After following Wang Hao and his wife for dozens of kilometers beyond the city gates, Wang Cheng noticed the wilderness was beginning to feature strange and oddly shaped clusters of grass.
Some of the grass stood taller than a person, with patches of shrubbery several meters high dotting the barren plains.
Upon arrival, though Wang Hao looked nonchalant, his vigilance had already been heightened. He reminded Wang Cheng:
"Ah Cheng, remember—there is no such thing as absolute safety in the wilderness. No one knows when a high-level beast might suddenly leap out from the grass, or even from underground. So always stay alert when out here."
At that moment, a black figure suddenly darted out from the grass, aiming straight for Wang Cheng—the weakest of the trio.
But Wang Hao seemed to anticipate it. In a sidestep, he instantly moved in front of Wang Cheng. In a flash, a long knife appeared in his hand, and he slashed at the charging black figure ahead.
"Shhh!"
"Screee!" A brief screech echoed as blood sprayed violently. Cold Yan quickly pulled Wang Cheng aside to avoid it.
The creature collapsed powerlessly to the ground. Wang Hao sheathed his knife in one fluid, elegant motion.
Wang Cheng had just realized what happened when a wave of blood-red splashed before his eyes, shocking him deeply.
However, he was not an ordinary under-ten child—having lived two lives. He quickly steadied himself and calmed his spirit.
Facing Cold Yan's slightly worried expression, he forced a smile, patted his mother's hand, looked at the fallen beast, and gave his father a thumbs-up.
"Dad, you're awesome! If I'm not mistaken, that was a Tier-3 Apprentice-level Steel-Clawed Iron-Backed Weasel, right? And you took it out in one blow."
Cold Yan, relieved that Wang Cheng was unharmed, playfully tapped his head.
"Silly child, your dad is a Tier-6 Apprentice martial artist. If he couldn't handle a mere Tier-3 beast, that would be laughable."
But Wang Hao didn't look pleased. He glanced at the distance with a grim expression and said in a low tone:
"This is just 50 kilometers from the city wall, and already there are Tier-3 beasts showing up. Looks like the next beast tide isn't far off."
Cold Yan nodded, looking at the wild grass around them. "You're probably right. These grasses have grown back. I remember the area within 100 kilometers of the city wall used to be completely barren—trampled by the beast tide. It's been a long time since the last wave. Another one may be approaching."
Seeing Wang Cheng confused, Wang Hao explained:
"A beast tide is when mutated beasts from the inner zones or forbidden zones drive massive numbers of low-tier beasts toward the city. Every wave consists of no fewer than hundreds of billions. The oceanic beast tides are even worse—sometimes over ten trillion strong."
Wang Cheng felt his scalp go numb. Thousands of people already felt like a sea—but trillions of monsters? That would be a world engulfed by beasts.
"Alright, let's not dwell on that now. Your mom and I brought you here so you can get used to the wilderness. From now on, if a beast shows up, you'll have to deal with it yourself. We're not going to babysit you."
Wang Cheng steadied his nerves and said to his parents, "That's how it should be. No growth without trials. And I'm not weak—I can handle it. Just watch."
He then walked ahead. Wang Hao and Cold Yan exchanged a smile. Cold Yan took out a knife and began extracting useful materials from the dead Steel-Clawed Iron-Backed Weasel, storing them in her backpack.
Wang Cheng had already moved twenty to thirty meters ahead. Though anxious, he wasn't too afraid. He unleashed his full spiritual sense to scout the surroundings.
His mental energy could only cover a little over ten meters ahead, but that was enough for him to react.
Suddenly, from the side of the grass, another black streak lunged toward his neck.
But Wang Cheng didn't panic. In a flash, his long knife appeared in his hand and slashed at the oncoming beast.
Clang!
Whoosh!
With a metallic clang, Wang Cheng clearly saw the attacker—it was another Tier-3 Steel-Clawed Iron-Backed Weasel. He recalled that these beasts typically lived in pairs.
Looking at the faint white mark left on its claw, Wang Cheng realized the name was no joke—its claws were indeed like steel, harder than most specialty alloys.
His Tier-6 Apprentice-grade weapon couldn't even damage it properly. Part of it was his own insufficient strength, but those claws truly lived up to their name.
He didn't wait for the beast to strike again. Stepping forward with a burst of speed, he closed the gap in an instant.
Seeing the long knife, the weasel hesitated and chose to dodge instead of taking it head-on.
But Wang Cheng didn't intend to let it go. Using the "Soaring Dragon's Claw Step," his speed shot up. With one swift step, he caught up and slashed at its neck.
Using proper technique, his strength doubled—reaching the power of a Tier-4 Apprentice. Combined with his Tier-6 weapon—
As the blade swept past the beast's neck, its head flew off. The body crashed to the ground, spasmed a few times from the gushing blood, and then went still.
The thick scent of blood instantly hit Wang Cheng's nose.
A wave of nausea surged, but Wang Cheng had seen blood before and had strong mental fortitude. He quickly adjusted to the sensation.
The moment the weasel leaped out, Cold Yan had instinctively wanted to rush in. But Wang Hao held her back:
"This is his trial. The beast's level is just right—he needs sparring partners. We must trust him."
Steel-Clawed Iron-Backed Weasels usually lived in pairs. If there were any Tier-4 or higher among them, they'd form a beast pack.
Their son clearly had strong knowledge of beasts—and his subsequent performance proved Wang Hao's judgment right.
Seeing Wang Cheng kill a beast of similar strength in just two strikes made him smile.
More importantly, Wang Cheng didn't show signs of rejection or trauma afterward. That pleased Wang Hao the most. It seemed his son was a natural fit for survival in the wilderness.
As they approached, they found that Wang Cheng had already removed the beast's claws and stored them in his pack. Wang Hao praised him with a smile:
"Excellent performance for your first real battle. And don't waste beast materials—even Tier-3 claws like these can sell for 100 exchange points."
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