Chapter 52: Silver Horn King

"Put this on!" Chu Feng gestured to the yellow ox, taking out a rough animal hide robe that he had simply sewn together.

The yellow ox's fur was golden, smooth as silk, and shimmered, making it far too conspicuous. If it were to swagger into Mount Taihang like that, it would be impossible not to attract attention; it would likely be immediately mistaken for a mutated beast and cause trouble.

The yellow ox was reluctant, mainly because the animal hide was too thick. It covered the ox completely, with only two holes for its eyes; its snout, ears, and other parts were all hidden beneath the hide.

"Moo!" the yellow ox bellowed in dissatisfaction.

"There's no discussing this. You have to wear it whether you like it or not!" Chu Feng's tone was firm.

After putting on the hide, the yellow ox walked upright like a strange person, but given the abundance of mutated individuals in Mount Taihang, its appearance wasn't particularly unusual.

Chu Feng thought its head looked too bulky and awkward; it would be better to expose its two pale golden horns. He poked two holes in the animal hide, allowing the two golden horns to protrude.

"There are always some mutated people with horns. Alright, from now on, you are the masked hero—Bull Demon King!" Chu Feng chuckled.

Afterward, Chu Feng also put animal hide boots on it, and even its front hooves were hidden, covered by a pair of golden gloves. It was truly a "full costume."

The yellow ox went to the mirror, looked repeatedly, and was so angry it wanted to tear off the entire outfit. What was this? It completely ruined its glorious image.

"Don't be reluctant. To match you, I'm even wearing a 'bro' outfit with you. Be content!"

Chu Feng put on his own helmet, a custom-made one that covered his head and face, revealing only his mouth, nose, and eyes, and had a pair of silver horns.

"From now on, I am the Ox God King!" Chu Feng declared, patting the yellow ox's shoulder.

The yellow ox looked at him, actually nodded, and then wrote a few words: "Much handsomer than you used to be."

"Get lost! What kind of eyesight is that?" Chu Feng wanted to slap it twice.

"Let's go!" He waved his hand, leading the yellow ox out the door. Bathed in the morning glow, they strode towards Mount Taihang.

"Wait, where's the braised Tyrannosaurus meat?" Chu Feng turned back and asked the yellow ox beside him.

The yellow ox, walking upright, patted its stomach, indicating, "Don't worry, it's not lost. I ate it all."

"You dead ox, you hid in the room and secretly ate my share too?!"

"Moo!" The yellow ox stood on its hind legs, rubbing its stomach with an expression of still wanting more, implying, "I'm still not full."

"Bull Demon King!"

***

The rising sun burst forth, and mist accompanied the mountains and forests, painting everything a fiery red.

Although it was still early, Mount Taihang was not quiet. Mutated individuals were frequently seen, some arriving alone, others in groups. Figures of mutated individuals could be seen everywhere: in the mountains, on cliffs, and within valleys.

Many people already knew that the mysterious fruits borne by the strange pine tree in Mount Taihang were about to ripen. Everyone who dared to come here harbored hope. This naturally meant inevitable conflict!

As Chu Feng walked through the mountains, he had already come across several bloody incidents; mutated individuals had fought on the paths and died in the grass. This was just the beginning! Bloody conflicts had already broken out due to minor friction, so one could imagine how turbulent the day would be; the struggle would intensify even further when the pine fruits ripened.

Before White Serpent Ridge.

This place was crowded with mutated individuals; some sat on mountaintops, some stood at the valley entrance, and others, capable of flight, hovered in mid-air. With so many people, there was naturally a lot of noise. The area was far from quiet and quite bustling. However, people understood that this place was filled with murderous intent; if a full-scale battle for the fruits began, those standing next to them could instantly become enemies. Therefore, even while conversing, they remained wary of each other.

Chu Feng and the yellow ox also arrived at White Serpent Ridge. They had originally intended to sneak in discreetly, but realized it was completely unnecessary as mutated individuals were everywhere.

"Why are you two hiding your faces, covering your heads with ragged sacks?"

No sooner had they arrived than someone started trouble, scolding Chu Feng and the yellow ox. Clearly, they wanted to assert dominance. This mutated individual had a somewhat terrifying appearance: a row of bone spikes on his back, a layer of fine green scales on his body, a wide mouth, and fangs. He looked fierce, much like a mountain demon.

"What's it to you? Are you looking for trouble?"

As soon as Chu Feng finished speaking, four or five people, led by the mutated individual, quickly surrounded them. Evidently, they wanted to establish their authority, set an example, and thus gather followers. Others had done this before; powerful mutated individuals demonstrating strong tactics could attract others to join and form a team.

"Heh, you've got some nerve. Today, I'm going to rip that animal hide off you. I just don't like the look of you!" The leading mutated individual sneered, then, with a boom, his fist, covered in green scales, shot out like lightning towards Chu Feng's temple. One could say he was ruthless and malicious; he attacked as soon as he spoke, unleashing a fierce assault. If he had truly landed a blow to the temple, Chu Feng would likely have lost half his life.

"Scram!"

Chu Feng's eyes were cold. He kicked out mid-air, striking the green-scaled fist. There was an immediate crisp crack, breaking the man's hand bones.

Bang!

Next, Chu Feng delivered another kick to his chest, sending him flying backward like a cannonball, knocking down the other few people. With just two kicks, he established his dominance on the spot. The mutated individual was frothing blood, convulsing, and had passed out, while the faces of the others turned pale. They knew they had picked a fight with the wrong person. After scrambling to their feet, they quickly retreated.

"Brother, you're really something. How about we team up for a bit?"

Sure enough, after just those two kicks, several mutated individuals approached, acknowledging Chu Feng's strength and wanting to form a team with him.

"Sorry, I'm not interested," Chu Feng said. In his view, temporary teams, while seemingly offering strength in numbers, were in reality just a motley crew, useless in critical moments.

"Aren't you a bit too arrogant?" someone grumbled, dissatisfied.

Chu Feng shot a glance, and silence immediately fell over that group. They were wary and dared not provoke such a powerful mutated individual.

"Brother, we're sticking with you!"

Some people, however, didn't heed his refusal and insisted on following him.

"I'm really not interested!" Chu Feng refused again.

However, he underestimated these people. Seeing his outstanding strength and his reluctance to team up, they felt he might be a super expert. The group adamantly refused to leave, insisting on following him.

Chu Feng was speechless. He let them be and continued walking forward. As a result, this group was quite self-motivated; some led the way, while others flanked him from behind, implicitly treating him as their core and sticking with him. The more Chu Feng refused, the more powerful these people perceived him to be. They stubbornly refused to leave, resulting in dozens of people following him, forming a not-so-small team.

These people had only one thought: by staying near a strong individual, they could better fish in troubled waters. If they managed to rush to the strange little tree and pluck a fruit, they would immediately pop it into their mouths. Once they mutated and became experts like Vajra or the Silver-Winged Celestial, who would they fear? It was rumored that even thermal weapons couldn't defeat them!

"Damn it, it looks like Divine Biogenetics wants to control this. They've got us cornered. Now we even have to queue to enter the depths of White Serpent Ridge, otherwise, they'll attack us immediately!"

Someone cursed under their breath, clearly dissatisfied.

"What's going on? There are so many of us, surely thousands. Are we really afraid of just Divine Biogenetics?" Someone tried to stir up the crowd.

"Look what's over there—heavy thermal weapons mounted on the mountaintops," someone pointed into the distance. Everyone looked, and their expressions changed.

"I don't believe they actually dare to attack us. Let's go!" someone said. The main reason was that too many mutated individuals had arrived. Even if Divine Biogenetics was strong, would they truly dare to fight one against a hundred, or against thousands of mutated individuals? That would make them public enemies.

In fact, this incident had escalated significantly. Ever since the news leaked, the top brass at Divine Biogenetics had been getting headaches; the situation had spiraled out of their control. Currently, they were still trying to maintain order. The path leading to the depths of White Serpent Ridge was still guarded, with people maintaining order.

Chu Feng also queued and moved forward. He didn't intend to climb the cliffs to bypass this spot; it wasn't necessary now, and blending in with the crowd made him seem more ordinary.

"Get out of the way, all of you!"

Just then, a commotion erupted from behind. A group of people surged forward on the path into the mountains, acting very aggressively, shoving aside everyone who was queuing in front of them. Chu Feng was also forcefully pushed. The people behind them were incredibly arrogant and overbearing. He saw that the group who had earlier clamored to team up with him had all scattered. Indeed, they were a motley crew, completely unreliable.

"Aren't you being a bit too overbearing?" Chu Feng turned around.

"Scram!" The group's attitude was awful and extremely arrogant. Seeing Chu Feng refuse to move, they not only pushed but also tried to attack, with some even raising their feet.

Chu Feng was enraged. He had been bothered by Lin Nuoyi's uncle first thing in the morning, and now he was being bullied again. A burst of anger instantly erupted.

"You're the ones who should get lost!"

The next moment, he struck. He called out to the yellow ox, telling it not to hold back, and together they fiercely attacked these people. In an instant, many people were sent flying backward, their mouths and noses bleeding, bones broken, and tendons ruptured.

"You're asking for death!"

This team was indeed strong. The leading mutated individual was two meters tall, with a shaved, gleaming bald head, and at this moment, he erupted with a terrifying aura. The next moment, he transformed into a rock-bodied giant, his body swelling to seven meters tall, possessing immense strength. With one stomp, he cracked the ground and charged directly forward. Someone couldn't dodge in time and was stomped by his foot, immediately screaming in agony. Their intestines and organs burst, and they died tragically on the spot. Such a heavy rock body crushing down meant a living person could only be turned into a puddle of bloody mush.

After seeing this, Chu Feng's eyes blazed with intense light. He realized that this drastic change in the post-civilization era was unlike anything before; some people, after releasing their wild nature, had become completely different. Seeing the bald man become so brutal after transforming into a rock giant, he showed no mercy. He raised his fists to strike, delivering lethal blows.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

***

To the shocked gazes of the onlookers, Chu Feng delivered punch after punch, finally shattering the rock-bodied giant, who screamed, crashed to the ground, and died instantly. The team immediately scattered.

After killing the giant, Chu Feng continued straight ahead without stopping, causing a stir behind him. Everyone was terrified; this was definitely a super expert. The motley crew who had run away earlier secretly regretted their actions immensely, but now they truly had no face to approach him.

"Brother, what's your name? Let's get acquainted," some people called out from behind, clearly not weak themselves and highly valuing Chu Feng.

"I'm the Ox God King!" Chu Feng replied directly, without being pretentious.

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, then stared at the silver horns on his helmet, thinking... it was quite fitting. However, Chu Feng didn't stop there. He pulled the yellow ox, standing upright, dressed in its hide, with only its eyes and two golden horns visible, closer and introduced it: "This is my brother, the Bull Demon King!"

This time, the group was a bit bewildered. Ox God King plus Bull Demon King—they really were brothers.

"I think they look more like the Golden Horn King and Silver Horn King," someone whispered, continuously staring at their horns. Mutated individuals came in all forms after their transformations; growing horns was nothing special.

Chu Feng turned and left, paying no attention. The mutated individuals behind him discussed animatedly. Chu Feng's chosen name, "Ox God King," didn't spread, but the name "Silver Horn King" had already become widely known.

The depths of White Serpent Ridge were not very noisy. Although many people had arrived, they had each taken a spot, making it relatively quiet. Clearly, those who dared to come this far and stay were all powerful experts. This was because many people, after arriving and seeing the formidable setup, had retreated, not daring to participate further!

Chu Feng chose a hilltop and climbed directly to it. The spot was good; he could clearly see the strange little tree not far away. In fact, nearby hilltops were all occupied.

"That fruit isn't ripe yet. It looks like we'll have to wait for another half day," Chu Feng said. His eyesight was many times sharper than an ordinary person's; he could clearly see that the pine cones on the small tree still had a hint of pale green that hadn't yet turned purplish-gold.

There was a mountain spring on this hilltop. Chu Feng tasted it and found it sweet. He then turned to hunt a small deer; his breakfast had been gobbled up by the yellow ox, so he planned to roast wild game here.

Suddenly, he saw Lin Ye Yu and the woman again. The two had also entered the depths of White Serpent Ridge and glanced in his direction a few times. Afterward, a mutated individual climbed the small hill and politely asked Chu Feng to leave, vacating the peak, as someone from Divine Biogenetics had chosen this spot.

"Disappear at once!" Chu Feng glanced at him and replied with those incredibly concise words.