Warhammer Cultivation: Cultivating the Tao Te Ching in the 40K Universe

The company commander, whose name had been called, glanced at Jaha, then at Hector. Ultimately, his combat-trained, pragmatic mindset overcame his religious prejudices. He whispered the order into the communicator: "Activate the Seventh Sanctification Laboratory. Temporarily transfer access to Advisor Kane. Also, notify Sage Alkan to... 'monitor' the entire process."

Hector understood. They still didn't trust him. Their so-called "oversight" was nothing more than a euphemism for "surveillance."

But he didn't care. Because he knew that what he was about to do would be far less impactful without an absolutely rational "witness" from the Cult of Mechanics.

The Seventh Sanctification Laboratory, located on the mid-deck of the "Words of Loyalty," is one of the most top-secret facilities of the Word Bearers Legion for conducting genetic sample analysis and bioweapon research. As the heavy adamantite doors slid open with a low hydraulic thud, a wave of cold air, thick with the smell of ozone and sacred engine oil, rushed out.

This is a futuristic world constructed of steel, crystal, and light. Countless data screens, shimmering with a deep blue light, float in mid-air, displaying waterfalls of data. Precise, spider-like robotic arms move between transparent petri dishes, executing commands accurate to the micrometer. The air is filled with the deep, hymn-like hum of logic engines.

In the center of this temple of science, filled with cold rationality, stood a figure.

That was a being that... could hardly be defined as "human".

He was over three meters tall, but his stature was not that of flesh and blood. Half of his body was a dark red mechanical priest's robe adorned with runes and gears, while the other half consisted of exposed, cold mechanical prosthetics made of countless gleaming metal pistons, twisted cables, and shimmering vacuum tubes. Less than a third of his face retained human skin; the rest was replaced by various sophisticated optical sensors and data probes resembling insect compound eyes.

Only one eye, bloodshot from overuse, retains a trace of its biological origin.

He was Alcan, the mechanical sage who accompanied the army and specialized in biochemistry and alien genetics.

When Hector entered the laboratory, Alkan didn't even turn around. His voice wasn't coming from his mouth, but rather synthesized directly through a brass sound generator on his chest. The voice was monotonous, cold, and devoid of any emotion, like two pieces of metal rubbing against each other.

“I have received orders to ‘monitor’ your… ‘alchemy’ ritual.” When he uttered the word “alchemy,” a discordant fluctuation appeared in the electrical tone of his voice, a kind of mockery of the concept of “irrationality” originating from the logic engine.

“I have reviewed your application.” Alkan slowly turned around, his compound eyes, composed of dozens of tiny lenses, beginning a comprehensive scan of Hector, from thermal imaging to genetic sequencing, encompassing everything. “‘King,’ ‘Minister,’ ‘Assistant,’ ‘Envoy’… Hmph, a set of illogical classifications filled with the dregs of feudalism and mysticism. Your so-called ‘medicinal properties’ are even more unquantifiable, purely subjective conjecture. Tell me, mortal, what makes you think that this kind of ‘poetic’ nonsense can combat a chaotic plague originating from the subspace that even our most advanced gene phages cannot analyze?”

Faced with this question, which was full of mechanical arrogance, Hector simply walked calmly to the control panel in the center of the laboratory.

“Sage Alkan,” he began, “may I interpret your words as a kind of… ‘curiosity’?”

"Curiosity is a sacred driving force bestowed upon us by the God of Machines. It compels us to explore, to understand, and to imprint logic upon all that is unknown," Alkan's voice answered emotionlessly. "And your theory is currently the largest 'unknown' in my logic repertoire. It violates all the physical and biochemical laws I know. Therefore, I am here for only one purpose—"

His mechanical arm slowly rose, its gleaming metal fingertips almost touching Hector's forehead.

"—Dissect you, analyze you, and ultimately, thoroughly... 'falsify' you."

Chapter 23 The Beginning of Alchemy (Bonus Chapter 2)

“Very good.” Hector was not angry at all; instead, he smiled. “Then, before we begin, how about we conduct a small experiment to verify the ‘efficiency’ of our respective theories?”

Having said that, he took out a sealed crystal test tube from his pocket. Inside the test tube was a drop of... a grayish-green pus extracted from a plague-infected person, imbued with the power of the Necromancer. That drop of pus, as if it possessed a life of its own, slowly wriggled in the test tube, emanating a visible malice filled with "entropy" and "decay."

“This is ‘chaos’.” Hector placed the test tube on the worktable. “Now, please ’purify’ it in your own way.”

Arkan's compound eyes flickered, seemingly surprised that this mortal dared to test him in return. He let out a disdainful snort, a sound like static.

At the end of one of his robotic arms, the probe quickly deformed, extending out a probe thinner than a hair, with a blue electric arc flashing at its tip.

"Cleanup protocol activated. 'Scorched earth' procedure to be implemented."

The probe pierced the cork of the crystal test tube with pinpoint accuracy. The next second, a stream of high-purity plasma energy, powerful enough to instantly melt refined gold, was injected into the test tube.

“Sizzle!!!!”

A blinding light erupted in the test tube! The drop of grayish-green pus, under the scorching heat of the ultra-high temperature, boiled violently and vaporized!

However, a strange scene happened.

The vaporized, grayish-green steam wasn't completely extinguished. Instead, it became even more active, like a venomous snake come to life, frantically battering the inner wall of the test tube, trying to break free! The seemingly solid crystal test tube began to dim and decay at a visible speed, as if it had undergone thousands of years of weathering in just a few seconds!

"Impossible!" A hint of shock appeared in Alkan's voice. "Its entropy increase effect, under energy stimulation, was instead... amplified exponentially!"

Alkan realized that this was no ordinary chaotic contamination; there seemed to be a higher will behind it, which made him extremely wary.

“Because you are trying to use ‘movement’ to fight ‘movement’,” Hector said calmly. “Using fire to burn fire will only result in a more violent, uncontrollable… raging fire.”

Having said that, he extended his right hand.

"Now, watch my approach."

He didn't use any instruments. He simply placed his palm gently over the rapidly corroding crystal test tube.

He closed his eyes, and the true energy within his body, like a floodgate opened, surged into his palms along his meridians.

There was no light, no heat.

Only an indescribable realm, filled with "stillness" and "order," emanated from his palm, gently enveloping the entire test tube.

Under the highest precision observation of dozens of optical sensors in Alcantara, a miraculous scene unfolded, completely overturning his centuries-old understanding of the universe.

In that test tube, the raging, grayish-green steam that was trying to break free of all constraints, instantly "calmed down" the moment it came into contact with Hector's "silent domain," as if it had encountered its natural enemy.

They no longer tumbled or crashed. Their chaotic and malicious inner structure seemed to have been forcibly "smoothed" and "reorganized" from the most basic level by an invisible hand.

In just a few seconds, the deadly chaotic vapor that filled the entire test tube visibly condensed and precipitated again.

But this time, what settled was no longer the filthy, grayish-green pus.

Instead, it was a drop... clear, transparent, and pure, without a trace of impurity...

Alcana's body, made of metal and gears, froze completely. At this moment, all his logic engines emitted piercing, near-collapse alarms due to overload.

He couldn't understand.

He couldn't analyze it.

This... violates any known laws of the universe! This... is simply...

“Now, Your Excellency the Sage,” Hector slowly withdrew his hand, his face paling even more, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light, “Do you still believe that my ‘Tao’ is merely ‘poetic’ nonsense?”

Alkan did not answer. He simply stared intently at Hector with his only remaining human eye, his gaze filled with the ultimate awe—a mixture of fear, ecstasy, and boundless thirst for knowledge—that scientists experience when they discover the "God particle."

"...Let's begin." After a long while, his cold, electronic voice rang out again, but this time, there was a hint of awe in his voice that even he himself didn't realize.

“Tell me your ‘prescription’. Tell me what you need. Mars yearns for… ‘understanding’!”

An unprecedented collaboration, fraught with contradictions and clashes, has begun.

Hector became the only "divine revealer" in this temple of science. He no longer explained the principles; he only made demands.

"I need a substance whose 'nature' is 'dryness', which can dispel that cold and dampness."

Alcan's logic engine was running at high speed, and the molecular formulas of countless compounds flashed through his mind: "...high-purity Feathered Melt, or, on planet 787, a biological crystal called 'Sand Lizard Gallbladder,' which has the strongest dehydration effect."

“Very good. Now, I need a substance whose ‘nature’ is ‘cool’, which can neutralize the ‘heat’ of the former, and at the same time, soothe the ‘mind’ disturbed by the whispers of chaos.”

"...The pollen from the 'Tranquil Flower' in Prospero, after purification, has a powerful nerve-calming effect. Alternatively, we can artificially synthesize a structurally similar compound called a 'serotonin reuptake inhibitor'."

"I also need a medium, whose 'nature' is neutral and balanced, capable of harmonizing all the medicines, acting as a 'messenger' to introduce all the medicinal power into the human body's circulatory system..."

"...A filtered, recombined solution of extremely small protein molecules containing essential nutrients, small enough to be absorbed by ordinary human skin, is the most efficient biological carrier."

Hector raised one after another metaphysical demand for "medicinal properties" that was full of Eastern metaphysics.

One by one, cold, scientifically logical, and specific names of substances were precisely retrieved by Alkan from his vast database.

This is an incredibly wondrous dialogue that transcends the divide between civilizations. It's as if they are using two completely different languages ​​to jointly compose an unprecedented creation song called "Dan Dao" (the Way of the Alchemist).

After all the "minister, assistant, and guide" medicines had been prepared by Alkan using the most sophisticated instruments into a pale golden, viscous liquid, the most crucial step finally arrived.

"Now, it's 'Your' turn."

Hector walked to the sophisticated catalytic reactor, composed of countless crystal pipes and energy fields. He took a deep breath and gently placed his right hand on the cold wall of the reactor.

He closed his eyes and focused all his attention into his dantian.

Then, he poured all of that true essence, which had been refined through countless trials in the Tao Te Ching and represented the purest "order" and "vitality" in the universe, into it without reservation!

Chapter 24 The Medicinal Ingredient and the Solution to All Things (Bonus Chapter 3)

In the Seventh Sanctification Laboratory, a temple constructed of steel and logic, a strange ritual that transcends civilizations and is filled with contradictions and harmony is currently taking place.

Hector Kane, the "divine inspiration" from the distant past, closed his eyes and focused intently, pressing his mortal hand firmly against the cold wall of the catalytic reactor. His body, like an invisible bridge, connected one end to the profound "Tao" realm of the ancient East, while the other end reached into the cold "device" before him, representing the pinnacle of human technology.

With a thought, an invisible yet undeniably real energy slowly flowed into his palm. It was neither a violent electric current nor a blazing plasma; it was an energy... brimming with "order" and "vitality."

At the core of the reactor, the pale golden, viscous liquid, prepared by the Sage Alkan using the most sophisticated instruments, underwent a wondrous transformation the moment it came into contact with this energy.

Alcana's compound eyes, composed of dozens of optical sensors, were frantically scanning and analyzing everything before him at a frequency of billions of times per second. All his logic engines were emitting a piercing hum, teetering on the verge of overload.

He "saw" it.

He saw that when the unknown energy he named "Life Force" was injected, the molecules in the medicine that were originally just undergoing random Brownian motion according to the preset chemical bonds seemed to be given "life" in an instant!

They were no longer inanimate objects. Like soldiers responding to a silent command, they began an orderly, harmonious, and aesthetically pleasing reorganization in a way that defied all known physical laws. The molten molecule, representing "dryness," acted like loyal guardians, precisely enveloping the calming pollen, representing "coolness," forming perfect, galaxy-like rotating microstructures. And the long protein chains, acting as "carriers," were like docile dragons, willingly stretching out their bodies to gently and without resistance embrace these structures.

This...this is not a chemical reaction!

This is... art!

No, this transcends art! It's a... higher-dimensional "creation"!

"Entropy... the entropy value is decreasing!" The speaker on Alkan's chest, unable to process the data before him, emitted a broken, almost stuttering electronic voice. "The system... the energy within the system is returning from disorder to order! This... this violates the second law of thermodynamics! This... this is a miracle!"

"The Way follows nature, and is thus in accordance with nature." Hector's voice rang out calmly, as if expounding the simplest truth. "Your Excellency, what you have witnessed is not a miracle. It is simply... 'order' has triumphed over 'chaos'."

However, the process of creating "order" is not always smooth sailing.

Just as the first batch of medicinal liquid was about to perfectly fuse, a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of grayish-green "mist" quietly appeared on the crystal inner wall of the reactor. It was chaotic energy, belonging to the corrupted, seeping from the isolation zone! Like a virus, it attempted to contaminate the pure "righteous energy" about to be born!

"Warning! High-intensity chaotic pheromone contamination detected! Energy field stability decreased by seven percent!" Alkan's electronic voice became shrill.

Hector's brow furrowed deeply. He could feel his pure essence, gentle as a spring breeze, being rapidly assimilated and corrupted the moment it came into contact with that filth, as if it had encountered its nemesis!

“No…” His heart sank. “The core of the 'Dao' of the filthy is 'decay' and 'assimilation'. My true essence, though pure, is too little. It’s like a cup of water, not enough to save a cartload.”

A muffled thud came from inside the reactor. The first batch of fused medicinal liquid instantly lost all its "activity," turning into a lifeless pool of black, pungent, and acrid substance.

“Data confirms that ‘Life Force’ cannot independently combat high-concentration chaotic pollution.” Alkan’s electronic voice regained its cold, emotionless objectivity. “Conclusion: Your ‘Way’ has a fatal flaw.”

Hector ignored his sarcastic remarks. He slowly withdrew his hand, his face growing paler. He knew the problem wasn't with the "way," but with... the "tool."

Although the "ministerial, assistant, and envoy" medicines he used had been carefully selected by Alkan, they were still ordinary things of this universe. They lacked "spirituality" and could not bear the true meaning of his "Tao" that transcended matter. They were like a group of mortal soldiers who could understand the general's orders but could not comprehend the general's "military strategy," let alone fight against the demon army independently without the general's presence.

He needs a... true "general." A "general" who can replace him and command those "soldiers" on the "battlefield" of the potion to fight against the chaotic corruption.

His gaze swept across the entire laboratory, over the screens flashing with data, over the sophisticated instruments, and finally settled on Alkan's only remaining human eye.

“Sage,” Hector’s voice held an unprecedented solemnity, “I need something. Something… that belongs only to you.”

“My logic library is open to you.” Alkan seemed to have misunderstood him.

“No.” Hector slowly shook his head. “What I need is not your knowledge. What I need is… your ‘spark’.”

"……what?"

“Your faith in the God of Machines, your thirst for knowledge, your heart that still burns beneath the cold machinery—the heart of a ‘seeker’,” Hector gazed at him. “I need you to use your skills to inscribe this ‘heart’ onto something. To make it the ‘catalyst’ for this batch of my elixir!”

Alcana's massive mechanical body froze completely.

All his optical sensors were locked onto Hector. His logic engine, which never failed, fell into a long, deathly silence because of a mortal's "poetic" and "mad" request.

“Absurd.” After a long silence, Alkan’s electronic voice rang out again, still cold, but with less sarcasm and more confusion. “'The heart' is a collection of emotions and prejudices, the enemy of logic. How can it be 'engraved'? And how can it become… a 'catalyst'?”

“Because the enemy you face is not a product of logic,” Hector’s voice carried a guiding, persuasive quality. “Its foundation is not a virus or bacteria, but ‘despair.’ It uses the pain of life and the desire for an end to spread itself. You cannot use logic to overcome despair. But ‘hope’ can.”

"Your thirst for knowledge, your pursuit of the mysteries of the universe, stems from your belief:"

"Everything has a solution!"

"Your sage-like 'heart of seeking answers,' which believes that 'understanding' will ultimately triumph over the 'unknown,' is itself a most powerful 'hope.' It is one of the purest 'orders' in this universe. I need you to give this 'order' a material form."

Alkan fell silent. His only human eye was fixed on Hector, bloodshot, as if he were engaged in a fierce internal struggle. Hector's words were like a forbidden key, piercing the deepest part of his faith, the realm he himself dared not touch—the boundary between "soul" and "machine."

"...How to 'engrave'?" In the end, the desire for knowledge overcame the constraints of mechanical dogma.

“I need a ‘core’.” Hector’s eyes flashed with wisdom. “A crystal matrix of the purest quality, capable of carrying high-density information. Then, Your Excellency, I need you to transform all that you have learned in your life, all your hymns to the Pantheon, every cosmic mystery you have deciphered, and every ‘joy’ you have felt every time you have discovered the truth into the purest data stream and inject it into it.”

“I don’t need you to understand. I only need you to praise order and sing the praises of knowledge in your own way. Imprint the spark of your seeking heart onto this crystal without reservation. It will become the flag bearer in my alchemy army that never retreats.”

An hour later, the atmosphere in front of the huge crystal glass in the observation room had become extremely oppressive.

"Countdown, one minute." Jahan's cold voice rang out like a death knell.

Behind him, the company commanders of the corps had already impatiently placed their hands on the explosive pistols at their waists. In their view, this farce had gone on for far too long.

Just then, the adamantine door leading to the laboratory slid open slowly with a low rumble.

Hector Kane has once again come into everyone's view.

His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, as if he might be blown away by the wind at any moment. His steps were also somewhat unsteady. But in his hands, he held a sealed container made of the purest crystal.

Inside the container were dozens of pills... the size of longan fruits, warm and milky white in color, with a surface that seemed to shimmer with light... At the center of each pill, one could vaguely see a crystal core the size of a grain of rice, shimmering with a faint blue light—that was the "catalyst" that carried the Sage Alkan's "heart of seeking solutions".

An indescribable, fresh fragrance, brimming with vitality and purity, wafted from the cracks in the container, instantly dispelling the nauseating stench in the observation room. Just smelling this aroma soothed the fatigue and rage deep within the genes of the Space Marines present, accumulated from years of combat.