"Zaetar, my brother!"
Remulos's sorrowful cry echoed through the cave, startling a nearby stone giant.
She slowly turned around, her terrifying appearance frightening Broll Bearmantle.
"Is... is she Earth Elemental Princess Theradras?"
"How does she look like that?!"
Broll Bearmantle swore to Elune, the Moon Goddess: He was truly not a member of the 'looks-first' club!
Although he had only known his wife for a month before she became pregnant, and she was one of the most famous High Elves in Sandar Hill, hailed as the "Pearl of Sandar Hill," he truly didn't know how beautiful his wife was; he was attracted by her temperament!
Druids, after all, spent their days among natural life, often transforming into various animal forms, so their aesthetic sense was much richer than other professions.
Brown bears, in his eyes, were delicate and refined.
Frostsaber tigers, to him, were slender and graceful.
Naturally occurring beings, their existence was justified; no matter how they looked, they were a gift from nature, so how could one dislike them?
But, but this thing didn't even look natural!
She was too fat!
Princess Theradras was nearly ten meters tall, her entire body looking like two spheres.
The head on top was a small sphere, and the belly below was a large sphere!
As for her two legs, they were thick, short, and sturdy, like two stone pillars; if one didn't look closely, they might think they were gateposts!
None of that mattered; being fat was her freedom.
The problem was: What was with the three faces and four arms? She would scare children if she went outside!
That didn't matter either.
There were too many strange-looking creatures; some even had eight arms.
But what was with the wild, upright hair? And what was with the green face and tusks? Was she an Ogre or a Troll?
"Lord Remulos, is this the aesthetic of you Keepers of the Grove?"
Broll Bearmantle was genuinely curious and impressed.
No wonder Keepers of the Grove could naturally use nature magic; their talent was much higher than that of Night Elves. Their broad-mindedness was simply beyond his comparison.
"I am still too narrow-minded."
"I still have concepts of beauty and ugliness in my heart; I like what is beautiful and dislike what is ugly."
"No wonder my talent is so high, yet I have been slow to advance to Great Druid. It's all because I'm not broad-minded enough!"
Broll Bearmantle reflected inwardly, feeling his spirit elevate further, just a thin veil away from becoming a Great Druid, ready to break through at any moment.
"...We Keepers of the Grove also have aesthetics!"
Remulos whispered in defense, becoming increasingly firm in his earlier suspicion:
Zaetar must have had his mind twisted by an Old God; otherwise, how could he have fallen for something like this?
This appearance, even among Earth Elementals, was... unique, wasn't it?
In the Emerald Dream, Ysera looked at Cenarius: "Princess Theradras does indeed have the aura of an Old God, but I can feel no darkness in her heart. This is not the arrangement of an Old God, so..."
Her expression was strange: "Your son truly likes Earth Elementals."
"I think he takes after his mother, not me!" Cenarius argued.
Ysera was curious: "By the way, who is Zaetar's mother? Could she also be an Earth Elemental?"
The way long-lived races interacted was different from mortals.
Cenarius's mating partners and number of spouses had never concerned her before, but now she really wanted to know.
In the underground cave, although Kael'thas had seen her hundreds of times, he was still shocked by the peerless appearance of the Earth Elemental Princess. She must be a formidable presence among princesses, right?
Even Earth Elemental Lords didn't look like this!
At this moment, Princess Theradras looked at everyone, directly ignoring Kael'thas and Broll Bearmantle, her eyes, filled with sadness and pain, falling on Remulos.
"I know you; you are Zaetar's brother."
"I knew you wouldn't let me go!"
"Zaetar was not killed by me; he was killed by our children. I have already reprimanded and punished them. What else do you want me to do, kill them? They are our children!"
"I imprisoned Zaetar's soul and prevented him from returning to the Emerald Dream because I didn't want to be separated from him, and more importantly, because I didn't want you to know about this. I was afraid you would seek revenge!"
"I'm not afraid of you retaliating against me; I'm only afraid of you retaliating against our children!"
"They killed their father, they are violent by nature, they are difficult to discipline, but they are our children, and I will not allow you to harm them!"
"Since you've come knocking, then all of you shall die here!"
Princess Theradras shrieked, pointing at Remulos: "Kill them!"
Behind Remulos, hundreds to thousands of minions all charged forward.
Ice Lance, Fireball, Poison Arrow, Noxious Breath—all sorts of abilities were thrown at them!
Remulos was practically going crazy. Who just acts after speaking without giving others a chance to explain? You'll cause a lot of misunderstandings like this!
"No, can't you just listen to my explanation first?"
"I admit I was very angry at first and wanted to kill you, and I suspected you were a minion of an Old God, deliberately seducing Zaetar to corrupt him, and through him, corrupt the Emerald Dream and Azeroth."
"But I am a Keeper of Nature, my spiritual perception is very strong, and I can feel that you are sincere. I believe what you said is true—at least half of it!"
"Communicate, Theradras! Are all you Earth Elementals so stubborn, are you all uncommunicative stones?"
"You are my brother's mate; we don't have to be enemies!"
"Even if you are a minion of an Old God, I can ask the Priestess of the Moon for help with purification!"
He ranted furiously internally, but these words simply couldn't be spoken in time.
Even if they were spoken, Princess Theradras might not listen; the negative trait of Earth Elementals was stubbornness!
They only believed what they thought and were very difficult to persuade!
"Kael'thas!" Remulos shouted, fending off attacks.
He was, after all, a high-level legendary creature, with astonishing magic resistance; ordinary spells had little effect on him.
Broll Bearmantle was different.
Night Elves' resistance was similar to High Elves'; he couldn't block it!
He had no choice but to cast Barkskin on himself, then transformed into a Storm Crow and hid behind Remulos.
It wasn't that he was disloyal, but hundreds to thousands of monsters focusing fire was too terrifying.
His small body truly couldn't withstand it; he would die!
"Come with me!"
Kael'thas blinked to Zaetar's tomb behind Princess Theradras, gripping Zaetar's antlers with both hands, pulling upwards with force, but they didn't budge.
The lower part of this thing was buried in the tomb, and it was already massive; it was too heavy, he couldn't pull it out!
"Broll, you do it!" Kael'thas called out.
The Storm Crow quickly flew over, transformed into a giant bear nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, stood upright, and with a powerful thrust of its bear paws, pulled out the two antlers, blocking them in front of him and Kael'thas.
Remulos leaped, jumping to their side. He was displeased with their act of using his brother's remains as a shield but knew it was the best option and remained silent.
"All of you, stop!"
"Do not harm Zaetar's remains!"
Princess Theradras shrieked.
The crystal giant Lanslide, truly a simp of a thousand years, was very obedient and quickly ordered his subordinates to stop.
Satyr Lord Vilethorn dared not offend this Earth Elemental demigod and also made his subordinates cease their attacks.
But those mindless oozes, worms, and the like didn't care about any of that and continued to attack recklessly.
"Block them!"
Kael'thas commanded, simultaneously activating the dragon soul and beginning to channel the spell.
Remulos stomped his front hooves, and dozens to hundreds of vines burst from the ground, entangling the front-row monsters.
Princess Theradras charged forward, each step causing the earth to tremble; Remulos's vines couldn't entangle her!
With a boom, Broll Bearmantle charged, slamming into Princess Theradras and stunning her for a moment, then transformed back into a Storm Crow and flew back, the entire sequence of movements flowing like water.
"Good job!" Kael'thas gave a thumbs-up.
No wonder he could team up with Varian and Valerius to compete and win the 3v3 championship; his combat ability was as outstanding as his talent.
The dragon soul finally finished channeling.
Five-colored light transformed into a golden dragon, roaring out from the disc, slamming into Princess Theradras's countless tons of delicate body, sending her flying and crashing heavily onto the simp Lanslide, shattering his crystal and rock body into pieces.
His massive head rolled on the ground, his eyes glazed over, muttering: "I touched her, I touched her, I touched her."
Whether he lived or died didn't matter; intimate contact with his beloved was most important!
The dragon circled in the sky, then transformed into a pure golden energy storm, engulfing all the monsters.
The power of Time, the power of Life, the power of Arcane, the power of Nature and Dream, and also the power of Earth, were all within it!
Rare Water Elementals were immediately evaporated by the fire of life, turning into a sky full of steam, then reshaped by arcane energy into countless ice cones and ice arrows.
The iron-hard bodies of the Lasher were pierced by ice cones and ice arrows, then scorched by the fire of life, turning to ash.
"No!"
"I haven't completed Lord Xavius's plan yet; I haven't corrupted Theradras, haven't dragged her into the Nightmare."
Satyr Lord Vilethorn screamed and struggled, trying to blink away, but the energy storm made arcane energy chaotic, making it impossible for him to cast spells, and he was pierced by a thousand arrows.
The simp Lanslide's head crashed into Princess Theradras's head, shattering into pieces.
Princess Theradras was not unscathed either; large amounts of rubble fell from her ugly, round head, and two of her tusks broke off at the root.
Large amounts of rubble also fell from other parts of her body, flying at high speed in the energy storm like hundreds of hidden weapons, smashing the monsters to pieces.
The energy storm lasted for a full minute before gradually disappearing.
The dragon soul was dim and automatically absorbed nearby energy to recover.
Within the vast cave, few living creatures could be seen; hundreds of elite-level monsters were completely annihilated.
Only one rock creature shakily climbed to its feet.
She was only five meters tall, slightly taller than Remulos.
Her head and torso were still two spheres, but they were two sizes smaller than before, and their surfaces were smooth, with a much gentler, fang-less face.
The faces on her left and right sides had disappeared, which greatly reduced her terrifying appearance; she was no longer as twisted and horrifying.
She still had four arms, but each was a bit more slender than before, retaining the previous sense of strength but with less brutality.
Her skin was no longer greenish but had turned a pure earthy yellow.
Her attractiveness rating had risen from a -10 to a -5.
Most importantly:
Most of the Old God' aura on her had vanished, leaving only a negligible trace.
"This must be the true Earth Elemental Princess, right?"
"What we saw before was her twisted appearance after being tainted by the Old God' aura!"
Kael'thas realized.
The current Princess Theradras looked almost identical to the Earth Elemental Lord, making it clear at a glance that they were mother and daughter, complete with an anti-counterfeit mark.
"Remulos, it seems you were wrong. She isn't the daughter of the Old God; her father should be an Earth Elemental," Kael'thas said.
"Huh?" Remulos was stunned.
How did it become 'my guess'? You were the one misleading me! I wasn't guessing in that direction before!
In the Emerald Dream, Ysera and Cenarius also breathed a sigh of relief.
They were truly worried that Princess Theradras was a servant of the Old God, and that the Earth Elemental Lord would rejoin the dark faction.
"Old God? Father?"
Princess Theradras became enraged, baring her fangs and claws: "I have nothing to do with the Old God! What father? I have no father!"
Kael'thas chuckled: "No father? Did you also spring from a rock?"
"That's right, I sprang from a rock!"
"Our elemental beings reproduce differently from you flesh-and-blood creatures!"
"Mother injected a part of her essence into a rock, and then I sprang out!"
"And, I heard your conversation just now!"
Princess Theradras waved her four arms and shouted: "My appearance was personally shaped by Mother! I am the most beautiful among elemental beings!"
"And do you think I can only look like this? I can also conform to your mortal aesthetics!"
She grunted twice, and the rocks forming her body continuously changed, her physique shifting accordingly, quickly growing to ten meters tall.
Her four arms were reduced to two, her head elongated slightly, her round belly disappeared, and her two short legs became long legs.
Her skin became incredibly smooth, looking like a female Titan construct, very similar to the Titan Guardians. It was unclear if she was imitating Eonar or Freya.
Even from the aesthetic perspective of humans or High Elves, she was undeniably a great beauty.
"Appearance is merely superficial; the core is the essence!"
"We elemental beings are all capable of endless transformations!"
"Whatever form Zaetar desires, I can become!"
"I can even become larger!"
"By attaching rocks to myself, I can even become as vast as a mountain!"
Princess Theradras looked at the group with a face full of disdain: "You don't even understand this, you foolish mortals, you foolish Keeper of the Grove! Remulos, you are far inferior to your brother!"
Was I just scorned by my brother's wife? Remulos covered his face in shame, not daring to show himself.
Broll Bearmantle, however, secretly nodded; his earlier realization was correct!
What is a Great Druid? One who can see through illusory appearances is a Great Druid!
He felt his connection with nature grow closer, and a powerful energy erupted within him.
The small antlers on his head grew longer and became more curved and thick—the larger and thicker the antlers, the stronger the Druid's abilities!
"I've been promoted to Great Druid?"
Broll Bearmantle was overjoyed.
"Congratulations, Broll!" Kael'thas patted his shoulder.
After the dragon soul erupted, the Green Dragon's natural dream power permeated the entire cavern, mixing with the natural energy left behind by the death of those nature-aligned lives, causing the energy density here to increase dozens of times.
Broll Bearmantle was already on the verge of promotion, and breaking through the bottleneck in such an environment was completely normal.
Of course, it was only normal for him, because his talent was truly too high, the kind that could grow stronger even by sleeping every day.
For other high-ranking Druids, it would not have been so easy.
"Princess Theradras, are you—have you regained your sanity?"
The Earth Elemental Princess did not continue to attack them; although angry, she could still control herself, which she hadn't been able to do before.
"What do you mean 'regained'? I've always been very rational; before, I was just slightly, just a tiny bit, twisted by the aura of the Old God!" Princess Theradras snorted coldly.
She wasn't stupid; after regaining her sanity, she could naturally see the situation clearly: she couldn't win!
Moreover, it seemed Remulos wasn't here to seek retribution.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be this second-generation Keeper of the Grove, who possessed high-level legendary energy but performed far less impressively, but his dream.
Back in the era of the Ancient Dark Empire, she wouldn't have feared any "King of the Forest"; she was also a Princess of the Earth, of equal status!
However, she was too weakened. Only by recuperating in the Earth Elemental Plane for a period of time could she recover her strength.
"Remulos is too weak; instead, that guy who looks like a Night Elf abomination is very dangerous!"
She secretly glanced at Kael'thas twice, only to find him detestable. He had ruined all her pets and toys; how awful!
"The power this guy used just now seemed to be that of the five Great Aspect Dragons?"
"The artifact on his chest seems to be the dragon soul that Zaetar mentioned?"
"But, didn't the dragon soul lack Black Dragon power?"
"What is his relationship with the dragon race?"
"Could it be that Zaetar's foster grandmother—Green Dragon Queen Ysera—sent him?"
"She's not even his biological grandmother; she's too meddlesome!"
The more Princess Theradras thought about it, the more she felt Kael'thas was not a good person, but very bad.
"Theradras, how did you become tainted with the Old God' aura?" Remulos inquired.
"This is because during the Ancient Dark Empire era, we Earth Elementals were defeated by the Old God and had no choice but to submit!"
"After prolonged interaction, isn't it strange to be tainted with some aura?"
"The stronger the individual, and the stronger the Old God' servants they interact with, the more intense the aura they become tainted with."
"Those I frequently interacted with were Faceless Ones, even Faceless One generals, so the aura on me is actually theirs."
Princess Theradras was also very helpless: "Originally, this bit of aura was nothing, but after I fell into slumber, my strength declined, and my mental will was far from what it used to be, so I was eroded by these auras—"
Her voice grew softer and softer, somewhat guilty.
Back then, getting together with Zaetar, was it really not influenced by the Old God? It's hard to say!
After all, her power had declined, so why hadn't the Old God' aura dissipated? Something was fishy about this!
"It's all the Titans' fault, all the Titan Guardians' fault!"
"If they hadn't meddled, creating something like the Elemental Plane and banishing most of the elements into it, but leaving me outside, causing me to lose most of my authority, I wouldn't have become so weakened, allowing the Old God to take advantage of my vulnerability!"
"However—it's also thanks to them defeating the Old God that we Earth Elementals escaped their clutches."
"Should I hate them, or should I be grateful to them?"
Princess Theradras was somewhat conflicted.
Kael'thas smiled: "Your Highness Princess, can you release Zaetar's soul now?"
"Alright," Princess Theradras said reluctantly.
Circumstances were against her; even if she refused, this hateful guy could definitely break her seal, not to mention Remulos was also there.
A few minutes later, Zaetar's soul floated out from the antlers.
"Remulos, my brother."
Zaetar and Remulos looked at each other for a few seconds, then turned to Princess Theradras: "Theradras, my love!"
"Zaetar, my love."
The old couple, together for 1,500 years, locked eyes and then embraced, oblivious to their surroundings.
If Zaetar hadn't been incorporeal, they would have surely kissed.
"He must have had his mind twisted by an Old God!" Remulos gritted his teeth.
He actually ignored his brother of tens of thousands of years, only concerned with exchanging glances with his wife, whom he'd only known for 1,500 years. Zaetar, you've changed; you've forgotten your brother for your wife!
"Theradras!"
"Zaetar!"
"Theradras!"
"Zaetar—"
Ten minutes later.
"Ahem."
Kael'thas couldn't bear to watch any longer. He coughed twice and said, "You two, you'll have plenty of time later. How about we first figure out what to do about this situation?"
The Centaur outside were about to break in!
His single sentence shattered their rare moment of tenderness.
Princess Theradras glared at him, hands on her hips, and declared, "This is all my fault. I absorbed Desolace's energy, I gave birth to the Centaur, and I caused their curse and their nature!"
"What do you want to do? Come at me!"
"My children killed Zaetar, but they only destroyed his body; his soul is still here!"
"For beings of our level, the soul is the essence. If the body is gone, it's gone; it can be reshaped anyway, so it's as good as not killed!"
"Besides, this is our family matter. What does it have to do with you? You have no right to interfere!"
She looked at Remulos and shouted, "If you're still angry, then kill me! Zaetar and I can be together in spirit form from now on; it's even more convenient that way!"
"Also, you don't need to worry that Mother will kill you. I will plead with her to spare you!"
Kael'thas, Remulos, Broll Bearmantle: "..."
Big sister, you're awesome, you're incredible, you actually dare to threaten us, and you don't even look at the current situation!
"Don't blame Theradras; this is all my fault."
At this moment, Zaetar's sorrowful voice sounded: "After we met, she realized she shouldn't destroy Desolace's ecosystem, so she planned to restore it with me. But I couldn't control myself and had relations with her. This is all my fault!"
"As for our children, I shouldn't have hated them. What kind of parents hate their children?"
"This is all my fault. Don't blame Theradras, and don't blame my children; they are innocent!"
He walked in front of Remulos: "The Centaur's brutality is essentially caused by the aura of the Old God. Now that the dark aura on Princess Theradras has dissipated, they will also slowly become peaceful. Please don't harm them, my brother."
Remulos felt utterly exhausted.
What else could he say?
The victim himself had already come to terms with it!
He had been busy for so long, owed Kael'thas a favor, and now he had become a busybody?
I shouldn't have come!
"Alright, I won't interfere with you, nor will I deal with the Centaur."
He sighed, "But what will you two do in the future? You can't stay like this forever, can you? Why don't you come back with me? I'll ask Father to resurrect you and reshape your body—"
"No! Cenarius won't let him come back!" Princess Theradras cried out.
Zaetar shook his head: "I don't know if Father will forgive me and accept Theradras. I don't want to risk it."
Remulos was helpless: "But you two can't stay here forever either. There's still an Old God's aura here, which will continue to affect you, and you can't remain in soul form indefinitely, can you? If this continues, you'll become weaker and weaker."
Princess Theradras waved her hand grandly: "That's easy. I'll take Zaetar to the Earth Elemental Plane and plead with Mother to transform him into an Earth Elemental creature. Mother dotes on me, she will accept Zaetar!"
"No!" Remulos and Zaetar objected in unison.
Love is fine, but changing races is the bottom line!
In fact, Princess Theradras had proposed this solution hundreds of times, and each time Zaetar had rejected it.
Of course, she could have forcibly taken Zaetar to the Earth Elemental Plane, but she didn't, because Zaetar threatened to kill himself.
She could only imprison Zaetar and slowly figure out a way.
"Then what do we do?" All three were at a loss.
In the Emerald Dream, Cenarius was so angry his hair stood on end: "She wants to turn Zaetar into an Earth Elemental creature! Mother, don't stop me, I'm going to kill her and resurrect her as a Keeper of the Grove!"
"Forget it, forget it. Let the juniors handle their own affairs; we shouldn't interfere." Ysera also had a headache.
If Princess Theradras were really turned into a Keeper of the Grove, the Earth Elemental Lord, no matter how good her temperament, would explode.
At that point, attacking Mount Hyjal or the Emerald Dream would be nothing. What if she was forced to side with the Void faction, allied with Deathwing, and shattered the World Tree? What then?
At this moment, Kael'thas smiled and said, "How about this, you two come with me to Sandar Hill?"
"There are blessings from the Four Dragon Aspects there, and it's connected to the Emerald Dream. We can use the power of Sandar Hill to resurrect Zaetar."
"Lord Cenarius will also give me face and won't make things difficult for you."
"Give you face? Kael'thas, how much credit do you think you have!" Cenarius roared again.
"Just give me face, alright? Stop making a fuss. If Kael'thas can indeed handle it properly, it will be a good thing for the entire world. Perhaps we can even win over the Earth Elemental Lord through Princess Theradras."
Ysera raised her paw and pressed Cenarius to the ground, immobilizing him.
Her beautiful eyes gleamed, and she finally understood Kael'thas's ultimate goal: this was preparation for the decisive battle against Deathwing and the Old Gods!
"Kael'thas, it wasn't in vain that we bestowed the dragon soul upon you; you truly haven't disappointed us!"
As for Kael'thas's other motives, such as rallying allies and strengthening the overall power of the High Elves, these were minor matters, and she couldn't be bothered with them.
Remulos's eyes, however, lit up: "Good idea! Sandar Hill is a World Tree; with it there, I can resurrect you without Father's intervention!"
The power of the World Tree was too strong; let alone Zaetar, even the Wild Gods could be resurrected!
Zaetar looked bewildered, a new World Tree? And with the blessings of four Dragon Aspects, even more than Nordrassil?
He looked at Kael'thas, finding this young High Elf very mysterious and not simple at all.
"That idiot Remulos must have been tricked by Kael'thas and used as a pawn!" Zaetar thought.
He pondered for a moment, then looked at Princess Theradras: "My dear, this is a good idea. We can stay together on Sandar Hill, and the World Tree's energy will greatly help me recover my strength. Please, for my sake, alright?"
"I truly want to touch your body, not like this."
Princess Theradras hesitated: "It's possible, but what about our children? Without us, they'll be bullied by the Tauren."
Remulos opened his mouth, wanting to speak but holding back. Bullied by the Tauren?
The Tauren weren't like the Yaungol; they were very docile and never actively attacked other races.
It was the Centaur who initiated the war, invading territory that originally belonged to the Tauren, and even drove them to the distant Mulgore. Did she think he didn't know?
However, what Theradras said was also true.
Even an honest person will bite when pushed too far, let alone the strong and robust Tauren.
The individual strength of a Centaur was actually inferior to that of a Tauren. The reason they could suppress the Tauren was because Theradras had infused some of her power into the Centaur. The reason she had become so weak, unable to withstand even Kael'thas's area attacks, was precisely because of this.
Once Theradras left, if the distance was too great, the bestowed power would inevitably return to her body. The Centaur would fall from the clouds to the bottom. The Tauren would seize the opportunity to counterattack and reclaim their lost lands, and the Centaur might not be able to defeat them.
"This—"
Zaetar looked at Remulos: "Can the Keeper of the Grove and the Night Elves not—"
"No!"
Remulos flatly refused.
The Tauren were close to nature; their ancestors were Wild Gods, and their relationship with him and Cenarius was also good.
There was no way he would let the Keeper of the Grove help the Centaur fight the Tauren.
As for the Night Elves, it was even more impossible. They weren't even the same race as him; he couldn't control them.
"However, I can act as an intermediary and help mediate the relationship between the two races, provided that the Centaur actively cease hostilities, and I don't guarantee that the Tauren will cooperate," Remulos said.
Zaetar immediately became worried: "You're not the Lord of the Forest or a Tauren demigod; they definitely won't listen to you—"
Remulos clenched his fist, barely suppressing the urge to punch him. Had he gone mad from being trapped? His emotional intelligence was zero!
"That's easy to handle."
Kael'thas chuckled: "How about an alliance between the Centaur and the High Elves? If the Tauren attack you, we'll send troops to help."
Zaetar pondered for a moment, then said: "Then that should be no problem."
He briefly explained the general situation of the High Elves to Princess Theradras, and Remulos added some details.
Princess Theradras was immediately shocked. This wicked fellow was so strong that he helped the Dragon Aspect defeat Deathwing?
She had heard Zaetar mention Deathwing, one of the most powerful servants of the Old God, whose strength was no less than her mother's at her peak.
"Although this guy is bad, his strength is truly formidable—no, he's not bad, he's helping us!"
Princess Theradras's attitude towards Kael'thas did a complete 180-degree turn. She quickly nodded: "Alright, we'll do as Your Royal Highness Prince Kael'thas says!"
"From now on, the Centaur will be the most loyal allies of the High Elves!"
"As long as you have a need, the Centaur will definitely help with all their might!"
She even used honorifics.
For Zaetar, for their children, she even cast aside her pride.
Clip-clop, clip-clop!
A continuous sound of hooves rang out; the Centaur outside were attacking!
The Centaur Khan at the forefront saw Princess Theradras, paused, and exclaimed: "Who are you? How do you have the same aura as us? And power, you have power from the same origin as us!"
The organizational structure of the Centaur was similar to ancient Mongolia; the Khan was above tribal chiefs and clan leaders, the common ruler of many tribes, equivalent to a human king.
"I am your ancestor! The mother of your progenitors!"
"The power in your bodies was bestowed by me!"
Princess Theradras looked down from her elevated position, surveying these descendants she hadn't seen for thousands of years: "You are too young to have seen me, but you must have seen my idol, right? I am the deity you worship!"
A deity? The Centaur were filled with doubt and surprise.
"Is she really the mother of our progenitors—the great Earth Elemental Princess?"
"It's possible. Seeing her, I feel so close, like I've returned to my mother's embrace!"
"Me too!"
Many Centaur chiefs, warriors, and shamans whispered among themselves.
Some even knelt, prostrating themselves in worship.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?"
"Get up, all of you!"
"Are you blind? You've all seen the idol of our progenitor mother. She doesn't look like this, not that beautiful!"
The Centaur Khan angrily rebuked.
"Yes, the progenitor mother is very ugly!"
"The progenitor father is elegant and noble. The reason we Centaur aren't as handsome as the Keeper of the Grove is because of the progenitor mother's genetics!"
"Although she's also very ugly, she's not ugly to an unacceptable degree. She's definitely not the progenitor mother!"
The Centaur all "woke up," one by one glaring at Princess Theradras, raising their bows and spears, accusing her of being a big liar.
The Centaur Khan sneered: "How dare you impersonate our great ancestor, impersonate the great Earth Elemental Princess? You're seeking death!"
Princess Theradras was enraged and was about to raise her hand to teach these abominable descendants a lesson, but Zaetar stopped her.
"Don't be angry, my dear. They are still children. Don't hit them at the drop of a hat. If they make a mistake, we can educate them."
"Guide them, don't use corporal punishment."
He took a step forward, smiling broadly: "Then you must recognize me, right? I am Zaetar, your progenitor father. You must have seen my idol, right?"
The Centaur Khan continued to sneer: "Yes, but all Keepers of the Grove look the same, how do I know who you are? Besides, the progenitor father died long ago, you must be a fake!"
"Yes, a fake!"
"The Keeper of the Grove has always been hostile to us, disliking us!"
"Although they look good, their hearts are rotten; they love to play schemes, unlike us Centaur who are straightforward!"
"Kill them!"
All the Centaur rolled up their sleeves, ready to attack.
"Theradras, hit the children!" Zaetar shouted.
"Alright!" Theradras was extremely excited. She couldn't defeat Kael'thas, but she couldn't defeat them?
She planned to first reclaim the power she had bestowed upon the Centaur, then beat them up to appease her husband!
As a conflict was about to erupt, Kael'thas quickly reminded her: "Theradras, what about your children?"
"Oh right, my children!"
"Kolkar, Galak, Magra, Maladorus, Veng, come out!"
Princess Theradras calmly summoned five Centaur spirits and said: "You may not recognize us, but you must recognize them, right?"
The Centaur Khan's eyes widened, his tongue seemed tied, and his voice trembled almost incoherently: "An—ancestor?"
These five spirits before him were actually the ancestors of the Centaur, the five most ancient Centaur Khans!
Maraudon was a sacred place for the Centaur; all Centaur, after death, wished for their souls to return here.
However, Princess Theradras was immersed in the grief of her husband's death, feeling both love and hatred for the descendants who killed him.
While she didn't kill them to avenge her husband, she didn't welcome them either.
Only her five biological sons, after their deaths, were allowed to enter and stay by Zaetar's side, atoning for their sins over long years.
"What are you standing around for? Why aren't you immediately kneeling before your father, kowtowing in apology, and begging for his forgiveness?" Princess Theradras's expression was grim.
"Yes, Mother!"
"Father, it was all our fault, we shouldn't have treated you that way back then!"
"Please forgive us, we are willing to bear any punishment!"
The five ancestral Khans quickly complied, completely stunned.
Fifteen hundred years!
They had been unwelcome all this time.
Staying here every day, their mother ignored them, spending all her time by their father's grave, talking to him.
They didn't dare to interrupt; if they spoke, they would be beaten and ordered to kneel before the grave, kowtow, repent, and beg their father for forgiveness.
This made them wonder:
Their father and mother were true love; they were just an accident!
Their mother hated them, and their father loathed them, which made them feel like they shouldn't have come into this world at all, leading to their impulsive act of killing their father.
There were reasons for all this, caused by their family environment!
No matter how great the mistake, it had been fifteen hundred years; surely it should be over by now?
Father, Mother, life must go on, look forward!
"An—ancestors, are they really Father God and Mother God, not fakes?"
The Centaur Khan stammered, completely flustered; after all this, it was real?
"Nonsense!"
"Besides Father, who else possesses such a handsome appearance? Such noble temperament? Look at the one next to him, he doesn't have it!"
"Besides Mother, who else possesses such an intimate aura? Such powerful strength? And this power is of the same origin as ours!"
The five Centaur ancestors reprimanded him one after another.
The Centaur followed shamanistic teachings and held their ancestors in high regard, so they hastily knelt en masse.
Patricide? That was when they were young and ignorant; after being dead for so long, they had matured!
Kael'thas smiled without speaking.
What obedience, what acceptance, what maturity?
The reason the five Centaur ancestors were speaking so sweetly, with clear eyes, was simply because they couldn't defeat Zaetar and Princess Theradras!
The reason their souls returned to Maraudon was most likely not voluntary, but because Princess Theradras forcibly captured them, and they still had Earth Elemental seals on them!
"Alright, everyone, get up."
After all that commotion, Zaetar's anger subsided.
He was originally gentle and kind; even with his rebellious sons committing patricide, he still chose to forgive them—all old fathers are like this.
However, anger doesn't disappear; it only transfers.
Remulos, standing nearby, laughed in exasperation. Could he really be used to belittle me?
Zaetar more handsome, more noble than me? That's ridiculous; I was the one involved with the ancient Green Dragon, not him!
Theradras couldn't be bothered with these unfamiliar descendants.
She looked at the five ancestral Khans: "You all heard our conversation just now, didn't you?"
"We heard it!"
"The Centaur and High Elf will form an alliance!"
"A truce with the Tauren!"
"From now on, protect nature and never cause destruction!"
One of the ancestral Khans looked at the kneeling Centaur: "Did you all hear that? Do as instructed!"
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Thousands of Centaur spoke in unison.
The Centaur Khan's eyes darted around, and he said, "Ancestor, some tribes no longer believe in Father God and Mother God. I'm worried they won't comply!"
The five ancestral Khans exchanged glances.
Not comply? You figure it out yourselves, what good does telling us do?
We are only souls now; we can't help you fight!
"Not comply? Where? I'll personally teach them a lesson!" Princess Theradras, with her fiery temper, immediately wanted to fight.
Zaetar quickly stopped her: "My dear, you'll destroy the environment. It's better to let the Centaur handle these matters themselves."
In reality, he was worried his wife couldn't defeat those tribes.
Princess Theradras had, after all, lost too much power and lacked the ability to counter a human wave tactic.
Kael'thas smiled and said, "How about this: the five ancestral Khans also revive and take charge of uniting the Centaur?"
Zaetar nodded: "That works."
His five sons inherited part of their power and were the most powerful Centaur in history.
They already possessed sufficient prestige, and after their revival, they would have enough strength to unite the Centaur within a few years, eliminate internal strife, and lead them to prosperity.
Kael'thas certainly had many clever ideas!
At these words, most of the Centaur were ecstatic.
That particular Centaur Khan, however, was not.
He had hoped Mother God would grant him greater power to become the Great Khan, but now he had five ancestors above him?
No chance!
Within the Emerald Dream, Ysera revealed a relieved smile:
"Kael'thas handled this matter beautifully indeed."
"He managed to appease and win over the Earth Elemental forces, resolve the long-standing conflict between the Centaur and Tauren at its root, and add a powerful protective force to Sandar Hill. Three birds with one stone."
Although Cenarius still had some reservations about Kael'thas, he couldn't help but reluctantly nod, his internal evaluation of the Elf Prince quietly increasing significantly.
"Alright, the show's over. Now it's time for us to attend to our own matters."
"The corruption of the Nightmare has been continuously spreading. Green Dragons, Keepers of the Grove, Druids, and even many Treants, Faerie Dragons, Chimaeras—more and more living beings are getting lost in the Dream, troubled by the terrifying Nightmare."
"Yet, until now, we still haven't been able to find the source of this corruption."
Ysera's expression grew solemn.
Cenarius's face was also filled with confusion and bewilderment: "It is indeed very strange. Why would the power of the Nightmare suddenly strengthen to such an extent? This completely defies logic."
Where there is light, there is shadow; where there are good dreams, there are naturally nightmares.
Nightmares were inherently an uneliminable part of the dream world.
The more beings that had nightmares, the stronger the power of the Nightmare naturally became.
Azeroth was currently in turmoil; the Orc invasion had drawn tens of millions of sentient beings into war.
Countless families were torn apart, their homes destroyed, so an increase in nightmares was understandable.
However, the brutality of the Orc war did not actually exceed past conflicts like the War of the Shifting Sands or the wars between Trolls and the Qiraji, and it was far from comparable to the cataclysm of the War of the Ancients.
Yet, precisely during this period, the speed and intensity of the Nightmare's outbreak far surpassed any previous instance.
This indicated that the Orc war was not the true source of the Nightmare's outbreak.
So, if not the Orc war, what could it be?
The Worgen race had long been banished.
The Satyr demons were strictly imprisoned.
Vordrassil, which caused the corruption, had been cut down.
Areas polluted by Saronite had also been purified by the power of the World Tree and ancient trees.
Queen Azshara was lurking in the deep sea, not emerging.
Deathwing had been defeated.
Savith had been sealed.
Even the physical manifestation of Hakkar the Soulflayer had been eliminated.
All known potential sources of large-scale Nightmare outbreaks had been ruled out.
So, why exactly was the Emerald Nightmare erupting?
"Mother, you don't need to be overly anxious. Malfurion and the Cenarion Council he leads are currently investigating in the deepest parts of the Dream."
"He is the most outstanding Druid in the world today, and his understanding and achievements in the way of nature are even on par with mine."
"I believe he will surely uncover the truth." Cenarius said, comforting her.
Ysera slowly shook her head: "Keeper Freya entrusted the Emerald Dream to me to guard. Investigating the source of the Nightmare is my duty; I cannot rely entirely on Malfurion."
"Moreover, I have a very ominous premonition: behind this unusual outbreak of the Nightmare, there might very well be the shadow of an Old God!"
Cenarius's expression changed slightly upon hearing this: "An Old God? Malfurion cannot deal with an Old God!"
Ysera's tone was heavy: "This is not something Malfurion can resolve. I have decided to personally delve into the deepest layers of the Dream to investigate. No matter what, the true source of the Nightmare must be traced."
Cenarius immediately became worried: "But Mother, you also cannot deal with an Old God—oh, right, Nozdormu!
He is the Aspect of Time, existing on and transcending the timeline. He will surely be able to find the source of the Nightmare."
Ysera shook her head again: "It's no use. The timeline itself seems to have a problem. Nozdormu has already left the Caverns of Time to investigate countless timelines in the past and future. No one can contact him now."
"Moreover, I suspect that even he would find it difficult to see the source of the Nightmare—because his abilities also seem to be interfered with. The mists of time obscure his vision, preventing him from perceiving the truth."
The other Dragon Aspects were even less able to help.
Alexstrasza and Malygos's authority was unrelated to the Dream.
In the Emerald Dream, their strength would be greatly restricted, even less than Cenarius's.
Cenarius then said, "The Wild Gods, there are still the Wild Gods, they can help, and so can I!"
Ysera sighed: "Your father Malfurion, the Wolf Ancient Goldrinn, the Raven Goddess Aviana, the Wild God Aessina, the Boar Demigod Agamaggan, and the Furbolg Gods Ursol and Ursoc—most of them perished in the War of the Ancients."
"Of those still alive, besides you, only Tortolla remains, and he is still in slumber."
"As for you—"
She shook her head: "Forget it, you cannot risk yourself again. The real world of Azeroth still needs you to protect it."
Cenarius fell silent.
He had wanted to suggest trying to revive the fallen Wild Gods, but he also knew how difficult that would be.
Like most living beings in this world, after the Wild Gods died, their souls would travel to Ardenweald in the Shadowlands.
And the Emerald Dream, in essence, was a huge pathway connecting the real world and the Shadowlands, and also a temporary resting place for the souls of the Wild Gods before they went to Ardenweald.
To revive them would mean having to open a stable channel between the Shadowlands and the real world, or the Emerald Dream, and it would also require a massive amount of natural energy equivalent to that of a demigod as a price.
The World Tree Nordrassil and the nascent Sandar Hill might be able to provide enough energy, but how easily could the barrier of life and death be broken?
It was almost impossible!
Of course, the Wild Gods of Azeroth were not limited to those mentioned above.
These mentioned were only a small portion that were closely related to the Night Elves and participated in the War of the Ancients, known as the "Ancient Guardians."
Besides them, there were also the August Celestials worshipped by the Pandaren, and the Loa worshipped by the Trolls.
However, the August Celestials, along with the mysterious continent of Pandaria, had been shrouded in mist ten thousand years ago, completely disappearing without a trace.
The mist covering Pandaria contained an extremely peculiar and powerful force that even he could not contend with, and thus he naturally could not contact the August Celestials within it.
As for the Loa, those fellows were not on good terms with them to begin with, so it was impossible for them to offer help.
Seeing that Cenarius was still worried, she comforted him: "You don't have to worry about me. The Titan prisons are still in place, and the Old Gods are still sealed. Their means of influencing Azeroth and the Emerald Dream are very limited. I can handle it, if—"
She paused slightly, her tone becoming extremely solemn: "If, and I mean if, even I encounter misfortune in the Dream and go missing—then you go find Kael'thas."
Cenarius frowned: "Find him? If even I cannot contact you, what can Kael'thas do? The power of the dragon soul, though strong, hasn't reached that level."
Ysera smiled: "Don't underestimate him. Haven't you noticed? He seems to know many secrets that should not be known."
Cenarius fell into deep thought.
Indeed, Kael'thas's actions repeatedly exceeded his expectations.
"Kael'thas is a very peculiar person. He is shrouded in a mist that even Nozdormu cannot see through. Like the Old Gods, their very existence is a form of interference with the established timeline."
"This interference means variables, meaning being beyond control—neither under the control of us Guardians, nor under the control of the Old Gods or any other force."
"However, at least from all current indications, he is on our side."
Ysera continued: "If everything goes smoothly, that's best, try not to involve him too much; but if it truly comes to the most critical moment, he might become our last resort."
"As long as we can get his help, we will have a chance to turn the tide."
Cenarius took a deep breath, engraving Ysera's words in his heart: "I understand, Mother, I will follow your instructions."
"If you truly go missing, I will try everything to find you."
"But if—if all efforts fail, I will go find Kael'thas!"