King of Beasts

Not too long ago, Lu Ran wasn’t in a hurry to train the Sudden Death King.

After all, he had to clear the Breakthrough Secret Realm to get his second Contract Card.

As for now, General Ha is already at level 10, and he could enter the Breakthrough Secret Realm at any moment. The days until getting the second Contract Card didn’t seem too far off.

Of course, this wasn’t the main reason.

The main reason was this recent resurgence of spiritual energy.

Through the news, Lu Ran saw that many animals benefited from this resurgence, some even potentially reaching level 20 or higher.

These animals all had one thing in common—they weren’t bound by human contracts.

Evidently, Contract Cards imposed certain bottlenecks on Beastmasters and their Pet Beasts, allowing them to advance only by passing the trials of Infinite City.

Animals that weren’t contracted, on the other hand, had no such restrictions.

Therefore, Lu Ran hoped the Sudden Death King could quickly stand on its own and take full advantage of this spiritual energy resurgence to gain significant strength.

Ideally, by the time he cleared the Breakthrough Secret Realm, the Sudden Death King would already be at level 20.

That way, it would be much easier for him and General Ha to challenge the secret realm with a level 20 Sudden Death King by their side.

For now, Lu Ran wasn’t planning to enter the Breakthrough Secret Realm just yet. After all, General Ha hadn’t fused any traits and hadn’t reached peak power. Plus, there was the challenging Abyss Secret Realm ahead, so there was still plenty of time for the Sudden Death King.

Moreover, before being contracted, the Sudden Death King couldn’t even enter Infinite City. Lu Ran had been worrying about where to place him, but now there was a solution.

Free-range training!

He would leave the Sudden Death King to Dark Crow, Old Turtle, and One-eared.

These ferocious beasts, now at over a dozen levels and the first to benefit from the spiritual energy resurgence, could train the Sudden Death King well.

Together with the Sudden Death King, they could unite the Green Sea and expand their territory.

After such training, Lu Ran believed the Sudden Death King would undoubtedly be transformed.

In the following days, Lu Ran’s waiting paid off, and he received various updates.

Every so often, the Green Sea authorities would report to Lu Ran.

The latest reports mentioned that they had not discovered any other significantly evolved creatures!

“Not even one more?” Lu Ran sighed as he ate a wood scale fruit, watching the interaction between General Ha and the Sudden Death King.

At this moment, the Sudden Death King was covered in lightning, while General Ha kept prodding him with his dog paws…

Each poke sent a jolt of electricity through him. It stung a bit, but General Ha was enjoying himself, while the Sudden Death King’s face was twisted in pain, feeling like he might just die on the spot.

“Stop poking me…”

In General Ha’s view, the quickest way to train the Sudden Death King to develop Thunder Armor was to let him take hits.

Whether this was wisdom disguised as foolishness or foolishness disguised as wisdom, Lu Ran couldn’t be sure.

Considering General Ha was a genius at learning skills, Lu Ran handed over the teaching duties to him. Meanwhile, he scrolled through the news on his phone, waiting for updates.

In just a short time, even from the news, Lu Ran knew that the world had completely changed.

The deep sea and areas like the Amazon rainforest had already become human no-go zones…

“This just makes going to the Amazon Rainforest even more difficult,” Lu Ran sighed again. His parents had gone missing there, and he had hoped to visit one day. But it now seemed that neither he nor General Ha was strong enough.

Over there, ferocious beasts above level 20 were everywhere, and considering the richness of natural resources, it wasn’t impossible for level-30 creatures to exist.

“Gaah!!” As Lu Ran was lost in thought, a few crows suddenly flew down from the sky, landing on a nearby tree.

Among them was Lu Ran’s most familiar and intelligent crow.

“Great King!! We’ve found one, we’ve found one!!”

“Hmm?” Lu Ran looked at him and asked, “Is it like you?”

“Yes, we can feel its strength. It seems to be a sparrow that has evolved with ice abilities.”

“There are treasures there too! Treasures!”

Lu Ran’s body shook with excitement. Finally, after all this waiting, there was good news.

What he wanted to hear was not that there were no advanced mutant creatures, but rather that they had found one!

After all, the more advanced mutant creatures there were, the easier it would be to manage the wild areas around Green Sea City once they were all subdued.

These crows were quite efficient, even faster than the Green Sea authorities.

Lu Ran felt that these thousands of crows could become his second pair of eyes in Green Sea City. Crows are inherently intelligent, can fly, and have the ability to mimic sounds, making them perfect scouts.

“Where is it?” Lu Ran asked.

The crow leader quickly reported everything they had seen to Lu Ran.

They had discovered it on an unknown small hill in the countryside of Green Sea City.

That small hill, after the resurgence of spiritual energy, was covered in frost and was almost turning into a snow-capped mountain.

On the small hill, there was an entirely ice-blue tree, with the mutated ice sparrow perched right on it.

“Good job,” Lu Ran said. “Take me there.”

“Gaa! We can take a shortcut through Emerald Mountain!” The crow leader pointed out.

“General Ha, we’ll take a shortcut through Emerald Mountain. You’ll carry me. By the way, when will you learn Wind Wing? We could fly there much faster next time.”

“Woof!” General Ha pondered, feeling a growing list of tasks. After all, he was just a dog!

Seeing that General Ha had something to do, the Sudden Death King relaxed, hugging his scratched-up scales, and let out a sigh of relief.

……

With General Ha rushing through the gale, it took about ten minutes to cross a mountain, and they finally arrived at the location described by the crow leader.

Because this place was still some distance from the nearby towns, it hadn’t been discovered by humans yet. If it weren’t for the crows, it might have taken much longer to scout this area.

However, just as Lu Ran arrived, he couldn’t hold his composure.

Underneath a very distinct ice- and snow-covered tree, two ferocious creatures were in a heated standoff.

A massive ice sparrow stood on the tree, making a fierce posture.

Below, a red large-toothed snake, swirling with fire energy, was eyeing the tree greedily.

Lu Ran was stunned. Damn, is this a treasure-hunting snake? Wasn’t this the very same red large-toothed snake that fled earlier, making a fool out of him?

Just after slipping away from the Life Dandelion, it had crossed a mountain and found another rare resource… What unparalleled treasure-finding skills.

At this moment, Lu Ran’s phone rang.

Luo Shang reported, “Latest news, the drone tracking the red large-toothed snake has captured another exceptionally mutated supernatural being—”

“It’s a sparrow, right?” Lu Ran interrupted.

“Uh?” Luo Shang was taken aback.

“I’ll hang up for now. I’ve found it too. We’ll contact each other later.”

Lu Ran laughed. He had initially planned to settle things here before having a good chat with the red large-toothed snake. Now, he didn’t need to look for it anymore.

Right then, the arrival of Lu Ran, General Ha, and the crow leader interrupted the standoff between the two high-level mutated creatures.

Sensing the arrival of powerful enemies, both creatures were alarmed. However, it was the red large-toothed snake that felt the most frustrated; its eyes went blank, unable to comprehend why it was encountering this group again.

“Alright, you two, there’s no need to keep fighting. It’s just over a tea tree, right? Can you give me a break?” Lu Ran directed his gaze towards the blue giant tree.

[Name]: Ice Heart Tea Plant

[Level]: Advanced

[Introduction]: The tea leaves have a refreshing and spirit-clearing effect, relieving mental fatigue.

Seeing this, Lu Ran nodded. Although it was an advanced resource, its quantity was immense!

Just now, this area… must have experienced an outburst of ice energy. It not only mutated the tea tree but also evolved that sparrow.

In the early stages of the resurgence of spiritual energy, opportunities were indeed everywhere!

“Hiss…” The red large-toothed snake questioned Lu Ran’s intentions. No way, it thought, I’ve already backed down once, and now you want me to do it again?

The ice sparrow also seemed wary of these intruders.

Facing the alert eyes of the two ferocious beasts, Lu Ran smiled slightly:

“Let’s forget about this tea tree for the moment. I’m more interested in you two. How about joining me in achieving something big?”

“With your current intelligence, you should be aware that the world has undergone significant changes.”

“Just in Green Sea City, things have transformed tremendously. Treasures like this will only become more abundant in the future. Do you plan to fight over each one? Although you’ve mutated considerably, you will eventually encounter creatures stronger than you. It’s inevitable that you’d end up as prey.”

“Surrender and join me. Be my generals! Together, we can rule the animal kingdom of Green Sea City. Treasures like these will be in endless supply!” Lu Ran spread his arms wide, extending the invitation.

However, both the red large-toothed snake and the ice sparrow turned to look at Lu Ran as if he were an idiot.

Although their intelligence had greatly improved, their species had no concept of allegiance or grand plans.

To them, Lu Ran was simply trying to steal their treasure!

Seeing their reactions, Lu Ran felt a twitch in his mouth. So uncooperative.

“Really—”

Lu Ran sighed and spoke calmly. Since they were unwilling, it was time to show them some force!

He glanced at General Ha, who immediately got the hint, his eyes turning sharp as he approached the red large-toothed snake and the ice sparrow.

Both creatures were taken aback.

“Woof!” In the next moment, General Ha, with the Sword of Wind in his mouth, charged forward. The two ferocious beasts widened their eyes.

Suddenly, a whirlwind swept across the small hill, accompanied by the frantic cries of the red large-toothed snake and the ice sparrow. Chaos ensued…

……

Later that evening.

Lu Ran had crossed mountains and rivers, completing his preliminary work. He had friendly conversations with each of Green Sea City’s advanced mutated creatures.

At Qingwu Lake.

Lu Ran had gathered them all here to start dividing territories.

“From now on, you will cooperate with me to maintain the stability of Green Sea City’s animal kingdom. It’s a win-win situation.”

Looking at the several creatures in front of him, Lu Ran said, “No need to look so glum.”

“Let me give you all code names first.”

Turning to the old turtle at Qingwu Lake, he said, “From now on, your code name is Black Turtle. You’ll be responsible for security in the Qingwu Lake area. This place has the most water-dwelling creatures in Green Sea City. We can’t cross paths with the ocean for now.”

The old turtle glanced at the other mutated ferocious beasts around, sighing. It really didn’t want to get involved in Lu Ran’s plans.

“Cricket, your code name is Bug King. Aim to unify the insect world of Green Sea City and first suppress the ant and bee colonies. This is very important.”

Late at night, the Bug King was quite annoyed at being summoned again by Lu Ran, but it nodded nonetheless.

“Crow, your code name is Dark Crow. From now on, you are the overlord of Green Sea City’s skies. Under the cover of night, have your subordinates monitor the city’s activities for me.”

“Wise King!” The crow was quite pleased with the code name Lu Ran gave it.

“And you, snake, your code name is Fire Snake. You’ll be the guardian around Emerald Mountain. Don’t let any mutated creatures enter the city and, for heaven’s sake, don’t cause any wildfires. Otherwise, I’ll roast you.”

The fire snake hissed in acknowledgment, clearly understanding the seriousness of the warning.

Lu Ran looked around, satisfied that his newly recruited generals were starting to fall in line. The animal kingdom of Green Sea City was beginning to take shape.

“Hiss…” The red large-toothed snake nodded furiously. Its body was covered in wounds, feeling like it had boarded a pirate ship. From now on, it vowed never to seek out treasures again.

It was clear that it had been given a good beating by General Ha.

“That sparrow, your code name will be Ice Bird. Until we can figure out a way to transplant that tea plant, your job is to protect it,” Lu Ran said.

“Also, I noticed a lot of wild boars in your area. If they try to invade the villages, it’s your responsibility to deal with them.”

That tea plant, although only an advanced species, seemed like a great business opportunity to Lu Ran.

Refreshing the mind? Relieving fatigue? Such supplements have a large market. Even for personal use, it’s quite good.

“Chirp…” The Ice Bird didn’t feel great about it, but after being disciplined, it patiently listened to Lu Ran’s entire plan.

Joining forces to rule Green Sea City indeed felt safer than going it alone.

“One-Eared, your code name is One-Eared. You’ll lead the stray cat group to maintain the city’s order,” Lu Ran said to the expectant-looking stray cat. But as soon as he finished speaking, One-Eared’s expression froze.

“Meow!!!” It didn’t want the code name One-Eared. Why was its code name so unconventional?

“And you, stop slacking off!” Lu Ran said to the Sudden Death King, who was lazily lounging on the sidelines.

Sudden Death King: ??

The Sudden Death King was taken aback. It had hoped to be overlooked.

“In the coming period, you’ll also join us. Initially, you’ll stay by my side, and later, you’ll act independently to help maintain the order of Green Sea City. Your code name will be Thunder Dragon,” Lu Ran announced.

Seeing Sudden Death King’s confused expression and hearing its reluctantly acknowledging hiss, Lu Ran couldn’t help but smile. With everyone’s code names and roles assigned, he felt a newfound sense of order and excitement for the future.

The animal kingdom in Green Sea City was now taking shape, and Lu Ran was ready to see what possibilities lay ahead with his loyal generals by his side.

The Sudden Death King looked bitter when it gazed at the several gigantic mutated beasts around it. Any one of them could squish it like a bug.

To work with them…

Black Turtle, Bug King, Dark Crow, Fire Snake, Ice Bird, One-Eared, Thunder Dragon.

Lu Ran was satisfied as he looked at these seven creatures. Six of them were over level 10, which meant that their ability to suppress other mutated beasts was top-notch.

“Once the situation in Green Sea City is completely stabilized, I will reward you all according to your contributions and find suitable resources to strengthen you, don’t worry!”

“No, actually, tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll go find some resources suitable for you and bring them back.” Lu Ran knew he couldn’t just make empty promises. Tomorrow, he planned to venture into Infinite City to buy some resources. This would not only earn their loyalty but also incentivize them for their hard work.

“Great King, Great King, I have a good suggestion,” Dark Crow spoke up.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… Let’s call ourselves The King’s Seven Beast Generals! For now, we rule Green Sea City, but eventually, we’ll conquer other cities too! Hahaha, we need a powerful name.”

Lu Ran was already used to this creature’s antics and responded calmly, “Say that again and I’ll have General Ha cut off your tongue.”

Dark Crow was startled and immediately covered its mouth. Got it. Stay low-key, keep developing, and then secretly amaze everyone!