Beastmaster King

"Is that so..." Shi Zhen nodded, his delicate face looking slightly dazed in thought.

The level 5 secret realm, Wumeng Mountain, with its boss, the Flame Ape.

He had kept an eye on this secret realm because it was located in Xia. Ever since more and more beastmasters teamed up to clear Legendary secret realms, the variety of Legendary secret realms had increased. In Xia alone, there was no longer just one but seven level 5 Legendary secret realms, greatly expanding the options for beastmasters.

This secret realm was one of them. Its boss, the Flame Ape, was an unconventional powerhouse. It was immensely strong, but it lacked any energy-based techniques. The concept of elemental energy simply didn't exist to it. However, despite its unusual path, this attribute-less ape was no pushover. In fact, its strength was unparalleled among the level 5 Legendary secret realm bosses in Xia.

The Flame Ape was originally just a Fire-attribute ape of the Champion species. After losing its flame powers, it became absurdly powerful.

If a Legendary divine beast did alter its fate, that would explain things. Although I think that Legendary divine beast must have had too much time on its hands. If it wanted to enhance its physique, that's fine, but why take away its flames? The Flame Ape relied on its flaming tail to attract mates and communicate. That Legendary divine beast basically forced it into extinction.

Shi Zhen shook his head, feeling a pang of sympathy for it.

"It should drop resources related to physical enhancement, right? Most people still prioritize elemental energy, so the newer generation of beastmasters hasn't paid much attention to this secret realm," Shi Zhen speculated.

"Exactly. Manager Ying mentioned the same thing. But I'm the opposite. I'm drawn to this aspect. My familiars cover too many attributes, making it hard to choose a secret realm. Picking a universal stat like this is easier. I'll decide later which familiar it suits best," Lu Ran said.

"Good! Go ahead and challenge it. I'll wait for the broadcast." Shi Zhen chuckled, feeling that it wouldn't take long for Lu Ran to clear the secret realm and emerge.

"Got it."

Lu Ran turned and teleported to Xia's Limitless City #6.

Inside his private room, Lu Ran approached the secret realm system.

[Name: Wumeng Mountain]

[Level: 5]

[Difficulty: Legendary]

[Secret Realm Introduction: The Flame Ape King, having lost its elemental powers for unknown reasons, possesses an incredibly powerful physique and rules over its territory as a dominant force. It renamed the mountain range it occupied to Wumeng Mountain, leading countless apes to master a specific combat style.

[At its peak, it once defeated seven Overlord familiars of a Legendary beastmaster with a single punch, its sheer force toppling an entire mountain. Now, you will face the Flame Ape King at level 60. (Flame Ape King: No attribute, Superior Overlord, level 60.)]

[Entry Fee: 0]

Lu Ran skimmed the introduction briefly before entering. This time, Manager Ying hadn't even given him any strategies. It probably didn't think he needed them.

In its eyes, with Six-Path Flower as his guardian and his prior success in clearing a Mythical secret realm, if Lu Ran still needed a guide for a mere Legendary secret realm, he might as well retire on the spot.

[Teleportation complete.]

***

[Challenge Mission: Defeat the Flame Ape King.]

***

In an instant, Lu Ran appeared inside the secret realm. Before he could even react, the ground beneath him trembled violently. A fierce gust of wind howled past, and the earth nearby caved in as if struck by something massive.

Dust swirled.

Lu Ran focused his gaze and saw the Flame Ape King. The creature stood imposingly with its red fur resembling crackling flames. It stepped out of the crater with its tail slapping the ground. Its blue eyes were coldly sizing up the intruder, Lu Ran.

"Ooo, ah!"

It seemed to be saying, "Intruder, make your move."

The Flame Ape King had led its tribe in conquering peak after peak, securing abundant resources. Challenges from outsiders were commonplace, and human beastmasters were no exception. It was used to this. However, what surprised the Flame Ape King was that this intruder showed no intention of summoning a familiar.

"Ah,my indecisiveness is acting up." Lu Ran scratched his cheek.

Which familiar should I call?

The Flame Ape King was confused.

In the next instant, the ground beneath it collapsed again. Lu Ran felt his entire body engulfed in a whirlwind as the Flame Ape King launched a furious punch at him.

A deafening explosion echoed. When the dust settled, two figures stood locked in combat. One was the Ape King, and the other was a dog demon.

"What's the rush?" Lu Ran held a bone club in one hand, blocking the Flame Ape King's fist effortlessly.

The club trembled slightly along with the ape's fist.

Uh...?

The Flame Ape King was visibly stunned. It had thought this intruder was human, but it turned out to be a dog disguised as a human.

"I've decided to better familiarize myself with this form, I'll fight you alone! A quasi-Legendary dog demon like me against an Overlord like you... That's fair, right?" Lu Ran gave himself a mental thumbs-up for his brilliant decision, grinning as he blocked with the bone club.

"Ooo, ah!"

The next moment, the Flame Ape King's tail lashed out like a whip, moving at supersonic speed. The sheer force of the strike left no doubt that even without any energy, it could crush anything in its path.

Lu Ran's body was sent flying like a meteor, hurtling backward through the mountains. But as he flew, a soft wind-formed hand seemed to catch him, halting his momentum. He could have dodged this attack, but to test how his various abilities interacted in combat, he chose not to.

"I still felt no pain, huh?" Lu Ran looked down at his tattered clothes and the bloody gash on his abdomen, acknowledging the Flame Ape King's strength.

In the next instant, the Flame Ape King reappeared behind him. It leaped into the air and brought its fists down like hammers, smashing Lu Ran straight into the ground. Before Lu Ran could even hit the ground, the Flame Ape King landed first, bending low and delivering a sweeping kick that sent Lu Ran crashing into a mountain.

The sheer force of the impact carved a massive hole through the mountain. Lu Ran's body tore through one peak after another. Only after piercing through countless mountains did the chaos finally subside. Yet, when the Flame Ape King caught up to its prey, its expression twisted in disbelief.

The dog demon, which should have been severely injured, had already fully recovered in the brief intervals between attacks.

Lu Ran climbed out of the rubble, cracking his neck and wrists with a grin. "Even though my beastmaster skills are somewhat affected in this transformed state, Legendary flames are still Legendary flames. They provide terrifying healing power..."

"Ooo, ah!"

The Flame Ape King's pupils shrank. Before it could react, Lu Ran's hand flashed, and a bone sword appeared. A sharp blade of sword qi slashed out horizontally, slicing a deep wound across the ape's abdomen.

Lu Ran looked surprised.

I didn't cut it in half? Its physique really is something.

This attack only enraged the Flame Ape King further. It roared wildly and charged again. Lu Ran didn't back down either, unleashing several blades of sword qi in rapid succession.

Facing the relentless blades of sword qi, the Flame Ape King swung its fists wildly, shattering the blades of sword qi one by one, even as blood splattered across the sky. However, the reason it stopped just short of landing its final blow was simple. Its vision blurred as it stared at Lu Ran. Its soul felt as if it were being torn apart. The agony was unbearable as its strength quickly left its body.

"Sorry, I mixed Psychic Sword Intent into my sword qi. It bypasses your body and attacks your soul directly. It seems that your soul's defenses didn't keep up with your physique..."

As Lu Ran watched the Flame Ape King collapse weakly, he shook his head. But in the next moment, flames of life enveloped the ape's body and mended its shattered spirit. The Flame Ape King was utterly dumbfounded.

"Legendary flames really are something. They're even better than the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer. They heal the body, the mind, and even the soul. Now, I know you're holding back. Show me your physical limits!"

Flame Ape King was taken aback.

I may not be human, but you really are a demon!

"Ooo, ah!"

The Flame Ape King roared in fury, and suddenly, white vapor erupted from its body, leaving Lu Ran stunned.

Lu Ran's dog nose twitched, then his eyes widened.

What the fuck? This is... the scent of alcohol?

The Flame Ape King, despite lacking elemental energy, had entered an extremely peculiar state—one Manager Ying hadn't mentioned. Likely, no one else had ever triggered it before.

In this state, Lu Ran could feel the ape's physical power surging. Whether it was his imagination or not, the ape's face turned even redder. Before he could react, a fist slammed into his gut.

Lu Ran was sent flying again, mainly because the whiff of alcohol had left him slightly tipsy despite never drinking or smoking.

"A drunken state? It really has a trump card. I guess limits are meant to be pushed. Again!"

***

For the next 15 minutes, two white streaks of light clashed wildly across Wumeng Mountain. Their collisions shattered peaks and carved craters into the earth.

With the bracelet and his own reserves, Lu Ran now possessed the combat power of a level 60 quasi-Legendary being. He pummeled the Flame Ape King relentlessly, even in its drunken state. Yet, what astonished Lu Ran was that despite dominating the ape for 15 minutes, he never truly defeated it physically.

No matter how severe its injuries, the Flame Ape King always stood back up, counterattacking with renewed vigor. Even when it was trapped in a domain, it could smash its way out as long as Lu Ran didn't attack directly. Only by targeting its mind and soul could Lu Ran force it to collapse, dispelling its drunken state. That was its weakness. However, every time the Flame Ape King was nearly defeated, Lu Ran healed it, prolonging the fight to test his limits.

After 15 minutes, Lu Ran finally felt exhaustion setting in and let the Flame Ape King rest. During his first attempt at transformation in the ascension realm, he could only maintain this dog form for three minutes. But after breaking through and fusing with the Flame of Life, he could now last 15 minutes, which was a massive improvement.

"Ooo, ah..."

Even as it lost consciousness, the Flame Ape King glared at Lu Ran with resentment. Its grudge seemed almost tangible. And after battling it for so long, Lu Ran reeked of alcohol.

"Rest in peace. Among Overlords, I, Lu Ran, the Beastmaster King, declare you the strongest! If you drop a physique-related trait crystal, I won't hesitate to fuse it to a familiar!"

Lu Ran praised the Flame Ape King for entertaining him before watching it dissolve into light. At the same time...

[Congratulations on completing the secret realm mission!]

[Score: Perfect!]

[You have received 40,000,000 crystal coins.]

[You have received a unique resource: Upgrade Card x2000.]

[You have received an Epic resource: Unique Ape Wine (A premium brew crafted by the Flame Ape King using its lifeblood and hundreds of rare fruits. It is a sacred relic for nurturing its tribe! A top-tier physique-enhancing resource!

[Note: This resource has severe side effects and must be diluted before use. Otherwise, the consumer may enter a drunken state and lose rationality. However, in this state, there is a small chance of comprehending the Drunken Battle Mode, being able to unleash the full potential of one's physique!)]

[You have received the beastmaster skill: Happy Beastmaster (A unique beastmaster skill. When using other beastmaster skills, the user's stamina consumption and physical strain are halved!)]

[You have received a special resource: Trait Crystal (Equivalent Exchange: The user can establish a personal covenant, permanently sacrificing certain abilities in exchange for permanently enhancing another ability. The greater the sacrifice, the stronger the enhancement.)]

[You have received a Treasure-grade recipe: Hundred Styles of Ape Wine (The brewing techniques for 100 types of ape wine, ranging from Advanced to Treasure grade).]

After completing the challenge, Lu Ran stared at the rewards in disbelief.