Chapter 174: The Locked Human Level

“Missionary Gory.”“I’m taking the Sudden Death King with me.”

After regaining her composure, the Nether Flame divine envoy couldn’t wait to take Lu Ran back to headquarters.

“Sudden Death King, what an opportunity, you can head to headquarters ahead of time!” Gory said, genuinely happy for Lu Ran.

After all, Lu Ran was highly valued by the Holy Church, and naturally, Gory expected to rise along with him.

“Uh…” Lu Ran hesitated for a moment. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ n0vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“What’s the matter? Do you have any concerns?” the Nether Flame divine envoy asked.

“No,” Lu Ran replied.

“It’s just that, as a person, I prefer research over combat.”

“For example, researching how to eliminate the drawbacks of soul consumption.”

“For example, how to create artifact spirits.”

“I had originally planned to help Gory research necromancy weapons, but with this trip, I may not get the chance…”

The Nether Flame divine envoy knew that Lu Ran was a unique talent, not just a brute force type.

Seeing that Lu Ran’s interests were so broad, she couldn’t help but say, “No worries.”

“If you’re interested, you can talk directly to the Sect leader once you get to headquarters.”

“All research projects of the Holy Church can be opened to you, as long as you have the talent!”

“Sounds good…” Lu Ran had been waiting for this statement!

With this trip, he was determined to obtain the forging and cultivation methods for the bone sword Thousand Blades and artifact spirits.

At this moment, Gory was touched seeing that even as Lu Ran was about to ascend to headquarters, he was still thinking about helping him research artifact spirits.

Little did he know, if Lu Ran hadn’t triggered this hidden mission, once the 30 days were up, his bone sword would likely have been taken by Lu Ran for research…

As for now, once at headquarters, he could personally communicate with those forging elders, and Lu Ran naturally wouldn’t be preoccupied with the bone sword buried in the ground.

“Let’s go.” The Nether Flame divine envoy stretched out her hand, and a gust of black wind swept Lu Ran up.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Ran found himself on top of the bone dragon. The bones were quite slippery, and he had to hold onto a piece tightly to avoid falling.

“Is there anything else?” the Nether Flame divine envoy asked.

“No,” Lu Ran replied.

“Let’s move out,” the Nether Flame divine envoy said, instructing the bone dragon to take off. Meanwhile, Lu Ran’s gaze fell on the yard full of giant rat beast corpses and then shifted to Missionary Gory and Hei Yu.

An awkward silence followed.

“Sudden Death King, see you next time,” Missionary Gory waved, seemingly hopeful for his next meeting with Lu Ran.

Beside him, Hei Yu nodded in agreement, curious about the kind of treatment Lu Ran would receive at the headquarters.

Would he really become the Holy Son?

If so, then she would be a follower who had once accompanied the Holy Son.

“Yes, goodbye and thank you,” Lu Ran replied, knowing well that this might be their last encounter.

Most likely, he would stay at the headquarters for a while and then leave this dungeon.

The breakthrough secret realm would eventually break apart.

Though he knew they were just illusions, Lu Ran was genuinely grateful for their help over the past half month.

As the bone dragon slowly ascended and then rapidly climbed into the clouds, heading in a particular direction, Mingan City became smaller and smaller…

…

On the bone dragon.

The ground below was no longer visible.

Lu Ran clung onto the bones while the Nether Flame divine envoy stood at the front, gazing into the clouds.

“Your expression seems very excited.”

“Aren’t you afraid of heading to the ‘cult’s’ stronghold?”

Without turning around, the Nether Flame divine envoy could sense the excitement on Lu Ran’s face.

She was surprised; even if Lu Ran was genuinely interested in necromancy, the rumors about the Holy Church were far from flattering.

The Death Holy Church was often referred to as an evil cult outside.

Did this young man have no fear?

“Afraid?” Lu Ran smiled, but didn’t reply.

[If this were a PVE-type breakthrough secret realm, I’d indeed be scared.]

[But in a realm where I can resurrect after death, what’s there to fear?]

Lu Ran felt like a gamer knowing he could respawn; he’d venture into dangerous places courageously.

Even if a legendary creature stood in his path, he would still dare to touch it.

However, he snapped himself out of this inflated sense of confidence.

[No, I must stay vigilant.]

[What if I encounter a situation like Principal Shi Zhen’s and bring back a curse from the secret realm…]

High above, the bone dragon continued its flight.

Unbeknownst to Lu Ran, some other pet beasts of the Nether Flame divine envoy were already flying in various directions at a faster speed.

The headquarters of the Death Holy Church is situated on the Star-Moon Continent, and yet, it is not. To put it simply, the headquarters exists within a “space secret realm.”

Thanks to the unique positioning of this site, the Death Holy Church, although infamous, has remained fundamentally secure and intact.

At this moment, within a death space, stretching mountain ranges lie beneath a vast expanse of void. A long rainbow span of energy traverses through the space, penetrating even deeper into the void.

In the void, an elderly figure clad in a vintage black robe sits floating in mid-air, meditating. Around him swirl the spectral images of dozens of terrifying creatures’ souls, seemingly imprisoned in another dimension, endlessly howling outward.

Buzz.

Ripples flicker through the void.

The rainbow span enters the void, and the elder gently lifts a hand, capturing a cluster of souls. A wealth of information floods into his mind.

“Hmm?” The elder opens his hollow eyes, revealing a trace of surprise.

“A soul chef…”

“Could he be the catalyst for change…” The elder slightly shakes his head, stepping out of the void as the souls behind him vanish into thin air.

Soon after, within the space, on a mountain peak that appears pitch black from afar, the bone dragon ridden by the Nether Flame divine envoy descends.

Lu Ran, too, slid off the bone dragon, landing precariously on the edge of a cliff. There, a black-robed elder is gazing at the gloomy sky. Seeing this man, the Nether Flame divine envoy gives a slight nod and says, “Sect leader, the person has been brought.”

Then, she rides the bone dragon and slowly retreats, leaving Lu Ran confused and alone on the spot.

Huh? You’re just leaving?

Being left alone, Lu Ran felt rather speechless.

However, as the black-robed elder on the cliff turned around, Lu Ran hesitated for a second but then stepped forward respectfully and said, “Greetings, Sect leader.”

“No need for formalities; I already know everything about you,” the black-robed elder replied. “Can you demonstrate your method of removing soul consciousness?”

“No problem. I need a giant rat beast.”

“Will other necromantic pets not work?” The Cult Leader of Necromancy was puzzled, unsure why Lu Ran had such a particular fondness for the giant rat beast.

When the Nether Flame divine envoy brought Lu Ran here, almost every necromantic pet in Mingan was mobilized to thoroughly investigate Lu Ran’s background. The intelligence was then sent ahead to the headquarters.

Though this was their first meeting, the Cult Leader of Necromancy was not unfamiliar with Lu Ran. He even knew that Lu Ran had a great reputation among the followers in Mingan.

“That’s fine too,” Lu Ran nodded.

Immediately, the Cult Leader of Necromancy waved his sleeve, and an unconscious ox spirit floated towards Lu Ran.

Lu Ran took out his soul-reaping blade, first touching the ox spirit lightly, then closing his eyes for a few seconds. Moments later, he slashed down with precise force.

As the blade cut through, a faint ripple of artistic conception emanated from it. The Cult Leader of Necromancy, having locked onto this unique Culinary Intent, showed an appreciative expression.

“Is this satisfactory?” Lu Ran asked.

“Yes, it is,” said the Cult Leader of Necromancy, waving his hand. “Come over here.”

Lu Ran, wary of what the old man had up his sleeve, nevertheless chose to approach him.

“Let me ask you, do you wish to become the Holy Son of the Death Holy Church? Do you want to be the heir of our church, and aspire to become a legendary necromancer, standing at the pinnacle of the continent?”

The rapid-fire questions from the Cult Leader of Necromancy sent ripples through Lu Ran’s mind.

Although he had somewhat mentally prepared himself for this scenario, Lu Ran knew very well what he had come here for.

Intelligence!

Compared to resources or status, obtaining crucial information was more important.

“Respected Cult Leader, I am indeed very interested in necromancy. Additionally, I found that the behavior of Missionary Gory and others didn’t match the rumored actions of a cult, which piqued my interest in joining the Death Holy Church to see for myself.”

“I didn’t expect to meet you so soon. If my abilities can contribute to the development of necromancy, I am certainly willing to use them. However, what I am truly curious about is why was the Death Holy Church established in the first place?” Lu Ran looked the Cult Leader in the eyes.

“Is the doctrine merely surface-level, aimed at ‘helping beastmasters regain new life’?”

“Well…” The Cult Leader of Necromancy was not surprised by Lu Ran’s question. His hollow gaze returned to the sky as he spoke:

“Since I intend to make you the Holy Son of our church, you certainly deserve to know more.”

“Indeed, I established the Death Holy Church under the guise of helping beastmasters who have lost their pet beasts regain a new life. But in reality, it is for the future of the human species.”

“The future of the human species??” Lu Ran was stunned, unable to fathom how a so-called cult could be related to humanity’s future.

“Heh,” the Cult Leader of Necromancy chuckled, fully aware that Lu Ran wouldn’t understand the true nature of the world. He continued, “Do you know why, on this continent, there are only level 8 beastmasters, and no level 9 beastmasters?”

“Why?” Lu Ran was taken aback once again.

“That’s because the legendary divine beasts, who control the world, do not permit the emergence of level 9 human powerhouses.”

“This is forbidden knowledge. Thousands of years ago, when humans developed the ability of beast taming, their rise was meteoric. However, this rapid ascent triggered the alarm of many legendary divine beasts.”

“The legendary divine beasts feared that humans would grow to their peak, gaining the power to enslave them. At that time, the survival of the human species hung by a thread, dependent on the whims of those divine beasts.”

“Fortunately, not all legendary divine beasts were hostile to humanity. Some stood on our side, resulting in a pact…”

“What kind of pact?” Lu Ran asked urgently.

“Some of the legendary species altered the world’s laws, placing a curse on the human bloodline that prevents our kind from breaking through to the legendary realm.”

“But, if a beastmaster can match the power of a divine being with a mortal body, this restriction will be lifted, enabling humans to achieve the legendary realm and regain the potential to stand at the pinnacle of the world.”

“However, matching the power of the legendary realm as a mortal is exceedingly difficult.”

“Relying solely on the current beast taming system is utterly inadequate. Throughout history, countless elites have attempted to challenge the legendary realm and failed.”

“My establishment of the Death Holy Church was guided by others, and all of this is to break this rule and help humanity escape its confines.”

“This is all you need to know.”

“However, the development of necromancy is bound to be tortuous. Though some geniuses possess the mental strength to practice necromancy without adverse effects, and can grow into powerful necromancers, it is not enough!”

“For any domain to reach its peak, it cannot rely on just a handful of people.”

“It’s because of this that the Death Holy Church aims to expand its followers and discover more geniuses to strengthen this attribute. However, for ordinary beastmasters, growing by devouring souls is inherently difficult.”

“But things are different now. The church has long been researching how to eliminate the drawbacks of soul consumption. Surprisingly, what this vast organization couldn’t figure out, you-a young man who has just begun touching necromantic power-have solved.”

“Fate is truly unpredictable,” the Cult Leader of Necromancy shook his head.

“Although your method is hard to replicate, you’ve already demonstrated remarkable Talent. I want you to continue your research to lower the barrier for ordinary people to become necromancers. Are you interested?”

“If, in the future, necromancy truly becomes the attribute that changes the fate of the human species and frees us from the control of the legendary divine beasts, your name will be immortalized in history.”

Lu Ran was shaken. He had considered countless reasons for the birth of the so-called Death Holy Church, but never had he anticipated this explanation.

The intelligence coming from the Cult Leader of Necromancy’s mouth sounded quite reasonable. But still, Lu Ran had a nagging feeling that something was being withheld. Was the truth really as the Cult Leader described?

“Do you wish to become my disciple and the Holy Son of the Death Holy Church?” the Cult Leader of Necromancy asked again.

“Do you have the will to match the power of legends with a mortal body?”

“Master!”

At this moment, Lu Ran didn’t care whether something was being hidden or not. Without hesitation, he addressed the Cult Leader.

The identity of the necromantic Holy Son was something he must obtain.

This was crucial for how many resources he could gather in the next half month within this breakthrough secret realm!

Moreover, only by obtaining the identity of the Holy Son could he collect more intelligence!

“Hahaha, good.”

At this moment, the Cult Leader of Necromancy revealed a satisfied smile upon hearing Lu Ran’s address.

“From this day forward, sudden death king, you are my first disciple as the legendary necromancer Los, and also the Holy Son of the Death Holy Church!!!”

Lu Ran locked eyes with the black-robed old man, his heart churning.

Oh my god, Mom and Dad, you’ve climbed to the high-level members of The Other Shore, and here I am… inexplicably becoming a high-level member of the necromantic forces on the Star-Moon Continent… and at the heir level, no less!

…

On this day, the death space experienced intense vibrations across various mountain peaks.

One by one, necromancers well-versed in different schools received the news and displayed expressions of shock.

“What? The Cult Leader has emerged? And he’s taken on a disciple?”

“The long-vacant position of Holy Son has finally been confirmed?”

The moment they received the news, although unsure if any special ceremony would take place within the church, these necromantic elders instinctively began searching for treasures such as Dragon Soul and Phoenix Soul. After all, they couldn’t meet the new Holy Son empty-handed, could they?