Chapter 293 - Exploration Progress Up

Three items appeared before Lu Ran. The first was a small branch that was small enough to be held in one hand. It was golden in color, with a few emerald-green leaves sprouting from it. It looked ordinary, but Lu Ran could feel its power. It was almost as strong as the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer—an Epic item.

This was a Space-type artifact infused with Time properties. Lu Ran’s heart was not calm. He had come here for this exact item. With this, his beastmaster style would be completely different from all other beastmasters on Blue Planet. Of course, as a beastmaster who walked an unconventional path, Lu Ran had an even bolder idea upon seeing this.

Captain Doofus had no combat power while wielding the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer. But what if it held this item?

Although the Ruin Branch might not elevate Captain Doofus to a quasi-Legendary species like the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer could, the two had different significances. The quasi-Legendary Captain Doofus with the Broken Horn was strong because of its quasi-Legendary aura and healing power.

The aura was an effective control skill that didn’t deal substantial direct damage to powerful opponents. Its healing power had no offensive capability at all.

However, if Captain Doofus carried the Ruin Branch, Lu Ran speculated that it would gain Space-attribute powers. Even if it couldn’t reach quasi-Legendary, becoming a Superior Overlord wouldn’t be a problem. At that point, it would be an absolute force.

But Lu Ran quickly shook his head.

How can I do this...? Once Corpse Dog becomes Captain Doofus’ kin and benefits from its talent enhancement, its level will rise. It may not even need the Ruin Branch to reach a comparable level!

Besides the Ruin Branch, there was also a crystal ball-like item, about palm-sized. To be honest, Lu Ran wasn’t particularly concerned about beastmaster skills found in ascension realms, nor the various secret manuals within them. Even if he obtained them, he couldn’t cultivate them without a beastmaster space.

Just like the city lord’s family’s Sealed Transformation beastmaster skill, it was merely for collection purposes. However, this time seemed different. The beastmaster skill inheritance from the Tree Monarch’s legacy wasn’t a text-based secret manual but rather a very advanced tool. It was almost like a skill card. It appeared as though it wouldn’t require self-study.

[Name: Time-Acceleration Legacy Crystal]

Can this work like a beastmaster skill card where I gain instant mastery upon use? If so, this is an incredible gain. It’s a Time-attribute beastmaster skill! Time Acceleration can speed up a familiar’s growth and enhance the effects of its skills.

Lu Ran immediately thought about using it alongside resources to rapidly increase his familiars’ level. With this, wasn’t it basically a permanent Agate of Devouring? Familiars required time to digest food and convert it into growth attributes. If he could accelerate this process, it would be equivalent to an alternative form of growth acceleration.

As for enhancing skill effects, that was self-explanatory. Lu Ran wasn’t entirely sure if he was understanding it correctly. For instance, if a familiar had a self-healing skill and suffered a severe injury that normally took an hour to heal, then under Time Acceleration, it might recover in just a few minutes.

Or, like Dark Crow’s long-range curse attack. After locking onto a target across an entire city, it would normally take time for the curse to take effect. But with Time Acceleration, could the curse strike instantly?

Dark Crow could cast a curse, and before its opponent even realized it, the curse energy would have already landed at a speed faster than light. This was the kind of bug-level beastmaster skill that became more ridiculous the stronger the familiar’s skills were.

However, compared to the previous two items, the third resource was the one that best aligned with Lu Ran’s expectations of a resource.

It was a single green leaf. At first glance, it looked completely unremarkable. But, it was an attribute-awakening resource and a Time-attribute awakening resource at that. That said, it wasn’t a 100% chance Time-awakening Epic resource. Even so, Lu Ran was thrilled.

Alright, once Lucky Clover’s trait is fully merged with a familiar, I’ll use this awakening resource.

With the blessing of luck, Lu Ran refused to believe it wouldn’t awaken the Time attribute. Among all attributes, Time had always fascinated him the most.

Staring at the three legacy resources, Lu Ran remained dazed for a couple of seconds. Although their quantity was small, their quality was great. They were far superior to the single-clearance rewards of Limitless City’s Legendary Secret Realms.

“Rest assured, Tree Monarch. Restoring the glory of plant beings is my duty. When I grow stronger, Legendary Divine Beasts will no longer be able to deprive plant life of their rightful space!”

Unknowingly, Lu Ran had set another flag. He had already restored one faction, so what was one more?

“You might need to reach the Legendary level before you can contend with Legendary Divine Beasts. The final legacy ended up in the hands of a beastmaster. Although technically, you kind of cheated to obtain it. No, perhaps it wasn’t cheating after all.”

The Tree Monarch’s gaze fell upon Captain Doofus and Dark Crow. Captain Doofus’ eyes gleamed with wisdom. Dark Crow also displayed many Evil God’s Eyes filled with intelligence, although its level of wisdom wasn’t even comparable to a single strand of Captain Doofus’ fur. It was more unsettling than insightful.

If it had only been a Broken Horn of the Divine Deer, no beastmaster of Lu Ran’s level could have possibly defeated the phantom. From the Tree Monarch’s perspective, the absurdity lay in Captain Doofus’ ability to absorb the broken horn’s power to elevate its species to quasi-Legendary. And in doing so, it further amplified the broken horn’s healing power.

This allowed Dark Crow to recklessly sacrifice itself for curse attacks without worrying about the healing aspect. At the same time, the Divine Deer’s suppression over plant beings weakened the phantom’s resistance to curses significantly.

After realizing this, the Tree Monarch acknowledged Lu Ran’s strength. Otherwise, the Divine Deer wouldn’t have chosen him. She doubted that the Divine Deer’s Broken Horn would have simply fallen into the hands of just any beastmaster.

However, she couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. Had she equipped her phantom with Epic gear, perhaps no one would have cleared the trial.

“Tree Monarch. You’re the first person I’ve met who knows about the Divine Deer. You know the Divine Deer, and you know the Supreme Divine Dragons. Then you must also know the history of Divine Tree Continent, right?” Lu Ran looked at her expectantly.

Currently, most Legendary beings on the Divine Tree Continent, including his master, were unaware of the existence of the Stellar Moon Continent. They knew nothing about the Supreme Divine Dragons, yet the Tree Monarch did. Lu Ran wanted to ask her about the Death Dragon.

Although Blue Planet’s Other Shore issue had been partially resolved, some lingering threats remained. A group of necromancers who refused to surrender was still searching for the Legendary Stone of the Other Shore in an attempt to overturn the world.

Lu Ran had to keep gathering intelligence on the Death Dragon and find the Legendary Stone of the Other Shore before anyone else.

The Tree Monarch started to explain slowly, “Since I am a chosen plantmaster, you could also be considered a chosen beastmaster. And because I was blessed by a Legendary plant spirit, I know more than most people do. What do you want to know? I can answer within the limited time I have.”

“You mentioned earlier that the Divine Deer is a neutral Legendary being?”

“That’s right. The Four Supreme Divine Dragons created the world and transcended all else. They are the creators of the continent. Whether it was the Elemental Era’s divine spirits or the conflicts between the divine beasts and plant spirits of later ages, the Four Supreme Divine Dragons never intervened.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

”Their kin serve as guardians of the continent’s ecosystem and do not take part in other species’ conflicts. They are absolutely neutral Legendary beings. They treat humans, beasts, and plants all the same.”

Lu Ran took a deep breath. “So the Supreme Divine Dragons are that powerful... I used to think the Divine Tree could rival them.”

“The Supreme Divine Dragons are not dragons in the traditional sense. They are embodiments of the laws of life, death, space, and time. They do not belong to the elemental, animal, or plant classifications. They are rule-based lifeforms. Despite the Divine Tree’s strength, it is merely an extreme pinnacle of a divine plant spirit. It is an acquired divine spirit.

“In the hierarchy of Legendary beings, the rankings are roughly Low Legendary, Intermediate Legendary, Superior Legendary, Primary Divine, and Supreme Divine level. The Four Supreme Divine Dragons are definitely Supreme Divine level, while the Divine Tree is merely Primary Divine level.

“As for the kins of the Four Supreme Divine Dragons, while they hold special statuses, their combat strength typically ranges from Low Legendary to Intermediate Legendary. They are not top-tier forces among Legendary beings.”

Lu Ran knew that Legendary beings varied in strength. Blue Planet had some relevant information, but nothing as detailed as what the Tree Monarch had just shared. Immediately, he asked about the Death Dragon.

The Tree Monarch glanced at Dark Crow. “A chosen beastmaster selected by the kin of the Life Dragon... yet one of your familiars cultivates the power of death?”

“

Caw!

You flatter me.” Dark Crow bashfully scratched its head.

“I wasn’t complimenting you.”

“

Woof.

”

Captain Doofus pressed its paw onto Dark Crow, silencing it. It was still waiting to hear information about the Death Dragon. It wanted to find the Legendary Stone of the Other Shore, and eventually wield the Legendary Death Stone Sword in its jaws.

Sudden Death King remained unusually quiet beside Lu Ran. After hearing so many Legendary levels, it suddenly felt emo.

I’m only an Intermediate Overlord. How many attacks from a Legendary species can I take? No matter how much I train, my defensive power just doesn't seem enough...

“In the northern seas beyond the continent, there is an Endless Abyss. Deep inside, a kin of the Death Dragon has been slumbering for ages. That is the only information I have on the Death Dragon,” the Tree Monarch said.

She didn’t question why Lu Ran wanted to gather information on the Death Dragon, nor did she care whether he planned to seek out such a dangerous creature. To her, Lu Ran was an adult. He could make his own choices.

“The deep-sea abyss beyond the continent?” Lu Ran was momentarily stunned, then nodded solemnly.

His exploration progress increased again.

“My time is running out.” The Tree Monarch’s phantom continued, “After receiving my legacy, you should seek the Flower God’s traces. Many of my plant familiars are training under the Legendary Flower Deity.

“Although you are a beastmaster and have established a beastmaster space, you should be able to modify it into a dual-purpose space with the Flower God’s help. It could become a space that supports both beasts and plants.”

Damn. There’s a whole other Legendary questline?

But Lu Ran wasn’t sure if he had time to pursue it. As the phantom before him grew increasingly faint, Lu Ran wanted to ask more questions.

But in the end, he simply asked, “Tree Monarch, may I know your real name?”

The Tree Monarch smiled at this peculiar chosen beastmaster, then softly said before fading away, “Little kid, don’t waste my legacy. There are still many mysteries within this ruin, so explore it well. Although I am already dead, we will meet again one day.”

What?