Warhammer Cultivation: Cultivating the Tao Te Ching in the 40K Universe

"My decision is..."

He surveyed his core team and announced in an unquestionable tone:

"Go to Barr in person."

A brief silence fell over the study.

The first to break the silence were the chief disciples, Karen and Grol.

"This disciple believes that this journey is imperative!" Karen's eyes shone with idealism. "The value of the 'Tao' lies not only in its own transcendence, but also in its relationship with the people and environment around it. The predicament of the Primarch of Saint Gilles and his legions is the best opportunity for the Academy to spread the light of the 'Tao' throughout the galaxy!"

Groll nodded emphatically, echoing, "To be able to point the way for a Primarch, if successful, the influence... would be enough to allow the mentor and the academy to truly gain a foothold in the Empire."

Lucian felt it even more deeply. He said softly, "I understand the curse of bloodlines. If our 'Tao' can truly help the Ninth Legion break free from this fate, then it will be a great liberation not only for them, but for all souls bound by their innate nature."

Chapter 211 The Way of Solitude

The three core disciples shared a highly consistent attitude.

They were full of confidence, believing that this was an inevitable step for "Tao" to reach the Milky Way, and also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Tectus-19, on the other hand, provided his analysis from a technical perspective.

"According to publicly available information about the Bar system in the Mars database, its primary star 'Bar Primus' and its moons are both highly radioactive wastelands. The environment is extremely harsh and will strongly interfere with most precision instruments. Any technical support solution must prioritize 'radiation resistance' and 'stability' as its top priorities."

“Furthermore,” he paused, turning the red optical lens toward Hector.

"Based on the psychic model of 'blood thirst' that you summarized when you diagnosed the Primarch, I initially infer that its essence is a high susceptibility to emotional energy in specific frequency bands of the subspace, originating from the genetic level. To solve this, simply 'shielding,' such as using an expanded version of the Dao Heart Jade Talisman, would probably only treat the symptoms."

"To address the root cause, perhaps we need to... delve into the genetic level and combine 'Tao' with 'genetic alchemy'."

The technical lead had already begun instinctively thinking about specific solutions.

Just then, Barrow, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Dao!" His voice was firm and powerful. "The Baal system is far from Terra, and the road ahead is unknown. Dao Guards, please accompany and protect us!"

His words were filled with unwavering determination and loyalty.

Seeing the diverse yet heartfelt reactions of the people, Hector felt a warmth rise in his heart.

This was the prototype of the Jiejiao Academy, which he established single-handedly.

They have ideals, skills, and above all... loyalty.

He raised his hand, gesturing for Barrow to stand up.

“I understand your loyalty. But the academy cannot be unprepared for even a day.”

Hector rejected Barrow's idea of ​​sending all his men, and his gaze became deep and strategic.

"The key to this trip to Bal is not the number of people, but the elite."

He began to divide the work and make arrangements.

"I will personally lead the delegation."

“Isa,” he said, looking at the silver-haired assassin in the corner, “you will be in charge of all intelligence support, route planning, and stealth infiltration for this mission. You are a professional, and I need you to ensure we have access to confidential information and avoid any unnecessary trouble.”

Isabel nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

"Tectus-19, you will accompany me as my technical advisor. I need you to observe the genetic defects of the Blood Angels up close and assist me in developing a feasible technical solution as quickly as possible."

"Received, Dao Lord. I will begin preparing the relevant equipment immediately." The holographic image of Tectus flickered.

“Barrow,” Hector’s gaze fell on the leader of the Dao Guards, “you, personally select five of the most elite Dao Guards to form a guard squad and accompany me on my journey.”

Barrow immediately accepted the order: "Dao Wei obeys!"

“As for the rest,” Hector’s tone became serious, “I also have a new task for you.”

He looked at his chief disciples, Karen and Grol: "After I leave, the daily teaching and operation of the academy will be entirely the responsibility of the two of you. I don't want to see any slackening when I return. The expansion should proceed steadily according to the goals set by the Great Emperor."

"Please rest assured, Daoist Master!" The two immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

Then, Hector's gaze turned toward the martial arts hall, as if penetrating the wall, and he saw the figure of the old soldier who was training his disciples.

"Also tell Barrett that he will receive a new mission. During my absence, he will be in charge of selecting the most resolute and determined individuals from among the Qi Refining disciples to form the 'Dao Guard Reserve'!"

"The Dao Guardians are the sharpest blades of our Dao Academy, but there are still too few of them... These blades must continue to grow and be tempered!"

"...That's how it is."

On the other end of the encrypted communication, Hector succinctly and completely informed the Imperial Regent, Macardo, of his decision.

From the communicator came Makado's old, hoarse voice, carrying a hint of profound meaning.

“Saint-Gilles…in the end, he still chose to ask you for help.”

"This was within my expectations, but it came earlier than I anticipated."

Macardo seemed unsurprised by this.

“I agree to your itinerary.” He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious than ever before. “The Empire will provide you with the highest level of logistical and intelligence support.”

“I know you won’t just go to see one Saint Gilles.”

“But Hector, there is one thing you must understand.”

"You need to understand that your identity on this trip is completely different from before."

Macado's voice, like an alarm bell, struck Hector's heart.

“In the past, whether you went to Nicaea or to see Magnus, Loka, or Fugrim, you were always the ‘Regent’s Walker.’ You represented my will and the authority of Terra. You had a halo behind you as a cover.”

"But now, it's different."

"You are the Dao Master of the Dao Academy."

"He was appointed by imperial decree as the ruler of a completely new psionic system."

"Nominally, he is already a member of the highest power structure of the empire."

"For the first time, you stepped out of Terra as an independent, powerful political entity that no one could ignore."

"Primarchs, the way you are viewed has changed."

"The way the nobles of the empire view you has also changed."

"The Martian mechanical cult has also changed its view of you."

"You no longer have the aura of 'regency' as a cover. All political games from the material world, all direct probing from the depths of the subspace, will be far more risky and intense than ever before!"

“Every step you take and every word you say will be analyzed, interpreted, and pondered under the highest-level microscope by countless eyes.”

"All the pressure will be borne by you alone, by the Taoist academy behind you."

"are you ready?"

Makado's words were not at all alarmist.

He was giving Hector his first political lesson since becoming the "Lord of the Way" in an unprecedented and most straightforward way.

Hector remained silent for a moment.

He could feel the invisible pressure from the entire galaxy beginning to converge on him.

But he did not back down.

"I see."

His answer was calm, yet full of power.

"The Way, if it is to be practiced in the world, must bear its weight."

On the other end of the communicator, Macado let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

"Let the Milky Way hear the voice of the 'Tao'."

Communication was cut off.

Silence returned to the study.

Hector walked to the window, his gaze piercing through the dome of the Wenxinzhai and looking up at the deep starry sky.

In a massive military starport in Terra orbit.

The Seeker is ready.

On the bridge of the ship, Hector, wearing a brand-new silver-patterned, cloud-patterned, dark-colored Daoist robe that represented his status as a "Daoist Master," stood quietly before the huge porthole with his hands behind his back.

Behind him, Isabel, Tectus, and the five Dao Guards led by Barrow stood like the most silent sculptures, each performing their duties.

Beyond the porthole lay an endless, cold, and dark universe.

And those billions of distant stars, sparkling like diamonds.

Hector knew that this was not just a trip aimed at resolving the Saint-Gilles dilemma.

This is also why he, in the name of "Dao Lord," walks through this dark galaxy...

Chapter 212 Crimson Fury and Thirst for Blood (Bonus Chapter)

The cold, real universe, like a shattered mirror, crumbled inch by inch before the bow of the Seeker.

The next second, the ship suddenly lurched forward, plunging into an ocean of pure, boiling, frenzied emotions and energy.

There were no more stars outside the porthole.

There are only endless, ever-changing colors and illusions, enough to evaporate the reason of any mortal.

Twisted faces flashed by in the energy storm, claws made of pure hatred tried to tear the hull apart, and ancient, malicious whispers were everywhere, trying to penetrate the soul of every living thing.

But all this chaos and madness around the Seeker was completely isolated by a thin, almost invisible golden halo.

That was not the machine-driven version of the Geller force field commonly found on Imperial ships.

That halo was stable, harmonious, and perfect, radiating an absolute sense of "order" and "reason".

It is not "fighting" against the subspace, but rather forcibly "defining" a stable spacetime region belonging to the real universe around the ship's hull.

Any chaotic energy that attempts to approach will be automatically "analyzed" and "neutralized" in the face of this "reason," ultimately transforming into harmless, basic information flow and dissipating into nothingness.

On the bridge, Hector Kane sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed.

His golden core was resonating with the energy core of the entire ship in an extremely mysterious way.

The Golden Elixir is the inner universe.

Releasing the Golden Elixir externally means using my heart to represent the heart of Heaven!

With his current cultivation level, the stability and security of this "Domain of the Dao" he has created far surpass any Geller force field technology of the human empire.

Not far from him, Lucien Navis, a descendant of the Navigator family, stood quietly beside the Navigator's seat.

But he did not sit on it, nor did he activate his third eye, which was theoretically "ineffective".

He simply gazed at the chaotic sea of ​​energy before him with his clear eyes and the "Dao Eye" between his brows, which he could now control at will.

In his view, the subspace was not a chaotic void.

Within that raging energy tide, there still exist certain "textures" that can be deciphered, and there are still some relatively "calm" "flows".

He was like a master helmsman, guiding the "Seeker of the Way" along the safest and most efficient route based on his understanding of the "Tao".

Under Hector's golden elixir protection and Lucian's unique navigation, the Seeker, like a nimble fish, steadily sped towards the distant Barr system at a speed far exceeding that of other Imperial warships of its class in this turbulent ocean.

......

Subspace travel is long and tedious.

For most Imperial crew members, this was a terrifying journey that required prayer and an iron will to endure.

But the atmosphere was completely different aboard the HMS Seeker.

Here, there is no mad rambling, no unfounded fear, and certainly no claustrophobic feeling that could drive a person insane.

Under Hector's "Domain of the Way," the interior of the ship was almost identical to that in Terra.

The air was fresh, the psionic energy was stable, and even the servant skulls were much quieter than usual.

The third day of sailing.

The ship's strategic briefing room.