Chapter 321 - Who is the Intelligence Dealer?

Lu Ran submitted his report and left a message for Fang Lan. Without waiting for Fang Lan to leave the arena, he packed up and rode on Baby Cloud, heading straight for the Undead Secret Realm.

Fang Lan had only fought once, there was no way she was satisfied yet. Forget level 2 beastmasters, even level 3 beastmasters would struggle against her now. In this state, Fang Lan definitely wouldn’t leave until she had fought to her heart’s content.

While Lu Ran was on his way to the Undead Secret Realm...

Deep Sea, Dragon Palace.

Amidst the chaotic battle within the Dragon Palace, Mystic Turtle, though weaker than the others, had already gathered a squad of shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

Lu Ran probably never expected that the vision Manager Ying had foresaw—Mystic Turtle leading shrimp soldiers and crab generals into battle—was not for the Dragon Palace City... but for him.

Meanwhile, at the International Alliance Headquarters in Antarctica, Manager Ying sat on a high stool at a table. Across from it, a middle-aged man in knight attire wore a displeased expression.

“You damn cat, what do you mean by this?”

“What could I possibly mean... I just happened to see the news that the Princess of Light was poisoned by the Five Poisons Saintess from Xia. So, I came to ask if you needed an antidote. I can try reaching out to the Five Poisons Saintess for you... If I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who taught the Princess of Light her beastmaster fundamentals?”

“Don’t bother. The priests have already cured her,” the Knight King replied calmly.

As he stared at the cat, he felt like it was pretending to be concerned while actually gloating. It felt like a taunt. Everyone knew this ancient cat was bound to Xia since long ago.

“Manager Ying, just tell me what you’re here for. I don’t believe this is what you came for.”

“Ah, alright then. I heard that the Princess of Light possesses a Shape Shift Trait. Is that correct?” Manager Ying smiled faintly.

The Knight King’s brows furrowed. He had no idea how this cat learned about it. Fewer than ten people should have known about that trait.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. I need that trait. Can you contact the Princess of Light and arrange an exchange? Don’t reject me just yet. From what I know, your country is currently troubled by an ancient rat. It spreads disease everywhere, and many rural areas have already fallen.

“Right now, you can still keep the media silent, but once that rat reaches the cities, the consequences will be catastrophic. That rat is a master of escaping, even harder to catch than a sea serpent. You won’t be able to capture it.

“But if you hand over the Shape Shift Trait and offer me ten Treasure resources as payment, I’ll deal with the ancient rat for you. What do you think? This deal is quite fair, isn’t it?” Manager Ying said nonchalantly.

It had pretended to act pitiful in front of Lu Ran, saying the deal was difficult, but that was all an act. It had already identified its target’s weakness. The Knight King would find it hard to refuse.

By then, not only could it exploit the England Alliance, but it could also extract a handsome reward from Lu Ran. After all, it knew Lu Ran had plenty of valuable items. It had hyped up the Shape Shift Trait so much that it knew Lu Ran was bound to be tempted.

“You...” The Knight King’s expression darkened.

Whether it was the Shape Shift Trait or the ancient rat, neither had been made public.

How does this cat know?

“Hurry up and decide. I doubt you and the Princess of Light want your people living under the constant threat of plague, do you...?”

“Give me some time,” the Knight King finally said after a deep breath.

He had no choice but to return and discuss whether the deal was feasible.

A smirk formed at the corner of Manager Ying’s lips. “I’ll be leaving Antarctica soon. Contact me when you’re ready.”

***

The Other Shore Island.

After a long flight, Lu Ran finally arrived. Baby cloud wasn’t exactly slow, but to Lu Ran, it still felt unbearably sluggish. He desperately needed a high-speed transportation familiar.

“Fuck.”

As he approached the Other Shore, Lu Ran was startled by the cat ahead. Manager Ying sat calmly on a reef, gazing toward the clouds.

“I thought a pig would be coming to pick me up... Manager Ying, why are you here again?”

Manager Ying glanced at Lu Ran. “As expected, the Shape Shift Trait trade was just as I thought. The other party is asking for an outrageous price.”

“What do they want?” Lu Ran’s expression shifted.

“I’m pissed.”

Lu Ran was taken aback.

“They don’t want resources. They want me to help them three times. Can you believe that? Who knows what they’ll make me do!”

The other side was certainly shrewd. They had seen Manager Ying’s strength and knew that its assistance was far more valuable than mere resources.

“What should we do then?”

“I already agreed.” Manager Ying sighed. “What can I do? Baby Cloud was raised under my care like my own child. For its potential, I had to sell my labor.”

“

Drip, drip!

”

The Weather Sprite was stunned.

Its eyes welled with tears as it gazed at Manager Ying with newfound admiration. Its status in the Weather Sprite’s heart soared. It was now on par with Lu Ran.

Lu Ran felt something was off, but seeing Baby Cloud’s reaction, he realized it made sense. Manager Ying had taken care of Baby Cloud for so long. Of course, they had developed a bond.

“Don’t worry, Manager Ying. I won’t let you suffer a loss,” Lu Ran said.

That was exactly what Manager Ying wanted to hear.

Quick! Bring out all your best resources and let me pick!

“I’ll repay you with a world-shattering piece of intelligence!”

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Manager Ying looked up at Lu Ran’s sincere gaze in shock.

Damn it, who’s the intelligence dealer here?

Lu Ran sighed inwardly.

Good thing I didn’t reveal the Divine Deer’s information too soon. Otherwise, I’d be in serious debt. From now on, I have to hold back a little.

“What intelligence?” Although Manager Ying wanted rare resources more, it couldn’t deny its curiosity.

“During the black dragon Incident, remember when I used the deer spirit to search for the Divine Deer?”

“Yeah, and you reported that the Divine Deer lead failed,” Manager Ying replied.

Then, it paused. “Wait. I was too busy back then to ask for details. When you said the lead failed, did you mean you didn’t find the Divine Deer or something else?”

Lu Ran smirked. “I said the lead failed, but I never said I didn’t find anything... Plus, none of you asked.”

“You found the Divine Deer?” Manager Ying was shocked.

“No. I found an energy clone of the Divine Deer. It wasn’t strong enough to fight the black dragon, but it gave me some intel.”

“Can you just say it all at once? What intel?” Manager Ying was fuming.

Lu Ran chuckled and revealed the shocking truth to Manager Ying about the people of Blue Planet and Stellar Moon Federation sharing a common lineage. He also explained why the Divine Deer had come to Blue Planet in the first place.

After hearing this, Manager Ying’s expression kept changing.

“Blue Planet and Stellar Moon Federation are actually connected like this? So, apart from the Divine Deer, other Divine Dragon Kins have also arrived on Blue Planet? And there’s still a teleportation array leading to the Stellar Moon Federation?”

Lu Ran nodded. “Exactly. This information is explosive. If we find that teleportation array first... We monopolize it. The profits would be unimaginable. Now, tell me. Is this intelligence ground-breaking or not?”

Manager Ying stared at Lu Ran for a long moment before smirking.

Not bad. Truly a beastmaster trained by me.

“I’ll handle finding the teleportation array.” Manager Ying patted its chest with a paw, instantly brimming with new motivation.

“Ah, right,” Lu Ran suddenly added.

“Hm?”

“Aside from the teleportation array, help me find a high-speed ancient beast as well.” Lu Ran scratched his cheek. “Looks like the Shape Shift Trait trade is settled, so next, I need to help Baby Cloud find its first transformation template.”

Manager Ying’s lips curled into a grin. “Now that’s much easier. Let me tell you a secret. The old president has an Epic material. No one knows its exact purpose, but its origins are extraordinary.”

“Hm?”

Manager Ying explained slowly, “In the Northern Abyss, there is a fish called Kun. It is so massive that no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans. When it transforms, it becomes a bird called Peng. Its wings are so wide that when it takes flight, they shroud the sky like storm clouds.

“That Epic material is a Kun Peng Feather. Kun Peng, a legendary beast from Xia’s mythology, is said to be the fastest creature in all myths and legends. You get what I’m saying, right? If you can find a way to acquire this treasure and let Baby Cloud take on a Kun Peng form, then no place in the world will be beyond your reach.”

Lu Ran’s heart trembled.

“No need to be so shocked. This kind of intelligence is just standard procedure for me. Once the old president returns, just go talk to him. Even if you can’t have it outright, borrowing it for ten days or half a month should be fine,” Manager Ying said nonchalantly.

“Wait!”

Lu Ran wasn’t just shocked by that. He quickly turned his gaze toward the ruin space.

“What is it?”

“I think Sudden Death King finally comprehended Meteorite Intent.”

Inside the ruin space.

“

Raarghh!

”

In the depths of a massive crater, Sudden Death King struggled to climb to its feet. Its tiny fists clenched in frustration as it glared at Captain Doofus, ready to retaliate. At that moment, it could feel an overwhelming power surging within its body.

[Skill: Heavenly Dragon Meteor Fist]

[Description: Infused with Meteorite Intent, this technique allows the user to unleash an immensely powerful punch after sustaining severe damage. Each strike carries the destructive force of multiple meteors, with extreme speed and devastating impact.]

Clearly, Sudden Death King had endured countless beatings, absorbed the power of meteorites, and combined it with its Heart of the Overlord talent to develop a supreme counterattack technique.

“Awesome!” Lu Ran let out a triumphant shout, feeling that Sudden Death King had finally risen.

However, despite unlocking such a terrifying finishing move, it still couldn’t bring itself to strike down Captain Doofus. More precisely, it couldn’t bring itself to attack Captain Doofus’ swordgrass, afraid it might hurt the plant in the process.

“Don’t rush, Sudden Death King. We’ve arrived at the Other Shore. Let’s find Pig God for some sparring later...”