Of course, if Aman'thul couldn't be found, the Titans had one last resort: to completely transform the Seat of the Pantheon into a weapon, manipulate it to crash into Sargeras, and use the souls of the Titans as fuel to perish with Sargeras.
When they needed to take this step, they had to pour all their power into the Seat of the Pantheon. Without the two Titans, Aman'thul and Sargeras, the Seat of the Pantheon would easily miss its target, so a navigator capable of bearing this heavy responsibility was needed.
This was also why the Titans sought help from mortals. Although mortal power was insignificant before the Titans, guiding the attack of the Seat of the Pantheon was something an Archmage like Jaina could absolutely accomplish.
This was the source of Jaina's absolute confidence in victory. Moreover, they hadn't reached such a desperate point yet. Sargeras hadn't freed his hands to deal with them, indicating that Arthas was still fighting the dark lord. To be able to contend with Sargeras for so long, the Titans were well aware that Arthas's strength was fully comparable to their own in their prime, which greatly increased their hopes of victory.
While the Burning Throne was tracking towards the Pantheon, following the traces left by Aman'thul, Eonar had already begun teaching Jaina how to guide the Pantheon's energy attacks.
Their teaching tool was the metal temple beneath their feet, Sargeras's Burning Throne.
After all, this grand hall was built by Sargeras in imitation of the Pantheon's craftsmanship. Its basic structure and functions were extremely similar to the Pantheon, making it perfectly sufficient as a sample for Jaina to familiarize herself with.
"Is it like this?"
Jaina's talent was absolutely outstanding among the Archmages of Azeroth. Under Eonar's guidance, she quickly directed a wisp of light from the Burning Throne towards a nearby asteroid. The energy, unstoppable, swiftly destroyed the asteroid, creating a burst of fireworks in the starry sky outside Argus.
"You are a genius, child."
Eonar nodded with satisfaction. "Although the Pantheon's energy is much more powerful than this wisp of light, the method is the same. And with our power assisting you, you only need to provide initial guidance."
Jaina looked at the exploding asteroid, somewhat dazed. "Then I hope things don't have to come to that."
The Titans sacrificing all their essence would be enough to eliminate Sargeras, but it also meant that the glory of the gods would be completely extinguished among the stars. Who knew how many times the light of stars would dim and black holes would annihilate before new Titans could be born again.
Although she had never witnessed the fall of a Titan, she had personally seen the demise of some demigods on Azeroth. When those noble lives, born and nurtured on Azeroth, died, they could still cause irreversible environmental impacts on a region or even an entire continent, let alone a stellar deity of the Titans' caliber.
"You are worried about us, aren't you?"
Eonar saw through Jaina's anxiety. She smiled gently, but when she spoke again, there was a touch of helpless melancholy. "If things truly come to that, then for us, it will also be a release.
"It was our oversight that allowed Sargeras to succeed, allowing him to rule this universe with destruction and fear for hundreds of thousands of years… You, and the countless beings in other worlds, regard us as gods, but in the end, we are merely beings who were born earlier in this universe than you, possessing innate powerful strength.
"We travel among the stars because our nature and instincts drive us to seek out worlds rich in life and soul, to change their environments, and to discover our already rare brethren. Over time, we even began to feel that the transformation of planets was a given, and we directly ignored the native creatures of those worlds."
Eonar's words always revealed a hint of weariness. Even Jaina could feel that Eonar had long been resistant, even disgusted, by their own actions.
"So that's why you're preparing to help Azeroth?"
Xal'atath had appeared beside the human and the god at some unknown point, and her first words were a topic that directly pricked Eonar's conscience.
This question silenced Eonar for a long time, but perhaps she had long anticipated this day, or perhaps she had long prepared to be frank. Eonar did not intend to avoid the topic. "Yes… this can be considered a form of repayment."
Jaina looked at Xal'atath and Eonar in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"
"Actually, in a sense, Azeroth is not entirely our kin, or rather, it's not just as simple as being our kin."
Perhaps because she was finally speaking a long-buried truth, Eonar's tone finally softened considerably, no longer carrying that bitterness and hesitation. "She is special, even in this universe.
"The birth of us Titans is extremely profound, so much so that even we don't fully understand its mysteries. We only generally know that worlds with self-awareness have a high probability of becoming one of us, like Argus, Kalesh, and Azeroth.
"But Azeroth is even more special than other conscious worlds. This planet's location is at the confluence of the major primal forces in the universe. This is a miracle; the complex energy environment not only didn't destroy this planet but instead gave birth to an incredible consciousness with infinite potential on it.
"If we had found her first, she would very likely have become the most powerful Titan in history, powerful enough to change the entire universe and spread order to every corner of the cosmos."
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Jaina realized something, her brows furrowing slightly. "But the Void planted the seeds of corruption on Azeroth first?"
Upon hearing the word "Void," Xal'atath couldn't help but sneer dismissively. "The Void? They are merely pests who steal the fruits of others' victories. The most laughable thing is that those Void Lords attempting to corrupt the real universe haven't realized that the seeds they cast have long since betrayed them. Those Old Gods, seemingly the vanguards of the Void, are actually all harboring ulterior motives, each wanting to claim Azeroth's power for themselves. If they were to succeed, they would gain the right to challenge the true Void primal force. At that point, they wouldn't care about the Void, but would consider themselves new deities, spreading their own order."
Eonar was somewhat surprised by this. What Xal'atath said were secrets of the Void that even the Titans were unaware of. However, she didn't inquire how Xal'atath knew so much. She simply nodded, acknowledging part of Xal'atath's statement, and added, "Indeed, before we found Azeroth, it was already ruled by the Dark Empire. But actually, in even earlier ages, other forces discovered this world of infinite possibilities even before the Titans and the Void.
"That was an era so ancient that describing it with time is meaningless. Before the Old Gods corrupted Azeroth, at least one other primal force had already rooted its influence on Azeroth.
"And before the Void ruled Azeroth, it should have been an era where the force of Life reigned supreme."
Eonar wanted to continue giving Jaina a history lesson, but the Burning Throne suddenly experienced violent turbulence. Although this could not harm anyone inside the Throne, it interrupted their conversation.
"Are you alright over there, Eonar?"
Norgannon's voice echoed in their ears, and Eonar quickly responded, "Of course, was there an accident?"
"...You'd better come see for yourselves."
Upon hearing this, Eonar removed the protective shield that blocked cosmic radiation, allowing the true scene outside the starry sky to enter their view.
And what they saw left all three of them dumbfounded.
In the starry sky, a distance away from Argus, there were widespread remnants of shattered planets. Looking along these dense asteroid belts, which had been pulled together by gravity, they could still see the ruins of several exploded planets in the distance.
Jaina keenly noticed that most of these planets were barren dead stars, while several more prominent planets were entwined with eerie purple void light and massive tentacles reaching into the sky.
However, now those tentacles had almost all lost their vitality, either ignited and burned by sulfurous flames, or having lost their original color, turning into clumps of grayish-white withered flesh.
"What... what is happening?"
Jaina's surprise was evident. She had never seen a cosmic scene like this before. Several planets seemed to have been violently dismantled, shattering and collapsing like building blocks, then dragged by the gravity of Argus and surrounding celestial bodies, forming countless ribbons of planetary debris in Deep Space.
The Burning Throne was currently moving through these planetary belts. The small asteroids she had just controlled the Throne's weapon system to shoot down had scattered out from these belts.
Eonar looked serious, as if she had witnessed something extraordinary. "These are the ruins of a battlefield. Your King is much stronger than we imagined. His battle with Sargeras was inseparable, and clearly, the surrounding planets became the casualties of their residual power."
Jaina was speechless for a moment. She knew Arthas was incredibly powerful, but she had no idea he had reached this level of strength.
Planets roughly the size of Azeroth were actually destroyed during his battle with Sargeras?
But intense worry followed immediately, because even such a powerful Arthas failed to defeat Sargeras, indicating that Sargeras's power was equally formidable. While the Coalition and the demons fought fiercely, they were completely unaware that outside the heavily polluted cloud layers and radiation zones of Argus, several stars had already been permanently reduced to dust, scattering across the cosmos.
However, Jaina also noticed a strange phenomenon: most of the destroyed planets seemed to be covered in bizarre fleshy tentacles, resembling the products of Old Gods' corruption.
Xal'atath answered her confusion. "After Argus was occupied by Sargeras's Legion, he dragged it to the edge of the Twisting Nether, the Void Realm, and the Deep Dark Realm (which is the real Material Universe), making it the first line of defense against Void Invasion."
"After all, if the Void truly tore open a rift and flooded into the Material Universe, even Sargeras would find it extremely troublesome. So, until the dust settles, he dare not relax his vigilance against the Void. But it is evident that no matter how strictly the Burning Legion guarded, the pervasive nature of Void Corruption still caused celestial bodies in the surrounding Star Sectors to suffer corruption."
Xal'atath pointed to the celestial debris visible to the naked eye. The now-inactive Void Tentacles on them were part of the biological shell of creatures similar to the Old Gods. But now, after enduring the dual ravages of Sargeras and Arthas, even the most powerful Ancient Gods could not escape death. Only some remnants were still barely surviving, but they would completely die soon.
After all, Xal'atath speculated that neither her boss nor the Dark Titan would show mercy to Void Creatures. When they fought, they naturally wouldn't care about their survival, and might even deliberately lead the battlefield toward those planets, hoping to cause trouble for their respective opponents while simultaneously ruining the Void Creatures' territory.
"Jaina, Xal'atath, we have confirmed the location of the Pantheon."
While Jaina and Xal'atath were chatting, Eonar conveyed a message.
"Where is it?"
"Right in the area where the planetary fragments are most dense."
Eonar waved her hand, directing their gaze toward the center of the asteroid belt, which was enveloped by a large amount of shattered rocks and ice.
---
"There are too many asteroids here; it might get bumpy soon."
Eonar greeted Jaina with concern. Although these planetary fragments were not enough to damage the Burning Throne, crossing such a dense asteroid belt would inevitably encounter resistance.
Under the Titan's control, the Burning Throne went full throttle, plowing a vacuum zone through the middle of the asteroid belt like a bulldozer running over pebbles.
As the asteroids continuously collided with the Burning Throne's protective shield, Jaina indeed felt the entire Throne begin to shake violently. For safety, she added a layer to her Magic Shield and used a Gravity Spell to firmly fix herself to the floor, preventing herself from being thrown off by the violent jolting.
Xal'atath, however, was unaffected by the turbulence. She floated leisurely within the Throne, even having the leisure to watch the sparks fly when the Burning Throne collided with the asteroids.
"You don't seem nervous at all."
Jaina's knuckles, gripping her staff, were slightly white. It was clear that even she, having experienced countless major events, still felt involuntarily nervous when facing an unknown battle.
"Why should I be nervous? These Titans are covering us. They are the ones who should be nervous."
Xal'atath said indifferently, "I only came here to stop you from doing anything foolish."
Jaina's expression changed. "What do you mean by that?"
"Did you really think I came with you just to reassure the other factions on Azeroth?" Xal'atath smiled faintly. "Arthas anticipated that things might develop to this point. If he truly didn't trust me, he would have taken me with him when dealing with Sargeras. Why would he leave me by your side?"
"..."
Xal'atath's honesty left Jaina speechless. Her hand gripping the staff relaxed, and she felt like a deflated balloon. She didn't even know why, after hearing Xal'atath's words, the nerves that had been tense for so long suddenly gave way.
She was still a bit dazed, with messy thoughts swirling in her mind.
"Wait... are you saying Arthas calculated all of this beforehand?"
"It wasn't exactly calculated, but it was just one of the scenarios he anticipated might happen."
Jaina was now completely mentally confused. Even a spell like Calm Mind could hardly settle her down. "Then why did he say those things to me back then?"
Xal'atath was now a little curious. "What did he say to you that caused such a strong reaction?"
"Uh—"
A barely perceptible flush suddenly appeared on Jaina's face, but this did not escape Xal'atath's eyes. She keenly caught the embarrassment Jaina was trying to hide. The meddlesome Void Herald zipped behind Jaina, placed her hands on Jaina's shoulders, and even pressed her head close to Jaina's cheek.
"Oh... let me guess. He must have said something emotional to you so you would feel reassured helping him handle the trivial matters on Argus, right? Hmm? Can you tell me?"
"This is right before the Final Battle! Can you be serious?"
"How much longer will this meaningless battle continue?!"
Sargeras roared. As the intensity of the battle increased, his beard and hair, formed of flames, danced like frantic snakes. To accurately strike Arthas, he hadn't even used his original, planet-sized Titan form, instead condensing his power into a more "miniature" physique. This meant that his every move was accompanied by energy more volatile and dangerous than the magma within a Stellar Core.
However, this "miniature" size was only relative to his largest form; to mortals, Sargeras's body was still unimaginably huge, with arms as thick as dragons.
The power released by the Dark Titan with every movement far surpassed the full force of an Elemental Lords' strike. It was this immense energy that caused the mountains and earth beneath his feet to crumble, and the oceans and rivers to entirely evaporate.
Just by landing on a planet, Sargeras caused damage far exceeding the natural disasters generated by the planet itself. Simply by standing there, the fel energy and flames burning around him raised the temperature within a thousand-kilometer radius by dozens of degrees.
And the greatsword in his hand, Gorshalach, with every swing, its violent cleaves could tear apart entire Continental Plates. As the flames on the blade spread, they left behind only flowing Magma and scorched desolation.
However, what angered Sargeras was that his opponent gave him no advantage whatsoever. Arthas was like an entire expanse of deep, silent starry sky; no matter how Sargeras scattered his destructive power, he couldn't touch or harm Arthas in the slightest.
Arthas held the Demonic Sword representing death, while the Light of Dawn Holy Relic at his waist shone brightly amidst the fel storm and flames, refusing to be extinguished by the scattered ashes and the seemingly overwhelming darkness.
Sargeras leaped, gripping the hilt with both hands, and after flying high into the sky, he brought the greatsword down with full force toward Arthas on the ground.
Chaotic power surged from the blade, instantly tearing the solid ground apart. The surface could not withstand such a heavy blow, bulging and cracking. A seemingly endless fissure violently spread out from where Sargeras's blade struck, splitting the entire land in two.
Explosive Magma spewed from the fissure, and the planet's plates groaned under the unbearable strain. But Arthas stood rooted on one side of the rift, the edge of Frostmourne wreathed in eternal, unchanging cold, having skillfully parried and deflected the heavy downward strike.
The attack Arthas could block did not mean the planet beneath their feet could endure it. They had been fighting here for several hours, and Sargeras's recent heavy cleave finally caused this poor planet to be completely detonated. The boiling Stellar Core was ignited by Sargeras's chaotic power, and before long, this planet would also turn into cosmic dust, just like all the previous battlefields.
But this failed to stop the conflict between Sargeras and Arthas. The Dark Titan in the sky unleashed a torrential rain of fire, almost setting the entire heavens ablaze, preemptively tolling the bells of doom before the planet's collapse.
The storm of fire and fel energy clashed in space. The power Sargeras exerted was enough to instantly crush an entire Legion Fleet into dust, but he knew that this alone was far from enough to defeat the opponent before him.
He needed even greater power, more ferocious attacks, far exceeding the strength he used when striking down the gods of the Pantheon.
Seeing that the ground beneath could no longer withstand Sargeras's ravaging, Arthas likewise leaped up, standing suspended in the air. He looked at the hundred-meter-tall Titan Avatar before him, his expression calm. This long battle with Sargeras made him realize one thing more clearly: Sargeras was now exerting his full power.
After Argus was trapped in The Maw, he lost the means to remotely destroy Azeroth. To completely end Azeroth, he first had to get past Arthas.
But fighting Arthas, moving from the Seat of the Pantheon to the starry cosmos, and then falling from space onto several planets —shattering even a few planets corrupted by The Void —their battle remained undecided.
A trace of regret inexplicably arose in the Dark Titan's heart. He suddenly regretted whether he should have abandoned the Legion so early, and perhaps should have found a way to let the Legion continue attempting to invade that planet.
But this thought merely flashed through Sargeras's mind. Regret was an emotion that passed like smoke for him; if he truly felt remorse, he should have regretted it when he massacred the entire Pantheon.
What he needed to consider now was something else: how to crush Arthas.
At their level of combat, let alone a few days, it might take months to determine a victor. The resilience of the Titans goes without saying; the energy within them is as vast as the sea of stars, almost inexhaustible. Yet, he didn't know why Arthas's aura hadn't changed at all despite fighting for so long.
Sargeras knew Arthas had seized the authority of a Cosmic Deity, but among all races or beings that could be called gods, the Titans were certainly the best. Otherwise, they couldn't roam the Real Universe at will with only a handful of members.
Arthas didn't know what Sargeras was thinking, nor did he need to. Ever since Sargeras's attempt to use Argus to destroy Azeroth failed, he understood that the scales of victory had begun to tip in his favor.
Furthermore, he had now almost completely figured out Sargeras's strength. In fact, he already had the chance to end this conflict sooner, but since Sargeras still had reserves of power, Arthas didn't mind using Sargeras's rage to destroy a few Void Strongholds.
Arthas held Frostmourne horizontally, blocking the flaming sword light cleaved by Sargeras. Flames and frost evaporated into a large amount of mist before Arthas, obscuring his vision, and the immense impact force transmitted from the blade sent him flying toward outer space.
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He summoned the Holy Light to dispel the dense fog before him, only to see Sargeras already closing in again.
Arthas was completely unfazed. He projected several layers of Holy Light shields in front of him. No matter how Sargeras cleaved, the blade of Gorshalach could never reach Arthas, and Arthas used the reaction force generated when the Holy Light shields shattered to continuously increase the distance between himself and Sargeras.
He also didn't forget to casually throw out a few grasp of the damned chains covered in frost, just to help Sargeras cool down a bit.
Sargeras was momentarily careless, and his left hand was ensnared by a grasp of the damned chain. Seeing the Runes of Domination on it rush toward him like sharks smelling blood, he stopped trying to shatter Arthas's Holy Light shields and instead cleanly turned and severed the chain wrapped around him.
Although he was prepared for a prolonged fight with Arthas, this unpredictable harassment still made Sargeras extremely irritable. And when he noticed that Arthas had no desire to actively attack, this feeling of annoyance intensified.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, Sargeras stopped staring intently at Arthas and turned his gaze toward the deep space off to the side.
"Are you counting on a few of my kin?"
Sargeras let out a scornful laugh. "Then let me tell you there's no need. Aman'thul's power has been drained, and they no longer have a chance to seal me away."
When Argus traveled to Azeroth, he drained most of the power from Aman'thul's soul, causing even Aman'thul's consciousness to fall into a death-like slumber. Sargeras even discarded him as trash on the Seat of the Pantheon. This wasn't due to a lack of caution; on the contrary, he was cautious enough, because his action effectively nullified the Titans' last chance to seal him.
This allowed him to fight Arthas without distraction. As long as a victor emerged between them, everything would be decided.
"I've already located the Pantheon. Moving towards it now."
Khaz'goroth steered the Burning Throne, carving a path through the dense asteroid belt and gradually approaching the Pantheon.
Sargeras had built the Burning Throne almost entirely to the same specifications and standards as Titan architecture, so Khaz'goroth could easily integrate the Burning Throne into the Pantheon's system.
A section of the outer walkway of the Burning Throne changed under Khaz'goroth's control. Metal components detached from the main structure, forming a bridge that began to extend towards the Pantheon floating in space.
"Be careful, it's too quiet here."
After Norgannon's reminder, apart from the sounds coming from inside the Burning Throne, they saw no unusual activity in the space outside, which was indeed somewhat strange.
With a dull metallic thud, the Burning Throne firmly connected to the Pantheon, naturally merging the two structures. As the connecting gates gradually opened, the Titans couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
If Sargeras was waiting right behind the door, then they would truly have nowhere to escape.
Fortunately, when the gate opened, they only saw the empty Seat of the Pantheon and did not find that terrifying figure.
No, saying it was empty wasn't accurate, because once the Titans confirmed there were no enemies in the Seat of the Pantheon, they immediately discovered a dim astral soul, almost devoid of light, casually discarded on a bronze throne.
"Aman'thul?!"
Eonar exclaimed, quickly moving to the father of the gods's soul and attempting to awaken him.
However, after injecting her life energy into Aman'thul's soul, Eonar was shocked to find that Aman'thul's soul was almost an empty shell, its internal power nearly depleted, and his will teetering on the brink of silence.
Fortunately, they arrived just in time, and the resilience of a Titan's soul was also a factor. Eonar's healing saved the father of the gods's soul from the risk of complete decay, but the Titans' expressions quickly grew solemn.
Although Aman'thul's life was saved, his current condition was thousands, even tens of thousands of times worse than the worst state of the other Titans. Forget about manifesting a proper avatar; Aman'thul couldn't even maintain a clear consciousness.
"Such severe soul depletion… can he still be saved?" Although Aggramar had long anticipated Aman'thul's fate, seeing Aman'thul's shattered soul with his own eyes still caused him immense grief.
Eonar sighed, "I can help him maintain a basic soul form. He won't face the worst fate for now."
"Then how long will it take for him to recover?"
Norgannon asked another critical question. Eonar could only shake her head this time. "I don't know… but with such damage, it might not heal completely even after tens of millions of years. It's no less difficult than a nascent world condensing into a true World-Soul."
Eonar's words plunged the gods into silence—this meant that the time Aman'thul needed to recover would even exceed the time it takes for a nascent world to develop consciousness and become a Titan.
Such a long period even surpassed the limits of what mortal civilizations could record; descriptions like "ten thousand years," which sound lengthy, were merely the smallest units in the face of such a time span.
And clearly, they didn't have tens or hundreds of thousands of years to wait. If they couldn't deal with Sargeras now, he would turn around and deal with all of them.
"It seems we still have to take that step."
Norgannon's tone was heavy; they all knew what that meant.
Without one Titan, the power the Pantheon could unleash would be greatly diminished. At the very least, they couldn't forcibly drag Sargeras back into a seal. That left the Titans with probably only one option: mutual destruction.
Since Aman'thul couldn't revive in the short term, they had to be even more careful with the resources at hand.
Norgannon surveyed the chaotic Seat of the Pantheon hall. The scorching aura left by Sargeras still lingered, and intersecting sword marks covered the hall. Beyond Sargeras's lingering power, there were other, more complex energies that Norgannon couldn't immediately analyze to determine their specific source.
However, he was certain these must have been left by Arthas; otherwise, there would be no explanation for who Sargeras fought in the Pantheon.
"Golganneth, go check the condition of other parts of the Pantheon. We must ensure this divine temple's functions are intact, or we will have no chance of victory."
"Khaz'goroth, I'll leave the repairs in the main hall to you."
"Eonar and I will see if we can get any useful information from Aman'thul's memories… at least to fully stabilize his condition."
"What about me?" Aggramar pointed to himself.
Norgannon glanced at him. "Your injuries are the most severe among us, apart from Aman'thul. Go back to the throne and rest; you'll be busy later."
Soon, Golganneth returned. "At least there's good news: the Pantheon hasn't been destroyed. Sargeras seems to have simply abandoned it here. All its functions are intact and can be reactivated at any time."
Norgannon nodded. "It seems we at least have a reliable ally who can force Sargeras to be too preoccupied to deal with the threat of the Pantheon."
They didn't know how Arthas managed to make Sargeras so distracted, but from all the signs, Arthas was an existence capable of standing alongside them. So, even with Aman'thul almost completely silent, the Titans were confident in dealing with Sargeras.
If Arthas was defeated, they at least had a chance to perish together with Sargeras.
And if Arthas exceeded their expectations and even managed to injure Sargeras, then Norgannon felt that even without the power of the father of the gods, they could still attempt to seal Sargeras.
Until the very last moment, the Titans did not want to choose mutual destruction. As Jaina suspected, if all the Titans were to dissipate into the universe, it would be a severe blow to the real universe. As foundational existences of the material universe, Titans could be injured, could slumber, or could be imprisoned, but if they completely fell and their souls also became silent, it would cause immeasurable subsequent impacts.
Khaz'goroth, while repairing the damaged hall, took a moment to say, "But there's also bad news: we currently can't confirm Sargeras's location. We only know they should be in a nearby star sector."
Norgannon said it didn't matter. "That's not a big problem. Although we can't find Sargeras, we can use our mortal friend to confirm Arthas's whereabouts. He must still be fighting Sargeras."
Jaina carried a magical item that allowed her to maintain contact with Arthas, which was one of the reasons she insisted on accompanying the Titans.
"I have a communication orb given to me by Arthas; I should be able to track his location with it... but only if he isn't too far away."
Jaina took out a gem-sized magic orb and tried to activate the magical energy within it to confirm Arthas's location.
The Titans watched the small trinket in Jaina's hand. However, just as everyone was anticipating the orb to function, this exquisite orb let out a 'crack' after some Arcane energy was infused into it.
Immediately after, to Jaina's shock, the orb directly split into several fragments, and its luster quickly faded.
She found it hard to understand why this happened. Logically, if it was beyond the orb's tracking range, there would at most be no reaction, but the orb splitting into several pieces was completely unexpected.
Norgannon pondered for a moment, then said to Jaina, "May I see this orb?"
Jaina had no objection. As the Titan who commanded the authority of magic, Norgannon was likely the most capable here of figuring out the reason.
Norgannon gently extended a hand, and soft Arcane energy, like an invisible hand, took the orb fragments from Jaina and began to examine the orb's condition.
Mortal magical techniques could be mastered by him in the blink of an eye. He even reverse-engineered the complete craftsmanship of this communication orb within seconds of touching it.
As he studied this magical creation, the Arcane radiance in Norgannon's hand grew brighter and brighter, until dozens of seconds later, the light suddenly dispersed, as if it had never appeared.
He had reached a conclusion: "Hmm... the orb is fine, and its tracking range is quite extensive, at least enough to cover the surrounding star sectors via the ley lines. It seems the problem isn't with this orb. I think it's highly probable that the battle over there is quite fierce, and the energy is chaotic to a certain extent. When the orb's tracking magic intervened, it directly stimulated the energy there, causing it to be shattered by the runaway energy from a distance."
After speaking, Norgannon extracted a trace of residual energy signal from the orb. He meticulously separated the mixed energy sources one by one, discovering that in addition to the orb's inherent Arcane energy, elemental, fel energy, Anima, Holy Light, and even Void were all present.
From this complex energy composition, it was clear that the battle situation there was reaching a fever pitch, and ordinary magical items could not withstand the backlash from such a chaotic energy field.
Afterward, Jaina tried several other magical items or spells for contact, but without exception, all were like a stone sinking into the sea, disintegrating immediately upon encountering a vast and chaotic network.
"...No, I've tried every method I can, but I'm getting no response."
Jaina dejectedly admitted her failure. Large-scale tracking magic should not normally be affected by ordinary energy storms, but the 'black zone' created by Arthas and Sargeras was simply too vast, and the places they had passed through were almost entirely enveloped in this chaos. There was no knowing exactly where they had gone.
To confirm their coordinates by narrowing down the black zone would take a lot of time, and they clearly didn't have that time to waste now.
"Understood. Let me try, shall I?"
Norgannon had observed all of Jaina's spells. In fact, the types of magic Jaina cast covered almost all known spell categories. Even if Norgannon were to try, he would only be using tracking spells with a wider range.
After all, this type of spell is hardly a high-end category; even apprentices first encountering magic can perform a few tricks with it. This also means that the basic principle of such spells is quite simple. Even as a Titan, Norgannon couldn't do anything particularly fancy, only differing from mortals in efficiency and range.
So Norgannon decided not to approach it with that kind of spell anymore. He asked Jaina, "Do you have anything on you that has had contact with both you and Arthas?"
Jaina paused, then subconsciously lifted the pendant she wore around her neck—a blue orb that Arthas had created for her by drawing energy from the Shadowlands, which was still emitting a faint blue light.
Even Norgannon paused for a moment when he saw this pendant, as it was clearly not an artifact that should exist in the real universe. However, he said nothing, merely casting an inquiring gaze at Jaina. This item was very unusual in value and might hold some special significance. Norgannon decided to await Jaina's own decision.
Without hesitation, Jaina took off the pendant and handed it to Norgannon, only asking one more question, "Will it be damaged?"
"It shouldn't be. This item's capacity is far beyond your imagination. The energy there is not enough to threaten this pendant." Norgannon carefully drew the pendant closer. Even for a Titan, this tear-shaped droplet condensed from pure Anima was a remarkably unique treasure.
Jaina breathed a sigh of relief. Although finding Arthas was worth even destroying the necklace, if possible, Jaina still wished to keep it.
"Don't worry, I won't use traditional spells to find Sargeras either. This pendant can provide more help than I imagined."
After initially sensing the energy within the pendant, Norgannon felt more confident about what was to come. He quickly took the pendant to activate a hall in the Pantheon, preparing to focus on his preparations there.
The other Titans also returned to their respective posts. In the center of the Seat of the Pantheon, only Eonar and Aggramar remained, and Aggramar also entered a slumber on the throne, seizing this time to recover his strength.
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Eonar, meanwhile, returned Aman'thul's soul to the throne, which would at least allow the power of the Seat of the Pantheon to be mobilized to alleviate his injuries.
After all this was done, Eonar breathed a sigh of relief. Jaina then said, "I'm glad you were able to save your kin as well."
To Jaina's surprise, Eonar shook her head. "No... we actually anticipated Aman'thul's fate long ago—the moment Sargeras took him. My current relief isn't because of him, but because of... you."
Jaina was puzzled. "Because of us?"
"Yes, Aman'thul's incapacitation might actually be a good thing for our plan. After all... his ideas often differ from ours. I even considered what we would do if he didn't accept our proposal."
Eonar's words carried a hint of relief, indicating that this Guardian of Life seemed to have some reservations about Aman'thul's stubbornness. "If Aman'thul were still conscious, he might not agree to confront Sargeras this way. Given his personality, he might prefer to hide the Pantheon in the depths of the universe until he was confident enough to reappear."
Jaina frowned. "That would mean countless lives would perish in the process, and the order of the universe would be utterly destroyed, leaving only Sargeras's Legion of Destruction."
"Yes, that's why I'd rather settle the score directly with Sargeras, and now is indeed a better time."
After saying these words, Eonar stopped discussing Aman'thul. Her face held only an endless complexity. As the oldest Titan, Aman'thul, who was like an elder brother and father to the other Titans, determined the actual direction of the entire Pantheon.
But precisely because he was so ancient, his will, compared to the vitality of new life, was closer to the cold indifference of cosmic order. Many times, Aman'thul preferred to act as a machine for spreading order, forcefully changing the fate of a planet or a civilization.
Not all Titans liked this practice of imposing fate on others, but most Titans adopted an indifferent attitude. They could do it, or not do it. Since Aman'thul wanted to do it, the Pantheon would answer his call.
Therefore, at this moment, Eonar had such complex thoughts, because she also didn't know what choice Aman'thul would make if he were still conscious...
The wait didn't last too long. Norgannon returned to the Seat of the Pantheon with the intact pendant and another cloud of gas, arranged like stars.
"It worked."
Norgannon first returned the pendant to Jaina, gesturing for her to put it back on. "I've extracted the threads of destiny from this pendant, found the connection between its creator and you. Now, as long as you keep the pendant with you, the stellar coordinates in my hand will continuously receive feedback, providing us with Arthas's location."
Although the spell was complete, Norgannon's expression showed a hint of regret. "It's a pity Aman'thul has fallen silent; otherwise, with his authority, this spell could be even more precise and swift."
Norgannon governed the mysteries of magic and knowledge, but Aman'thul was the one among the gods who held the authority over destiny and time. It was precisely because magic alone couldn't trace Arthas's whereabouts that Norgannon used this method to simulate Aman'thul's authority, hoping it would have some effect.
And imitating the power of a Titan was no easy feat; even Norgannon could only barely use spells to perform simple imitations, not aiming to fully reach Aman'thul's level, but just to be able to provide information normally.
Following the threads of destiny revealed by the spell, they could finally find Arthas's trace and follow in the footsteps of those two.
The Pantheon also completed its repairs at this time, beginning to hum as it prepared to venture into deeper cosmic space.
Before departing, Eonar reminded Jaina, "You and your friends must return to the Burning Throne. When we discover Sargeras's whereabouts, at the opportune moment, we will immediately activate the Pantheon's seal to drag him back here. The Seat of the Pantheon will at best become a direct battlefield. Mortals should not directly face his might."
Jaina knew she still had a mission. If Sargeras's condition didn't meet the sealing requirements, the Titans would choose another approach, and then she would need to provide the final assistance.
The monotony of interstellar travel far exceeded Jaina's imagination. To avoid missing any traces left by destiny, the Pantheon did not activate its warp drive but instead followed the trails left by Sargeras and Arthas through the cosmos.
As Argus became increasingly distant, until it was merely a green glow in the deep space, Jaina finally gave up looking back at Argus.
Xal'atath noticed Jaina's almost constant glances back. "Are you very concerned about the unfinished business on Argus?"
Jaina shook her head. "I believe others can resolve the remaining issues there; the Prophet will spare no effort to do so... But I cannot forget the other world connected to Argus."
The other world connected to Argus naturally referred to Azeroth, on the other side of the teleportation coordinates.
Unlike any previous journey, although Jaina had participated in several travels that surpassed spatial and even temporal distances on Azeroth, when she truly stepped into this sea of stars alone, she still felt an endless sense of solitude.
Like a leaf drifting into the ocean, when she looked back, she could no longer see any trace of land.
The deep cosmos was even more desolate than the ocean; although the visible specks of light were countless stars, the distances between those stars were unimaginably vast.
To prevent this loneliness from eroding her heart, Jaina chose to enter Arcane meditation, also to conserve energy and stamina for the upcoming actions. "Please inform me immediately when the target is found. Thank you, Xal'atath."
Xal'atath accepted the task and waved her hand indifferently. Compared to Jaina, who was still in mortal form, she no longer needed sleep or food in a physiological sense; all her actions stemmed from her preferences, and now was clearly not the time to indulge herself.
However, Xal'atath did miss those two years in Lordaeron. Mortal life seemed ordinary and mundane, but from the perspective of the entire universe, the trajectory of every individual's life was a unique miracle.
—Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've admired this silent space.
Xal'atath came to the edge of the Burning Throne, admiring the rare scenery.
After an unknown amount of time, a somewhat impatient voice rang in Xal'atath's ear, "Haven't you found Sargeras yet?"
Illidan had appeared beside Xal'atath at some point, and he was not satisfied with the current sluggish situation.
"You'll have to ask the Titans; they are responsible for tracking Sargeras, we are only providing some insignificant help."
"Hmph... I don't get along with those giants."
Illidan did not wish to interact much with the Titan gods.
The reasons were complex, even he couldn't explain them clearly, but his intuition told Illidan that he should avoid those self-proclaimed divine Titans, even if they were truly as powerful as gods.
And Illidan trusted his intuition greatly; it had saved him many times over ten thousand years.
"Then we can only wait patiently. No one knows how long it will take to find Sargeras and Arthas, maybe decades, maybe right—"
Before Xal'atath could finish her sentence, the Burning Throne violently lurched, shaking the words she was about to utter back into her stomach.
After being interrupted, she was no longer in the mood to chat with Illidan. She immediately went to the observation room of the Burning Throne to retrieve the records of what had just happened.
Soon, Jaina also arrived. The tremor was quite significant, pulling her directly out of her meditation.
"What happened?"
"Looks like we've arrived."
Xal'atath stepped aside, displaying the images to Jaina: In the footage transmitted from the Pantheon, a planet not far from them had exploded into a fireworks display a few seconds ago.
Cracked continental fragments were blasted directly out of the clouds and into outer space. The entire planet was like a watermelon violently thrown and smashed on the ground, gushing juice and tearing open its rind.
The reason for the tremor was a planetary fragment impacting the Seat of the Pantheon's shield. This commotion also woke the resting Titans, who were now rapidly gathering surrounding parameters.
Eonar didn't keep Jaina and the others waiting long before sending back a message.
"That is Sargeras's doing—from the records left in the areas we've passed, almost all large planets along the way have become their battlefield, and the slightly more distant moons and asteroids have also become extensions of their battlefield. Sargeras and Arthas's power have drawn a death isolation line across several star systems."