Beastmaster King

"Old Pig!"

"Huh?"

Zhu Kaixin was taken aback when Lu Ran suddenly called him. With a smile, the ancient bull emerged from the palace carrying a piglet.

The group stared at the piglet in confusion.

[Species: Netherworld Pig]

[Attribute: Undead]

[Species Rank: Intermediate Overlord]

[Level: 1]

"Holy shit!" The Pig God's eyes gleamed.

Lu Ran explained, "The master of this domain has control over reincarnation, allowing its subordinates to be reborn across its six paths. Those reborn in the Hungry Ghost Path become undead. This piglet is a former Overlord of the Amazon who accidentally reincarnated as an undead. Old Pig, didn't I promise you a dragon pig and an undead pig?"

Zhu Kaixin stammered. "Yeah! Thanks to your dragon cuisine, I have already bred the dragon pig. Is this...?"

"Exactly. It's an undead pig with an initial Intermediate Overlord rank. Do you want to raise it? After contracting it, fuse it with six traits and have it undergo two evolutions. Even if it doesn't reach quasi-Legendary, it'll stand at the pinnacle of Overlords. You'll have the potential to compete for a spot among the Ten Great Kings!"

The Pig God was dumbfounded.

This is... incredible! With this undead pig, I can aim for the Ten Great Kings!

"But, is this really okay?" He eyed the slumbering piglet.

Lu Ran grinned. "Normally, no. But if you join the Divine Nation and take an official post, it's fine."

"Seriously?"

Lu Ran nodded. "Of course. To be honest, I'm in a cooperative relationship with this place's ruler. It established the Divine Nation to grow stronger, and I acquired a special item that forced me to join and recruit people to elevate the nation's rank. That's why I invited you here. It was to pull you in.

"Consider this a favor among friends. It's a win-win situation. Look, this Reincarnation Palace will only produce more Overlord undead pigs in the future. Plus, if you or your familiars dies, the Hell Lord's approval can grant you reincarnation here. You have a chance at a second life. Isn't this the ultimate win-win situation?"

The group was stunned by the sheer scale of this opportunity. Lu Ran had indeed called them here for a legendary chance. Zhu Kaixin's eyes were now glued to the Netherworld Pig. This was Lu Ran's plan to rapidly boost the strength of Xia's first-generation powerhouses. He did it by providing familiars with a high base species rank.

For Six-Path Flower, who controlled the Amazon and reincarnation, selecting a few Overlord offspring was trivial. Whether Xia could rise to the top with these familiars wasn't Lu Ran's concern, as he'd given them the chance. The rest depended on their efforts. Still, he hoped that Blue Planet's representatives would all be beastmasters from his nation.

"I'm in! I'll join! Since you're in, I'm in! What role suits me, though?" Zhu Kaixin cheered.

"It's hard to say for you, but someone like Principal Shi Zhen could handle the Education Division's duties.

"Hmm?"

Shi Zhen wasn't keen on joining as he was already an esteemed divine messenger.

Can this nation's ruler surpass the Abyss God?

However, if Lu Ran needed him, he would oblige. His messenger status was thanks to him after all.

"The nation plans to establish a Hundred Beasts Academy, also called the Beast Virtues Academy, to educate the offspring of Overlords and Kings. It's your expertise."

"I see."

Lin Nian understood the benefits now. It was access to Overlord offspring and reincarnation as a safety net.

"I'll join." She agreed without hesitation.

Lu Ran then smiled at Lin Yin and the quasi-Legendary fox.

"I understand. Thank you." Lin Yin nodded.

For Lu Ran to share such an opportunity, gratitude was due.

Lu Ran asked the fox, "What about you? With your strength, you could become a guardian beast."

Refuse! Provoke him! Refuse! Provoke him!

The ancient bull internally chanted, hoping the fox would reject the offer and suffer as it had.

"Interesting. I'll join."

The fox's response crushed the bull's hopes.

Damn it! If only I'd been this cooperative, I'd be a guardian beast by now!

Lu Ran nodded. "Wise choice. Sister Lin Nian, your role will be..."

"Wait, can you just decide this? Shouldn't you consult the Amazonian Flower God? And what's your position here?" Lin Nian frowned.

Lu Ran waved. "Nope. I'm the emperor here. All decisions are mine to make. The Flower God only cares about the six paths' strength."

"Emperor...?"

The group's jaws hit the floor.

What the hell?

Lin Nian sensed something was off. "Hold on! All this about some Asura, livestock, hungry ghosts, Six-Path reincarnation, and an Amazonian Flower God sounds strangely familiar."

Lin Yin's brow furrowed. "There's a rumor in Stellar Moon Federation about a beastmaster named Beastmaster King who cleared a Mythical secret realm with the Six-Path Reincarnation Flower."

"Six-Path Reincarnation Flower... Beastmaster King..." Zhu Kaixin and the others stared at Lu Ran.

"Huh?" Shi Zhen whipped his head toward Lu Ran.

He was among the few who knew he'd been to Stellar Moon. Even among the Twelve Zodiacs, only a handful knew of Blue Planet's connection to Stellar Moon.

"No way." Zhu Kaixin paled.

Lu Ran rubbed his chin. "Fine. You guys would find out soon anyway. The Divine Nation's ruler is the Six-Path Reincarnation Flower. It's completely trustworthy. Its alliance with Xia is because I contracted it.

"Also, the Beastmaster King is me. I went to Stellar Moon's Limitless City and cleared the Mythical secret realm with it. Keep this confidential. If Stellar Moon's beastmasters find out, it'll ruin our trump card."

The group was speechless. Lin Yin clutched her chest as her eyes widened with disbelief. The world speculated whether Lu Ran's trump card was his Superior Overlord mechanical elemental or his eventual first quasi-Legendary familiar raised by a beastmaster of Blue Planet. Yet here he was, claiming he'd already contracted a Legendary divine beast.

This is fucking crazy. And I thought I could surpass this cheater with a quasi-Legendary?

Lin Yin glanced at the fox, who looked equally stunned.

What kind of Legendary would let itself contract with a level 5 beastmaster? How is anyone else supposed to compete?

"We understand." Shi Zhen's lips twitched.

He had thought Lu Ran's ace was Dark Crow, but...

He was the Beastmaster King all along? This guy even kept it from me! We're both divine messengers, you know! How did you contract a divine being?

Now, even with Ghost Mother's support, surpassing this monster seemed nearly impossible.

Lu Ran handed them manuals. "Alright. Just recite the oath inside to join the nation. After that, I'll arrange guides to show you around the rainforest. There are plenty of plant spirits here. If you find any you like, take a few home to spruce up your place."

The group fell silent as they were overwhelmed by the day's revelations.

So... the mastermind behind the Divine Nation of the Amazon is... Lu Ran?

***

After their oaths, the imperial seal's effects surged. This delighted Lu Ran.

"Excellent. If I can recruit those two quasi-Legendaries from the deep sea, the seal might reach the Legendary grade."

Unbeknownst to him, however, the quasi-Legendary fox, having joined with ulterior motives, was already making its move.

"This way!"

Darting through the rainforest, the fox tracked the powerful aura of Lu Ran's dog familiar. It eventually arrived at a training ground. There, a dog with a lightsaber in its mouth clashed with a bone sword and a swordgrass.

"That must be Lu Ran's familiar, the Sword Domain Dog! Since Lu Ran is this formidable, I'll have to make this dog my simp to prove my worth to Lin Yin and Lin Nian!"

As the fox fluffed its pristine fur, it sauntered toward the training group with elegant grace.

"Awoo~!"

It emitted a pitiful whimper with its jewel-like eyes glistening.

The trio turned to look at it, and Captain Doofus frowned.

This fox is strong. It's almost on par with that ancient bull.

The lightsaber fell from its mouth, so the fox smirked inwardly. That was until the bone sword replaced the lightsaber, and the dog's aura skyrocketed to quasi-Legendary levels.

Before the fox could react, Captain Doofus leaped forward, slashing with blades of sword qi.

"Woof!"

Fight me, strong one! Perfect timing!

The quasi-Legendary fox was engulfed in furious blades of sword qi. It was sent flying dozens of meters.

When the heart is free of women, the sword moves with divine grace!