The Ring God righteously declared that they were the side of justice, a statement that caught the Four Chaos Gods completely off guard.
Since when did they, the four great Chaos Gods of the Warp, become the side of justice, tasked with stopping the atrocities of humanity?
The Ring God's speech held no appeal for the Chaos Gods of the Warp. The four gods merely nodded in response, playing along.
Of course, the Ring God didn't mind their perfunctory smiles and gestures; after all, if he were in their shoes, he wouldn't be swayed by a few words like that either.
Everyone's a villain, so why pretend to be a pure white lotus?
Ultimately, for any race or creature, self-interest is paramount.
Self-interest dictates whether they are willing to go through fire and water.
So, after speaking, the Ring God dispersed his ring-shaped body, clearing the path for the four of them to see.
"There is a new galaxy there.
Your combat power is too weak. The Chaos Gods in that galaxy are of the same origin as you. This is the best supplement, besides the origin I've given you.
Go now, plunder them, and turn them into your sustenance!"
"Humanity has brought destruction to too many races. Now you can go and bring destruction to the humans of that universe!"
The Chaos Gods had absolutely no interest in bringing destruction to humanity; they didn't care about it.
Which of the Chaos Gods present had not lived for countless ages? Which of them didn't know that the birth of a galactic overlord inevitably involved the shedding of blood from various races?
While humanity's actions were perhaps excessive, they were understandable.
As the strong, they had the right to decide the life and death of the weak.
The so-called equality of all, and peace between races, is fundamentally built upon both sides possessing comparable military power, capable of mutual destruction, before it can be established.
If all other races combined are no match for humanity, then peace can only rely on humanity's whim.
The Ring God's words were merely an attempt to cloak themselves in an aura of justice, to establish a semblance of legitimacy.
But among truly powerful races and civilizations, who would care about such things? No matter how many ants there are, they are still ants.
Even if they form a small mountain or become as tall as humans, a physical human can utterly obliterate their pieced-together form with a mere touch.
Although the prospect of their counterparts in another galaxy was very appealing, the Chaos Gods did not act rashly. Instead, they looked at the Ring God.
As beings who inherently possessed cosmic authority, they knew exactly how difficult they themselves were to deal with.
Possessing the same cosmic authority, even if there were some differences between them, the disparity was not enough to create an overwhelming advantage.
Compared to the origins of their counterparts in that other universe, it would be better to first divide the origin of the Ring God right in front of them, especially since he had personally promised to hand over his origin to the four of them.
Tzeentch, Slaanesh, Khorne, and Nurgle, the Four Chaos Gods, gazed at the Ring God's smooth body with greedy eyes, wishing they could devour him in one gulp.
Seeing that the four guys opposite him hadn't excitedly rushed to devour their other selves, the Ring God couldn't help but curse inwardly.
"Another four who won't budge without seeing the rabbit first."
"Alright," the Ring God sighed helplessly, "Since you want it... then I'll give you some 'down payment' first."
The Ring God suddenly split into four parts, each containing powerful primordial energy, slowly drifting towards the corresponding Chaos God.
"This is one-quarter of my origin," the Ring God explained, "Enough to significantly boost your power. When you complete the mission and return, I will give you the remaining parts."
The Ring God thought that this would be enough to get those four guys to do their job, but what he didn't expect was that Tzeentch no longer trusted him.
"This is the third time you've deceived us. Are you trying to deceive us again? Didn't you say you would give us all of your origin?"
"Is the Lord of Change in your eyes such an easily deceived being?"
If it were before, Tzeentch wouldn't have spoken to the Ring God like this, because the Ring God represented a vast source of origin and benefits, and could even help them fight against Zeke. But now things were different.
They discovered that their own universe actually had a passage to other universes.
No, that's not quite right. It should be that their own galaxy had other passages to reach other galaxies, and thus obtain more origin.
This meant they might be able to cooperate with Zeke... using the human army as a spearhead to conquer other galaxies, incorporating the local humans into humanity's grasp, while they, the Chaos Gods, would likewise devour their counterparts in other universes.
Although this new galaxy did not have a Imperium, and humanity was still in the midst of a warlord-ridden Dark Age of Technology, this was not a problem.
They believed that as long as they proposed such a trade request, Zeke would definitely agree.
At that time, the matters of the real universe would be handled by the human army, and when they fought in the Warp, they could also request the cooperation of the human psychic legions.
With the six Chaos Gods of the Warp attacking at full strength, they would be able to eliminate any resistance, and after they devoured their respective origins, they could advance further.
Moreover, they could also continue to open passages to other universes, since their universe had passages leading to other universes. What a wonderful joy that was.
Tzeentch no longer feared the Ring God.
Tzeentch's words represented the will of the Four Chaos Gods of the Warp. The other three also took a synchronized step forward, standing by Tzeentch's side. Their attitude was clear.
Either the Ring God handed over his origin to them, or they would personally tear the Ring God into pieces and each devour his origin.
The Ring God trembled violently in the Warp, clearly not expecting the Four Chaos Gods to be so unyielding. It tried to retreat, but found its escape route completely blocked by the power of the four gods.
"You... are you betraying the alliance?" The Ring God's voice carried clear incomprehension.
Tzeentch let out a cold laugh: "Alliance? When you deceived us again and again, did you ever think of an alliance?"
Nurgle's pus dripped onto the Ring God's surface, emitting a corrosive hiss: "Father doesn't like... lying children..."
Slaanesh elegantly caressed the Ring God's edge: "The pain caused by deception... needs to be repaid twofold, oh~"
Khorne directly swung his chainaxe at the Ring God: "Enough talk! Fight!"
The Four Gods attacked simultaneously, and powerful chaos energy instantly tore the Ring God apart. The Ring God let out a painful shriek, trying to reform but finding itself completely suppressed.
"No! You can't do this!" The fragments of the Ring God flashed wildly.
"If you dare to do this, then beware, my true form will come and cut you down!"
The Ring God issued his most important warning, but his warning was countered by a single sentence from Tzeentch.
"If you really dare to do that, then we will defect to Zeke right now, and then..."
"You can't beat him anyway, can you? And if we're gone, this galaxy will also collapse, and Zeke wouldn't want that to happen."
Tzeentch was confident.
Yuan Shen saw Tzeentch's blatant arrogance. He knew very well that his avatar couldn't deter these four Chaos Gods of the Warp, and with Zeke as a backup option, they became even more rampant.
Instead of completely pushing these four guys towards Zeke, it was better to compromise. After all, even if he didn't compromise, these four guys could still devour him entirely.
"Alright..." the ring sighed helplessly, "You win."
the ring suddenly burst into dazzling light, and its remaining primordial energy surged towards the four gods without reservation. This time, it held nothing back.
"Take it," the ring's voice became weak, "This is all of my primordial essence. Now... are you satisfied?"
The four gods greedily absorbed this powerful energy, and their strength visibly skyrocketed. The Warp violently vibrated due to the influx of this energy.
Tzeentch felt the newly acquired power with satisfaction: "Very good... this is the sincerity a collaboration should have."
Nurgle let out a pleased gurgle: "the paternity/father (nurgle's title) is very satisfied... with this gift..."
Slaanesh spun elegantly: "Such pure energy... truly delightful~"
Khorne's fighting spirit grew even stronger: "Battle! More battle!"
the ring became dim after its energy was exhausted: "Now... can you fulfill your promise?"
Tzeentch sneered: "Of course."
"After all, going there also benefits us, doesn't it?"
Seeing Tzeentch agree, Yuan Shen's figure completely vanished from this universe, and his last hidden move also disappeared.
Now he could only hope that the Chaos Gods would keep their promise or fear his true body and, upon arrival, kill them all. He couldn't rely on anything else.
However, Yuan Shen's hope that the Chaos Gods would keep their promise was obviously a very foolish idea. Who were they? Were the words "Chaos Gods" just for show?
Had anyone ever seen a villain keep their word?
The Imperium of Man?
They could occasionally raid and cause some trouble for the Imperium of Man, but they would never allow the Imperium of Man to be completely annihilated.
Now Zeke was still helping the Emperor solve the problem of ascending to godhood. Why bother those two guys?
Did they want the Emperor to ascend to godhood?
If that guy really ascended to godhood... Zeke, the Emperor, plus Weiss who appeared before, three people chasing them and fighting in the Warp.
Just thinking about that situation made the four great Chaos Gods of the Warp feel a chill in their hearts.
This was not the situation they wanted to face; that would truly be an endless hatred, and they wouldn't even be able to side with Zeke.
The four evil gods exchanged glances and returned to their respective domains, idly waiting inside.
They were waiting for the Emperor's ascension to godhood to be suppressed, waiting for Zeke to return to the real universe and lead humanity's army to first defeat the Tyranid Swarm.
As for the passage they had just opened, the four evil gods naturally worked together to seal it again. It wouldn't be too late for them to officially launch an attack after Zeke and his allies were free.
Just as the Chaos Gods of the Warp made their decision, returned to their respective domains, and temporarily went into hiding, Zeke, who was helping the Emperor suppress his desire to ascend to godhood next to the golden throne, also breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems these guys haven't gone so mad as to fight us to the death. I thought these guys were fooled by Yuan Shen and were going to fight us desperately."
Zeke's tone was relaxed. He had originally thought that under Yuan Shen's handling, the Chaos Gods would clash head-on with them in a desperate fight, but he didn't expect these guys to still be rational.
"Not to that extent. I've dealt with them for so many years; they wouldn't be that stupid."
"Before, those four were not so much trying to fight us to the death as they were putting on a show, and incidentally, trying to make us suffer a big, but not fatal, loss."
"After all, as you know, for such a long time, those four haven't gained any advantage, so it's understandable that they want to turn the tide this time."
the Emperor clearly understood what his four old adversaries were thinking.
Wasn't it just that after Zeke appeared, the chaos side suffered losses again and again? So they wanted to take advantage of Zeke being tied up this time to turn the tide?
"What you said makes sense, but since I was a child, a fortune teller told me that I was born with good fortune and would never suffer a loss."
The Emperor nodded noncommittally at Zeke's words.
Who would dare say he wasn't born with good fortune?
Born into House Yaeger, the strongest family in the Imperium of Man, the most complete inheritor of the Terran Dominion, possessing a vast army and the most advanced technological support.
He himself also possessed a powerful civilization that was rapidly on its way. What else could such a person be but born with good fortune?
Not to mention that Zeke still had a powerful civilization on its way; merely the existence of House Yaeger was enough for him to once again embark on the great endeavor of fighting for humanity.
Humanity's armies would once again crush the resistance throughout the Galaxy.
If Zeke wasn't considered born with good fortune, then there would be no one in this Galaxy, in this universe, who was.
"Alright, the Emperor, don't speak. I'll first suppress your potential for ascension so you can relax for a while. After resolving your matters here, there's still a heap of trouble in the real universe that I need to handle."
"The war at the edge of the Galaxy with The Great Devourer cannot be underestimated; this problem must be resolved as quickly as possible."
"Moreover, the situation within the Galaxy is not optimistic. The necrons, although they have temporarily buried the hatchet with us, there are also the orks in addition to the necrons.
These orks are not easy to deal with either."
"The Old Ones as a species certainly have some merits; the ork Beasts they created are indeed astonishingly fierce, and their technology is developing rapidly. War will drive their development, and I have already seen the emergence of many ancient orks."
"I need time, I need time to deal with these ork Beasts first, otherwise, those mere 40 battle moon fleets are just an appetizer."
Compared to the threat of the Tyranid Swarm, Zeke was more concerned about the threat of these orks at this time. After all, the necrons had already joined the war against the Tyranid Swarm.
The Galaxy was not just humanity's Galaxy; the necrons also regarded it as their home. Protecting their home and sending fleets to battle was naturally what they should do.
Moreover, the necrons also needed to use their battle achievements from killing the Tyranid Swarm to exchange for souls with humanity.
In contrast, the orks were the most dangerous threat that the Imperium of Man needed to solve right now.
The threat of the Chaos Gods of the Warp had come to an end. The next target: defeat the ork Beasts!
Ch.
Zeke's target was the ork Beasts; he planned to wipe out this most powerful enemy in one fell swoop, but things never change according to one person's thoughts.
The Galaxy is chaotic, even without the War in Heaven between the necrons and House Yaeger.
The fleets of both sides have already reached the edge of the Galaxy to engage in battle, jointly fighting a large-scale confrontation with the Tyranid Swarm to protect the Galaxy.
But there are always some races that can't understand the situation and jump out to court death.
Just as when the War in Heaven erupted, the Imperium of Man, under Zeke's command, dispatched a large number of diplomatic envoys to numerous young races in the Galaxy to declare humanity's resolution.
This plan was executed.
Even though the war between the necrons and humanity had stopped and did not fully erupt, representatives from the high lord had already gone to various races in space to declare humanity's decision, and this naturally included the tau.
The tau—
This is a young race that was once targeted by the Imperium, but due to the harassment of Warp storms, this young race's development plan by the Imperium was interrupted.
Subsequently, this race rapidly rose, undertaking several celestial expansions, bringing a large number of other alien civilizations under its banner, becoming a "formidable" power in the Galaxy.
Although their power cannot be compared with civilizations like the Imperium of Man, the necrons, or the Tyranid Swarm, it must be said that they have made a name for themselves and are capable of sitting at the table.
This is an empire with a completely different style from the Warhammer Universe's Imperium of Man, which is beautifully reflected in their equipment.
At first glance at the T'au Empire's weapons, you can see that they are completely different from the Imperium of Man's past weapons.
Full of steel and a mechanical feel, the tau are not good at close-quarters combat; they excel at precise strikes and long-range attacks, a fighting style that is more akin to a starfaring civilization.
If Zeke were to evaluate them, among many starfaring civilizations, the T'au Empire might be the only normal one; the Imperium of Man is merely a great civilization whose tech tree was broken, forcing it to piece things together.
Although the T'au Empire is a young race, their armaments are not too bad, for example, the pulse rifle most commonly used by their infantry.
The principle of this weapon is to use an electromagnetic field to propel subatomic particles, breaking them down in a lead canister to produce pulse rounds. The power, accuracy, and range of this thing all exceed the Imperium's standard laser guns.
Although there is a huge gap compared to the gauss rifles now being fully equipped by the Astra Militarum, it is much stronger than the Imperial Army of the past.
This weapon can easily penetrate Astartes' power armour, preventing the Astartes from slaughtering and rampaging like they would against ordinary, lower-tier races.
However, it needs to be reiterated that this refers to the Space Marines Astartes of the past and has no relation to the current Space Marines.
In addition to these, their ground forces are also equipped with battlesuits, or what could also be called Gundams, which have a distinct neon flavor.
These battlesuits make the tau look more like a starfaring civilization, unlike the very abstract Imperium of Man.
The tau are a civilization with brilliant technology, and this civilization indeed possesses endless potential because they believe in the greater good.
the greater good, when spoken through the mouths of the Water Caste, can deceive many, many civilizations.
Because of this, the tau remain arrogant; while they fear the Imperium of Man, they do not directly side with the Imperium of Man like ordinary small empires.
When the representative sent by the high lord arrived at the T'au Empire, the T'au Empire not only did not directly declare allegiance to the Imperium of Man.
Instead, they "soft-imprisoned" the Imperium of Man's representative, treating him well, and attempted to persuade this diplomatic representative of the Imperium of Man to embrace the greater good.
This action was not only unthinkable to Zeke but also to the high lord of the Imperium of Man.
Even the human representative who came to persuade the T'au Empire to surrender had not expected it.
He is now trapped on a T'au Empire home world, with a Water Caste diplomat sitting opposite him.
Human diplomat Marcus Von Tanith looked expressionlessly at the Water Caste diplomat before him; this was already the 107th "persuasion to surrender" meeting this month.
These T'au were like brain-damaged individuals, unable to understand human speech, coming over every so often to try and persuade him to surrender.
They offered all sorts of benefits, such as various smuggled goods and high-tech items. If this were offered to other minor border nobles, some might be tempted, but... who was he?
His family was a member of the High Lords Council; as one of the Imperium of Man's top echelons, how could he be swayed by such petty gains?
Moreover, the Emperor was walking among men; who would dare to do such a thing?
"Let me be clear: the Imperium of Man gives you two choices. First, unconditional surrender, accepting the Imperium's rule and transformation. Second..."
He paused, his eyes sharpening: "...complete annihilation."
The Water Caste diplomat elegantly shook his head: "You are too stubborn, Mr. Tanith. the greater good is a broad road prepared for all intelligent races. As long as you are willing to accept..."
Seeing the Water Caste diplomat once again bring up this matter, Marcus Von Tanith decisively interrupted what he was about to say next.
"I've said it many times, I will never turn to your greater good. This universe can only achieve true prosperity under the leadership of the two Emperors."
"I warn you, this is the last time. I don't want to hear any more messages. Either you declare your stance now, or let me leave, or I will die here..."
"I hope you understand what a stir it would cause if an Imperium of Man diplomat were to die in your T'au Empire.
At that time, the Imperial Army' pacification army will surely arrive here, completely wiping out your civilization and eliminating all xenos. This is the last chance we give you!"
At this moment, Marcus Von Tanith did not know that the situation in the Galaxy had once again undergone earth-shattering changes.
If it weren't for the consideration that the T'au Empire's army was useful for filling lines and reducing casualties for his own Astra Militarum, he would not have continued to waste words with the T'au Empire here.
The Water Caste diplomat maintained an elegant smile, attempting to further secure his support: "Mr. Tanith, why be so impatient? We can..."
"Five minutes," Marcus interrupted, and the timer on his wrist began to count down.
Marcus' patience was completely exhausted; he felt that continuing to talk to these people who couldn't understand human speech was an insult to him.
He might as well die here and return his soul to the golden throne.
As he spoke, he also picked up his weapon, a plasma gun.
This gun was left in his hand by the T'au as a sign of respect for the Imperium of Man; now, this gun became his best weapon for suicide.
The plasma gun was not aimed at the surrounding T'au, but rather raised to his own forehead; if this fellow continued to spout nonsense, he would shoot himself.
The Water Caste diplomat's smile finally froze on his face. He watched the blue glow of the plasma pistol in Marcus' hand, his elegant composure cracking.
"Mr. Tanith! Please calm down!" The diplomat's voice carried clear panic. "We can talk more!"
"Four minutes." Marcus' voice was cold as iron, his finger already on the trigger. "Either give me a clear answer now, or I'll use my own blood to give you a final warning."
The surrounding tau guards exchanged tense glances, their pulse rifles slightly raised, but no one dared to act rashly.
They all knew that if this Human diplomat truly died here, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Although they absolutely could not make a move without receiving orders.
However, the Fire Caste soldiers were still ready; as soon as the Water Caste diplomat needed it, they would immediately shoot down that plasma pistol.
The Water Caste diplomat took a deep breath: "Alright... I understand. Please put down your weapon, we..."
"Three minutes." Marcus interrupted, pressing the muzzle harder against his own temple. "I don't need your promises, only results. Immediately contact your highest command and give me a clear answer of surrender."
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the door was once again pushed open by several Fire Caste guards.
An Ethereal, completely unlike the surrounding tau, walked in.
He held a string of prayer beads in his hand and entered the negotiation room under the respectful gazes of the other tau members.
The Ethereals are the ruling class among the tau. In this caste-like system of the tau, the Ethereals' commands are almost absolute.
If an Ethereal commanded a tau member to die, they would honorably and unhesitatingly die.
The Ethereal walked into the negotiation room, under the expectant gazes of the other tau, and approached Marcus Von Tanith.
"Why is this guest so angry? Why not sit down with us and talk properly? This goes against the greater good, doesn't it?"
"After all, you are our guest, and we must provide the necessary hospitality. Allow me to introduce myself."
The Ethereal bowed elegantly: "I am Ethereal Council member Kova'la. Please allow me, on behalf of the T'au Empire, to extend our sincerest apologies."
"It is a rare and joyful occasion for a guest of the Imperium of Man to arrive at our T'au Empire. It is our honor to engage in equal communication with you."
Seeing the Ethereal's appearance, Marcus Von Tanith slowly lowered the plasma pistol that had been pointed at his forehead.
After waiting so long, the people of the T'au Empire finally sent someone qualified to negotiate, instead of a group of... what were they before?
Marcus slowly lowered the plasma pistol, but his gaze remained sharp: "Councilor Kova'la, I hope you understand the current situation. The Imperium of Man is not requesting, but commanding."
Kova'la maintained his elegant smile: "Of course, we completely understand the Imperium's position. It's just... such a significant decision requires time for deliberation."
"Time?" Marcus sneered. "You have already wasted too much time. My patience is limited."
"Of course, of course, I certainly know your time is limited. We are an equal nation, so it also takes time for us to make a decision. Please try to understand."
The Ethereal said so.
"After all, doesn't the Imperium respect the customs of the people on various planets? This is the custom of our T'au Empire. Can the Imperium not tolerate even this much?"
"We also want to reach a conclusion quickly, but as you know, we do not have the powerful warp travel capabilities that the Imperium possesses, so this is already our limit."
The other party clearly still wanted to stall, but Marcus Von Tanith did not continue to raise his plasma pistol to threaten the Ethereal in front of him.
Since these Ethereals had already come out, it was time to talk properly with them. It would be good to bring back a group of cannon fodder for the Imperium, so as not to waste the Imperium's precious military strength on these useless beings.
"Very well, I can give you time to continue discussing, but this time is limited. I will give you a maximum of 24 standard Terra days, not a single day more!"
Although the Imperium of Man wanted to acquire cannon fodder for its front-line troops, the Imperium was not actually short of cannon fodder, so the time given could naturally not be very generous; a final limit was directly imposed.
"Very well, we are grateful that you can grant us this time. We will proceed with discussions immediately, hoping to provide the Imperium of Man with a satisfactory answer for all."
The Ethereal showed no anger; instead, he accepted the statement.
Although the surrounding Fire Caste and Water Caste personnel were somewhat confused, they didn't understand why the Ethereal was being so subservient, but an Ethereal was an Ethereal, and no matter how many doubts they had, they had to remain silent.
This meeting ended in the same manner, and Marcus Von Tanith was sent back to his quarters.
However, immediately after the diplomat of the Imperium of Man was sent away, the Ethereal convened another meeting.
Surrendering to the Imperium of Man was impossible, even though their previous attempts at Expansion had failed several times.
But this could not extinguish the T'au Empire's fervor; they still had to advance towards the goals they believed in!
Now, under the leadership of their Supreme Archon Ang'vath, they would begin their 5th Sphere Expansion.
Although the T'au Empire could not fully comprehend the situation of the Imperium of Man, they had still managed to understand some parts.
At this time, the Imperium of Man was facing a multitude of enemies; they needed to fight against chaos forces on one side and against the orks on the other.
Just from what they understood, these two enemies were powerful enough, and they believed that the Imperium of Man was beleaguered and unable to stop them from carrying out their 3rd Sphere Expansion.
The T'au Empire wanted to re-expand their allied worlds to establish them as stepping stones for the T'au Empire to advance further.
And for this Expansion, the T'au Empire had dispatched too many Water Caste personnel and various other individuals to incite other factions, including certain remote planets of the Imperium of Man.
Currently, the T'au Empire, relying on their the greater good and the eloquence of the Water Caste, had successfully persuaded 36 border Human worlds, which had not yet received significant attention from the Terran Dominion's House Yaeger or the Imperium of Man, to join the T'au Empire.
Other interstellar factions and civilizations were also not few. Having achieved so much, how could the T'au Empire surrender to the Imperium of Man at this time? This was absolutely impossible!
The words spoken earlier were merely to stabilize the other party.
Aun'Va sat at the head of the table, with the rest of the attendees being other members of the T'au Empire. Aun'Va, who had personally come here, took out a string of prayer beads.
"O'Kais, take this."
"This can disrupt the Imperium representative's perception of time. Place this item around his living quarters to disorient his sense of time, buying us more time."
"The Imperium comes with ill intentions, but it doesn't matter. We shall, under the guidance of the Greater Good, spread the glory of the Greater Good throughout the entire Empire and across the entire galaxy."
The T'au Empire remained confident in its future.
In their view, the Imperium was already struggling to defend itself, and this was the perfect time for them to achieve victory under the guidance of the Greater Good.
O'Kais extended his hands and reverently accepted the artifact from Aun'Va, carefully storing it in his possession.
As he carefully put away the artifact, Aun'Va then looked at all of them, encouraging them.
"Everyone, we are now facing an unprecedented change in the galaxy, and this is our day of rise!"
"necrons?
We had never even heard of them before, but the fact that they can wage war against the Imperium already indicates their power.
The Imperium and this necron Empire have launched a large-scale, galaxy-wide war. This is not something we can interfere with!"
"However, the strength of the Imperium is evident to all of us. I do not believe the Imperium will lose to the necrons."
"In that case, their mutual destruction is an inevitable outcome. This is our opportunity; they will both fall before us!"
Aun'Va's words were undoubtedly inspiring. Upon hearing this, the T'au of various castes became excited, stood up in unison, bowed deeply, and shouted loudly.
The T'au Empire had no intention of compromising with the Imperium; in fact, they were preparing to poach the Imperium's worlds. This matter escalated after this conversation.
Since O'Kais had placed the artifact given to him by Aun'Va around the residence of Marius von Tanis.
Marius von Tanis did not notice for a full two months that the deadline he had given had long since expired.
The T'au Empire, meanwhile, used this rare period of peace they had gained to intensify their efforts to incite rebellion on the frontier planets of the Imperium, and as their efforts succeeded,
In 002.M42, the T'au Empire disregarded the Imperium's warnings and their final ultimatum for them to submit to Imperial rule. They brazenly incited 36 planets in the Damocles Gulf, a far eastern frontier of the Imperium, to join the T'au Empire.
Such an action was undoubtedly a severe slap in the face to the Imperium.
Guilliman, who was fighting Nurgle's chaos daemon and his own brother in the Ultramar region, was absolutely furious upon hearing this news.
A fuming Guilliman raged on Ultramar!
"Damn them! How dare these xenos, how dare they commit such an act!"
"If they want to die, then let's grant them their wish!"
Guilliman was, to say the least, extremely angered by their actions.
He simply couldn't understand where the T'au Empire found the audacity to directly incite Imperial worlds to join their empire.
Just like before, this was undoubtedly shitting on the Empire's head!
Did they think the Empire was incapable of destroying them now?
The Empire had indeed faced various difficulties before—orks, tyranids, and necrons—but now the Empire had reserves!
The standoff between the necrons and humanity had been resolved, with the necrons deploying their fleets to the galactic rim to collectively resist the tyranids. This action allowed the Imperium to breathe a sigh of relief.
The fleet that had been confronting the necrons was now in a dormant phase.
Guilliman originally intended to deploy this fleet to the Ultramar region to help him deal with his brother first, but the T'au Empire's actions further infuriated Guilliman!
Guilliman, whose soul was that of the Avenging Son, though educated to be a being who preferred to overcome everything with reason and favored development, this did not mean he was not the Avenging Son!
In his fury, Guilliman immediately decided to mobilize the Emperor's personal expeditionary fleet left by Zeke to flatten the T'au Empire.
However, fortunately, before he issued such an order, Calgar, the current Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, stepped forward.
Calgar knelt before Guilliman and shouted loudly: "Primarch, please reconsider!"
"To deal with a small T'au Empire, why mobilize the Emperor's personal expeditionary fleet for suppression? It would be better to deploy that fleet to the Ultramar region to eliminate the traitors first!"
Rather than eliminating those foolish T'au, Calgar was more concerned about the situation in the Ultramar region.
After all, the traitor Primarchs were continuously attacking the Ultramar region.
Instead of wasting precious military resources on the T'au Empire now, it would be better to rescue the Ultramar region first. These were the first worlds to undergo the Dominion's transformation!
What this represented was self-evident: it was a benchmark for the Empire's subsequent transformation of other worlds.
At the same time, the Ultramar region was also the home of their Ultramarines, and they were unwilling to see these homes attacked by chaos forces.
However, the already enraged and somewhat impulsive Guilliman was not so easily persuaded.
Seeing that his Primarch was still furious and unwilling to accept his suggestion, Calgar was also frantic.
What to do?
What could he do to persuade his Primarch to abandon the idea of mobilizing the Emperor's personal expeditionary fleet to kill a chicken with a butcher's knife, swat a mosquito with a sledgehammer, or use an anti-aircraft gun for such a target?
In a moment of inspiration, Calgar actually thought of a solution.
"Primarch, we can order the Warmaster to handle this matter."
Warmaster Polius Carius, who had been given orders by Zeke and the Emperor to become the Imperial Warmaster, was a Warmaster.
His constant task had been to hunt down chaos forces and incorporate various planets in the galaxy into Imperial rule.
But his mission, compared to his massive fleet, seemed like an armed parade.
Such a large fleet parading around, previously, was for strategic purposes.
But now it was different; now it was time to crush the T'au Empire and declare the Imperium's stance to all xenos!
Calgar's advice succeeded, and Guilliman regained his composure, issuing his orders after recovering his reason.
"Order the Emperor's Custodian fleet to come to Ultramar to prepare and eliminate chaos forces with us!"
"In the name of the Emperor, issue an order to the Warmaster, Imperial Warmaster Polius Carius! Tell him the Empire needs him, and let him fight for the Empire, to utterly crush the T'au Empire, in the name of humanity's Manifest Destiny!"
Instructions from Guilliman, amplified by the Imperium's powerful communication systems, quickly reached the current Warmaster.
Karl Reiss looked at the directive before him, and his entire being became excited!
Finally! Was it finally his turn?
How long had it been? How long had it been? Was it finally his turn?
He had been leading the army through the galaxy like an armed parade, unable to encounter any enemies, which was simply a waste of the Imperium's resources!
Such behavior undoubtedly made the Warmaster feel very guilty, but now he finally had something important to do!
The Second Crusade Army, which was the fleet under the Warmaster's command, had previously had 500 Glorious gloriana-class battleships and 1,000 emperor-class battleships requisitioned by Guilliman.
Now, his remaining main fleet consisted of 1,000 Glorious gloriana-class battleships and 1,000 emperor-class battleships, along with his flagship, the titan Second.
Although this fleet had been severely weakened, with a portion of it transferred away by Regent Guilliman,
its power was still sufficient to run rampant through the galaxy and defeat most enemies!
"Convene a meeting. The Regent has ordered us to destroy the T'au Empire!"
In his excitement, Karl Reiss did not forget to get down to business. He immediately prepared to gather the high-ranking officers of the entire Expeditionary fleet and lead the fleet towards the T'au Empire!
Under his command, the Second Crusade Army commanders, including the Iron Man commanders and other officers, who were originally dispersed to operate in the surrounding areas of the Imperium, quickly returned to his flagship.
"Warmaster!"
"Warmaster!"
"Warmaster!"
Amidst calls of "Warmaster," Karl Reiss arrived at the meeting hall of his Second, where all the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Expeditionary fleet were present.
The morale of the Expeditionary fleet remained high. After all, the time that had passed in the Imperium was nothing, and the Expeditionary fleet had already crushed hundreds of alien worlds, bringing hundreds of Imperial worlds back under the Imperium's rule.
Although such achievements seemed somewhat disproportionate to their massive fleet, achievements were achievements and still excited the generals participating in this expedition.
Most importantly, their Warmaster had never before convened a meeting that called everyone back, which meant that a major battle was likely imminent.
Everyone present was not foolish; they were all skilled in politics, as the Imperium could force any excellent general to become a competent politician, so they all understood this point.
Enemies meant military merits, and everyone's calls of "Warmaster" could be said to come from the bottom of their hearts.
"Gentlemen, you are too kind. I will not waste your time with pleasantries and will directly explain the current situation."
"This situation was directly ordered by Regent Guilliman. Our mission is no longer to eliminate ordinary xenos in the galaxy, but to strike directly at the T'au Empire!"
"The foolish T'au Empire has incited 36 Imperial frontier worlds to turn to their so-called Greater Good. This is a provocation to the entire Imperium, and the Imperium must retaliate and punish them, annihilating their race!"
"Regent Guilliman has emphasized that there is no sacrifice too great for the Imperium to accept, and no betrayal too small to be tolerated!"
"Therefore, our next objective is very clear. Upon your return, gather your respective battleships and fleets and prepare to depart!"
"In the name of the Emperor, in the name of humanity's manifest destiny, crush them!"
Karl Reiss said so much, but what others heard was that there was a heretic who dared to deceive Imperial worlds and betray the Emperor.
Now the Imperium wanted them to eliminate that heretic. This was an easy military merit to acquire; they must be eliminated!
"For the Emperor! For Humanity!" all the generals roared in unison, their voices echoing in the meeting hall.
Karl Reiss nodded in satisfaction: "Very good! Execute the following deployment immediately.
"The Imperium has already engaged in war with the T'au Empire before, so we can continue to use the tactics previously established."
"The main fleet will directly warp into the Damocles Gulf. We will first eliminate all those traitors."
While eliminating those traitors, dispatch a small fleet to the Hydass System to destroy the tau homeworld, T'au's home world of T'au'n!"
"First, secure a victory to make Regent Guilliman feel somewhat appeased."
"Everyone should know that Regent Guilliman was quite angered when he received this news, and it is necessary for us to alleviate our Regent's worries."
For Karl Reiss, he did not need to devise any strategies; the vast fleet of the Imperium of Man was enough to flatten the minuscule xenos civilization of the T'au Empire!
The previous attack on the T'au Empire was merely a patrol fleet, consisting mainly of lunar class cruisers with a few ordinary frigates and destroyers, which had already made the T'au Empire pay a heavy price.
Although the T'au Empire's technology had made some progress and advancements during this period, this still posed no problem for the Imperium of Man.
This statement made it sound as if the Imperium of Man had not made significant progress and advancements during this period. Hadn't the Imperium also continuously strengthened its technological capabilities with the help of Terran Dominion scientists?
And even if it hadn't strengthened, what then? With the Imperium deploying such a large-scale fleet, what else could the T'au Empire do besides obediently lie down and await death, without bothering the Imperial military personnel?
The operational meeting ended so directly and hastily. The reason for holding this operational meeting was primarily to explain the upcoming events to everyone and to inform them that there were more merits to be gained.
The T'au Empire was undoubtedly a very weak civilization; for the Expeditionary fleet, there was no need for the main force to advance.
If it weren't for Regent Guilliman's order for the Warmaster to personally resolve this matter, the Expeditionary fleet would never have deployed all its members.
At most, two emperor-class battleships and one Glorious gloriana-class battleship, along with some attached sub-fleets, would be enough to completely flatten the opponent.
After everyone left, Karl Reiss stood alone in his command room, looking at the direction of the star sea, his mind filled with myriad thoughts.
He was going to the Damocles Gulf, which was very close to his home. It was time to bring the Second Sector back under the Imperium of Man's jurisdiction.
He had initially wanted to launch an expedition to reclaim his homeland.
Later, due to a direct appointment by the Emperor, he became the Warmaster and Imperial Warmaster, so he had to prioritize the Imperium's interests and did not prioritize reclaiming his homeland first.
Instead, he mobilized troops to prioritize saving the worlds in the Segmentum Obscurus and Ultima Segmentum that were under chaos attack.
Now it was different; his old home was around the Damocles Gulf.
When suppressing the rebellion, it shouldn't be too much to reclaim his homeland along the way, right?
Karl Reiss thought to himself.
Before the Warmaster's Expeditionary fleet even reached Damocles Gulf, the Imperium of Man's patrol fleets in the surrounding areas had already proactively launched attacks against the T'au Empire!
Traitors! Everyone should punish them. Now, at the Imperium's most critical moment, someone dares to become a traitor. This is a provocation to the entire Imperium!
They remembered the Emperor's kindness to them in their hearts.
Therefore, when someone chose to secede from the Imperium, the patrol fleet immediately rushed to one of those planets and subjected it to orbital bombardment.
The Imperium of Man's patrol fleet in the Damocles Gulf region, due to the presence of a T'au Empire here and the Emperor's attention to this area, received a new batch of support two years ago.
To counter the threat of the T'au Empire, the Imperium of Man sent the local patrol fleet four new lunar class cruisers.
Four Gothic class cruisers, and one Retribution class battleship!
In addition to his original lunar class cruiser, 8 Sword class frigates, and 5 Cobra class destroyers.
This means that the patrol fleet that arrived was composed of one battleship, 9 cruisers, 8 frigates, and 5 destroyers.
Furthermore, since the rebellious world was an Imperial world, the Imperial Guard was also mobilized.
Behind them were eight transport ships, carrying a total of 4 million Imperial Guard troops.
They were accompanied by about 400 Space Wolves.
The Space Wolves had 2 strike cruisers and one battle barge.
Although the fleet dispatched this time was not as powerful as the first Damocles Gulf expedition, this was merely a patrol fleet; the true expeditionary forces were still behind.
The patrol fleet's first target was the world of Nimbosa, which had defected to the T'au Empire.
This world had already defected to the T'au Empire three years prior, but at that time, the T'au Empire had not announced it to the entire galaxy as it did now!
The Imperium of Man was in a very troubled state at the time, so no one had the time to deal with this world.
But now it was different; the T'au Empire brazenly announced to the entire galaxy that everyone would bow before them, and even incited Imperial worlds to declare independence!
The Ultima Segmentum Far East Special Sector, which had long since recorded them, was extremely displeased, and this world was the first to face their wrath.
The Imperial patrol fleet appeared majestically in the planet's orbit and rained death upon them!
No betrayal was too small to be tolerated; even if Zeke was good to the citizens of the Imperium of Man, no betrayal was small enough to be allowed!
These traitors must pay the price, especially for those worlds that were not taken by force.
Those worlds taken by force might be shown some leniency, but those who defected on their own were different!
The enraged Imperium of Man fleet furiously unleashed death and fire upon this world, with large numbers of Lances and macro-cannons continuously pouring onto the planet.
However, the local tau were well-prepared for such an attack.
They had long known about this patrol fleet, and knowing about this patrol fleet, yet still daring to undertake this action, they must have had a way to deal with it.
Therefore, when this patrol fleet appeared, the tau on their side also made their move.
Commander Yingyang was the supreme commander of the T'au Empire's 5th Expansion fleet, and he was also the most brilliant fleet commander in the history of the T'au Empire.
When the Imperium of Man's fleet arrived at the world of Nimbosa to conduct orbital bombardment and punish the traitors, he also reacted accordingly.
The T'au Empire's 5th Expansion fleet began preparing to counterattack the Imperium of Man.
From the main fleet of the T'au Empire's 5th Expansion fleet, half of their fleet was dispatched at once, including 5 Sovereign class battleships, 8 Guardian class carriers, 12 cruisers, and 54 destroyers and frigates of various types, as well as some other supporting fleets; this was a powerful fleet.
The T'au Empire had prepared for this 5th Expansion for a long time; unlike the Imperium of Man, they did not need to perform rituals and anoint with holy oils to build warships like the Tech-Priests; they could build quickly and directly, and they would also use artificial intelligence.
Because of this, with the T'au Empire's full effort, they built a massive fleet, and only half of its main fleet was needed to deal with the Imperium of Man's patrol fleet in this area.
Regarding whether the Imperium of Man would send more fleets to attack them, the T'au had plans and contingencies for this.
Therefore, they built a legion that only needed to dispatch half of its main fleet to deal with the Imperium of Man's patrol fleet.
The remaining half of the fleet was to intercept the Imperium of Man's relief forces. The T'au, with their mindset, could not imagine the true scale of the Imperium of Man's fleet.
However, while they couldn't imagine how powerful the Imperium of Man truly was, they could imagine the Imperium of Man's current predicament.
The T'au did not believe that the Imperium of Man, facing its current difficulties, would still pay attention to them and send its main fleet to deal with them.
Half of the T'au Empire fleet began to set sail towards the patrol fleet's location; they would completely annihilate the Imperium of Man's patrol fleet, thereby further achieving their 5th Expansion!
To ensure the smooth progress of this operation, the supreme commander of the T'au Empire fleet, Commander Yingyang, also specifically accompanied this fleet.
It was to ensure that the T'au Empire's fleet could successfully defeat the Imperium of Man's fleet, which would then establish a solid foundation.
The T'au Empire used warp travel, and since they had already prepared and were not far from the Imperium of Man's fleet's location.
Therefore, the T'au Empire's fleet would only need one day to reach the designated location; they could arrive at the designated combat position in one standard Terran day.
This was an action the T'au Empire considered a sure thing, but little did they know that as soon as their fleet began to move, it was discovered by the Astra Militarum of the Far East Sector. An order was given to the patrol fleet.
"A T'au Empire fleet is advancing towards your position. Engage them at your discretion. If you can destroy them, do so.
If you cannot destroy them, focus on entanglement. The Imperium's expeditionary army will arrive in only 16 standard Terran days."
"The Warmaster's fleet is already en route."
"Fight well, don't lose face. If you lose face for us humans, you won't be fleet commander anymore!"
Thanks to the early warning from the Far East Military Region of the Ultima Segmentum, the Imperium of Man's fleet quickly pinpointed the direction of the T'au Empire's fleet and began setting up a trap.
At the same time, the Imperium of Man's fleet in the Far East Military Region had already engaged the T'au Empire's fleet several times, so the local Imperial Navy possessed considerable experience.
The T'au Empire's navy is typically operated by professional Air Caste military personnel, and they prefer to decide battles at medium to long range using maneuverability and precise firepower.
The core of the Imperial trap was to drag the battle into close-quarters melee, forcing T'au ships to abandon their advantages and enter the heavy firepower meat grinder that the Imperium of Man excels at.
Targeting the T'au Empire's military system, the Imperium of Man's battleships began deploying a large number of mine traps in the Void to counter the approaching T'au Empire battleships.
Wars between fleets require time, and since they knew the enemy's direction and position in advance, they could naturally prepare targeted countermeasures, such as deploying a large number of torpedoes and mines in the T'au Empire's inevitable path through the Void.
These weapons would be used to greet the potentially arriving T'au Empire battleships, ensuring that as soon as they entered deep space, they would encounter a barrage of Void mines.
This method would first deplete the T'au Empire battleships' shields, securing a sufficient advantage for the upcoming fleet battle.
The Imperial fleet began setting up traps. Only after the Imperial fleet had completed deploying a large number of Void minefields and torpedo arrays did the T'au Empire's fleet finally arrive.
Thanks to their relatively advanced technology, the T'au Empire's fleet discovered the large number of mines already deployed by the Imperium of Man on their way. To destroy these Void mines, Commander Yingyang, the commander of the T'au Empire's advance fleet, issued an order.
"Motherships, release your carrier-based aircraft to clear those mines in the Void and open up a suitable position for us!"
The hangars of the T'au Empire motherships slowly opened, and swarms of Barracuda bombers, and Tiger Shark and Sun Shark air superiority fighters poured out like bees, rushing towards the Void minefield laid by the Imperium of Man.
These carrier-based aircraft precisely cleared one Void mine after another, carving out a safe passage through the minefield.
However, the Imperium of Man's battleships were not blind. With the enemy deploying a large number of carrier-based aircraft to clear their minefield, how could the Imperial battleships simply watch? A massive barrage from Lance arrays and macro cannons furiously unleashed their firepower.
The T'au Empire's carrier-based aircraft also possessed considerable combat power, so it was imperative to clear as many of them as possible first, to avoid being harmed by them in subsequent battles.
The Imperium of Man's Void Shield could be penetrated; this was a flaw known to most races. The T'au Empire's carrier-based aircraft only needed to slow down to pass through the Imperium of Man's Void Shield and then attack the Imperial armor.
Without the Void Shield, their best protective measure, relying solely on armor would be a significant disadvantage.
Irreversible heavy losses to a battleship would still be a painful blow for the patrol fleet of the Far East Military Region.
The T'au Empire's professional Air Caste pilots maneuvered their carrier-based aircraft, constantly circling and attempting to evade attacks in the face of the Imperial battleships' anti-aircraft fire. But in the Void minefield, how could they possibly evade successfully?
The Imperium of Man's battleships even went so far as to directly detonate the Void mines to destroy these T'au Empire carrier-based aircraft.
Although in terms of exchange ratio, the Imperium of Man's Void torpedoes were also expensive, the T'au Empire's carrier-based aircraft and pilots were even more precious.
Exchanging small ammunition for the enemy's combat weapons and pilots was absolutely a worthwhile trade!
A large number of T'au Empire carrier-based aircraft in the Void minefield were constantly being destroyed under such attacks, but Commander Yingyang, the T'au Empire's fleet commander, watched this scene before him with great calm; he was not worried about his fleet's losses.
Sacrifice was not only the cornerstone of the Imperium of Man but also the cornerstone of the T'au Empire.
Making the necessary sacrifices to achieve sufficient victory was also acceptable to the T'au Empire.
In Commander Yingyang's mind, there was no image of his carrier-based aircraft being continuously lost. In his eyes, only the Void minefield was being continuously cleared, and his fleet would gain the right to pass safely.
Compared to the Imperium of Man's Void mines, directly destroying their battleships, while only losing some carrier-based aircraft and forcing the Imperium of Man to expend more ammunition, was worthwhile.
The engagement in the Void minefield lasted a full 6 standard Terran hours. Only then did the T'au Empire's carrier-based aircraft carve out a path, creating a Void channel for their battleship group that was wide enough for maneuvering and passage.
However, as a cost, more than half of the carrier-based aircraft released by the T'au Empire motherships had been lost. Now, the T'au Empire's motherships had suffered rather heavy losses.
Their combat power was clearly and significantly weakened.
The fleet commander of the patrol fleet in Damocles Gulf, Far East Military Region of the Imperium of Man, began directing his fleet forward to meet the enemy.
With battleships at the core, and various main and auxiliary battleships on the flanks, a massive fleet began to press towards the T'au Empire's colossal fleet. The battleships on both sides began to exchange fire.
Their attacks struck each other's shields, causing ripples and disturbances, but they did not inflict enough damage on each other's battleships.
A fleet battle unfolding in this manner was actually acceptable and understandable to both sides, as fleet battles had always been this way.
The lunar class cruiser, the lifelong enemy of the T'au Empire, began to cut across the central main force of the T'au Empire's battleships, like a sharp knife plunging into the middle of the T'au Empire's entire bulk.
But Commander Yingyang, as the T'au Empire's most excellent commander, his reaction was also extraordinary.
He did not sit by and watch his fleet be cut apart, nor did he order a retreat. Instead, he formed a U-shape, enveloping the lunar class cruiser sent by the Imperium of Man.
Leveraging the advantage of having far more battleships than the Imperium of Man, the T'au Empire's fleet chose to face the challenge head-on.
And the Imperium of Man's lunar class cruiser was not intimidated by such a formation, because this was exactly what they wanted.
The T'au Empire's battleships followed a standard starship template; they lacked sufficient broadside firepower, and lacking sufficient broadside firepower meant they would be at an absolute disadvantage when engaging in broadside combat.
The lunar class cruiser began to furiously unleash firepower on the enemy, and while the enemy also unleashed firepower, it seemed to be at a disadvantage in terms of exchange ratio.
However, Commander Yingyang was certainly not to be underestimated. He dispatched a large number of carrier-based aircraft, which approached the lunar class cruiser by reducing their speed.
A large number of Void torpedoes were launched by them, then bombed the surface of the lunar class cruiser, and one of the Imperium of Man's lunar class cruisers vibrated considerably.
The T'au Empire's torpedo attacks were effective, and the lunar class cruisers suffered varying degrees of damage.
But soon, the commander of the patrol fleet in Damocles Gulf, Far East Military Region, also issued another order.
More auxiliary battleships of the Imperium of Man also joined the battlefield, and the battleships plunged directly in, engaging in fierce bombardment with the T'au Empire's battleships.
The two sides exchanged blows in space, a heated back-and-forth.
On the surface, the Imperium's fleet appeared to be at a disadvantage, even struggling in their engagements with the T'au, but this was merely a superficial impression.
The T'au Empire had deployed half of their main fleet, which had launched an all-out assault after extensive preparations, so their combat prowess was not surprising.
However, the Imperium possessed more than just this patrol fleet. Reiss Carey, the wealthiest Warmaster in the Imperium's history, was currently leading his expeditionary fleet to the sector.
The reason he personally led the fleet was that, on the edge of the Damocles Gulf, where the T'au Empire resided, lay his long-lost family sector. He was now determined to reclaim it.
A single Mountain Array class battleship, accompanied by 200 Gloriana-class battleships and 200 Emperor-class battleships, along with their supporting auxiliary fleets, was en route.
As the engagement between the T'au Empire and the patrol fleet dragged on, this formidable fleet finally arrived.
In the serene expanse of space, the gates of the Warp suddenly opened, and a massive fleet emerged into real space.
When the Imperium's Warmaster arrived with his expeditionary force, Commander Shadowsun, who had been directing the T'au Empire's fleet in their clash with the Imperium, collapsed to the ground.
"You've got to be kidding me, right? This must be a joke! Didn't they say the Imperium was surrounded on all sides? What the hell is this?!"
Facing the enormous fleet that had just appeared, Commander Shadowsun, despite his desire to embody the qualities of a general—remaining calm and continuing to command his fleet—could only stare.
When he saw the fleet, which almost completely obscured the light of the star, he truly didn't know what else to say.
"It's over, everything is over. We seem to have stirred up a huge hornet's nest. The Imperium is going to utterly destroy us…"
Initially, the Imperium's patrol fleet, with its battleships, had already surprised the T'au Empire, but now, Imperium warships were appearing like an endless ocean.
Metal behemoths appeared before them, along with a vast number of auxiliary fleets. Such a colossal fleet could crush the T'au Empire a hundred times over without any difficulty.
This sentiment wasn't limited to Commander Shadowsun; even the Fire Caste T'au, who had undergone specialized military training, shared the same thought.
As for the auxiliary species who had joined the T'au in battle, their faces were ashen.
The next moment, the main guns opened fire. The Emperor-class battleships and Gloriana-class battleships had undergone some modifications; for instance, the Gloriana-class battleships' main cannons had been replaced with tachyon lances.
Although the Emperor-class battleships still operated as aircraft carriers, they had also been equipped with arc generators for combat. Their formidable macro cannon arrays and lance arrays had also been modified, becoming black hole collapse devices and ancient collapse cannons.
These were weapons that struck at the spatial level. If opposing forces lacked equivalent technology or sufficiently robust armor, the attacks launched by these aerial units were capable of destroying all defenses.
Furthermore, the Emperor-class battleships' carrier-based aircraft had been replaced with combat sub-units controlled by sapient combat AIs, and the Emperor-class battleships could even produce these aircraft themselves.
During combat, a single Emperor-class battleship could release 1,000 combat drones at once.
And an hour after these 1,000 combat drones were deployed, the Emperor-class battleship could release another 1,000 new ones.
As long as the battleship had sufficient resources, these carrier-based aircraft would be continuously deployed.
After the war, the carrier-based aircraft could also return to the Emperor-class battleship in sequence for disassembly and storage.
At this moment, the Emperor-class battleships were far more powerful than their predecessors. Facing such a formidable combined fleet attack, the T'au Empire's fleet naturally had no room to retaliate; they didn't even have time to launch any counterattacks.
The next moment, amidst a barrage of attacks, a massive explosion erupted across the galaxy.
Half of the T'au Empire's main fleet, involved in the Fifth Sphere of Expansion, was destroyed in this single strike, and the Warmaster achieved his greatest victory against xenos forces.
This marked the greatest victory achieved by the Imperium's expeditionary forces against xenos at this stage, as previous expeditionary forces had mostly dealt with chaos daemon and ordinary, weaker xenos.
Reiss Carey remained calm in the face of such a victory; such a triumph was only to be expected.
With the Empire deploying so many fleets, and him personally leading such a massive fleet here, it would have been truly irritating if they couldn't wipe out a T'au main fleet.
After annihilating the enemy fleet, Reiss Carey did not linger, and he also made contact with the commander of the patrol fleet.
These actions were meaningless to him, as he was the Empire's Warmaster. What was the point of a Warmaster contacting a patrol fleet commander at this moment? Naturally, the priority was to execute his own plan as quickly as possible.
Reiss Carey, leading his fleet and a large number of ground units, once again opened the gates of the Warp, preparing to reach his destination and launch an attack.
The T'au, however, remained completely unaware of everything that was currently unfolding.
The Imperium's fleet was simply too vast, and their attack was launched too quickly. The T'au Empire's warships simply had no opportunity to transmit any messages.
This resulted in half of the T'au Empire's main fleet being obliterated by the Imperium, while the T'au Empire itself was still awaiting good news from their main fleet, unaware that Reiss Carey was already on his way with a massive fleet to find them.
Upon reaching the Damocles Gulf, the Imperium's expeditionary fleet swiftly divided into eight echelons. Apart from the fleet personally led by Reiss Carey, the other fleets immediately surged into the T'au Empire, prepared to destroy their homeworlds.
The Imperium's massive offensive caught the T'au Empire completely off guard. While still bewildered, one homeworld after another was obliterated. Soon, the war had progressed to the point where only their capital remained.
The vast fleets of the Sekhmet Expeditionary Force gathered within the T'au Empire's capital star system. If not for the consideration that they still had a diplomat within the capital star system, the Imperium would have already unleashed cyclone torpedoes to eliminate them.
It wasn't until the Imperium of Man's fleet swept away all external resistance of the T'au Empire that the T'au of the T'au Empire realized they had provoked an opponent they shouldn't have.
The main fleet of Humanity had indeed been drawn away by the hive fleet and the orks.
However, this did not mean that a small T'au Empire could survive under Humanity's attack, or survive in the power struggles of various factions.
Previously, Humanity did not have the energy or time to deal with the T'au Empire; now, Humanity could easily dispatch a small force to destroy them.
What's more, the T'au Empire's actions were truly outrageous. If these guys had merely incited Imperial world rebellions without publicizing it, Humanity might not have had time to deal with them.
But these guys brazenly declared to the entire universe that 36 Imperial worlds had joined the T'au Empire, an act that was undoubtedly a direct jab at Humanity.
The Second Crusade Army arrived under these circumstances, and even the Warmaster's attack on his homeworld met no resistance.
The four Chaos Gods had long planned to ally with Humanity, so they naturally couldn't fight Humanity's crusading army at this time. The Chaos Gods were currently considering packaging Abaddon and sending him to Zeke.
It would be a miracle if the Chaos Gods hindered Humanity's crusading army when it arrived. The Second Crusade Army smoothly accomplished its initial objective.
Now, the entire crusading fleet has surrounded the T'au Empire's last planet, which is also the T'au Empire's homeworld, T'au.
What frightens the tau even more is that their fleet has been completely destroyed by the Imperium of Man's forces; they no longer possess any fleet.
The orbit is filled with Humanity's battleships, and their anti-air defenses have also been precisely targeted and completely destroyed by the emperor-class battleship's carrier-based aircraft.
Although the warriors of the Fire Caste still shouted about resisting, both the Fire Caste warriors and the Ethereals, the leaders of the T'au Empire, could already see the T'au Empire's future.
The Ethereals, who had always been strategizing and striving for development, encountered a colossal enemy they had never imagined at this moment.
Although they had tried their best to overestimate the Imperium of Man's capabilities, they now had to admit that no matter how much they overestimated, they still underestimated that vast empire.
Supreme Archon Ang'vath had to admit that he had squandered all the foundations of the T'au Empire's long development, simply because he had provoked the Imperium of Man, an almost impossible enemy to contend with.
"Go bring out that diplomat of the Imperium of Man. Send him off our planet..."
Supreme Archon Ang'vath no longer showed any trace of his former vigor and ambition to lead the T'au Empire in its 5th Sphere Expansion.
He did not believe that having a diplomat from the Imperium of Man in their hands would make the Imperium of Man retreat; that was impossible.
He only hoped that his act of sending the Imperium of Man's diplomat back to Humanity's fleet could elicit a shred of forgiveness from Humanity, allowing the T'au Empire to at least have its bloodline preserved and not be exterminated.
Even if the possibility was minuscule, as an Ethereal, he felt it was necessary to do so.
Shas'O, the supreme commander of the Fire Caste in the T'au Empire, was very unwilling that they were unable to put up any effective resistance and had to send out the Imperium of Man's diplomat in exchange for that minuscule chance of survival.
But facing the Supreme Archon's instructions, he dared not disobey, and so he lowered his head and personally led the Fire Caste warriors to the room where Marcus Von Tanith was housed.
This diplomat of the Imperium of Man had always resided in this room, and they had sent him here before.
With the equipment provided by the Ethereals, this diplomat of the Imperium of Man still hadn't realized that the deadline he had given had long passed.
Even as the Imperium of Man's army was on the verge of destroying the entire T'au Empire, this diplomat remained in his room.
When Shas'O pushed open the door with the Fire Caste warriors, she heard the representative of the Imperium of Man inside reciting the Lectitio Divinitatus.
This Fire Caste, now the supreme commander of the T'au Empire, was seething with rage upon hearing such a sound.
The Emperor?
Just a Chaos God. If he wasn't a Chaos God, why would he send so many troops to their T'au Empire?
To wipe such a peaceful and beautiful race from the galaxy?
"Marcus Von Tanith," Shas'O said, suppressing her anger, in stiff Gothic.
"Come with us. The Ethereals want to see you. We will then send you back to the Imperium of Man's battleship, and we hope that in return for us sending you back..."
Shas'O originally wanted to say that in return for them sending him back, this diplomat could speak a few good words for them, thereby preserving the last spark of their tau race, even if only a few people survived.
But Shas'O couldn't say it. He was a soldier. He considered fighting to the death to protect the entire T'au Empire and the Ethereals, not clinging to life ignobly.
He believed all Fire Caste members thought the same way.
The Ethereals letting him go, attempting to leave a way out for the T'au Empire, that was the Ethereals' idea.
It was not his idea as a Fire Caste warrior. In his eyes, the T'au Empire should not bow to the Imperium of Man, even if they were on the verge of annihilation now.
But even if they were on the verge of annihilation, wasn't it just death?
The T'au Empire must maintain its pride, and die proudly!
He could not change the Ethereals' decision, but he could change his own choice. He chose to die with pride and dignity.
Because the equipment provided by the Ethereals incorporated the T'au Empire's highest technology, even after such a long time, Marcus Von Tanith could not know how much time had actually passed outside.
His senses had long been disoriented, so when this Fire Caste general said that, Marcus Von Tanith thought the T'au Empire had come to its senses.
However, being a member of the high lord' family, he quickly noticed the inaccuracies in their language.
The latter part of the sentence was clearly problematic, but considering he was still in the T'au Empire and unaware of what had happened, he feigned calmness and remained silent.
"Lead the way."
Responding to all changes with no change was the best option now. Marcus Von Tanith chose to follow these Fire Caste guys.
Shas'O led the way, bringing this diplomat of the Imperium of Man to the Ethereals' palace, and prepared a shuttle for him. It wasn't until this moment that Marcus Von Tanith knew what had truly happened.
Supreme Archon Ang'vath looked at the Imperium of Man diplomat before him, his mind in turmoil, but in the end, he chose to tell the truth.
Sincerity was the most crucial killing move, especially in the current situation; he knew he couldn't hide anything.
To secure a final path to survival for the T'au Empire, he could only speak the truth.
And as the Supreme Archon explained everything in detail, Marcus Von Tanith, on the contrary, broke down.
Enraged, he stepped forward and grabbed Supreme Archon Ang'vath by the chest.
It was unclear where he found the strength, but with both hands, he exerted force, lifting the Supreme Archon high and questioning him sharply.
"Xeno! Do you know what you just said? Say it again!"
Marcus Von Tanith was furious, and he had every right to be, for he had come to negotiate the surrender of the T'au Empire.
But during the time he was negotiating, the T'au Empire not only didn't surrender but instead provoked and waged war against the Imperium of Man!
How was he, as a diplomat, to deal with such behavior?
After such actions and events, how could he face the Emperor or his family upon returning to the Imperium?
He had shamed his family.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and in his growing grief and indignation, Marcus Von Tanith unhesitatingly drew the plasma pistol he always carried at his waist.
In response to this situation, the surrounding Fire Caste soldiers immediately reacted, raising their weapons and aiming them at Marcus Von Tanith, attempting to protect their Supreme Archon Ang'vath.
But before they could make any move, Marcus Von Tanith, with lightning speed, fired his plasma weapon.
"For the Emperor, I shall atone for my mistakes!"
A loyal plasma bolt shattered Marcus Von Tanith's skull!
More importantly, due to his absolutely precise marksmanship, this loyal plasma bolt, besides shattering his own skull, did not harm anyone, especially the Ethereal.
After Marcus Von Tanith's skull shattered, he fell straight to the ground like a rag, and this scene stunned all the T'au Empire personnel.
They couldn't understand why this happened; the Imperium of Man diplomat raised his weapon and shot himself directly, instead of attacking the Ethereal or doing anything else.
Only Supreme Archon Ang'vath, after witnessing this scene, collapsed to the ground as if all strength had left him.
The other T'au had not yet recovered their senses in such a short time, wondering what the meaning of this man's actions was. But the T'au Empire's Supreme Archon already understood.
Marcus Von Tanith's recent actions clearly showed he had the ability to kill him directly, but he didn't; instead, he shot himself.
He didn't even harm a single tau here, which was enough to explain his intention: he was sacrificing himself here, so that the Imperium of Man's army would unleash its wrath across the entire T'au Empire!
The T'au Empire now only had this one capital planet left, and the reason the Imperium of Man's fleet hadn't attacked was because there was an Imperium of Man diplomat here.
And with this diplomat shooting himself dead, it meant that the Imperium of Man's fleet in space no longer had any obstacles.
Marcus Von Tanith's action of not killing anyone before his death also conveyed his meaning: it was to kill the spirit.
Marcus Von Tanith used his life to ensure the T'au Empire would be utterly destroyed, and he wanted this Ethereal to witness with his own eyes the complete annihilation of his so-called T'au Empire!
Supreme Archon Ang'vath collapsed to the ground, and the Fire Caste warriors were in disarray, but the Imperium of Man's fleet in space would not be.
The T'au Empire's technology was simply too difficult to stop the Imperium of Man's warships, which had been enhanced by the Terran Dominion, from exploring. Thus, Warmaster Karl Reiss witnessed this scene with his own eyes.
"That young one from the Marcus family is ruthless! But by doing this, he has not betrayed the Emperor's trust in him."
"May your soul return to the golden throne!"
Although the diplomat committed suicide, Karl Reiss showed no contempt for him; on the contrary, he was full of praise.
"Issue the order: our diplomat has been killed by those scoundrels of the T'au Empire. Now we must avenge our diplomat.
Prepare to utterly annihilate this world. cyclonic torpedoes, prepare! fleet exterminatus bombardment, prepare!
Before the cyclonic torpedoes are deployed, soften them up with an exterminatus bombardment."
"I have already requested support from the nearest Imperial fleet. In two standard Terra days, a colossus will warp to this location. At that time, we will directly blast this planet apart!"
"For humanity, for the Emperor, utterly eradicate and cleanse these tau!"
Since the diplomat used his life to create such a situation, Karl Reiss naturally wanted the diplomat to witness the scene he wished to see.
He would make Supreme Archon Ang'vath of the T'au Empire watch with his own eyes as the T'au Empire was destroyed inch by inch, as their homeworld was reduced to ruins, and as the entire T'au Empire's homeworld was turned into scorched earth.
More importantly, he would make the other party witness with his own eyes this planet being shattered into fragments by a colossus using a planetary detonation.
The Imperium of Man's destructive bombardment began. Massive attacks were launched from Imperial warships, subsequently creating ripples on the ground. The T'au Empire's Fire Caste warriors attempted to retaliate, but it was clearly futile.
Their orbital defense facilities had long since been completely destroyed; now they could only passively endure the assault.
City after city of the T'au Empire was destroyed, and citizen after citizen of the T'au Empire was annihilated, even those who had hidden in underground shelters.
Wars between races are destructive. If the Imperium of Man were in this position today, the T'au Empire would certainly not let the Imperium of Man off lightly.
Humanity had learned enough lessons in the Golden Age; the Imperium would never repeat past mistakes. All xenos and alien life would be purified in the wrath of humanity.
The orbital bombardment lasted for two full standard Terra days, followed by the launch of dozens of cyclonic torpedoes. A Void Shield generation device was also launched along with them.
The Void Shield generation device accurately landed near Supreme Archon Ang'vath, and with powerful technology, successfully allowed him to survive the destruction of the cyclonic torpedoes. All of this was to allow the Supreme Archon to witness the coming of Doomsday.
When the colossus, even larger than the planet itself, reached the planetary surface and aimed its massive cannon at the planet, firing a destructive beam of light, Supreme Archon Ang'vath passed away with endless regret and anguish.
The young race of T'au, the T'au Empire, had its entire civilization wiped out and its entire race annihilated in less than 7 days after the Imperium of Man waged war against them!
An empire barely qualified to sit at the table, at this moment, completely lost that qualification and became dust in the universe.
Who would be the next insignificant challenger trying to stop a giant?