Chapter 14: Bull Demon King

The golden calf remained silent, neither mooing nor nodding or shaking its head. It simply gazed calmly at Chu Feng, seemingly lost in thought.

"I think there's something strange about this calf. It's best not to provoke it," Zhou Quan said. He had been so troubled earlier that he was now a bit scared and no longer wanted to bother the golden calf.

"Pollen, catalyst," Chu Feng suddenly uttered these words.

When Lin Nuoyi graduated and left school, her family had sent a car to pick her up, and he vaguely heard them mention these words. However, he had been treated coldly and stood at a distance, unable to hear clearly.

After he spoke those words, the golden calf's eyes gleamed, and it nodded at him, finally responding.

It understood Chu Feng's words; those few words had struck a chord with it.

Chu Feng was slightly lost in thought. He deduced that the so-called exotic fruits might not be the most important thing; some exotic flower pollen could be even more crucial.

Even so, when Chu Feng asked other questions, it still did not reply or show any reaction.

"I once saw a bronze mountain in the Western Plateau. It appeared after a lightning strike, and a strange plant had taken root on it. Its blossoming flowers emitted an incomparably fragrant scent that could be felt from a great distance, making one feel light and ethereal, as if about to ascend to immortality."

Chu Feng spoke this passage, testing it.

Zhou Quan was a bit dazed, listening quietly beside them.

As expected, the golden calf could no longer remain calm. It became agitated, moved closer, nodded repeatedly, and mooed, as if urging him to continue.

Chu Feng felt doubtful. Were the flowers of that small tree really so important? He had touched them before and only felt a faint, indistinct warmth, with no other unusual changes.

Yet, judging by the golden calf's excitement, its desire for the flowers of that small tree far surpassed its reaction to Zhou Quan's red fruit earlier.

"I encountered a giant golden bird, a mystical mastiff, and a large black ox of your kind there," Chu Feng said, observing its expression.

The golden calf, as expressive as a human, opened its mouth upon hearing this, showing both astonishment and nervousness. It was very concerned about the outcome of this matter.

"In our world, yaks and mastiffs are not considered top-tier intelligent creatures; their wisdom has not fully awakened. However, those that appeared on the bronze mountain were very different, more spiritual than humans."

Chu Feng watched its reaction and spoke slowly, using it to make his deductions.

Indeed, after hearing this, the golden calf showed a solemn expression, as if it greatly valued those creatures.

"I believe that if they could awaken their intelligence in that past environment and be unrivaled in the Western Plateau, then after this world's transformation, they might become even more extraordinary, perhaps even attain sainthood."

The golden calf listened intently and nodded involuntarily, clearly an unconscious act acknowledging this statement.

Suddenly, it snapped back to reality and calmed down, no longer showing any emotional fluctuations, unwilling to reveal its thoughts.

However, Chu Feng saw clearly, confirming his suspicions.

"I wonder, after the drastic changes in our world, could it be called a primitive stage? And in this early primitive stage, is it easy to produce... Saints?" Chu Feng chose his words carefully, trying to find a term to describe that unknown level.

The golden calf's pupils contracted, clearly showing that this had touched its heartstrings once more.

"You all are coming here one after another; does this mean the so-called primitive stage is beyond imagination, and you are all seeking opportunities to attain sainthood?" Chu Feng asked again.

Zhou Quan was startled, then filled with admiration. Chu Feng, by probing with small details, was gradually sketching out the vague outlines of what might emerge after the transformations.

Now, even Zhou Quan grasped some of the implications. He was secretly alarmed and began to speculate along with Chu Feng's thoughts.

When the golden calf looked at Chu Feng, it clearly showed a slight closeness, even some regard, at least not the same look it gave Zhou Quan.

"What do you mean? You look at me like I'm an idiot, with disdain and contempt, but you look at him with equality, even respect! You calf, you're infuriating me!" Zhou Quan felt deeply hurt.

Especially now, the golden calf was grinning widely, silently mocking him, and its expression was too obvious.

In the latter half of the night, the mountains were silent. They had moved far from the exit of the Taihang Mountains and could no longer sense the terrifying aura emanating from fierce birds and beasts.

Moonlight, like water, spilled into the forest, and a hazy, clear radiance flowed.

"Brother, was the small tree you saw on the bronze mountain really that magical? The flowers were taken by three monsters; did you get nothing?" Zhou Quan asked.

"Four petals fell into my palm," Chu Feng replied.

"You actually got something?" Zhou Quan had only asked casually earlier. In his opinion, with such formidable mastiffs and golden giant birds around, it was already good that Chu Feng made it down the mountain alive.

At this moment, the golden calf seemed very excited. It rushed over and touched Chu Feng's palm with its head, its eyes wide and round, as if trying hard to see something.

"It's been many days; they're long gone," Chu Feng chuckled.

However, the golden calf refused to leave. It circled him with a strange gaze, eventually even standing on its hind legs and pointing at Chu Feng with a foreleg, its expression complex, showing both excitement and regret.

"What do you know? Tell me quickly!" Zhou Quan glared at the calf.

"Moo!" a moo answered him.

Zhou Quan was so angry he wanted to slap it, but he didn't dare.

Chu Feng and Zhou Quan walked ahead, with the golden calf following behind them. It showed no signs of leaving, seemingly intending to follow them all the way.

They headed towards the county town ahead, named Shunping, where Zhou Quan's home was. After too long a delay, they were finally almost there.

"Calf, do you have a name? You're always following us, but we don't know what to call you. Should we just keep calling you 'little calf'?" Zhou Quan turned around.

Then, he enthusiastically offered to help name it.

"You're just a tiny bit, yet you're already so mischievous and a monster. I think calling you 'Ox Demon King' would be fitting; it's both imposing and sounds good," Zhou Quan urged it to accept.

Thump!

As a result, he received a kick and landed directly on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

"You son of a gun, Ox Demon King!" Zhou Quan struggled for a long time before getting up, so angry he wanted to fight it.

Finally, they entered the small county town. It was already late at night, and the streets were quiet, save for an occasional cat running by. The streetlights were very dim.

Chu Feng bid farewell to Zhou Quan; he still had to walk over ten li to reach his home.

Zhou Quan tried hard to persuade him to stay and leave the next morning.

Chu Feng shook his head. He had a hidden concern: if he waited overnight, perhaps ten li could become dozens or even hundreds of li. The world had undergone drastic and unpredictable changes in the past two days.

"Brother, take care. I'll find you after I meet my family and settle down," Zhou Quan said.

He understood that perhaps in the near future, the entire world would be different, and this fellow countryman and friend he met on the road was worth befriending.

Seeing the golden calf decisively follow Chu Feng without a second thought, not even sparing him a glance, Fatty Zhou clenched his teeth in anger.

"You heartless calf, you ate my rare herb, and you show no appreciation now that we're parting ways?!" Zhou Quan shouted from behind.

Hearing this, the golden calf did not look back. Slowly, it raised its tail high into the air and wagged it at him.

Zhou Quan was dumbfounded. He had never seen a cow's tail stand upright towards the sky; it was clearly a gesture of contempt.

"Go on, you Ox Demon King!" Zhou Quan fumed.

He offered to help Chu Feng find a car, but it was refused because the calf's golden body was too eye-catching and shouldn't be seen by too many people.

By now, Fatty Zhou was very tired and wanted to fall into a deep sleep immediately. He felt that after eating that fruit, his body had undergone some strange changes.

"Goodbye!"

Although it was late at night, it wasn't dark. The bright moon hung high, bathing the entire land in a silvery-white glow.

Bathed in the moonlight, the golden calf shone brilliantly.

On the way, Chu Feng was curious and tried to pet it. It was indeed fur, not metal, smooth and soft like silk. Only its two golden horns were cold and hard.

Qingyang Town was over ten li from the county town.

Chu Feng was born here, and at the age of ten, he moved with his parents to Shuntian, a large city two hundred li away.

Shuntian, a city that had been the capital of six dynasties, was the largest city in the north.

Nevertheless, over the years, his family would always return to Qingyang Town during holidays, as they always felt a stronger connection there.

Although it was late at night, Chu Feng couldn't resist turning on his communicator to contact his parents. The call connected quickly.

He had already contacted them during the day and knew they were still in Shuntian and hadn't returned.

Now, he knew that the Taihang Mountains had undergone transformations and were very dangerous. If a few fierce birds or giant beasts escaped, it would be a disaster, so he didn't want his parents to rush back.

"Dad, I'm almost home."

After connecting, he simply and directly explained the situation there and earnestly told them not to return, adding that he might come to them instead.

In Chu Feng's view, it was the largest city and the center of the north. If there were any real danger, the defenses there should be of the highest caliber.

The call lasted a long time, but he finally persuaded his parents to wait in the large city.

The night was quiet, and he finally arrived home.

This was a small two-story building on the easternmost side of Qingyang Town, with a large yard directly adjacent to vast orchards. It offered a unique view of the Taihang Mountains.

This was also why Chu Feng's family loved returning here.

It was already the latter half of the night. After leading the golden calf into the yard, Chu Feng paid it no further mind, as he was truly exhausted.

He went upstairs, entered his room, and fell asleep immediately.

In the early morning, golden light streamed into the room as the rising sun emitted life-infused dawn rays.

Although he had slept very late, Chu Feng woke up immediately.

He first turned on his communicator to check for any sensational news, as various anomalies and transformations were occurring everywhere, which warranted attention.

"Divine Kings?"

He was astonished to see such reports online. In the past two days, besides the mysterious young man who grew silver wings, there had been three more cases of human mutation.

Furthermore, it had been confirmed that all three had gained quite formidable supernatural abilities, leading some enthusiasts to call them Divine Kings.

One article provided various analyses, stating that if this continued, more people would acquire supernatural abilities, potentially ushering in a mysterious grand era.

Those who first possessed extraordinary abilities would likely surpass others, and it was not impossible for them to be revered as Divine Kings one day.

For example, the young man with silver wings taken by Celestial Biogenetics could already fly and tunnel underground. His future was unimaginable!

Chu Feng put down his communicator and went downstairs to the yard.

He was immediately astonished to see the golden calf bathed in the brilliant morning light; its posture was incredibly peculiar.

At that moment, it was sitting like a human, its hind legs folded beneath it, and its forelegs naturally extended. It was facing the rising sun, seemingly inhaling and exhaling the morning glow.

This was very strange; it was clearly a cow, yet it was acting like a human, seemingly meditating.

Chu Feng found it unusual, thinking that its breathing method had a strange rhythm, an inexplicable pattern.

Filled with curiosity, he stared at it for a long time, and then tried to follow its rhythm.