In the depths of night, the Taihang mountain range rumbled incessantly, with hundreds upon thousands of towering peaks rising abruptly from the earth, appearing out of thin air in a spectacular display.
Some mountain summits soared over a thousand feet high, resembling divine swords piercing the heavens, standing upright and extremely steep, almost impossible to climb.
Other massive mountains were grand and majestic, enormous as a whole, akin to ancient mythological demons, exuding a primeval aura, sprawling there with heights reaching up to ten kilometers.
On some mountain bodies, silver waterfalls cascaded down, appearing under the moonlight like silken ribbons, enveloped in mist and rich in spiritual energy.
"Is this still the Taihang mountain range I know?" Zhou Quan was astoundingly shocked, nearly biting his lip in disbelief, convinced that he wasn't dreaming.
The changes were too drastic, turning the world upside down!
Those extraordinary scenes left one speechless, hard to believe.
Chu Feng was dazed, somewhat lost in thought.
Ahead, mountains stretched endlessly, emerging out of nowhere, far exceeding the original Taihang mountains, shimmering with vitality, looking like a fairyland.
The Taihang mountains had broadened significantly, more magnificent than before.
Both Chu Feng and Zhou Quan grew up in this area, so familiar with it that the transformation was breathtaking, bringing an ancient wildness to their faces.
This filled them with awe and alarm.
"Do you think there might be divine fruits or immortal grottoes within?" Zhou Quan's mind raced, his eyes gleaming.
They had seen reports on their communicators about various miraculous phenomena appearing in places like Songshan and Wangwushan, where ordinary rocks flowed with purple mist.
The young man who consumed the peculiar silver fruit and sprouted silver wings lived near Wangwushan and was later taken away by people from Tian Shen Biologicals.
This made Zhou Quan's heart race, imagining all sorts of possibilities.
Chu Feng remained calm, saying, "Wake up, don't get your hopes too high. With so many giant mountains, the fierce beasts inside won't be few. If they come out, big trouble could arise."
Hearing this, Zhou Quan's heart skipped a beat; it wasn't impossible, and it might happen at any moment.
"Roar..."
As if confirming Chu Feng's words, a beast's roar echoed from deep within the mountains, followed by clouds of smoke erupting, a giant beast roaring at the sky, venting its fury.
Zhou Quan's hair stood on end, searching for the source of the sound among the mountains.
"That mountain, did I see... something like a monster standing on the peak howling?" He stuttered, pointing towards a giant mountain.
Though far away, faintly visible was a flicker of firelight, like a red-furred beast peering and roaring, then swallowing the essence of the sun and moon.
There truly were ferocious beasts, and their homes were just outside the Taihang mountains, making it incredibly dangerous.
Zhou Quan's face paled, having encountered such events right after returning; would they have to flee again?
"Huh..."
In the distance, it seemed like the wind picked up, with dark clouds floating past, finally settling in the mountains.
"A giant bird!" Chu Feng's eyelids twitched, wondering how large it was.
"Did I... see wrong?" Zhou Quan's Adam's apple quivered, gulping hard.
The large bird, gray and blurry, disappeared into the depths of the mountains.
"If it targets humans outside for food, escaping will be impossible," Zhou Quan sighed, noting the swift speed of such birds, able to reach the mountain exit in an instant.
While talking, a purple predator emerged from the mountains, smaller than the previous one but still sizable, about ten meters long, soaring with its wings spread, flying outward.
It was special, its feathers dazzling with a metallic sheen.
"Bad luck, I really jinxed it! A ferocious bird is coming out!" Zhou Quan wished he could slap himself.
Both felt a chill, quickly hiding behind a large tree by the roadside, fearing discovery and becoming prey.
In the darkness, the divine bird emitted bright light, like a purple ribbon, rushing rapidly towards the mountain exterior, screeching excitedly, seemingly yearning for something.
Boom!
Suddenly, its body erupted in purple flames, illuminating the sky, turning the vast sky as bright as day, burning fiercely.
This sight was heart-stopping.
Even from afar, the heatwaves sent chills through the bones, making Zhou Quan wipe sweat off his forehead.
The purple giant bird shone like a purple sun, making that place exceptionally radiant.
"Scary, this is a demon bird. Just one can destroy a town." Zhou Quan whispered, full of worry.
Chu Feng also fell silent, knowing heaven only knew how many terrifying beasts lurked within the Taihang mountains, considering hundreds of new peaks appeared.
However, a mournful cry from the sky startled both men.
Purple flames surged, the giant bird burned, screeched, struggled violently, and plummeted to the ground.
What happened? Chu Feng and Zhou Quan looked at each other in confusion.
Earlier, it seemed powerful, ready to soar into the sky, heading outward, thinking those flames represented its strength, only to realize it ignited itself.
Pop!
Mid-air, a burst sounded, the purple giant bird disintegrated before hitting the ground, transforming into ashes, scattering everywhere.
Dead just like that? For a long time, neither spoke.
"Divine mountains protect us!"
Finally, Zhou Quan broke the silence, bowing towards the Taihang mountains, growing superstitious due to strange events.
Suddenly, movement stirred deep within the Taihang mountains, a creature emitting red light, shaped like a standing crocodile with wings, about ten meters long, completely red, flying outward.
Boom!
Approaching the mountain exit, a burst of intense flames erupted, it burned, screamed, and crashed down as black ash.
"Another big guy died!"
By now, Chu Feng and Zhou Quan sensed something, unable to leave?
They exchanged glances, hesitant.
"How about we take a look?"
With dramatic changes and numerous anomalies, they realized the world would be different henceforth. Being bold and proactive might bring unexpected opportunities during the initial period.
Of course, it could also cost their lives.
Both were brave, despite concerns, couldn't resist moving forward, not daring to enter the mountains but wanting to inspect from the outside.
What was there? Why did it cause giant beasts to burn?
It didn't seem far, yet they walked several miles to reach the mountain exit, finding large patches of black ash and charred bones on the ground.
"I feel like there's overwhelming evil ahead."
For some reason, Zhou Quan's legs trembled, almost unable to stand, calves cramping, shaking non-stop.
Chu Feng felt uneasy, sensing being watched by a beast, body stiff, hairs standing, eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
They took deep breaths, retreating continuously, realizing their initial thoughts were naive; these mountains were no longer approachable, completely changed.
Shortly after, while hiding in the woods, they suddenly saw pairs of lantern-like orbs emerge at the mountain exit, some blood-red, others icy blue, even golden, all coldly glowing.
Too many, densely packed.
"Eyes, there are pairs of eyes, they want to come out!" Zhou Quan whispered hoarsely, nearly scared witless.
So many eyes stood out vividly against the pitch-black mountain entrance, some as large as washbasins, enough to send chills down one's spine.
For some reason, it was extremely dark, unlike the glowing depths of the mountains, light seemingly absorbed, leaving only those frightening, emotionless eyes visible.
Bang!
Suddenly, a creature rushed out, shaking the ground, swaying the forest, leaves falling, creating a terrifying scene.
Yet, similar to earlier horrifying sights, it exploded into flames upon exiting, burning entirely.
"Is it committing suicide, not wanting to live?" Zhou Quan muttered, though trying to sound casual, his legs trembled.
Subsequently, several roars followed, prehistoric beasts charging, even house-sized silver spiders, all ending up as ashes.
None survived to reach the outside world.
"Divine Taishan Mountains!" Zhou Quan almost knelt, mumbling nervously.
After a long while, the mountain entrance remained eerily quiet, but the primeval savagery lingered, clearly still dangerous, creatures trapped inside.
Until golden mists flowed, a hazy glow appeared, breaking the silence.
A small calf, about a meter tall, slowly moved outward, walking cautiously, both fearful and hopeful, stepping very carefully.
"Is this calf made of gold?" Zhou Quan stared blankly.
Chu Feng was equally astonished, looking ahead.
The calf was entirely golden, glowing in the darkness, shiny fur, truly like gold, even its pupils and tiny horns were golden.
Without the usual clumsiness of cows, it carried a sense of spirituality, visibly extraordinary.
Never had they seen a golden calf.
The mountain entrance stayed quiet, pairs of cold lantern-like eyes fixed on the golden calf, watching whether it could survive.
One step, two steps... ten steps, until a hundred steps!
The calf remained unharmed, becoming excited, displaying emotions akin to a human, gaining courage, quickening its pace.
Eventually, it successfully exited the mountain entrance, alive outside the mountains.
Zhou Quan cursed softly, feeling a mix of concern and eagerness, whispering, "A golden cow god has emerged, surely possessing wonders. It's so small, could we catch it?"