200: Chapter 201 The Church's Attack

With a fanatical war cry.

The Skitarii didn't waste any time with words or warnings; they opened fire directly and wildly at the crowd from the Spark Alliance!

A sudden, shocking turn of events!

Facing the storm of bolter shells and high-energy melta beams raining down, the vast majority of the natives on the scene couldn't even grasp the situation, and some didn't even have time to scream.

However, Lin Li, with his high spiritual perception, and The Fourth Calamity, with their maxed-out vigilance, had already executed tactical evasive maneuvers and put distance between themselves and the attackers the very second they heard the sound of bolts being pulled back!

"Vroom—!"

Just as the Skitarii barrage was about to tear the Spark Alliance crowd to shreds.

A brilliant azure light suddenly erupted from the surfaces of the dozen or so heavy shuttles docked behind them! Deflector shields were activated instantly!

An invisible, transparent force field, like a giant inverted bowl, immediately enveloped Lin Li, all the players, and the Central Army.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dense rain of bolter shells and laser fire slammed into the deflector shields, creating only ripples; all the lethal firepower was forcibly deflected and slid off to the sides by this invisible shield.

However, while the Alliance had the protection of the shields, the others on the starport platform were not so lucky.

The old aristocrats and representatives of the commoners standing on the periphery, who had no means of protection, were instantly caught in the crossfire.

Under the indiscriminate fire of the Skitarii, large numbers of people screamed and fell into pools of blood like wheat being harvested, with severed limbs flying everywhere.

At this moment, Archbishop Anthony stood behind layers of Penitent Engines.

He raised a high-powered loudspeaker, his face twisted in a savage expression, and roared:

"Citizens of the Emperor! Do not be deceived by them!"

"This so-called Spark Alliance has colluded with xenos in private! They use cursed, mutant technology! They have long since betrayed the holy Emperor and the Imperium!"

"They are all unforgivable heretics! Today, we must purge them completely! Purify their souls with fire!"

Marshal Miller, hiding behind riot shields at the edge of the starport, watched this sudden, bloody massacre, his brows furrowed tightly, his heart filled with shock.

Miller had actually long expected that the old fox, Anthony, would definitely pull some strings in the dark.

After all, this old guy held the greatest wealth and privileges in the Mobius system and was absolutely unwilling to easily bow to an outsider warlord.

But Miller never expected that Anthony would dare to open fire in full view of everyone, right at the surrender ceremony that represented the transfer of the Imperium's highest authority!

This was a naked betrayal, a serious interference with the secular political power of the Imperium!

"Old madman, to protect his purse, he's even thrown away the Imperium's fig leaf."

Miller spat coldly and immediately ordered the Adeptus Arbites assault team to retreat, avoiding getting dragged into the chaotic battle.

As the gunfire continued, the starport descended into total chaos.

The surviving aristocrats and commoners screamed and fled in all directions.

The Catachan veteran Cork reacted with lightning speed; he grabbed Elena and, leading a group of resistance leaders, quickly dove behind the wreckage of a crashed shuttle for cover.

Meanwhile, on Governor Cromwell's side, a shocking change also occurred!

Those Governor's guards, who had originally acted timid and dressed like ordinary menservants.

The moment the gunfire erupted, they tore off their disguises, revealing the heavy adamantine plate armor underneath!

These death-defying soldiers wore crazed expressions, using their own flesh and blood to shield Governor Cromwell and the old butler.

They pulled large-caliber submachine guns from their coats and, without hesitation, launched a fierce counterattack against the incoming Skitarii.

In the city below the starport.

The confused populace heard the intense exchange of fire from above and fell into a panic.

The vox-servitor skulls floating in the air had already had their channels forcibly taken over by the Ecclesiarchy's Tech-Priests.

"The Spark Alliance has colluded with xenos! They have been officially declared traitors to the Imperium! Everyone, take up arms and exterminate the heretics!"

The mechanical announcement echoed continuously over the Hive City, attempting to incite the emotions of the populace.

Inside the shield.

Lin Li watched the chaotic scene outside with cold eyes, a mocking sneer curling the corner of his mouth.

He had long guessed that these vampires of the Ecclesiarchy would never be willing to give up their immense power and tax-exempt privileges.

Today's performance was just the Church finding a random excuse of heresy to completely root out him, the thorn in their side.

It was just that Lin Li hadn't expected these fanatics to choose such a hardcore moment to act.

"Since they are looking for death, then I shall grant it to them!"

Just then, the Battle Sister Frannie, in her black tactical suit, took a sudden step forward, using her voluptuous and firm body to stand firmly in front of Lin Li.

She looked at the fellow Battle Sisters outside the defensive line who were pouring fire onto Lin Li, her beautiful eyes filled with anger and confusion.

"What are you doing?!"

Frannie raised her Chainsword and shouted angrily at the Battle Sisters,

"He is the angel personally chosen by the God-Emperor! He once displayed the God-Emperor's golden flames of judgment right before my eyes! How dare you open fire on the God-Emperor's emissary?!"

Archbishop Anthony in the distance heard this and snorted disdainfully:

"Foolish girl! The so-called miracle is nothing more than some unknown Warp mutation, or a trick and conspiracy by a Chaos Daemon!"

Anthony pointed at Frannie and scolded sternly:

"I advise you to kill him immediately! Otherwise, Sister! Do you intend to betray the great Imperium, to betray the Church that raised you?!"

Hearing the Bishop's twisted words.

Frannie bit her lip hard, her eyes turning red.

She watched her sisters, who rushed forward one after another, shouting about purging heresy and facing death calmly, only to fall in droves under the fierce fire of the Central Army and players, and a single tear traced down her cheek.

"The corrupt and greedy Church cannot represent the will of the Emperor at all!"

Frannie's voice was filled with determination,

"He is the one who truly carries the will of the Emperor! If protecting him means betraying the entire Imperium... then I am willing to fall into the hell of heresy!"

The next moment.

Frannie suddenly drew the bolter pistol at her waist, pointed it at Anthony in the distance without hesitation, and pulled the trigger!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The bullets were blocked by a holy relic energy shield.

Lin Li looked at Frannie, who was standing in front of him, her body trembling slightly.

He stepped forward, and during the gap while she was changing magazines, he reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

Frannie turned back, tear stains still hanging from the corners of her eyes: "The sisters have all been deceived by that old fox; he is the true traitor."

Lin Li reached out and gently wiped the tears from Frannie's face.

"It's fine, don't dirty your hands."

Lin Li's gaze turned icy instantly, "Leave it to me."

He turned his head and quickly assessed the battle situation.

Although the Skitarii were still flooding in from various passages, in the face of the crossfire from the players and the Central Army, this charge was like moths to a flame, resulting in heavy casualties.

Lin Li moved.

He didn't draw any weapons, instead directly unleashing his terrifying physical strength.

"Boom!"

The steel deck under Lin Li's feet was instantly crushed into a deep crater.

In the horrified gazes of everyone.

Lin Li's figure turned directly into a dark red blur!

With a terrifying speed that defied common sense, he instantly pierced through the dense web of gunfire, crossing a full several dozen meters.

Even the Battle Sisters beside Anthony didn't have time to turn their guns!

A gale of wind whistled past.

Lin Li directly ignored the fragile personal shield on Anthony, reached out his right hand, grabbed Anthony by the neck, and lifted him into the air like a chicken!

"Everyone! Cease fire immediately!"

Lin Li's icy voice exploded over the entire starport like a thunderclap!

Marshal Miller, hiding in the distance, saw this scene, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

He quickly shouted to the Adeptus Arbites: "Cease fire! Adeptus Arbites, cease fire!"

Afterwards, Miller grabbed the most skilled high-ranking Arbiter beside him and asked urgently:

"When did he get over there?! Did you see his movements clearly?!"

The high-ranking Arbiter swallowed hard, shaking his head with cold sweat all over his face:

"Report, Marshal... I couldn't see it at all. It just felt like a blur before my eyes, and then he was there."

"You couldn't see it either?"

Miller was full of disbelief,

"Weren't you on the frontier, fighting side-by-side with those Space Marines called angels?! Even you couldn't see his movements?"

The high-ranking Arbiter stared, helpless, and said:

"Marshal! You know yourself that guy can perform miracles. What are normal Space Marines supposed to compare with him? This is simply not the same creature!"

"Makes sense." Miller took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

Following Lin Li's order.

The players and the Central Army obeyed the order strictly and stopped shooting immediately.

And those fanatical Skitarii, seeing their highest Bishop held in the other's hand like a ragdoll, ready to have his neck snapped at any moment, were deterred and laid down their weapons one after another.

The gunfire gradually died down.

On the starport, only the wails of the wounded and the crackling of burning flames remained.

Seeing that everyone had ceased fire, Lin Li then tossed Anthony, whose face was flushed red, back onto the steel ground like throwing out trash.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Anthony clutched his neck, coughing violently.

Lin Li looked down at him, his tone carrying a hint of mockery:

"Bishop, you say we are heretics. Shouldn't passing judgment require solid evidence?"

Anthony resisted his fear, lifted his head, his old face still maintaining a blank stubbornness:

"The evidence is solid! During the ground battle on the agricultural planet, you openly used blasphemous, heretical biological technology!"

Anthony argued loudly, stiff-necked,

"Is this not betrayal of the Imperium?! Do you dare, in front of everyone, to deploy those blasphemous monsters you used on the agricultural planet, and let the God-Emperor's subjects take a good look at your true colors?!"

Lin Li looked into the old man's eyes.

He understood in his heart that the reason Anthony dared to flip the table was, in the final analysis, to protect the Church's interests.

As for the so-called label of heresy, it was merely an excuse for him to launch a rebellion.

But this time, Lin Li was going to slap him hard, right in the area of dogma he was most proud of!

"Very good."

Lin Li sneered and took half a step back, "Since you insist on seeing it, then I shall grant your wish!"

Afterwards, Lin Li beckoned, signaling the players hiding in the crowd watching the show to come forward.

"Go! Just call any brother in the voice channel who is operating a Flesh Mecha and have him drop it directly from low orbit for me!"

Flash heard this, his eyes suddenly lighting up, his face full of undisguised excitement.

"Got it! Boss! Just watch!" Flash immediately opened his communicator and started calling for people.

The surrounding Defense Force and Skitarii, under the gesture of the players aiming their guns, nervously cleared a large open area on the platform.

A few minutes later.

"Boom—!!!"

Accompanied by a piercing sound of breaking the air, a massive heavy drop pod, trailing scorching exhaust flames, slammed heavily onto the metal platform of the starport like a meteorite!

The immense impact caused the entire tower to tremble, and clouds of dust rose into the sky.

Anthony stared at the drop pod emitting white smoke.

He sneered inwardly:

"As soon as that ugly, disgusting bug crawls out! Let's see how you can clear your name of heresy!"

"Hiss!" The heavy metal door of the drop pod popped open.

The dust gradually dissipated.

However.

When everyone saw clearly the behemoth that walked out of the drop pod.

The entire starport fell into silence!

What walked out.

Was indeed a giant bug five meters tall.

But!

The style of this bug was simply... holy to the extreme!

Its originally purple-black, hideous carapace had been painted by the players into a blinding, brilliant gold!

On the surface of its pale yellow biochemical skin, it was actually embedded with a large amount of metal armor plates stamped with the Adeptus Mechanicus gear and skull emblem!

The bug's sharp claw-scythes and ripper guns, originally used for slaughter, were covered in yellow parchment sacred texts and praises of the Ecclesiarchy!

Even more exaggerated!

On the broad, flat back of this giant bug, the players had actually welded a miniature Gothic golden chapel!

In the center of the chapel sat a gleaming, miniature version of the Golden Throne.

On the throne sat a statue of a man in golden armor with a blurred face!

Around the statue, a whole circle of prayer candles made of special grease, which would not be extinguished even in the strong wind, had been lit!

The golden statue of the man, under the illumination of the candlelight, shone brilliantly, exuding a supreme sense of holiness that made people want to prostrate and worship!

This big bug was the Flesh Mecha, which the players had remodeled and repainted by combining inspiration from the "Desolate Sanctuary" skin!

"Click."

In the stunned gazes of everyone.

The abdomen of that holy golden giant bug slowly cracked open.

The player [Void Terror], wearing a clean and tidy outfit, crawled out from the bug's stomach.

He even very ostentatiously gave a standard military salute in Lin Li's direction.

Anthony collapsed onto the ground.

His old face, which had originally been calm as an ancient well, now wore an expression exaggerated to the extreme; his jaw almost hit the floor!

"What the hell is this thing?!"

Anthony roared in despair in his heart,

"Weren't they supposed to be controlling disgusting, terrifying xenos bugs?! What's with all these sacred texts! This golden statue of the God-Emperor on its back! What is this attire that is a hundred times more pious than even I, a bishop?!"

Anthony only felt his vision go black.

He swore that if he could survive this, he would definitely burn the guy who sent the false intelligence alive!

With this ultimate paint job of religious fanaticism for protection, how could the charge of heresy be made to stick?!

Lin Li looked down at Anthony's terrified face, which looked as if he had eaten a fly.

He reached out his hand and pointed at the Flesh Mecha carrying the God-Emperor statue.

Then he suddenly turned his head and roared loudly at the group of Skitarii who were still dazed:

"Come on! Open fire!"

"Raise your guns! Open fire on our great God-Emperor His Majesty!"

"Is this what you call a blasphemous heretic?!"

As the saying goes, Omnissiah on the chest, King of Mankind on the back! Who dares to call me a heretic?!

The Skitarii all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.