Led by Jiang Xiaofan, Ling Feng and Lin Xian'er ventured deeper into the cave. As they progressed, Ling Feng marveled at the cave's internal structure which far exceeded his expectations.
The area where the villagers had been hiding was just the outer section of Xuanwu Cave.
After about fifteen minutes, the narrow passage opened up into a vast canyon-like space. Looking up they saw two towering peaks, each soaring thousands of feet into the air with their close proximity creating the canyon below.
Scattered throughout this canyon were countless unmarked tombstones that numbered in the thousands.
Jiang Xiaofan paused here to kneel before the tombstones. He kneeled three times and kowtowed nine times with utmost respect.
"Big Brother, this is the ancestral burial ground of my family. When my grandfather was alive, our family would come here every year to pay our respects," Jiang Xiaofan explained after finishing his bow.
Ling Feng approached the tombstones and closed his eyes as he sensed a subtle yet powerful presence guarding the place.
Despite being over a thousand years old, the area around the tombstones was pristine and devoid of even a single weed. This cleanliness and the serene aura confirmed that Jiang Xiaofan's ancestors were far from ordinary.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng also bowed three times in respect. He thought it was only fitting to honor the predecessors who lay here.
Following suit, Lin Xian'er also bowed deeply three times, mirroring Ling Feng's actions.
"Big Brother, Senior Sister Lin, the place I mentioned is just ahead," Jiang Xiaofan said as he resumed leading the way.
They walked for a short distance until they reached a solid rock wall.
"Here we are," Jiang Xiaofan said excitedly. "It's been many years since I last came here, and seeing this wall again still feels incredibly magical!"
Ling Feng examined the rock wall. It was incredibly smooth and emitted a faint brownish glow. There seemed to be a subtle flow of energy swirling around it. The wall's surface continually shifted with various patterns, as if it were hinting at something profound yet ultimately elusive.
Lin Xian'er stared at the wall in awe. "What is this? It's so fascinating!"
Jiang Xiaofan shook his head. "I don't know. Even my grandfather didn't know much about it, except that it's called the 'Xuanwu Wall.'"
"The Xuanwu Wall?" Ling Feng narrowed his eyes, sensing that he might be on the verge of understanding something, especially since his right eye felt slightly warm.
Could this Xuanwu Wall be connected to my Heavenly Dao Eye?
Driven by curiosity, Ling Feng activated the Art of Chaotic Divinity to harness the six qi and condense the Heavenly Dao divine inscriptions.
A mysterious inscription appeared in his right eye as he concentrated. He started to discern the secrets of the wall.
"Millennium calamity, Xuanwu emerges!" Ling Feng murmured to himself.
"What are you saying, Ling Feng?" Lin Xian'er asked, noticing Ling Feng muttering to himself.
"I think I saw some words," Ling Feng replied, taking a deep breath and swallowing hard. Using his Heavenly Dao Eye, he perceived things that were previously hidden.
He saw a vision of a masked man slaughtering the people of Xuanwu Village and a giant spirit tortoise ascending into the sky. Instinctively, he repeated the phrase, "Millennium calamity, Xuanwu emerges!"
"Millennium calamity, Xuanwu emerges!" Ling Feng's mind flashed with sudden clarity. "Could it be that Xiaofan's ancestors foresaw this calamity a thousand years ago?"
"What do you mean by a millennium calamity?" Lin Xian'er asked, puzzled by Ling Feng's muttering.
"Big Brother, did you understand something?" Jiang Xiaofan looked at Ling Feng, equally perplexed.
"Yes, I think I did," Ling Feng said, his face serious as he turned to Jiang Xiaofan. "Xiaofan, you might find this hard to believe, but it's true. Your family's ancestors seemed to have predicted all of this a millennium ago. This calamity befalling Xuanwu Village was destined long before."
"Uh... How could that be possible?" Jiang Xiaofan was stunned, his expression filled with disbelief.
"Right, Ling Feng. Don't make things up. How could someone from a thousand years ago know what would happen today?" Lin Xian'er also shook her head in disbelief.
How could such extraordinary events exist in the world?
"The world is vast and full of mysteries," Ling Feng replied with a faint smile, leaving his words at that.
After all, his own existence with the Blood of the Emperor and the Eye of the Emperor was beyond explanation. The Heavenly Dao Eye had shown him things unseen by ordinary eyes.
Moreover, the complex concept of the Heavenly Scripture of Thousand Forms, allowing one to manifest countless spiritual forms, was also beyond common understanding.
Given this perspective, foreseeing events a thousand years into the future didn't seem as far-fetched to Ling Feng.
"This phrase, 'Millennium calamity, Xuanwu emerges,' was revealed on the Xuanwu Wall," Ling Feng explained. "The millennium calamity seems to refer to this disastrous event that has now come true. But what does 'Xuanwu emerges' mean?"
Jiang Xiaofan and Lin Xian'er exchanged glances and stared at the Xuanwu Wall for a long time, unable to see anything unusual.
"Ling Feng, how did you see these things?" Lin Xian'er asked, astonished.
"That's not important right now," Ling Feng said, rubbing his nose. "But if 'Xuanwu emerges' means anything, what could it imply?"
Lin Xian'er pondered for a moment, looking at the wall before giving up. She rested her chin in her hand and speculated, "The Xuanwu is one of the four legendary divine beasts, alongside the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird. Could 'Xuanwu emerges' mean that a Xuanwu divine beast is going to appear here? But that sounds too unbelievable."
Ling Feng chuckled and shook his head.
Yes, it does sound a bit too unbelievable!
A divine beast appearing out of nowhere seems highly unlikely.
But then, Ling Feng recalled something. It was the image of a particularly shameless and unscrupulous face.
The despicable donkey!
If that guy claims to be a divine beast, he might actually know something.
"Xiaofan, Xian'er, could you step back a bit? I need to bring something out," Ling Feng said.
Though confused, Lin Xian'er and Jiang Xiaofan did as he asked, stepping back a few paces.
"Alright, that's good," Ling Feng said, and with a thought, he summoned the despicable donkey from the Five Elements Heavenly Palace.
In an instant, the sky seemed to darken as a massive black donkey's rear end descended from above, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Startled, Jiang Xiaofan and Lin Xian'er jumped back several more steps to avoid getting hit.
The black donkey hit the ground hard, and then immediately started barking like a dog. "You little brat, are you trying to kill this divine beast? Woof, woof, woof!"