Illidan, mindful of familial ties, remained humble and courteous towards his Malfurion.
But Illidan showed no mercy to the charlatan Cenarius. He stepped forward, facing Cenarius without any politeness, and loudly proclaimed:
"Cenarius, would you like to have a match? In your area of expertise, the Druid."
"Hahaha, Illidan, you're far too overconfident."
Cenarius grinned, his antlers swaying wildly, his hooves pounding the ground:
"Illidan, you will pay the price for your arrogance. I have traversed countless years and witnessed countless madmen. I will show you how terrifying a great Druid can be, and you are but a grasshopper living in the grass; you have no understanding of true power."
A good match caught the attention of Robbie and Xavius, and also impressed Krasus, Rhonin, and Broxigar.
No one knows the true strength of the Demigod Cenarius, so this is a good opportunity to test his power.
Broxigar, in particular, had Orcs that gleamed with intense ambition.
Unfortunately, none of those present anticipated that Cenarius, having lived long enough and possessing such profound experience, would step back and loudly command, "Malfurion, my beloved disciple, you are my first apprentice and the first Druid of the Night Elf race. You are a devoted student; teach this arrogant fool a lesson for me."
Malfurion chuckled dryly. He had no choice but to step forward, but he was still quite confident. After all, Illidan was someone he had trained, and since he lacked the step of praying to the goddess, he believed that Illidan couldn't cast Druid spells.
"I... I don't know what to say anymore." Malfurion sighed deeply.
"Illidan, you should really learn from this. You're so stubborn. You refuse to learn what I've taught you. Those eyes of yours were meant for a genius."
After saying this, Malfurion walked to the center of the arena and boasted smugly and arrogantly, "Illidan, this is too difficult for you. I hope that through my demonstration, you can recognize the greatness of the Druid's Path."
"Bear Form."
Under the hazy moonlight, Malfurion secretly prayed to the Moon Goddess, and a green light began to gather above his head.
The Moon Goddess answered his prayer, and a vast amount of natural and life force surged into Malfurion's body. His body rapidly expanded, and after a burst of green smoke, Malfurion transformed into a massive, imposing Juxiong.
This bear is over three meters tall and very strong, with its mane resembling sharp thorns.
"Illidan, my dear brother," the Juxiong spoke in a human voice, waving its powerful forepaws.
"I've demonstrated the Bear Form to you countless times, but you just can't grasp it. This spell is very simple for me, but it's incredibly difficult for you. That's the difference in talent."
Cenarius nodded in satisfaction and said proudly:
"See that, Illidan? This is the power of the Druids. If you wish to further your studies in the knowledge of nature, you can learn from your brother. I will no longer be your mentor."
Illidan gazed at the Juxiong in the arena and calmly said:
"Brother, I didn't want to compete with you; it's pointless. In my opinion, the Druid's Path is just a simple trick. Tricks aren't difficult at all. I can pretend I can't learn it, but I can't stand this arrogant charlatan."
Illidan's eyes shone with golden light. He leaped high into the air, almost soaring into the sky, before crashing down to the ground. While he was still in mid-air, the earth trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
Many people present didn't see clearly what happened; they only felt the moonlight suddenly darken and shadows envelop the earth. When they looked up, they found a large dark shadow overhead.
This is!
Robbie was astonished to discover that the dark shadow above his head was actually the belly of a bear.
Illidan transformed into Juxiong as large as a mountain, its four thick legs resembling pillars supporting the sky. Cenarius's hut and the entire lake were enveloped by Illidan's massive body.
It was such a huge bear!
Cenarius was terrified, his face drained of color; he couldn't even make out the full size of Illidan's massive body.
"Cenarius, how was my trick? I told you, it was meaningless, just a very simple trick."
Illidan's voice, like rolling Thunder, came from above.
Malfurion was even more uneasy. The Juxiong he had transformed into was merely a pebble in front of Illidan's claws. He couldn't understand why Illidan, who hadn't received the blessing of the Moon Goddess, could transform into such a terrifying Juxiong.
Cenarius defiant, mustering his courage to say, "Illidan, you must learn respect. The Druid's Path is a path of sacrifice, Illidan. You do not yet understand the meaning of that word."
Is it that I don't understand?
Illidan shifted his body slightly, then stepped back into the lake, splashing water everywhere. Cenarius pale with fright, worried about his dwelling hidden in the cave at the bottom of the lake—the nest he had painstakingly built over countless years.
"Illidan, that's enough! Put away your spells!" Cenarius roared.
Illidan's disdainful voice rang out:
"Your body has grown larger, your strength has increased, but what's the point? Do you defeat enemies by sheer size and brute force? A massive body makes you less mobile and easier to target. I've said it before, the Druid's Path just a trick, not worth mentioning at all."
Suddenly!
A cloud of smoke rose as Illidan withdrew his Bear Form. Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief; the colossal Juxiong, as massive as a mountain, had been incredibly imposing.
Robbie was aware of Illidan's arrogance; in fact, the Druid's spells were not without effect.
For example, if a human's frail body were to transform into Juxiong, their strength and defense would be greatly enhanced, resulting in a significant increase in overall power.
However, in this era, the Night Elves have received the blessing of the Well of Eternity and possess boundless magical power. Choosing magic is the right path for them, and abandoning magic to study the Druid's Path would be putting the cart before the horse.
Having demonstrated his formidable strength, the way everyone looked at Illidan changed, from mockery to fear.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Malfurion suddenly burst into laughter, his face contorted, his eyes gleaming coldly, and he pointed at Illidan, saying viciously:
"Very well, Illidan, you truly are my good brother. You are so Mastery in the Druid's Path, yet you never demonstrate it, pretending you know nothing. Are you pitying your cowardly brother?"
"Brother, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant," Illidan innocently explained, unwilling to sever his bond with his brother. "I just wanted to prove that the Druid's Path is a trick."
"Tricks, haha, that's right. Your useless brother can only learn tricks." Malfurion asked Illidan with a wry smile, "Very well, you win. You are a genius, and I, your brother, am just a useless piece of trash. I can't even beat you in tricks. Are you satisfied now, Illidan Stormrage?"
Illidan scratched his head, somewhat bewildered, unsure how to handle the situation.
"Illidan Stormrage, you are a genius, while I am just a piece of trash. From this day forward, we are severing ties. We are no longer brothers." In a fit of rage, Malfurion blurted out these harsh words of severing ties.
Temple of the Moon.
Tyrande concluded the ritual of worshipping the goddess. Serving the goddess required complete concentration. The Moon Goddess was kind and loving, but she was also cold and ruthless.
Just as Tyrande was about to leave, she suddenly heard a strange sound:
"That idiot Malfurion, he's ruined everything."