Emperor Ata paused, then continued speaking to Yeh'kinya:
"Emperor Puruide's Antidote to zombies healed countless Zandalar people and the entire world of Azeroth. Throughout his life, he worked diligently, overcoming countless difficulties to begin the construction of the City of the Sky, thus initiating the glorious chapter of the Zandalari Empire laying the foundation for its rise. The emperor reigned for 325 years before dying young, a Legendary to be the price he paid for Y'Shaarj."
The Seven Emperors of the Emperor's Temple, the seven greatest emperors of the Ancient Zandalari Empire, deeply moved Yeh'kinya after hearing their stories, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.
Emperor Ata solemnly declared:
"From the first day of my ascension to the throne, I swore an oath to become the eighth emperor of the Emperor's Temple. I am in my prime; the City of the Sky is nearing completion. I will lead my people into the realm of the gods and usher in a new chapter for the Zandalari Empire. Yeh'kinya, will you help me?"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Yeh'kinya knelt down with a thud. "I do."
Emperor Ata's face was majestic:
"Summoning Hakkar the Soulflayer is of utmost importance. For the sake of the Zandalari Empire's hundreds of thousands of years of hard work, for the sake of its seventy million people, I must ensure the safety of the realm of the gods. Yeh'kinya, the Zandalari Empire is entrusted to you."
"It's just what I should do," Yeh'kinya, trembling with fear.
After leaving the Emperor's Temple Emperor Ata, Yeh'kinya had no more doubts. He knew his historical mission: to live for the people of Zandalar and for Azeroth.
The thought crossed Yeh'kinya's mind: the Ancient Zandalari Empire had not suffered a calamity, but had instead moved its entire people to the realm of the gods via the City of the Sky.
As for the few remaining members of the tribe whose appearance mutated and who became the later Troll race, it is likely because they were the inferior ones who were selected.
Despite being a descendant of inferior goods, Yeh'kinya felt calm. Being able to participate in this great historical moment and contribute his share made his life worthwhile.
In the following days, Yeh'kinya was in high spirits, working tirelessly day and night on preparations for summoning Hakkar, personally checking every detail to ensure everything went perfectly.
Thrall and his party had been staying at the inn for many days, doing nothing all day. Only First Emperor Dazar was relatively busy. After all, he belonged to this era. Although he was unrecognizable, he was quite familiar with the layout of City of the Sky and knew about some secret intelligence agencies.
As if intentionally or unintentionally, Dasa revealed to Thrall and the others that Yeh'kinya was preparing to summon Hakkar.
"Yeh'kinya is a hopeless idiot."
Thrall shouted:
"Although Yeh'kinya is cunning and treacherous enough to have committed numerous crimes like murder and robbery, making him a complete villain, his heart is with the Troll race, and he is determined to restore the glory of the Gurubashi Empire. This is his fatal weakness."
Hagara the Stormbinder, couldn't understand. "I think it's a good thing to be devoted to one's own people."
"Are you an idiot?" Thrall retorted rudely.
"Lowly and insignificant people should of course have their hearts set on their own kind and have a heart for the country and its people, because this is what the big shots want. This way, they will have a reason to oppress you, trample you underfoot, drain your last drop of bone marrow, and then point at your bones to accuse you of being a traitor."
"As a chieftain, one cannot act like this. A heart devoted to the country and its people will only be exploited by political enemies, leading to the loss of the chieftainship. Therefore, those who become Clans chieftains are invariably ruthless killers, heinous villains, treacherous and cruel vipers, and betraying their own people is commonplace for them. Yes, I am such Orcs."
Thrall had little suspicion of Hagara, whom he had enslaved, and spoke freely, "This world is cruel, a world where evil reigns supreme. That self-proclaimed Justice King Varian keeps saying that the royal lineage of Stormwind City has been restored. In his heart, the House Wrynn royal power is the most important thing, and those who disobey must die."
Mulgore interjected, "Well said, the House Wrynn is not worthy of inheriting the throne."
"What is qualification?" Hagara still couldn't understand.
Thrall said coldly:
"Qualification is roughly equivalent to ability. The incompetent must step down. King Llane, that fool, was seduced and killed by the Half-Orcs Garona, leading to the fall of Stormwind City. Countless humans died because of the King's stupidity. He is a sinner against humanity, and no descendant of a sinner is qualified to be King."
Ordinary people are punished for their mistakes, but even if King makes a terrible mistake, he can still be forgiven and understood. This is the terrifying aspect of royal power.
Hagara understood a little better. "So, Emperor Ata used Yeh'kinya?"
Thrall said sinisterly, "Although I don't know Ata's conspiracy, he's clearly not acting out of any Justice purpose. Damn it, we still have no clue about that superweapon, and Yeh'kinya has made such a mess of things."
Mulgore whispered, "In the chaos, we might get caught in the crossfire."
Thrall's eyes darted around. "That's right. We lack intelligence and can't grasp the situation's development. We'd be easily drawn in and suffer the consequences. It's better to remain observers. Let's leave the City of the Sky immediately and go somewhere safe."
Mulgore named a place:
"The King's Rest, go and meet Prince Dasa of this era."
As honored guests of the City of the Sky, Thrall and his companions requested to visit the mausoleum under construction, which was immediately granted. A Priest led the way, guiding them into the Portal.
The direct teleportation from the City of the Sky to the Mount Mugamba was incredibly convenient and fast, exceeding Thrall's expectations. Out of caution, Thrall asked:
What kind of person is Prince Dasa?
The Priest humbly said, "Prince Dasa is kind and benevolent, a great Prince, very hospitable, and most welcoming to foreign peoples."
This is tantamount to saying nothing at all.
While the Priest led the way, Mulgore secretly cast a spell. The Priest's expression instantly changed, and he said with a look of disgust:
"Prince Dasa was favored by Emperor Ata in his early years and had the opportunity to become the heir to the throne. Unfortunately, he was inadvertently caught up in court struggles, and his two most beloved velociraptors died. The Prince's personality changed drastically from then on. He buried himself in the palace library, searching for a way to resurrect the velociraptors, and used slaves to conduct experiments. Thousands of slaves died because of his experiments."
Thrall nodded dismissively, and the Priest continued:
"Emperor Ata wouldn't care about the deaths of slaves, but Dasa's successful resurrection of two velociraptors displeased Emperor Ata. This was tantamount to approaching immortality, and the Prince's eternal existence posed a threat to his throne."
"Could it be Undead magic?" Thrall asked uneasily, thinking of Arthas, and whispered, "I hate Undead."
The Priest nodded:
"Emperor Ata sent Prince Dasa to the Mount Mugamba to build his mausoleum, precisely to take advantage of this talent of the Prince. Prince Dasa treated his slaves cruelly, causing them to die of exhaustion and starvation as quickly as possible, and then resurrect them as Undead, thus saving food rations and speeding up the construction. The Prince was very friendly to outsiders, only turning them into Undead overseers."
Thrall and his group immediately stopped, their faces pale. Fortunately, they were still some distance from the construction site.
"Damn it, there's nowhere safe in the Zandalari Empire."
Thrall roared angrily.