Under the collective strain of the rat swarm, the massive Spirit Mulberry tree was finally hoisted over the pre-dug pit and lowered with agonizing slowness into the earth. Thud.

Bibo moved instantly. He was a blur of motion, dashing forward like an arrow released from a taut bowstring. His hands flew in a frenzy, packing soil around the base of the Spirit Mulberry, meticulously spreading and burying every exposed root hair to ensure a perfect transplant.

Seeing the preparations complete, Wu Yuan’s claws danced through a series of complex seals.

“[Spirit Rain Technique]!”

Dark clouds instantly coalesced above the tree’s crown. A moment later, a gentle, pattering rain began to fall. As Wu Yuan cycled his Demon Power, the drizzle intensified into a steady shower, each droplet heavy with shimmering Spiritual Qi.

The surrounding rats threw their heads back, mouths agape, scrambling over one another to catch the sweet, energized nectar falling from the sky. Squeaks of pure delight erupted from the mass of fur.

Bibo stood on the sidelines, barking orders like a tyrannical foreman. “Alright, that’s enough! Scram! A few sips are good for you, but drink too much and you’ll explode! Get moving!”

Despite his harsh tone, he didn’t raise a hand to chase them off.

Wu Yuan watched the scene, a thought flickering in his mind. Let’s give them a real treat.

He surged his Demon Power, pushing the output to its limit. The gentle shower transformed into a torrential downpour, drenching the Spirit Mulberry and the cheering rat swarm below. The valley echoed with the joyous, high-pitched chirping of the colony.

Amidst the chaos, Wu Yuan quieted his mind. He focused inward, observing how his Demon Power flowed through the spell’s spirit patterns, feeling the wondrous resonance between his internal energy and the ambient Qi of heaven and earth.

It was an enlightening sensation. For the first time, he felt truly in sync with the elements.

Moments later, his reserve of 50 strands of Demon Power bottomed out. The rain ceased.

“That is the first time I have cast a spell with such abandon,” Wu Yuan exhaled, a long plume of white breath escaping his snout. He felt a profound mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. “Come to think of it, I am already halfway through the early stage of Qi Condensation. It has been a full year since I began this path. It feels like a lifetime ago.”

He looked down at the bedraggled but ecstatic rats. A swell of pride rose in his chest.

“I have built something here. Now, I only need to develop quietly. Foundation Establishment is no longer just a dream—it is a destination.”

Wu Yuan reached out with his mind, connecting to the Spirit Mulberry’s consciousness. Root yourself.

The response was immediate. The tree shuddered violently, its exterior transforming before their eyes. Thick roots burst from the base like striking vipers, drilling into the soil and spreading rapidly through the underground strata. The ground rumbled, sending a wave of panic through the nearby rats.

“Hold fast!” Bibo roared over the noise. “Do not panic! This is the Great King displaying his Divine Abilities! Wait patiently!”

Deep underground, Wu Yuan guided the roots with precision. He felt them pierce the rock and soil, driving straight for the mineral vein cavern below. He commanded several massive main roots to extend toward his personal nest, weaving them together in a slow, deliberate coil.

Wood groaned and shifted. Before his eyes, a living wooden hut formed from the twisted roots of the Spirit Mulberry.

Wu Yuan inspected his new residence, immensely satisfied.

“Cultivating in the open always left me feeling exposed,” he mused, running a claw over the rough bark. “Now I have a protective Formation, and one that grows stronger with time. Better yet, this tree hut acts as a funnel, gathering the cavern’s Qi directly into my meditation chamber.”

The underground mineral vein had been transformed into something archaic and eerie. Roots hung from the cavern ceiling like dark green ribbons suspended in the stale air. Thick, muscular rhizomes clung to the stone walls like slumbering pythons, casting twisted shadows in the dim light.

But the changes went deeper than aesthetics. The root network had penetrated the entire colony.

Rats throughout the tunnel system were shocked to find slender rootlets protruding into their burrows. They quickly discovered a miraculous exchange: if they offered fresh blood to the root, it would exude a drop of sweet, fragrant sap. The scent alone was enough to make them drool uncontrollably.

The rat demons—those who had begun to cultivate—found an even greater treasure. If they offered food rich in Spiritual Qi, the root would produce a vibrant red liquid. This “Spirit Blood” was potent, heavily saturated with energy, and far easier to digest than raw ore or herbs.

This was Wu Yuan’s stroke of genius, derived from the [Blood-Binding Spirit Mulberry]’s ability to absorb and refine blood. The tree would extract the chaotic Demon Power and blood essence from the offering, filter it, mix it with gentle Qi, and return a purified product.

It was a perfect cycle. Wu Yuan had forced the tree to extend its reach into almost every burrow. By immersing his consciousness into the tree, he now possessed a living surveillance network of the entire vein, solving his communication lag instantly.

Of course, the Spirit Mulberry felt incredibly wronged by this arrangement. Growing this much root mass was exhausting; it felt like it was being squeezed dry.

Wu Yuan patted the trunk gently, speaking in a soothing, manipulative tone.

“You need to take the long view, little tree. Look, your roots now cover the entire vein. In the future, the entire swarm will be feeding you. Isn’t that better than waiting for some unlucky prey to wander by? It’s passive income!”

The tree’s intelligence was primitive at best. It couldn’t parse the logic, but the tone sounded nice. It shook its leaves in a pitiful, aggrieved flutter.

“Your priority now is to stabilize the Formation,” Wu Yuan said, his voice turning solemn. “My safety depends on you.”

Hearing the command, the Spirit Mulberry perked up. White formation patterns began to flicker across its bark.

Simultaneously, the [Blood Jade Spirit Silkworm] sprang into action. It began to spin, spitting out threads of silk so fine they were invisible to the naked eye. The silkworm worked tirelessly, weaving a web that blanketed the entire valley.

To a mortal, nothing had changed. But to a master of Formations, the valley was now a terrifying labyrinth of intricate ley lines.

[Blood-Binding Mystic Silkworm Formation]—Activated.

Underground, the silk followed the root network. Though the threads were sparse, the sheer density of the roots created an impenetrable net, locking the mineral vein in a protective embrace.

The underground realm was no longer the cramped hole Wu Yuan had first conquered.

When he had slain the spider demon and claimed this place, the main cavern was barely fifty acres—irregular, low-ceilinged, and cramped. But the rats were tireless excavators. As they mined for Spirit Copper and expanded to accommodate Wu Yuan’s growing collection of Spirit Plants, the original space had become… insufficient.

Wu Yuan had solved this by ordering the consolidation of all nearby Qi-rich hollows. Under Bibo’s meticulous planning, the rats had carved out a massive subterranean dome.

It now spanned nearly five hundred acres.

The space was vast, the ceiling high, and the Spiritual Qi thick enough to be considered peak First Rank Middle Grade, bordering on High Grade.

Wu Yuan’s tree hut sat atop a high slope overlooking his domain. Beside it lay his favorite luxury: a massive stone platform, polished to a mirror sheen and perfectly contoured to his body. From here, he could survey everything.

At the edge of the cavern, Xiao Huang tended to a lush field of premium Moon Spirit Grass. The emerald leaves dripped with dew, glowing with a soft, silvery luminescence. It was a feast for the eyes and the stomach—rich in Lunar Essence.

And in the center of the cavern lay the jewel of the base: a bottomless, crystal-clear Cold Pool.

Wu Yuan slid into the icy water, letting out a groan of pleasure as the chill seeped into his bones. He didn’t just bathe; he marinated. He tossed in a few Spirit Stones, a vial of [Earth Spirit Marrow], and fresh juice pressed from the Moon Spirit Grass.

The concoction swirled around him, soothing his stress, tempering his flesh, and making his fur silky and lustrous.

“I worked hard to build this foundation. What is the point of being a King if I cannot enjoy it?”