Chapter 203 - Return 2!

By the time Lu Ran started wandering around, the cult leader had already left the Stellar Moon Continent and arrived at a solitary island on the sea.

He approached a grave and spent a long time standing before it in silence

“Brother,” he finally said.

A faint black mist emanated from the gravestone, materializing into a ghostly apparition.

“Speak.”

“I want to use the Soul Key to open the Chosen Land. I need to borrow your soul power.”

“Isn’t it not time yet?” the apparition asked.

“I want a Soul Key that can temporarily bypass restrictions.”

“Hmm?”

“I have taken on a disciple. I want to strengthen his soul.”

“A disciple? You?”

The apparition looked at its younger brother in surprise.

“Yes.” The cult leader chuckled. “He is a rare genius with extraordinary talent in the undead attribute. He even resolved the issue that came from soul consumption. “

“A genius indeed. But can he be trusted? Is his background clean? Have you investigated him thoroughly?” the apparition questioned.

“With such a prodigy, why overthink? As long as he can elevate the undead attribute, neither my end nor the cult’s fate matters.”

The apparition fell silent for a moment.

“You...”

It sighed, helpless against its younger brother’s determination.

“People are unpredictable. If you wish to take on a disciple, I hope you choose someone you can treat like a son. You have remained unmarried all your life. Walking this path has been painful enough.”

“I merely wish to fulfill the things you left unfinished,” the cult leader replied softly. “Moreover, though I haven’t conducted a thorough investigation, my new disciple seems decent.”

Ten days later, the spiritually weary cult leader returned to the Death Space clutching a Soul Key that he had forged in collaboration with his brother.

The Space Secret Realm in Death Space was left behind by a legendary lifeform bound to death. As a legendary Secret Realm, it naturally had numerous treasures, but accessing them came at a great cost.

Whenever the Cult of Death identified a talented necromancer, they would send them to the Chosen Land to receive the blessings of their deity. The blessings enhanced the entrant’s soul power and mitigated the drawbacks of soul consumption. However, this was merely ordinary strengthening.

The Chosen Land possessed a far more formidable ability: it could bless a human’s soul, allowing a beastmaster to persist as a spiritual entity even after physical death. This granted an alternative form of immortality.

Now that Lu Ran had become the Holy Undead Son, the cult leader knew his disciple would inevitably face countless dangers. For the sake of Lu Ran’s safety, he hoped that even if the young man encountered a fatal incident, his soul could survive and remain in the world.

“I’m back. Finally.”

The cult leader immediately headed to Lu Ran’s quarters to check on his diligent disciple’s progress over the last ten days. However, as he looked into the courtyard from the void, he froze.

To his disbelief, the Soul Meditation Technique he had painstakingly imparted to Lu Ran showed no signs of being practiced!

Instead, he found an enormous barbecue grill in the middle of the courtyard. The remnant soul of a dragon was being roasted on it. Nearby, a dog and a dragon-like lizard could be seen waiting impatiently for their meal.

“Sudden Death King!” the cult leader called deeply before descending to the ground.

Startled, Sudden Death King, who was sniffing the enticing aroma, jumped before realizing it wasn’t being addressed.

Lu Ran, who was manning the grill, froze upon seeing his mentor. “

Uh...

Master?”

Anxiety crept into his mind. To be fair, since the leader left without a word, Lu Ran might’ve gone a little overboard the past ten days... even extorting some of his core talent peers. Seeing his mentor hit Lu Ran with a pang of guilt.

“Why does it look like you haven’t practiced the Soul Meditation Technique at all?”

“Well...” Lu Ran hesitated. “When I first arrived at the cult, I thought understanding the organization was more important than cultivation. So, I asked the

Divine Netherflame Emissary to take me to visit the elders, divine emissaries, and even the disciples of the cult.” The cult leader nodded before gesturing to the dragon soul and the collection of rare culinary tools and ingredients nearby.

“So these things were all gifts from them?”

Lu Ran sighed. “The elders were just too generous, and these items were perfect for my research. I had no choice but to accept them.”

“Tell me, what gifts have you received these past few days?”

A faint smile played on the cult leader’s lips as he looked at his disciple, sensing an aspect of Lu Ran he had yet to uncover.

Lu Ran coughed awkwardly. “I recorded everything...”

He retrieved and handed a small notebook—a ledger of gifts—to his mentor. The cult leader extended his hand, and the notebook floated into his grasp.

Scanning its contents, he fell silent.

Upper Palace Elder: Soul Forging Technique and several undead-type forging materials.

The Soul Forging Technique was a trademark ability of the Upper Palace elder. Equipment crafted through it could autonomously absorb death qi from the Land of the Dead and potentially develop sentience. Although not much progress had been made yet, it was quite a promising technique.

Nethermind Elder: Soul Scarecrow, a quasi-Treasure-grade weapon.

Upon absorbing a drop of an enemy’s blood, any damage sustained by the terrifying scarecrow would be multiplied and inflicted on the opponent’s soul.

Purple Elder: One dragon soul. X

“What does this X mean?” the cult leader asked.

He noticed that nearly 90% of the resources listed in the notebook had an X marked next to them. All resource-type gifts bore this mark, while only weapons, skills, beastmaster techniques, and cultivation methods were left unmarked.

“Oh, that means I’ve already used them.” Lu Ran trailed off. Since there was nothing else to do, he decided that he might as well use the resources to quickly strengthen his familiars.

The cult leader fell into deep thought again, his gaze shifting to Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King, who were beside the grill. Their innocent faces contrasted with the surrounding luxurious culinary tools. He now understood where all the resources had gone.

Sudden Death King had already reached level 30. Moreover, its soul had grown incomprehensibly powerful, resembling the full majesty of a dragon soul.

Meanwhile, Captain Doofus’ soul, similar to a divine sword, radiated an unyielding sharpness. The cult leader judged that any same-level beast foolish enough to attack it would feel as if they were trying to crush a razor-sharp blade barehanded. Despite being just a dog, its soul was more like a sword spirit.

The cult leader sighed and shook his head. “Forget it.”

Liking gifts isn’t necessarily a bad trait, but to even extort gifts from ordinary disciples... The Holy Son is too much!

“You can rest today. Tomorrow, you’ll accompany me to a special place.”

“What place?” Lu Ran asked curiously.

“The Chosen Land. I plan to enhance your soul. This way, even if your physical body perishes in the future, your soul will persist. As the Holy Undead Son, this is your privilege.”

Lu Ran was taken aback. “What!?”

He hadn’t expected his cheapskate master to offer such an incredible gift.

Suddenly coming up with an idea, Lu Ran gave his master an expectant look. “Master! Can we go now?”

“Hmm?”

The cult leader didn’t understand why Lu Ran seemed so eager. However, seeing his disciple’s expression, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse his first request. Though slightly fatigued, the cult leader smiled. “Alright.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Lu Ran let out a long sigh of relief, his heart pounding uncontrollably. Today marked the 30th day since he entered the secret realm!

He thought he wouldn’t get to see his cheapskate master again before leaving, but he showed up on the very last day! And, most importantly, he brought such an incredible gift. If he waited until tomorrow to bring him to the Chosen Land, it would be too late.

Even now, Lu Ran felt slightly anxious. The time required for this so-called enhancement was uncertain, and the clock was ticking. Still, he found himself liking his cheapskate master more and more.

During the past few days, Lu Ran had learned more about his master. Many of the elders in the cult had life-and-death bonds with the cult leader, and through conversations with them, Lu Ran uncovered numerous stories.

Apparently, his master started as a second-generation beastmaster, living a life of indulgence and laziness. But he wasn’t just any second-gen; he was ridiculously privileged! And not because of his parents, but because of his older brother!

The cult leader’s older brother had once been one of the most legendary figures on the continent. But one day, he vanished.

From that point onward, the cult leader abandoned his hedonistic lifestyle and instead delved into researching necromancy, seeking out like-minded individuals to further the undead attribute.

Eventually, he established the massive Cult of Death. Lu Ran speculated that his master’s brother had perished while trying to clear a legendary domain.

His master could also be studying the undead attribute in an attempt to find an alternate path to clearing the domain.

What a pity,

Lu Ran thought, sighing inwardly.

Who knows if he succeeded in the end?

***

The Chosen Land lay within the Death Space. Using the Soul Key, the cult leader opened the unique spiritual realm and entered with Lu Ran.

He led Lu Ran to a massive gray soul pool and gestured for him to step in. Though he found the pool unnerving, Lu Ran wasn’t about to miss such an opportunity.

The moment he submerged, he felt countless ants crawling all over his soul. It was an unbearable combination of itchiness and pain.

“

Ugh—!

”

Beads of sweat immediately formed on his forehead. He trembled uncontrollably.

“The process is somewhat excruciating.”

The cult leader’s face was pale from the effort of maintaining the realm. Watching his disciple endure the pain, he couldn’t help but recall that Lu Ran was still just a teenager who likely hadn’t experienced much suffering.

“You can talk to me or ask me questions. It might help distract you and make the process easier to endure.”

“Alright...” Lu Ran gritted his teeth.

“Master, do you know about the Supreme Divine Dragon of Death from the Stellar Moon Continent? Legend has it that it wields the power of death. Does our necromancy have any connection to it?”

The cult leader wasn’t surprised by the question. In fact, given Lu Ran’s lack of cultivation in the past half month, he would’ve been more shocked if the boy had asked about cultivation techniques.

“It does. This very secret realm we’re in was left behind by one of the Death Dragon’s legendary subordinates after their death.”

Lu Ran looked up in astonishment. “What?”

“The Supreme Divine Dragons—the creators of the world, life, and even humans—are the highest beings in existence. Every living being on this continent—even legendary divine beasts—owes their existence to them.

“In essence, they are the supreme rulers of this world. Humans and their beasts cannot hope to match the legendary divine beasts that wield absolute control over natural laws.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“Every elemental power that beasts train in has already been mastered by those divine beasts. But the power of death is different! Other than the Death Dragon and its subordinates, no other divine beast can wield it.

“This is why I believe the undead attribute may be the key to overcoming humanity’s plight. By learning the power of the Death Dragon, we can gain the strength to challenge those legendary divine beasts!

“Impressive, isn’t it? Doesn’t it make your path of cultivation feel even more remarkable?” the cult leader said with a smile.

His mentor’s words momentarily made Lu Ran forget the pain.

It truly is incredible. Life... and death...

Just as Lu Ran was about to ask another question, his expression shifted. The surrounding space began to blur, and he started fading...

[Secret Realm Completed. Initiating Return...]

[Return Countdown... 10... 9...]

“Is it time?” Lu Ran murmured in confusion.

“What is...?”

The spatial distortion left the cult leader’s face deathly pale. As a higher-dimensional force began interfering with his existence, a strange, unreal thought struck him.

He stared at Lu Ran, realizing the surroundings were becoming increasingly illusory. Yet, Lu Ran felt more real than ever.

Why does the name Sudden Death King suddenly feel so strange?

the cult leader mused.

He wanted to say something, but the ability to speak eluded him. His very existence began to disappear. His heart grew cold as confusion and doubt arose.

But in the next moment, a warmth reignited in his chest.

“Thank you, Master. If I get the chance, wherever I go, I’ll ensure necromancy flourishes and helps humanity break through its legendary limits,” Lu Ran said as he started to vanish. “One day as my master, a lifetime as my master.”

Though the cult leader didn’t understand who or what had turned him into a historical projection, hearing Lu Ran’s words brought a genuine smile to his face. Even though it was an ethereal experience, he felt as though not all hope was gone.

He subconsciously nodded. But before he could finish nodding, Lu Ran had already vanished. The collapsing secret realm followed suit, disintegrating entirely.

As time ran out, Lu Ran and the nine other participants who had been killed and sealed within Limitless City all returned to reality!