The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 130: Encirclement

The horn blasted across Little Green Mountain, a call to arms that shattered the peaceful morning.

Every rat demon at work froze. Then, with practiced efficiency, they ushered the younger, uninitiated pups into the deepest, safest burrows. Sentry rats scrambled to the highest vantage points, their whiskers twitching as they scanned the horizon for threats.

From the cliffs and forests surrounding the Spirit Mulberry Tree, dark shadows launched into the sky.

These were Wu Yuan’s air force—flying rats with transparent membranes stretching between their limbs. Fist-sized and grayish-white, they glided in utter silence, patrolling the airspace like ghosts. Alongside the Spirit Bees, they formed an aerial defense net that nothing could slip through unnoticed.

Below, the combat units surged toward the Ore Vein Valley. It looked as if a black ocean had risen from the earth, churning and roiling as it converged on a single point.

A thousand elite rat demons formed a perfect square formation in the valley floor. These were the heavy infantry—hulking beasts covered in whip scars, their eyes glowing crimson with suppressed violence. Each possessed over fifty strands of Demon Power. They were the most formidable fighters Wu Yuan had cultivated, radiating a bloodthirsty aura that chilled the air.

Surrounding this elite core were tens of thousands of smaller rat demons. Their sheer numbers were dizzying, condensing into a gray cloud of demonic energy that blotted out the sun. A foul wind whipped through the valley—the undeniable omen of war.

Above, the sky buzzed with the deafening thunder of wings. Tens of thousands of Spirit Bees gathered into a yellow storm cloud.

The swarm parted, and the Queen Bee descended. She circled Wu Yuan affectionately, trailing a sweet scent of honey that contrasted sharply with the grim atmosphere. Her aura had already reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation—a powerhouse in her own right.

On the ground, a red river flowed.

The Fire Ants marched in lockstep, their acidic bodies corroding the very rocks beneath their feet. Acrid vapor rose from their ranks, merging with the demonic clouds above. Several giant Ant Kings, clad in natural crimson armor, carried the massive, pampered Queen Ant forward on a palanquin of living bodies.

Under Wu Yuan’s infinite supply of resources, the populations of these spirit insects had exploded. He didn’t cultivate them like a human beast tamer, carefully rationing space and food. He let them breed wild and free. The Azure Spirit Mountain Range was vast; his insects were his tentacles, stripping resources from the land to fuel their exponential growth.

Losing ten million insects was a drizzle to Wu Yuan. He didn’t care. The Queens could breed more.

His rat horde, however, was different. Their expansion was steady, methodical, and tied to the roots of the Spirit Mulberry Tree. They were the cornerstone of his power, requiring constant training and iteration.

When Wu Yuan had first broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, his Providence rivaled that of noble Third-Tier bloodlines. It was this overwhelming tide of minions that made him the unquestioned master of this land. Even a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator would be stripped to the bone if they dared to invade.

On Little Green Mountain, Wu Yuan was Heaven.

Standing at the highest point of the valley, Wu Yuan surveyed his army with satisfaction.

Thanks to One Ear’s brutal training, the rat demons had regained their primal ferocity. They were his sharpest claws.

The outermost ring consisted of the suicide squads—low-cultivation rats whose minds were dimmed by bloodlust. They were fodder, designed to exhaust the enemy.

Further ahead stood one hundred and eight Spirit-Gathering Rats, each carrying a Wind Feather on their back. Their eyes were bright with intelligence. These were living formation flags, meticulously cultivated to serve as mobile nodes for Wu Yuan’s tactical arrays.

At the very front stood his generals: Bibo, One Ear, and Big Old Black.

“The plan is simple,” Wu Yuan announced, his voice projecting over the valley.

“Bibo, you take a detachment to the rear of the Corrupt Water Pool. Seal off their retreat. I don’t want them scattering.”

“Big Old Black, you and I will control the main formation. We will trap every last mosquito inside the pool. Not a single one escapes.”

Wu Yuan turned his gaze to the golden hamster. “Little Yellow, take a squad and activate your treasure-seeking ability. Comb every mountain and stream. If a single Blood-Winged Black Mosquito slips past the net, find it and kill it.”

A fierce malice flickered in Wu Yuan’s eyes.

“One Ear.”

The scarred rat stepped forward, his expression twisted and eager.

“When the battle starts, unleash the Soul Tide. The Mosquito Mother’s divine ability drains blood. Let’s see if she can suck a soul to death.”

Wu Yuan sneered.

“Move out!”

CRACK!

One Ear lashed his long tail-whip against the ground, the sound echoing like a gunshot. The rhythm signaled the advance.

The army didn’t bother with the tunnels. They surged over the surface roads in a terrifying stampede.

In the sky, the Spirit Bee swarm moved ahead, intercepting scouting mosquitoes and devouring them mid-air before they could report back. Wu Yuan intended to catch the Mosquito Mother completely off guard.

The vast tide of rats and insects flowed like a deluge, splitting and converging as they surrounded the Corrupt Water Pool from all sides. The terrifying net of bodies scraped the earth three feet deep as it tightened.

Along the way, they spotted foraging parties—Blood-Winged Black Mosquitoes with bloated, black-red bellies, flapping their crimson wings as they lazily returned home.

These were the workers, carrying the harvested essence blood of beasts back to their Queen. Behind each worker followed a cloud of lesser demon mosquitoes—defective products with shriveled bodies and frail wings.

Individually, they were pathetic. But united under the command of a true Blood-Winged Black Mosquito, they could unleash a collective Blood Draining ability capable of desiccating a target in seconds.

These clusters of mosquitoes drifted through the sky like bruised clouds, dyeing the air red and filling it with a nauseating metallic stench.

Wu Yuan watched them, disgusted.

“Wipe them out,” he whispered.