Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Sargeras. As far as I know, the greatest invader and destroyer in this world is Sargeras."

Every civilization, or rather, any civilization that knows of the Burning Legion's existence, considers you the greatest threat to the universe. How can you say that this universe is being invaded, and that the invader is not you? Rhodes immediately questioned you.

To earn Sargeras's respect, besides possessing immense power, you also cannot be timid. If you are timid, he will look down on you. At this moment, Rhodes released all his holy light power, condensing it on his body surface to form a golden barrier, making him look dazzlingly golden.

"Very powerful holy light, even more powerful than the Naaru I've seen. It's remarkable. Your strength is quite good."

Having reached your level of strength, you should know that each of the six fundamental principles of the universe has a corresponding deity. For example, the Order alignment corresponds to me, the Titan. However, the other side of Order is Chaos, so I am both the deity of Chaos and the deity of Order.

There are also three factions of gods in the universe: gods representing life and death, and gods representing holy light and shadow.

But the real universe is a solid barrier, and the gods on our side of order are the planetary souls born in this world.

We have brought order and peace to this universe, but the gods of shadow and light are trying to invade our world.

They embody compassion while committing bloody and cruel acts. Have you ever heard of the Old Gods? The Old Gods of this world are merely seeds released by the Void Lords.

They parasitize planets, absorbing their power, and then summon void lords to devour the entire world.

"The ultimate form of the Holy Light is Shadow, a fact you have already grasped. Shadow is the greatest threat to this universe, and the reason I established the Burning Legion is to drive out these shadows and protect this world," Sargeras said.

Sargeras spoke with righteous indignation, but Rhodes dismissed it with disdain. "How much better are you than those Void armies? If you really want to protect this world, you should be fighting the Void and taking down those Void Lords. What kind of person are you, bullying ordinary life?"

However, on the surface, Rhodes still pretended to be shocked, as if it were the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.

"Lord Sargeras, do you mean you are protecting this universe, not destroying it? Are you dealing with the threat of the Void?"

"That's right. The forces of the void are very cunning. Some worlds have been completely infected by the void. Although it is not visible on the surface, they have been corrupted inside."

There are currently five Old Gods in the world of Azeroth. Two are not dead, and the other three have been imprisoned by my brothers. However, they can still cause harm to this world.

I came to this world not to destroy the World Soul of Azeroth, but to save this poor kin.

It is the Void that corrupts her. If I do not take action, this world will be doomed, and you will all become slaves to the Shadow.

"If you join the Legion, I can give you the position of Commander of the Burning Legion, a position of equal rank to Archimonde and Kil'jaeden. You are worth such an investment." Sargeras began to tempt Rhodes with words.

They portray themselves as a great savior, all in an effort to stop the Shadow's plot.

Rhodes sneered inwardly. If I hadn't already seen Azeroth, and if I weren't a time traveler, I would have actually believed it.

"So... the Burning Legion's expedition was not simply about destruction, but... an extreme and grand form of redemption?"

"That's right, join this rescue mission!"

Chapter 366 Deception, I value you highly, Rhodes

"Together we will banish the shadows, banish the filth from this world, and save all the universes. Azeroth is only the first world you will save; I will take you to other worlds, so that you may see endless knowledge and endless power."

"We will complete a grand expedition that reaches the very end of creation," Sargeras said with great passion.

I never would have guessed that the Burning Legion's big boss, the Dark Titan, was such a smooth talker. No wonder he was able to persuade demons and various races to join the Burning Legion. This old guy's persuasive skills are pretty good. Too bad you've met your match.

This time, I'm going to trick you out of everything, down to your underwear.

A perfect blend of shock, contemplation, and a hint of struggle appeared on Rod's face.

He remained silent for several seconds, as if engaged in a fierce internal struggle, and Rod displayed superb acting skills.

This allowed Sargeras' avatar to wait quietly, its green flame eyes gleaming with patience—the stronger the soul, the stronger the life, the more dazzling the light during the transformation. Rhodes was proficient in the power of holy light and his life level was at the demigod level. After transforming into the commander of the Burning Legion, his combat power would even surpass Archimonde's, and he would become the backbone of the legion.

If Rhodes wished, he could even grant him several planets as his territory, creating a base planet similar to Argus. (According to the latest storyline, the Burning Legion did indeed suffer defeat in patch 7.0, but only its headquarters, Argus, was defeated. The Burning Legion has many other base planets like Argus, and aside from lacking a powerful figure like Sargeras to oversee them, the size and quality of their armies are not much inferior to those on Argus.)

Finally, Rhodes raised his head, the holy light in his eyes seemed to dim slightly, replaced by a shock at the "grand truth" and a bewildered longing for the "mission of redemption".

Upon seeing Rhodes's gaze, Sargeras revealed a satisfied expression. He had seen that look countless times before; he always managed to persuade mortal beings to understand their true mission.

“I…I have never thought about the crisis of the universe from this perspective.” Rhodes’ voice was a little dry.

“In my travels, I have only seen burning planets and destroyed civilizations… but if behind all this is a fight against a deeper darkness… I never imagined that everything you have done was actually for salvation, not just destruction.”

Rhodes took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind: "Great Sargeras, your ideas... are awe-inspiring. If the Void is indeed the ultimate evil lurking beneath the surface of order, then your path is truly magnificent."

Perhaps… it is indeed necessary, great Sargeras. Thank you for your invitation. I am willing to join your ranks and contribute to this universe, repelling the evil shadow forces.

“A wise choice, Rhodes. I knew you would agree. You have a vision beyond the ordinary, which is good.”

Simple destruction is meaningless. What I do is a fire of purification and reshaping, to forge a truly eternal new order from the decaying flesh of the void.

"I am a Titan. Although I still wield fel energy, I remain inclined towards order. After we defeat the Void, I will reshape the entire universe, where life will flourish. I will establish an unparalleled world of order, and you will have the privilege of witnessing all that I do," said the phantom of Sargeras.

"I am very honored, Lord Sargeras. In fact, I do not believe in the power of the Holy Light; I am merely using this power. I firmly believe that only matter is real."

"So after I first learned about fel energy, I actually studied this power, but I found that it was too destructive to life, so I never used it much." Rhodes said, raising his palm and suspending a ball of fel energy in his hand.

With the Heroes of Might and Magic spellbook, Rhode can wield the six Forces, and can control them as long as he learns the corresponding spells.

During the Battle of Mount Hyjal, Rhodes even unleashed the top-tier spell, Words of Chaos, but he never used it.

Perhaps Rhodes can use this spell during this Burning Legion invasion. I really want to see what it's like to see the Burning Legion get hit by his spell and chased by Hellfire.

"It truly surprises me, Rhodes. You are indeed an explorer of order and knowledge. You do not rely on any power, nor do you depend on them, which is completely different from the Holy Light users I have seen before. This is also why, although you possess powerful Holy Light abilities, you have not been assimilated by the Holy Light."

"Let me tell you the whole truth. You think the Holy Light is a benevolent power, but that's not true. You haven't seen its corrupting influence. In fact, the Holy Light and the Shadow are essentially no different." Sargeras was clearly very pleased that Rhodes had unleashed his fel power. With a wave of his hand, an illusion appeared: a peaceful planet, entirely golden except for the Holy Light.

Everything else. All other forces were shielded—the shadow of life, fel energy, and order.

“I’m here to show you the real truth, Rhodes. The world before you is one I conquered hundreds of years ago. It has been corrupted by the minions of the Holy Light, who have wiped everything out of the world.”

There is only one kind of energy there, which is the Holy Light. Anyone who does not believe in the Holy Light will be regarded as a heretic and will be eliminated. The Holy Light is more cruel than you can imagine.

Their power would corrupt plants and animals; everything would be sanctified, and the entire planet would be in a state of divine faith.

But that's actually wrong. It's no different from a world ruled by shadows, because the Holy Light can turn all this golden light into pitch-black shadows whenever it wants. So you understand now, this is corruption." Sargeras was clearly in a good mood, so he told Rhodes about a Holy Light planet he had conquered before.

Rhodes listened intently. Thadras wasn't lying, because according to the latest expansion, the Holy Light could indeed infect other creatures, and in a very extreme way.

A planet that has been sanctified will indeed become a world similar to one infected by fel energy. However, you will not be much better off. A world infected by fel energy is even more terrifying, and all life is corrupted by fel energy.

Only Azeroth's idea is correct: the six Forces must be balanced; no single Force can be too strong or too weak.

"This is truly terrifying, Lord Sargeras. I once visited a planet where the people's faith in the Holy Light had taken over 70% of their population."

There is a city-state there, where the plants have been infected by the Holy Light, becoming Holy Light-infused plants that attack anything that lacks the power of the Holy Light. Rhodes began to mislead Sargeras.

“That’s right, Rhodes, this is the Holy Light. It seems you’ve already seen the other side, which is why you’ve learned the power of fel energy. You’ve made the right choice.” He had once again convinced a powerful talent. The Burning Legion would surely evolve the entire universe, and the evil shadow creatures would have nowhere to hide.

“Thank you for your grace, Lord Sargeras. I wish you would personally infuse me with fel energy, making me a supreme demigod, allowing me to join the Legion and become its commander,” Rhodes said, nodding.

“I will grant your wish, Rhodes, but mere verbal agreement is far from enough. To become a member of the Legion, to truly understand and harness the power of Chaos, you need to embrace fel energy—not just dabble, but let its flames burn within your very being, merging and transforming with your Holy Light… to give birth to a higher power.” But Sargeras’s next words stunned Rhodes.

Wait a minute, Sargeras said he would merge Holy Light and Fel energy! Is this guy kidding me? Shouldn't he normally say he would abandon Holy Light and convert all Holy Light into Fel energy?

“My power comes from the Holy Light, which seems to be the complete opposite of fel energy. Forcibly fusing with it, wouldn’t that…” Rhodes was interrupted by Sargeras before he could finish speaking.

“Listen to me, Rhodes, you are different from those other fools. I value you highly. Do you know why? Because in addition to possessing the power of holy light, you also have powerful arcane magic. This is the power of order, and your life level has reached the demigod level.”

You alone possess three forces simultaneously: the chaotic fel energy, the orderly arcane magic, and the holy light of light. This is extremely rare.

Did you know? Before I met you, I traveled all over the universe and I did discover some creatures that can be transformed into fel energy, and can also be transformed from fel energy into life or holy light. The Force can be transformed into one another.

But once you give up this Force, you can no longer embrace other forces. For example, I used to have the Force of Order, but since I embraced the Fel energy of Chaos, the Force of Order has left me, even though the Force of Order is my origin.

Not to mention demigods; Kil'jaeden and Archimonde both possessed powerful spellcasting abilities before I transformed them.

But after I bestowed upon them powerful fel energy, these arcane powers of order also departed from them; this is an immutable law of the universe.

Even the mighty Titans must abide by this law, but after meeting you, I realized I was wrong. It turns out there are demigods in this world who can control other Forces, and some have even mastered more than three at once.

"This is extremely rare, so Rhodes, you can accept the power of fel energy, but don't give up your Holy Light or your Order magic. Perhaps you can go further than Archimonde and Kil'jaeden. I look forward to your future," Sargeras said.

Chapter 367 Rhodes: Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Sargeras's words echoed in the hall, the rolling fel flames seemingly reflecting his burning ambition. Rhodes's heart clenched slightly, but his face maintained an expression that was a mixture of shock and longing, showing his unparalleled worship of Sargeras.

So that's what Sargeras was planning! It seems that, like Azeroth, Sargeras has high aspirations and has also seen his own potential. The six fundamental forces are united as one, and this is the threshold to the highest realm. The six fundamental forces in this universe were created by the First Ones. To reach the level of these god-like life forms, you must master the power they created.

If you can't even fully control the power they created, how can you talk about surpassing it?

Sargeras did not simply want to turn Rhodes into yet another demon commander, but rather he was drawn to Rhodes' "abnormal" quality of being able to contain multiple Forces at the same time.

Throughout Sargeras' long reign of conquest, there has probably never been a being like Rhodes, who could balance Holy Light, Arcane Power, and even the power of life before reaching the level of a true god.

This challenged his understanding of the laws of the universe and ignited a deeper desire for exploration—if he could create a "perfect weapon" that could simultaneously control light and darkness, order and chaos, it might surpass all his existing creations.

Sargeras could even obtain the key to the highest realm from Rhodes, observe Rhodes' changes, regain his own power of order, and then control the power of life, and even the power of holy light, to further enhance his strength and become the most powerful being in the universe.

Although Rhodes' innate level was very high, reaching the level of a demigod, it was still incomparable to his own world soul, the Titan. As long as he could observe how Rhodes sorted out and perfectly integrated this power, then he, as a god-level being, would definitely be able to do it. This was Sargeras' confidence.

When Sargeras first met Rhodes, according to his original character, he should have first intimidated him and then forcibly ordered him to pledge allegiance to him.

But after discovering the strangeness about Rhodes, Sargeras changed his mind. He first tried to persuade him with earnest words, and then disguised himself as a great benefactor of the universe. All of this was for a purpose.

"Messenger of the Holy Light...and beginner of fel magic, you are different from Azshara. You are better than her, 100 times better, 1 times better!"

She was merely a skilled schemer who enjoyed playing tricks and intrigues among mortals, but she didn't understand that power is everything, and that in the face of absolute power, all schemes and intrigues are nothing but a joke.

Her level of power determines her upper limit. I've seen countless self-righteous rulers like her in the universe, so I hope you don't get caught up in this kind of power struggle.

"Your future will be even brighter. If you like, I can even give you Azshara as a pet, no problem. I won't even corrupt her with fel energy, allowing her to retain only her purest, original form," Sargeras said.

According to some intelligence he obtained, this person named Rhodes seems to have some unclear relationship with Queen Azshara. Azshara is too arrogant and even thinks she can be on par with him. What a foolish idea! Not long ago, Sargeras had already taught this queen a lesson.

He wanted him to understand the difference between gods and mortals. Only a demigod like Rhodes could catch Sargeras's eye. Moreover, Rhodes was proficient in other Forces. His future achievements would definitely surpass those of ordinary demigods and might even reach the level of ordinary true gods. Although he could not compare with their World Souls, he would still be very good.

Rhodes might be able to join his Fel Pantheon in the future and become one of its members.

“Pet…” Rod chewed on the word, the shock and longing on his face had not faded, but his heart was ice-cold.

He had no doubt about the truth of Sargeras's words; to this Dark Titan, a proud queen like Azshara was no different from an amusing plaything.

This made him realize more clearly that in Sargeras' eyes, only "value" was the sole criterion. His "value" at this moment lay in this rare body and soul that could accommodate multiple Forces, and... the "mission" he was about to be given.

If she hadn't demonstrated her value, Sargeras wouldn't have given her a second thought. Poor Queen, look at the true god you worship. In his eyes, you're nothing more than an ant, or at least similar to one, because he can crush an ant with one foot, and he can crush you with one foot too.

"Your kindness... fills me with trepidation, great Dark Titan, Savior of the Universe, Lord Sargeras." Rhodes lowered his head, his tone carrying just the right amount of awe, and the excitement of receiving Sargeras's favor.

"Queen Azshara has her own majesty, how dare I overstep my bounds? What I desire more is to contribute to your great cause and prove my loyalty and...worth."

"Value needs to be demonstrated through action. The barriers of Azeroth prevent me from descending easily; it is protected by multiple layers of barriers erected by the Titans."

I need a 'door,' a 'door' that's stable enough to hold more of my power. Azshara and her elves are doing that. You can help them. Once I descend upon Azeroth, I will show you what true power is. I also hope you will show me how you fuse with other Forces.

"Go! Join Azshara and cooperate with her. My legion is ready, awaiting only the opening of the gates... I will descend upon Azeroth. Do not let my expectations be disappointed, Rhodes." Sargeras' colossal phantom vanished after uttering these words, and the altar in the room returned to its tranquility.