After He Yiming left the cave dwelling, he bolted forward at an incredible speed, reaching the beach in no time at all.

There, Bai Lingba had already set up a makeshift grill and was turning skewers, while Treasure Pig was exceptionally industrious, having dove into the sea to catch dozens of large fish, which it piled up before Bai Lingba.

He Yiming’s gaze swept over them, and without hesitation, he took out the silver ring from his chest. A massive surge of true qi flooded into it, instantly opening the magical spatial domain.

He reached in and rummaged briefly, retrieving the long whip that had been placed in the corner.

Although He Yiming did not know the origins of this long whip, he was aware of its characteristics. Judging by the Dragon Spear in Jin Zhanyi’s possession, this whip seemed to also be forged from dragon hide.

Of course, He Yiming couldn't guarantee it, but he did have a very simple way to test it.

Putting away the ring space, He Yiming approached the campfire and picked up the six roasted fish that Bai Lingba had set aside.

Treasure Pig suddenly leaped up, blocking He Yiming’s path. It grunted and squealed for a long time, seemingly trying to explain something.

He Yiming followed its front hoof, which pointed directly toward where the White Horse was resting. He smiled faintly, immediately understanding Treasure Pig’s meaning.

He split the roasted fish in his hands in two and offered a portion to the pig, which immediately beamed with delight and cleared the path.

He Yiming laughed heartily as he left that spot, running back toward the cave dwelling.

Thinking about his small team, he and Chu Haozhou shared a deep friendship, while Treasure Pig got along surprisingly well with the White Horse—the dynamics of their relationships were utterly bizarre.

The moment he stepped back into the cave dwelling, a touch of apprehension settled in He Yiming’s heart.

Suddenly possessing a divine weapon would surely arouse suspicion from Chu Haozhou. Even though he had deliberately circled by Bai Lingba’s area, it still felt somewhat like burying his head in the sand.

However, He Yiming trusted that with Chu Haozhou’s seasoned nature, he would not deliberately press the issue of his earlier absence.

As expected, when He Yiming returned, Chu Haozhou made absolutely no mention of why he had left moments before.

He tossed all the roasted fish to Chu Haozhou, who made no ceremony of it, opening his mouth wide and devouring them in just a few bites. However, the old man’s eating manners were far better than the first time; at least he now understood the concept of eating the fish while spitting out the bones.

After finishing, the elder casually wiped the greasy corners of his mouth with his sleeve made of animal hide and said sincerely, “Brother He, you suffered a shipwreck, yet you managed to bring out so many seasonings. Your foresight is truly remarkable; I admire it.”

He Yiming shook his head, torn between laughter and tears. These seasonings had been given by Jin Zhanyi; out of fraternal affection, he hadn't discarded them. He never expected to find himself in a situation stranded on a desert island, and he felt deep gratitude toward Jin Zhanyi.

“Brother He, you left just now—surely it wasn't merely to bring back a few roasted fish?” Chu Haozhou’s smile faded as he asked gravely.

He Yiming gave a wry smile, knowing he couldn't fool the old man. With a flip of his wrist, he produced the Dragon Whip coiled around his waist.

In truth, the moment He Yiming entered the cave, Chu Haozhou had already spotted the black whip wrapped around his waist. But the elder possessed excellent composure, continuing to act as if he saw nothing, focusing his attention entirely on eating the fish. Only when He Yiming voluntarily presented the Dragon Whip did the elder examine it closely.

Slowly, an expression of profound astonishment emerged in his eyes.

He Yiming inwardly sensed good fortune. He chuckled lightly, “Brother Chu, if you don't mind, why not give it a try?” He paused before continuing, “Brother Chu, but let me be upfront: I obtained this weapon unintentionally within the Ghost Cry Ridge, and I have no absolute certainty whether it is a divine weapon forged from the body of a divine beast. If you are unable to wield it, please do not be disappointed.”

Chu Haozhou nodded heavily, taking deep breaths. A look of intense excitement washed over his face.

For forty years, he had dreamed of acquiring a divine weapon he could utilize. To this end, he had spent decades refining iron ore with fire-based cultivation techniques, collecting that incomparably precious profound iron.

Now, although his path to forging his own weapon had been cut short, what lay before him was potentially a divine weapon he could master.

At this moment, his heart pounded wildly, threatening to leap out of his throat.

He had never felt such agitation in all those years; now, at this final juncture, he felt a strange mix of eagerness and fear of loss.

Taking the long whip from He Yiming’s hand, Chu Haozhou slowly channeled his inner true qi into it. The next moment, he immediately perceived the miraculous change within the Dragon Whip.

He abruptly withdrew his true qi and tossed the whip back to He Yiming, complaining with mock annoyance, “Brother He, what kind of joke are you playing?”

He Yiming was filled with doubt and asked in surprise, “Brother Chu, could it be that this divine weapon was not forged from the hide of a divine beast?”

Chu Haozhou grumbled, “Whether it was forged from divine beast hide, I don't know. But it contains your true qi; I simply cannot use it.”

He Yiming was momentarily stunned, then burst into loud laughter; he had completely forgotten that detail.

He gripped the head of the whip, pouring a massive amount of his true qi into it. This divine weapon was saturated with his energy, and as his qi gradually formed a vast vortex inside, he began to draw out the existing energy bit by bit.

In reality, with Chu Haozhou’s strength, even without He Yiming’s help, he could have completely refined the true qi within the weapon over several months, thereby making it his own divine weapon.

However, several months was too long—not just for him, but for He Yiming as well.

Moments later, He Yiming had absorbed every last trace of the true qi within, leaving nothing behind.

He chuckled, retracted his qi, and tossed the Dragon Whip back to Chu Haozhou once more.

The elder took it, calming his slightly agitated spirit. After all, he was a Venerable Master with considerable cultivation; in just a few breaths, he had completely reined in his emotions.

Then, with a serene mind, he slowly infused his true qi.

This long whip truly possessed unfathomable might. After receiving the infusion of abundant true qi, it slowly straightened, and especially the scale armor along its body began to gleam with a dark, brilliant luster. Each scale resembled a sparkling mirror, or a faint light source, displaying a terrifying, fearsome aspect in his hand, instilling a sense of awe in the heart.

Chu Haozhou felt the same way.

Especially when he began to control this divine weapon, a trace of innate reverence surfaced in his heart, as if the power hidden within the Dragon Whip was something even he could not completely master.

A faint, flickering excitement sparked in Chu Haozhou’s eyes as his internal true qi attributes began to shift.

Soon, the Dragon Whip turned fiery red, heating the air even within the cave dwelling. With a casual sweep of his hand, the dry grass carpeting the inner room instantly blackened and rapidly caught fire.

He Yiming frowned, looking at the slightly embarrassed Chu Haozhou, and with a casual wave of his hand.

The newly ignited flame immediately died in its cradle, vanishing without a trace.

A hint of surprise flickered in Chu Haozhou’s eyes, but the young powerhouse had brought him too many surprises recently, so he merely glanced and was no longer astonished.

The color of the Dragon Whip changed again in a marvelous fashion. It turned pitch black, and more significantly, a thin layer of mist formed over every scale, the vapor seeming ready to drip at any moment.

The preceding sensation of intense heat completely vanished, replaced instead by an abundance of water energy.

Immediately following this, the green energy of wind merged into the Dragon Whip. This formidable weapon suddenly gained an ethereal grace, seeming as if it might sprout wings and fly away at any second.

He Yiming watched from the side, marveling. When he had wielded the whip, he had never imagined it could undergo so many transformations.

It seemed he had merely cleared out the internal qi and casually placed it back into storage.

In his mind, the value of the Dragon Whip was far less than that of the Great Guan Dao or the Five Elements Rings. Though he knew this item was a treasure comparable to Jin Zhanyi’s Dragon Spear, he hadn't taken it too seriously.

But it was different for Chu Haozhou; for him, this divine weapon was the treasure he had longed for his entire life. Once obtained, he naturally treasured it like his own life, not daring to treat it with the slightest neglect.

It was precisely this difference in attitude toward the weapon that caused their contrasting reactions upon acquiring the Dragon Whip.

Under Chu Haozhou’s control, three different forces slowly flowed into the Dragon Whip simultaneously. The next moment, the whip began to crackle, enveloped by three distinct colors, looking as if it might explode at any instant.

Yet, both He Yiming and Chu Haozhou possessed an inexplicable and complete faith in the Dragon Whip; they were certain it would not rupture under the pressure.

Indeed, the Dragon Whip remained perfectly intact from beginning to end. However, Chu Haozhou encountered a slight issue: halfway through channeling his true qi, his energy abruptly faltered, and the three colors sustained themselves for only a brief moment before completely dissipating.

He Yiming was greatly perplexed. “Brother Chu, does this whip not suit you?”

Chu Haozhou shook his head, his face alight with surprise and relief. “This whip is indeed forged from the body of a divine beast, and it is perfectly suited for me. It’s just that I haven’t fully refined it yet and cannot unleash its true power.” He looked up, his expression earnest. “Six months—at most six months, and I will successfully refine it and make it my exclusive divine weapon.”

Only then did He Yiming relax, bowing with clasped hands. “Since that is the case, I thank you, Brother Chu.”

Chu Haozhou laughed heartily. “In a year, I must return to my hometown and let those people know what it means to pay blood with blood.”