"It's been an hour!"
Halduron, growing impatient, pleaded again, " Lor'themar, let's attack! Or let me take some men to scout ahead? If the Grand Duke of Lordaeron dies inside while we're all outside Zul'Aman, the Queen of Lordaeron and the Ashbringer will go mad! Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas will go to war!"
"Her Majesty Queen Calia and Ashbringer are not unreasonable people; they wouldn't do that."
Lor'themar remained calm and said, "And it's already in chaos inside, still in chaos! Standing here, we can hear the commotion inside. Clearly, the Grand Duke's actions have been effective! The Grand Duke is a remarkable man; if he made a decision, he must be confident! He won't die so easily; we should trust him!"
"He's capable, but he's too young! Young people love to show off!"
Halduron exclaimed anxiously, "He's overconfident! Don't you know what kind of being Zul'jin is? The three of us combined might not even be a match for him! How old is Nicholas? We all witnessed his strength during the Battle of Silvermoon City; is he really that strong?"
Lor'themar remained silent.
They had all witnessed Jiang Jie's actions in the battle of Silvermoon City; he was at most a ranger captain, not even as good as them.
Even after a year of growth, could someone like that still be stronger than them?
Even if we are stronger than them, how much stronger could we be?
Can a year compare to more than three thousand years of Zul'jin?
To be honest, even Lor'themar himself didn't believe it!
However, he is the supreme commander here, the backbone, and cannot be allowed to fall into disarray.
He must be held accountable for the people he brought with him!
In situations where the circumstances are unclear, he absolutely cannot allow his men to act rashly.
Halduron could act on impulse, but he couldn't.
"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer."
Lor'themar turned to Archmage Rommath: " Archmage, do you have a way to investigate what's inside?"
Rommath shook his head and said, "Surveying is no problem, but I can't find the Grand Duke. Zul'Aman is too vast; the Mage's Eye has limited range."
Lor'themar shook her head and sighed.
Yes, the distance is limited.
He also had his own scouts and intelligence agents who had been keeping a close watch on Zul'Aman and had seen quite a bit of what was going on.
But ever since that Grand Duke left the temple of the Eagle God, he has vanished without a trace, for he was too far away for the elves' eyes to see.
All we could see were the Troll charging madly into the heart of Zul'Aman, and the Grand Duke slaying the Eagle God. But there were even more powerful enemies inside! And with so many Troll charging in, the other three Loa had also rushed in. What was the outcome of the battle? Who knew?
"If the Grand Duke really dies in battle..."
Lor'themar suddenly shuddered.
If that were to actually happen, Her Majesty the Queen and the Ashbringer would probably go mad, wouldn't they?
I fear the friendship between Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas will be completely destroyed.
Can Quel'Thalas withstand the madness of those two women?
Vol'jin was also somewhat worried.
Although he had witnessed Jiang Jie's strength not long ago and knew that Jiang Jie was far stronger than anyone present, Zul'Aman was a den of dragons and tigers, too dangerous. There were too many powerful people inside, and even someone as strong as Jiang Jie was in danger, right?
Even someone as powerful as Prince Kael'thas wouldn't dare to just barge in like that, would he?
"What are you all so worried about?"
Liadrin, however, remained completely unconcerned, her face serene. "Have you forgotten? Nicholas is a miraculous young man! Hasn't he created enough miracles? Believe me, he'll create another miracle this time! Fenna's man is not so simple!"
Can a miracle really happen?
A group of people turned to Zul'Aman simultaneously, eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Suddenly, one of the ranger sentries' eyes narrowed, and he immediately shouted, "The Grand Duke is back!"
The Grand Duke is back?
Lor'themar's spirits lifted, Halduron's eyes widened, and Vol'jin's face lit up with excitement.
A knowing smile spread across Liadrin's face. "Where is the Grand Duke?" Lor'themar asked hastily.
Bang!
Before the ranger sentry could answer, a loud bang was heard, and the gates of Zul'Aman opened.
Jiang Jie emerged from inside, covered in blood—the blood of his enemies and his own.
His face showed no smile, only regret—regret for the passing of a hero.
"Grand Duke, how did it go? How many Legendary did you kill?" Lor'themar rushed over and asked loudly.
He was filled with anticipation!
Kill one, and you're done!
Killing a Legendary would save them dozens or even hundreds of lives during their final assault.
If he could eliminate all four Loa, this war would no longer be a Pyrrhic victory. Of the three thousand rangers, five hundred mages, and one hundred Paladin he brought, at least sixty percent would survive. He could then return to report without worry and would receive the Regent Queen's commendation.
As for drying them all?
He harbored a small hope, but he always believed it was just a hope, an impossible hope.
After all, Zul'jin!
Everyone else looked at Jiang Jie Jiang Jie, anticipating his answer.
Jiang Jie's answer concerned the lives of hundreds, or even more, High Elf and Troll, a weight heavier than a small mountain.
"They're all dead. Not a single one of the seven Legendary remains."
Jiang Jie said calmly, "You can launch your final offensive now."
What?
Are all seven Legendary dead?
In other words, all the leaders in Zul'Aman are gone, and the entire Zul'Aman is in complete chaos?
In that case, once the general offensive is launched, with his superb command and coordination, he is confident that he can reduce the mortality rate to below 20%, or even 10%!
In that case, the war would be considered a complete victory. He could return to Silvermoon City with his head held high, and his name would surely be recorded in history books. His name would be filled with glory and honor for the rest of his life, and even for thousands or tens of thousands of years to come!
"Listen to my command!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Lor'themar raised his sword and roared, " Paladin, attack the left flank! Darkspear, attack the right flank! Rangers and mages, follow! Destroy Zul'Aman!"
"Destroy Zul'Aman!"
"Kill Amani Trolls!"
"Blood and glory!"
The battle cries continued unabated, then suddenly fell silent as the allied army of three thousand six hundred High Elf and one hundred Darkspear Trolls stormed into Zul'Aman.
Lor'themar took a deep breath, calmed herself, sheathed her sword, picked up her longbow, and prepared to charge into battle, when she suddenly heard Jiang Jie's voice.
" Lor'themar, now that this matter is settled, I should be going."
Jiang Jie didn't turn his head, and said calmly, "I'd like to ask you a favor: give Zul'jin a proper burial. He was a hero and deserves the respect due to a hero. Bury him in Zul'Aman; he wouldn't want to leave this place."
Lor'themar was taken aback and turned to look; Jiang Jie had already flown into the distance.