The vermilion gates of the Terrace of Eternal Spring were enormous and magnificent, standing over five meters tall.
Needless to say, this was also a palace built during the time of the Mogu Empire.
The Kirin stone statues at the entrance were imposing and domineering, very similar to the four-colored Kirin in the Mogu'shan Vaults, said to be the Royal Kirin tamed by the Mogu.
Galen used his immense strength to push open the gates that had been sealed for ten thousand years, and the full view of the ancient palace came into their sight.
This was a royal garden built against a valley, carved into the cliff face.
Kritik darted in first, eager to find the last traces of his friend Shaohao in this place.
"You impudent monkey! This is not a place for you! Get out!"
Galen had just stepped over the high threshold of the Terrace of Eternal Spring when he heard an angry shout from ahead, followed by the sounds of a fierce fight.
A fight?
Galen remembered that there were also guardians in this ancient palace. Could it be that the Monkey King had offended them as soon as he came in?
Bro!
I'm here for an interview, you're here to find a friend, we're not here to clear a dungeon!
What's with your explosive temper? Why are you fighting with the guardians of the Terrace of Eternal Spring?
Galen hurried forward, reached the stairs, and saw Kritik wielding the Black Iron Ruyi Jingu Bang, fighting a group of Jinyu people clad in ancient armor.
In the distance, Galen also noticed three Jinyu people watching the battle in the arena. He guessed that these three legendary Jinyu should be the Jinyu elders who helped Shaohao foresee the crisis of Azeroth and assisted Shaohao in performing the ritual of becoming the Mistwalker!
Guardian Koalan, Elder Ry'giel, and Asani!
As for how they, who were not even demigods, could have survived to this day, Galen was not surprised.
The huge pool in the center of the Terrace of Eternal Spring was the so-called Pool of Youth. Even a brief soak could wash away all filth and heal all wounds. If the Jinyu lived in it, taking a couple of sips of the spring water every day, it would not be surprising for them to live for ten or eight thousand years.
However, Galen was now having a headache.
The Monkey King had been fighting for a while, and although this monkey had held back, more than a dozen Jinyu guards had still been knocked down and were lying on the ground.
Was he supposed to go up and shout, "Stop fighting!"?
If it suddenly rained heavily, Galen was afraid he would laugh out loud first!
"Yu'lei! Yu'lei! It's your turn!"
In the end, Galen patted the Azure Dragon's daughter, who was dormant on his wrist. This child's appearance would be more effective than him talking for a long time.
Yu'lei was very obedient. Her figure directly changed from a bracelet into the size of an ordinary cloud serpent, hovering above Galen's head.
"Awoo! Awoo awoo!"
Although Yu'lei's voice was childish, it made everyone fighting in the arena stop their movements.
The Monkey King, carrying his staff, returned to Galen's side. The Jinyu guards checked on their fallen companions and carried them up to throw them into the pool.
"Everyone, I am a messenger of the Four Celestials. Pandaria has encountered a once-in-ten-thousand-year situation. I am here to find Shaohao."
The Jinyu fell silent. Finally, at the elders' signal, the guards opened a passage for Galen.
Just as Galen and the Monkey King were about to pass through, a loud dragon roar rang out in the sky, followed by a golden cloud serpent breaking through the clouds and landing, circling above everyone's heads.
"Zhulong, you damned idiot, you didn't show up when you saw me being besieged just now, but you're willing to come out after watching the show! Humph!"
The Monkey King pointed at the golden cloud serpent flying in the sky and began to spew vulgarities.
Zhulong, said to be Shaohao's cloud serpent companion, just like Lorewalker Cho's Mishi. Zhulong was the companion personally hatched and raised by this last emperor.
Faced with the Monkey King's insults, Zhulong circled twice in the sky, then gave the monkey demigod a provocative look, and flew back into the clouds again.
"Awoo, awoo awoo!"
Yu'lei rarely encountered a companion with such a powerful aura and wanted to go forward and play with Zhulong. She turned her head to look at Galen, her eyes full of eagerness.
Yu'lei was born from a part of the Azure Dragon's soul. All the cloud serpents in Pandaria would be very friendly and respectful to her. Unfortunately, in addition to Yu'lon's soul, she also contained a trace of Lei Shen's thunder power, which made those cloud serpents who were not strong enough feel fear when facing Yu'lei.
Although Al'Irgon was also a pendant on Galen's body like Yu'lei, unfortunately, this guy was a Titan construct and had no emotions of ordinary creatures, so he wouldn't play with Yu'lei.
Therefore, the young Yu'lei had no playmates except for the other three Celestial's offspring.
"Go, go, I'll call you when it's over!"
Galen waved his hand. Yu'lei excitedly flicked her delicate tail and flew into the sky with Zhulong.
After Yu'lei flew away, Galen said to the Monkey King, "Okay, don't be angry. I can tell at a glance that you weren't very nice to him back then."
The mischievous nature of the Hozen was well-known in Pandaria. Galen believed that Kritik had teased Zhulong a lot back then.
"Let's go, let's find Shaohao!"
"Yes, yes! Let's go quickly, I can't wait to have a drink with Shaohao!"
Kritik took down a wine gourd tied to his Ruyi Jingu Bang, hugged it in his arms, and stepped onto the stairs leading to the depths of the Terrace of Eternal Spring, passing through the Jinyu again.
Galen followed behind, slowly walking up the magnificent central staircase, thinking about various things as he walked.
After this trip to the Terrace of Eternal Spring is over, this palace will be the property of the Scarlet Crusade. He is now like a home buyer, observing the Terrace of Eternal Spring to his heart's content.
On both sides of the stairs were the so-called Pools of Youth. The Terrace of Eternal Spring was named after them, and Galen discovered a cute water spirit soaking in the pool.
She had a pair of big eyes formed by blue water currents on her big head, and there were auspicious clouds composed of water patterns on her face, and two small tiger teeth protruded from both sides of her mouth.
Seemingly because of shyness, she hid her whole body in the water, only sticking half of her head out of the water.
Reshi!
An ancient water spirit born from the Pool of Youth. This child and Immerseus, who guarded the Pool of Energy before, came from the same source, but their personalities were completely different.
Reshi was an innocent and lively water spirit, looking like a Fuwa doll, much cuter than Immerseus. Galen liked her very much.
In the original timeline, the Sha of Fear corrupted the Terrace of Eternal Spring. Reshi, with her introverted and shy personality, had a high resistance to the Sha's corruption as a pure water spirit, so she was not corrupted.
She looked panicked when she saw the polluted water and tried everything to remove the pollution, which made Galen feel very sorry for her.
After showing Reshi what he thought was a friendly smile, Galen walked up the stairs again. In the pavilion at the top, Galen could already feel Shaohao's presence!
This was an ancient, gilded six-pillar pavilion. Inside the pavilion stood an ancient ritual altar, with three burning incense sticks placed in the center and a row of golden prayer flags hanging around it.
However, the altar was not the most eye-catching thing. Most striking was a staff radiating a cyan glow: the Staff of the Mists, Shen-long.
It was the symbol of the Pandaren Emperor's authority, the most legendary weapon in Pandaria.
Back then, a Pandaren named Kang wielded this dragon staff, named after his deceased son, to lead the Pandaren in an uprising, ultimately defeating the last Mogu Emperor, overthrowing the Mogu rule, and establishing the Pandaren Empire.
Later, the Staff of the Mists passed into the hands of Shaohao, who used this artifact, sacrificing his physical body, to condense the mists that enveloped the land.
Galen looked at the staff, a relic of the Mistweaver Monks, and his eyes lit up. The desire to possess it instantly consumed his mind.
"Shaohao! Shaohao! Come out quickly, or your staff will have a new owner!"
The Monkey King knew what Galen was up to just by looking at his expression!
It was exactly the same expression he had when he took the Yu'lon pole from him, the Wanderer's Companion.
Although the Monkey King had given the Yu'lon pole to Galen for safekeeping because he felt his connection with it had ended, hoping that one day, the staff could be given to someone qualified to use it.
However, the Dragon, Staff of the Mists, belonged to Shaohao. Although the Monkey King was loyal to Galen, his feelings for Shaohao took precedence when it didn't involve betrayal.
"Hey! Hey! Don't shout, I'm just looking, not taking!" Galen tried to defend himself.
"Actually, if Lord Galen wants this Dragon Staff, I would offer it with both hands!"
A semi-transparent Pandaren appeared in the gilded six-pillar pavilion.
This was a weak and elderly Pandaren spirit, wearing a white robe with gold trim, and a black jade belt around his waist. What set him apart was the wisp of black beard that gave him a dignified appearance.
"Dear Shaohao, we have arrived. The evil and darkness that once made you struggle have permanently left Pandaria!"
When Kritick saw Shaohao's spirit, his eyes widened, and tears even welled up.
Shaohao was not dead; he had merely sacrificed his physical body, and his soul had resided in the Staff of the Mists for ten thousand years!
After Shaohao, the Pandaren had never seen an Emperor, but the hearts of the Pandaren people still belonged to Shaohao!
This last Emperor transformed the Pandaren into mists to shroud Pandaria, leaving the Shado-Pan to deal with the Sha and the Mantid, allowing his people to live in peace for ten thousand years.
"Kritick, long time no see!"
Shaohao stroked his beard and looked at the excited Monkey King with a smile, but he quickly turned to Galen: "Welcome, great redeemer!"
"You know me?"
"Indeed, when you crossed the mists from the sea and arrived in Pandaria, I sensed your presence."
"I became one with Pandaria as the mists, but you have a deeper connection with this continent, with this world!"
Shaohao's guess was correct. Pandaria was only a part of Azeroth, and Galen was directly the spokesperson for the world's will.
Titles like Child of the Planes and Child of Prophecy were not an exaggeration when applied to Galen.
"I am Galen Trollbane, a human king, the leader of the Alliance in the Eastern Kingdoms, and also the spokesperson for the Azeroth world-soul!"
"Human...?"
Shaohao's eyes were a little dazed, as if searching his memory.
When Kalimdor had not yet experienced the Great Sundering, he and the Monkey King had traveled the entire continent, encountering night elves, trolls, furbolgs, tauren, earthen, but he did not remember encountering a race called humans.
"Humans originated from the stone vrykul. Ten thousand years ago, our ancestors should have lived in the central and eastern regions of ancient Kalimdor!" Galen gave Shaohao some reminders.
"Stone vrykul... those Titan creations cursed... I remember now, your human ancestors were those weak children I saw in Tirisfal Glades!"
"That's right, that's the origin of us humans."
The small talk ended, Shaohao looked at Galen seriously, with scrutiny in his eyes: "Every era has its protagonist. Tens of thousands of years ago was the so-called era of the gods, and later dragons also walked the earth. Eventually, the trolls rose and dominated the continent, followed by the night elf empire. After sleeping for ten thousand years, perhaps the protagonist of the next era will be you humans."
"Shaohao, it's not perhaps, the Alliance is now the strongest force in Azeroth. Although the heirs of the night elf empire are also very strong, the Alliance is stronger because they have Lord Galen!"
The Monkey King knew much more information than Shaohao, who was holed up in the Temple of the Jade Serpent: "My friend, you have never enjoyed a day of glory and wealth. You have sacrificed too much for Pandaria after leaving that comfortable throne. Now, as I said, the evil of Pandaria has been eliminated."
"Times have changed. The Pandaren have been isolated for too long. Open the mists of Pandaria and let the Pandaren join the Alliance. Let's protect Azeroth together!" Galen formally extended an invitation to Shaohao!
"Ten thousand years ago, when I had just ascended the throne, the jinyu oracle prophesied the disasters of Pandaria. Later, before I transformed into the mists, they once again prophesied that the mists of Pandaria would dissipate, and evil would leave this land."
Shaohao's expression became very strange: "Only in that prophecy, Pandaria would be dragged into the quagmire of war, and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms would be destroyed. Compared to that prophecy, Pandaria at this moment is far better."
"All of this is because of you, Lord Galen."
"I agree to open the mists and open up Pandaria. My soul has also been very tired for so many years, but I have been persisting, persisting until the day the prophecy arrives, and this day is a full ten years earlier than the prophecy!"
"Now, I can finally rest!"
Shaohao's dignified face showed fatigue. Although he was already a demigod spirit, maintaining such a large mist enchantment also exhausted him.
However, after he finished speaking, the Monkey King and Galen looked at each other, their eyes full of strangeness.
Who said you could rest after opening the mists?
Keep serving, Shaohao!