Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Chapter 128 Boring, I want to see rivers of blood!

Although the little blue cotton bird had reunited with its people, Xia Shen had not forgotten his other important purpose for coming—to inquire about the exit of the secret realm.

At least they've traveled so far these past few days, their chances of encountering an exit are probably higher than those of Pokémon that stay in their territory.

Moreover, the extraordinary sacred tree and holy spring always filled Xia Shen with anticipation.

In secret realms, the more unusual the place, the more opportunities will appear; this is a theorem.

Xia Shen wasn't surprised at all if the exit of the secret realm appeared under the divine tree.

So, following the blue-winged birds that eagerly joined their flock, Xia Shen and the others rode their eagles and chased after them.

…………

The massive herd of migrating sprites did not stop their march just because of the addition of a single blue wader.

Just as they did not stop even after discovering the disappearance of the blue sheepbird.

It wasn't that the Blue Cottonbird's people didn't care about it, but rather that it was unrealistic to waste everyone's time searching for a lost sprite in the vast snowfield.

Without the protection of the sacred tree, these elves would have no chance of surviving in the snowfield.

Perhaps after searching in vain through wind and snow, the family of the blue-winged bird had no choice but to catch up with the flock.

So when the Bluebirds of Qixi Festival saw the Bluebirds reappear, which they thought they would never see again, they were overjoyed.

Two of the Qixi Bluebirds were particularly delighted and came right up to greet it, gently stroking the delicate body of the Bluebird with their soft, white feathers.

These must be the parents of the little blue cottonbird.

The other sprites reacted differently. Several baby cottonies and greedy squirrels, perhaps the best playmates of the Cottonbird, chirped and rode around on their armored crows, showing concern for their little friend.

Several wind sprites and lightning hounds would occasionally turn their heads hopefully toward the direction of the blue cotton bird, only to turn away in disappointment when they found that only the bird had returned.

Perhaps their people were also lost in the snowstorm and never returned.

But they cannot stop.

……

Meanwhile, Xia Shen and Yan Yan flew to the side of the reunited Qixi Bluebird family.

The two bluebirds had learned from the blue cottonbird that these three "spirits" had brought their child from the snowfield, so the couple gratefully flew around the pygmy eagle.

"Seven...seven..."

[Thank you for bringing my child back, but we have nothing to give you now. If we could return to our homeland, I would share some of the sacred tree fruit allocated to our tribe with you.]

Xia Shen was very pleased that the translator, Yu Kexi, stepped forward on its own initiative this time without being summoned.

What pleased him even more was that the Tanabata was much more honest and kind than the Nidorino, and very consciously expressed its "goodwill".

Unfortunately, it was just an empty promise.

"Thank you for your promise. At the same time, I would like to ask you something. Have you ever seen a hole that is extremely dark and seems to have a gravitational pull?"

The two bluebirds hesitated for a long time, then communicated with each other for a while before slowly replying, "Seven...seven..."

[We didn't see the hole you mentioned, but I heard from the greedy squirrels that a few days before those three strange birds came to the Divine Tree, an unprecedented phenomenon appeared on the tree: thin black cracks appeared in a certain space in the canopy, much like your description.]

Fine cracks... Xia Shen suddenly remembered that before he and Yan Yan accidentally entered the secret realm, they seemed to have also found something like this in the space, but it was covered by the black hole at the exit and they didn't notice it at the time.

So, could that be a sign that the exit of the secret realm is about to appear?

Regardless, this was the first useful piece of information Xia Shen obtained, and it was worth pursuing as her next goal.

We just ran across the snowfield, are we going to run back again...?

Xia Shen wasn't worried about the trouble; he just didn't dare tell Brother Diao. Given Brother Diao's temperament, he might not agree to take him there.

In short, it's impossible to turn back to the sacred tree now.

Firstly, Eagle Brother was quite tired after flying for several days; secondly, he didn't know the way; and thirdly, he didn't know if those three silly birds had left the sacred tree.

Although those three silly birds liked to fight amongst themselves, they were quite united when facing outsiders.

So, after discussing it with Yan Yan, Xia Shen decided to take a walk around the shore of Qiuhu Lake with the Qixi Bluebird and the others.

…………

Let the tired Pidgeot go back to its Poké Ball to rest, and Xia Shen summons Ursaring to continue the journey.

Although Sister Bear isn't fast, migration tests endurance, and Moon Bear is quite strong in this aspect.

Moreover, this way she can take advantage of her treasure-hunting skills on this untouched wasteland.

So, following behind a large group of elves, Moonbear carried Xia Shen and Yan Yu on a migration and treasure hunt.

I must say, a treasure trove that no one has ever explored before is truly something else.

In just a few hours, before arriving at the shore of Lake Qiu, Xia Shen spent his time in the mud, by the trees, and in the homes of some collector elves.

Several high-quality evolution stones, various type gems, and sandy rocks, among other valuable Pokémon items, were discovered.

This made Xia Shen wonder if the defective items he found in the secret realm of Britain were ones that previous people had discovered but were too lazy to dig up.

This is what a secret realm should look like!

He happily put away his spoils and gave half of them to Yan Yan.

"Why would I give it to you? Moonbear is your spirit, what she digs up has nothing to do with me."

Yan Yan can be adorably serious at times.

Of course, in this situation, you absolutely cannot use low-brow sweet talk like "What's mine is yours" to get by.

On matters of principle, it is still necessary to make things clear.

"Think about it, without you... would we dare to roam around so openly with the Gengar that Dad left you? So, without you, Ursaring wouldn't be able to dig up these things either!" The logic was clear and flawless.

Although Yan Yan felt that there was something strange about this line of thinking, after careful consideration, she found no flaws and had no choice but to accept it.

……

Watching the ever-changing scenery around him, observing the unique elven ecology of the hidden realm, and occasionally teasing the adorable girl in his arms...

Xia Shen soon saw a pale blue lake.

Destination: the shore of Qiuhu Lake. We've arrived.

With its abundant water resources and pleasant temperature, the shores of Qiuhu Lake are indeed a rich and fertile land.

In the lake, carp kings, wild bass, and some common fish swim freely in the clear water.

Along the riverbank, fruit trees grow in abundance, and grasses flourish.

Eevee, Ursaring, Snorlax, Electabuzz, and Magikarp live carefree lives, appearing relaxed and at ease.

But on this peaceful and ordinary afternoon, the rumbling sound coming from not far from the lakeside shattered the elves' tranquil life.

Electabuzz and Magmar, who were sparring amicably nearby, frowned.

Even the playful Umbreon, Espeon, and Grass Eevee became serious.

Even the sleeping Snorlax seemed to be awakened by the rumbling sound, and opened its eyes with a displeased expression.

These native spirits living by the lake stood together in tacit agreement, awaiting the arrival of the uninvited guests.

------

The elves on both sides stood facing each other, dozens of meters apart, their expressions cold and tense. The atmosphere in the air was like dust about to be scattered into a bonfire, ready to explode at any moment.

Perhaps knowing that this stalemate would only worsen the situation, four elves from each side stepped forward, seemingly to negotiate.

As outsiders, the Divine Tree's side is led by Altaria, with Corviknight, Electrike, and Whimsicott standing on either side.

Meanwhile, the natives on the shores of Lake Ball subtly centered around Umbreon, with Snorlax, Electabuzz, and Magmar cheering them on from the sidelines.

Xia Shen rode his Moon Bear quietly to the front of the formation and found a good spot to watch the drama unfold.

As for mediating a fight?

Xia Shen was very self-aware; he wasn't a user of the "Face Fruit" ability, so he didn't have such a big face.

This is a matter of great importance concerning the survival of two elven communities, so it's best to remain an observer for now. If there's an opportunity for me to get involved later, then I can intervene.

[Hey, Yukishi, come out and see the show!]

During this time, Yu Kexi was feeling very bored without internet access, and could only sleep all day to pass the time. Xia Shen would definitely call on everyone to gossip about such a big event.

It's not that we need a translator.

[Where? ...Tch, you want me to translate again!]

Despite saying that, Yukishi's body still honestly floated out.

After all, even if translating is boring, can it be more boring than sleeping?

……

[Who goes there? Dare to state your name? My iron fist doesn't strike the old or the young!]

[Hey, stop improvising, Yuuki!]

"You're annoying, fine, fine... Hello, we are an elf tribe from the foot of the Sacred Tree in the Snowfield. These past few days, our sacred tree has been invaded by several strange birds, forcing us to leave our homeland. We would like to borrow your esteemed place to rest for a while..."

Oh dear, this Qixi Festival bluebird really doesn't know how to talk. If I were on the other side, I wouldn't lend it either. What if it's Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou—and never returning it?

While translating, Kexi also offered a sharp commentary.

……

[If foreign enemies invade, that's your problem; just drive them out, right? But now you want to do the same thing to us?]

...Wow, this Umbreon is quite wise; it almost summarized Confucius's philosophy, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you!"

History buff Yukish highly praised Luna.

……

[You dark-skinned fellow, it's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering! We definitely tried to drive them out, otherwise, would we have had to migrate for two days to get to this godforsaken place!]

...This giant black crow is even more impressive; isn't this deliberately escalating the conflict between the two sides? And how dare it, with its appearance, call the other side "all black"?

Yuxi's sarcastic spirit is burning brightly and she just can't stop.

……