At this moment, Wang Yufan was resting in a rocking chair in the courtyard, while the black dog was snoring in his exclusive doghouse.
Bright sunlight filtered through the trees in the courtyard, casting dappled shadows.
The black dog, deep in sleep, heard a faint "creak, creak" sound, and he sensed that a female cultivator at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment was approaching the courtyard.
He also sensed that four other human cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm had arrived in these mountains.
Just as he was about to get up and chase these outsiders away, a voice interrupted him.
"Little Black, sleep."
Hearing his master's command, the black dog lay back down in his doghouse.
Yu Linglong, dressed in purple, walked for a short while before she saw the courtyard ahead.
As she approached, she saw a young man in white sleeping in a lounge chair under the shade of a tree, and a large black dog in a doghouse nearby.
Yu Linglong politely called out.
"Hello, may I come in and rest for a bit?"
She called out once but received no response.
Then Yu Linglong raised her voice and called out again, but there was still no movement.
Even the large black dog next to her only twitched his ears as if shooing away mosquitoes.
Yu Linglong felt very curious; this young man was sleeping so soundly, and this black dog, with people arriving at their home, showed no reaction whatsoever. In these remote mountains, even if it wasn't bad people but fierce birds or beasts, how could they survive?
Seeing no reaction from the person in the courtyard, Yu Linglong stumbled forward, wanting to get closer and ask, but then she coughed up a mouthful of black blood and fainted directly.
And Wang Yufan merely lifted his eyelids to glance at her.
...
Half an hour later, several rustling sounds could be heard.
"Senior Brother, where did that woman go? We've almost searched this entire vast mountain, only the front part is left."
"Let's go, let's go up and take a look."
"Senior Brother, look, there's a courtyard there, and it seems like there's someone inside. Let's hurry over."
The group soon intruded into Wang Yufan's courtyard.
"Senior Brother, look at the person lying on the ground."
"Hahaha, it truly is an effortless gain!"
The leader of the Fallen Cloud Sect laughed heartily.
Just then, one of the four people pointed at Wang Yufan, who was lying in the rocking chair, and said,
"Senior Brother, look, this mortal dares to lie there sleeping even after seeing people from our Fallen Cloud Sect. He completely disregards us! And that black dog is even snoring."
The leader of the four also noticed this and sneered.
"Perfect, the brothers are tired from chasing that woman. Later, we'll deal with this black dog. We haven't had meat in days, and I'm a bit greedy."
"Senior Brother, what should we do with Yu Linglong on the ground?" a lewd-eyed Fallen Cloud Sect disciple asked.
Due to the previous battle, Yu Linglong's delicate body beneath her purple robes was faintly visible, with glimpses of snowy skin exposed through partially damaged clothing.
The leader of the four Fallen Cloud Sect members swallowed his saliva.
"Brothers, if we touch this woman, the Sect will not spare us, because she is the woman the Young Sect Leader has taken a liking to."
"Senior Brother, the four of us have been chasing this woman for days, and we're all injured. It feels a bit uncomfortable to see this meat in front of us and not eat it."
The leader said, "We usually have the best relationship. If today's matter leaks out, you all know what our fate will be."
"Senior Brother, we understand. We'll just say that Yu Linglong of the Azure Spirit Sect self-destructed because she refused to join our Fallen Cloud Sect."
"You're quite resourceful. Do as you say."
What they didn't know was that the unconscious Yu Linglong had heard their conversation. At this moment, her body had begun to tense up. She absolutely could not fall into their hands and be humiliated; she would rather self-destruct.
But there were also two innocent lives here. Such thoughts tangled in Yu Linglong's mind.
As the four Fallen Cloud Sect members finished speaking, just as they were about to step forward to take the next action against Yu Linglong, who was lying on the ground, a voice came from the mouth of the young man lying on the chair.
"You're so noisy, can't you let me sleep properly? Little Black, deal with them quickly."
As soon as he finished speaking, under the puzzled gaze of the four Fallen Cloud Sect members, the black dog lying in the doghouse opened his eyes.
When they met the black dog's gaze, they were all startled. The black dog's opened eyes seemed filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, cold and chilling.
In their eyes, the black dog standing before them was like an insurmountable mountain, pressing down on them, making it difficult to breathe.
The four Fallen Cloud Sect members immediately retreated with a "thump, thump, thump."
Seeing this scene, they all found it incredible; they had never felt such a sensation, not even from their own Sect Leader.
As they retreated backward, the black dog let out a "Woof."
This was originally just a normal dog bark, but in that instant, it was as if thunder exploded in their ears, and even Yu Linglong, the purple-robed woman lying on the ground, covered her ears.
The sound emitted by the black dog formed a tangible substance in the air. When the sound waves touched the four Fallen Cloud Sect members, they instantly turned into nothingness, leaving no trace.
Yu Linglong, who had just opened her eyes, was stunned by this scene and secretly thought, "Is this black dog really that strong?"
As she was in a daze, a voice entered her ears.
"The trouble is resolved, and your injuries are almost healed, right? Go back to where you came from."
This voice came from the young man lying in the rocking chair, while the large black dog leaned against the rocking chair with his tongue hanging out.
At this moment, Yu Linglong finally realized that this one person and one dog were definitely not ordinary people.
Just a dog's bark could directly turn Foundation Establishment cultivators into ashes. In her impression, even their Azure Spirit Sect's Elders didn't have such powerful strength.
"May I dare to ask for your esteemed name, Senior, so that this humble girl may repay your life-saving grace?" Yu Linglong asked.
"It was Little Black who saved you, not me. You've asked the wrong person." Wang Yufan pointed to the black dog wagging his tail beside him.
At that moment, Yu Linglong didn't know what to say.
She could only bow towards the large black dog.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life."
"Alright, your gratitude has been expressed. Hurry and leave. I'm going to make dinner soon, and there's only enough for me and Little Black. There's no share for you."
Wang Yufan spoke again.
Hearing this, Yu Linglong was instantly so mortified that she wished for the ground to swallow her. To think that she was also a top-tier beauty of the Azure Spirit Sect, if not one in ten thousand, then certainly one capable of toppling kingdoms. Yet, in the eyes of this mysterious young man, she was so utterly insignificant.
Seeing the young man's attitude, she herself felt there was no need to stay. She bowed to Wang Yufan and Little Black, then summoned her sword and directly soared into the air.
The black dog barked twice in the direction Yu Linglong left.
And these two barks almost scared Yu Linglong, who was flying on her sword, into falling from mid-air. She had witnessed the black dog's terrifying power, and fortunately, no attack came towards her.
"Alright, Little Black, next time someone comes, don't make such a grand display. Can't you be a bit quieter? Just wait, this woman will be back soon, and my happy pastoral life will slowly be eroded by worldly affairs."
Wang Yufan lay in his rocking chair, looking at the sky.
"Perhaps this is a destined arrangement, don't you think, Grand Dao?"
When Wang Yufan finished speaking, an inexplicable burst of thunder echoed in the sky, as if in response.
Wang Yufan smiled, then sat up, put away his rocking chair, and walked into the house.
The black dog also trotted in after him, knowing that his master was about to cook, and he could go in to sniff the aroma.