Chapter 180

Harper and the others got excited. "Awooo!"

Xie Juanhan and the others had known for a long time that they were going to bring the Tuonai'er Demon Bird out for a blind date, and they had prepared food for it long ago.

Various dried fruits, dried meats, cakes, roasted meats, meat jelly, cheese sticks—just lay a picnic blanket under the colorful trees and you're good to go for a picnic.

In autumn, the forest transforms into a vibrant tapestry of colors.

Being in Elf Forest instead of Magic Forest brought Xie Juanhan and his companions an additional sense of novelty.

They found a scenic spot for a picnic and camping, while waiting for the Tuonai'er Demon Bird to finish their matchmaking.

Unfortunately, it's unclear whether the Tuonai'er Demon Bird at this location was eaten or escaped. Xie Juanhan and his group stayed at this location for three days without seeing any trace of the unfamiliar Tuonai'er Demon Bird.

Xie Juanhan and his group had no choice but to capture the Tuonai'er Demon Bird again, count their numbers, and then carry them to the next location.

The address the Elf provided was fairly reliable.

At the second location, they successfully spotted a strange Tuonai'er Demon Bird.

It appears to be a male bird— Xie Juanhan and Telingewei had both specifically learned from the Pixie how to determine the sex of the Tuonai'er Demon Bird.

Unfortunately, they didn't even have time to rejoice that the Tuonai'er Demon Bird had found a male Demon Bird.

The Tuonai'er Demon Bird have already started fighting.

Or rather, the wild Tuonai'er Demon Bird was beaten up by a Demon Bird belonging to Xie Juanhan's family.

Xie Juanhan spoke up for his Tuonai'er Demon Bird: "Perhaps the male Demon Bird is too thin and weak, and the female Demon Bird don't like it very much."

Harper and the others nodded in agreement. "Awoo."

Xie Juanhan: "Let's head to the next location. We don't want to actually kill that male Demon Bird later."

It would be such a waste to kill the male Demon Bird that the Elf finally found.

Xie Juanhan and the others separated the two Demon Bird and then led their own Demon Bird to the next location.

The male Demon Bird at the third location was alright; its feathers were glossy and it looked quite majestic.

It is also a relatively rare wild fat Demon Bird.

However, this male Demon Bird was still not well-liked by the Demon Bird of Xie Juanhan's family.

The female Demon Bird collectively pecked at it, sending it scattering all over the mountain.

Xie Juanhan and his group had no choice but to lead the Demon Bird to the fourth location.

At the fourth location, they finally spotted a robust male Demon Bird.

The male Demon Bird was strong, with beautiful feathers, and was almost as big as the Demon Bird belonging to Xie Juanhan's family.

It's worth noting that the other male Demon Bird were all a size smaller than theirs.

This male Demon Bird was only half a size smaller than their family's Demon Bird.

This is already quite rare for a male Demon Bird in the wild.

"This time it should be fine." Xie Juanhan clenched his fist, looking expectantly at the male Demon Bird in front of him, hoping that mating would be successful this time.

Harper and the others huddled together beside the two dragons, holding their breath and intently watching what lay ahead. "Chirp chirp."

The female Demon Bird circled the male Demon Bird a few times.

The male Demon Bird was initially a little scared, but once it realized what was happening, it excitedly flapped its short wings and circled around the female Demon Bird, chirping as it did so.

"It's done." Xie Juanhan gripped Telingewei's hand tightly, looking excitedly ahead.

If the insemination is successful, they will have achieved their goal!

Just as Xie Juanhan was about to cheer in a low voice--

A female Demon Bird hopped onto the back of a male Demon Bird.

"Huh?" Xie Juanhan leaned out of the tree trunk. "Why is it the female Demon Bird stepping on the male Demon Bird's back?!"

The female Demon Bird had no intention of mating with the male Demon Bird at all; she just pecked at him indiscriminately.

In an instant, the male Demon Bird, its head bleeding profusely, flapped its wings and struggled violently, trying to throw the female Demon Bird off.

"Coo! Coo!" The male Demon Bird, having finally escaped, fled in terror without looking back.

The female Demon Bird, who had stepped on the male Demon Bird's back, held her neck high and strutted around arrogantly twice. "Coo-coo!"

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei exchanged glances, both sensing that something was amiss.

"Our Tuonai'er Demon Bird doesn't seem to like the male Demon Bird outside?"

Even the furry creatures noticed this, and they all nodded seriously.

Things are getting a bit complicated.

Xie Juanhan led their family's Tuonai'er Demon Bird to the location of the next wild male Tuonai'er Demon Bird.

By the time they used up the last spot, their Demon Bird still hadn't mated.

Xie Juanhan and the others excitedly carried the Demon Bird over, but were about to dejectedly carry it back.

Everyone was depressed.

Even Nibote let its long tail, adorned with a pom-pom, dangle to the ground, rustling and scattering fallen leaves along its path.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the group was not very good, Xie Juanhan suggested, "How about we go for a trip in the Elf territory?"

Of Haxi's two slightly drooping ears, one stood up a little.

All the other furry creatures also raised their heads.

Xie Juanhan said, "How about we send a message over via the little messenger bird? The Elf's place is quite fun; consider it a trip, what do you say?"

"Aww!" Xie Juanhan's suggestion was unanimously approved by the furry creatures.

Xie Juanhan sent a letter in the morning to inquire, and in the afternoon, a group of Elf came to pick them up in person.

"Lord White Dragon! Lord Giant Dragon!" The Elf riding on giant eagles greeted them from afar.

--The Elf had unanimously changed how they addressed Xie Juanhan at some point.

The dragon and the Griffin took off simultaneously, flying towards the Elf to join Elf.

Xie Juanhan: "Why are you here?"

Elf:

"Priest Yiluo sent us to fetch you!"

"The tribe is already preparing a welcome dinner. We'll eat and dance around the bonfire later."

"Nibote, you've grown so much! Can you carry such a heavy Tuonai'er Demon Bird now? That's amazing!"

They flew to the Elf territory and temporarily imprisoned the Tuonai'er Demon Bird in the Elf sheepfold.

When the Elf heard that the mating had failed and all the male Demon Bird had been pecked away by the female Demon Bird, they were very surprised.

"Were all the male Demon Bird pecked away? Seven or eight male Demon Bird in total, and they all failed?!"

"Let me check, it seems it really doesn't match."

"Perhaps these magical Demon Bird, raised on magic berries, are too excellent and no longer look down on ordinary male birds."

Just as the Elf were carefully examining the condition of the Tuonai'er Demon Bird, one of them suddenly Elf, "Wait! Something's not right!"

Xie Juanhan: "What?"

The Elf extended a slender finger and pointed to the largest and most beautiful female Demon Bird in the flock. "It looks like it's about to turn into a male bird."

Xie Juanhan's eyes widened. "Let me see? No way? It can transform directly?"

"Some Demon Bird can transform, while others only appear to be able to. The Tuonai'er Demon Bird is one of those Demon Bird that can completely change its gender."

"Ask our high priest; he knows more about these things."

"Perhaps these Tuonai'er Demon Bird don't find the male Demon Bird outside attractive enough, so they've switched to being female Demon Bird from the flock."

"It seems we don't need to look for a male Demon Bird outside anymore."

"Yes, yes, once this new male Demon Bird in the Demon Bird grows up, it will be able to mate with the female Demon Bird."

Xie Juanhan never expected that during his trip, the female Demon Bird wouldn't find a suitable male Demon Bird; instead, some of the female Demon Bird would transform into male Demon Bird themselves.

Life is truly full of surprises.

Xie Juanhan raised his hand. "Can Tuonai'er Demon Bird the same nest mate with each other? This whole flock of Tuonai'er Demon Bird hatched from eggs laid by the same mother."

The Elf were also unsure:

Is that okay?

You should ask the priest.

"Their mothers are the same, but the fathers are different, so it should be fine."

Xie Juanhan: "Wait, the father bird is different?"

"Yes, each of these female birds looks very different, and their fathers are clearly different as well."

Meeting Xie Juanhan's bewildered gaze, the Elf enthusiastically pointed it out to them:

"Look, this paw is completely different from this one."

"The shape of the buttocks is different between these two. This one has a prominent keel bone, and its buttocks are divided into two halves, while the keel bone of this one is not obvious."

"Their eyes are different too; both are brown, but one has a warm brown and the other a cool brown."

Xie Juanhan had never observed their own Tuonai'er Demon Bird so closely before.

Their admiration for the Elf grew even stronger.

As expected of the Elf, who are closest to nature, their observation skills are truly remarkable.

Xie Juanhan humbly inquired, "If the female Toner bird can successfully transform into a male, is it alright to let them pair up freely?"

"Yes! The chicks born to male birds that have emerged from competition are exceptionally healthy."

However, the number of baby birds dying is also higher than normal.

"Just keep the healthy baby birds."

"That sounds amazing." Xie Juanhan couldn't help but look at the Tuonai'er Demon Bird in the bird enclosure.

If they succeed, these Tuonai'er Demon Bird will be domesticated generation after generation, and eventually they will be completely different from the wild Tuonai'er Demon Bird, right?

Chapter 180 [VIP]

"The High Priest is here!"

From among the crowd, Elf let out joyful cries.

Xie Juanhan subconsciously looked up.

The Elf priest Yiluo was rushing over, his robes fluttering, which only made him appear more elegant.

Xie Juanhan smiled and waved in greeting.

Telingewei glanced at Yiluo, then walked slightly closer to Xie Juanhan and stood intimately behind him.

Yiluo may not have noticed Telingewei's subtle actions.

Xie Juanhan saw it clearly, reached out and took Telingewei's hand, squeezing it slightly.

Telingewei squeezed back, his lips noticeably less tense.