The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 140: Blood Essence

Wu Yuan crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze sharp.

Opposite him, Little Wolf and the Winged Tiger immediately assumed guarded stances. Their Demon Power surged like rushing rivers as they braced themselves for whatever horror the Great King was about to unleash. Even as test subjects, they had to be conscientious—losing face in front of the Boss was not an option.

Wu Yuan nodded. As he spoke, the Blood Water Pool materialized in his claw.

HUM!

In an instant, a crimson glow suffused the clearing. The red light spread out like a tangible substance, heavy and suffocating. The two demon beasts felt their own Qi and blood roil uncontrollably, as if the liquid within their veins had transformed into countless fine needles pricking their flesh from the inside out.

The Winged Tiger, sensing the overwhelming malice radiating from the artifact, immediately pulled a long face. His brave facade crumbled instantly.

“Great King… we haven’t committed any crimes recently, have we?” he asked pitifully, his voice trembling. “Do you really need to use a High-Grade Magical Artifact just to teach us a lesson?”

The Winged Tiger felt extremely wronged. This wasn’t a spar; this was an execution.

Wu Yuan chuckled. “Hurry up and run!”

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the artifact into the air.

The palm-sized Blood Water Pool instantly expanded, towering in the sky like a majestic, blood-red mountain peak. From its rim, a waterfall of viscous blood cascaded down, enveloping the two demons in a domain of death.

The Winged Tiger reacted instantly, transforming into a wisp of breeze to vanish from his spot.

But a moment later, he reappeared with a face full of terror. He couldn’t escape.

The blood-colored domain exerted a terrifying gravitational pull on his very biology. No matter how he struggled, an invisible force dragged at his blood, anchoring him to the spot. The crimson spirit patterns on the artifact shimmered faintly, generating an infinite suction force that threatened to rip the life essence right out of his pores.

If they didn’t want to explode, they had to move closer to the pool—but any beast with eyes could see that falling into that liquid meant certain death. It felt as if countless hungry gazes were watching them from the depths, making their fur stand on end.

“ROAR!”

Little Wolf threw his head back, spewing forth all his Demon Power. He transformed into a giant ice wolf, charging upwards to impact the descending blood waterfall. The ice construct was massive, emitting a bone-chilling cold that froze the air itself.

But the Blood Water Pool merely descended gently.

Sizzle.

The ice wolf dissolved instantly upon contact, reverting to harmless spiritual Qi.

The two demons felt as if they were carrying a colossal mountain on their backs. Their bones creaked, threatening to snap. Their blood pounded in their ears, the pressure alternating their vision between red and black. It was a disorienting, agonizing pain, like millions of ants gnawing at their marrow.

Seeing this, Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the Blood Water Pool.

The pressure vanished. The two demons collapsed, panting heavily.

Wu Yuan shook his head helplessly. “They can’t even withstand half its power.”

Seeing the undisguised pity in the King’s eyes, the Winged Tiger wanted to cry but had no tears left.

“Great King,” he gasped, his face bitter. “With this High-Grade artifact, you’re not weak even among Qi Condensation experts! An ordinary mid-stage beast wouldn’t even be able to run—they’d just have to wait for death! Why did you need to test it on us?”

Wu Yuan shot a glare at the complaining tiger. “Look at Little Wolf. He hasn’t said a word. Why do you have so many complaints?”

The Winged Tiger glanced at his companion. Little Wolf’s eyes were vacant, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He was clearly brain-addled from the blood rush.

“Uh…”

Wu Yuan felt a pang of embarrassment. He quickly retrieved a bottle of Moon Spirit Grass juice and poured it into Little Wolf’s mouth. The refreshing fragrance gradually restored vitality to the wolf’s glazed eyes.

“Listen up,” Wu Yuan said, his expression turning serious. “There is another reason I called you here.”

“I want you to hunt. Immediately.”

“Target solitary Demon Beasts beyond Wolf Mountain. At least early-stage Qi Condensation—mid-stage is even better. The local population on Little Green Mountain isn’t enough.”

“One Ear will assist you,” Wu Yuan added grimly. “I need bodies to refine Blood Essence.”

Later, inside the Treehouse.

Wu Yuan pinched a fist-sized sphere of Blood Essence between his claws, observing it carefully.

It emitted a rich, fragrant aroma that made his own blood sing.

“This Blood Essence condensed by the Blood Water Pool is much larger than standard refinement methods,” Wu Yuan noted with satisfaction. “And it’s extremely pure.”

Blood Essence was a universal currency in the cultivation world. It could heal injuries, replenish vitality, and boost cultivation. However, producing it was difficult.

Alchemy methods mass-produced it but diluted the potency. Medical extraction methods yielded purity but low volume.

Neither could compare to the Mosquito Mother, a creature evolved specifically to condense blood into food. And the Blood Water Pool—an artifact forged from her essence and enhanced by formations—had optimized that biological process into an industrial one.

Even Wu Yuan was shocked by the efficiency. Over a hundred Low-Grade beasts had been condensed into this single, fist-sized Middle-Grade sphere.

“In this regard,” Wu Yuan mused, “the Blood Water Pool is effectively an inexhaustible Spirit Stone mine.”

He popped the sphere into his mouth.

It melted instantly, transforming into a streak of warm, red light that merged into his body.

A special fragrance rose from his pores. A gentle, extremely pure surge of Qi and blood flooded his system. The spirit patterns in his stomach and organs revved up, absorbing the energy greedily while his Large Intestine filtered out the few remaining impurities.

It felt as if a furnace were burning inside him. His Demon Power surged like a long river, swelling rapidly.

One strand… three strands… five strands!

Wu Yuan was amazed. A single sphere of Blood Essence had equaled two months of bitter cultivation.

His Demon Power had now reached thirty-five strands.

More importantly, his physical body was strengthening. The excess Qi and blood leaked out, enveloping his skin in a faint red mist.

“Once this mist condenses into a tangible form,” Wu Yuan realized, “my Body Refining cultivation will reach the late stage of the First Rank!”