Wu Yuan finally understood the full extent of his transformation. He could do more than just communicate with his own kind—he could rule them.

He was a Spirit Creature now. In the hierarchy of the wild, he was a King. Commanding a legion of ordinary rats was his birthright.

Moreover, his innate talent, [Spirit Gathering], acted like a beacon. The instinct to evolve was burned into every beast’s DNA, and his presence offered a shortcut to power.

“I need subordinates,” Wu Yuan mused. “Smarter ones. Scouts to patrol the perimeter of Little Green Mountain, workers to gather food…”

“And if I can cultivate a few elites with Demon Power… my influence would skyrocket.”

His gaze landed on Little Yellow, who was dozing in its makeshift nest.

“You’ll be the test subject.”

His plan was simple: after his own cultivation sessions, he would divert a fraction of the excess Lunar Essence into the hamster, attempting to force the energy to circulate. If he could teach a hamster to cultivate, he could build an army.

“Ruling Little Green Mountain starts with you, Little Yellow.”

The experiment began immediately.

Wu Yuan stared intently at the motes of silver Lunar Essence and white Spiritual Qi drifting through the air, summoned by the [Fox Immortal Qi Condensation Method].

He focused his will, extending his Demon Power like invisible tendrils. He tried to catch the particles, to wrap around them and guide them.

Day after day, he practiced.

A month passed in a blur.

Wu Yuan lay on his bed, motionless as a stone statue. Dust settled on his fur. His breathing was so shallow it was imperceptible. He moved his Demon Power with agonizing slowness, prioritizing precision over speed.

He refused to give up. When hunger gnawed at his belly, he ate a strip of dried bird meat. When thirst burned his throat, he licked the morning dew.

If absorbing Spiritual Qi hadn’t drastically reduced his need for sustenance, he would have starved to death weeks ago.

Little Yellow lay on the floor at a safe distance, watching its boss with wide, worried eyes. If not for the faint rise and fall of Wu Yuan’s chest, the hamster would have assumed he was dead.

The boss hadn’t moved. Little Yellow didn’t dare wander off. It had lost weight, pining for fresh fruit, but loyalty kept it rooted to the spot.

Finally, in the silence of the burrow, a breakthrough occurred.

Wu Yuan’s mental tendril successfully snagged a single particle of Lunar Essence.

His spirit shook. I have it! The hardest step is over!

With a thought, he pulled the particle toward him, absorbing it into his dantian.

Wu Yuan leaped up, scattering the dust from his coat. “Success!”

“I can manipulate Lunar Essence at will!”

This wasn’t just passive absorption via a breathing method; this was active, refined telekinesis of energy. It was similar to how the white fox in his memories had guided the flow of power.

Now, he could guide the flow inside Little Yellow.

Wu Yuan turned to the cowering hamster and beckoned. “Come here. The Boss has a surprise for you.”

His manic excitement terrified Little Yellow. Thinking the boss had finally gone mad from hunger, the hamster hurriedly dug out a hidden nut and offered it with trembling paws.

“Stop dawdling.”

Wu Yuan ignored the nut. He marched over, grabbed the hamster by the scruff of its neck, and hoisted it into the air.

“Look at you, you spineless ball of fluff.”

He pinned the squirming creature to the ground.

“Hold still.”

Wu Yuan began to inject the captured Lunar Essence into Little Yellow’s body.

At first, the hamster panicked. It wriggled and squeaked, its face twisting into a miserable expression that screamed, Why is my life so hard?

But then, the energy settled.

A warm, nourishing comfort flooded Little Yellow’s limbs. Its eyes snapped open, sparkling with sudden delight. The fear vanished, replaced by pure bliss. It squinted, going limp in Wu Yuan’s grip.

It looked up at Wu Yuan, eyes shining. “Boss! More! That feels good!”

Wu Yuan watched the Lunar Essence circulate through a specific meridian in the hamster’s body.

He had succeeded.

The pathway he forced open was crude—a simplified, “beggar’s version” of the circulation route he found in the [Spirit-Gathering Rat] inheritance. It was too primitive to be called a true Cultivation Method, but it worked. It allowed the subject to absorb Lunar Essence and grow their Demon Power.

He had cracked the code. He now had a way to mass-produce magical subordinates.

Normally, a beast at the early Qi Condensation stage would never be able to manipulate energy into another being. But Wu Yuan, with the powerful soul of a human, had brute-forced a solution through sheer micromanagement.

“This is the first technique I’ve developed myself,” Wu Yuan thought with pride. “I should name it.”

“Let’s call it the [Spirit Awakening Technique].”

“My dream of being the Rat King is within reach. Now, I just need subjects.”

“Finding a large horde might be trouble, though…”

Ding.

As if on cue, the Karma Pearl pulsed in his mind.

[Blue Intelligence: A horde of black rats has discovered a Spirit Copper vein. Consuming Spirit Copper can strengthen claws and teeth.]

Wu Yuan’s eyes lit up. “A horde and a Spirit Copper mine? That’s a buy-one-get-one-free deal!”

“Pack up, Little Yellow. We’re going to war.”

The destination was a desolate valley near the foot of Little Green Mountain.

Unlike the lush forest surrounding it, this valley was barren. The vegetation was stunted and sparse.

“The Spirit Copper vein underground must be affecting the soil quality,” Wu Yuan analyzed.

Relying on his instincts, he quickly located the main entrance to the nest—a dark hole hidden in the shadows of a rocky outcrop.

He didn’t enter. A frontal assault in a confined space against hundreds of enemies was stupid, even for a Spirit Creature.

Wu Yuan stood at the entrance. He inhaled deeply, then flared his Demon Power.

He released the aura of a predator—a Spirit Creature—directly into the tunnel.

SQUEAK!

He emitted a sonic frequency that only rats could hear. A command. A summons.

Instantly, the ground beneath his feet vibrated. The sound of hundreds of panicked bodies scuffling echoed from the depths.

But then, a defiant cry cut through the noise.

SQUEEEAK!

It was the Rat King.

Under the King’s command, the chaotic noise subsided. The horde was resisting.

“Oh? This King has some backbone,” Wu Yuan noted, impressed. “It can withstand my pressure.”

Wu Yuan narrowed his eyes. He poured more Demon Power into his voice and screeched again—louder, sharper, demanding absolute submission.

This time, the resistance crumbled. The defiance vanished, replaced by the rhythmic sound of a marching army.

A black tide poured out of the hole.

Two hundred. Three hundred.

A massive sea of black rats, each the size of a human hand, swarmed into the valley. They didn’t attack. They prostrated themselves on the ground, shivering as they looked up at Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. “Strong stock. Much healthier than the litter I was born into.”

Suddenly, an enraged squeal broke the silence.

A massive black rat, easily twice the size of the others, erupted from the hole.

Wu Yuan laughed. “Well, isn’t it a small world.”

It was an acquaintance. This was the same ‘Big Black’ rat that had wet itself in terror during the full moon night when Wu Yuan first transcended.

“So, the coward survived.”

Big Black was furious. He chattered wildly at his subjects, berating them for their betrayal. But the horde ignored him, their eyes fixed reverently on Wu Yuan.

Humiliated and enraged, Big Black turned his aggression toward the usurper. He bared his teeth—two incisors that glowed with a dull, metallic yellow light—and charged.

“No wonder he resisted,” Wu Yuan realized. “He’s cultivated a wisp of Demon Power too.”

Big Black leaped, aiming for the throat.

Slap.

Wu Yuan didn’t even use a skill. He simply swung his paw.

The backhand struck Big Black mid-air with a heavy thud. The former King was sent flying 30,000 feet, crashing into the dirt and rolling like a tumbleweed. One of his glowing yellow teeth spun through the air, knocked clean out.

But Big Black didn’t stay down. Trembling, he pushed himself up and hissed, staggering back toward Wu Yuan.

“Took a slap and didn’t die?” Wu Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Sturdy. That must be the effect of the Spirit Copper.”

“Stubborn, too.”

Wu Yuan extended his claws, the tips glinting coldly. He didn’t have time to play games.