Love or brotherhood—which is more important? Illidan was confused.
Illidan never figured this out in his entire life, and that was the root of his tragedy.
Robbie was forced to confront the issue.
"No, you're lying to me." Illidan shook his head vigorously, stubbornly insisting, "I can have both Tyrande's love and my brother's affection. I am Illidan Stormrage, I can do it!"
Robbie didn't say anything, but just glanced at Xavius.
Xavius knew the Stormrage brothers well. He stepped forward, patted Illidan on the shoulder, and said with a heavy heart:
"Illidan, from childhood to adulthood you have never gone against Malfurion's wishes. Even in pursuing Tyrande, you dared not go all out because you were afraid of losing your brotherhood with Malfurion. You and I both know Malfurion; once you do something against his will, he will get angry at you and disown you as his brother."
The truth is the most hurtful thing, even from good friends.
Illidan glared at Xavius, inwardly agreeing with the claim, but refusing to admit it, stubbornly insisting, "Xavius, I will prove to you that my brother is not that kind of person."
So that's how it is. Robbie understood Illidan's personality; he couldn't stand being provoked.
Xavius, disregarding all pride, declared, "Illidan, then you prove it to us!"
"I will, I will show you, I will prove that my brother has a broad mind, you don't understand him."
Illidan was straightforward and almost always kept his word; he was eager to prove himself, even though deep down he didn't have much faith in his brother.
Illidan entered the Night Elf village in search of Malfurion, only to learn that his brother had gone to Cenarius.
Illidan had always looked down on Cenarius, believing that the Demigod was not very strong and that any adult in the village could easily defeat him, and even some children could bully him.
Only Malfurion truly cared for Cenarius, learning some transformation tricks into beasts. Illidan never learned from Cenarius; all his tricks were taught by Malfurion.
Malfurion thought he had learned very well and often boasted to his younger brother. The humble Illidan simply tolerated it and did not let his older brother know that he had grasped the material even better.
"It's just a useless trick, a mere pastime," Illidan thought to himself. "I doubt Malfurion will hold a grudge against me for something so trivial."
With this thought in mind, Illidan headed to the lake where Cenarius lived, with Robbie and Xavius following behind.
At Cenarius's abode, Illidan did not see the Demigod, but only Malfurion, who was teaching the Druid's Path.
Illidan carefully observed the three strangers: one was Red Dragonflight, one was a rare human, and the last was a green-skinned beast, presumably from some alien planet. Illidan only remembered that this kind of creature was called Orcs.
Judging from its fangs and facial features, it is most likely a savage creature with Fel power within it.
Fel?
Fel represents Demons, those monsters that intermarry with Dragonkin. Illidan knew that not all Fel creatures were Evil; a few had benevolent and friendly intentions. He had his own way of judging them.
He carefully observed Broxigar's pupils, his gait, some habitual movements, and subtle changes in his expression. Even with the most skillful acting and disguise, some things cannot be hidden.
"A ruthless executioner, the most cunning, the most Evil, and the most skilled at disguise."
Illidan quickly made this judgment; he trusted his intuition, and it had never been wrong.
The Red Dragon is just cowardly and foolish, while the human is intelligent and a bit cunning but not excessive. Both of them are harmless; the only dangerous one is this Orcs.
Why would such a wild beast appear in Night Elf village?
Night Elves are strong; even a child could defeat this beast. But the most terrifying thing about Demons is their scheming. They covet the power of the Well of Eternity within the Night Elves and use cunning and deception to trick the naive Night Elf.
Illidan stared at Broxigar, clenching his fists tightly. One punch would be enough to turn the beast into mincemeat. Glancing at Malfurion, who was earnestly teaching, Illidan hesitated, thinking to himself that he shouldn't rush things.
Malfurion has always enjoyed teaching others, and he finds great satisfaction in doing so.
Moreover, he had another purpose. Just like when he was teaching Illidan, Malfurion omitted the most important step: praying to the Moon Goddess. Malfurion believed that without the Moon Goddess's help, he could not successfully cast Druid spells.
At this moment, Rhonin encountered such a problem. He was studying the Druid's Path with Broxigar, and although Malfurion was speaking very seriously and vividly, he could also feel the power of life and nature.
However, the natural power he sensed was very scarce, insufficient to perform the Shapeshifting. Rhonin didn't know what the problem was, and he and Broxigar were both lost in confusion. Perhaps his talent really wasn't enough.
Rhonin was on the verge of tears. He was, after all, a top-tier Archmage of his time, but he never expected that his strength would be so inadequate after entering the past ten thousand years. He was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Malfurion, but he still couldn't learn the Druid's Path.
"My dear brother." Upon seeing Illidan, Malfurion feigned enthusiasm:
"These three are all disciples of Master Cenarius. My master trusts me and has asked me to teach them the Druid's Path. Why don't you join them and learn as well?"
Upon seeing the towering figure of Illidan, Krasus, Broxigar, and Rhonin all turned around and scrutinized Illidan closely. Although they all feigned indifference, the playful and mocking tone in their expressions did not escape the notice of Illidan's exceptionally strong intuition.
Illidan was baffled. He had never seen these three before, so why was he being mocked for no reason? This angered Illidan, but then he thought that he might as well teach them himself and secretly eliminate this dangerous Orcs.
"Brother, they are just beginners, no need to trouble them, I'll teach them, that's enough," Illidan said politely.
"You?"
Malfurion chuckled and shook his head, "Brother, you haven't yet grasped the Druid's Path. It's a talent you can't learn."
Illidan took a deep breath; he knew it was time to keep his promise.
"No, brother, I've already learned it."
Malfurion's eyes held a playful smile; he had never seen Illidan use Shapeshifting before.
"My brother, you haven't studied enough. You haven't submitted to our master Cenarius, and that's why you haven't learned any real skills. You should learn to respect our master."
"Well said, my dear disciple."
Cenarius emerged from the lake, and the water parted automatically, Cenarius completely dry. This was not a particularly sophisticated spell; even Night Elf race child could do it.
Malfurion had always believed that the cabin by the lake and the Moonwell were Cenarius's residence.
However, Illidan knew very well that Cenarius's dwelling was in a cave at the bottom of the lake, where he cut down trees to build his lair and hunted wild beasts to satisfy his appetite, which went against the principles of the Night Elf race.
However, there is currently no evidence that Cenarius poses a threat to the Night Elves.
"Illidan, you are far too arrogant. The Druid's Path is vast and profound, full of endless mysteries. You have only learned the basics; you have no idea how terrifying Druid magic truly is."
Cenarius was no match for Illidan, but he considered himself an absolute authority in the Druid realm, which made him smug and he reprimanded me without any politeness.