binnovel Chapter 518
Chapter 518
Rushing into the depression, they found themselves at the entrance to a deep cave, small but large enough to accommodate all of them.
The cave was slightly warmer than the outside, which blocked out the terrible howling wind, leaving only the dull sound of wind and snow hitting the rocks at the cave entrance.
Still shaken, the group brushed the snow off themselves, their panting sounds particularly clear in the relatively quiet cave.
"My God, this weather changes faster than turning the pages of a book!"
The fat man leaned against the cold cave wall, panting heavily, as his flashlight beam swept across the wall.
"What kind of place is this... Ouch!"
His flashlight beam suddenly froze on a corner of the cave wall, and his voice rose sharply, filled with disbelief and astonishment:
"Look!"
What... what is that drawing on the wall?
All the beams of everyone's flashlights converged on it instantly.
The cave wall was not natural rock, but covered with a relatively smooth, dark-colored ancient rock surface.
The murals are covered with some kind of deep red mineral pigment. The lines are rough and simple. Despite the long years, the color still has a glaring dark red, like congealed blood.
"mural?"
Wu Tianzhen immediately stepped forward. As the youngest son of the Wu family, he had a natural sensitivity to antiques and symbols.
He carefully brushed away the thin layer of frost and dust from the surface of the mural and shone a flashlight on it.
As the image gradually came into focus, a desolate, oppressive, and even despairing atmosphere swept over us.
The first image depicts the majestic Kunlun Mountains, but at their heart lies a colossal, twisted, and indescribable shadow! It has no clear form, only countless writhing, tentacle-like lines and a gigantic, malevolent eye, radiating an ominous aura. Where the shadow falls, the earth cracks, vegetation withers, ice and snow cover the land, and all is deathly still.
"Ancient Gods..."
Zhang Hao's voice echoed inside the cave, deep and resolute.
The moment his primordial Qilin bloodline came into contact with the mural, it generated a strong resonance, filled with disgust and trembling.
The shadows in the painting were of the same origin as the ancient god's aura that ravaged the earth that he saw in the light screen of the bronze box!
The flames in his golden-red eyes burned silently.
The second image depicts a group of bare-chested, muscular warriors! They wield simple yet sharp stone spears and bone knives, and their bodies are prominently and boldly branded with the Qilin totem!
The leading warrior was the tallest, with a qilin tattoo that seemed to be alive, perched on his chest.
They charged fearlessly toward the enormous shadow in the mountains. The two sides clashed fiercely, with warriors falling one after another, but parts of the shadow were also torn away.
Wu Tianzhen held his breath, pointing to the dark red mass of flesh that seemed to be writhing, gouged out by the warrior leader's blade:
"Look here! The key point of the mural!"
These Qilin warriors...they...they tore a piece of flesh from the ancient god!
The third picture:
The ancient god's shadow, with a piece of flesh torn away, became noticeably weak and feeble, its massive body seemingly unable to easily detach itself from the Kunlun Mountains.
It lies dormant deep within the mountains, with countless root-like lines extending from its remnant body, like diseased blood vessels, penetrating deep underground, slowly and persistently spreading outwards from the mountains.
At the edges of the image, the ice and deathly silence that the roots reach are still spreading, only much slower.
The fourth painting depicts many tiny figures surrounding the warriors, seemingly discussing, performing sacrifices, and conducting research.
Their expressions were a mixture of hope and worry.
The final scene shows the little people carrying their bags, looking back every few steps as they leave the Kunlun Mountains, filled with reluctance and helplessness.
Wu Tianzhen took a deep breath; the cold air made his mind exceptionally clear. Combining the content of the mural with his own knowledge, he slowly deciphered it:
"The murals record... a terrible truth."
Deep within the Kunlun Mountains, a powerful ancient god has lurked since ancient times, attempting to erode the entire world, leaving life extinguished wherever it goes.
A group of warriors bearing the Qilin totem, who may very well be our Zhang family ancestors, found a way to fight it:
They made a tremendous sacrifice, forcibly tearing a crucial piece of flesh from the ancient god's body!
He pointed to the spreading roots:
"The loss of this piece of flesh severely damaged the ancient god, greatly limiting its range of movement and the speed of its erosion."
It can no longer easily leave the core of Kunlun, and can only slowly permeate its power to the outside world through the underground dragon vein network.
This explains why the Kunlun Mountains, though the source of the dragon veins, are also filled with ominous, desolate places and those bizarre events...
The power of the ancient gods is corrupting the earth through the dragon veins!
Wu Tianzhen's gaze fell on the last image of migration, her voice heavy:
"Those groups living in Kunlun may be descendants of warriors or cultivators who rely on the spiritual energy of Kunlun."
They remained here, partly to guard the severely damaged ancient god, and partly because the murals suggested they had been searching...
"Find a way to completely destroy the Ancient Gods!"
He looked at Zhang Hao:
"Uncle, the revelation in the bronze box, 'Burn the water spirit, open the heavenly gate, and resist the Great Wilderness'... Could this method of 'complete annihilation' be hidden in the Great Wilderness?"
Is the Heavenly Gate atop Kunlun Mountain the only passage?
However, Wu Tianzhen's tone became dejected:
"Long years have passed, and they seem to have...failed."
The murals show no signs of success.
Ultimately, they had no choice but to abandon their ancestral land, which had become increasingly dangerous and corrupted by the power of the ancient gods.
He looked around at everyone:
"This may be one of the reasons why the Kunlun Mountains are so closely guarded by modern forces?"
The horrific scene that the herdsman witnessed in 83...
It's very likely some kind of projection of the ancient god's power emanating from the dragon vein!