It was no exaggeration to say that the Dragon God had once been the supreme ruler—the true overlord of the God Realm, the leader of all spirit beasts.
"Mhm, good, you know. My master was one of the Dragon God's guardians—the God of Nature."
When Xiao Yuer spoke, her eyes shone with distant memories. Some things, once spoken aloud, inevitably stirred up longing.
"The Dragon God's guardian? The God of Nature?"
Li Chang'an was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected that the owner of this tomb wasn't a human god at all!
No wonder the tomb was here on Douluo Continent. If it belonged to a human god, it shouldn't have been left here. Humans ruled the God Realm—why would they leave behind a fallen god's tomb?
"My master was a primordial lifeform, born of heaven and earth at the same time as the Dragon God. In terms of seniority, he was not far beneath the Dragon God himself. Although strictly speaking he wasn't a Spirit beast, he still chose to stand with the Dragon God."
Her voice grew heavier. "Then came the great war. The Dragon God was split into two, and my master perished together with three of the human first-rank gods. In the end, he used the last of his strength to shield me and leave behind a legacy here on the continent."
When she finished, Xiao Yuer's eyes were rimmed with red. The memories of those days with her master still pierced her heart.
Time had never stopped, but the departed remained forever gone.
How powerful her master had been back then! With one gesture, flowers bloomed; with another, all grass withered. Nature itself was his domain.
But in that war, humans triumphed. Everything about her master was erased. Even the Dragon God's very existence had been deliberately buried.
"Then… those two from the first and second trials?"
Li Chang'an quickly shifted the subject, sensing her grief.
"They were just creatures my master captured before his fall. I am the only one who truly followed him."
Her tone regained some pride—after all, she was the true attendant of the God of Nature.
No wonder that old man had been imprisoned here. Who else but the God of Nature could suppress the first generation Slaughter King?
"One last question. How have you survived all this time without dying?" Li Chang'an asked.
"Because of my master's power, of course. Even though he perished with three first-rank gods, he was incomparably strong. The residual force he left behind allows us to live for tens of thousands of years, undying."
She couldn't help but brag on her master once more. Truly a loyal follower.
Li Chang'an nodded. That was all he needed to know. The God of Nature was powerful, yes, but clearly not a god aligned with him.
The very fact that he and Mu Xi had been allowed inside in the first place showed that this tomb's inheritance had specific requirements. Combined with Mu Xi's unusual display back in the Star Dou Forest, Li Chang'an could tell she wasn't fully human.
Which meant this god's legacy was most likely meant for her.
Just as his talk with Xiao Yuer ended, Mu Xi opened her eyes. Her face carried a faint blush of shyness and guilt.
Li Chang'an, who had been monitoring her through spiritual sense, was dumbfounded.
'Wait a second—was she taking a trial, or… dreaming about something indecent?'
"So soon?" Xiao Yuer muttered in disbelief. She had set the trial to hell-level difficulty. How could it end so quickly? She had even been planning to keep chatting with Li Chang'an.
"Well, we've cleared it, right? Can we meet your master's legacy now?"
Li Chang'an rose to his feet. He was indeed interested in this so-called God of Nature.
"Fine, fine. But remember to show respect. Although my master has passed on, a fragment of his will still remains. Whether you're worthy of the inheritance—only he can decide."
Xiao Yuer stood reluctantly and gave a stern warning.
"Got it. Let's go."
Li Chang'an nodded, moving to Mu Xi's side. He held her hand tightly, offering comfort.
After all, she had just finished a spiritual trial. This was when she needed him most.
Xiao Yuer rolled her eyes at him, pouting, but still led the way.
As she walked, the plain stone wall rippled like water. A door appeared where none had been before. She stepped through first.
Li Chang'an followed with Mu Xi, whispering to her about the God of Nature, subtly encouraging her to seize the inheritance.
"The God of Nature?" Mu Xi repeated softly. The name tugged at some distant familiarity, though she couldn't quite recall why.
"Chang'an, there's something I need to tell you."
Her peach-blossom eyes grew serious. Clearly, the trial had forced her to confront something, and now she was ready to reveal the truth.
Li Chang'an tapped her head playfully, grinning mysteriously.
"Let me guess. You've been hiding your identity. You're not purely human, are you? You carry another bloodline alongside your human one."
"You… you knew?"
Mu Xi froze. She had worked up all her courage to confess, and yet he had already guessed nearly everything. Her carefully prepared revelation suddenly felt awkward.
What do you do when your boyfriend is too smart?
Of course, it wasn't that Li Chang'an was a genius—just that in his past life, he'd read way too many novels and picked up a knack for spotting tropes.
"You… you won't abandon me, will you?"
Her small hand clutched at his sleeve timidly, her voice soft and trembling.
This man was her whole world. She couldn't bear to lose him. Never again.
"Silly girl. What nonsense are you thinking? You're my treasure, now and forever."
Li Chang'an gripped her hand tightly, his determination firm.
What a joke—why would he discriminate against cross-species love? Wouldn't that be denying himself?
…
From Mu Xi's account, Li Chang'an pieced together her true heritage:
She was a descendant of the Natural Clan, an ancient race born alongside the world itself. Once, they had their own faith and mission, but after the fall of the God of Nature, their people were nearly annihilated.
To survive, the few remaining had no choice but to intermarry with humans, preserving the bloodline in fragments.
Even so, childbirth was incredibly difficult for them. Today, only Mu Xi and her parents remained—the final embers of a dying race.
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