At the highest cliff of Kunlun Mountain's peak, a three-foot-tall sapling grew alone.
It regarded bronze as soil, using it as nourishment, with strong roots firmly entrenched. Its entire body was green and glossy.
The trunk was as thick as a wrist. Though not tall, it had bark resembling layers of scales, giving it an ancient and vigorous appearance.
Its leaves looked like they were carved from green jade, translucent and full of vitality. Shaped like a child's palm, they held some glistening dewdrops. When a gentle breeze blew, the pearls rolled on the jade-like leaves like pure white pearls on a jade plate.
At the top of the sapling, there was a bud the size of a fist, entirely silver with golden spots. It was about to bloom amidst the sheer cliff, already exuding a fragrant aroma, very beautiful.
The eerie little tree stood quietly and proudly.
Chu Feng tried several times but found it impossible to climb up this side of the bronze mountain. He decided to take a risk and climb from the other side filled with rolling rocks, needing to be extra cautious to avoid losing his life.
He retreated from the copper wall, reached a flat area, circled around the mountain while looking upward.
"How could it grow on bronze?" Chu Feng couldn't understand.
He attributed it to the increasingly incomprehensible world after several changes.
Chu Feng's mind was calm. He frowned, pondering everything—the strange plant, the eerie bronze mountain—none of it made sense.
A figure appeared in his mind because that person once said something he hadn't paid much attention to at the time but now felt touched by.
"One day, perhaps a roadside weed will bear a fist-sized bright red fruit. What we see as ordinary might no longer exist."
These were Lin Nuoyi's words, spoken casually.
Just like when she told Chu Feng they were breaking up, her tone was somewhat indifferent, her voice distant, as if she stood high above, speaking those words.
Chu Feng thought she was talking about their relationship, whether life or emotions, nothing was unchangeable.
"Did she mean something?"
In this post-civilization era, the world had undergone several changes. Although most people didn't know the details, a small number did.
What did Lin Nuoyi know?
Thinking of her, Chu Feng sighed, feeling somewhat melancholic but let the past go.
He looked up again at the bronze mountain peak, showing a puzzled expression.
Was she hinting at something? Following her thoughts, many ordinary things might change. What about rare extraordinary trees that were never ordinary to begin with?
Such a sapling, even before any abnormalities, must have been extraordinary!
There were many scattered rocks underfoot. Chu Feng had reached the edge of the bronze mountain; the path here was too difficult.
Suddenly, a gust of wind surged. Chu Feng's eyelids twitched as he saw a shadow suddenly appear on the ground, almost covering him.
Something was approaching!
Reacting swiftly, his agile body rolled out of harm's way. Rolling a distance down the mountain, he quickly assembled his defensive folding crossbow, effective and fast.
Outdoors, especially traveling alone, one couldn't lack self-defense tools. Chu Feng turned and shot a steel arrow with a bang.
At the same time, he saw what it was!
An indescribable look of shock appeared on Chu Feng's face. The creature was enormous, far exceeding its kind.
A golden raptor, with bright feathers spreading over five to six meters long, swooped down from the sky, nearly grabbing him.
With a clang, the steel arrow flew past, hitting a large blue stone nearby, sparks flying. It grazed the fierce bird, which dodged.
The sharp claws scratched the ground, making an ear-piercing sound. It soared into the air, the wind roaring.
Chu Feng's back chilled. If he hadn't reacted quickly, being grabbed by this fierce bird would have been unimaginably dire.
Ordinary eagles can easily crush the skulls of prey like wild rabbits. Such a large golden raptor's strength was evident. If he had been a second slower, the scene would have been tragic.
Chu Feng immediately retreated, choosing advantageous terrain, leaning against a giant rock, holding the folding crossbow aimed at the sky, cautiously on guard.
In mid-air, the golden raptor circled, extremely fierce, stirring up winds along the mountainside!
Never had he seen such a large bird.
It resembled a golden eagle, without any mixed feathers, shining brightly, frighteningly large and powerful, with golden eyes full of wildness and ferocity.
Ordinary golden eagles couldn't be so large. This one was an anomaly, extremely abnormal!
If it were ancient times, some tribes might consider this golden raptor a Roc.
Because ancient records often exaggerated. A five to six-meter-long golden fierce bird would undoubtedly cause a great stir if it appeared.
Especially in this Kunlun Mountain area, it added more mystery.
The golden giant bird was fierce but didn't immediately dive. It circled, showing unusual keenness, obviously aware of the power of Chu Feng's crossbow.
Suddenly, Chu Feng smelled a fishy odor.
Three snow leopards slowly approached from below the mountain, silently, with glowing pupils and bloodstained mouths, sharp fangs gleaming, clearly having hunted recently.
They stared at Chu Feng, slightly crouching, also looking at the golden raptor in the sky, wary, emitting uneasy growls.
The three snow leopards were much stronger than their kind, sharp claws gleaming, powerful bodies ready to pounce.
Chu Feng frowned, not expecting such danger. With the golden raptor in the sky and swift leopards on the ground, his situation was precarious.
Suddenly, the three snow leopards' fur bristled, neck hair standing upright. They quickly dodged, leaping into the rocky area.
Silently, a yak appeared on the mountain, jet-black and shiny, black hair flowing like silk, a pair of thick horns raised toward the sky.
This was truly a yak king, over ten feet long, limbs thick and huge, like a small black mountain.
This surprised Chu Feng. This massive black yak moved silently like the snow leopards, appearing suddenly without warning.
Moreover, the three snow leopards feared this shiny black yak, hiding among the rocks, which was very abnormal!
The black yak glanced at the golden raptor in the sky, then stood still, staring at the bronze mountain peak.
How did these three creatures end up here?
Chu Feng knew he was in danger, not daring to move rashly, waiting for an opportunity to leave.
In the distance, six or seven animal figures ran towards the mountain, moving fast, revealing white fangs, their ferocity evident.
Those were six wolves, all tall and stronger than their kind. The leading "alpha wolf" was entirely white with one green-glowing eye, looking particularly vicious.
Upon reaching closer, they briefly paused, seeing the black yak, showing slight agitation, then looking at the golden raptor, displaying unease.
Suddenly, the calm broke. Six fierce wolves charged simultaneously up the mountain through the rocky area.
Simultaneously, the three snow leopards moved, lightning-fast, rushing toward the bronze mountain peak.
Chu Feng retreated, wanting to leave.
Near the peak, animal roars echoed, all competing to ascend.
Bang!
A loud thud came, a snow leopard's face deformed, bloody, crashing heavily down the mountain, struck by a yellow blur.
Like a bolt of lightning, too fast, it emerged abruptly, charging into the pack.
It was a Tibetan mastiff, with long, dense fur around its neck like a lion's mane, similar in size to a regular Tibetan mastiff, claws stained with leopard blood.
But it was incredibly swift, leaping several meters, pouncing forward.
Wolf howls rang out, tragically, blood splattering, a blue wolf's neck snapped, flung away.
Another wolf was knocked into the stone wall, collapsing instantly.
"This is the legendary true mastiff!" Chu Feng exclaimed.
Locals said true mastiffs lived in the wild, able to fight tigers and leopards, extremely rare and seldom seen.
This true mastiff was even more formidable than legends, fast as lightning, entering the pack, solving one leopard and two wolves in mere contact.
This was the mastiff king, Chu Feng guessed, possibly even stronger.
The mastiff leapt again, seven to eight meters, its large paw striking with the force of a bear's, smashing a wolf's eye, sending it rolling.
Landing, the mastiff tackled another snow leopard, roaring terrifyingly, rolling together, releasing its wild nature.
The snow leopard lay in a pool of blood, throat bitten through, clearly dead.
The mastiff wasn't injured, its mane-like fur standing on end, though not tall, resembling a mythical beast, exuding a special aura. It leapt again, charging at the remaining beasts.
Chu Feng almost couldn't believe such a mighty mastiff! Several leaps and most of the beasts were almost finished off.
The last snow leopard died, leaving only the one-eyed silver "alpha wolf," fleeing desperately downhill, trying to escape alive.
But within a few leaps, the mastiff caught up, opening its bloody mouth, biting through its neck, nearly severing the head.
Thus, nine fierce beasts were quickly dealt with.
Chu Feng gripped his folding crossbow tightly, ready for anything. This place was too dangerous!
The mastiff calmed, covered in beast blood, but not its own, standing still, looking up at the sapling on the bronze cliff.
Though not tall, it appeared exceptionally mighty, its earth-yellow mane stained with other beasts' blood, radiating power.
During this time, the black yak kept staring at the sapling on the bronze mountain, remaining motionless, unusually calm.
The golden raptor circled in the air, similarly watching below.
These three strange creatures were all composed, seemingly possessing human-like intelligence, very patient. Their target was the sapling, but they didn't act immediately, as if waiting for something.
Chu Feng was deeply astonished, realizing these three creatures were truly extraordinary.