The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 164: Dissecting the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake

Deep within the mine tunnel, the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake floated in mid-air, suspended like a macabre puppet.

Though deep in slumber, his body still radiated a thick, oppressive Demonic Aura. Arcs of lightning flickered between his teeth with every breath. Above him, countless strands of red light dripped down from the ceiling—nutrient feeds synthesized from the Spirit Mulberry—merging into his flesh to keep him alive.

Wu Yuan stood before his subject, nodding with clinical satisfaction.

He retrieved a First-Tier Middle-Grade Wind Feather Magical Artifact. Infusing it with Demon Power, the feather hardened instantly, its edge gleaming with a cold, razor-sharp light.

With the precision of a master surgeon, Wu Yuan began to cut.

He sliced along the grain of the muscles, peeling back layers of tissue to expose the pulsating machinery beneath. He studied the structure of the Spirit Runes embedded in the meat, tracing the flow of Demon Power through the snake’s meridians.

He moved closer, his nose almost touching the raw flesh, as he examined the intricate patterns etched into the bones.

“Fascinating,” Wu Yuan whispered, stroking his chin with a bloody claw. “The sequence of Qi and Blood flow… it’s not driven by a cultivation technique. He’s unconscious. This is spontaneous biological automation.”

“I need to record this. There might be a new principle here.”

Wu Yuan pulled a jade slip from his Storage Bag and began frantically taking notes.

“A pity I can’t perfectly control the illusions of the [Heavenly Demon Soul-Confusing Sound] yet,” he muttered with a sigh. “If I could guide his dreams, I might be able to trick his body into revealing his core cultivation method.”

He turned back to the snake, his expression hardening. The Wind Feather danced in his hand, making incisions of varying depths. Through the deepest cuts, the writhing internal organs were clearly visible.

“Boss,” Big Old Black asked, handing Wu Yuan a tray of tools. “Why isn’t he waking up? You’ve practically flayed him.”

Wu Yuan grinned, not looking up from his work.

“I coated the scalpel in the sap of the [Spirit Dispersing Numbing Fruit].”

“It’s a First-Tier Middle-Grade toxin. It disperses Spiritual Qi and numbs the nervous system. After Little Huang purified it, the potency tripled. It’s more than enough to keep a comatose flood dragon under.”

“Besides,” Wu Yuan added, slicing through a tendon, “the muscle relaxes when the Qi disperses. Makes the meat easier to work with.”

He wiped the blade and turned to a cluster of fat, wriggling larvae in a nearby basket.

“Alright, you gluttons. You eat my food, you drink my resources. Now earn your keep.”

The Blood Jade Spirit Silkworms looked up sluggishly.

“If you mess this up,” Wu Yuan drawled, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr, “I hear deep-fried silkworm is a delicacy. Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside…”

The silkworms shuddered. They instantly mobilized, scrambling over each other to reach their designated positions on the snake’s body.

“Begin,” Wu Yuan commanded.

The silkworms opened their maws and began to spin. Pale red silk threads shot out, burrowing into the incisions Wu Yuan had made, threading directly into the snake’s vascular system.

“Wait! You, the fat one! Move your thread five millimeters to the left! You’re gonna hit an artery!”

Wu Yuan monitored the procedure with his Demon Sense, micromanaging every connection.

A full day passed.

“Good. Stabilization complete. Begin extraction.”

“Remember: do not digest the blood. Condense it into Blood Essence.”

Crimson energy began to flow out of the snake, traveling up the silk threads and into the silkworms. The larvae processed the raw energy and spun it out from their spinnerets, forming a growing ball of concentrated red silk.

The ball pulsed like a second heart, glowing with the stolen vitality of the flood dragon.

Simultaneously, the snake’s aura dimmed, his body turning cold.

“Stop!” Wu Yuan barked. “Any more and he dies. We need him renewable.”

The silkworms ceased immediately.

Wu Yuan rolled up his sleeves. “Phase Two: Harvesting.”

He began to peel.

Using the Wind Feather, he carefully separated the skin and scales from the underlying muscle, ensuring a thin layer of living tissue remained attached to the hide. He worked with terrifying speed and proficiency.

In less than an hour, the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake was reduced to a glistening, skinless red meat-tube.

In Wu Yuan’s hands lay a complete, perfect Flood Dragon Scale Hide. Because he had harvested it alive and kept the vascular connections intact via the silkworm threads, the hide was still pulsing with life.

Wu Yuan hooked the hide up to the Spirit Mulberry’s nutrient feed.

“Success,” he declared, eyes shining. “Sustainable farming.”

“I can extract fresh blood whenever I need it. I can study the Spirit Runes on this hide at my leisure. And when the snake regenerates his skin, I can study the evolution of the runes in real-time.”

“I am a genius.”

He glanced at the skinless snake, scratching his chin. “I used anesthesia. He probably didn’t feel a thing.”

Big Old Black stared at the horrific sight, his face pale. “Boss… what else are you planning? Isn’t this enough?”

Wu Yuan grinned, his teeth white against the gloom.

“Not yet. I need to remove the final variable.”

He placed a claw on the snake’s exposed flesh. Demon Power surged from his hand, traveling down the silk threads and invading the snake’s body.

The shock jolted the Black Water Flood Dragon Snake awake.

The nightmare ended, only for reality to begin.

He couldn’t open his eyes. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t feel his Qi. He couldn’t even feel his skin.

He extended his Demon Sense in a panic, and saw—

Himself. Skinless. Suspended in a web of red silk.

And beside him, the Rat Demon, smiling.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!

The snake’s mental scream echoed through the cavern, filled with absolute, primal terror.