The strange little tree stood quietly and proudly.

William Carter tried several times, but it was indeed impossible to climb up this side of the bronze mountain. He decided to take a risk and climb from the side full of rolling stones, but he needed to be extremely careful, or he might lose his life.

He retreated from the bronze wall, came to a flat area, and walked around the mountain while looking upward.

“How could it grow on bronze?” William Carter couldn’t figure it out.

He could only attribute it to the fact that, after several upheavals, the world had become increasingly incomprehensible.

William Carter’s mind had calmed down. He frowned, thinking carefully about all of this—the strange plant, the bizarre bronze mountain—none of it made sense.

A figure appeared in his mind, because that person had once said something. At the time, he hadn’t paid attention, but now it struck a chord.

“One day, perhaps even a weed by the roadside will bear fist-sized, bright red fruit. The ordinary things we see may all disappear.”

These were the words of Grace Bennett, spoken very plainly, as if offhand.

Just like when she told William Carter she wanted to break up, a little indifferent, her voice somewhat distant, as if she were standing high above, saying those words.

William Carter thought she was talking about the two of them, that nothing in life or relationships was unchangeable.

“Was she hinting at something?”

In this post-civilization era, the world had undergone several upheavals. Although the vast majority of people knew nothing of the truth, there were always a few who did.

What exactly did Grace Bennett know?

Her figure appeared in his mind. William Carter sighed. Although he felt a bit wistful, he decided to let the past stay in the past.

He looked up again at the top of the bronze mountain, a strange look in his eyes.

Was she really hinting at something? Following her line of thought, if many ordinary things were about to change, then what about this already extraordinary rare tree?

Such a little tree, even before any mutation, must have been remarkable!

There were many loose stones underfoot. William Carter had already reached the edge of the bronze mountain, and the path here was extremely difficult.

Suddenly, a gust of wild wind surged in. William Carter’s eyelids twitched. He saw a shadow suddenly appear on the ground, about to cover him.

Something was approaching!

He reacted swiftly, agilely flipping his body and quickly dodging away. He rolled a distance down the mountain, and in the process, pulled out his folding crossbow for self-defense, assembling it quickly and efficiently.

Outdoors, especially when traveling alone, how could one be without some means of self-defense? William Carter turned and fired a steel arrow with a bang.

At the same time, he saw what it was!

A look of indescribable shock appeared on William Carter’s face. This creature was enormous, far larger than its kind.

A golden raptor, its feathers gleaming, with wings spanning five or six meters, swooped down from the sky and had nearly grabbed him just now.

With a clang, the steel arrow shot past, striking a large boulder not far away, sparks flying everywhere, grazing the fierce bird but actually being dodged by it.

At the same time, its sharp talons scraped the earth and stones on the ground, making a piercing, chilling sound. It soared into the air, the wind howling.

William Carter’s back went cold. If he hadn’t reacted so quickly just now, the consequences of being caught by this fierce bird would have been unimaginable.

Ordinary eagles and hawks can easily crack the skulls of rabbits and other prey. With such a huge golden raptor, its strength was obvious. If he had been even a moment slower, the result would have been tragic.

William Carter immediately retreated, choosing a favorable position with his back against a huge rock. Then, holding the folding crossbow, he aimed at the sky, staying alert and cautious.

In midair, the golden raptor circled, extremely fierce, skimming close to the mountain and stirring up strong winds!

He had never seen such a large bird of prey.

Judging by its appearance, it looked like a golden eagle—no stray feathers, its whole body gleaming, its size terrifying, extremely powerful, golden pupils shining, full of wildness, and exuding a murderous aura.

How could an ordinary golden eagle be this big? This one was an anomaly, completely unnatural!

If it were ancient times, some tribes might have regarded this golden raptor as a legendary roc.

After all, ancient records were often exaggerated. A five- or six-meter-long golden raptor would definitely be considered a rarity, and if it appeared, it would surely cause a great stir.

Especially in the Kunlun mountain region, it would add even more mystery.

The golden giant bird was fierce, but it didn’t immediately swoop down. Instead, it circled, showing extraordinary alertness. Clearly, it was also aware of the power of the crossbow in William Carter’s hands.

Suddenly, William Carter smelled a bloody scent.

Three snow leopards were quietly approaching from below the mountain, silent, their pupils glowing, blood still staining their mouths, their snow-white fangs sharp—obviously, they had just hunted something.

They stared at William Carter, bodies slightly crouched, while also glancing at the golden raptor in the air, extremely wary, letting out uneasy low growls.

The three snow leopards were far stronger than ordinary ones, their sharp claws glinting coldly, their powerful bodies ready to pounce at any moment.

William Carter frowned. He hadn’t expected to encounter such danger: a golden raptor in the sky, and leopards on the ground with lightning speed. His situation was dire.