Simultaneous Journey: Starting from Holy Terra

Cipher did not resist and allowed the Imperial Guard to imprison him and the fallen angels.

The group then moved forward quickly, passing through layer after layer of imperial guard checkpoints. After climbing the mountain, the outline of the palace gradually appeared on the horizon.

The palace structure, nestled in the mountains, gradually became clear, with the most striking feature being the starlight torch that pierced through the clouds and broke through the sun!

"Looking down from here, you can see the mountain city. There are twelve statues of saints there, each one comparable in size to an Emperor-level Titan. To be honest, I think the person who commissioned the construction of these statues must have been out of their mind."

Looking at the towering palace gates before him, Ye Ming vented his inner thoughts to Guilliman in an attempt to ease the tense atmosphere.

Guilliman smiled at this, looking at the scene of angels and demons battling carved on the door.

In a daze, it was as if I saw the brother I once cared about most. If—Saint-Gilles hadn't fallen, the empire wouldn't be in this state now...

At this moment, the captain of the Imperial Guard squad who was standing beside him spoke up.

He spoke in a tone that was disrespectful to a junior but unwilling to scold or beat him: "Ye Ming, you still can't keep your mouth shut. The Marshal will be angry if he finds out."

"He won't hold it against us, and we just got home, so we need to ease the tension a bit."

Ye Ming smiled and said, "How should I put it? It feels so good to be home."

The Imperial Guard captain nodded. "This is a one-time exception."

The Primarch, witnessing this scene, became even more curious about the relationship between Ye Ming, the Imperial Guard, and Sister Silent.

But he didn't ask directly about these secrets, which he hadn't seen in the materials Wardos had given him; they were likely some kind of classified information.

He believed that he would know everything once he ascended the throne and met the Emperor.

He looked again at the last door in front of him. On the other side of the giant archway was the Emperor's Throne Room. As long as he pushed open this door, the golden throne of the Lord of Mankind would be right in front of him.

The golden doors of the throne room are located deep within a towering sanctuary, from which many pathways extend.

Every moment, these ancient cobblestone streets are occupied by millions of fervent believers from all corners of the empire.

Golden light streamed through the enormous stained-glass windows, casting a golden glow upon the emperor's past achievements. Countless eternal candles burned silently in the grand hall, creating a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere.

The angels sang praises of the Lord of mankind, and the melodious music echoed throughout the hall.

Countless incense burners burned simultaneously, and the fragrance of incense and the ethereal mist transformed the entire hall into a mesmerizing ocean. Accompanied by the tolling of sermon bells, it made this place seem less like an ordinary palace and more like a sanctuary in heaven.

The long corridor in front of the throne room is a masterpiece of art. The passage of time has faded the brilliance of the gold, bronze and gemstones, but this is not enough to diminish its solemnity.

A black marble arcade, 50 feet high, embraces an ascending staircase, each step bearing the grooves of countless footsteps, and the edges of each step piled with the remains of believers.

Every time Ye Ming saw this scene, he would shake his head and sigh.

"I don't like it here, to be honest. They put so much effort into making it, but they don't think about how to improve people's lives."

Ye Ming's words were echoed by Guilliman, who said, "I think so too."

The Primarch spoke, causing the Imperial Guard captain, who was about to strike Ye Ming with his halberd, to pause. After shaking his head helplessly, he decided to let Ye Ming go for the time being.

Anyway, I'll teach Ye Ming a lesson in private later, so one more or one less thing won't make a big difference.

At the end of the Heavenly Staircase stood twenty Imperial Guards and a Martian priest.

The leader wore a feathered crown, and a sable cloak hung down behind his golden armor.

Robert Guilliman strode forward, entering silently so that only the Imperial Guards were present.

Company Commander Cato Sicarius, Grand Master Wardos, Ye Ming and his group stayed close to the Primarch, while Belisarius-Kaul, Katarina Grefax and Saint Celestine walked alongside them.

To be honest, if they hadn't sneaked in, the arrival of the saint would have caused a sensation among the believers that was almost as great as the arrival of Guilliman himself!

The main force of the expeditionary force, lined up in neat rows, followed closely behind them with firm and powerful strides. Their magnificent military bearing swept away the hardships and fatigue of the expedition.

Guilliman paused before the Heavenly Staircase, his gaze meeting the cold, sharp stares of the Imperial Guard above.

The leader of the Imperial Guard stepped forward and, after striking the ground three times with his halberd, introduced himself in perfect High Gothic: "Trajan Valloris, the Emperor's Falcon Guard, visitor before the throne room, announces his name."

The shield guard officer in charge of leading the group announced everyone's names one by one.

Upon hearing the names Primarch Guilliman and Grey Knight Ye Ming, the Imperial Guard Marshal turned slightly to the side, looking at Ye Ming with an expression that seemed to say, "You actually knew to come back, kid," but he didn't say anything more.

He turned his head and examined the original without saying a word.

In fact, Ye Ming had already confirmed the other person's identity when he stood next to him.

Others might make the wrong choice, but the boy he helped raise wouldn't!

Then, the Eagle Guard exchanged a glance with the Martian priest who had appeared beside Guilliman at some point. With the latter nodding slightly after completing the testing process, the Imperial Guard made the final decision.

"You may enter, but only by yourself."

Upon hearing this, Guilliman turned to look at Ye Ming and asked, "Can't he go in either? I think the Emperor would be very happy to see him."

"He, this kid isn't qualified yet," Trajan said sternly.

Killman keenly noticed the difference in address, and he became even more curious about Ye Ming's relationship with them, but he still refrained from asking, because he knew that if he didn't ask now, he would be more shocked when he found out for himself later.

Only then can one accurately and calmly judge the pros and cons, and not be misled by one-sided statements.

"grateful."

The Primarch removed his helmet, sheathed his sword, and ascended the heavenly staircase leading to the throne room alone.

The Imperial Guard at the top of the Heavenly Staircase made way for the Primarch to pass, but the Tech Priest stepped forward and blocked his path.

"——"

The priest of Mars bowed deeply to Guilliman and uttered an electronic voice. Belisarius Caul quickly rushed to the Primarch's side, and the two Mechanicus members immediately began exchanging encrypted electronic codes. Caul even leaned close to the other from time to time to whisper some secret words.

Faced with this situation, Guilliman felt somewhat impatient.

Only the Imperial Guards and Ye Ming, who had excellent hearing below, could vaguely hear the whispers between the two priests.

It was about secret agreements concerning Mars, and a massive project that had finally come to an end after many years.

Of course, in countless past eras, the Imperial Guards who protected the Heavenly Staircase had heard far too many unspeakable secrets here, so the sages' conversations hardly aroused their interest or attention.

Ye Ming, however, learned about what they were talking about: the amazing Doraemon and the improvements made to the Original Casting Legion!

Their conversation finally came to an end. Caul turned around and walked down the steps, with the priest from Mars following closely behind him. The two left in a hurry, without even saying a word to Guilliman.

Guilliman stood alone before the throne room doors. Even the Primarch's existence seemed insignificant in the face of such magnificent gates.

The doors to the throne room opened silently.

Through the slowly opening door, all that could be seen was deep darkness and pervasive mist. The mist coiled around Guilliman's body like a swarm of snakes and spread to the steps behind the Primarch, from which one could faintly hear ethereal and sorrowful whispers.

The Primarch's noble face showed no emotion whatsoever. With a long, deep breath, Guilliman stepped into the throne room.

Behind him, the door closed silently, just as it had opened, and the Primarch's figure vanished from everyone's sight...