Huron did not keep the people waiting long before appearing on the platform for the global broadcast.
His expression was solemn. "People of Badab, today is an important day. Before this, we judged the fallen nobles, eradicated the gangs that oppressed the people, and corrected erroneous beliefs. We established a unified government to improve living conditions for all citizens as much as possible. The path we have taken has received the Emperor's approval."
Most of the people watching the broadcast felt this deeply. Whether it was the distribution of Starch Cubes and water, the construction projects going on around them, or the diligent government workers who had replaced the gangs, all of it had brought tangible improvements to their lives.
Huron continued, "Today is Emperor Ascension Festival. It is also the day the Emperor returns to the Mortel world and takes pride in us all! For Badab! For the Emperor!"
From the Upper Hive to the Underhive, cries swept through the entire Hive City like a tidal wave. "For Badab! For the Emperor!"
Even Huron, speaking from within an enclosed room, seemed to faintly feel the roar of those voices.
He made his decision at once and selected the "Emperor's Epiphany" Decision.
One hundred Political Points vanished in an instant, and an unknown force once more appeared in the Warp, seeking out the Emperor's will.
The Emperor was feeling nostalgic over the cries rising from Badab.
They were cries born of hope and dreams. During the Great Crusade, He had only heard such cries after Xenos and heretics who oppressed and enslaved humanity had been destroyed. He had never expected to witness such a similar scene now.
Even if what had been destroyed was "Imperial Orthodoxy."
When that unknown force came seeking Him again, He was not as resistant as before. Instead, He was somewhat curious about how this force intended to bring about an epiphany.
Yes, from the moment the force appeared, He knew that He would not be the primary power behind this epiphany.
Following the force's movements, the Emperor discovered that the authorities in His domain representing "purification," "punishment," and "blessing" had suddenly grown stronger. His own power swelled with them, inflating like a balloon.
This inflated power was illusory, clearly the result of a temporary enhancement from the unknown force.
The swollen power was not obstructed by the veil between reality and the Warp. Instead, it inexplicably passed through the Great Rift and appeared over Badab, enveloping the entire planet.
From a Psyker Power perspective, the whole planet instantly shone with golden light, with blazing flames soaring into the sky as though it were a miniature Astronomican.
In reality, golden flames swept across the globe without causing any harm.
Everyone saw the Emperor's symbol within the flames.
A warm golden sun.
It perfectly matched the description in the scriptures of the Human Evangelical, filling everyone with a sense of reassurance.
Huron, who had also seen the Emperor's symbol amid the Psyker flames, was somewhat dumbfounded.
This isn't right, is it? Why did the Emperor's symbol turn out like this? I'd already figured out how to patch up the Cold Black Sun, and now you really turned into this?
Then who's going to make up for the cold-ass joke I'm missing?
Beyond the illusion, the Psyker flames were also clearing the Warp contamination across the entire planet.
The authorities of "purification" and "punishment" worked together, wiping out all Warp contamination on the planet.
Whether they were Cultists, rogue Chaos Sorcerers, or Warp Fiend illusions, all were caught in the flames, burning fiercely as towering pillars of fire rose into the sky.
Such scenes naturally stood out from everything around them. Since the system notification indicated that such places contained Warp contamination, Huron hurriedly opened a channel to Chief Librarian Amos.
"Chapter Master, what is it?" Amos's voice carried unprecedented excitement and relief.
"Watch the following locations. There may be Warp-corrupted individuals whom the Emperor has purified. Bring them back and imprison them as potential candidates for the Chapter Librarius."
Huron told Amos about every purification site he had seen.
Previously, Psykers had been difficult to locate, and most had already fallen to Chaos, leaving them with too few Psyker recruits. The entire Librarius currently had fewer than a hundred members.
If any of those purified Psykers had survived, they were outstanding Psykers certified by the Emperor. They belonged in the Astral Claws, where they could become excellent Librarians.
"The places where flames are shooting into the sky? Understood, Chapter Master." As Chief Librarian, Amos could naturally see the phenomena occurring worldwide, which was why he was so excited.
Although he did not know why the Emperor's symbol was so gentle this time, there was no mistaking that Psyker presence.
This was surely the Emperor's might!
If those Psykers could survive the Emperor's judgment and purification, how were they any different from the chosen?
Thus, Amos dispatched every Librarian to the various sites to take Psykers into custody. He personally set out as well, leading a team to one of the locations.
That location happened to be where Liam was preparing to hold a celebration ceremony.
After a period of development, his charisma had grown ever stronger, and he had easily drawn the entire Engineering Team of tens of thousands into the sect he had founded himself.
Upon hearing that today was the day of the Emperor's descent, he gathered all his followers to watch Huron's speech together, ready to witness the Emperor's arrival and celebrate as one.
Before the Emperor descended, he wore a homemade purple robe. Along with his followers, who were likewise dressed in purple, he sat in groups of six.
As for why they were arranged in groups of six, he preached that the Emperor had nine loyal divine sons, and they could not overstep their station, so they could only use groups of six.
After Huron finished his speech, the members of the sect also shouted, "For Badab! For the Emperor!" and drank the purple wine in their hands.
Then the Emperor's Psyker flames descended, roasting everyone into pillars of fire.
Because there were so many people, the flames were exceptionally immense, drawing Chief Librarian Amos's attention.
"Ah! The Cursed One's power! How did He find me?!" Liam heard the voice that had always guided him to become more perfect and more outstanding suddenly let out a shriek.
His mind also broke free of Chaos corruption and abruptly cleared.
The moment he thought of the various strange phenomena surrounding him, especially how he had inexplicably trusted that bizarre voice, cold sweat broke out all over him.
Fortunately, he was only at the very beginning. The worst thing he had done was alter the specific doctrines of the Gospel of Humanity; he had not yet done anything utterly deranged.
The strange voice in his mind screamed more and more faintly before finally fading away. Only then did Liam realize that his entire body was aflame, yet he felt no pain.
He immediately understood that this was the Emperor's mercy and forgiveness. "Praise the Emperor!"
Most of the remaining ten thousand-plus followers had merely been beguiled by Liam, so their problems were naturally less severe. Once the Emperor's flames had burned their minds clear, the fire went out.
When Amos arrived at the ceremony site with a squad of ordinary Astartes, he saw a group of people in brightly colored clothing burning purple garments, along with a man whose body was still engulfed in blazing flames.
Amos immediately went on guard and approached the burning man with a Psychic Suppression Collar. "Citizen of the Emperor, do you know what wrong you have committed?"
Liam raised his hand in a French military salute. "Sir, I listened to the temptations of the voice in my mind and committed wrongdoing."
Seeing that this Psyker was conscious and clear-minded, Amos placed the collar around his neck, then brought him and everyone at the scene back to the prison of the Chapter Monastery.
Once the Emperor's Epiphany ended, the Librarians and Chaplains would review these people.
Ordinary people would receive appropriate punishment before being given back their freedom, while Psykers would be offered the chance to join the Chapter and become Librarius recruits.
After all, those who could still survive were Pure Ones certified by the Emperor. As for the Cultists and Chaos Sorcerers who had used Psyker Power to commit madness, by the time the Librarians arrived, nothing but a smear of pure ash remained where they had stood.
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