Versatile Mage: Lord of Space

“Mount Baiba is the paradise of the Feathered Demons, connecting the Sacred Waterfall in the north to the Qinling Mountains in the south. The higher the place they perch, the more prestigious their status in the Qinling Mountains. Clans like the Winged Birds and the Demon Eagles of the south come here to pay homage to the Feathered Emperor at certain times of the year.” Zhang Xiaohou gazed at Mount Baiba, which was only partially visible in the distance, with a hint of longing in his eyes.

He has visited Baiba Mountain many times, and each time he has been captivated by its magnificent scenery filled with a mystical aura.

"The Feather Emperor?" Yu Shishi asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I heard it from an old man in the Qinling Mountains. The Feathered Demon race has a strict hierarchy. People live at a certain altitude according to their status. Even when flying, they cannot trespass into airspace that does not belong to their level. Once they cross the line, they will be punished by the Feather Emperor. The Feather Emperor is the highest-ranking being among the Feathered Demons. He not only rules over this Baiba Mountain, but also commands all the winged creatures in the mountains to the north and south. He has great authority,” Zhang Xiaohou continued to explain.

"So amazing? How come I've never heard of this before?" Zhao Manyan asked in surprise.

“Unlike other demons who frequently cause trouble, the Feather Emperor strictly controls the Feather Clan under its direct jurisdiction, allowing them to dwell in designated mountains and skies. They are actually very powerful, yet they almost never initiate wars with other demon races, including us humans. Nowadays, we are mostly concerned with those powerful demon races that pose a serious threat to humanity, while we often consider those like the Feather Demons of Qinling, who do not directly invade us, to be weak and not worth fearing. Initially, the military also thought that Qinling was a small place, nothing to worry about compared to places like Xiling, Dongting Lake, and Shennongjia. But after actually arriving at Baiba Mountain, we realized how ignorant we were,” Zhang Xiaohou said earnestly.

He has been dealing with the Qinling Mountains for many years, and the deeper he goes, the more unfathomable this mountain range seems.

"Baiba Mountain is roughly divided into several levels. The lowest level is the 'Tengguan Mountain Level,' which we can see now. It is slightly higher than most of the mountain peaks in the Qinling Mountains. Standing on the Tengguan Mountain Level, you can basically overlook the thousands of mountains in the Qinling Mountains," Zhang Xiaohou continued.

"The Tengguan Mountain layer that we see, so incredibly high, is actually only the bottom layer?" Mo Fan repeated in surprise.

“Yes, it’s much higher up; we can’t see it from here at all,” Zhang Xiaohou nodded.

"What's the higher place called?" Yu Shishi pressed.

"That's called the 'Azure Wood Wind Layer,' a high-altitude region formed by dozens of towering mountains, even higher than other mountain ranges, and countless ancient trees. It's called the 'Wind Layer' because the 'whistling winds' at this altitude never cease, and are several times stronger than what we encountered in the Qinling Mountains. Small-sized feathered demons simply cannot withstand it; only large-sized feathered demons can fly in that wind layer," Zhang Xiaohou explained.

"Are all those powerful demons on that Cangmu Wind Layer?" Bai Hongfei couldn't help but ask.

“Yes, they are all powerful demons,” Zhang Xiaohou confirmed.

"Are there even higher levels?" Mo Fan asked again.

“Yes, but I’ve only heard about it. Apparently, there’s also a ‘Cloud Realm Heavenly Layer’,” Zhang Xiaohou replied.

After he finished speaking, Lingling gently tugged at Mo Fan's sleeve and whispered a reminder: "Jiang Xia mentioned the Cloud Realm Heavenly Layer. The Oath Tree is the ancient divine tree that connects to the Cloud Realm Heavenly Layer."

“Jiang Xia and Yan Shi reached the highest point of the Feathered Demon Paradise back then and brought back a seed from the Oath Tree, which laid the foundation for the Chinese Tribunal today,” Lin Lan explained.

"Speaking of which, how are we going to get up there? Is my Winged Magic Tool still usable?" Zhao Manyan asked.

“If you use it, you will be attacked by the mob; they will treat you as an intruder,” Lin Lan said.

"Let's forget about it then. These hundreds of millions are useless. We can only take it one step at a time."

“Follow me, I know a relatively safe route,” Zhang Xiaohou said.

“Once we reach a location where we are far enough away, I can use spatial magic to take us there,” Lin Lan added.

"That looks easy. It seems my second-tier super-level is not far off." Mo Fan laughed.

"Now that you mention it, Mo Fan, I'm really getting anxious. It's my turn by now!" Zhao Manyan was the first to walk upstairs.

Everyone followed Zhang Xiaohou, climbing upwards along the incredibly thick vines. These vines were exceptionally large, with some sections large enough for a person to stand steadily; where the vines intertwined and were densely packed, it was practically a mountain path suspended in the air.

"Huff~~~~~~Huff~~~~~~~~"

A fierce gust of wind rushed towards him, and Zhao Manyan used his Holy Shield to block the attack.

Misfortune never comes singly. Just as Suofeng gave them a taste of their own medicine, a group of winged demons discovered these uninvited guests who had quietly sneaked into the Forest of Paradise.

"Plop, plop plop~~~~~~~"

The sound of flapping wings initially came only overhead, but soon it spread from all directions. The awkward thing was, they were still walking on a rope bridge with nowhere to hold onto…

"Didn't they say we wouldn't be attacked at lower levels? We haven't even reached that height yet!" Zhao Manyan couldn't help but shout as more and more winged demons gathered around them.

“These aren’t powerful demons; some of them inhabit the area below the Feathered Demon Paradise,” Zhang Xiaohou explained. “Then what do we do now?” Zhao Manyan asked anxiously.

"What else can we do? Fight them! I've had enough!" Mo Fan was also getting annoyed and rolled up his sleeves.

In the current situation, there is really no other way but to fight back!

"These winged demons chose this moment to attack because they know they can't fly and are afraid of the Wind. Just wipe them all out," Lin Lan said.

"Spatial Annihilation!"

Lin Lan made the first move, locking onto a group of winged demons with his mind, and it was as if several tons of bombs exploded in the air.

A group of targeted winged demons were instantly reduced to blood mist in the explosion.

Mass air bombs?

Lingling had this thought subconsciously.

It's practically a demon-slaying god skill.

"Large~~~~~~!"

"Large~~~~~~!"

Mo Fan followed suit, also using spatial skills.

"Mind control!"

As a result, all the winged demons managed to dodge it.

"I go?"

Mo Fan's eyes widened. "Your spatial system and my spatial system are completely different."

"Brother Fan, the wind has granted them speeds faster than ordinary warrior-level creatures. We need to block their movement paths," Zhang Xiaohou reminded him.

Lin Lan's spatial annihilation was essentially a massive spatial explosion, so there was no need to block his movement trajectory.

Because if the Feathered Demon were in that space, it would die.

After a thorough cleaning, the winged demons were completely eliminated.

"Instantaneous movement - within reach!"

Lin Lan's gaze sharpened, and silver light swirled around her. She raised her hand and pressed down, as if the space in front of her was being folded and compressed by an invisible hand.

"go!"

Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and the surrounding scenery instantly distorted and changed.

When they came to their senses, they were already standing on a higher, vine-covered platform. The long climb they had just made had been traversed in an instant.

Zhao Manyan's eyes widened. "They're both space-related, but Mo Fan's is a huge mess."

Lin Lan calmly explained, "The distance between us is but a thought away."

"Let's hurry up, but remember to be careful, it gets more dangerous the further we go," Lingling reminded her.

The higher they went, the fiercer the wind became. The howling gale nearly knocked them off their feet. More powerful winged demons began to appear all around, circling high above, their sharp gazes fixed on the uninvited guests. (End of Chapter)