The arguing inside the fortress paused, and it seemed everyone was listening intently.
"Why does the Pseudo-Emperor sit upon the Golden Throne? It’s because he has long since rotted away, forced to sit like a parasite, using his filthy ass to siphon the endless might of Subspace and steal the vast power that should belong to the gods! He doesn’t move because he is greedy. He is plundering!"
These blasphemous words were met with a chorus of agreement from the believers inside the fortress, as if they had all reached a sudden epiphany.
"And our great Blood God, the Master of War and King of Honor—why does He also sit upon a throne?"
The voice suddenly swelled, filled with fanatical pride. "It is because His supreme power is so great that simply by sitting, He forms a massive, unshakable vortex of Divine Power that suppresses the Pseudo-Emperor’s vile siphoning! The Blood God sits to halt the Pseudo-Emperor’s wicked deeds, to protect the balance of the Cosmos! This is the ultimate sacrifice!"
"Oh! So that’s why!"
"The boss is a genius!"
"So we should also sit more often! We’ll use our Will to help the Blood God and punish that Pseudo-Emperor sitting on his toilet!"
An excited, dim-witted-sounding voice cried out.
Yet this utterly twisted logic was completely convincing to the group of Fanatics.
Through their Tactical Goggles, Qin Feng and the others had a clear view of the scene inside the fortress.
About fifteen Believers of Khorne were gathered around a bonfire burning with ghastly green flames.
Most of them wore crude, cobbled-together suits of power armor, their surfaces smeared with copious amounts of blood and painted with the brass symbol of Khorne.
The one in the lead had the highest life force index, approaching six thousand points. He was seated on a smaller-scale "throne" piled high with the skulls of various creatures, his face a mask of smug enjoyment.
Clearly, he was the "boss" these believers had been referring to.
"The boss is right!"
A believer said with a sycophantic grin, "Once I get a little good with the Blood Saber technique, I’m gonna get me a throne like that, too. I’ll sit on it and practice every day, feelin’ the greatness of the Blood God!"
"Bullshit!"
A companion beside him immediately spat. "There’s only room for one throne in this fortress, and it belongs to the boss! What are you trying to do? Start a rebellion?"
"That’s not what I meant..."
Just as they were bickering endlessly over the ownership of the ridiculous "throne," a calm and collected voice sounded over the four-person team’s comms channel.
"You all see that."
It was the team captain, Dragon Jade.
"This is different from the intel. This so-called ’Blood Saber’ gang is just a bunch of opportunists who don’t have the first clue about Khorne."
His voice was devoid of emotion. "Believers who have not received an Evil God’s true blessing often suffer various mental blocks, as their Spiritual Worlds can’t withstand the impact of chaotic whispers. They use their own meager understanding to forcibly interpret information that is far beyond their dimension, ultimately creating sets of so-called ’doctrines’ that are riddled with holes and utterly absurd."
"It’s like a fly suddenly realizing its favorite food has always been dung; their Mental Power can’t handle the shock."
"Clearly, these men haven’t received any blessings. Their power, and the nonsense in their heads, are most likely the product of forced modifications and indoctrination by Shi Dang for the sake of easy control."
Dragon Jade’s gaze swept over everyone inside the fortress before he made clear markings on the tactical map.
"Nissan and I will handle the ’boss’ on the chair. The other fourteen are yours."
He looked toward Qin Feng and Wen Muyun. "Their life force indexes are all around five thousand, and they’ve all practiced the same Fourth-level Blade Technique originating from Shi Dang. Don’t let your guard down."
"Qin Feng, Wen Muyun, you two work together and eliminate these grunts as quickly as possible. Remember, make it fast. Don’t give them any chance to regroup or activate some kind of self-destructive Secret Skill."
"Yes."
Wen Muyun’s voice was cool and crisp.
"Understood."
Qin Feng responded in a low voice, his right hand already gripping the handle of the [Koi’s Dragon Transformation] on his back.
"Go!"
At Dragon Jade’s command, four figures shot forward like uncaged tigers, storming the bloody fortress from four different directions!
"Who goes there?!"
"We’re under attack!!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the believers by the bonfire erupted into fanatical roars.
They showed no fear. On the contrary, they looked as though they had just seen a long-awaited sacrifice, their eyes burning with bloodlust.
"Skulls for the Blood God!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Fourteen Fanatics, each with a life force index exceeding five thousand, simultaneously drew the Blood-Colored Battle Sabers from their backs.
VMMMM—
A vast and chaotic Will to slaughter instantly enveloped the entire fortress.
In Qin Feng’s perception, the world before him suddenly shattered.
He was no longer inside the fortress built from abandoned shipping containers, but had instead plunged into a boundless, blood-red ocean.
Beneath his feet was viscous, reeking blood, and the sky above was a roiling cloud formed from countless wailing, tormented souls.
From every direction, innumerable blood-red glints of light from the sabers, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, whipped up a tidal wave and surged madly toward him and Wen Muyun.
Every flash of light contained a pure Will for slaughter and destruction, enough to make any Martial Artist with a weaker Mental Power lose control of their senses, fall into a frenzy, and ultimately be torn to shreds by both the illusory and the physical blades.