Gu An took his first bite of the Green Vine Fruit and immediately felt a surge of warmth spread through his body.
It's working!
He began devouring it in big bites, and in no time, the large Green Vine Fruit was completely consumed.
As he digested, he pulled up his Attribute Panel, eagerly awaiting an increase in his lifespan.
However, he waited for an entire hour.
There was no increase in his lifespan at all!
But his Qi-Blood did strengthen considerably, and his physical strength improved.
"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 sound asleep. Its lifespan hadn't increased further, but its aura was steadily rising.
Let's wait a bit longer!
The White Spirit Rat slept for three days. When it woke up, it had grown to the size of an adult cat. It jumped into Gu An's arms, nuzzling him affectionately, but its eyes were fixed on the cabinet behind him.
"No more eating!"
Reading a book, Gu An huffed. If it continued to grow, it would certainly cause trouble. Xiaochuan and the others would be curious.
Likely, Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan would soon join the Outer Sect, and Gu An did not want them to know too many of his secrets.
The White Spirit Rat looked at Gu An pitifully and even nodded, which made Gu An's eyes widen.
It understood?
Gu An pointed to the side with his right hand and said, "Come over here."
The White Spirit Rat immediately jumped over without any hesitation.
He continued to give instructions, and as long as they weren't complex, the White Spirit Rat could follow them all. This made him grow even fonder of it.
Finally, a bit of the demeanor of a Spirit Beast!
Gu An picked up the White Spirit Rat and left the house with it.
It was autumn, and the various gardens were filled with piles of fallen leaves. Xiaochuan and the others were busy cleaning, and Medicine Valley felt peaceful.
Gu An walked down the stairs and put the White Spirit Rat on the ground, "No eating randomly."
After he said that, he pointed to the White Spirit Rat's mouth. It nodded, seemingly understanding, then turned and hopped away.
Gu An watched with a peculiar look.
It behaves like a rabbit?
Could it be that it not only increased lifespan but also altered its genes?
The first one to notice the White Spirit Rat was Ye Lan, mainly because she was drawn by Gu An's gaze. Then she saw a large white rat running towards her, and her face changed dramatically with fear.
"There's a Rat Demon!"
Ye Lan screamed, instantly attracting the attention of Lu Jiujia, Xiaochuan, and Wuxin.
When they saw the White Spirit Rat, they were immediately frightened. They had never seen such a large rat before.
"White Spirit Rat, slow down!"
Gu An's voice came, and the White Spirit Rat immediately stopped when it heard him. It looked back at him, then turned and headed towards the forest, its speed much slower than before.
Seeing this, Ye Lan and the others put down their tools and ran over to Gu An.
"Senior Brother, is that White Spirit Rat yours? How did it get so big?"
"It must be another White Spirit Rat, right?"
"It feels a bit clumsy, with weak legs."
"This Spirit Beast's bloodline is not simple."
Listening to the comments from his junior brothers and sisters, Gu An just smiled and remained silent, letting them guess.
Gu An looked at the group and said, "In a while, I plan to visit the Outer Sect. Who wants to come with me?"
With these words, except for Wuxin, everyone else wanted to go.
"Great opportunity!" Wuxin remained expressionless, but his heart was highly excited.
After a bit of competition, Gu An chose to take Ye Lan and Xiaochuan to the Outer Sect, setting the time for seven days later.
Why seven days?
Because he first planned to thoroughly explore the Eight Scenic Caves.
Gu An turned and looked towards the valley entrance, where a figure was walking: it was Li Ya.
After many years, Li Ya had gained a bit of aged and cold sternness. His black robe fluttered in the autumn wind, and with the sword at his waist, he exuded an aloof swordsman air that was undeniable.
Xiaochuan and the other four noticed Li Ya, and his presence made them tense.
Anyone who came to Medicine Valley usually had a higher status than them, not to mention this person looked hard to approach.
Gu An assessed Li Ya's life span and found he had already reached the Fourth Layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
That's remarkably quick!
As expected of the first person I found with a Life Grid!
Gu An walked over immediately, followed closely by the others.
Li Ya scanned everything in Medicine Valley. When his gaze fell on Gu An, he seemed a bit dazed.
Back then, Gu An had always followed others. Now he could lead the other Servant Disciples. Indeed, things had changed.
Gu An came up to him, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Brother Li, long time no see."
Injured?
Gu An could feel his Qi-Blood was chaotic, his breathing shallow, clearly suffering from internal injuries.
Li Ya smiled and said, "It's been many years indeed. Where's Master? And where are Senior Brother and Meng Lang?"
Gu An said helplessly, "Master's time was up, and he passed away some time ago. After you left, Senior Brother also left the valley. As for Meng Lang, he went to participate in the Outer Sect assessment and hasn't returned."
Hearing this, Li Ya was stunned.
Xiaochuan and the others whispered among themselves, guessing Li Ya's identity. Previously, Meng Lang had often mentioned there was a member of the Imperial Family serving as a Servant Disciple here, someone he called a brother.
Li Ya sighed, "So it's just you left."
Gu An asked, "Want to sit in the building?"
Li Ya nodded.
He came back mainly to revisit the old place and also to heal. Only here did he feel safe.
Gu An led Li Ya to the pavilion while signaling the others to continue cleaning the fallen leaves.
Upon reaching the Valley Master's pavilion, as Li Ya stepped onto the stairs, emotions surged within him, and he couldn't help but start coughing, his face turning pale.
Walking in front, Gu An's expression changed slightly.
He felt a faint soul wave from Li Ya.
Good heavens!
Does this guy have an old grandfather spirit with him?
Gu An turned his head and asked with concern, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"
Li Ya waved his hand, "Nothing, just a bit injured."
"Injured? Then stay here for now; there are plenty of places to stay in Medicine Valley." Gu An said immediately.
Li Ya smiled and nodded, thinking, Gu Junior Brother is still so considerate. This time, I should help him out.
The two entered the house, and Gu An made Li Ya sit down before preparing tea for him.
Li Ya looked around the room, his gaze quickly settling on the Green Vine Fruit in the wooden cabinet.
Over the past three days, Gu An had stored most of the Green Vine Fruits in his Storage Bag, leaving only two in the cabinet to prevent the White Spirit Rat from sneaking them.
If the White Spirit Rat stole them, he couldn't bear to kill it, so he hid the Green Vine Fruits instead.
"That fruit..."
Li Ya squinted, but he didn't look too long. His gaze soon returned to Gu An.
Having not seen Gu An for years, he was amazed by his current air. Previously, Gu An had a delicate appearance but didn't possess the striking aura he had now, much like a Great Cultivator from the Inner Sect: calm with a touch of transcendence.
If he hadn't sensed that Gu An's cultivation was only in the Fourth Layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, he would've doubted if this was the same Gu An he knew.
As the water boiled, Gu An sat at the table and chatted with Li Ya.
To avoid an awkward atmosphere, Gu An asked about the lives of Outer Sect Disciples, and Li Ya answered in detail.
"As an Outer Sect Disciple, you must complete one Outer Sect bounty task per year?" Gu An asked curiously.
Li Ya smiled, "That's right, and it's an external task."
"Have you encountered Demons?"
"Almost every time we go out, the Taicang Dynasty is too vast, and some places are always plagued by Demons. Last year, I nearly died outside. It was a third-tier Demon Beast, comparable to the Core Formation Realm. My friends and I fought fiercely, resulting in one death and the rest of us severely injured, barely escaping." Li Ya answered, showing a look of fear at the end.
"Third-tier? Core Formation Realm?"
Gu An feigned astonishment, lifting the gloom in Li Ya's heart.
He started to recount the specific details, and Gu An listened with genuine interest, responding with fitting reactions.
In truth, he was genuinely curious about Li Ya's experiences.
After listening, he only felt one thing.
Too dangerous!
Luckily, I wasn't an Outer Sect Disciple.
"Besides Demons, you also have to watch out for other Cultivators. During a treasure hunt, I clashed with disciples from another sect, entangled with them for half a month, finally killing him. But guess what then?" Li Ya's excitement rose as he started another story.
Gu An guessed, "His dad came?"
Li Ya looked at him with surprise and shook his head, "Not his dad, but close: his master came!"
Good heavens!
Gu An felt even more grateful he wasn't in the Outer Sect.
If the Outer Sect was like this, how much more dangerous must the Inner Sect be?
Li Ya continued explaining his wit battles with the enemy's master, making Gu An feel like he was listening to a storytelling session.
Quite thrilling!
When the water boiled, Gu An got up to brew tea.
Li Ya asked casually, "Junior Brother, are the fruits in the cabinet left by Master?"
Gu An, facing away from him, replied, "I found them outside. Don't you remember? The White Spirit Rat is a Treasure Hunting Rat."
Li Ya raised his eyebrows.
It can really hunt treasures?
He suddenly wanted to raise a White Spirit Rat too.
After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Junior Brother, can you give me one to heal? I won't let you suffer a loss. Do you want a secret book or a Magic Artifact?"
Gu An turned, carrying the tea tray to him, and said nonchalantly, "I'll give you one directly. No need to give me anything. What kind of relationship do we have?"
Hearing this, Li Ya felt deeply touched.
In the Outer Sect all these years, though he had friends, they were all based on benefits. No one had ever treated him so kindly, without expecting anything in return.
Having said that, Gu An walked to the cabinet, took out a Green Vine Fruit, and placed it beside Li Ya's teacup.
His action made Li Ya even more ashamed.
"Li Ya, Li Ya, you looked down on him and Medicine Valley before. Even though you joined the Outer Sect, you still have to rely on him to save you..."
Li Ya mocked himself inwardly. He then raised his hand and took out a treasured sword from his Storage Bag.
The scabbard was green, inlaid with gems, the patterns intricate, exuding an air of wealth and grandeur. The hilt seemed to entwine a dark golden dragon.
This sword, placed by Li Ya on the table, made a crisp, heavy sound.
Li Ya stroked the sword and said softly, "My mother gave it to me; I'll give it to you. This sword might save your life one day."
Gu An was stunned by the sword, even though he only saw the scabbard, he felt the power within. After all, he was a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator. He saw more than Li Ya.
It's undoubtedly a Divine Weapon!