The mural depicted a giant tower.
Around the tower were long, sturdy iron chains.
The tower was filled with an aura that seemed primeval, as though a prehistoric giant beast lay curled within.
And those iron chains were meant to trap the beast, preventing it from breaking the confines of its cage.
The iron chains gave off a feeling of coldness and rigidity.
Indomitable!
This was still the aura emanating from the painting.
In all likelihood, the actual object would be even more terrifying than this mural.
"Who painted this?" Xu Nian asked, turning towards the Bull Demon King.
"My ancestor left this behind. On his deathbed, he prophesied that whoever could decipher the secret of this painting would find the Token’s whereabouts. Yet a thousand years have passed, and my forebears have all died without grasping its meaning," the Bull Demon King said, scratching his head.
Xu Nian nodded.
The Bull Demon King had brought him to this cave.
In fact, he was hoping Xu Nian would look at this painting.
With his own intelligence, it was impossible for him to comprehend the meaning within the painting.
So he had no choice but to seek help from Xu Nian.
Hoping Xu Nian could unlock the secret of the painting and locate that Token.
Xu Nian remained silent, beginning to scrutinize the painting carefully.
The Bull Demon King did not interrupt and sat quietly to the side.
Xu Nian sat there for three days.
The Bull Demon King went mad!
He fidgeted, scratching his ears and cheeks.
He couldn’t fathom how Xu Nian managed to sit for three days without speaking, just staring at the painting.
Every time he tried to spend time understanding the secret of the painting,
he would fall asleep while looking at it.
Let’s not even talk about whether Xu Nian could comprehend it.
Just this level of mental fortitude was enough to earn his deep admiration.
"Brother Xu, how is it, have you deciphered the secret within?" the Bull Demon King finally asked.
Xu Nian shook his head.
He tried everything.
Spiritual Sense Power, Gray Dragon Eye, but still, he found nothing special about the painting.
The Bull Demon King, seeing Xu Nian’s headshake, also showed a look of disappointment on his face.
He had thought that Xu Nian would gain something.
But three days passed with no clue at all.
"Let’s just go drink, forget about the painting," the Bull Demon King waved his hand and said.
Xu Nian, although reluctant,
still decided to give up.
He needed to hurry to the Imperial Capital and couldn’t afford to spend too much time here.
"Buzz!"
However, just as Xu Nian was about to turn and leave,
a thought flashed directly through his mind, making his eyes light up instantly.
"What’s wrong?" the Bull Demon King noticed Xu Nian’s reaction and asked.
Xu Nian didn’t answer the Bull Demon King; instead, he stared intently at the mural.
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A gleam of revelation burst forth in Xu Nian’s eyes.
He had figured it out.
He finally understood the secret of the mural.
He knew where the Token was.
"Brother, have you discovered something?" asked the Bull Demon King excitedly.
Xu Nian nodded.
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"Quick, tell me, where exactly is the Token?"
The Bull Demon King’s expression immediately became agitated.
This puzzle had confounded them for a whole millennium.
Finally, someone had unraveled it.
"Actually, the moment you saw that painting, you saw the Token," Xu Nian said with a smile.
"The painting itself is the Token? The Token is this big?" Bull Demon King’s eyes widened.
The painting was at least five meters long and three meters wide.
If this painting was the Token, just how big would the Token be?
Hearing this, Xu Nian immediately burst into laughter.
He had known that the Bull Demon King would have such a reaction.
So, he began to channel his Spiritual Energy, pouring it all into the painting.
As the Spiritual Energy infused into it, the painting suddenly lit up.
The bell that floated in midair started to tremble rapidly.
The restriction enveloping Bull Head Mountain also began to contract swiftly at this moment.
"Humm!"
Eventually, the entire restriction retracted into the mural, and at that moment, the bell came to a halt.
Yet, the painting on the wall had disappeared.
In its place was a metal Token emitting strong, fluctuating rays of light.
The Token floated in the air,
radiating an intense aura of antiquity.
"Is this the Token that they’ve been searching for?" Bull Demon King asked, his eyes round with awe.
He still didn’t understand what was happening.
Why had the mural turned into a Token when Xu Nian infused it with Spiritual Energy?
Xu Nian chuckled and explained, "Actually, this Token was merged with Bull Head Mountain by your ancestors through powerful means, so no matter how you searched, you could never find it. Only by activating it with Spiritual Energy could you trigger the surrounding restrictions, causing them to lift, and reveal the true Token."
"So that’s how it is! No wonder we couldn’t find it for a thousand years," Bull Demon King exclaimed, slapping his forehead.
Xu Nian smiled faintly and took the floating Token into his hand.
On the front of the Token were two characters: Azure Dragon!
The back was the pattern that had been on the mural.
Azure Dragon?
Could it represent one of the Four Divine Beasts?
Xu Nian suddenly realized something.
If his guess was correct, there should be three other Tokens besides the one in his hand,
likely engraved with Vermilion Bird, Xuanwu, and White Tiger—the other three Divine Beasts.
"Brother Xu, since you found this Token, you should take it. Our ancestors said that whoever finds the Token, it shall belong to them," said Bull Demon King.
Xu Nian was taken aback.
The Token harbored a massive secret.
It seemed that Bull Demon King’s deity ancestor did not wish for their descendants to get involved lightly.
If their descendants discovered the Token through their own wisdom, it signified they were capable.
If not, then even if they took part, they would end up shattered to pieces.
It must be said that the deity ancestor of the Bull Demon King was someone of great wisdom.
"Alright, I’ll take care of the Token for now. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll call you to join me," Xu Nian said.
Bull Demon King nodded with a smile.
He liked Xu Nian’s decisiveness; there was no dilly-dallying.
It was the people who professed not to want something, yet harbored ulterior motives, that irked him.
"Let’s go drink!" Bull Demon King gestured.
"Next, I must leave this place and head to the Imperial Capital, Brother Niu. I’m afraid I can’t join you for drinks," Xu Nian replied, turning him down.
"Imperial Capital? Great, then I’ll come with you. We can drink while we travel," Bull Demon King laughed heartily.
Xu Nian, however, looked troubled.
The Bull Demon King accompanying him?
If he walked with a creature with a bull’s head by his side, it would be a wonder if they didn’t attract attention.
But there was no stopping Bull Demon King if he wanted to go, so all Xu Nian could do was ask, "Brother Niu, could you change your appearance? With the way you look, entering a human city might be..."
"Oh, that so! Alright!"
Bull Demon King shifted, transforming into a young man about 1.8 meters tall.
Yet, there were still two bull horns on top of his head,
as if he was worried that others might not realize he was a bull.