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

The entire "Silent Furnace" fell into a long, deathly silence.

Only Alcan's logic engine, which never crashes, emits a piercing hum, on the verge of collapse, due to the overloaded data flow.

High-dimensional...energy model...

Absorb... Transform...

These words broke through the cognitive barriers of the Mechanicus cult that had been confined to his three-dimensional physical universe for tens of thousands of years!

His only human eye was fixed on the "talisman" filled with the beauty of Eastern metaphysics, and a dazzling light called "enlightenment" burst forth from that eye!

After a long while, Alkan's electronic voice sounded again, but this time, there was a hint of awe in the voice that even he himself did not realize.

"By the God of All Machines... We have been trying to build the Tower of Babel to Heaven using addition. But you are using subtraction to open a door to another 'universe' for us."

An unprecedented collaboration, fraught with contradictions and clashes, has officially begun, spanning tens of millions of kilometers of space.

Hector became the "divine inspiration" for this great project. He no longer explained the principles; he only made demands.

“I need a weapon that can carry the two completely opposite ‘Tao’ of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’. When it is ‘Yin’, it must be like flowing water, dissolving all things; when it is ‘Yang’, it must be like a mountain collapsing, indestructible.”

Chapter 101 The Two-Element Chainsaw Sword (A long chapter exceeding one hundred chapters)

Alkan's logic engine was running at high speed, and countless blueprints for weapon configurations flashed through his mind.

"...Imperial standard chainsaw sword. Its core lies in the high-frequency vibrating sawtooth force field. We can modify its energy core and implant what you call 'memory metal' to enable it to switch instantaneously between two force field modes: 'high-frequency cutting' and 'repulsive deflection', depending on the user's different 'bioelectric field frequencies'."

“Very good. But not enough.” Hector’s reply became more profound. “I need it to have eyes that can ‘see’ through illusions. It needs to be able to sense the enemy’s strongest emotional fluctuations and even perceive the weakest point of ‘qi’ in their defensive stance.”

"...Logic cannot analyze 'Qi'." A sense of helplessness flashed through Alkan's mind.

“But we can try to ‘simulate’ it. Based on the ‘soul spectrum’ theory you provided earlier, we can design a miniature ‘heart-searching stone’—an obsidian chip etched with special runes.”

"When it is embedded in the hilt of a sword, and the user injects his unique 'bioelectric field' into it, the chip can briefly resonate with the 'bio-aura' of the user and the target, thus forming a vague, visual outline of 'emotion' in the user's mind. This... might achieve the effect you described."

Hector put forward one metaphysical "functional" requirement after another, full of Eastern metaphysical flavor.

One after another, cold, scientifically logical, and concrete "engineering" solutions were precisely found by Alkan from his vast database.

This is an incredibly wondrous dialogue that transcends the divide between civilizations. It's as if they are using two completely different languages ​​to jointly compose an unprecedented creation song called "Talisman Weapons".

When the first batch of experimental weapon prototypes, hastily produced overnight by Mars' most sophisticated automated factories, were transported to Terra through top-secret channels and placed into the "Silent Cellar," the air in the entire cellar seemed to freeze.

That was a... chainsaw sword.

But it is no longer the brutal and bloody killing tool that the Daoist Guardians were familiar with. Its entire blade presents an unprecedented artistic beauty full of contradictions and harmony.

The weapon's main body, the outer shell encasing the chainsaw's transmission mechanism, is no longer the bulky cuboid of a traditional chainsaw sword, but a perfectly rounded arc polished to a mirror-like finish. This streamlined outer shell is precisely bisected by a graceful, flowing S-shaped curve.

Half of it is made of a matte black alloy that absorbs all light, giving it a deep and understated look, like a quiet, dark night representing "yin".

The other half is made of a composite material that is a mixture of ceramic and some unknown mineral, with a warm, moon-white color. It is warm and expansive, as if representing the first dawn of "yang".

At the center of that pure white "Yang" semicircle, a rice-grain-sized "Heart-Questioning Stone," polished from an obsidian chip, is perfectly inlaid, like the finishing touch on a painting, becoming the "black eye" of the "white fish."

At the center of that dark "yin" semicircle, a meticulously polished energy activation plug, gleaming with a silver metallic luster, became the "white eye" of the "black fish".

Black and white, movement and stillness, technology and metaphysics... countless opposing concepts are perfectly harmonized on this weapon in an undeniable and visually striking way.

It is a three-dimensional Tai Chi diagram, full of deadly danger.

"This... is our 'vessel'?"

Barrow, the leader of the Daowei, hesitated for a moment before grasping the exotic weapon with his hand, which was covered in a rough leather glove.

"It is your 'weapon,' and also your 'way,'" Hector's voice rang out calmly. "I name it—'The Two-Element Chainsaw Sword.'"

The moment Barrow gripped the hilt of the sword.

He felt that the steady true essence within his body, like subterranean fire, was uncontrollably resonating with the high-precision bioelectric sensor in the sword hilt!

A clear, melodious hum, unlike the ferocious roar of a regular chainsaw sword, like the gentle plucking of a zither string, emanated from the blade!

A completely new "vision" instantly appeared before Barrow's eyes! He could clearly "feel" that this sword was no longer a cold, lifeless tool.

It felt as if it had become an extension of his own arm! He could even feel the vibration of every serration on the sword, and the breath of every rune!

“Try to infuse it with your ‘qi’,” Hector’s voice rang in his ears.

Barrow took a deep breath, focused his mind on his dantian, and activated the "Tempering Technique" that he had long since mastered. The first thing he visualized was the state of "guarding".

A steady, profound, and rock-solid true essence flowed down his arm and into the hilt of the sword!

“Buzz——!!!”

The hum of the chainsaw sword suddenly changed! The high-speed rotating saw teeth stopped instantly! In its place, an invisible, high-frequency repulsive field rippled across the blade like water!

In the shadows in the distance, a shadow agent, in perfect coordination, fired a low-powered laser beam used for training!

The red beam of light, powerful enough to easily pierce through the flesh and blood of mortals, was strangely deflected the instant it touched that invisible force field, as if it had been shot into water. It grazed Barrow's body and shot into empty space!

The momentum of "flowing water"!

Immediately afterwards, Barrow changed his mind and transformed his intention to "defend" into the intention to "attack"!

A surge of powerful, volcanic-eruption-like true energy poured in once more!

"Roar--!!!"

The chainsaw sword's hum instantly became incredibly violent! Under the catalysis of true energy, the dark silver serrations resonated wildly at an extremely high frequency! The entire sword seemed to be enveloped in a layer of pale golden energy flames filled with destructive aura!

Barrow swung his sword down fiercely at a target made of adamantite, used to test the power of weapons, in the corner of the training ground!

The power of a landslide!

“Sizzle——!!!”

The ear-piercing, teeth-grinding sound of metal being cut instantly echoed throughout the entire cellar!

The adamantite target used to test the frontal bombardment of the tank's main gun was cleanly and decisively split in two by this sword, just like butter being cut by a hot knife! The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and even showed a strange, glassy red color due to the extremely high temperature!

“Now, it’s your turn, Kyle.” Hector’s gaze shifted to the assassin whose aura was as swift as the wind. “Take it, and then look at me.”

Without any hesitation, Kyle accepted the other "Two Elements Chainsaw Sword". He carefully poured a wisp of pure true essence into the rice-grain-sized "Heart-Questioning Stone" at the hilt of the sword.

Before his eyes, a blurry outline of "qi" composed of different colors instantly appeared. At the center of that outline was his mentor—Hector Kane.

Hector's "air" is so calm, so profound, like a gray ocean without any ripples.

Just then, Hector's figure moved an inch to the left, almost imperceptibly.

Kyle's pupils suddenly contracted!

Because, in his blurry vision of "qi", he clearly "saw" that, with the mentor's slight movement, an extremely brief, ripple-like "flaw" appeared on the right shoulder of his entire vast aura!

"That's it!"

A thought, as instinctive as a primal impulse, exploded in his mind!

He didn't even need to think; his body reacted before his will did!

He transformed into a streak of gray lightning, his chainsaw sword radiating a silent killing intent as it pierced the "weakness" he had "seen"!

However, just as his sword was about to strike, Hector's lips curled into an approving smile.

He simply raised his left hand casually, and with two fingers, as if picking up a falling leaf, he effortlessly caught Kyle's sword, which he was determined to win.

Kyle's figure came to an abrupt halt. He stared in disbelief at his mentor, then at his sword, which had been so easily subdued.

The shadows looked at each other again... Was this mortal's body really still "mortal"?

“Not bad.” Hector loosened his fingers and said calmly, “You have learned how to see with your heart.”

The entire "silent cellar" was already deathly still.

In the eyes of all the Dao Guardians burned an unprecedented thirst and fervor for power!

They knew that from this moment on, they finally possessed the qualifications to transform the "Tao" within their hearts into "techniques" powerful enough to shake this iron-blooded universe!

However, there was no joy on Hector's face.

He simply watched calmly as the warriors, excited by their newfound power, slowly walked up to the silent Imperial Guard whose face was adorned with a pure gold death mask.

He said calmly, "My soldiers are ready."

The Imperial Guard didn't speak, but simply handed him a data panel flashing a red emergency code.

On the data panel, there was only one line of cold, emotionless text.

"Target: Hive City World, Necromonda, Downhill, 'Bonecrusher' gang."

"Mission: Investigate and cleanse."

Hector took the data panel, and he could feel its cold weight, originating from the highest power center of the empire.

He knew that this true "tempering" trial, which belonged to Daowei, had only just begun.

Chapter 102 The Steps of the Taoist Academy

As the figures of the Dao Guards, like thirty tombstones bearing all of Monakia's sorrow and hatred, disappeared into the deep darkness of the "Silent Cellar," Hector Kane knew that the first sword he had forged with his own hands had been unsheathed, heading to that steel jungle filled with rust and lies, the place where its sharpness would be tested most.

He himself, the swordsmith, must return to his furnace.

Terra, the Imperial Palace, East 7th District, the Hanging Gardens forgotten by history.

"Wenxinzhai".

After Daowei left, Hector devoted all his attention to the "dojo" where the seeds had just been sown.

He no longer went out frequently, and no longer got involved in those political games that could stir up a storm.

Like the most patient gardener, he began to wholeheartedly water those two hundred newly sprouted, yet incredibly fragile, seedlings of hope.

His Foundation Establishment cultivation gave him almost all the time to observe, to think, and to transform the vast wisdom of another civilization in his mind into the most solid ladder that this iron-blooded universe could understand.

The mornings at "Wenxinzhai" always begin with a distant and tranquil chime.

That wasn't a real bell, but rather a silent "morning bell" played by Karen, the chief student, who guided the life rhythms of hundreds of different plants in the garden with her increasingly refined "Mystic Ice Technique."

The sound of the bell could instantly soothe the anxiety of the new students caused by nightmares and inner demons, allowing them to greet the new day's practice with the clearest and most peaceful mind.

Two hundred students dressed in grey monk robes would sit cross-legged on the open-air platform of the "God's Platform," which was covered with fine white sand, facing the simulated, soft morning light, to perform their first daily lesson—"Introspection."

They no longer blindly resisted the whispers of fear and temptation in their minds as they had before. Under Hector's guidance, they learned how to become "observers" of the internal battle between gods and demons within themselves.

"Today, I observed my inner self and saw the demon of 'greed' arise, resembling a hungry ghost, eager to devour the stars. I guarded against it with stance training, watching it rise and fall on its own, for a total of one incense stick's time, during which my heart rate peaked..."

"Today, I observed my inner self and saw the demon of 'fear' take form, its shape like ice, attempting to freeze my soul. I used stance training to neutralize it, drawing its cold energy to condense into sweet dew, nourishing the seedling of my Dao heart..."

These "Vipassana reports," filled with personal struggles and insights, will become their first answer sheet in their daily practice.

Next, they will enter the "Pavilion of Qi" in the middle level and the "Hall of Form" at the bottom level. There, the aura spectrometer and high-precision bio-energy sensor, which were personally supervised and modified by the Martian sage Alkan, will act like the most rigorous examiners, transforming their invisible "Dao Heart" into cold, irrefutable "data".

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

This is the most fundamental ironclad rule that Hector established for the "Intercepting Sect Academy"—the "Legalist Ruler".

It perfectly links the most untouchable "heart" in Eastern metaphysics with the "data" most revered by imperial bureaucrats.

However, Hector knew that this was not enough.

He could sense that, as time went on, the students' practice was generally entering a bottleneck period.

They lack a clear, quantifiable "goal".

They need a real "trial" to test what they have learned and to... ignite their hearts, which yearn to become stronger, belonging to the cultivators.

So, in the second month after Daowei left, Hector gathered all the students under the ancient tree that symbolized the "Balance of the Gods" and announced a piece of news that would excite everyone.

“One month from now,” his voice, calm yet carrying an undeniable power, resonated in the hearts of every student, “the ‘Intercepting Sect Academy’ will hold its first… grand examination.”

These words immediately caused an uncontrollable commotion throughout the entire "God's Platform"!

What will we be tested on?

"Could it be... that I have to accept 'soul binding' like those Star Speakers?"

The trainees' eyes gleamed with a complex mix of anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of fear.

Hector slowly raised his hand, and the invisible aura of stillness belonging to a Foundation Establishment Realm expert instantly calmed all the commotion.

"The assessment is not based on the 'legalist standard' you are familiar with," he said calmly. "That is just the daily 'morning test,' the standard used to measure your daily progress. The major exam, however, is the 'furnace' used to... temper your 'way'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each young yet resolute face, before offering a "reward" that would drive everyone wild.