Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 426, Section 35: Diakum raises his banner in Pandaria, and the Lightforged Sun Soul Master officially makes his debut!

When Lao Chen and Lili arrived at the White Tiger Temple, they saw that the martial monk temple in the snow mountain was under full guard, with cloud dragons rising and falling to continuously transport the martial monks to various key locations in Kun Lai Shan.

The bison people below the mountain temple have also set off, carrying banners as they advance towards the defenses of the wine jars, intending to enter the mountains from there to participate in this large-scale attack. Even the earth spirits unique to Pandaria are driving their magnificent yak wagons to transport supplies.

Some earth spirit riders had somehow tamed a giant yeti.

The ferocious beast was dressed in simple armor, with sharp horn sheaths on its large horns, giving it a fierce appearance that suggested it was ready to unleash its fury and tear its enemies apart at any moment.

After the uncle and nephew from Stormstout Brewhouse reached the mountain path, they could still see the coastline. Lily saw the trolls' golden fleet sailing along the Kun-Lai Summit coastline, escorted by squads of pterodactyl riders. Along the road from the coast into Kun-Lai Summit, there were also trolls riding magnificent Triceratops and Devilsaur war beasts.

The trolls adorned their powerful beasts with magnificent armor, reinforced their rams with gilded steel, and adorned the tyrannosaurs with cool yet ferocious helmets. When the beast tamers blew their horns, these beasts would obediently carry the guards forward.

That scene was just like a rampage in Jurassic Park.

But you know what, the Zandalari trolls were indeed well-disciplined. Especially when the troll berserkers and headhunters from various tribes raised their battle flags, it was as if the cold winds of Mount Unending would tremble and disperse in front of this army of giant beasts.

"So many trolls!"

Lili exclaimed:
"There must be at least several thousand people, right? Uncle Chen, didn't you go to the troll kingdom before? Do you recognize those flags?"

"It should be over ten thousand, and I know some people."

Old Chen adjusted his straw hat and explained to his niece:

"Leading the way are the Drakkari trolls of Northrend."

Those blue-skinned frost trolls are the fiercest and most powerful berserkers among all the troll clans. They are savage and fearless in battle, but they retain the customs of headhunting and cannibalism, making them quite difficult to approach.

The one in the center commanding the troops was a troll from the Zandalari tribe.

They command these prehistoric behemoths, and those clad in gleaming golden armor are the guards of Rastakhan, the Golden King, the most formidable and honorable warriors in the troll civilization.

Some of the pterosaurs flying in the sky are priests of Paku, who guide the royal pterosaur riders.

The troll headhunters behind them came from the Amani clan, who were scattered across the northern frontier of the Eastern Kingdoms. They had been badly beaten by the high elves and humans, but still occupied large swathes of territory in Hinterlands, Stratholme, and the Ghostlands.

Amani trolls are the best hunters, and encountering them in the jungle will end in a very miserable fate.

Hmm, look, the Amani tribe and the Zandalari tribe are connected by the Sandur tribe.

Their troll sandwalkers are skilled in voodoo magic and can create quicksand traps.

I have heard that the Sandnu clan is leaving their ancestral homeland, the Great Desert of Tanaris, supposedly because the Golden King has granted them a rich archipelago as their new home.

The four most powerful troll tribes all sent their elite forces, and they formed a unified legion.

Old Chen, as expected of a legendary wanderer, recognized the banners of the troll army at a glance. He then pointed to the gold-inlaid battle banner on the largest direwolf and said to his niece:
"That flag is the symbol of this legion, and it reads 'Honor belongs to the Firstborn of the World' in Trollish language, so that is the name of this legion."

Hiss, the Firstborn Legion
That sounds a bit strange.

“It’s not surprising, because the most popular and latest self-identification among trolls right now is ‘the mortal firstborn son of Azeroth,’ and they intend to rebuild the divided empire under the name bestowed upon them by Mother World.”

Irelia's voice rang out from not far away, and the little hoof, now more composed than before, stepped forward to explain:

“I heard that the Zandalari trolls are conducting final negotiations with the Gurubashi tribe. Commander Diakum said that if the Gurubashi clan also agrees to return to the troll empire, then the situation in the entire South Sea will change.”

From Stranglethorn Vale to the Zandalari Islands and then to the Tanaris Desert, these areas will all be the territory of the Troll Empire, while the South Sea will become the Troll Empire's 'inland sea'.

Therefore, the Dark Prophet Zul'dan brought his Firstborn Legion to Pandaria to assist in the war, not only to uphold the majesty of Mother World, but also to sign an agreement with the Pandaren. It is said that he wanted to bring the Pandaren into their diplomatic system and prevent Pandaria from becoming a weak point for the new Troll Empire.

Long time no see, Master Chen! Is this your niece?

I heard from my superior that little Lili is also a very brave martial arts monk.

"Hmph, I am a skilled martial monk apprentice!"

Lili immediately became smug, waving the Zhuhe Fighting Cane around in her hand, then hit herself on the head, letting out a howl and immediately becoming obedient.

Old Chen bowed to Irele.

He had met Yrel once before, when Dalaran crashed into the sea off Stormwind.

“Is Mr. Diakum here? I have been invited by him to participate in the operation to defend Pandaria.”

He asked a question, and Irele shrugged and said:

"The commander and Master Xue Liu have gone out to scout the terrain. They say they're looking for a wandering scholar with a sensitive background. It seems there's something troublesome about him; he's recently disappeared."

However, Sect Leader Zhu Talan is here too!

He is in charge of overseeing the overall situation; you, the 'Dragon Hero,' can go and find him to report.

Moreover, I've heard that the martial monk schools of your Pandaren have a tradition of lineage, and the Shado-Pan Monastery, as a sect personally established by Emperor Shaohao, is the main gate of all martial monks in the world.

Now that Master Shangxi has passed away, shouldn't you, as the leader of Wuchen Temple, go and pay your respects?

"I'm only temporarily taking charge, but what you said is true, I'll go."

Old Chen thought about it and felt that it was indeed necessary.

The Wandering Isle must return to its roots in Pandaria, and the Temple of Five Dawns must naturally return to the legacy of the Pandaren. Although Master Shangxi doesn't care about these things, the monks now have the Shado-Pan headquarters and the four great temples, so the Pandaren warriors on the Wandering Isle can't be left without a foundation.

He temporarily entrusted Lili to Ireil's care, then got up and leaped onto the snow-covered pillars like a swallow skimming the water, flying towards the White Tiger Temple.

This exquisite movement attracted the attention of many White Tiger monks who were training. They watched intently and discussed in private which master had emerged from seclusion. As a result, they were all hit by the strict instructors with rulers.

This scene amused Lily and made her laugh out loud, but it also drew angry glares from the instructors, prompting Yrel to quickly lead Lily to the camp where the Lightforged were located.

"Hey, what are you guys doing boxing?"

Lily stared in astonishment at the Lightforged Eredar warriors in the Lightforged camp, who were bare-chested and wrestling. She noticed that these strong, tailed warriors were fighting each other without weapons.

Although their fist and foot techniques differ from those of the panda people, the influence of fighting styles can still be seen.

In response to the red panda's curiosity, Irele explained:
"This is a new tactic of our Lightforged Chapter. It was created by the Vigilant after observing the fighting style of the Monks, and by combining the Jednigu fist techniques of the Eredar with the combo techniques of the Shado-Pan Monks."

Its official name is 'Fist of Argus', but we all call it 'Fist of Light', a martial art practiced only by warriors of light.

However, we are still garrison officers, so the Fist of Argus is only a fighting technique used when weapons are unavailable, and not a mandatory training item.

These warriors were simply using the Jadeni ritual to hone their fighting skills and, incidentally, to keep themselves in peak combat condition.

They could launch an attack on the Mogu Death Knights at any moment; those half-giants are strong and powerful, and not easy to deal with.

Wow, Solar Flare?

Lily hugged her fighting stick with a longing look in her eyes, and whispered:
"Uncle Chen's diary records his insights on using the 'Fist of Dawn' after receiving the 'Initiation' from the Vigilantes in Lordaeron. He said at the time that the Vigilantes had a very profound understanding of the way of the monks and that they would most likely establish their own sect in the future. I didn't expect Uncle Chen to be right."

But if you don't learn the art of internal energy, how will you enhance your destructive power in unarmed combat? Just use your fists?

“We have holy light.”

Irelia made a few punching motions in front of Lily, letting her holy light burst forth briefly with each attack, and explained:
"The Lightforged have all learned the charging technique of the 'Holy Slash' from the legacy of Commander Diakum. Therefore, although we can't circulate our true energy throughout our bodies like the monks, the charged explosion during close combat can still produce a very powerful effect."

Our great prophet Velen is a master of boxing!

Grom Hellscream and he fought beneath Shattrath City, with the Grand Prophet once completely dominating Grom. This 'Holy Explosive Fist' was first mastered by the Grand Prophet.

"That sounds amazing, can I learn it?"

Lily blinked and said:
"Uncle Chen always says I'm still a child, that only when I grow up can I begin to comprehend the Dao of True Qi. Without the aid of True Qi, even the best fist techniques are just empty gestures. But your Light Fist doesn't require True Qi, so..."

"no!"

Yrel said with a stern face, "This is a skill that only Warriors of Light can learn, and the Holy Slash is the unique skill of our Lightforged faction. Not to mention you, little panda, even Lightwalkers from other factions can't just teach it to you."

"Oh."

Lily was somewhat disappointed.

But then Irelia grinned, reached out and pinched Lily's furry cheek, and said:

"But there are ways to work around it. I can store some holy power in your body, so you can use it to power your fists and feet to increase your destructive power. Of course, this stored holy power will dissipate over time. Unless you are willing to become a Pandaren priest or a Pandaren paladin, you can only 'experience' it."

Here, this is our boxing manual. Take a look for yourself.

She picked up the "Fist of Argus" manual from the side and handed it to Lili. As the little panda said, without the support of true qi or holy power, these fist and foot techniques are just for show, and naturally, they are not afraid of being learned by others.

"Huh? How come there's 'dislocating tendons and bones' here? Isn't that Pandaren martial arts?"

Lily flipped through it, then looked at Irele with a puzzled expression and said:

"Aren't you going to make any changes? Just take it and use it directly."

"Oh, the officer said that yours is the original work, while ours is called 'fan fiction,' which must respect the original work. Anyway, are you ready?"

Irelia removed her gauntlets and placed them on Lily's shoulder. After Lily took a deep breath, holy light flowed from Irelia's hand into Lily's body. Because it was just an "experience," not much light gathered.

Lili opened her eyes and looked at her paws. The faint light wrapped around them made her feel incredibly magical. The holy power hidden within her body was warm and comforting, like sunshine. The little panda cheered and jumped up on the spot, unleashing a smooth and flowing combo of Rising Dragon Strike.

So skilled! It's obvious he's been secretly learning from the martial monks of Wuchen Temple.

"Only enough for one fight."

Irele tapped Lily on the head and said:
"For entertainment purposes only. Don't actually go and challenge powerful enemies. You can't understand the morality of the Holy Light yet. If you really use up all your Holy Power, you'll turn into a weak little panda again. Alright, you can play here by yourself. I'm going to go and comprehend the Book of Light and Shadow."

She wagged her tail and complained:
"The Vigilant said that the ultimate secrets of the Fist of Argus are hidden in the scriptures, and we should figure them out for ourselves. That's really mystical. But yesterday, Eredas did indeed grasp the secrets of the 'Sun Fist,' saying that it was the 'Fist of Protection,' and that the even more profound 'Moon Fist' was the 'Fist of Slaughter.'"

I think that guy is bragging. Why is it that when I'm reciting scriptures, I can't see anything except dozing off?

"Is it that great?"

Lily immediately became interested.

A child her age is at the perfect age to be interested in legendary "martial arts manuals," and indeed, there are many such "martial arts manuals" in the legends of the Pandaren.

Most of it is boasting, but a small part is true.

It is said that there are similar master martial arts in the Shadow Phantom Monastery, which are only allowed to be practiced by martial monk masters, such as the legendary forbidden secret technique "Touch of Reincarnation".

Master Shangxi once told Lili when he was drunk that martial monks have a supreme secret technique that allows them to comprehend nature and create an incarnation of true energy to fight alongside them.

Most importantly, Lili had witnessed Uncle Chen use the "White Tiger Descends to Earth" technique, but Uncle Chen was always mysterious and never told her where he learned it.

Everyone practices the same boxing style, but the other monks of the Five Morning Temple do not.

"Irelia, will you read the scriptures with me?"

Lili pleaded:
“I’m very interested in your doctrines. I think I can experience the lifestyle of the Lightforgers before becoming the ‘Dragon Warrior.’ Tell me about your code of conduct.”

Irele was taken aback.

She just said she was going to "read the scriptures," which actually meant she was going to take a nap, but now that Little Panda was serious, she had no choice but to take out her sacred book, open it, and start telling Lili the scriptures.

She wasn't really good at this, after all, she was a garrison officer rather than a priest with better speaking skills.

But Lili listened very attentively.

Although the red panda was mischievous, it had grown up playing at Wuchen Temple since it was a baby and often listened to Master Shangxi recite scriptures, so it was very familiar with the practice.

When Ireil ​​was drowsy from preaching, Lily blinked.

She thought Irelia was really stupid. Perhaps she sacrificed her brains in exchange for a beautiful face and powerful strength. Wasn't the secret of the "Solar Fist" clearly written in the scriptures?

Hey!
The Vigilant Saint is practically telling you in plain language how to integrate Holy Light into your fighting style.

"boom"

Just as Lily was about to tell Irele about her discovery, a loud noise made Irele jump up on alert and instinctively shield Lily behind her.

This was a completely subconscious action, because she wasn't fully awake yet.

"What happened? Where did the explosion occur?"

"Irele shouted."

The well-trained Lightforged warriors had already gripped their weapons, and a Lightforged dragon that had been on guard duty outside took to the air a few seconds later. Its rider gazed into the depths of Kun-Lai Summit and shouted to the ground:
"A sinkhole has been discovered not far from the Mogu Mountain Holy Platform! An entire mountain peak has collapsed. It's hard to say whether it's an attack by the Mogu. It's still some distance from our front line, but it's definitely in the forbidden area!"

"Lightforged, I command you to assemble at my location immediately!"

The Grand Lord of Light's orders quickly reached the ears of every Lightforged. War Order: Rally was activated, and the fully armed warriors responded immediately. To Lily's astonishment, they transformed into streaks of light and disappeared from the spot.

What secret technique is this?
That looks so cool.

"Commander Diakum must have spotted danger. We must assemble immediately. You stay here and don't wander off, Lily!"

Yrel grabbed the Holy Blade, then put her helmet on her head, gave a few instructions, and then answered the summons, disappearing in a flash of light and appearing on a ridge deep in Kun-Lai Summit the next second.

Diakum stood in the snowstorm in front of the ever-arriving Lightforged, where the Shado-Pan Master Snowflow was also present.

The two commanders looked down solemnly. Iriel, a subordinate commander, stepped forward and glanced around, only to be astonished to find a large number of hidden Mogu Death Knights emerging from their respective secret tombs.

"They are heading in the direction of the area that just collapsed! There is a legend that the tomb of Thor is hidden in the Valley of the Emperors. The Shadow Phantoms have been sending people to search for it, but there are many fake tombs there to deceive people."

Master Yukuriyu, wearing a straw hat and a cloak, said in a deep voice:

"Now it seems that Zhou Zhuo must have found the real tomb of Thor, which alerted these Mogu guards."

"No, they must have brought something important out of the cemetery!"

Diakum squinted, gazing at the Mogu "Dragon Knights" appearing in the sky riding black dragons, and said:

"Look, even the elite guards protecting the Mogu'shan altar have been mobilized. I suspect that Zhou Zhuo and Brian, that pair of clowns, may have actually found some 'treasures' that can interfere with Thor by some twist of fate."

At the very least, the Mogu warlords here believe that thing can interfere with Thor!

"No need to wait any longer, Master Xue Liu. Immediately have Sect Leader Zhu Talan send a message: we will launch a surprise attack on the Mogushan Palace now, taking advantage of the chaos to reach the heart of the enemy."

"Ah."

Master Xue Liu nodded, but then he asked:
"Shouldn't we worry about Zhou Zhuo? If what they found is really that important?"

"As you said, if that thing is really important, then it's not our place to care."

Diakum looked around at the snow-capped mountains and said softly:
"The Monkey King is here; he will protect those two rascals and get them to the right place."

"Hmm? How did you know?"

Master Xue Liu exclaimed in surprise:

"Legend has it that the Monkey King of the Middle Kingdom possesses the most powerful stealth ability in Pandaria. Even the Jade Dragon Celestial Venerable could not catch it, otherwise it would not have been allowed to wander around with the Peace Bell and Pestle for ten thousand years."

"Hmm, it's probably because I left something on my dear 'Monkey Brother,' which is a privilege reserved for 'Teacher Tony.'"

(End of this chapter)