The golden calf remained silent, neither mooing nor nodding or shaking its head, just calmly staring at Chu Feng, as if pondering something.
"I think there's something strange about this calf. We'd better not get involved," Zhou Quan said, still a bit scared from the earlier ordeal and not wanting to pay attention to this golden calf anymore.
"Pollen, catalyst," Chu Feng suddenly said these few words.
When Lin Nuoyi's family sent a car to pick her up at graduation, these words were vaguely mentioned, but he had been coldly treated and stood far away, unable to hear clearly.
After these words were spoken, the golden calf's eyes sparkled, and it nodded at him, finally responding.
It could understand Chu Feng's words; those few words had touched its nerves.
Chu Feng was slightly lost in thought. The so-called strange fruit might not be the most important thing; some pollen from strange flowers might be more critical. He drew this conclusion.
Even so, when Chu Feng asked about other matters, it still did not respond, showing no indication.
"I once saw a bronze mountain in the western plateau, which only appeared after being struck by lightning. There was a peculiar plant rooted on it, and the flowers were so fragrant that even from a distance, one could feel an unparalleled aroma, making one feel light and as if about to ascend to immortality."
Chu Feng said this, testing it.
Zhou Quan was somewhat dazed, listening quietly.
The golden calf indeed could not remain calm, becoming agitated, coming over and nodding repeatedly, mooing as if urging him to continue.
Chu Feng was puzzled. Was the flower of that small tree really that important? He had touched it before, only feeling a faint warm current, with no other changes.
However, from the golden calf's agitated appearance, its desire for the flower of that small tree far exceeded its reaction to the red fruit Zhou Quan had seen earlier.
"I met a golden giant bird, a divine mastiff, and a large black bull of your kind on that mountain," Chu Feng said while observing its expression.
This golden calf had a rich range of expressions, like a human. Upon hearing this, it opened its mouth in surprise and tension, clearly very concerned about the outcome.
"In our world, yaks and mastiffs are not considered top-tier intelligent beings; their wisdom is not fully developed. However, those few on the bronze mountain are very different, even more intelligent than humans."
Chu Feng watched its reaction and slowly said, making a deduction.
Sure enough, the golden calf's expression became solemn, as if it placed great importance on those beings.
"I think, in the past environment, they could all open their wisdom and become unmatched in the western plateau. After the world changed, they might become even more extraordinary, perhaps even become sages."
The golden calf listened intently, nodding involuntarily, clearly subconsciously agreeing with this idea.
Suddenly, it came to its senses, calmed down, and no longer showed any emotional fluctuations, not wanting to reveal its thoughts.
However, Chu Feng saw clearly, confirming his suspicions.
"I think, after the world changed dramatically, can it be called the primitive stage? In this early primitive stage, it's easy to ... become a sage?" Chu Feng spoke cautiously, trying to find a word to describe that unknown level.
The golden calf's pupils contracted, clearly touched by this.
"You and your kind have come here one after another, which suggests that this so-called primitive stage is beyond imagination, and everyone wants to find the opportunity to become a sage?!" Chu Feng said again.
Zhou Quan was startled and then felt immense admiration. Chu Feng, through some details, gradually outlined the various vague contours of what might happen after the change.
Now, even Zhou Quan grasped some of the trends, secretly alarmed and beginning to follow Chu Feng's thoughts in speculation.
The golden calf looked at Chu Feng with a slightly closer expression, even some respect, 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 and even respect. You damn calf, you're making me angry!" Zhou Quan felt very hurt.
Especially now, the golden calf was grinning, silently mocking him, and its expression was too obvious.
In the dead of night, the mountain was quiet. They had moved away from the exit of the Taihang Mountains and no longer felt the terrifying aura of fierce birds and beasts.
The moonlight was like water, shining through the forest, with a misty glow flowing.
"Brother, was the small tree you saw on the bronze mountain really that magical? Did you get nothing from the flowers taken by the three monsters?" Zhou Quan asked.
"Four petals fell into my palm," Chu Feng answered.
"Really got something?" Zhou Quan had only asked casually earlier, thinking that with such powerful mastiffs and golden giant birds, it was good enough that Chu Feng survived.
At this moment, the golden calf seemed very excited, rushing over and touching Chu Feng's palm with its head, staring with wide eyes as if trying to see something.
"It's been many days, they're long gone," Chu Feng said with a smile.
However, the golden calf still wouldn't leave, circling around him with a strange look, finally standing up, extending a front hoof, pointing at Chu Feng, with excitement and regret, its expression complex.
"What do you know, tell me quickly!" Zhou Quan glared at the calf.
"Moo!" A moo in response.
Zhou Quan was so angry he wanted to hit it, but he didn't dare.
Chu Feng and Zhou Quan walked ahead, and the golden calf followed behind, not leaving, looking like it would follow all the way.
They walked toward the county town, named Shunping, where Zhou Quan's home was. They had been delayed for too long and were finally almost there.
"Calf, do you have a name? You keep following us, and we don't know what to call you. Do we always call you 'calf'?" Zhou Quan turned back.
Then, he enthusiastically helped name it.
"You're so small and already so naughty, and you're a monster. I think we should call you 'Bull Demon King,' it sounds both powerful and good," Zhou Quan strongly urged it to accept.
As a result, he was kicked, falling flat on the ground and not getting up for a long time.
"You damn Bull Demon King!" Zhou Quan struggled to get up, so angry he wanted to pounce and fight.
Finally, they entered the county town, which was not large. It was already deep into the night, the streets quiet, with an occasional cat running by, and the streetlights very dim.
Chu Feng said goodbye to Zhou Quan, as he still had to walk another ten miles to get home.
Zhou Quan tried hard to persuade him to stay until the next morning.
Chu Feng shook his head, feeling a hidden worry. After a night, the ten miles might become dozens or even hundreds, as the world had changed dramatically in the past two days, unpredictable.
"Brother, take care. After I meet my family and settle down, I'll come find you," Zhou Quan said.
He understood that perhaps in the near future, the whole world would be different, and this fellow townsman and friend he had met on the road was worth befriending.
Seeing the golden calf decisively follow Chu Feng without hesitation, not even looking at him, Zhou Quan was so angry he gritted his teeth.
"You ungrateful calf, you ate my strange grass and didn't even show any gratitude when parting?" Zhou Quan shouted from behind.
The golden calf, upon hearing this, did not turn back, slowly raising its tail high and wagging it at him.
Zhou Quan was stunned. A cow's tail raised to the sky, he had never seen such a thing, it was clearly mocking him.
"Get lost, you Bull Demon King!" Zhou Quan said angrily.
He wanted to help Chu Feng find a car, but was refused because the calf was entirely golden and too eye-catching, not suitable for being seen by too many people.
At this moment, Zhou Quan was very tired, wanting to fall into a deep sleep immediately. He felt that since eating that fruit, there had been some strange changes in his body.
Although it was the dead of night, it was not dark, with the bright moon high in the sky, the entire land bathed in silver.
Under the moonlight, the golden calf's body shone brightly.
On the road, Chu Feng was very curious and tried to pet it. It was indeed fur, not metal, smooth and soft like silk, with only the two golden horns being cold and hard.
Qingyang Town, about ten miles from the county town.
Chu Feng was born here and lived until he was ten, when he moved with his parents to the giant city of Shuntian, two hundred miles away.
Shuntian, a city with a six-dynasty history, was the largest city in the north.
However, in recent years, they would still return to Qingyang Town during holidays, feeling more connected here.
Although it was late at night, Chu Feng still couldn't resist turning on his communicator to contact his parents, and the call was quickly connected.
He had already contacted them during the day, knowing they were still in Shuntian and had not returned.
Now, he knew about the changes in the Taihang Mountains, which were very dangerous. If a few fierce birds and beasts came out, it would be a disaster, so he did not want his parents to return.
After the call was connected, he simply and directly told them the situation and solemnly told them not to return, and that he might go there.
In Chu Feng's view, that place was the center of the north, the largest city, and if there was any danger, the protection should be the highest level.
The call lasted a long time, and he finally persuaded his parents to wait in the giant city.
The night was very quiet, and he finally arrived home.
It was a two-story house on the eastern edge of Qingyang Town, with a large yard and adjacent to a large orchard, offering a view of the Taihang Mountains, with a unique landscape.
This was why Chu Feng's family liked to return here.
It was the dead of night, and after bringing the golden calf into the yard, Chu Feng no longer paid attention, as he was very tired.
He climbed upstairs, entered his room, and fell asleep immediately.
In the morning, golden rays of light shone into the room, the sun rising, emitting life-giving morning light.
Although he had gone to bed late, Chu Feng woke up immediately.
He first turned on his communicator to check for any sensational news, as changes were happening everywhere, with various strange phenomena, worth paying attention to.
He was stunned, seeing this report online. In the past two days, apart from the mysterious young man with silver wings, humans had experienced three more cases of mutation.
Moreover, it was confirmed that these three people had gained quite terrifying supernatural abilities, and some enthusiasts called them "God Kings."
An article analyzed various aspects, stating that if this continued, more people might gain supernatural abilities, possibly ushering in a mysterious great era.
The earliest few to gain such strong abilities might lead others and could even be revered as "God Kings" one day.
For example, the young man with silver wings taken by the divine creature could already fly and move through the earth, with unimaginable potential in the future!
Chu Feng put down his communicator and went downstairs to the yard.
He was immediately stunned, seeing the golden calf basking in the brilliant morning light, its posture very strange.
At that moment, it was sitting on its hind legs like a human, with its front hooves naturally stretched out, facing the rising sun, inhaling and exhaling the morning light.
This was too strange. It was clearly a cow, yet it was sitting cross-legged like a human, as if practicing breathing exercises.
Chu Feng found it very curious, noticing the strange rhythm of its breathing, with a mysterious pattern.
He was very interested, watching for a long time, and then tried to follow its rhythm.