“So, what are the stances of the Youxiong Clan and the official authorities on this matter?”
Lu Ran wasn’t sure what impact the revival of such an ancient creature would have on Xia’s beastmaster domain.
Manager Ying wouldn’t have told me this just to gossip, right?
“I don’t know either.” Manager Ying shrugged. “I only know that the panda is still quite energetic and has been awake for several days. But the news only got out today.
“The Youxiong Clan claims that they have already communicated with the ancient panda. They say this ancient beast is willing to serve as Xia’s guardian. Additionally, anyone interested in meeting the guardian can visit tomorrow.”
Lu Ran paused, then said, “Why does this feel so familiar?”
Wasn’t this exactly what he did with the Undead Cult? Establishing an impressive identity and waiting for people to come bearing gifts! The Youxiong Clan really knew what they were doing.
By leveraging the status of an ancient beast, they were bound to attract numerous factions from Xia to visit and present gifts. What a brilliant move!
“You planning to check it out?” Lu Ran asked.
“Of course. I came to ask if you wanted to go with me. As an ancient being myself, I’d like to chat with the panda. Maybe I’ll uncover some valuable information. If you’re busy, I’ll go alone.”
“I’m in. Why wouldn’t I go? Besides, Captain Doofus and Dark Crow aren’t in any hurry to evolve. Are we leaving tomorrow morning?”
Lu Ran was curious about the ancient panda’s wealth. Did it possess any stored ancient treasures? If it had a rich hoard, Lu Ran hoped it was interested in reproduction. That way, he could trade his Blood Drop Stone for resources.
“No, tomorrow it’ll be crowded. With our status, we deserve some special privileges. We’re leaving right now! As far as I know, many people have already arrived.”
Lu Ran pondered. He had planned to prepare a gift, but whatever.
Although the Youxiong Clan had spread far and wide across the country—its strongest branch even founding the multinational Youxiong Group spanning Xia and the Snow Federation—its members still returned to Lotus City every year for ancestral worship.
On a street corner in Youxiong Ancient Town, beneath a ginkgo tree, Lu Ran teleported alongside Manager Ying. He wore a doofus-themed short-sleeve shirt, a baseball cap, and black sunglasses. They then made their way to a sealed-off ancient courtyard.
“See? It’s closed,” Lu Ran said.
“Are you calling someone, or should I?”
Lu Ran was impatient. “I’ll do it.”
Moments later, the call connected. Lu Ran had dialed the only Youxiong Clan member he knew, which was Youxiong Anlin.
“Lu Ran?” A surprised voice came from the other end.
The two weren’t exactly close. Their relationship consisted of a brief encounter at the freshman competition, where Youxiong Anlin surrendered without a fight. Later, Youxiong Anlin invited Lu Ran to challenge a Legendary Secret Realm, but Lu Ran flatly refused.
Despite the rejection, Youxiong Anlin had proven his worth by successfully challenging the secret realm with another team.
“Youxiong, are you at your clan’s ancestral town?”
“You’re kidding. Don’t tell me you’re here too?” Youxiong Anlin was stunned.
“Yep. Manager Ying from the Cat Maid Cafe and I happened to be passing by. We heard about what’s happening and decided to check it out. Mind hosting us?”
“Damn.” Youxiong Anlin paused. “Alright... No problem. I’ll come right away. You could’ve given me a heads-up, you know.”
He sighed. Guests were not all the same. Lu Ran and Manager Ying were no ordinary visitors. Having the Youxiong Clan’s leader personally host them wouldn’t be excessive.
Lu Ran, who was the first person on Blue Planet to raise an Overlord and the strongest fourth-generation beastmaster. He solo-cleared Legendary Secret Realms with ease, and the media predicted he’d rival the first generation within a year.
Manager Ying was the first ancient being to ally with Xia, suspected to be the first to awaken, and the true leader of the nation’s second-largest intelligence organization. She was well-acquainted with every first generation.
These two were VIPs. After getting their call, Youxiong Anlin personally welcomed them.
“Lu Ran, Manager Ying, come in. I’ll take you to the main hall.” He smiled wryly. “Actually, there are a few others like you who came early... Uh...”
“Uhh... Your outfit...” After seeing Lu Ran’s outfit, Youxiong Anlin was momentarily stunned.
Black shorts, a doofus-themed shirt, sunglasses, a baseball cap—this was not the look of someone who had crushed an entire generation. If not for the phone call, Youxiong Anlin would have never connected this casually dressed guy to Lu Ran aka Pedestrian A.
Still... it was an effective disguise.
“It’s comfortable,” Lu Ran said.
Manager Ying eyed Youxiong Anlin.
“Kid... you’ve gotten stronger.”
“Ahaha, I’m only so-so.” Youxiong Anlin stole a glance at Lu Ran.
He felt much more confident now. Despite Lu Ran’s Overlord Dragon, Youxiong Anlin believed he had a bright future thanks to the guardian.
The young members of his clan had greatly benefited from the guardian as their strength skyrocketed. Had Lu Ran not raised an Overlord, Youxiong Anlin would have considered himself the stronger one.
But Lu Ran was a monster, having such a beast. Still, with the guardian’s guidance, his own Light-Dark Panda would eventually evolve into an Overlord.
Manager Ying recognizing his growth was a surprise.
As expected of an ancient being.
“Youxiong bro, what’s the deal with the Guardian Panda? You mentioned that others also arrived early?”
As Youxiong Anlin led them into the grand courtyard, Lu Ran was more interested in the guardian’s history and resources than Anlin’s power-up.
“I don’t know much. The guardian doesn’t talk much. But you arrived at the perfect time as several first generations are here. My little sister has already gone to wake the guardian. When you see it, you’ll understand.” He said secretively, “You’ll be shocked...”
Lu Ran exchanged glances with Manager Ying. Moments later, they stepped into the main hall.
The antique-style hall was already occupied by several distinguished guests. Youxiong Anlin’s uncle, Youxiong Jiyuan, the current Living Fossil President, was warmly entertaining the visitors.
As Lu Ran and Manager Ying entered, the room’s attention turned to them. Several nodded in greeting when they saw Manager Ying. But when their eyes landed on the casually dressed Lu Ran, they blinked in confusion.
“You got dragged here by Manager Ying too?” Shi Zhen was surprised.
“Yo, Lu Ran.” Dr. Gu waved while chatting with a petite girl.
“Huh, finally seeing you in person.” A gray-haired young man and a horse-faced youth observed him curiously.
Shit. The six first-generation beastmasters?
Half of the Alliance’s Twelve Zodiacs were gathered here. The Youxiong Clan’s Guardian had drawn major attention from the Beastmaster Alliance.
“Uh... hello, seniors.” Feeling out of place, Lu Ran awkwardly greeted them.
On the other hand, Manager Ying casually strolled toward Gu Qingyi.
Upon seeing Lu Ran, Youxiong Jiyuan, the president of the Living Fossil Guild, immediately stepped forward with a warm smile.
“Welcome, welcome! I’ve been meaning to visit you for a long time, Professor Lu, but I never expected you to come to Youxiong Ancient Town today. You must stay for a few more days and let me host you properly!”
“You’re too kind.” Lu Ran smiled. “No need to trouble yourself, President Youxiong...”
After a round of polite exchanges, Lu Ran found himself seated across from Zhu Kaixin and Principal Shi Zhen.
“You guys are here too?”
Zhu Kaixin chuckled. “I knew it! With an event , there’s no way Manager Ying would be absent!
“And I knew the moment you caught wind of the news, your noses would be as sharp as a dog’s, arriving the same day.” Manager Ying leaped onto a chair, giving him a look of disdain.
Lin Nian, the girl with special abilities, shot a warning glance at Manager Ying.
“Don’t bring trouble, alright, little kitty?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Manager Ying raised its paws in surrender, seemingly wary of her.
“You all will have to wait a little while longer. The Guardian Panda is quite fond of sleeping, so it’s not easy to wake up.” Youxiong Jiyuan said, looking at the assembled group of powerhouses.
They had anticipated that once the news got out, the official authorities would send representatives ahead of the public. However, they hadn’t expected the turnout to be this grand.
Six members of the Twelve Zodiacs, an ancient being, and the strongest of the fourth generation. This lineup alone could wipe out a small nation.
“Youxiong Jiyuan, can you at least give us some early intel on this so-called Guardian Panda?”
The gray-haired youth, one of the Twelve Zodiacs, known as Zi Shu, leaned forward.
“You just threw the news out there without providing any details? That’s not very fair.”
Youxiong Jiyuan chuckled. “The truth is, we don’t know much ourselves.”
Just as they were about to press further, suddenly, a colossal beastly aura surged toward them.
The expressions of the first generations changed slightly as they turned toward the entrance. A few moments later, a towering three-meter-tall panda, standing on two legs with a bamboo leaf in its mouth, slowly walked in.
At its side, there was a petite girl, barely 1.5 meters tall, who accompanied it.
“Gold-Grass dual attribute, Superior Overlord, level 68...?”
A few of them were stunned at the sight.
Its level exceeded even the Merfolk King?