The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 82: Bibo Emerges from Seclusion

A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Wu Yuan’s mouth.

“It works. It actually works.”

In that fleeting moment, his skin had become a hyper-sensitive canvas. He hadn’t just felt the air; he had perceived the precise temperature gradients, the subtle shifts in atmospheric pressure, the trajectory of the airflow, and even the faint, rhythmic fluctuations of the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

“If I refine this further,” Wu Yuan mused, his eyes gleaming with ambition, “I might eventually be able to sense an enemy’s gaze or even detect the scan of their Divine Sense before they strike.”

He nodded to himself, already deciding on a grandiose name for this minor discovery.

“I shall name this the Profound Tactile Spirit Sense, a derivative technique of the [Spirit Pivot Five Senses Profound Method]. It might not qualify as a true spell—hell, it’s barely a technique—but a good name is half the battle.”

He sighed wistfully. “One day, I hope to use my five senses to touch the very fabric of Heaven and Earth.”

Wu Yuan decided against experimenting with his other senses for now. Unlike skin, which healed quickly, eyes and eardrums were delicate. If he accidentally blew them out with spiritual pressure, regeneration would be a hassle.

As the tension of the experiment faded, a wave of mental exhaustion crashed over him. He checked the time and blinked in surprise—he had been in a trance for over a month.

With a mental command, the roots sealing the treehouse retracted, opening the door.

Almost immediately, a procession of rat demons scurried inside, each balancing a platter of steaming delicacies.

The centerpiece was a literal mountain of meat, piled high on a massive slab of stone. The flesh was pink, tender, and radiated heat.

This was the culmination of a long-term investment. The rat swarm had captured a herd of wild goats, penning them in and feeding them a strict diet of Moon Spirit Grass and bamboo pond water. They had been nurtured into low-level monsters solely for this specific meal.

The meat was freshly roasted, the fat still sizzling and popping with a delightful crack-hiss. Each chunk was encased in a golden, crispy crust that locked in the juices and the rich Spiritual Qi, leaving only a tantalizing aroma wafting through the air.

The preparation was a feat of industrial engineering. Ever since Wu Yuan discovered the intense heat radiating from a fissure in the giant rock, he had turned it into a natural oven. His scouts had found traces of legitimate Spirit Fire deep within the crevice. While they couldn’t reach the source, the ambient temperature at the mouth was perfect for roasting monster meat.

It was a grueling process. Hundreds of rat demons worked in shifts, entering the fissure for only a few minutes at a time before rotating out, their fur drenched in sweat.

They suffered the heat gladly, all to ensure their King had a hot meal.

Wu Yuan condensed a sharp wooden spear, skewered a massive chunk of goat, and shoved it into his mouth.

Crunch.

He bit down gently. Savory juices exploded in his mouth, splashing out and sending the surrounding rat demons into a frenzy of excited squeaks.

Wu Yuan nodded approvingly as he chewed. “Abundant Spiritual Qi, vigorous blood energy… but most importantly, it tastes fantastic!”

After enjoying the natural flavor, he signaled for condiments. A rat demon scurried forward and poured a ladle of crimson sauce over the meat. It was made from a chili-like spirit plant found on Little Green Mountain—spicy enough to tingle, but not enough to burn. Wu Yuan loved it.

Next came the sweet sauce. A blend of Moon Spirit Grass for freshness, spirit peaches for aroma, and wild honey for depth.

Wu Yuan devoured the mountain of meat with terrifying speed.

He washed it down with a bucket of Moon Spirit Grass juice, then cleansed his palate with over a dozen Golden Thread Peaches, 30 Snake Spirit Fruits, and a pile of spirit melons. He even snacked on various lesser spirit fruits as a side dish.

Finally, he leaned back, patting his stomach. He was about eighty percent full—a meal that was rugged in quantity but refined in quality.

He did the mental math. This single binge had consumed materials worth four to five hundred Spirit Stones. He had just eaten the entire net worth of a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator in twenty minutes.

Of course, such decadence wasn’t a daily occurrence. He could only indulge like this once every month or two. Spirit plants took time to grow; the Golden Thread Peach trees were currently bare, waiting for the next harvest. Even with his wealth, daily gluttony of this magnitude would bankrupt the ecosystem.

His daily diet usually consisted of crunching on raw Spirit Stones, Spirit Copper, or sipping Purple Jade Marrow, supplemented by common spirit herbs.

If I hadn’t given the Wood Calling Spirit Horn to Little Yellow to boost plant growth, Wu Yuan thought, picking his teeth, I wouldn’t be able to sustain this lifestyle at all.

He let out a thunderous, satisfied belch and waved his hand. The rat swarm bowed and retreated instantly.

The vines of the treehouse writhed and sealed the entrance tight. It was time to digest.

Outside, the valley’s defensive Formation hummed to life. The swarm entered high-alert mode, with Big Old Black leading the patrols, eyes sharp for any intruders while the King slept.

Wu Yuan curled up in his soft nest, comfortably slipping into a deep slumber.

Another month passed in the blink of an eye.

Wu Yuan slowly drifted out of his cultivation state, his eyes opening with clarity.

He checked his internal reserves. 92 strands of Demon Power.

The logic of cultivation stated that progress should slow down as one advanced, yet his speed was accelerating. At this rate, he could attempt a breakthrough to the next stage in just two months.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and exited the treehouse.

Lying back on his stone platform, he pulled out a jade slip and began to read, letting his mind wander. He had already memorized every jade slip Bibo had brought back from the human markets. This was his second pass, looking for missed details.

“Great King!”

Hearing a familiar voice, Wu Yuan looked up. Bibo stood nearby, waiting respectfully.

“Bibo? You’ve emerged from seclusion.”

The giant beaver immediately dropped to the ground, prostrating himself. His voice trembled with emotion, tears welling in his eyes.

“Thank you, Great King! Thank you for giving this old, dying beast a chance to heal his injuries and glimpse the path forward!” Bibo choked out. “If not for the Great King’s grace, these old bones would have long since returned to the yellow earth.”

Wu Yuan smiled, his expression one of benevolent paternalism.

“You earned this yourself,” Wu Yuan said smoothly. “If not for your unwavering loyalty and hard work, why would I have wasted resources on you?”

Bibo shook his head fervently. “No, Great King. Only under your banner would a subordinate find such qualification! Your heart is as broad as the sky. How could I, Bibo, be worthy of such favor?”

Wu Yuan didn’t argue. He stood up and walked over to inspect Bibo.

The [Blood Jade Spirit Mulberry] had done its work. The deep-seated deterioration in Bibo’s blood and vitality had been scrubbed away. His fur was now oily and sleek, shimmering with health that masked his advanced age. He looked almost youthful again.

However, beneath the shiny coat, the aura of twilight—the scent of a lifespan nearing its end—still lingered faintly.

Wu Yuan frowned slightly. “Why didn’t you push through? With your current condition, you could have attempted the breakthrough to mid-stage Qi Condensation.”

He paused, his voice dropping to a serious tone. “Your days are numbered, Bibo. If you don’t seize this momentum now, you may never get another chance.”

Bibo’s heart skipped a beat. The Great King’s cultivation grows more terrifying by the day. I tried to hide my aura, yet he saw through me instantly.

But Bibo didn’t look discouraged by the mention of his mortality. Instead, his eyes burned with determination.

“I wish to consolidate for a while longer,” Bibo declared. “I want to ensure success in a single attempt. This breakthrough is life or death; I cannot afford to be careless. I must be fully prepared.”

Wu Yuan nodded slowly. “Fair enough. If you fail, the backlash would likely kill you in your old age.”

“The path of cultivation is perilous at every step,” Wu Yuan recited, quoting a common maxim. “One must be brave, but never reckless. Never lose that heart of vigor.”

“Yes, Great King! Those were the very words you taught me!” Bibo beamed, taking the credit as a compliment to his master.

“Besides,” Wu Yuan continued, looking out over the valley, “Little Green Mountain isn’t exactly friendly to outsiders like you right now. It might be better to wait until the Spiritual Qi density rises a bit more.”

Wu Yuan had recently realized a peculiarity of this region: the suppression of cultivation levels only seemed to target foreign entities. Local demons born on the mountain faced no such restrictions.

The reason most locals hadn’t risen to power was simply time; the Great Demon Qing Peng constantly swept through, harvesting anyone who got too strong. But the potential was there.

Since Wu Yuan had connected with the Providence of the Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven, his perception of the land had deepened. He could feel the mountain’s pulse.

The aura of Little Green Mountain was becoming majestic, heavy, and undeniable. The Spiritual Qi was thickening by the day.

Soon, the environment would be so saturated that it would no longer suppress the breakthroughs of outsiders.

“Troubled times are ahead,” Wu Yuan murmured to himself.