The Cult of Death, also referred to by outsiders as the Undead Cult, maintained its influence within the Death Space, a domain housing eighteen mountain peaks. Each peak contained numerous caves and residences that served as the abodes of the cult’s higher-ups.
Only the elders of the various peaks, the divine emissaries, and the cult leader were permitted to reside long-term within the Death Space.
The hierarchy of the Cult of Death was as follows: cult leader, elders, divine emissaries, core talents, missionaries, and ordinary members.
At that moment, enormous soul skulls materialized above each peak, announcing the latest news within the cult.
“Sudden Death King, originally an ordinary member of the Cult of Death and a newly emerged genius, single-handedly defeated hundreds of imperial beastmasters in Ming An City, protecting numerous cult members.
“Furthermore, as a prodigy of the culinary arts, he tirelessly researched a method to eliminate the drawbacks of soul consumption.
“Finally, through his culinary techniques, he succeeded in separating the soul from consciousness, creating the harmless soul dish. This achievement laid a pivotal foundation for the development of necromancy and significantly contributed to the expansion of the undead domain!
“Today, I, Legendary Necromancer Los, formally take Sudden Death King as my disciple and bestow upon him the title of the first Undead Holy Son of the Cult of Death, granting him a rank equal to that of an elder!”
The announcement spread rapidly, shaking the Death Space to its core. The title of Undead Holy Son nearly guaranteed the position of the next cult leader. This declaration left many core talents in the cult feeling aggrieved.
They had labored relentlessly to inherit the cult’s mantle, only to be suddenly outmaneuvered by an unknown individual. However, upon hearing the cult leader personally affirm Sudden Death King’s accomplishments, their shock gave way to bewilderment.
Culinary techniques to cook harmless souls?
Compared to the core talents, the elders—who had spent years mastering necromancy—marveled at the talent their leader had chosen to mentor.
The cult’s greatest challenge in expanding its influence wasn’t the slander spread by the outside world. Because the rumors were, in fact, true. Those lacking talent who practiced necromancy risked transforming into grotesque half-human, half-ghost creatures.
Undead familiars, which could only feed on souls, were also constrained by the toxicity of the souls themselves, severely limiting necromancy’s growth. While a handful of geniuses could rely on sheer willpower to progress to higher levels, such individuals were exceedingly rare.
Many potential talents avoided necromancy entirely due to these risks. The emergence of Lu Ran was like a spark igniting a wildfire of hope for the Cult of Death. The elders and divine emissaries instantly grasped why the cult leader had chosen such a disciple—his unparalleled talent justified the honor.
“This will be your residence from now on,” the cult leader declared.
With a single step, the space around him and Lu Ran shifted, transporting them to a newly revealed peak. The peak was vast and empty, but what left Lu Ran momentarily stunned was the abundance of Soul Calming Stones embedded in every crevice of the mountain.
“You can communicate with the mountain god later to design your dwelling.”
“A rock-attribute undead familiar that has served the cult for many years.”
Oh, so the cult has its own construction contractor.
“By the way, as your master, it seems I’ve yet to prepare a gift for you,” the cult leader said warmly.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a bottle-like weapon and an ancient book, both of which floated toward Lu Ran. He caught them swiftly.
[Name: Soul-Restraining Bottle]
“This Soul-Restraining Bottle is a powerful weapon for attacking, capturing, and preserving souls. Generally, souls are difficult to carry—most necromancers must search for food on the spot to feed their familiars.
“But with this bottle, you can store thousands of souls at once, allowing you to research or use them in combat whenever necessary. For instance, you can sacrifice souls to activate certain abilities without any hassle.”
Holding the Soul-Restraining Bottle, Lu Ran marveled. This is what having a legendary-level master means.
As for the other item...
[Name: Soul Meditation Technique]
Lu Ran was once again stunned.
“The Soul Meditation Technique is an exclusive method of the Cult of Death. Beyond basic necromancy, most advanced techniques are built upon this method. Take your time to master it. Once you’ve made sufficient progress, I’ll tailor further instruction to your abilities.”
No need! No need! Just give me everything now!
Although he wanted to say that, he was afraid of the consequences, so he simply thanked his master sincerely.
“Thank you, Master. I will dedicate myself to studying it.”
“Also, since you have an interest in culinary arts, forging, and undead research, I’ll have the Upper Palace elder guide you in spirit weapon research. That bone sword you used in Ming An City was crafted by him.
“Additionally, your current kitchen knife seems lacking in quality. The Upper Palace elder can forge you a better one to aid your research.”
The cult leader clearly placed immense hopes on Lu Ran.
“Understood.” Lu Ran nodded as the cult leader’s gaze shifted to the distance, his thoughts seemingly occupied by something else.
“At your level and age, there’s no need to concern yourself with too much right now. Focus on improving your strength and conducting the research you enjoy. I’ll handle another matter for you in the meantime.
“During this period, the Netherflame Divine Emissary will serve as your personal emissary. She will teach you how to survive in this space and handle any tasks you require.”
With that, the cult leader departed. Lu Ran, though unsure what another matter referred to, dismissed the thought. No point overthinking it. Besides, he couldn’t exploit a single person endlessly.
The gap between his status and the cult leader’s was far too vast. Instead, he intended to use his new position as the Undead Holy Son to request gifts from elders and divine emissaries alike.
“Greetings, Holy Son!”
Shortly after the cult leader left, the Netherflame Divine Emissary appeared, bowing respectfully. This left Lu Ran momentarily speechless.
So this is the proper way to clear an ascension realm.
With this identity, forget about opposing forces like the Golden Generation— even first-generation legends might hesitate when he brought along his subordinates.
“Netherflame Divine Emissary, no need for such formality. Could you locate the mountain god and have it construct a simple residence for me?”
“Additionally, as a new member of the cult, I feel immense pressure and responsibility. I’m not sure if I can live up to this mission. I’ll take today to rest, but starting tomorrow, can you accompany me to visit the elders one by one?
“Also, I’d like to meet the divine emissaries and the other talents of my generation. I want to pay them visits, seek their guidance, and exchange ideas with them. Please inform them in advance so they’re prepared. Arrange the schedule so we don’t end up wasting time with no one present.”
The Netherflame Divine Emissary was surprised. She hadn’t expected that after becoming the Undead Holy Son, Lu Ran would be so humble. Instead of summoning others to visit him, he planned to take the initiative himself.
“Also, if they ask about me, feel free to share some appropriate details. That might help reduce the sense of distance,” Lu Ran said thoughtfully.
If they know about my familiars, they’ll be able to prepare more suitable gifts. Let’s see just how many people in this cult understand social etiquette!
He already had a small notebook for Captain Doofus to jot everything down. If someone didn’t give him a gift, they’d be marked in his ledger.
Later, Lu Ran planned to sell this grudge book to Manager Ying as intelligence. The entry would read: The stingiest and most tactless higher-ups of the Undead Cult on the Stellar Moon Continent.
“I will take care of everything,” the Netherflame Divine Emissary responded earnestly.
“One last thing. While getting to know the cult is important, I hope this can be done as quickly as possible—ideally within half a month. I don’t want to waste too much time that could be used for research.”
Soon, the Netherflame Divine Emissary left to visit each elder, relaying Lu Ran’s requests. Meanwhile, the mountain god—a giant pangolin-like entity—completed the construction of Lu Ran’s residence.
Lu Ran moved in immediately, once again taking out the two items his master had given him. The Soul-Restraining Bottle was a remarkable artifact. Even an ID card couldn’t store souls, but this bottle could.
He considered nesting the bottle within his ID card to store souls efficiently. That way, he could carry thousands of them anytime, anywhere, and whip up soul culinary experiments whenever he wanted.
“Master also mentioned the sacrificial flow earlier—sacrificing souls to cast specific skills. Tsk... Such a sinister technique. I need to find out which elder specializes in this and learn how to teach it to Dark Crow.
“If I can sacrifice tens of thousands of souls to cast a curse, wouldn’t I be able to overpower higher-level opponents? Sacrifice and curse... that seems like an excellent combination.”
Lu Ran felt he had just discovered a new direction for cultivating his familiars.
“Of course, I’m a good person. I’ll only curse bad people.”
He picked up the Soul Meditation Technique, glanced at it briefly, and rolled his eyes. Then, he tossed it aside to gather dust in his storage space.
This thing requires a Beastmaster Space to train. Completely useless to me since I don’t have one. As expected, resources and equipment suit me far better.
The next day, Lu Ran set out with a meticulously crafted schedule, beginning his visits to the high-ranking members of the cult. His first stop was the Upper Palace elder, from whom he planned to learn forging skills and request a higher-quality tool to replace his current kitchen knife.
“Greetings, Upper Palace Elder. I hope my unannounced visit hasn’t inconvenienced you. I’ve brought a small gift—a special smoked rabbit soul dish I personally prepared this morning. As a newcomer, I don’t have much to offer, so please forgive the humble nature of this token.”
“This... You’re the Holy Son. How could I possibly accept such a gift when I haven’t even visited you yet?”
The Upper Palace elder’s hand slipped from his storage pouch as he spoke. For a moment, he felt that the gift he had prepared was utterly inadequate.