Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 374 The Iron-Headed Kid's Path to Advancement!

When the Silver Armored Mantis was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture by the old man's seemingly harmless Frost Ox, a faint, yet suppressed, chuckle could be heard from the canopy of a lush, translucent fruit tree in the Spirit Plant Garden.

The air rippled almost imperceptibly with the laughter.

Youmi's figure appeared and disappeared, clutching her stomach, her small body trembling as she tried to suppress her laughter, her large amber eyes curving into crescents.

However, its subtle movements and unique aroma did not escape the keen perception of Cola.

Cola's ears perked up slightly, its nose twitched, and its azure eyes instantly locked onto the slightly rippling air.

It didn't immediately react or make a sound. Instead, it walked to Chen Yuan's side, gently rubbed its nose against its master's hand, and then let out a low growl in the direction of the tree, its eyes sharp.

Chen Yuan glanced in the direction Cola indicated, a knowing smile appearing on his face. He gently patted Cola's head and whispered, "I understand."

But he didn't take any action, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued chatting with Huo Hong and the others.

The stone squatted on the ground, silent for a long time.

It's one thing to be easily defeated by the pet beasts trained by Consultant Chen, but why?
Hey!
With a long sigh, the dejected Stone returned to his senior sister's side, head bowed and silent.

Even the carefree Stone couldn't help but feel disheartened and suffer a severe blow after experiencing multiple failures in a short period of time.

Huo Hong noticed Shi Tou's reaction, coughed lightly, and said in a stern voice, "Shi Tou, you know Zhuang Jianbai, right?"

"Hmm," Stone nodded silently, his voice barely audible, still immersed in the disappointment of the Silver Mantis being easily killed by the Frost Bull.

This cold-blooded ox is so small and looks ordinary, even seemingly thin due to malnutrition, so why can it spew out such an exaggeratedly strong cold breath?

Despite being only at the second tier, the chilling breath he unleashed clearly possessed the power of the third tier.

He doesn't understand.

Huo Hong carefully chose his words and said seriously, "Everyone knows that Zhuang Jianbai is the number one student at Yunhua Beast Taming Academy. He is a role model and goal for countless students in Qin Province. His outstanding achievements in the Great Wind Cup have earned the admiration of countless beast tamers."

"Even such a powerful beast tamer has a painful past."

Stone gradually became interested. He looked up at Huo Hong and asked, "Master, what's your past?"

Huo Hong raised his eyebrows slightly. He first glanced at Consultant Chen, who was standing not far away, and then his voice grew softer and softer: "A past with Consultant Chen."

Upon hearing this, Shi Tou became very interested, and A Mei also stopped chewing her food.

"It is said that Zhuang Jianbai once came to the Qinling Mountains with his classmates for training, and accidentally ran into Consultant Chen's cola, and even had a wonderful battle with him."

Stone quickly asked, "Master, who won?"

Huo Hongdao said, "Is that even a question? Of course, Cola will win easily."

"This crushing defeat left a deep impression on Zhuang Jianbai. He regarded Consultant Chen as his greatest enemy and trained hard for revenge."

"After some time, Zhuang Jianbai, who felt he had made remarkable progress, came to Xuanhe Village again and challenged Advisor Chen."

"Zhuang Jianbai will definitely lose this time too!" Shi Tou blurted out, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Hmm." Huo Hong nodded, his voice tinged with deep emotion. "Not only did he lose, but it was a crushing defeat that almost caused Zhuang Jianbai to collapse on the spot. From then on, he began to doubt whether he could become an excellent beast tamer and whether his efforts were worthwhile."

Hearing this, Stone felt a strange sense of empathy. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Zhuang Jianbai may be insignificant compared to Consultant Chen, but what about him compared to Zhuang Jianbai?

Seeing the change in Shi Tou's eyes, Huo Hong continued, "One failure after another, one collapse after another, made Zhuang Jianbai gradually understand a truth: there are objective differences between people."

"Some people are born like the moon in the sky, their radiance surpassing that of countless stars."

There's no need to compete with the moon for brilliance; just be the brightest star.

Upon hearing this long speech, Shi Tou remained silent for a long time, his eyes flickering. Finally, he nodded emphatically to Huo Hong: "Master, I understand."

"Good that you understand. Don't take these things to heart. It's just a small setback." Huo Hong finally smiled, patted Shi Tou's shoulder hard, and turned to leave.

This passage actually comes from an interview with Zhuang Jianbai conducted by the Qin Province Daily some time ago.

In the interview, Zhuang Jianbai recounted his journey since becoming a Beastmaster, including the excitement of becoming a Beastmaster, the pride and joy of displaying his talent, the astonishment and doubt when he first met Consultant Chen, the collapse and despair when he was defeated again, and the relief he felt during the strong wind.
At the end of the interview, Zhuang Jianbai, with a serious expression, looked at the camera and said in a deep voice, "I no longer care whether I can win every game. I just hope that I can go further."

Late at night, a campfire flickered on the farm, casting a warm glow.

Chen Yuan, Huo Hong, Shi Tou, A Mei, and the old man sat together, enjoying a simple late-night snack.

Actually, it was mainly because Shi Tou and A Mei were starving late at night, so Chen Yuan prepared some late-night snacks and let the kids have a taste as well.

Runrun Duck was holding a golden-brown, crispy, and fragrant roasted spirit fish, eating with a blissful expression, its little wings fluttering happily.

The rich, caramelized aroma of the fish, mixed with the fragrance of the special sauce, wafts through the air, making it incredibly tempting.

The fragrance, like a living hook, precisely ensnared the elusive nymph still hiding in the tree.

It sniffed hard, and its stomach rumbled loudly, the sound particularly clear in the quiet night.

It quickly covered its stomach, swallowed hard, and stared longingly at the people and pets feasting by the campfire below, especially the huge, shiny grilled fish in Runrun Duck's arms.

Ultimately, hunger and cravings triumphed over reason and caution.

Yumi gritted her teeth and used Shadow Step again, silently sliding down the tree like a veil blending into the shadows, carefully and inching her way toward the grilled fish.

Its little paws were about to touch the tempting fish tail.
"Ow!"

Just then, Cola let out a low growl with a warning tone, and at the same time, an invisible mental shock mixed with wind pressure precisely enveloped the area where Youmi was located.

"Coo-choo?!"

Youmi felt her whole body stiffen, and her invisibility was instantly broken.

Its furry purple body was unexpectedly exposed in the campfire light, maintaining that comical pose of stealthily extending its paw.

In an instant, all eyes were focused on it.

"Coo-choo~"

Yumi's face instantly stiffened. She tried her best to force a smile, but everyone, including the little ones, didn't react and just stared at her.

A cold wind blew across her face, and she was met with several pairs of extremely oppressive and terrifying gazes. Youmi was finally so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat. Her small body froze on the spot, not daring to move, and her big eyes were filled with the terror of "I'm doomed".

Chen Yuan couldn't help but laugh at its appearance, his tone teasing: "Hey? Isn't this Youmi? Didn't you leave? How come you suddenly appeared on our farm? And in such an interesting pose?"

These words instantly dispelled the previously somber atmosphere on the farm.

Yumi's brain raced, her little face flushed red, and she stammered as she tried to explain, "Coo-choo."

Ben.Ben Youmi-sama flew here without anyone noticing.

right! That's it!

I also wanted to check if you all got home safely!
The more it spoke, the louder and more confident it became, and finally it even puffed out its little chest, as if it was deeply convinced of its reasons.

But this flimsy and blatant excuse immediately made everyone present burst into laughter. Huo Hong shook his head and chuckled, Shi Tou laughed out loud, and even A Mei's lips curved into a noticeable smile. Chen Yuan didn't expose it, but simply waved his hand and said cheerfully, "Since you're here, you're a guest. Haven't had dinner yet? Come and have some with us."

Upon hearing this, Youmi's big eyes lit up instantly, like light bulbs had been turned on. All her fear and embarrassment were replaced by overwhelming joy! "Goo-hoo?!"

It could hardly believe its ears. After a moment of stunned silence, it flew over with great joy and, without any hesitation, picked up one of the roasted spirit fish that was even bigger than itself. The heavy weight made its body sway and it almost fell to the ground. Everyone burst into laughter again.

But at this moment, Youmi couldn't care less about the laughter that was rising and falling. It stared intently at the roasted spirit fish in its arms, opened its mouth wide, and took a big bite!

The deliciousness exploded in its mouth, and it ate until its face was covered in oil, its little paws and the corners of its mouth became shiny. It was completely immersed in the happiness of the food and made satisfied humming sounds.

Runrun Duck saw Youmi wolfing down her food as if she hadn't eaten in ages, and a pang of heartache flashed in her eyes.

It tilted its head and thought for a moment, then turned around and dragged out the bag of incredibly delicious pet food from its treasure trove. It pushed it in front of Youmi with its wings and made a friendly "quack quack" sound.

Seeing this, the other little ones also gathered around.

Sprite brought over a few chilled blue crystal fruits that only grow in the snow and ice; the Fallen Horned Beast nudged over a small pile of strange biscuits that it thought tasted pretty good; even the Bean Chickens pushed over a few eggs, but were quickly scolded by their mother hen.

Only Electric Flying Cat, swishing its tail, flew high above, watching the joyful scene below, especially Youmi's starving look. It snorted disdainfully and turned its head away: "Electric!"

What a cunning fellow!
This Electric Flying Cat won't be fooled by you!

Surrounded by so much kindness and delicious food, Youmi gradually slowed down as she ate.

It looked at the pile of small food items in front of it, then at the other pets around it with curious and friendly eyes, and then remembered Chen Yuan saying he would compensate it for its losses during the day, and now he was inviting it to share dinner.
A bittersweet yet warm feeling welled up inside him, and his eyes involuntarily began to redden. The next second, tears were about to fall.

"Coo-choo!"

But it's the proud and aloof Lord Yumi!
How could you cry in front of so many people and pets!

It suddenly turned its head and rubbed its eyes vigorously with its furry little paws, muttering indistinctly, "Goo-choo!"

This campfire is making my eyes sting!

Chen Yuan chuckled and joked, "Huh? Why do I think I smell tears?"

The people around immediately burst into even louder, good-natured laughter.

Yumi: "."

It lowered its head even further, pretending to be focused on gnawing on the fish, but the tips of its ears were completely red.

As night deepened and the campfire died down, everyone returned to their rooms to rest, and the pets also found comfortable spots in the courtyard to drift off to sleep.

The farm returned to tranquility, with only the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

Only Youmi sat quietly on the branch of the big tree where it had previously hidden, bathed in the clear moonlight.

It didn't hide; it simply cuddled its round little belly, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, feeling the lingering warmth and the satisfaction of its food. A strange, peaceful emotion enveloped it like honey.

After a long while, it slowly lay down on the branch and fell into a deep sleep, a sweet, satisfied smile unconsciously curving its lips.

The next morning, the Beastmaster Association's special vehicle delivered the tightly sealed advanced resources on time.

After Chen Yuan checked and confirmed the contents, he led Tie Touwa, Huo Hong, and the other two to the mine again.

Cola will remain on the farm.

This time, Youmi did not choose to remain invisible.

It flapped its little wings and followed openly at the back of the group, as if it were one of them.

Not long after, the group returned to the cave filled with dense steel-elemental energy.

The two armored rhinoceroses had already sensed the presence and were waiting obediently at the cave entrance. When they saw Chen Yuan and the others, especially when they saw Tie Touwa, they subconsciously took several steps back, lowered their heads and made way for the path to the deepest part of the cave.

Chen Yuan nodded to them as a greeting, and then led Tie Touwa to the area in the center of the cave where the energy was most concentrated.

"Are you ready?" Chen Yuan asked, looking at Tie Touwa.

Ironhead nodded solemnly, his eyes shining with determination and expectation.

After advancing to the next level, I should be able to barely protect myself in this dangerous world, right?

Chen Yuan said no more and personally opened the two specially made metal boxes.

Inside the box, the hundred-forged steel core, like a beating heart, shimmered with a cold, silvery-gray metallic luster, and it seemed as if liquid metal was flowing inside.

The core myeloid crystal resembles a shiny stone, exhibiting a deep brownish-yellow color and radiating a warm and profound energy fluctuation.

Ironhead stepped forward, stretched out his steel-bladed arm that had been forged through countless hammer blows, carefully picked up a piece of hundred-forged steel heart as if it were a priceless treasure, and then slowly put it into his mouth.

"Snap... Snap..."

A tooth-grinding sound rang out, and Tie Touwa was seen chewing the Hundred-Refined Steel Heart in large mouthfuls, his movements as if he were eating a fish. This made Youmi frown and her body tremble inexplicably.

So brutal, so terrifying.

So powerful!
In no time, a surge of steel-based energy, like a tidal wave, rushed into Ironhead's body. Its eyes were calm as it quietly felt this power surging and flowing through its body. Then, its body surface shone brightly with silver light, and the metallic luster flowed endlessly.

Time passed gradually, and after Ironhead had digested most of the steel-based energy, it picked up the Earth Core Crystal and put it into its mouth as well.

"buzz"

This time, it was a deep, resonant hum.

The earth's energy, as heavy as a mountain, surged in and began to converge and merge with the steel-based energy within the body.

Its body surface began to show thick, dark gray lines, like those of unpolished rock.

boom--! ! !
In that instant, two powerful energies erupted and merged within Ironhead Boy's body!
Its body was instantly enveloped by dazzling white light and thick yellowish-brown glow, and a cocoon made of pure energy slowly formed, its surface sometimes flashing with a cold metallic gleam, and sometimes revealing solid earth veins.

"Ka"

Simultaneously impacted by two powerful energies, feeling them erupt, collide, and surge within its body, Ironhead frowned slightly. It could clearly feel an irresistible pain appearing in various parts of its body.

This pain cannot be ignored or resisted; one can only endure it silently and fight it off with extraordinary willpower.

Ironhead knew this was an inevitable step in its advancement, so it stood silently in place, letting the pain give rise to a stronger self.

For the sake of strength, everything is worthwhile.

Upon witnessing this scene, everyone held their breath, watching the cocoon of light containing astonishing energy with tension and anticipation, quietly waiting for the advancement ceremony to end.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly and said softly, "The advancement ceremony will last for most of the day, so there's no need to keep an eye on it all the time."

"It will succeed."

Inside the cave, only the low rumble of surging energy and the rapid heartbeats of the group remained.

(I'm going out tomorrow, so I need to take a day off. Thank you.)

(End of this chapter)