Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 299 This is Our Champion

August 12, early morning.

clear.

Unlike yesterday, Chen Yuan's match was scheduled for the last group today.

This was actually a last resort to ensure viewership ratings, since many viewers came simply because of Chen Yuan's reputation.

Once Chen Yuan finished the first group's match, many viewers chose to stop watching.

Therefore, after the first group of matches ended yesterday, the viewership of the fun matches plummeted.

In addition, to enhance the excitement and competitiveness of the race, Lu Ran and Zhuang Jianbai were assigned to the same group as Chen Yuan.

All three are high-level beast tamers and have achieved excellent results in A-level competitions. They are strong contenders for the championship of this year's Qinling Riding Competition.

Moreover, Zhuang Jianbai and Chen Yuan had fought many times and were once hailed as genius beast tamers of Fengcheng. Their respective fans had fiercely debated who was stronger. Whenever they met, the topic of conversation would be endless.

As for Lu Ran, he has gained a large number of fans online and has received a lot of attention due to his flamboyant personality and strong abilities.

Chen Yuan woke up naturally after a good night's sleep, stretched lightly, and prepared to go find the Fallen Horned Beast.

Yesterday, he noticed that the Fallen Horned Beast was acting strangely, as if it was anxious about the competition. He had to talk to it and comfort it.

The result of the competition is not important; just participating is enough.

Moreover, Chen Yuan was not confident of winning the speed race.

Unlike fun races that aim for entertainment, competitive races focus on testing the speed of the pets.

In the race, there are no annoying wild pets to block the racers, and racers are prohibited from attacking each other. They can only use skills to change the terrain and affect their opponents' progress.

The Fallen Horned Beast is indeed an excellent mount. Its back is very broad, so it doesn't feel cramped when you sit on it. Moreover, it has great endurance and can run a long distance in one go.

However, behind these advantages, the Fallen Horned Beast also has a fatal flaw—insufficient explosive power.

Its large and robust size limits its explosive power to some extent, making it less powerful compared to Redhoofed Colts and Winter Dogs.

The Fallen Horned Beast is never known for its speed; it is as solid as a rock, yet lacks the ferocity and speed of a gale.

For this reason, Chen Yuan believes that winning the speed race will be extremely difficult.

But it's okay, participation is the most important thing.

A flurry of thoughts crossed his mind. Chen Yuan found the Fallen Horned Beast jogging slowly in the courtyard and smiled, "How was your rest yesterday?"

"Our match is the last one this afternoon, it's still early, come with me for a walk outside."

"Roar~" The Fallen Horned Beast nodded silently.

A person and their pet leave the farm and stroll on the snow.

The sun was still gentle today, illuminating Chen Yuan's face, which was sometimes bright and sometimes dark. He pursed his lips and glanced at the Fallen Horned Beast, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

What to say?

Direct persuasion is unlikely to be very effective, and may even backfire.

If you speak tactfully, the Fallen Horned Beast might not understand your true meaning.

Why don't we let the little ones help persuade them?
As various thoughts raced through his mind, Chen Yuan's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he decided to speak directly: "You know, my purpose in participating in the competition has never been to win the championship."

"Roar?"

The Fallen Horned Beast lowered its enormous head, casting a puzzled glance.

Chen Yuan carefully chose his words, speaking slowly: "Becoming a champion is certainly a good feeling, but testing the results of one's own training is the real purpose."

"As long as we make progress each time, we can consider it a success."

And you

Chen Yuan suddenly looked up, his deep eyes flashing with a glint of light: "I have seen your hard work and efforts. You don't need to prove yourself through this championship."

"Relax and enjoy the game."

Chen Yuan looked up and patted the sturdy body of the fallen horned beast, a smile gradually appearing on his face.

"Roar"

The Fallen Horned Beast nodded thoughtfully, then gently stomped its foot on the ground and nuzzled Chen Yuan's right hand with its head, its eyes resolute.

Mmmmmmm!
I know all of that!

I must win the championship!

Chen Yuan's expression froze.

I told you not to care too much about this championship, so what's with this attitude of not giving up until you win it?

But when Chen Yuan looked up and gazed into those eyes that stood as majestic as the Qinling Mountains, he was slightly taken aback.

This big guy seems to be in a different state than yesterday.

Is it self-regulation of emotions?
After a moment's thought, Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "No matter what, let's enjoy this match from now on."

Before we knew it, the first Qinling Cycling Competition kicked off.

Chen Yuan didn't go to the noisy village entrance to join the fun. He lay comfortably in the warm little house, where the dim light illuminated a pile of snacks and drinks, with the little ones lying haphazardly together.

Runrun Duck and Dian Dian Flying Cat were scrambling for the latest pet snacks, while Cola and Sprite lay in a corner, and the Twin Flower Concubines curled up in Chen Yuan's shirt pocket, closing their eyes to rest.

This little guy has been working very hard lately, studying poison skills until late at night every day, and he's always listless during the day.

"If you stay up any more late, I won't let you participate in the competition." Chen Yuan gently tapped the twin concubines' heads with his finger.

"Yinyin".

The twin concubines wrapped their arms around Chen Yuan's fingers, their pink eyes sparkling, and their delicate voices sounded like they were being coquettish.

Helpless, Chen Yuan had no choice but to loosen his grip: "Alright, alright, don't stay up too late."

With the referee's whistle, the first group of matches began.

Although most of the contestants were local beast tamers from Qin Province, the mounts and pets they sent out were all kinds of things. Among them were the gray-armored mountain boar and the red flame ox that Chen Yuan was quite familiar with, as well as the lava giant tortoise and the frost hoof horse that he had never seen before.

Chen Yuan was also quite curious as to why the Lava Giant Turtle had appeared in the riding competition.

This pet moves as slowly as a rock-armored giant snail, and its body emits faint flames when it moves. Riding on it is like dancing with rolling lava.

To describe it in one sentence, it's like having your butt on fire.

"It's all about participation, it's all about participation," Chen Yuan muttered to himself.

With no annoying pets blocking their way, the contestants focused on running at full speed, creating traps, and altering the terrain.

Each pet possesses similar skills to some extent.

For example, the Grey-Armored Wild Boar can use [Ground Stomp], stomping heavily on the ground, causing it to crack and create deep trenches that hinder the opponent's progress.

To cross a ravine, you either need to leap out, fill in the collapse, or take a detour.

Although the racing competition lacked the fun events and entertainment value, the fierce competition among the contestants and the rivalry between the pets still thrilled countless viewers.

In such a lively atmosphere, one match after another continued, during which many outstanding beast tamers emerged, and the perfect performances of a few mounts and pets also made the audience talk about it with great interest.

The Fallen Horned Beast leaned against the gate, its massive body shielding it from the sunlight, its eyes fixed on the television screen.

It was quietly familiarizing itself with the race route and also paying attention to the mistakes made by other mounts and pets during the race.

This time, the championship cannot be lost.

As the matches came to an end one after another, countless viewers had been eagerly anticipating the final showdown between Chen Yuan and his two companions. As the sun gradually moved westward, its rays illuminated the Qinling Mountains in the depths of winter, transforming them into a breathtakingly beautiful ink-wash painting.

Chen Yuan arrived at the starting point early to wait.

Lu Ran was being interviewed by a TV station. Despite the tragic incident of his sled breaking yesterday, he still had a confident smile on his face, flicking his dark red bangs and showing an arrogant look: "Yes, my goal is still the championship."

"As a beast tamer, if your goal isn't to become the champion, what's the difference between you and a salted fish?"

the other side,
Zhuang Jianbai was entangled by reporters from the Fengcheng Daily. He remained calm and composed, saying, "Yes, I know that regrets are always a part of life, but I will do my best to win the championship."

"Even if the opponent is Consultant Chen."

The reporter suddenly asked, "It is understood that this time, Advisor Chen will not send the Wind-Riding Hound, but instead will send a very rare Fallen Horned Beast. What are your thoughts on this?"

Zhuang Jianbai was obviously unaware of this news. Upon hearing this, his eyes flickered slightly, and a faint hope of victory rose in his heart.

Maybe he can actually beat Consultant Chen this time?

He said, "This is the second time I've met Consultant Chen in an official competition, and I will win the championship."

Chen Yuan listened to the interviews with a smile, while avoiding interviews from multiple media outlets.

Before we knew it, it was time for the last group's match.

The last group of ten contestants rode their respective pets and waited quietly at the starting line. Hundreds of spectators gathered on both sides of the road, trying their best to suppress the noise so as not to disturb the contestants, but their excited faces could not hide their excitement.

Several cameras were pointed at each contestant, and photographers in mid-air adjusted their equipment, displaying their resolute faces on the live broadcast screen.

As the camera slowly panned, it finally locked onto Chen Yuan—he was wearing windproof goggles, his fine black hair swaying in the wind, his handsome face barely concealed by his black tactical uniform, and a faint smile playing on his lips.

The camera pans down slightly, revealing the Fallen Horned Beast's tall and proud body. Its strong and powerful limbs stand on the snow, its brownish fur covering its entire body, its translucent white beard fluttering in the wind, and its brown eyes unusually calm.

Those enormous horns, like those of a bull, were particularly eye-catching, and the hot breath exhaled from their nostrils made them look even more majestic and imposing.

Inside the farm, the Fallen Horned Beast is an honest and docile big guy, but outside it's a different story. Its powerful aura is sure to make all the contestants take it seriously.

On the left, Lu Ran's red-hoofed horse pawed restlessly at the snow, its fiery red mane dancing like flames in the cold wind, the bright light reflected in everyone's eyes.

Each stomp of the horse's hooves sent up plumes of white steam, enveloping the red-hoofed colt as if it were a celestial horse descending to earth.

On the right, Zhuang Jianbai's winter dog stood silently, its snow-white fur almost blending into the snow beneath it, and the cold air emanating from its mouth and nostrils condensed into ice crystals.

Compared to the Wind-Riding Dog, the Winter Dog is more robust with a broad back, making it suitable as a mount or pet.

The three pets stared intently at the finish line flag fluttering in the wind atop a distant mountain peak.

The crowd held their breath in anticipation as the serious-faced referee stood not far away, suddenly waving his flag and blowing his whistle.

The guide's passionate voice rang out simultaneously:

"The highly anticipated final group of the speed race has finally begun!"

"Lu Ran and the Red-hoofed Horse charged out first!"

Lu Ran lowered his body, and the streamlined Red-hoofed Steed unleashed astonishing explosive power in that instant, charging forward a considerable distance, its fiery red mane flying wildly and its tail tip ablaze. While the Red-hoofed Steed lacked stamina, its explosive power was among the best of its kind, much like a new energy vehicle with a starting speed far exceeding that of a gasoline car, instantly widening the gap between itself and other pets once it took off.

The rapid sound of hooves followed, the clattering of horses echoing in my ears, and a swift, fiery figure reflected in my eyes.

"Wang!"

The Winter Dog followed closely behind, its strong limbs swaying steadily on the snow, its sharp eyes fixed on the back of the red-hoofed colt.

Zhuang Jianbai sat on the back of the winter dog, his expression calm, and a thought immediately came to mind: "Cold Breath".

"Wang Wang Wang!"

The winter dog roared, its imposing aura suddenly erupting, and the icy breath it spewed out rushed forward, landing precisely on the ground in front of the red-hoofed colt.

The cold air clung to the ground, causing the temperature to plummet. The snow ten meters in front of the red-hoofed horse was instantly frozen into a mirror-like smooth surface.

The red-hoofed horse was caught off guard and stepped onto the ice. Its hooves slipped, and it neighed and staggered.

The commentator's voice rang out: "The competition has just begun. Zhuang Jianbai's Winter Hound has used its Frost Breath skill to freeze the ground, hindering the other contestants' progress."

Zhuang Jianbai's winter dog was not afraid of the ice.

Its furry limbs landed firmly on the ice, and it was even faster, closing the distance with the red-hoofed horse as it sped forward.

But Lu Ran didn't panic. He smiled and said confidently, "Blazing Stomp."

The red-hoofed horse raised its front hooves and slammed them heavily to the ground, unleashing layers of flames that instantly melted the ice in front of it.

In this way, the red-hoofed horse moved steadily forward, unaffected by the ice.

However, the original ice surface remained, hindering the progress of the skaters behind.

But this did not deter the Fallen Horned Beast, which was in third place.

"Roar!"

Without Chen Yuan giving any command, the Fallen Horned Beast suddenly raised its front hooves and stomped heavily on the ground. The enormous impact caused the ice in front of it to break apart instantly, leaving spiderweb-like cracks.

Ka!

With a crisp sound, the ice surface shattered completely.

In this way, the Fallen Horned Beast easily crossed the terrain obstacles created by the Winter Hound and closely chased after the two pets in front.

Time passed slowly, and the Red-hoofed Colt and the Winter Dog galloped ahead, racing through the wind and snow, ranking first and second respectively.

The difference between them is negligible, only half a meter apart.

The Fallen Horned Beast was nearly ten meters away from them, ranking third.

As for the other contestants, they were left far behind by the three.

During this process, the players used skills to change the terrain and hinder their opponents' progress.

Some contestants successfully overcame the obstacles, while others lost a lot of time.

Although the Fallen Horned Beast lacks explosive power, it has thick skin and incredible strength, and it can overcome all obstacles from its opponents.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments:
"Oh no! Consultant Chen's championship is in jeopardy!"

"Could Zhuang Jianbai really have stolen this championship?"

"The Fallen Horned Beast and the Redhoofed Colt are indeed too much of a strain compared to the Winter Hound. Their weight is equivalent to the combined weight of the two, and their explosive power is far from sufficient."

"Don't worry, based on my experience, Consultant Chen definitely has a trump card up his sleeve."

"The Fallen Horned Beast isn't Consultant Chen's pet, so why would he keep any trump cards up his sleeve?"

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, looked into the distance, and said softly, "We're almost there. Get ready to use that move."

"Roar"

The Fallen Horned Beast's gaze swept past the Winterhound and the Redhoofed Colt, landing on the straight track directly ahead.

This is a rare straight uphill section in the Qinling Mountains, with only trees standing on both sides and no bends or turns in the middle.

And when you look across this road, you can clearly see the flags fluttering on the mountaintop.

Once you get through this straight road, the destination will be within reach.

This is the final stretch of the charge, the last chance to turn the tide.

Fortunately, the Fallen Horned Beast possesses a skill that allows it to charge in a straight line—Meteor Charge.

"Fallen Horned Beast".

"Unleash the Meteor Charge." Chen Yuan stared straight ahead, his tone calm.

"Roar!"

At the same moment,

Lu Ran and Zhuang Jianbai both realized that this was the most important part of the journey and reacted accordingly.

A smug and confident smile graced Lu Ran's face. He stretched out his arms, a thought forming in his mind: "Let's charge for the championship!"

Zhuang Jianbai sat up straight, letting the biting cold wind blow over his body. His gaze was calm as he softly uttered, "Forward."

At this point, neither of them had any intention of using their skills to hinder their opponent.

When facing this straight uphill section, sprinting at full speed is the wise move; using skills might actually give your opponents an opportunity to overtake you.

The guide's voice was hoarse with excitement:
"The contestants are full of fighting spirit and determined to determine the final winner through the purest form of speed competition!"

"On one side is the imposing red-hoofed steed, charging forward with blazing flames, carrying Lu Ran's confidence in winning the championship!"

"On the other hand, there is the winter dog born in the icy and snowy land. It roams through the mountains and forests, and the roars it emits show Zhuang Jianbai's belief in victory."

"The winner will be chosen from among them."

After a pause, the guide suddenly widened his eyes, his tone revealing deep surprise: "Wait!"

What's the deal with the Fallen Horned Beast?

A proud and upright figure suddenly appeared from the wind and snow, rushing straight forward with the fierce wind, towards the finish line!

Rockfall Charge!

The Fallen Horned Beast swept through the snowstorm, its massive body almost becoming a blurry, invisible figure. In a short time, it caught up with and overtook the Redhoofed Steed and the Winter Hound!
Chen Yuan squinted, adjusted his goggles, and let the cold wind howl as the corners of his mouth gradually turned up.

Come on, Fallen Horned Beast!

This is your championship.

Before the competition, Chen Yuan had no confidence in winning the Fallen Horned Beast, but when the competition actually started, he realized that he had made a mistake.

In a simple race, pets are prohibited from using skills, so the Fallen Horned Beast is no match for the Redhoofed Steed and the Winter Hound.

However, the existence of skills is a major variable.

The Fallen Horned Beast is incredibly powerful; its massive body is enough to handle most unexpected situations.

Neither the freezing breath of the Winter Hounds that froze the ground, nor the stomping of the Red-hoofed Colts that ignited raging flames, could stop the Fallen Horned Beast's charge.

Moreover, the Fallen Horned Beast can also use [Ground Stomp] or [Stone Shot]. The former can stomp the ground and create ravines, while the latter can build a rock wall with countless stones, both of which can temporarily change the terrain.

In this way, the Fallen Horned Beast, with its super endurance and adaptability, managed to keep up with the Redhoofed Colt and the Winterhound.

From this perspective, this speed race is not actually pure.

at the same time,

Inside the farm.

When the Fallen Horned Beast suddenly overtook them, the excited little ones crowded in front of the TV, their heads huddled together.

"quack!"

"Electricity!"

"Ow!"

Cheers and shouts rose and fell, but the Fallen Horned Beasts heard nothing of them, yet they carried the little ones' blessings and hopes straight ahead.

At that moment, all it could see was the flag right in front of it.

"Depend on?"

"WTF?"

The enormous body of the Fallen Horned Beast suddenly darted out from the side, startling Lu Ran.

When he spotted the Fallen Horned Beast, he quickly patted the Red-hoofed Steed's body: "Quickly, chase after it!"

Seeing that Consultant Chen suddenly overtook him at the last moment, Zhuang Jianbai felt a mix of emotions. He did not order Yan Dongquan to catch up quickly, but simply stared at Consultant Chen's back.

He felt no helplessness or disappointment at being overtaken; on the contrary, he felt it was only natural.

Being defeated by Consultant Chen is not something to be ashamed of.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when Zhuang Jianbai shook his head and smiled helplessly: "How come I'm starting to get used to failure?"

But for Consultant Chen, failure is the norm.

When the fallen horned beast touched the banner atop the mountain, a cold wind whipped up snowflakes, and the distant mountains shone like burning red gold in the setting sun.

Chen Yuan flipped over and landed on the rough skin of the Fallen Horned Beast, then smiled and said, "You did it."

"Roar"

The Fallen Horned Beast rubbed its head against Chen Yuan's palm and shook its head.

No.

We did it.

"Depend on!"

"Second again!"

The red-hoofed horse then reached the finish line. Lu Ran grumbled for a while, then squinted at the distance and muttered, "But the sunset is really beautiful."

(End of this chapter)