"Thump! Thump!"
After Dawn gave the order, the tauren kodo beast cavalry immediately beat their war drums rhythmically, and tauren warriors, gripping their totem poles, roared as they charged the centaur defenders.
Their numerous battles with the tauren had led the centaurs to underestimate these slow-moving beefy humanoids.
Seeing that the tauren actually dared to leave their defensive fortifications and launch an active attack, the remaining centaurs let out excited whoops, seemingly already discussing how to divide up this group of tauren.
In reality, the tauren's disadvantage against the centaurs was not due to being inferior in combat strength, but purely due to tactical and unit counterplay.
Before the rise of the centaurs, the tauren had never expected such a mobile and brutal race to emerge, and unprepared, many of their pastures were seized by the centaurs.
But the tauren were, after all, a race with deep roots. As long as they weathered the centaurs' initial wave of attacks, they could completely rely on the Stoneclaw Mountains' wyverns to form a large-scale air force.
No matter how fast the centaurs ran, they could only gallop on the ground and could not outpace aerial predators. Once the wyvern cavalry formed a substantial force, coupled with the tauren's powerful ground army advancing, clearing out the centaurs would only be a matter of time.
Facing the mass charge of the tauren totem warriors, the centaurs still maintained their habitual fighting style: creating distance and engaging in mounted archery.
But an awkward situation arose; the four Khans had left them orders to guard the valley entrance.
Once they maneuvered backward for mounted archery, it would be tantamount to ceding the valley entrance to the tauren. If the exit were blocked, even with the centaurs' meager intelligence, they could guess that terrible things would happen afterward.
When the centaurs stood firm and drew their long spears to meet the tauren, something even more terrifying happened to them.
Centaurs weighing over 200 catties were like toys in front of the tauren warriors. A casual sweep of a thick totem pole could snap their long spears, and without losing momentum, smash the centaurs' upper bodies into a pulp.
Some wild tauren even lifted centaurs by the neck with one hand and furiously slammed them into the ground.
The tauren had been suppressed for a long time by the centaurs' hit-and-run, rogue tactics, and had been bottling up a lot of anger. Seeing the opponents foolishly dare to charge out and engage them in a head-on assault, the tauren finally had an outlet for their immense strength.
The centaur officers who remained behind realized something was wrong as soon as the two sides made contact; the situation was not progressing as they had anticipated.
The centaurs' selfish and cold nature was revealed at this moment. The officers in the rear, to save their lives, selectively ignored the orders issued by the Khans and began to employ their mounted archery skills again.
But here was the problem: to engage in guerrilla mounted archery in the narrow valley passage, there was only one way—to retreat.
However, the Night Elf Southern Legion, which had already seized the advantageous terrain of the valley, had long been prepared. After the main force led by the four Khans charged into the valley from the eastern entrance, they immediately came under attack from the Night Elves positioned above.
Blizzards unleashed by massed arcane mages blocked the centaurs' path forward. A rain of arrows and bullets fell into the centaur positions, and attacks coming from all directions made the centaurs below feel somewhat beleaguered.
Khan K'karr shouted loudly to his three colleagues, "We can't keep taking hits here! The enemy has already occupied the best defensive terrain in Spear Valley. Let's retreat first!"
In such an ambush situation, where they couldn't win a fight, retreat was the only option. The four Khans quickly reached a consensus and ordered their troops to turn around and withdraw to the entrance they had come from.
But before they could get far, the defensive forces left at the valley entrance were already happily engaging in mounted archery and "meeting up" with them.
"Fools!"
Khan Magraam's face turned ashen with rage. "I told you to hold the valley entrance, how did you end up retreating here?!"
"But…"
One of the centaur officers explained defensively, "We couldn't withstand the tauren's charge, so we could only retreat while fighting. Isn't this our usual tactic?"
"To hell with your usual tactic!"
Khan Magraam, in a fit of rage, chopped off the officer's head with an axe, splattering blood everywhere.
"Hoo! Hoo!"
With bloodshot eyes, Khan Magraam panted heavily, glaring at all the officers of the defensive unit he had left behind. These officers all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Including Khans Malodi and Garok, all the centaurs began to panic.
"What do we do? We're completely trapped in the valley, caught in a pincer attack."
"We can't retreat, and we can't charge out. Are we just going to wait here to die?"
Khan K'karr felt the panic spreading. Although he was also unsure, he still had to step forward to stabilize morale.
"Why are you panicking! We still have a large army in our hands. Concentrate our forces and charge in one direction; we'll definitely carve out a bloody path!"
Khan Magraam asked with a grim face, "So which side do you think we should charge? The tauren? Or those purple-skinned monsters blocking the southern exit?"
"The tauren, of course!"
The now calm Khan Malodi said decisively, "The valley is already thoroughly ambushed. The only way out is through the tauren blocking our retreat."
"As long as we can break through the tauren's defenses with a charge, we can return to our most suitable fighting rhythm!"
Khan Garok said fiercely, with a savage expression, "Those damned tauren, daring to set a trap for us! We must utterly annihilate them!"
"Good! Immediately gather our forces and turn to attack!"
...After "forcing back" the centaur defensive forces, the tauren only sent a small number of heavily armored warriors to endure the arrows and continue to pressure the centaurs.
At Andreas' suggestion, the tauren's main army was fully stationed at the valley entrance. Druids of the Cenarion Circle cast spells to rapidly grow sturdy thorny vines at the valley mouth.
The hunters of the Hidden Path then quickly set up various traps in front of the vines, including tripwires and pit traps utilizing the vines, as well as many frost and fire traps created with magic.
Dawn, carrying his totem pole, came to Andreas' side and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Speaker Moonshadow, are you sure the centaurs will turn and attack us? What if they choose to break through to the south? Wouldn't all our defensive arrangements be in vain?"
"I am sure."
Andreas smiled and explained, "This is a very simple matter of logic and psychological prediction."
"The centaurs have never dealt with the Night Elves before. With clear signs of an ambush ahead, they won't be foolish enough to force their way through the south."
"On the other hand, due to their long-term advantage in battles with the tauren, they will subconsciously believe that you are easier to deal with. Choosing the eastern side, with familiar defeated foes, is therefore logical."
Andreas' words made Dawn feel both embarrassed and extremely annoyed.
Of course, this annoyance was not directed at Andreas, but at the centaurs who had long oppressed the tauren and treated them as soft targets.
Seeing the dark expressions on Dawn and the surrounding clan chiefs' faces, Andreas secretly chuckled.
'Morale is high. Let me see how long it takes for the tauren to break the centaur assault in a direct clash.'
Just as Andreas expected, while The Hidden Path and the Cenarion Circle raced against time to set up fortifications, the shouts of the Centaurs' charge grew closer, clearly heading in this direction.
The Tauren army formed their ranks about fifty meters behind the trap zone. Hunters, Shamans, and Druids were all ready to attack as soon as the Centaurs entered range.
Dorn took a deep breath. The Centaurs were charging very fast and were already nearing the pit traps at the very front.
"Aaaah!"
The Centaurs at the front fell in droves as they stepped into the pit traps, and their once orderly formation was instantly thrown into chaos.
"Now! Attack!"
Dorn's booming voice echoed through the valley, his powerful shout cutting through even the screams of the Centaurs.
"Whiz! Whiz!"
The Tauren's specially made heavy bows fired first. The powerful arrows rained down on the chaotic Centaur ranks, and those struck collapsed with a neigh.
"Boom!"
The advancing Centaurs triggered Explosive Traps, Freezing Traps, Immolation Traps, and tripwires linked to Snake Traps one after another.
By the time the Centaur vanguard, spurred on by the Khans' frenzied urgings, reached the thorny vines and swung their spears, the narrow valley path was a mess. At least a thousand Centaurs had died to various traps and Tauren ranged attacks, with countless more wounded.
"Clang!"
The Centaurs' crude metal spears struck Farodin's magically enhanced vines with a dull thud. The extremely tough vines left them momentarily helpless.
The advancing Centaur army brought their casters to the front. Thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and the once-level valley floor began to ripple.
"Brace for impact!"
Under Dorn's command, heavy-armored Tauren warriors stepped forward with two-meter-high greatshields, slamming the heavy shields into the ground with a loud thud.
The Tauren Shamans and Druids also began counter-measures, fighting for control over the earth and the thunderclouds.
With the help of their casters, the Centaurs finally managed to tear through the earth using clever tricks, opening a gap in the defensive net of thorny vines.
"Charge! Kill all the Tauren!"
Under the hysterical shouting of the Khans, the Centaurs rushed toward the Tauren positions through the opened passage with strange cries.
But the heavy shield warriors in front gave them another shock. The Centaurs had fully expected to smash through the Tauren's shield wall with the momentum of their charge, but the opposite happened.
Not a single Centaur that slammed into the shields broke the formation. They hung before the shield wall like kamikaze suicide squads; the powerful impact instead shattered their internal organs, while the Tauren shield wall only shook slightly.
Neither side noticed the various raptors of all sizes circling above the battlefield.
Andreas looked up. The appearance of the Raptor Druids meant that Shandris already had a complete grasp of the situation at the eastern exit of the canyon.
"It's about time to wrap this up."
The Khans anxiously urged their subordinates to break through the Tauren line. Their scouts were constantly reporting the latest movements of the Night Elves; the shadow of death hung over all the Centaurs.
Under the pressure of countless corpses, the Tauren shield wall finally began to waver.
Seeing this, Dorn immediately ordered, "Split the shields! Go on the offensive! The earth mother protects us! Charge!"
"For the earth mother!"
The valley's terrain was unsuitable for the massive Kodo Beast cavalry, so they were currently in the Tauren's rear, passionately beating war drums.
Totem Warriors wielding Totem Poles were the first to roar and launch a counter-charge. The visually stunning totems swept through the Centaur crowds, easily clearing a large area.
Meanwhile, the Night Elf Southern Legion had also formed their ranks.
Due to the forced march, the slow-moving moonlight radiance artillery golems had not followed. Since the Centaurs had no air force, the moonwings did not move with the army either. The vanguard leading the charge was the balanced moonfist.
After many improvements, the Fists of Elune had become increasingly agile, and their Arcane mechanisms were more efficient than before.
These arcane golems charged into the Centaur's rear and began punching. Newly installed Fist Blades sprang from their knuckles; a single hit was enough to incapacitate a Centaur.
Thanks to their dual-resistance enchanted armor, the attacks from Centaur casters and archers were negligible against the Fists of Elune. Hundreds of arcane golems charged into the ranks, quickly throwing the Centaur rear into total chaos.
Shandris led the way by raising her bow and loudly commanding, "Raise bows... fire at will!"
A deluge of arrows fell into the enemy ranks. The accompanying Arcanists also began to show their power, as Flame Strikes and ranged Arcane Explosions frantically harvested Centaur lives.
Attacked from both sides, the Centaur Khans fell into despair. They had a massive army of hundreds of thousands with excellent mobility, but now they were trapped in this death canyon where they could neither advance nor retreat.
The holy land of Maraudon would become their own burial ground, a profound irony.
'Speaking of which, why is there so much "filial piety" in Azeroth?'
Thinking of Zalthar, who was killed by the Centaurs, Andreas shook his head helplessly.
In this battle, the Tauren displayed their resilience to the fullest.
The Tauren holding the valley entrance tightly blocked the Centaurs' only way out. The army of hundreds of thousands completely collapsed under the pincer attack.
As the battle progressed, the Tauren and Night Elf soldiers actually found it easier. Faced with a dead end, most Centaurs had lost their will to resist.
On Andreas' suggestion, neither Dorn nor Shandris rushed to wipe out the Centaurs in one go, as that might have provoked a final, desperate resistance.
Maintaining this "boiling a frog in lukewarm water" offensive, the main Centaur army was trapped in Speargroove. The Tauren and the Night Elf Republic's Southern Legion guarded both ends of the canyon, slowly wearing down the Centaurs' strength and will.
After the situation on the main battlefield was settled, the surprise attack force led by Laynella also won a great victory. She personally carried the head of the Gelkis Khan to meet Shandris in Speargroove.
Lunara had already learned of Zalthar's fate from Centaur prisoners. Shandris had no mercy for such parricidal scum; she ordered the Gelkis Khan's head to be hung on a flagpole to further crush what little morale the Centaurs had left.
Learning that her brother Zalthar had passed away, the Dryad was very depressed. Leticia stayed by Lunara's side to comfort her.
With the situation settled, Andreas first released The Hidden Path and the Cenarion Circle. Fandral led the Druids as they transformed into Hippogryphs, Drakess, and other flying mounts to carry The Hidden Path's hunters over the southern mountains of Feralas and into Silithus.
Fandral's prized apprentice, Feren, had already arrived at the outpost on the border of Silithus. To prevent a sudden attack by the Qiraji, the Night Elf Republic would gradually increase its troops in Silithus.
The war in Marshanhi has largely concluded; the Centaur army, cornered in Speargroove, has completely lost its momentum.
The four Centaur settlements scattered across this vast plain are left with only a small number of defenders, mostly the old, weak, and sick. The Tauren, who harbor deep hatred for the Centaur, will clean them out one by one once they are free.
Earth Princess Theradras never showed herself from beginning to end; she seemed completely unconcerned by the slaughter of her offspring.
But then again, the Centaur's cold nature is inherited from Theradras. For the Centaur who killed her beloved, Theradras' failure to personally exterminate them was already a display of leniency; it would be strange for her to care about their lives.
Although Theradras currently has no plans to leave Maraudon, Andreas was still somewhat uneasy about the Earth Princess, and the Tauren, led by Dorn, shared the same concern.
The tragic fate of the Lingsong Great Chieftain's clan and the Tauren elite Shaman is still vivid in their memories.
After some discussion, the Tauren Shaman performed a joint spell to seal the entrance to Maraudon. The Arcanists of the Southern Legion then added some enhancements to this seal, making it much harder for Theradras to emerge even if she wished to.
After this turmoil, the once fertile Marshanhi grassland has become quite barren. The Cenarion Circle decided to send special envoys to this desolate and bleak land to attempt to restore vitality to the great grassland using Nature Power.
However, achieving such a grand feat is certainly not something that can be accomplished in one or two years; the time scale required is at least decades, or even centuries.
After the war largely ended, Andreas did not immediately rush to Silithus.
Leaving Shandris and others to continue pressuring the Centaur, Andreas returned alone to Anathiss in the north.
Compared to before he left, this capital city had undergone some subtle changes.
For the sake of the future, Andreas designated a brand new district within the city—the Embassy District.
At this time, one building in the Embassy District was already completed, with several others under construction nearby.
The completed embassy belonged to Kul Tiras, and Kul Tiras' Green-backed Anchor Flag was already flying outside the embassy.
As the world situation becomes increasingly turbulent, the Night Elf Republic cannot remain aloof indefinitely; its ties with other nations will inevitably grow closer.
"How are things?"
Returning to the Government Affairs Hall of the Great Moon Temple, Andreas immediately asked Malfurion, who had just rushed back from the Emerald Dream to take charge, for the latest intelligence.
Malfurion had to monitor the nightmares in the Emerald Dream while also coordinating various affairs of the Night Elf Republic. Recently, he had been so busy that he started losing hair.
Seeing Andreas return, Malfurion, with dark circles under his eyes, let out a sigh of relief.
"You're finally back."
Rubbing his temples, Malfurion forced himself to cheer up and said, "Kul Tiras and Quel'Thalas have successively agreed to help mediate the military conflict between Lordaeron and Gilneas."
"Dalaran, due to its proximity to Lordaeron and its reliance on this largest human kingdom for trade opportunities, is still somewhat indecisive."
Andreas was not surprised by this; although it prides itself as a free magical city, Dalaran is ultimately a human kingdom, and helping foreign races to offend its neighbors indeed requires careful consideration.
Seeing Malfurion's haggard appearance, Andreas advised, "Mentor, you should go rest first. I'll cover for you for a few days. After that, I have important matters that require me to go out, so I'll need to trouble you to continue overseeing Anathiss for a while."
Malfurion's face lit up when he heard he could rest, but as Andreas finished speaking, his mood became somber again.
..."Alright, I'll go get some sleep. I hope Tyrande and Maiev can return soon."
...
Maiev, having completed her mission, soon returned from the Kul Tiras islands. Andreas happened to have something to discuss with her.
"Jarod?!"
Upon hearing the long-unheard name, Maiev immediately slammed the table and stood up. She excitedly grabbed Andreas' collar and asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"Calm down, calm down!"
Andreas innocently raised his hands; Maiev's short temper was a bit much for him to handle.
"I'm not sure where Jarod went exactly, but I guess he should still be living on the continent of Kalimdor, and within the coverage area of Nordrassil."
This was deduced by Andreas based on future events; Jarod being alive until the Legion's return version indicates that he also enjoyed the Night Elves' blessing of immortality.
Excluding the World Trees planted later, Jarod's possible secluded areas were not many.
Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, northern The Barrens, Felwood, Darkshore, Winterspring, and the Azshara Region.
Among them, Ashenvale, Felwood, and Darkshore can be excluded first. These three areas are the most prosperous territories of the Night Elves, besides Mount Hyjal, making it too easy to be discovered.
Winterspring can also basically be ruled out. The Satyr War was so fierce back then; if Jarod lived in Winterspring, he would have been blasted out long ago.
Stonetalon Mountains is jointly developed by the Tauren and Night Elves. Although the possibility of Jarod living in seclusion there cannot be completely ruled out, the probability is relatively small.
Then the two remaining areas with higher probabilities are only The Barrens and Azshara.
Comparatively, Andreas believes that the probability of Jarod hiding in The Barrens should be higher.
After all, the Azshara Region has seen rapid development in recent years with the construction of Stormwind Harbor and the prevalence of maritime trade with the Eastern Kingdoms. Even if Jarod originally lived here, he would likely have relocated after the influx of various trade caravans and pioneers.
Ignoring the barren red earth below Azshara, Andreas turned his gaze to the northern part of The Barrens covered by the World Tree's blessing.
Although relatively barren compared to the lush Ashenvale Forest, it doesn't mean it's completely uninhabitable.
During these few days of overseeing Anathiss, Andreas planned to have Prisim send people to explore The Barrens and try to find Jarod's secluded dwelling. However, before that, he needed to greet Jarod's hot-tempered older sister first.
"The Barrens?"
Calmed down, Maiev lowered her head in thought, "Previously, I always focused my search on the core activity areas of the Night Elves. Now that I think about it, this mode of thinking was flawed. The Barrens is indeed an unexplored blind spot."
Andreas subtly rolled his eyes,'Since he's living in seclusion, how could he be too close to the Night Elves' activity areas...'
"Alfonso."
"Here."
The Squinty-Eyed Secretary Alfonso pushed open the door and entered from outside the office.
"Notify Prisim to start the operation. Determine Jarod's secluded dwelling as soon as possible. If he can't be found in The Barrens, then proceed to the Azshara Region."
Sighing softly, Andreas looked at the location of Silithus on the map and said solemnly, "A large-scale war is imminent. We need Jarod's leadership abilities. With our race and nation in peril, now is not the time for him to continue living in seclusion."