When Li Chang'an finally forced his eyes open again, this was the scene before him:
Pitch-black walls.
A vast, empty chamber.
Not the faintest sign of life.
And Mu Xi—already awake.
'So this space teleportation isn't very friendly to me, huh.'
Li Chang'an glanced at Mu Xi, who looked perfectly fine, while he himself felt like he'd been slammed into the ground headfirst. He grumbled silently to himself.
Just then, Mu Xi let out a soft sigh.
"Chang'an, we're in danger."
"Huh? What is it?" He had woken later than Mu Xi, still not fully grasping the situation. But the moment he heard her say that, he instinctively grew alert.
When he tried circulating his soul power, he froze in shock.
His cultivation had been suppressed—down to level thirty!
Yes, his soul power had been forcibly compressed to the level of a mere Spirit Elder. Even his spiritual detection range shrank to barely five meters.
Looking at Mu Xi, he saw her soul power was also suppressed to level thirty.
Terrifying! What kind of power could reduce a Spirit Sage like him to this state?
After all, though he was only a Spirit Sage in rank, when it came to real combat he could already overpower many ordinary Titled Douluo. And now…
Before he could dwell on it further, he tried pulling equipment from his storage soul tool—only to find it wouldn't open at all.
Horrifying.
Had he not already tempered himself in the City of Slaughter, mastering all manner of lethal skills, and had he not still carried the Pangu Axe, the donghuang Bell, and his system functions—none of which required soul skills—he might truly have panicked.
Thankfully, his trump cards were plenty. He patted his chest lightly, reassured himself, then reached for Mu Xi's hand.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you."
Mu Xi, however, gave his hand a gentle pat in return.
"Mu Xi will protect Chang'an too."
"Hahaha, little brother, looks like we've got visitors."
A deep, rumbling voice echoed out from the darkness, unsettlingly cheerful yet sinister.
"That's right, big brother. It's been tens of thousands of years since we've had any guests."
The second voice was almost identical to the first, but carried an irritatingly mocking tone.
"Why not come out and show yourselves?" Li Chang'an said coldly. The voices reminded him of the double-headed horse brothers from the Rakshasa Tower. He stepped forward, shielding Mu Xi with his body.
But Mu Xi, unwilling to hide behind him, moved up as well, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. She was no woman who cowered behind her man.
"Hahaha, we brothers aren't human. But since you've so sincerely asked, we'll be merciful enough to show ourselves! Hahaha!"
The "big brother" spoke again, still with that grating laugh.
Under their watchful eyes, the black wall ahead rippled like water. From within, a massive figure slowly emerged.
It stood nearly two meters tall, its body entirely that of a jet-black horse—except for the two identical horse heads atop its shoulders.
Both heads bore sly, unsettling grins. One head's eyes darted constantly, sharp and calculating, its forelock styled in a jaunty fringe. The other looked simpler, almost foolish, its face plain except for a wide grin that revealed a row of big, shining white teeth.
"Greetings, challengers. Let me introduce myself—I am Shan Yu Lai." The left head flipped its fringe dramatically as it spoke.
"Hahaha! And I'm Feng Man Lou. Shan Yu Lai is my younger brother." The right head introduced itself with another booming laugh.
Li Chang'an couldn't help but think:
'Not only do they remind me of Team Rocket from that anime in my previous life, they also resemble the two horses from the Rakshasa Tower. Except… those were two beings. These two heads shared one body. And their names? Strangely poetic.'
"Honored seniors, may I ask… what is this place?"
Li Chang'an bowed with composure and spoke respectfully. He had no choice—right now, the situation was entirely against them. The power radiating from this double-headed horse was easily that of a Spirit Emperor or higher. Against such strength, his suppressed cultivation was utterly inadequate.
"Hahaha, excellent question! This place is…"
Feng Man Lou laughed three times before answering—and then promptly trailed off into silence.
"My foolish brother… Ahem! Listen well! This place is the Tomb of the Gods. Since you've entered, you must undergo its trials if you wish to leave. Otherwise, you'll remain here forever!"
Shan Yu Lai tossed his fringe proudly. As the self-proclaimed representative of a god, he had an image to uphold.
'The Tomb of the Gods!'
'So it was true—there was a divine presence here!'
Li Chang'an's gaze sharpened. And somehow, this place felt oddly connected to Mu Xi.
"The Tomb of the Gods… may I ask, seniors, is a god-level being truly buried here?" Li Chang'an feigned shock, his tone respectful to the extreme.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would it be called the Tomb of the Gods?" Feng Man Lou grinned again.
"If you can pass the trials, you may even gain the inheritance our master left behind. Tempting, isn't it?" Shan Yu Lai leaned forward, eager, as if worried they might refuse.
After all, finding a living challenger was exceedingly rare.
But Li Chang'an remembered clearly—they had said "tens of thousands of years since anyone came," not "no one has ever come." That meant others had tried before… and failed.
There was no such thing as a free inheritance.
"Seniors, may I ask: how many trials are there in total? And whose tomb is this?" Li Chang'an asked again, now fully composed. His heart was set on one goal: help Mu Xi pass the trials and strive for the god's inheritance.
"Hahaha, another excellent question! There are three trials in all—don't worry, none too difficult. As for our master's identity… that, we cannot reveal."
Despite his goofy manner, Feng Man Lou at least knew what not to say.
"And let me add," Shan Yu Lai interjected, "even if you pass all three trials, if our master does not acknowledge you, then it's all meaningless."
Li Chang'an wasn't discouraged. The fact that Mu Xi had been able to enter already spoke volumes.
He glanced at her. Their eyes met, exchanging silent understanding. Then he turned back.
"Honored seniors, we're ready. May I ask—what is the first trial?"
"Hehehe, it's simple. No fighting, no medicine, no cruelty. We test your wits."
Feng Man Lou chuckled. But hearing the word "wits" from his seemingly simpleminded mouth only made Li Chang'an uneasy.
So they thought that just because they had two heads, they could outsmart him?
Suppressing the thought, Li Chang'an kept a straight face.
"Then, please tell us the details of this trial."
"Ahem! There are two questions in total. Be ready! Each must be answered before the sand in this hourglass runs out."
Shan Yu Lai's tone turned serious. With a stomp of his hoof, an hourglass materialized on the ground before them.
"The first question: behind us are two doors. Only one leads to the next trial. The other… leads to death."
"My brother and I will each answer one of your questions. But know this—one of us always speaks the truth, while the other always lies."
"Now then, the timer begins—"
Before he could finish, Li Chang'an cut in smoothly:
"Honored Shan Yu Lai, may I ask—if I were to request directions from your brother Feng Man Lou, which door would he point me to?"
A faint smile played at Li Chang'an's lips as he gave his answer first.