At night, the tent was originally very quiet. Suddenly, an abrupt sound broke the peace. Chu Feng's hand froze in place, all his movements halted.
How could a cubic stone emit such a sound?
A crack appeared on the stone.
Chu Feng put it down, fearing something unexpected might happen, and observed carefully. Having experienced some strange events today, he was especially cautious.
"A stone box?!" he exclaimed in surprise.
Those patterns surrounding the stone had once concealed this crack. Now, with it slightly opened, they became clearly visible.
Earlier, the stone box was so tightly sealed that it seemed to be one piece, and with its mottled surface, it was hard to notice anything unusual.
Who would have thought this was actually a cubic stone box, three inches tall and quite ancient-looking?
Given the circumstances, Chu Feng felt somewhat expectant because the stone box seemed mysterious. Found at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, he initially thought it was just a rock, but who knew it contained another world within?
Chu Feng used a copper basin from the tent as a shield for defense, then cautiously opened the stone box, widening the crack.
"Crack!"
The lid came off, revealing nothing abnormal; no danger occurred.
Relieved, Chu Feng examined the inside of the stone box.
He harbored some hope—what exactly was sealed inside?
The interior space of the stone box was small, containing only a shallow groove that could hardly hold anything significant, clearly not capable of hiding pearls or jade.
However, there was indeed something inside.
In that groove were three shriveled seeds, completely filling it up. Apart from these, there was nothing else.
Chu Feng was quite disappointed. He originally thought the stone box picked up at the foot of Kunlun Mountain might contain some secret treasure, but it turned out to be just three seeds.
One seed was pitch black, already shriveled and somewhat deformed, severely lacking vitality.
Another seed was purplish-brown, flat and round, seemingly flattened, about the size of a fingernail.
The last seed was relatively normal. Besides some wrinkles on the surface, it was fairly plump and not hollowed, overall round but somewhat withered yellow.
Chu Feng stared blankly. Just these three seeds? Two of them looked awful. This was truly far from what he had imagined.
He originally thought the stone box found at the foot of Kunlun Mountain was somewhat mysterious and might seal something extraordinary, but it turned out to be so ordinary.
He placed the three seeds in his palm, examining them closely. There was really nothing remarkable about them.
How many years had these things been buried underground? Hard to tell, but judging by the age of the stone box and its faded patterns, it must be very ancient.
Was this from prehistoric times?
But if they were ancient artifacts, it was good enough that the three seeds hadn't rotted after being unearthed.
Some ancient objects sealed underground might immediately deteriorate once exposed to sunlight.
Chu Feng looked again and again, unable to identify what kind of seeds they were—he had never seen them before and didn't know which three plants they corresponded to.
He felt speechless. Moments ago, he had the fervent desire to uncover hidden treasures, and now he was staring at three shriveled seeds!
"I'll find a chance to plant them and see what grows," Chu Feng pondered.
However, considering the long passage of time these seeds had endured, he worried whether they could still sprout, especially since two of them were already shriveled.
"If they can grow, I hope they're not poisonous weeds. If beans or some vegetables grow, they might be ancient varieties," he laughed.
The plateau sky was close to the ground, stars shining brightly, moonlight like water, casting over the desolate and somewhat barren land.
Deep into the night, it was exceptionally quiet.
In a daze, Chu Feng heard a huge roar from the direction of Kunlun Mountain echoing through the mountains, startling him awake from his dream.
Despite the lodging place being very far away, he could hear the deep beastly roar in the dead of night, truly astonishing.
Clearly, something was happening in Kunlun Mountain. Judging by the sound, it wasn't the Tibetan Mastiff or yak, but other fierce beasts had appeared.
Faintly, the ground beneath the mountain range trembled, becoming increasingly restless.
Some herders woke up, devoutly praying, bowing towards the sacred peak, murmuring something.
Chu Feng also got up and walked out of the tent, hearing an old herder speak.
"The Living Buddha in the mountains has truly awakened."
Chu Feng was puzzled. Even if there were ancient monks, how could they be accompanied by beastly roars?
"You don't understand, this is a legend in our Tibetan land. You should leave early tomorrow," the old herder said.
"Is it possible that those sacred beasts in the mountains are about to come out?" another middle-aged man said.
Legend had it that in the depths of the plateau's sacred mountains were several sleeping ancient beasts, some comparable to gods, immensely powerful, able to subdue demons, while others were extremely fierce and could cause disasters.
Upon hearing this, Chu Feng pondered for a moment. Although he didn't fully believe it, he didn't think the Tibetans' words were baseless.
After all, he personally experienced the Bronze Mountain incident and indeed saw some strange beasts.
For instance, that golden ferocious bird, about five to six meters long, would likely have been called the Golden-winged Great Peng in ancient times.
That entirely glossy black yak, over ten feet long, even leopards and green wolves feared it, immensely powerful, causing the Bronze Mountain peak to tremble slightly when it stepped. In ancient times, it would probably have been called a Bull Demon.
Many ancient legends were exaggerated over time and mythologized. Especially when ancient people recorded strange tales, exaggeration was common, likely the case here too.
In the latter part of the night, the vast plateau finally quieted down, the deep beastly roars from the distant mountains fading away.
Moonlight like water, like thin mist, fell, connecting the place to the starry sky, hazy and tranquil.
Herders stopped worrying, exhaling deeply.
Chu Feng returned to the tent, falling into deep sleep.
The next day, Chu Feng set off early, eventually entering a giant city in the west, where he would board a train home.
In the post-civilization era, although not as splendid as before, the gap wasn't too large, and various modes of transportation were convenient.
These days, Chu Feng had been in the wild, disconnected from the outside world. Entering the city now gave him a feeling of being transported to another world.
Always in highlands, deserts, and mountains, his communication devices were turned off. Upon turning them back on, numerous messages flooded in.
His parents reminded him to be careful and safe alone, friends asked when he'd return, along with other messages.
Chu Feng replied one by one until boarding the train.
Apart from buying snacks, he carried little, disposing of items along the way.
Finding his seat, putting things down, he held his communicator, starting to read recent news, instantly amazed.
In recent days, dense fogs appeared nationwide, even abroad, some light blue, some dark red, others purple, widespread.
Some speculated it might be caused by residual nuclear radiation from past wars.
Experts quickly clarified, assuring the public it was merely natural fog, harmless, and would dissipate soon without panic.
Public opinion surveys showed another view, suggesting it was an omen, similar to historical events affecting various regions.
Regarding this, no one dared to firmly deny it, as in the post-civilization era, this wasn't the first occurrence; the situation was complex.
"What's going on? Plants floating in mid-air, really bizarre."
After the train started, a chubby guy sat nearby, around Chu Feng's age, medium height, with a noticeable belly, chubby face, big ears, smiling eyes like slits, resembling Maitreya Buddha.
He exuded cheerfulness, looking kindly even when silent, always smiling, more and more like Maitreya Buddha.
Chu Feng smiled; this person definitely wouldn't annoy anyone.
"Brother, where are you going?" the chubby guy greeted warmly.
"At the foot of Taihang Mountain." Chu Feng responded with a smile.
"Could we be fellow townspeople? Tell me the exact location," the chubby guy chuckled.
Upon inquiry, their destinations were the same, instantly making them feel closer as people from the same place.
The chubby guy was named Zhou Quan, a "safe" name. He studied in the west, returning for a visit.
Chu Feng also noticed the news Zhou Quan mentioned—recent reports stated some strange floating plants appearing in the air, quite eerie.
"I don't get it, why don't they fall?" Zhou muttered.
Chu Feng, having seen the news, was equally puzzled.
"Do you think something big will happen?" Zhou Quan grimaced.
"Hope everything stays peaceful; the world is getting harder to understand," someone beside added.
"Yeah, peace is best, really unsettling," others echoed.
This resonated with many, leading to discussions.
"Seems something will happen eventually. These years have seen numerous inexplicable phenomena, all kinds of rumors spreading," someone whispered.
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew lively, filled with various comments.
Two hours later, Zhou Quan and Chu Feng became quite familiar, both from the same place, naturally close.
Zhou leaned in, speaking mysteriously, "I heard from a relative recently, he knows a peculiar person who claims the world is about to change dramatically."
"What changes?" Chu Feng asked.
"Some mystical things will happen," Zhou whispered.
"Looks like you're the one talking mystically," Chu Feng laughed.
"Really, don't doubt it. My relative isn't one to talk nonsense, usually very meticulous and reliable, involved in unusual circles," Zhou insisted.
Chu Feng shook his head, smiling.
Zhou, somewhat deflated, said, "Actually, I don't quite believe it either. That peculiar person talks nonsense, hinting that Western mythological figures were grown, saying it's similar here."
"Pfft!"
Someone nearby, drinking water, heard this, spitting it out uncontrollably, laughing nonstop.
"Go away, go away, what's funny! Not saying anymore!" Zhou felt embarrassed.