Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

They should be flying in space, not having reached their destination yet, or perhaps they have already arrived. After all, the original story didn't specify a time, so it seems reasonable that they've arrived at this point in time.

A special life form composed of pure holy light energy was suspended in mid-air. It had a symmetrical structure with an approximate geometric shape, like a tangram piece forged from light. Its surface was covered with light patterns like water ripples, and its whole body radiated a soft holy light power, as if it were holy light itself.

Upon first sight of this divine being, all those who believed in the Holy Light and those who used the Holy Light were stunned. They then collectively bowed in reverence. Without any words, everyone could feel that this was the true embodiment of the Holy Light.

A Naru!

“This great being is Naru… its name is Muru.” Velen’s voice was filled with utmost reverence.

Not long ago, the Naaru ships that came to support the Draenei arrived, and there were three Naaru, some holy beings, on board. They made contact with the Draenei immediately and learned of the appearance of the Sons of Light and the Burning Legion's crushing defeat.

"It sensed the extraordinary echoes of holy light across this land, especially from you, Marshal Rhodes, whose deeds as the 'Son of the Holy Light' have even reached as far as Shattrath."

"Muru was very curious about this and insisted on traveling with me, hoping to meet you in person," the prophet Velen said, looking at Rhodes.

This is an epic meeting that will toll the death knell for the Burning Legion. Prophet Velen is unaware of this. At this moment, Rhodes is in a panic because he is not the Child of Light and Shadow, nor the man foretold.

And if you're talking about the illusion of holy light, no one has more authority to explain it than the Naaru.

Muru floated forward slowly, and the ethereal harmony resonated directly in Rhodes's mind.

"May the Holy Light be with you, you who are guided by prophecy. I have heard of your deeds. You thwarted the Burning Legion's plot and saw the visions bestowed by the Holy Light. I have come for this reason."

"Great Naaru, M'uru, welcome to Lordaeron." Rhodes bowed slightly, performing a standard noble greeting, while simultaneously channeling the holy light within his body to its fullest extent, making it appear even more radiant and dazzling. At this moment, Rhodes resembled a little golden statue.

Muru was very satisfied with Rhodes' current appearance, but he was also a little puzzled. The holy light power on this human was so intense that he should have been light-forged on his own. Why was he still a mortal?

In the original course of events, I was supposed to fall into darkness, be captured by a group of corrupt beings who craved magic and mana, have my core essence extracted, and although the final outcome would be good, I would inevitably become shadowy and sacrifice myself to purify a well of mana in Azeroth. But now my fate has changed.

Muru could clearly sense that the Well of Magic, which originally needed to evolve on its own, had now evolved into one where order and holy light coexisted. In the original timeline, it should have been transformed into a pure Well of Holy Light. All of these changes came from the humans in front of him.

“We need to have a serious talk about humanity. You are the legendary Son of the Light. You killed Archimonde, found the prophet Velen and the Draenei, and now you have met me. This is the arrangement of the Light, this is your destiny,” M'ru said.

The Child of Light and Shadow, the legendary being who could end the Burning Legion's endless cycle... could it be a human?

The other ordinary Naaru were unaware of the matter concerning the Children of Light and Shadow; only the legendary Mother of Light, Zera, truly knew the details.

However, Xerath, the Mother of Light, has confirmed that the Child of Light and Shadow is in Azeroth, and based on the current information, it is this human in front of us.

What was originally just a rescue operation turned out to be the discovery of the legendary Child of Light and Shadow, the key to defeating the Burning Legion.

Chapter 317 Child: Your Holy Light is Not Pure! You've Researched Fel Energy

Rhodes' mind raced. He knew this was a crucial moment and he couldn't afford to show weakness. In any case, the only one who knew that the Son of Light and Shadow was Illidan was Zera, the Mother of Light.

Otherwise, these three Naaru wouldn't have been able to contact the Horde and Alliance reinforcements immediately after being imprisoned by Illidan's men upon arriving in Outland, and instead go to the Black Temple to kill Illidan.

So what I need to do now is to convince these three Naru that I am the Son of Light. As for the Mother of Light, Xerath, she won't be coming to Azeroth for another ten years. The Legion will be in a temporary period then. When Rhodes says that he is the Son of Light, no one will dare to object.

He took a deep breath and unleashed the Holy Light power within him, originating from the Heroes of Might and Magic system. At the same time, he subtly activated a trace of "Holy Light" from Anveena, which was fused with the arcane order of the Sunwell, intertwining it with pure Holy Light to form a unique and magnificent halo.

“Great Muru, the Holy Light has guided me.” Rhodes’ voice was steady and full of respect. He raised his head and looked clearly at the warm light. “It is my honor to meet you.”

The guidance of the Holy Light has brought me to this day. Whether it was thwarting the Legion's plot, helping Lordaeron rise again, or uniting our allies, I have simply followed the light within my heart, and... the path shown by those visions.

Rhodes cleverly avoided directly acknowledging or denying the prophecy of the "Child of Light and Shadow," instead emphasizing the "inner light" and "illusion." This aligns with his persona as the "Child of Holy Light" while leaving room for maneuver.

Anyway, I never said I was the child of light and shadow. I only said I was the child of holy light. I only said I saw some visions of the future, and they all came true. As for the rest, that's all in your imagination and has nothing to do with me.

“I understand many things, Son of the Holy Light. Perhaps you are not yet aware of your destiny, but you are destined to accomplish something of unparalleled magnitude.”

"But before that, I want to confirm something with you, child. I sense that the holy light within you is not pure. You have used other powers besides the power of the holy light, haven't you?" Muru asked.

The entire exchange between the two was a spiritual dialogue, so no outsiders could hear it.

However, upon hearing this, Rhodes' heart skipped a beat. Only he knew that his Holy Light power was not pure.

Because, strictly speaking, he had never believed in the Holy Light. At the beginning, Rhodes learned a spell called Flash of Light from Arthas, and then he secretly learned various other spells from Arthas.

After parting ways with Arthas, he learned various holy light spells of paladins from Uther, and finally, after obtaining the scroll of fire elemental summoning, he summoned a holy light elemental.

The Holy Light Element is an evolutionary node of Rhodes' Holy Light Power. These pure Holy Light incarnations have given Rhodes a lot of inspiration and allowed him to summon powerful Holy Light with the help of the system's magic.

These holy lights do not point directly to the source of holy light; they are holy lights simulated by Rhodes using the power of the system. Others may not be able to distinguish them, but the Naaru can.

So what are the plans of this embodiment of holy light? But I cannot admit it.

“Respected Naru, I don’t know what you mean by that. Perhaps I am not devout enough to the Holy Light, or perhaps my gifts of the Holy Light are not enough, but I have always firmly believed that the Holy Light can defeat the Burning Legion and drive out the shadowy evil,” Rhodes said.

“I know what you’ve done, my child. I know you defeated the Burning Legion, even killed Archimonde, and humiliated another commander, Kil’jaeden.”

"But besides the power of the Holy Light, you've also used other systems. You also have the power of life within you, and a trace of fel magic power, am I right? You can use very powerful fel magic," M'ru said.

He could clearly sense that the holy light within Rhodes' body was not pure. Logically, being able to summon such terrifying holy light and such intense holy light power, Rhodes' body, having been in contact with this level of holy light for many years, should have long been transformed into an eternal demigod life by the power of holy light. However, the reality was cruel; Rhodes had not become such a demigod life form of holy light.

The key reason is that Rhodes also used other spell systems, such as life spells, shadow spells which are the opposite of holy light, arcane spells of order, and the little bit of fel energy in Rhodes' body. Although this fel energy was very weak, the Naaru, as a holy life form, sensed it.

Rhodes' eyes darted around. It seemed that what Naru meant by the holy light not being pure enough was not just that his holy light was simulated by the system. Rhodes had always thought that his holy light was inferior to the original, but now it seemed that this was not the case. His holy light appeared very pure in front of these divine incarnations, but the key was that he was also using the power of other systems.

It's undeniable that there are traces left by its use. Rhodes did indeed master fel magic, which he learned from an orc warlock. Moreover, at the Black Temple, Rhodes also consulted Illidan about some demon hunter skills, but he hadn't used them yet. However, all of these skills were in his spellbook.

“Great Naaru, I have no intention of deceiving you, but the great being who guides me has said that power itself is neither right nor wrong. I am indeed more inclined to the power of the Holy Light, but I do possess the power of other systems, such as the shadow, the opposite of the Holy Light. However, it is undeniable that the power of the shadow is also an extension of the Holy Light. Light and shadow are intertwined.”

"The most supreme light is also the most terrifying shadow, and the most terrifying shadow can also become the most sacred light." Rhodes quoted Alexandros' famous saying.

"I am very pleased that you have been able to comprehend this knowledge without our guidance. You are right, the ultimate form of the Holy Light is indeed the Shadow."

The paladin standing beside you wields a weapon with terrifying shadow power, but this shadow has been evolved by holy light, becoming the purest form of light. Muru did not deny that shadow is holy light.

If the Naaru exhaust their holy light, they will transform into the most terrifying shadow demons, losing their former divine radiance and becoming horrific monsters.

But this was unavoidable; the Holy Light could not escape the Shadow. M'ru did not find it particularly strange that Rhodes possessed Shadow magic.

Conversely, it would be abnormal to possess such ultimate holy light and not sense the presence of shadows. However, the problem is that Rhodes also wields fel energy, which is unacceptable to the Naaru.

Fortunately, this evil energy isn't very strong. This child has probably only used evil magic a few times. I just need to teach him carefully so that he can give up evil magic and focus on guiding the Holy Light and believing in the great Holy Light.

“My child, I am not asking you to give up life magic, shadow magic, or the power of order. These are all powers that can be learned, except for fel magic.”

"You must relinquish this power, child, or it will ultimately lead you to corruption. Fel energy is the most evil force in the universe, bar none."

“Your insight is profound, great Muru. As you have said, I have indeed come into contact with and studied the powers of other systems, including fel energy, but believe me, this is not out of greed for power or betrayal of the Holy Light.”

In the long war against the Burning Legion, I witnessed the horrors of fel energy and its devastation on the world. Prophet Velen can testify that in Outland, we faced lands and creatures utterly corrupted by fel energy.

"I believe that to truly understand and defeat an enemy, one must understand its nature. I study fel energy in order to find its weaknesses, to better purify it, and to... Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated," Rhodes said.

This explanation makes perfect sense, especially given that they have just experienced the Outland War and faced the threat of the Burning Legion. It is perfectly logical for a warrior dedicated to eliminating evil to study the enemy's power in order to find a way to defeat them.

"Seeking knowledge is not a sin, child. I understand how you feel right now, but you have lived too short a life. You do not know the horror of evil energy."

The Holy Light also encourages wisdom and inquiry, while evil energy is a force of corruption and destruction, contrary to the nature of life and order.

Excessive exposure to, or even use of, the user's soul will be eroded, their will distorted, their body corrupted, and ultimately dragged into the abyss.

Even the strongest will cannot remain forever conscious amidst the whispers of fel energy. Kil'jaeden and Archimonde were once great beings who sought knowledge and power.

But as you can see, they changed; they became abominable monsters, even Titans who were as powerful as gods in the universe.

Even Sargeras, the greatest warrior of the Pantheon, could not escape the corruption of fel energy. What makes you think you can?

"Believe me, Son of the Holy Light, I'm doing this for your own good. I won't expose your research into fel energy; I just hope to persuade you to give it up." M'ru began to earnestly persuade Rhodes, trying to use his holy light and compassionate tone to convince Rhodes to abandon fel energy.

“You are right, great Muru.”

I was fully aware of the risks involved. In fact, every time I came into contact with that power, I felt it trying to erode my will and tempt me into madness. It was this firsthand experience that strengthened my faith in the Holy Light—only the purity and warmth of the Holy Light could resist that cold corruption.

My research is extremely limited and cautious, and after each study, I embrace the Holy Light with even greater devotion, using its radiance to cleanse myself of any impurities that may have been tainted.

Since you've given me a way out, I'll take it. Anyway, I don't need these spells, and the system will keep them anyway, so I'll just pretend to agree for now.

Chapter 318 Muru's Self-Imagination, a Pawn of the Firstborn

“I can feel the sincerity in your words, child,” Murru said with a hint of relief.

“Your faith in the Holy Light is indeed the foundation of your power. It is good that you can recognize the danger of evil energy and purify yourself with the Holy Light. Perhaps this understanding of the ‘shadow’ is part of the unique mission that the Holy Light has given you—to more thoroughly dispel darkness, you must first understand darkness. I can understand what you are doing, my child.”

Clearly, the Naaru was quite satisfied with Rhodes' answer. He could understand that the young man was a little curious about fel energy and had done some research on it.

After all, in the parable, it was the Children of Light and Shadow who would destroy the Burning Legion, so it was understandable that they would come into contact with fel energy. Little did M'ru know that the true Children of Light and Shadow were now completely users of fel energy.

If you didn't know the inside story, no one would believe that Illidan was the legendary son of light and shadow, a man born with holy light.

“Thank you for your guidance, Naaru. In the omens the Holy Light gave me, I saw you, I saw the Legion of the Holy Light you formed, I saw you saving and uniting various mortal races in the universe, and then fighting against the Burning Legion,” Rhodes said.

Today, we should be able to get M'ru to vouch for himself in the future. As long as the Mother of Light, Xerath, doesn't come, then Rhodes is the true Son of Light, the Son of Light and Shadow, the one prophesied to end the Burning Legion.

"It seems the Holy Light has revealed many things to you. Indeed, we have been working hard throughout the universe, gathering people of all races and imparting the power of the Holy Light to them."

"To fight the evil Burning Legion, the Burning Legion will conquer a planet, burn all life on it to ashes, and then drag them into the Twisting Nether, turning it into a lair of demons," M'ru said.

All beings of the Light loathe the Burning Legion. These creatures, once they discover a planet, will attack without hesitation, slaughtering all mortal races on that planet.

“I know Sargeras’ ultimate goal, but I think his method is utterly foolish. If the first shadow, the first light, the first life, the first death, and the first order could be born in the universe, then a second and a third could be born. Burning the entire universe to stop the invasion of the Void is clearly inappropriate,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes remembers that the Naaru knew about the existence of the Shadowlands in the story, and even entered the Shadowlands and went on a killing spree. However, the latest plot shows that the Shadowlands is not the final destination for all the undead, but a secret experimental site created by humans, which further fuels a conspiracy theory.

“I’m truly surprised. It seems you know a lot! Indeed, Sargeras’ actions were incredibly foolish; he was deceived by the demons,” M'ru said.

“Indeed, the Holy Light has revealed many things to me and told me many things,” Rhodes nodded and said.

"Can you tell me who the being behind you is? Who gave you your current power and such a wondrous being?"

"He was a great and sacred being. I cannot describe his appearance. He only appeared in my dreams. At first, I thought he was the legendary Titan guardian."

They granted me new magical powers, even allowing me to manipulate other forces, and gave me powerful troops to fight for Azeroth.

He showed me many visions of the future and hidden events of the past, but I later discovered that the Titan Guardian was far less powerful than that being, and I even suspected that he was the legendary Titan.

Until he revealed to me the secret of the world's origin: the so-called Titans were not the true creator gods; the Firstborn were the first intelligent life forms in this universe to develop self-awareness. They created the six fundamental forces and everything in this universe.

"I see, child, I understand!" At this moment, Muru was extremely shocked, because he had vaguely guessed who the mysterious being behind Rhodes was.

Muru looked at the holy angel beside Rhodes, the holy fire phoenix flying in the sky, and the holy light elements hovering around countless paladins and priests.

And further away, there were constructs, including metal beings made entirely of gold and constructs made entirely of diamonds.

The Holy Light Elemental can be understood; it is a pure Holy Light life form without self-awareness, yet all its actions represent Holy Light, somewhat similar to the lower forms of the Naaru. This spell is quite good; if the Naaru can learn this Holy Light Summoning and Shaping spell, they will be invincible in the fight against the Burning Legion, as they will be able to create even more armies.

As we all know, the power of Holy Light is the bane of the power of Fel. The Naaru themselves possess very powerful Holy Light, but they are not good at fighting, which is why they recruit countless mortal soldiers to fight for them.

Because if they rely solely on the Naaru, they are simply no match for the Burning Legion. Any mid-level Burning Legion soldier could easily subdue and capture a Naaru.

The Naaru's Holy Light can enhance the bodies of mortal soldiers, granting them greater strength, and this element of Holy Light will now be the best for rank-and-file soldiers.