Chapter 200 - Triggered! Hidden Mission

After mastering Soul Amplification, Lu Ran had other things to do besides researching soul cuisine. Now he could use Soul Amplification to strengthen Sudden Death King and Captain Doofus every day.

Lu Ran figured out that using Soul Amplification on Sudden Death King would make its soul gradually resemble that of a dragon. This was crucial, as it would allow it to undergo a more flawless dragonification during its next evolution.

On the other hand, strengthening Captain Doofus through the use of Soul Amplification would enhance its comprehension. After Lu Ran mastered Soul Sword Intent, he tried to teach Captain Doofus this intent for several days using Super Beast Mimicry, but it had failed to comprehend it.

Even though Captain Doofus possessed considerable talents in swordsmanship and comprehension, learning this skill was still not easy. However, within just two days of combining Soul Amplification with the effects of the Soul Cleansing Fruit, Captain Doofus managed to master Soul Sword Intent.

Of course, their respective sword intents had slight differences. Lu Ran’s Sword Intent was called Soul Sword Intent, whereas Captain Doofus’ was named Soul-Cutting Sword Intent.

Without much deliberation, Lu Ran quickly understood the situation. His Soul Sword Intent was something unique to him, born from combining his telepathy with his will in swordsmanship, and thus was unsuitable for Captain Doofus.

It was just like how Sudden Death King was suited for Dragon Intent, but Captain Doofus, limited by its species lineage, couldn’t possibly learn it. Instead, it had to forge a separate path and master Dragon-Slaying Sword Intent.

Similarly, drawing upon Lu Ran’s experience and insights, Captain Doofus had learned a new type of sword intent that specialized in soul damage. At first glance, this seemed unfortunate.

After all, Lu Ran’s Soul Sword Intent could precisely detect the emotions and consciousness of enemies, severing them with a single slash. In contrast, Captain Doofus’ Soul-Cutting Sword Intent deviated towards countering souls and lacked fine control.

However, in reality, there was nothing to regret. The two intents unexpectedly complemented each other. By integrating the techniques from Soul-Cutting Sword Intent, Lu Ran further refined his Soul Sword Intent. His soul swordsmanship had finally advanced!

When striking souls, Lu Ran could now distinctly sense something different.

If I want to cut something, the sword intent follows my will.

“Black Feather! Black Feather! Come quickly!” Black Feather, who had basically become Lu Ran’s exclusive subordinate, quickly responded.

“What is it, Master Sudden Death King?” Black Feather asked nervously, glancing at the pile of giant rat beast corpses surrounding Lu Ran.

To be fair, Lu Ran had practically driven the giant rat beasts of Ming An City to extinction.

“Try something I’m about to whip up,” Lu Ran said, wielding a black kitchen knife that gleamed like jade.

“Huh?” Black Feather was confused but still nodded.

She was used to taste-testing for him. Though Lu Ran had never succeeded before, she respected his relentless determination to succeed despite repeated failures.

Lu Ran wasn’t merely acting on a whim. He genuinely wanted to create harmless soul cuisine and revolutionize the necromancer profession.

“What kind of dish is it this time?” Black Feather said, translating for her undead fox that emerged from behind her.

“Rat Soul Sashimi!”

“What???”

Black Feather froze.

She watched in disbelief as Lu Ran grabbed an unconscious giant rat beast, tapped its skull with the Soul-Cutting Blade, and extracted its soul.

Then, his gaze briefly flickered with gray light before he raised the blade and brought it down in one swift motion.

Pang.

The blade passed through the soul but didn’t seem to harm it. Only Lu Ran could sense that a specific part of the giant rat beast’s soul consciousness had been thoroughly exorcised.

“It’s ready,” Lu Ran signaled, indicating the soul was edible.

This time, the preparation was simple, hardly qualifying as cuisine. It was merely a clean cut on the soul. Despite her confusion, Black Feather complied with Lu Ran’s request. The undead fox opened its jaws and swallowed the soul in one gulp.

Gulp.

The rat’s soul slid down. At first, the undead fox looked satisfied, but its expression quickly shifted. Its eyes widened as it froze on the spot.

“What’s wrong?” Black Feather asked, alarmed.

“Wu!! Wu wu!!” The undead fox trembled, staring in disbelief at its master.

Moments later, Black Feather’s face mirrored the same shock. She then turned toward Lu Ran.

“Seems like the result is good?” Lu Ran asked with a faint smile.

It’s too good.

The prototype for soul cuisine had finally emerged. Although he hadn’t cooked the soul, his knife skills had removed the harmful soul consciousness entirely!

Lu Ran looked at Black Feather, whose mouth was slightly agape in astonishment, and felt thoroughly satisfied.

“Are you... a god?” Black Feather muttered, her expression frozen in a daze.

The results of Lu Ran’s efforts had clearly left her deeply shaken. Her legs buckled as she struggled to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

A member casually recruited by Gao Li in some remote city, who not only possessed unparalleled strength but also had brains, had solved a problem that had plagued the Cult of Death for years?

***

“Master Gao Li! Master Gao Li!”

With Lu Ran’s permission, a still-stunned Black Feather sought out Gao Li and relayed Lu Ran’s breakthrough. After hearing the news, Gao Li stumbled, rolled, and scrambled over to Lu Ran’s courtyard. Once there, he personally had his familiar consume a soul whose consciousness had been severed.

“This... this... this?”

After witnessing the effects firsthand, Gao Li became tongue-tied. His face contorted into disbelief.

“Brother! My brother! Big brother! Esteemed brother! How did you manage this???”

Ever since Lu Ran had displayed his extraordinary strength, Gao Li’s attitude had taken a sharp turn, becoming exceedingly deferential.

Now, Gao Li practically wanted to kneel before Lu Ran. Even in the presence of the divine emissaries or the cult elders, he had never behaved this way. Facing Lu Ran, it felt as though he were looking upon the cult leader himself.

At this very moment, Lu Ran seemed to glow with an almost divine radiance.

“With unique culinary intent. That’s all,” Lu Ran replied with a smile.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“But this intent is not easily mastered.”

He wasn’t lying. His Soul Sword Intent was derived from telepathy, a power granted by the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer—a mythical creature.

Without such a gift, it was nearly impossible for others to replicate. Still, Lu Ran believed he would eventually develop a universal method for removing the drawbacks of consuming souls.

“You are a god! A true god!” Gao Li, overwhelmed by excitement, nearly leapt forward to embrace Lu Ran but was stopped by Black Feather.

“Master Gao Li, please restrain yourself. Don’t frighten Master Sudden Death King,” Black Feather said solemnly as she coughed.

Having gone from an ordinary young girl to a despised necromancer, Black Feather’s surface composure belied her inner yearning for acceptance and light.

Lu Ran’s emergence was like a beacon of hope for her and others like her. If she had felt gratitude and respect for Gao Li, her feelings toward Lu Ran now bordered on worship.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Gao Li replied with a sheepish grin.

“I got carried away.”

He burst into laughter, the kind that rose straight from his gut.

“

Ahahaha!

Wait until the divine emissary arrives. I’ll give them a surprise of their life!”　 “And what kind of surprise is that?”

Gao Li, who had been laughing uncontrollably, suddenly froze. His expression stiffened as he abruptly looked up at the sky. Black Feather and Lu Ran, sensing the shift, immediately followed his gaze.

Hovering in the air was a woman with red burn scars covering her face. Dressed in a black robe, she stood on top of a Bone Dragon, its eye sockets glowing with green flames. Her cold, detached eyes bore down on the trio.

“Uh...” Gao Li stammered, his voice caught in his throat.

“The Netherflame Divine Emissary...”

Lu Ran’s eyes widened in surprise.

A divine emissary? Hadn’t Gao Li said that the Cult of Death’s people wouldn’t arrive for another month? There were still two weeks left until then!

[Species: Netherflame Bone Dragon]

[Attributes: Undead, Fire]

[Species Rank: Superior-King]

[Level: 59]

The full details of the emissary’s mount appeared before Lu Ran through the Eye of Detection. This was no ordinary opponent. Her strength was comparable to the elite first-generation beastmasters of Blue Planet. Within the Cult of Death, such figures were revered as divine emissaries.

However, in reality, the Cult of Death had numerous emissaries like her. Their primary role was that of liaisons, connecting peripheral cult members to the headquarters.

“The elder of the Upper Palace detected unusual activity from the Undead Embryo you were tasked with nurturing. He specifically sent me to investigate. Gao Li, did you use that weapon?”

Gao Li’s expression shifted dramatically. He hadn’t expected the Bone Sword to carry a hidden fail-safe.

From her words, it became clear that the sword’s creator could detect when it was used. Wanting to uncover the cause of the anomaly, the elder had sent the Netherflame Divine Emissary ahead of schedule.

“Yes, Divine Emissary. I did use the weapon. But that was because remnants of the imperial army launched a surprise attack on Ming An City. We had no choice but to draw on the power of that weapon to defend ourselves.”

“Hmm.” The emissary nodded.

Having understood the circumstances, she decided the matter was resolved. Using one of the cult’s forbidden weapons for self-preservation was permissible. Now, however, she turned her attention to another topic.

“And the surprise you mentioned earlier. What is it?”

Gao Li took a step back and pointed at the silent Lu Ran.

“It’s him! Him! He’s the one! Sudden Death King, the hope of the cult!”

“Hmm?”

The emissary’s gaze fell on the youthful Lu Ran. Her brow furrowed slightly as she struggled to comprehend Gao Li’s enthusiasm.

“Allow me to explain, Divine Emissary! This young man is named Sudden Death King. I discovered him while recruiting followers in Ming An City.

“He is a genius beastmaster, and at level 1, has already contracted a King-rank familiar. His potential is astonishing, and his familiar’s spiritual talent is unparalleled.

“During the empire’s recent assault on Ming An City, it was Sudden Death King who wielded the Bone Sword and, nearly single-handedly, turned the tide of battle. He shattered the enemy forces and protected us all!”

The Netherflame Divine Emissary showed an expression of mild surprise but stayed silent as Gao Li pressed on.

“If that were all, it wouldn’t be so remarkable. What makes him truly extraordinary is his profound understanding of the undead attribute. Even more impressive is his vision.

“He believes the undead attribute is destined to reshape the continent’s future, but he also recognizes that the flaws of the undead attribute must be addressed.

“After I taught him the basics of necromancy, he immediately began researching ways to resolve the issues caused by soul consumption. It’s safe to say he has a genuine interest in necromancy. He’s a natural-born necromancer.”

“Not bad.”

She hadn’t expected this missionary to have unearthed not just a prodigious talent but one with ideas as well. This was without a doubt, a pleasant surprise.

Amidst the current chaos of imperial unrest, countless geniuses had begun to emerge. The Cult of Death, in its quest to bolster its ranks, urgently needed such fresh blood to strengthen its position and secure influence in the complicated times ahead.

“Divine Emissary, I’m not done yet.”

“Continue.”

“The key is, Sudden Death King has actually succeeded in resolving the drawbacks of soul consumption!”

The emissary froze, her expression twisting into a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

“What? That’s impossible!” she exclaimed instinctively, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

Her mind spun as she tried to process Gao Li’s claim. A moment later, the veins in her forehead became visible, and her burning gaze locked onto him like a predator.

“You’d better not be lying to me!” she hissed, her voice sharp.

“I wouldn’t dare, Divine Emissary!” Gao Li reassured with no hesitation.

“Let’s hope not. You. Is it true? Have you really discovered a way to eliminate the flaws of soul consumption?” she asked as she looked at Lu Ran.

“Mhm. If the Divine Emissary wishes, you may verify it yourself.”

Without hesitation, Lu Ran picked up another giant rat beast. Using the same process, he skillfully extracted a pure, refined soul. The Bone Dragon descended upon her silent command, and the emissary gestured for it to consume the purified soul.

A moment later, the Bone Dragon’s feedback surged through their bond, leaving the emissary momentarily stunned.

“It’s actually real... It’s actually real!?”

Her shock turned into wild laughter as she clutched her forehead, unable to contain herself.

“

Ahahaha!

”

Her laughter grew louder and more frenzied than Gao Li’s earlier outburst, prompting Black Feather and the others to nervously swallow once more.

“Excellent. Simply excellent!”

The Netherflame Divine Emissary was utterly overwhelmed by the revelation. Gao Li’s surprise had exceeded all expectations, leaving even her in awe.

Her gaze, now filled with fervent intensity, bore into Lu Ran. “Incredible... Truly incredible! How did you even achieve this? No, never mind that. It doesn’t matter for now. You are coming with me to headquarters!

“Gao Li, you’ve done well. To have discovered a prodigy of his caliber, a genius with the potential of being a Holy Son, is an accomplishment worthy of recognition. When we return, I will personally report this to the cult leader and commend you.”

Holy Son!

Upon hearing those words, Gao Li and Black Feather flushed with pride, their faces glowing with joy. They felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction on Lu Ran’s behalf.

After all, they had witnessed his rise from a novice in necromancy to someone acknowledged by a divine emissary as a potential Holy Son.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran remained composed. Though internally, he realized something significant.

I must have triggered a hidden mission!

Large Hidden Mission: Undead Holy Son!

As expected, the main storyline was merely the beginning. When it came to exploring secret realms, the true fun was always found in the hidden missions that unveiled the depths of the world’s lore!