Over the years, the Qian Yuan Sect had been at its peak. Talented individuals emerged in droves; in less than a century, two prodigious talents had appeared. This was unimaginable for any sect, and yet, there was no conflict regarding the succession of the Sect Master. Unbelievable.
In other sects, if two or more prodigies emerged, a fierce struggle for the position of Sect Master would inevitably ensue, often leading to fatal consequences.
Given the current state of the Qian Yuan Sect, its prosperity would likely continue for several more centuries. The former Sect Master, Wu Zhi, remained in seclusion. If he succeeded in cultivating to the Great Emperor Realm, who in the eight desolate lands and six harmonies could be his opponent? The Qian Yuan Sect's dominance might last for a millennium.
Freed from the burden of responsibility, Ha Lin devoted himself entirely to cultivation. At his level of cultivation, he could discern the quality of cultivation techniques very early on. The Fist Scripture passed down to him by his uncle was profound and extensive, far surpassing any other technique he had encountered. He knew the secret, non-transmittable techniques of the Qian Yuan Sect, but compared to the Fist Scripture, they were vastly inferior.
Lin Fan's life gradually became quiet. With Ha Ha's passing and Ha Lin's focus on cultivation, no one entered Lin Fan's circle for the time being. Among the numerous disciples of the Qian Yuan Sect, each busy with their own affairs, who would pay attention to a reclusive Lin Fan? His monotonous routine, seemingly dull and tasteless, held infinite joy for him.
Reading brought him happiness. Immersing himself in the ocean of knowledge was a delightful experience.
One day, snow fell. It was a rare snowfall for the Qian Yuan Sect. It fell heavily, from morning till night. Lin Fan leaned against the bed, propped up his face, and quietly watched the snow.
"Truly beautiful," Lin Fan sighed.
For others, time was the most formidable existence, capable of silently and indifferently snatching away the closest people. But for Lin Fan, time was merely a passerby. Come and go as it pleased.
"Hm?"
Outside, a small dog, seemingly distressed, stumbled through the snow. Its small body was nearly buried by the snow. Finally, exhausted, it collapsed.
The dog looked at the vast expanse of white, tears welling up in its eyes. Life was so fragile. It was dying, and its final fate might be to become a pot of dog meat on someone's table.
Suddenly...
Ah... such warmth.
Where am I? Have I returned to the embrace of the Dog God?
After an unknown amount of time...sniff! Such a delicious smell.
The dog opened its eyes, saw a fire burning, and then saw a human sitting at a desk, reading. The dog observed its surroundings. It was unfamiliar; it had never been here before, nor did it sense any malice.
"The puppy is awake," Lin Fan said, approaching with food. He gently stroked the dog's fur and placed the food in front of it. "Eat, you're safe now."
Smelling the aroma, the dog devoured the food, gradually regaining its strength. Then, it looked up at the human who had saved it and barked a few times in gratitude.
Lin Fan extended his hand and stroked the dog's head. The dog licked Lin Fan's palm, wanting to remember this scent forever.
"Haha, that tickles."
Being alone now might be a good thing, but having this dog by his side might be a nice choice.
"Puppy, would you like to stay and live with me?" Lin Fan asked.
The dog looked up, stood excitedly, wagging its tail, its eyes filled with hope. "Woof woof..."
Yes, I would very much like to.
"Good, from now on, your name is Xiao Huang. Don't worry, I will see you to the end; I won't abandon you," Lin Fan said, stroking Xiao Huang's head.
Xiao Huang barked excitedly. Although it didn't understand the words, it felt that this person would be kind to it. Finding a new owner, a new home, gave Xiao Huang hope for its dog life.
From then on, Xiao Huang accompanied Lin Fan. When Lin Fan read, Xiao Huang would lie quietly beside him, waiting patiently. Occasionally, it would look up at its owner, then lie back down and drift off to sleep.
These days were warm and peaceful.
The weather improved. The snow melted, and everything revived.
Lin Fan took Xiao Huang out for a jog down the mountain. Before Xiao Huang, his life revolved around the library and home, but now, he often took Xiao Huang for strolls down the mountain.
Exercise.
Remembering dog toys, he made a frisbee. In the fields, he threw the frisbee. Xiao Huang wagged its tail, and when the frisbee flew, it ran excitedly, leaped, caught the frisbee in its mouth, and happily ran back to deliver it to Lin Fan.
"Xiao Huang, you're so good," Lin Fan praised.
The man and dog played happily in the fields.
Xiao Huang had never imagined its dog life could be so blissful. Sometimes, in its sleep, Xiao Huang would shed tears of joy.
Hiss!
Just then, not far from them, a small, golden snake coiled around a branch, its beady eyes fixed on the man and dog playing.
Suddenly, the snake arched its body and, like an arrow, shot towards them with a whoosh. Xiao Huang, carrying the frisbee, sensed danger, instinctively twisted its body, opened its mouth, and bit the snake at its vital point.
Thud!
The snake was severed in two, falling to the ground in a bloody mess.
Xiao Huang landed, tucked its tail between its legs, and whimpered, running to Lin Fan's side. It trembled, seemingly terrified, truly frightened.
It wanted to say, "I really don't know anything. Everything I just did was involuntary. I don't understand what happened."
"Xiao Huang, you're so amazing," Lin Fan praised.
He had sensed the snake's attack and was about to intervene, but he hadn't expected Xiao Huang to be so skilled, turning and biting the snake in two.
The frightened Xiao Huang trembled all over, clearly shocked, even his owner's praise couldn't cheer him up.
Lin Fan stroked Xiao Huang's head and crouched beside the snake. "Xiao Huang, I've eaten snake meat before; it's delicious. Today, we're in luck. I'll personally cook you a delicious meal, okay?"
Whimper!
Xiao Huang was scared and didn't want to eat snake meat.
Lin Fan said, "It seems you like it, just like me."
He picked up the severed snake, beckoned, and walked towards home.
The disciples of the Qian Yuan Sect were diligently cultivating, devoting themselves entirely to their practice. Any unimportant matters were forgotten, especially with the recent surge of bandits in the sect's territory. Many disciples formed groups to eradicate evil, incidentally earning merit.
Someone as leisurely as Lin Fan was practically nonexistent.
Inside the house, Xiao Huang adamantly refused to eat the snake meat.
But soon…
So delicious!
Xiao Huang buried its head in the bowl. When it looked up, its mouth was covered in sauce, the corners of its mouth turned up, its eyes narrowed into slits, a picture of pure enjoyment.
Woof woof!
Xiao Huang barked, patted the bowl with its paw, and stuck out its tongue, seemingly expectant.
"More?"
"Woof woof!"
Lin Fan stroked the dog's head. "There's no more. Such a small snake, how could it be enough for us? If you want more, we'll have to catch more. Do you want to go?"
Xiao Huang was a little scared. It thought for a long time, but the deliciousness ultimately triumphed over fear. It raised its head and barked.
"Okay, we'll go find more snakes later. Now, I need to read," Lin Fan said.
Then, as usual, Xiao Huang lay quietly at Lin Fan's feet.
The life of the man and dog was simple but full of interesting moments.
The following days were a disaster for the snakes down the mountain.
Once, these snakes enjoyed ambushing prey. Since their king mysteriously disappeared, after a fierce struggle, a new king emerged, continuing to lead them in hunting.
But the situation became unfavorable.
That day…the weather was as beautiful as ever.
Until the man and dog appeared, disrupting the balance. Their snake lives plunged into darkness. They, like hunters, relentlessly captured them.
Xiao Huang, initially afraid, became captivated by the deliciousness. It would get into any hole it found, snakes biting its nose relentlessly, causing it to run around in pain, but ultimately, it would obediently return to Lin Fan, wagging its tail, as if to say, "Look…I caught one."
Lin Fan often patted Xiao Huang's head, praising it for being so good.
Day after day, year after year.
For Xiao Huang, its greatest anticipation was eating snake meat. Its owner's cooking was so good, the taste so delicious, it couldn't resist.
But for the snakes, it was a catastrophe.
In the blink of an eye, decades passed.
Ordinarily, a dog like Xiao Huang would accompany Lin Fan for at most twenty years, but this Xiao Huang was strong, healthy, and energetic, its fur exceptionally shiny, more so than ever before.
At this moment, Lin Fan, who was reading, seemed to sense something and put down his book, pushing the door open. Xiao Huang, lying on the ground, looked at its owner quizzically. Although it didn't quite understand, it followed him out.
Boom!
The earth shook, the entire Qian Yuan Sect trembling violently.
A terrifying aura erupted from the depths of the Qian Yuan Sect, soaring into the sky, piercing the clouds. Everyone felt oppressed by this aura, unable to resist.
Everyone wondered…what was happening?
Just as everyone was filled with fear, a deep voice resonated through the heavens.
"Today, I, Ha Lin, have attained the Great Emperor Realm, hahaha..."
The current Sect Master was utterly shocked, as if he had seen a ghost. His senior brother had actually cultivated to the Great Emperor Realm?
Immediately, the sky filled with purple clouds, and celestial sounds echoed through the heavens, as if welcoming the birth of a new Great Emperor.
Ha Shiqi, who was idling his time away in the sect, heard the voice and roared towards the sky, "Haha, my father has cultivated to the Great Emperor Realm!"
He appeared crazed, but at this moment, no one cared about his state of mind. This event was unbelievable, not only for the Qian Yuan Sect, but for the entire cultivation world.