Faced with Grom's ferocious killing intent, Turu revealed an extremely complex and eerie smile, a mixture of fanaticism and expectation.
“Your Highness, you are wrong again. In the traditions of the orc royal family, talent… has never been the most important thing.”
"Just like the 'Heart of Bloodvine' that you've been dreaming of, it represents a possibility, a foundation, rather than simply a pile of power."
His withered fingers lifted slightly, pointing at Grom, as if pointing to some unknown future:
"But His Highness the Crown Prince... he understands what 'foundation' is, what 'inheritance' is, and what true 'power' lies."
"He understands forbearance, strategy, and even more importantly... how to ensure that the orc race can have a future where they can survive and thrive without constantly living on the edge of a knife!"
Turu's voice carried an almost sacred fervor:
"He is the true king, bestowed upon us by the Beast God, who will lead our race to a new life!"
Grom's roar abruptly ceased, his massive body freezing within the magic circle. For the first time, his crimson beast eyes flickered with a hint of wavering and disbelief, a stark contrast to the absolute conviction revealed in Tulu's words.
It seems that only now has he suddenly come to understand everything.
Why should he listen to the nonsense of a trash shaman who doesn't even have the Blood of the Beastmaster?
Moreover, it was this guy who instigated the people to take the Blood Vine Heart of the Withered Tree Clan!
"Foundation? Legacy?" Grom's voice was hoarse, filled with the fury of being fooled. "Stop playing tricks! The rubbish of the Drywood Tribe is a foundation?"
"I crave power, to lead the orcs out of this damned swamp! To make all races grovel at our feet!"
A hint of disdain flashed in Tulu's cloudy eyes, as if he were looking at a naughty child who could not comprehend the truth.
"The Deadwood Tribe? That's just the tip of the iceberg! Do you think the Orc royal family has accumulated wealth and power over thousands of years by relying solely on brute force? In the era when the Beast King was His Majesty, how glorious our tribe was!"
"However, the despicable humans shamelessly ambushed His Majesty Bimonto, cruelly dismembered him, and used his skull, which contained his insights as he was about to enter the realm of mythology, to create the 'Pale Skull Crown'."
"That should have been a sacred object of my orc race. Wearing it would be the perfect combination of power and wisdom! Unfortunately, after the last unified kingdom of the human race disappeared, this sacred object also disappeared without a trace."
His tone shifted abruptly, and a morbid fervor surged across his gaunt face:
"But the great sage—His Highness the First Prince! He had already discovered the whereabouts of the 'Pale Crown'!"
"Six months ago, he secretly instigated those marginal tribes who worshipped the Blood God to infiltrate human territory in an attempt to reclaim it! Although they failed at the last minute, now..."
Tulu's cloudy old eyes suddenly turned towards Mark's team, especially the inconspicuous ring on Mark's finger, which was slightly veiled by holy light; his gaze was so greedy it was almost tangible.
"How fortunate fate is! It has traveled thousands of miles to deliver itself to our orcish territory! Right here! Right now! Right here among these holy light insects!"
"Isn't this a revelation from the Beast God? Doesn't this prove that His Highness the First Prince made the right choice?! After today, His Highness the First Prince will not only receive the 'Heart of Blood Vine' to help him break through the barrier, but will also be able to reclaim the sacred relic that can represent the true royal power of our race—the 'Pale Skull Crown'!"
"With these two items in hand, His Highness's talent and foundation will far surpass yours, Grom! He won't even need long before he surpasses Alfonso Lin of the Holy Light Church! This is the hope for our race's future!"
As Turu spoke, ignoring Grom's almost fiery gaze, his withered hand suddenly emerged from the wide sleeve of his fur robe.
In his palm, he was holding a thick, pale white arm bone covered with dark blood-red patterns!
As soon as the arm bone appeared, an ancient and savage pressure originating from the depths of the bloodline, yet carrying a heavy aura of death, instantly spread out, causing even the surrounding gray-blue magic array to shine brightly!
Beast King's Remains!
Tulu muttered incantations, the obscure and ancient shamanic spells sounding like the murmurs of the dead.
As he chanted, the dark red patterns on the severed arm bone began to writhe as if alive, greedily absorbing the necromantic power gathered by the magic circle.
The massive gray energy seemed to have found an outlet, surging wildly towards the arm bone, and then being guided by Tulu through the arm bone, it was injected into the core of the magic array beneath his feet!
Buzz—!
The entire gray-blue binding array trembled violently, its light so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at it.
The power of restraint and control has increased exponentially!
Even more terrifying, the dense, impenetrable necromantic power began to gnaw at all the living beings enveloped by the magic array, like a leech clinging to a bone!
"Haha, you are all blood relatives of the Beast King Bimonto, so it's only natural that you're now inheriting His Majesty the Beast King's necromantic aura!"
"Ughhhhhh—!"
Behind Grom, some of the weaker "Skullcrushers" guards were the first to let out a shrill scream.
Their skin visibly turned ashen and withered, and the rage and pain in their eyes were quickly replaced by a deathly blankness.
The exposed muscles began to atrophy and harden, emitting a strong stench of death!
Their weapons clattered to the ground, and their bodies convulsed and twisted uncontrollably, transforming into zombies and skeletons!
After successfully transforming, the orcs would immediately greedily absorb the necromantic magic in the air, and their aura and strength would rise at a visible speed, making them even stronger than when they were alive!
Even Grom himself, his bronze skin began to show alarming gray spots, like fine steel corroded by mold.
He felt a chilling, bone-deep sense of death creeping into his body through his cut wounds and every pore, attempting to freeze his raging bloodline power and shatter the life force blessed by the Beast God!
The crimson lightning on his body flickered violently, creating an intense tug-of-war with the invading necromantic magic. Each confrontation caused his body to tremble violently, emitting a painful groan.
His struggles became increasingly difficult, and the invisible shackles, amplified by the arm bones of the remains, became even heavier, almost pinning him to the spot!
On Mark's side...
Hearing Tulu's words, the others were also shocked.
“Pale skullcap?!” Mark’s pupils contracted sharply, and he subconsciously rubbed the starlight gap on his fingers.
A chill instantly shot up my spine and spread throughout my body!
He understood instantly!
These orcs—no, it was the eldest prince who was even more deeply hidden—had never set their sights solely on the Bloodvine Heart on Kael'thas!
This is a double trap!
The Corrupted Vine Alliance's conspiracy was to lure out their "Holy Light Squad," while the infighting within the Orcish Royal Court allowed the eldest prince to lay an even bigger trap!
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