Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 224 The Ultimate Showdown! The Grand Finals!
October 11th, Thursday.

At 6:30 pm,
A bustling crowd poured into the Fengcheng Arena, filling it to capacity in no time.

The stadium erupted in cheers as tens of thousands of spectators rhythmically banged their cheering sticks while looking up at the countdown on the big screen.

Yang Yue and Li Qing took out the red banner they had prepared beforehand, unfurled it, and revealed a line of large characters: "Consultant Chen wins the Dafeng Cup!"
Huo Hong and Amei sat in the corner, listening to the thunderous cheers, their mouths bulging.

"Master Shi, this hamburger is so delicious." Amei held a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) in her left hand and a hamburger in her right, taking a bite every now and then, her greasy lips slightly upturned.

Huo Hong gently patted his stomach: "Free food tastes the best."

Considering the large number of people at the arena, many vendors set up stalls outside and launched free tasting events, which delighted the master and apprentice.

Huo Hong: "Amei, your task today is to eat as much as you want, until you don't want to eat anymore."

Amei: "I promise to complete the mission, hiccup."

Yuan Xiong and Liu Xin sat together, their arms around each other's shoulders.

Yuan Xiong: "Do you think Advisor Chen will send out his twin concubines today?"

Liu Xin: "I don't want to hear that name."

Yuan Xiong: "So who do you hope will win?"

Liu Xin: "Advisor Chen."

Yuan Xiong: "Why?"

Liu Xin: "That way, I can tell the public that I was eliminated by the champion."

Zhuang Jianbai sat upright, his hands resting on his thighs, quietly waiting for the match to begin.

The audience around him exclaimed in surprise, "Zhuang Jianbai, can we take a picture together?"

Zhuang Jianbai smiled slightly: "Of course."

After taking the photo, the audience member asked quietly, "When you're watching from the sidelines, do you feel a sense of disappointment?"

Jiang Yuntao immediately cast an unfriendly glance at him.

"No." Zhuang Jianbai shook his head calmly.

"Why?" the audience asked, puzzled.

Zhuang Jianbai's gaze was gentle: "The strong rise and the weak fall; hasn't that always been the principle?"

Wearing a shirt with Chen Yuan's image printed on both sides, Zhang Hao stood in front of a group of men and women and shouted loudly, "Our voices must be loud and clear, they must be in unison, and we must make everyone feel our support for Consultant Chen!"

"Okay!" everyone responded loudly.

It's unclear what methods Zhang Hao used, but he somehow became the leader of one of Chen Yuan's fan clubs, organizing a group of fans to cheer for Chen Yuan.

"Come on, let's rehearse once." Zhang Hao looked straight ahead and said in a loud voice, "Consultant Chen, good luck!"

"Keep it up, Consultant Chen!"

A unified voice quickly rang out, and Chen Yuan's fans, scattered across various areas, immediately joined in the cheering. Their shouts echoed throughout the venue, but Xia Heng's friends and family only found it noisy.

Someone frowned: "Is it really this high-profile before the competition has even started?"

Some people are puzzled: "Does this player have such a large fan base?"

Uncle San crossed his legs and said casually, "He is the first high-level beast tamer in our province. I heard that Yunhua Beast Taming Academy is planning to make him a professor."

Everyone fell silent.

Qinling Mountains, Xuanhe Village.

When Duck brought the little ones to the square, it was already bustling with people.

"call out."

The Wood Spirit Mouse family was seeing so many humans for the first time, and they were a little scared, so they couldn't help but shrink their necks.

"Roar."

The Fallen Horned Beast stepped forward, its massive body blocking the gazes of the crowd and protecting the Wood Spirit Rat family behind it.

Electric Flying Cat lay on the back of the Fallen Horned Beast, yawning repeatedly, looking listless.

To complete the task assigned by the farmer, Electric Flying Cat ran around yesterday, and its exercise volume exceeded the total of the previous week.

All it wants to do right now is sleep.

Seeing the electric cat's reaction, Duck secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This way, farmers won't have to worry about electric flying cats causing trouble.

Then, Duck Duck glanced furtively at Iron Head Boy, who was following at the very back.

The biggest challenge of this mission was persuading Tie Touwa to leave the farm.

After being persuaded by Chen Yuan, the old man, and Ya Ya, and given various reasons such as the threat of the Snow Cloud Wolf having disappeared, the farm temporarily lacking spirit plants, and the village having a Paw Patrol and a Wild Cloud Finch, the persuasion was finally effective.
In short, after much effort, Ironhead finally agreed to leave the farm, but said he would only be gone for half an hour at most.

It could never let go of the farm.

But when the headless child left, the clever duck immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Ironhead remained extremely vigilant and cautious, holding a pair of steel blades in front of his chest and scanning his surroundings, as if he were about to strike at any moment.

"Quack~"

The duck shook its head, indicating that there was no need to be so vigilant and that it would not encounter any danger in the village.

"Crack."

Iron-Headed Kid's gaze was firm as he shook his head.

The outside world is full of dangers. Originally, it wanted to train until it could split a mountain in two with a single steel blade before leaving the farm, but this time it made an exception and left, so it had to be extremely careful.

"Quack!" The duck spread its wings and shook its head helplessly.

This team is really hard to manage.

Why did you make me, a good-for-nothing, take on this task?!

When the farmer returns, he must reward me with three spirit fish!

Not one can be missing!
After sitting down at the seat arranged by Song Guohao, I could hear the murmurs of discussion around me:

"These are Consultant Chen's pet animals?"

"They all seem like formidable opponents, especially that big guy."

"Don't talk nonsense. That big guy and that big cat are both quite docile. They often come to the street to buy snacks."

"I haven't seen that duck before. Is it one that Consultant Chen is keeping to fatten up for food?"

"Beer duck?"

"Quack quack quack!" Duck was furious and stood up to look at the group of people discussing her.

Suddenly, a shout came from not far away: "Village chief, those two big bears from last time are back!"

A commotion broke out among the crowd.

The village chief stood up, waved his hand, and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid. This is a friend of Consultant Chen. He came here specifically to watch the competition. Are there two foxes here too?"

“There are two foxes,” the man replied, then fell silent for a moment before shouting in panic, “Village chief, not only them, but also a group of pet beasts, and they want to come over too.”

"Making a fuss over nothing." The village chief remained unmoved. "Maybe they're friends of Consultant Chen, and there are a few more?"

"Not just a few."

"Yes, there are dozens!"

Fengcheng Arena
As the countdown on the big screen reached zero, dazzling fireworks lit up the sky above the venue, and a large flock of larks soared overhead, marking the start of this grand event.

Amidst deafening applause and cheers, the host's voice boomed with passion:
"Ladies and gentlemen, viewers in front of your televisions, welcome to the Dafeng Cup Grand Final!"

"The two players about to face off are Chen Yuan and Xia Heng—"

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to our two contestants as they take the stage!"

Outside, cheers thundered. Xia Heng, dressed in a specially tailored coat that accentuated his tall figure, stood quietly in the shadows of the players' tunnel, with two figures standing beside him.

"It's our turn."

The moment the signal to enter the arena came, Xia Heng opened his dark eyes and a smile spread across his lips: "Advisor Chen, I look forward to the match against you."

"But I'm determined to win this championship."

“Because,” he turned to look at the two figures beside him, his voice firm, “because they gave everything.”

Hearing the host's voice from outside, Chen Yuan listened intently to the deafening roar outside and let out a soft breath.

A little excited.

"Ow!"

Cola was even more excited than him. It flicked its tail and lunged forward, wanting to be the first to rush out of the contestant tunnel and receive the applause of countless spectators, but Chen Yuan grabbed its tail.

"Look, you're in a hurry again," Chen Yuan said with a smile.

"Awooo~" Cola wagged its tail. It could clearly feel the walls on both sides making a thumping sound. Its emotions became excited again, and it bit Chen Yuan's trouser leg, urging him to hurry up and make his appearance.

Chen Yuan nodded slightly, then looked at the orange-yellow figure hidden in the shadows. The pair of deep blue eyes were as profound as the sea and mountains, yet remained calm.

Chen Yuan extended his right hand: "Ready?"

"Chirp."

Spark nodded, spread its wings and took flight, attempting to land on Chen Yuan's right arm, but found that its increasingly large size made it unable to support such an action.

Spark gave Chen Yuan a resentful look and then simply flew to the top of his head.

"Let's go."

Chen Yuan smiled, took a step forward, and the majestic Cola walked proudly on the left, while the arrogant Sparks flew overhead.

As they continued forward through the dimly lit passage, the cheers grew louder and more genuine.

"Advisor Chen!"

Yang Yue and Li Qing stood behind the front railing, holding up a conspicuous red banner and waving vigorously: "Go, Consultant Chen!"

Chen Yuan noticed the two small snakes wrapped around Li Qing and quickly looked away.

When Chen Yuan's image appeared on the big screen, Lü Hao excitedly shouted, "Advisor Chen, I've been your fan for ten years!"

Let's win this championship!

Amidst thunderous cheers, Chen Yuan and Xia Heng walked to the center of the field, looked at each other, and shook hands.

"Advisor Chen." Xia Heng's eyes reflected the Flame Cloud Falcon and the Wind-Gathering Hound. He smiled and spoke earnestly, "I've been looking forward to my match with you for a long time."

“Zhuang Jianbai once told me that defeating you would be as difficult as climbing to heaven, but I want to try.”

A smile appeared on Chen Yuan's face as he calmly said, "Come on then."

Spark's deep eyes gazed at the Ink Tree Spirit and the Raging Wave Crocodile beside Xia Heng before looking away.

None of them were his match.

"Awooo!" Cola barked repeatedly, its gaze unfriendly.

If you want to defeat your master, you'll have to get past me first!

"On one side is Xia Heng, a rising star who has overcome doubts and skepticism to get here. He has defeated one powerful opponent after another, and he has put on a series of exciting battles with his pet beast. His journey is not over yet, and he will make a final push for the championship!"

"The other side is Chen Yuan, the advisor of the Beast Tamer Association of Baokun City. He has never lost since his debut. No contestant can defeat his pet beast, not even one. He is the great demon king in the hearts of all contestants. He is recognized as the strongest contender for the championship. He only has the championship in his eyes."

The host was full of passion, and the audience held their breath in anticipation. Searchlights shone back and forth, casting fleeting white dots of light.

The referee arrived at the center of the arena amidst the attention of the crowd: "I will announce the rules of this match. This match will be a 2v2 battle. The side that loses all of its pets will be the winner."

Then, the head referee raised his flag and looked around: "Both players, please take your positions!"

Chen Yuan and Xia Heng stood at a distance, recalling their respective pets. All the audience held their breath, and the huge venue was completely silent.

The referee, with a serious expression, abruptly waved his flag: "The match begins!"

The big screen displayed the official photos of Chen Yuan and Xia Heng taken before the match, accompanied by rousing background music.

Xia Heng's eyes shone brightly, and a white summoning array quickly appeared in front of him. The enormous figure of the Ink Tree Spirit gradually appeared, its main root coiled like a giant python, its branches swaying with the sound of wind, its canopy extending in an umbrella shape, and its open, crack-like mouth terrifying and frightening.

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed, and a green summoning diagram spread out on the ground in front of him. The Wind Hound strode confidently and calmly forward, then suddenly raised its head and roared. The searchlights illuminated its wild, flying fur, and a violent wave of air blew in all directions.

“Gathering Wind Hound.” Xia Heng’s eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. “I’ve been looking forward to you for a long time.”

He had long seen through Consultant Chen's thoughts.

As the most dominant contestant in this competition, Consultant Chen has an incredibly confident heart beneath his humble and easy-going exterior. He will not change his order of appearance for any contestant.

The first one sent out was the Wind-Gathering Hound, and the second one was the Flame Cloud Falcon.

He is not worried about his lineup being countered or targeted; his formidable strength makes him fearless.

It's like a level-based game; only by defeating the Gale Hound in front of you can you see the Flame Cloud Falcon behind you and force Advisor Chen to unleash his full power.

"An Ink Tree Spirit?" Chen Yuan murmured softly.

In this way, Spark will face off against the Water-type Raging Crocodile.

In terms of attributes, this battle is slightly disadvantageous for Chen Yuan.

However, a beast tamer who cannot fight against opposing attributes is not a good beast tamer.

"Riding the wind."

After a moment's thought, Chen Yuan decided to proceed cautiously and steadily.

"Ow!"

Cola responded with its head held high, a gentle breeze wafting from its feet, the airflow blowing over its entire body, instantly increasing its speed. It suddenly darted out from in front of Chen Yuan and rushed towards the Ink Tree Spirit.

The Ink Tree Spirit was slow-moving and could barely move its body, making it a sitting duck in Cola's eyes.

Cola's eyes sparkled with excitement. He could already imagine himself toying with it, easily defeating it, and then fighting against the raging crocodile, achieving a stunning victory against two opponents amidst the cheers of thousands.

This station will solidify its reputation as the number one Wind-Gathering Hunting Dog in the East!
Cola's figure had already traversed most of the field, the wind whistling behind it, its gaze sharp; it was fully prepared to launch an attack.

The Ink Tree Spirit remained unmoved, and several wrist-thick tentacles suddenly burst from the ground, rushing towards Cola from all directions at the same time. The astonishing speed immediately caused an uproar.

Compared to the day before, the thickness and speed of the decaying roots have greatly improved.

"He's broken through!" Chen Yuan's pupils contracted, and he made a judgment in an instant.

Several tentacles suddenly sprang up, some wrapping around Cola's hind legs, some around its tail, and some around its neck, like a constantly tightening wooden cage, bringing Cola's offensive to a halt.

"Ow!"

Cola was furious.

Don't pull my tail!
The professional commentator invited by the competition committee shouted at the opportune moment: "The Corruption Roots have firmly controlled the Wind-Gathering Hounds!"

While the unsuspecting audience was still in shock and doubt, the sharp-eyed beast tamers immediately noticed the improvement in the Ink Tree Spirit's strength.

"The Ink Tree Spirit has broken through to the third rank." Nie Li frowned slightly, her voice clear and crisp.

Only by breaking through to the third tier can the Ink Tree Spirit keep up with the speed of the Wind-Gathering Hound and bind it at crucial moments.

White Fern fell silent, while Wild Boar tilted its head and asked in confusion, "Wasn't it still at Tier 2 two days ago?"

Nie Li succinctly stated: "A high-pressure environment can promote the progress of pets, and breakthroughs can occur at any time."

Wild Boar nodded in confusion, then couldn't help but ask, "Then isn't Consultant Chen in danger?"

“No.” Nie Li shook her head, looking at the calm-faced black-haired youth on the field, “Advisor Chen is unbeatable.”

Zhuang Jian rolled his eyes, straightened his back, and muttered under his breath, "Can you really do that?"

To accomplish what he had always dreamed of.

If the Tier 3 Ink Tree Spirit can withstand the onslaught of the Wind-Gathering Hound, then the Raging Wave Crocodile will have the advantage against the Flame Cloud Falcon.

Can he really do it?
On the field,

The moment he temporarily subdued the Gale Hound, Xia Heng did not hesitate and decided to seize this fleeting opportunity: "Ink Tree Spirit, Thousand Leaf Blade Dance."

The breakthrough of the Ink Tree Spirit surprised everyone, including Chen Yuan.

The reason why the Wind Hound was able to be controlled this time was entirely due to the information gap. Once the opponent was prepared, it would be difficult for the Ink Tree Spirit to control it again.

The next moment, the main trunk of the Ink Tree Spirit trembled, and the leaves in the crown clicked in unison, like thousands of blades being drawn from their sheaths.

The moment the leaves detached from the branches, they gleamed with a chilling light under the searchlight, like countless blades flying towards the cola.

Seeing that Cola was in trouble at the very beginning, the group of little guys watching from Xuanhe Village immediately became nervous. Duck opened its mouth wide, looking anxious, and flapped its wings: "Quack quack!"

Get out of the way, duck!
The bear cub suddenly stood up and punched violently, seemingly trying to rush into the big screen to rescue Cola, while simultaneously punching the hideous ink tree spirit away.

The father bear remained calm, pressing his paw down on the cub's head to signal it to calm down.

Then, Daddy Bear looked up at the Coke on the big screen and said in a deep voice, "Roar."

No one understands the trickiness of Coca-Cola better than it.

"Hoohoho!"

"嘤嘤嘤!"

"Fizz!"

Not only the ducks and bear cubs, but also the other wild animals watching the battle were indignant, and all sorts of cries echoed throughout the area, frightening the villagers sitting in the other areas into not daring to move.

"Is it really okay to leave these pets here?"

"Didn't Xiao Chen say there were only two bears and two foxes?"

"What?" The village chief looked at the dozens of pets surrounding Bear Dad, his expression complicated, and he hesitated to speak.

This group of pets includes not only cute, petite, and gentle harmless pets such as Ice Dew Rat, Soft Grass, and Flowing Cloud Sparrow, but also dangerous pets with unpredictable temperaments such as Black-striped Spider and Silver-armored Mantis.

Has Consultant Chen wiped out all the wild pets living in the neighborhood?

Song Guohao stroked his chin and pondered, "Perhaps something went wrong somewhere."

"What should we do then?" the village chief asked hurriedly.

Song Guohao's eyes flickered, and he said thoughtfully, "This is the only way for now. We can't possibly drive them away; that's not how you treat guests."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Guohao suddenly noticed that the Flame-Tailed Fox was staring intently at the snacks in a child's hand. He looked thoughtful, then suddenly smiled and said, "Village Chief, I have an idea that can bring us closer to them."

On the field,
But Chen Yuan reacted just as quickly: "Wind Blade".

"Ow!"

Although his body was under control, Cola could instantly condense dozens of wind blades with just a thought.

A sharp aura flowed, and the wind blades precisely slashed at the joints of the tentacles, severing each tentacle.

Breaking free from its restraints, Cola landed lightly on the ground, but just then, several flying leaves whistled by and hit it precisely.

Strands of light brown fur fell to the ground, and a faint pain shot through his back. Cola roared in fury, "Awooo!"

I'm injured!
This is the first time I've been injured since I started competing!
Enraged, Cola dodged left and right, avoiding the flying leaves, but even more leaves swept towards him.

In that instant, Chen Yuan's voice echoed in his mind: "Surge of Wind".

Cola leaped and twirled in the rain of leaves, a surge of wind bursting from his nostrils, carrying a fierce wave of air that spread in all directions!

The leaves, scattered by the strong wind, fluttered and fell to the ground.

But then a strong wind blew back, trying to shake the ink tree spirit.

The tree's canopy swayed, its leaves rustling, and its massive body shook violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Xia Heng quickly responded: "Draw from the deep roots."

Despite the strong winds, its roots took hold of the ground, firmly grasping the ground and immediately halting its precarious state.

Wood-type skill, Deep Roots Absorption, allows the user to slowly regenerate life force while firmly establishing their roots in the ground.

The two exchanged blows fiercely, drawing enthusiastic cheers.

"Xia Heng is really not bad, is he?"

"I thought Consultant Chen had already secured the championship, but now it seems there's still some suspense."

"The Ink Tree Spirit has actually broken through! Xia Heng is truly the chosen one!"

"I feel the plot will unfold like this: Consultant Chen gets off to a bad start, makes a series of blunders, gets into a tough battle, struggles to the death, and then collapses completely. Consultant Chen then gives his victory speech."

Seeing that the Ink Tree Spirit had withstood the Wind Surge with its Deep Roots ability, Chen Yuan gave the next instruction: "Cola, Vortex Assault."

"Ow!"

Cola roared, and pale blue ripples spread beneath his feet. Suddenly, he transformed into a light brown afterimage, and three rings of energy exploded behind him, creating a deafening sonic boom.

The Ink Tree Spirit remained unmoved, its tentacles emerging from the ground and waving, attempting to intercept the cola.

Yes. This is the Vortex Assault after receiving the Windwalk bonus, its charging speed is faster and more ferocious than before!

Almost instantly, the cola closed the distance between them, and the tentacles waving behind it slammed into the ground, only to be crushed by the violent shockwave carried by the cola.

It's getting closer, closer and closer.

In that instant, all the audience members widened their eyes, sat up straight, and stared intently at the scene on the field, not daring to even breathe.

Everyone knew that the moment that would determine the course of the battle had arrived.

"Ow!"

Accompanied by a spirited bark, Cola stormed into the Ink Tree Spirit's sight with unstoppable force.

The Ink Tree Spirit tried to stop its charge, its retracted tentacles rushing towards Cola like madmen, but were blocked by the layers of air waves surging around the latter.

Can't stop!
It can't be stopped at all!
A deafening sonic boom exploded in his ears, and Xia Heng felt his ears ringing. When he looked up, he saw the Gale Hound crash into the Ink Tree Spirit.

A violent shockwave swept outwards in an instant, clothes fluttered, dust swirled, and Xia Heng squinted and stared ahead, only able to see a massive figure flying backwards.

Boom!
With a dull thud, the vast stadium fell into a deathly silence.

(End of this chapter)