William Carter decided to descend the mountain. Although he was extremely curious about the small tree rooted atop the bronze mountain and longed to learn more, this place was far too dangerous for him—he could lose his life at any moment.

The fragrance grew stronger, wafting down from the bronze mountain.

The mastiff moved, swift as lightning. In just a few bounds, it crossed the pile of rocks and then, following the steep mountainside, charged straight up to the summit.

A black yak, over three meters long, its entire body glossy and jet-black, with thick, intimidating horns on its head, followed behind at a steady, unhurried pace.

It walked with remarkable stability, ascending the treacherous bronze mountain along the side with soil and rocks.

The fierce bird in midair looked as if it were cast from gold, its wings growing ever more dazzling, its pupils flickering with golden light. It lowered its altitude, approaching the cliff, and fixed its gaze on the small tree.

As William Carter prepared to retreat, the fragrance intensified several times over—the flower bud was about to bloom.

“Pop!”

Even though there was still some distance, William Carter clearly heard the sound of the flower opening. At the top of the small tree, the fist-sized silvery-white bud unfurled a single petal.

The flower bloomed with sound!

The fragrance was intoxicating, far richer than before, carrying a peculiar, almost magical allure that was utterly mesmerizing.

In an instant, the three creatures rushed to the edge of the cliff. Once there, they stared intently, tense, and began to sniff the fragrance fiercely, as if gulping down the scent.

William Carter turned back just in time to witness this scene—their strange behavior left him utterly astonished.

The three creatures could barely restrain themselves, each wanting to attack the others, their wild instincts about to erupt.

A series of soft sounds followed as the silvery-white petals continued to unfurl, shrouded in a faint white mist and sparkling with crystalline dew. The flower bloomed with sound, and the fragrance was now at least ten times stronger!

William Carter was truly alarmed. What kind of flower was this? Its scent was so alluring that he could hardly resist the urge to turn back and rush to the summit.

Atop the three-foot-tall sapling, the fist-sized silvery-white flower was now in full bloom. White mist drifted out, enveloping the bronze mountain’s cliff, making it look like a scene from a fairyland.

Golden speckles dotted the petals, all glowing at once. Amid the white mist, the golden flecks sparkled like stars, shining brilliantly.

The sight was magnificent and enchanting.

The three creatures had been waiting for this very moment—for the flower to mature!

They fought fiercely, colliding violently, claws slashing through the air. This was the release of primal wildness, utterly frenzied, each determined to claim the extraordinary flower for itself.

When the jet-black yak stamped its hooves, the summit trembled lightly from its immense strength.

Clang!

In midair, the golden fierce bird spread its massive claws, clashing with the yak’s rough horns—a deafening sound rang out.

The mastiff let out a low growl, its voice deep and thunderous.

The three creatures battled savagely, attacking one another, all vying for the blooming flower.

Throughout the struggle, they continued to sniff desperately, doing everything they could to absorb the flower’s fragrance.

White mist curled atop the bronze mountain. In the haze, golden flecks shimmered, as if a small patch of starry sky was glowing within the fog—mysterious and beautiful.

Bang!

They brushed against the glowing green sapling, and one of the mastiff’s large claws grazed the flower.

A strong wind surged as the golden fierce bird dove, colliding head-on with the mastiff. Its sharp claws slashed down, trying to tear the mastiff apart.

Earlier, they had refrained from fighting out of mutual wariness, but now that the flower had bloomed, they were willing to risk everything for it, all caution thrown aside!

As the golden fierce bird flapped its wings, several petals fell from beneath the mastiff’s large claw, carried by the wild wind down the bronze mountain.

The terrain here was extremely steep, and the mist-shrouded petals quickly drifted toward William Carter.

He reached out and caught one. The fragrance was so rich it was almost overwhelming, nearly making him faint on the spot. Looking closely, he saw that the inner surface of the petal, speckled with gold, was also coated with a layer of crystalline substance.

“Pollen!”

A layer of pollen clung to it, shimmering with luster.

William Carter reached out and caught four petals in succession. Two of them had a slightly weaker scent, as they bore only a little pollen, while the other two were richly fragrant, densely covered in crystalline pollen, their aroma almost overpowering.

The three creatures atop the bronze mountain glanced down, their gazes icy, then resumed their fierce battle, fighting for the petals that had not yet fallen.

William Carter saw this and clenched the petals tightly.

But he soon noticed something strange—the petals in his palm were no longer warm and moist, but instead felt withered. When he opened his hand, he found that the crystalline sheen on the four petals had vanished, and the petals themselves had dried up!

In just an instant, they had lost their luster and vitality, turning yellow and brittle.

What was going on?

With a slight squeeze, one of the petals crumbled to dust.

William Carter was astonished. He tossed the remaining three withered petals away and shouted toward the summit, “I’m giving them back to you!”

Then, he decisively turned and no longer paid any attention to the matter, rushing down the mountain.

Though eager to escape, he couldn’t help but ponder along the way—why had those four petals withered instantly in his hands? The change was so bizarre!

Passing by the copper house and the bronze stele, he didn’t stop, intent only on descending quickly. The terrain gradually became less steep, allowing him to pick up speed.

After a long while, when William Carter finally reached the foot of the mountain, the red sun was already sinking in the west.

Fortunately, those three extraordinary creatures hadn’t chased after him—they were still fighting atop the mountain.