Chapter 3: The Mysterious Mural

After walking for about 45 minutes, the cave gradually expanded, and soon Hu Gao arrived at a hall that was as large as a small concert venue. The stone walls around were engraved with various strange patterns

I never expected that the Hu family was quite wealthy; these items certainly do not appear to be cheap goods. Hu Gao leaned in to take a closer look, almost tempted to pry them all off. He thought to himself, if by chance he were to discover a time tunnel back to Huaxia, wouldn't that be a lucrative opportunity

Before long, the cave gradually became brighter. As I ventured further in, both walls emitted spherical objects that radiated light, somewhat resembling the luminous pearls of a past life, but significantly larger, each about the size of a ping pong ball

The ancestral hall immediately fell silent. Although many did not voice it, everyone was utterly perplexed by the bizarre scenes during the previous ritual, especially the final remarks made by Hu Gao, which exuded an aura of dominance and authority, leaving people utterly captivated.

His words immediately garnered the support of the other elders, and even the white-haired elder, who had been mocking him during the ritual, did not oppose him. At this moment, the clan was facing numerous crises, and he had always been a proponent of war. The Grand Priest's agreement to allow the clan leader to take the initiative in the offensive was also a form of compromise towards him, which he naturally welcomed.

Speaking of which, in the land of Huaxia, the snake is also a very mysterious totem, to the extent that the Creator appears in the form of a serpent-human. Could it be that one has traversed back to prehistoric civilization

This is simple; just send a message to inform the clan members that the guardian deity is weakened upon descending and needs to recuperate in the forbidden area

Hu Gao stepped forward to examine it closely; this small piece indeed resembled a finely carved jade pendant. Moreover, it seemed to contain a painting inside, though it was exceedingly blurred.

Hu Gao, completely unafraid, must have felt extremely secure to leave the guardian deity of his family here. Since there was nothing pressing at the moment, he boldly began to explore deeper into the cave.

The High Priest fell silent for a moment and then said softly: "He must be the heir, and can only be the heir. From now on, the original Hu Gao no longer exists"

Hu Gao carefully looked from left to right. He had performed reasonably well in history during his studies and was aware that various ethnic groups throughout human history had the custom of creating murals. For instance, the earliest human pictographs are considered indicative of matriarchal societies because, during the same period, murals in different regions predominantly featured women with prominent bellies, reflecting the status of women and the importance of fertility at that time. For instance, the earliest human pictographs are considered indicative of matriarchal societies because, during the same period, murals in different regions predominantly featured women with prominent bellies, reflecting the status of women and the importance of fertility at that time

The caves within the forbidden area are not particularly high; they merely appear very deep. The light from outside does not penetrate, creating a very eerie atmosphere

Faint starlight adorns the cold night, the pitch-black sky seems untouched by man, making the nights of this world particularly desolate

Regarding the matter of the guardian deity, from now on it shall be the highest secret within the family. If anyone leaks this information, the entire branch will be obliterated

Inside the ancestral hall of the Hu family in Ningcheng, the lights were bright, and all the elders were gathered together, each face marked by fatigue and a solemn expression

Most strangely, one of the murals is vividly realistic and lifelike, in stark contrast to the preceding rough-lined murals. In this mural, one can see various corpses scattered across the ground, with rivers of blood flowing, while the sky is radiant with light, resembling a scene of apocalypse

Yesterday, during the critical moment when the elder was questioning him, he initially intended to feign ignorance once more to evade the situation. However, unexpectedly, his head felt as if it had been pierced by a needle, causing excruciating pain. Most crucially, the transmission of that pain was particularly strong, leading to numbness in his limbs. He simply could not endure it any longer and truly fainted.

However, recalling the pain that had already inflicted him during his previous visit to the forbidden area, and reflecting on that deep-seated agony, Hu Gao still gritted his teeth and continued to move forward

Tonight, countless individuals are destined to be unable to sleep

Within the forbidden grounds of the Hu family, Hu Gao stretched lazily while happily yawning. In his view, anyone who could perfectly combine these two actions upon waking up was someone who truly understood how to enjoy life

Any abnormality is a sign of the supernatural. Hu Gao widened his eyes and stared intently at the mural, not wanting to miss any detail. To his surprise, he actually discovered a small green dot amidst the countless waves of red blood. If it weren't for the color difference, it would have been truly difficult to see.

Following this logic, the patterns that repeatedly appear in the murals are generally significant elements within the contemporary culture. What left Hu Gao feeling devastated was his discovery that most of the murals here depicted creatures resembling snakes found on Earth. In fact, in one particular image, a snake-like entity was shown receiving worship from a group of beings that looked remarkably similar to foxes from his previous life.

The High Priest Hu Jiu Zhan of the Hu family struck the ground fiercely with his staff, his beard flying wildly at the corners of his mouth, his expression fierce, in stark contrast to the frail appearance he had just displayed during the ritual.

... ...

Why are there such strange patterns in the Hu family? Could it be that this is a form of their belief or perhaps a totem?

At that moment, the elder with green hair, who had previously assisted Hu Gao, suddenly stood up. "My Lord Priest, I do not dare to question your words in the slightest, but Hu Gao is also one of our people from the Qing lineage. I just want to ask you, have we truly succeeded this time? Does Hu Gao still exist?"

I felt a sense of despair as I continued to look ahead, but the more I looked, the colder my heart became. In this cave, there had not been a single depiction of a humanoid figure; instead, there were all sorts of bizarre animal images. Some were somewhat similar to those found in Huaxia, while others were completely unfamiliar to me.

Ah ha

Wait, a jade pendant? Hu Gao suddenly felt a chill on his neck, and his right hand instinctively moved to touch his neck. Where his fingers made contact was precisely a jade pendant measuring one inch square.

"When did this thing appear on my neck?" Hu Gao felt his heart begin to race violently

But how should we explain it to our clansmen

Additionally, Hu Gao is temporarily stationed in the forbidden area, protected by a guard team led by the Elder of Judgment. At the same time, I suggest activating the clan's secret techniques to enhance the strength of certain individuals. Furthermore, the clan leader should lead a select group of elite members to launch a counterattack against the Lang clan at the Qingyuan mine. This is the only way to inspire the fighting spirit of our clansmen

This body is truly ineffective; it seems that the nightlife is rather irregular, undoubtedly a rhythm swept away by vice, gambling, and drugs. Hu Gao couldn't help but exclaim, as he weakly supported his somewhat numb thigh and stood up.

With too many relatives present, even if everyone has numerous questions, it is impossible to discuss them on the spot. At this moment, it is essential to sit down and seriously devise a response strategy.

Unfortunately, reality is too stark; when he opened his eyes and saw the dark cave, he felt utterly unwell.

It is hoped that the inheritor can restore their strength soon The elders all agreed, as they had no better way to respond to the current situation