Ten thousand years had passed, and Malfurion's views were also changing.
When he and Tyrande decided to restrict the use of arcane energy and forbid the study of arcane magic, they were still young, only a few decades old, and in a period of ignorance, impulsiveness, passion, and recklessness.
The decision made at that time was indeed a bit hasty and ill-considered.
"Let bygones be bygones; we should all look forward."
Kael'thas said, "Archdruid, I am now formally proposing an alliance to you, to unite all the Elves of the world,
to establish a united front and jointly address threats from the Void, the Burning Legion, or other sources. What do you think?"
Malfurion pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "I'm afraid not. The Night Elves have grown accustomed to a life without the Highborne and arcane magic; it would be difficult for them to accept your existence again."
Kael'thas smiled faintly, "You underestimate the power of time. Not many, like you, have lived from the Night Elf Empire until now.
The vast majority of Night Elves were born after the Sundering."
"For them, what happened back then is merely an ancient legend. Regarding us and arcane magic, I don't think they will have much resistance; they might even be curious."
Malfurion remained silent.
Kael'thas's words certainly had some truth, but not much.
Although the current Night Elves are mostly young people under ten thousand years old, the middle and high-level power holders are middle-aged and elderly individuals from the Night Elf Empire era.
They were commoners when they were born, and from a young age, they looked up to the high and mighty Highborne, and were even commanded and enslaved by them.
Many of their relatives and friends died in the War of the Ancients, and they harbor deep hatred for the Highborne who caused all of this.
How could it be so simple to make them accept the descendants of the Highborne?
"If an alliance is difficult, then how about establishing diplomatic relations first?"
Kael'thas made a concession, "You have the World Tree Nordrassil, and we also have the World Tree Sandar Hill. How about we exchange ambassadors and help each other guard our respective World Trees?"
First proposing an excessive request, then drastically lowering it—this was a tactic he learned from the elders, and it could also be used in this world.
"This is fine; I think Tyrande will agree," Malfurion reluctantly agreed.
Since the other party had actively lowered their demands, it would be impolite not to agree.
Moreover, this matter was beneficial to both races; at worst, they could send more people to monitor.
"We should take our leave."
Alexstrasza looked at Kael'thas, "The Dragon Soul is not only an artifact but also a communication device. You can contact us directly if anything happens."
"Of course, if we encounter trouble, we will also contact you," Ysera added with a smile.
"Prince, Druids will soon arrive here, and they will guide you to Mount Hyjal."
Malfurion and Cenarius also bid them farewell.
Vereesa asked somewhat puzzled, "Your Highness, did the Night Elves really expel our ancestors because they feared attracting the Burning Legion? That's not what the books say!"
She remembered clearly that the Night Elves expelled the Highborne for political reasons.
At that time, the conflict between the Night Elves and the Highborne was extremely sharp and irreconcilable.
As most of the Highborne turned into Naga, and the Night Elves allied with the Dragonflights and the Wild Gods, their strength and status surpassed that of the Highborne, and they seized the opportunity to make their move.
"Different stances naturally lead to different conclusions."
Kael'thas shook his head, "In my opinion, the Night Elves' ban and expulsion were baseless. The real culprits were not the Highborne, but the Dark Titan Sargeras and the Ancient Gods."
"Moreover, the Highborne who followed Queen Azshara sank to the bottom of the sea and became Naga. Our ancestors were innocent; they made outstanding contributions in the War of the Ancients and should not be held accountable."
He turned towards Silvermoon City, "Am I right, Your Majesty?"
"Of course!"
Amidst the rich arcane glow, King Anasterian, Chief Archmage, and others teleported over.
"A new World Tree, thicker, taller, and larger than Nordrassil, and it also has the blessing of the Blue Dragon Aspect!"
Anasterian closed his eyes, sensing the demigod-level arcane energy contained within the massive tree body, and the arcane network formed by the underground roots: "Kael'thas, you have rendered a great service. The value of this tree is no less than that of the Sunwell!"
Chief Archmage Belo'vir shook his head, "No, Your Majesty, it is more valuable than the Sunwell."
The Sunwell could not nourish their bodies, making them youthful and vibrant.
The Sunwell could not allow them to conquer time and live for thousands or tens of thousands more years.
The Sunwell could not allow them to communicate with the Emerald Dream, giving them the possibility of using the energy of another world.
Everything the Sunwell had, Sandar Hill also had.
Everything Sandar Hill had, the Sunwell did not!
"Lord Belo'vir is right!"
"I feel like I can do it again!"
The Silvermoon Council members all flattered him, and this time, they were sincere.
They were originally so old they could barely walk, living in Silvermoon City year-round, and would suffer from magic addiction if they left.
Now their physical strength had recovered significantly, the wrinkles on their faces had faded, and their vitality was rapidly returning.
This was just the beginning.
As time passed, and with the continuous nourishment of life energy, they would become younger and more vibrant.
"Three thousand years old is precisely the age for striving, esteemed Lords, you must work diligently, proliferate, and contribute to the reproduction of our race!" Kael'thas said with a smile.
"Haha, Your Highness is right. Before long, we will all have tens of thousands of years of lifespan, in which case we will all be young people—
No, we will all be children!" an council member said.
"But as for proliferating, which young lady would fancy us old men?"
"Even if they did, I would be too embarrassed!"
"The main thing is, I really don't want to. If we can live for tens of thousands of years, wouldn't it be better to diligently study magic and travel the world? Why would we want to have a bunch of descendants to torment ourselves?"
"Exactly, exactly, who doesn't have descendants? Having children is just seeking suffering."
The other council members quickly waved their hands.
"Oh no, a miscalculation!"
Kael'thas really wanted to slap his thigh.
How could he have forgotten to ask Alexstrasza to add something to the blessing, to make all High Elves easily fertile, to increase the activity of their sperm and eggs, so that they would get pregnant as soon as they coupled?
The biggest problem for High Elves was not their lifespan, but their birth rate.
The longer they lived, the less desire they had to procreate; this was a common ailment among long-lived races.
If it's a disease, it must be treated!
"Your Majesty, I have a request…" Kael'thas communicated with the Red Dragon Queen through the Dragon Soul.
"Kael'thas, I think you are infringing on their rights."
Alexstrasza was silent for a moment, her tone a little strange.
"No, no, I am doing this so they can enjoy the joys of family!"
"Your Majesty, you don't know, many elderly people have outlived all their direct relatives, and lonely elders are very pitiful. If they could have a few more relatives, they wouldn't be so miserable!"
"Moreover, I am a Prince! I must consider the reproduction of our race!"
"The High Elf birthrate is already low; if it increases tenfold now, won't it be even lower in the future? If this continues, the High Elf race will be annihilated in less than a few hundred thousand years!"
"I dug this pit, and I must find a way to fill it!"
"Also, Azeroth is so dangerous now, with so many enemies. How can we deal with them without people?"
"I'm finding a way to make them have more children to fight enemies, to contribute to Azeroth, and to protect this world!"
Kael'thas spoke with conviction.
"...Although I feel like you're talking nonsense, since you've asked, I'll make time to help you." Alexstrasza said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Kael'thas thought for a moment, then contacted the Green Dragon Queen: "Your Majesty, do you know of any plants with aphrodisiac effects? Not for internal consumption, but those that emit a special substance that can induce arousal just by being near them?"
"Why do you ask?" Ysera was puzzled.
"For the lonely elders, for the race, for the world." Kael'thas repeated his previous arguments.
"Many. I will send someone to bring you a few that are not too strong. Don't plant too many, or the High Elf population will increase tenfold or even a hundredfold in no time."
"Additionally, I can help you add another blessing to Sandar Hill, increasing the frequency of High Elves having erotic dreams." Ysera seemed quite experienced.
This made Kael'thas a little suspicious:
During her long life, did Ysera do this often?
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Kael'thas was satisfied.
As expected of a Dragon Queen, the power bestowed by the Titan is strong. The problem that plagues long-lived races was solved just like that.
Don't want to give birth? That won't do.
Whether you're three thousand or four thousand years old, all of you, give birth!
He imagined the old men and women being forced to "work hard" and chuckled impolitely.
"Someone else is here." Anasterian's voice interrupted Kael'thas's thoughts.
He quickly looked up and saw General Lirath Windrunner leading a group of Gryphon Riders flying over, accompanied by three soul energy entities.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, esteemed sirs."
Lirath Windrunner looked at the World Tree: "This is––"
"Mother, it's called Sandar Hill!" Vereesa quickly introduced, and recounted what had happened earlier.
"Deathwing? Dragon Queen? World Tree? Wild Gods? Night Elves?" Lirath Windrunner was a little confused.
What had her youngest daughter been doing with His Highness all this time?
Her experiences in just a few months were richer than Lirath Windrunner's own several centuries.
"General, what's their situation?" Anasterian asked, pointing at the three soul energy entities.
"Your Majesty, they became like this after they died. I suspect it's related to the World Tree." Lirath Windrunner said.
Kael'thas nodded: "These are Wisps. In the future, when we High Elves die, we will all become Wisps, continuing to live in this world in this form, instead of going to the Shadowlands."
The Shadowlands are the destination of all souls, but there are actually many ways to intercept souls.
For example, necromancy, shadow magic, the Val'kyr's Halls of Valor, and the World Tree.
Now, High Elves, like Night Elves, have been transformed by the World Tree's radiating energy, and will turn into Wisps after death.
Although they lose their previous abilities, they are not useless.
They establish a connection with the World Tree, can manipulate arcane and nature powers to alter plant forms, and act as builders.
They can merge with Ancient Trees, becoming Ancient of War, Ancient of Lore, Tree of Life, or Ancient Protector, gaining new life in another form.
They are a combination of soul and energy, and if they encounter danger, they can even choose to self-destruct.
And the power of their self-destruction... anyone who tries it will know.
"So, in the future, when High Elves pass away, their souls will all come here?" Lirath Windrunner inquired.
"They are merely attracted by the World Tree; whether they come or not is up to them. However, the arcane and natural energies here are the most concentrated, and it is also the intersection of the real world and the Emerald Dream, so staying here is beneficial to them." Kael'thas said.
The three Wisps nodded: "That's right, we like it here very much. We are now energy beings, and it's very comfortable to stay here."
Lirath Windrunner said solemnly: "If that's the case, we must protect this place and protect the Wisps!"
Wisps themselves have no offensive or defensive capabilities and are very fragile.
Although their form has changed, they are still their people, and there is no doubt about that.
Anasterian nodded: "Naturally, Kael'thas, what are your thoughts?"
"Build a city." Kael'thas said concisely.
"Build a city?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Lirath Windrunner looked around: "Your Highness, this is the ocean, how can we build a city here? And Deatholme is not far away; we can send more troops there and patrol day and night."
Kael'thas shook his head: "Deatholme is just a small city and cannot accommodate more troops. Moreover, the distance from Deatholme to here is similar to Stratholme."
Lirath Windrunner looked at the human city across the mountains to the south: "Your Highness is worried that humans might be hostile to us?"
"Not humans, but Lordaeron."
Kael'thas corrected: "The Stormwind Kingdom is far to the south. Lordaeron's mages are not interested in power and territory. We don't border Kul Tiras, Gilneas, or Stromgarde. The only ones who will have ideas about us are Lordaeron."
Lirath Windrunner nodded: "Stratholme is the second-largest city in the Kingdom of Lordaeron, with many troops. If Lordaeron launches a surprise attack from there,
let alone Silvermoon City, Deatholme might not even have time to send aid."
Kael'thas continued: "And don't forget, Stratholme is rich in oil. If they use oil to burn the tree..."
At these words, everyone was startled; such a possibility indeed existed.
Sandar Hill is too large; no amount of ordinary attacks could cause fatal damage to it, with the exception of fire attacks.
Lordaeron could very well imitate the Zul'Aman story and burn Sandar Hill!
"Your Highness is right. The only way is to build a city here, guarding it day and night, never leaving its side." Lirath Windrunner sighed.
"But there really isn't a place to build a city here!" Vereesa said.
"There is, Vereesa."
Kael'thas raised his hand and pointed to the massive canopy above his head.
"You mean—build a city in the canopy?"
Vereesa's mouth rounded in surprise. Could that even be done? Wouldn't they be like birds? Was this building a city or building a nest?
"Exactly, building a city in the canopy."
"Let's go, we'll go up and take a look."
Everyone flew several thousand meters into the sky, looking down at the World Tree from above.
The dense canopy covered the sky and obscured the sun, looking like a vast, circular floating island.
"The canopy of Sandar Hill has a radius of over ten kilometers, which is even larger than Quel'Danas Island. Not only can we build a city on it, but we can also construct many villages. It can easily accommodate tens of thousands of people," Kael'thas said.
Anasterian frowned, "The place is certainly big enough, but the canopy is made of branches and leaves, with large gaps between them. How can we build a city?"
Kael'thas laughed, "That's simple. We can use nature magic to change the shape of the canopy, making the branches grow thicker and in the way we want, transforming the vast canopy into a ring-shaped mountain with high sides and a flat center."
"We can also cut down excess branches and leaves and, like birds building a nest, layer them on the canopy to form a large and strong support structure."
"Then we can quarry stones from nearby mountains and collect soil from the ground, transport them to the canopy through a portal, and spread them over the branches and leaves to form a thick foundation."
"In that case, building a city on top will be no different from building a city on the ground."
Vereesa suddenly understood, "I get it! No wonder Your Highness asked Ysera, Cenarius, and Malfurion to send people over. It wasn't just to protect Sandar Hill, but also to help us build a city! Your Highness is too cunning—no, too brilliant!"
She quickly covered her mouth and corrected herself. Oops, she almost blurted out the truth!
Kael'thas smiled, "How can we better protect Sandar Hill without building a city? I wasn't lying."
Anasterian frowned, "Such calculations are meaningless. They are all leaders, representing the interests of many people, and they won't help us without sufficient benefits."
Kael'thas said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry about that. The World Tree itself is the greatest benefit. The arcane and nature energies here are extremely abundant, and staying here year-round is incredibly beneficial for Green Dragons, Jungle Guardians, and Druids. Moreover, we now have common interests and enemies. The three of them are demigods and won't be petty."
Anasterian shook his head, "Constantly calculating might be fine for a while, but over time, it will only erode mutual goodwill."
Kael'thas laughed, "To be honest, we really don't have much to give them right now. Let's just consider it their advance payment.
With the current chaos, the continent of Kalimdor isn't safe either. They'll eventually need us, and when they do, we'll help them for free."
Anasterian nodded, "That's the only way."
One-sided giving is not a good thing; it takes give and take to last.
This was not some profound truth; he believed that since Kael'thas was doing this, he must have made thorough plans.
"Your Highness, to lay a good foundation, a lot of stones and soil will need to be transported up. Can this tree support it?" Liadrin asked with some concern.
Kael'thas smiled, "Of course it can. The World Tree is not an ordinary tree; it contains demigod-level energy, and its branches and trunk are extremely sturdy. Additionally, we can reinforce it with magical means, or use methods like floating arrays to make the foundation and city less heavy. These are not problems."
"Then there's only one problem left."
Anasterian scanned the crowd, "Who will be responsible for guarding Sandar Hill, and who will manage the city that is about to be born?"
"This—"
The councilors exchanged glances. To say they weren't tempted would be a lie. The importance of Sandar Hill was no less than that of the Sunwell. Building a city in the canopy would mean arcane energy density comparable to Silvermoon City, and nature energy density far exceeding it.
Living here, whether for improving physique or studying magic, would be much better than anywhere else in Quel'Thalas.
It could be said that whoever possessed Sandar Hill possessed endless benefits.
The physical fitness and arcane energy affinity of his family members would far surpass other High Elves, and it wouldn't be long before a large number of powerhouses emerged.
His soldiers would also be stronger than other soldiers, making it easy to train an ace unit whose combat power surpassed elite units like the Sunfury and Firewing.
He would become a highly sought-after figure in the kingdom. Everyone in all of Quel'Thalas would want to curry favor with him, pull strings, acquire land and property in Sandar Hill, and send their family members there.
His power would surpass all other great nobles, and even legendary powerhouses, making him second only to His Majesty the King and His Highness the Prince.
His family would also surpass other families, becoming the second most prominent family after the Sunstriders.
This was not just a piece of sweet meat; this was an inexhaustible mountain of gold!
The temptation was simply too great, and the power too immense, so much so that while they yearned for it, none dared to speak.
Because they knew very well that even if they were Silvermoon Councilors, backed by ancient families that had been passed down since the time of the ancient Night Elf Empire, with family members spread across military, political, commercial, and agricultural sectors, they were still not qualified to monopolize Sandar Hill.
Moreover, this tree appeared because of His Highness the Prince; its true owner could only be His Highness the Prince.
Who would protect this tree, who would build this city, and who would become its city lord or even Highlord, could only be decided by His Highness the Prince.
"Kael'thas, what are your thoughts?" Anasterian asked.
Everyone looked at Kael'thas, a faint answer already forming in their minds.
Kael'thas smiled slightly and said, "Sandar Hill is located at the border of Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron, and it's in a sea region, constantly facing threats from Stratholme, Naga, Murlocs, and even pirates. It requires a strong force to guard it and a commander of sufficiently high status and brilliant achievements."
"Building a city on Sandar Hill not only requires substantial financial resources but also a large workforce. Long-distance travel consumes too much manpower and resources, so recruiting locally is clearly more suitable."
"This area is originally the territory of the Windrunner family, and Sandar Hill was planted in the Windrunner family's sea territory, so naturally, the Windrunner family is the most suitable."
He glanced at Vereesa, then turned his gaze to her mother, "General Lireesa, you are the highest commander of the Ranger Corps and the head of the Windrunner family. I believe that the protector and Highlord of Sandar Hill, only you are the most suitable!"
"Me?" Although she had anticipated it, Lireesa still couldn't hide her excitement.
"Besides you, I can't think of a more suitable candidate."
Kael'thas laughed, "Throughout all of Quel'Thalas, you have the most experience leading troops in battle, your Ranger Corps is the most elite, and the Windrunner family has the most powerhouses. Only you can protect this tree!"
Anasterian cleared his throat and formally announced, "Lirath Windrunner, from this day forward, you are the Highlord of Sandar Hill!"