty-one grains.

The Blood Angels Librarians were pouring fresh blood on it and using pens to outline layers of strange runes and patterns on it. These twisted and strange patterns seemed to possess some kind of blasphemous power.

Gaius Rhasellius, the second-in-command of the Blood Angels Librarians, nodded slightly to Zhou Yun and Mephiston in salute.

When his gaze fell on Zhou Yun, his eye twitched slightly. Clearly, he also saw the illusion rising on Zhou Yun's body.

"My friend, how is it?" Mephiston stood before that Warp engine and asked Rhasellius.

"This Warp engine was originally corrupted by the power of the Plague God, but what is strange is..."

Gaius Rhasellius paused before saying:

"What is strange is that the demons of the Plague God did not attempt to enter reality through this Warp engine at all."

"Even when we began to try to wash away the corruption on it with fresh blood and runes, and guide it toward the realm of the Blood God, those demons of the Plague God seemed very cooperative. I even faintly heard the voices of Nurgling full of gratitude,"

Saying this, Rhasellius's gaze could not help but fall on Zhou Yun.

He was clearly suspecting that Zhou Yun had done something.

Zhou Yun's mouth also twitched slightly. This Warp engine was the one he discovered in the lower hive. After being corrupted by Nurgle, it was stuffed into the Four-Dimensional Pocket by Zhou Yun.

Quite a few demons had actually poured out of this Warp engine, but they all fell into the Four-Dimensional Pocket and were sold by himself.

Unfortunately, Nurgle demons were not fools. After sensing that the gate opened by this Warp engine was a trap, they never showed their heads again. Even the Great Unclean One, Rain Father, personally closed that Warp gate.

It was just that this thing was produced in one of the CNSA colonies. Out of a habit of collecting, Zhou Yun had always kept it in the Four-Dimensional Pocket.

However, it was useful now.

"Once we open the gate to the realm of the Blood God, the runes on it will begin to operate, transferring that gate to this Warp engine." Rhasellius explained.

Zhou Yun nodded lightly upon hearing this. This was their plan.

Mephiston and the Blood Angels Librarians would open a gate to the realm of Khorne through a series of sorcery that could absolutely be called blasphemous.

Subsequently, the runes drawn with fresh blood on the Warp engine would begin to take effect, transferring and connecting the Warp gate to it.

And if Ka'bandha tried to enter reality at this time, he would drill out from the Warp engine... And this Warp engine would be placed...

Zhou Yun's mouth revealed a smile. He held up this Warp engine with both hands.

This tower-like huge machine instantly slid into Zhou Yun's Four-Dimensional Pocket like liquid.

If Ka'bandha drilled out from the Warp engine, he would fall directly into Zhou Yun's Four-Dimensional Pocket and be sold directly.

Rhasellius seemed to be slightly surprised by this scene because he did not sense the fluctuation of psychic power.

But Mephiston cast a gaze at him, signaling that now was not the time for curiosity.

Rhasellius nodded lightly, yielding his position to Mephiston.

Mephiston walked silently among the Librarians. His gaze swept across the bloodstones around him.

Countless complex patterns were outlined on the bloodstones by carving, fresh blood, and inlaying. These patterns had the style of the Caucasus Mountains on Terra in the past, originating from ancient classics of the Age of Strife, full of blasphemy and filth.

This is the sacred place of Baal, but for a period of time in the past, the Librarians had always been using these filthy runes to blaspheme this place.

And Mephiston would use a whole set of blasphemous and dark sorcery to hold the ritual. This sorcery originated from the Ursh Alliance on Terra in the past and was absolutely blasphemous dark knowledge.

Regardless of the reason, everything Mephiston did exceeded the level allowed by the Imperium.

"We have no choice."

Mephiston said in a low voice to his colleagues. His voice gradually became full of power.

In the Battle of the Underworld, the Great Devourer left a scar on Mephiston's soul level, which had not truly healed to this day.

But the Heart of Baal made up for the lack of power brought by the scar, making Mephiston as powerful as he was at his peak.

"Ka'bandha is eyeing us covetously. It is our ancient enemy, a huge threat, trying to infringe upon our souls."

"In order to defeat it, we have to execute this blasphemous sorcery. May the Emperor and Sanguinius bless our souls."

Zhou Yun glanced at the winged figure in the white light in the corner of his eye. Its figure was very bright, shrouded in blue and white intertwined light.

This was probably blessing Mephiston and their souls...

The ritual they were about to hold was extremely blasphemous and would not have the help of priests or Sanguinary Priests. They had to resist the curse and corruption with their own power.

"Share the blood." Mephiston said in a low voice.

Except for him, the Librarians unbuckled their bracers, took off their armored gloves, surrounded into a circle, bit the flesh of the other party one by one, and absorbed the other party's fresh blood. The fresh blood flowed along the circular array they formed.

This strange ritual, combined with the common Red Thirst in their bodies, formed a unique link, allowing their psychic power to gather together and share with each other.

The only exception was Mephiston. He did not absorb the fresh blood of his brothers, but he was still absorbing the power of other Librarians.

He seemed to be covered by some kind of shadow. This shadow was wriggling like a living thing on Mephiston's body, making Mephiston's body look like it was swelling, and even behind Mephiston, black wings faintly grew out.

"Hoo."

Mephiston gently exhaled a breath of blood. The surrounding environment seemed to be twisting slightly. In the eyes of the Librarians, the scene on the Vengeful Spirit and the scene in the Heart of Baal alternated, and a certain part of their souls seemed to be awakened.

Zhou Yun's nose moved slightly. Whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to smell the scent of fresh blood in the air...

And the smell of gunpowder, steel, machine oil, beasts, mane, leather, and trenches...

Mephiston muttered the ancient spells that flowed from the dark Caucasus Mountains in a low voice. The blasphemous sounds surrounded the air, like sticky and slippery tentacles, licking every corner of reality. The wriggling shadow slowly expanded from Mephiston's body, making Mephiston's form constantly change and twist.

Bloodstone burst out with light like fresh blood, shining in all directions in a way that exceeded what ordinary people could understand, like wounds covered in fresh blood lying in reality.

Mephiston suddenly raised his tone, and at the same time, a series of murderous war cries suddenly sounded in the void. The boundary between reality and the Warp became thin.

Zhou Yun saw broken armor lying in a sticky river of blood. Bright red blood flowed on the broken earth, gathering into pools in shell craters.

Horns sounded from afar. Warriors wearing brass armor roared, were angry, and launched a charge toward the other side, stepping on the blood.

They were fighting an eternal war. Countless magnificent wars erupted between countless warriors. They shed blood, had their heads severed, and endowed this realm with war and violence.

Endless broken scorched earth was spreading. The sound of weapons colliding sounded everywhere. Fresh blood gathered into rivers, skulls piled into mountains. Beasts forged from fire and blood entrenched on blade-like mountains, and warriors full of courage and murderous intent roared and challenged them.

And it, the Bloodthirster of Khorne, the Angel's Bane... That ape-faced creature with four twisted horns, spreading scarlet bloody wings, sprinkling blood rain from its body.

It held a steel whip and a chainaxe, galloping in the red dark night and the wind of blood. It had neither crown nor robe, only fresh blood adorning its honor.

Its followers beat war drums, let out heavy roars, and blew horns.

"This is blood! This is blood! This is kill! This is kill!"

"It is blood! It is blood! It is kill! It is kill!"

"This is the hero bathing in fresh blood!"

"It drives the rage! It makes it roar!"

"Kill kill kill! Kill kill kill again! Ka'bandha!"

"Kill kill kill! Kill kill kill again! Ka'bandha!"

It twisted its beast-like scarlet eyes and took a step toward the boundary between the Warp and reality amidst war cries and horn sounds. In an instant, the entire Heart of Baal was roaring and shouting.

Ka'bandha, the Angel's Bane, descended upon Baal.

"The Archangel's shrimp-headed lickspittle pervert Ka'bandha is here." When the atmosphere was serious, Zhou Yun could not help but say.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 197 =====