The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 132: Ambush

The Mosquito Mother was a distinct entity, far removed from the bloated, immobile queens of the bee and ant colonies.

She was the size of a large rat—the undisputed titan of the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito swarm. Her carapace was a deep, glossy black, etched with bright red spirit patterns that writhed like living, exposed veins. Staring at them for too long induced a sickening vertigo, as if all the blood in one’s body were rushing to the head.

Four pairs of blood-red wings sprouted from her back, their edges honed like razor blades—a testament to her mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivation. But her most terrifying feature was her proboscis. A pair of slender, bone-white stylets, entwined with intricate crimson runes, promised to pierce any defense with ease.

Seeing Wu Yuan, the Mosquito Mother rapidly fluttered her wings. The high-pitched whine merged with the collective drone of her swarm, creating a sonic wave of pure aggression.

To Wu Yuan’s heightened senses, it felt like a psychic assault—a chaotic vision of red and black, plunging him into a hallucinatory world of slaughter and bloodshed.

“Hmph.”

Wu Yuan snorted coldly. “Petty tricks.”

His voice rolled out like muffled thunder, majestic and terrifying.

Simultaneously, the thousands of rat demons behind him emitted a low-pitched, synchronized squeak. The sound wave merged with Wu Yuan’s voice, instantly suppressing the buzzing drone of the mosquito swarm. The psychic pressure shattered.

Even the Mosquito Mother’s avatar flickered, destabilizing into droplets of blood before she forcibly pulled herself back together. She fluttered closer, wary.

“Rat King!”

Wu Yuan studied her. She was a creature of pure malice—a biological killing machine, utterly devoid of softness. Compared to his plump, fragrant, and affectionate Queen Bee, the contrast was heaven and earth.

Wu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. “Truly worthy of being ranked among the top five hundred on the World’s Strange Insect Ranking.”

The Queen Bee, hovering beside him, buzzed jealously. She nestled closer to Wu Yuan, rubbing her large, fuzzy head against his cheek and dusting him with sweet-smelling pollen.

Wu Yuan chuckled and patted her head dismissively. “Alright, alright, I know you’re impressive too.”

The Mosquito Mother watched this bizarre display of affection with mounting rage. This Rat King was playing with a bee as if she—a lethal predator—didn’t even exist. Her wings buzzed faster, betraying her fury.

She took a step forward, forcibly suppressing her anger. “Mighty Rat King… I wonder why you are attacking me?”

Wu Yuan looked at her with undisguised disdain, adopting the posture of an arrogant tyrant. “I do what I want. What’s it to you?”

A red light flashed ominously on the Mosquito Mother’s body. “If that is your attitude, then there is no need for us to talk!”

Wu Yuan remained dismissive, but One Ear stepped forward.

Crack!

He snapped his Rat Tail Whip against the ground, his scarred face twisted into a mask of killing intent as he stared down the insect queen.

The Mosquito Mother immediately lowered her head, her pride evaporating in the face of overwhelming force. Her voice turned humble, almost servile.

“The mighty Rat King can, of course, do as he pleases.”

“My Blood-Winged Black Mosquito clan is willing to submit to you,” she offered quickly. “I am far more useful than that weak Spirit Bee by your side! Whether in combat power or resource gathering, I am superior!”

Wu Yuan raised an eyebrow. He held back the Queen Bee, who was vibrating with the urge to rush out and sting the insolent mosquito.

“I am aware of your combat power,” Wu Yuan said slowly. “But what resources can you produce?”

Ignoring the cursing Queen Bee, the Mosquito Mother condensed a deep red drop of liquid from the air.

“Mighty Rat King, I can condense Blood Essence. It enhances blood and Qi power without side effects. Please, try it!”

She used her Demon Power to float the drop of Blood Essence toward Wu Yuan.

It emitted a fresh, intoxicating fragrance, like the finest vintage wine. Surrounding rat demons sniffed the air, their eyes glazing over with hunger.

Wu Yuan looked at the Blood Essence. It was the size of a thumb, ruby-red and radiating a charm that tugged at his very soul. The blood and Qi in his own body surged, urging him to consume it.

Under the Mosquito Mother’s expectant gaze, Wu Yuan raised a claw, reaching out as if to take the offering.

“Great King! News from Lord Bibo!”

A messenger rat scurried up the slope, interrupting the moment.

Wu Yuan’s claw froze in mid-air. He looked at the messenger. “What is it?”

“Lord Bibo says everything has been arranged!”

Wu Yuan nodded and waved the messenger away.

He turned back to the Mosquito Mother, his expression shifting from greedy curiosity to cold mockery.

“Did you hear that?”

“I am already prepared.”

“No time to play games with you!”

Before his words faded, Wu Yuan’s Demon Power exploded.

The Blood Essence hovering before him spontaneously ignited, burning away into harmless mist.

Simultaneously, One Ear threw his head back and roared. The ghost faces scarred onto his body screamed in unison.

The Mosquito Mother shrieked, white smoke erupting from her carapace as if her very soul were burning.

Without hesitation, Wu Yuan fired. A streak of cyan light—the Stone Wood Horn Arrow—pierced the air, aiming straight for her heart.

The Blood-Winged Black Mosquitoes behind her moved instantly, transforming into streaks of blood light to form a living shield. The Mosquito Mother, fighting through the pain of the soul attack, condensed a layer of crimson Blood Armor around herself.

But they were too slow.

ROAR!

Accompanying the arrow was the Ten Thousand Roars Spirit Sound—a psychic blast empowered by the collective will of thousands of rats. Though launched a split second later, the sound wave arrived first.

It hit like a physical hammer.

The living shield of mosquitoes exploded into a fine red mist. The Mosquito Mother’s Blood Armor shattered into dust. Her wings stopped vibrating, and she plummeted from the sky like a stone.

Crack!

One Ear’s phantom whip lashed out, binding her mid-fall. The shadow-whip tightened, suspending her helplessly in the air.

“Fire!”

The elite rat demons unleashed a barrage of long-range spells. Fireballs, golden arrows, and water cannons dyed the sky in a kaleidoscope of destruction.

Without the Mosquito Mother’s command to coordinate their defense, the remaining swarm was slaughtered. They fell like black rain, carpeting the ground in a thick layer of insect corpses.

In an instant, the swarm of two hundred thousand was reduced to scattered stragglers, colliding aimlessly like headless flies.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan’s Stone Wood Horn Arrow was doing its work. Controlled by his divine sense, it moved with surgical precision.

Slice. Slice.

The Mosquito Mother’s wings were sheared off at the base, falling to the ground like steel blades. Even her terrifying white mouthparts were pried out, root and all, blood flowing freely from her ruined face.

Wu Yuan leisurely retrieved his artifact, along with the severed trophies. He held up the mouthparts, admiring the intricate natural runes.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, eyes shining. “Spell-breaking, piercing, blood-siphoning… these are rare and precious spirit patterns.”

In the distance, the Mosquito Mother, maimed and bound, finally caught her breath. She floated unsteadily, her broken body flickering with unstable red light as if she were about to self-destruct.

“Despicable!” she screamed, her voice slurring through her ruined mouth. “How can a creature like you exist?!”