The chaotic void power leaking from C'Thun would, at most, scare those below the Legendary rank. For true geniuses who reached the Legendary rank on their own, their will is already outstanding.
This refers to the power leaking from C'Thun.
Currently, C'Thun has not completely broken through the prison the Titans confined him in. Without fully escaping, his power is not enough to shatter Vereesa's mind.
Of course, if facing C'Thun in his prime, even the strongest warriors of Azeroth, like Varok Saurfang with his iron will, would be mere insects to be toyed with.
Galen looked at Vereesa on the way and noticed she was still somewhat listless.
If this were just a dungeon run with a weak player, Galen wouldn't care, but this is the real world, and Vereesa came here for training. Therefore, out of concern for his sister-in-law, Galen decided to continue enhancing her strength.
"Vereesa, your current state is not suitable for continuing forward."
Galen's words exploded in the ranger's ears, and her delicate, pointed elven ears immediately perked up: "Highlord, I can do it!"
Galen pondered. Vereesa looked at him with expectant eyes. The youngest daughter of the Windrunner family also hoped to live as brilliantly as her older sisters.
In recent years, she had heard the most about her older sisters following her brother-in-law to defeat the Orcs, her eldest sister following her brother-in-law to Outland, and her brother-in-law leading her two older sisters to face the avatar of Ragnaros and even repel the evil Black Dragon Aspect!
Vereesa only regretted being born centuries too late, missing so many wonderful adventures!
At this moment, Galen pulled out a Titan-themed spear from his bag: Titanstrike!
As soon as this weapon appeared, it instantly attracted everyone's attention. The Dragon Aspects sensed the aura of Thorim, the Storm Lord, on Titanstrike, while Halduron and Imiril coveted the weapon!
"This is a weapon made by the Titan Keepers. Take it; it can enhance your strength enough to protect yourself in Ahn'Qiraj!"
Titanstrike's spear shaft was full of technological aesthetics. The streamlined shape was adorned with arcs of blue electricity, making it a masterpiece of technological magical engineering.
"Wow…"
Vereesa exclaimed. Even though she was used to using bows and arrows, she couldn't resist the temptation of this weapon.
"This artifact does not need to be loaded with ammunition. The relic installed in the center of the spear, Thunder's Fire, can control and concentrate the essence of the storm, condensing it into energy bullets."
Hearing this, the previously reserved Windrunner could no longer control her hands. The first longbow she had seen that didn't require arrows was Sylvanas' Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners, an artifact she had long coveted.
She took the weapon from Galen's hands!
Although rangers generally use bows and arrows as weapons, the Windrunner family also had some knowledge of firearms. Vereesa familiarly pulled the bolt, carefully familiarizing herself with this artifact.
"Awooo…"
"Awooo!"
Two wolf howls startled Vereesa. She raised her head and found two translucent blue spirit beasts crouching to her left and right!
"This is Hati, this is Skoll," Galen introduced the two spirit beasts. "They are two pets used by the Storm Lord for hunting. Now their souls are bound to Titanstrike. I hope you can treat them well."
Vereesa tried to reach out and touch the tops of Hati and Skoll's heads. The electricity on their bodies avoided Vereesa's palm and even rubbed against her affectionately.
"Let's move on!"
Galen waved his hand, and everyone continued to set off.
Galen handed Titanstrike to Vereesa, not expecting her combat power to skyrocket, mainly wanting to use the two spirit beasts to protect her safety.
When they arrived at the Obsidian Sanctum at the entrance of the temple, they found that the plaza at the gate was already crowded with enemies!
Dozens of Anubisath Defenders and large numbers of Vekniss Guardians!
Everyone had already seen the Anubisath, but the Vekniss Guardians were the elite troops of the Qiraji!
It should be known that the Qiraji's Twin Emperors are named Vek'nilash and Vek'lor. These Qiraji were named after the emperors, which was enough to prove that they were the emperor's guards!
Behind the Qiraji, Galen immediately saw those humanoid advanced Qiraji!
The Prophet Skeram, the Herald of War Sarthura, and the Qiraji Princess surrounding them.
It seemed that all the high-end combat power that could come out of the underground city had come out.
"Oh ho, what a grand welcoming party. You actually came out of your nests; are you in such a hurry to die!"
At this time, two tall humanoid Qiraji walked up from the underground steps. They wore red Qiraji armor. One held a giant sword, and the other held a scepter.
They were the Qiraji Twin Emperors, C'Thun's spokesmen, the rulers of the Qiraji Empire.
"Ignorant fools, you don't know what kind of existence you are facing. Killing you is our master's mercy. I will offer your souls to our master!"
The Qiraji Emperor Vek'nilash, wielding a giant sword, roared angrily, and the Qiraji surged forward!
Galen stood on the steps at the entrance of the plaza, watching the dense swarm of Qiraji rushing towards them. More Qiraji continued to pour out from the underground city entrance behind them.
"So many bugs, tsk tsk tsk! Ancagalon, are you ready to play a big one?"
Ancagalon, in his disguise, revealed a charming smile: "Always ready, Highlord!"
After Ancagalon finished speaking, a large blue gem appeared in his hand!
"Taste the big guy! Coming soon! Eee—ha! Whoa?! Watch your feet!"
Ancagalon made a throwing motion, throwing the blue gem that flickered with blue light into the center of the plaza!
"Focus… Focus… Focusing Iris!"
Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu looked at the blue gem that was thrown out, their humanoid eyes wishing they could be as big as their dragon forms!
On the other side, Vereesa, Imiril, and others who didn't know what was happening came behind Galen, craning their necks and showing curiosity. Facing this almost endless swarm of Qiraji, they had just wanted to run away, but they didn't expect the Dragon Aspects and the Highlord to be calm and composed, seemingly having a backup plan, and only then did they feel relieved to watch.
If they saw the horrified expressions of the three Dragon Aspects in front, they might not have the same mindset of watching the fun now and might even slap themselves for being too curious!
In the Qiraji army, only the Twin Emperors noticed something was wrong. Their master was screaming in their mental world, telling them to stop the Blue Dragon Aspect, but everything happened too fast, and the Twin Emperors didn't react in time!
C'Thun, deep underground, realized he couldn't stop them and issued a command!
A sharp pain shot through the Twin Emperors' minds!
All the information coalesced into one word: "Run!"
The next moment!
A blinding flash erupted at the entrance to the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj!
Rumble… rumble… rumble…
Vareesa, Imryll, and Halduron, who were watching with wide eyes, felt a wave of white wash over them, their ears ringing with a deafening roar!
They were dumbfounded!
Who wouldn't be, experiencing a nuclear explosion firsthand at its epicenter?
Fortunately, the Dragon Aspects and Galen were not.
Galen, prepared, threw out the Scale of the Earth Warder. The black shield grew rapidly as it plunged into the ground, sealing off the entrance to the staircase!
Ancagalon controlled the Focusing Iris's eruption while casting an anti-magic field to protect everyone.
Alexstrasza cast a Life Binder's Blessing on each of them, ensuring they wouldn't die from the shockwave.
Ysera cast a Dreamwalker's Blessing on them, ready to whisk them away to the Emerald Dream if Galen and Ancagalon failed.
Nozdormu had already conjured time magic, ready to rewind time if Galen and Ancagalon messed up!
"Wow! Nuclear fusion strike detected, this is exciting!"
Galen's muscles bulged as he braced himself, his hands pressing against the Scale of the Earth Warder as if holding up a door panel!
He observed the mountainside around them being blown away by the explosion's shockwave, the staircase beneath them vanishing inch by inch.
They remained in place only because Ancagalon used magic to suspend them behind the shield!
Because Ancagalon directed the Focusing Iris's energy downward and forward, concentrating it within the bug hive, they only suffered the aftershock!
Even that aftershock shaved several meters off the ground beneath their feet, making the fate of the Qiraji even more tragic!
In the distance, the Alliance soldiers fighting in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj steadied themselves against the earthquake, then stared in horror at the northwest!
A blinding light erupted there!
Fortunately, most of the soldiers in Ethereal and the Crusade were Galen's troops, and he calmed them through the Heart of Origin.
Then, using their voices, he reassured the surrounding comrades and launched a sneak attack while the Qiraji were stunned!
As the explosion subsided, the buildings at the entrance to the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, built from obsidian by the titan keeper Lair and his Anubisath, were reduced to black dust!
The former temple plaza was now a circular crater!
The numerous Vek'nil Guardian swarming the area had been vaporized by the explosion's heat, and the Anubisath lay scattered in the crater, their bodies mangled. Even the intact colossi showed signs of melting, as if splashed with acid.
From the air, a massive mushroom cloud would have been visible northwest of the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj in Silithus!
The Focusing Iris's explosion was terrifying. This was with Ancagalon controlling its energy output; if it had been at full power, half of them would have been dead, and the remaining Dragon Aspects would have been seriously injured!
No wonder Galen Hellscream later used it to erase Theramore from the map!
As the aftershocks subsided, Galen retracted the scorching Scale of the Earth Warder and turned to Vareesa, saying, "Girl, you can let go now!"
Vareesa, still dazed, detached herself from Galen's back, hanging onto him like an octopus.
She floated in the air!
Imryll also sheepishly released her grip on Alexstrasza's horn.
Rexxar was held tightly in Misha's arms, the loyal animal companion trying to shield its master from harm.
Halduron was the most disheveled, awkwardly straightening up and scratching the back of his head after releasing his grip on the Bronze Dragon Aspect's leg!
"Ancagalon, I didn't expect you to go so big!" Alexstrasza said, her tone a bit scolding.
She didn't blame Imryll for using her horn as an anchor; even she had been startled!
"Queen Alexstrasza, please forgive me. I controlled the Focusing Iris's energy output; I only released one-fifth of its power!"
Ancagalon waved his hand, and the blue gem flew back to him from the crater. Galen noticed that the gem's color was slightly lighter than before.
Pfft!
From the crater, the giant sandworm Ouro burst forth.
Its body was covered in wounds, most of its carapace gone, the exposed flesh burned to a charred black!
After emerging, it seemed to lose all strength, its head slamming heavily onto the ground!
Was it dead?
Then its head twitched, and its mouth opened wide!
Two red figures dragged a giant yellow-and-red wasp out of Ouro's mouth!
It was the Twin Emperors and their daughter, Princess Yauj!
Galen hadn't expected them to evade the Focusing Iris's blast like this.
However, they had barely survived. The Twin Emperors were seriously injured, and Princess Yauj had lost her ability to fight.
Galen signaled Ancagalon to cancel the levitation spell, and the group descended to the crater where the Twin Emperors lay.
Then, a giant eye appeared behind the Twin Emperors!
It was the Eye of C'Thun!
The medium used by the Old God C'Thun to observe the world outside its prison!
C'Thun was known as the God of a Thousand Eyes, so the appearance of a giant eyeball was not surprising.
"Fresh souls, I will devour you!"
The Eye of C'Thun spoke in a voice Galen could hear!
"And you! Night elf? Orc? Dragon Aspects? There's something strange about you, like the way the Eastern Kingdoms and central Kalimdor grow darker under my gaze! You have successfully attracted my attention!"
Galen felt a jolt of alarm!
Crap!
I knew the Old Gods wouldn't be simple!
C'Thun, the God of a Thousand Eyes, had always been the Old Gods' eyes, monitoring Azeroth for any anomalies!
It must have noticed something!