Chapter 81

The swollen abscess, centered on the curved blade, began to spread along the tower-like Warp engine.

This ancient construct of metallic technology seemed to have been infected by a blasphemous disease from the depths of the Warp.

At the upper-middle section of the tower, within that deep, dark, wide ring, a storm from the Empyrean surged forth.

The boundary between reality and the physical universe was being broken and torn apart, bit by bit.

A gale raged out from the Warp engine, occupying the entire underground palace.

One could only hear peals of joyful laughter echoing in the air; the surrounding atmosphere became heavy, sweltering, and turbid.

A rift opened with the Warp engine at its center, and a storm of brilliant green, gray, and yellow surged out, forming a deep vortex.

Through that howling vortex, Zhou Yun could see the sights within the Empyrean.

That magnificent garden, lush to the extreme, blooming with a thousand types of flowers, growing a thousand types of fungi, and spreading a thousand types of diseases.

That sacred realm belonging to the Father of All Life—that was the Garden of Nurgle.

In the garden, Nurglings were laughing and celebrating their success.

The Father of Plagues shook his massive belly, brandishing the willow branch in his hand, and praised them incessantly.

He was about to lead the Nurgle daemons to invade reality.

Yet another planet was about to accept the Father's mercy.

This gateway to the Warp was far stronger than the one opened by the Changer of Ways last time.

This gateway could truly allow the Nurgle daemon army to invade reality and drag the entirety of Ashfold into the Father's realm.

"How are you just like one of my gene-brothers, flipping over at the critical moment?" the winged figure in the white light said faintly.

"Who are you calling Guilliman? Huh? Who are you calling Guilliman!" Zhou Yun leaned against a metal pillar, his voice hoarse.

"I never said it was Guilliman; don't try to sow discord in our Second Empire trio."

The winged figure in the white light shrugged and said:

"The current situation is not looking good. If Ashfold falls, the Leviathan Hive Fleet will be able to invade Baal without any obstruction."

"And the virus you carry has infectivity in both the material and immaterial realms. Even if I can help you resist in the immaterial realm, there is a limit to what I can do in the material realm."

"The good news is that the opening of this Warp gateway has also increased my influence on the material universe."

The winged figure in the white light seemed to have truly become a bit brighter and more dazzling.

"I will attempt to manifest in the material universe through this to help you resist the Nurgle daemon army."

"But there is neither my church nor my progeny here; the cost of manifesting here will be immense."

Having said this, the voice of the winged figure in the white light paused:

"I may be unable to speak with you directly for a very long time."

"When the Tyranid swarm invades Ashfold, I will no longer be able to provide assistance; at that time, it will be up to you and my progeny."

The tone of the winged figure in the white light was full of trust and entrustment toward Zhou Yun:

"Oh, right, also remember to go to Baal and stir up trouble for me."

"And, until the very last moment on Baal, do not mention your true purpose; He is watching."

As the winged figure in the white light poured out his heart, the light on his body became increasingly dazzling, even making Zhou Yun unable to help but squint his eyes.

"Wait." Zhou Yun interrupted the output from the white light with a hoarse voice: "Who the f*** said I flipped—hmm?"

"Hmm?" The winged figure in the white light, who was in the middle of manifesting, was also stunned for a moment.

Margit, standing before the Warp gateway, could not help but turn his head as well.

Within the gateway of the underground palace, a series of footsteps rang out.

Those footsteps gradually became clear, as if drumbeats striking the heart of everyone in the underground palace.

A young girl walked slowly out from the gateway of the underground palace, like an ancient monarch stepping down from His throne to re-enter the human world.

Margit retreated a step in terror.

He was filled with extreme panic; clearly, the person before him was just a slender girl wearing a common synthetic fiber dress.

Just an ordinary girl with a head of blonde hair that had turned as dry as weeds.

Just a naive child with hazy, deer-like eyes.

But every nerve in Margit was in fear.

"Who are you?!"

Margit's voice suddenly rose, the fear within it impossible to conceal:

"I remember! You're that girl who came with Zhou Yun? Jeanne?"

Just as Margit finished speaking, he shook his head, denying his own memory.

"No, you're not... how could it be you, but this?!"

Margit faintly sensed what he was facing, but he absolutely dared not believe it.

Behind him, sharp storms howled out from the Warp gateway.

But when this Warp wind, filled with supernatural viruses, blew past, a faint golden light lit up on the girl's body.

This light forced back the blasphemous evil power in the Empyrean, igniting and burning away all diseases.

The girl took a step forward, her pace light, her body carrying golden light.

The haze in her deer-like eyes was dispelled by the golden light in the blink of an eye, her gaze becoming sharp and irresistible.

Her dry hair spread out, drifting with the Warp wind, becoming as supple as freshly poured molten gold.

Margit realized he could not move his gaze away from the girl; he had to face the girl's eyes directly.

Those eyes were as ancient as the oldest stars, as if they had witnessed every moment from when humanity built its first city to when the first starship opened up the galaxy.

Margit understood; Margit saw.

Behind the girl was the towering Golden Wang Zuo that reached into the deepest depths of the Empyrean.

At the pinnacle of the throne, that Corpse King cast His gaze toward the material universe.

In the hollow, bloody eyes, a cold and dark sun was burning fiercely.

Margit had that word brewing in his throat, but for a long time, he dared not spit it out.

It was as if, just by saying that name, he would be burned to ashes on the spot.

He could only retreat in fear, attempting to get closer to the Father's garden to gain a little peace of mind.

Margit said, in a hoarse voice, the infamous name he had heard many times from the mouths of angels.

"The... Cursed... One."

This word seemed to be burning fiercely in the air, causing fear.

Under the metal pillar,

In the white light in the corner of Zhou Yun's eye, that winged figure watched this scene with bewilderment and confusion.

He murmured in a low voice, unable to help himself: "Father?"

This word also burned in the air.

"Holy crap, the ten-thousand-year-old weasel has manifested!" Zhou Yun said, unable to help himself.

This word made the air suddenly turn a bit colder.

Jeanne turned her head, and the Corpse God on the Golden Wang Zuo behind her also cast His gaze over.

"Lan... Lan... Li... Mao... Mao..."

A complex sound mixed with a massive amount of information came, as if hundreds of millions of people were speaking at once:

"Lan Li Mao."

"Lan Li Mao!"

(End of chapter)