Gu An felt a stream of heat flow into his stomach the moment he took his first bite of the Azure Vine Fruit, warming his entire body.
It works!
He immediately began wolfing it down. Before long, he had eaten the enormous Azure Vine Fruit clean.
As he digested it, he summoned the Attribute Panel and began anticipating an increase in his lifespan.
Yet he waited for half an hour.
His lifespan did not increase at all!
His vitality and blood had grown considerably stronger instead, and his physical strength had increased as well.
"What's going on? Is my realm too high, or is this fruit only suitable for spirit beasts and Demon Beasts?" Gu An wondered inwardly.
He looked at the White Spirit Mouse on the table. It was still sleeping soundly. Its lifespan was no longer increasing, but its aura was steadily growing stronger.
Wait a little longer!
The White Spirit Mouse slept for three days. By the time it woke up, it was as large as an adult cat. It leaped into Gu An's arms and affectionately rubbed against him, but its eyes kept drifting toward the cabinet behind him.
"Don't eat any more!"
Gu An snorted as he read. If he let it keep growing, it would surely cause trouble, especially since Xiao Chuan and the others would become curious.
Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan would go to the Outer Sect sooner or later. Gu An did not want them to know too many of his secrets.
The White Spirit Mouse looked at Gu An pitifully and actually nodded, making his eyes widen.
It understood him?
Gu An pointed to the side with his right hand. "Come over here."
The White Spirit Mouse immediately jumped over without the slightest hesitation.
He continued issuing commands. As long as they were not too complicated, the White Spirit Mouse could carry them out, making him like it even more.
It finally looked somewhat like a spirit beast!
Gu An picked up the White Spirit Mouse and carried it out of the room.
It was autumn now, and every garden plot was piled with fallen leaves. Xiao Chuan and the others were sweeping them up, while Medicine Valley was tranquil and peaceful.
Gu An walked down the stairs, set the White Spirit Mouse down, and said, "Don't eat anything indiscriminately."
After saying that, he pointed at the White Spirit Mouse's mouth. It nodded as though it understood, then turned around and hopped away.
Gu An watched it with a strange expression.
Why did it look like a rabbit?
Could it be that more than its lifespan had increased? Had even its genes been altered?
Ye Lan was the first to notice the White Spirit Mouse. Mainly because Gu An had caught her eye, she then saw a huge white rat running toward her, and her face changed drastically in fright.
"There's a rat demon!"
Ye Lan cried out in alarm, instantly drawing Lu Jiujia, Xiao Chuan, and Wuxin's attention.
The moment they saw the White Spirit Mouse, they were frightened. They had never seen such a large rat before.
"White Spirit Mouse, slow down!"
Gu An's voice rang out. The White Spirit Mouse immediately stopped upon hearing it, glanced back at him, then turned and headed toward the forest. It was no longer as fast as before.
Seeing this, Ye Lan and the others dropped their tools and hurried toward Gu An.
"Senior Brother, is that White Spirit Mouse yours? Why is it so big?"
"It should be another White Spirit Mouse, right?"
"It feels a little stupid. Its legs don't seem to work well."
"This spirit beast's bloodline is far from simple."
Listening to his junior brothers and sister speculate, Gu An merely smiled without saying a word. Let them guess.
Gu An looked at everyone and said, "In a while, I plan to make a trip to the Outer Sect. Who wants to come with me?"
The moment he said this, everyone except Wuxin wanted to go.
What a chance! Wuxin's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was wildly exhilarated.
After a round of competition, Gu An ultimately chose to bring Ye Lan and Xiao Chuan to the Outer Sect. The date was set for seven days later.
Why seven days?
Because he intended to thoroughly investigate the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven first.
Gu An turned to look toward the valley entrance. A figure was walking in through it—it was Li Ya.
After years apart, Li Ya had gained an air of weathered hardship and cold severity. His black robes fluttered in the autumn wind, and together with the sword at his waist, they gave him an irrepressible air of a proud, aloof swordsman.
Xiao Chuan and the other four noticed Li Ya as well. His appearance made them nervous.
No matter who came to Medicine Valley, their status was generally higher than theirs. What was more, this man clearly did not look like someone to be trifled with.
Gu An checked Li Ya's lifespan and discovered that he had already reached the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
That was fast enough!
As expected of the first person with a protagonist's fate that I discovered!
Gu An immediately walked over, with the others following behind him.
Li Ya surveyed everything within Medicine Valley. When his gaze landed on Gu An, he became somewhat dazed.
Back then, Gu An had always followed behind others. Now, he could lead the other Handyman Disciples. Things had truly changed beyond recognition.
Gu An came before him, clasped his hands, and smiled. "Brother Li, long time no see."
He was injured?
Gu An could sense that Li Ya's vitality and blood were in turmoil and his breathing was shallow. He was clearly suffering from internal injuries.
Li Ya smiled. "It has indeed been many years. Where is Master? And Senior Brother? Where is Meng Lang?"
Gu An said helplessly, "Master's end was near, so he left some time ago. After you left, Senior Brother also departed the valley. As for Meng Lang, he went to take the Outer Sect examination and never returned."
Li Ya froze upon hearing this.
Xiao Chuan and the others stood behind them, whispering among themselves. They roughly guessed Li Ya's identity. Meng Lang had mentioned more than once that an Imperial Family descendant had once worked here as a handyman and called him brother.
Li Ya sighed emotionally. "So you're the only one left."
Gu An asked, "Would you like to come inside and sit?"
Li Ya nodded.
The reason he had come here was not only to revisit his old home, but also to recover from his injuries. Only this place gave him a sense of safety.
Gu An led Li Ya toward the pavilion, while signaling for the others to continue clearing the fallen leaves.
When they reached the valley master's pavilion, Li Ya stepped onto the stairs. The emotions in his heart reached their peak, and he could not help coughing, his face turning pale.
Gu An, who was walking ahead, slightly changed expression.
He sensed a faint ripple of soul energy from Li Ya.
Well, well!
This guy really did have an old grandpa in a portable ring?
Gu An turned back and asked with concern, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"
Li Ya waved his hand. "Nothing. I suffered a minor injury."
"You're injured? Then stay here for now. There are plenty of empty rooms in Medicine Valley," Gu An immediately said.
Li Ya smiled and nodded. Junior Brother Gu is still so considerate. This time, I should give him a helping hand.
The two entered the room. After Gu An had Li Ya sit down, he began making tea for him.
Li Ya looked around the room, and his gaze was quickly drawn to the Azure Vine Fruits in the wooden cabinet.
Over the past three days, Gu An had put most of the Azure Vine Fruits into his Storage Bag, leaving only two in the wooden cabinet to keep the White Spirit Mouse from stealing them.
If the White Spirit Mouse really did steal and eat them, Gu An would not have the heart to kill it. So he simply hid the Azure Vine Fruits away.
"That fruit..."
Li Ya narrowed his eyes, but did not stare for long before his gaze shifted back to Gu An.
After all these years, seeing Gu An again had genuinely astonished him with Gu An's bearing. The old Gu An had been handsome and refined as well, but he had lacked this eye-catching aura. Gu An now resembled the Great Cultivators of the Inner Sect—calm and steady, with a trace of otherworldly grace.
If he could not sense that Gu An's aura was only at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, he would truly suspect that the man before him was not the Gu An he knew.
While the water boiled, Gu An sat down at the table and exchanged pleasantries with Li Ya.
To keep the atmosphere from cooling, Gu An asked about the lives of Outer Sect disciples, and Li Ya answered one question after another.
"After becoming an Outer Sect disciple, you have to complete an Outer Sect bounty mission every year?" Gu An asked curiously.
Li Ya smiled. "That's right, and they are all missions outside the sect."
"Have you ever encountered demons?"
"Almost every time I went out. The Great Cang Dynasty is too vast; there are always places ravaged by demons. Last year, I nearly died outside. It was a third-rank Demon Beast, comparable to the Golden Core Realm. Several friends and I fought it bitterly, and in the end, one died while the rest of us escaped with serious injuries," Li Ya answered. By the end, lingering fear appeared on his face.
"Third-rank? Golden Core Realm?"
Gu An deliberately made a tongue-clicking expression, dispersing the gloom in Li Ya's heart.
Li Ya began recounting the details of that experience with a smile. Gu An listened as though hearing a story, giving him plenty of emotional feedback.
In truth, he was genuinely curious about Li Ya's experiences.
After listening, he had only one feeling.
Too dangerous!
Fortunately, he had not become an Outer Sect disciple.
"Besides demons, you also have to watch out for other cultivators. While treasure hunting, I clashed with disciples from another sect. We tangled with each other for half a month. I finally managed to kill him, but guess what happened next?" Li Ya grew animated and began recounting another experience.
Gu An guessed, "His father came?"
Li Ya looked at him in surprise and shook his head. "Not his father, but close enough. His master came!"
Well, well!
Gu An became even more grateful that he had not entered the Outer Sect.
If the Outer Sect was already like this, would Inner Sect disciples not face even greater danger?
Li Ya continued describing the battle of wits and ruthless struggle between himself and his enemy's master, making Gu An feel as though he were listening to a storyteller.
It was thrilling!
Once the water boiled, Gu An rose to brew the tea.
Li Ya casually asked, "Junior Brother Gu, were the fruits in the cabinet left behind by Master?"
With his back to Li Ya, Gu An answered, "I found them outside. Did you forget? White Spirit Mice are treasure-seeking mice."
Li Ya raised his brows upon hearing that.
They could really seek out treasures?
He suddenly wanted to raise a White Spirit Mouse too.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Junior Brother Gu, could you give me one to heal my injuries? I will not let you suffer a loss. Do you want a cultivation manual or a magical artifact?"
Gu An turned around, carried the tea over, and set it before him. In an unconcerned tone, he said, "I'll just give you one. You don't need to give me anything. What's the relationship between you and me?"
Li Ya was deeply moved upon hearing this.
During his years in the Outer Sect, he had made friends, but their relationships were all based on mutual benefit. No one had ever treated him so well without asking for anything in return.
After speaking, Gu An walked to the wooden cabinet, took out an Azure Vine Fruit, and placed it beside Li Ya's teacup.
His actions made Li Ya feel even more ashamed.
Li Ya, Li Ya. You looked down on him and Medicine Valley before. So what if you entered the Outer Sect? In the end, don't you still have to rely on him to save you...
Li Ya mocked himself inwardly, then raised his hand and took a treasured sword from his Storage Bag.
Its scabbard was azure, set with glittering gemstones and adorned with exquisite patterns, making it appear noble and resplendent. The hilt seemed to be entwined by a dark golden dragon.
When Li Ya placed the sword on the table, it made a heavy, crisp sound.
Li Ya stroked the sword and softly said, "My mother gave this to me. I will give it to you. This sword may save your life someday."
Gu An was amazed by the sword. Though he could see only the scabbard, he could sense the power contained within it. After all, he was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, and he could see far more than Li Ya.
This was absolutely a divine weapon!
Damn, I forgot to set a timer. The weather has been turning hot and cold without warning!
Before you continue