"Not bad, test taker! Congratulations on successfully passing the first test!"
A beautiful woman in elegant palace attire appeared, her smile so warm, and she thoughtfully brought over an unidentified liquid in a glass, the color of ordinary boiled water.
"Drink it, and you'll have divine assistance in the next level."
Xiao Tian felt disgusted.
With his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Enhanced Byakugan, he could clearly see that although the glass was real, the liquid inside was the juice squeezed from an unknown herb, probably from the grass in the cemetery.
Xiao Tian could tell that this stuff would cause hallucinations and neurotoxins in ordinary people if they drank it.
Xiao Tian was speechless. The owner of this tomb was too ruthless. He would stop at nothing to gain control.
Xiao Tian was very resistant, pushing her away and taking a few steps back, saying with a dissatisfied look, "Sister, stop messing around, I'm not going to drink anything here, hurry up, I want to pass the second level."
The beautiful woman in palace attire smiled gently, not insisting that Xiao Tian drink the herbal juice.
"Tester, then passing through that stone gate will allow you to proceed to the second trial."
Xiao Tian glanced over and walked straight there.
The stone door opened, and the second level was quite interesting. Perhaps it was the tomb owner's wicked sense of humor, but on the surface, ordinary people could only see a pool of water and some unknown fish occasionally poking their heads out.
Xiao Tian, who was able to observe the true nature of things, only saw that there was no water in the pool at all, only many skeletons, as well as many two-headed scorpions crawling around. The fish that were sticking their heads out were actually these two-headed scorpions.
"It seems like this stage will be easier again."
A beautiful woman in palace attire appeared, smiling gently, and told Xiao Tian how to get through this place.
Use the fishing rod beside you to catch five fish within one hour. If you succeed, you can continue to the next level; if you fail, you will drown in the pond.
Xiao Tian looked disgusted. Fishing? Get lost! This is fishing for poisonous scorpions!
Even after you catch it, it will still get bitten.
This is infuriating!
"Well, I guess I'll just keep playing along with your act." Xiao Tian thought for a moment, then decided to hold back.
After all, it would be too early to reveal one's abilities before even seeing the true form of the tomb's occupant.
The fishing rod came out strangely; it was essentially just a piece of bone. Xiao Tian outwardly appeared nervous and apprehensive, and began fishing.
Time ticked by, and half an hour passed, but the two-headed scorpion was too lazy to even bring up the bone.
Xiao Tian remained in one position, leaving the fishing rod there motionless, as if waiting to die.
But their presence in the shadows is unsettling.
"You inflexible idiot! Is this how you fish?!"
With only three minutes left, Xiao Tian still hadn't caught a single fish.
Xiao Tian outwardly appeared fearful and desperate, but inwardly he was extremely calm.
A minute later, the fishing rod moved, and several fish took the bait.
"Just as Jiang Taigong of old had those willing to take the bait, so too does Zhao Tianzhen remain steadfast in her original aspirations..."
"Haha, look, I finally caught one!"
Their presence in the shadows was met with ridicule.
Xiao Tian breathed a sigh of relief when the scorpion he caught didn't bite him; he was afraid he might have been tempted to kill it.
The woman in palace attire reappeared, announcing that Xiao Tian had successfully passed the test, and carrying a plate of steaming roasted mutton.
Xiao Tian stared in disbelief. Through his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Enhanced Byakugan, it looked exactly like roasted mutton.
"It smells so good!"
"Young master, congratulations on successfully passing the level. This is your prize, or you can choose not to accept it." The woman in palace attire smiled gently.
Xiao Tian couldn't help but swallow hard. Although he didn't understand where the sheep came from in this cemetery, the roasted mutton was within its shelf life and was edible!
"I haven't eaten for over a day! Whatever! Even if it's fake, it'll warm my stomach and fool my brain!"
Xiao Tian brought over a wooden tray, placed it on the ground, and immediately picked up a leg of lamb and began to gnaw on it.
I must say, the taste was really good, with a secret blend of spices, which shows that the owner of the roast lamb restaurant is quite skilled.
"There's no drink available, it's too heaty," Xiao Tian sighed after finishing his meal.
The woman in palace attire took the glass containing the green liquid.
Xiao Tian glanced at it and shook his head repeatedly.
"I won't drink it. The water in here might have excessive levels of microorganisms!"
The woman in palace attire smiled and took the glass away.
"Tester, your break time is over. There's one last challenge. If you can pass it, you'll get what you've always dreamed of."
Xiao Tian chuckled inwardly, but outwardly exclaimed with excitement, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"
"The stone gate that leads there will allow you to begin the third trial."
The third challenge is different from the first two. In Xiao Tian's view, the first challenge was to test whether he was a real ordinary person or Evolver, while the second challenge was to test the wicked tastes of the tomb's owner.
This third test is to probe what he is fond of and what he wants to achieve. In this way, after Xiao Tian passes the test, the tomb owner can be accurately located and mentally prepared.
The third level is located in a dimly lit small room, and then a table appears in front of you.
The long table was covered with many things.
Crudely crafted female dolls, bronze coins, swords, unidentified elixirs, crowns, bows and arrows, etc.
Xiao Tian could tell that these items had symbolic meanings, representing beautiful women, money, martial power, longevity or immortality, status, and so on.
Choose any one of the items above.
The voice of a woman in palace attire suddenly rang out from some unknown corner.
Xiao Tian couldn't help but ask, "Can't I only choose one? Can't I have them all?"
No, you can only choose one.
"I can pass the level just by choosing one?" Xiao Tian feigned surprise.
You have five minutes to choose!
Xiao Tian was speechless. What were these three levels? Were they just for fun? Or a joke?
Xiao Tian timed it perfectly, choosing a bronze coin in the last minute.
Soon, the surroundings brightened, and the woman in palace attire reappeared, still with that gentle smile, announcing that Xiao Tian had passed the level.
Xiao Tian was stunned; he was genuinely bewildered.
This is way too casual! Seriously?!
The owner of this tomb must have been incredibly bored!
"That's it?" Xiao Tian couldn't help but sneer, his face full of feigned smugness.
"Bronze coins represent money, and money is a necessary product for maintaining stability within the social system. Congratulations, you can now make a wish and receive a gift you desire."
"Are you the legendary wish-granting dragons? I wish for world peace, can you fulfill that wish?"
"Young master, please change." The woman in palace attire's smile was somewhat forced.
"If this isn't enough? Then I wish for a world without evil people."
"Young master, let's choose another one."
"Hey, I wish my parents could come back to life."
The woman in palace attire shook her head and said, "Your wish can only be imposed upon you; our power cannot interfere with the Samsara."
"Damn, this won't work, that won't work, you guys are weaker than a dragon!" Xiao Tian said with genuine contempt.
"In that case, I will make a wish to become the master of the tomb. Everything inside the tomb will be under my control. Such a secluded and wonderful place, it would be perfect to wait for death here."
The woman in palace attire was stunned, utterly speechless at Xiao Tian's bizarre thought process.
"Young master, let's choose another one."
"This won't do either?" Xiao Tian was getting impatient, and said angrily, "Then I want a trillion servings of roasted mutton, right now!"
Woman in palace attire. "..."
"Alright, I understand. I'll choose another one." Seeing the other person's face turning dark, Xiao Tian felt a headache coming on.
"I wish for the clear spring to flow and for eternal glory."
"Young master, please be more realistic. For example, you want beautiful women, money, extraordinary power, and status."
Xiao Tian's face darkened, and he angrily said, "What the hell! You can't even fulfill this small wish of mine. It's hard for me to believe you can give me any high-quality girls or a lot of money. It might not even be useful in this era. As for some extraordinary power, it probably couldn't even beat a mutated rat outside! Who are you trying to fool! I'm furious with you..."
"Very disappointed!"
The woman in palace attire got angry and simply disappeared.
"What the hell? I've already cleared the level, and this is the attitude I get?" Xiao Tian sat on the ground, sulking, looking annoyed. He wondered why the tomb owner hadn't come out yet, and whether this guy was going to set a trap for him.
Or perhaps they were setting a trap for him, but he didn't want to fall for it and instead turned the tables on him.
A moment later, fog rolled in, the scene was familiar, and more than a dozen skeletal hands appeared.
"State your wish, limited to beautiful women, money, status, and power. You have half an hour. If you give up making your wish within half an hour, you will be buried alive in the tomb."
"What the hell? Who are you? Are you guys crazy?! I've already cleared all three levels! You couldn't even fulfill my little wish before, how can you expect me to trust you? Can you guys stop playing around, you creatures of the underworld? If you want to kill me, just do it directly, why are you pulling this stunt? Do you think I'm easily scared?"
Xiao Tian feigned anger, his legs trembling, and his eyes filled with terror.
"Half an hour left, countdown. When the hourglass ends, that will be the time when you will be forever buried."
Xiao Tian felt a headache coming on. The owner of this tomb still hadn't shown up, and all he did was pull these ridiculous underworld tricks to scare people.
"Hey, I'm scared of you guys. Fine, as for girls, I'd rather not. What kind of quality girls could there be in this run-down tomb? They'd be scared to death. Money and ghost money are out of the question, I can't afford them. Extraordinary power? Forget it. I think it's better to be a living person than a powerful skeleton."
"Well, it all comes down to status. Tell me, what's the highest position you can give me?"
"Since you have chosen your position, I can make you the city lord of Luo Cheng. What do you say?" A faint and eerie voice suddenly rang out.
Xiao Heavenly Eye lit up. Was the owner of this tomb really that capable?
"Alright, then I'll be the city lord."
"After consuming this pill, you, being an ordinary person, although you didn't feel anything inside the tomb, will have little life left once you leave. This pill can remove the yin energy and cold poison from your body, allowing you to live longer."
Xiao Tian knew then that the crucial moment had arrived.
He looked closely, and wow! The pill had an edible wax coating, and inside there was indeed a large worm. He had never seen such a worm before; it was quite peculiar.
"Can you really make me the city lord?" Xiao Tian pretended to be skeptical and asked repeatedly.
"Eat it, and I will send you out of the tomb. Then you can go directly to the City Lord's Mansion and take up your post."
"Fine, I'll trust you this once," Xiao Tian said, dissatisfied.
After swallowing the wax pill, Xiao Tian sensed that the thing wasn't making any moves, so he said to the creature in the mist, "Alright, now get me out of here."
Suddenly, a gust of demonic wind blew, and the next moment, Xiao Tian was swept out of the tomb and fell into the dilapidated ruins of the demolition site outside.
"Damn, how barbaric! I curse you to be wandering ghosts forever."
Once outside the tomb, Xiao Tian stopped hiding and immediately chose to suppress the wax pill inside his stomach.
Xiao Tian wasn't in a hurry to deal with this thing; he'd let it exist for a while.
"Let's go to the city lord's mansion and see if what that guy said is true. Can I really become the city lord?"
The city lord's mansion was in complete chaos, and several doctors looked grim.
"Useless! Useless! A bunch of useless people!" A young man shouted at several doctors, beating them with a stick.
"The City Lord's Mansion has raised you all these years, what use have you been!"
"Young Master, the City Lord is quite old and has suddenly suffered a stroke. His condition is very serious, and there's nothing we can do."
"Useless! I don't want to hear your explanations! My father is only 59, what do you mean by 'old age'? Besides, the world is so different now, is there really no cure for stroke?!"
"I'm sorry, young master, there's nothing we can do. By the time we found the city lord, it was too late for rescue," a doctor said helplessly.
What use are you to me!
Eldest Young Master Situ was furious, but his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.
"The old bastard is finally dead! This city lordship should be mine now!"
Eldest Young Master Situ berated several doctors, then immediately began arranging the funeral without a moment's delay.
When Xiao Tian arrived, he couldn't help but sigh when he saw the entire city lord's mansion in mourning.
"The owner of this tomb is quite something; the city lord actually died. But how am I supposed to be the city lord now?"
As Xiao Tian approached, the guard's expression turned icy, and he told Xiao Tian to get lost.
Xiao Tian wasn't angry. He chuckled and said, "Young man, do you know who the next city lord will be?"
The guard was taken aback, a chill running down his spine. He couldn't help but wonder, "Could this kid be in cahoots with the young master?"
"This is an honored guest. I was momentarily confused. Please come in." The guard didn't care whether Xiao Tian was really with the young master or not. Not wanting to cause trouble, he simply let him through.
"You've got a good eye, kid. You know I'm the next city lord. I'll make you the gatekeeper."
The guard stood there, stunned, unable to understand the meaning of those words.
"The next city lord, the first in line is the eldest son. If the eldest son is not approved by the Council of Elders, then a choice will be made within the city, and it will most likely be Grandmaster Long. Who is this kid? What does this mean?"
"Men, go in and drag that brat who just went in out! This kid is probably the culprit who caused the city lord's stroke!"
In an instant, several guards rushed in to search for Xiao Tian, but Xiao Tian had already vanished.
In the mourning hall, Eldest Young Master Situ was crying uncontrollably, a heartbreaking sight. Some of the Situ Clan's relatives were trying to comfort him, and they too were crying.
"Brother, how could you leave like this! Our family is without your leadership, what are we going to do now!"
" A Le, your father passed away so suddenly, the heavy responsibility of the City Lord's Mansion will now fall on your shoulders."
Situ Le said sadly, "Uncle, I will definitely be a good city lord."
" Grandmaster Long has arrived!"