A dozen or so soldiers guarded the watchtower. They were guards from the Eastwall Tower. All the original guards here were dead, not one was left!
There were no bodies.
All the guards who were killed were resurrected as Undead, becoming members of the Scourge and servants of Arthas!
Dathrohan's face looked very grim when he arrived.
He ordered the main force to encamp there, then looked up to the west, towards Stratholme.
It's less than 30 kilometers from here to the Eastwall Gate of Stratholme; if we march at full speed, we can reach it in an afternoon.
Now is not the best time to attack.
The soldiers were exhausted and needed ample rest before they could attack Stratholme in peak condition. He had to be responsible for their lives; no soldier could be sacrificed in vain because of his poor decisions.
Most importantly, the Lord of Nathanos has not yet arrived.
It seems that Hawkspear, the elven ranger lord, and his ranger army have already entered the Ghostlands!
A shadow fell over Dathrohan's heart.
Without the help of the Elf Rangers, the attack on Stratholme will result in the loss of many more brothers!
The evening breeze carried the scent of Scourge Plague; even a single breath made one feel uneasy.
Paladin and Priest must use Holy Light to remove plague from others every day to prevent their physical condition and health from being affected.
Jiang Jie doesn't need it.
He wasn't tired at all.
His abundant Internal Energy allows him to maintain sufficient energy and spirit, while the Black Tortoise Longevity Art grants him extraordinary vitality and endurance. Even if he travels for three days and three nights without sleep or rest, he can still maintain strong combat power.
For a martial artist who has mastered the " Lightning and Rushing Thunder Step," traveling itself is equivalent to cultivation.
These past few days, he has opened up his Yang Heel Vessel and is communicating with his Yin Heel Vessel. His eyesight has improved considerably, and he now possesses a special ability similar to " Darkvision," comparable to that of High Elf or even Night Elf. His legs have also become much lighter and more agile, and his light-footed movement speed is 30% faster than before.
In addition, his Internal Energy also increased by about 20%, which is neither a lot nor a little.
The difficulty of opening up the Four Yin and Yang Vessels is far less than that of Chong and Dai Vessels and Ren and Du Vessels. Jiang Jie estimates that once the Battle of Stratholme ends and he enters the Ghostlands, he will be able to fully open up the Four Yin and Yang Vessels and begin his sprint towards the Houtian Ninth Layer.
As night fell, the surroundings were pitch black, and the terrifying screams of ghosts and spirits could be heard from time to time. Jiang Jie, with his excellent eyesight, could sometimes even see the swaying figures of zombies.
Arthas took away the most elite Undead, but left behind the slow-moving zombies, as well as many uncontrollable ghosts and spirits.
Besides Stratholme, a large number of Undead still inhabit the entire Eastern Plaguelands.
In fact, apart from the Western Plaguelands, the Eastern Plaguelands have been most affected by the Scourge Plague. Apart from Tyr's Hand, Light's Hope Chapel, and Darrowshire, which has been fighting hard, the entire Eastern Plaguelands has become a world of the Undead, and there are probably no more than a few thousand survivors still alive and scattered in various places.
He casually dispatched several zombies and skeletons blocking his path, ignoring the piercing screams of ghosts and spirits, and Jiang Jie dashed off towards Stratholme with the speed of wind.
Yes, Stratholme.
As the most powerful rogue in the entire Holy Light Allied Forces, Dathrohan ordered him to contact the Paladin scouts hidden near Stratholme and ascertain the specific situation of Stratholme before the Alliance launched a major offensive. He had one night.
If those Paladin were still alive!
The Lightning and Rushing Thunder Step is faster than a warhorse running at full speed, but unfortunately, it cannot be sustained for long.
Internal Energy is limited!
An hour later, Jiang Jie arrived in Stratholme.
This is the Eastwall Gate.
Many Undead lingered. Jiang Jie avoided their line of Undead and had the game pod scan at high power, but they found nothing. The scout Dathrohan had mentioned was clearly no longer here.
Either they're dead, or they're gone!
"Then let's go in and take a look!"
Jiang Jie Stealth to the Eastwall Gate and saw more than a dozen Undead wandering inside. Among them were skeletons, zombies, Ghoul, and even an Abomination that exuded a putrid plague!
This is a long passage, and there are definitely more Undead inside than these. It's too densely packed. Even Jiang Jie wouldn't be able to Stealth through easily; he would be easily discovered.
"Then, let's fight!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Jie drew the Barov Family Longsword.
The passageway was not wide enough to be suitable for wielding a greatsword; this longsword was more appropriate.
The Undead in Stratholme are generally quite powerful, but now, most of the elite Undead have been taken away by Arthas, leaving behind only weaklings with less than 5 points of combat power.
At least that's what we've seen so far.
The battle wasn't difficult; the narrow passage meant Jiang Jie didn't have to face too many Undead at once. After smashing a few skeletons, Jiang Jie unleashed a palm strike, sending a dragon-shaped stream of energy whistling through the air, instantly clearing the entire passage.
Reaching the end of the passage and eliminating the remaining Undead, Jiang Jie severed the lock with a single sword strike and arrived at the Elders' Square.
At first glance, it was densely packed with Undead!
There are at least a thousand Undead in the entire square!
Fortunately, they were mostly mindless skeletons and zombies; even Ghoul were hard to find, Abomination were very few, and there were practically no Banshee, necromancers, or Undead.
Arthas won't leave behind that many elite troops; a few boss-level guardians will suffice!
After all, Stratholme meant nothing to him; the Sunwell was his true objective!
If he can breach the Sunwell and resurrect Kel'Thuzad, he will suddenly have a Legendary, or even High-tier Legendary, Lich. Then, with the massive number of elite Undead obtained from the resurrected High Elf, retaking Stratholme will be a piece of cake!
In fact, even if he returned from Sunwell Plateau, he wouldn't bother with a mere Stratholme; Dalaran and Lordaeron were his targets!
The place reeked of decay and ruin, but soon, Jiang Jie saw a strange sight:
There wasn't a single Undead around a low building on the right.
Whether they were ordinary skeletons or zombies, or even stronger Ghoul and Abomination, none of them dared to approach that building, instead keeping a safe distance, as if something extremely terrifying was hidden inside!
For the Undead, it's something of infinite terror!
Jiang Jie's eyes lit up:
That's the Alonsus Chapel, the Holy Light center of Stratholme, a very famous holy site!
In Stratholme, now teeming with the Undead, it is the only Holy Light in the darkness!