The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 159: The Black Water Flood Dragon Snake Descends

Wu Yuan stood on the precipice overlooking the lake, his gaze burning like a torch. His voice, amplified by Demon Power, boomed across the water, causing ripples to spread outward.

“Bibo! Is the formation ready?”

Bibo stepped forward, stroking his graying whiskers with palpable pride.

“Great King, I have thoroughly digested the Earth Spirit Master inheritance you bestowed upon me!” Bibo gestured grandly toward the coastline. “Observe the terrain of the southern shore. The cliffs are high, creating a sharp drop to the water surface. The land and the lake are locked in opposition.”

“The coastal rocks are layered like frozen waves, their momentum crashing toward the lake,” Bibo explained, tracing the ley lines in the air. “I utilized this unique topography to anchor several key spiritual nodes, using the Beaver Water Fortress and the market as the formation eyes.”

“This layout naturally forms the Earth Wave Water Suppression Formation—a perfect match for your requirements.”

Bibo’s eyes shone. “This is a First-Tier High-Grade Formation. Once activated, it harnesses the dense Earth Spiritual Qi of the shore to ruthlessly suppress the vast Water Spiritual Qi of Polong Lake.”

“The moment the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake enters this zone, his Water Escape and flight techniques will be nullified. Furthermore, the formation solidifies the water surface, allowing you to tread upon it as if it were solid ground. You will be able to fight him on your terms!”

Wu Yuan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the energy flow of the formation. After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent research,” Wu Yuan praised. “No wonder you asked me to refine those [Spirit Repelling] and [Spirit Suppressing] formation disks recently.”

“I originally intended them for simple market security,” Bibo admitted with a grin. “I never expected they would harmonize so perfectly with the geography.”

“Continue this line of study,” Wu Yuan encouraged. “Mastery of terrain and Providence could be the key to your next breakthrough. With enough territory and gathered spiritual energy, you can leverage the power of heaven and earth to ascend.”

Bibo flushed with excitement, bowing deeply. “Thank you for your guidance, Great King!” He immediately returned to his inspections, refusing to let even a single rune go unchecked.

Wu Yuan turned back to the mirror-like surface of Polong Lake. Slowly, he withdrew the grotesque meat-ball Little Huang had created from the mutated Sinking Gold Carp.

“Black Water Flood Dragon Snake,” Wu Yuan whispered, “I await your arrival.”

Squelch.

He crushed the meat-ball in his fist. The fragments of flesh and blood scattered into the lake below.

Instantly, a bizarre, sweet-smelling bloody aroma exploded through the water. It was an intoxicating scent, driving the surrounding aquatic life into a frenzy. Schools of fish and shrimp converged on the blood, devouring it madly.

But the Dragon Blood was too potent. The weaker creatures couldn’t handle the energy; their bodies swelled and detonated into red mist. Yet, amidst the carnage, a few lucky survivors began to mutate, their scales taking on faint, dragon-like characteristics.

Wu Yuan watched the biological chaos with scientific detachment, waiting.

Deep in the lake, the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake was already in a state of manic paranoia.

Since the death of the Red Refined Fire Snake, he had turned Polong Lake upside down. His minions had searched every crevice, but the Sinking Gold Carp were nowhere to be found.

His last hope lay with the Beaver Water Fortress. He prayed they had stolen the fish—because if they hadn’t, and the fish were left unattended in some hidden cave, they would degenerate and become worthless.

Suddenly, the serpent’s head snapped up. His slit pupils contracted, locking onto the south.

“That smell…”

A red light of pure euphoria flooded his eyes.

“Dragon blood! Such rich, concentrated dragon blood!”

“It’s enough! It’s finally enough!”

The Black Water Flood Dragon Snake roared, launching himself from the depths. He erupted into the sky, his massive body writhing with ecstasy.

Dark clouds instantly gathered, summoned by his innate weather manipulation. The clouds churned and expanded, blotting out the sun and casting a doomsday shadow over the southern waters. Thunder rumbled, and lightning began to arc through the gloom.

From within the storm, the serpent looked down.

On the surface, an endless tide of low-level water demons—shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and mutated fish—was being driven toward the southern shore.

The Black Water Flood Dragon Snake watched coldly from his thunderhead, occasionally dropping a bolt of lightning to vaporize any stragglers or deserters. He was using them as cannon fodder to breach the beaver’s defenses.

He knew about the Soul-Harvesting Demon (One Ear). He knew these troops would be slaughtered. But he didn’t care. He calculated that this sheer mass of bodies would overwhelm the shore in ten minutes.

Bibo looked at the boundless wave of enemies and sighed.

“He’s draining the pond to catch the fish,” Bibo noted grimly. “He’s sacrificing his entire army. He’s given up on becoming the Grotto-Heaven Master.”

The Winged Tiger nodded. “He’s smashing the pot because it’s already cracked. Even if he breaches the fortress, One Ear will harvest these souls. Without an army, he’s just a lonely commander. He’s finished in this region.”

“He’s not stupid,” Wu Yuan interjected calmly, stepping up beside them. “If he seizes the Sinking Gold Carp and transforms into a Flood Dragon, none of this matters. A true Flood Dragon doesn’t need an army of shrimp. He can go anywhere, join any faction, and be treated as royalty.”

Wu Yuan looked at his generals.

“Is everyone in position?”

“Then let the chaos begin.”

As his words fell, the tide of water demons crashed into the Beaver Water Fortress’s defensive perimeter.

The response was immediate.

Wu Yuan’s forces stopped hiding. Rat demons emerged from the water, riding tamed fish and giant crabs. They wielded Spirit Copper spears, stabbing into the chaotic mass of enemies.

Giant turtles surfaced, their shells serving as mobile artillery platforms for rat spellcasters who rained colorful death upon the lake.

Big Old Black, Little Gray, and Little White moved like sharks through the water, targeting the enemy elites and cutting them down with brutal efficiency.

High above the carnage, standing alone on the highest point of the fortress, was Wu Yuan.

He watched the macroscopic violence with a sense of detached grandeur, a warlord observing his chessboard.

The Black Water Flood Dragon Snake did not attack Wu Yuan. He remained hidden in the storm clouds, a massive, coiling shadow.

Wu Yuan could feel the serpent’s gaze—a bright, undisguised beam of Demon Sense scanning him repeatedly, analyzing, hating.

“Alas,” Wu Yuan sighed, meeting the gaze.