The moonlight was hazy, and the starlight trickled like a thick fog, enveloping Shi Hao. From a distance, it looked as if a white mist was rising and evaporating.
This was a very comfortable feeling. Shi Hao was practicing a special breathing technique, his chest and abdomen rising and falling, and a faint fragrance spread from his mouth and nose.
Historical records state that when some old Taoists or high monks passed away, their bodies did not decay, and the room was filled with a fragrant aroma. This was a very strange phenomenon.
Some people said this was because they had studied elixirs for years, and their bodies had been long immersed in them.
Scholars also studied this and believed that everyone would originally have this fragrance, accompanied by a scent like orchids or musk. However, due to the pollution of the world, only a few people could emit the original fragrance.
Now, Chu Feng's mouth and nose were surrounded by white mist, and a faint fragrance spread. He could even feel that the saliva he swallowed was sweet and very comfortable.
This was a very peculiar breathing technique, performed according to a specific rhythm. Chu Feng felt his body becoming light, as if he were about to rise off the ground.
This breathing rhythm made his vital signs stronger, showing vigorous vitality.
It wasn't long before the yellow ox opened its eyes, one front hoof pointing to the sky and the other to the ground, mooing several times. It ended this breathing technique.
The starlight sprinkled across the sky, and Chu Feng also stopped. He had a vague understanding. Although the time was not long, his body's vitality had reached saturation, and continuing would be useless.
Suddenly, Chu Feng heard the sound of the courtyard wall cracking, and the ground trembled slightly, not violently, but he could immediately sense it.
Then, he heard screams, and the town was no longer peaceful.
Suddenly, the street lamps went out one after another, and the lights in each household dimmed, indicating a power outage.
At the same time, Chu Feng turned on his communication device, but the signal was fuzzy and then disconnected.
The yellow ox let out a low roar, its eyes shining brightly. It raised its head and looked toward the Taihang Mountains, where some purple mist was blooming, and silver light was flowing.
A faint rumbling sound could be heard.
A dramatic change was happening again. Although it was far away, a sense of oppression and a vast, overwhelming aura could already be felt.
"There are more mountains!"
Chu Feng was surprised. Looking far away, he saw more mountains in the Taihang Mountains, some reaching ten thousand feet high, even more impressive than before.
Is this the true appearance of the Taihang Mountains?
The town was in a panic, with people screaming in fear.
The ground was stretching, some streets were breaking, and some houses were cracking, with terrifying gaps appearing. If this continued, they would collapse.
The only consolation was that the changes were not rapid.
This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
Various screams of fear and the cries of women and children echoed under the night sky, creating chaos.
"Whimper... Grandma, what's happening? Dongdong is so scared."
Some children were crying, very frightened.
On this night, Qingyang Town was in chaos, a disaster never seen before.
Chu Feng ran out to save people. He was somewhat relieved that there were few casualties, as people had fled their houses in time.
When dawn came, Qingyang Town had completely changed.
One-third of the houses had collapsed, most in the northern part of the town, as if they had been torn apart, with the broken buildings far apart from each other.
The eastern, southern, and western parts of the town were better, with only some houses damaged and cracks appearing, but no collapses.
Water and electricity were completely cut off, and the impact of the ground cracks was significant.
Three people died, and over a dozen were injured. Relatively speaking, it was fortunate that the ground cracks occurred slowly, giving people enough time to escape.
Only a few people who slept too deeply and did not leave their houses suffered tragic fates.
But this was enough to cause panic. Such an event had never happened before, especially with the uncertainty of the future. The environment was changing, and the future was shrouded in mist.
People are always fearful of the unknown, as they do not understand or know what will happen, making it even more terrifying.
This was the case now. It was a mysterious period, with various anomalies and disasters occurring. Who could predict what kind of era would come?
Would it be prosperous or terrifying? People had no idea.
Qingyang Town was filled with gloom and despair.
Crying and anxious whispers echoed, and people were mentally exhausted, unable to see the future.
Moreover, water, electricity, and communications were cut off, and they had lost contact with the outside world. Could they still expect rescue?
People did not know what was happening outside, whether it was the same or even worse.
"Do not be afraid. Only a small part of the houses collapsed. The remaining ones are enough for us to live in. The power outage is not scary; we have generators in the town that can be used soon. As for the water supply, there is no need to worry; the ancient wells are sufficient for us."
It was Zhao San Ye speaking. Chu Feng had found him to calm the people.
Zhao San Ye was respected in the town for his high moral standing, his family's unique cold weapon workshop, and his open and tough personality.
Chu Feng returned home, which was on the eastern edge of Qingyang Town, with minimal damage, only a few large cracks in the courtyard wall.
The yellow ox was gazing eastward, with a faint golden light in its eyes, looking excited, as if it was hoping for something.
"What are you waiting for?" Chu Feng asked.
The yellow ox did not answer, remaining silent.
For several days, the town was cut off from the outside world, with all communication severed.
Some people tried to drive to the county, but many asphalt roads had broken, and long stretches had turned into dirt roads. They drove for over a hundred miles without seeing any towns.
This made them anxious, and they dared not drive further, fearing they would run out of fuel and not be able to return.
Normally, the county was only a dozen miles away from Qingyang Town, but now everything had changed.
Moreover, there were some mysterious mountains on the way!
Some mountains were dark and oppressive, while others were lush with vegetation, with the sounds of apes and tigers, which was quite astonishing.
If it weren't for the familiar scenery in the area, people would have suspected they had entered another world.
Qingyang Town seemed isolated from the world, and people were very pessimistic. Even with the town's generators running, the light at night could not dispel the fear of the unknown.
For several days, Chu Feng remained very calm, not panicking, and calmly observed everything.
His parents were in Shun Tian, a major city known as the Northern Center, with the best protective measures. He was not very worried.
For several days, he followed a routine, practicing the peculiar breathing technique every day, with a steady rhythm. He could clearly feel the changes in his body.
He had tried to lift a heavy stone table in the courtyard, which was impossible in the past. Even with his strong physique, he could only lift it half a foot high.
Chu Feng was secretly surprised by the obvious effect.
He practiced in the morning and evening, although the duration was not long, but the special breathing rhythm seemed to be nourishing his body, enhancing his physical vitality.
The rest of the time, Chu Feng moved around, observing the changes in the mountains and terrain.
Some areas had stretched, while others remained unchanged. He walked through all the familiar areas nearby and found that the total area had increased significantly.
Adjacent mountains and lakes were now ten times farther apart, and other terrains were similar.
Chu Feng was lost in thought. The first major city in the north, Shun Tian, was only about 200 miles away, but if the current estimates were correct, it would now be over 2,000 miles away.
If he wanted to see his parents, it would be very difficult.
Six days later, his communication device suddenly had a signal.
Chu Feng immediately contacted his parents, and both sides reported safety. He could clearly feel the worry of the two elders, who wanted him to come to Shun Tian City.
Because it was considered the safest place, with various defensive measures and contingency plans.
Six dynasties had once built their capitals there, which might have some reason. Even with the dramatic changes, the entire city remained intact, not in the stretching area, with buildings undamaged.
This made Chu Feng more at ease, and he reassured them, promising to visit them in the future and asking them to wait patiently.
"Chu Feng, are you okay? Good heavens, the sky has changed here. The county has been split in two, and right outside the city, there are two vast mountains, reaching into the clouds, so large they seem endless." Zhou Quan called, shouting excitedly, "Guess what I saw? A toad, damn, as big as a stone roller, and it was eating an elephant!"
Zhou Quan was incoherent, shouting on the other end.
Chu Feng finally understood. Next to the county, the two mysterious mountains had various strange creatures. Although they had not yet come down the mountains, they could be clearly seen with a telescope.
Zhou Quan had seen a toad as big as a stone roller, chasing and killing various fierce beasts, and even once pouncing on an elephant and eating it.
After ending the call, Chu Feng fell into deep thought. If those fierce birds and strange beasts came out, wouldn't the world be in chaos? He hoped they couldn't leave the mountains.
Then, his communication device kept ringing, with familiar friends and classmates contacting each other, sharing their situations, and wishing each other safety and well-being.
The world was about to be in chaos, which was Chu Feng's first feeling.
If this continued, something big would happen, and it would definitely get out of control.
He quickly went online to read various reports and understand the situation, as no one could guarantee that the communication signal would remain stable, and it might disconnect at any time.
The world had undergone a dramatic change!
Many people were in fear, and some were crying. This was not the world they knew, and peace would never return. People sensed that a storm was coming.
Houses had collapsed on a large scale, although the ground cracks occurred slowly, giving people enough time to escape, some still lost their lives.
People saw that the distance between places had increased, generally by ten times, meaning the world's area had increased by over a hundred times!
Some people were crying, believing that the Earth was connected to other terrifying worlds.
Others said this was the true appearance of the Earth, with a vast, hidden land that had only now become visible.
For a time, theories about folded space were studied in depth.
Various places were not peaceful, and photos of mysterious phenomena were reported.
Especially, famous mountains and rivers showed auspicious signs, with divine trees blooming, holy springs gushing, and some people competing for them, as if they had planned it in advance, causing surprise and suspicion.
For several days, the yellow ox was very quiet, standing in the courtyard, staring into the void, as if it was paying attention to something.
But there was a burning, excited, and agitated look in its eyes. It was lying low, waiting!
This morning, as the red sun rose over the Taihang Mountains, the yellow ox suddenly could not hold back, letting out a low roar and calling Chu Feng to follow. It directly rushed out of the courtyard!