Little Gray came up to the Lightning Rat, opened its tiny mouth, and sucked a streak of white light out of its body, swallowing it whole. After consuming the light, Little Gray immediately perked up, and its body grew another size larger. The Lightning Rat, meanwhile, grew listless and fell straight into a deep sleep.
Xu Yang released his divine sense to check on the Lightning Rat. To his shock, he found that it had grown even older, having lost a year of its lifespan. This was terrifying. Little Gray actually fed on the life force of others. If Xu Yang hadn't signed a Master-Servant Contract with it, he might have been tempted to attack it himself.
After that, Xu Yang put the Lightning Rat in a corner of the Cultivation Room so he could keep an eye on it. As for Little Gray, he didn't put it back in the Spirit Beast Bag, letting it wander around the room instead. Before long, Little Gray had settled in near the Lightning Rat, digging a small hole to use as its resting place.
The Cultivation Room became lively as a result. The Heaven-Slaughtering Dog occupied the area near a branch of the Spirit Spring, Little Gray and the Lightning Rat took the corner on the right, and the two Ice Centipedes occupied the corner on the left. Xu Yang sat cross-legged on the stone bed at the very back, making the most of the spiritual energy released by the Spirit Spring branch.
For the next three years, Xu Yang devoted himself to secluded cultivation in his cave abode. He also worked hard to raise his Spirit Insects and demonic beasts, and to practice alchemy and artifact crafting. His progress over those three years was smooth: his Witchcraft Art reached the peak