The livestock, such as cattle and sheep, seemed startled, nearly breaking through the fence. The herders blocked them, shouting loudly. Several usually fierce Tibetan Mastiffs were now crouching low to the ground, growling uneasily.
At the same time, children were crying, and women were comforting them.
Several elderly herders were praying devoutly, and eventually, they knelt down, bowing toward the distant towering mountains with utmost solemnity.
The herders were not surprised by Chu Feng's arrival since it was common for outsiders to pass through and stay in their tents.
After a long while, the noise at the foot of the mountain gradually subsided.
Chu Feng washed his body with hot water and drank fragrant butter tea, instantly feeling less tired. He gave all the candies he had to the children.
The children's faces were rosy, typical of high-altitude redness, with shy smiles, looking very innocent. After distributing the candies, they scattered joyfully and contentedly.
What exactly happened in this mountainous area recently? This was the question on Chu Feng's mind. Could it be that the almost eerie bluelotus flowers had bloomed here too?
An elderly herder in the tent had graying hair and deep wrinkles on his face, showing obvious concern. He looked outside the tent, gazing at the distant mountains.
Soon, Chu Feng learned that there indeed had been blue mist swirling in these mountains, causing many animals to become frightened and agitated, wanting to flee.
However, there were no strange blue lotus flowers, and the mist was quite thin.
"Why did you bow toward the mountain?" Chu Feng asked.
"That is the direction of the sacred mountain," the old herder replied.
Kunlun Mountain has always been known as a divine and sacred mountain, rich in mythological lore, from "Classic of Mountains and Seas" to "Huainanzi," and then to "Records of the Grand Historian," among others, with numerous ancient records.
Initially, there was only a thin layer of blue mist near this mountainous area, but someone saw that the Kunlun Mountains region was abnormally dense with blue mist.
There, the thick fog surged, shimmering brightly, boiling and effervescent, later resembling beams of light, with torrents of blue light and blazing rays, incredibly intense.
It seemed as if a dazzling blue sun was wrapped in dense fog, floating up and down. Although far away, it occasionally emitted flashes like lightning.
From afar, it appeared extremely mysterious, with brilliant blue light dancing continuously, extremely eye-catching.
Thus, some elderly herders bowed devoutly toward that direction, praying sincerely.
Clearly, the anomaly there was extremely shocking, with dense blue mist and blazing radiance, even more intense than what Chu Feng had seen in the desert.
What caused these miraculous phenomena? Chu Feng pondered.
He thought of one possibility, perhaps an earthquake in the mountains triggered it.
In the past, a place experienced something similar, where thunderstorms frequently struck living creatures in the valley.
If a mountain range experiences a violent earthquake, it could cause ultra-high abnormal magnetic field values. Under electromagnetic effects, charges in the clouds and the mountain's magnetic field interact, leading to charge discharge, combined with aurora effects, making the area colorful and unique, unlike anything ordinary.
Chu Feng was not superstitious; he believed that what happened in the mountains was mostly a natural phenomenon.
However, no matter how he explained it, the old herders wouldn't believe him and glared at him, thinking he had desecrated the sacred mountain and almost drove him away.
Indeed, there were things that didn't make sense or were forced, even Chu Feng himself hadn't fully figured out, such as the enchanting flowers in the desert recently.
He sighed lightly. In this "post-civilization era," many things were unexplainable. Despite people's efforts to explain using past rules, the world was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.
War had half-destroyed the earth, nearly turning it into wasteland. Although after a long recovery, the earth regained its vitality, the glorious times of yesteryear could never be restored.
During the relatively long period of the post-civilization era, several mysterious incidents occurred, having significant impacts, yet remaining unsolved.
Early morning, the red sun leaped above the horizon, casting bright dawn over the hills and onto the grassland, exuding a vibrant atmosphere.
Chu Feng bid farewell to this tribe and continued his journey westward.
Along the way, he learned that the mysterious blue mist covered a vast area, appearing wherever he passed.
"Could this be another mysterious incident?" he muttered.
Historically, those few events caused significant disturbances, still without definitive answers.
The sky in the Tibetan region was especially blue, with white clouds hanging low, seemingly within reach. The Gobi Desert, mountains, and grasslands were all tranquil, like a peaceful haven untouched by the outside world.
On his journey, Chu Feng heard many rumors.
Some herders said the Living Buddha on the sacred mountain had awakened, hence the blue light and mist shrouding the surroundings.
Others claimed that the Bodhi tree was growing, about to bloom and bear fruit.
"Dragon Mastiff is about to emerge!" some also said.
Locals believed true mastiffs lived in the wild, capable of fighting lions and tigers, whereas those kept by humans weren't considered true mastiffs. There was also a legend that in the sacred mountain, a Dragon Mastiff would appear once every few centuries, immensely powerful, capable of subduing demons.
A few days later, Chu Feng approached the sacred mountain area.
He had already learned that along the way, various places had seen faint blue mist, likely another major anomaly similar to historical occurrences.
This also meant that, just like previous times, ordinary people would never understand the underlying causes!
Even most people wouldn't know what consequences might follow.
Strangely enough, though it was late autumn and the weather should have been cold, Chu Feng felt a warmth as he traveled westward.
A few days ago, yellow leaves fell, covering the ground, but now it was different.
The remaining leaves on trees seemed to regain vitality, no longer withering or falling.
Especially near Kunlun, whether wild grass or thorny bushes and trees, everything appeared lush and vibrant under the warm weather, lacking the usual autumnal bleakness.
"The weather has warmed. Could it be due to the anomaly?" Chu Feng speculated.
Finally, Kunlun Mountain came into view.
From afar, he sensed a sense of oppression.
The majestic and towering mountain range stretched magnificently, resembling the spine of heaven and earth, spanning there.
Its grandeur and majesty were unparalleled, unmatched by any other ancient mountain.
This mountain range carried countless legends, enveloped in heavy mythological hues since ancient times.
Originally, Chu Feng intended to return after entering the Tibetan region, but hearing about the anomalies around Kunlun Mountain, which had previously emitted blue light, he wanted to see for himself.
"This is the place."
Chu Feng arrived at his destination, standing at the foot of the mountain. The towering giant mountain resembled a colossal city of gods, imposing and massive, situated on the western land, emanating a sense of wilderness and grandeur.
This was merely a small section of the Kunlun Mountain Range. A few days earlier, this area had witnessed intense blue light, seen by nearby residents, though few dared to approach in recent days.
Chu Feng entered the mountain and began climbing.
The terrain grew steeper, with large rocks strewn about, making the path increasingly difficult. Along the way, vegetation was lush, unusually so for late autumn.
"Was there really an earthquake a few days ago?" Chu Feng observed.
Cracks appeared on the mountainside, and the ground had large fissures. Some boulders had clearly rolled down from higher elevations, and some cliffs had collapsed.
This massive mountain had experienced abnormal phenomena.
"What is this?"
Chu Feng saw a large rock with inscriptions deeply etched, mostly buried in soil and stones.
After the earthquake, parts of the mountain slid, exposing this rock from deep underground.
The rock had a greenish layer, resembling dried moss.
"Xi... Wang!"
Chu Feng touched the inscriptions, recognizing the two characters. These were Jinwen (ancient Chinese script), typically engraved on bells and tripods in ancient times.
Most people found it hard to decipher.
For a moment, thoughts flooded his mind. How could it be these two characters?
Seeing "Xi Wang" here naturally led to associations. Did the Queen Mother of the West truly exist in ancient times?
"Perhaps it's just an epitaph left by ancient people who visited here," Chu Feng shook his head, trying to explain it to himself.
"Something's not right!"
Suddenly, he froze. While touching the inscription, he realized the supposed "dried moss" wasn't normal.
"Green copper rust!" This discovery shocked him.
The stone had been sealed and buried within the mountain. Upon reflection, it couldn't have moss. It had endured for an exceptionally long time until the earthquake revealed it again.
It turned out to be made of bronze!
But such a large piece of ancient bronze was indeed rare.
"The Si Mu Wu Ding unearthed from the Yin Ruins weighed less than 2000 catties and was hailed as the largest ancient bronze artifact, while this bronze slab..."
Chu Feng cleared some soil and stones, estimating conservatively that this bronze piece weighed at least five to six thousand catties, astonishingly heavy. In ancient times, it was undoubtedly a rare and precious artifact.
Its surface was covered with verdigris, indicating it had been buried for a very long time.
If it were a stone slab, Chu Feng might think it was left by ancient visitors paying homage. But now, with such a large bronze slab, he wasn't sure anymore.
In ancient times, who would expend resources just for remembrance?
Today, two chapters will be uploaded. The new book "Shen Xu" has started, please support with clicks, recommendations, and collections!
Please note that the last part contains meta-information about the author's request for reader support, which is typically not translated directly but can be adapted for the target audience.