Chapter 117: Transformation

At that moment, a group of film critics and numerous self-media celebrities were dumbfounded. Was *Ox Demon King*, which they had been paid to relentlessly malign, about to skyrocket?

Their collective efforts to badmouth the film, give it the worst ratings, and manipulate public opinion had just begun to show some effect, but now all their efforts were futile.

Any one of those great demon kings could cause a massive tremor with their immense and boundless destructive power, certainly no weaker than the Azure Wolf King!

And they had all gathered together to rent out an entire cinema for a private screening!

This was like a Category 19 hurricane, sweeping across the world, unstoppable by anyone.

The film critics and celebrities were on the verge of tears. This time, they were destined to eat their own words. It was clear that *Ox Demon King* would become incredibly popular.

Who would believe that a group of demon kings rented out an entire cinema? Yet, there was actual proof; the trembling cinema manager, risking his life, captured the scene.

Those great demon kings merely glanced at him, saying nothing, because they simply didn't care.

The internet exploded, and everywhere people were astir, genuinely finding it hard to believe!

"My goodness, *Ox Demon King*'s influence is endless! Did you see? Even beast kings formed a group to watch the movie! Its charm is limitless!"

"How bizarre, how unbelievable! What kind of magic does this movie possess? To make a group of beast kings rent out a cinema together, it's terrifying! No, I haven't seen this movie yet; I must book tickets immediately to see what it's all about. Even non-humans are watching, it's inexcusable for me, a human, not to!"

Everyone was stunned, and then, across all regions, discussions raged like boiling water.

The director of *Doomsday Rising* genuinely cried. To suffer such a blow at such a critical moment was simply hopeless!

The big-name stars of *Doomsday Rising* were also dumbfounded. How was this possible? A group of beast kings, any one of whom could slaughter a city or destroy a town, terrifying existences capable of shaking the heavens. Yet, such a group of great demon kings actually rented out an entire cinema, just to watch *Ox Demon King*?!

Some celebrities were so furious they cursed aloud. For example, a certain A-list male celebrity, who had earlier scoffed that *Ox Demon King* was shoddily made, its actors unprofessional, and its popularity fleeting, was now in a complete panic.

Clearly, *Ox Demon King* was about to see explosive box office growth, which would be a massive slap in his face.

The actress Chu Feng had once ridiculed as a third-rate pop queen was even more exasperated, speaking without thinking, writing on her self-media page: "Hype! It's absolutely hype! What do a bunch of beasts understand?!"

Her agent's face turned pale with fright, and he trembled as he reminded her that they were beast kings.

As a result, the "pop queen's" fingers trembled, and she instantly deleted her comment, daring not to show her face again.

Xu Wanyi felt deeply aggrieved, with a mouthful of stagnant anger stuck in her chest, wanting to vent but unable to, which was truly unbearable.

She had always wanted to kill Chu Feng, but instead, she found that he was living well and had even entered the film industry to compete with her, miraculously suppressing *Doomsday Rising*. This left her extremely hurt.

The next day, *Ox Demon King*'s box office skyrocketed, even more terrifying than the first day, a veritable miracle.

This time, it thoroughly outdistanced *Doomsday Rising*, not by a small margin, but by a significant amount.

By the end of the third day, *Ox Demon King* was still growing, completely defying the common sense of the film industry, which dictates that numbers should decrease daily, not continuously increase.

*Doomsday Rising* followed the standard pattern, with its box office decreasing day by day.

"Is this going against the heavens?" Many exclaimed in astonishment. *Ox Demon King* was destined to create a box office legend, crushing its competitors with unstoppable momentum.

On the internet, film critics gave *Ox Demon King* extremely low scores, slandering it to the extreme, yet they could not stem the tide of public enthusiasm; everyone went to see the film.

It could be said that the more the movie was maligned, the hotter it became, to the point where the negativity only made it shine brighter. The comments from celebrities and film critics were completely ineffective.

Later, some people finally dared not speak against their conscience and came forward, stating that it was a phenomenal work that surpassed all previous ones.

"This is a milestone record!"

One by one, here and there, celebrities stepped forward and declared this.

However, the public showed no appreciation. "Where were you before?" they seemed to say. "You were all spewing such vile words, almost cursing *Ox Demon King* to death. Now you want to reverse your stance? It's a bit late!"

*Ox Demon King* was like a dark horse, leaving all others in the dust, bravely breaking various records with unstoppable force, becoming the greatest box office miracle in history.

Not only Chu Feng, the lead actor, but also Ye Qingrou and Chen Luoyan became hugely popular. Their portrayals were excellent, they had ample screen time, and they garnered much attention.

Even Du Huaijin and Ouyang Qing became well-known, affectionately referred to as Clairvoyant and Clairaudient.

These two had truly embodied their roles in the drama.

As for the A-list male celebrity, the pop queen, and Xu Wanyi, some of their predictions did come true, though not in the way they intended. They had implicitly said that a certain crudely made film would suffer a disastrous defeat, and it did—but it wasn't *Ox Demon King*, it was *Doomsday Rising*.

Real audience reviews praised *Ox Demon King* as a conscientious work, filmed with realism and brutality, recreating the terrifying scenes of the great battle. The tragic deaths of two to three thousand awakened ones were truly shocking.

This made people realize the ferocity of the battle at Taihang Mountain and indeed stirred up a deep-seated passion within them: to strive, to rise!

In comparison, *Doomsday Rising* was too flashy; it had nothing but celebrities. Its description of the apocalypse was too bland and lacked any real impact.

Its portrayal of brutality, when compared to *Ox Demon King*, was childish and as fake as could be.

Without the comparison, people might have found it a decent special effects blockbuster, but it truly shouldn't have been released at the same time as *Ox Demon King*. Though they shared the same subject matter, their depth and watchability were not in the same league.

*Doomsday Rising* suffered a disastrous defeat. From the director to the A-list stars and Xu Wanyi, they all wished they could find a hole in the ground to crawl into, as their earlier sarcastic remarks had come true upon themselves.

Lin Nuoyi and Chu Feng spoke on the phone. Their conversation was calm and gentle, without any hostility.

This was because Lin Nuoyi already knew he was the Ox God King.

The night after the Taihang Mountain battle, when the White Snake threatened to slaughter the city, even in such a pressing situation, Lin Nuoyi had visited him and prepared a plane to take him to a safe place.

That night, Chu Feng was deeply moved.

It was also that night that Lin Nuoyi guessed he was the Ox God King.

She was always clever, arguably the first to figure out Chu Feng's identity.

However, at that time, they shared a silent understanding; neither of them exposed the truth that night.

"Chu Feng, be careful. The Mu family knows everything and won't give up. You need to be cautious," Lin Nuoyi warned.

With *Ox Demon King*'s release, there were many sensational rumors about Chu Feng, such as those about Jiang Luoshen even being pregnant. Additionally, there were many rumors involving Lin Nuoyi.

However, Lin Nuoyi didn't mention any of them; she ignored them.

"I know, I'll be careful," Chu Feng replied.

"Did you kill the Azure Wolf King?" Finally, Lin Nuoyi asked simply and directly, without any pretense.

"Yes!" Chu Feng confirmed.

Lin Nuoyi was very serious, helping him analyze: "The Mu family doesn't know about this yet. Once they do, they'll have some reservations, after all, you're avenging many victims. But there's one significant problem: once it's exposed, non-humans will have very strong animosity towards you. You should know that beast uprisings occurred simultaneously in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Sichuan, and Shuntian that day; there must be terrifying beast kings behind them. The Azure Wolf King and Eagle King were both used as pawns by that entity!"

Chu Feng nodded, understanding these points.

These past two days, Divine Medicine Group was turbulent, both the Lin and Mu families were in turmoil.

"Chu Feng is the Ox God King?"

Some members of the Lin family quietly discussed this when they gathered, as it was beyond their expectations.

Earlier, due to Lin Nuoyi's connection, some of them had sent people to collect Chu Feng's hair for analysis, confirming he could not become an awakened one.

Who would have thought he would be unaffected and become the renowned Ox God King!

"This young man is quite interesting; we underestimated him. According to the latest feedback, he's very strong and might even rival beast kings in the future."

"Hmm, who was it back then who obstructed him at every turn and gave him the cold shoulder, not letting him get close to Nuoyi?"

"That doesn't matter. We are members of Divine Medicine Group and have our pride. No matter who it is, if they don't meet our standards, they won't enter our sight. The key is Nuoyi; I think she's very smart and already saw who Chu Feng was."

Meanwhile, the Mu family harbored murderous intent. As key members of Divine Medicine Group, they wielded extraordinary power.

"At the height of controversy, it's better to use a soft knife!" a middle-aged man from the Mu family said chillingly.

Beside him, Mu Qinghe, Mu Tian's father, spoke: "Call Mu Tian back. His own brother is dead, yet he spends his days wandering famous mountains and rivers, visiting friends and seeking sages. It's time for him to take action."

Mu Tian was his eldest son. Twenty-one years ago, as a young child, he was fortunate enough to accidentally eat a strange fruit from a small tree on Mount Hua.

All these years later, he was unfathomable!

Bodhi Gene was also not peaceful internally.

At the Jiang family, an elder chuckled as he found Jiang Luoshen, asking her about her relationship with the Ox God King.

Jiang Luoshen's smile was initially sweet, but upon hearing the question, a few dark lines immediately appeared on her delicate white face. Her expression changed too quickly!

"Luoshen, aren't outsiders saying your relationship with him is good? What's going on?" The elder asked, confused.

Someone quickly tugged at the sleeve of this important person, subtly reminding him that it was enough, not to ask any more questions. Couldn't he see Jiang Luoshen's face had darkened?

For the "national goddess'" face to darken like that, the situation must be quite "complex."

Outside, rumors were wild, even claiming she was pregnant and had an untold story with the Ox God King.

The "Queen of the Charts" had been unrivaled on the trending topics list these days, rarely meeting her match. She had been holding her breath in frustration, ready to explode at any moment!

*Ox Demon King* continued its popular run, with discussions ceaseless.

"*Ox Demon King* even made me shed tears. A human accidentally ate a strange fruit, ended up with the face of an ox demon, an irreversible change, suffering greatly, unaccepted by humans, living a lonely and desolate life, no one understanding him, regarding him as an outcast. Yet, he still fulfilled his duty as a member of humanity, fighting fiercely against other races until his last drop of blood was shed. He's so pitiful."

"You girls are just sentimental. What I see is passion and excitement! The Ox God King isn't pitiful, and he didn't feel pitiful himself. He always forged ahead bravely!"

"In the drama, his first love Lin Nuoyi and his confidante Jiang Luoshen met him but didn't recognize him. How is that not pitiful? In the end, he died alone in battle, and it was only many years later that they learned who he was. Is that not pitiful? You're too cold-blooded!"

A couple was arguing.

"Who said he died in battle? He just embarked on a path from which there was no return. Just wait, there will definitely be a sequel called 'Return of the Great Sage'!"

"Sigh, I'm so invested in the story. I just feel like Chu Feng truly brought the Ox God King to life; it feels exactly like a true story."

In fact, *Ox Demon King* truly exploded to everyone's astonishment. Not only did it break various box office records domestically within ten days, but it also received great reviews abroad.

Eastern films rarely became hugely popular in the West, but *Ox Demon King* defied convention, crushing all concurrent blockbusters with irresistible force.

In the current global environment, Western countries had also produced a few inspirational films to motivate people, but none could compete with *Ox Demon King*.

Because even a group of great demon kings from Kunlun Mountain had gone to see it, causing a worldwide sensation. Even Westerners had their curiosity piqued, and once they started watching, they were hooked.

As time went on, more and more evidence pointed to Chu Feng being the true identity of the Ox God King, causing immense ripples!

"Chu Feng, that piece of metal you brought back is no longer just silver; it's incredibly hard, surpassing all other materials!"

Lu Tong informed Chu Feng that the laboratory's analysis results were out, and the metal possessed astonishing value.

In fact, Jade Void Palace had already sent many awakened ones to that silver mine to thoroughly investigate before deciding whether to take action.

Additionally, Lu Tong shared another piece of news: "The situation has been somewhat strange recently. Mysterious giant trees have appeared everywhere. These things truly seem impossible to eradicate. And plants have started reappearing in outer space again, which is a headache."

Chu Feng was startled!

Mount Lu, one of the most famous mountains in the world.

In ancient times, there was a saying about the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks, and Mount Lu was one of the Three Mountains, holding a very high status.

Beast kings had once battled fiercely here, but they eventually retreated.

Now, a towering ancient tree, lush with branches and leaves, stood beside the Lushan Waterfall!

At this moment, four peak experts arrived together, appearing before the Lushan Waterfall, gazing at this ancient tree.

Among them were an old ape, a golden-winged great roc, and two cranes. They were peerless experts among non-humans.

They had respectively occupied Mount Song, Mount Hua, and Mount Shu, and had already established their own sects.

"Please bestow some Form-Shifting Fruits, fellow Daoist."

The old ape, golden-winged great roc, and cranes bowed respectfully together, very politely requesting a type of fruit from the ancient tree beside the Lushan Waterfall.

"Certainly."

The ancient tree actually spoke, and shaking its branches, dozens of golden-yellow fruits fell, which it bestowed upon them.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

The several peak experts bowed together, then departed.

On their way, each of them swallowed a fruit. Their bodies crackled and emitted dazzling light, and eventually, they all transformed, taking on human appearances.

The Form-Shifting Fruits had allowed them to transform into human form!

"Our disciples can also transform now," they said. They still had many Form-Shifting Fruits, which they planned to take back to allow their kin to transform.

"Hmm, it's time to go to the capital. We'll have a talk with the human high-ranking officials. We'll meet in Shuntian City in three days."

After speaking, the non-human experts parted ways.

Three days later, Shuntian City.

Beast kings entering the capital shook the world!

I've been writing *Saint Ruins* for two months now, exceeding 400,000 characters. The free period has been quite long, and the word count is sufficient. It will be released as premium content on New Year's Day. I hope my brothers and sisters will subscribe and support me then. Thank you! With so many words already free, if I continue, Qidian.com will probably want to have a talk with me. Please understand.