Shandris had only recently emerged from her seclusion in the past few days. She had originally planned to rendezvous with Aurora and then head to the Dark Portal front together, but Andreas and Celeste had already returned home ahead of her.
According to Andreas' perception, Shandris' soul state had undergone a clear sublimation, undoubtedly stepping into the threshold of a demigod.
After a warm reunion, the family sat down again. Andreas teased playfully, "I wonder if Tyrande will be mortified when she hears this news. Her own apprentice has taken this step first. It must be hard for someone as competitive as her to accept, right?"
Shandris rolled her eyes at her husband. "My mentor dedicates most of her energy to national affairs, so it's inevitable that her personal training would suffer a bit."
"As for me, I've led armies on campaigns for years, never ceasing to refine my strength. Isn't it normal for this situation to arise with one's progress waxing and the other's waning?"
If Tyrande was only busy with official duties for a short time, it shouldn't have allowed Shandris, whose strength was far below hers, to catch up so easily.
But when the timeline is stretched to ten thousand years, the accumulated gap becomes exceptionally obvious.
In contrast, Malfurion, who spent most of his time in the Emerald Dream, also had more time for self-training than Tyrande. Shandris being able to break through before the Archdruid was significantly aided by the moon goddess Elune's favoritism.
Although Shandris and Malfurion are both partners of the same family, there is a certain difference in their devotion to Elune.
While Malfurion also maintains respect and faith in Elune, he himself is a Druid who advocates Nature Power, so his faith cannot be purer than Shandris, who is a Priestess of the Moon... The facts prove that Tyrande's competitive spirit is indeed extraordinary.
After dealing with a series of follow-up matters concerning the Dark Portal and Draenor and returning to Astranaar, she immediately learned that Shandris had broken through to become a demigod.
Although Tyrande sincerely congratulated her most cherished apprentice, she turned around and requested leave from the Council to enter seclusion, attempting to break through the bottleneck that had held her back for thousands of years in the shortest possible time.
However, a gap accumulated over ten thousand years clearly won't be bridged so easily. Tyrande still has a long way to go before she can become a demigod.
If Andreas' conjecture is correct, the next Night Elves to advance to demigod status should be Archdruid Malfurion; Tyrande will have to wait longer.
With the High Priestess stimulated into seclusion, the subsequent work of the Draenor expedition naturally fell back to Andreas.
This expedition achieved Andreas' original goals, inflicting immense damage upon the Burning Legion.
the Legion's vanguard led by Kruul and several subsequent waves of reinforcements were successively defeated by the Azeroth Expeditionary Force.
Kiljaeden's fel warships were almost completely annihilated, and his direct forces were flung into space during the collapse of Draenor, most likely not surviving.
Coupled with the deaths of important generals like Talgath and Kruul, even for the Burning Legion, whose influence spans the cosmos, this loss was a crippling blow.
However, Andreas was not overjoyed by this; instead, he felt pressure from this narrow victory.
Indeed, a narrow escape.
While Sargeras not personally leading the charge was somewhat within Andreas' plan, Kiljaeden's arrangements for Garona deviated somewhat from his predictions.
Although Andreas had made arrangements for Jarod to remain in the homeland to deal with any emergencies before leaving Azeroth, Garona's betrayal was indeed not accounted for by Andreas.
The final outcome was acceptable, but any fool knew this was due to Sargeras' distraction.
The Fallen Titan was likely focusing most of his energy on corrupting the titans of the pantheon's souls, lacking motivation for Kiljaeden's plan to conquer Azeroth.
Considering the factional issues within the Burning Legion, Sargeras' passive attitude was inevitable.
If he truly corrupted the Titans' souls, Sargeras would have a group of loyal and powerful kin at his disposal, at which point Kiljaeden, this Eredar Demon Lord, would find his position very awkward.
Allowing Kiljaeden to achieve a major Merits at this time would make it difficult to meet Sargeras' expectations when the corrupted Titans appeared, as he would be firmly overshadowed by the meritorious Kiljaeden.
Although he ruthlessly killed all his brethren in the Pantheon, in Sargeras' heart, his Titan kin were still the most useful and trustworthy.
Archimonde's reckless defeat caused the Fallen Titan to distrust the Burning Legion's right-hand men; he began to doubt whether his initial decision had been too hasty.
The Eredar, elevated from Mortals, might ultimately fail to meet his expectations, which is one of the main reasons Sargeras devoted most of his energy to corrupting Titan souls.
From Andreas' perspective, if the counterattack on Argus is delayed too long, not only will the Burning Legion recover from this defeat, but once the Titans corrupted by Fel Energy appear, they will become an unstoppable trump card.
One Sargeras is already astonishing; considering the corrupted world-soul of Argus, if new Fallen Titans appear, it could lead to a desperate situation where nothing can be done.
To avoid this, internal threats within Azeroth must be cleared as soon as possible, allowing for an expedition to Argus without worries, and completely eliminating the threat of the Burning Legion.
However, there is still much preparatory work to be done before that, which cannot be completed overnight. Andreas, deeply feeling the urgency of time, dared not slow down his pace for a moment... When Tyrande returned to Astranaar, she also brought Garona, who harbored hidden dangers, with her.
As a demigod who controls shadow and soul abilities, there is no one in Azeroth more suitable than Andreas to treat Garona.
Andreas carefully explored Garona's soul, his palm, emitting a purplish-black glow, pressed against Garona's forehead, her hands tied behind her back.
Garona herself also wanted to completely break free from Sargeras' control, actively opening her soul restrictions to Andreas; her memories and emotions were presented to Andreas without reservation.
Andreas had no interest in the fanged orc female, so he tried his best to shield Garona's chaotic emotions and thoughts, focusing on finding memories related to Medivh.
"Got it."
The problem indeed stemmed from that battle to eliminate Medivh.
Khadgar rapidly aged as Sargeras' curse drained his life force, and Garona was hit by a mental spell specifically targeting her weakness, triggering the mental suggestion Go'el had planted, causing her to lose combat effectiveness.
But at the same time, Sargeras took the opportunity to embed his mental control deep within Garona's soul. The last time Andreas remotely cleared Go'el's residual mental influence, he did not discover this unignited seed.
Carefully separating this contaminant from Garona's soul, Andreas annihilated the murky soul fragment on the spot.
"Done."
Opening his eyes and wiping the sweat from his forehead, Andreas looked at Garona, who was still wandering in the sea of souls, not yet awake, and said to Leticia beside him, "Garona is caught in negative memories that were deliberately forgotten in the past. It will probably take some time for her to wake up."
"The threat has been completely removed. Move her to the guest room."
As a half-Draenei, half-orc, Garona had endured scorn and bullying from her own kind since childhood. This soul-healing experience inevitably stirred up those tragic, deeply buried memories.
Khadgar, who had just trimmed his beard, let out a long sigh of relief. Andreas quipped, "What? Do you have feelings for Garona?"
"I admit she's quite comely among orcs, but... your taste is really something else."
"No, it's not!"
Having shaved off his full white beard and tidied up his appearance, Khadgar looked much younger. He retorted, exasperated, "Garona and I are friends, comrades-in-arms. There's no such feeling as you're imagining."
Andreas shrugged. "Alright, by the way, how's Rakish doing? Has the Prophet's treatment plan been finalized?"
Khadgar sighed, "It's not that easy. Rakish's situation is completely different from Garona's, and the Prophet is still undecided for now."
Garona's soul had merely been tainted by a sliver of Sargeras' lingering spirit; once carefully excised, she would make a full recovery. Rakish's condition was far more serious.
During his probe of Rakish's memories, Velen uncovered a truth that wrung his heart.
When Velen had led the Draenei away from Argus, Rakish had been old enough to understand, yet still a child. In short, the boy had been raised under the Burning Legion's occupation of Argus.
Rakish's first clear memories began only with his initial meeting with Kil'jaeden; everything earlier was fractured shards.
Velen tried piecing those shards together, and from the larger fragments he saw nothing but endless torment.
The young Rakish had endured tortures and brainwashing that grown Draenei could scarcely imagine. The values Velen had instilled were shattered and reassembled until the boy became the 'butcher' who obeyed Kil'jaeden's every order.
These revelations plunged Velen into a self-imposed seclusion of grief and guilt, delaying Rakish's treatment again and again.
His fel-infused red skin was easy to fix: prolonged immersion in mild, low-density Holy Light would eventually return him to the original Eredar blue-grey.
The real problem was the twisted worldview Kil'jaeden had forcibly forged in him.
Kil'jaeden poured every ounce of his hatred for Velen into the child's mind, so that, with all prior memories erased, Rakish would madly detest his own father.
Everything Kil'jaeden did was vengeance; he longed to see father and son tear each other apart, believing it the cruelest repayment for Velen's betrayal.
Rakish's healing would take time. To uproot his entrenched beliefs, Velen must first reconstruct the memories of his early childhood and re-awaken his conscience—a long and arduous road.
Velen, after all, was the leader who had shepherded the Draenei through millennia of exile; his mind had been tempered into steel.
Once he clawed free of despair, he resolved to spend the years needed to restore Rakish's memories—a penance for his own failures and an atonement to his son.
To that end, Velen even set aside his duties as leader, entrusting all governance to the Council of Bishops.
Before entering seclusion, Velen told Andreas Rakish's true name.
'Saluman—that is the name I gave the boy.'
Velen's temporary withdrawal did not hinder Draenei–Night-Elf cooperation; researchers of both races continued joint development of mass-produced starships.
Given the specs of the Legion's fel warships, breaching Argus' orbital defenses required vessels at least equal, preferably superior—a daunting task.
If Illidan's plan succeeded, he might slip past those defenses and strike directly at the planet's core.
Yet that would merely be evasion; the Legion's fleets would remain, hampering any assault on Argus even if they fought more cautiously within the atmosphere.
Rather than forever glancing skyward for orbital bombardments, the Alliance preferred a decisive solution: shatter the fleets guarding Argus once and for all.
The Legion's reach spanned the cosmos, but Argus itself was not garrisoned beyond all measure.
If the Alliance seized the Burning Throne before distant reinforcements arrived, Azeroth's fleets need not face endless enemy dreadnoughts.
Andreas could contribute little to the science; ensuring the researchers had everything they needed was his only task.
With the Legion's immediate threat lifted, the next infestation to purge lay within the planet—the Old Gods.
Of the three, the weakest, N'Zoth, seemed the easiest target.
Yet both Andreas and Xal'atath advised striking first at Yogg-Saron in Ulduar.
Though weaker, N'Zoth's prison lay beneath the deep sea, forcing the Alliance to solve underwater warfare before marching on his seat of power.
During the war for Icecrown Glacier against the Lich King, the Night Elves had field-tested their underwater combat golem, the Abyss, exposing many flaws.
While Andreas campaigned on Argus, technicians refined the design, now prototyping deep-sea armor for individual divers.
Costly arcane golems alone could not topple Nazjatar; the Naga formed a living bulwark before N'Zoth's prison, Nyalotha, and had to be broken first.
By contrast, Yogg-Saron's prison was more accessible. Breaching the defenses of the Storm Peaks and Ulduar would let Azeroth's champions confront the thousand-mouthed demon.
All Loken and Yogg-Saron truly relied upon was the Iron Army produced by Ulduar and the crafters engine.
Years earlier Andreas had begun laying the groundwork for an assault on the Storm Peaks; by the time he returned from Argus, the preparations were nearly done. As Shandris had just broken through to demigodhood and needed to stabilize her power, Andreas bade her rest at home.
Aurora, taking rare leave from Quel'Thalas, paid a visit; with nothing urgent for the High Elves, Shandris kept her daughter company and gossiped away the hours.
Guided by the whelp Dragon, Andreas and Celeste pierced the mists into Pandaria, reaching the Mogushan Vaults and the nalakshaa engine to reunite with Loken after years apart.
Though the Vault's décor had not changed, its once-empty halls now brimmed with Titan Constructs.
After years of continuous operation, Loken had amassed a vast army via the nalakshaa engine.
His beloved Stoneborn were individually weaker than Iron Vrykul, yet their materials were easier to gather, giving the Mogu greater staying power.
The years of build-up had been chiefly a matter of energy supply.
Unlike the crafters engine backed by Ulduar's Forge of Wills, Pandaria had broken away twelve millennia ago, severing the nalakshaa engine from the Forge of Origination.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Loken fed the engine only with the life-giving power that nourished The Jade Forest—far less efficient than Loken's own supply.
'Behold—the surprise I have prepared for Loken!'
Once a listless salted fish, Loken now stood radiant, arms spread before the nalakshaa engine as primordial Mogu packed the cavern.
'The hour nears. Once the mists cloaking Pandaria are dispersed, we can ferry these Mogu by sea to Northrend.'
'Loken, that traitor—his doom is upon him!'
The Mists of Pandaria originated from the last Pandaren emperor, Emperor Shaohao, whose soul still lingers on the peaks of the Kun-Lai Mountains.
As the mists dissipate, Shaohao's soul will also vanish.
Shaohao did not hesitate because of this. For the future of Azeroth, he agreed to let the Mists of Pandaria dissipate, but he proposed one condition.
He hoped to first resolve the internal crises of Pandaria before the mists scattered.
Pandaria's crises stemmed from several aspects. Firstly, the Flesh-and-blood Mogu, who were unwilling to admit the fact that they were defeated by slaves, and constantly sought opportunities to reclaim the ruling status of the Mogu Empire.
Secondly, the Mantid, the Dependents of Y'Shaarj, who occupied The Dread Wastes and Mantis Plateau.
Periodically, the Mantid would launch large-scale attacks on The Serpent's Spine Great Wall, using brutal warfare to select powerful Klaxxi মুক্তিযোদ্ধাদের, sealing them in Amber for storage, waiting to release them all at once in the future to break through The Serpents Spine's defenses.
The final crisis was naturally the Seven Great Sha left behind after the death of the Seven-headed Y'Shaarj.
When Shaohao transformed into the mists, he sealed six of the Seven Sha, leaving only the Sha of Pride still at large.
If Shaohao dispersed the mists covering Pandaria, the Six Sha sealed by his soul would also be freed.
Shaohao did not want to see the Seven Sha cooperating with the Mantid to devastate Pandaria. Before the mists dissipated, he hoped that Loken and Andreas would first resolve the troubles caused by the Mantid and the Mogu.
The Mists of Pandaria blocked contact between the outside world and the continent, meaning Andreas could only rely on the guidance of the heart of the aspect to enter or leave.
Considering that taking one wrong step within the mists would lead to complete loss, effectively cutting off the possibility of outside assistance, they could only rely on the Original Mogu Loken manufactured from the nalakshaa engine and the local residents, the Pandaren.
"The Flesh-and-blood Mogu are easy to handle."
Loken rested his chin in his hand, looking thoughtfully at the nalakshaa engine, and said, "Although Lei Shen made many mistakes, he also left behind quite a bit of useful technology, such as the nalakshaa engine's Flesh Reversal Capability."
"As long as those Flesh-and-blood Mogu are thrown into the nalakshaa engine for Remanufacturing, they will regain the sturdy bodies of Titan Constructs, but at the same time, these Mogu will return to the Titan Construct roster, strictly controlled by the commands of their superiors."
Titan Constructs were originally just constructs possessing Advanced Artificial Intelligence. Even though the label "Titan Made" elevated their status, they were fundamentally no different from the Puppets created by the Night Elves.
During the long process of flesh-and-blood transformation, these constructs unexpectedly gained Free Souls, becoming part of the countless Mortals, but they also lost the absolute obedience they had owed the Keepers as Titan Constructs.
Lei Shen's Act of Rebellion is a clear proof, and Ymiron's rebellious feelings toward Loken were also influenced by the free soul gained after the flesh-and-blood transformation.
The Original Titan Constructs could never resist the will of their Creators. Loken had never expected Lei Shen to suddenly seize his power, and it was only through Loken's partial resistance that Lei Shen was able to succeed.
Andreas nodded and said, "That makes it easy. We just need to find a way to lure the Mogu of Pandaria into the Mogushan Vaults, subdue them, and throw them into the nalakshaa engine for Remanufacturing to solve the problem."
"As for the reason..."
Andreas rubbed his chin and pondered, "Let's use Lei Shen's Legacy as bait. We'll spread rumors that the reopened Mogushan Vaults contain Lei Shen's Secret Treasure, and whoever obtains it will become the Rightful Heir to the Mogu Empire."
Loken asked with some hesitation, "Will that be enough?"
Andreas smiled and explained, "It's enough. Mortal greed is endless. Everyone hopes that one day they can step on everyone else's heads, especially a race like the Mogu, whose desires are particularly strong."
...The reopening of the Mogushan Vaults had been kept a secret by the august celestials and The Shado-Pan, but there are no walls that can keep out the wind. The Mogu gradually awakening from their slumber still vaguely heard some related rumors.
According to legends passed down by the elders of the Mogu Empire, most high-ranking Mogu knew that the Vaults contained Lei Shen's most important secret, but they did not know the truth of what that secret was.
Countless Mogu Emperors had previously tried to venture deep into the Mogushan Vaults to seek treasure, but none achieved their desire. They were turned into Souls of the Former Kings by the nalakshaa engine's final defense measure, the Starlight Dragon Elegon, to guard the Vault's secrets.
As news of the Vaults reopening spread, the leaders of most Mogu tribes harbored malicious intent, secretly gathering their forces and preparing to head to the Mogu'shan Sanctuary.
With Loken personally presiding over the Vaults, these fools who walked into the trap would eventually be thrown into the nalakshaa engine, becoming part of the Original Mogu Army, and would never again be able to escape the control originating from the Keepers.
Andreas and Celeste were not worried about Loken; they began preparing for the next step of the plan.
A Golden Griffin carried Celeste, landing on The Serpents Spine city wall west of The Jade Forest, where they overlooked the situation in The Dread Wastes from a gap in the Ramparts.
The Great Wall Section of The Jade Forest was the core of The Serpents Spine and the area that suffered the most intense Mantid attacks before The Jade Forest was sealed off.
After Loken recovered, he re-unlocked The Jade Forest with the assistance of the august celestials to ensure the nalakshaa engine had sufficient energy supply.
When Andreas arrived in Pandaria again, the Mantid's latest round of attacks had not yet begun. From the city wall, large numbers of Mantid could be seen living leisurely around multiple enormous kypa sacred trees, showing no immediate intention of attacking The Serpents Spine.
"Hmph! Nothing good ever happens when you come to Pandaria. What are you trying to do this time?"
An unhappy voice of inquiry came from behind Andreas and Celeste. It was a Pandaren in Tight-fitting Clothes with a Red Scarf around his neck. Judging by his attire, he must be from The Shado-Pan.
Andreas asked with a bewildered expression, "Excuse me, who are you?"
Andreas was completely Face-blind when it came to Pandaren; these furry, Upright 'Rollies' all looked roughly the same... "You!"
The fur on the Pandaren's head visibly puffed out, clearly indicating extreme displeasure.
"I am Taran Zhu!"
Pulling down the Red Scarf that covered the lower half of his face, Taran Zhu emphasized loudly, "Taran Zhu of The Shado-Pan, the one you once tricked into running around in circles!"
"Oh, oh~"
Andreas slapped his hand in sudden realization, "So it was you. Where is your teacher?"
"Hmph!"
As a member of the Militant Faction, Taran Zhu's temper was more volatile than the average Pandaren, but he was, after all, a native resident of Pandaria and knew the secrets of survival on this continent, quickly controlling his emotions.
"Master Xu Kun is old. After The Shado-Pan captured the Isle of Thunder, he took the opportunity to pass the Position of Sect Leader to me, and has since traveled far and wide."
"After several years, returning to Pandaria again, Night Elf, what exactly is your purpose?"
Andreas smiled and shrugged, "Naturally, it is for the future of Azeroth. I am focused not just on the continent of Pandaria, but on Azeroth's overall situation."
"The upcoming actions will inevitably require the help of Sect Leader Zhu. I hope you can set aside personal feelings and handle this professionally."
"Hehe~"
Taran Zhu pulled the corner of his mouth into a humorless smile, "Since the august celestials have issued the command to assist you, I will naturally handle this impartially. I hope you know what you are doing and do not commit any actions harmful to Pandaria."
Andreas waved dismissively, "Fine, come with me. We'll go scout first. I'll trouble you to handle the guidance and introductions."
Given the density of mantid in the Dread Wastes, rushing in recklessly would be akin to seeking death. Andreas, in his griffin form, chose to take a detour around the Mantid Plateau.
Compared to the core Dread Wastes, the Mantid Plateau had a more manageable number of mantid due to the presence of large groups of Yaungol and the Temple of Niuzao.
Using Shadow Veil to conceal his tracks as much as possible, Andreas circled the edges of the Mantid Plateau and the Dread Wastes, getting a rough understanding of the mantid's defensive troop distribution.
Most of the mantid resided near the Heart of Fear, while those outside were either hunting or carrying out special missions assigned by the Mantid Empress.
Although Zhu Taran felt considerable displeasure towards Andreas, he still dutifully fulfilled his role as a guide.
"That is where the mantid's royal palace is located, the Heart of Fear, Mantid's Rest," Zhu Taran said, pointing to the massive Heart of Fear in the west-central part of the Dread Wastes.
"The current Mantid Empress, Shek'zeer, resides in the deepest part of the palace beneath the Heart of Fear."
"This Heart of Fear is the mantid's original birthplace and their most important political and military center. Its defenses are extremely strict, and I advise you not to get any closer."
"Hmm..."
Having witnessed it firsthand, Andreas had a general understanding of the mantid's power.
"I heard that the mantid have an organization called the Klaxxi Paragons Council. Is it true that they even have the power to depose the Empress?"
Zhu Taran looked at Andreas' griffin form with some surprise. "I didn't expect you to know about the Klaxxi? It's true, but unless absolutely necessary, the Klaxxi would not take such a controversial action that could lead to social unrest among the mantid."
"Most of the Klaxxi Paragons sleep in amber protection within the Klaxxi'vess of the Heart of Fear, only to be awakened to a limited extent when they are needed."
"If we launch a full-scale attack on the mantid, in a crisis, the Empress should order all the Paragons to be awakened. They are the powerful threat the Shado-Pan are most worried about."
Celeste looked towards the distant eastern coastline and asked, "Is the Klaxxi'vess the two twin Heart of Fear trees we saw earlier on the Serpent's Spine in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms?"
"Yes, in the Shado-Pan's threat assessment, the Klaxxi Paragons Council ranks above the Empress' personal guard."
Zhu Taran said with a displeased expression, "You had best figure out how to deal with those troublesome Paragons before launching a full-scale war. I don't want them to break into the Pandaren army and slaughter them."
...After returning to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Zhu Taran, entangled with numerous matters, quickly took his leave with decisive action.
Andreas and Celeste continued to stand on the city wall, contemplating their strategy.
"Sending troops to forcefully attack an organization that is small in number but each member is an elite is the worst strategy. Even the stone skin of the original Mogu cannot withstand the attacks of these Paragons."
Andreas' analysis was not baseless. According to intelligence provided by Zhu Taran, as early as Lei Shen's reign, this ambitious tyrant had dealings with the Paragons Council.
Even the arrogant Lei Shen did not dare to face more than ten Klaxxi Paragons simultaneously, which shows how difficult these elite mantid were to deal with.
However, Lei Shen did not make it easy for the Paragons Council in that battle. In the great war where he personally participated, the Paragons Council lost six members, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the mantid.
Not every major offensive can produce a Paragon. Sometimes, it takes thousands of years for an elite mantid with the qualifications to join the Paragons Council to emerge.
Lei Shen's counterattack greatly delayed the mantid's final general offensive and also curbed the mantid's blind confidence in the Klaxxi Paragons, causing them to adopt a more cautious approach for their large-scale offensives every few decades.
The Pandaren were able to firmly hold the Serpent's Spine for ten thousand years, partly due to their own efforts, and partly thanks to Lei Shen's indirect assistance in severely damaging the mantid at that time.
Celeste sighed, "It's a pity the flying fleet can't come in. Otherwise, we could just launch a saturation bombardment directly on the Klaxxi'vess twin trees."
Andreas stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Although we can't teach them a lesson with sheer force, perhaps we have other ways to divide the mantid from within."
...While Ra-den was busy preparing and executing Andreas' plan, Celeste suddenly teleported back to the Mogu'shan Vaults, requesting Ra-den to open the crypt hall sealing Y'Shaarj's heart.
"Is Andreas crazy?!" Ra-den demanded in shock and anger. "Does he not know what consequences releasing Y'Shaarj's heart will lead to?"
Celeste calmly persuaded him, "Trust him. In the more than ten thousand years I've known him, Andreas has never taken a meaningless risk."
Ra-den irritably scratched his messy hair and pondered for a while before making up his mind.
"All right, I can open the seal, but you must be as careful as possible. If the power within the heart accidentally explodes, the entire Vale of Eternal Blossoms could be destroyed overnight, and it might even affect all of Pandaria."
While Celeste was seeking Ra-den's consent, Andreas had already arrived at the outer layer of the crypt.
Y'Shaarj's heart was sealed in the deepest part of the crypt, and the crypt, filled with cool tones, was still very quiet at this time.
The sound of rushing water echoed in the crypt. As Andreas' footsteps gradually approached the pond, a rather adorable elemental creature jumped out of the pond.
"Ah ya ya~"
Making strange noises, this light blue elemental creature boldly approached Andreas, curiously examining him.
The elemental creatures of Pandaria are different from those in other parts of Azeroth. Their condensed physical forms are more concrete, not controlled by elemental lords, and form their own independent system.
This small water spirit in front of him was the first line of defense of the crypt, known as Immersius, the Spirit of the Valley.
"Ah ya~ Ah ya ya ya~"
This little creature spoke in a language Andreas completely didn't understand, trying to communicate with Andreas in some way.
"Woo woo~"
Just as Andreas was at a loss, the little dragon Dragon Drill out from his collar and began to communicate with Immersius with babbling noises.
"Ah woo~"
Circling Andreas' bewildered neck, Dragon relayed the little water spirit's meaning to him.
"Danger, can't enter casually?"
Immersius nodded eagerly, "Ah ya ya!"
Andreas smiled and tried to pat Immersius' head. The cold, tangible sensation surprised him.
"Don't worry, this time I'm going deep into the crypt precisely to completely resolve the crisis in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Let me in."
"Ah ya!"
Immersius seemed a little unhappy, shaking its head from side to side continuously, unwilling to let Andreas pass.
Dragon spent a lot of effort explaining to Immersius, and finally used regaining freedom as bait, which finally made Immersius' attitude waver.
The yearning for freedom is the nature of all living beings. Although Immersius had guarded the crypt for tens of thousands of years without complaint under the constraints of duty, this did not mean it had no longing for the colorful world.
In exchange for following Andreas and monitoring his actions, Immersius led Andreas towards the core of the crypt.
When Ra-den and Celeste teleported to the entrance of the crypt and traveled through the long passage to the outside of the Heart Seal Chamber, Andreas was half-crouching on the ground, leisurely chatting with a few "monsters and demons."
Ra-den looked at these derelict fellows with a speechless expression. "Immersius, Norushen, what are you doing?"