Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 417 Qin Province needs a champion, Donghuang needs Advisor Chen
When the semi-final match between Chen Yuan and Li Tianyun came to a close, the online world was completely ignited in a short period of time.

#Chen Yuan crushes Li Tianyun#
#Li Tianyun leaves the stage in disappointment#
#My brother cried#
#Practitioner > Academic#
One by one, the terms surged to the top of the trending search list at an astonishing speed, and the level of discussion grew exponentially.

Countless netizens engaged in heated discussions on the topic, with some expressing regret and even shedding tears for Li Tianyun's defeat, lamenting the bad luck of academic geniuses.

More than anything, people were shocked by the terrifying strength that Chen Yuan displayed, which seemed unfathomable, and were passionately discussing where his limits lay.

Netizens in Qin Province were overjoyed, hoping that Chen Yuan could bring home the most prestigious championship trophy for his hometown.

"Qin Province needs this champion, and Donghuang needs Advisor Chen!"

"If Consultant Chen wins the championship, I will randomly select 10 of the latest iPhone 17 models in the comments section. If you need one, just type '1'."

"If Consultant Chen wins the championship, I'll confess my feelings to my college roommate (IP: Rongcheng)."

In addition, the official account of the Qin Province Beast Tamer Association immediately released a warmly congratulatory announcement to celebrate Consultant Chen's strong advancement to the final round.

Amidst the commotion, Chen Yuan had quietly returned to the players' lounge.

His personal communicator kept vibrating, with congratulatory messages constantly popping up on the screen from many friends, including Zhang Hao, Huo Hong, Liu Jinglan and her brother, Zhuang Jianbai, and even high-ranking officials of the Qin Province Association.

He briefly and selectively replied to a few messages, then muted the screen and turned his gaze to the huge live stream screen in the lounge.

In the other semi-final, Ye Sheng faced off against Su Lan, and the match had entered its final, intense stage.

Inside the venue, the atmosphere was equally enthusiastic, but compared to the wildness and passion of the previous event, this one was filled with a completely different kind of tranquility and tension, like the deep sea.

Under the spotlight, Ye Sheng maintained his unchanging icy expression, his eyes indifferent, as if the surrounding cheers and applause had nothing to do with him.

His opponent was Su Lan, who came from the water towns of Jiangnan.

Su Lan maintained her unique gentleness and intellect. Even though she was clearly at a disadvantage in the battle, she still had a calm and unhurried smile on her face, but her eyes showed a more serious focus.

The situation on the field is now clear.

Su Lan's two main pets have been defeated one after another. The one standing on the field now is her last hope and her trump card - Tide Songstress.

This is a humanoid pet with a dreamy blue-purple fish tail, a light gauze dress on its upper body, and an exquisitely beautiful face. It floats in mid-air, surrounded by flowing water and melodious music, as if it were a mermaid who has stepped out of a deep-sea legend.

But after a fierce battle, none of Ye Sheng's pet beasts fell.

At this moment, standing in front of Ye Sheng was a tortoise-like pet.

It is about the size of a regular car, and its entire body seems to be carved from the purest blue crystal. Its shell is transparent and clear, with blue water flowing inside, reflecting a mesmerizing halo.

Its limbs are short and sturdy, moving silently as if gliding through water. Its eyes are like two calm, deep-sea black pearls, exuding an ancient wisdom that has withstood the test of time and a composure that remains unchanged even when Mount Tai collapses before it.

It stood quietly in place, naturally exuding a gentle moisture and a calming aura, which contrasted sharply with the dreamy and ethereal beauty of the Tide Diva.

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered, and he murmured softly, "The Clarity Spirit Turtle."

The Crystal Spirit Turtle is an advanced form of the Water Spirit Turtle, with attributes of water and spirit.

On the field, the fierce battle was nearing its end.

"Tide Songstress, Siren's Lament." Su Lan took a deep breath and issued the command with her last bit of strength.

This is the Tide Songstress's most powerful racial skill, containing both powerful mental attacks and destructive water flow.

The Tide Diva crossed her arms over her chest, her lips parted slightly, and a melodious, distant yet eerily penetrating voice spread out like ripples.

The air rippled wherever the song passed, and a powerful mental shock struck the mind of the lustrous tortoise.

At the same time, the water around the Tide Songstress converged wildly, instantly transforming into a giant, constantly spinning waterspout filled with high-frequency sound waves, which roared toward the Crystal Turtle.

Faced with this terrifying attack, a barely perceptible glint flashed in the clear, black pearl-like eyes of the spirit turtle.

Instead of dodging or avoiding, it slightly retracted its head and limbs into its shell.

The next moment, the crystal-clear shell of the Yingche Spirit Turtle shimmered with a mirror-like luster, and spiritual ripples and water tornadoes struck the shell one after another.

But the imagined huge sound and explosion did not occur. The intense mental waves and surging water tornado were absorbed silently as soon as they came into contact with the tortoise shell, without causing the slightest ripple.

Immediately afterwards, the shell of the luminous spirit turtle shone brightly, reflecting back the absorbed energy in a more concentrated and purer way, intact.

A silent yet more ferocious mental counterattack, and a waterspout that shrank in size but rotated faster and had more concentrated power, attacked the unsuspecting Tide Songstress at an even greater speed.

"What?" Su Lanhua's face paled.

"Ugh——!"

Tide Songstress was backfired by her own racial skill, letting out a mournful cry. The water shield around her shattered instantly, and her spirit was severely damaged. Her dreamlike figure fell from the sky and crashed heavily to the ground, completely losing consciousness.

After the referee stepped forward to confirm, he announced loudly, "Tide Songstress is unable to fight! Therefore, the winner is Ye Sheng!"

As the audience erupted in applause, the commentator's passionate voice suddenly resounded throughout the venue: "Congratulations to Ye Sheng for advancing to the finals!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the two contestants who have advanced to the finals have been determined!"

"They are Chen Yuan from Qin Province and Ye Sheng from the capital!"

"They will have the grand final tomorrow at nine o'clock to determine the ultimate winner—"

"Eastern Champion!"

In the auditorium,

Zhuang Jianbai's expression was solemn as he murmured, "So strong."

"Brother Zhuang, is he really that strong? I didn't feel it." The chubby Wang Yuan asked curiously while eating snacks. "I feel that his sense of pressure is not as strong as Consultant Chen's. Although the three pet beasts are all of Morning Star quality, they are all quite common."

Zhuang Jianbai looked out over the field and shook his head: "He and Consultant Chen belong to different kinds of powerful forces."

"Each of Consultant Chen's pets has extremely high stats, and can rely on sheer strength to completely overwhelm the opponent and win without any reason."

Wang Yuan nodded thoughtfully: "It seems so. I always felt that Consultant Chen didn't use any tactics. He won by simply responding to each move as it came."

Teacher Jiang Yuntao interjected, "When faced with absolute numbers, there is no need for tactics."

Zhuang Jianbai gazed at Ye Sheng, who stood in the center of the field with a cold expression, and continued in his voice: "Ye Sheng is different."

"His three pet beasts are almost equally strong, very balanced, with only the Crystal Turtle being slightly stronger."

"In this situation, it is difficult for the opponent to specifically target his pet."

"Moreover, he does an exceptional job of pet rotation and coordination, changing pets in a timely manner according to the opponent's tactics. Coupled with a meticulous and comprehensive tactical system, his lineup is as solid as a rock."

"Therefore, although none of his pets had any highlight moments, they were still able to win the competition."

Wang Yuan stuffed a potato chip into his mouth and mumbled, "So that's how it is. Then, Brother Zhuang, who do you think will win and become the final champion of Donghuang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jianbai fell silent for a moment.

He gazed at the sacred flame burning brightly on the high platform, its blazing light reflected in his eyes, and his voice slowly rose: "Of course I hope Advisor Chen will win."

"As a native of Qin Province, I certainly hope that the championship of the first Donghuang Tournament belongs to us."

"but."

He changed the subject, his gaze becoming serious: "Tomorrow's match will definitely be the most challenging one for Consultant Chen since his debut."

"If Consultant Chen's pet's stats cannot overwhelm his opponent, he will be in for a tough fight."

Even though the semi-finals were over, tens of thousands of spectators were still enthusiastically discussing today's matches as they left the stadium.

Whether it was the thrilling showdown between Consultant Chen and Li Tianyun, or the intense clash between Ye Sheng and Su Lan, countless viewers were thoroughly entertained and remained deeply shocked.

While the vast majority of beast tamers were still struggling at the beginner and intermediate levels, a few individuals had surged ahead, leaving everyone far behind. Among these individuals, two stood out in particular.

Tomorrow night at 9 PM sharp, these two will engage in an unprecedented and thrilling showdown to determine the ultimate winner and claim the championship.

The champion of Donghuang is the number one beast tamer among all the beast tamers in Donghuang.

Rankings can be fabricated, and records can be lied about, but a champion is a champion, and no one can replace him.

Even in the dead of night, the conference hall on the top floor of the Donghuang Conference official hotel was still lit with soft lights.

Zhang Hao and several data analysts who had accompanied him from Qin Province were gathered around a huge tactical screen, which repeatedly played recordings of all of Ye Sheng's matches from the preliminaries to the semifinals, alongside densely packed data and analytical charts.

"Brother Yuan, look."

Zhang Hao pointed to Ye Sheng's signature cold face on the screen and slowly said, "Ye Sheng's three pet beasts are Howling Flame Hound, Giant Wood Hammer Rat, and Clear Spirit Turtle, which correspond to the three new pet beasts of our Eastern Empire."

"As new pets that are being vigorously promoted by the Donghuang official team, their attributes, potential, and growth path are very balanced and clear, making them most suitable for new beast tamers to learn and cultivate in the long term."

"After Firefly advances, it becomes Howling Flame Hound; after Leaf Rat advances, it becomes Giant Wood Hammer Rat; and after Water Spirit Turtle advances, it becomes Crystal Spirit Turtle."

Chen Yuan sat quietly to the side, his gaze sweeping over Ye Sheng's three different yet equally powerful pets on the screen, and he nodded slightly.

The swift and ferocious Howling Flame Hound, the steady and steadfast Giant Wood Hammer Rat, and the profound and deep Crystal Turtle complement each other, with almost no weaknesses.

At the beginning of the competition, Ye Sheng's pet lineup caused a lot of discussion because his three pets happened to be the three royal families of Donghuang.

While contracting with the three starter beasts of the Eastern Empire offers many advantages, some Beastmasters believe that the starter beasts have limited potential, perform only moderately in high-level battles, and are not worth relying on.

But Ye Sheng's appearance silenced these comments. He proved with facts that even ordinary starter Pokémon can perform well in battles, even advance to the finals, and win the championship!
"As for Ye Sheng himself, he comes from a distinguished family, possesses unparalleled talent, has an outstanding record, and has almost zero negative news. He is simply the perfect template for a beast tamer in the official's ideal." Zhang Hao's voice continued.

"That's why the Imperial Capital Beast Tamer Association has poured enormous resources into shaping him into a benchmark and idol for the entire Eastern Beast Tamer community, inspiring all new Beast Tamers."

Chen Yuan nodded knowingly, his tone calm: "His grandfather is Chairman Ye, and he himself is so talented, so it is only natural that he receives such special training and publicity."

“Yeah.” Zhang Hao scratched his head, then seemed to remember something funny, and his face showed an expression of wanting to laugh but trying hard to hold it in. “However, there’s something that’s said to have exceeded the association’s expectations—that is, Ye Sheng’s personality.”

“Look at Li Tianyun, although he's a bit arrogant, he does a pretty good job of cooperating with publicity, attending events, and interacting with fans. But Ye Sheng, that guy…”

Zhang Hao pointed to the face on the screen that showed almost no change in expression:
"He's practically a walking iceberg. I heard he particularly hates crowded and noisy places, and he absolutely avoids events he can avoid. He's also almost completely silent online, and he's very sparing with his words. It's going to be a bit difficult for the association to create a people-friendly idol persona for him."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's lips curled into a very faint smile.

Indeed, not everyone likes the feeling of being the center of attention and surrounded by noise.

After discussing tactical details and possible scenarios for a while, the night outside the window grew even darker.

Chen Yuan checked the time and stood up: "It's getting late, let's call it a day. Everyone has worked hard, go back and get some rest."

Zhang Hao and several analysts also got up and packed their things.

Chen Yuan walked to the door, grasped the doorknob, but then seemed to suddenly remember something, paused, turned around, and looked at Zhang Hao: "By the way, Haozi, did you bring your cloak?"

Zhang Hao was taken aback for a moment, then a smile spread across his face: "I brought it."

The corridor was unusually quiet, the thick carpet absorbing all footsteps.

Back in his suite on a high floor of the hotel, Chen Yuan didn't turn on the lights immediately. Instead, he walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, the capital city's dazzling lights still shone, but compared to the daytime hustle and bustle, it was much quieter now, with only a few car lights streaking across the crisscrossing streets like shooting stars.

A sense of tranquility, as if he were isolated from the world, enveloped him.

However, beneath this tranquility, a heavy pressure, like a silent tide, began to slowly rise into one's heart.

Tomorrow is the finals, and he will soon step onto the pinnacle of the Donghuang Tournament.

The gazes of countless people, the expectations of the people of Qin Province, the support of friends, and the hard work of the little ones—all these weights seemed to be pressing down on his shoulders at this moment.

If he wins, he will naturally be showered with praise and honored.

But what if he loses? What kind of looks will those expectations turn into? Will that support turn into sighs?

An unprecedented feeling filled his heart, a feeling he had never experienced before during the Great Wind Cup. He involuntarily took a deep breath, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the cold glass window.

Just then, some faint sounds coming from the living room forcibly pulled him back to his senses.

He turned around.

Yumi was sprawled out on the softest sofa cushion, clutching a bag of dried fish bigger than itself. It was munching away while watching a boring midnight cartoon on TV, occasionally letting out silly giggles and wagging its tail happily from side to side.

Egg was curled up in another single sofa, its body forming a perfect circle. Its dark blue scales emitted a soft and mysterious halo in the darkness. Its breathing was steady and long, indicating that it had entered a deep state of meditation or sleep, completely unaware of the outside world.

The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy held a phone bigger than herself, the screen's light reflecting on her delicate little face, her expression unusually focused.

It was repeatedly watching the video of Ye Sheng and Su Lan's battle today, especially the battle between the Crystal Turtle and the Tide Songstress. Its little brows were slightly furrowed, as if it was trying to analyze and memorize every detail.

And today, the cola that made such a great contribution is enjoying its spoils—a bottle of chilled Pepsi.

Instead of using its claws, it used its mental power to easily unscrew the bottle cap, then manipulated the bottle to levitate, tilting the opening so that the brown soda was precisely poured into a small bowl in front of it.

It quickly went over, buried its whole head in the bowl, and began to drink heartily, making satisfied gurgling sounds in its throat. Its tail swept back and forth on the ground, its face full of contentment and happiness.

Chen Yuan's gaze finally landed on his own shoulder.

Spark had landed on its shoulder without it noticing. It folded its golden-red wings, tilted its small head, and stared quietly out the window with its golden-red eyes, as if it were simply daydreaming. Its face had an indifferent expression that seemed to care about nothing.

Chen Yuan reached out and gently scratched the soft down on Spark's chin with his fingertips.

Spark seemed to be stunned for a moment, then symbolically tilted her head slightly as if trying to avoid him, but in the end she did not move, letting him stroke her, only letting out a soft hum with a hint of disgust from her throat.

"Chirp."

"Tomorrow," Chen Yuan's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, "it'll be your turn to shine. Are you ready?"

Spark turned its head, glanced lightly at Chen Yuan, and then gently flapped its wings: "Chirp~"

It doesn't care whether it gets to play or not.

as long as
As long as I can stay by your side, that's enough.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Chen Yuan keenly sensed the fluctuation in Huohua's emotions. He looked puzzled and quickly turned to look at her.

"Chirp!"

Spark instinctively used its wings to cover its slightly burning face, but it quickly realized what was happening, let out a soft hum, and turned its head away to avoid Chen Yuan's gaze.

Seeing Spark's reaction, Chen Yuan became interested. He first used his hand to pry open Spark's wings, then stared intently at the latter's profile and laughed, "What, don't you want to make your appearance?"

"You'll be starting tomorrow."

"Ow?"

Cola, who was gulping down its cola, looked over blankly, but when it saw its owner interacting intimately with the big sister, it suddenly felt that the cola in its bowl didn't taste so good anymore.

"chirp"

Spark gently flapped its wings, flew away from Chen Yuan's shoulder, and landed on the clothes rack, staring intently at the gradually quieting night.

Chen Yuan and Huo Hua looked out the window together, their mood gradually becoming as calm as the night.

(End of this chapter)