Thrall held the Tauren in contempt, believing they were unworthy of being cannon fodder under his command.
But having just recovered from hunger, the thought of a herd of walking beef cattle gathering around me, ready to provide fresh meat at any time, doesn't seem so bad.
So, Thrall, with a fake smile, said:
"Haha, the Heizong Tauren are one of our Orcs. Orcs are kind and compassionate, and they love the Tauren dearly. Welcome, Chieftain of the Heizong Tauren."
Jianjiao Heiti breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out that the Savior Thrall was quite easy to get along with.
Although Aiko's body lay nearby.
"How much do you know about Blackhorn?" Thrall asked tentatively.
Jianjiao Heiti angrily declared, "Blackhorn is an ominous sign; he is a traitor to the Heizong Tauren!"
Thrall chuckled coldly, "Indeed, Blackhorn plotted to destroy Azeroth, and we came here to punish him. Unfortunately, this guy is too cunning; he's been hiding and refusing to come out."
Jianjiao Heiti immediately pledged his loyalty. "Great Savior Thrall, I am willing to do everything in my power to help defeat Blackhorn."
Thrall nodded in satisfaction and asked Anachronos, "Where is Blackhorn now?"
Anachronos struggled to his feet. Dragons have incredible regenerative abilities, and his injuries were mostly healed. He was even more afraid of Thrall now, and timidly said:
"I've located him; he's behind these palace ruins."
Hagara the Stormbinder, crouched down, touched the soil on the ground, and murmured, "So we've been going around in circles all this time. What brilliant magic."
Thrall, uninterested in magic, urged the others to give chase.
Not far behind the palace ruins, a dark cave was discovered, surrounded by piles of dirt, which appeared to have been recently dug by Blackhorn.
Thrall frowned, glanced at the Jianjiao Heiti, and said with an air of seriousness:
Countless heroes sacrificed their lives to save Azeroth; they died gloriously and nobly. What I need are true warriors, not cowards hiding in the shadows.
An ominous aura emanated from the pitch-black cave. Jianjiao Heiti Hoof felt a chill run down its spine and turned to order, "Priest, take some men down and investigate."
The Heizong Tauren's only Shaman looked troubled, but since the chieftain had given the order, he had no choice but to lead a few of his people into the cave, gritting his teeth and bracing himself for it.
Not long after, the Shaman sent word that it was safe inside.
"Warchief, we've discovered an ancient tomb!" the Tauren announced excitedly. "It's filled with countless treasures, including a diamond as large as a house!"
"What, treasure?" Jianjiao Heiti was overjoyed, but remembering that Thrall was right beside him, he hurriedly asked the great Savior for permission.
Thrall waved his hand and said, "It's alright. I've always been indifferent to material possessions. Just take them."
The Jianjiao Heiti repeatedly expressed its gratitude and led a small number of elite tribesmen into the cave.
With a grim expression, Thrall asked Morchok beside him, "Is what's happening below true?"
Morchok sensed the movement deep underground and calmly said:
"It's very safe down there, but those treasures are just illusions. They may have actually existed, but they're so ancient that even the stones would rot."
"I knew things weren't that simple." Thrall said smugly, waving his hand. "Now that it's safe down there, let's go down too."
Morchok shrank to a smaller size and led the way, followed by Hagara the Stormbinder, then Thrall, with Anachronos in human form bringing up the rear.
After passing through the narrow cave, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a large cavern with golden light swirling above it and countless treasures floating in the air.
An ancient stone gate is embedded in the wall, clearly indicating that there is a hidden world inside.
The Jianjiao Heiti led its many tribesmen, their eyes greedily fixed on the treasure above.
Anachronos examined the treasure carefully, then shook his head and said:
"These aren't treasures; they're just Time Fragments. No wonder I couldn't see any historical images here; they were all hidden deep underground."
Hagara the Stormbinder, asked curiously, "What are Time Fragments?"
Anachronos explained:
"Time Fragments are fragments of the past, often transforming into the shape of treasure to attract the greedy. Of course, to Bronze Dragonflight, they are more precious than all treasure. Only we Bronze Dragonflight can reweave Time Fragments and recreate ancient moments."
After a pause, Anachronos added:
"My ability only allows me to see images of the past. To truly experience ancient fragments of time is extremely difficult; it can only be accomplished by the combined efforts of many members of my people at the Caverns of Time."
Thrall said coldly, "Blackhorn must have had ulterior motives in leading us here. I want to see what happened in the past that makes Blackhorn so concerned."
Anachronos dared not disobey the order, so he calmed down and carefully wove the Time Fragments on the screen. As Anachronos cast the spell, the treasure floating in the air disappeared, and a clear image appeared before everyone.
Seven lush mountain peaks are clustered together, each topped with a palace. In the basin at the center of the mountains, a strange purple light shines straight up to the sky.
Many Tauren lived on the mountain peak. Compared to the Tauren of today, they were taller and had more rugged features, but their horns were not as thick and sharp.
Surprisingly, it seems that all the Tauren can use magic; some use magic to fly in the sky, some summon Flowing Water to irrigate crops, and some heal their companions.
"My God, this is the ancient, barbaric era of the Yaungol!" Jianjiao Heiti exclaimed. "Ancient historical records state that the Yaungol abandoned magic and became the wise Tauren, establishing the Tauren civilization and becoming the masters of this land."
The scene shifts, and another scene appears.
It seemed to be a dark basement, where a Tauren with golden hooves and a jeweled crown stood before a pool filled with an aura of darkness.
Upon seeing the golden hooves and the crown on its head, the Jianjiao Heiti hurriedly knelt down in worship, simultaneously ordering, "Kneel down, all of you! This is the First Emperor of the Tauren!"
The Heizong Tauren knelt down in unison, Shaman asked in surprise, "Golden hooves... could it be that Legendary ancient family?"
The Jianjiao Heiti said with a devout expression, "That's right, it's the Golden Family of the Tauren race, also known as the Niuhuang Clan. Golden hooves are their symbol. Look at the crown on his head; in the history of the Tauren, only one person has been qualified to wear it."
The Shaman said nervously, "Emperor Mulgore Goldenhoof."
Jianjiao Heiti nodded. "Goldenhoof Emperor unified the Tauren tribes. Before the Emperor, there were only ignorant Yaungol. It was the Emperor who created the civilized history of the Tauren race. The Bloodhoof family is just a fraudster who stole the chieftainship."
In the historical footage, the Goldenhoof Emperor gazed displeasedly at the pool before him. Dark power coalesced, conjuring the image of a tentacle with an eye growing from it.
A faint yet majestic voice echoed:
"Mulgore, I have taught you all kinds of magic, but I have never forced you to do anything. Why do you worship the Earth Mother of unknown origin? You are free and should not put shackles on yourselves."
The familiar voice, tentacles, and eyes reminded Anachronos of a mysterious being, the Old Gods N'Zoth.