Beastmaster King

The Beastmaster Empire was divided into six paths and eight divisions. While Bai Lu, the strongest healer in Stellar Moon, might have been suited for the Medical Division, Fang Lan already held control of that position. Not one to be deterred, Lu Ran promptly established a new department on the spot known as the Divine Deer Sect. If no suitable role existed, he would simply create one.

Originally, Lu Ran considered appointing himself as the sect leader and making Bai Lu the saintess. However, after reflecting on his laziness, he decided to bestow the position of sect leader upon her instead.

"The leader of the Divine Deer Sect under the Beastmaster Empire is dedicated to spreading the divine name of Lord Divine Deer from Stellar Moon to Blue Planet, ensuring more people revere and worship the Divine Deer. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good, but... How exactly do I do that?"

As the Divine Deer's messenger, Bai Lu held deep reverence for the Divine Deer. Hearing that her assigned task was merely to propagate the Divine Deer's name, she found it somewhat acceptable.

"For now, there's only one directive. Under the banner of the Divine Deer Sect, penetrate every sector to heal severely injured imperial soldiers and workers, bringing them warmth. To spread Lord Divine Deer's name across the vast Blue Planet and earn it faith and adoration, we must take concrete actions."

"Ermmm..." Bai Lu fell silent, sensing something off about the whole arrangement.

Is Lu Ran trying to trick me?

***

Meanwhile, in Xia's divine capital.

The psychic, Lin Yin, stood in a training ground, her body enveloped in green spiritual fluctuations as she painstakingly manipulated 100 marbles in the air, arranging them into various patterns. Nearby, an elegant and slender creature with a powerful and graceful build, covered in pristine white fur and sporting a luxuriant tail that resembled a work of art, watched with drowsy eyes.

"Lord Fox God, will this kind of training really help me surpass Lu Ran?" Lin Yin panted after completing a set.

"Of course not. Given his feat of annihilating a level 70 Superior Overlord in seconds, his current strength is only slightly below mine. Even if your sister tried, there'd be little hope in the short term."

"Then..."

"First, make me a cup of milk tea." The fox yawned.

Lin Yin seethed silently. As the milk tea reached the fox's lips, it added, "You'll understand my intentions in time."

A spatial ripple shimmered, and a petite girl in a white traditional attire appeared in the training ground.

Lin Nian glared at her sister, who was still training under the fox's guidance. "It's just scamming you for food and drinks. Lin Yin, stop following its training. Even if it's the totem of our ancestors, it's still a fraud."

The fox's expression soured. "You little midget, still slandering me, are you? Haven't you noticed your sister's aura has improved recently? She's more charming than before."

"What does being prettier have to do with defeating Lu Ran?" Lin Nian nearly lunged at the fox.

"What do you know? If you can't defeat Lu Ran's familiars in combat, then defeat Lu Ran himself with charm! Making him kneel before her skirt is still a form of victory! By then, even his main familiar would have to call her mistress!"

"So all this time, I've been training for... this? Why didn't you say so earlier?" She glared furiously at the fox.

Lin Nian's lips twitched. "You're underestimating Lu Ran too much."

"Little midget, you're underestimating me too much," the quasi-Legendary fox retorted.

Lin Nian pulled out her phone and pointed the screen at the fox. "Lu Ran has invited me, Lin Yin, and you to the Divine Nation of the Amazon. I don't know why, but since you're so capable, why not prove it? Lu Ran has a dog familiar. You're a fox, part of the dog family. If you can charm his doofus, I'll acknowledge your teaching skills."

"Wait! Who said I want to keep learning charm techniques?" Lin Yin fumed.

The quasi-Legendary fox was stunned. "Hmm?The Divine Nation of the Amazon? Isn't that the territory of a Legendary being? Why would Lu Ran invite me there?"

Lin Nian shook her head. "No idea. He just said he had a great opportunity to share with us. He seems quite familiar with that region's ruler, so there's no harm in going. Take Shi Zhen, for example. He's grown inexplicably stronger lately, all because he's been sticking close to Lu Ran."

The fox was intrigued. "Is that so? Since awakening, I've heard much about Lu Ran. Meeting him wouldn't be bad."

If Lu Ran is as wealthy as they say, maybe I can squeeze some resources out of him. All I need to do is make his dog familiar my simp. To pursue me, Lu Ran will have no choice but to offer betrothal gifts!

***

At the border of the Divine Nation of the Amazon.

That day, aside from the psychic sisters, Lin Yin and Lin Nian, and the quasi-Legendary fox, two others received Lu Ran's invitation. When Lin Nian's group arrived, they were surprised to see a familiar chubby man and a woman already waiting.

Zhu Kaixin, the Pig God, waved at the sisters before his gaze settled on the quasi-Legendary fox leading them.

"Yo, what a coincidence. And Lord Fox God, you're here too?"

In Xia, most of the strong individuals had heard of this fox, Lu Ran being one of the exceptions.

"Seems like quite a few of us received Lu Ran's invitation," Shi Zhen remarked.

As they chatted, a spatial ripple shimmered, and Lu Ran appeared.

"Sorry for the delay. Looks like everyone's here. Follow me closely. The Amazon Rainforest is complicated, and entering recklessly might get you attacked as intruders."

"Lu Ran, why did you invite us here? You're being awfully mysterious," Lin Nian said.

Lu Ran smiled. "Rather than explaining, why not see for yourselves? I'll take you on a tour of the Divine Nation of the Amazon. Trust me, this is a massive opportunity!"

The group exchanged glances. The quasi-Legendary fox studied Lu Ran with its jewel-like eyes, its claws digging into the ground when the boy completely ignored its presence.

Soon, Lu Ran led them deeper into the Amazon's territory. Almost immediately, they noticed how different this place was from other natural danger zones.

Not far in, they encountered a massive tower wall. On top of the wall, a dozen owl-type Transcendent creatures kept their supernatural eyes peeled for intruders. Inside, over a hundred level 40+ beasts sparred in pairs, representing various species.

From within the tower, spatial fluctuations emanated, alongside the oppressive aura of a level 60+ Overlord that shrouded the entire structure.

"Holy shit. What is this?" Zhu Kaixin gaped.

Their flight had gone unnoticed by the tower's scouts.

"This is the Divine Nation's training corps."

"Training corps?"

Lu Ran nodded. "Yes. The Divine Nation has a legion, named the Asura Legion, composed of powerful beasts, tasked with guarding this place and, when necessary, waging external campaigns. However, the legion is still in its infancy, with only 24 Overlord generals above level 60. This is the territory of one of them—a Tiger King.

"The training corps is where these generals select promising candidates for the Asura Legion. For now, due to the nation's recent establishment, the training corps also serves as guardians, stationed at the rainforest's borders to repel invaders."

Lu Ran's explanation left them speechless. A single tower wall was impressive enough, but there were 24 of these? Considering the Amazon's vastness, it made sense.

"If there are dozens of these, conquering any human nation besides the major powers would be a breeze," the Pig God muttered.

"Let's keep going." Lu Ran led them further in.

"Holy shit..."

However, the deeper they went, the more absurd things became. They arrived at a mountainous area rich with lightning energy. It was a lightning crystal mine. Zhu Kaixin and the others rubbed their eyes, ensuring they weren't hallucinating.

Outside the mine, dozens of monkeys formed energy into mining tools and dug furiously. Whenever ore was extracted, giant eagles with cargo crates in their talons airlifted it away.

At the mountain's peak, an even more surreal sight awaited. There was a massive Transcendent willow tree that wielded a whip, lashing out at any slacking monkeys.

The group was taken aback. Even the quasi-Legendary fox's jaw dropped.

"What is this? That eagle transporting ore... it feels like a mindless puppet, yet its energy fluctuations are unmistakably above level 40," it blurted out.

Lu Ran explained, "This is another special division of the Divine Nation. When the Legendary being ruling the Amazon conquered this region, it faced resistance despite its overwhelming power. Take that eagle, for instance. It violated the law and had its consciousness erased, becoming a laborer for the empire's construction.

"The leader of those monkeys also broke the law and was turned into a puppet. However, its tribe's crimes weren't as severe. So, after a month of mining, they can return to normal life. If they grow stronger later, they can even join the Asura Legion. Their records will remain clean.

"Of course, when manpower is short, 'conscription' happens. But if a creature refuses to work, it's fine. The Amazon has no shortage of Transcendent beings. Plenty are willing, especially since rewards are given. Isn't this safer than hunting for resources?"

As they pressed on, the place grew even stranger. Aside from miners, there were teams of puppet beasts gathering herbs. Beyond them, Earth and Rock-attribute Transcendent creatures erected structures resembling walls and castles within the rainforest. Some Fire-attribute creatures even butchered and cooked food, distributing it to laboring beasts.

"Exhausted puppet beasts are more useful as food to sustain others' health and efficiency than left to recover slowly."

This beast nation was unlike any they'd seen. Typically, beast nations were chaotic and ruled by the survival of the fittest. But here, some creatures seemed like exploited livestock.

How tragic.

"Such is the Path of Beasts." Lu Ran scratched his cheek.

With a territory to manage, unruly and aggressive beasts had to be dealt with. Before Six-Path Flower's arrival, eight nations bordering the rainforest had been annihilated by its beasts, many of which were man-eaters. During Six-Path Flower's judgment, those without significant value were stripped of consciousness and repurposed as laborers.

"We're almost there."

By now, the group had nearly forgotten their purpose. Their curiosity about the Amazonian Flower God reached unprecedented heights.

What is the point of developing the rainforest like this? And did the Flower God come up with this itself?That's unlikely. Is Lu Ran involved?

"This is the place."

At last, Lu Ran brought them to the empire's heart. The sight stole their breath away. Even the quasi-Legendary fox was stunned. The structure before them wasn't built from minerals, but rather sculpted from energy. As a matter of fact, calling it a structure was understating it. It was an entire city!

From the outside alone, it was terrifying. A ghastly black fortress loomed, flanked by towering Asura demon statues. Beyond the gates, a red glow blotted out the sun, casting an eerie light over the sprawling hellish castles.

The path to the infernal gate was paved with floating bones. Behind the city, seven or eight skeletal mountains rose. Just the sight of them made one shiver. Worse yet, actual creatures from hell seemed to dwell inside. The Eye of Detection revealed high-level undead creatures roaming within.

"Fuck, is this... a domain technique?"

"Why are there undead beings inside?"

Lu Ran said, "Correct, it's a domain. However, its mastery is so advanced that its internal imagery can manifest externally. It's unbound by conventional rules. This is the opportunity I mentioned!"

As he spoke, wails echoed from the Hell Path. Soon, a sinister black minotaur emerged, its presence making even the quasi-Legendary fox's pupils shrink. It sensed this monster was also quasi-Legendary and at a higher level.

"Quasi-Legendary!" Lin Nian and the others tensed, unprepared for such a creature's sudden appearance.

Fortunately, the minotaur bowed respectfully to Lu Ran, confirming it wasn't hostile.

"This is the most unique place in the Divine Nation. Powerful puppets, before losing their consciousness, are judged here for their crimes. The undead beings inside are employees. They are beasts who died in service to the nation, resurrected as undead to remain in this Undead-attributed paradise.

"As for this one... It's the ancient Divine Bull, a guardian beast of India. After causing trouble here, he was retained for labor." Lu Ran gestured to the minotaur.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

You're joking. That's the Divine Bull India always brags about? What the hell happened?

"Moo!"

The ancient bull shot Lu Ran a resentful look.

Wasn't I forcibly brought here?

Sure, it had a temper and had kicked Dark Crow's eyeball out, but keeping it in hell this long was just too much. However, after witnessing Six-Path Flower's and Lu Ran's might, the bull had resigned itself to fate. It didn't want to lose its mind.

Six-Path Flower, who valued talent, had spared it after confirming its crimes were minor. It just had a bad temper. Erasing its consciousness would diminish its growth potential and combat power. To motivate the bull, Dark Crow had dangled carrots before it.

Work hard, and you could become one of the Beastmaster Empire's guardian beasts! That's far more prestigious than being India's!

"Old bull, ready?" Lu Ran asked.

The ancient bull led the way, with Lin Nian and the others following hesitantly.

Soon, they stood before a grand hall labeled "Reincarnation Palace."

Lin Nian and the others were in awe. From the start, this place had reminded them of the hell from Xia's myths.