Chapter 8: World Has Changed

Lin Nuoyi's words that day had actually come true. Even a weed by the roadside bore bright red, fragrant fruit, no longer ordinary.

Chu Feng's heart could not be calmed; his thoughts surged.

This world was different, incomprehensible!

Chu Feng felt a tremor in his heart; such changes were unsettling. Everything was beyond comprehension, and various anomalies were occurring.

"Is this edible?"Zhou Quan, it must be said, had an incredibly big heart. Smelling the rich fragrance of the fruit, he longed to take a bite, still in such a mood even now.

"You try it.""No, I wouldn't dare. Who knows if it's poisonous? A weed bearing bright red fruit, it's like something out of a ghost story!" Fatty Zhou shook his head.

Yet he swallowed, for the fruit growing on the green wild grass was too tempting. Its aroma filled the air, far more fragrant than any fruit he had ever encountered.

Even Chu Feng was deeply surprised. The fruit had a crystalline luster, like red agate, and looked incredibly delicious. How could it have grown from an ordinary weed?

The other passengers on the train were also amazed, but not overly shocked. Too many strange things had happened recently, especially the ancient ginkgo tree in the distance, which was somewhat chilling.

While the fruiting weed was strange, people weren't particularly afraid of it. The giant tree, however, was different. People seriously wondered if it was becoming sentient or if it would cause a disaster.

"Let's get out of here quickly; I feel uneasy," said a pale-faced middle-aged man. He had not disembarked, remaining seated there.

However, after stopping, the train remained motionless and never resumed its journey.

Time passed, another fifteen minutes went by, and Chu Feng also disembarked, looking out from the platform.

That ancient tree was immense, taller than an average mountain, with sprawling branches and dense foliage that obscured the town. Such a colossal tree could not help but cause a sensation.

"Look what we brought back."A few people approached from nearby, each holding leaves taller than themselves, like banana fans. They were ginkgo leaves, now astonishingly large.

One young man even carried a fruit as large as a basin. He struggled with its weight; it was a pale yellow ginkgo nut.

"Did you pick these?" someone asked in surprise.

"How could we? We picked them up over there."They pointed into the distance.

The ginkgo tree was so enormous that some of its branches stretched across the sky, reaching all the way to their location. There were fallen leaves and fruits on the ground.

"Many locals are preparing to leave; they're very uneasy," someone reported, having learned about the situation.

"The train has been stopped for so long; I want to know what's happening up ahead. This isn't the first time."Some people couldn't wait any longer and became extremely agitated.

As of then, the crew had not yet informed them of the situation.

Zhou Quan nudged Chu Feng's arm and whispered, "Brother, I feel like something's wrong. This railway hasn't had any incidents for so many years; today is just too strange."

"I hope we can leave soon," Chu Feng nodded.

Over an hour passed, and many people grew restless, unable to wait any longer, before the train finally started moving again, at last departing from the area.

"Thank heavens, we're finally leaving," an old man sighed with relief. In fact, many felt a sense of relief.

In the distance, dark clouds rolled, and with a crack, a bolt of lightning struck. The weather was changing too rapidly. In the blink of an eye, a downpour was imminent.

Suddenly, the entire area darkened. Fortunately, they were all already on the train.

"Oh my god, why is it glowing over there?" someone exclaimed. Through the glass window, they could see the giant tree in the distance emitting a hazy green light, dim yet terrifying.

The tree was swaying, appearing somewhat eerie amidst the lightning and thunder. Was the lightning covering it, or was it emitting light itself? Such a colossal tree would most likely be struck down!

"Boom!"Suddenly, people heard a tremendous sound. The giant tree glowed, many branches snapped, and numerous enormous leaves fell.

Dark clouds covered the sky, and it was dark, yet only that spot was bright, making it visible. One ginkgo fruit after another burst open, and then a strange scene unfolded: they floated through the air like dandelion seeds.

The falling fruits emitted a hazy light, covered with silvery fuzz, drifting away like tiny parachutes.

"Is this a ginkgo tree or a dandelion?!" Fatty Zhou swallowed hard, feeling his throat dry. This sight was truly bizarre.

Inside the carriage, people were dumbfounded. The scene was mystical and unsettling, utterly unbelievable!

After the myriad seeds had scattered, amidst the lightning, the ancient tree became silent. Its branches were stable, no longer snapping, and it stood firm.

Not until the heavy rain poured down, pelting against the windows and blurring them, obscuring everything from view, were people still lost in thought.

The train moved further away, and nothing could be seen anymore.

"Brother, is this world mad, or are you and I mad? What did I just see? It contradicts everything I knew before," Zhou Quan said to Chu Feng.

He wasn't the only one affected; everyone on the train fell silent, unable to snap out of their daze for a long time.

They were now far from that place, unaware of what was happening behind them, but they had a pervasive feeling that the world was restless, and everything was somehow different.

Many lowered their heads, looking at their communicators, checking the news for clues.

However, there was no news about the ancient ginkgo tree. Still, many other anomalies across various regions were reported: some places discovered rare beasts that had been missing for a thousand years, while ancient wells that had been dry for a century began to gush with sweet springs.

All these omens were highly unusual, as if they were revealing something.

"Purple clouds are flowing over Mount Wangwu—is this true or false?" someone asked, surprised.This report was startling, but according to comments from various regions on the communicators, most people didn't believe it. After experiencing the recent anomalies, however, many on the train were now half-believing, half-doubting.

Subsequently, another report claimed that the surface of Dongting Lake was sparkling, with a faint, hazy mist and swirling white fog, resembling a fairyland. This sparked speculation and discussion among the people.

As time passed, they had already passed through the heavy rain zone and entered another region. The daylight was bright, a stark contrast to the dark sky they had left behind.

An hour later, new information emerged about the trees suspended in space: clear satellite photos, reported both domestically and internationally.

Those trees were growing incredibly fast, and botanists confirmed they belonged to terrestrial species that could be found on the ground. How were they in high altitude, suspended and growing there? No relevant parties had offered an explanation yet.

Undoubtedly, the train's journey was extremely difficult. It stopped again in the evening. Moreover, it was stranded in the wilderness, far from any village or shop, not at a regular station.

People were dissatisfied and questioned the train crew about what was going on.

"We've been notified that for some unknown reason, this line is experiencing various problems. The tracks in some places are no longer even, so we'll most likely have to stop completely."

People gasped, then became somewhat panicked.

The crew informed them that the tracks ahead were undergoing emergency inspection; the train could only proceed once sufficient safety and stability were ensured.

In the evening, Chu Feng called his parents. With abnormal signs appearing in various places, he was very worried about them. In fact, his parents were also worried about him encountering problems while traveling alone.

As expected, the train did not move after stopping. Fearing a major safety accident, it would absolutely not restart until potential hazards were ruled out.

Inside the carriage, many were communicating, feeling a sense of unease. Various signs indicated that things were unsettled everywhere, and being on a journey, they longed to return to their familiar homes.

The crew prepared water and food for everyone.

If not for the delays and the stop midway, at the train's current speed, they would have reached the destination station by evening.

At night, people were very restless and found it hard to sleep, talking in hushed tones. It wasn't until deep into the night that the train gradually grew quiet.

Outside, it was pitch black; there wasn't even starlight, and one couldn't see a hand in front of their face. It felt cold, desolate, and frightening.

Thud!Suddenly, in the dead of night, a violent jolt woke everyone in the carriage. They all opened their eyes, looking around in confusion.

What had happened to make the heavy train tremble? Was something hitting it? Many people's faces turned slightly pale as they anxiously looked out the window.

However, outside was pitch black. It was a mountainous area, and on this starless night, nothing could be seen at all. The darkness was chilling, and waves of coldness could be felt.

Mountains loomed, overgrown with forests, and occasionally the sounds of wild beasts and night owls drifted in, sending shivers down their spines.

Thud!There was another violent jolt, shaking the carriage and causing some people to scream.

"What's outside? How much force would it take to move a train?!"A cacophony of voices erupted.

"Stop shouting!" Chu Feng commanded. Panicking first would easily lead to big problems.

"I know this area; it's an ancient battlefield where many people died long ago!" a middle-aged woman said, her voice trembling.

"Shut up, don't talk nonsense!" Fatty Zhou roared, though his own face was far from good, a little pale. He often took this route and knew exactly where they were.

"There are no ghosts in this world. Even if there were, they'd just be electromagnetic fields that would quickly dissipate. How could they shake a train?" another person said, stepping forward to calm the crowd.

Then, everyone discovered that all communicators had lost connection with the outside world! At that moment, their hearts grew cold, and a shiver ran down their spines.

This night was destined to be sleepless; no one was in the mood to sleep. Many felt fear in their hearts, anxiously gazing out the dark windows, hoping for dawn, because they had a persistent feeling that some colossal creature was lurking outside, creating an immense sense of oppression.

Before dawn, the sky was still dim, and a thick, white fog rolled in outside, completely covering the mountainous terrain.

"What's the situation outside?" Zhou Quan asked.

"Let's go down and take a look," Chu Feng said.

"No, don't!" Zhou Quan shook his head vigorously.

"I think it should be fine now. If something was going to happen, it would have already," Chu Feng said.

Ultimately, Chu Feng, Zhou Quan, and a few other young people decided to disembark, wanting to see what was going on.

The thick white fog swirled, making it impossible to see anyone from a few meters away. It was truly eerie and unsettling, causing fear. The surroundings were silent; there was no sound at all.

"Oh my god, what is that...!?" Suddenly, a young man screamed, terrified, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly into the air.This terrified scream not only made the surrounding few people's hair stand on end but also filled those in the carriage with extreme dread, making their scalps tingle.