After Angron was successfully banished, the tide of battle seemed to turn in favor of the Imperium, but the war was far from over.
Although the Chaos faction stopped their large-scale offensive, they still occupied several dangerous salients.
These areas became the primary targets for the Imperial faction, and at the Core of these defense lines were the traitor Primarchs Perturabo, Mortarion, and Magnus.
Li Feng, in the rear command post, surveyed the overall map, his gaze calm and resolute.
He quickly devised a counter-encirclement tactic, using the Ultramarines, Blood Angels, and Dark Angels—the three Space Marine Chapters and their successor Chapters, often referred to as the Second Imperium—as the main assault force, coordinating with Li Feng's Imperial Guard to launch swift attacks from both flanks.
Their objective was clear: to converge at the salient and completely isolate the three traitor Primarchs.
"Your mission is simple: continuously pressure the enemy and cut off the Chaos faction's retreat," Li Feng said in a low voice, then turned his gaze to Calgar.
"And you... stop looking for one-on-one duels; this time, efficiency is needed."
Calgar nodded awkwardly, "Understood, sir."
Meanwhile, Abaddon, the Warmaster of the Chaos faction, was struggling to stabilize the situation.
He personally arrived at the ground command, but the situation was more severe than he had anticipated.
The Imperium's air superiority suppressed the Chaos faction's mobility, and continuous artillery barrages made the Chaos faction's retreat extremely difficult.
Facing such a predicament, Abaddon ordered the three traitor Primarchs to disengage from combat, attempting to reorganize a counterattack.
On another part of the battlefield, the fierce close-quarters combat between Perturabo and Rogal Dorn continued.
"You put too much personal emotion into your fighting; it makes you sluggish, just like Guilliman and Vulkan."
Rogal Dorn threw a punch at Perturabo's chest, but he endured the blow.
Perturabo gasped, his eyes filled with rage.
His counterattack was equally ferocious; an elbow strike hit Rogal Dorn's face, fracturing his nasal bone.
"At least I know when to shut up, and you never do!" Perturabo roared, charging forward and using all his strength to slam Rogal Dorn into a broken wall nearby.
However, Rogal Dorn rolled to his feet and re-engaged Perturabo.
This battle had no fancy techniques, only the most primal violence and tenacity.
On the other side, Mortarion wielded his massive scythe, once again entangled with Jaghatai Khan.
Every one of his strikes carried a deadly toxic mist, even corroding the surrounding air.
Chagatai, riding his bike and wielding a scimitar, parried his attacks with a series of swift slashes.
Their battle continued in a mist, and not far away, Magnus was besieged by Russ and his "wolves."
Magnus's rage transformed into destructive psychic storms, but Russ, wielding his battle-axe...
Magnus's psychic storm was like a reality-tearing gale, engulfing the surrounding land in a vortex of annihilation.
However, his opponent was his brother, Leman Russ, the Primarch who never backed down.
Russ threw away his battle-axe and picked up the "Physical Sword"—a crowbar—that he had 'borrowed' from Li Feng's car wreck's trunk toolbox.
That strange weapon carried an anti-psychic aura; every swing tore through Magnus's psychic energy.
The crowbar swung down abruptly, aimed directly at Magnus's shoulder.
Magnus raised his arm, blocking the blow with a burning psychic shield.
But the moment the psychic shield touched the crowbar, it shattered instantly, and the impact sent him stumbling back several steps, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
In an instant, the psychic spine that connected Magnus's broken back began to throb with excruciating pain.
He looked at the crowbar in Russ's hand and shouted, "What is that weapon?"
Russ didn't answer; he just charged forward faster, launching another frenzied attack.
His crowbar was like a storm, wild yet precise, each swing carrying an irresistible force, forcing Magnus to retreat and defend.
Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield, the battle between Jaghatai Khan and Mortarion had entered a fever pitch.
The Khan's motorcycle swept across the battlefield like a gale, his scimitar flashing with cold light, constantly clashing with Mortarion's massive scythe.
"How long can you run, Chagatai?" Mortarion growled deeply, toxic mist spreading from every swing of his scythe, enveloping the surroundings.
Chagatai laughed heartily, the roar of his motorcycle engine intertwining with his clear laughter:
"Run? Do you think I'm a coward like you? You pot-bellied, stinking fellow, I just can't stand your smell, so I'm avoiding you... Oh, right! When we returned, Father more or less hugged or shook hands with us... Guess who didn't get that treatment?"
He suddenly accelerated, his motorcycle spinning rapidly around Mortarion, his scimitar slicing through the toxic mist like lightning, striking Mortarion's power armour several times, sending sparks flying.
"It was you! Hahahahahahaha! Because you stink! Hahahahaha!"
Mortarion was furious.
He tried to lock onto Chagatai, but his massive scythe could only strike air; the Khan's speed was simply too great.
In the instant he was distracted, Chagatai suddenly changed trajectory, driving directly into Mortarion, knocking him backward.
"It seems your speed doesn't match your anger!" Chagatai mocked, leaping off his motorcycle, ready to continue his one-on-one duel with Mortarion...
The battle between Perturabo and Rogal Dorn grew even more intense, the sound of fists and elbows clashing like thunder.
Their power armour was already heavily damaged, but both continued without backing down.
"You always think you're superior, talking about holding the line," Perturabo growled, punching Dorn in the chest,
"But you look down on your own brothers!"
Rogal Dorn gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain in his chest, and countered with an elbow strike to Perturabo's jaw.
He said coldly, "It's not you I look down on; it's your fragile heart.
You're always jealous, always resentful, instead of focusing on your duties.
You've never considered changing yourself, just complaining over and over again..."
Perturabo was enraged, lunging at Dorn again, and the two rolled on the ground, fists and knees striking alternately, both fighting with all their might.
Suddenly, a massive roar interrupted their battle.
In the distance, Li Feng's Imperial Guard was advancing.
Intense artillery bombardment shook the ground; Imperial forces had reached the Chaos faction's flank.
Perturabo turned to look at the battlefield, realizing the situation was unfavorable.
He gritted his teeth, pushed Dorn away, and turned to retreat towards his own troops.
Rogal Dorn gasped for breath, not pursuing, but standing in place, watching Perturabo leave...
Li Feng stood inside the command vehicle on the high ground, observing the overall map.
He quickly issued orders: "Full advance! Do not stop the suppressive fire; we must leave the Chaos faction no way out!"
The Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and their successor Chapters were rapidly advancing, gradually cutting off the Chaos faction's retreat.
Li Feng's Imperial Guard concentrated their firepower, launching a fierce bombardment on the enemies in the salient.
"Tell everyone, this is not a victory, but a lesson," Li Feng said coldly, "We cannot give these traitors any chances."
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