Chapter 485: The One Who Could Converse with Lin Fan All Night

Life continued to flow by peacefully.

Apart from Ha Lin, no one else knew of Lin Fan's true strength. And Ha Lin remained true to his word, keeping the secret between himself and his uncle.

Wu Zhi constantly pondered the demonic beings, but for months, even a year later, there was no activity. The demons seemed to have vanished completely, and there were no reports of demonic disasters anywhere.

Eventually, without any further incidents, they assumed the demons had left. However, they remained vigilant, instructing people to be watchful and to treat any potential demonic activity with the utmost seriousness.

Ten years passed.

Ha Lin thrived within the sect, becoming a renowned prodigy, even a legend of sorts. He was the child of ordinary villagers from a settlement at the foot of the sect's mountain, yet he rose to become a prodigy admired by everyone. His story was a perfect template for an inspirational tale.

Wu Zhi kept an eye on this young man. With another prodigy emerging alongside Ha Lin, the Qian Yuan Sect was blessed. After nearly a century, the appearance of two prodigies signified that the sect's fortune remained strong.

Several more years passed.

Ha Lin, inevitably, fell in love and married a common woman. This caused a great stir. After all, as a prodigy of the Qian Yuan Sect, he was expected to choose a partner of equal standing. No one could have imagined he would marry a commoner.

This had much to do with Ha Lin's upbringing. His father had the mental capacity of a seven or eight-year-old, while his mother, a woman of normal intellect, showered all her love on Ha Lin. Therefore, Ha Lin sought a wife who was capable of managing a household, someone as excellent as his mother. The high-status female cultivators were all preoccupied with their cultivation and had little interest in such domestic matters.

Today, Ha Lin came to Lin Fan, holding his newborn child. He hoped his uncle would give the child a name, just as he had done for him. He felt the name his uncle gave him was very good.

Lin Fan looked at Ha Lin, then at the child in his arms, feeling a sense of time having passed in a flash. He hadn't realized so much time had gone by, that even Ha Lin now had a child. He glanced down at his crotch. Why he did this was a strange and inexplicable action.

"Uncle, what's wrong?" Ha Lin asked.

"Nothing," Lin Fan replied, "Just thinking."

Ha Lin was full of anticipation, wondering what name his uncle would choose. He was certain it would be a good one, no less impressive than his own. In his eyes, his uncle, having read so many books, possessed a vast amount of knowledge. Although these books were mainly secret manuals, this didn't diminish Lin Fan's stature in Ha Lin's mind.

After a moment, Lin Fan said, "Let's call him Ha Shi Qi."

"Ha Shi Qi," Ha Lin murmured to himself, then his eyes lit up. "Uncle, I don't know why, but this name sounds so smooth. Is there any special meaning behind it?"

Lin Fan explained, "Unparalleled in the world, superior in strategy."

Ha Lin smiled. "I knew Uncle was good at naming. From this name, I can see the high hopes you have for his future. Thank you, Uncle."

Seeing Ha Lin's delight with the name, Lin Fan was relieved. He suddenly realized he had a talent for naming. Perhaps this was the benefit of reading so much.

"Go back early," Lin Fan said. "The child needs to rest well."

"Yes, I'll go back now." Ha Lin happily left, cradling his child. For him, half of his life's journey was complete. The other half was to cultivate diligently and become the sect leader. That would be the perfect life.

Watching Ha Lin leave, Lin Fan smiled, closed the door, returned to his desk, and continued reading by the lamplight.

In the blink of an eye, another thirty years passed.

Life in the Qian Yuan Sect continued as usual, with minor incidents but no major crises, let alone any threats to the sect's existence.

However, during this period, the internal situation within the sect became sensitive due to the succession of the sect leader position. This led to a significant conflict between Ha Lin and another disciple. Wu Zhi, whose cultivation had reached the Void God Realm, planned to enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm. He had his own ideas about the sect's successor. Ha Lin wasn't his ideal choice.

This was naturally unacceptable to Ha Lin. He had dedicated himself to the sect, risking life and limb. Why wasn't he considered the best candidate?

At night, Ha Lin came to Lin Fan's residence. He had arrived furious, but upon entering his uncle's house and seeing his eternally youthful uncle smiling at him, his resentment and anger dissipated.

"Uncle, I'm here," Ha Lin said respectfully. As his cultivation deepened, he increasingly realized the unfathomable depth of his uncle's power.

Lin Fan looked at him and said softly, "Your heart is troubled. Have you encountered something?"

Ha Lin replied, "Uncle, I've been a disciple of the sect since I was young, and I've devoted so much to it. All these years, I've adhered to the rules and never done anything to harm the sect. Whenever any of my fellow disciples faced difficulties, I've always helped them with all my might. But why does the Sect Leader say I'm not suitable? I'm not convinced. I'm upset."

"Uncle, don't you think this is unfair?"

Lin Fan smiled. "Is the position of Sect Leader that important?"

"I…" Ha Lin wanted to argue that it wasn't about the importance of the position, but about proving his worth. However, looking at his uncle's face, he lowered his head and remained silent.

"What did your father hope you would become?"

"My father hoped I would grow up to be a good farmer."

"But you became a disciple admired by countless others in the sect. This is something your father could never have imagined. You should trust the Sect Leader's judgment. When he says you are not suitable, it's not that you are incompetent, but that there are many factors to consider."

That night, Lin Fan put down his book and talked with Ha Lin for a long time, until dawn, when Ha Lin finally left. No one knew what they had discussed, except for the two of them.

If Dean Hao knew that Lin Fan was actually counseling someone, he would surely exclaim in disbelief, "Has my Qing Shan Mental Hospital's treatment actually worked?"

Soon, Lin Fan heard the news and nodded in satisfaction. Ha Lin had made his choice. He personally told the Sect Leader that he was withdrawing from the competition for leadership, leaving the decision entirely to the Sect Leader. He would focus on cultivating and becoming a powerful protector of the sect.

When Wu Zhi learned of this, he was surprised. What had happened to make Ha Lin make such a choice? He valued Ha Lin highly. Ha Lin's strength and talent were superior to the disciple he intended to appoint as his successor. He didn't want Ha Lin to follow his path. The responsibilities of a Sect Leader were heavy, demanding attention and focus, making it difficult to dedicate oneself fully to cultivation. He believed Ha Lin could reach the heights of the third-generation Sect Leader.

When Ha Lin returned, his son, Ha Shi Qi, was puzzled. He believed his father was the most qualified to become the Sect Leader and couldn't understand why he would give up. He urged his father to rebel and establish their own sect.

Ha Lin, having been counseled, recalled the past. The Sect Leader had indeed treated him well. There must be a reason. Hearing his son's words, he flew into a rage and beat his rebellious son throughout the night, leaving Ha Shi Qi wailing and almost tearing the house down.

Ha Lin didn't reveal the secret about his son having a world-class grand-uncle in the sect. It was a secret between him and his uncle, one he hadn't even shared with his own son. It was fortunate he hadn't, otherwise, who knew what trouble this rebellious son might cause, relying on this connection. If this rebellious son were to spread the news, his uncle would have no peace.

Another forty years passed.

Ha Ha died of old age. Without cultivation, relying solely on elixirs, he had reached the age of one hundred, which was already the limit.

The funeral was kept low-key. Ha Lin didn't want to attract too much attention. He maintained the secret between himself and Lin Fan, preventing others from discovering anything.

Ha Shi Qi, seeing Lin Fan, was curious. Who was this person? He had never seen him before. However, his grandfather's death grieved him deeply. His grandfather had always been so good to him. He honestly mourned before the coffin.

That day, Wu Zhi appeared at the funeral to pay his respects to this ordinary farmer. Such an ordinary man had raised such an outstanding child, truly astonishing and admirable.

As he was leaving, he paused, his gaze fixed on Lin Fan standing in the distance, lost in thought. He pondered for a long time but couldn't recall ever meeting him.

Wu Zhi walked up to Lin Fan. "Have we met before?"

Lin Fan looked at Wu Zhi and shook his head. "No."

Wu Zhi considered it, perhaps he was overthinking. They truly hadn't met. He sensed no power fluctuations from Lin Fan, suggesting he might be a new disciple, perhaps from this village, which is why he attended the funeral. After all, there were other disciples present, all from this village.

Since Ha Lin had gained status within the sect, the village's standing had also risen, and many people sent their children to the sect.

Lin Fan had spent over a hundred years here, almost two hundred. Some things he had forgotten, others he had not.

Every year, he visited Wang Kai's grave. And now, Ha Ha was gone too. The image of Ha Ha's hearty laughter surfaced in his mind. He could only say that things truly changed, and the changes were drastic. He remained among the ordinary disciples, watching generations of disciples come and go, while he remained in the same place.

His greatest progress was the substantial number of books he had read in the Scripture Pavilion, more than half of the collection on the first floor. It wouldn't be long before he finished reading all the books on that level.

After the funeral, Lin Fan returned to his quarters and continued reading. He had read so many books over the years that he had developed a subtle feeling about cultivation.

For several days, Wu Zhi, who had been observing Lin Fan secretly, gave up his surveillance. He had indeed been overthinking. Lin Fan was truly just an ordinary disciple, a beginner in cultivation.

Over the years, he had made all the necessary preparations, arranged everything within the sect, and was ready to enter seclusion and strive for the Emperor Realm. He might succeed, but the chances of failure were high.