Recently, however, the disciples of the Holy King Sect had been rather troubled, because they were "plagued by a dog."
"You mean a dog demon broke into the storehouse and stole over a thousand jin of source?"
Lin Yu sat upon the sect master's throne, looking at the Internal Affairs Hall elder Wang Feng with an amused expression.
"That's right, Sect Master. It was a big black dog—extremely cunning, and proficient in formation patterns. We organized several encirclements, but every time we were about to catch him, he escaped using the formation patterns."
Wang Feng replied awkwardly. After all, such a vast sect, ruling over so many oases, had actually been bullied by a dog demon.
"He's also very vindictive. Any disciples who chased him will be singled out by him whenever he gets the chance, then bitten and mauled."
"So that black dog from Purple Mountain came out as well." Lin Yu pondered.
At the end of the Desolate Ancient Era, a dying little black dog had been adopted by Great Emperor Wushi. He witnessed the emperor's peerless splendor as he swept across an entire age, and in his later years, Great Emperor Wushi sealed him within Purple Mountain.
This black dog was no good sort. Together with Duan De and the Dragon Horse, he was known as one of the Shrouding the Heavens Trio, leaving behind the famous saying: "A person should not be too Duan De, and a dog should not be too Black Emperor."
"Enough. I'll handle this matter. You don't need to worry about it anymore." Lin Yu waved to Wang Feng, signaling that he need not waste any more effort on it.
Since that damned dog had left Purple Mountain, Lin Yu intended to have a talk with him and tell him to stop tormenting the disciples. As for the source he had eaten, forget it. Lin Yu was not short on such things, and he could not be bothered to recover such a minor loss.
At night, in the Holy King Sect's medicinal fields, there was a spot concealed by formation patterns. The restriction had been designed with remarkable subtlety, and not a single passing disciple had noticed it.
"Looks like this big black dog really treats this place as his own home." Lin Yu was rather speechless.
He used the God-Devil Seal, shrinking to the size of a speck of dust, and silently passed through the restriction. Inside, he found a big black dog sleeping soundly.
The big black dog was as sturdy as a bull, with a square head, large ears, and snow-white fangs as sharp as daggers. His fur resembled black satin, and the only discordant feature was his bald tail.
Drool covered the ground. Who knew what sweet dream he was having?
"Hey! Wake up! I found an Undying Divine Medicine!" Lin Yu kicked him with his foot.
"Where is it? Where is it?" The big black dog instantly raised his head and shouted:
"Where is the Undying Divine Medicine?!"
The dog's head swung left and right as he searched for the nonexistent Undying Divine Medicine.
Only after a while did he notice Lin Yu standing beside him, watching with a grin. He realized that he had been fooled.
"Woof! Brat, who are you? How dare you toy with the great Black Emperor!" The big black dog flew into a rage.
"And how did you get in here?"
"Of course, I walked in." Lin Yu replied.
"Nonsense! I laid formation patterns outside. Who could enter without alerting them?" the Black Emperor retorted. Then he suddenly realized: I set up a restriction. How did this man get in?
The big black dog instantly became wary, his gaze hostile. He opened his huge jaws and prepared to pounce on Lin Yu.
"You came to my territory and stirred up trouble, yet you're asking me how I got in?"
Lin Yu's face darkened. He showed the dog no mercy, swinging his fists at once. Flames and lightning coiled around them as he slammed several heavy punches into the big black dog's head. The big black dog fought back with a frenzy of bites, sparks flying as his teeth struck Lin Yu's body, yet he did not even lose a single hair.
The Black Emperor suffered badly. He spread his four legs and tried to flee, only to be completely countered by Lin Yu's Wings of the Demon.
The Holy King Sect's disciples saw a big black dog darting everywhere while their sect master rode on his back and beat him mercilessly. It was immensely satisfying to watch. The Black Emperor's eyes were swollen from the beating, and his head ended up covered in bumps.
"It was only a little source. Don't be so stingy. Once this emperor attains the Dao, I'll protect your sect for ten thousand years." With no other choice, the big black dog could only yield, though the promise he offered was nothing but an empty check.
"What boasting! You should be a being from Purple Mountain, sealed within divine source before, right? You ran out behind me that day. I haven't even charged you rent, and you're still trying to fool me." Lin Yu exposed him. This damned dog did not deserve a pleasant expression.
"Brat, what do you want? In any case, anything that enters the mouth of this Black Emperor will never come back out." The big black dog spoke with a shameless look.
"Don't worry. I don't need you to compensate me for that little bit of source. But I really do need your help with something."
Lin Yu said, "I took in two disciples at a stone village. They possess Primordial Silver Blood Race bloodlines. Since you came out of Purple Mountain, you should know about this. I want you to guide them, and we'll call it even for what happened before."
As he spoke, he called for Wang Shu and Lei Bo to come over.
The disciples previously recruited by the Holy King Sect had all been guided by Elder Yang Zhao. Wang Shu and Lei Bo possessed extraordinary bloodlines, and only upon seeing the Black Emperor did Lin Yu recall that he had considerable knowledge of Primordial Beings.
"Descendants of the Primordial Silver Blood Race? I never thought your little sect could find disciples like these."
"Not me. A previous Source Heavenly Master found them. Teach them properly, and I won't treat you unfairly." Lin Yu painted him a grand picture.
The Black Emperor had no choice but to accept the job.
What followed was a period of leisure. Over the past two years, Lin Yu had traveled everywhere. Though his gains had been plentiful, his mind had remained tightly strung, which was not actually beneficial to cultivation.
Now that he had time, he decided to slow down and find a quiet mountain forest where he could build a hut and live in seclusion.
Every morning, amid the faint light of dawn, he breathed in and out, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as he felt nature's rhythm blend with his own breath.
In the afternoon, he brewed a pot of fragrant tea and, amid its curling aroma, reviewed his past cultivation insights, letting his thoughts drift freely.
At night, he lay upon his bed and fell asleep to the sound of wind passing through the pines, allowing his body and mind to slowly relax and recover in the peaceful stillness.
Sometimes, Lin Yu would leave his residence and travel across the Northern Region, measuring the vast land beneath his feet.
He used the miraculous methods recorded in the "Source Heavenly Book" to drive the Dragon Veins hidden underground.
Under his control, the Dragon Veins slowly moved. Wherever they passed, the land's environment improved dramatically. Once-barren ground gradually became fertile again, regaining its vitality.
He also used divine abilities to carve rivers from the land. Clear water surged and flowed, nourishing the earth and all living things. At the same time, he did not forget to guide the sect's disciples in cultivation, passing his experience on to them.
Whenever the mood struck, Lin Yu would also take the Black Emperor to the stone markets of nearby ancient cities to search for source and gamble on stones. Within those bustling stone markets, they moved from stall to stall.
On occasion, they would be fortunate enough to find divine source. Whenever that happened, the Black Emperor would wear a drooling expression, staring fixedly at the divine source. His appearance was truly amusing.
Through such day-after-day secluded cultivation, Lin Yu's body and mind improved greatly.
The divine energy within him flowed ever more smoothly, like an endlessly surging river joyfully coursing through his meridians. The Sea of Bitterness, which had previously ceased to expand, was further broadened through his continuous cultivation.
The Dao Palace Secret Realm also showed faint signs of opening soon. He could feel that he had taken another step closer to a higher realm of cultivation.
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