Shandris was not the least bit worried about getting hurt. Not only was her father here, but as a demigod herself, this manifested emotional energy could not inflict any real damage upon her. That was the reason for her indifference—what was there to fear when standing beside her father?
Faint whispers echoed from the depths of the grand hall as countless blurry figures bled from the shadows of the pillars, materializing as the physical incarnations of the Sha of Despair. It had no fixed shape; one moment it morphed into the phantoms of refugees swallowed by the Scourge, stretching out emaciated claws toward the air while murmuring their bewilderment with survival.
The next moment, it coalesced into the form of battlefield remnants, black Sha energy flowing from the cracks in their shattered armor, their eyes filled with the primal terror of death.
Even more terrifying was the grey mist swirling around its body, each thread carrying the deepest despairs of living beings! It was the wailing of Pandaren farmers losing their homes, the despondency of warriors defeated by formidable foes, and the grief of lovers separated by life and death. These emotions intertwined into razor-sharp blades, sweeping toward Arthas in a violent torrent.
Seeing Arthas remain completely unbothered—his lips even curling into a disdainful sneer—the Sha of Despair, which possessed little intellect, grew increasingly volatile. Even a creature this dim-witted could register the blatant mockery.
The Sha of Despair unleashed a piercing shriek. Countless emotional blades thrust toward Arthas simultaneously, the bluestone floor cracking under the corrosive weight of the Sha energy. The materialized power sliced through the air, an invisible vortex of blades sweeping forward to shred any living creature in its path.
Yet, Arthas merely raised his arm slightly. A pale blue divine barrier manifested around him. The attacks laden with despair slammed into the shield, instantly dissolving like snow under a blazing sun and scattering into minute grey motes of light.
"Is that it?"
It was a arrogant, frustratingly provocative taunt. The Sha of Despair churned in resentment, condensing several massive hands of pure Sha energy to slam down upon the human god before it. Wherever the giant hands passed, even the sunlight was dyed a murky grey, as if attempting to drag all vital energy into absolute nothingness.
Faced with an onslaught that would cause mortal powerhouses to shake with terror, the corner of Arthas's mouth quirked into a cold arc. Holding the Heart of Darkness, he gave it a gentle flick. The artifact instantly erupted with a powerful void gravitational pull. The giant hands of Sha energy were immediately warped and distorted by the drag; no matter how the Sha of Despair struggled, it could not break free from this force.
It attempted to scatter and flee, intending to break into countless minute emotional fragments to hide in the corners of the temple, but it was blocked by the barrier formed from the divine power radiating from Arthas. Like a trapped beast inside a glass jar, it could only barf its claws and slam about erratically.
Every single collision was entirely futile. Its Sha-energy body would mostly dissipate upon hitting the barrier, growing weaker and thinner each time it reformed. Its pathetic state was like a clown putting on a performance for someone's amusement.
The Sha of Despair, which had once inflicted endless hopelessness upon all living things, finally tasted the flavor of true despair itself. Its form began to destabilize, and the materialized emotional phantoms gradually faded away, leaving only the core grey Sha energy struggling to endure as it let out a weak, pathetic whine.
Arthas stepped forward slowly. The suction from the Heart of Darkness grew increasingly intense, drawing streams of grey current out of the Sha of Despair's body, flowing along his arm and into the artifact. This energy, which carried thousands of years of despair, was rapidly purified inside the Heart of Darkness, shedding the impurities of negative emotions and converting into pure, intertwined energy of Void and Shadow. This purified energy was not inferior to Anima, sharing a deeply rooted, identical nature.
As the final thread of Sha energy was absorbed, the air inside the Temple of the Jade Serpent turned pristine once more. The morning mist burned away, and sunlight poured through the lattice windows of the grand hall, illuminating the faint traces of Sha energy left on the floor.
Arthas gripped the Heart of Darkness tightly as the light on the artifact's surface deepened in complexity. Feeling the abundant power swelling within, his gaze swept across the quieted temple. The Sha of Despair that had once occupied this place left nothing but absolute void behind. Only the pure energy circulating within the Heart of Darkness stood witness to this clash between despair and divine power—and the comical end of an ant that dared challenge a god, only to finish in absolute defeat.
"Father, I knew you could take it down! Hehe, now we can go ask that Pandaren Abbot for our reward. I wonder what that Mind-Soothing Lotus actually does, and how it compares to Druidism?"
Shandris had zero doubts about the outcome of the battle. If a Sha of Despair that wasn't even a demigod could defeat her father, who was already a fully ascended god, then it wouldn't be her father who was flawed—it would be the laws of the universe themselves!
If the strongest among mortals could challenge, defeat, or even kill a demigod, it wouldn't be surprising. An orc could cleave the demigod Cenarius, and the Drakkari trolls could enslave and drain the very Loa they worshiped. Those were demigods.
A "demi-god" is only half a god; it does not mean they are invincible. They can still be killed, and with enough effort, there is always a chance of victory.
True despair lies in facing someone who has already reached the realm of true godhood, like the Titans of the Pantheon—Sargeras, for instance, possessed peak strength from the moment of his inception. Even if mortals gave it their absolute all, they could only strike his toenail. Did it hurt? Perhaps a tiny bit, but the response would be effortless, casual slaughter.
"Let's go take a look, then. It's a good opportunity to locate the remaining six Sha. Overcoming them will be highly beneficial for our subsequent operations in Pandaria. The Pandaren are peace-loving; no matter what our motivations are for eliminating the Sha that have plagued them for millennia, this contribution will be irreplaceable."
"With the locals helping us, we can secure a firm foothold here and continue to develop Pandaria's resources. This place has been isolated from the world for over ten thousand years; the resources are so abundant they can be seen everywhere. Furthermore, there are many materials here that cannot be found outside, which can be utilized whether for resurrecting the demigods or increasing the strength of your aunts in the future."
Arthas looked at the big picture. One shouldn't obsess over short-term gains and losses or worry about the immediate costs; all of it could be recovered later on. Most importantly, while these resources were precious, he had already surpassed the point of needing them desperately.
If they were there, fantastic. If not, it didn't matter. If he truly wanted to mine this continent, could the Pandaren actually stop him?
Shandris tilted her head, looking at her handsome and striking father with a playful smile tugging at her lips.
"Alright, that's way too deep for me to care. Let's head back once we grab the reward. Li Li should have a fantastic dinner ready by now—my stomach is already rumbling!"
If she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't think about it; that was Shandris's greatest trait.
As the Sha energy cleared out completely, the fog of uncertainty clouding everyone's hearts vanished. The Pandaren monk apprentices who had been corrupted by the Sha gradually woke up, their eyes holding that familiar grogginess everyone experiences right after waking up from a deep sleep.
Abbot Gen Shi also felt the crushing pressure of the Sha energy vanish entirely. His round, portly frame bowed repeatedly with hands pressed together in immense gratitude.
"Thank heaven, the aura of the Sha has vanished. The Temple of the Jade Serpent no longer needs to suffer its suppression."
The moment he finished speaking, Arthas appeared right in front of him alongside the two beauties. This teleportation speed was staggering; without even a glimpse of a shadow, he materialized instantly with zero warning. Had the old Abbot not been in excellent health despite his age, he might have suffered a heart attack right then and there.
"Abbot Gen Shi, per our agreement, I have eliminated the Sha. Please hand over the trade item. Furthermore, I will continue to hunt down the remaining Sha; if you have any information regarding their whereabouts, you may tell me."
"Of course, of course. Honored guests, please follow me to the Library to receive the Mind-Soothing Lotus. You are truly great benefactors; these Sha have plagued us for tens of thousands of years. Even before the Pandaren Empire was founded, the Sha existed on this continent. It was only when our last Emperor, Shaohao, buried his burdens that we could live normally."
"Alas, if the Jade Serpent were here, we wouldn't have declined so rapidly. Unfortunately, Lady Yu'lon departed for the Timeless Isle, reportedly to commune with the spirit of Emperor Shaohao. Huge disruptions have also occurred to the northwest, causing a massive uproar. Not only did a large number of Shado-Pan monks head over, but even the monks of orders like the Golden Lotus have gone. We have no idea what has happened there."
The Pandaren Abbot rambled on as they walked. Elderly Pandaren were prone to gossiping and worrying about regional affairs. Since Arthas had already proven his friendship, he was more than happy to share these tidbits.
As for worrying that Arthas was plotting against the Temple of the Jade Serpent?
Don't be ridiculous. With a presence this powerful, if he wanted to launch a frontal assault and level the temple to the ground, it wouldn't even take an effort. Why take the long way around to trick them for information and artifacts? The logic didn't hold up; even thinking it would make him blush with shame.
"Oh? Is this Jade Serpent you mentioned a demigod?" Shandris asked curiously. She had a solid understanding of the origins of demigods. All naturally born demigods were linked to Freya and that specific biological laboratory; they were products of orderly cultivation.
This experimentation wasn't done on an operating table; rather, it allowed species to follow a specific direction of orderly development. Under the nourishment of the World-Soul's energy, they evolved bit by bit toward a designated path. Among the earliest generations of creatures, the lucky ones received the World-Soul's favor, giving rise to the original Wild Gods.
Malorne the White Stag, Cenarius the Lord of the Forest, Aviana the Mistress of Birds, and others were categorized as the Wild Gods of Mount Hyjal. The Great Devilsaur Rezan was called a Loa by the trolls, while Yu'lon the Jade Serpent, Xuen the White Tiger, Chi-Ji the Red Crane, and Niuzao the Black Ox of Pandaria belonged to the same tier of demigods.
Their connections traced back to ancient times, long before the Kaldorei Empire took form. They had grown up under Freya's care, effectively spending their infancy together. This did not include the demigods who ascended later on; the ancient ones all knew one another.
The Pandaren Abbot nodded, a look of reverence appearing in his eyes.
"Correct. Lady Yu'lon is one of the four August Celestials of Pandaria. There are temples dedicated to the four protectors all across Pandaria, where we monks offer worship and guard the grounds. This very Temple of the Jade Serpent was built to honor and protect Lady Yu'lon."
"In Kun-Lai Summit, there is the temple of Lord Xuen the White Tiger; in the southern Krasarang Wilds, there is the temple of Lord Chi-Ji the Red Crane; and on the Townlong Steppes, there is the temple of Lord Niuzao the Black Ox."
"If you three honored guests have the time, you might want to visit them. To my knowledge, traces of the Sha exist everywhere, though finding their true bodies can be quite difficult. Nobody knows exactly where these Sha are; some are imprisoned within temples, while others wander the wilderness. There used to be records when the Empire's history was intact, but they have likely vanished by now."
Seeming to recall something, Abbot Gen Shi hesitated for a brief moment before turning around with a serious expression.
"I just remembered—there might be one faction that knows where the wild Sha are located. However, that group is rather mysterious and constantly stirs up trouble, claiming it's all for uncovering archaeological truths. Most of our kin keep them at a distance. If you are not afraid, you can find them at the Seat of the Seven Stars in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. But you must be extremely, extremely careful; they easily trigger unforeseen disasters."
Hearing this, Arthas instantly recalled a specific Pandaren: Lorewalker Cho, a professional archaeologist known to some as the ultimate instigator. Whenever you went to him for history, he would tell you a story while inadvertently pulling a swarm of monsters over to intimately get you killed!
"Thank you. We understand."
The so-called Mind-Soothing Lotus turned out to be a manual of Shado-Pan martial philosophy. It contained no physical forms or strikes, only the most fundamental and essential principles: learning to master one's emotions and refusing to fall prey to negativity. Anger swallows reason, arrogance destroys reverence, despair brings lethargy, and uncertainty plunges one into doubt.
Only by perfectly controlling one's internal emotional landscape could one master the most critical aspect: fusing emotion with natural energy to form the unique Chi of a Monk. Cultivating this to a profound level could even allow one to ride the mists and soar. This was a literal flight—sitting atop a condensed cloud to travel through the air, rather than ascending to a higher realm. Azeroth had no such place, though it did have the Shadowlands where the souls of the dead departed.
Leaving the Temple of the Jade Serpent, Arthas's party teleported back to the southeastern region of the Jade Forest.
The base camp's living quarters had already been established with the assistance of the Druid squad, though other facilities were still pending. There wasn't enough time; securing shelter was the top priority, and everything else could wait.
Li Li, wearing an apron, carried a massive platter balanced on one hand, filled with steaming, fragrant delicacies. Everything was made using local ingredients: plump stringfish, delicious mushrooms, wild ferns from the Jade Forest, alongside pure wild pheasant and rabbit.
"You returned exactly as I finished up—talk about perfect timing! Hehe, wash your hands and we can eat. These are all picked from the local woods. It's my first time cooking them, so I don't know how they taste. Please try them, Your Majesty, Princess."
To give credit where it was due, even when facing a king, Li Li maintained her casual, carefree demeanor. It was completely different from the sycophancy of the nobles or the sheer worship of his subordinates. It was a rare, refreshing change of pace, and he found it quite pleasant.
As Arthas sat down and placed his hands over a basin, Helya meticulously washed his palms clean. Having a handmaiden attend to even the simplest wash—this was the treatment of a king. Nobles could attempt it, but they lacked the sheer capital to have a mage with the strength of a demigod serve as a basic maid.
In the past, this had been Sinestra's duty, before she left to assist the Black Dragon Princess Onyxia in establishing the mercantile division. Later, it became Jandice's responsibility. The young lady from the fallen noble house had been quite reluctant at first, but gradually grew accustomed to it. Now that she was pregnant, the job had been handed down to the newly arrived Helya.