Having received Thrall's orders, Cairne Bloodhoof arrived with five thousand Tauren.
The Ascension Ritual officially began, Thrall sat atop the Altar, closing his eyes to meditate.
Thrall was flanked by Moon Earthfury and Nobundo, the leaders of the Earthen Ring; the three Dragon Kings and Tyrande; Malfurion and his wife stood at the bottom of the Altar, forced to cooperate in casting spells due to their loss of freedom.
Moon Earthfury and Nobundo were the presiding officers of this ceremony. As the power of Nordrassil was gradually drawn away by the three Dragon Kings, the corrupting and Power of Destruction left behind by Archimonde was freed from its restraints, and the sky instantly darkened.
The terrifying energy left behind by Archimonde's death floated in the air like dark clouds, accompanied by ear-piercing howls, as if countless people were begging for mercy in agony, and horrifying whispers that tormented the nerves of everyone present.
The five thousand Tauren trembled with fear, a murderous intent welling up within them. Cairne Bloodhoof, summoning his courage, roared:
"Tauren warriors, the great Savior Consecration everything for Azeroth. Because of Savior, Tauren Thrall, and we have a peaceful life in Thunder Bluff. We must be grateful for Thrall's kindness. Do not be afraid. For Azeroth, let us bravely sacrifice ourselves for Thrall."
"Consecration everything for the great Savior Thrall!" Led by Cairne Bloodhoof, five thousand Tauren roared, many of Tauren moved to tears.
Thrall on the Altar nodded, and the Ascension Ritual moved to the next stage, with five hundred Tauren walking towards the Altar and kneeling around Altar.
The members of the Earthen Ring chanted continuously, performing a mysterious and unknown magic. Dark power slowly descended, seeping into the Tauren's body like poisonous mist.
These Tauren immediately let out a terrible howl. They clutched their throats in pain, their skin gradually turned pitch black, their strong bodies twisted, and facial features such as noses, eyes, and ears kept growing on their skin. In some places, even heads, arms, and tails grew.
The energy left behind by Archimonde was forcibly injected, Corruption the five hundred Tauren and turning them into various ugly, mutated creatures. Before long, their flesh and blood disintegrated, and black, splintered limbs and broken arms were everywhere, eventually turning into puddles of Blackwater.
The energy returned to the sky, seemingly dimmer. Thrall nodded. "Continue."
Cairne Bloodhoof raised his arm and shouted, "For the great Savior Thrall!"
Another five hundred Tauren, fearless of death, knelt before the Altar, and the power of darkness descended once more, forcibly pouring into their bodies.
Near the Nordrassil Grand Hotel, Robbie and Fandral Staghelm concealed themselves, quietly observing the Ascension Ritual. Fandral Staghelm nervously watched the dead Tauren and whispered:
"Although this magic has never been seen before and is definitely not from Azeroth, the principle is not complicated. It uses the flesh and blood of the Tauren to consume the Corruptive Power in the energy, purifying it into pure and clean Power of Destruction. Thrall will not be aberrated after absorbing it."
Robbie's eyes took in Point, Line, and Planes as he carefully observed the ritual.
Fandral Staghelm's analysis is absolutely correct. Archimonde left behind two forms of energy after his death: Corruption and Destruction. Thrall could not withstand the Corruptive Power, which is why this ritual took place.
Robbie asked, "Do you have a solution?"
Fandral Staghelm shook his head bitterly. "The dark power of the Earthen Ring so great that even the Dragon Aspects cannot escape it. I thought I could stop Thrall, but it seems I underestimated this Orcs."
Robbie observed carefully for a while and then understood. "So that's it. How could these fallen Shaman of the Earthen Ring possibly be able to unleash a power capable of binding the Dragon Aspects? Someone gave them something like Magic Scroll; this power has a limited number of uses."
Upon hearing this, Fandral Staghelm's eyes lit up, and he said reassuringly, "I knew it! How could the Earthen Ring become so powerful? I just wonder how many more times it can be used."
Robbie smiled and said, "We'll know the answer soon enough."
The second group of Tauren held out longer, which meant they suffered even more torture. Ultimately, they couldn't escape the Destiny of their flesh and blood disintegrating, dying in a pitiful wail.
Cairne Bloodhoof raised his right hand once more and shouted, "For the great Savior Thrall! For Azeroth!"
The remaining Tauren all paled, exchanging bewildered glances, none willing to die.
After all, the Tauren who were truly willing to die for Thrall had already sacrificed themselves, and the remaining Tauren were not truly loyal to Thrall; they were just loudly proclaiming their loyalty.
Cairne Bloodhoof, with a look of disdain, mocked:
"Don't make me look down on you. The great Savior Thrall led the Orcs to Consecration everything for Azeroth. They defended the dignity of Azeroth time and time again with their lives. And what have you done? Your cowardice and timidity will make the other races of Azeroth spit on us behind our backs, saying that we Tauren are ungrateful and incompetent trash."
Cairne's provocation had some effect; the more than five hundred simple-minded Tauren blushed, roared angrily, and bravely marched toward the Altar.
Thrall opened his eyes, glanced at Cairne Bloodhoof, nodded, and then closed his eyes again.
As the third group of Tauren willingly walked towards their deaths, Vanessa appeared beside Robbie, toying with a black glove as smooth as jade.
Five black gems were inlaid at the base of the gloves' fingers, one of which had already lost its luster. Fandral Staghelm sensed a dangerous power and asked in surprise:
"What's this?"
Vanessa glared at Fandral Staghelm and said fiercely, "This is mine."
"I know it's yours, but this glove..." The thought of fleeing quickly welled up in Fandral Staghelm's mind.
Vanessa calmly replied, "This was found on Nobundo. I thought that bull had gained Thrall's trust, but it turns out the Draenei Broken is Thrall's confidant. Nobundo used this to imprison the three Dragon Kings."
"Stolen?" Fandral Staghelm asked in surprise. Altar was heavily guarded, and Nobundo was meticulously presiding over the Ascension Ritual, completely unaware that something had been stolen.
"This isn't stealing; it's a legitimate request," Vanessa emphasized earnestly.
Fandral Staghelm exclaimed excitedly, "Fantastic! We can stop Thrall's Ascension Ritual! My Flame Druid is already prepared!"
Robbie shook his head. "Even if we stop them, what then? We failed once, Thrall can easily try again, and we might not have such a good opportunity then."
Fandral Staghelm stared wide-eyed and asked, "What should we do?"
Robbie secretly did the calculations and quickly came to a conclusion. "Even if the Corruptive Power is removed, Thrall's physical body is not strong enough to contain Archimonde's Power of Destruction unless he obtains Dragon's body. The three Dragon Kings are in danger. I wonder which Vessel Thrall will choose."
Vanessa's eyes sparkled as she gently licked her lips and said:
"If we're going to steal, we'll do something big. When the ritual moves to the next stage, Fandral Staghelm, you cover for me. Archimonde's Power of Destruction is mine."
When it was the fourth batch of Tauren to be sacrificed, Cairne Bloodhoof prepared to boost morale once again, but someone shouted "Run!" and the remaining Tauren scattered and fled.