Chapter 1013: This young friend possesses remarkable cultivation skills.

Wei Donghai was instantly taken aback, his heart stirring with surprise.

This kid’s cultivation level is probably no joke.

Hmm, he’s got some talent, I’ll give him that.

Even without seeing anything else, Wei Donghai was already somewhat intrigued.

Taking back the gourd Yi Feng handed over, he casually teased,

"Kid, this spot’s not bad for fishing, but the Emerald Lake’s full of small, common fish—nothing special to eat. How about we go hunt some real game, something wild and fresh?"

The words struck a chord with Yi Feng.

Lately, he’d been eating rustic farm fare—tasty and fresh, sure, but lacking in richness.

Eggs every meal, farmhouse dishes every day.

Is this any way to live?!

He was practically sick of it, longing for the days of roasting wild game over a fire.

Seeing a kindred spirit, he eagerly nodded.

"Old Wei, you’ve got a point! But do you know where we can find some game?"

Watching Yi Feng take the bait, Wei Donghai feigned hesitation.

"Ah, that’s the tricky part."

"I do know a few hunting spots, but they’re either too far or a bit too dangerous to reach..."

Dangerous?

The word sent a thrill through Yi Feng’s heart.

"I’m not afraid! The more dangerous, the tastier the prey!"

This kid’s got some guts. Worth testing further.

Wei Donghai grew even more pleased and continued luring him in. "Well, if that’s the case, let’s go hunt some demonic beasts. I know a place teeming with them."

"Among them, there’s one particularly fierce beast—its meat is a delicacy even immortals would kill for!"

Yi Feng couldn’t hold back any longer, immediately reeling in his fishing rod!

Amused by his eagerness, Wei Donghai gave a faint smile.

With a wave of his right hand, ripples formed in the air. He stepped forward, hands behind his back, and Yi Feng—stunned by the display of power—quickly followed.

When they reappeared, they stood at a hidden corner of Cloud Star’s edge.

Black sand swirled endlessly, devoid of any signs of life.

Standing on the soft dunes, Yi Feng was baffled.

"You sure there’s anything tasty here?"

Not that he doubted Wei Donghai, but the barren wasteland looked like the last place anything dangerous—let alone delicious—could exist.

Wei Donghai adjusted his hat and chuckled.

"Patience, young man. When the sandstorm settles, you’ll see the feast for yourself..."

He wasn’t lying.

This was the Barren Expanse, a land of unstable spatial rifts where ordinary creatures couldn’t survive. Yet, from these cracks emerged an immensely powerful Void Beast.

Terrifyingly resilient and nearly as strong as a Sage, these beasts could even devour spatial turbulence, using it as nourishment to grow.

In essence, this was their breeding ground.

Wei Donghai knew this—which was why he’d brought Yi Feng here.

Hunting was just a pretext; testing Yi Feng’s true capabilities was the real goal.

After all, even masters like him needed to know what they were dealing with before taking on a disciple.

Though the place was perilous, it was well within his control. Even if things went south, there’d be no life-threatening risks.

Besides, only a handful of Void Beasts slipped through the rifts, and their growth here was painfully slow.

Otherwise, Cloud Star would’ve been overrun long ago.

Unaware of all this, Yi Feng was solely focused on finding both danger and delicacy, growing restless as he waited.

Finally.

The raging black sand stilled, and a depression formed in the dunes nearby!

The ground trembled violently, forcing the two to hover midair.

From the massive sinkhole emerged a pair of giant pincers, gleaming with a metallic black sheen—like something out of a robot’s nightmare.

Yi Feng stared, struck by a sense of familiarity.

Then, with an even fiercer quake, an enormous shadow burst from below, sending sand flying and roaring loud enough to shake the heavens!

Watching its sideways scuttle, Yi Feng’s eyes widened.

"That’s… just a crab, isn’t it? Those claws must weigh thousands of pounds—enough to last three years!"

Wei Donghai smirked, exuding an air of wisdom.

"Kid, your ignorance is showing."

"This is a Void Beast, crab-like in form but incomparably mighty. Its body is nearly indestructible—only the very last eyelash is edible, and each beast has but two."

"Yet, those lashes are a delicacy even immortals covet, packed with benefits. They’re called ‘Dragon Whiskers’!"

Yi Feng had heard of eating heads, tails, legs, and claws—but eyelashes?!

Even if the crab was massive, what good was a single lash?

Calling it "Dragon Whiskers" just proved how bizarre the world could be.

Dumbfounded, Yi Feng scratched his head in confusion.

Wei Donghai stroked his beard, amused by the kid’s naivety.

"Be careful, boy. If you’re outmatched, I’ll step in."

But inwardly, he was already picturing Yi Feng’s inevitable struggle.

After all, the Void Beast's shell was incredibly tough—even ordinary sacred weapons couldn't harm it. Having lived in the chaotic currents of the void for so long, its strength was extraordinary, and most people would feel fear at first sight.

Relying solely on brute force to fight it was absolutely hopeless.

Losing to such a monster wasn’t shameful.

If one could last even half an incense stick’s worth of time, they could be considered promising talent.

As for those who managed a narrow victory? They’d already be among the top prodigies of their generation, destined for greatness!

Just by using the Void Beast, Wei Donghai could thoroughly test this young man’s mental fortitude, cultivation, and combat strategy. Truly a perfect trial method.

The more he thought about it, the more pleased Wei Donghai became, stroking his beard with a satisfied smile.

He exuded the demeanor of an expert who had everything under control.

Seeing how serious Wei Donghai looked, Yi Feng didn’t ask further questions. Instead, he gazed at the enormous crab in the distance, its imposing aura stirring up storms of black sand that nearly blotted out the sky.

Judging by its appearance, it really did seem ridiculously strong!

His blood boiling with excitement, Yi Feng pulled out a large blade and charged straight at it!

Watching this, Wei Donghai frowned.

Right from the start, Yi Feng had already disappointed him.

The way he rushed in without any hesitation or strategy was downright reckless.

No matter how strong someone was, if they relied solely on brute force without any cunning, they couldn’t be considered true talent.

But the next moment—

A crisp sound rang out.

Snap!

With that single noise, the Void Beast was split cleanly in two!

Behind Yi Feng, suspended in midair, Wei Donghai’s beard-stroking hand trembled violently—he nearly yanked out a handful of his own beard!

Hiss—

A mix of pain and shock made Wei Donghai suck in a sharp breath.

Clutching a few broken strands of beard, he stared in disbelief.

The Void Beast was an incredibly formidable creature.

Even though this one was just an ordinary specimen, it still had the strength of a first-tier Saint, not to mention its thick, nearly impenetrable hide. Even he would need some effort to take it down.

Originally, he had planned to step in and help once the kid started struggling…

But now?

One slash.

And it was over?

Wasn’t this young man a little too straightforward? And way too overpowered?

His plans were in disarray.

Had he been the one acting rashly?

Wei Donghai was at a complete loss, unconsciously landing on the sandy ground, clutching his beard as he stood there, utterly bewildered by the wind…

Not far away, Yi Feng stared blankly at the massive crab carcass, his face practically screaming, "That’s it?"

After hearing so many legends about the Void Beast, he had assumed it would be insanely powerful. He’d even brought out his big cleaver and attacked with full seriousness, treating it with respect.

Who knew it’d be sliced in half like a watermelon with just one strike?

This thing was weak as hell.

Disappointed, Yi Feng gave the two halves of the crab a deadpan look.

Only when he spotted the enormous, crystal-clear eyelashes did he feel slightly consoled—at least he’d gotten something out of this.

With a flick of his cleaver—

Swish! Swish!

Two quick slashes later, the eyelashes were neatly harvested.

Holding them in his hands, he was satisfied with their size and weight—they were practically like two bamboo shoots!

The crab might’ve been trash, but its yield wasn’t bad.

Though they were called "eyelashes," they looked like enough for a full meal.

Finally feeling somewhat compensated, Yi Feng cracked a smile.

But before his grin could fully form, the eyelashes suddenly began shrinking—like deflating balloons—visibly shrinking thinner and smaller by the second.

Within moments, they had turned into two thin strands, resembling nothing more than noodles!

Watching his hard-earned loot diminish before his eyes, Yi Feng felt his heart bleed.

He was utterly dumbfounded and immediately spun around.

"Old man, wh-what’s going on here? Did I see wrong?"

Hearing the panicked question, Wei Donghai finally snapped out of his daze.

Yi Feng ran over in confusion, his expression slightly flustered.

Seeing the young man’s disheveled state, Wei Donghai finally regained some of his dignity as a senior!

Salvaging a bit of his pride, he discreetly tossed away the broken beard strands.

Resuming his beard-stroking pose, he maintained his air of wisdom as he began lecturing.

"Heh…"

"Young man, your inexperience shows… Once plucked, the Dragon Whiskers naturally release the chaotic void energy within. Such a delicacy is rare beyond compare. If one could easily harvest dozens of pounds, would it still be so precious?"

Yi Feng nodded in understanding.

"So it was just inflated… What a shame…"

Others would go through hell just to find one or two strands, risking their lives and millennia of cultivation!

But this kid?

He got two effortlessly, and here he was, putting on a show of regret.

Inflated. What a shame.

What kind of arrogant talk was that?!

Wei Donghai’s eyelids twitched, but he forced a smile to maintain his composed elder image.

"Heh, no need to be so disheartened. Void Beasts are inherently scarce. Obtaining these two Dragon Whiskers is already a tremendous fortune. Given your considerable skill, I’d say you’re quite the promising talent."

Though his words were steady, Wei Donghai was internally ecstatic.

In all his years of judging people, he had never encountered a youngster with such monstrous potential.

While he couldn’t yet gauge Yi Feng’s exact cultivation level, his combat prowess was already absurd—surpassing that of ordinary Saints. With proper guidance, his future achievements would be limitless.

It wouldn’t even be far-fetched to imagine him surpassing even the likes of Wei Donghai and his peers someday.

No wonder Fu Nantian had taken such a keen interest in this kid!

There really was something extraordinary about him.

The more he thought about it, the more excited Wei Donghai became. He felt like he’d stumbled upon a treasure before anyone else.

Maintaining his dignified demeanor, he prepared to speak—to officially take Yi Feng under his wing as a disciple.

"Young man, though your cultivation is impressive, your reckless actions leave much to be desired. In this old man's opinion, there is still room for improvement—and this greed of yours must also be restrained."

"If only..."

Just as he was posturing with great gravitas, Yi Feng paid him no heed.

Instead, he stared down at the two dragon whiskers in his hand, his face full of regret and frustration.

"Tch, after all that effort, I only got these two measly strands. One for each of us—we won’t even get a proper taste! If only there were a few more, that’d be perfect!"

Wei Donghai’s lips twitched, nearly cursing out loud.

Here he was, earnestly trying to take on a disciple!

This future disciple of his couldn’t even be bothered to respond—fine, geniuses had their pride, and he could grudgingly understand that.

But to remain fixated on the dragon whiskers, completely ignoring everything else?

That was just too much!

Was this future master of his really worth less than two lousy dragon whiskers?

Was this entire trial just a joke to him?

Watching Yi Feng mutter regretfully about the whiskers, Wei Donghai’s temper flared. It was time to teach this youngster a lesson!

"Hmph!"

"Young man, do you think dragon whiskers grow on trees? Void Beasts are exceedingly rare—do you really believe you can just..."

Before he could finish, the entire desert suddenly began to tremble violently!

BOOM!!!

The quaking beneath their feet was terrifying, like rolling waves, making it nearly impossible to stand steady.

The sheer scale of the disturbance dwarfed what had come before!

Both men jolted in alarm, leaping into the air to steady themselves.

Their eyes widened as the desert surged and churned, collapsing into a monstrous crater dozens of miles wide—a scene of apocalyptic devastation!

Wei Donghai’s expression darkened as he stroked his beard and spoke gravely.

"It seems... an even stronger Void Beast has emerged."

Another one?

Perfect! Otherwise, the haul would’ve been too pitiful.

Yi Feng’s eyes lit up as he stashed the whiskers away, his gaze locked onto the chaos below.

The crater continued to expand, as if something colossal writhed beneath the sands. Even the corpse of the previous Void Beast sank like a pebble, vanishing in an instant.

Then—a deafening roar shook the heavens!

"ROAR!!!"

Enormous silver pincers, each dozens of feet long, burst from the desert, blotting out the sky.

The moment those monstrous claws emerged, the surrounding space twisted violently. A terrifying pressure radiated outward, warping the void like fragile ripples.

Wei Donghai’s face paled in horror.

"Silver Pincers of the Void..."

"Damn it! That’s a fifth-tier Void Beast!"

Though Wei Donghai was a fifth-tier Saint, he stood no chance against a Void Beast of the same rank. These monstrosities, nourished by devouring spatial turbulence and wielding mastery over void energy, were absolute aberrations in combat!

If this thing unleashed its innate divine abilities, even his full strength might not be enough to prevail.

Worse yet, he had to protect this future disciple of his, leaving him unable to fight at full capacity. Victory was impossible!

A single glance was all it took for Wei Donghai to assess the situation with his vast experience.

As a master, he had to shield his future disciple at all costs!

His expression hardened with resolve as he stroked his beard solemnly.

"Boy! This creature is far beyond us—we must not..."

Mid-sentence, a "whoosh" cut through the air beside him!

Yi Feng had already landed on the ground, sprinting toward the monstrous silver beast with wild excitement, laughing all the way.