Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 430 Underground World
"Yo!"

The light at the cave entrance was blocked, and Qingpo raised her head alertly.

When it saw that the figure standing against the light was Chen Yuan, its emerald eyes were instantly lit up with great surprise.

It let out a short cry, disregarding the aura of healing, and with a light push off the ground with its four hooves, it transformed into a streak of emerald light and rushed straight into Chen Yuan's arms.

The little head pressed hard against Chen Yuan's chest, rubbing back and forth, and making intermittent whimpering sounds.

This sudden intimacy made Spark, who was following closely behind Chen Yuan, turn its head away unhappily and let out a very soft chirp: "Chirp."

Cola let out a deep gurgling sound from deep in its throat, its tail stiffened, its eyes fixed on Qingpo, who was occupying its owner's arms, and its front paws unconsciously scratched the ground, leaving a few shallow marks: "Awoooooo!"

I knew it!

This little guy always manages to steal his owner's affection!
Chen Yuan was knocked back half a step by Qing Po, steadied himself, and placed his hand on Qing Po's smooth, slightly cool back, gently stroking it: "Long time no see, Qing Po."

His voice was gentle, but his gaze swept over the injured beasts in the cave, and his brows furrowed slightly: "What happened here? How come everyone is so badly injured?"

After a brief pause, he added, "I heard from Star Moon Deer that there are monsters here?"

"A very, very fierce monster."

Qingpo lifted her head from Chen Yuan's arms, turned to face the wounded beast, and immediately became excited: "Yo~"

It raised its front hooves and impatiently stomped the ground, making a crisp, clattering sound.

Then, it pointed its antlers toward the dark passage deeper into the cave, raised its neck, made a fierce expression and biting motion, and at the same time let out a series of rapid and high-pitched cries, its small body trembling slightly with excitement.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and combining its actions and context, he quickly understood what Qing Po meant:
"Strange pets have appeared from other parts of the underground area and attacked the original inhabitants without warning. It seems they're trying to take over their territory?"

Qingpo nodded vigorously, and the halo on the antlers swayed accordingly.

It then pointed to each of the wounded beasts in turn, emitting mournful cries, as if recounting their respective fates.

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

As is well known, various kinds of pets also live in the caves, and these pets will constantly fight for territory and food, such as the Star Moon Deer herd and the Snow Cloud Wolf pack in the past.

The situation this time should be roughly similar.

A group of rather temperamental foreign pets took a liking to this place and chose to directly take action to steal it.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Chen Yuan looked at the deep passage that had swallowed the light: "So what are you going to do next?"

"Yo Yo~"

Qingpo raised its front hooves, its gaze slightly narrowed, and deliberately made a sullen expression.

It will not allow any bad guys who disrupt the peace to appear in this forest.

Chen Yuan laughed upon hearing this, and then spoke:
"The situation down below is unclear and may be dangerous. Since we've come this far, I'll go down with you."

I happened to have nothing to do during the Chinese New Year holiday, and I didn't expect to encounter such an interesting thing as soon as I arrived here.

"Ow!"

Upon hearing this, Cola instantly forgot his jealousy, barked excitedly, and without waiting for a command, tensed his hind leg muscles, ready to charge towards the passage.

"return!"

Chen Yuan reacted quickly, grabbing the end of its tail and pulling it back forcefully. "What's the rush! Let's wait for the treatment to finish."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy gracefully flew out and joined the healing.

Its arms outstretched, scattering light dust containing powerful life energy and fragrant, healing petals.

In no time, the injured pets recovered quickly and their breathing became steady.

Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Chen Yuan ordered, "Let's go. Cola, you go ahead and scout ahead. Be vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, and don't be reckless."

"Ow!"

Cola lowered his body, bringing his nose close to the cold, damp ground, carefully sniffing every unfamiliar scent, while an invisible mental fluctuation spread inward, cautiously stepping into the dark passage.

Chen Yuan followed closely behind with the other little ones.

The passage was initially very narrow, with cold, rough rock walls covered in slippery moss, and cold water droplets dripping from the top from time to time.

Walking through it, you can clearly hear the echoes of breathing and footsteps in the cramped space.

As they went deeper, the passage gradually widened, but the light became increasingly dim, with only a few patches of moss on the rock walls providing some illumination, emitting a faint blue-green fluorescence.

But Chen Yuan is no longer the novice beast tamer he once was.

Whether it's sparkling, twilight fairy, or amber, they can all emit light and illuminate the dark road.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A huge underground space unfolded before us, the air becoming cold and damp, carrying a strong mineral scent.

Above, countless stalactites of varying sizes and shapes hang like swords, with water droplets slowly dripping down the tips of the stones, producing a crisp and melodious "drip-drop" sound in the extreme silence, striking the small puddles or stalagmites formed below.

The ground underfoot was uneven and covered with shallow water, so extra caution was needed when walking.

But Cola ignored everything and insisted on walking on the puddles, feeling the coolness as its toes touched them.

The cave walls and some huge stone pillars are covered with more moss that emits a soft glow and luminous crystals embedded in the rock strata, which together cast mottled, swaying light and shadow.

However, an unsettling stillness permeated this magnificent scene.

Along the way, apart from the sound of their footsteps and dripping water, they could not hear any of the rustling or chirping sounds that underground creatures are used to.

The wild pets that should have been there seemed to have all evaporated and disappeared without a trace.

This unusual silence was more unsettling than any sound.

Led by Cola, Chen Yuan continued to explore deeper into the area.

The terrain gradually becomes flat and open, and the surrounding stalagmites and stalactites become increasingly bizarre, with the sense of space constantly expanding, as if stepping into a forgotten, vast underground kingdom.

Chen Yuan was secretly astonished. He had never imagined that such a vast and complex underground world was hidden beneath the Qinling Mountains.

"Is this still inside the cave?"

"Could we have really entered the underground world?" Chen Yuan looked around, secretly surprised.

Since the resurgence of spiritual energy, the mountain environment has undergone tremendous changes, so it's understandable that an underground world has actually appeared.

After all, the Frost Giants' original Giant Court was located underground, which was a true underground world.

As my thoughts were racing, a strange noise suddenly came from ahead.

First came a sharp, rapid, fearful scream, followed by a heavy thud like a heavy object hitting a rock wall, and then a crisp noise of rocks shattering and flying.

There's fighting!
Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately gave Kele a wink. Kele understood, his limbs tensed instantly, and he crouched low, using the shadows of the strange rocks as cover as if gliding along the ground, silently stealthily moving forward.

Chen Yuan led the little ones to follow quickly and cautiously, moving lightly along the way.

After passing a giant stalagmite that required several people to encircle, Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened at the sight before him.

In a relatively open stone hall, a steel-headed ground squirrel was in dire straits.

It leaned against a steep rock wall, its once hard, dark gray carapace covered with crisscrossing cracks and deep scratches, and some plates had even peeled off, exposing the flesh underneath. It was listless.

It let out a desperate and mournful cry, making a futile resistance: "Crack!"

It was attacked by three ferocious-looking pet beasts.

They resemble monitor lizards, are nearly three meters long, and are covered with thick, horny scales that blend almost seamlessly with the color of the surrounding rocks, gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the dim light.

Its limbs are thick and powerful, its claws are sharp like hooks, and its long tail drags behind it, occasionally sweeping the ground impatiently and kicking up pebbles.

They have flat heads, and their mouths open and close to reveal fine, sharp teeth. Their eyes gleam with an aggressive red light.

"Stone-Splitter Lizard".

Chen Yuan immediately recognized the pet beast.

The Stonecutter is an earth-type pet. Naturally born with elite quality, it has a bad temper and amazing defense. It usually lives in caves and underground.

"Roar!!!"

One of the stone-cracking lizards let out a deep, thunderous roar, suddenly stood upright, and stomped heavily on the ground with its forelimbs carrying immense force.

Its earthy yellow energy instantly boiled and condensed, quickly transforming into sharp-edged stones that, accompanied by a whistling wind, rained down on the Steelhead Groundhog, which had nowhere left to hide.

The other two Rockbreakers also launched their attacks almost simultaneously, blocking all possible escape routes for the Steelhead Gopher.

"Yo yo yo!"

Qingpo became extremely excited the moment he saw the Stone-Splitting Lizard, and his crystalline antlers shone with dazzling light.

A thought flashed through Chen Yuan's mind: "Are these the outsiders who attacked those pets?"

"Cola, make your move."

"Ow—!"

The cola, which had been poised to go, moved at the command, opened its mouth wide, and a powerful gust of wind immediately gushed out.

The flying stones collided with the gale and were instantly caught in a viscous vortex, their speed decreasing drastically and their trajectories becoming chaotic. They crashed and clattered against each other, or were deflected by the airflow and scattered in all directions, hitting the surrounding rock walls and stalagmites, stirring up a string of sparks and stone chips, but they did not harm the Steelhead Gopher in the slightest.

The aftershocks of the gale continued to sweep through the stone hall, causing the three stone-cracked lizards to shake violently. Their scales rubbed together, making a piercing sound. Even with all their might, they could not resist and were knocked off balance in a short moment, instantly losing their ability to fight.

"Ang~"

Cola raised its head slightly, its gaze disdainful.

This is only because I deliberately stopped!
If it weren't for the fear of blowing up gravel and dust, you guys would have been finished long ago!
Taking this opportunity, Chen Yuan quickly stepped forward and came to the side of the terrified, youthful version of the Iron-Headed Kid.

"Yingying~"

The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy immediately showered down a gentle, healing light, stabilizing its wildly fluctuating emotions and the wounds on its body.

Chen Yuan maintained a certain distance to avoid putting more pressure on the Steel-Headed Groundhog, and asked in as calm a tone as possible:
"Don't be afraid, we are not enemies. Can you tell us what happened here? Where did these Stone-Splittering Lizards come from? Why are they attacking you?"

The Steel-Headed Groundhog, its still-frightened semi-circular eyes, glanced at Chen Yuan, then at the peaceful Morning and Evening Flower Fairy beside him, the concerned Qing Po, and Cola baring its teeth and growling at the Rock-Splitter Lizard. It seemed to feel a little more at ease.

It gestured with its forepaws toward the ground, then pointed at the Stonecutter, letting out a rapid, fearful cry, its body still trembling slightly: "Crack crack."

Watching the Steelhead Gopher's reaction, Cola silently shook his head.

Ironhead's emotions are much more stable than this guy's. If he were to encounter three Stonecutter Lizards, Ironhead would definitely try to find a solution and then chop them to pieces.

after awhile,

Chen Yuan listened carefully and, through the little creatures' translation, understood what the Steel-Headed Groundhog meant: "You've always lived deeper in this underground cave?"

The steel-headed gopher nodded.

"A few days ago, there were unusual tremors underground?"

The steel-headed gopher nodded vigorously, its face showing fear, and slapped the ground with its paws to simulate vibrations.

"And then these Stonecutter Lizards appeared? They were extremely aggressive and attacked you on their own?"

The steel-headed gopher nodded again, pointing to the wounds on its body and then to the deeper part of the cave, meaning that many of its companions were injured.

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered, and he nodded thoughtfully: "Is there any other information?"

"Crackling sound".

Steel-Headed Groundhog pondered for a moment, then suddenly widened its eyes slightly, as if it had remembered crucial information.

Besides these stone-splitter lizards, there is another pet that looks very similar to the stone-splitter lizard, but is much larger and has a pair of wings.

Based on the information provided by the Steel-Headed Gopher, Chen Yuan quickly came to a guess:
"It is most likely the advanced form of the Rockbreaker, the Rockbreaker Wyvern, which is a combination of Earth and Rock types."

Despite having "dragon" in its name, the Rock-Splittered Flying Dragon possesses only a very shallow amount of dragon blood, making it ineligible to even enter the Abyss Dragon Cave.

If this invasion was led by the Rockbreaker Wyvern, then it makes perfect sense.

The Rockbreaker Wyvern is even more irritable than the Rockbreaker Lizard, and it's perfectly normal for it to attack other pets at the slightest provocation.

As his thoughts raced, Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "It seems to be just a very ordinary incident involving a group of pet beasts."

Since becoming a Beast Tamer, Chen Yuan has resolved many similar incidents and is already used to it.

The solution to this kind of incident is quite simple: first, give them a good beating, and then calmly negotiate with them.

If you're still not convinced, then give me another good beating until I submit.

“Let’s move on and resolve this matter first.” Chen Yuan turned to look at Qing Po and smiled slightly. “Once it’s over, I’ll give you a New Year’s gift.”

"Yo?"

Upon hearing this, Qingpo opened her bright eyes wide and stared intently at Chen Yuan.

What New Year's gift?
Before Chen Yuan could answer, Qing Po flew lightly to his side and tried to rummage through the backpack behind him.

"Don't rush, don't rush, I'll give it to you when we get out." Chen Yuan smiled and swatted away Qing Po's outstretched hoof, then looked at Kele, "Kele, lead the way, let's keep going."

"Ow"

Watching its master interact intimately with Qingpo, Cola responded listlessly before lowering its head and continuing to venture deeper into this boundless underground world.

(End of this chapter)