Chapter 678 - 299: Bonfire Party and News of the Donghuang Conference (Part 2)

The three chatted for a while, and suddenly one student brought up his troubles.

"Lord Zhuang, I want to know how to face a rival who defeated me?"

Zhuang Jianbai smiled slightly and without hesitation said: "No Beastmaster is invincible, we always encounter opponents stronger than us as we grow stronger."

"Transform your frustration and unwillingness into motivation, consider him as a benchmark on the road to becoming stronger."

"Approach him, strive to defeat him."

The student pondered for a moment and continued to ask: "I indeed did this, but every time I challenge him, I lose, and I’m easily crushed."

"I can no longer see the hope of defeating him, perhaps I will never be his match."

"Lord Zhuang, should I give up?"

Zhuang Jianbai’s face slightly changed, and he fell silent for a moment, but his gaze involuntarily glanced at Chen Yuan not far away.

Turns out, true empathy exists in this world.

The other student keenly noticed Zhuang Jianbai’s change of expression and immediately thought of Zhuang Jianbai’s experience battling Advisor Chen. He quickly tugged his companion’s sleeve and whispered, "Stop talking, change the topic."

"It’s okay."

Zhuang Jianbai heard this and lifted his gentle eyes, revealing a relieved smile: "In fact, sometimes accepting the gap is a great courage."

The two students were both stunned.

The bright light of the flames danced in Zhuang Jianbai’s eyes, his voice drifted like clouds in the sky: "In life, we will always meet more excellent people."

"Even if we give our all, we cannot defeat them, so accept this fact calmly."

"You don’t necessarily have to defeat them. Pursuing their footsteps along the way is also a kind of courage."

The Winter Dog sat obediently beside Zhuang Jianbai, quietly listening to these words, gently lifting its head and extending its moist tongue to lick his palm.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine."

Zhuang Jianbai laughed in response to the Winter Dog’s comfort, then pointed to Sprite in Chen Yuan’s arms: "You were like this when you were little."

The Winter Dog slightly raised its eyes, its azure blue pupils gazing at the tiny fellow fondly like an elder, its tail wagged silently.

Yang Yue and Li Qing sat together, enjoying snacks Zhang Hao specially prepared for the bonfire gathering.

The Cloud Fox quietly curled up in Yang Yue’s arms, its fluffy big tail covering its claws, its off-white fur shimmering like flowing clouds under the fireworks.

Li Qing’s Scaly Green Snake cuddly coiled around her wrist, its tail like a meticulously crafted jade bracelet, the emerald scales faintly glowing in the firelight;

The Ripple Shadow Snake gently lay on Li Qing’s knee, sometimes curiously watching the bonfire, sometimes gazing at Chen Yuan, its body faintly emitting a wave-like sheen.

Whenever Chen Yuan noticed the Ripple Shadow Snake’s gaze, his expression momentarily stiffened.

Li Qing smiled slightly, took out her sketchbook, and recorded the warm scene: the bonfire and the crowd, and all kinds of Pet Beasts snuggled beside their Beastmaster.

Zhang Hao was undoubtedly the busiest person at the event, his hearty laughter contagiously echoed through every corner.

He ran around distributing grilled skewers, shouting, "Don’t be shy, treat Xuanhe Village as your home" "Good Fortune Farmhouse welcomes you";

He sometimes went up to Chen Yuan, eyebrows flying, loudly recounting the exciting scenes of the Fallen Meteor Horned Beast’s performance in the speed competition;

Sometimes he ran to the leaders, expressing thoughts long hidden in his heart: "We can host a bonfire gathering every week, involving all Beastmasters who come, making them feel a sense of belonging."

"The bonfire gathering can totally become a major promotional feature for our Xuanhe Village!"

The Gray-armored Wild Boar silently followed behind him from start to finish, huffing and puffing along, its thick dark gray fur resembling rough armor.

It occasionally opened its mouth to enjoy the roasted sweet potato Zhang Hao tossed, swallowing it without chewing, then affectionately nudged Zhang Hao’s thigh with its snow-covered nose.

As long as it didn’t knock him to the ground and chew on him recklessly, Zhang Hao could tolerate all of the Wild Boar’s actions.

The dark blue night sky was filled with joyous laughter, conversation, and the crackling sound of burning wood. Amidst this rare warm hustle, several sharp whistles suddenly broke the night’s serenity.

Boom!

Boom!

Several dazzling fireworks exploded on the dark blue sky, followed by countless streams of fire dragging colorful tails, cascading down like a rain of stars, lighting up the small world beside the bonfire.

At this moment, it seemed that all noise disappeared.

Everyone couldn’t help but look up at the sky, the smiles on their faces enlarged and frozen, each pair of amazed eyes reflecting the magnificent colors filling the sky.

The Fallen Meteor Horned Beast behind Chen Yuan suddenly awoke, raising its huge head in confusion, looking at the dazzling fireworks, a comfortable rumble rolling from its throat.

Cola, who had been running around the bonfire, finally stopped its busy feet, looking up at the fireworks and excitedly barking, its tail wagging like a windmill.

Spark’s golden-red wings shimmered with flowing brilliance under the fireworks’ glow, like donning a layer of moving dawn. It gracefully folded its wings, gradually nestling close to Chen Yuan’s left cheek.

The Twin Flower Concubine saw the big sister’s action, with an indifferent expression, silently moved closer to Chen Yuan’s right cheek, cool and icy.

Even Sprite, asleep, was awakened by the radiant light. It lifted its little head in Chen Yuan’s arms, its eyes resembling frozen sapphire ice crystals reflecting the fireworks blossoming in the sky, its small mouth agape in surprise: "Ying Ying Ying!"