The core of the Dark King, an entity formed of pure malice and condensed despair, met the golden light containing the very source of life and laws of creation. Like a soap bubble pierced by a needle, it shattered, disintegrated, and dissipated in an instant.
The Dark King, who had rampaged across the universe for ten thousand years, died under the strike of the Grand Supreme Kai Emperor.
The Dark King of this world had been thoroughly killed by his other self, finally resolving a knot in the Emperor's heart.
There was a time when he had been relentlessly crushed by the Dark King, until Axis appeared, giving this avatar the capital to become the main body.
The battle had begun abruptly, and it ended just as suddenly.
The Chaos Gods within the Warp had not even reacted. They had barely caught the scent of the Dark King, and just as they cast their gaze toward the disturbance, the Emperor had already concluded the battle and departed the Warp.
In the Imperial Palace of Holy Terra, only the charred corpse on the Golden Throne remained, along with the warm, holy golden radiance lingering around the Emperor.
The suffocating malice and oppression were gone.
With the Dark King thoroughly annihilated, the power of Shenlong faced no further obstruction. The golden divine light once again illuminated the Corpse Emperor.
The Grand Supreme Kai Emperor sent forward the soul fragment of "Neoth", the human aspect of the Emperor, which he had protected earlier.
Hummmm!
The dried corpse on the Golden Throne shuddered violently. A ray of pure, resilient golden light, carrying unyielding will and vast wisdom, burst from the corpse's forehead like a bird breaking free from a ten-thousand-year cage.
Though faint, it emitted the incomparably pure soul signature of the Human Emperor of this reality, Neoth.
In the world ten thousand years later, the passed Emperor was reviving.
This light of the soul circled in the air, seeming to carry endless exhaustion and ancient weariness.
Then, without hesitation, like a weary bird returning to its nest, it actively merged into the golden divine light expanded by the Grand Supreme Kai Emperor, perfectly integrating with the purified core soul fragment summoned by Shenlong.
The Grand Supreme Kai Emperor could clearly perceive the ten-thousand-year burden, the endless sacrifice, and the deep love and responsibility for the human race contained within Neoth's soul.
This heaviness added an indescribable profundity to his own Godhood of Life.
While collecting his other self's soul from this world, he had taken a moment to review the other's memories, at least the first six or seven thousand years of them.
The one on the Golden Throne had truly been him for that duration. It was only after millennia of solitude that he could no longer hold on, and only a thousand years ago did this version truly succumb to full possession by the Dark King.
From the memories of his other self, the Emperor saw many things, particularly a profound disappointment in the Primarchs.
This other self even considered the Primarchs to be a group of utter failures. Counting the nine traitors and the two he had expunged, the only ones among the Primarchs he felt had any future were Rogal Dorn, Roboute Guilliman, and Sanguinius.
The others were loyal, yes, but some were too pedantic, some too kind, some merely martial brutes, and some simply brainless.
The Grand Supreme Kai Emperor felt a deep empathy at this moment. To be honest, if he hadn't met Axis, his own fate would likely have been no better than this counterpart.
If Axis hadn't acted, the Second Primarch would never have been saved and would have been purged by him.
If Axis hadn't appeared on Holy Terra to spend ten years strengthening his body, the Eleventh Primarch would also have been erased by his hand due to certain events.
He slowly opened his eyes, his golden pupils gazing at the body on the Golden Throne, a shell that had lost all vitality and truly become a decaying husk.
However, the eyes of the dried corpse on the Throne slowly opened as well. It was as if he had slept for countless centuries and was now waking from that despairing darkness.
But how could I be awake?
Since the Dark King seized everything, thoroughly destroyed his consciousness, and shattered his soul fragments, he should have completely vanished from this world.
Could it be that the Dark King failed to possess him completely? Or had something else happened to rouse him from the darkness?
"It is over, Neoth. Your soul is free. You no longer belong to the Dark King," the Grand Supreme Kai Emperor said softly, his voice echoing in the vast chamber.
The Emperor of the 40K era looked up at the person before him and revealed an expression of disbelief. How is this possible? That is me. That is myself!
At this moment, the Emperor felt as if he were seeing a ghost. Anyone in this situation would think the same. Why was another version of himself standing there?
"What trick are you playing now, Dark King? You have already won. You took everything from me. What is the meaning of waking me now?
"Are you looking to humiliate me further? Save it. There is no need for repeated mockery," the 40K Emperor snorted coldly.
In his view, the person before him was the Dark King. The Dark King must have acquired a new body through some means and resurrected his soul just to taunt him. After all, he had obstructed the Dark King many times; the entity in this universe who hated him the most was undoubtedly the Dark King.
But as soon as he spoke, he realized something was wrong. Wait! Why can I speak?
In his current body, or rather, shortly after he was first enthroned, he could only briefly communicate with the Primarchs before losing the ability to speak entirely.
But now, his body seemed different. Although still a dried corpse, vitality was slowly recovering within him. He could sense it.
"What is happening? Why? Why is my body... what have you done?" the 40K Emperor asked, his face a mask of incredulity.
Just as Neoth wavered in uncertainty, the vast cosmic power originating from Shenlong finally descended upon the Golden Throne without obstruction.
This was a complete restoration.
Before, only the soul had been repaired. Now, the body would be mended. He had made a bold promise, after all, and for him, this was a trivial task.
Hummmm!!!
In the deepest sanctum of the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, it was as if a golden sun had risen.
The light engulfed Neoth on the Golden Throne with precision. This radiance contained incomparable life essence and the restorative power of creation laws.
"Urgh—!"
Neoth let out a low growl that sounded scarcely human. It was not pain, but an extreme, indescribable shock.
It felt as if billions of warm, vibrant streams instantly flooded into his shell, which had been as dry and decayed as a desert.
"This rebirth process might be a little painful. Relax. Dizziness is normal," Shenlong's voice projected directly into the Emperor's mind.
The Emperor was somewhat bewildered. He desperately wanted to ask, Who the hell are you?
And what did he mean by "dizziness is normal"? His head was indeed spinning, but his whole body hurt, and even his soul ached.
And this wasn't just "a little painful," damn it!
Shenlong's power began to repair the corpse-flesh of the Emperor, which had been occupied by the Dark King, tormented by ten thousand years of agony and psychic backlash, and ravaged beyond recognition.
On the bones, dead skin resembling charcoal was the first to peel away, shattering into dust.
Immediately after, the muscle tissues beneath, shriveled like dried wood fibers, swelled and filled out at a visible rate.
New, vibrant pink muscle fibers wove together like the workings of the most precise loom, rapidly covering the exposed bone and re-contouring the once-majestic silhouette of the Master of Mankind.
The charred bones emitted a subtle, crisp sound like friction as cracks healed, becoming smooth and resilient like new ivory, even faintly glowing with golden light from within.
Inside the chest cavity, the withered heart that had stopped beating and shrunken to the size of a walnut gave a violent jolt.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of a heartbeat emerged—a vibrant, lively rhythm. This was the sound life should make.
As if injected with a surging torrent of life, the Emperor's withered heart began to beat powerfully.
Every contraction and expansion produced a dull, thunderous drumbeat of strength.
Lung lobes that had long rotted and lost function unfurled anew, greedily absorbing the life-breath purified by Shenlong's power from the air. Withered liver, kidneys, and other organs were reshaped and revitalized in the golden light.
Most shocking was Neoth's face.
The sunken features, resembling a mummy, were smoothed out gently as if by an invisible hand. The shriveled skin filled rapidly, regaining elasticity. The black char faded, revealing the healthy complexion of a human.
Sunken eye sockets were filled with fresh flesh and blood, and beneath eyelids that had been closed for ten thousand years, eyeballs quickly regained their vitality.
Sparse, dry hair and beard like withered grass fell out root by root, replaced by thick, lustrous black hair and beard flowing down like molten gold, growing rapidly to drape over his newly broad and solid shoulders.
His skin became smooth and tough, like that of a newborn, yet containing the inhuman durability of a Primarch.
Below the throne, the Custodes looked on with excitement. They did not know what was happening, but their true master, the one they had served for ten thousand years, was resurrecting.
"Praise the Great God-Emperor!"
"Salutations, Your Majesty."
"The Great God-Emperor is awakening!"
This phenomenon was far superior to when Axis had previously used ki to treat the Emperor. This time, the Emperor was truly resurrected.
The Grand Supreme Kai Emperor nodded with satisfaction. Then, with a wave of his hand, he cast a seal that directly repaired the broken Webway section beneath the Imperial Palace.
The Webway project that had once troubled him for so long was something he could now fix with a gesture. This way, his counterpart in this universe ten thousand years later would no longer need to sit upon the Golden Throne.
Help people to the end. You're welcome, other me.
…
Shenlong's massive head snapped up, golden light blazing in its eyes.
"The first wish... is granted! The Human Emperor's pure soul is revived and stabilized! I have also repaired his physical body to its most perfect state. He is now completely resurrected. What is the second wish?"
With Shenlong's solemn declaration, the terrifying aura that had enveloped the ship vanished instantly. The golden light on Shenlong, which had dimmed slightly from the exertion, became brilliant once more.
Guilliman went weak at the knees, nearly falling over, but Yvraine quickly supported him. Both of their eyes were filled with ecstasy and tears of disbelief. It worked! Father's soul... really came back!
Axis looked at Shenlong, the corners of his mouth curbing into a satisfied smile. "Beautiful work. No rush on the second wish."
"..." Shenlong was silent.
Who told him to be the creator, the master? If this were any other wisher, the dragon would have just left.
Axis casually tore open space, directly connecting the flagship to the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, and walked through with Guilliman.
"What exactly happened? Why... why did you resurrect me? You are not the Dark King," the resurrected Emperor asked.
At this moment, seated upon the Throne was no longer a corpse.
It was a giant wearing a simple linen robe, with black hair cascading like a waterfall, a thick beard, and a face of resolute majesty. His body was no longer withered but radiated power and the glow of life; it looked as if molten gold flowed beneath his skin.
Though he still sat, his posture was no longer that of imprisonment, but like a resting lion, ready to explode with star-shredding power at any moment.
Neoth slowly raised his hand. It was no longer dry bone, but covered in healthy skin. He gently clenched his fist, feeling the muscle contraction and the friction of bones, a tactile sense and feeling of power that had been lost for ages, now incredibly real.
"You can stand up from the Golden Throne now. I have sealed the broken Webway for you. You no longer need to sit there," the Grand Supreme Kai Emperor said.
"Fa... Father..." Tears streamed uncontrollably from Guilliman's eyes. This majestic figure, radiating boundless life and holy authority, was exactly the father from his deepest memories.
The one, godlike yet human, who had led humanity into the stars ten thousand years ago!
Not a cold object of faith, not a suffering corpse, but a living, breathing Father.
"Is that you, Guilliman? You have awakened," the Emperor said, nodding to him after a glance.
"Father, I have too much to tell you. It happened like this: this person is named Axis. He used a magical ancient... er, something called Shenlong to resurrect you. And this one is the Emperor from another world. Just now, the Dark King died at his hands. They are here to help us," Guilliman quickly stepped forward to explain the situation to the Emperor.
"You... you are another me? You come from a parallel universe? What exactly happened to you? Why were you able to defeat the Dark King?" The Emperor had never dreamed that the person who looked exactly like him would be himself from another world.
It seemed his other self was doing quite well. At least, much better than his miserable self.
"I am you, yet not you," said the Grand Supreme Kai Emperor. "I am a 'possibility' that took a different path at a fork in destiny. As for this power... it is called 'Godhood,' the authority to govern life and creation. The Dark King is nothing before my power. Defeating him is not something worth boasting about."
"That is truly surprising. I did not expect the final outcome to be this way, that the Dark King would die by your hand," the 40K Emperor said, nodding to his counterpart.
If defeating the Dark King isn't worth boasting about, then what am I? A jumping clown?
As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. At this moment, the Emperor felt only envy toward his other self.
Pressing his hands on the armrests of the Golden Throne, the Emperor lifted himself up. For the first time in ten millennia, he left the seat. He stood and stretched his body.
A series of cracks and pops resonated.
"I feel my body seems to have become much stronger, at least stronger than before," the Emperor remarked.
Indeed. His current body was far superior to what it was ten thousand years ago. It matched his soul perfectly. No longer was he a being of immense psychic power but weak flesh.
"When I resurrected you, I discovered your soul's capacity far exceeded your body. Since the wish was for a perfect resurrection, I strengthened your body to match the power of your soul."
At some point, Shenlong crossed countless light-years and appeared directly above Holy Terra.
Looking at the golden dragon that was larger than Holy Terra itself, the Emperor wore a look of astonishment.
"Many thanks, great being. The power you possess is breathtaking. Forgive my presumption, but what are you?" the 40K Emperor asked.
"Does this count as the second wish?" Shenlong asked expressionlessly. He would only explain things related to wishes; he had no interest in anything else.
"Of course that doesn't count. Thank you very much, Shenlong. There are no further wishes. You may depart," Axis said.
He did not intend to use the remaining two wishes.
The fewer wishes Shenlong granted, the faster it recovered, and the less minus energy it accumulated.
Black Smoke Shenron was no joke. The Shadow Dragons born from Earth's Dragon Balls possessed the power of Super Saiyan 4.
Considering the Shenlong he had created, if it turned dark, who knew what terrifying monster would emerge?
Axis estimated they would likely be multiverse-level threats. Shadow Dragons were typically far stronger than their predecessors.
The massive golden dragon nodded, then transformed into a burst of golden light and vanished, reverting into stones which Axis collected once more.
"So there were two more wishes? Why not speak them? Actually, there is someone else I wish to resurrect," the 40K Emperor said.
Since he could be resurrected, surely Malcador could be as well. He had just been about to ask for Malcador's return as the second wish.
"Shenlong's power is enough to alter the rules of the entire universe. You should understand that power does not appear from nothing; one must uphold the concept of equivalent exchange," Axis explained.
"Resurrecting you has completely and utterly changed the destiny of this universe. Therefore, the other two wishes are unnecessary."
We don't need Super Shenlong for that.
...
..
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