Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 409 Civil War! Chen Yuan VS Jiang Wenning!
September 2, evening.

The magnificent sunset was like an overturned palette, dyeing the sky a beautiful orange-red and purple-gold.

Outside the main venue of the Donghuang Tournament, crowds thronged, with countless spectators holding tickets, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation, as they orderly passed through the ticket gates and poured into the huge circular arena.

Inside the stadium, colorful flags fluttered in the wind, creating a sea of ​​jubilation alongside countless glow sticks and support signs waving in the stands.

The air was thick with fervor, and the chatter and laughter of tens of thousands of people merged into a massive wave of sound, foreshadowing a showdown of epic proportions tonight.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen!"

The commentator's loud and passionate voice blared through the amplification equipment that filled the entire venue, instantly drowning out the noisy crowd:

"After days of fierce competition, we have finally ushered in the most anticipated match of the knockout stage of this Donghuang Tournament. The winner of this match will proudly advance to the final eight!"

The background music shifts to a powerful and rapid rhythm at the right moment, with the drumbeats striking the heartstrings of everyone.

"First of all, let's welcome Jiang Wen Ning from Shanghai, who has performed exceptionally well in both the qualifying and knockout stages!"

The spotlight instantly shone on the exit of the contestants' passage, where the tall and slender Jiang Wenning slowly walked out.

With a bright, welcoming smile on her face, she waved enthusiastically to the audience in all directions, drawing even more enthusiastic cheers and applause.

"And her opponent—"

The commentator's voice rose again, full of fervor, "It's Consultant Chen from Qin Province, hailed as a favorite to win the championship, who has remained undefeated since the points competition began!"

Another spotlight shone, and Chen Yuan's figure appeared at the entrance of the passage.

His expression was calm, his gaze meeting Jiang Wenning's in the distance, and the two smiled and nodded at the same time.

Jiang Wenning was the first beast tamer Chen Yuan met, and could be considered his mentor.

When he first became a beast tamer, he knew nothing about beast taming. Fortunately, Jiang Wenning, who had formal training, had a deep theoretical knowledge, which saved Chen Yuan a lot of trouble.

But after knowing each other for so long, they are only now having their first match, and it's under such intense public scrutiny.

Both of them were well-prepared for this match.

As the camera panned across the two, the applause and cheers from the audience reached their peak, the sound almost lifting the dome.

Chang Yuhuan, sitting in the front row, kept snapping photos, trying to capture every moment when their eyes met.

"This angle is amazing!"

"This one is beautiful!"

She packed all the photos she had taken into a group chat and said, "Watermelon, the competition is about to start."

Li Junyue: "Yes, I'm watching."

At the same time, in Yunnan Province, thousands of kilometers away.

In a lounge at the headquarters of the Ninth Squad of the Criminal Investigation Department, a group of men and women in uniforms were also gathered.

The huge screen on the wall is broadcasting the grand occasion of the Donghuang Conference in real time.

"Here he comes! Consultant Chen is here!" Kobayashi shouted excitedly when he saw the familiar figure appear on the screen.

The teammate next to him nudged him with his elbow and teased, "Look how excited you are. Anyone who didn't know you would think you were an acquaintance."

Xiao Lin chuckled and scratched his head, saying, "To round it off, the captain and Consultant Chen are friends, so we're indirectly acquainted!"

Li Junyue sat in the center of the crowd, put his phone back in his pocket, a faint smile on his lips, but his gaze was somewhat distant.

Looking at the two extremely familiar faces on the screen, he was filled with emotion.

A few months ago, they were both novice beast tamers, exchanging ideas and learning from each other, hoping to gain a foothold in this new era.

Jiang Wenning's progress was exactly what he expected. As a first-term student of the Donghuang Beast Taming Academy headquarters and a local heiress in Shanghai, coupled with her outstanding talent, her path to becoming a beast tamer was bound to be smooth sailing.

However, Chen Yuan's development was far beyond expectations.

In terms of background and circumstances, Chen Yuan at that time was not even as good as himself.

However, Chen Yuan's progress was unbelievably fast. He ran wildly, leaving all the beast tamers around him far behind.

Time flies, and these two friends who have helped him so much are now standing on the highest-level stage of Donghuang, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

He was filled with mixed emotions, including relief and a complex feeling that was hard to describe.

And what about him?
Meanwhile, in the more remote village of Londa.

The simple office of the Beastmaster was now crowded with villagers who had come to watch the competition, most of whom were elderly.

At the front of the crowd, little Dorje, with his dark skin and bright eyes, stared intently at the clear and bright television screen.

When Chen Yuan's figure appeared on the screen, he jumped up from his stool, excitedly pointing at the screen and shouting, "It's Brother Chen Yuan! Brother Chen Yuan is here!"

The fluffy mushroom on its head was almost flung off by Little Dorje's sudden movement. It tried to hold on tightly to the latter's hat, and then glared at Little Dorje angrily.

Little Dorjee scratched his head awkwardly: "Hehe, I was just too excited."

Immediately, Xiao Duoji looked up at Chen Yuan, who was walking towards the battlefield amidst deafening cheers, and asked absentmindedly, "Brother Chen Yuan, can you become the champion?"

On the screen, Chen Yuan and Jiang Wenning looked at each other from afar, waiting for the match to begin.

When the referee raised his flag high, the entire stadium fell silent instantly; even breathing seemed to stop.

The air was so heavy it felt almost tangible; everyone held their breath, waiting for the decisive moment.

The flag fell.

"Game start!"

The moment the command was given, a flash of light appeared in front of Chen Yuan, and Kele's agile figure leaped into the arena.

It stood on all fours, creating ripples of blue light beneath its feet. Its light brown fur billowed in the wind. It raised its head and growled, its azure eyes scanning the entire area, radiating a fierce fighting spirit.

On the other side, a dazzling summoning array also appeared in front of Jiang Wenning.

With a clear and melodious cry, a breathtakingly beautiful pet gracefully appeared.

It resembles a noble swan, but its body is more slender and graceful.

Its entire body is covered with feathers as pure and flawless as the first snow, reflecting a faint, shimmering white luster under the light.

Its long neck has a beautiful curve, and its head is topped with a small tuft of ice crystal-like feathers, like a princess's crown.

What's most peculiar is its wings, the edges of which seem to be made of tiny ice crystals, scattering starlight-like ice dust as it flaps.

It hovered quietly in the low sky, exuding a cold chill and a sacred, otherworldly aura.

Snow Feather Swan, an ice-type pet, is born with the quality of a leader.

As the two pet beasts appeared, the commentator's voice rang out at the opportune moment:

"Chen Yuan sent out the Wind Rider, which had not appeared before, while Jiang Wenning chose to send out the Snow Feather Swan."

A dog and a goose stood facing each other in the center of the field.

same moment.

The gentle smile on Jiang Wenning's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, piercing gaze that locked onto the situation on the field.

"Snow Feathered Swan, Extreme Cold Storm!"

Jiang Wenning took Chen Yuan and Kele very seriously, and at the very beginning, she had Xue Yu Ni Swan use her long-hidden trump card.

She had originally planned to save this skill for the most crucial moment of advancement, and now that she had encountered Chen Yuan, it was the perfect opportunity to use it.

The Snow Feather Swan let out a clear, long cry, and its wings began to flap gracefully and powerfully.

In an instant, a fierce blizzard was generated out of nowhere, centered on it.

The howling wind, carrying snowflakes like goose feathers and tiny ice crystals, quickly enveloped most of the area, drastically reducing visibility and causing the temperature to plummet.

"Extreme cold storm."

Watching the Snow Feather Swan's every move, Chen Yuan's eyes flickered, his thoughts churning.

Snow Feather Swan is Jiang Wenning's second pet, and it rarely appears in public.

However, during his trip to Yunnan Province, Chen Yuan saw the Snow Feathered Swan several times, and with the information collected and organized by Zhang Hao, he gained some understanding of it.

The Snow Feather Swan is a support-type ice-type pet with relatively average combat strength.

Jiang Wenning's decision to have it appear first clearly indicates her intention to weaken Cola's condition and pave the way for Moonflower Frost Cat.

The effect of [Extreme Cold Storm] is quite similar to Egg's [Sea of ​​Clouds], both being large-scale crowd control skills.

When the wind and snow cover the entire area, the fierce wind and snow can not only effectively block the view, but also significantly increase the speed of ice-type pets within the snow range.

Fortunately, the skill power and recovery speed of ice-type pets were not enhanced, so their effect is not as good as [Cloud Sea Standing].

However, as a crowd control skill, once successfully used and properly employed by Jiang Wenning, it can still influence the course of the battle.

As the snowstorm swept across the field, the Snow Feather Swan's silhouette became even more elusive and unpredictable. Its delicate, snow-white body almost blended into the snow, barely visible to the naked eye. Lu Hao, watching on the screen, rubbed his eyes hard and feigned surprise, asking, "Where's the Snow Feather Swan?"

"Where is my huge Snow Feather Swan?"

The audience stared wide-eyed and sat up straight, trying to spot the Snow Feather Swans amidst the fierce wind and snow.

in the venue,
Cola floated on air, suspended in the wind and snow. Its azure eyes calmly scanned the white surroundings. Its soft fur was blown backward by the gale, but it remained unmoved, as if the harsh environment had little effect on it.

On Puda Snow Mountain, it witnessed even fiercer snowstorms.

"Surge the wind and disperse it." Chen Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he quickly devised a solution.

As a wind-type pet, Cola has plenty of ways to deal with this kind of crowd control skill.

"Ow~"

Cola let out a low growl, and a surge of air around it created a powerful whirlwind that rose from beneath its feet, attempting to blow away the snowstorm.

Surprisingly, the stronger the wind stirred up by the cola, the more turbulent the surrounding frigid storm became, with the wind and snow intertwining more tightly, as if the gale was injecting energy into the blizzard.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuan's gaze narrowed slightly, and he immediately understood the key point: "So that's how it is. The extreme cold storm uses wind energy to enhance the power of ice and snow. Ordinary wind-type skills not only cannot dispel it, but will also amplify its power."

Even something as powerful as cola couldn't directly disperse this blizzard with its strong winds.

This was clearly a tactic carefully prepared by Jiang Wenning, specifically designed to counter wind-type opponents.

Did Yuzu already have plans to deal with him all along?
As Chen Yuan's thoughts raced, Jiang Wenning, standing on the sidelines, subtly curved her lips into a smile—exactly the effect she wanted.

"Ice Cone Surprise Attack." The next moment, Jiang Wenning seized the opportunity to launch an attack.

In the wind and snow, the Snow Feather Swan raises its long neck and flaps its wings.

In an instant, countless sharp icicles, gleaming with cold light, pierced through layers of snow like a sudden storm, shooting towards Cola from all sorts of tricky angles.

The icicle sliced ​​through the air, producing a piercing whistling sound.

Because the wind and snow obscured the view, the audience could only hear the piercing whistling sound, but could not catch the trajectory of the ice spikes at all.

Looking around, all Coke could see was a vast expanse of white and faintly swirling snowflakes.

Danger seems to be lurking deeper.

Gazing at the increasingly fierce wind and snow ahead, Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, involuntarily recalling his experience in Puda Snow Mountain.

That day, the wind and snow were just as fierce, no, even stronger and more intense than now.

Cola ventured deeper into the mountain to try and advance, while Jiang Wenning and the others continued to climb to the summit of the snow-capped mountain to witness the breathtaking sight of the sun shining on the golden mountain.

At this moment, the wind and snow were still blowing, but he and Jiang Wenning had gone from teammates to temporary rivals.

"Wind Blade." The thought flashed through his mind, but Chen Yuan responded calmly.

A glint flashed in Cola's eyes. Without making any significant movements, countless sharp wind blades instantly condensed around its body, spinning rapidly.

With a whooshing sound, each wind blade seemed to contain an extremely sharp aura, precisely meeting the incoming ice spikes.

Bang bang bang!
A series of loud crashes echoed through the arena.

The wind blades and ice spikes collided violently, sending shattered ice crystals and stray air currents flying everywhere, further obstructing the already poor visibility and making the snowstorm even more chaotic.

Under the cover of this chaos, the Snow Feather Swan, with the speed boost from the extreme cold storm and its familiarity with the environment, silently concealed its presence, like a white ghost, swiftly maneuvering along the ground, quietly approaching the rear of Cola.

At this moment, icy cold air had already gathered at the edges of the Snow Feather Swan's wings, preparing to launch a fatal close-range attack.

The drone that had been hovering in the air captured the scene precisely, and the footage it took was displayed on the big screen, causing an uproar in the audience.

"Not there!"

"What a cunning tactic! The buffs from the extreme cold storm have turned the Snow Feather Swan into an assassin in the snowstorm."

"This is the core of Jiang Wenning's tactics."

"Will the Wind-Riding Dog be able to react?"

Of course, Cola could react.

"Ow~"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, facing the Snow Feather Swan lurking in the biting wind and snow, waiting for its chance to strike, Cola not only did not panic, but instead closed her eyes amidst a chorus of exclamations.

The next moment, Cola opened his eyes, a faint blue light flashing in them, and his surging spiritual power transformed into strands of silk, silently spreading in all directions.

Through the Mind Domain Wind Network, Cola instantly and clearly captured the subtle emotional fluctuations and airflow changes that occurred when the Snow Feather Swan approached, and had already pinpointed the swan's exact location.

Just as Cola was about to launch its attack, it heard its master's voice ring in its mind:

"Cola, don't make a fuss, let's play along."

"Ow?"

Cola was taken aback at first, then nodded thoughtfully.

But when Cola understood its owner's thoughts, it barked angrily and slammed its paw on the ground.

It's all Electric Flying Cat's fault!
The owner used to dislike these schemes and tricks, but now, all because of Electric Flying Cat, the owner has become bad!

As the thought flashed through his mind, Cola deliberately pretended to be oblivious to the danger behind him, maintaining his previous posture as if his attention was entirely focused on the possible attack from the front.

The next moment, seeing that Cola had not noticed her presence, the Snow Feather Swan gathered even purer and more frigid icy power from its wings, accompanied by a faint gust of wind, and flapped towards Cola.

But at that very moment, the cola started moving.

Its movements were as fast as lightning; with a mere sidestep, it narrowly avoided the wing strike imbued with freezing air.

At the same time, the air around Cola suddenly became violent, and his originally calm eyes suddenly turned sharp.

"Vortex Assault!" Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed, and the command was issued instantly.

A blue energy rippled beneath Cola's feet, accompanied by an extremely fierce gale. In an instant, its form transformed into a lightning bolt capable of tearing through the wind and snow, and it shot out.

Wherever it goes, even the raging wind and snow are forcibly pushed aside.

The next second, it crashed solidly into the Snow Feather Swan, which had been exposed due to its missed attack.

Bang!
A heavy impact rang out.

The Snow Feather Swan let out a painful cry as its entire body was thrown backward by the immense force of the impact.

This was just the beginning. The violent airflow enveloping the cola was like countless invisible blades, frantically tearing and slicing through the body of the Snow Feather Swan.

In the blink of an eye, the Snow Feather Swan's pure white feathers became disheveled and scattered everywhere, with countless fine wounds appearing on its body.

Not long after, the Snow Feather Swan crashed heavily onto the ice in the distance. After struggling for a moment, it was unable to stand up again and fainted.

The snow and wind continued on the field, but the Snow Feathered Swan had already collapsed and fallen unconscious.

The next moment, the referee announced loudly: "The Snow Feather Swan has lost its ability to fight!"

In an instant, the audience trembled, followed by a deafening roar of cheers and applause.

Chang Yuhuan stared intently at the large screen while typing with a sigh, "Youzi still didn't succeed."

Li Junyue: "Yes, the gap is objectively real. It is indeed not easy for Snow Feather Swan to defeat Wind Rider Dog."

Chang Yuhuan: "Watermelon, do you think Yuzhi's Moonlit Frost Cat can beat Cola?"

Li Junyue was silent for a moment, then typed back: "There is hope. The effects of the extreme cold storm have not ended yet, and the Moonlit Frost Cat can receive the buff."

"In this way, the gap between it and the Wind Riders will be further narrowed, and it will have a chance to win."

Chang Yuhuan: "Oh, it's all the competition committee's fault."

Li Junyue: "?"

Chang Yuhuan: "If it weren't for the match schedule arranged by the competition committee, Youzi and Chengzi wouldn't have met. In that case, they might both have advanced to the finals."

Li Junyue: "On the bright side, this way at least one person is guaranteed a spot in the finals."

Chang Yuhuan: "But Chengzi was guaranteed a spot in the finals anyway."

Li Junyue: "That's true."

As the two chatted, Cola saw the Snow Feather Swan lying unconscious on the ground, and the pride that had risen in her heart because of her victory vanished instantly.

It looked up at Jiang Wenning, and only breathed a long sigh of relief when it saw that the latter did not show any dissatisfaction.

"Ow~"

Immediately, Cola barked twice at Jiang Wenning, wagging its tail incessantly, indicating that it hadn't hit her too hard and would recover after a short rest.

Jiang Wenning smiled and said, "Thank you, Cola."

(End of this chapter)