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

His Dao heart, instead of being shattered by the massive torrent of information brought about by that "link" that transcended time and space, was tempered into becoming more resilient and clearer.

His past life's growth process, every paper he studied, every cross-cultural exchange, and all the books he read and the cultures he absorbed were not just fragments of memory, but were like countless stars that he absorbed into his sea of ​​consciousness.

At this moment, this vast knowledge and profound cultural heritage have forged his most unbreakable spiritual pillar.

This force convinced him that his existence was real, not a false illusion;

His special qualities are real, not just baseless speculation;

He can influence legendary entities with his mortal body, and he can digest and utilize violent spiritual energy. The path of cultivation he embarks on...

It's also incredibly real.

He slowly straightened up.

He knew he had no way back. The road behind him wasn't empty; it had already collapsed and broken the moment he turned around, transforming into an insurmountable abyss called "Truth." All he could do was move forward.

He recalled the words he had spoken to himself when he first had the idea of ​​changing the Warhammer universe:

"They come, the security!"

My reliance has never been anything else.

Rather, it was the phrase he uttered in his heart when he first came into this world as a wild psionicist, the one that saved him: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."

I am always me.

In any case, it's all over now.

His face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were deeper and more...calm than ever before.

It was as if the supreme will and image that had just been enough to change the history of the empire were nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing across the hills to him.

A gentle breeze caresses the mountain ridge, and the bright moon shines over the great river.

His heart is like a mountain that stands firm in any storm, like a river that reflects the entire universe yet remains unmoved by it.

Is that really the case? Or is it some kind of stress-induced protective mechanism that's limiting Hector's further intellectual development to the point of collapse?

He didn't know either.

Now, only he, Macado, and Vero remained in the entire hall.

When Hector looked up and met the gaze of the immortal, for the first time, he saw undisguised approval and a hint of satisfaction in those all-knowing eyes that seemed to bear witness to tens of thousands of years of human history.

Makado gently tapped his chest with his hand, which was clad in an ancient glove. The gesture was silent, yet it seemed to convey a thousand words.

Hector understood instantly. He could feel that the "Heart of Silence," which had been given to him by Aurelius and originally belonged to the lost Primarch, was radiating a faint yet firm "order" that resonated with Macardo.

He was reminding himself in this most subtle way:

"The Emperor is watching you and protecting you."

Hector knew that beneath this calm abyss, a true storm concerning his own destiny and the future of the universe was just beginning to brew.

(The protagonist was merely "discovered," not "arranged.")

At this moment, Lucius Verro, who had been silent and like a walking corpse, suddenly spoke in a hoarse, almost inaudible voice.

"...Your Excellency the Regent."

Makado's gaze shifted to him.

“I request that I speak with you privately…”

Chapter 67 The Lord's Visitor

As the massive basalt doors of the Hall of the Scales of Truth slowly closed amidst Macardo's voice, which sounded like a final judgment, the enormous golden scales on the dome gradually lost their light, plunging the entire hall back into the cold shadows filled with eternal rules.

No one knows what kind of conversation took place between Imperial Regent Macado and former Chief Astrologer Lucius Vero after that door closed.

The secret chamber, completely sealed off by the highest-level static field and Imperial Guard runes, was immune to any form of spying, whether physical or psionic.

All the imperial giants present knew was that when Vero finally emerged from that secret chamber, all the pain, struggle, and resentment had vanished from his ashen face, leaving only a kind of peace that was more profound and more unsettling than any "tool" that the "soul binding" ritual could create.

He calmly and voluntarily handed over the Star Scepter, which symbolized the highest authority in the Star Language Hall, to Makado. His function in the Star Language Hall remained unchanged, but he was more like an "agent".

He calmly accepted all the committee's rulings and, with almost ruthless efficiency, cooperated with the demands made by the "Intercepting Sect Academy" to the Star Language Hall.

He even took the initiative to request to become the first "external observer" of the "Taoist Heart Stability Quantitative Rating System".

This old man, who spent his entire life trying to use a "dam" to keep chaos outside, has now chosen to become an eternal lighthouse, gazing day and night at the ocean he once feared so much, a sea filled with his inner demons.

Every day, with his already shattered soul, he examined the Vipassana reports from his students, using his blind eyes to "gaze" at every monstrous demon described in the reports. This was the cruelest form of self-exile, and also the deepest form of repentance.

No one could understand his almost self-destructive behavior.

But Hector Kane, on his way back to the "Wenxinzhai" (a place name), glanced at him one last time from afar using the "Qi Observation" technique, and instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, understanding the truth hidden beneath that calm that was far more terrifying than rage.

He saw that the massive, gray-black aura of resentment emanating from Vero had not dissipated. It was simply... no longer the chaotic ocean that had tried to drag everything into a cold abyss.

It was forcibly compressed and condensed by a more powerful "resolute spirit" originating from his own will, turning into a cold, obsidian tombstone embedded deep within his own soul.

That brand-new "decisive aura" was pitch black and sharp, without the slightest impurity, like the purest vacuum in the universe, exuding an ultimate deathly stillness that wanted to completely "reset" itself and everything around it to zero.

It no longer radiates any malice outward, for all its "evil" has turned inward. He transformed his life into a monument, an eternal beacon to warn those who come after.

Hector silently withdrew his gaze, no longer harboring any contempt. He knew that this pathetic yet respectable "political enemy" had not conceded defeat. He had simply adopted a more extreme and protracted method to continue his never-ending war.

This foreshadowing, known as "Viro's Gaze," which he planted himself, will one day reappear on the empire's chessboard in a way that no one can predict.

Terra, the Imperial Palace, East 7th District, a sky garden once forgotten by history.

This place has now become the most mysterious and captivating location in all of Terra, and even the entire human empire. Its name is no longer the code name of an ancient noble family, but a brand new name full of Eastern metaphysical charm—"Wenxinzhai".

This is the headquarters of the "Intercepting Cult Academy," a brand-new institution established by order of Makado and directly led by Hector Kane.

Today, a special "visitor" has arrived here: Lord Valentine Thorne, the Second Minister of the Imperial Executive Council.

His family had been one of the most prominent rulers on the planet even before the Terra Unification Wars. He represented not only the Executive Council, but also the collective will of the deeply entrenched ancient aristocratic forces that viewed any 'change' as a threat.

In his view, Hector Cain and his 'Intercepting Cult' were like an incomprehensible alien object that suddenly appeared inside a precision clock, and their very existence was the greatest desecration of the existing order.

In a functioning political ecosystem, the two words it most rejects are parachuting in.

Whether it's people or things parachuted in. Fortunately, Hector's strategy of gradual encroachment proactively avoided a major conflict; otherwise, the challenge from the old forces he faced would have been far more significant than just a second-in-command appearing three months later.

His purpose in coming here was not to understand, but to... find an excuse to kill this alien thing. He walked with slightly bulky steps, wrapped in a tight-fitting suit, down the white jade-paved corridor of 'Wenxinzhai'.

His face wore a standard smile, typical of high-ranking imperial bureaucrats, a smile that was a mixture of reserve and scrutiny. However, under Hector's aura-gazing technique, his "aura" was a vast, bloated, stagnant, and stagnant mass of grayish "documentary aura."

That aura was filled with the toil of countless mortals over centuries, endless tax levies, and mountains of reports rotting and decaying due to inefficiency. He was the embodiment of the unchanging "inertia" of the vast empire's machine, a machine that had remained unchanged for millennia.

"It's incredible, it's incredible."

Lord Thorne walked along, praising the place in his smooth voice, but his small eyes, hidden beneath his puffy eyelids, gleamed with a shrewd, vulture-like light. “Who could have imagined that in just three months, this Hanging Gardens, forgotten for centuries, could be transformed into… such a miracle, full of ‘harmony’ and ‘beauty’?”

His gaze swept across everything around him, trying to find even the slightest bit of "waste" or "non-compliance".

He saw that this "Wenxinzhai" was no longer just a simple garden. It had been expanded into a vast, intricate, and aesthetically pleasing three-story complex for teaching and research.

Lord Thorne's pace slowed for the first time before the entrance to the "Hall of Inquiry." Having spent his entire life at the heart of Terra's power, he was long accustomed to the architectural language that proclaimed its existence through fear and awe—

A colossal bronze gate, hundreds of meters high, with a ferocious, roaring double-headed eagle on the lintel, and statues of imperial guards standing on either side, powerful enough to freeze the souls of mortals.

He had assumed that the headquarters of this suddenly rising "Intercepting Sect Academy," which could even attract the attention of the Star Language Hall, should at least have some of the ostentatious display of a newly rich, if not magnificent.

But what he saw was a door... a door so simple it was almost "rudimentary".

Chapter 68 The Third Floor of the Main Hospital

It has no lintel, no carvings, and is simply composed of two huge, unpolished, warm, moon-white, unidentified jade doors.

The surface of the jade naturally bears some light gray textures, like those in a traditional Chinese ink painting, and under the simulated sunlight, it emits a gentle halo that calms the mind.

This was an aesthetic of "introversion" that he had never seen before, a heresy that was completely opposite to the "extroverted" aesthetic of the empire, which was full of conquest and glory.

His gaze fell upon the three plaques, all crafted from deep black obsidian. They were placed to the left, right, and top of the door, respectively. The characters were carved in an ancient, vigorous style of calligraphy, the strokes powerful yet possessing a natural, unrestrained elegance.

Although Lord Thorne was not an expert in this field, he could still sense the unique charm it contained, which was quite different from the Empire's official font, which was full of sharp, gothic angles.

He squinted his small eyes and read it out word by word.

"Seize a glimmer of hope..."

He subconsciously pondered those words, his brow furrowed. Intercept? What a boastful tone! Intercept from whom? From fate? Or from the emperor's enemies?

Such vague words are enough to constitute treason in the Ministry of Law! The duty of a loyal imperial institution should be "dedication" and "sacrifice," not "interception"!

"The Way of Teaching and Transforming All Things..."

His disdain deepened. It was utterly absurd! All things? Did that include those aliens and heretics who needed to be purified?

This is challenging the very foundation of "Imperial Truth"! The Empire brings conquest and obedience, and the light of reason dispels ignorance. When did it become the turn of these mystical "Taoist teachings" to "educate" us?

"The headmaster of the Jie Sect's Dao Academy..." He let out a cold snort filled with disdain. Jie Sect? In the Empire, a sect was never a good word. It was always associated with ignorance, fanaticism, and ultimately, heresy.

It is said that this name was personally ordered by the Emperor. Although "seizing a glimmer of hope" is very fitting for wild psionicists, the lord is still full of doubts.

He straightened his silk collar, which was slightly wrinkled from a hint of displeasure, and muttered to himself, "Playing tricks, so absurd."

With a swagger brimming with a sense of superiority, he muttered as he stepped through the gate that seemed completely out of place in the entire empire. He wanted to see for himself what kind of ridiculous tricks these pretentious "Taoists" were playing with the empire's vast resources.

The lowest level is called the "Hall of Form." This is the first stop for all new students.

The entire hall was crafted from a special alloy from Mars that could absorb psionic fluctuations, exuding a cold, scientific feel. Every wild psionicist sent from the black warship had to undergo 24-hour continuous monitoring here by high-precision bio-energy sensors personally supervised and modified by the Sage Alkan.

The violent and chaotic spiritual energy fluctuations within their bodies were transformed here into clear, precise "true essence fluctuation frequency" data, accurate to three decimal places, becoming the first and most important line of text in their personal files.

Lord Thorne even saw a separate energy conduit, shimmering with a red glow, extending from the depths of the hall, bypassing all the conventional energy centers, and directly connecting to the core plasma reactor.

This is a top-priority energy channel personally laid by the Imperial Works, sufficient to support a full-strength Imperial Army legion in continuous combat.

"What a... extravagant waste." Lord Thorne scoffed inwardly, but still wore an approving smile on his face.

The middle layer is called the "Pavilion of Qi".

This place is more like an art gallery. The dome is made of a single, enormous piece of psionic crystal that can simulate the light of different planets.

Here, trainees will conduct daily "aura recordings." The aura spectrometer, also built by Mars Technology, transforms their soul's most primal "aura" into a series of spectral graphs filled with different colors, resembling abstract paintings. Gold represents protection, red represents anger, blue represents sorrow, white represents purity... These spectral graphs will corroborate their "Form Scale" data, together forming the most intuitive "diagnostic report" of their inner state.

Lord Thorne even saw some tech-priests dressed in red robes of the Mechanicus carefully tracing these spectral images and then sending them directly to Mars via a separate, encrypted data link.

"Hmph, technical exchange, huh?" A cold glint flashed in Lord Thorne's eyes.

The highest level, which is also the core of the entire "Wenxinzhai", is called the "Divine Platform".

It was a vast open-air platform covered with fine white sand. There were no superfluous buildings on the platform, only an unnamed ancient tree transplanted from the center of the garden, quietly stretching its branches and leaves under the simulated natural light.

This is the final training ground for all students to practice "meditation" and "insight." Here, they will confront the deepest darkness within themselves, and then, with the most honest language, record that silent battle, turning it into substantial "insight reports."

Two hundred students, dressed in grey monk robes, sat cross-legged, facing the simulated, soft morning light, conducting their daily "inner contemplation." Their auras, though still mixed, were enveloped by an invisible, tranquil order, forming a wondrous harmony with their surroundings.

The silence here was unlike the utterly desolate emptiness of the Sisters of Silence; it was a tranquility brimming with life. Lord Thorne could even hear his own heartbeat, slightly rapid from his scheming, which sounded so jarring and… ugly in this harmonious setting.

The first task for these students every morning is to undergo three tests using the "Legalist Ruler" in turn at the Hall of Form, the Pavilion of Qi, and the Platform of God.

The bio-energy sensor of the Shape Ruler will record their physical condition after a night of cultivation, and any subtle cellular mutations or energy accumulations will be detected.

The Qi Mirror will capture their most primal spiritual light at this moment, like a daily "mood snapshot";

The God's Balance, on the other hand, requires them to submit their "introspection report" from the previous night, which is then reviewed by civil servants who have received preliminary training from Hector, who mark any signs that may indicate instability in their spiritual resolve.

Only when all three indicators are qualified, indicating that their body, mind, and spirit are in a dynamic and healthy balance, are they qualified to enter the next stage of cultivation.

Chapter 69 I've been waiting for you for a long time

After passing the test, the students will begin a day of core training under the guidance of Karen and Grol, two increasingly mature "chief students".

Karen's "Mysterious Ice Technique" mind training course is no longer simply about condensing dew. She guides students to combine their purest thoughts with spiritual energy to try to establish the faintest "resonance" with every plant and tree in the "Inquiry Heart Studio".

She told them, “Don’t try to ‘command’ plants to grow; that’s arrogance. What you need to do is ‘listen,’ ‘feel,’ and become a part of them, in accordance with the mental cultivation method of the Xuanbing Technique. When you can feel the joy of a seed breaking through the soil, and the tranquility of a fallen leaf returning to its roots, then your ‘heart’ will truly be one with this world.”

Grol's "Rock Solid Mind Method" body-building course is filled with the most primitive and powerful aesthetics of the wild world. He will lead all students to practice the seemingly simple yet infinitely mysterious "standing meditation" on that white sand, again and again.

He never lectured on profound theories; instead, he used his mountain-like, unwavering aura to create an absolutely solid "anchor point" for all his students. He told them, "Your bodies are a furnace. Don't be afraid that the flames will burn you, nor worry that the ice will freeze you. What you need to do is stand firm! Use the techniques of the Rock Method to deeply root yourselves into the core of Terra! When your bodies can withstand volcanic eruptions and accommodate the rushing of glaciers, you will no longer be slaves to power, but masters of your own bodies!"

Cultivate your mind with ice, forge your body with rock.

During this period, Hector gradually reduced his direct involvement.

Most of the time, he simply sat quietly to the side, observing each student's progress in cultivation using his aura-gazing technique. He was like a highly skilled gardener who no longer personally watered and fertilized the plants, but instead focused on studying the composition of the soil and improving the genes of the seeds.