Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 316 Are you sure you want to fight him? He's very strong, extremely strong.

"Advisor Chen!"

Zhang Bai drove to the location given by Chen Yuan and finally met Consultant Chen, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, on a beach.

Chen Yuan lay on the soft sand, his gaze fixed on the front. The blue sky covered the dark sea, and he could hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore, as well as the fierce shouts of pets battling in the distance.

In online parlance, this is a blues moment with a very romantic atmosphere.

In this situation, you should lie on the beach with your girlfriend, whispering sweet nothings and enjoying a romantic moment together.

The premise is that you have a girlfriend.

Chen Yuan did not have a girlfriend, but Huohua and the twin concubines were by his side.

The twin concubines were held in Chen Yuan's arms, but their cold eyes were fixed on the battle between the pet beasts not far away, and a hint of eagerness flashed across their faces.

With the Eastern Glory Tournament approaching, the little guy has been working even harder lately and is keen on honing his skills through pet battles to make even faster progress.

Seeing the little guy preparing to join the pet battle ahead, Chen Yuan quickly spoke up to stop him: "No, give them a chance to survive."

"Groan?"

The twin concubines looked up at Chen Yuan, a hint of doubt appearing on their cold faces.

Chen Yuan pursed his lips and said tactfully, "These pet battles are too low-level; they won't be good training for you."

The real reason was that the Twin Flower Concubines' strength and methods were too cruel, and Chen Yuan was afraid of leaving indelible psychological shadows on these mediocre beast tamers.

Just then, Zhang Bai's voice came from behind. Chen Yuan turned around and looked over: "I hope I didn't disturb you by rushing here this time."

Zhang Bai, unable to contain his excitement, replied loudly, "What are you talking about? I'm overjoyed that Consultant Chen is coming to Binhai City."

Chen Yuan stood up and shook hands with Zhang Bai, getting straight to the point: "I came here this time to ask you for a favor."

Zhang Bai rubbed his hands vigorously on his clothes, then shook hands with him while asking curiously, "Consultant Chen, is there anything I can help you with?"

He paused, then grinned, his tone becoming more serious: "Advisor Chen, just give the word, and I will do everything in my power to help you."

Chen Yuan smiled and waved his hand: "Don't be so serious, it's nothing serious."

After a brief pause, he asked, "Do you know Manland Island?"

"Island of Manland"

Zhang Bai murmured the name, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes before he slowly revealed a thoughtful expression, his tone filled with uncertainty: "Advisor Chen, are you referring to that poison island east of Binhai City?"

"Poison Island?" Chen Yuan was taken aback at first, then nodded in realization, "It should be."

Manlan Island is home to a large number of poison-type pets, so it is reasonable to call it Poison Island.

Although he didn't know why Chen Yuan was asking about the island, Zhang Bai answered all his questions: "I know a little about this island, but not much. It is said that many poisonous pets live on it, and it is a forbidden area for beast tamers."

Chen Yuan nodded and asked, "Do you know how to get there?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bai's expression suddenly turned serious. He looked at Chen Yuan intently, then hesitated, "Advisor Chen, do you perhaps intend to..."

Chen Yuan nodded: "Yes, I need to go to Manlan Island."

Zhang Bai nodded silently, then frowned and pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words before slowly speaking: "Advisor Chen, there is currently no public transportation to Manlan Island. After all, it is not a tourist attraction, and it is fraught with danger after the spiritual energy revival. Even the vast majority of beast tamers will not go there."

"I heard from a friend that occasionally some beast tamers who specialize in poison will charter a ship to go there, but the number is extremely small, and you might not see more than a few a month."

Chen Yuan keenly caught the key phrase: "Charter a boat to go?"

Zhang Bai nodded emphatically: "Yes, the only way to get to these less-known islands is by chartering a boat, but it is usually expensive, since Manlan Island is quite a distance from the coastal city, and the cost of going there is very high."

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, then shared his current thoughts: "How far exactly? Can we get there by riding a flying pet?"

Hearing this, Zhang Bai glanced at the fire-breathing bird perched on Consultant Chen's shoulder and said with a look of realization, "Consultant Chen, I don't recommend this method."

"why?"

“After the spiritual energy revival, the sea is full of dangers, and the weather is unpredictable. In addition, the signal is sometimes good and sometimes bad. You can easily get lost at sea if you are not careful.” Zhang Bai paused for a moment before slowly revealing his thoughts. “We usually have to make the worst-case scenario plan when we go out to sea. If you encounter these things and you don’t have a water-type pet, you may be in danger.”

Chen Yuan nodded silently.

This is indeed what he is worried about.

If you are unfamiliar with sea routes and do not know the sea conditions, you are very likely to encounter unexpected situations if you go to sea rashly.

Besides, he really didn't have any water-type pets. Even if he brought Runrun Duck, he couldn't possibly let Runrun Duck solve the crisis and then take him away in case of special circumstances, could he?
His primary task this time was to avoid any unexpected situations and successfully complete the advancement of the Twin Flower Concubine.

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhang Bai suddenly patted his chest and a smile appeared on his face: "Advisor Chen, I'll take you there."

"Do you remember what I said before? I have a boat, not big or luxurious, but it will be no problem to get you safely to Manland Island."

"In terms of ability, I am far inferior to Consultant Chen, but when it comes to going overseas, I am quite well-known in Binhai City."

Before coming, Chen Yuan had looked through Zhang Bai's WeChat Moments, where he posted photos of himself at sea every day.

The photos always depict the same scene: he stands on a small fishing boat, a bright smile on his face, holding various kinds of spirit fish in his arms, with the boundless sea in the background.

He comes from a family that has been at sea for generations; his ancestors were all fishermen.

However, in the new era of spiritual revival, ordinary fishermen can no longer adapt to the needs of the times. New fishermen are usually beast tamers who, with the help of modern technology and pets, catch spirit fish and edible aquatic pets.

A scholar recently published a paper in an academic journal titled "The Relationship Between Spirit Fish and Fish Pets," which Chen Yuan glanced at briefly.

According to research, common fish have two evolutionary paths. One is the "spirit fish," which is delicious, nutritious, and possesses weak supernatural abilities.

Secondly, there are fish-shaped pets, which come in various forms, usually taste ordinary, and are low in nutritional value, but they can master the same extraordinary abilities as other pets.

The leaping carp that Chen Yuan saw at the seaside earlier belonged to the second type.

One viewpoint in the paper has attracted widespread attention: the scholar believes that only large rivers can nurture fish and other creatures, while ordinary streams and creeks can only give birth to mythical fish.

Chen Yuan wholeheartedly agreed with this.

He had been in the Qinling Mountains for a long time, and had visited the lakes and rivers near Xuanhe Town with Runrun Duck, but had never seen any fish or pets.

Initially, he thought that fish could only evolve into spirit fish, and were destined to be swallowed whole.

Actually it is not.

Chen Yuan was slightly tempted: "Wouldn't this bother you?"

Zhang Bai shook his head decisively: "No, I'm taking a break right now."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Bai frowned and hesitated before saying, "I have an event to attend tomorrow, which may take up a day."

Chen Yuan waved his hand: "It's nothing, I'm just taking a stroll around."

Suddenly, Zhang Bai's eyes lit up and his brows relaxed: "There's another way, Consultant Chen. You can join us for the event, and then we can head to Manlan Island afterward. That way, it won't take up too much of your time."

"what activity?"

"It's an extermination event organized by the Binhai City Beast Tamer Association. Many beast tamers will participate and set sail together," Zhang Bai replied.

Chen Yuan became interested: "An expulsion operation?"

That's a novel name.

Zhang Bai nodded repeatedly and explained in detail: "According to the information released by the association, a group of ferocious sharks has swum from the eastern ocean to this area, which may pose a threat to passing ships and even endanger the people on the shore. It is necessary to drive them out of this area."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed as he recalled the basic information about the Raging Sea Shark in his mind.

The Raging Shark is an aquatic pet. It is born with the quality of a leader and usually operates in groups. It is ferocious and will hunt all kinds of creatures indiscriminately.

However, these pet animals have always lived in the deep ocean and rarely come close to the shore. They can only be encountered when traveling on an ocean-going ship.

These pets are extremely dangerous, brutal, and ferocious; there have been numerous cases of them damaging ships worldwide.

The fact that this group of ruthless individuals is nearing Binhai City is certainly not good news.

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Chen Yuan's mind, who hoped to advance the Twin Flower Concubines' ranks as soon as possible. He decisively nodded in agreement: "Alright, let's do it that way."

We can use these raging sharks to pay for the boat fare.

“Okay.” Zhang Bai’s face lit up with joy, as if it was a great honor for him to be able to help Consultant Chen.

Just as Zhang Bai was preparing to deepen his relationship with Consultant Chen, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out, looked at it, and answered the call: "Hello."

"Zhang Bai, have you finished dealing with things on your end?"

The familiar sound of spicy snacks.

Zhang Bai replied, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Nan said, "If you're done dealing with this, hurry back to the battle. Li Zhen is still waiting for you."

Zhang Bai's expression froze: "Didn't I abstain?"

Xiao Nan replied, "You did forfeit, but Li Zhen said it was meaningless to win like that, so he decided to schedule your match as the last one."

"If you can be back within an hour, you can still make it."

"Just waiting for you."

Hanging up the phone, Zhang Bai smiled helplessly: "That guy..."

Then, he looked at Chen Yuan and explained, "I happen to be participating in a small tournament organized by a battle club today. The prize for the champion is a level three spiritual plant."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Don't let my arrival delay your reward. You go ahead first, I'll just take a stroll around."

Zhang Bai turned his head and looked at him, his eyes gleaming slightly: "Advisor Chen, would you like to experience the atmosphere of our Binhai City's battles?" "Hmm?"

after an hour,
Chen Yuan and his companion arrived at a private gaming club, where a short-haired woman and a burly middle-aged man were already waiting. Upon seeing them, they waved vigorously, saying, "Come on, the match is about to start."

When Zhang Bai came running up, panting, he put his hands on his hips and hunched over, pointing to Chen Yuan beside him and saying, "Xiao Nan, Uncle Tian, ​​let me introduce you, this is Consultant Chen."

Chen Yuan interrupted with a smile: "We can talk about the introduction later. You go in and participate in the competition first."

"Ok!"

Zhang Bai nodded emphatically and then quickly ran into the club.

Chen Yuan looked at the two people who remained and introduced himself with a smile: "Hello, I am Chen Yuan."

Xiao Nan wore an awkward smile on her delicate and charming face. She subconsciously smoothed her short hair, then cautiously extended her right hand: "Advisor Chen, I've long admired your name."

Uncle Tian exuded the charm of a mature man, sporting an extremely trendy American-style spiky hairstyle, and smiled freely: "Advisor Chen, welcome to Binhai City."

The three of them walked into the club together, and Uncle Tian broke the silence by saying, "As you can see, we are a small group."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Nan suddenly turned her head, her eyes widening slightly, and at the same time reached out to tug at Uncle Tian's sleeve.

Uncle Tian then realized that his introduction was inappropriate, but he showed no embarrassment and changed his approach: "No, a small team."

Chen Yuan chuckled inwardly.

A small gang—it sounded like he'd stumbled into a gathering place for villains.

"Our usual work involves going out to sea to catch spirit fish and completing tasks commissioned by the Beast Tamer Association," Uncle Tian continued, then looked at me with a serious expression, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes, "I never expected that Zhang Bai would know you."

Judging from his tone, Uncle Tian seems to be Zhang Bai's elder.

Chen Yuan smiled and replied, "There's nothing strange about that. Actually, I'm just an ordinary person like you."

Upon hearing this, the usually calm and composed Uncle Tian finally lost his composure, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

If the top beast tamer in Qin Province is considered an ordinary person, then what are they?
Social scum?

As they talked, the group slowly walked into the battle club, where a lively atmosphere gradually came into view, and deafening cheers resounded in their ears.

This was a fairly large arena, filled with cheering spectators from all directions. Zhang Bai, who had entered first, strode onto the field and faced a burly young man from afar.

Li Zhen looked at Zhang Bai, who was panting heavily, and grinned: "I thought you were scared and didn't dare to come."

Zhang Bai chuckled lightly: "You think I'm afraid of you?"

He paused for a moment, then explained his reason for abstaining: "Something urgent came up and I was delayed."

Li Zhen raised his hand to interrupt: "Stop with the nonsense, let's get started."

Zhang Bai stopped talking. He let out a long breath and waited for his heart rate to gradually calm down. He glanced at Consultant Chen sitting in the front row out of the corner of his eye, and his heart, which had been calm, suddenly started to beat. A look of excitement appeared on his face.

His idol was sitting in the audience watching the game.

He has every reason to win this battle.

After the referee waved the flag down, the two exchanged a glance and simultaneously summoned their pets.

A giant, bluish-gray crayfish, enveloped in white light, slowly appeared, its massive pincers opening and closing, emitting blinding sparks.

A giant ape with blue fur appeared in front of Li Zhen. Its muscles bulged like surging waves. It was about two meters tall and had a domineering gaze that exuded a strong sense of oppression.

Uncle Tian whispered, "Advisor Chen, Zhang Bai's opponent in this match is Li Zhen, who is also the captain of an overseas team."

"He is very famous in Binhai City, and he was among the top four in the first competition held in Binhai City."

Chen Yuan nodded knowingly.

The four finalists in the city-level competition were indeed quite good.

This person's pet beast is named Wave Fist Water Ape. It is a water-type beast that excels in close combat and is naturally born with the quality of a leader.

Uncle Tian's voice continued, "Of course, he is far inferior to Consultant Chen."

This is indeed Uncle Tian's most genuine sentiment.

Since Zhang Bai returned from Qin Province, he has recounted his encounter with Consultant Chen more than once, talking about the ridiculously powerful Iron-Headed Kid, the magical farm, and Consultant Chen, who was invincible in his heart.

Because of Zhang Bai, both Uncle Tian and Xiao Nan have some understanding of Chen Yuan.

Unfortunately, Chen Yuan himself did not appear in the Donghuang Daily's report, and they did not watch his battle videos. Therefore, although they knew about his deeds, they never knew what he looked like.

But this time, Consultant Chen, whom Zhang Bai had been longing for, finally appeared.

As the two spoke in hushed tones, accompanied by enthusiastic shouts, the highly anticipated battle finally began.

"High-pressure water fist".

Li Zhen's eyes sharpened, and he took the initiative to attack.

The next moment, the Wave Fist Water Ape raised its head and roared, charging towards the Iron-Cutting Fighting Turtle at a speed that was beyond the reach of the eye, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

When the two pet beasts were close at hand, the Wave Fist Water Ape suddenly swung out its right fist, carrying a powerful stream of water that slammed into the crayfish's head.

The swift attack of the Wave Fist Water Ape elicited cheers, but Zhang Bai remained unusually calm, a thought immediately forming in his mind: "Block it first, then use the steel blade."

The iron-chopping tortoise remained motionless, its left pincer, gleaming with a chilling light, held horizontally in front of it like a heavy shield.

In an instant, the surging water crashed into the giant bluish-gray pincers, exploding into a cloud of white foam.

boom!
As his powerful punch was blocked, the Wave Fist Water Ape's expression changed slightly, alarm bells rang in his mind, and he subconsciously tried to pull back his fist.

The next instant, the right giant pincer of the Iron-Slaying Ao suddenly shot up like a guillotine, its blade tearing through the air with a piercing shriek!
A flash of cold light, and the steel blade precisely struck the opening in the water ape's hand as it withdrew its fist.

"Keng!"

With a deafening clang like metal clashing, the Wave Fist Water Ape staggered backward.

Upon closer inspection, a deep gash was clearly visible on the furry abdomen of the Wave Fist Water Ape, with large patches of blue fur shaved off and blood seeping from under the skin.

The Iron-Cutting Turtle slowly lowered its giant pincers, leaving only a few shallow white scratches on its carapace caused by the water flow.

After the first round of competition, Zhan Tie Dou Ao clearly held the advantage.

Li Zhen's expression froze, and he asked in surprise, "You took your medicine today, kid?"

This is unlike Zhang Bai's usual fighting style.

Normally, Zhang Bai would have had Zhan Tie Dou Ao dodge first, finding an opportunity to counterattack through maneuvering and harassment.

Zhang Bai's face remained tense, and he did not let his guard down because of his temporary advantage. His gaze was deep: "Continue, Steel-Splitting Spinning Slash."

In an instant, the clashes resumed.

"Advisor Chen, who do you think will win?" Uncle Tian suddenly asked.

Without hesitation, Chen Yuan replied, "Zhang Bai."

"why?"

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "He has a stronger presence."

Such a perfunctory explanation, however, made Uncle Tian and Xiao Nan nod thoughtfully.

They did feel that Zhang Bai was different, and that he seemed unfamiliar.

five minutes later,

"The Water Ape with the Wave Fist is incapacitated and I hereby declare Zhang Bai the winner of this match!"

When the referee raised the flag to announce the final winner, cheers from all directions surrounded Zhang Bai like a tidal wave.

Li Zhen withdrew the unconscious Wave Fist Water Ape, strode up to Zhang Bai, and asked with a look of surprise, "What's wrong with you today, kid?"

"First they forfeited, and now they're showing a different fighting style."

"Did you really take your medicine today?"

Zhang Bai first bumped fists with Li Zhen, then explained with a smile, "I went to pick up a friend earlier. He just arrived in Binhai City today, and as the host, I had to go and greet him."

He paused for a moment before answering the next question: "Is it okay if I stay this intense all the time?"

Li Zhen blinked, a sly grin spreading across his face: "What kind of friend is so important that they would make you give up this match?"

Zhang Bai replied simply, "They are very important friends."

Li Zhen nodded, then put his arm around Zhang Bai's shoulder and laughed heartily: "You're a beast tamer too, right?"

"Ah."

"Since you are a beast tamer and have come to my club, I, as the host, must treat you well."

Li Zhen laughed heartily and spoke quickly: "According to our club's rules, new Beastmasters can experience one pet battle for free. Why don't we let him give it a try?"

"Uh..." Zhang Bai was speechless for a moment, then said, "Forget it, he's quite strong, there shouldn't be any suitable opponents for him here."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhen's eyes widened, and he patted his chest heavily: "Is that so? Then I'd like to see your friend's strength even more. Why don't you let him fight me?"

"This is a sparring partner for the top four players, and it's free."

Zhang Bai fell silent for a moment, then looked deeply at the battle-ready Li Zhen and said in a strange tone, "Are you sure you want to fight him? He's very strong, really strong."

(End of this chapter)