Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

After a moment of stunned silence, panic quickly spread among the trainers.

More than half of the people put their non-Flying-type Pokémon into their Poké Balls and then rode their Flying-type Pokémon away in a panic.

Escape this terrifying real battlefield, one I've never experienced before.

Team leader Yan Jing neither stopped nor reprimanded them.

He knew this was not something they were supposed to go through.

This is not an army; it is merely a resistance force temporarily organized by the Trainers Association.

However, I cannot back down.

Leaving aside lofty ideals like the lights of countless homes behind him, he could not back down simply to protect his family and his two daughters!

…………

Yan Jing took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Yan Yu and the two master-level trainers sent by the association, and nodded slightly.

They both understood each other's meaning: at least they had to stall until... the champion and those few superstars arrived.

Even if what is sacrificed is oneself, and the life of one's own spirit.

The somber atmosphere infected the remaining people; those who hadn't left at the beginning wouldn't run away now either.

There was no mobilization, no encouragement.

Looking at the giant crystal chandelier spirit that left them powerless to resist, they knew they were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, but everyone was prepared to become the city's first shield.

Before him, the ghost-type energy within the crystal lamplight spirit began to surge again.

Yan Jing understood that the hell formed by countless shadow orbs was probably about to arrive again.

There is no other way but to hold on.

He retrieved the aluminum steel dragon, not to escape, but for better defense.

Yan Jing's Dynamax Bracelet flashed, and the Poké Ball containing Duraludon suddenly grew larger.

He threw the ball out with force, and instantly, a colossal aluminum-steel dragon, dozens of meters tall and resembling a skyscraper, appeared between the Crystal Chandelier Spirit and the guards, with a red thundercloud above its head.

As the largest city in Southwest China, Fog City naturally has a battleground that supports the Gigantamax phenomenon, namely the Fog City University Affiliated Battleground, which is located nearby.

The appearance of Gigantamax Duraludon boosted everyone's morale.

Then, a colorless and invisible transparent protective barrier rose up and blocked the aluminum-steel dragon.

Naturally, this colossal barrier also stood in front of all the elves and humans in the guard.

Behind the Alumina Dragon, hundreds of Pokémon also erected protective barriers, preparing to face the impending Shadow Ball hell.

This is our last hope. If even the defensive line built with the combined power of all the Pokémon can't stop the attack of this Chandelure Spirit, then...

No one wanted to think about the terrible consequences, yet they were vividly present in everyone's mind.

Many viewers watching the live stream closed their eyes, too afraid to watch the result.

Many people also gazed longingly at that towering figure.

With the Giant Barrier of a Celestial-level Pokémon, plus the protection of at least a hundred high-ranking Pokémon of various classes, even a true legendary Pokémon attack...

That should be able to block it, right?

…………

The outcome is beyond human control. Whether it is hope or worry, it is all like a bubble in the face of overwhelming power, easily burst.

The giant crystal chandelier seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of energy, and the Shadow Orb Purgatory's attacks grew increasingly fierce.

With just the first wave of hundreds of Shadow Orbs, the Giant Barrier was already teetering on the brink of collapse.

In the second wave, countless Shadow Balls actually pierced through the Giant Steel Dragon's Max Guard!

Fortunately, there weren't too many remaining Shadow Orbs, so they didn't cause much more damage to the elves.

There were no more tragic incidents of elves dying.

But no one let their guard down. The relentless attacks, like a tidal wave or a tsunami, overwhelmed the elves, leaving them breathless.

This wave was blocked by the protection of all the spirits, but what about the next wave?

"One more time, the giant barrier!"

Yan Jing shouted loudly. The attack was futile; the only gamble they could take was to unleash another Giant Barrier.

Success means life, failure means...death.

The giant aluminum steel dragon swayed slightly like a collapsing building. Having just recovered from the attack of the crystal chandelier spirit, it had to gather its energy again to prepare to defend against the enemy's next attack.

As if the heavens were against them, Yan Jing's gamble... failed.

The previous Dynamax Barrier had almost depleted all of Duraludon's energy, and it failed to cast it again this time.

The third Shadow Sphere Purgatory has entered its final charging phase.

……

Yan Jing's lips curled into a bitter smile as he suddenly recalled Yan Yan's words from that day: if he and the association could persevere a little longer, perhaps there would be a turning point?

He shook his head and denied his own idea. In China, only the champion could possibly contend with a Pokémon of this level.

Even if they had persevered back then, could they have made the champion wait in Chongqing for a whole month?

By the way, their invasion probably means that Xia Shen... has also failed in that world, right?

He felt little sadness, for soon he too would be heading to the world of the dead.

They come and go by themselves; it's ironic, isn't it?

An unprecedented sense of despair enveloped everyone; death, which had always been a distant and terrifying thing for them, was now a reality.

But now that so many people and elves are with me, it doesn't seem so scary anymore?

But no matter what, we're about to say goodbye to this beautiful world...

In front of the television and during the live online broadcast, all the viewers were also silently experiencing the despair of that moment.

Just as the third Shadow Ball Purgatory was about to erupt and engulf all the elves, a dragon's roar suddenly resounded through the sky.

------

Above the blue sky, a sky-blue dragon-shaped spirit emerged from the dark clouds, and the loud dragon roar originated from it.

Before the sound arrived, the body was already there.

Like a flash of blue lightning, this supersonic sprite appeared before people's eyes almost simultaneously with the dragon's roar.

The First Cause of All Realms

Along with it, dozens of silvery-white bolts of lightning also descended from the sky.

The thunderous roar nearly deafened Yan Jing and his companions who were very close by, but no one covered their ears.

They watched as each bright, dazzling bolt of lightning shattered dozens of dense, dark shadow orbs, nearly weeping with joy.

Finally... I survived!

After surviving, besides feeling fortunate, there was also curiosity.

Intense curiosity!

Everyone wanted to know who this amazing being could rival the Crystal Lamp Spirit, which was practically a divine beast.

The dozens of guards and the thousands watching the live stream all looked toward the sprite hovering in front of the crystal chandelier spirit.

It was a spirit about five meters long, enveloped by several white clouds, its body long and slender, shaped like a dragon with four claws.

Yan Jing, who was well-versed in the myths and legends of the Elf Realm, immediately recognized it as the legendary elf, a lightning cloud in the form of a spirit beast!

But why did it suddenly emerge from the spirit world...? Yan Jing couldn't figure it out, but then he smiled to himself.

I don’t know what the spirit world is like, and it seems that nothing is surprising.

He examined the divine beast that controlled lightning more closely and suddenly noticed something amiss.

Wait... there seems to be another person on the lightning cloud?

Yan Jing couldn't help but widen her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things.

How could there be a human on this truly legendary elf?

Not only Yan Jing, but all the viewers in front of the live stream witnessed all of this through the ultra-high-definition camera of the drone in the distance.

Without a doubt, the figure on the lightning cloud must be a person.

In the clear footage, many people recognized that tired but still familiar profile.

It was Xia Shen, who had been missing for a month!

Sure enough... no, it was Xia Shen?

Everyone's faces showed shock, but in their hearts they seemed to feel that such an outrageous, almost miraculous thing could only happen to Xia Shen.

Regardless, his appearance, along with Thundurus, saved all the existing high-level trainers in Fog City, and even more so, tens of millions of people and Pokémon in Fog City.

In the next minute, the same message went viral on the internet, both domestically and internationally.

That man has returned riding a mythical beast!

…………

Xia Shen breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least they had arrived in time. Judging from the appearance of his father-in-law and sister-in-law, they didn't seem to have suffered any injuries.

Then Yan Yan and his parents should be fine too.

He didn't necessarily want to wait until the most critical moment to make his grand entrance; Xia Shen's heart wasn't that strong either.

The key point is that I thought I could return to the real world with the chandelier spirits.

But in reality, he went through a transformation from his first trip to the spirit world before finally returning to his original state of being half-soul and half-physical.

Chandelure, being a Ghost-type Pokémon, doesn't have as many complicated rules.

Fortunately, it didn't last long and didn't cause a major disaster.

Pulling himself back to reality, Xia Shen looked at the crystal lamp spirit, whose eerie flames were still burning fiercely, with a cold smile.

In the spirit world, you may be able to act with impunity, but in my territory...