Consuming a Vow Fruit can bring about a permanent enhancement.
Of course, Vow Fruits can also be used to create special items, such as Seed of Devourment.
"Then, thank you," Jiang Yuan accepted the Vow Fruit without ceremony.
He didn't plan to go any higher for now; he would cultivate here by the Vow Tree while waiting for the Winged Tribe Great Ceremony.
...........
...........
More than twenty days passed quickly, during which two more So winds blew, each lasting four or five days.
Jiang Yuan had already brought all the Plants in the Qinling Mountains into the Plant consciousness network.
The weaker ones formed a cluster consciousness.
The stronger ones formed an individual consciousness.
Under the feedback from a massive amount of Plants, Jiang Yuan's Plant system had already reached High-tier Level 2.
The speed of advancement began to slow down.
To progress faster, he would have to visit other locations where Plants resided.
"Hoo~~~~~~"
The wind suddenly picked up, and Jiang Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
The So wind had returned.
This So wind was even more biting than previous ones!
"Flap, flap~~~~~~!!"
The sound of flapping wings echoed.
The Winged Tribe Great Ceremony had begun!
Jiang Yuan looked out, and the clouds beneath his feet were already covered by various colored wings, densely filling the sky!
His current altitude already surpassed the starting point of many Winged Tribe demons; many Monarch-level Winged Tribe demons flew to higher Cloud Realm Layers from the Azure Wood Cloud Layer via Vow Trees and other ancient trees.
"Anyone with wings should be considered Winged Tribe, right?" Jiang Yuan stroked his chin, a thought stirring.
"Austin, work's here."
In the sixth layer of the Underworld, Austin was sleeping with his head on the Underworld soil when he suddenly heard Jiang Yuan's voice.
Immediately after, a rift large enough for him to pass through opened before him.
Austin instantly burrowed in: "My Lord, I'm here!"
The massive body of the True Dragon appeared above Baiba Mountain.
Shading the sky and covering the sun, this So wind briefly paused due to his appearance, followed by an even stronger So wind.
"Screech!!!!!"
Above the Cloud Realm Layer, Feather Emperor fixed his gaze on Austin.
Feather Emperor is replaced every few years; except for the first Feather Emperor who set the rules, all of them are Monarch-level Winged Tribe demons.
Therefore, when an Emperor-level True Dragon appeared on Baiba Mountain, Feather Emperor had no choice but to focus his attention there.
"My Lord!"
Austin lowered his head, allowing Jiang Yuan to step onto it.
"Fly up, to the highest place," Jiang Yuan said.
"As you command!"
Austin did not question the reason and executed Jiang Yuan's order without discount, a gentle flap of his giant dragon wings immediately formed a swirling storm of air currents below, pushing him towards the high sky!
The So wind howled, posing no obstruction to Austin's True Dragon body; on the contrary, it became a boost for him to fly upwards.
The perspective rapidly ascended.
The majestic Qinling Mountains became a gorge beneath his feet, and the clouds were within reach.
Jiang Yuan had already experienced such an altitude.
A hundred thousand meters in the sky, even farther than the Cloud Realm Layer!
Suddenly, Austin plunged into the clouds supported by the ancient trees, where the biting cold So wind became warm.
Around them were only ancient tree branches and white clouds, floating like a celestial palace.
This altitude was already very high; many Feather Emperors had only reached this height.
Feather Emperor does not necessarily have to reach the highest point.
Instead, he must be the one who flies the highest in this Winged Tribe Great Ceremony.
Some might wonder, wouldn't this mean Feather Emperor could serve multiple terms?
In fact, no, because the previous Feather Emperor would simply not participate in the Winged Tribe Great Ceremony to select the next Feather Emperor.
All previous Feather Emperors either flew into the higher Sacred Waterfall or slumbered in the Cloud Realm Layer.
"My Lord, should we continue upwards?" Austin asked.
He felt a hint of pressure from the wind.
At a higher place, there must be an Emperor-level being, and perhaps this very wind was stirred up by that Emperor-level being.
"Continue upwards," Jiang Yuan said calmly.
Austin raised his head, carrying Jiang Yuan, and continued to fly towards the higher Sacred Waterfall.
Further up, the clouds became more numerous, and the branches became fewer.
Finally, it became a complete world within the clouds.
They had reached the top of the Cloud Realm Layer.
Austin did not stop, breaking through the Cloud Realm Layer in one go, arriving at an even higher layer.
In an instant, the white clouds disappeared.
Everything suddenly became clear!
There were no more clouds above, only the starry sky stretching into the unknown depths.
Just a short distance away, white clouds churned endlessly, like a towering waterfall pouring down.
"Is this the Winged Tribe Sacred Waterfall?" Jiang Yuan leaped off the dragon's head.
The white clouds beneath his feet were enveloped by some force, making them feel no different from a solid entity.
At this moment, a pure white giant eagle, over ten meters tall, flew out from the Sacred Waterfall; its talons were as clear as crystal, yet when they reflected light, a sharp metallic luster could be seen.
"Chirp!" The white giant eagle came before Jiang Yuan.
"Are you Feather Emperor?" Jiang Yuan asked.
The white giant eagle nodded: "Chirp~ Chirp!"
Although it was a bird's cry, Jiang Yuan could clearly understand its consciousness.
This white giant eagle before him was the current Feather Emperor, specifically waiting here for the arrival of Jiang Yuan and Austin.
However, not as the master.
The true master was another demon.
After a brief exchange, the white giant eagle invited Jiang Yuan into the Sacred Waterfall.
Jiang Yuan brought Austin into the Sacred Waterfall.
The moment the white clouds touched his skin, he discovered something amiss.
The seemingly soft white clouds were even more biting than the So wind!
Passing through the white clouds, they entered the interior of the Sacred Waterfall.
Dozens of massive bird skeletons abruptly appeared before their eyes.
These were the remains of many deceased former Feather Emperors.
Feather Emperor held a revered position in the Winged Tribe, but the turnover was simply too frequent.
One replacement every few years, to exaggerate, the number of Feather Emperors was definitely no less than a hundred.
Thousands of years had passed since the first Feather Emperor established the rules.
The number of Feather Emperors one could imagine was immense.
Jiang Yuan had seen quite a few Feather Emperors in the Vow Tree's memories.
Jiang Yuan's gaze shifted from the skeletons, and he continued deeper into the Sacred Waterfall.
"Chirp!"
"Screech!"
"Cheep!"
"~~~~"
Suddenly, a chorus of bird cries echoed in his ears.
The next moment, over a dozen Winged Tribe demons with Monarch-level aura appeared from the clouds, their sharp, spirited eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan and Austin.
They were all former Feather Emperors.
Jiang Yuan had seen all of them in the Vow Tree's memories.
"Honored guest, welcome to our Winged Tribe Sacred Waterfall."
A mental message arose in Jiang Yuan's mind, giving a feeling of majesty and age.
"Since the guest has arrived, why not come out to greet him personally? Are you planning to play tricks?" Jiang Yuan said.
"My apologies."
As the words fell, the clouds before Jiang Yuan churned.
Without the imagined massive body, a small Winged Tribe demon, similar in size to an Ice Air Wing Birds, flew out from the clouds.
Its feathers were also pure white and flawless, adorned with delicate golden threads, and a gentle light emanated from the center of its forehead.
Although its body was not large, Jiang Yuan could clearly sense the energy contained within it.
It was no less than Austin's.