Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

That pale golden halo stood out starkly against the sour and lifeless depths of the stomach, yet it also carried a strange sense of holiness.

Gu An did not approach rashly.

In the world of cultivation, the more beautiful something is, the more deadly it often is.

He picked up a broken piece of insect shell, mustered all his strength, and hurled it deep into the hole.

"Smack."

The insect shell struck the cave wall with a crisp sound, then tumbled into the golden light. No traps were triggered, no poisonous smoke billowed, and even the omnipresent corrosive acid mist dissipated automatically near the cave entrance.

"This is... a safe zone?"

Gu An narrowed his eyes, calculating in his mind.

Since this Tai Sui (a type of rare plant) has given birth to a monster like the Corpse Blood Worm, it must have a corresponding ecosystem. Since those worms crawled out of this hole, it means that there must be something inside that they rely on for survival or that they are desperately protecting.

He believes in seeking fortune through risk, and given his current situation, it seems like taking another gamble isn't out of the question.

Gu An held the broken sword "Piercing Clouds" horizontally in front of his chest, took a deep breath, and shrank his body like a nimble gecko, squeezing into the narrow hole in the flesh wall that was only wide enough for one person to pass through.

The passage was not long, but it was extremely difficult to traverse.

The surrounding flesh walls were no longer smooth and soft to the touch, but had become tight and tough, like countless intertwined tendons. With each step Gu An took forward, he had to endure the pressure from all sides.

The feeling was like being slowly swallowed by a giant python.

"Click-clack..."

His nascent "iron bones" groaned slightly under the pressure. If it weren't for the blood spirit dew bath that had transformed him, his ribs would probably have been broken by this passage by now.

The deeper you climb, the fainter the fishy stench becomes, replaced by a faint, unusual smell, similar to a mixture of sandalwood and frankincense.

After climbing for about ten zhang, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a spherical chamber that was only about ten zhang square.

There was no gastric juice, no acid mist, and even the disgusting flesh was covered by a layer of white, eggshell-like keratin, dry and clean.

In the very center of the chamber, a piece of soft flesh, only the size of a fist, floated.

Its entire body is translucent pale gold, with patterns flowing like water ripples on its surface. With each deep heartbeat of the Tai Sui, it also slightly contracts and expands, emitting a soft golden light.

Gu An's heart began to pound uncontrollably after just one glance.

"This is……"

At this moment, the plant-based affinity of the spirits issued a frantic warning, not of danger, but of yearning. An extreme yearning for evolution, stemming from the instinct of life.

[Identification: Tai Sui Regeneration Core (Second-Tier Superior Grade)]

[Note: The core of the immortal body of the flesh and blood Tai Sui contains immense vitality and life force. Consuming it can regenerate severed limbs and prolong life. Note: This is the life gate of Tai Sui; touching it will inevitably result in a backlash.]

"Regenerative nucleus!"

Gu An's pupils suddenly contracted.

Ancient texts say: "The Tai Sui is the flesh of the living. It cannot be exhausted by eating it, and it will soon regenerate."

The reason this thing is impossible to kill or destroy is because it continuously provides life force. It's unbelievable that this Tai Sui has cultivated to such a level, condensing its essence into a physical core.

This isn't some soft flesh; it's clearly a living elixir of immortality!

If you were to take it to the market and sell it, even a piece the size of a fingernail would be enough to make those Foundation Establishment stage monsters who are nearing the end of their lifespan fight tooth and nail for it.

But Gu An never thought of selling it. After all, this kind of thing was not something a mere cultivator like him could sell, and even if he did sell it, he wouldn't live to enjoy it.

He looked down at his mangled left arm. Although the bone had been set, the meridians were severely damaged, and the skin and flesh were pitted and corroded by the acid. Even with a healing elixir, it would take at least a year and a half to fully recover from such an injury.

In this perilous den of demons, dragging one's broken body is tantamount to waiting for death.

Gu An's eyes sharpened, and he gripped the broken sword in his hand tightly.

"Since you've devoured my enemies and now want to digest me, charging you some interest isn't unreasonable, is it?"

With a stomp of his foot, he shot towards the floating golden flesh like an arrow.

The regeneration core seemed to sense the danger, and the golden light on its surface suddenly intensified, causing the surrounding air to freeze instantly, as if an invisible wall was blocking its way.

However, with the support of Gu An's mastery of the Gengjin Finger technique, the broken sword "Piercing Clouds" emitted a sharp sword cry.

"break!"

A flash of cold light erupted from the tip of the sword, instantly piercing through the invisible barrier of energy.

Gu An did not covet the entire core—that thing had terrifying energy, and swallowing it would only cause him to explode and die.

He flicked his wrist with extreme precision.

With a whoosh, the sword blade swept across, shaving off a thin slice from the edge of that mass of golden flesh, about the size of a fingernail.

The moment this soft flesh detached from the body.

"Buzz—!!!"

The entire cavity, no, the entire massive body of the Tai Sui, shuddered violently.

A piercing wail, originating from the depths of his soul, pierced through layers of flesh and exploded directly in Gu An's mind. There was no anger in that sound, only the excruciating pain and terror of having one's heart ripped out.

The suspended regeneration core trembled violently, its golden light flashing wildly, as if it wanted to escape, or perhaps it wanted to gather power to fight back.

But Gu An was faster. He reached out with his left hand, grabbed the falling piece of golden flesh, and without even looking at it, stuffed it into his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed it whole.

boom!

There was no violent energy surge as I had imagined, nor any burning or freezing pain.

The soft flesh melted upon entering the stomach, transforming into an extremely cool stream of air that instantly flowed throughout the body.

Where this airflow passes, it's like spring rain nourishing parched land.

Gu An felt an unbearable itch all over his body.

It felt like countless cells were cheering, dividing, and regenerating.

He looked down and was horrified to see that on the previously blackened and rotten wound on his left arm, countless tiny granulations were writhing and intertwining wildly. The stark white bone was covered by newly formed fascia, and the pitted skin began to scab and peel off, revealing tender new flesh underneath.

Even the meridians in his body that had been broken inch by inch due to the forced use of the Exploding Spirit Pill were quickly repaired and reshaped under the nourishment of this cool airflow, becoming wider and stronger than before.

The panel appeared before my eyes, the text flashing:

[Devouring fragments of a second-tier regeneration core, plundering a portion of its essence]

[Injuries fully healed, hidden ailments completely cured]

[Gained a special physical trait: Weak self-healing]

[Minor Self-Healing: Significantly enhanced physical vitality, skin and flesh wound healing speed increased by 200%, and resistance to toxins and corrosion increased by 30%]

Lifespan: 19/95 (Replenishing the original essence, like a withered tree sprouting new life)

Looking at the lifespan that had returned, Gu An clenched his fist, feeling the power within his body almost overflowing, and a bloodthirsty smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

This is the real opportunity, an opportunity earned by risking one's life!

However, before he could fully experience the power of this new life...

Crack, crack, crack... The originally clean and dry bone walls around us suddenly emitted a series of dense cracking sounds.

The regeneration core that had been cut open now glowed a blood-red light.

The Grand Duke Jupiter has gone mad.

Although it was not very intelligent, its instincts told it that a terrible robber had invaded its body and was stealing its life essence.

If this robber isn't killed, he will die.

"roar--!!!"

As the earth shook violently, the ground beneath Gu An's feet tilted sharply, and the surrounding walls began to squeeze frantically towards the center. The space, originally about ten feet square, shrank by half in the blink of an eye.

That's not a normal muscle contraction.

Gu An could clearly see that the surrounding flesh walls had become as hard as iron at this moment, and a layer of black keratin had even grown on the surface, crushing him with a terrifying force that could crush everything.

It will squeeze this parasite into a pulp alive!

"Well done!"

There was not a trace of fear in Gu An's eyes.

His injuries have fully healed, and he is now as strong as iron.

He was worried about where to test the quality of this new body.

Gu An sheathed his broken sword, his feet planted firmly on the ground like nails, and his arms suddenly spread out to the sides. At this moment, he was like Pangu supporting the sky, using his flesh and blood to forcefully shake the shrinking demon cave!