Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 359 Azure Cloud Dragon! A Giant Dragon Appears!
In the ancient land of Donghuang, the legend of the dragon has long been integrated into the bloodline of civilization, becoming a totem of culture and power.

Before the revival of spiritual energy, the legendary creature dragon existed only in murals, ancient books, and oral myths—it could bring rain and stir up the sea, symbolizing supreme power and auspiciousness.

However, when the tide of spiritual energy sweeps across the land, dormant genes are awakened, and all kinds of creatures have the potential to evolve upwards.

Dragons are no longer just a vague legend, but powerful creatures that truly roam this land.

According to Chen Yuan's understanding, the Beast Tamer Association has already published a lot of information about dragon-type pets. Their lowest quality is Commander, the vast majority are Morning Star, and a small number are even Moon.

Such qualities destined these creatures to be inherently powerful and noble.

A beast tamer discovered a dragon-like pet named Thunderclaw Tyrant in a valley where thunderstorms raged year-round.

The Thunderclaw Tyrant is not a long, serpentine creature from Eastern mythology, but rather possesses strong legs and walks upright.

The sharp bone spurs on the back of this pet beast act like lightning rods, attracting lightning from the sky. Its huge dragon claws are wrapped with dazzling arcs of electricity, easily tearing through rocks and summoning lightning from the heavens.

When the beast tamers who saw it tried to subdue it, the beasts they sent out were easily defeated and suffered heavy injuries.

Once the news spread, it attracted countless beast tamers to search for the dragon, but very few were lucky enough to encounter it, and no beast tamers with the strength to form a contract with it appeared.

In addition, some beast tamers have encountered a dragon-like pet called the Emberthroat Earth Dragon in underground caves where the ground is engulfed in flames.

To adapt to the lava environment, the Emberthroat Earth Dragon gave up its ability to soar through the sky and evolved a heavy body and thick limbs, like a fortress covered in flowing lava.

Although it cannot fly, it can move freely in scorching lava and can spew forth torrents of fire with a single breath. Its formidable power frightens beast tamers into turning and fleeing.

What about the dragon in the photo that Shang Qianqian is showing?

Although most of its body was hidden in the sea of ​​clouds, the fleeting glimpse of it, its winding and slender outline, and its scales and claws gradually overlapped with the legendary images of the Eastern dragon in Chen Yuan's mind.

This appears to be a giant dragon capable of soaring through the heavens, with a form closer to that of ancient legends, quite different from the Thunderclaw Tyrant and the Emberthroat Earth Dragon mentioned earlier.

“You’re interested too, aren’t you?” Noticing the change in Chen Yuan’s expression, Shang Qianqian smiled and then said, “No one from Donghuang would be indifferent to it.”

Chen Yuan agreed with this view.

Shang Qianqian's smile widened. She patted the Star Owl on her shoulder and smiled, "That's why I came. I must find a way to see this giant dragon with my own eyes and capture its image in my camera."

Her eyes gleamed with a strange light and a longing for the dragon, and she said cheerfully, "However, this dragon is elusive. After my friend took this photo, he waited in the same spot for two more days, but he never saw the dragon again."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "This can be considered as elusive, appearing only briefly and never quite."

Shang Qianqian nodded slightly, patted the huge backpack behind her, and smiled, revealing her white teeth: "So I made ample preparations this time, and I can easily stay in the mountains for a week."

Then, a gust of cold wind brushed against his face, and Shang Qianqian opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of hot air. His rosy cheeks revealed a resolute look: "I will not give up until I get a close-up shot of the dragon."

Chen Yuan nodded: "Then I wish you good luck."

"I wish you a safe journey too." Shang Qianqian nodded in response, then turned to face the road leading to the mountain peak, raised her hand and waved, "See you again if fate allows."

"See you soon."

Chen Yuan watched Shang Qianqian's figure gradually disappear into the vast snowfield, then stroked his chin, his face full of doubt: "Strange, she didn't invite me to search for the dragon together."

In Chen Yuan's view, since Shang Qianqian took the initiative to show herself and greet him, she must have intended to invite him to join her in the search for the dragon.

After all, the wilderness is fraught with danger, and Shang Qianqian's goal is to find a naturally noble and powerful dragon, so this journey will definitely be fraught with difficulties.

Having more companions means having more security.

But Shang Qianqian's actions surprised Chen Yuan. She seemed uninterested in traveling together and was simply taking pictures of Sprite.

With this thought in mind, Chen Yuan lowered his eyes, looked at the chubby Xuebi, and couldn't help but mutter, "You little guy are so charming?"

Hearing this, Sprite tilted her head and blinked: "Huh?"

What's the use of charm?

Can it help it catch up with the pace of Coca-Cola's advancement?

Chen Yuan chuckled: "Charm isn't of much use, but it can help you pursue your own happiness."

Sprite nodded thoughtfully, then looked up at Chen Yuan and barked twice: "Awooo?"

Then wouldn't the Electric Flying Cat be completely uncharming? Otherwise, how could it not find its own happiness?

Chen Yuan was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Electricity!"

Inside the farm,

Electric Flying Cat suddenly sneezed loudly. It quickly looked around, and its cheek sacs flickered with terrifying electric current.

who is it?

Who is insulting me?
There were no other creatures around. The Electric Flying Cat raged helplessly for a moment, then lowered its head and sighed deeply.

Another boring day.

Since the farmer left, and with the television bill falling into arrears, Electric Flycat's life suddenly became dull and boring.

Runrun Duck can at least play with the fish in the fishpond, and even roam around with the Far-traveling Frog, living a leisurely and carefree life.

But Electric Flying Cat wasn't interested in any of that. All it wanted was to lie comfortably on a soft sofa, eat delicious snacks, and watch the best TV show.

But this scene could only exist in his mind. Electric Flying Cat sighed for a long time, looked around but couldn't find anything interesting, and finally made a decision that went against his nature - to pass the time by training.

At the same moment,

Cloud Ridge Peak
"Coo coo?" The Star Owl turned its round head, its big eyes staring straight at Shang Qianqian, and asked a question.

Shang Qianqian met those eyes that shimmered with a faint blue light and smiled: "Are you wondering why I didn't invite him to join me in the search for the dragon?"

"Coo coo~" The Star Owl nodded.

Shang Qianqian stood on the thick snow, looking straight ahead: "To be honest, if it's just ordinary outdoor training, he is indeed a solid and reliable teammate."

Recalling the previous scene, Shang Qianqian wholeheartedly agreed with this view.

After the Winterhound defeated the Frostfeather Sparrow, the Beastmaster did not hesitate to heal the latter's injuries, demonstrating his exemplary character.

In addition, the Star Owl had used [Heart Domain Wind Network] to detect the other party's emotional fluctuations and did not detect any malice, so she took the initiative to show up and greet them.

At this point, Shang Qianqian shook her head with regret: "It's a pity that his strength is a bit weak. He only has a second-tier Winter Hound. Finding a dragon is not an easy task. With his strength, it will be difficult for him to deal with the dangers along the way."

After a pause, she changed the subject and praised, "However, his Winter Hound is indeed well-bred. It's clear that a lot of effort has been put into it. I hope this beast tamer can make a name for himself with the Winter Hound."

"Gu Gu."

The Star Owl nodded in realization, then stared ahead with its round eyes, an invisible wave of mental energy spreading in all directions as it focused intently on detecting danger.

After walking for more than an hour following the specific directions given by my photographer friend, and finally crossing a steep ice cliff, the view suddenly opened up before me.

A deep, dark, and immense mountain ravine stretched before us, flanked by sheer cliffs, covered in thick snow and dark green moss. Thick, milky white mist billowed from the ravine's depths, shrouding everything in mystery. A faint rumble of water echoed from the ravine's core, as if a hidden river were surging within.

The scene here is almost identical to the background in the photo.

"This is it."

Shang Qianqian looked excited and immediately took out her camera to take pictures of the magnificent scene in front of her.

The star owl on my shoulder also let out a soft "coo-coo" sound, its round eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Just as Shang Qianqian was engrossed in taking pictures of the scenery, a commotion suddenly arose from the misty ravine ahead.

Shang Qianqian and the Star-Patrolling Owl exchanged a glance. The former became more vigilant, while the latter gently flapped its wings, spreading an invisible spiritual wave.

A few dozen meters ahead, Shang Qianqian followed the sound and soon saw a group of young people in uniform school uniforms gathered together, surrounded by various pets.

"Hello!" Shang Qianqian glanced at the Star-Gazing Owl on her shoulder, and after seeing the latter nod, she took a few steps forward and greeted it warmly, "Are you also here to search for the dragon?"

The students turned around at the sound and were somewhat surprised to see Shang Qianqian and the star owl on her shoulder.

Soon, one of the boys, who looked like the leader and was quite overweight, nodded in response: "Hello, we are students from Yunhua Beast Taming Academy. We are here for wilderness combat training and to search for the dragon you mentioned."

"Yunhua Beast Taming Academy?" Shang Qianqian's eyes lit up, and then she nodded in realization.

Even though she was from Chongqing, she had heard of Yunhua Beast Taming Academy in Qin Province. No wonder the pets of this group of people looked quite extraordinary.

She was about to chat a bit more when her gaze was drawn to a figure in the group.

A tall, handsome young man slowly walked out from the back of the group. He had a calm and reserved demeanor, and a powerful aura that far exceeded that of his peers. But what attracted the most attention was the pet beast beside him.

This is a massive, imposing canine beast, its entire body covered in thick, dark blue, almost inky ice crystal armor. Sharp icicles cling to the edges of the armor, making it appear as if it were clad in icy battle armor. Its limbs are strong and powerful, leaving deep, frost-covered footprints on the snow.

Its pair of icy blue eyes, like ancient ice, naturally exude a chilling aura. A massive, ice-breaking tail extends from behind it, giving it a powerful and domineering appearance, like a ferocious beast that has emerged from a wild snowfield.

"This is."

Shang Qianqian was completely captivated by this unfamiliar pet, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder, and her tone full of suspicion.

A chubby boy squeezed in, his eyes almost squinting into slits when he laughed, and proudly puffed out his chest: "This pet is called the Winterhound, and it's the evolved form of the Winterhound."

"Winterhound?" Shang Qianqian suddenly realized, "No wonder it looks so familiar. I saw a Winterhound before, and it looks somewhat similar to a Winterhound."

After advancing, the Winter Hound becomes much larger, and it gains ice crystal armor covering its entire body, while its tail becomes thicker and more powerful.

Compared to their adorable and innocent appearance during the harsh winter, the winter dog's temperament leans towards fierce and powerful.

However, upon closer inspection, the similarities between the two forms can be easily discovered. A thought flashed through her mind, and Shang Qianqian added, "However, the difference in strength between that Winter Hound and the Winter Hound is quite significant."

"Hahaha." Wang Yuan laughed loudly, then pointed to the young man standing next to the Winter Dog and said loudly, "Of course, this is Lao Zhuang, no, our Brother Zhuang personally bred the Winter Dog."

"In past competitions, the Winter Dog helped Brother Zhuang achieve outstanding results, winning the Taibai Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the Dafeng Cup. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the number one Winter Dog in Qin Province."

Seeing the surprised look on Shang Qianqian's face, Wang Yuan belatedly said, "You're not from Qin Province, are you?"

Shang Qianqian politely replied, "I am from Chongqing."

“No wonder.” Wang Yuan nodded in realization. He scratched his head and grinned. “Let me tell you this: Brother Zhuang used to have a lot of back-and-forth with Consultant Chen.”

"Well, although I always lose, at least I can compete with Consultant Chen."

Upon hearing this, Shang Qianqian looked forward at the majestic Winter Hound, her face showing surprise: "I see."

Wang Yuan was very satisfied with Shang Qianqian's reaction. He was about to continue boasting about Zhuang Jianbai's outstanding achievements and his relationship with Consultant Chen when he saw Zhuang Jianbai, who had been silent all along, move.

Zhuang Jianbai ignored Shang Qianqian and Wang Yuan's conversation, his sharp, knife-like gaze piercing through the churning clouds and locking onto the depths of the mountain stream.

He walked slowly to the edge of the ravine, with the Winterhound following closely behind, each step causing the snow to tremble.

"Stop hiding." Zhuang Jianbai's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar penetrating power, echoing in the deep mountain ravine. "I know you're in there."

After a brief silence.

"hold head high--!"

A deep, long, dragon's roar, seemingly from a distant time and space, suddenly resounded from the depths of the clouds and mist.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an indescribable majesty and penetrating power, causing the snow on the mountainside to fall in a rustling sound.

Immediately afterwards, the clouds and mist surged violently, and a huge dragon head covered with blue, jade-like scales slowly emerged from the clouds and mist.

The dragon's head has smooth and beautiful lines, exuding a noble and mysterious aura. Its pair of azure eyes, like deep lakes, calmly gaze at Zhuang Jianbai and Winter Dog on the shore.

On either side of the dragon's head, a pair of small, exquisite, transparent wings, like cicada wings, gently fluttered, stirring up fine air currents.

Before long, the clouds and mist gradually dispersed amidst the dragon's roar, revealing the dragon's complete form.

It is nearly ten meters long, with a slender and elegant body, covered with crystal-clear blue-green scales that shimmer like water in the dim light.

This dragon has no ferocious claws or massive bone wings, only a pair of small wind wings and smooth lines, exuding a sense of agility and mystery.

It floats above the stream, with the rushing water flowing beneath it. The water automatically partes and surrounds it, like a subject guarding a king.

"This, this, this"

Looking at the mysterious dragon that she had been searching for so long and which suddenly appeared at this moment, Shang Qianqian stood there stunned. Her eyes widened and she fell into a strange state of excitement and confusion.

"Cuckoo!"

It wasn't until the Star-Traveling Owl glanced sideways at the stunned Shang Qianqian and pointed its wing at the action camera on her chest that Shang Qianqian suddenly came to her senses: "Oh, right, to record a video!"

Wang Yuan smiled as she looked at the excited Shang Qianqian and slowly said, "We've been looking for this guy for several days, and it only revealed its true form today."

At this point, Wang Yuan squinted his eyes, gazing at the slender dragon from afar, and said with deep emotion, "This guy is called Bibo Yunchi. He is a Morning Star quality pet beast of the water and ice types. He is gentle in nature and does not like to fight."

"So its name is Azure Wave Cloud Dragon." Shang Qianqian's eyes sparkled as she looked at the Azure Wave Cloud Dragon. She murmured the name, "It's so beautiful."

"It's not just beautiful, it's also very strong, otherwise we wouldn't have come all this way to search for it." Wang Yuan said with a smile, "But the stronger the better, it's just the right time to test the current strength of the Winterhound."

As the two were discussing, Zhuang Jianbai looked up at the Azure Wave Cloud Dragon in mid-air, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice, "Azure Wave Cloud Dragon, I hope you will accept my challenge."

"Regardless of victory or defeat, I will offer a batch of pet food and spiritual plants."

"Ugh——!"

The Winterhound let out a low growl filled with fighting spirit, took a step forward, and cold air rose from its deep blue ice crystal armor. Its thick, ice-breaking tail was raised high, and the tips of its ice spikes gleamed with a bone-chilling light.

A hint of human-like interest flashed in the Azure Wave Cloud Dragon's azure eyes. It nodded slightly and let out a long dragon roar to indicate its acceptance of the challenge.

Zhuang Jianbai's gaze sharpened, and he shouted, "Then let's begin."

The next moment, the Winter Dog launched the first attack.

With immense force, the Ice-Breaking Tail slammed into the water like a giant ice hammer. With a deafening roar, the water layer instantly shattered, and countless sharp ice shards shot towards the Azure Wave Cloud Dragon in the air like cannonballs.

The Azure Wave Cloud Dragon's eyes were calm as it gracefully flapped its wings, then its body nimbly rose higher, its mouth slightly open.

A flowing water curtain shimmering with a bluish-green halo instantly unfolded in front of it, like a barrier.

Puff puff!
Ice crystals kept crashing against the water curtain, but they were like mud oxen entering the sea, only creating ripples before being easily dissolved and melted away by the flowing water.

The Winter Hound roared and suddenly leaped into the air, its massive body unleashing terrifying power as it jumped in front of the Azure Cloud Dragon.

In the next instant, the giant claw covered in thick ice armor tore through the air, bringing with it a sharp whistling sound and a bone-chilling cold, and fiercely grabbed at the belly of the Azure Cloud Dragon.

The Azure Wave Cloud Dragon showed no sign of panic, its tail swaying gently.

boom--!
A thick column of water shot up from the bottom of the ravine like an angry dragon, striking the Winterhound's claws with pinpoint accuracy in an instant. The raging torrent, carrying an irresistible force, slammed the Winterhound's massive body backward several meters until it crashed heavily to the ground.

"So strong." Witnessing the fierce battle between the two pet beasts, Shang Qianqian's eyes flashed, and she exclaimed in amazement.

Whether it was the Winter Hound's swift attacks or the Azure Cloud Dragon's effortless responses, she was deeply shocked. This was definitely the most intense pet battle of the day.

Looking around, the students from Yunhua Beast Taming Academy appeared calm, as if they were already used to it.

“That’s true, they’ve all seen a lot in the world,” Shang Qianqian murmured to herself.

Unlike her self-taught beast tamer, the students from the academy were well-informed and would not be shocked by this.

Seeing the Winterhound showing signs of weakness, Zhuang Jianbai was not surprised at all. His eyes narrowed, and he commanded the Winterhound to use its racial skill: "Winter Domain!"

The Winter Hound roared in fury, and a chilling aura erupted wildly from its body.

Centered on the Winter Dog, the cold air instantly froze the ground within a radius of tens of meters, even condensing the water vapor in the air into ice crystals, and the temperature plummeted below freezing.

Winter Dog attempted to freeze the water flow controlled by Azure Cloud Dragon using this move.

A hint of appreciation flashed in the Azure Wave Cloud Dragon's azure eyes, but it did not stop moving at all, and opened its mouth again.

Suddenly, a high-pressure water jet, condensed to its maximum and radiating a chilling blue aura, shot out. Wherever the water jet passed, even the air seemed to freeze, its target aimed directly at the Winter Hound.

The Winterhound's eyes flashed, and it spewed out a burst of icy breath, instantly conjuring a thick, massive ice wall in front of it.

boom! ! !
The moment the roar echoed in their ears, the jet of water, carrying icy air, slammed into the ice wall. In an instant, ice shards flew everywhere, and the terrifying impact and extreme cold frantically eroded the ice wall.

At that moment, the ice wall thickened at a visible rate before it cracked.

Click!

The thick ice wall, sustained by the cold air, finally gave way and shattered with a crash, the remaining water jets slamming into the Winterhound's chest.

"Ugh——!"

The Winterhound let out a painful groan, and then its massive body was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ice and sliding a long distance away.

Everyone turned their attention to it, and saw that large cracks had appeared on the Frosthound's ice crystal armor, and its aura had weakened considerably.

At this moment, the outcome is decided.

The Azure Cloud Dragon hovered in the air, gracefully retracting its breath, its azure dragon eyes calmly gazing down.

It didn't even use any more powerful skills; it easily defeated the mighty Winterhound with just its exquisite water-type manipulation and absolute power suppression.

Zhuang Jianbai strode over to the Winter Dog and examined its injuries. Despite having suffered many setbacks, his face showed no sign of disappointment, but rather a hint of excitement and gratitude. He solemnly addressed the Azure Cloud Dragon in the air, saying, "Thank you for your guidance."

Wang Yuan and the other students immediately surrounded him, marveling at the terrifying strength of the Azure Cloud Dragon while sincerely praising the progress of the Frosty Winter Dog.

Shang Qianqian looked down at the action camera flashing red light, her expression excited.

Such an exciting battle, such valuable video footage, it's sure to go viral online!
Just then, a student couldn't help but exclaim, "At this rate of progress, it might not be long before Brother Zhuang is able to go toe-to-toe with Consultant Chen."

The moment the words were spoken, the room fell silent.

Wang Yuan's smile froze, and the other students exchanged bewildered glances with complicated expressions.

This name, like a towering mountain standing before all beast tamers, is an almost insurmountable peak.

Even for a beast tamer genius like Zhuang Jianbai, even with the significant progress his Winter Hound has made and the ability to briefly clash with the Azure Cloud Dragon, the very thought of challenging Consultant Chen carries an indescribable heaviness and an almost impossible sense of impossibility.

Zhuang Jianbai did not respond. He gently stroked the cold armor of the Winterhound, but a more intense flame burned deep in his eyes.

In order to catch up with Consultant Chen's progress, he frantically completed tasks and earned contribution points after the Great Wind Cup. Finally, a week ago, he obtained the advanced resources for the Winter Dog and spent a lot of effort to successfully advance it.

But this is only the first step in catching up with Consultant Chen.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Jianbai raised his eyes to gaze at the Azure Cloud Dragon and murmured to himself, "I wonder who is stronger, it or Consultant Chen's Wind-Riding Dog?"

"If we can defeat it, the Wind-Riding Hound might not be a match for us."

The Winterhound keenly sensed the beast tamer's emotional fluctuations. It turned around, its eyes gleaming, and its bark was filled with high spirits: "Awooo!"

"Wow, it's quite lively here."

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

(End of this chapter)