Since returning from the secret realm, not only had Xiao Qi been in closed retreat digesting his gains, but that rabbit spirit, usually so lively and darting about between the kitchen and the medicinal garden behind the mountain, had also become unusually quiet.
It curled itself up in a small nest in the corner of Xiao Qi's cave dwelling—a nest lined with soft dry grass and beautiful feathers it had collected itself—and fell into deep slumber. This sleep lasted for more than half a month.
At first, Xiao Qi did not pay it much mind, assuming it was simply tired from the journey to the secret realm and needed rest. But as time passed, he gradually detected something unusual. The rabbit spirit's breathing had become extremely long and slow, and faint, strange energy fluctuations emanated from its entire body. These fluctuations were not demonic qi; rather, they carried a pure, lively aura, somewhat similar to that of a few special spiritual herbs he had brought back from the secret realm.
What surprised Xiao Qi even more was that the rabbit spirit's fur, already somewhat more glossy than that of ordinary wild hares, was visibly becoming denser and more lustrous at a speed discernible to the naked eye during its slumber. Its color was also gradually shifting toward a silvery-gray hue, and in the dim corner, it even emitted a faint, moonlight-like glow. Its body size seemed to have expanded by a small circle as well. Although still petite, it no longer gave the impression of being so fragile and delicate.
Xiao Qi understood in his heart: this rabbit spirit must have had some fortuitous encounter in the secret realm and was now in a critical period of some form of metamorphosis. He did not dare disturb it. Instead, aside from his daily cultivation, he would intentionally place some "Moonlight Mushrooms" and "Heart-Clearing Grass"—rich in pure spiritual qi and its favorite foods—beside its nest, and using his own gentle Evergreen Art spiritual power, he would carefully arrange a layer of a nourishing barrier around it to help stabilize its aura.
On this day, Xiao Qi had just finished a round of fine manipulation exercises with his purifying power and was concentrating on internal vision to consolidate his gains, when he suddenly had a feeling. His gaze turned toward the grass nest in the corner.
He saw the rabbit spirit in the nest twitch slightly. That faint moonlight glow surrounding its body suddenly became brighter, wrapping it like a silver cocoon. The cocoon flickered unsteadily, and from within came faint sounds like bones growing, as well as the gurgling sound of energy flowing.
Xiao Qi held his breath and quietly guarded beside it.
After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the silver cocoon suddenly shrank inward, completely vanishing into the rabbit spirit's body. The next moment, its tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open!
What kind of eyes were those! The original ruby-like pupils now seemed to have been infused with agile starlight, becoming even clearer and more translucent. The original innocence and wildness in its eyes had faded by more than half, replaced by an evident spiritual intelligence and cunning. It blinked its eyes, seeming somewhat bewildered as it looked around. When its gaze landed upon Xiao Qi, it immediately burst with light of intimacy and joy.
"Squeak!" It let out a crisp cry. Its voice also seemed louder than before, carrying a burst of vigorous vitality.
It stood upright on its hind legs from the grass nest and stretched its body. Indeed, its size was about thirty percent larger than before its sleep; now it was about the size of a domestic cat. Its entire body of silvery-gray fur was smooth and lustrous, like fine satin, flowing with the luster of health under the illumination of the luminous pearl in the cave dwelling. What was most peculiar was that small tuft of originally inconspicuous white fur on its forehead. Now it had become even more distinct, and its shape faintly resembled a crescent moon.
The rabbit spirit moved its four limbs, seeming quite satisfied with the changes to its body. With a strong push of its hind legs, its figure transformed into a streak of silvery-gray flowing light, agilely darting a circle within the cave dwelling. Its speed was so fast that it actually left behind faint afterimages—several times faster than its fastest speed before the secret realm!
Xiao Qi watched with eyes full of wonder. This speed—I'm afraid even many Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators known for their agility might not be able to match it.
After showing off by darting a few circles, the rabbit spirit lightly landed before Xiao Qi again. Standing upright, it pressed its two front paws together, as if making a bowing gesture. Then, with those large, spirit-intelligent eyes, it looked eagerly at Xiao Qi, and then glanced at the already somewhat withered Moonlight Mushrooms placed nearby.
Xiao Qi smiled, picked up a Moonlight Mushroom, and handed it over. The rabbit spirit immediately hugged it with both front paws and began to gnaw at it with crunching sounds, eating with great relish.
Just then, a weak yet incredibly clear thought, like a stone cast into a lake, directly rang out in Xiao Qi's mind:
"Hungry... tasty..."
Xiao Qi's hand suddenly froze. He looked in disbelief at the rabbit spirit, which was burying its head in eating. Just now... was that it speaking? Not a voice, but direct spiritual thought transmission?!
He tried concentrating his mind and sent a thought to the rabbit spirit: "You... can understand what I say?"
The rabbit spirit stopped gnawing the mushroom for a moment, raised its head, and looked at Xiao Qi with a tilted head. In those starlight-flecked eyes, a hint of pride seemed to flash. Then, that weak thought rang out in Xiao Qi's mind again:
"Understand... Xiao Qi... mushroom... tasty..."
Although intermittent and with simple vocabulary, the meaning was expressed clearly!
Immense joy instantly surged in Xiao Qi's heart! Spiritual communication! This rabbit spirit had actually opened its spiritual intelligence after its slumbering transformation, possessing the ability to communicate with him through simple spiritual thoughts! This was absolutely not something ordinary spirit beings could achieve. It must have been that strange energy or treasure it absorbed in the secret realm that greatly elevated its life level and spirituality.
"Did you eat something special in the secret realm?" Xiao Qi suppressed his excitement and carefully inquired with his spiritual thoughts.
The rabbit spirit put down the half-eaten mushroom, extended a small paw to scratch its head, seeming to be trying hard to remember. After a while, it transmitted a blurred thought fragment mixed with images: that was in a hidden stone crack covered with fluorescent moss in the secret realm. It had discovered several pearl-sized silver berries emitting a rich moonlight aura. Unable to resist the temptation, it had secretly eaten several of them. Then it felt especially sleepy and wanted to sleep...
"Moon Dew Condensation Fruit?" Based on its description, Xiao Qi recalled a rare spiritual fruit mentioned in ancient texts that only grows in places of extreme yin yet containing pure moonlight. This fruit had miraculous effects on helping demon beasts open spiritual intelligence and purify their bloodlines, but its medicinal nature was gentle and required slumber to slowly absorb. This rabbit spirit truly had remarkable fortune!
"Has your treasure-seeking ability also become stronger?" Xiao Qi asked curiously. This rabbit spirit originally had an extraordinary sensitivity toward treasures rich in spiritual qi; now, after its transformation, it was likely even more formidable.
Upon hearing this, the rabbit spirit immediately puffed out its small chest, appearing very proud. Its small nose sniffed vigorously in the air. Then it extended a paw, pointing toward a corner in the cave dwelling where miscellaneous items were piled.
Xiao Qi looked in the direction it was pointing. Apart from a few scraps of ordinary spirit stones he used for practicing formations, there was nothing there. He walked over, and under the rabbit spirit's insistent urging from its thoughts, he rummaged a bit. Finally, beneath several spirit stones, he discovered a dust-covered, rice-grain-sized pale-yellow bead that possessed almost no spiritual qi fluctuations.
"This is... a fragment of Earth Spirit Pearl?" Xiao Qi recognized this object. It was a scrap from a low-tier earth-attributed spiritual material, its spiritual qi almost entirely dissipated. Ordinarily, he wouldn't even notice it. But the rabbit spirit could actually precisely find this tiny grain, which was almost worthless, from a pile of miscellaneous items!
This treasure-seeking ability—how could one say it had merely become stronger? It had undergone a qualitative transformation! It was no longer limited to perceiving the strength of spiritual qi, but could instead perceive a certain "treasure aura" that penetrated to the essence of things!
Xiao Qi looked at the completely transformed, spirit-intelligent rabbit spirit before him, filled with emotion in his heart. He hadn't expected that this journey to the secret realm would yield enormous gains not only for himself, but that this little companion who had always been by his side would also welcome its own transformation.
He reached out his hand and gently stroked the rabbit spirit's smooth, lustrous fur. The rabbit spirit comfortably narrowed its eyes and actively rubbed its head against his palm, transmitting a warm thought of intimacy and dependence.
"From now on, we can communicate even better." Xiao Qi said with his spiritual thoughts, a gentle smile appearing on his face, "When you become even more formidable in the future, perhaps you can help me with even bigger tasks."
The rabbit spirit nodded its little head vigorously, its thoughts filled with excitement: "Help Xiao Qi... find treasures... lots and lots of treasures!"
Watching its appearance so full of drive, Xiao Qi couldn't help but laugh. With this little fellow by his side, its spiritual intelligence opened wide and its treasure-seeking ability soaring, the path of cultivation ahead would surely be filled with many unexpected joys and opportunities.
Inside the cave dwelling, one human and one rabbit communicated silently through spiritual thoughts, the atmosphere warm and harmonious. The rabbit spirit's transformation was like adding a pair of spirit-intelligent eyes to Xiao Qi's increasingly solid arm—eyes capable of perceiving subtlety and seeking opportunity.