Gu An took a bite of the Cang Teng Fruit and immediately felt a warm current flow into his abdomen, warming his body.
It's effective!
He began to eat greedily, and within a short while, the large Cang Teng Fruit was completely devoured.
As he digested, he pulled up his attribute panel, eagerly anticipating an increase in his lifespan.
However, he waited for half an hour.
His life span hadn't increased at all!
His Qi-Blood, however, had grown significantly, and his bodily Qi power had strengthened.
"What's going on? Is my realm too high, or is this fruit only suitable for spirit beasts and demon beasts?" Gu An wondered to himself.
He looked at the White Spirit Rat on the table, which was still deeply asleep; its lifespan had not increased further, but its aura was steadily improving.
Wait and see!
The White Spirit Rat slept for three days, and when it woke up, it was as big as an adult cat. It leapt into Gu An's arms, affectionately nuzzling him, but its eyes were looking toward the cupboard behind him.
"Don't eat any more!"
Gu An, who was reading a book, hummed a warning. If he let it continue to grow, it would surely cause trouble, especially since people like Xiaochuan would become curious.
People like Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan would eventually go to the Outer Sect, and Gu An didn't want them to know too many of his secrets.
The White Spirit Rat looked pitifully at Gu An and even nodded, which made Gu An widen his eyes.
It actually understood?
Gu An pointed to the side with his right hand and said, "Come over here."
The White Spirit Rat immediately hopped over, without any hesitation.
He continued to issue commands, and as long as they weren't too complex, the White Spirit Rat could carry them out, increasing his affection for it.
It finally looked like a spirit beast!
Gu An picked up the White Spirit Rat and took it out of the house.
It was autumn, and the various garden areas were filled with fallen leaves; Xiaochuan and the others were cleaning, creating a harmonious scene in Medicine Valley.
Gu An walked down the stairs and put down the White Spirit Rat, saying, "Don't eat recklessly."
After speaking, he pointed at the White Spirit Rat's mouth, and it nodded, somewhat understandingly, then turned and bounded away.
Gu An watched with a puzzled expression.
Why does it act like a rabbit?
Could it be that not only its lifespan but also its genes had been altered?
The first to notice the White Spirit Rat was Ye Lan, mainly because her attention was caught by Gu An, and then she saw a large white mouse running towards her, which scared her into changing color.
"There's a Mouse Demon!"
Ye Lan shouted in alarm, drawing the attention of Lu Jiujia, Xiaochuan, and Wuxin.
Upon seeing the White Spirit Rat, they were immediately frightened, having never seen such a large mouse before.
"White Spirit Rat, slow down!"
Gu An's voice called out, and upon hearing him, the White Spirit Rat immediately stopped, looked back at him, then turned and walked toward the forest, its speed not as fast as before.
Seeing this, Ye Lan and the others put down their tools and ran toward Gu An.
"Big Senior Brother, is that your White Spirit Rat? Why is it so big?"
"Could it be another White Spirit Rat?"
"It seems a bit slow and clumsy."
"This spirit beast has an extraordinary bloodline."
Listening to his junior brothers and sisters' discussions, Gu An smiled without commenting, letting them speculate.
Gu An looked at the crowd and said, "In a while, I'm planning to make a trip to the Outer Sect, who wants to come with me?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone except Wuxin expressed their interest.
"A great opportunity!" Wuxin's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was extremely excited.
After a selection process, Gu An finally chose to take Ye Lan and Xiaochuan to the Outer Sect, setting the time for seven days later.
Why seven days?
Because he planned to first explore the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven thoroughly.
Gu An turned his head toward the entrance of the valley, where a figure was approaching—it was Li Ya.
After many years, Li Ya had grown more weathered and stern. Dressed in black robes fluttering in the autumn wind, combined with the sword at his waist, he exuded an uncontrollable aura of a haughty swordsman.
Xiaochuan and the others also noticed Li Ya, and his appearance made them nervous.
Whoever came to their Medicine Valley generally held a higher status than theirs, especially since this person seemed formidable.
Gu An checked Li Ya's lifespan and saw that he had reached the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
So fast!
Truly worthy of being the first protagonist with a Destiny Pattern I discovered!
Gu An immediately walked over, followed by the others.
Li Ya surveyed everything within Medicine Valley, and when his gaze landed on Gu An, he appeared somewhat bewildered.
In the past, Gu An had always been following behind others, and now he was capable of leading the other servant disciples; things truly have changed.
Gu An approached him and greeted with a clasped fist and a smile, "Brother Li, long time no see."
Injured?
Gu An could sense his chaotic Qi-Blood and his short breaths, clearly indicating internal injuries.
Li Ya smiled and said, "Indeed, it's been many years. Where's Master, and Big Senior Brother and Meng Lang?"
Gu An helplessly replied, "Master's time was nearly up, and he departed a while ago. After you left, Big Senior Brother also left the valley. As for Meng Lang, he went to participate in the Outer Sect examination and hasn't returned."
Hearing this, Li Ya was stunned.
Xiaochuan and the others stood behind, whispering among themselves, guessing Li Ya's identity. Meng Lang had often mentioned that a member of the Royal Family had once served as a servant here and had become brothers with him.
Li Ya lamented, "So it turns out that only you are left."
Gu An asked, "Would you like to come inside and sit?"
Li Ya nodded.
The reason he had come to this place was not only to return to his old haunts but also to heal from his injuries. Only here could he feel safe.
Gu An led Li Ya towards the attic while gesturing for others to continue cleaning up the fallen leaves.
As they arrived at the Valley Master's attic and Li Ya stepped onto the staircase, his feelings peaked, and he couldn't help but cough, his face turning pale.
Gu An, walking ahead, had a slight change in expression.
He sensed a faint soul fluctuation from Li Ya's body.
Good lord!
Does this guy have a Grandpa Spirit with him all the time?
Gu An turned around and asked with concern, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"
Li Ya waved his hand, "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
"Injured? Why don't you stay here then? There are plenty of places to stay in Medicine Valley," Gu An immediately said.
Li Ya smiled and nodded, thinking, "Junior Brother Gu is still as considerate as ever. I should support him this time."
The two entered the house, and after Gu An made Li Ya sit down, he began to make tea for him.
Li Ya looked around the room and was quickly attracted to the Cang Teng Fruit in the wooden cabinet.
Over the past three days, Gu An had put most of the Cang Teng Fruits into his storage pouch, leaving only two in the cabinet to prevent the White Spirit Rat from stealing them.
If the White Spirit Rat were to steal one, he wasn't willing to kill it, so he simply hid the fruits.
"These fruits..."
Li Ya narrowed his eyes, but he didn't look for long. His gaze quickly returned to Gu An.
Having not seen each other for many years, he was initially astounded by Gu An's charisma. Although Gu An was handsome before, he didn't have the striking aura he had now, resembling a Great Cultivator of the Inner Sect, composed and with a hint of transcendence.
If not for the fact that he could feel Gu An's aura was only at the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, he would have doubted that this man was the Gu An he knew.
Taking advantage of heating the water, Gu An came to sit at the table, chatting with Li Ya.
To keep the atmosphere warm, Gu An asked about the life of an Outer Disciple, and Li Ya responded to all his questions.
"To become an Outer Disciple, must one complete an Outer Sect bounty mission every year?" Gu An asked curiously.
Li Ya replied with a smile, "Yes, and they're all missions outside the sect."
"Have you encountered any demons?"
"Almost every time I go out, the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty is so vast, there's always some area plagued by demons. Last year I almost died out there. It was a level three demon beast, comparable to a Core Formation Realm. Both I and a few good friends fought fiercely, resulting in one death, and the rest of us escaped with severe injuries." Li Ya spoke, his face expressing palpable fear.
"Level three? Core Formation Realm?"
Gu An feigned astonishment, which helped dissolve the gloom in Li Ya's heart.
He started to recount his specific experiences amusingly, and Gu An listened as if he were hearing a story, giving very engaged feedback.
In fact, he was truly curious about Li Ya's experiences.
After listening, he had one feeling.
That's too dangerous!
He was glad he had not become an Outer Disciple.
"Besides demons, you have to be wary of other Cultivators too. I got entangled with disciples from other sects while treasure hunting, and it lasted for half a month. I finally managed to kill him, but guess what happened?" Li Ya was caught up in his storytelling.
Gu An guessed, "His dad showed up?"
Li Ya looked at him in surprise, shaking his head, "Not his dad, but almost, his master came!"
Good lord!
Gu An felt even more fortunate that he wasn't part of the Outer Sect.
If the Outer Sect was so perilous, wasn't the Inner Sect even more dangerous?
Li Ya continued to narrate his cunning and fierce tactics against the enemy's master, giving Gu An the feeling he was listening to a thrilling adventure.
It was quite intense!
When the hot water boiled, Gu An stood up to make the tea.
Li Ya casually asked, "Junior Brother Gu, are those fruits in the cabinet from our master?"
With his back turned, Gu An replied, "I found them outside, don't you remember? The White Spirit Rat is a Treasure-Seeking Rat."
Hearing this, Li Ya raised an eyebrow.
Can it really find treasures?
He suddenly wanted to raise a White Spirit Rat himself.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Junior Brother Gu, could you give me one fruit to heal my injuries? I won't let you down. Do you want a secret manual or a magic artifact?"
Gu An turned around, tea in hand, and set it down in front of him, saying nonchalantly, "I'll just give you one, don't give me anything. What's our relationship anyway?"
Hearing this, Li Ya was deeply moved.
In his years in the Outer Sect, although he had friends, they were all built on mutual benefits, and nobody had ever treated him so well without expecting anything in return.
After Gu An finished speaking, he walked to the cabinet, took out a Cang Teng Fruit, and placed it next to Li Ya's teacup.
His gesture made Li Ya feel even more ashamed.
"Li Ya oh Li Ya, you once looked down on him, on Medicine Valley, but now you are, despite your allegiance to the Outer Sect, ultimately saved by him..."
Li Ya mocked himself inwardly, then he reached into his storage pouch and took out a treasure sword.
The sheath was blue, inlaid with gems, and featured exquisite patterns that made it look luxurious. The hilt seemed to be coiled with a dark gold dragon.
He placed this sword on the table, which emitted a heavy yet clear sound.
Li Ya caressed the sword and softly said, "My mother gave this to me. I'll gift it to you—it might save your life someday."
Gu An was dazzled by the sword. Although he only saw the scabbard, he could feel the power contained within the sword—after all, he was a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator, and he could perceive more than Li Ya.
This was definitely a Divine Weapon!