Along the way, Dasa explained in Common:
"In the Ancient Zandalari Empire, fangs were a symbol of barbarity. The higher one's status, the less prominent their fangs were; royalty had none at all."
Thrall looked at Dasa's fangs suspiciously, Dasa explained naturally, "My appearance needs to change with the times; no one wants to be seen as a monster."
Yeh'kinya stroked his large fangs, his face deathly pale. Dasa comforted him, "You can rest assured, in this era, you won't be mistaken for Troll."
Led by the white-robed elder, the group entered a palace-like building. The floor was covered with thick carpets of animal hair, and the walls were inlaid with gold. All the furnishings were extremely luxurious, far surpassing even Thrall's chieftain's tent.
Each person was assigned a spacious and luxurious room, attended by several beautiful Zandalar maids. According to Dasa, these maids were of noble birth, descendants of Priests and Witch Doctors, well-educated, and courteous in their dealings with others.
The inn was already inhabited by many different races, including cruel Murloc, silent Aqir, suspicious Furbolg, and honest Tuskarr. Many of these races were completely unfamiliar and had never been heard of before. According to Yeh'kinya's analysis, these races had become extinct in later generations.
Yeh'kinya hastily produced several language scrolls, which, when used, temporarily allowed him to understand and use the language of this era.
Not long after they settled in, Priest came to visit; his fangs were even smaller.
"Praise be to the great Emperor Ata!"
The Zandalar Priest humbly said, "Welcome to the City of the Sky, friends from afar. How much do you know about the Zandalari Empire and the City of the Sky?"
Thrall said fiercely, "All I know is that your emperor is Emperor Ata."
The Zandalar Priest smiled slightly and said, "Let me introduce you to the history of the City of the Sky. Long ago, the Zandalari Trolls began to explore the world."
"The land is flat. The Zandalari Trolls once explored to the very edge of the land, where the ocean stretched endlessly in all directions. Do you see the azure sky? That is the ceiling of the world, made of the finest blue crystal, which the Zandalar call the Crystal Firmament. Above the dome lies the kingdom of the gods."
"Ancient Prophets measured the Crystal Firmament to be 12,000 yards thick. Prophet discovered a few passages within the dome that lead directly to the realm of the gods. We have built the City of the Sky beneath one of these passages, and in less than a hundred years we will be able to access the Crystal Firmament. At that time, Emperor Ata will lead all the races of the earth to visit the realm of the gods."
Everyone fell silent after hearing this. Who could have imagined that the Zandalari Empire, with its glorious magical civilization, would have such a perception of the world?
Hagara the Stormbinder, whispered, "My teacher once told me that our understanding is not necessarily correct, after all, we cannot verify the knowledge we acquire."
Thrall roared in exasperation, "So you believe in this Crystal Firmament? I'm speechless! Dasa, you explain!"
The group spoke in a modern Common, which the Priest couldn't understand at all, and could only respond with a smile.
Dasa's face turned deathly pale, and he murmured, "My memories are returning; what he said is true."
"That's impossible," retorted Elemental Lords Morchok.
"From birth, I've had a worldview rooted in the Stone Mother: this world is composed of layers of parallel universes, with intricate Timelines and spatial nodes. The essence of the Material Plane is a planet, and the azure sky is merely a natural phenomenon."
Yeh'kinya shrugged and said, "Our argument is pointless. Don't forget our real purpose."
Thrall nodded and said, "That's right, we need to get that superweapon. Dasa, have you remembered anything?"
Dasa shook his head.
The argument subsided, and the Priest said politely, "Distinguished guests, Emperor Ata is hosting a grand banquet for all races tonight. We humbly request your presence."
The All Races Banquet was held inside the City of the Sky, in an incredibly vast hall, illuminated as brightly as day by Magic Gems that shone like stars.
Led by the Priest, Thrall and his companions found their seats, surrounded by a group of savage Murloc who drooled over Thrall.
Beautiful Zandalar maidens moved through the banquet, serving countless delicacies and fine wines.
At the very center of the banquet hall stood a tall, empty golden throne.
Dasa explained that, according to ancient Zandalar custom, the great Zandalar emperor would only appear after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill.
As cheerful music began, a pleasant aroma filled the hall, whetting everyone's appetite. People ate while listening to the music.
Thrall and his group were all stuffed with food when a golden light flashed, and a loud shout drowned out the sounds of their eating:
"The esteemed King Zandalar, the great Emperor Ata, has arrived."
A flash of light appeared on the throne, revealing a dignified-looking man.
Emperor Ata has delicate features, long, flowing hair like a woman, and a pair of narrow eyes that exude an imposing presence. He wears a magnificent golden crown that is over ten meters tall, inlaid with countless jewels, and its top is as wide as a bed, on which lies a beautiful and charming woman.
The emperor wore a ring on the ring finger of his left hand, set with a huge diamond over a meter in diameter, which sparkled with dazzling light.
"This is the Star of Zandalar, the largest known diamond in Azeroth," Dasa whispered.
"Who is the woman on the crown?" Thrall asked curiously.
Dasa shook his head and remained silent.
The tall crown, the beautiful woman, and the enormous diamond could not conceal the emperor's glory; it was as if simply sitting there, he naturally became the center of attention.
The banquet was initially silent, as everyone seemed to be awestruck by the Emperor's majesty. Then, a deafening roar of praise erupted, and even Thrall couldn't help but praise the Emperor.
Hagara the Stormbinder, muttered under his breath, "Damn it, this is the effect of magic." He then couldn't help but loudly praise it, showering it with the most flattering words.
Emperor Ata raised his right hand, and the praise abruptly ceased.
A richly dressed Priest approached the throne and prostrated himself on the ground. "Great Emperor Ata, a Loa skilled in flight has made a new discovery."
"Speak!"
The Priest carefully recounted:
"The Loa took off from the top of the City of the Sky, overcoming terrifying air currents and dangerous magical turbulence, and encountered the Crystal Firmament 530 meters above the City of the Sky."
Yeh'kinya listened intently, an incredulous expression on his face.
"That's impossible."
Elemental Lords Morchok nearly slammed his fist on the table; his worldview was almost completely shattered.
Emperor Ata calmly stated, "This is no surprise, just like the discoveries of the ancient Prophets. At the current pace, we will reach that level in less than a hundred years."
The Priest, trembling with fear, reported, "The Loa have discovered that the passage to the Crystal Firmament has been closed."
Emperor Ata's expression changed slightly, and at the same time, the Priests and Witch Doctors below began to murmur among themselves.
"What? The passage to the Crystal Firmament is closed?"
"We've worked hard for hundreds of thousands of years, endured countless hardships, and overcome countless difficulties. Has it all been in vain?"
"The gods must have closed the passage, refusing us access to their kingdom. What should we do?"