Time passed quietly through one boring day after another. Wang Feng spent another four years in this monotonous cultivation...
Four years later.
A figure could be seen running swiftly. It was the figure of a teenager around 16 or 17 years old.
His face looked as though it had been carved by the gods—perfectly proportioned, with a sharp and symmetrical jawline that exuded both strength and elegance. His skin was smooth like porcelain, glowing with a flawless natural radiance. His hair was jet-black, thick and shiny, falling gracefully as if always perfectly styled, even in the wind.
However, the most striking feature of his appearance was his eyes—a pair of eyes that were not only beautiful but radiated an extraordinary aura. His left eye was blood-red, glowing like a burning ember in the darkness, holding a frightening yet captivating sense of determination and mystery. Meanwhile, his right eye was golden, shining like the morning sun, giving off an impression of divine wisdom and grandeur. Such a stark contrast, as if reflecting the duality within him—destruction and salvation, darkness and light, demon and god in a single body.
His posture was tall and well-proportioned, with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and an athletic build that seemed perfectly sculpted. Every movement he made was graceful yet masculine, showing a perfect balance between power and calm.
Yes! That figure was Wang Feng!
Wang Feng was currently on his way to Shrek Academy. To reach it, he had to pass through the Star Dou Forest. The Star Dou Forest was quite far from Wang Feng's home. After traveling non-stop for three days, he finally arrived at the gathering place of the continent's soul beasts—the Star Dou Forest.
In this forest, which was almost as vast as a province, lived various kinds of soul beasts, including some that were extremely powerful.
From the outside, it looked like a vast, ancient forest with a complex terrain. There were wetlands, swamps, rainforests, and more. The beasts within were equally terrifying. The deeper one went into the forest, the stronger the beasts would be.
Wang Feng stared at the mysterious forest and couldn't help but sigh.
He had finally arrived.
He looked for a shady spot and was about to sit down to meditate and recover his strength. Suddenly, he heard the sound of trickling water. It made him forget his intention to sit.
He then searched for the source of the water. After walking for a few minutes, he found it—a river about three meters wide. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom, and its clarity brought a refreshing coolness.
In that small river, there was a slender figure holding a sharpened wooden stick, intently watching the fish swimming below.
The slender figure had short dark-blue hair. He wasn't tall—in fact, he was slightly short. His slim, frail body gave off a sense that made others want to protect him.
Suddenly, the figure swung the sharpened stick down into the river with precision, striking a fish squarely.
The figure let out a surprised sound, then pulled the stick up with the impaled fish, smiling to himself in delight.
And just as the slender figure lifted his head, Wang Feng saw his face. His handsome face glowed with happiness, and within that beauty was a trace of determination that made others feel a sense of pressure.
When their eyes met, Wang Feng was slightly stunned as well. It was a pair of light-blue eyes. That light blue rippled in his gaze, as if the entire sky was captured within them.
He still seemed to be using his soul power, as his eyes shimmered slightly. From Wang Feng's point of view, they looked incredibly clear and pure.
The figure murmured to himself:"Nice! If I catch a few more, it'll be enough to last me several more days. Once they're roasted, they won't spoil easily."
Wang Feng smiled lightly as he watched the skinny figure busy with his catch. With a relaxed stride, he walked closer and greeted him with a friendly voice.
"Yo, kid! You're pretty skilled at catching fish." Wang Feng crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. "Alone in a place like this? Looking for a spirit ring?"
His tone was casual, with no ill intent, but enough to catch the boy's attention.
The skinny figure quickly turned around at the sound of Wang Feng's voice. Upon seeing that Wang Feng was clearly much bigger than him, he immediately responded in a low voice, "Y-yes, big brother, I am here to get a spirit ring. Is there something I can do for you?"
After saying that, he said nothing more, calmly looking at Wang Feng, waiting for his next words.
Upon hearing his reply, Wang Feng said, "Haha, I just came to see what was going on. I've been traveling for a few days now. Honestly, I'm a bit hungry. I happened to see you catching fish here, so I wanted to ask, are you planning to roast them?"
The skinny boy looked at Wang Feng for a moment, then down at the fish still stuck on his wooden spear. His eyes flickered with slight hesitation, but after a few seconds, he nodded slightly.
"Alright… I was planning to roast them," he said in a somewhat soft voice.
Wang Feng quickly said, "Can I join you for some grilled fish? Don't worry, I'll pay for it!" At this point, Wang Feng was truly hungry. He had been eating wild beast meat every day recently and was already a bit tired of it.
After hearing what Wang Feng said, the boy let out a quiet sigh of relief and replied, "Big brother, I'll treat you. It's just grilled fish, there's no need to pay."
Wang Feng didn't mind. As long as there was fish to eat, it was fine by him.
Seeing that the skinny boy was about to resume using his spear, Wang Feng quickly said, "Let me help!" Then he leaped into the stream.
As Wang Feng fished, he spoke, "Little brother, my name is Wang Feng, and I'm from the Xing Luo Empire. What's your name?"
Upon hearing Wang Feng introduce himself, the boy quickly replied, "Big brother, my name is Huo Yuhao, and I'm also from the Xing Luo Empire."
With Wang Feng's help, the pace of their fishing sped up greatly.
Before long, with Wang Feng's quick hands, they had caught nearly thirty fish.
"By the way, Brother Wang, these fish should be enough for us to eat. Let's go find some branches, start a fire, and start grilling!"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Feng found a few large leaves from the forest, washed them in the river, placed the cleaned fish on them, and gathered some dry branches as firewood. After a little while, a small campfire was lit by the riverside.
The only seasoning they had was salt, but that was enough for grilled fish. Huo Yuhao made a few small racks from thick branches, then used thin ones to hold the cleaned herring. He sprinkled salt into their bellies, then took out a type of perilla leaf he had picked in the forest a few days earlier from his bag. He washed it, tore it into pieces, and stuffed it into the fish's bellies. Then he placed the prepared fish on the rack made of thick branches and began roasting them.
Soon, a delicious aroma started to rise from the fire. The scent was strong and uniquely appealing. As Huo Yuhao slowly turned the fish, their color gradually turned golden, combining beautifully with the rich smell—truly mouthwatering.
Wang Feng looked at the roasting fish with a greedy expression, drool threatening to escape the corner of his mouth.
Huo Yuhao, seeing Wang Feng's expression, couldn't help but laugh. Wang Feng snapped out of it. How could he show such an embarrassing look in front of someone else? Seeing Huo Yuhao still laughing, he shouted at him.
"Hey, quit laughing. Focus on your grilling or your fish'll burn." Wang Feng deflected the topic.
"Alright, alright." Huo Yuhao then turned his attention back to the fish.
For the first batch, Huo Yuhao only grilled two fish, while he prepared the rest. If you grilled too many at once, it would be hard to control the heat.