Warhammer begins in 2026

Before the lingering elegance of Chemos had faded, the star map of the Great Crusade once again lit up two long-dormant Primarch coordinates.

As time progressed into 832.M30 and 835.M30, the Terran Empire steadily rose, and the order of the stars became increasingly clear. After Vogrim's perfect return and the Third Legion established a top-tier melee system of "extreme speed and elegance, first strike and decisive kill," Neos successively tracked the trajectories of the remaining two lost offspring.

One was born in a fiery inferno, the other grew up in a frigid fortress.

Before that, Huang Feng first completed the final coronation gift to Fugrim.

In addition to the previous spiritual talisman and exclusive Eagle Flag Military Soul talent, she unlocked a custom-made Golden Age battleship as the flagship for this perfect Phoenix Primordial.

Unlike conventional battleships that rely on brute force, this golden ship adopts a symmetrical aesthetic design lost from the golden age. Its hull is flawlessly streamlined, and its armor plating is warm, gilded, and has a constant luster. The main gun array is hidden and stored away, exuding elegance when not in battle, and deploying its full armament the moment the battle begins.

The ship's hull is equipped with a psionic smoothing force field, which completely eliminates fleet inertia, air resistance, and void stagnation, perfectly matching the Emperor's Son's legion characteristics of "high-speed maneuvering, close-range rapid attack, and first-strike control".

This is a perfect warship that excels in appearance, craftsmanship, performance, and spirituality. It perfectly embodies the ultimate perfection that Forgrim pursued throughout his life and is the exclusive throne ship belonging to the Phoenix Primal.

When Fugrim stepped onto the ship, even he was moved—it was the closest thing to beauty he had ever seen.

—832.M30, the coordinates of the star are locked on Nocturne.

This is a perpetually burning, dead world of lava.

The entire planet is covered by volcanoes stretching for thousands of miles, its crust constantly cracking and erupting, lava rivers churning and rolling, and meteor showers, volcanic eruptions, and lava tsunamis are commonplace. The high temperatures are enough to melt ordinary alloys, poisonous fog perpetually shrouds the heavens and earth, and ferocious beasts and lava anomalies roam freely, making it one of the most cruel and violent infernos in the galaxy.

Primarch #18, Vulcan, grew up in this fiery hell.

He was kind, gentle, compassionate, and merciful, possessing the most fervent heart of a Primarch, yet living in the cruelest world. Throughout his life, he sheltered the weak, saved his people, quelled calamities, and suppressed lava behemoths, confronting endless purgatory with boundless tenderness. He was skilled in battle but not bloodthirsty, brave yet extremely kind, as firm as lava and as warm as a blazing fire.

Neos and Huang Feng descended upon Nocturne Star together.

In historical records, Vulcan's submission was not a hasty surrender, but a fateful contest spanning eight days, a test of character and a trial of body and mind. At that time, Vulcan was already the universally acknowledged supreme guardian of Nocturne, single-handedly suppressing the lava calamity, slaughtering the mutated behemoths, and protecting all the weak tribes. His literary and martial skills, strength, forging, and endurance were unparalleled on the entire dead planet, and all the people of his tribes revered him as a living god; no one dared to challenge him. His prolonged invincibility instilled in him a lingering desire to become the strongest being in the world.

Neos did not display the majesty of supreme imperial power and the ruler of the stars, deliberately concealing all his divine brilliance. He transformed into a traveler from a foreign land with a pale face and an introverted demeanor, quietly entering the tribal celebration of Nocturne. Amidst the boisterous ceremony where all people worshipped Vulcan, he calmly stepped forward and initiated a fair wager with the Primarch of Flames.

"I've heard that you are the strongest, most skilled forger, and most capable defender in this world." Neos's voice was calm, without a trace of pressure, only a frank and open intention to duel. "You and I will compete for eight days, covering forging, hunting, endurance, survival in dire situations, and brute force. The total score of the eight days will determine the winner, and the loser will be eternally loyal to the winner and will never betray him."

Volgin, with his open and honest nature, confident and upright, was unafraid of any challenge and immediately nodded in agreement. Throughout his life, he admired the strong and respected the righteous path. He had long been weary of the loneliness of being invincible alone and gladly accepted this duel that transcended fate.

The eight-day trial of destiny has begun.

The first day was a forging trial. Both men used molten steel from the core of Nocturne, without any external force or preferential treatment from tools, igniting the lava on the spot and forging weapons by hand. Vulcan, possessing a lifetime of experience in forging in the hellish realm, forged a blazing battle blade—hard, resilient, and suitable for hunting—a testament to the pinnacle of mortal craftsmanship. Nios, however, shaped it casually, condensing psionic energy into runes, creating a weapon that combined resilience and divinity. Its lines were precise, its sharpness restrained, and its durability and power far surpassed Vulcan's, demonstrating superior skill.

The following day, they faced a perilous struggle for survival amidst lava. The two simultaneously entered a continuously erupting volcanic fissure, enduring temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius, falling rocks, and flowing lava. Vulcan's fire-resistant body and extraordinary endurance were already adapted to the extreme hellish environment of Nocturne, allowing him to survive for far longer than any other tribal powerhouse. However, Neos's body remained untouched by the flames, his steady gait treading on crumbling rocks, displaying composure in the face of adversity, demonstrating superior endurance and adaptability to such conditions.

From the third to the sixth day, four trials—hunting savage behemoths, carrying heavy loads across mountains, brute force combat, and focusing the mind—took place in succession. Vulcan pushed himself to the limit in each one: hunting giant lava mutants with swift and fierce movements, carrying massive rock layers across volcanic fields without stopping, engaging in close-quarters brute force clashes with powerful and heavy force, and maintaining a steadfast mind even as flames engulfed his body.

No matter how hard he tried, Neos remained consistently evenly matched with him, and every contest was a close contest, a true worthy opponent. The more Vulcan fought, the more respect he felt. His initial competitive spirit had faded, replaced by a deep admiration for the stranger before him—the only person he had ever met in his life who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him and even surpass him in every field.

The eight-day trial concluded with the two players tied in total scores, neither losing nor winning. To determine the final outcome, the elders of the Nocturne Star tribe set a final trial: a 24-hour weapon forging challenge, and the hunting of the largest lava fire lizard in the entire star field. The winner would be determined by the size of the prey and the mental fortitude required for the trial.

The final battle begins, with the two forging their own weapons and simultaneously venturing into the Forbidden Fire Domain, the most dangerous and turbulent lava field on Nocturne Star, in search of the strongest Lava Fire Lizard. The Forbidden Fire Domain is a place of raging flames and crumbling earth veins. Giant fire lizards lurk in the depths of the lava sea, incredibly ferocious and capable of shattering mountains—the most powerful and savage beasts on Nocturne Star.

Vulcan was the first to find a huge ancient fire lizard. He fought fiercely and battled in the flames, severely injuring it with his ultimate combat power. Just as he was about to finish the hunt, he accidentally stepped into a lava crevice. The rock layer under his feet instantly collapsed, and he fell into the scalding lava river.

Once you fall into lava, even if you are in your original physical body, you will be severely injured and on the verge of death.

At the critical moment, a figure appeared from behind in an instant.

Without the slightest hesitation, Neos abandoned his already severely injured and larger prey, raised his hand to gather strength to stabilize the collapsing rock layer, and used his body to pave the way, placing his prey's body on the lava fissures to become a stable stepping stone, steadily supporting the falling Vulcan.

He saved Vulcan's life at the cost of giving up victory.

Vulcan stood firmly on the prey's body, turned around and gazed at the calmly standing figure, and instantly understood everything.

Only now did he fully understand that the true essence of this contest was not about brute force, skill, or the size of the prey, but about the heart and vision of the strong. He had spent his life upholding goodness, protecting the people, and having compassion for the weak, but the person before him had the well-being of all living beings in his heart, choosing righteousness over victory, and his vision and benevolence far surpassed his own.

A true strong person is not someone with invincible combat power, but someone who wields immense power yet still possesses a gentle heart and compassion for all living beings.

There was no need for further competition. Vulcan voluntarily withdrew his weapon, bowed, and said with sincere conviction, "I have lost."

"I fought for victory, you remained true to yourself; I protected my territory, you embraced the vast universe. In this contest, I lost completely."

"From this day forward, Vulcan will forever submit to you, follow you, protect humanity with his flames, and dedicate the rest of his life to expeditions, without regret."

Only then did Neos shed his disguise as a stranger, revealing the divine glory of the Supreme Emperor, his true form manifested, and his aura spread out.

Vulcan finally realized that the destiny he had been searching for all his life and the belonging he had been longing for had finally arrived.

He surrendered readily, willingly following Terra, willing to use his own flames to illuminate the dark starry sea for humanity, and to use his own resilience to bear endless calamities for humanity.

Subsequently, the 18th Legion's Salamanders officially returned to their original units.

Vulcan surrendered without hesitation, willingly following Terra, willing to use his own flames to illuminate the dark starry sea for humanity, and to use his own resilience to bear endless calamities for humanity.

Huang Feng presented Vulcan with a special gift—a battleship that perfectly replicates the top-tier craftsmanship of the Golden Age.

The ship's hull is constructed from a heat-resistant void alloy from the Golden Age, allowing it to directly penetrate stellar flares, traverse lava seas, and withstand high-temperature corrosion. Its main guns are the lost "Thermal Annihilation Array" from the Golden Age, specifically designed to incinerate alien swarms and purify corrosive contaminants. The entire warship is well-rounded in offense and defense, boasts virtually unlimited endurance, and possesses maximum resistance.

Most notably, this warship possesses a life-protection force field, which can protect friendly forces, stabilize the front line, and reduce casualties in the midst of battle, perfectly embodying Vulcan's benevolent, protective, and life-loving spirit.

Vulcan raised his hand and gently stroked the ship's scorching gilded armor, his eyes filled with tenderness and emotion.

The 18th Legion's talent is invincibility.

All army strength, fire damage, and heavy armor defense are simultaneously increased, and the burning and armor-piercing effects of the molten gun and flamethrower are greatly enhanced.

And a hammer, a magical artifact that can fly back automatically and explode when struck.