"Tyrande, you're willing to destroy Azeroth for a single Yaksha Leopard!" Malfurion roared. "It was merely a Yaksha Leopard, yet your actions will cost countless lives!"
"That wasn't just a Yaksha Leopard; it was an enlightenment of wisdom." A fierce glint flashed in Tyrande's eyes. "From that moment on, I realized a truth: things that are shared by all can be used to exchange for personal gain, just as the Yaksha Leopard we all owned can become Lisa's beautiful fur coat."
Tyrande gazed at the Dragonkin in the distance, then at the Night Elf camp on Mount Hyjal: "What I have sacrificed are merely the lives of many, but I will gain eternal authority and a supreme position."
Malfurion lowered his head in thought, and after a long while, he stammered, "Tyrande, I must confess to you, it wasn't Lisa who killed that Yaksha Leopard back then, it was me."
Tyrande looked puzzled, staring directly into Malfurion's eyes, awaiting his explanation.
Malfurion, flustered and uneasy, said, "That day I was playing in the forest when I met Cenarius. He performed the trick of turning into an animal for me, and I really want to learn it so that I can please Lisa."
"Cenarius said he wanted to eat the flesh of the Yaksha Leopard. Wild Yaksha Leopards were protected by adults, but I was just a child at the time and didn't dare to break the taboo, so I thought of the Yaksha Leopard we kept."
Tyrande frowned and roared, "So you killed it?"
Malfurion hesitated and said nervously:
"I'm sorry, I was also bewitched. Now that I think about it, it must have been the influence of the Moon Goddess Magic. I regretted it immediately after killing the Yaksha Leopard. I knew you wouldn't let me go, so I went to Lisa. She comforted me and said it was okay, so we made a fur coat out of the Yaksha Leopard's skin. Lisa is the most popular girl in the village, so no one will blame her."
"Ha ha ha!" Tyrande laughed, somewhat delirious.
"Tyrande, this is all a conspiracy by Elune. She not only bewitched Illidan, but we are also caught in her scheme. Stop, Tyrande, perhaps it's not too late."
"It's too late, Malfurion. We've gone too far," Tyrande said with a wry smile. "We've already lost the power of the Well of Eternity. If we also lose the favor of the Moon Goddess, what are we left? Your magic tricks?"
Tyrande lowered her head, but when she raised it again, her beautiful face was incredibly Steadfast:
"Perhaps we should thank the Moon Goddess; she has given us a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. In this world, the toil of hundreds is needed to provide one person with a life of luxury. The same is true for the acquisition of power; the sacrifice of millions is needed to create an eternally mighty being. Malfurion, a rare opportunity is before us."
Malfurion understood that he could not persuade Tyrande. Looking at the numerous Dragonkin and the Burning Legion's vast camp, Malfurion knew very well how miserable his fate would be if he destroyed the Demon Soul.
"Perhaps, this is the Destiny of Azeroth," Malfurion murmured, surrendering to Destiny and handing over the Demon Soul to Tyrande.
Tyrande smiled knowingly. "You know what, Malfurion? What I admire most about you is that you always know your place."
Tyrande, holding the Demon Soul aloft, resembled a holy goddess under the moonlight.
Azshara.
The Zandalari Trolls had only prepared seven days' worth of rations. As the seven days drew near, their rations were running low, and neither the Dragonkin nor the Night Elves of Mount Hyjal were making any moves. Emperor Archaeus was frantic with worry.
He hurriedly ordered the Zandalari Empire to gather provisions, but unfortunately the Dragonkin Portal had already stopped working. The Dragonkin were only responsible for bringing them over, so as not to waste precious Magic Gems maintaining the Portal's operation.
Given such a long distance, if food were transported from the Zandalari Empire to Azshara, these three million Trolls would probably have starved to death long ago.
Just when he was in despair, something unexpected happened to Emperor Archaeus.
A five-colored cloud drifted across the sky, followed by a strange rain. It consisted of white objects the size of pigeon eggs, forming a thick layer that looked somewhat like mushrooms and emitted an incredibly enticing aroma.
One of the Trolls, starving, picked up one and tasted it; it was incredibly delicious.
Regardless of whether it was poisonous or not, the numerous hungry Trolls began to devour this food of unknown origin. The rational Emperor Archaeus tried to stop them, but it was too late.
After consuming this food, aside from feeling full, nothing unexpected happened.
Subsequently, the Trolls discovered that this cloud not only visited the camps of the Trolls, but also the camps of the Tauren, Dwarves, and Furbolg, where this five-colored cloud would sprinkle food.
The investigation revealed that the clouds originated from the City of Magic of Azshara.
Upon learning this news, Archaeus remained silent for a long time, feeling somewhat sorry for Queen Azshara.
Hesitant and indecisive, Archaeus decided to consult with someone and went to visit the Tauren camp.
The Tauren have never been unified, scattered across various regions in the form of Horde, and lack the cohesion of the Zandalari Trolls.
However, the Tauren of this era were still far more powerful than those ten thousand years later. Approximately 500,000 Tauren gathered here, led by Huln Highmountain, Tauren Chieftain from Highmountain.
Huln Highmountain was an exceptionally robust Tauren, his bright little eyes gleaming with wisdom and cunning. He saw through Archaeus's intentions at a glance and laughed heartily:
"Haha, Emperor Archaeus, what are you worried about? We Tauren arrived here a month ago and have long since run out of food. Queen Azshara seems to know our situation; she sends us food as soon as we run out. I guarantee with the lives of 500,000 Tauren that it is absolutely not poisoned."
The Zandalari Empire's expedition brought almost all of the hundreds of Loa. Couldn't they tell if it was poisoned? Archaeus shook his head, saying worriedly, "What does Queen Azshara mean by this? She could easily starve us to death here, why send us food? Is she trying to demoralize our army?"
Huln Highmountain smiled slightly, revealing a vicious expression. "No matter what Queen Azshara does, she can't bribe me. Once we conquer Azshara City, we Tauren will show no mercy."
Archaeus nodded in agreement. "We Trolls won't hold back either, but I can't figure out what Azshara's intentions are. If it's not to demoralize the army, then what is her true purpose?"
Huln Highmountain stroked his sharp bull horns, a nonchalant expression on his face. "Why worry about that? The Burning Legion, the Dragonkin, Night Elves of Mount Hyjal are the main forces in this war; we're just standing by and offering support. In my opinion, Queen Azshara is nothing but a woman's soft heart; the biggest mistake she made was not wiping out our races."
Archaeus remarked with deep feeling, "Indeed, the Night Elves have reached the pinnacle of their race, yet they have refrained from slaughter. Azshara and her Highborne are destined to pay the price for their hypocritical benevolence."
The two kings exchanged a smile, Archaeus said with deep concern, "Warchief Huln, haven't you noticed? We're like domesticated pigs. Of course, I don't mean to offend the Quilboar."
Huln Highmountain waved his hand. "The purpose of fattening pigs is to slaughter them. Would Queen Azshara kill us?"
Archaeus shook his head. "If you wanted to kill us, why raise us in the first place? Could it be..."
Just then, news arrived that the Night Elves, the Burning Legion, and the Dragonkin of Mount Hyjal had finally arrived.