Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 802
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The mountains were looming above them. The sky was a little dark, as the gray clouds were right above the group's heads; it felt a little oppressive.
Their view was mostly blocked off by the tall mountains. They could only see endless steep cliffs leading into canyons. They were unable to see the bottom of the canyons, which were deep, meandering, and dark. If they accidentally fell into the canyons, they would find themselves in a giant maze, and struggle to find the way out!
Their vision was restricted most of the time. However, if they accidentally fell into the canyons, the lofty walls would further limit their sight; they would fear losing their way and feel helpless, surrounded by the mountains!
"There are definitely a lot of demon creatures in these mountains. I seriously wouldn't dare to roam around blindly without someone guiding me!" Zhao Manyan grumbled.
He had the habit of talking to others when he was struggling to stay calm. However, the only response he received was his own echoes.
"Don't you feel it's too quiet here?" Zhao Manyan asked when no one in the group responded.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/versatile-mage_7851773505001805/the-golden-blue-sparrowhawk_50722108946301060 for visiting.
"Silence is never a good sign," Lingling said.
"I agree."
"Let's hurry up and climb higher. It should feel a lot safer when our view opens up."
The rises and falls of these mountains were extremely steep, and every time they crossed a ridge, they had to travel across a canyon. Zhao Manyan felt uneasy whenever he was surrounded by the mountain walls.
A piercing cry suddenly sounded above them.
The group cautiously halted in their tracks. They lifted their eyes and looked around sharply.
In front of them stood a peak separated from a huge mountain wall. It was almost tall enough to reach the clouds. The group found it hard to see its top.
A long-tailed bird covered in golden-blue feathers perched on a rock sticking out of the peak. Its feathers were perfectly smooth, without a single ripple despite the strong wind blowing at it, as if the creature was wearing gleaming gold-blue armor. The special lines of the feathers formed an elegant curve from the creature's neck to its tail.
The golden-blue creature on the rock was staring down at the group with a noble, imperious bearing!
"It...it saw us!" Zhao Manyan blurted out.
"I can see that!" Mo Fan snapped.
"What do we do now?" Bai Hongfei asked.
The creature's level was obviously quite high, judging from its sacred golden-blue coloration and Aura, which slightly exceeded their group. The group could not tell if they had accidentally trespassed into the creature's territory. They would be in great trouble if that was the case, since they were unable to use their spells properly in the limited space in the canyon.
"Stay calm, these high-level Winged Beasts usually treat height as the boundary of their territory. It won't trouble us as long as we stay below a certain altitude," Zhang Xiaohou said calmly.
"Are you sure? Aren't all demon creatures hostile toward humans?" Ling Fei asked.
"We can just walk past it slowly. Don't look at it. In their eyes, outsiders, including humans like us, are just some lowly creatures. We should withdraw our Auras and try not to alarm it," Zhang Xiaohou replied.
"Humph, lowly creatures? It doesn't look that strong to me, either! Perhaps it can't even endure a single breath from my Great Lesser Earth Dragon!" Li Dexin exclaimed.
"Stop bringing us trouble, do you want to rescue your target or not? Why do I feel like you are here just to stir up trouble instead?" Zhao Manyan grumbled loudly.
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The group made their way past the peak the Golden-Blue Sparrowhawk was standing on without provoking it.
The Golden-Blue Sparrowhawk kept staring at them, but as Zhang Xiaohou had told them, it was simply glancing down at a few weaklings. It had no intention to attack them. It had an indifferent look as it watched the group of lowly creatures walking through the canyon like a bunch of monkeys, observing them until they slowly faded into the distance.
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Bai Hongfei could not help but ask after they left the Golden-Blue Sparrowhawk's view, "What level was that creature?"
"Judging from the altitude it was keeping, it was at least a Great Commander-level creature," Zhang Xiaohou told him.
"Great Commander-level… it's not really that strong."
"If the Wind of Sorrow is blowing, Winged Beasts are two or three times stronger than usual. They might only be Great Commander-level creatures when we aren't in the Qinling Mountains. However, if we are in the Qinling Mountains, they are still a threat to us! Besides, there's more than one around here!" Zhang Xiaohou pointed out.
Chapter 1716 - The Skycloud Realm
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
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The group finally arrived at Mount Baiba after crossing the mountains.
Mount Baiba was made up of countless peaks. The mountains were special because each peak was actually isolated from the next, with their tops soaring into the clouds!
These mountains were covered in ancient vegetation, so when the group reached the vicinity of Mount Baiba, they did not see exposed peaks of various heights, but vines dangling in the sky!
The thick branches of the trees in the dense woods extended from one mountain to the cliffs of another. The plants of these hundreds of mountains intertwined with one another, forming a floating forest!
The spectacular natural scene was hidden deeply in the Qinling Mountains. It was difficult to imagine something like it without seeing it in person. The plants were at the same height as the clouds, while the mountains were like pillars connecting the sky and the ground. The group could see tiny colorful dots circling the tree and flower-covered cliffs when they looked up. They were none other than the demon sparrows, hawks, and monster bees of different levels residing on the mountains...
"Mount Baiba is a paradise for winged beasts. From the bottom of the Qinling Mountains to the Sacred Waterfall at the top, the higher the altitude that the creatures are residing at, the greater their status is in these mountains. Many tribes of demon birds come here at certain seasons to pay homage to the Emperor of Feathers!" Zhang Xiaohou glanced thoughtfully at Mount Baiba, which was only revealing the tip of an iceberg.
Zhang Xiaohou had been to Mount Baiba many times, yet he was still impressed by the breathtaking sight every time he was here.
"The Emperor of Feathers?" Yu Shishi was confused.
"An old man living close to the Qinling Mountains told me this. The winged beasts are very strict with their social classes. The heights they occupy directly reflect their status. They are restricted to that altitude even when flying. Ones that break the rule will be punished by the Emperor of Feathers!
"It is the creature with the highest status among the winged beasts. It isn't just the ruler of the Paradise of Winged Beasts on Mount Baiba, it also rules over the winged beasts in the mountains both north and south of the Qinling Mountains, one with great authority," Zhang Xiaohou said.
"That's crazy! I never heard of that before," Zhao Manyan admitted.
The soldiers of the Violet Imperial Battalion focused to listen to Zhang Xiaohou's explanation, too.
Mount Baiba was clearly beyond their experience. The cliffs below the clouds, the floating woods covering the sky, and the flying creatures circling them alone were shocking to them. Most importantly, the blue sky felt so close to them. It was not exaggerating to describe the scene as a utopia in the Qinling Mountains!
"The Emperor of Feathers is different from the demon creatures that keep expanding their territories. It strictly orders the winged beasts under its lead to stay within the boundary of their habitat. The flying creatures are actually very powerful, yet they rarely take the initiative to attack other species, including humans. We are used to paying attention to the species that keep invading our lands, so many people assume that the flying creatures of the Qinling Mountains are weak and not much of a threat to us. The military also thinks the Qinling Mountains are insignificant when compared to the West Ridge, the Dongting Lake, and Shengnongjia. However, our view changed completely when we first discovered Mount Baiba!" Zhang Xiaohou said firmly.
He had dealt with the Qinling Mountains for many years, but the more he learned about the Qinling Mountains, the more unfathomable he felt the mountains were.
"So you were promoted to major general just because the safety level of the Qinling Mountains were reevaluated?" Li Dexin harrumphed coldly.
The safety level of the Qinling Mountains had indeed changed a few years ago. There was never a major general stationed at the Qinling Mountains before. The person-in-charge was only a brigadier general in the past, but the army had now appointed a major general to keep an eye on the Qinling Mountains. Many people assumed the role was deliberately set up for someone with a formidable background.
Not many people knew the truth, since they had never been to the Qinling Mountains!
Zhang Xiaohou's role was extremely important, but others did not think highly of it. However, that did not bother Zhang Xiaohou. He was determined to stick to his responsibilities in the Qinling Mountains, regardless of his rank. The Ancient Capital had suffered great losses during the calamity, so it desperately needed a few years of peace. Zhang Xiaohou would not allow the flying creatures of the Qinling Mountains to cause any trouble while the Ancient Capital was recovering!
Luckily, the leader of the flying creatures was keeping an eye on its subordinates, too. He just needed to keep an eye on a few species with rather hot tempers to keep the peace!
"Mount Baiba is broken into different levels. The lowest level is the Vine Canopy Level that we are seeing right now. The Vine Canopy Realm is slightly higher than the majority of the Qinling Mountains. We can see most of the Qinling Mountains once we are at the Vine Canopy Level," Zhang Xiaohou said.
"Those trees are only the lowest level?" Mo Fan blurted out.
"Yes, we aren't able to see the higher levels from here!" Zhang Xiaohou answered.
"So what is the level above it?" Yu Shishi asked.
"The Ashwood Wind Layer. It is made up of a few dozen mountains covered in Ashwood Forests. The reason it's called the Ashwood Wind Layer is because the Wind of Sorrow doesn't stop blowing at that altitude, and it's a lot stronger than the Wind we encounter in the Qinling Mountains. Lesser creatures aren't able to endure it. Only the more powerful winged beasts can fly in it," Zhang Xiaohou said.
"So there are only powerful creatures at the Ashwood Wind Layer?" Bai Hongfei asked.
"Mm, only powerful creatures!" Zhang Xiaohou confirmed.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/versatile-mage_7851773505001805/the-skycloud-realm_50722115657187547 for visiting.
"Is there a level above it?" Mo Fan asked.
"Yes, but I have only heard about it from rumors. It's called the Skycloud Realm," Zhang Xiaohou said.
Lingling immediately pulled Mo Fan aside and whispered to him after hearing that name, "Jiang Xia mentioned the Skycloud Realm. He said that the Tree of Vows is the ancient tree connected to the Skycloud Realm!"
"So that means Jiang Xia and Yan Shi reached the highest level of the Winged Beasts' paradise in the past, and brought a seed of the Tree of Vows back and established the Enforcement Union?" Mo Fan speculated.
"More or less, Jiang Xia didn't really tell me the details. It looks like we will have to climb the mountains," Lingling said.
"But, if it's the paradise of the Winged Beasts, will we actually find the Deer God here?" Mo Fan said.
"It might be the paradise of the Winged Beasts, but there should be other species, too. I believe we are on the right track," Lingling said confidently.
Lingling had read a lot of ancient records that briefly mentioned the Deer God. Many of them were related to the Qinling Mountains, but Lingling could not tell for sure, since the information was never verified. Only people that had been to the Skycloud Realm like Jiang Xia would know the precise location of the Deer God!
"Mm, a mystical place like this does fit the sacredness of a Totem Beast..." Mo Fan nodded.
They were very close to finding a Totem Beast!
They were very close to reaching the Super Level!
Chapter 1717 - The Battle on the Vine Bridge
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Speaking of which, how are we supposed to climb up the mountains? Won't the winged beasts attack us if we tried to fly up?" Advisor Xu inquired.
The person they were looking for seemed to be at the Vine Canopy Layer, but from what Zhang Xiaohou knew, that did not necessarily guarantee that the person was still alive. The Vine Canopy Layer might be the lowest level, but it had a lot of powerful creatures, too!
"Come with me, I know a safer route. We will part ways when we reach the Vine Canopy Layer," Zhang Xiaohou said.
"Thanks for your help, General Zhang!" Advisor Xu said.
Zhang Xiaohou led the group to another mountain. The native creatures only cared about creatures at the same altitude or higher, and did not bother wasting their time on the creatures below them. The group had no trouble moving around in the woods beneath their territories.
"This mountain is covered in vines, we can climb along them. Remember, you can only fly as a last resort!" Zhang Xiaohou warned them.
The group followed Zhang Xiaohou along an extremely thick vine. The vine was so huge that they could even stand on it. Some of the vines even formed a path through the air when they were tangled up.
The vines did not cover only a single mountain. Some were a few hundred meters long, and extended to a greater height on another mountain, allowing Mo Fan and the others to walk across them to the next mountain while slowly climbing their way up!
"The vines end here." Bai Hongfei halted in his tracks. He had already reached the edge of a cliff.
They were currently at the top of a mountain, a relatively short one among the peaks nearby. It felt like they were still at the bottom when they looked up, as if they were not making any progress.
Mount Baiba had too many peaks soaring into the clouds. They were still a great distance away from the Vine Canopy Layer!
"Leave it to me," Ling Fei stepped forward. Her eyes emitted a strange blue flicker of light.
Ling Fei murmured softly, like she was communicating with nature. The vines that had stopped at the top of the mountain began to grow toward a taller peak nearby.
The vines wriggled along the mountain like serpents. They wove together rapidly and formed a long vine bridge connecting two peaks around four hundred meters apart. A deep canyon lay between the mountains, and they felt overwhelmed as they tried to walk on the swaying vine bridge.
The stronger Wind of Sorrow blew through the vine bridge. A Maga of the Violet Imperial Battalion immediately set up a shield of Light to protect the group.
A stronger gust of the Wind of Sorrow swept across the vine bridge when the group reached midway. The Light crumbled instantly, exposing the group to the fierce wind!
It was not the end of their misfortune. The Wind of Sorrow was only the entrée for the outsiders. A bunch of flying creatures had noticed the humans sneaking into their paradise!
The sound of the beating wings became clearer. It only came from above at first, but the loud noise soon surrounded them. Most awkwardly, the group was stuck on the vine bridge with limited space to move around.
"Didn't you say they wouldn't attack creatures at a lower altitude? We haven't reached their altitude!" Zhao Manyan shrieked when the fliers showed up.
"These are only the lesser fliers. They are from below the Vine Canopy Layer!" Zhang Xiaohou replied.
"What should we do now?" Zhao Manyan asked.
"What else can we do? Screw them, I've tolerated them for too long!" Mo Fan rolled his sleeves up in annoyance.
There was indeed nothing else the group could do except engage the creatures!
"Can't we fight them after we reach the next mountain?" Zhao Manyan yelled.
"Sure, you can try negotiating with the creature with colorful feathers right above you!" Mo Fan replied agreeably.
Was he stupid? These creatures had obviously launched their attack now because they knew humans were unable to fly and were vulnerable to the Wind of Sorrow. How brainless was Zhao Manyan!?
"Telekinesis!"
Mo Fan made his move right away. He gathered his Will on the rocks nearby and f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y dragged them out.
The mountain was some distance away, but the reach of Mo Fan's Will was impressive, and he continued to accelerate the rocks he had grabbed. The rocks were like missiles by the time they arrived!
The many different flying creatures about beat their wings rapidly. They were very nimble in the air, and the rocks only managed to hit a few of them. It was quite a surprise to Mo Fan, since his accuracy was on point most of the time.
"Brother Fan, they are more agile than ordinary Warrior-level creatures because of the Wind of Sorrow. You will have to limit their movements to land your attacks on them!" Zhang Xiaohou exclaimed.
Mo Fan's Telekinesis was more than enough to handle Warrior-level creatures, but he did not expect these flying things to be so quick after using the Wind of Sorrow.
Mo Fan had no choice but to use stronger spells to take them out!
"Space Rhythm: Time Stasis!"
Mo Fan cast a Space Spell again. A huge rhomboid loomed over the area.
The rhomboid greatly slowed down the creatures within it, like they were moving in a pool of mud. Mo Fan was quite adept at utilizing the Time Stasis. The Winged Beasts nearby were moving significantly slower, as if they were suddenly caught in slow motion.
"Try dodging this!" Mo Fan harrumphed coldly.
