Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

The original proto-dragon was transformed into guardian dragons after being infused with energy by the Titans. The black dragon race possesses the power of the earth.

Rhodes suddenly had an idea: since his angels could accept the power of holy light and demons could accept the power of fel energy, the phoenix could accept both fel energy and holy light at the same time.

Evolving into a Holy Fire Phoenix or an Evil Fire Phoenix, and perhaps even accepting shadow energy in the future to become a Shadow Phoenix, the elemental body is the most suitable to accept the various primal forces.

The Black Dragon Clan is not incapable of accepting the modification of these special energies, such as the power of the earth, but how to accept the power of the earth is a problem.

Even his own Titan, in a sense, is a forged construct, similar to a Titan creation, and it's unknown whether it can accept Titan energy.

If one can accept the power of the earth or establish a connection with the planet soul of Azeroth, then could one's own black dragons replace the original black dragon race as the guardian dragons?

That doesn't seem impossible. After all, the Black Dragonflight has already fallen. Rather than handing over the power of the Earthguard to Thrall, it's better to keep it for yourself.

However, I need to plan this out carefully before I can actually implement it. I have too many things to deal with and I can't be in two places at once!

Upon returning, the immediate task is to address the internal issues of the Alliance. First, we must reclaim the capital city of Lordaeron, and then welcome Princess Calia back to the Eastern Kingdoms to inherit the throne and become Queen of Lordaeron.

Next, we need to deal with the issue of the admiral, ensuring that the King of Kul Tiras doesn't die at the hands of the orcs as in the original timeline, causing Kul Tiras to withdraw from the Alliance for decades.

I also need to find time to go to Stormwind to deal with Countess Black Dragon and remove this traitor within the Alliance.

I also need to find time in the Outland, and at the same time, I need to have Sandler deal with Kel'Thuzad's affairs with Wang Ling.

Two of his fallen heroes were extremely enthusiastic about cracking the Scourge's floating city.

However, because of his appearance, Kil'jaeden did not force Illidan to go, and Azeroth launched the War for the Frozen Throne without Illidan's obstruction.

Arthas will ascend the Frozen Throne very easily and inherit the Lich King's power. It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

But now is definitely not the time to lead the coalition to attack Northrend; there are still a lot of things to deal with within the coalition!

However, Rhodes was somewhat unwilling to let Arthas obtain the Lich King's power so easily. In the original timeline, Arthas had to go through a fierce battle to defeat Illidan and successfully ascend the Frozen Throne, while the Lich King was also nearing his end.

That's why the two were able to successfully merge, because in that situation, if Ner'zhul hadn't merged with Arthas and had tried to take over Arthas's body, his soul would have perished.

Although Arthas was severely injured by himself in the Eastern Kingdoms, his core was not damaged. Will the Lich King merge with Arthas as in the original timeline? Or, if Ner'zhul is not driven to the brink, will he still choose to quickly merge with Arthas?

After the two merge, will Arthas still sit on the Frozen Throne for 5 years, absorbing and digesting the Lich King's power?

"What's wrong? What's wrong with Rhodes? Is he thinking about something? Is he a Draenei?" At this moment, the female mage came to Rhodes, quietly sat down and asked.

Several days have passed since the battle at the Dark Temple. During this time, Akama has brought a large number of Broken Ones to the Dark Temple and then had Rhodes help them evolve.

It took Rhodes seven days to purify all of the tens of thousands of Broken, turning them back into Draenei.

These Draenei, led by Akama, thanked Rhodes and headed towards the prophet Velen.

Before leaving, Akama solemnly assured Rhodes that this time he would send the ordinary people of his tribe back to their settlement, and then lead a force of several thousand warriors to join Rhodes's ranks and help him fight.

These elite Draenei warriors are all proficient in the Holy Light, equivalent to several thousand paladins—a formidable force indeed.

Rhodes naturally welcomed this and said that once Akama returned, he would bring everyone back to Azeroth. During this time, Rhodes's troops were refreshed again, and he recruited a second black dragon. At the same time, the number of phoenixes and other troops was further increased.

“I’m not worried that Akama will go back on his promise to me; the Draenei’s credibility is generally reliable.”

"I'm thinking about something else. You must have heard at the top of the Black Temple that Kil'jaeden originally intended to order Illidan to attack the Lich King," Rhodes said, glancing at Jaina.

"The Lich King said that the Scourge forces in the Eastern Kingdoms have indeed weakened a lot, and a large number of undead seem to have gone to Stratholme, as if they intend to take over the city."

"And I've heard that Arthas, for some reason, seems to have returned to Northrend," Jaina said.

Currently, only Rhodes, Jaina, and Maiev remain in the Black Temple; the others have been sent back to Azeroth by Rhodes through a portal.

Rhodes ordered Mograine the Elder, Dathrohan, and others to prepare for war ahead of time, and to launch an immediate campaign to retake Lordaeron once he returned.

During the opening of the portal, the Alliance also received some intelligence, and it has now been officially confirmed that Arthas had traveled to Northrend a few days ago.

Moreover, it seems that a rebellion has occurred within the Scourge, with a large number of undead following the Banshee Queen Sylvanas and the Death Knight Highlord Scythek to Stratholme, formerly a minister of Lordaeron, seemingly intending to seize it.

"Let's leave Stratholme for now and take back Lordaeron first. The Alliance needs to recuperate. As for those undead who betrayed the Lich King, we don't need to worry about them for now as long as they don't come to attack us."

What I'm really worried about is what's happening in Northrend. Arthas might receive the Lich King's blessing upon his return, gaining even greater power. I'm afraid the Scourge will make a comeback.

I don't know about Gina, but Illidan and I used a fel artifact to bombard the Frozen Throne, causing it to shatter and the Lich King's power to rapidly dissipate.

The Lich King needs a new body now, otherwise his power will continue to drain until he dies. Therefore, Arthas will likely inherit the Lich King's power upon his return. "Rhodes said.

"My God, Rhodes, you mean? A Lich King who can move around and can run around everywhere!" Jaina instantly understood what this meant.

Arthas, the strongest death knight, was already a headache for the Alliance, but the Lich King's power was even more unfathomable. No one dared to imagine what terrible things would happen when the Lich King's power was combined with Arthas's.

"Just as you expected, Arthas will immediately head to the Frozen Throne after arriving in Northrend, and then merge with the Lich King."

"At that time, I'm not sure whether Arthas's consciousness will dominate, or Ner'zhul's, or whether their consciousnesses will merge," Rhodes said.

Without Illidan's pressure, things might not have unfolded as they did in the original timeline, and Arthas might not have achieved final victory.

But if the fool doesn't win, and instead the old orc devours Arthas's soul, things will become much more complicated.

The Wrath of the Lich King may erupt ahead of schedule, or even be more terrifying than the original timeline, because Rhodes always felt that Arthas was inferior to Ner'zhul in some aspects, especially in his ability to cause trouble. Ner'zhul was the one who single-handedly defeated the entire Alliance and even created the Burning Legion.

As for your claim that Arthas did all this, please, without the undead army, without the power bestowed by the Lich King, without Frostmourne, and without Kel'Thuzad's command, could he have done it so well?

To put it bluntly, Arthas's military talent was not actually that high. In Wrath of the Lich King, given the strength of the Scourge, the Alliance and Horde armies would have had difficulty even getting to the shore.

Yet Tirion was able to lead an elite force to carry out a decapitation strike.

“Rhodes, what are you planning to do? I will support you in everything. If necessary, I can persuade my father to mobilize the Kul Tiras fleet, and then we can form a coalition to attack Arthas together,” Jaina said.

The female mage believed that Rhodes likely intended to lead the allied forces to attack Arthas and prevent Arthas from merging with the Lich King, a task that required the help of the Kul Tiras fleet.

It may even require the entire alliance to cooperate and send troops to assist in the battle.

"It's not as simple as you think. The alliance isn't really cohesive right now. The only army I can command is the direct forces of Lordaeron, plus Quel'Thalas and Dalaran. The Kingdom of Stormwind might not heed our call, and even the dwarves of Ironforge might not."

“How could that be? Rhodes, you are the Grand Marshal of the Alliance. If you explain the stakes involved, the entire Alliance will obey your orders,” Jaina said.

Chapter 241 Sandru's Advice, Decision

Rhodes smiled upon hearing this. In fact, his position as Grand Marshal, like Garithos', was self-proclaimed.

He only had a princess's decree. The Knights of the Silver Hand were only willing to obey his orders because of Uther, but now, after the previous war of the undead and the war in Outland, Rhodes was certain that with the help of Highlord Mograine, Uther, and Dathrohan, the Knights of the Silver Hand would also obey his orders.

However, this is the extent of the forces he can mobilize. If he proposes an expedition to Northrend, the remaining forces in Lordaeron will respond.

The Blood Elves will definitely respond, and the Draenei will also send troops to support them, since Akama will bring several thousand people to join them. But apart from that, they have no other fighting force.

“You need to understand Gina, my true identity is actually the Grand Marshal of the Alliance of Regents of Lordaeron, which I took from Garithos. In essence, I have not been recognized by the human nations.”

"Furthermore, considering we're currently in a time of war, the Eastern Kingdoms still have many enemies to deal with, and the human nations haven't yet recovered their strength. It's truly not suitable for us to embark on a distant expedition," Rhodes said.

“This time you helped Dalaran recall many expeditionary mages, and you also brought back the Sons of Lothar's army that once expeditioned to Outland. These two achievements are enough for the entire Alliance to acknowledge your identity. I will persuade my father. The only uncertainty is about Baofeng City, but I believe King Varian will make the right choice.” Jaina patted Rhodes on the shoulder and said.

In her mind, King Varian was a very wise king. As long as Rhodes explained the pros and cons to him, the King of Stormwind would definitely step forward to help Rhodes fight Arthas.

Jaina couldn't even imagine what would happen if the Lich King was someone who could roam freely and possessed terrifying power.

"You can ask Illidan for help; he happens to owe you a favor, and those demons from the Black Temple who have sided with him deserve to die."

"And if you need it, I can help you solve your problems. Don't forget my Watchers." Maiev's figure appeared in the shadows at some point.

He had also heard some things about the Lich King. That guy was a complete villain and a cancer on Azeroth. If Rhodes needed help, she could lead the Wardens to join in.

Upon hearing this, Jaina's eyes lit up. That's right, with the power of the Night Elves and Rhodes' new ally, they could actually put together an elite team.

“Rhodes, you have a high reputation among the night elves. You can ask Malfurion or Cenarius for help, and they will surely send druids to assist you,” Maiev said.

Please don't forget your reputation among the night elves. Putting aside your identity as a disciple of the demigod Cenarius, Rhodes' performance in the Battle of Mount Hyjal is enough to earn the respect of the night elf community.

As long as Rhodes gives the order, it won't be a problem to gather a group of druids, elite sentinels, and watchmen.

Upon hearing this, Rhodes nodded and began to think. "If I use teleportation magic, they can arrive in Northrend before Arthas."

In the original timeline, Illidan set off at this point in time and directly blocked Arthas, even nearly annihilating the undead.

However, the duel at the Frozen Throne ended in failure. Rhodes was not Illidan with the power he currently possessed, even though the Lich King had passed on his last bit of power to Arthas.

Rhodes was confident of defeating his opponent. He had at least two artifacts that could deal with Frostmourne: the Judgment of Light and Ashbringer. Old Mograine was an absolute main force.

At this moment, Rhodes was somewhat tempted. Now he was faced with a choice: should he mobilize his troops to attack Arthas, or should he proceed with the original plan to first pacify the capital of Lordaeron?

Which one should he choose? Rhodes was torn.

"You two go down first. Let me think carefully about whether or not we should fight this war," Rhodes said, turning to the two women.

Jaina and Maiev exchanged a glance, then nodded and left Rhodes' room. In any case, they would support Rhodes' decision.

After all, it's a fight for the whole of Azeroth.

After the two women left, Rhodes opened his hero interface and then remotely contacted his undead hero Sandro.

Currently, Rhodes only has Sandro as a strategist hero under his command, and he plans to ask for Sandro's opinion to see what suggestions this top strategist hero, who once stirred up the entire Heroes of Might and Magic world, has.

"Great master, is there something you need from me?" Sandru's hero portrait immediately lit up, and he began to communicate remotely with Rhodes through the power of the system.

“Sandru, I’ve been having some headaches lately and wanted to ask for your opinion. Here’s the thing… I’m currently debating whether or not to gather our forces to deal with Arthas. Do you have any good suggestions?” Rhodes asked.

"Hmm, great master, I think I understand your dilemma. My suggestion is that you proceed according to the original plan. There's no need to launch an expedition to Northrend. Just focus on handling the affairs of the Eastern Kingdoms."

What you need is a unified human force, not to conquer foreign enemies. Right now, the most important thing is for you to reclaim the capital of Lordaeron, consolidate the human forces, and further enhance your prestige and status.

As for Arthas and the Lich King, you told me before that my advice was not to interfere. You can indeed defeat Arthas, but what if the Jailer gets involved?

There must be a Lich King. You cannot kill Arthas, so there is no point in launching this expedition.

Sending out a large army will only increase casualties. As for your concerns about the Lich King's consciousness fusion, I bet Arthas will take another 5 years this time, and even if it's shortened, it won't be too long.

Ner'zhul's soul is already riddled with holes; he will inevitably lose to Arthas, because the Jailer no longer wants this collaborator, so he will choose Arthas.

"Only when he discovers that Arthas is also disobedient will he choose a suitable representative again, and that will be the best time to kill Arthas," Sandro immediately offered his opinion.

It would be unwise to engage in a decisive battle with Arthas now. The master's forces have not yet fully coalesced, and the things the master is worried about will not pose a threat in the short term.

According to the master, if the warden doesn't want anyone to die, he will send them back to the Shadowlands in a special way, even if they go there.

Even if the master manages to kill Arthas in the Battle of the Frozen Throne, Arthas will inevitably be resurrected because there is no way to destroy the Lich King's helmet. Destroying the helmet would open the Shadowlands prematurely.

Upon hearing Sandru's words, Rhodes felt a sudden sense of clarity. What Sandru said was true; he shouldn't be dwelling on it. From the moment he stepped into the Black Temple, from the moment he stopped Kil'jaeden's plan, this expedition would never have happened.

He launched this expedition, but he couldn't kill Arthas himself. Even if he did kill him, Arthas would be resurrected with the help of the Shadow Warden.

That might cause him more trouble, and if Arthas meets Zovar, he might actually end up cooperating with him.

So let everything proceed as it was originally intended. My task is to bring Stormwind back to the Alliance and Kul Tiras back to the Alliance.

“I understand, Sandru. Thank you so much for your explanation. With a strategist like you by my side, some things are indeed much easier to solve,” Rhodes said.