Fighting my buddy? You're asking for a death wish.

Early in the morning.

After Qin Yang and Liu Yan had some breakfast at the Taoist temple, Zhang Ming walked the two of them to the entrance. He had several rituals to perform today and needed to discuss with his apprentice how to make more money, so he would not be accompanying them down the mountain. By the time they reached the gate, the divine wolf was already waiting there. Seeing Qin Yang, it trotted up affectionately and rubbed against him, which startled Liu Yan and Zhang Ming.

"Are you really planning to keep it?" Liu Yan asked with a bitter smile. "Wolves are a protected species. Keeping one is bound to bring you trouble."

"Does it look like a wolf to you?" Qin Yang rolled his eyes. "Just tell people it's a dog, a new breed, just a bit oversized, that's all. Zhang Ming, get me a few ropes so I can leash it."

Hearing this, Zhang Ming went inside and rummaged around for a rope. Liu Yan clearly caught a look of grievance in the divine wolf's eyes and shook her head in disbelief. Could this wolf be spiritually enlightened? Meanwhile, as Zhang Ming saw them off at the gate, he pulled Qin Yang aside into a corner and lowered his voice. "Brother Qin, based on your facial complexion, I sense you might run into some trouble soon. If you trust your old brother here, come find me if you encounter anything difficult to resolve. I might be able to help."

"Alright," Qin Yang nodded.

To be honest, this Zhang Ming actually possessed some genuine skills. Although Qin Yang doubted there was any trouble he couldn't handle himself, he bade farewell to Zhang Ming, and the two of them set off side by side down the mountain. As the old saying goes, going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is hard—mostly because the descent is treacherous. Therefore, Qin Yang kept holding Liu Yan's hand, making the two of them look truly like a young couple with nothing better to do than go mountain climbing and walk their dog early in the morning.

By this time, quite a few people were heading up to the Taoist temple. Along the way, when they caught sight of the enormous dog—or wolf, or whatever it was—walking ahead of Qin Yang, they hurriedly scrambled to the side in fright. If you called it a wolf, its fur was exceptionally long and it was a size larger than any wolf; if you called it a dog, it looked far more ferocious than any canine. Even though there were dogs with much larger builds, like fully grown Caucasian Shepherds that could be massive, this creature possessed the agile physique of a wolf. Moreover, everyone had the distinct feeling that any large dog meeting it would probably react like a mouse seeing a cat. However, some young men and women who were dog lovers couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "What a handsome dog!"

Some of the braver ones even tried to toss some food over, but the divine wolf didn't even bother to sniff it, radiating an air of utter arrogance.

Liu Yan, who had been resting off to the side, witnessed this and couldn't help laughing. "It certainly is proud."

"That's the only way it qualifies to hang out with me," Qin Yang smiled and scratched the divine wolf.

Walking the entire way with it, Liu Yan was no longer afraid. Prompted by Qin Yang, she cautiously reached out and petted its head. The divine wolf seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Despite living out in the wild, it wasn't dirty at all; its fur was exceptionally soft and smooth, as if it groomed itself regularly. Finding it pleasant to touch, Liu Yan became quite fond of it. She even took the leash from Qin Yang to pull the divine wolf closer and asked, "How do you think it would compare to a Tibetan Mastiff in a fight?"

"If it can leave a scar on me, I guarantee it could bite a special forces soldier to death in a single snap. A dog is always a dog, and a wolf is always a wolf. Besides, modern Tibetan Mastiffs have all been commercialized for profit. Each generation of pups is worse than the last, and they can't even defeat other breeds of dogs, let alone dare to challenge a wolf. That's pure wishful thinking. If we're talking about rare tiers like the Chigu Mastiff, Ghost Mastiff, Giant Lion King, Yellow Mastiff King, or Northern Monster King, they might be able to put up a fight against some smaller, useless runt wolves. But if they run into something like an American wolf, their only outcome is certain death," Qin Yang said with disdain. "A wolf is a beast that competes with tigers, lions, and leopards for the right to survival, while a dog is merely a domesticated pet. No matter how vicious a dog is, it remains a pet."

"You certainly know a lot, don't you?" Liu Yan amusedly remarked.

Qin Yang shrugged and said, "I once wanted to buy that Northern Monster King raised in the Northeast, but the stubborn bastard refused to sell it no matter what. So I ended up researching other mastiff breeds and found quite a few. But their owners treated them like wives and refused to sell them—especially the guy who owned the Ghost Mastiff King. When he heard I wanted to buy his precious dog, he damn near drove me out with a stick."

"How much did you offer back then?" Liu Yan asked, wanting to laugh.

"Fifty million," Qin Yang lit a cigarette and continued. "I even bid eighty million for the Ghost Mastiff, but that bastard still wouldn't sell. But looking at it now, I don't need to bother. With this fellow here—hell's bells—when I have some free time, I'll drag it over for a stroll around those bastards' homes. I'm definitely going to get my payback."

"You really are a prodigal son!" Liu Yan chuckled.

Qin Yang replied, "I was just feeling impulsive at the time."

"Young man, your dog is extraordinary indeed, but to say it compares to the various mastiff kings is still stretching it a bit, isn't it?" A middle-aged man walked over, smiling genially. "Just as you said, mastiffs are indeed degenerating with each passing generation, but a few mastiff kings still deserve the title of canine royalty. The Northern Monster King, Giant Lion King, and other mastiff kings you just mentioned—I've seen them all. Their imposing aura is extraordinary, and a single roar makes anyone too terrified to approach. While I don't know the breed of your dog, it certainly belongs to the absolute top tier, but compared to a mastiff king, I'd say it falls a bit short."

"Not necessarily," Qin Yang stroked the divine wolf's head and smiled. "This buddy of mine shakes the heavens with its first roar and startles ghosts and deities with its second. If you don't believe it, we can put it to the test right now. If it's not up to the task, I'll cook and eat it."

Hearing this, the divine wolf immediately stood up and glared resentfully at Qin Yang.

The middle-aged man seemed intrigued, and hearing Qin Yang speak with such confidence, he clapped his hands together. "I run a mastiff breeding farm. I have one that's sired by the old Yellow Mastiff Lion King. Though it can't compare to the Northern Monster King or the Giant Lion King, it still has some reputation nationwide. Your dog has an extraordinary aura and certainly isn't ordinary. Come along, follow this older brother of yours. I'm not going to that Taoist temple anymore."

The few young people who had been resting nearby and watching the divine wolf also stood up excitedly, shouting, "Can we go check it out too?"

"Let's go, let's all go together!" the man said generously. "This younger brother's dog is no ordinary creature, and seeing it puts me in a good mood. Little brother, let's make a wager: if I lose, lunch for all of these folks is on me. If you lose, you treat everyone to a meal. How about that?"

"No problem," Qin Yang agreed with a smile.

Liu Yan had nothing better to do, so she agreed as well. By this time, the group had grown to over a dozen people, mostly youngsters who clearly loved the excitement. Along the way, the middle-aged man introduced himself as Qian Wen. Some in the group recognized him—he was none other than the "Dog King" of Haitian City! The Little Yellow Mastiff he kept, named Xiao Ke, was the son of the legendary Old Lion King, the father of the Yellow Mastiff who had once shaken the entire Tibetan Mastiff circle nationwide. One had to know that the offspring left behind by the Old Lion King, such as Jingjing and Leike, had all left deep marks in the national Tibetan Mastiff community; they were among the top ten meritorious mastiffs of the country, three generals from the same lineage! Even though Xiao Ke didn't shake the entire nation like its older brothers, it still belonged to the absolute top tier in Southeast Province and held a national ranking.

Qian Wen's mastiff farm wasn't far from the foot of the mountain. After descending, they walked only a short distance before coming across a facility resembling a pet amusement park, surrounded by several buildings. Upon walking in, one could hear waves of barking. Liu Yan was holding the divine wolf's leash, though she could tell from its expression that it was utterly bored. The park didn't just house mastiffs; it also kept other breeds of dogs and various pets. The young people were fascinated by the sights, while the divine wolf grew even more bored, leaning against Liu Yan and casually rubbing against her leg—so much so that Qin Yang was tempted to kick it away. *Even I haven't touched that yet!*

Perhaps sensing their owner leading the way, none of the dogs barked. Qian Wen said with considerable pride, "The dogs I raise are all spiritually enlightened."

Qin Yang chuckled inwardly but didn't reply.

Qian Wen led the group into an inner courtyard where mastiffs were kept exclusively, ranging from puppies to fully grown adults. Every single grown dog was exceptionally fierce, with coarse, stiff coats draped over their bodies so thickly that their eyes were almost hidden. The youngsters stared in absolute awe, repeatedly exclaiming how handsome the dogs were. Qian Wen smiled mysteriously and stepped away for a moment. When he returned, was he actually leading a lion?

"Xiao Ke, the Yellow Mastiff!" someone shouted.

Qin Yang, however, came to a sudden realization.

The Yellow Mastiff possessed a sturdy bone structure and a robust physique. Furthermore, its coat had been groomed specifically to resemble a lion's. With a shoulder height of nearly eighty centimeters and a massive, ox-like body weighing around two hundred pounds, its thick legs were roughly the size of Liu Yan's. Initially, Xiao Ke had looked at its owner affectionately, but upon spotting this group of strangers—and especially after noticing the lazy divine wolf lying on the ground grooming its fur—it immediately let out a roar. The sound was like thunder, giving the illusion that the surrounding buildings were actually trembling. The mastiffs previously confined in their cages all dropped to the ground, obediently cowering.

Liu Yan was even more startled. She found it hard to believe that this strange, giant wolf, whose build was noticeably inferior to Xiao Ke's, could possibly be more formidable than the beast.

"He's six years old now," Qian Wen said smugly. "His physique is hardly any different from the Northern Monster King and the others. He's brave and fierce in battle, and no dog in the entire Southeast Province can match him."

"Roar—"

Yet, the moment he finished speaking, a sound resembling the roar of an angry thunder god suddenly erupted. Everyone jumped in fright. The divine wolf had stood up at some point, shaking out its body. Its golden fur shimmered in the sunlight like a suit of golden armor, and its eyes radiated an unstoppable, razor-sharp killing intent. The group could swear they had never seen such ferocity even on wild tigers and lions seen on television. The thunderous roar was so intense that it startled the park staff, who rushed over in a flurry, only to catch sight of a creature resembling the legendary Moon-Howling Divine Wolf of myth letting out roar after thunderous roar—a sound that felt as though it bypassed the physical body and directly penetrated one's soul.

Not only the mastiffs in the inner courtyard, but all the other animals outside as well, collapsed to the ground, shivering uncontrollably without even daring to make a peep. Xiao Ke, the Yellow Mastiff, slumped heavily onto its hindquarters, too terrified to move an inch. Qian Wen could clearly feel its body trembling.

"Trying to fight it? Pure suicide," Qin Yang sneered inwardly.

The divine wolf's roar directly targeted the soul; simply in terms of sheer presence, these mastiffs couldn't compare. As for physical combat—what a joke! Having left scars on Qin Yang's body, he firmly believed that even if twenty-some burly men came at it, they wouldn't stand a chance against its lethal snap.

"Little brother, make it stop!" Although the roaring had ceased, the divine wolf still stood full of vigor, its entire coat flashing with a radiance resembling a celestial wolf. Seeing Xiao Ke grow increasingly listless and dejected, Qian Wen grew alarmed and shouted hastily. This was the progeny of the Old Lion King; even if it wasn't the absolute top tier nationwide, its bloodline was unquestionably the finest.

"Down."

Qin Yang nodded in satisfaction. Only then did the divine wolf lower itself back down beside Liu Yan, sticking out its tongue to lick its fur. Liu Yan swallowed hard. The sudden roar just moments ago had turned her complexion somewhat pale, but looking at the divine wolf now lying quietly by her side like an obedient pet, she didn't know what to say, and could only offer a wry smile.