Chapter 179 - The Peculiar Lu Village

Xia Ri found that roasted pig eyes were surprisingly tasty. Placing an entire pig eye in her mouth, Xia Ri bit down, and the black eye fluid and juices burst in her mouth in an overwhelming, stimulating sensation.

Initially, Xia Ri had been utterly repulsed. But after one bite, she found it unexpectedly acceptable, as though she had stumbled upon the doorway to a new world.

Beside her, Dark Crow also sampled a few bites and found them quite satisfying. He even threw Xia Ri, the chef, a few approving glances. Lu Ran, however, along with Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King, refused to taste it.

Dark-attribute Intent inherently didn’t suit Culinary Intent. Dishes cooked using it inevitably became dark cuisine, and even the most normal ingredients would be twisted into bizarre concoctions that only Dark-attribute familiars could stomach.

It was far less versatile than Flame-type Culinary Intent, which was universally compatible. For ordinary humans, there was no way they could accept the flavor or the inherent intent within such a dish.

“As long as Dark Crow likes it.”

Lu Ran fell into deep thought as he watched Xia Ri and the crow both indulging in the roasted pig eyes. The pairing of a cursed crow with the Eye of the Evil God along with the sanity-draining Dark Cuisine was perfectly aesthetic.

Moreover, Xia Ri who had initially resisted so strongly, had transformed into a panther girl and was now devouring the food. Clearly, in her fusion state, her taste preferences had aligned with those of her Black Panther familiar.

...

Over the following days, Lu Ran mostly stayed home, resting by reading novels and browsing forums. Each evening, he would savor barbecue skewers infused with Solar Culinary Intent, paired with transcendent honey water prepared by Xia Ri. Life couldn't have been more comfortable.

The days of constant cooking practice, forging, and venturing into Legendary Secret Realms to take on grueling challenges were now far behind him. Other than occasionally demonstrating his cooking skills to Xia Ri or checking on Dark Crow’s training progress, there wasn’t much else that demanded his attention.

This idle, almost hermit-like lifestyle left Xia Ri baffled.

Is this really the daily routine of the Blue Planet’s strongest fourth-generation beastmaster?

If not for Lu Ran’s guidance drastically improving her spear intent mastery, she might have started doubting whether he was truly as formidable as the media portrayed him.

“Ugh—!”

One day, as Xia Ri brought over freshly grilled skewers for Lu Ran, she couldn’t hold back any longer. She stared at him as he was lying on the sofa yawning and scrolling through his phone.

“Professor Lu, can you stop staring at your phone all day?”

“What’s wrong?” Lu Ran rubbed his eyes.

“Don’t you need to train? Aren’t you worried that other fourth-generation beastmasters might catch up to you?”

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Xia Ri didn’t know why she felt anxious on his behalf, but seeing him in this state was simply unbearable. The media had practically turned Lu Ran into a god, yet here he was, spending his days reading novels.

“What’s so interesting about these novels anyway?”

Xia Ri glanced at the titles. “Unscientific Beast Taming” and “Master of Beast Taming.” They were typical wish-fulfillment beastmaster stories that had emerged after the Spiritual Energy Revival. How could they compare to Lu Ran’s own extraordinary life experiences?

“They’re actually fascinating. Try reading them, and you’ll see... Never mind. You should just focus on your training,” Lu Ran replied.

“And what about you?”

“Alright, alright.”

Lu Ran stretched lazily and finally stood up. In truth, he felt that he had rested enough by now. This woman clearly had no idea how hard he had worked the month before. After a full month of overtime, wasn’t taking three or four days off completely normal?

The balance between work and rest was important, after all. Moreover, Lu Ran wasn’t entirely idle. He kept a close eye on global affairs and, through Dark Crow, had been quietly managing the development of Green Sea City behind the scenes.

In just a few days, without leaving his home, Lu Ran had reshuffled the city’s power dynamics, reorganizing factions to optimize the tribute flow from various Transcendent Species.

Calculating carefully, Lu Ran realized that the natural resources produced monthly by the wilderness around Green Sea City were worth hundreds of thousands of crystal coins. The sheer value was staggering.

Of course, Lu Ran couldn’t take everything, as such actions would collapse the local ecosystem. Besides, he wasn’t particularly short on resources at the moment.

What he did instead was sell the surplus resources in Limitless City and exchange them for more suitable materials. These were then returned as rewards to the creatures, creating a virtuous cycle that strengthened their abilities and resource production.

This approach ensured that Green Sea City’s Transcendent Species would grow stronger over time. Someday, they might even rival the beasts inhabiting human-restricted zones in terms of power.

After all, these creatures were effectively leveraging Lu Ran’s position as a middleman to trade with humanity and Limitless City. Right now, Lu Ran was basically playing a farming simulation game, building high walls and stockpiling resources to gradually strengthen Green Sea City’s forces.

“You’re right. I should get moving,” Lu Ran said as he stood up, spurred by Xia Ri’s reminder.

“I’ll go on a two-day trip. During this time, I’ll take Dark Crow with me. You can stay here if you want, head back to school, or even try challenging a secret realm for some practical combat training.”

“What???” Xia Ri was confused. “A trip?”

She had thought Lu Ran might take her advice seriously and do something befitting the Blue Planet’s strongest fourth-generation beastmaster.

But... a trip?

“Forget it. Do as you please,” Xia Ri muttered.

Why am I even worrying about him? It’s none of my business. He’ll realize the urgency once someone overtakes him.

“Wait a second. Before I leave for the trip, let’s make a stop at Limitless City together,” Lu Ran said, turning toward her.

“Are you going to test my training results?” Xia Ri’s expression turned serious.

“Sure, we can do that too. But my main goal is to have you go all-out in the arena against Sudden Death King to help it rack up a win. I nearly forgot to move it to a different city so it can claim the top spot again.”

“Huh???” Xia Ri was dumbfounded.

............

At Limitless City #3.

[Regional Announcement: Heavenly Familiar Rankings, Champion Species Rankings Updated.]

[Heavenly Familiar added.]

[Species: Scaled Dragon Lizard]

[Reason for Ranking: Evolved from a small lizard, fused with Red Lightning and Endurance traits. Survived a direct strike from a Superior-Champion Species—Fire Phoenix Parrot—in a fused state while battling in the arena. Was left completely unscathed.]

[Rank: No.1 on the Champion Heavenly Familiar Ranking!]

Within Limitless City No. 3, many people stared at the updated Champion Heavenly Familiar Ranking in silence.

It’s Pedestrian A’s familiar? Well, never mind then.

But soon, confusion set in.

Why did Xia Ri end up fighting Lu Ran in Limitless City #3’s arena? And by the looks of it, she lost quite badly.

The most bewildered of all was Spear Intent Sister. She hadn’t expected such a quick and unique method to claim the top spot on the Champion Heavenly Familiar Ranking. It was by using herself as a boss for practice?

She also hadn’t expected her full-power strike to be utterly ineffective against that lizard. It hadn’t even scratched it. Xia Ri had been worried that Lu Ran’s laziness might allow other fourth generations to catch up to him.

But now, she was speechless. She couldn’t even see Lu Ran’s shadow, let alone catch up to him.

What kind of monster is this guy?

......

With Captain Doofus now ranked first in the Limitless City #7 Champion Ranking and Sudden Death King leading in Limitless City #3 Champion Ranking, Lu Ran was thoroughly satisfied. Without much preparation, he grabbed Dark Crow and set off for Lu Village.

This time, Lu Ran opted not to travel by plane or train. After all, Lu Village wasn’t far from Green Sea City, both being within the same province. For transportation, Lu Ran chose Captain Doofus!

Having mastered the Nature Manipulation Trait, Captain Doofus didn’t even need to summon Gale Wings to fly. It could glide effortlessly on the wind, making travel incredibly convenient.

“

Woof!

Woof, woof!

”

Captain Doofus sprinted wildly through the sky, propelled by high-altitude winds, with Lu Ran perched comfortably on its back. However, Captain Doofus was visibly unhappy.

Even with a huge crow flying alongside them, it was still stuck being the transportation. While Dark Crow wasn’t yet large enough for Lu Ran to ride, it could easily carry him by clutching him with its talons. So, why did it even become the transportation?

“

Caw!

”

Dark Crow flew innocently by its side.

“General Doofus, don’t be upset. Isn’t it comfier for the boss to sit on your soft, furry back?” Dark Crow flattered.

“

Woof!

”

Captain Doofus glared at Dark Crow.

Curse this crow. It’s a bird, yet it lets the beastmaster ride a dog instead of offering to carry him. I’ll remember this grudge!

Lu Ran couldn’t help but notice that all three of his familiars had the potential to be mounts.

Captain Doofus could fly with ease. Sudden Death King, once transformed into a dragon, would likely sprout wings and become a proper giant dragon mount. And Dark Crow, with another round of enhancements, could probably grow large enough to carry a rider.

Among them, Lu Ran felt that becoming a dragon knight seemed the coolest. But for now, that wasn’t feasible. While Sudden Death King could shapeshift into a Lightning Dragon, it conducted electricity. For now, riding Captain Doofus would have to suffice.

Setting off in the morning, Lu Ran had reached Lu Village before noon. Nestled at the foot of a mountain, Lu Village was remote, not only far from the city but also distant from neighboring villages.

Only a few outsiders have ever visited, making it a tranquil place. After arriving, Lu Ran recalled Captain Doofus and began wandering around.

Despite its isolation, Lu Village was surprisingly modern. Many of its two-story houses were beautifully built, and the roads were well-paved. It was necessary for facilitating the trade of its agricultural goods with the outside world.

As Lu Ran walked, he arrived at a small park within the village. Though it was nearing lunch time, many elderly villagers were still out playing with their grandchildren instead of heading home.

“The village is much more developed than I imagined,” Lu Ran thought to himself.

But as he continued observing, his brows furrowed. From the small grove within the park, a group of spotted deer suddenly emerged, leisurely grazing on the grass nearby.

“Deer?” Lu Ran muttered, momentarily stunned.

Spotted deer were nationally protected animals. Could Lu Village be raising them? And they appeared to be free-range?

“Dark Crow, let’s go check them out,” Lu Ran said, intrigued.

Even though he had not heard of this from Lu Bing and the others, thinking about it now, deers in the Lu Village must have been a representation of some unique meaning.

“

Caw?

Check what out? Them? Who?”

High above, Dark Crow circled, confused by Lu Ran’s words. Following his gaze, it saw nothing.

“The spotted deer, over there,” Lu Ran said.

“What spotted deer?” Dark Crow was baffled.

What’s going on? Is boss seeing things?

The crow muttered to itself, thinking Lu Ran might need some pig eyes to boost his vision.

“Are you blind? There’s a whole herd right there!” Lu Ran pointed emphatically.

But Dark Crow remained perplexed.

“But... I don’t see anything.”

Dark Crow’s words made Lu Ran fall silent.

It can’t see them? What kind of joke is this?

Lu Ran turned back again; the herd of spotted deer was obviously grazing leisurely!

“You’d better not be messing with me,” Lu Ran warned, summoning Captain Doofus.

“Captain Doofus, look over there,” he commanded, pointing toward the grove.

However...

“

Woof?

”

Captain Doofus, like Dark Crow, looked utterly confused.

What’s the boss talking about?

“You guys really can’t see them?”

Lu Ran was dumbfounded.

Were they pretending, or could they really not see the deer? The herd is right there!

Just then, summoning Captain Doofus had unintentionally drawn the attention of the nearby children. A group of curious Lu Village kids noticed the massive dog and began whispering excitedly among themselves.

“Wow! Big doggy!!!”

Unlike city kids, who might shy away from large animals, these children showed no fear of this doofus. Ignoring their elders’ warnings, they ran over, giggling and eager to pet the towering canine.

Seeing the two small children approach, Lu Ran decided to seize the opportunity.

“Kids, do you see that group of spotted deer over there?” he asked, pointing toward the grove.

“Huh?”

The children, who had just reached out to pat Captain Doofus, looked confused as if they could see nothing.

What spotted deer?

Lu Ran was speechless and his confusion deepened. If the kids couldn’t see them either, something truly strange was going on here.

“Don’t worry, it’s gentle. You can pet it,” he assured them, gesturing toward Captain Doofus.

Lu Ran ignored Captain Doofus’s hopeless expression and instead turned toward the elderly women who had followed the children.

“Hey, you little rascals, slow down!”

The two women, who appeared to be in their sixties or seventies, had rushed over anxiously upon seeing the children approach the large unfamiliar dog. However, their legs weren’t as nimble as the kids’, so they lagged behind, arriving moments too late.

Although every household in Lu Village kept dogs, and the children were fearless around them, this was because the village dogs were well-trained and gentle.

When it came to unfamiliar animals, especially one as massive as Captain Doofus, they couldn’t guarantee its temperament. Fortunately, upon seeing Captain Doofus’ calm demeanor, the women relaxed slightly.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Are there spotted deer in this village?”

Lu Ran seized the opportunity to ask the two ladies.

“Spotted deer?”

The women glanced at Lu Ran, faintly recognizing his face. His massive, imposing dog seemed extraordinary, but they likely hadn’t been exposed to much information from the Beastmaster Era. Although they may have seen Lu Ran on television once or twice, they didn’t immediately recall who he was.

“Spotted deer? How could there be any here in the village? This is a small village, not some wildlife reserve!”

“You’re not from around here, are you?” one of the women added, noting Lu Ran’s unfamiliar appearance.

“Erm...”

At that moment, his focus had completely shifted away from their conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted two more spotted deer, this time near a swing set. The pair appeared suddenly, as if out of nowhere, and began grazing on the grass.

Their presence was both abrupt and uncanny. They didn’t seem the least bit concerned about Lu Ran or anyone else nearby. Strangely enough, it also appeared that no one else in the village, neither the children nor the elderly women, could see them.

For a moment, Lu Ran felt his heart race.

What the hell is going on here? This place feels like some kind of haunted village.

Lu Ran had initially come to Lu Village to trace the roots of mythical stories and explore his ancestral lands. He hadn’t expected his journey to immediately take such an ominous turn.