Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Ye Rou's family's martial arts school is called Seven Luminaries Martial Arts School, which immediately brings to mind the famous Seven Luminaries Mountain, which is located next to the Fog City.

The martial arts school itself lives up to its grand name, being very large in scale.

This is certainly true, at least in terms of venue size and number of participants.

Saying the number is a bit inaccurate, because among those practicing martial arts, there are quite a few elves.

Mighty, Punch-chan, Hit-chan, Blaziken...

All kinds of common Fighting-type Pokémon are available.

They seemed to know Ye Rou quite well, and they all came over to greet her warmly.

However, some elves were too enthusiastic and greeted each other with punches and kicks.

Ye Rou seemed used to it, receiving, neutralizing, and releasing attacks with the neutralizing force of traditional martial arts.

Then he patted the elves on the shoulder in a hearty manner, encouraging them to practice more.

What should have been a short walk took almost half an hour.

However, looking at the traditional martial arts with their violent aesthetics, Xia Shen was not in a hurry.

There doesn't seem to be any concept of ghosts or the spirit world appearing during the day.

…………

Finally, Ye Rou led Xia Shen through the plaza-like training room and into the inner area.

There are far fewer people and elves inside.

But while the quantity has decreased, the quality has increased significantly.

Whether human or elf, they all exude a capable and sharp spirit similar to Ye Rou's.

Xia Shen guessed that this must be the legendary inner disciple.

As expected, they greeted Ye Rou with terms like "senior sister" and "junior sister," while a few of her more mischievous peers called her "Brother Rou."

Of course, Xia Shen, who was traveling with Ye Rou, attracted a lot of attention with different expressions, mostly curiosity and surprise, and some female students were amazed by his beauty.

Xia Shen's appearance goes without saying; that's how those ishens came about.

Having been tempered by the steel and firestone slabs, Xia Shen's physique was in no way inferior to those who had practiced martial arts for many years.

Coupled with the extraordinary demeanor bestowed by his superpowers, if Ye Rou hadn't brought him in, everyone would have thought Xia Shen was there to challenge them.

"Senior Brother, where is my grandfather?" Ye Rou asked a seemingly composed young man with a buzz cut.

The young man stopped sparring with a bear-themed creature and replied, "Master Ye is having tea with guests at Muyao Hall."

Then he naturally turned to look at Xia Shen, "And who is this?"

Ye Rou replied, "My junior from university... oh no, he'll be my student soon. He has something to discuss with my grandfather. I'll tell you when he gets back."

Xia Shen was speechless. Had they just added the seniority to the list?

After a brief explanation, Ye Rou led Xia Shen further inside.

Only the eldest brother and the bear-wearing figure remained, gazing thoughtfully at their retreating figures.

"He looks... kind of strong too?" the crew-cut youth seemed to be talking to himself.

But the pink and black bear next to him nodded in agreement.

After passing through the area where the "personal disciples" practiced martial arts, Xia Shen followed Ye Rou to the courtyard behind the martial arts school.

The layout of the courtyard is quite different from the delicate and elegant style of Jiangnan in Zhijiang; it is grand and imposing.

The naming of the buildings inside is also very particular.

Sun Pavilion, Moon Pavilion, Golden Pavilion... all originate from the "sun, moon, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth" of the Seven Luminaries Mountain.

The place we're going to now, Mokuyodo, is one of them.

…………

Ye Rou and Xia Shen stopped at the entrance of Muyao Hall, where a slippery little boy was dozing off against a wooden doorpost.

"Ah Hua, go in and see who Grandpa's guest is?" Ye Rou shook the rather comical-looking orange lizard awake.

The slippery boy thought he had been caught dozing off, so he jumped up with a start. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Ye Rou.

He lifted the loose skin of his lower body, intending to sneak in quietly.

A loud voice came from inside the door, "Xiao Rou brought a friend, come in together."

Xia Shen was startled. Were there security cameras installed outside the door? They even knew when several people came by.

But then I thought, after all, he's a martial arts master; listening to footsteps should be a basic skill for him.

So he suppressed his surprise and followed Ye Rou into the house.

The room was very quiet, without any of the noise of a martial arts school. In the center was a square tea table surrounded by four armchairs.

It doesn't look like they're drinking the kind of tea served in a formal tea ceremony; it looks more like the kind of tea served in a teahouse.

Come to think of it, it's a bit incongruous for a martial arts school to offer tea ceremony services.

Two people sat facing each other at the table: one with white hair and beard but a vigorous spirit, and the other a man with a blank expression.

He doesn't look his age; his face suggests he's in his early twenties, but his demeanor exudes the composure and restraint of a middle-aged man.

A small wood spirit was perched on his shoulder, curiously watching the two people who entered.

The old man smiled and waved to Ye Rou and Xia Shen. Rou ran happily to the old man's side like a little girl and called him "Grandpa" affectionately.

Xia Shen got goosebumps watching it, feeling that it was even more terrifying than what he thought was a ghost last night.

He composed himself, stepped forward, and respectfully greeted, "Hello, Mr. Ye. My name is Xia Shen. I've come to bother you."

The old man smiled and nodded, introducing the guest to the two younger people, "This is my friend, you can just call him Uncle Jin."

The two concealed their surprise and greeted each other politely.

How could they not recognize who this was? The famous Jin Ruanruan, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of China, the Ghost-type Heavenly King.

Although he was promoted in the last two years and is the least senior of the Four Heavenly Kings, his strength is undeniable.

But how did he end up here?

Even Ye Rou was puzzled by this.

She had never heard of her grandfather having any connection with this superstar.

Grandpa Ye then introduced two younger relatives to the guests, saying, "These two are my granddaughter Ye Rou and her classmate."

Golden King nodded slightly, "Hello."

His voice was cool and clear, which matched his calm and even emotions.

"Haha, we're just chatting. If you don't mind our old folks' idle talk, please sit down and have a cup of tea with us."

In contrast to King Jin, Mr. Ye's voice was loud and resonant, much like Ye Rou's excited state.

No, that's not right... Who says a grandfather looks like his granddaughter?

…………

After a brief introduction, Xia Shen and Ye Rou sat on the remaining two chairs.

Beside them, a creature with superhuman strength used its four hands to hold two teapots and pour tea for them simultaneously.

"Ha, where were we?" Old Mr. Ye patted his head. "I'm getting old, my memory isn't so good anymore."

“You mentioned the Lord of Fengdu,” Jin Ruanruan reminded him softly.

Xia Shen was startled again. Fengdu, it's Fengdu again?

The Ghost-type Elite Four member came to see Ye Rou's grandfather to inquire about Fengdu.

Is it a coincidence that they happened at the same time?

Xia Shen was lost in thought, but Grandpa Ye continued to tell the legend.

"Ah, right, right, we're talking about the Lord of Fengdu. Legend has it that the Lord of Fengdu comes and goes without a trace, and can freely travel between two planes. Her body is gray, representing death, and interspersed with yellow, symbolizing rebirth. She can be large or small, reaching over ten zhang in height, or small enough to be similar to a human."

Old Master Ye leisurely sipped his tea and continued, "She has only one eye, yet it can see into people's hearts and ghosts. A terrifying maw grows on her abdomen, capable of devouring the souls of the living. She is the messenger between the realms of Yin and Yang, and the source of all fear. This is the legend of the Lord of Fengdu..."

Everyone was captivated by Mr. Ye's highly infectious voice, and their expressions varied.

Xia Shen felt relieved. It was all right. Wasn't this the Night Demon Spirit?

It has a gray background with yellow stripes, one eye, and a mouth on its abdomen; even the legends about it are similar to the illustrations in the game.

Looks like we've come to the right place, Fengdu, it's definitely related to the spirit world of the elves!

"Does the Lord of Fengdu have wings?" Jin Tianwang suddenly spoke up in the silence.

His gaze was intense, and the expression on his face finally changed, revealing a look of anticipation.

"Wings?" Grandpa Ye pondered for a moment, then shook his head uncertainly.

"It wasn't mentioned in the rumors, but she can fly, maybe... she can."

King Jin took a deep breath, looking as if his expectations had been met.

Xia Shen looked at him strangely from the side. This Ghost-type Elite Four member... could he think that Mr. Ye was talking about Giratina?

So his target isn't the spirit world, but Giratina?

Just from the descriptions, the two do indeed have some similarities.

Its gray and yellow hues allow it to freely travel between the two worlds...

As for the one-eyed creature and the mouth on its abdomen, nobody in this world has ever seen a Pluto Dragon, so it's just a matter of making things up.

Besides, isn't the human brain meant for filling in the blanks?

Should I remind him?

Forget it... how do you explain this kind of thing? It's hard to prove that what I'm saying is right.

…………

Jin Ruanruan asked with a hint of urgency, "Then, do you know where the old site of Fengdu is?"

Xia Shen also quietly pricked up his ears.