Even emperors are afraid of death!
Throughout the long history of the Mogu, many great emperors have emerged.
They wielded immense power, some were tyrannical and bloodthirsty, others were benevolent and compassionate, some expanded their territories, and some suffered defeats and lost land, seeking peace instead.
But all emperors face an unavoidable problem: as they age, their flesh deteriorates, turning them into frail Pandaren in their old age, which is even more unbearable than killing them.
Some of these emperors became Pandaren, and even led the Pandaren to great achievements, but they were not recognized by the Mogu, and their great accomplishments were deliberately erased.
Moreover, once they become Pandaren, they lose their long lifespan.
Most emperors chose to petrify, spending endless years as statues, waiting for the day when the king would return and continue his conquest of the land.
Later, as more and more Mogu entered the petrification process, Mogu numbers dwindled, making it impossible for them to protect the vast territory of the Mogu Empire. Consequently, they handed over some of their lands to the Pandaren shared the same lineage.
But the Mogu never neglected the study of the Curse of Flesh.
They established a rule that a ruler must always remain clear-headed and lead the minority tribe in research deep within the Mogu'shan Palace.
Xien the Weapon Master is a fairly average emperor in the history of the Mogu, with mediocre achievements and no major mistakes. Now it is his turn to take the helm.
To slow the decay of flesh, Xien fused himself with the throne, his entire body petrified except for his head.
Research is not a battle; all you need is a clear mind.
King Xien's eyes widened, and he said sternly:
"Pandaren, you weaklings are always prone to boasting. You are not the first Pandaren to stand before me. I need solid evidence."
Compared to the arrogant Pandaren, the Mogu are meticulous and pragmatic. Lao Xianglong respectfully stated, "There is ample evidence that the Orcs can stop the Curse of Flesh. In fact, it is the result of research by an Old Gods."
"The Old Gods?" Xien's eyes darted around as he asked, "C'Thun, Yogg-Saron, or that Imp N'Zoth?"
The powerful Mogu seem to disregard the Old Gods.
Lao Xianglong stated with certainty, "It was C'Thun. He bewitched some Orcs and discovered a special power in their bloodline that could effectively stop the Curse of Flesh. Out of friendship among the Old Gods, C'Thun shared this discovery with the Sha of Pride."
King Xien pondered for a long time, his eyes darting around, and said in a low voice:
"Tell me about those Orcs. I've been in this palace for too long and don't know much about the outside world. I only know that they come from another world and are even more ferocious than our Mogu."
Lao Xianglong was prepared and explained carefully:
"The Orcs come from a world called Draenor. They were originally minions of the Burning Legion, and their bodies are imbued with Fel energy. There are also rumors that they were originally the blood people of the Elune, possessing a unique ancient bloodline."
King Xien looked horrified and exclaimed in realization:
"I see. The Curse of Flesh is a spell of the Old Gods. It was originally controllable, but for some unknown reason, it suddenly became unpredictable. Even the Old Gods couldn't solve it. We suspect Elune is behind it."
When Lao Xianglong first heard that the Mogu Empire was related to Elune, he asked curiously, "Your Majesty King Xien, what is the connection between the Mogu and Elune?"
King Xien said in a reminiscent tone:
"The Mogu were originally servants of the Titans, mechanical and magical creations with the ability to self-replicate. In the ancient Golden Light Age, we helped the Titans reshape this world."
"Because of the Curse of Flesh, we gained self-awareness. When the Golden Light Age ended, the Mogu entered the Silver Age. We have maintained the balance of our flesh and blood, and are almost immortal."
"During the reign of Lei Shen, the Mogu established the glorious Holy Mountain Dynasty, reaching its zenith. Perhaps because we were too powerful, we aroused the dissatisfaction of the Elune. Lei Shen built a warship even larger than the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and launched a war against Elune."
"The war progressed very smoothly, but the Curse of Flesh suddenly went out of control, forcing the Mogu army to retreat to the ground. Lei Shen was ambushed by a traitor and nearly perished, falling into a deep slumber on the Throne of Thunder. From then on, the Mogu gradually declined, entering the Iron Age. The emperors in the Mogu'shan Palaces are all emperors of the Iron Age, no longer possessing their former glory."
Click!
A crisp cracking sound rang out as King Xien's body began to crack, chunks of rock falling away to reveal his metallic body. Weapon Master Xien voluntarily released himself from his petrified state.
Weapon Master Xien is over ten meters tall, making the Pandaren look like dolls in comparison.
"The orcs are the blood people of Elune, the moon goddess; there may be a conspiracy hidden among them, and we must be wary." King Theon shouted, "Jehhan, the lizardman, come to me immediately!"
A Saurok ran up to the throne and asked cleverly, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
Since the Mogu entered a deep slumber, the Mogu emperor has been driving the Saurok to research the Curse of Flesh, with the Mogu providing the ideas and the Saurok putting them into practice.
King Xien shouted, "Jiehan, five thousand Orcs have broken into the Mogu'shan Palace. Activate the defenses immediately and capture them all. Verify whether their flesh and blood can stop the Curse of Flesh. I need to know the results before I return."
Jiehan hurriedly nodded in agreement, Lao Xianglong reminded him, "Your Majesty, besides the five thousand Orcs, there are also five thousand Trolls."
King Xien loudly commanded, "Those Trolls have another use. We happen to have a guest, so let 'Troll give them to him as a gift."
A massive, gleaming golden sword appeared before King Xien, slashing through the air and creating a dark Spatial Rift that led to an unknown destination.
King Xien bent down and grasped Lao Xianglong, proclaiming loudly, "Pandaren, come with me to see a great sage, the first ruler of the Mogu, the Titan Keepers Ra-den."
Mogu'shan Palace.
Pursued by the Horde, the hundreds of thousands of Golden Lotus followers fled like headless flies, passing through countless dungeons. Exhausted and hungry, the Pandaren collapsed to the ground to rest.
Strangely, the pursuers behind them had disappeared.
This was a room just as spacious as the one before, with a large golden cauldron in the center, over a hundred meters in diameter, its surface covered with countless tadpole-like Runes.
The Pandaren were buzzing with discussion, speculating about the purpose of the large pot.
Suddenly, the Runes on the pot flickered, and the sound of water boiling came from inside.
Before long, a large amount of food fell from the sky, like raindrops.
Delicious roasted meat, cheese, and fresh vegetable soup were all wrapped in a jelly-like membrane, ready to be eaten once the membrane was broken. The Pandaren cheered.
Having eaten their fill, the Pandaren was no longer tired and began to admire the murals on the wall.
"No, no, this can't be! Those damned Mogu are lying!" a Pandaren, his mouth greasy from eating, roared, pointing at a mural.
This mural depicts the story of Emperor Shaohao, one of the greatest emperors in the history of the Pandaren.