That feeling couldn't be wrong; the Mantid Empress didn't want to take a gamble. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, she wouldn't risk it.
How numerous were the Old Gods in the beginning? During the Dark Empire era, even powerful and immortal Elemental Lords could be enslaved, which showed how formidable the Old Gods were.
Outsiders only knew there were four Old Gods previously, but they didn't know that before them, countless other Old Gods were devoured without even a struggle.
Old Gods would also devour each other. Devouring a peer would make them stronger, and devouring enough would make them powerful enough.
In the void, there was no such thing as coexistence; only the strong remained eternally strong, and the weak remained eternally weak.
If not for the Titans' arrival, who discovered Azeroth, an as-yet-unawakened kin, and found her to be even more powerful than themselves, thus intervening to stop it...
Perhaps there wouldn't even have been a concept of 'Four Old Gods' then; all would have been completely devoured by the strongest, Y'Shaarj.
It was only because Y'Shaarj was conveniently located in the center, and was jointly opposed by Yogg-Saron to the north, C'Thun to the south, and N'Zoth, that it could barely contend.
However, Y'Shaarj, unluckily, was targeted by the Titans, personally uprooted and removed, dying beyond any chance of revival.
Instead, the three weaker Old Gods survived and were sealed away. In some respects, being weak was also an advantage.
The Mantid Empress was somewhat certain in her heart that this strange Old God, devoid of Old God power, must be one of the Old Gods.
It had merely used a unique method to evade pursuit and sealing, but having lost all its Old God power, it was trying to recover.
Though powerful now, it wasn't enough; it wasn't enough for it to stake its entire race.
There was no other way; the descendants of the Aqir were naturally unable to refuse the call of the Old Gods. Unless the Old Gods were completely annihilated, they would never escape their fate of enslavement.
They lacked the courage to overturn the table, but they had, and still have, great courage to bare their fangs at other creatures!
On the other side, Arthas took the opportunity to arrive at the Sunset Gate.
Beyond the Dread Wastes lay an endless, seemingly infinite Great Wall, like that of Louis XIV, stretching as far as the eye could see.
This was also built by the Pandaren, even if it was constructed under Mogu enslavement; it was still built by them, to defend against Mantid attacks.
No one knew why the Mantid attacked the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Perhaps it was because of the Well of Eternity there?
In the underground palace, the remnants of an Old God, the Heart of Y'Shaarj, were sealed. The escaping energy, after a unique transformation, instead turned the Vale of Eternal Blossoms into a fertile, natural granary with favorable weather, even making the adjacent Valley of the Four Winds into productive land where crops ripened in a single day.
This was why the Mantid attacked the Vale of Eternal Blossoms every hundred years: the power of the Old Gods held a fatal attraction for them.
If they could devour the Heart of Y'Shaarj, perhaps they could evolve into new Old Gods, who knows?
At the very least, they could probably escape the enslavement of whispers from other Old Gods and truly become an intelligent race.
An enslaved race is not a true race. Even a race that is hunted everywhere and constantly displaced possesses the freedom they long for but cannot attain!
"Stop! This is the Sunset Gate. Entry is forbidden without permission!"
The Pandaren guards immediately spotted the massive black dragon. Being peace-loving by nature, they were reluctant to engage in combat immediately.
"I am Sinestra, one of the dragon Aspects, and this is my master, Arthas. We have come to visit; please announce our arrival."
Sinestra did not mention the name of her former husband, Neltharion. A woman should be faithful, but a woman whose heart has changed wishes her ex would die quickly to sever all ties.
Her master didn't care, but that didn't mean she didn't. Based on her observations of humans, they generally disliked their women being involved with other men, including males of other races.
"Alright, please wait here, both of you."
Seeing that they were not enemies, they breathed a sigh of relief. The reputation of dragons was too resounding.
The next moment, a giant white tiger appeared out of thin air, its dense aura causing the very air to tremble.
A pair of ancient patterned eyes stared intently at the two, its fangs slightly bared, and its body leaned forward slightly, adopting an attacking stance.
"You reek of Zandalar trolls!"
Xuen, one of the August Celestials!
This also counted as a Wild God; any animal had the chance to become a Wild God.
If Arthas weren't also a demigod, he would have attacked already, instead of saying such nonsense.
"A powerful enemy is approaching. The queen of the Kaldorei Empire has summoned demons and is preparing to invade Azeroth."
"I have come to learn Pandaren skills. While you haven't sealed yourselves off, I want to learn more so I can kill more demons on the battlefield."
Arthas didn't waste words, stating his intention clearly, and he wasn't lying.
He had indeed come to learn Pandaren skills, especially the Drunken Fist, which he coveted greatly.
Drunken Fist was a combination of Critical Strike and evasion. It could not only dodge enemy attacks but also land critical hits.
Multiple Critical Strikes could stack. This 'left foot stepping on right foot' technique could deal impressive damage even with low attributes.
Moreover, the evasion attribute was too overpowered, even stronger than block and parry.
Block and parry were damage reduction, while evasion completely avoided and immunity damage.
Neither was inherently better or worse; both had their strengths. Hard damage reduction was applicable in many situations, as it provided a sense of security.
As for evasion, it depended on luck. If you were lucky, you'd evade every time; if not, you might not evade at all and ascend to heaven on the spot.
Celestial Xuen nodded slightly. He craved battle and wanted to test the opponent's strength.
"That's easy to say. Defeat me, and I'll let you learn!"
With that, he prepared to attack.
Arthas, however, shook his head, not out of fear, but with a rather arrogant tilt of his head.
"This place is too small. Fighting here would destroy the Great Wall. Will you be responsible, or will I?"
Xuen's charging speed nearly made him crash into the city wall. In the end, relying on the agility of a feline, he twisted and turned, directly soaring over the wall and creating a large crater outside.
He lay sprawled on the ground, but in an instant, he flew up again, a flash of shame and anger crossing his white tiger face. How embarrassing!
The nearby Pandaren guards also exchanged glances. They seemed to have just seen Lord Xuen fall flat on his face?
No, this was an illusion! Absolutely an illusion. Lord Xuen was a demigod; how could he possibly lose?
"Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Xuen was genuinely a bit 'bloodraged' now. Was he perhaps a Darius with five stacks of bleed?
"You were too impatient yourself."
Arthas shrugged, feigning innocence.
Bad luck!
Damn bad luck!
A moment later.
The Shado-Pan Grandmaster personally arrived, along with several Legion commanders. They heard that a powerful demigod had visited, and was even here to learn skills?