The Sacred Ruins

Chu Feng’s heart throbbed with excitement. A holy site revered by people from all dynasties must have been thriving with magical fruits and sacred trees.

This was a mountain that no others could dwarf; this was a place with history that no others could outlast!

"Not only has the mountain been glowing with radiant light, the peak and the hillside are also shrouded in dense fog. This fog gives everything a little mystery and a little insidiousness!" Chu Zhiyuan said.

"This sounds like an extraordinary place to me. Perhaps there is more than one sacred tree growing there," Chu Feng mumbled to himself.

A place like this would prove to be an attraction for every company out there. Who wouldn’t want a share of this spoil for themselves?

The government was of no exception either, and if they had resolved to take the mountain for themselves, they would allow nothing to go wrong!

"So, it means, the government needs a team of powerful fighters to help them fight against the deadliest mutants out there. But won’t it be too dangerous for Feng?!" Wang Jing sounded terrified. She was not keen on the idea that her son would be driven into such peril.

"This is what I’m worried about too." Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

This mountain was the place where people of all dynasties had gone on a pilgrimage to, but at present, even the stone stairs leading to the peak of the mountain had been stained red with blood. It had blood of ordinary people, blood of mutants, and blood of mutated beasts. Everyone who had shed blood at the place was an outstanding fighter, and yet, not a single person or beast could win an edge over the others.

The government had used their deadliest weapon, but their powerful armory didn’t win them an edge over the others either, because there were too many mutated species getting involved in this fierce battle, and every one of them was terrifyingly powerful. Each had skills capable of things that were so wild that not even the wildest imagination of the most creative person could dream of.

Some mutated species had godlike instincts that allowed them to foresee danger before the deadly missiles were even ready to launch.

Besides, the government had to somewhat hold back from launching missiles against their targets for fear of damaging the sacred trees that were growing on the slopes of the mountain.

"It is said that the white snake from Taihang Mountain has once appeared on the scene, and so has that elder ape from Mount Song."

These were all secrets told by that old friend of Chu Zhiyuan. These were highest classified information unknown to the anyone from the outside.

Chu Feng was deeply astonished. If even the kings of the mutated species had gone personally to the scene, one could easily imagine how fierce and bloody the battle must have been at the place.

This explained why the government was feeling that they were in a tight fix on this operation. To fight for the ownership of a mountain like this, the government couldn’t afford to be careless.

"I need to pay the place a visit first!" Chu Feng said. Although he understood the danger of visiting such a place, he was also eager to take a closer look at the place so that he could evaluate the possibility of winning the fight against the other mutated species. If the odds were not heavily in his favor, Chu Feng could always fall back to safety in one piece.

Going to a place like this would enrich his experience, letting him know more about the different kinds of mutated species that were currently present in this world. Chu Feng wanted to see what extraordinary creatures would appear on the scene and how they would fight for something they were so eager to acquire.

"No! This is too dangerous!" Wang Jing’s eyes were getting watery. She clutched her son’s arm in her hand, refusing to let him step into such danger.

"Rest assured, mom. I’m not going to risk my life for anyone," Chu Feng said.

"That’s still not okay! You just can’t go!" Wang Jing maintained a firm attitude.

"But the truth is, even if I want to risk my life for the government, they won’t necessarily trust me with the job. Even if I eagerly ask them to send me to the battlefront, they won’t agree before they are certain that I’m competent enough for the task," Chu Feng said with a smile. He tried to sound calm and relaxed.

"Yes, he is right." Chu Zhiyuan nodded. A thorough investigation of one’s past and a comprehensive evaluation of one’s current abilities would have to be conducted before the government could decide what to do with their newcomers.

This family of three sat in their living room, discussing on the matter for quite some time. In the end, Chu Zhiyuan decided that he would make arrangement for Chu Feng to join the armed forces of the government.

"Okay, so I’ll just sit back and wait for you to make proper arrangement for me," Chu Feng was happy that he wouldn’t have to do anything on his end for now.

Chu Zhiyuan soon began getting busy. He tried all kinds of connections he had with other people, calling them one after another to make inquiries. He even booked an appointment with some of these people so that he could meet up with them personally.

"Mom, dad. I think it’s better for you to quit your job and stay at home for now," Chu Feng said. The world outside, even in the city, was getting a little chaotic. He couldn’t set his mind at rest when his parents were outside his line of sight.

Especially after what happened yesterday, Xu Wanyi would most likely realize that Chu Feng was the ultimate evil-doer behind these all. Who knew what crazy actions she would take to seek her revenge?

"But I’ll get bored if I just stay at home," Wang Jing said. But there were no other alternatives for her. She couldn’t step outside her house before the situation settled.

"Do online shopping then! Isn’t that your favorite hobby of all time?" Chu Feng poked fun at his mother.

Wang Jing curled her lips with disapproval. Damaged roads across the country made postage service come to a standstill. Online shopping could only buy her goods sold within the city of Shuntian, making the experience rather limited and unenjoyable.

When everything finally settled, Chu Feng started browsing through news on his communicator.

Sichuan was in a state of turmoil. Hordes of mutated beasts galloped across the region in waves, incurring heavy casualties in the area. The military had already been taking actions, killing all kinds of mutated birds and beasts with their deadliest weapons.

This was the news from yesterday, and today, there was a new update.

There were so many mutated species running amok in the area, and every single one of them had terrifying power of destruction. Each individual beast could bring Hell to a village on its own.

It was said that many places had been reduced to a sheer patch of scorched earth. Almost everywhere one went, one would only see scene of devastation and feel a chilling sense of desolation.

Fortunately, the military managed to fight off the waves in the end.

Many beasts were killed while others escaped into the wilderness of the forests, disappearing from people’s line of sight.

Meanwhile, Yunan-Guizhou Plateau was just as equally hellish. Villages were reduced to rubbles and towns down to ruins. Wherever the wolf went past, the place became a place too wretched to look at.

What made the situation even more difficult to deal with was the fact that the wolf ran at such a blazing speed. It had godlike instinct too. As a lone wolf, this beast was many times more terrifying than the whole sea of beasts in Sichuan combined.

The internet was boiling over with cries from angry people who wanted the wolf to die. They wished that someone could butcher this wicked beast.

At a conservative estimate, at least tens of thousands of people were killed by this wolf. Hardly any residents in villages ruined by the wolf could survive. The wolf was indeed a cruel and barbarous one.

This shocked the entire world. People in the Western countries cried out in alarm, drawing similarities between the wolf and their king of Black Dragon.

"The wolf must die!" someone from the army headquarters was enraged. The military’s failure to stop the tyranny of this wolf in time had tarnished the name of the army. How could they stand letting a lone wolf run amok all over the place, killing people left and right?

But days later, the wolf disappeared.

This filled people with hatred and rage. Once the wolf hid itself in the wilderness of the mountains, it would never be found again; people would never get the chance to avenge for their loved ones who died in the wolf’s clutch.

However, for others, this was a relief. After all, the wolf had proven to be a slippery bastard whom the fierce firepower from the military was powerless against. It relied heavily on its godlike instinct to evade any incoming missiles directed against it.

Chu Feng sighed. He agreed that this wolf’s power and ability had reached the acme of perfection. To kill this beast, its hunter must first pay a heavy price.

This was only the beginning of the crisis. In this post-upheaval world, the rise of the mutated species had been developing by leaps and bounds. It came so fast and surprising that people started to become afraid and fearful.

People started asking, would men still have the power to control the course of the world in the future, or would men simply become the prey of whom they had once avariciously hunted for?

Human and beasts were both evolving, but each was occurring at a pace jarringly different from each other. Men were getting taken over by beasts in every possible facet of life.

Suddenly, Chu Feng recalled what the white snake had once said in the Mountain of Taihang. He felt terrified.

"Human had once taken a shortcut during their time of evolution, but everything is different now!"

These words meant nothing when the white snake first said them, but Chu Feng felt chilling when he thought about them now.

At dusk, the wolf on Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau showed itself again, and this time, it began speaking in human language, making an announcement to the world outside.

"The plateau of Yunnan and Guizhou is now my territory!"

The first few words it said in human language were to claim territory for itself.

Moreover, the wolf also threatened that all men who lived in its territory must migrate to other places, or it would kill without mercy!

The internet soon began boiling over with angry comments from furious people. People cursed the wolf for being so puffed up with arrogance and aggression. The fact that a wolf could annex a territory as vast as a plateau simply by making a claim had pushed some people over the edge.

"I will build a wolf palace here!"

The wolf’s voice echoed in the air like a rumbling thunder bursting out at great volume. Even people who were thousands of miles away could hear its voice. It later made another claim that in future, the plateau would be hosting the wolf clan only.

"Son of a b*tch! Arrogant and shameless! Gather all the zoologists who study the habits of wolves! And how about our latest technology? Are they ready to fire yet? Come on! Let’s do something. We’ve gotta kill this bastard!" Someone from the army was enraged.

The wolf’s arrogance had received itself fierce condemnation. The fact that a wolf was banishing people from their local residence was more than anyone could bear.

People on the internet even wished that they could skin this wolf alive.

At night, the family of Chu Feng eating dinner. This family of three was also talking about the wolf.

"What a damnable beast!" Wang Jing was furious.

"The government needs to kill the beast no matter the cost, otherwise, we will lose all our prestige amongst the other species. They would think that we are easy to be bullied, and the result of this would be deadly for us mankind as a whole!" Chu Zhiyuan said.

Chu Feng nodded. His father was right. If the government didn’t do enough to intimidate the beasts, there would be much greater troubles in the future.

The only trouble was that this wolf was way too difficult to kill!

On the following day, after Chu Zhiyuan made another few calls to the people working inside the national defence department, he told Chu Feng that the army wanted to meet him. They needed Chu Feng to display his talent in front of the judges.

"No problems!" Chu Feng was confident. Putting himself in front of others for a show of his talent was nothing to be fearful about.

Later that day, another news came and shocked the world.

Even as Chu Feng browsed through the article on the internet, he felt numb on his scalp!

"Sh*t just hit the fan!"

"Oh my god!"

At this moment, even Wang Jing and Chu Zhiyuan were crying in fear.

"This morning, the wolf massacred the inhabitants of a whole city. Casualties have reached seven hundred thousand!"

It was a line of glaring words written in red. Everyone across the globe was absolutely terrified when they saw this. The wolf was way too fierce and ruthless.

The internet was boiling over with anger and fear.

The wolf was the definition of terror and tyranny, but it had enraged everyone across the globe. Numerous people were curing, itching to skin this bloody wolf alive.

The news travelled like a hurricane; it swept across every corner of the world. People abroad were shaken by the news as well. This was perhaps the deadliest tragedy that had ever happened in history. There were more casualties than the one caused by the king of black dragon.

"I’ve said it before. This land is mine! This is the land of wolf clan!" the wolf roared, but it soon disappeared again.

Obviously, the beast was high on its guard as well. It came and went like a formless ghost, immune from the bombardment of shells and missiles.

Everyone had become highly indignant and resentful. Everyone had lost their cool when they saw the bloody ruins of a city that the wolf had left behind. It was a startling sight to behold!

High-ranked officials from the government stepped into the conference room and assured the public that they would make the culprit of this incident pay for its heinous crime.

"Kill the beast! Perish that bastard!"

Many people from the army had eyes filled with blood. They were furious!

There was a vast upsurge of anger in the public. Everyone had been pushed over the edge.

However, two days later, waves of beasts came back to haunt of the land of Sichuan again, rubbing salt into the wound.

Almost at the same time, the city of Shuntian became surrounded by beasts and birds. They were pressing in on the city.

These was no way that these events happened in isolation to each other. The kings of these three regions must have agreed on some terms to act in collaboration.

"Please rest assured, everyone. We’ll make these beasts pay for the crimes they committed with their lives!" a young high-ranking military officer made an oath.

Later that day, a mushroom cloud rose high into the air somewhere on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The devastating power it unleashed shocked the world. Its insidious shape stood out against the bloody setting sun.