Beast Taming: I'm Really Just a Forest Ranger - Chapter 166 - 129: Charge Forward, Spark! (Part 2)
Chapter 166: Chapter 129: Charge Forward, Spark! (Part 2)
Upon hearing these words, Chang Yuhuan felt a surge of emotion. She looked down at the Water Spirit Turtle resting by her leg and smiled slightly: “If this little guy hadn’t been staring at me from the fish tank when I passed by the Aquarium Market six months ago, I wouldn’t have brought it home.”
Liu Jinglan turned to look at the Red Flame Ox beside him, meeting its steady, dark eyes. He patted its head and said with a smile, “If you hadn’t shed tears when Grandpa wanted to sell you, I probably wouldn’t have met you.”
With a deep feeling, Chen Yuan looked up at the Fiery Flame Eagle and the Blazing Sun Carving, then pointed to the Fiery Sun Wood not far away: “Let me ask you something, do you know where I can find more of this?”
Although they had fought fiercely before, once the misunderstanding was resolved, the Pet Beasts were easier to talk to than most people.
“Caw—”
The Fiery Flame Eagle seemed still engulfed in the sorrow over its fledgling choosing to leave and didn’t respond to Chen Yuan. Instead, the Blazing Sun Carving lifted its head, looked at the blazing peak, and pointed with its wing.
“At the top of the mountain?”
Chen Yuan squinted his eyes towards the mountaintop, where the red sun hung high above. The hot air currents surged upward from the mountaintop, and the towering flames came into view.
Is this really a place where Spirit Plants exist?
Chen Yuan was somewhat skeptical that the Blazing Sun Carving might be deceiving him, but when he saw those sincere eyes, he fell into contemplation.
“Why not… give it a try?” Chen Yuan looked up at Spark.
Spark didn’t mind and swiftly took to the sky, in a short time flying higher and closer to the mountaintop.
Before long,
Spark looked down and could clearly see flames burning in clusters, with waves of scorching heat rising upward and crimson smoke swirling.
It attempted to get closer, folding its wings to glide down smoothly.
The surging waves of heat rushed towards Spark, which attempted to maneuver through the gaps in the heatwaves, but the constant, irregular flow of heat eventually scorched it despite its careful attempts.
“Can this really work?”
Seeing Spark attempting to navigate through the surging waves of heat from a distance, Chang Yuhuan looked worried.
Chen Yuan did not speak, keeping his eyes fixed on Spark.
Eddying within the continuous waves of heat, occasionally struck by a sudden flare of flame, Spark could distinctly feel the burning sensation, although still within its tolerable range.
As a Fire Attribute Pet Beast, its resistance to flame attacks was excellent.
However, as time passed, the effects of the flames on Spark became increasingly noticeable; it started to feel every part of its body being scorched, the pain spreading throughout.
Meanwhile,
Spark had a faint sense of growing stronger, its physical condition seemed to improve under the sustained scorching, as the flames spurting from its mouth roared with increasing intensity.
On one side was the intense burning pain, on the other was the feeling of becoming stronger, leaving Spark momentarily bewildered.
Suddenly,
Spark looked down and seemed to see something vaguely resembling Fiery Sun Wood deep within the waves of heat.
“Chirp!”
Spark got excited at once and hurriedly endured the burning sensation, flying deeper in.
However, the further it flew, the higher the temperature rose, and the more turbulent the heat waves became, like fiery tongues licking towards the sky, clusters of flames madly surging towards Spark.
An endless stream of pain flooded Spark, and it flapped its wings fiercely, trying to push through, but ultimately couldn’t withstand the pain, forced to retreat.
“Chirp!”
Flying again high above, Spark looked deeply at the swirling waves of heat below, then returned to Chen Yuan’s side.
After recounting the events from the mountaintop to Chen Yuan, he waved his hand and carefully applied Healing Ointment to its body: “Don’t say any more, just rest well first.”
This was the first time he’d seen Spark so severely injured.
Yet, the burned areas began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in no time, Spark was lively again.
Chen Yuan rested his chin on one hand, lost in thought: “These flames are quite peculiar.”
If, as Spark described, these flames could both injure and strengthen it, wouldn’t that be a kind of alternative cultivation resource?
But gaining strength through this resource required paying a bit of a price.
“I think it’s very possible.” After hearing Chen Yuan’s speculation, Liu Jinglan snapped his fingers, “Just a test is needed.”
“Red Flame Ox, give it a try.”
“Moo—”
Red Flame Ox nodded slightly, then trod heavily on the ground, choosing a gentle slope to climb toward the mountaintop.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Red Flame Ox soon charged up the mountain, then cautiously plunged into the area where the heat waves surged.
Not long after,
Red Flame Ox, covered in burn marks, returned to their side, and Liu Jinglan treated its injuries while inquiring about its experience.
“The Red Flame Ox’s experience was much the same as the Flame Cloud Falcon’s, feeling both the pain of burns and a sense of becoming stronger,” Liu Jinglan said.
In fact, during the time Red Flame Ox was experimenting, Chen Yuan opened Spark’s data panel and found a noticeable improvement in its Skill Proficiency compared to the previous day.
It was clearly thanks to the fire.
Wait a minute.
Chen Yuan suddenly looked at the Fiery Flame Eagle and the Blazing Sun Carving with suspicion: “How did you guys manage to retrieve the Fiery Sun Wood from in there?”
The Fiery Flame Eagle and Blazing Sun Carving were not as strong as Spark, so how did they retrieve the Fiery Sun Wood amidst the heat waves?
The Blazing Sun Carving spread its wings: “Caw caw.”
According to it, they had merely been fortunate enough to find a piece of Fiery Sun Wood on the edge of the mountaintop, never venturing into the depths.
“So that’s it…” Chen Yuan nodded in realization, then looked at Spark with a complex expression, “Looks like to obtain the Fiery Sun Wood, we’ll have to endure a trial by fire.”
But this trial could also quickly advance Spark.
Isn’t this also a form of honing?
“Chirp—”
Spark spread its wings, its gaze fierce and momentum soaring, suddenly darting into the sky, its orange silhouette glowing brilliantly under the scorching sun, before charging into the endless heat waves.
“Red Flame Ox, let’s give it another try.”
Liu Jinglan patted Red Flame Ox’s head, and it responded steadily, then dashed toward the mountain peak.
Yet, it wasn’t long before Red Flame Ox returned once again.
The duration it persisted was far less than Spark’s.
Liu Jinglan watched the Flame Cloud Falcon, which had already vanished into the heat waves, feeling a strange sense of defeat in the depths of his heart.
In terms of strength, the Flame Cloud Falcon could easily defeat the Blazing Sun Carving, whereas the Red Flame Ox struggled against the Fiery Flame Eagle.
In terms of duration, the Flame Cloud Falcon’s endurance in the heat waves far exceeded that of the Red Flame Ox.
However, this feeling quickly faded, and Liu Jinglan grinned: “Who cares, with so many Beastmasters in the world, if I felt defeat with every encounter.”
“I’d be mentally exhausted long before long.”
This time,
Spark’s endurance within the waves of heat far surpassed the last, flying amidst the raging flames, charging deep within.
Flames surrounded from all sides, merging with the shallow Flame Stream emerging on its body, Sparks’s eyes growing brighter, as if a cluster of flames flickered within.
Pressing forward, it finally glimpsed the Fiery Sun Wood deep within.
But the flames continued pressing closer, and Spark could not withstand the pressure, forced to retreat once more.
“Rest a bit, we’ll come back again.”
Looking at Spark in front of him, Chen Yuan felt a pang of heartache.
Its Skill Proficiency continued to rise, yet Spark’s condition was visibly dire, covered in burn marks, even its usually neat feathers slightly ruffled.
Thankfully, thanks to the Healing Ointment, these injuries would heal swiftly.
“Chirp chirp!”
Cola stirred up a refreshing breeze to help blow away the heat from the big sister.
“Squeak~”
The Twin Flower Concubine also wished to help, but not having mastered any healing skills yet, all it could do was wave its petal-like hands, cheering for Spark.
“Chirp!!!”
Soon,
Spark regained its vigor, soaring high, its momentum rising, its eyes gleaming with Flame Stream, layers of flames surging from its body, charging towards the swirling heat waves!
