There was no confrontation as I swept down on the sacred Plant, noting that the blasted remains of the Purple Linden Tree nearby had been mostly devoured by opportunistic Beasts, probably some of the powerful Deer who inhabited the mountains hereabouts.

The Guardian Peach Tree was in gentle orange and pink-blossomed bloom, season irrelevant to a sapient Plant, with peaches the size of a baby’s head scattered about its branches.

“Good day to the Guardian Peach Tree of K’un-Lun!” I bowed to the massive Plant, hundreds of feet high, growing so impossibly lush and bright so high up the mountain. “I am Healer Fae, of Emperor Thunderbird’s lands. Word of the Guardian Peach Tree still existing and rewarding the virtuous has reached the lands of Humans, and I have come to see if I am worthy of the Peach Tree’s boon.”

Branches creaked and moved in the wind, against the wind, leaves rustled and gleaming golden-orange and pink fruit bobbed.

“No. My carrying the Wills of Emperors is irrelevant to this task. Let me gift the Guardian Peach Tree with a boon of my own, and you may measure me and my magic from there...”

There’s Light, there’s sunlight, and then there’s Heavenly Sunlight. I ramped up the spell to a VI Valence, put the appropriate Holy Metas into place, and backed it with the full Mana draw of an Archspell to give it the area, duration, and power to do what it needed to do to actually affect and benefit this Noble Tree.

There weren’t many clouds above, but despite the incredible, unspoiled clarity of the air and sky, it wasn’t ever going to be truly warm here.

I fixed that, and let the Sun of Suns shine down upon the Guardian Peach Tree.

The golden sunbeam was impossible to miss, and could probably be seen all the way to the horizon. The lesser birds and creatures that nested in the limbs of the gargantuan tree all cried out in shock and delight as a truly warm Light came streaming down to bathe the Guardian Peach Tree. The air became comfy and cozy. It began to Sing with all the Elements, bearing a glory and grace that no mere Elements could match as the power of Heaven found a worthy being below.

Brightly-colored Birds burst into gleeful Song as Monkeys chittered all over. Holy Light, far warmer and more embracing than rote Light or even sunlight, poured down from Above. The leaves and branches of the Guardian Peach Tree spread out as long and broadly as they could, soaking in every iota of The Light that was coming down upon it.

It was power, warmth, and spiritual strength combined, a heady mix to any Plant, the equivalent of receiving some valuable natural cultivation resources for its magic. Weeks of purification and refinement of its absorbed Mana was being done in scarcely minutes!

There were flying creatures, Birds, Bats, Drakes, and other more fantastic creatures, that naturally swooped in towards the column of The Light, feeling its power, and wanting to test it and taste it for their own.

The Light was not for them. Before they could even get close, their feathers, fur, or scales were set on fire, and they fell away, shrieking at the spiritual admonishment contained within The Light.

Holiness and Sacred power were quite alien to them, and treated them quite as harshly as they did others in pursuit of power.

The combination of the Sublime Chord, the Light from Heaven, and the Will of Emperors were simply impossible things to ignore at this point, and soon enough I had an audience of Nobles and Commanders a-wing, watching and waiting to see what I was doing, and despite themselves being drawn into the celebration and Song of the Sublime Chord as it danced to the joy and wonders of Heaven.

------

The Light poured down for four hours, and I stood there and Sang to the Tree the whole time. The sky was soon covered by hundreds, then thousands of flying Birds and other fliers drawn to the impossible warmth of the air overcoming the default Harrowing Wind, and the way the magic danced and made the world seem to come alive.

Fliers who normally would never dare to fly so high came up the mountainside, and joined the swooping spirals and Song that was echoing in the Manafield. Naturally not a cloud or hint of wind or mist could approach to disrupt what was going on, and the Guardian Peach Tree soaked in its benediction from On High uninterrupted.

If the various Noble Birds who were leisurely enjoying the pleasant atmosphere and fallout of the spell were a bit envious of this Blessing of The Light, well, too bad for them.

I was also absolutely sure the Emperors of the Heaven Westward Fox Emperor’s Court were watching and measuring this.

What Humans granted a Blessing like this... to a Tree?

---

As the dusk came and streaked the blue sky with greens, then yellows, oranges, and crimson before the stars came out, The Light changed with it, and slowly faded away before the sun had finished its descent in the West.

The Song faded with it, and the warm atmosphere cooled quickly. The great flock of thousands of fliers, and even more non-fliers who had festooned the vines and other trees and stones of this mountainside and valley, smoothly parted ways and began to descend the mountain to their own homes and domains.

It was quite an event for the place.

The Guardian Peach Tree rustled at me, its blossoms opening and closing in its own equivalent of a bow, and a great branch reached gently over to me, a single ripe Peach dangling from it in thanks and acknowledgement.

I bowed to receive it from the Tree. “My thanks in return. It was a fitting reward for the gifts you have given Humanity in centuries past. My hope is that it helps you in your own evolution.

“I shall endeavor to visit you once a year and Bring Forth The Light for you in the future. I thank you for your steadfastness, great Tree!”

Leaves settled gently upon my head for a moment, then lifted away. I sent my Peach reward into my Void Pocket, spread my celeste and silver Wings, and headed further up the mountains of K’un-Lun.

Much as some of the more vicious inhabitants of these mountains might have liked to, none of them dared to obstruct me or bother me as I flew along above the trail to the higher peaks, rising and falling with it instead of across the valleys. The Great Beasts watched, noted my politeness despite an uncontestable right to head right for the Court above, and formed their own opinions of me.

------

There were multiple mountains to climb, a rising and falling progression that took me further and further above sea level, impossibly so. The space of the whole Himalayas was just something to be manipulated and expanded by the Emperors of K’un-Lun, creating the greatest paradise for Magical Beasts in the world.

I was now well above the stage where the atmosphere should be even breathable, but if anything it was even richer than before. The temperature had evened out, still ‘feeling’ like it was below freezing, but there was only snow here and there in artful locations that tended to be sources of Ice Mana. In others, rare Flowers, Herbs, and other Mana-rich cultivation resources grew in explosions of extravagant color, things worth small fortunes when discovered alone idly growing in dense clusters that were scattered about like potted plants or entire gardens worth millions.

It was an impressive display of cultivation wealth, but the Plants were probably more valuable for their contribution to the purity of the Manafield, helping stronger Beasts gather Mana and refine it more easily, than they were for consumption. This place wasn’t quite as good, but it approached the richness of the Beast Realm!

I was also aware that the Plants were probably a test for greed, which I found amusing. My whole mindset was about finding ways not to require these kinds of cultivation aides, ending the rampant and deadly competition and one-upmanship required to attain them. As for medicinal properties, that was a different matter, and why I had Alchemy ranks to begin with!

Still, this place was a botanical garden unmatched in the whole world, except maybe the Heart of the Amazon. I would have liked to have been able to take a few of the Plants to grow in a suitable greenhouse in secret... secret because if anyone knew I had them, they’d get raided by powerful mages desiring to eat them!

I was basically ignoring the value of everything I was flying past even as I registered them and enthused over seeing many of the astonishingly rare Plants myself for the first time. Many didn’t even have proper pictures, only replicated in paintings or sketches, and I made sure to get good close-up views to be replicated.

Of course, if anyone outside the Allegiance saw them, they’d go nuts wondering where I’d seen a whole gods-damned yard full of Heart-Soothing Gilded Rainbow Lilies growing...

Since it was something to see, I politely took small detours just to see the stuff. They were showing off, so, I enjoyed the show.

There were a lot of powerful Beasts around, many of them not very large, which said something about the nature of the Court here. They were all watching me go by with great interest, even as they made like they were ignoring me. Species that hadn’t been seen in the outside world for centuries were hopping and moving about idly, making me wonder just how long it had been since a Human had come this far in.

Just, huh. Of course, given the history of the Chinese and their conflicts with all their Beast neighbors, I suppose it fit. Given how the Beasts got on with them in return, I suppose it all washed out.

No floating mountains, however, although the miles-long vines that extended across valleys and between mountain peaks sure were sights to see. Convenient shortcuts on the advance, too, and if the arboreal creatures living in them were a bit flat-eyed to watch me pass, they still didn’t take any actions as I did so.

Hah, there was a spark of light above me, three peaks away. Maybe another forty, fifty miles of flying along and upwards. It couldn’t be a coincidence, so I just assumed I was being given some directions by the powers responsible.

Humming to myself in the Sublime Chord, the Manafield trembling along in time about me for a full mile in radius, I headed along the path of wingless supplicants towards the peak of K’un-Lun.