Chapter 434: A Father's Child, A Child's Father

The brown-haired youth's insistence that Zhou Yun make his own decision only deepened the suspicion in Zhou Yun's heart.

The words of this yellow-skinned creature naturally could not be fully trusted.

"You actually have such good intentions? I thought you'd carry on the style of humanity's greatest tyrant?" Zhou Yun asked in a half-joking tone.

The brown-haired youth seemed to notice Zhou Yun's suspicion, and explained with a smile:

"I won't force you, because what I want is for you, after ascending, to make the situation in the warp become 2 vs 1 vs 1 vs 1 vs 1."

"This way, no matter which deity in the warp we face, we can guarantee absolute superiority."

"If I forced you to become the Lord of Depraved Craft, given your temper, you'd surely come raid me every now and then, even more disgusting than the Four Gods."

"You guessed right. If you dare force me to become a god, I guarantee the Ruinous Powers will gain an ally when opposing you." Zhou Yun admitted with a smile and a nod.

The brown-haired youth gave a wry smile: "If you're still willing to protect humanity by then, I wouldn't mind either way."

"Don't think too ill of me. If you can be that tall one, I'd be very happy to assist you and follow you."

"I'll consider it." Zhou Yun said, glancing at the Dragon's Dream before him.

Hua Di Huang's plan did have its merits. If Zhou Yun didn't have the fourth-dimensional pocket, this would truly be a good choice.

Hua Di Huang bears the pressure of ascension, Zhou Yun becomes an existence infinitely close to the Lord of Depraved Craft, humanity has two gods in one house, enough to hold off the other four gods who aren't a united front.

But the problem now is that even if Zhou Yun agrees, he still lacks the sacrifice necessary for apotheosis, lacks the offering of an entire civilization.

There is no longer any civilization in the galaxy that can match the Old Ones, the Aeldari, and humanity of old.

Zhou Yun also leans more toward another plan.

The four people in Hua Di Huang's prophecy whom Angron will guide toward the future path, and those four whose fates are intertwined with the future of the galaxy.

Zhou Yun hopes more to find, from them, a way to use the fourth-dimensional pocket to save this galaxy, rather than pinning his hopes on the warp, pinning his hopes on apotheosis.

"Two legs walking together, you know." the brown-haired youth said softly: "I'll think of a way regarding the sacrifice. Perhaps the Old Ones can still squeeze out one more slot, to serve as a sacrifice and push forth the birth of a divine position."

"The Old Ones can still squeeze out one more slot?" Zhou Yun was stunned for a moment, then said: "Are the Old Ones some kind of warp bus?"

Theoretically speaking, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Khorne were all born from the War in Heaven and from the Old Ones.

The Old Ones have now vanished for tens of millions of years, yet Hua Di Huang actually still believes the Old Ones can push forth the birth of another divine position.

"It's only a guess. Vashtorr believes He has a way to do it, and has been collecting things left behind by the Old Ones, so perhaps the Old Ones left behind something that could serve as a sacrifice."

"They were too prosperous back then. Perhaps in the future, the galaxy will never again see a race more prosperous than them. It was a pastoral age that cannot be returned to."

"The Old Ones' gold coins just won't stop dropping." Zhou Yun couldn't help but sigh.

"Compared to other races, humanity has dropped too few Old Ones gold coins. The Aeldari need no mention — which of those messy xenos like Orks, Necrons, and T'au haven't heavily farmed Old Ones gold coins?"

The brown-haired youth's face was full of regret at having dropped too few gold coins.

Zhou Yun was just about to speak when a strong, pain-filled wail suddenly reached his ears.

It was the wail of a machine spirit — the wail of an incomparably powerful machine spirit, more powerful than those of thousands upon thousands of warships.

The expression of the brown-haired youth beside Zhou Yun also darkened slightly.

Zhou Yun quickly withdrew his will from the dream and transferred it back into his own body.

Then Zhou Yun heard Wuwula let out a terrified, furious, and incredulous roar.

"my lord! Saint Doraemon and Omnisiah above!"

Zhou Yun paid no heed to the panicked Wuwula, but quickly went to the window ledge of this hive city spire and looked up at the sky.

Fire — scorching flames were burning.

The ring of steel encircling all of Mars was burning, illuminating half the firmament.

The lion's roar rang out beside Xiang Xiang Leina. Massive demons surged forth from the shadows like a tide, and leading these demons was a Daemon Prince with wings, clad in black power armor trimmed with red, bearing a massive lion's head.

That Daemon Prince was adorned with some peculiar patterns and motifs: lions, wings, swords, and the Roman numeral I.

But beyond these adornments, this Daemon Prince's body was also covered with the marks of the Four Gods and blasphemous eight-pointed stars.

This beast let out a terrifying roar, swinging single-handed a broad sword that originally required two hands to wield, and brought it down heavily upon Xiang Xiang Leina.

Xiang Xiang Leina violently mobilized her psychic power, transforming it into a savage psychic hammer that she swung out, crushing the demons along the way, and collided with the lion-headed Daemon Prince.

In an instant, psychic force and sword clashed. That lion-headed monster violently split open Xiang Xiang Leina's psychic power, beat its wings, and pounced before her.

"Stand still!!!" Xiang Xiang Leina's savage roar was deafening, her Voice of Seduction piercing into the Daemon Prince's will along with her psychic power.

The Daemon Prince let out a pained low growl, his entire body frozen in place.

Xiang Xiang Leina nearly burst into tears on the spot — her Voice of Seduction had actually succeeded.

Because Xiang Xiang Leina cannot precisely control her psychic power.

The Voice of Seduction she released either caused her opponent, being too weak to bear Xiang Xiang Leina's psychic power, to burst apart on the spot, or, being too strong, to be unaffected by her Voice of Seduction.

Who would have thought — who would have thought that this Daemon Prince happened to be neither too strong nor too weak, but precisely in the range where Xiang Xiang Leina's Voice of Seduction would take effect.

"Who are you!" Having rarely succeeded with her Voice of Seduction, Xiang Xiang Leina hurriedly released it again: "What is your purpose in coming here?"

"I am the most fallen among the Fallen Angels, I am the Daemon Prince Mabras, blessed by the Four Gods." the Daemon Prince who called himself a Fallen Angel, who called himself Mabras, said instinctively.

What is a Fallen Angel? Xiang Xiang Leina was stunned.

Before Xiang Xiang Leina could think it through carefully, the Daemon Prince Mabras continued: "As for our purpose, psyker — use your witchsight and take a look, take a look at the Ring of Steel."

Witchsight? What thing is that? Where would she know that stuff!

Xiang Xiang Leina felt a sudden surge of annoyance.

"my lord!" Fortunately, at this moment, the female Tech-Priest received intelligence from outside and said in terror: "Ships near the fourth sector of the Ring of Steel have lost control in large numbers and are crashing into the Ring of Steel!"

Xiang Xiang Leina's pupils contracted sharply.

For Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade, large numbers of ships had been gathered near the Ring of Steel.

These damned demons had somehow, through that eerie shadow, teleported into every single ship, seized control of them, and crashed them into the Ring of Steel.

"Is this your purpose? To obstruct the Indomitus Crusade?" Xiang Xiang Leina demanded.

"No, our purpose is—" the Daemon Prince Mabras shuddered all over, suddenly realizing he had been affected by Xiang Xiang Leina's Voice of Seduction: "You — you mere mortal dare—"

Malphas, enraged by shame, violently shook his wings and dove at Xiang Xiang Leina again,

then

"Stand still!!!" Xiang Xiang Leina growled, and the enchanting sound that had barely taken effect was released once more.

Malphas suddenly felt dizzy and his liver and gallbladder seemed to crack; he could not fathom how this mortal possessed such psychic power while remaining uncorrupted and mentally sound.

"What is your purpose!?" Xiang Xiang Leina roared again, her intense psychic force washing over Malphas's will.

Malphas's eyes bulged as he gritted his teeth, resisting Xiang Xiang Leina's psychic assault.

"Our purpose is you, Lady," a voice sounded from behind the Demon Prince Malphas.

Shadows spread once more, and a man draped in a black cloak stepped slowly out of the darkness.

The instant he appeared, a psychic force stronger than Xiang Xiang Leina's swept forth, shattering the enchanting sound she had used to suppress Malphas.

"Me?" Xiang Xiang Leina said, somewhat stunned.

"For a greater purpose, we require your sacrifice."

"My partner told me a story: among the World Eaters there was a warrior named Kahn, whose fate should have been filled with the rage granted by the Blood God, but his dearest friend, Anger. Tai, bound his soul, preventing him from falling completely."

"So my partner killed Anger. Tai, awakening his rage. What I must do is the same."

"That Being has lingered too long in the material realm; perhaps a tragedy, a pain, the death of a familiar person could awaken His rage and make Him accept His power."

"This is a necessary attempt."

They were targeting Zhou Yun?

Xiang Xiang Leina quickly realized this,

recalling that Sanguinius had once told her privately,

that when dealing with Zhou Yun, one must treat him as a human, which would help Zhou Yun maintain his self-perception as a human.

"Who is your partner?"

"And who are you?"

"What is this shadow?"

Xiang Xiang Leina calmed herself and released the enchanting sound again, attempting to extract more valuable information.

But the man in the black cloak was utterly unaffected by Xiang Xiang Leina's psychic power.

"Lady, I do not wish to kill you."

"You fit my theory: Chaos itself does not corrupt humans; the whispers of the Gods are not the true source of corruption."

"It is the yearning in a human's heart, a person's own desire, a person's own dreams that corrupt the human themselves."

"As long as one severs their own desires, they will not be corrupted by Chaos; humans can master Chaos."

"You are a fine example; were it not for a greater goal, I truly would not wish to kill you."

The figure in the black cloak said regretfully:

"To compensate you, I am willing to tell you who I am."

"I am a father of a child."

"I am a child of a father."

"I am a traitor to a knight."

"I am a knight of a traitor."

"I am a dearest friend of a brother."

"I am a brother of a dearest friend."

"I am a fallen one, I am a fool, I am an unforgivable fallen angel."

The black cloak swayed in the wind, revealing beneath it a suit of power armor painted in the colors of the Dark Angels Legion from ten thousand years ago, and also revealing the Caliban Greatsword.

"I am merely a penitent longing to atone for my sins."

(End of this chapter)