Festival of Lights · Diwali
After losing his Balrog Lord to the Light of Dawn raid, Xiao Yu restarted as the goblin Eric and turned the Mud Hole Tribe into a growing force. He built an army, took on Kalax’s dangerous quest, and ended the arc at an alliance meeting with several monster leaders.
Xiao Yu assembled monster factions to sack Nightwhisper Village and steal the Seed of Elements, but the attack ended with the village destroyed and adventurers hunting him. After escaping the huntresses, he followed Dark Rod into the Deadmines and was invited to join the Defias Brotherhood.
Xiao Yu joined Dark Rod’s studio and took up work as a dungeon boss while seeking a way to earn enough for treatment for his brain tumor. He left the story amid a battle in Stormwind’s cathedral square, where Galax’s plan to seize Long Ao Jiutian’s soul erupted into chaos.
After leaving Stormwind, Xiao Yu chose a water elemental form and grew stronger through summons, battles, and a new alliance with Esmehalda. He founded The Immortals and ended up imprisoned by alchemists in the Tower of Amalarui.
Xiao Yu and Esmehalda raided Amalarui’s tower, freed its elemental prisoners, and defeated the mage, earning Esmehalda a place on the Kirin Tor Council. Xiao Yu’s research pointed him toward the Seed of Elements, but their visit to Stormwind was interrupted when Deathwing attacked the city and fell unconscious after Varian struck him.
Xiao Yu traced the Seed of Elements to the naga and led Neptulon's army through the Maelstrom to conquer Hydra City. He established The Immortals there, became a Water Elemental Lord, and prepared to pursue the Seed on Lost Island.
Xiao Yu drew adventurers to Lost Island, used them to defeat the naga and occupy Yarvis City, then raced with Qin Shiyue to the Lost Temple. The temple vault opened after Sivadrin swore loyalty to Azathoth, but the first treasure chests held little of value.
Azathoth defeated Queen Azshara’s invasion with the Scourge of the Ocean, then negotiated with Sky World to turn the Lost Island into a permanent battlefield. After building its dungeons and staging a clash between the Alliance and Horde, he sent Sgelari against incoming adventurers, while Angmar’s raid entered the hydra’s lair.
Xiao Yu recruited powerful adventurers, pursued the path to Draenor, and launched an assault on Silvermoon City for the Seed of Elements. After retreating from the city, he ambushed and defeated the pursuing blood elf fleet, captured Liadrin and other heroes, and gained Leah Bloodmoon’s help in seeking the Seed.
Xiao Yu exchanged treasure for the blood elf prisoners, then risked his life to become a Chaos Elemental and killed Balnazzar with Linia Abbendis’s help. He returned to a besieged Lost Island, where his forces faced a much larger enemy and he prepared to keep adventurers fighting for him.
Xiao Yu defeated the Elemental Will, secured its remaining lords’ allegiance, and led his coalition through the Dark Portal into Draenor. At the Elemental Throne, he activated the four crystal pillars and began the Elemental King ritual.
Xiao Yu became Elemental King by defeating Ragnaros and reorganized the Elemental Plane. He then prepared for the Demon King Tournament, chose the Evil Forces Competition, and arrived at the venue for his opening match.
Xiao Yu won two tournament matches as Azathoth while discovering that intense emotions let him control elemental power beyond his learned skills. After receiving a worsening medical prognosis and warnings about the Council of Sages, he entered a third match against Lucifer that remained unresolved.
Xiao Yu won the match against Dragon Covenant, then faced Naiser in the tournament final after surviving an attempt to kill him and agreeing to help Shen Yuan. The final began in the Land of Origins, where Xiao Yu tried to delay Naiser while keeping his army out of danger.
Xiao Yu defeated Naiser, rose to prominence through the tournament and signed on to the game company’s plans for him. As Azathoth, he launched the Elemental Tide against Stormwind, where Alliance heroes and adventurers repelled the invasion and banished him to the Elemental Plane.
Xiao Yu broke from the game company’s script and used the Lost Island campaign to draw the Alliance and Horde into a devastating counterattack. The arc ended with Stormwind City and Orgrimmar destroyed, the surviving leaders facing an uncertain prophecy, and Xiao Yu securing his release from the company contract.
Xiao Yu joined Shen Yuan’s plan to unite monster factions and help the Council of Sages gather the four Old Gods’ blood, create Overlord, and seize the Hourglass of Time. The attack on the Caverns of Time disrupted the Time Barrier and left Xiao Yu alone in a boundless white world, where he saw someone who looked like him approaching.
Shen Yuan exposed the Hand of Fate and led Sky World's heroes and villains in an assault on the Pantheon, where the struggle for the Scepter of All Gods turned into a fight over the players' fate. Xiao Yu reversed time, gave Medivh the means to guide Sky World, and ended the arc in secure custody after the game shut down.
After Xiao Yu avoided recruitment into a government-run game show and returned to ordinary life, the Future God Religion made him a target and the Bureau sent him into War of the Gods. He formed an undead party, advanced through dangerous quests, and led an attack on Poli Village, where Akto began smashing through the group.
Xiao Yu became a Blasphemer, led his allies through dungeons, and awakened Emperor Odyssey as part of Andrew’s quest. Inside Odyssey’s memories, he uncovered the threat behind Olorin’s betrayal and left the emperor’s generals suspicious of Olorin.