King of Beasts

Chapter 132: Lu Ran Declares War

Exploring the deep sea…

Lu Ran bowed down: “Big shot, big shot…”

With his astonishing physique, he actually has some ability to function underwater now.

But the duration is very short.

Thinking about how Gu Qingyi could explore the deep sea for half a month in one go, even using a water pet beast for super beast mimicry wouldn’t be enough!

At the very least, he would need a skill similar to fusion to merge with a water pet beast.

Right now, Lu Ran only hopes that the sovereign pet beast egg hatches something highly functional, not just powerful in battle.

But it’s still too early to talk about this. After hearing about the identity of that superhuman in the imperial capital, Lu Ran was stunned.

Having the second most powerful younger sister in Xia Country means endless resources and high talent… tough to deal with. Of course, he has been cheating his way through, using the national treasure-level divine deer pendant for training. Lu Ran believes he still has a chance.

After Manager Ying left, Lu Ran casually opened a few group chats and saw everyone discussing the Tyrannosaurus Rex team.

There were even people online calling out Lu Ran, asking for his thoughts.

After all, he is the only fourth-generation beastmaster in Xia Country specifically named by the Tyrannosaurus Rex team.

This Tyrannosaurus Rex team clearly wants to step on Lu Ran to rise up, proving that the fourth generation of Xia Country is nothing special.

Lu Ran originally didn’t want to respond to these comments.

But, thinking that he shouldn’t let morale drop, he decided to declare war on the Tyrannosaurus Rex team tomorrow.

Next, Lu Ran started replying to private messages from acquaintances one by one.

For instance, Fang Lan also asked for his thoughts.

Lu Ran relayed Manager Ying’s words to her.

“In a couple of days, I’ll go meet them.”

“Support!” Fang Lan was overjoyed, loving Lu Ran’s domineering energy.

Unexpectedly, there was another person who called Lu Ran.

“Dean Chu Yan?” Lu Ran was surprised.

“Lu Ran,” Chu Yan said with a smile from the other end, “or should I say, Professor Lu Ran.”

“I’ve taken care of your matters. Once the school officially starts, you can establish your own course.”

Although Lu Ran is not yet 18 years old and very young, it doesn’t matter.

Most of the faculty at the beast taming university are young people in their twenties.

However, most of them are first-generation, second-generation, or third-generation beastmasters. Fourth-generation beastmasters like Lu Ran are really rare.

For someone to teach as a fourth-generation beastmaster, they must have had a special skill before becoming a beastmaster.

For instance, some second-generation beastmasters had family members who became beastmasters early on. While waiting to become beastmasters themselves, they used those two or three years to learn a lot about secondary professions through their family’s connections.

These beastmasters have a significant advantage compared to fourth-generation beastmasters who start from scratch.

“Thank you, Dean Chu Yan,” Lu Ran smiled.

What he cared about most was not the professor title, but the salary behind it.

When he found out about his salary, Lu Ran was ecstatic. It was much more than the rewards from the divine beast leaderboard. The funding for researching Dragon Cuisine would not be lacking.

“It’s the least I could do. You are, after all, the first known Dragon Chef!”

“By the way, did you see the news today?”

“Yes, I did.”

“The resurrection of the Tyrannosaurus Rex… truly impressive. It’s possible that the Eagle Federation might find a stable evolution path for Loong-type species in the future.”

“But it doesn’t matter. Give me some time, and I can evolve my Dragon Lizard into a giant dragon and also find a stable evolution path for Loong-type species.”

“Haha, good!” Dean Chu Yan also believed that Lu Ran, as a Dragon Chef, had much more potential than the foreign dinosaur research team.

After all, there was the precedent of Emperor Yan Sizhen!

As far as he knew, the Eagle Federation had consumed a massive amount of resources and the combined wisdom of countless scientists and breeders to get the Tyrannosaurus Rex team’s tyrannosaurs to master the artistic conception of the dragon. But Lu Ran had achieved it alone.

Clearly, Lu Ran was more impressive.

In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.

The second round of the Freshman Tournament was about to begin.

Without a doubt, Lu Ran was still in the first match today.

His opponent was Gong Kaixin, the combat department freshman who had the fusion of a turtle and snake.

Gong Kaixin was clad in scale armor, likely specially made Supernatural Equipment to enhance his defense.

As for Lu Ran, he didn’t bring any defensive equipment. After contracting with the sudden death king, his defense was already very strong.

He was like a martial arts master from a wuxia novel who specialized in body refinement!

Steel muscles and iron bones!

Attacks that could seriously injure him couldn’t be defended against by high-quality equipment.

For attacks that high-quality equipment could mitigate or defend against, he could easily withstand them with his body alone.

So, the only equipment spot Lu Ran used was for the Wind Flame Sword.

If there’s any danger approaching him in the arena, he could just slash it with his sword鈥”attack is the best defense!

“Lu Ran looks in good shape!”

“Seems like the news didn’t affect him.”

“Not necessarily. Becoming the center of online discussions overnight must be quite stressful.”

Before the second day’s tournament began, as Lu Ran and Gong Kaixin stood on the field, the audience below was buzzing with discussion.

Even Gong Kaixin couldn’t help but glance at Lu Ran a few times.

He wanted to know how Lu Ran felt at that moment.

However, what Gong Kaixin didn’t expect was that just before the match, Lu Ran looked towards the live broadcast camera and said:

“Wait a minute, before the match starts, I want to address something.”

“Yesterday, a lot of people online asked me what I thought about the Tyrannosaurus Rex team.”

“I can only say that even among the artistic conceptions of dragons, there are differences.”

“I don’t believe their mass-resurrected Tyrannosaurus Rexes can compare to my meticulously nurtured pet beast.”

“I also heard that the Tyrannosaurus Rex team plans to set up an arena at Public Infinite City to show off their dinosaur pet beasts to the world… If I have time in a few days, I’ll go check it out.”

Wow!

As Lu Ran finished speaking, the media on-site went wild.

The large venue instantly buzzed with excitement and exclamations.

“Holy crap! Lu Ran actually responded to the Tyrannosaurus Rex team.”

“Awesome, I can’t wait to see Lu Ran crush the Tyrannosaurus Rex team.”

“Screw those Federation people. The first purebred Loong-type is in Xia Country. What are a bunch of dinosaurs showing off for?”

In an instant, the crowd’s enthusiasm surged, all cheering for Lu Ran.

Many seeded players were unexpectedly looking at Lu Ran.

This was getting interesting.

Even the three deans on the podium were momentarily stunned before smiling.

“Well said,” Dean Qin Ming remarked. “The strength of a pet beast isn’t determined solely by its innate species; it’s the beastmaster’s nurturing that truly matters.”

Lu Ran’s response was a minor interlude, and soon, the second day’s tournament officially began.

Facing Lu Ran, Gong Kaixin didn’t dare to be careless. He also disliked the Tyrannosaurus Rex team, but he wouldn’t publicly declare his intention to challenge them like Lu Ran did.

Winning would be fine, but losing would be a huge embarrassment.

He couldn’t understand how someone as young as Lu Ran wasn’t afraid of becoming an international laughingstock if things went wrong.

That was terrifying.

But for Lu Ran, it was all about mindset. Whether it was the initial provocation from the other side or the relationship between General Ha and Dr. Yunhan, one of the researchers behind the dinosaur resurrection, Lu Ran couldn’t take this lightly.

Declaring war on a national live broadcast might have seemed a bit brash.

But what’s youth without some bravado?

If he lost, he could just work hard for a while and come back stronger.

Lu Ran’s declaration of war undoubtedly earned him a batch of supporters in front of the live camera. Even the seeded players preparing on-site had newfound respect for Lu Ran.

Summer, Pluto, Bai Ling, Dog King, and others were slightly stunned. Even the superpowered older sister in a white cloak in some corner glanced sideways.

But for now, the main focus was the match between Gong Kaixin and Lu Ran!

Boom!!

As the tournament started, Gong Kaixin, not daring to be careless, immediately summoned both his pet beasts.

A level 16 rock-type giant snake and a level 17 earth-type giant turtle!

Fusion!

A colossal turtle and snake, over ten meters long, appeared directly in the arena!

“Roar!!” The turtle and snake let out a massive roar, eyeing the pet beast Lu Ran had summoned. This time, Lu Ran sent out the sudden death king again.

“Roar!!” The sudden death king looked at the opponent with a disdainful gaze.

This opponent was different from yesterday’s.

An earth-type pet beast could significantly resist thunder-type skills.

Coupled with the opponent’s formidable defense, the sudden death king would indeed have a tough time winning.

However, given the different circumstances today, Lu Ran didn’t plan on slowly wearing down his opponent, which could lower his morale.

He planned to reveal a bit of his trump card early to show the world what a true dragon was.

Today, he intended to resolve the battle more dominantly.

“Xuanwu, Earth Power!” As the battle began, Gong Kaixin played it safe, commanding his pet beast nicknamed Xuanwu to simultaneously use its earth and rock energy flow techniques. This made it seem as though it had transformed into a giant mountain standing firmly on the ground, significantly boosting its defense!

“Now, that thunder-type Dragon Lizard is going to have a hard time.”

Many spectators shared this view, and even the three judges agreed.

Not only them, but even Lu Ran himself could tell that not even the Sudden Death King’s ultimate move, Thunder Shield, could seriously injure the opponent.

Attribute restraint plays a considerable role in battles.

Moreover, this turtle and snake were not weak to begin with.

However, it’s unfortunate that the Sudden Death King isn’t limited to just thunder!

Just as people were curious about how Lu Ran, who had just declared war on the Tyrannosaurus Rex team so dominantly, would handle the current formidable dark horse, they saw a change. Lu Ran’s surroundings began to blur and heat up, with red flames slowly flickering and swirling around him.

“What is this??”

“Beast taming skill? Is Lu Ran finally going to use his beast taming skill??”

Seeing the transformation in Lu Ran, the audience was astonished. Until now, Lu Ran hadn’t showcased his beast taming skills in the tournament, but it seemed he was about to reveal them today.

However, why did it look like a flame-type beast taming skill??

What did this mean…

At the same time, no one noticed the determined look in the Sudden Death King’s eyes, as it began to unleash its power!!!

“Roar!!!” As Lu Ran manifested his beast taming power, the Sudden Death King started to form Thunder Dragon Armor!!

At this moment, the audience watched as Lu Ran slowly raised his palm, and a small Fire Dragon flew out from his hand, heading toward the Sudden Death King.

This extraordinarily unique beast taming skill left the spectators both at the venue and watching on TV wide-eyed.

“What is this?” Gong Kaixin was confused.

But the next moment, everyone was shocked, as the Fire Dragon Flame Sprite reached the Sudden Death King and then directly fused with it!

Boom!

An explosive force erupted from the Sudden Death King.

“Roar!!!” The Thunder Flame surged from the Sudden Death King, reaching a height of over ten meters. In the terrifying burst of energy, its figure flickered in and out of visibility.

As red lightning intertwined with red flames, currents and flames flowed together through the scales of the Sudden Death King. In an instant, yesterday’s Thunder Dragon Armor reemerged in the form of the Thunder Flame Dragon.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the explosive sounds, the Thunder Flame energy began to take shape.

The Thunder Flame Dragon, towering over ten meters, briefly erupted before condensing its power into a five or six-meter giant dragon, hovering in mid-air.

“Roar!!!”

An even more terrifying Dragon Might emanated, making it seem as though an overlord of Loong-type species had descended. The oppressive Dragon Might distorted the surrounding air.

Many competitors’ expressions changed.

On the field, Gong Kaixin couldn’t believe his eyes.

At that moment, he felt an overwhelming power radiating from the Sudden Death King!

“Finish them.”

With Lu Ran’s command, the Sudden Death King spread its Thunder Flame Dragon Wings, engulfed in flames and lightning, and dived toward the turtle and snake.

“Roar!!!”

No one knew why the Sudden Death King’s gaze held such resolve.

“Not good!!”

Realizing the danger, Gong Kaixin hurriedly commanded the turtle and snake to bolster their defenses. But before the Sudden Death King could fully close in, it… exploded!!!

Unable to perfectly coordinate the Thunder Flame energy, the Sudden Death King didn’t last long before it detonated with a thunderous boom. Even as it self-destructed, the terrifying wave of Thunder Flame energy swept over the turtle and snake like a hurricane, engulfing them instantly!!

Boom!!

Thunder Flames erupted across the field, and in the ensuing shockwave, the massive figure of the turtle and snake was blown away, its body scorched black as it was hurled far off.

Crash!!

It landed heavily on the ground, its body bearing the explosive damage from the entwined flames and lightning.

Swoosh.

Seeing this, Gong Kaixin’s face turned pale, his body weakened, and he could only watch helplessly as the turtle and snake were instantly defeated, their form split apart.

“Roar!!!”

However, despite such a terrifying explosion, when the smoke cleared, the Sudden Death King stood in the arena with only slight cracks on its scales. It had relied on its own defense to withstand the previous “failed rampage” form! Goodness, the Sudden Death King felt a lingering fear. Although it had experimented with this tactic before, using it again still made it a bit nervous. Fortunately, its opponent was defeated; otherwise, it would have had to release the explosive damage it endured as a finishing move.

“What the heck is this!!” At that moment, the seeded players who had been eagerly waiting to watch this “battle of dragons” were shocked. They couldn’t understand why the Thunder Dragon Lizard suddenly transformed into a Thunder Flame Dragon, displaying such terrifying destructive power.

“Damn, my brother was right. This Dragon Lizard indeed has a terrifying destructive method! But… its defense is strong too!” Zhou Mo, known as the Dog King, looked grim.

The entire venue fell silent.

Not only the Fourth Generation, but even the judges were at a loss, not recognizing this beast taming skill. They looked to the three deans for help.

At this moment, the three deans were also baffled.

Even Dean Qin Ming, known for his strength, had never seen such a beast taming skill…

It seemed to imbue a thunder-type pet beast with fire-type power. This fire-type power appeared to contain another artistic conception of the dragon, merging with the Sudden Death King’s Dragon Power to create explosive, terrifying destructive force!

In an instant, it was comparable to a sovereign species.

No one expected Lu Ran to so easily dispatch a powerful dark horse in his second battle.

As the scene fell into silence, suddenly, Dean Kong of the History College’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “Could it be… a Flame Sprite??”

Her voice drew many eyes toward her.

“Dean Kong, what kind of beast taming skill is Flame Sprite? I’ve never heard of it before,” the judge inquired.

“Flame Sprite is a Special Beast Taming Skill developed by Yan Sizhen, the second emperor of the Beast Taming Empire. It not only allows a beastmaster to harness the power of flames but also enables the beastmaster to imbue their pet beast with this power!”

“It’s an extremely unique and very powerful top-level beast taming skill that was lost in the later stages of the Beast Taming Empire.”

“Flame Sprite??” Many beastmasters were astonished.

Although they hadn’t heard of Flame Sprite, knowing it was a special skill developed by Yan Sizhen, the second emperor of the Beast Taming Empire, made it clear this skill was extraordinarily formidable. Otherwise, Lu Ran wouldn’t have so easily defeated Gong Kaixin, who had mastered fusion.

“Damn!”

Of course, the most dumbfounded at this moment were Bai Ling, the explorer, the pet shop owner, She Pi, and the other friends who had broken through the secret realm with Lu Ran.

Learning that Lu Ran had obtained the signature beast taming skill of a previous emperor during their breakthrough, they were certain this guy was definitely cheating!

When the little Fire Dragon appeared earlier, they suddenly recalled Lu Ran’s experience in Dragon Valley.

What on earth did this guy do in Dragon Valley? Could he have actually become a Dragon Chef? Looking at the Dragon Lizard before them, they felt numb and started to believe it was possible!

“I lost.” At this moment, even Gong Kaixin couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, finally understanding why Lu Ran dared to make such a high-profile challenge.

Not only were Lu Ran’s pet beasts incredibly powerful, but he also mastered such a strong beast taming skill. The Thunder Flame Dragon just now truly made him feel like he was witnessing a purebred giant dragon. No wonder Lu Ran dared to challenge the Tyrannosaurus Rex team—just this Thunder Flame Dragon, which could instantly defeat the Xuanwu, was enough. So what if it was the Tyrannosaurus Rex?