Chapter 177: Scrutinizing Lu Ran

Passerby A’s Exclusive Room.Lu Ran stood in place, sighing. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Sigh.

He felt as if the infinite city was purposely strangling him by the neck.

This Sect Leader master certainly knew more secrets.

As a result, the person returned precisely on the last day…

There wasn’t much time to communicate at all.

At this moment, Lu Ran still wanted to know if his soul had been successfully enhanced.

He did feel that his soul had grown significantly stronger, but whether or not his soul could be resurrected, there was no definitive conclusion.

“Never mind, even if I do have the power of soul survival, it’s not like I would go looking for death voluntarily.”

“If I happen to die someday, resurrection would be a pleasant surprise.”

Lu Ran sighed again.

This Sect Leader master had seemingly put in a lot of thought for his sake.

It’s just a pity that everything they experienced was illusory.

Otherwise, Lu Ran would really want to have such a good master in reality as well.

Of course, it’s not that Jiang Dou Old Gentleman isn’t good; it’s just that having more than one master is indeed not a problem.

“At least in the history that Blue Star beastmasters have explored, Star-Moon Continent has not yet produced a legendary beastmaster.”

“The Death Holy Church probably didn’t succeed in the end… They couldn’t use necromancy to suppress the legendary realm…”

“It seems indeed very difficult.”

“However, having gained so many benefits, I must fulfill the promises I made to the Sect Leader master.”

Lu Ran held the new contract card, with a serious expression on his face.

First, develop necromancy and clear its name.

Second, challenge the legendary realm and help the human race break the legendary barrier.

The first point, Lu Ran is determined to achieve, starting on Blue Star.

As for the second point, although Lu Ran doesn’t know if there are any specific limitations preventing humans on Blue Star from becoming legends, if breaking through to legend really requires matching a deity with a mortal body, then when the time comes, Lu Ran certainly won’t be a coward.

“In the beast taming domain, the apprentice stage up to level 6 is the accumulation and evolution phase. Reaching level 7 can be considered a legend.”

“And reaching level 8, that’s considered a top-level legend. Each one can leave a name in the annals of history. They are not just contemporary legends; in the vast river of history, they are also segments of legend.”

“Currently, the strongest beastmaster on blue star is only level 5. Who knows how long it will take… to give birth to a quasi-legend.”

Lu Ran shook his head, looking at his backpack. To challenge legendary species at the level of an 8th-level beastmaster is undoubtedly difficult. It’s better to take it slow and enhance step-by-step.

Crystal Coin Balance: 3,079,000

Equipment: Divine Deer Pendant (Epic), Spirit Transformation Pot (Exquisite), Long Leaved Sword Grass (Exquisite), Soul Capturing Bottle (Exquisite), Soul Scarecrow (Rare), Holy Spirit Robe (Rare), Inscription Stone (Rare), Complete Cooking Utensil Set (Rare)

Resources: Contract Card (bound), Millennial Soul Bone (Exquisite), Heart of the Diamond Dragon (Exquisite), Ethereal Flower (Exquisite), Trait Crystal (Dragon King Bloodline, Evil God’s Eye, Necromancy Clone), Beast Taming Skill Card (Death Revival, Damage Transfer), Upgrade Card x16, Various Rare Ingredients, Various Rare Minerals.

Special: Soul Forging Method, Bone Sword – Thousand Blades Forge Blueprint, Soul Meditation Method, Heart Cleansing Meditation Method, Basic Necromancy, Advanced Necromancy, Possession Evolution Method, Soul Sealing Technique, Sacrifice Method…

This time in the secret realm, the good things Lu Ran harvested can be said to completely surpass those from the first breakthrough secret realm.

Among the gifts Lu Ran received, most were souls of rare species. Of course, Lu Ran had General Ha and Sudden Death King consume these items in the secret realm.

After all, Lu Ran was preparing to have them evolve soon, so it was crucial to strengthen their souls as quickly as possible.

As for the effects, they were naturally excellent.

Thanks to Lu Ran’s soul enhancement, Sudden Death King’s soul successfully underwent dragon transformation, while General Ha’s soul formed a sword soul, making its sword skills even more powerful, akin to a unique constitution.

Besides the special souls, there were also a bunch of forging materials. Lu Ran forged a complete set of cooking utensils in the secret realm, such as the ice and snow soul-reaping blade, the flame soul-reaping blade… Not to mention, Lu Ran also scavenged a large amount of Soul-Calming Stones, for people to detect their soul talent in the future.

In terms of finished equipment, there was a soul curse type item called the Soul Scarecrow and a custom-made piece of equipment, the Holy Spirit Robe, which could resist damage of all attributes to some extent and had a restoration function. These two items could be considered as quasi-exquisite quality.

Of course, the rarest finds were the necromancy techniques Lu Ran acquired…

However, despite their rarity and being considered the main assets of the Death Holy Church, these techniques turned out to be practically useless for Lu Ran.

This is because they all require the Beast Taming Space to practice and can only assist pet beasts within that space, which left Lu Ran quite frustrated.

Even advanced necromancy like the necromancy clone, which is a method for nurturing pet beasts, still requires special beast taming skills to create a clone. It’s far less convenient than using a trait crystal.

Though disappointed, Lu Ran still collected them all. They might be useless now, but who knows if beastmasters on blue star might someday develop the Beast Taming Space? If that happens, they might become useful.

Additionally, even if they aren’t useful for him, he could sell them to the government or hand them over to researchers.

The only technique Lu Ran might be able to use now is the Soul Forging Method. This only requires a forgemaster to have a soul-type flame. Although Lu Ran doesn’t currently have one, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to cultivate a soul flame given that he has a Flame Sprite.

“Sigh. I have a whole set of necromancy skills but can’t practice any of them.”

“Never mind.” Lu Ran exited his exclusive space. “I should go back and contract the Dark Crow first.”

Nurturing the Dark Crow and waiting for the Evolution Secret Realm to open seemed to be his next steps.

Currently, Sudden Death King is level 30, and General Ha is level 29. By then, they should both be ready to evolve.

For Sudden Death King’s evolution resources, Lu Ran prepared the Dragon King Trait Crystal and the Heart of the Diamond Dragon, which maximizes nutritional absorption before evolution.

As for General Ha, Manager Ying has likely exchanged for the Ultimate Perception Trait. If all goes well, General Ha could evolve alongside Sudden Death King. Lu Ran believes in their potential and is confident they won’t be any weaker than the first, second, or third generation of pet beasts nurtured by top-level beastmasters!

It’s worth noting that their trait crystals are top-tier, their food is top-tier, and now, even their nurturing methods are top-tier, involving soul cultivation methods. Lu Ran is convinced they’ll secure 2 out of the 10 available slots for evolution.

As for the Dark Crow, Lu Ran could only take it step by step, given how short the nurturing period had been and the lack of soul enhancement.

Lu Ran originally planned to go hunting for some ferocious beasts to feed it soul cuisine for a period before fusing it with the necromancy clone trait crystal to help its evolution.

If it misses out this time, it will have to wait until the next Evolution Secret Realm opens.

However, realizing he still had the exquisite pork bones left for making soup, Lu Ran thought that using this exquisite resource might give the Dark Crow a chance to evolve alongside General Ha and Sudden Death King.

Although, evolving three pet beasts at once might be a bit too flashy…

“Meow!!”

“You finally came back!!!”

Green Sea City.

When Lu Ran returned, Manager Ying immediately noticed him.

“Hey~”

“Manager Ying, long time no see.”

In the living room, after teleporting back, Lu Ran was fiddling with the black necromancy robe referred to as the Holy Spirit Robe. He felt that wearing this outside might make him look suspicious.

Hmm… maybe I’ll wear this robe when I’m soloing a Legendary Secret Realm in the future.

“What’s that in your hand…” Manager Ying glanced at the necromancy robe in Lu Ran’s hand and said, “A loot from the secret realm? The material looks nice.”

“No, that’s not the main point. After taking care of LuJia Village and the pet beast egg for a month, I’m finally giving them back to you!”

Manager Ying snorted, clearly fed up with the extended responsibility.

“Thank you, thank you…” Lu Ran chuckled, somewhat embarrassed.

“Here, your Ultimate Perception Trait Crystal. In the end, I traded it with the wealthy heir of that conglomerate.” Manager Ying felt intrigued seeing Lu Ran’s embarrassed look.

“Thanks.” Lu Ran took the trait crystal.

“By the way, how did your breakthrough in the secret realm go this time?” Manager Ying couldn’t help but ask, curious about Lu Ran’s second breakthrough secret realm experience, since his first had received an extraordinarily high rating.

Considering Lu Ran’s strength before entering, the results should be remarkable, right?

“It was a faction confrontation type task.”

“Oh?”

“The background was set at the end of the Empire era, during the early stages of necromancy development on the Star-Moon Continent. One faction was the Imperial Army, and the other was the necromantic forces.”

“You chose the necromantic forces, didn’t you?” Manager Ying speculated. “That faction seems more interesting!”

“You, the son of a high-level member of The Other Shore, wouldn’t choose the simpler mode of the Imperial Army.”

“Exactly.” Lu Ran smiled.

“I chose the necromantic forces, while the other nine challengers all chose the Imperial Forces.”

“Oh, Yinglun’s Knights of Light Order, including four members of the Golden Generation, were among them… Just one week into the secret realm, I killed all nine of them…”

“Should I be worried about diplomatic issues?”

“…” Manager Ying.

Wow.

You really are ruthless.

“Get ready to trend on social media.” Manager Ying smirked. “With you involved, the necromantic forces, and the Golden Generation, news of this breakthrough secret realm is going to be huge. Some of those challengers will definitely sell this intelligence to the media for a hefty sum.”

“Apart from killing the other challengers, did you do anything else that might be considered excessive?”

Lu Ran: “…”

“What’s that look for?” Manager Ying was startled.

It instinctively took out its phone and skimmed through it.

Ding-

Just then, a news notification popped up.

[Lu Ran! Holy Son of the Necromantic Cult! Urging the International Beast Taming Alliance to investigate him thoroughly!]

Manager Ying: ???

“Meow, meow, meow???” Manager Ying was shocked.

…

The news media had shared a video.

One of the challengers, eager to grab the first wave of traffic, had recorded a video detailing his secret realm experience in person.

The video was posted on the international beast taming forum, and it sparked a massive uproar as soon as it was released.

In just ten minutes, the repost count exceeded 1 million.

The uploader was a young man who had been killed by the shockwave from Sudden Death King’s skill in the secret realm.

In the video, he recounted his harrowing experience!

“You won’t believe who I encountered in the level 1 breakthrough secret realm!!!”

“I ended up in the same breakthrough secret realm as the four members of the Knights of Light Order from the Golden Generation, and the top member of the Fourth Generation, Lu Ran!”

“It was a faction confrontation task, with one side being the Beast Taming Empire and the other side the necromantic cult…”

“Out of the ten challengers, including myself and the Golden Generation members, nine of us chose the Empire faction. I mean, who in their right mind would choose the necromancy faction, right?”

“But the key is, Dragon Chef Lu Ran from Daxia, he chose it!”

“If it were just that, it wouldn’t be such a big deal; maybe he was just curious.”

“But here’s the kicker: one of us infiltrated necromancy City and saw Lu Ran barbecuing souls with the necromancer NPCs!! Barbecuing souls! Even necromancers from The Other Shore wouldn’t go that far!”

“And here’s the most critical part: when the nine of us finally led the Empire army to confront the necromantic cult in a decisive battle… those necromancers started calling Lu Ran ‘Holy Son’!!”

“What in the world?! I was floored. How did he, a beastmaster, manage to become their heir in a faction confrontation task?? I wouldn’t know how things ended because Lu Ran killed me.”

“Guys, it was terrifying. Lu Ran, all by himself, held off hundreds of Beast Taming Empire soldiers. Even the Knights of Light Order were helpless against him. His Erha even transformed into a bone hound, decimating opponents left and right. I suggest the international beast taming alliance thoroughly investigate this top member of the Fourth Generation. His conduct as the Holy Son of the necromantic cult doesn’t seem like an act… Just kidding, I believe Lu-Ge is a good guy (gritting teeth), but what’s shown in the video is absolutely real!”

It was inevitable for the video to explode after being posted.

Having watched the entire video, Manager Ying fell into a long silence, then turned to Lu Ran with a piercing gaze.

“Is everything he said true? The Holy Son of the necromantic cult???!!!”

Lu Ran sighed and replied, “Do you believe it? Ordinary necromancers and a missionary don’t have the authority to decide who’s the Holy Son. They just called me that as a joke because I’m so well-liked.”

“…” Manager Ying nodded.

“At that time, I was just a fake Holy Son, only having the potential of a Holy Son.”

“I only got the true Holy Son identity after I went to the necromantic cult’s headquarters and was accepted as a disciple by the Cult Leader of Necromancy, a legendary necromancer. They definitely don’t know about this, since they were already dead by then,” Lu Ran sighed. “By the way, I’ll sell you some intelligence after this.”

“???”

Manager Ying’s eyes widened.

“Huh??”

…

Once the video was released.

It immediately shot to the top of trending topics in various countries.

After not hearing any buzz about Lu Ran for a month, people finally realized that he was in a breakthrough secret realm.

[Wow, Lu Ran and the Knights of Light Order were in the same breakthrough secret realm?][Did the Knights get wiped out… The Holy Son of necromancy taking on hundreds, geez, the pressure is real. This is like a villain BOSS template.][If our enemy is Lu Ran, then I’ll allow my soldiers to become deserters!][Why isn’t anyone from the Knights speaking up??? Did they get demoralized that badly?]

In Yinglun, the Princess of Light sat on her bed, looking at the news, almost passing out from anger. Faced with the overwhelming online inquiries, she chose to turn off her phone and didn’t respond, tacitly accepting these claims.

Even though she also wanted to call for a thorough investigation of Lu Ran, she understood that not only was there a slim chance that Lu Ran was really a problem, but even if he was, Xia Country would undoubtedly protect such a genius and give him a reasonable identity.

…

“Huh?”

As the news continued to spread, the Principal of the beast taming university, Shi Zhen, Dragon Tamer Gu Qingyi, and Five Poisons Cult Holy Maiden Fang Lan… everyone who saw the video had bewildered expressions.

The First Generation of Xia Country felt a wave of dizziness.

What exactly did Lu Ran do in the secret realm?! Reading through countless comments calling for a “thorough investigation of the Holy Son,” they all felt a headache coming on.