From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 749 hides the secret of an ancient civilization.
The landing force quickly headed toward the suffocating atmosphere of planet B.

The intense friction instantly enveloped the exclusive Thunderhawk gunboat and its escort vessels in scorching plasma, resembling a string of burning stars falling into an abyss.

As the "diving" depth continued to increase, the atmospheric pressure climbed at an alarming rate. Even with multiple layers of shields to cushion the impact, the sturdy hull still emitted a sickening metallic groan of stress, as if it might be crushed by this terrifying pressure at any moment.

Looking out the violently shaking porthole, all I could see were endless, churning layers of thick, yellow clouds, interspersed with unsettling dark red streaks—

Those were droplets of highly concentrated sulfuric acid, emitting an eerie glow under extreme heat, like the poisonous blood flowing from this planet.

Each collision between the shield and the acid mist sparked blinding electrical sparks, briefly illuminating the menacing silhouettes of the formation of vehicles in the thick fog.

The very composition of the landing force personally led by Sui Meng demonstrates the extreme danger of the mission.

The entire force consisted of the Vanguard Guard and the most elite Imperial Astartes; not a single ordinary auxiliary soldier was present.

The reason couldn't be simpler.
Even the most advanced auxiliary power suits and even CMC power armor lack sufficient environmental adaptability systems and structural strength to maintain normal operation in such extremely harsh environments.

The atmospheric pressure here is 80 times that of Earth, enough to crush an ordinary vehicle in an instant;
The highly corrosive acid mist that permeates the air can corrode through most alloys within an hour;

The ambient temperature is stable at over 300 degrees Celsius, which is enough to melt many conventional materials.

Only Primarchs and Astartes enhanced by Primarch technology and clad in top-tier power armor can move freely in this hellish environment.

Beneath the clouds lay a desolate, lifeless world.

When the formation finally broke through the thick, seemingly endless clouds, the scene before them did not become clear; instead, it plunged into an even deeper, more oppressive gloom.

As if under eternal night, only the occasional dark red lava river flowing below provided a faint light source, illuminating the dense acid clouds as if they were a boiling sea of ​​blood.

Immediately afterwards, an even more violent hurricane, mixed with highly concentrated sulfuric acid droplets, rushed towards them, crashing into the energy shields of the formation vehicles with astonishing force.

The shield's surface rippled with continuous energy, emitting a piercing hissing sound—the sound of strong acid being instantly ionized.

Although the concentrated sulfuric acid could not penetrate the thick adamantite armor of the Thunderhawk gunship in a short time, the continuous operation of the energy shield was a necessary safeguard to prevent the Legion's paintwork from being corroded and scratched, and to ensure that precision components such as optical sensors and weapon systems were not damaged.

Inside the cabin of the exclusive Thunder Eagle gunship, perfectly protected by a stabilizing force field, Sui Meng stood like an ancient mountain.

Through the enhanced vision shared by the vehicle's sensors, he calmly observed the real-time scan data and holographic images of the planet below.

The results of pulse scanning and deep-penetrating radar were clearly displayed on his helmet screen, precisely outlining the specific features of this death zone in the form of data streams and 3D images:

The surface is covered with rugged and grotesque terrain, as if the planet's surface is covered with huge scars.

In the deep fissures, scorching magma eternally surges, forming a crisscrossing network of dark red rivers, and occasionally appearing as enormous magma lakes that resemble the piercing gaze of a demon.

The readings from the external environment sensors are flashing a warning red light continuously.

The surface temperature has stabilized above 350 degrees Celsius, and even exceeds 400 degrees Celsius in some areas, while the pressure readings remain at a dangerously high level of 80 standard atmospheres.

The environment here is as harsh as the hellish realm controlled by his father.

Any carbon-based life form without special protection could not survive here, not even for half a second.

First, the internal organs and bones are instantly crushed by the terrifying atmospheric pressure, then they are turned into charcoal by the extreme high temperature, and finally the remaining organic matter is completely corroded and decomposed by strong acid, leaving not a trace.

This place is truly an absolute no-go zone for carbon-based life.

However, Sui Meng's extraordinary warrior intuition and keen observation immediately captured those subtle yet crucial unusual features in the macroscopic scan image.

Those vast, uneven terrains that were initially marked as "natural landforms" in the scans revealed an overall outline that exhibited an ineffable regularity that defied the randomness of nature.

Huge, clearly eroded by the long passage of time, the rock formations rise like towering pillars, their arrangement subtly displaying a strict geometric order, with the spacing between them exhibiting a peculiar proportional relationship.

The ruins, stretching for tens of kilometers and resembling the foundation of an ancient city wall, have been repeatedly cut and destroyed by lava rivers, yet they still maintain a roughly linear orientation amidst their fragmentation.
Some of the more expansive areas show unusually flat foundations that resemble giant plazas or oversized transportation hubs, although they are now covered by thick layers of sulfide crystals, volcanic ash, and solidified lava, some meters deep.

All these landform features, in Sui Meng's eyes that had witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, could not be explained by mere natural creation.

They are more like a magnificent, super-man-made city cluster, possibly covering an entire continental plate, left behind after unimaginable long periods of time, measured in hundreds of millions of years, and the relentless ravages of extreme environments.
The architectural remains were almost completely flattened and crushed.

The power of time is so terrifying that even the most robust man-made structures are reduced to near-natural geological forms. Only the most macroscopic structure silently tells of past glories.

"Navigation Officer".

Sui Meng's voice rang out steadily through the internal encrypted communication channel, breaking the silence in the cabin where only the hum of instruments could be heard: "Adjust course, deflect 17.3 degrees, proceed to coordinate region Alpha7."

The altitude was lowered to two kilometers below the surface, and the highest resolution ground-penetrating radar and deep structural resonant scanning were activated.

I want to see clearly what truth lies hidden beneath those seemingly natural 'hills' and 'canyons'.

"Coordinates confirmed, heading adjustment in progress, descending altitude, initiating deep scan protocol." The pilot responded without hesitation, his hands rapidly manipulating the control interface.

With a slight adjustment of the engine nozzles, the massive hull of the exclusive Thunderhawk gunboat seemed to trace an elegant and resolute arc amidst the raging sulfuric acid storm, leading its loyal escort fleet like an albatross navigating turbulent waves, heading towards that vast region that seemed to hold secrets from billions of years ago.

As the flight altitude continued to decrease, clearer and more detailed scan data began to be continuously transmitted back to the processing core.

On the holographic map, beneath the originally blurry "weathered" landforms, unnatural and enormous outlines with more astonishing scale and more complex structure gradually emerge. They are silently hidden deep within the scorching earth's crust, as if waiting for a discoverer strong enough to bear their weight to uncover a secret sealed by time for billions of years.

At this moment, what is presented on the holographic projection is no longer the natural landscape, but the skeleton of a lost civilization far beyond imagination.

"Multiple regular geometric structures detected." Wu Ji's voice rang out in the encrypted channel:

"Within a depth range of 1200 to 3500 meters, a grid-like basic structure was detected, covering an area of ​​over 800 square kilometers. The structure is made of non-naturally formed silicate polymers, and its crystal arrangement is significantly different from that of the surrounding geological layers."

Sui Meng stared at the constantly updated three-dimensional structural diagram.

What were thought to be mountain ranges were actually countless collapsed mega-structures;

Those seemingly natural canyons are actually remnants of man-made canals and transportation arteries.

The entire region is like a giant urban fossil, buried deep underground by time and geological activity.

"Initiate phase scan," Sui Meng ordered. "I need to see the details of these structures."

When the phase scanner was activated, an even more astonishing sight appeared. At a certain depth, the scanner captured an anomalous energy reading—an extremely weak yet unusually stable energy fluctuation with a frequency pattern that did not match any known natural phenomenon.

"A persistent low-intensity energy source has been detected," Wu Ji reported. "Coordinates: 32.17°N, 118.45°E, depth 2847 meters, energy characteristics..."
It shares 37.8% similarity with the energy fluctuations of the Divine Seal, but exhibits a more stable and orderly pattern.

Immediately afterwards, Halsey's voice came through: "This may be a relatively well-preserved site; we need on-site samples."

Sui Meng made a decisive decision: "Prepare for drilling. The first squad of the Vanguard will follow me. The rest of the units will remain on alert."

The Thunderhawk gunboat hovered above the predetermined coordinates.

Despite the energy shield operating at full capacity, the raging acid storm still caused the ship to shake violently.

A specially designed heavy drilling unit was deployed to the surface, its drill bit made of a rare alloy that is resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, and its surface is covered with a constantly refreshed energy barrier.

The drilling process was extremely difficult.

The Earth's crust becomes exceptionally hard under high temperature and pressure, and it must also be constantly prepared for the possibility of magma eruptions.

After nearly an hour of effort, the drill bit finally reached the target depth.

"Target structure in contact," the operator reported. "Sample collection in progress."

Just as the sample was about to be extracted, the entire area suddenly began to shake violently, and huge cracks appeared in the ground around the drilling site, with scorching magma gushing out from the ground.

“Abnormal geological activity,” Wu Ji warned. “Large-scale energy fluctuations have been detected. Immediate evacuation is recommended.”

"Continue sampling." But Sui Meng determined that the original task could still be carried out.

As expected, the drilling unit continued to operate under extreme conditions and finally successfully obtained structural samples buried deep underground.

The vibrations in the entire area reached their peak the moment the sample was successfully placed into the specially designed protective container.

The earth cracked inch by inch like fragile glass, and more scorching magma gushed out from the ground, turning the area around the sampling point into a raging sea of ​​fire.

Acidic rain evaporates under high temperatures, forming a dense and deadly toxic fog.

"All personnel evacuate immediately and return to Thunderhawk."

Sui Meng's voice echoed throughout the landing team via the communication channel, his calm demeanor conveying an undeniable decisiveness.

The vanguards displayed exceptional training, employing perfect tactical coordination to maintain their energy shields against the impact of magma and acid while rapidly and systematically retreating towards the hovering Thunderhawk gunship.

The heavy drilling unit was abandoned after completing its mission and was quickly swallowed up by the surging lava.

As the last Astartes boarded the gunboat, and the hatch struggled to close amidst the splashing lava, the ground they had just stood on was completely covered by a crimson sea of ​​lava.

Soon, the dedicated Thunderhawk gunboat broke free from the chaos and climbed towards a relatively safe trajectory.

During the evacuation, Wu Ji's voice rang out again in the encrypted channel, carrying a new discovery:
"Sir, another anomalous energy feature has been detected 27 kilometers southeast of the evacuation route. The signal is extremely weak, but its frequency characteristics are 82.3% similar to the energy fluctuations at the sampling point we just sampled."

Coordinates have been marked.

Almost simultaneously, Cortana's analysis was supplemented: "Although the energy characteristic is weak, it exhibits a unique periodic fluctuation pattern, which is suspected to be a low-power operation signal in some kind of dormant state."

Despite having just survived a dangerous situation, Sui Meng did not hesitate at all.

He stared at the newly marked coordinates on the tactical map and discovered that the location was right in the center of a huge lava lake with a diameter of more than tens of kilometers.

"Adjust course and proceed to the new coordinates," Sui Meng ordered. "Maintain high alert."

Braving increasingly turbulent atmospheric activity, the Thunder Eagle gunboat formation flew over the target.

From the air, below is a giant lava lake constantly bubbling, with dark red lava flowing slowly in the lake, radiating suffocating heat.

The unusual energy signal was coming from beneath this bottomless lava lake.

Faced with such a perilous situation, conventional drilling methods were no longer feasible.

Sui Meng strode to the stern hatch of the gunboat. The hatch slowly opened under hydraulic pressure, and a scorching wind carrying the smell of sulfur instantly rushed into the cabin.

He stood at the edge of the hatch, looking down at the churning lava lake below, his eyes slightly closed.

Powerful psionic energy began to gather around him, and golden light gradually enveloped his imposing body, even causing the patterns on his power armor to shimmer.

When he opened his eyes again, his pupils were burning with brilliant golden flames.

He stretched out his right hand and pressed it lightly against the lava lake below.

boom----! !

The immense psionic energy crashed into the center of the lava lake like an invisible giant hand.

Instantly, the surging lava, like the Red Sea parted by Moses, rolled back to both sides, revealing a channel that stretched downwards and was scorched, emitting a dark red light.

At the end of the passage, an oval entrance emitting a faint blue light could be vaguely seen, from which unusual energy characteristics were constantly emanating.

"Hover! First squad, follow me into the tunnel! All other units, maintain perimeter!"

Sui Meng was the first to leap from the hatch, landing precisely at the entrance of the passageway.

Ten warriors followed closely behind, their heavy power armor creaking as they stepped on the scorching rocks.

The passage was sweltering, with the surrounding rock walls radiating intense heat, but at least it provided a passable path.

Sui Meng took the lead and steadily advanced toward the oval entrance that emitted a blue light.

With each step he took, the spiritual energy around him resonated subtly with the energy fluctuations emanating from the depths of the cave.

Behind this entrance, buried under lava for countless years, seems to lie the secret of an ancient civilization.
(End of this chapter)