Looking up, you see Mount Hyjal towering into the clouds.
Jiang Jie and Old Chen stood at the foot of the mountain and looked at each other.
Then Old Chen's gaze fell on the Zhaoren the Onyx Cloud Serpent that appeared and disappeared in the clouds. "Human boy, that Cloud Serpent... can I ride it?"
"... Uncle Chen, I can't just stand by and watch you climb this mountain! It's so high, over ten thousand meters!" Jiang Jie sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Don't worry, I'll take you up with me! Dragon Knight, you'll have your fun!"
"Ahem, what I mean is, can I borrow it to ride sometime? You know, my goal is to travel the whole world to find the best brewing ingredients! With this dragon, I can go anywhere easily, and go back to Wandering Isle Island whenever I want, wouldn't that be great!" Old Chen's voice was weak. "Considering my age, you can't bear to make me travel Wandering Isle and on long journeys, right? What if my old arms and legs get hurt? How about this, I'll teach you Primal Split?"
So, you and Li Li really are family. You both have designs on my mount and both dream of becoming dragon knights...
Jiang Jie sighed, then said, " Uncle Chen, I don't yet have the ability to control the four elemental energies..."
"It's alright, with four Elemental Spirits here, you can do it too! Young man, the most important thing is confidence!" Old Chen earnestly instructed, patiently explaining, "Look at Li Li, she's so young, yet she dares to travel the world. You're not even as good as an 8-year-old girl? Don't worry, with me teaching you, you'll definitely learn!"
" Uncle Chen... alright, you teach me Primal Split. But whether Zhaoren is willing to follow you is not up to me." Seeing Old Chen's deflated expression, Jiang Jie felt incredibly pleased!
Along the way, Old Chen had mentioned it to him eight hundred times, insisting that Zhaoren be his mount. As a result, Zhaoren was so frightened that it flew directly into the clouds and refused to come down, no matter how Jiang Jie summoned it, it dared not return.
In its eyes, Old Chen was a hundred times more terrifying than Li Li!
It had come down once before, and Old Chen had been touching it all over, which made it incredibly uncomfortable. It had also overheard Old Chen muttering that dragon meat must be delicious, and dragon blood might be able to brew the finest wine...
Therefore, it's simply impossible for Zhaoren to agree to be his mount!
"Kid, you're not going to learn Primal Split! Unless you make it my mount!" Old Chen feigned anger.
Of course, Jiang Jie knew that Old Chen was just joking and wouldn't really take it seriously. This man was Martial Arts Master, his realm was as high as a mountain, and his mind was as broad as a boat!
" Uncle Chen, it's not that I don't want to help you. Zhaoren is just following me; I can't control it. It's my friend... Of course, I promise it will give you a ride at least a few times." Jiang Jie comforted him, "How about this: you teach me Primal Split, and I'll teach you Chinese Martial Arts?"
"... Alright!" Old Chen agreed.
Pandaren on Wandering Isle has learned Jiang Jie's Chinese Martial Arts, except for him, who's been living away from home and hasn't learned it. If he ever returns to Wandering Isle, won't he be ridiculed to death by everyone there?
I should learn first, and I should learn better than them, so I can go back and mock them!
The Wandering Isle is only so big, and the people there all get along very well. However, it's a small place with limited entertainment options, so they have to find their own fun with each other.
Jiang Jie smiled and, after much persuasion, managed to get Zhaoren down and led them to Mount Hyjal.
Everyone says it's colder up in the mountains than down at the foot, but after arriving at Mount Hyjal Jiang Jie, I realized that's not always the case.
The World Tree and Druid magic have shaped this place into a unique world; even though it's higher than Mount Everest, the climate here is no different from that at the foot of the mountain.
This mountain... is truly more majestic and towering than the Himalayas!
Mount Hyjal is not a single mountain, but a continuous, towering mountain range.
In the eyes of the Night Elf, Mount Hyjal is the highest and most majestic peak, and at the top of this peak is a peculiar ring-shaped valley, a super mountaintop valley covering an area of over 100,000 square kilometers!
Jiang Jie felt that it was more of a plateau than a mountain peak and valley, the highest plateau in the world.
The World Tree " Nordrassil " is located on the northeast corner of Hyjal Peak!
No one can imagine the sheer size of the World Tree unless they see it with their own eyes. But once you reach the summit and see the World Tree, you'll know what a truly super plant is!
The World Tree Nordrassil originated from the G'Hanir the Mother Tree, which was personally kept by the Red Dragon Queen and endowed with unimaginable vitality.
Illidan created a second Well of Eternity using three vials of its water. The Red Dragon Queen planted a seed in the Well of Eternity, and within a few days, the seed absorbed the Well of Eternity's energy at a visible speed, growing into a truly towering tree.
The tree's roots extend deep into the lake, and its enormous canopy almost covers the entire sky. This giant oak is an eternal symbol of the harmonious relationship between the Night Elf and nature, and the life energy it emanates can slowly spread and heal the wounds of the entire world.
Nozdormu, the "Lord of Time," imbued the World Tree with an eternal spell: as long as the World Tree exists, the Night Elf will never age or fall ill.
Ysera, the "Dream Queen," also imbued the World Tree with magic: she established a connection between the World Tree and the Emerald Dream, allowing the tree to directly draw energy from the Emerald Dream to grow and heal the land.
How tall is this tree?
Its exact size cannot be estimated, but its existence truly transforms Mount Hyjal into a plateau, and it is the other peak on that plateau!
This tree covers an area almost larger than the Shen-zin Su, its canopy blocking out the sun and almost covering half of Mount Hyjal. It would probably not be difficult to build a city, or even a territory or a small independent kingdom on it.
Mount Hyjal is a peaceful place...
That was before!
The half of Mount Hyjal closest to Felwood and Winterspring still retains its original ecology, but the other half, closer to Ashenvale Forest and Azshara, has become the domain of demons and the Undead, corrupted by evil and death energy. Countless creatures have been slaughtered. Jiang Jie couldn't see the specifics from that distance, but he could see the burning sky and the scorched earth stretching for miles beneath it.
The war on Mount Hyjal has been ongoing. The Night Elf faction has committed half of its forces there, and at least 70% of the awakened Druid have come here. General Shandris Feathermoon has also deployed all of her Feathermoon Sentinels.
Everywhere are Keeper of the Grove and Dryad, as well as Ancient of War, Ancient of Lore, and Ancient Protector that have been uprooted. Hippogryph patrol the skies, accompanied by Storm Crow. Uncorrupted Furbolg, summoned by Cenarius, have come here from Timbermaw Hold. The final battle is about to begin!
"Huh? That's... Tortolla?"
Standing atop the mountain, Jiang Jie gazed at the World Tree several kilometers away. Then, at the entrance to the World Tree Valley, beside a small pond, he saw a giant turtle.
What kind of turtle was it?
It is larger than Mannoroth, and its shell has long since turned into a rock-like substance. Its skin is gray and covered with hard keratin.
It lay quietly by the pond, its huge head staring at the burning southern sky, as if recalling the battle ten thousand years ago.
Tortolla, the tortoise Demigod.
In the War of the Ancients, facing the Burning Legion's first invasion, Cenarius summoned the Wild Gods for help. Almost all the Demigod died, even Malorne. Cenarius survived under his father's protection. Even the valiant boar Demigod Agamaggan was overwhelmed by a massive horde of demons, and Cenarius alone remained alive.
In that battle, it wasn't even seriously injured, because even powerful beings like the Dreadlord and Pit Lord couldn't break through its defenses. The only one who posed a threat to it, Archimonde, didn't even have time to deal with it before being sent back to the Twisting Nether by the power of Kalimdor and the explosion of the Well of Eternity.
That unprecedented battle, though it didn't injure Tortolla, still drained it of too much energy. So for the next ten thousand years, it slept somewhere on Mount Hyjal until Cenarius came to Mount Hyjal and awakened it.
Archimonde and the Burning Legion have returned to this world once again. Most of the Demigod from back then are gone, so it's natural for Archimonde to take over as guardian of this world.
"Wine above! And what do I see? A giant tortoise! You can't imagine a Pandaren's love for tortoises! Every Pandaren who wants to travel dreams of owning a majestic giant tortoise! I once tried to ride Shen-zin Su, but it ignored me! Hmm, this giant tortoise isn't bad!"