Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 436 Steel-Slaying Earth Lord Makes His Debut! One Slash Slays a Dragon!

The true entrance to the Giants' Court is hidden deep within the folds of a rugged mountain range. The massive rock walls are covered by vines and moss that have been growing for years, almost blending into the surrounding environment. Without precise coordinates, it would be extremely difficult to find this gateway to the underground world.

Chen Yuan's figure appeared silently in front of the cave entrance. The little guys beside him poked their heads out one by one, curiously looking at the deep passage that exuded an ancient aura.

"Ow!"

Cola was the first to squeeze to the front. It held its head high, its bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement and impatience. It sniffed the air coming from inside the cave, which was mixed with coldness and a faint smell of gunpowder.

It let out a low, menacing bark, its tail held high like a flagpole, swishing from side to side, its eagerness for battle evident.

Where are the bad guys?
Come out here and face your death!
Seeing its eager expression, as if it couldn't wait to rush in and start a fight, Chen Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and ruffled its fluffy head, saying, "Cola, don't rush. Let's figure out the situation first. A fight is definitely inevitable this time."

"Yes, the opponent will also be very strong."

Before the words were finished, a series of hurried and orderly footsteps came from the shadows inside the cave entrance.

Zheng Zhang, who had been waiting there for a long time, led several elite members of his Criminal Investigation Department to come out quickly to greet them.

Their faces were filled with barely suppressed excitement and relieved smiles, as if they had seen their saviors arrive.

"Advisor Chen!" Zheng Zhang spoke first, his loud voice filled with utmost respect, "Zheng Zhang, leader of the Special Operations Team of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Eastern Beast Tamer Association, reporting for duty!"

The team members behind him straightened their backs, looked at Chen Yuan with burning eyes, and greeted him in unison.

Chen Yuan remained calm and nodded slightly in response, "Thank you for your hard work, Team Leader Zheng."

His gaze swept over the distinctive patterns on Zheng Zhang's epaulets, and he understood immediately.

The Special Operations Team of the Criminal Investigation Department has extremely high authority and is directly dispatched by headquarters. It is specifically responsible for handling special incidents that are cross-regional and highly difficult. The team leader's status is equivalent to that of the head of a branch office.

Meanwhile, the various branches of the Investigation Department are stationed in fixed areas, responsible for handling difficult supernatural incidents in the local area.

Given the complexity and importance of affairs in the underground world, it is reasonable for a special operations team to be fully responsible for them.

After a brief introduction and pleasantries, the efficient Zheng Zhang didn't waste any time. He immediately stepped aside to lead the way, guiding Chen Yuan and his group into the deep, cold cave. As he spoke, his pace was steady and his explanation clear and logical:

"Advisor Chen, here's the situation."

"Recently, the Giants' Royal Court has been subjected to frequent harassment and attacks from the forces of darkness, with the frequency and intensity constantly increasing. Although the Giant King is strong, he has been engaged in prolonged battles without adequate rest, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted and severely depleted. He was recently seriously injured in a direct confrontation with his opponent and has not yet recovered."

His gaze fell on Chen Yuan, who remained calm, and his tone was heavy: "The two sons of the Giant King are each guarding other important passages of the Giant King's Court. They are also engaged in fierce battles and are in very poor condition. The court's defense system is under tremendous pressure."

At this point, Zheng Zhang changed the subject, staring intently at Chen Yuan: "But now that you're here, the situation is definitely different."

"Furthermore, we have already signed the 'Underground Mutual Assistance Agreement' with the King of Giants. Once the agreement takes effect, our personnel and resources deployed in various underground nodes can legitimately intervene to assist the Royal Court in its defense and to eliminate the dark minions. At that time, the situation in the underground world will surely change dramatically!"

Chen Yuan listened quietly, nodding slightly from time to time, noting down the key information, and finally asked, "Are there any other situations that require special attention?"

Zheng Zhang hesitated for a moment, as if he had remembered something, then frowned slightly and said, "Oh, there's one more thing."

"The third son of the King of Giants has just returned from the outside world. He is quite powerful and helped the Giants' Royal Court repel the latest wave of attacks."

He paused briefly, a strange expression on his face mixing regret with a hint of resentment:
"Based on what we know, this frost giant's past experiences are quite peculiar. When it was stranded in the outside world, it seems to have been tricked by a human who actually believed that it could train itself and improve its strength by doing purely physical labor such as carrying bricks."

"This is utterly absurd and unheard of! What a waste of its exceptional talent and so much time!"

"I heard that human is a farmer like you, but I've never seen such a shameless farmer before. Using such an excuse to trick an ignorant pet into working for free is utterly disgraceful to the image of us Eastern Emperors!!!"

Upon hearing the words "bricklaying" and seeing Zheng Zhang's indignant expression, Chen Yuan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He suppressed the laughter that was about to escape his lips, quickly lowered his head, and pretended to cough to cover it up.

Good heavens, so this is how other people perceive me—as a heartless farmer?

To be honest, it feels pretty strange to hear someone insult you to your face.

"Ow!"

"Chirp!"

"Yingying!"

Chen Yuan didn't think much of it, but the little ones beside him all cast unfriendly glances at Zheng Zhang.

Zheng Zhang, unaware of Chen Yuan's unusual behavior, continued to sigh, "Sigh, to be honest, this Frost Giant is truly gifted. Without any scientific or systematic training, relying entirely on his own guesswork and manual labor, he has actually grown to the fifth rank, and his combat ability is so formidable. This talent is simply unbelievable."

He looked at Chen Yuan, his tone becoming eager: "Advisor Chen, what do you think? Have you considered contracting it? This is definitely a top-tier combatant with unlimited potential, and it will surely become a great asset to you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan smiled and shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Team Leader Zheng. However, I have already formed a contract with a new partner, and there are currently no vacant contract slots available."

Zheng Zhang's face immediately showed regret. He clicked his tongue, then seemed to remember the unscrupulous farmer, and his tone became somewhat indignant:

"What a pity! That guy who tricked it wasted such a promising talent. If I were that farmer, I would have devoted all my resources to nurturing it with the most scientific methods, and I would never have let it do something as unskilled as bricklaying, a pure waste of its talent!"

As Chen Yuan listened to this righteous and stern criticism, his expression became increasingly subtle. He could only continue to smile and nod silently, finding it difficult to respond.

In this somewhat strange atmosphere of conversation, the group gradually ventured deeper into the core area of ​​the Giants' Royal Court. The surrounding scenery began to become increasingly dilapidated, and the traces of battle were shocking.

Suddenly, from the end of the deep passage ahead came an extremely intense sound, far exceeding the ordinary collision of energy and an angry roar. The sound was deafening, and even the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly!
Zheng Zhang's expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed, "This is bad! This commotion... the dark forces must have launched another surprise attack! And judging from the scale of it, it's quite large. They definitely want to take advantage of the Giant King's serious injuries and break through the core defense line in one fell swoop."

However, the next second, when his anxious gaze fell on Chen Yuan beside him, whose expression remained calm and composed, his panic instantly vanished, replaced by a strange sense of peace and confidence.

He took a deep breath and quickly regained his usual composure.

With the Donghuang champion here, what else does he have to worry about?
As you continue along the deep, winding underground passage, the roars of fighting, the explosions of energy, and the angry or painful howls become clearer and clearer, rushing towards you like an invisible tide. The smell of gunpowder, blood, and burnt energy in the air also becomes increasingly strong and pungent.

After rounding a huge bend covered with fresh claw marks and charred burn marks, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A vast underground cavity unfolded before them, its size comparable to a huge underground plaza. However, this space had now been transformed into a brutal battlefield.

As far as the eye could see, there was chaos.

The enormous mountain giant roared, swinging its rocky fists, which were as big as small hills, and smashed the carapace of a cave scorpion that tried to pounce on it.
The giant of the wilderness roared with its head held high, its body engulfed in raging flames. Wherever it passed, the shadow bats, exuding a chilling aura, were burned and screamed in agony.
The most numerous rock giants formed a solid defensive line, using their heavy rock bodies to withstand attacks from all directions, while retaliating with heavy trampling and hurling boulders.

Their adversaries are a tidal wave of various pets corrupted by darkness or inherently ferocious—besides the Stone Lizard and Shadow Bat, there are many more bizarre and violent subterranean creatures.

At the very center of the battlefield, two of the most conspicuous figures, exuding the most terrifying pressure, were engaged in a fierce battle.

They were two Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragons.

They possess streamlined and powerfully massive dragon bodies, covered entirely in dull, dark scales that seem to absorb all light. The edges of the scales are strangely covered with a layer of pale frost that never melts, exuding an aura of death and extreme cold.

The Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon's head was ferocious, with a long, slender snout covered in dagger-like, pale white teeth. Its pair of dragon eyes were like two bottomless, dark ice abysses, burning with cruel and violent dark blue flames.

Its long, powerful tail, like a steel whip, lashed the air with a piercing crack.

One of the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragons was locked in fierce combat with the Frost Giant, but the Frost Giant, having just left the farm, was at its peak and in excellent condition. It roared repeatedly, and its millstone-sized ice fists, carrying the chilling aura that could freeze everything, clashed head-on with the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon's shadow-tearing dragon claws, producing a deafening clang of metal against metal.

Both were at the fifth tier of strength. Although the Frost Giant could not fly, it still fought the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon to a standstill with its powerful physique and high proficiency. Ice shards and shadow energy flew everywhere, and it was difficult to determine the winner for a time.

However, the situation on the other side is not optimistic.

The King of Giants faced off against another, slightly larger and more terrifying, Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon.

The wound on the King of Giants' chest was still gruesome, and the dark cracks seemed to be widening with the continued fighting.

With each punch it throws and each breath it exhales in extreme cold, its movements reveal a sense of helplessness, sluggishness, and pain.

Its opponent, the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon, completely dominated the battle. It circled nimbly, sometimes spewing Dark Corrosion Breath to corrode the Giant King's ice armor, sometimes unleashing Ice Crystal Storms for area suppression, and seizing any openings to deliver a fierce Shadow Tear.

The King of Giants could barely hold on, his massive body retreating continuously, leaving deep scratches on the icy ground, a perilous situation.

"Oh no! The King of Giants is about to collapse!" Zheng Zhang's expression changed slightly, and he immediately shouted to his teammates behind him, "Quick, support them!"

The special operations team members reacted swiftly, summoning their main pet beasts one after another—powerful fourth-tier pet beasts appeared one after another, roaring as they charged toward the battlefield, attempting to restrain the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon that was attacking the Giant King and buy the Giant King a chance to catch his breath.

At this moment, Cola beside Chen Yuan could no longer contain itself. Its fur stood on end, a deep roar full of fighting spirit emanated from its throat, its four paws pawed at the ground restlessly, and its azure eyes were fixed on the two arrogant Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragons, wishing it could pounce on them and tear them to pieces immediately: "Roar!"

Chen Yuan sensed the cola's urgency, smiled slightly, but did not do as it wished.

With a thought, a complex and mysterious purple summoning array instantly lit up on the open ground in front of him.

Amidst the light, a tall figure swiftly appeared; Steel-Cleaving Earth Lord stood firmly on the ground.

Steel Slash Earth King's body features sleek, powerful lines, covered in cold, bright silver armor that makes it appear like a high-tech marvel from afar. A sharply styled, angular metal helmet covers his vital areas, and two sharp, azure lines mark his face, resembling deep, ocean-like eyes.

As soon as Tie Touwa appeared, his steady, rock-solid eyes swept across the chaotic battlefield, finally landing on Chen Yuan. He nodded slightly, awaiting instructions.

Yes, Iron Head Boy is the new pet beast that Chen Yuan contracted after becoming a Bright Moon level Beast Tamer.

Some time ago, the little guys broke through to the fifth level of strength one after another through hard work. In addition, Chen Yuan persisted in training his mental strength every day, and he finally became a Bright Moon level Beast Tamer, qualified to contract a fifth pet beast.

After much deliberation, he finally gave the fifth contract slot to Tie Touwa.

As everyone knows, the farm is home to a large group of exceptionally talented and skilled pets. However, these little guys have different personalities. Some are pleasure-seeking, some just want to lie down, some are obsessed with beautiful women, and some are mischievous all day long. Their ambition and desire to fight are almost zero.

Among all the pets, Ironhead stands out for his diligent daily training.

As a senior employee of the farm, Tie Touwa's qualifications and combat capabilities are beyond question. Its only shortcoming may be that it is too cautious and unwilling to leave the farm even for a moment.

To get Tie Touwa out of the farm, Chen Yuan chose to contract him, allowing him to grow at a faster pace.

In this way, Ironhead can also achieve his small goal of splitting the mountain in one stroke as soon as possible.

Ironhead originally intended to stay at the farm during his trip to the Giants' Court, but after Chen Yuan's repeated persuasion, he finally agreed to leave temporarily.

After a new round of resource feeding, the strength of Runrun Duck, Electric Flycat, and Falling Horned Beast, who stayed on the farm, has rapidly increased. In addition, with the Paw Patrol, the Clouded Sparrows, and the patrol team of Xuanhe Town guarding the farm day and night, the farm is very safe.

Chen Yuan pointed to the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon that was pressing closer to the Giant King with an arrogant aura, and said calmly, "Ironhead, this guy is yours."

It was no easy feat to bring Ironhead out on this trip, so we can use this guy as a whetstone for Ironhead.

"Crack."

Ironhead looked at the ferocious-looking Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon from afar. Observing its huge size, powerful aura, and fierce moves, his expression immediately turned solemn.

This was the strongest opponent he had ever faced in his life.

It seems it will have to use all its strength.

Although his face was solemn, Tie Touwa did not hesitate at all. He slammed his lower limbs into the ground, making a dull thud, and his whole body rushed towards the center of the battle circle like a cannonball.

Its movements don't look fancy, but they carry a terrifying aura of unstoppable force that crushes everything in its path.

"Ow"

When Cola saw its chance to fight being taken away, its ears and tail drooped, and it let out a pitiful whimper. It rubbed its head against Chen Yuan's leg, its little eyes filled with "Why wasn't it me?"

Chen Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, ruffled its fluffy head, and whispered soothingly:
"Good boy, Cola. This is the first time Ironhead has gone out with us, let him experience this feeling first."

As he spoke, Chen Yuan gazed at the Iron-Headed Child charging toward the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon and smiled slightly: "The feeling of defeating a powerful enemy under the spotlight."

"Ow~"

Cola nodded thoughtfully, then looked at the back of the Iron-Headed Kid and barked repeatedly to cheer him on.

In the short time that Chen Yuan was comforting Kele, the situation at the center of the battlefield suddenly changed.

The Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon unleashed a vicious Shadow Tear, adding another deep, bone-revealing wound to the Giant King's already battered chest, the shadow energy frantically eroding his ice armor.

"Roar"

The King of Giants let out a painful groan, his massive body unable to support him any longer, and he staggered backward.

The Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon's eyes blazed with ferocity. How could it let go of such a golden opportunity? Its mouth snapped open, and a dark, corrosive breath, exuding an aura of decay and destruction, began to rapidly converge, its target the head of the Giant King, who had temporarily lost his balance.

If this strike hits, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, at this critical moment, a figure that appeared extremely small in the eyes of the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon suddenly rushed into the battlefield and stood firmly in front of the fallen body of the Giant King.

A fleeting, almost anthropomorphic look of astonishment flashed across the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon's eyes, quickly transforming into deep disdain and mockery.

Looking at the iron lump in front of it, which was not even half its own size, it was like seeing a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

It didn't even bother to change its attack stance; the Dark Corrosion Breath, powerful enough to annihilate energy, continued to erupt like a black tide of death, threatening to devour the reckless obstacle along with the Giant King behind it.

Faced with this terrifying attack, Ironhead did not even think of dodging.

It first exhaled slowly, then its two arms suddenly extended with sharp blades, and a burst of cold light suddenly shone forth.

Its movements appear slow, but in reality, they are completed in an instant.

The moment the steel blade was held upright in front of him, a sudden change occurred.

Om-! ! !
An extremely sharp and terrifying aura erupted from the center of Iron Head Boy.

The air around it seemed to be sucked out and compressed by an invisible force, and the gravel and dust on the ground were attracted by a powerful gravitational field, spinning wildly around the steel blade.

The seemingly simple steel blade gleamed with a cold light, accompanied by an extremely powerful surge of energy.

The Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon, which had been looking down on the world, suddenly shrank its eyes to the size of a pinhead.

A deadly sense of crisis, stemming from its very survival instinct, instantly washed over its entire body like ice water.

It tried to pull back, to dodge, to roar, but it was too late.

The Dark Corrosive Breath unleashed by the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon at full power had already charged towards Ironhead like a wild horse.

At that very moment, the iron-headed boy moved.

The steel blade descended from top to bottom, simple yet seemingly imbued with the power to cleave the heavens and earth, slashing down in a single stroke.

There was no earth-shattering noise, only a faint "hiss" sound, like cloth being torn.

Then, to the disbelief of everyone and their pets, the dark, corrosive breath, capable of corroding and annihilating everything, was sliced ​​in two as easily as a hot knife through butter when it came into contact with the extremely sharp, cold light condensed in front of the steel blade.

The black torrent of breath was forcibly cleaved apart by an invisible force, grazing past Ironhead's body on both sides and corroding a large section of the rock wall behind him, creating deep pits, but it failed to harm him in the slightest.

And this is just the beginning.

The condensed, cold blade of energy, after cleaving through the breath, did not lose any momentum. It seemed to traverse the distance of space and instantly struck the horrified head of the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon.

Boom! ! !

This time, it was a solid explosion of energy.

The protective shadow energy on the surface of the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon shattered like paper. Its hard dragon scales were cut open, and its massive body was as if it had been hit hard by an invisible giant hammer. It let out an extremely shrill scream and was uncontrollably sent flying backward off the ground.

Like a tattered sack that had been flung away, it traced a long parabola before crashing heavily to the ground dozens of meters away, creating a large crater and kicking up clouds of dust.

Dragon blood splattered all over the ground like spilled ink, and its aura instantly weakened to the extreme, clearly indicating that it had suffered an unimaginable blow.

The battlefield, which was deafening and raging with energy just a moment ago, seemed to have been silenced at this moment.

Time stood still.

Whether it was the giants engaged in fierce battle, the ferocious pets, the members of the Investigation Department and their pets, or even the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon fighting against the Frost Giant, they all froze in place.

All eyes, filled with endless shock, bewilderment, and fear, were focused on the slowly settling dust.

Ahead of the dust, Ironhead remained as steady as ever, still maintaining his slashing posture with his steel blade pointing diagonally at the ground.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire underground plaza at that moment.

Only the faint, painful groans emanating from the bottom of the pit by the Eternal Night Icescale Dragon sounded particularly jarring in the silence.

"Crack."

Ironhead stared at the fallen Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon from afar. It first nodded to the farmer behind it, then revealed a solemn expression.

As expected, this was an unprecedented and formidable enemy. It took it a full ten percent of its strength—enough to split a small mountain—to barely defeat its opponent, and the process was extremely difficult.

The outside world is indeed terrifying.

(End of this chapter)