Considering the state of the forest and Malfurion's safety, Ysera didn't hesitate for too long. After instructing the druids to quickly find reinforcements, she decided to personally search for Malfurion.
There was no need to guess the culprit behind the forest's corruption; the only one with the ability and opportunity to corrupt the Emerald Dream and Val'sharah was the Nightmare King Xavius.
Before the Legion's invasion, Xavius had already begun to stir, waiting for the demons to invade Azeroth.
At this time, all of Azeroth's attention was on the Burning Legion, and Val'sharah had no chance of receiving much aid.
A cunning fellow like Xavius would not easily emerge from his lair to cause trouble without absolute certainty of success.
Malfurion, acting alone in a forest that was almost half corrupted, was very likely playing right into Xavius's hands.
If he could defeat or even corrupt Malfurion, then the entire Night Elves would suffer a major blow.
Especially in this special period, Azeroth could no longer afford such losses. Ysera knew this deeply, so even if her power was not what it once was, she still had to help Cenarius and Malfurion.
Just as Ysera was preparing to seek new forces to support Malfurion, a surge of Holy Light that shook her soul arrived by her side.
Ysera had never felt such vast Holy Light power. Even among the few outstanding mortals she had met, none possessed such a level of might. Perhaps, only that Draenei prophet could be protected by such Holy Light.
But that nearly immortal prophet rarely ventured out, and compared to Velen's righteous and peaceful Holy Light, the Holy Light power rapidly approaching her carried an irresistible fervor and passion.
"Respected Green Dragon Queen, if Malfurion is in trouble, perhaps I can offer some assistance." A strange voice sounded in Ysera's ear. When Ysera saw the face of the man enveloped in Holy Light, she momentarily even forgot to flap her wings.
"You… were you summoned by Nozdormu?"
The only thing Ysera could think of was her mysterious brother. After Deathwing's death, perhaps only that Guardian Dragons, who could utilize some of his past power, could still exert a tiny bit of strength.
"It has a little to do with the Bronze Dragon King, but he didn't bring me to this world. Of course, to return to my timeline, I need to hunt some powerful fallen creatures." Arthas explained his purpose in a few words.
Ysera pondered for a moment, then cautiously nodded, accepting Arthas's aid. Although his appearance and name were identical to the evil entity that had been destroyed, the pure Holy Light was not fake.
The one before her now was not the common enemy of the living, but an ally of Azeroth. Ysera said, "Arthas, Malfurion, seeing his mentor captured by the Nightmare, was overcome with rage, causing him to lose his usual composure.
But Xavius and I have contended in the Emerald Dream for ten thousand years. I know this cunning demon wouldn't go to such great lengths merely for personal revenge. He must be seeking something to please his evil master.
And in all of Val'sharah, besides the already corrupted Shaladrassil, the most precious item is elune's tears stored in the Moon God Temple.
This artifact possesses unimaginable power. If it falls into Xavius's hands or is corrupted, all of Val'sharah might not escape disaster.
We must protect elune's tears before Xavius gets to it. We two will go to the Moon God Temple now. It's very close to Shaladrassil, and the corrupted army will surely continuously assault the forest guardians' lines. They won't hold out for long."
Ysera's words and expression were somewhat anxious. The importance of elune's tears was self-evident; the corruption of Shaladrassil was likely just a prelude to the Nightmare army's arrival.
Arthas frowned upon hearing this. "Ysera, are you sure we can make it in time? Shaladrassil has almost completely fallen. It's no longer the elves' sacred tree, but a source of corruption. If elune's tears was previously kept in the temple closest to Shaladrassil, it might already be…"
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: the corruption of Shaladrassil already indicated that Xavius's plan was half successful, and elune's tears was likely already in Xavius's control.
Ysera sighed. "Of course, I've considered that possibility, but no matter what, we have to try to reclaim elune's tears, otherwise Val'sharah will be in grave danger.
Moreover, the Moon God Temple is the only place we can find support. The Priestess of the Moon should be there now. With her help, our chances of finding Malfurion will be much greater."
This was true. Malfurion was usually kind and approachable to his subordinates and juniors, but he was also stubborn. In this situation, only Tyrande could persuade him.
Otherwise, even if Arthas and Ysera found Malfurion, they would probably have to knock him out and bring him back.
Arthas, understanding Ysera's intention, nodded. "I will follow you and protect your safety."
Ysera, hearing Arthas's words, actually laughed, not in mockery or derision. "Thank you for your kindness, but even though my power has greatly diminished, as long as the Emerald Dream still exists, I am not so fragile."
Arthas said nothing, merely following quietly beside Ysera. He knew, of course, that Ysera could still draw power from the Emerald Dream. Even having lost her Guardian authority, the Dragon Kings, as ancient dragons themselves, would not be too weak.
But what Xavius wanted was Ysera's deep connection to the Emerald Dream, because only then could he easily corrupt and capture Ysera through the power of the Nightmare.
Without the protection of the Titan authority, the Green Dragonflight, dependent on the Emerald Dream for their existence, was vulnerable before the Nightmare.
In other words, any demigod, druid, or dragon with a deep connection to the Emerald Dream, once ensnared by the Nightmare, could almost never reverse the process unless the Nightmare was completely eradicated.
As the Green Dragon Queen who had resided in the Emerald Dream for tens of thousands of years, Ysera was destined for a confrontation with Xavius. However, in this confrontation, under Xavius's careful planning and lure, Ysera, in order to save Malfurion and Cenarius, completely forgot that she too needed protection in the face of the Nightmare.
Perhaps Xavius's initial target was Ysera, with Cenarius and Malfurion merely being bait and a fuse in his plan.
As for the precious elune's tears, Arthas guessed that it was now in Xavius's hands, covered and corrupted by the Nightmare.
Both of them flew extremely fast, crossing the forests of Val'sharah and reaching Shaladrassil in just over ten minutes.
When she truly saw the devastation beneath Shaladrassil, Ysera could almost feel the profound pain.
The once lush and verdant giant tree was now covered in shocking dark red, its mighty trunk withered and twisted, all its leaves fallen, turning into sustenance for the Nightmare on the ground.
The entire World Tree, from a vibrant mother radiating the light of life, had fallen into a cancerous growth threatening all of Val'sharah.
"How… how is this possible?! What has Xavius done to this tree?!"
Ysera hovered high in the sky, looking down at Shaladrassil, which constantly emanated twisted Nightmare, and emotions of sorrow, pain, and anger almost burst from her chest.
The World Tree is a symbol of life, and its reflection exists in the Emerald Dream, the reflection of Azeroth. Shaladrassil in the real world being corrupted to this extent means that its reflection in the Emerald Dream has also been thoroughly corroded by the Nightmare.
This indicates that a corner of the Emerald Dream is also very likely occupied by the Nightmare, and a terrifying scenario that even Ysera had never imagined is raging in the once peaceful and serene dream.
"No, Arthas, we must quickly resolve the trouble here. I fear the situation in the Emerald Dream will be even worse!"
Ysera instantly understood many things. She understood why Cenarius had fallen so easily, and why several Green Dragons with whom she frequently communicated had suddenly lost contact.
Perhaps Val'sharah was merely a reflection of the dire situation in the Emerald Dream!
However, returning to the Emerald Dream now would be futile. The situation there was certainly worse than in Val'sharah. It would be better to first help the Night Elves here stabilize the situation, then consolidate their forces to deal with the Emerald Dream.
"Arthas, you go help those druids evacuate the corrupted temple, and I will stop those Nightmare abominations!"
With that, Ysera swooped down, spewing green flames from her mouth, eradicating the fallen and defiled monsters from this world.
Although Ysera no longer possessed the power of a Guardian, these fragile monsters posed no danger to a dragon, so Arthas temporarily didn't have to worry about her safety.
So Arthas, gripping Invincible's reins and Frostmourne in his other hand, transformed into a golden stream of light and crashed directly into the ground, his spraying Holy Light flames instantly incinerating the abominations.
The druids and Priestess were struggling to resist the monsters' attacks, and Arthas's arrival undoubtedly brought them immense relief.
"You all quickly take the wounded and retreat to a safe place! Leave this to Ysera and me!"
The druids had already suffered heavy casualties in the previous battles, and those who survived were exhausted. They also understood that now was not the time to play the hero. Only by surviving and preserving every bit of strength would they have a greater chance of repelling the surging Nightmare.
The active druids immediately led the injured personnel away from the damaged temple. Arthas swept his sword, clearing a large area, opening an escape route for the druids.
"Keep running, don't look back, until you've run out of the polluted and corrupted area!"
As Arthas's voice faded, the druids, while surprised by this unfamiliar reinforcement, also had to thank Arthas's arrival. If he hadn't descended like a divine soldier and eliminated a large number of monsters, they would likely all have died in the ruins just now.
Arthas stood on the corrupted land. Shaladrassil's roots, under the Nightmare's erosion, had pierced the ground like iron thorns. He watched the abominations surrounding him without changing his expression, the light of Ashbringer growing brighter.
Ysera flew in the sky, purifying the fallen monsters and twisted branches with her dragon breath. At the same time, she glanced down at Arthas. If Arthas struggled, she could also offer some assistance.
But the continuous Holy Light below almost formed a shining river, the scorching Holy Light easily wiping away the filth on the ground like an eraser.
Arthas's figure constantly appeared among the abominations and fallen forest creatures, Ashbringer in his hand pulsating with Holy Light like breathing. With every swing of his sword, every strike, several, even dozens of monsters were purified by the Holy Light.
Arthas was even more efficient than Ysera. Soon, he cleared a path free of any abomination, and along the way, he rescued over a dozen trapped druids and Priestess of Elune.
After clearing the last refuge in this area, Arthas covered a small group of elves as they retreated from the corrupted region. Ysera, noticing Arthas's departure, no longer held back, spewing dragonfire with almost full power, burning everything she could see clean.
She took a breath, and faint flickers of fire ignited and extinguished in her dragon maw. After a final check for any stragglers, Ysera, who had been circling in the sky for a long time, flapped her wings and left.
"You really didn't give me a chance, Ysera."
Soon after the Green Dragon Queen left, a black mist enveloped the area purified by the emerald dragon breath, extinguishing all the still-burning green flames.
A tall figure appeared in the mist. His hooves trod on the ground, yet gave a sense of etherealness. With scarlet eyes and grotesque horns, he seemed to be an amalgamation of all nightmares and fears in a dream, causing anyone who looked upon his face to be immediately enveloped by panic and dread.
Xavius, the Nightmare King, the calamity of Val'sharah and the instigator of the Emerald Nightmare, this first Satyr of Azeroth gently held a captivating deep blue crystal with his sharp five fingers. The energy pulsating within the crystal created the only beautiful dream in this land of Nightmare.
Elune's tears, the holy relic guarded by the Val'sharah Moon God Temple, had already breached its guardianship during Shaladrassil's abnormal growth and fallen into Xavius's hands. Everything he did was merely to satisfy his bizarre desires and to please his current master.