Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 358 The Giant Dragon Above Cloud Ridge?

"Teacher Wang, has Consultant Chen left?"

When the training ended, Gao Xiaoye looked back and saw that the tent in the far corner had disappeared, and the three pet beasts were nowhere to be seen either.

"Okay, I'm leaving." Teacher Wang gazed at the white clouds in the sky and a big smile gradually spread across her face. "Advisor Chen still has to prepare for the Donghuang Conference and is very busy, so he left first."

Gao Xiaoye gave a soft "oh," then followed Teacher Wang's gaze and looked ahead, remaining silent for a long time.

I don’t know how long it took,
Gao Xiaoye turned to look at Teacher Wang and asked a question that had been troubling her: "Teacher Wang, what kind of person do you think Consultant Chen is?"

Teacher Wang was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "What right do I, a mere teacher, have to evaluate Consultant Chen?"

"How do you evaluate this based solely on our interactions yesterday and today?" Gao Xiaoye blinked and continued to press for an answer.

"Hmm," Teacher Wang fell silent for a moment. He looked thoughtful for a long time, then finally raised his face, letting the soft sunlight shine on his sparse head, and uttered four words: "A towering mountain to be admired."

"A towering mountain to be admired." Gao Xiaoye's eyes flickered, her gaze widening.

“A person like this should become the champion, the champion of the entire Donghuang.” Teacher Wang’s expression was solemn and his tone serious. He suddenly reached out and patted Gao Xiaoye’s shoulder, and said in a deep voice, “His experience and character will surely inspire countless young people like you to embark on the long road of becoming a Beastmaster.”

"This is the exemplary role of champions."

"Wow!"

The grey-feathered falcon soared high in the sky, its broad wings unable to block the soft light. It swooped down and landed above a grove of trees around Baofeng Mountain, its sharp eyes fixed on the ground below.

"Is this the place?" Chen Yuan asked the Greyfeather Falcon as he rode on Spark.

"Huh."

The gray-feathered falcon nodded slightly, its gaze towards the woods below filled with naked anger.

A powerful Ironfeather Owl dwells here. The two pet beasts once had a fierce conflict over a spiritual plant. The conflict ended because the Grayfeather Falcon was unable to break through the Ironfeather Owl's defenses, and the spiritual plant was forcibly taken away.

Clearly, the Iron Feather Owl is the dominant pet beast in this area, and has had frequent conflicts with the Gray Feather Falcon, which is why the latter brought Chen Yuan directly to their door.

But Chen Yuan didn't care about any of that. His purpose in venturing into the Qinling Mountains for training was simply to have a good chat with all sorts of powerful beasts.

As long as Tie Yuxiao is strong enough, he will always come knocking on his door.

“Yesterday it was Cola’s turn to battle, this time it’s Spark’s turn.” Chen Yuan’s gaze swept over the three little ones as he spoke slowly.

Cola had no objection to this; it just hoped that the boss would win quickly and then hurry up and find the next opponent.

fighting!

More battles are needed for it to break through!
"Chirp~"

Sparks took flight, their delicate bodies radiating a faint golden flame. The sudden burst of intense power made the Grayfeather Falcon tremble.

"唳"

The grey-feathered falcon humbly bent its body, stiffly flapped its wings, and flew towards the woods where the iron-feathered owl roosted, sparks flying from its wings.

As it flew, the gray-feathered falcon caught a glimpse of the golden-red figure beside it out of the corner of its eye. The fear and apprehension in its heart inexplicably vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable ecstasy.

Iron Feather Owl, you've finally met your match!
At this moment, the resentment of being defeated by Cola, the shame and humiliation of being at Chen Yuan's beck and call, all vanished. Gray Feather Falcon only hoped to be a dutiful lackey, leading Chen Yuan to find his enemies.

"Chirp!"

When Spark flew into the forest, it immediately spotted a huge Ironfeathered Owl. Without any further words, Spark's beak gushed forth a torrent of flames, the scorching firelight almost engulfing the entire sky. Even the Greyfeathered Falcon in mid-air could clearly feel the astonishing burning sensation.

The bright flames reflected in its eyes, and the gray-feathered falcon trembled, yet it grew increasingly excited and agitated.

"Chirp."

In just ten seconds, Huo Hua, with a nonchalant expression, flew away from the woods and returned to Chen Yuan's side.

"Screech, scream, scream~"

At that moment, the gray-feathered falcon faintly smelled the aroma of roasted bird. It let out a piercing cry, flapped its wings excitedly, and swayed its body, looking exactly like a giant eagle dancing the cha-cha.

"Let's go, next one."

Chen Yuan's calm voice rang in his ears. The gray-feathered falcon snapped out of its daze, its eyes gleaming. It hurriedly flapped its wings and soared into the sky, every move revealing its eagerness.

"Wow!"

Follow me!
As the sun hung high overhead, its blinding rays cast several shadows, including a gray-feathered falcon with its beak wide open and wings flapping incessantly.

It's very happy.

Happy as never before.

In just one morning, its enemies were all beaten up one by one until they dragged their injured bodies and begged for mercy.

Thinking back on what happened yesterday, Greyfeather Falcon felt extremely fortunate.

Fortunately, after being defeated, it did not become enraged or try to retaliate. Instead, it obediently lowered its proud head and allowed this human to do as it pleased.

The strong deserve these privileges, so it now feels that its behavior is not shameful at all.

On the contrary, it was extremely grateful that Chen Yuan had found it first.

If Chen Yuan had found his enemy first, it would be the one lying on the ground begging for mercy right now.

"Screech, scream, scream~"

The grey-feathered falcon flapped its wings merrily, sometimes raising its head high, sometimes swaying its massive body, its smugness impossible to hide.

"You can go back."

The moment the familiar voice rang out, it was like a thunderclap exploding deep within his heart. The gray-feathered falcon froze, his eyes widening suddenly as he turned to stare blankly at Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for helping me find these sparring partners, but our special training at Baofeng Mountain has come to an end."

Then, Chen Yuan looked out at the continuous mountain range to the east and said, "We should head east."

Grayfeather Falcon's enemies were all quite strong and extremely resilient, which gave Cola and Dawn Fairy a real treat.

Fortunately, Chen Yuan was not a vicious and unreasonable beast tamer. He would first communicate with these beasts in a friendly manner, explain his idea of ​​friendly sparring and ask for their consent. After the battle, he would also help treat their injuries and even give them beast food as a thank you gift.

However, most of the other pets in and around Baofeng Mountain are of mediocre strength and are not even qualified to be sparring partners. It's time to continue eastward.

"唳"

The Greyfeather Falcon stared blankly at Chen Yuan, its face full of disbelief, unable to recover from this sudden news for a moment.

Was it abandoned?
It was just thrown away like that?

A wave of immense resentment washed over him. The gray-feathered falcon looked bewildered, flapped its wings, and gradually collapsed like a limp rag doll.

Chen Yuan glanced at the Gray-feathered Falcon with considerable surprise: "What's this?"

"唳"

The gray-feathered falcon suddenly came to its senses. It stared at Chen Yuan with wide eyes, flapped its wings and flew over, closing its broad wings and tightly hugging Chen Yuan's leg.

Please, take me with you.

Seeing the Greyfeather Falcon's series of reactions, Chen Yuan was both amused and exasperated, while Cola beside him shook his head and yelped.

Forget about it. There's already a Greyfeather Falcon in town. Even if you go, you'll just be a backup plan.

The Grey-feathered Falcon ultimately did not choose to leave Baofeng Mountain with Chen Yuan. It had long been accustomed to life here, to every blade of grass and every tree, and to the freezing cold.

This guy wants to leave with Chen Yuan, perhaps simply because he's addicted to being bossed around and having a solid backer.

Regardless, after bidding farewell to the Greyfeather Falcon, Chen Yuan headed east, venturing deep into the Qinling Mountains.

Before we knew it, it was the last day of the special training.

Tuesday, October 1th.

clear.

Deep in the Qinling Mountains, the Cloud Ridge Peak rises.

Yunji Peak is extremely high in altitude, with thin air and covered by ice and snow all year round. The mountain ridge is like a giant dragon winding straight into the sky.

At dawn, the biting wind swept across the bare rocks like a knife, swirling up tiny ice crystals.

"Ow"

Unlike the previous few days, Cola was noticeably downcast today.

Cola lay on a smooth boulder at Chen Yuan's feet, its fluffy light brown fur tousled by the wind. Its blue eyes gazed at the churning sea of ​​clouds in the distance, looking somewhat listless.

Since the special training began, Spark has gradually adapted to her strength after the breakthrough and has made progress at all times. The power of the flames spewing from her mouth has become even stronger, and she has unknowingly widened the distance between them. Every time Cola takes a look, she can't help but feel that the big sister is terrifyingly strong.
The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy's control over wood and poison energy has become increasingly sophisticated. With a wave of her hands, she can cause life to wither and all things to revive. Her strength is catching up with hers at an astonishing speed.

His Sprite little brother had also made great progress, not only in terms of strength, which had improved significantly and broken through to the second tier the day before yesterday, but also in terms of skill proficiency, which had steadily improved. Only he himself, although faster, sharper wind blades, and more stable control over racial skills, had not yet broken through the final barrier to reach the fourth tier, even though a week of special training was about to end.

Without breaking through to the fourth tier, no matter how strong your skills are, you'll never be a match for the Big Sister.

When will I be able to catch up with the boss again?

"Aww," Cola whimpered softly, his once imposing face now clearly showing disappointment.

Chen Yuan turned his head and gently rubbed Cola's fluffy head, his voice gentle yet firm: "Cola, the growth of strength is never achieved overnight."

After a brief pause, he continued to comfort him, "Breakthroughs always require a catalyst, a gradual accumulation of knowledge and experience, and consistent, day-to-day perseverance."

"I've seen your perseverance and hard work during this time. You've already done a great job, there's no need to be disappointed."

"Perhaps the opportunity for a breakthrough lies today."

After listening to this long speech, Cola raised its head, a glint of light flashing in its blue eyes. It rubbed its nose against Chen Yuan's palm, let out a soft whimper, and gradually became excited.

"Go on, start today's special training with Spark." Chen Yuan patted its head and said with a smile, "There should be quite a few powerful pets living near Cloud Ridge Peak."

Yunji Peak is located at the easternmost edge of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province, which is adjacent to Henan Province, making it a place jointly managed by the two provinces.

"Ow!"

After Chen Yuan's patient reassurance, Cola regained its fighting spirit, immediately stood up, shook its fur, and its eyes sharpened again.

"Chirp."

Spark also let out a high-pitched cry, its golden-red wings spread outwards, molten gold flames flowed, and in an instant it flew into the sky.

Two figures suddenly transformed into streaks of light, speeding towards the cloud-shrouded mountain peak, and soon disappeared into the surging sea of ​​clouds.

The two little ones' daily training routine is very simple: they first get up early to practice their respective skills, and then find suitable opponents to improve the efficiency of their training.

Meanwhile, Sprite and Morning and Evening Fairy stayed obediently by Chen Yuan's side, and these two clingy little ones served as bodyguards.

"Let's go too."

Chen Yuan got up and, with Sprite and Morning and Evening Fairy, continued to explore upwards along the steep ridge.

Sprite walked at the front, its snow-white fur fluttering wildly in the cold wind, its bright eyes scanning the surroundings, and its small face full of vigilance.

With Boss Cola away, I'll take over protecting the farmer!

The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy sat quietly on Chen Yuan's shoulder, its pale yellow skirt fluttering in the wind, but it listlessly lowered its head, its eyes opening and closing.

"If you're sleepy, take a nap," Chen Yuan said softly.

In order not to hold himself back in the Donghuang Tournament, the little guy has been training exceptionally hard lately, often until the early hours of the morning, so he inevitably wakes up feeling tired.

"sing"

An endless wave of drowsiness washed over her, and the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy no longer resisted. She nodded and flew into Chen Yuan's shirt pocket, where she curled up.

With only Sprite protecting Chen Yuan, the bodyguard's task became incredibly difficult.

Oh right, there was also a motionless pet egg in his backpack.

Not far ahead, a clear bird song came from under a sheltered ice wall.

"Sprite, go take a look," Chen Yuan gestured.

"Ow!"

Sprite let out a low growl and pounced out like lightning!
A graceful Frostwing, its body covered in ice-blue feathers and its tail feathers as long as icicles, was practicing some kind of ice-type skill in front of the ice wall. Sensing the sudden sharp aura, the Frostwing cried out in surprise and hastily condensed several ice shards, shooting them towards Sprite.

Sprite's eyes sharpened. It didn't choose to dodge, but instead opened its mouth the instant it closed the distance.

"Ow—!"

A burst of extremely condensed cold air erupted out, instantly freezing and shattering the ice shards.

The chilling aura remained strong, instantly enveloping the Frostfeather Sparrow. The sparrow froze instantly, its body covered with a thick layer of white frost. Then, it let out a mournful cry and fell helplessly to the snow, shivering.

Sprite walked slowly to it, glanced at it with her sharp eyes, and after confirming that it was not in any danger, she ignored it, turned around and returned to Chen Yuan's side, quietly lying down to rest.

Defeating such a weak pet brings it no satisfaction whatsoever.

"Your fighting spirit is too strong right now." Chen Yuan chuckled helplessly, then walked to the frozen Frostfeather Sparrow, took out a healing spray, and treated the poor and innocent little guy's injuries.

When the Frostfeather Sparrow slowly awoke, Chen Yuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. This is my apology."

Then, Chen Yuan took out some pet food and placed it in front of the Frostfeather Sparrow.

The little guy glanced cautiously at Sprite not far away, then at the pet food on the ground, before hopping over to the food and swallowing it with lightning speed. He then flapped his wings and flew away quickly.

"When dealing with such weak and gentle pets, don't launch a sudden attack. Just communicate with them peacefully," Chen Yuan said, emphasizing the advice as he looked at Xue Bi.

Developing sound values ​​should begin in childhood.

"Ow~"

Sprite nodded thoughtfully, then stared at Chen Yuan with bright, sparkling eyes.

Is the farmer reminding himself that when facing powerful and ferocious pets, he should attack from behind?

For a moment, Sprite fell into deep thought.

Just then, a clear and slightly surprised female voice came from behind the rocks to the side: "Wow, what a beautiful Winter Dog!"

Chen Yuan and Xue Bi turned to look at the same time.

A short-haired girl wearing a thick, warm down jacket, carrying a huge backpack, and wearing goggles cautiously peeked out. She looked to be in her early twenties, with healthy tan skin and bright eyes.

What's most eye-catching is the small, exquisite pet perched on her shoulder—a bird covered entirely in silver-gray feathers, with a round head and unusually large, round eyes, its pupils like constantly spinning nebulae.

Chen Yuan immediately recognized the pet's identity: a Star-Patrolling Owl, a spirit-type pet, whose natural quality was Commander.

The Star-Traveling Owl continuously emanated a tranquil and profound spiritual energy, tilting its head and curiously observing Chen Yuan and Xue Bi with its dark eyes.

When the girl saw Chen Yuan looking over, she immediately smiled and walked out confidently: "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you. I just happened to see your Winter Hound defeat that Frostfeather Sparrow, which immediately caught my attention."

As she spoke, she pointed to Sprite, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Hello." Chen Yuan nodded slightly.

"My name is Shang Qianqian." Shang Qianqian smiled brightly and introduced herself first. "I am a pet animal observer. I like to go deep into the wild to observe all kinds of pet animals, such as your Winter Dog."

"Its coat is beautiful, its eyes are bright, and its demeanor exudes maturity and composure. It is the best-bred winter dog I have ever seen."

Chen Yuan nodded in realization.

Pet observer, this is Chang Yuhuan's current profession.

Then, Shang Qianqian pointed to the action camera hanging around her neck and explained frankly, "Besides that, I am also a video blogger, recording the various pets I encounter in the mountains and trying to show the outside world their most authentic lives."

Chen Yuan asked curiously, "Do these kinds of videos get any traffic?"

"Traffic?" Shang Qianqian's smile remained unchanged, her tone light and lively. "If I were to make money by shooting videos, I'd probably starve to death long ago."

After a brief pause, she added, "It's also possible that my videos are too ordinary, lacking any highlights, entertainment value, or even outstanding content, so it's normal that they don't get any views."

She suddenly shrugged: "But who cares? I'll just treat it as a record of life."

Chen Yuan listened quietly without interrupting.

He quickly noticed Shang Qianqian's accent and asked curiously, "You're not from Qin Province, are you?"

"Ah? Yes!" Shang Qianqian readily admitted, "I'm from Chongqing. I came all the way to the Qinling Mountains this time specifically for one thing."

She lowered her voice mysteriously, leaned closer, and her eyes sparkled, "I have a friend who does wilderness photography, and he recently photographed something in this area."

She took out her phone, quickly searched for something, and then handed it to Chen Yuan: "Look! This is it!"

The screen displays a somewhat blurry photo, which appears to have been taken from a distance with a telephoto lens.

The background is a steep mountain stream shrouded in mist at dusk.

In the depths of the churning sea of ​​clouds, an extremely large and slender figure could be vaguely seen. It meandered and coiled, appearing and disappearing, revealing only a glimpse of its outline, yet that fleeting glimpse was filled with an indescribable sense of majesty and power.

"He said he saw it with his own eyes. Although it only appeared for a few seconds before disappearing back into the clouds, the feeling was absolutely real!" Shang Qianqian's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and a slight tremor. "Tell me, doesn't it look like a dragon?"

Chen Yuan's gaze froze on the photo instantly, his pupils contracted slightly, and an indescribable tremor rose from the bottom of his heart.

"Dragon?" Chen Yuan's voice was low and solemn. He raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Shang Qianqian. "You mean, there are dragon-like pets living nearby?"

At the same time, the pet egg in Chen Yuan's backpack trembled slightly.

(End of this chapter)