Half a month passed.

During this time, the Goat Demon had driven nearly every beast in Little Green Mountain to this location. However, the harsh winter had already claimed many lives, and the relentless, suicidal assaults on the valley had whittled their numbers down even further.

In the end, he managed to cobble together a ragged army of barely a thousand beasts. There wasn’t a single Spirit Creature among them.

Between the constant battles and Wu Yuan’s systematic purging of the mountain, any Spirit Creature capable of running had long since fled. Those who couldn’t run had buried themselves deep underground to hide.

Realizing that he could no longer rely on numbers to take the valley, the Goat Demon decided he had to personally intervene. That was what led to his cooperation with Big Old Black.

The state of the rat colony, however, was dire. On the surface, the swarm of 30-odd Rat Demons had been reduced to ten.

Bibo’s condition was even worse. The high-intensity combat had exacerbated his aging; his fur was dull, his aura sluggish, and his strength had plummeted.

Before the battle commenced, Wu Yuan looked at the old beaver with deep concern.

“Can your body still withstand this?”

Bibo chuckled, a firm, unyielding light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

“King, this is the final moment. We absolutely cannot harbor a merciful heart.”

He glanced back at the valley. “Moreover, once we kill the Goat Demon, the Spirit Mulberry Tree should finally be ready to bear fruit!”

This was the reason Bibo fought with such desperate disregard for his own life. The flesh and blood of countless beasts and Spirit Creatures had nourished the Spirit Mulberry Tree, pushing it to the brink of fruition.

In contrast, Big Old Black was in relatively good shape. The Goat Demon had intentionally held back his forces during the recent skirmishes, giving the traitorous rat a chance to catch his breath.

Outside the valley, the Goat Demon stared greedily at the Spirit Mulberry Tree.

“Growing by consuming flesh and blood… this perfectly aligns with the tenets of the Wood Spirit Temple,” he murmured, his eyes shining with avarice. “I’ve changed my mind. I won’t just take the fruit; I’m going to cultivate this tree myself!”

He stomped his hooves against the frozen earth. A pulse of sickly gray-green light erupted from him, washing over the beast swarm and driving them into a frenzy.

[Stone Wood Holy Vine]

The beasts shrieked in terror as gray vines burst from their flesh. The vines writhed and wrapped around their bodies, turning their fur and skin as hard and gray as dead stone.

Simultaneously, their eyes glazed over. They lost control of their limbs, forced by the parasitic vines to charge blindly toward the valley.

Beasts roared and vine whips lashed out like a chaotic dance of demons.

The vines acted as a gruesome armor, drastically increasing the combat power of the cannon fodder. The animated vines lashed out, entangling the ordinary rats defending the perimeter and draining them of their blood in seconds.

Wu Yuan, observing from the shadows, felt a chill run down his spine.

The innate Technique of the Stone Wood Spirit Goat lineage is truly grotesque.

Bibo stood beneath the Spirit Mulberry Tree, his expression grave as he watched the mutated tide approach.

“The Goat Demon is getting serious. He’s used his innate Technique.”

Big Old Black led the remaining Rat Demons into the fray. However, the ordinary rats were helpless against the stone-wood reinforced beasts. Only the Rat Demons could hold the line.

Consequently, Big Old Black was forced to retreat step by step, drawing closer and closer to Bibo’s position.

Outside the valley, the Goat Demon paced back and forth, his eyes locked onto Big Old Black. He was eager, waiting for the signal.

When he saw that Big Old Black was finally within striking distance of Bibo, the Goat Demon began his advance. As he walked, he fired spell after spell at the old beaver.

[Wood Thorn Technique]

Sharp wooden spikes rained down. Although their power was mediocre, they successfully forced Bibo to split his focus.

Yet, as the Goat Demon closed the distance, he ground his teeth in frustration. Big Old Black still hadn’t made his move.

“Damn rat!”

“Why hasn’t he struck yet? Indecisive coward… a creature like him is incapable of achieving great things!”

He had no choice but to push deeper into the valley. This was the first time the Goat Demon had truly entered the enemy’s territory. Previously, he had been wary of Bibo’s Magical Artifact, keeping a safe distance.

Seeing the Goat Demon approach, Bibo immediately flared his Qi, activating his Magical Artifact with full force.

A tooth-shaped dagger shot forward, trailing a streak of emerald light aimed directly at the Goat Demon’s eyes.

The Goat Demon’s expression shifted drastically. “He’s not even testing the waters? He’s attacking with full force right from the start?”

There was no time to dodge. He lowered his head, catching the artifact with his majestic, glowing horns.

Clang!

Just as the metal met bone, Big Old Black suddenly expanded in size. With a ferocious squeal, he slammed his massive claw into Bibo’s exposed back.

Thud!

Bibo was sent flying like a ragdoll. He crashed into the dirt, blood spraying from his mouth, his aura instantly dimming to a flicker.

The Goat Demon roared with excitement. “Good! Good! Good!”

In his ecstasy, he jerked his head, knocking Bibo’s artifact aside. He didn’t even care about the shallow gash the blade had carved above his eye.

He watched Bibo struggle to his feet and scramble into a nearby burrow. Without hesitation, the Goat Demon charged, intent on finishing the kill.

In his bloodlust, he ran straight past the perimeter… right under the canopy of the Spirit Mulberry Tree.

He was now in the center of the Formation.

However, mid-stride, the Goat Demon saw Big Old Black lunge toward him.

The rat wasn’t attacking Bibo this time. He was leaping at the Goat.

The Goat Demon didn’t look angry or surprised. Instead, his eyes were cold and calm.

“I’ve been guarding against you from the start!”

“Did you think I trusted a traitor? You are laughably weak!”

The Goat Demon didn’t even break stride. He simply raised a hoof and kicked Big Old Black in the chest.

Crack!

Big Old Black sprayed a mist of fresh blood as he was launched backward. He hit the ground hard, twitched twice, and then lay still.

But in that brief pause, the Goat Demon felt the air around him grow heavy. The pressure in the valley spiked dramatically.

His heart skipped a beat. Something’s wrong!

There’s an ambush!

At that exact moment, the White Rabbit Demon burst out from the bushes, running right up to the Goat Demon’s hooves. Her face was a mask of panic.

“Goat Great King! Run!” she screamed. “There’s a Formation ambush here!”

Only then did the Goat Demon sense the subtle fluctuations of Qi beneath his feet.

“A Middle Grade Formation? Hmph. That injured beaver can’t control it for long—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the White Rabbit jumped.

She whipped out a massive carrot—hard as iron—and smashed it directly onto the Goat Demon’s forehead with all her strength.

“You—”

BANG!

The sound was like a gong being struck. The Goat Demon stumbled, his vision swimming for a split second.

He hadn’t noticed that during the distraction, invisible silk threads had already begun to adhere to his fur.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him exploded.

Thirty Rat Demons, hidden by the Spirit Mulberry Tree’s roots, leaped onto his body. They bit and clawed frantically, emitting ear-piercing shrieks that drilled into his brain.

[Rat Swarm Divine Ability: Mental Disarray]

This was a racial magic. When enough low-level spirit creatures gathered, their collective consciousness could manifest a divine anomaly. For Wu Yuan’s swarm, it was a direct attack on the enemy’s sanity.

While the Goat Demon was dazed by the mental assault, Wu Yuan burst from the earth beneath the Goat’s belly.

His claws glowed with a lethal, spectral green light.

Wu Yuan anchored himself to the Goat’s flank with one hand and thrust his tempered claws upward, aiming to disembowel the beast.

Skreee!

Wu Yuan ripped through the skin, but his expression warped in shock.

“What a tyrannical physique!”

Even after my body tempering, my claws can’t pierce his muscle layer to reach the organs!

Thank heavens for the Formation. Without it, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him in a direct fight!

[Blood Binding Spirit Silkworm Formation]

This formation had two functions: Suppression and Absorption.

The suppression relied on the quantity of silkworm threads wrapped around the target. But the Goat Demon was physically monstrous; he was already forcing his limbs to move against the pressure. It would take time for the threads to fully immobilize him.

But if the Goat Demon was given even a moment to catch his breath, unforeseen complications would arise. He was too dangerous to be left alive.

Wu Yuan had to secure a foolproof opportunity. He had to kill this goat today!

The other Rat Demons were too weak to do real damage. Wu Yuan realized he had to use his own body to pin the Goat Demon down, buying time for the Formation and the Spirit Mulberry Tree to do their work.

Suddenly, the Goat Demon roared. The sharp pain from his belly snapped him out of his daze.

BOOM!

His Demon Power surged like a turbulent tide, crashing outward in a frenzied wave.

His sleek fur instantly puffed up, becoming hard as steel needles. The explosive release of Qi blasted the clinging Rat Demons off his body, sending them tumbling through the air.

The Goat Demon reared his head high. Although he staggered slightly from his injuries, his aura remained aggressive and domineering.

He looked down from his height, his vertical pupils sweeping coldly over the pathetic swarm of rats. His eyes were filled with disdain.

Among the sea of weaklings, only Wu Yuan stood out. He radiated sixty strands of Demon Power, making him the only distinct threat in the clearing.

The Goat Demon let out a piercing, mocking laugh.

“So, you are the leader.”

“You hid yourself quite well. I actually didn’t notice you before.”

“I didn’t expect you to deliver yourself to my doorstep. You are truly courting death.”