The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 87: Earth Immortal Path

Despite the Winged Tiger possessing a High Grade Rank 2 bloodline, his personal cultivation was pitiful—merely the early stages of Qi Refining.

In the outside world, this might have commanded respect. But within the Winged Tiger Clan? It was nothing special. Practically everyone walking the clan grounds boasted a Rank 2 bloodline.

Sure, some lesser demons might bow their heads out of instinctual fear, but when it came to fighting for resources, bloodlines didn’t matter. Fists did.

He wasn’t the Clan Leader’s heir. He wasn’t a genius. On paper, everyone was a subordinate of the Tiger King, but in reality, if you wanted better meat, a better cave, or a higher position, you had to bleed for it.

The Winged Tiger thought back to his days of scraping by in the clan, fighting tooth and nail for scraps. His eyes hardened with resolve.

He buried his face in the feast before him, tearing into the spirit meat like a starving wolf.

Half an hour later.

The feast had been decimated. Not a scrap remained.

The Winged Tiger lay back in the Spirit Cleansing Pool, a look of pure, unadulterated bliss plastered across his face. His mouth hung open while several small field mice diligently picked his teeth with fine wooden tools.

Bibo the Beaver waddled over, a clipboard in hand. “So? How is the service?”

The Winged Tiger’s eyes welled up with tears. His throat bobbed as he choked out a single, trembling word.

“Good!”

“Excellent,” Bibo nodded professionally. “Perfect timing, too. The Great King wants to see you.”

Whoosh!

Before Bibo could even blink, the water in the pool exploded upward.

The Winged Tiger was already 50 meters away, sprinting toward the throne room. He glanced back, his face twisted in urgency.

“Hurry up! Don’t make the Great King wait!”

Bibo stood there, dripping wet, and let out a helpless chuckle.

Inside the main hall.

The Winged Tiger skid to a halt before Wu Yuan, dropped to one knee, and clasped his paws together with theatrical solemnity.

“My Lord! If you do not disdain this humble one’s crude ability, I wish to bow before you as my foster fa—”

“Stop! Stop right there!”

Wu Yuan hurriedly cut him off, rubbing his temples as if fighting a sudden migraine. “Where on earth did you learn that line?”

The Winged Tiger scratched the back of his head, his ferocious demeanor instantly replaced by an honest, simple-minded grin.

“I heard it from the human storytellers! Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say when you pledge loyalty to a human lord?”

“We… we can discuss cultural nuances later,” Wu Yuan waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s talk business.”

The Winged Tiger’s expression instantly turned serious. He puffed out his chest.

“Great King, ask away! This Little Tiger will tell you everything he knows, holding nothing back!”

“Start with the general situation outside,” Wu Yuan commanded.

The Winged Tiger took a moment to organize his thoughts.

“Great King, the mountain you currently occupy, Little Green Mountain, is actually just a small spur of the massive Azure Spirit Mountain Range.”

“Previously, the Spiritual Qi in the Azure Spirit Mountain Range was garbage,” the Tiger explained. “Even the most concentrated spots didn’t reach Low Grade Rank 1.”

Wu Yuan nodded. This matched his own experience.

“But then, without warning, the Qi density surged,” the Tiger continued, his voice animating. “It skyrocketed to Medium Grade Rank 1 almost overnight, and it’s still climbing. Naturally, this anomaly caught the attention of the Demon King!”

“They checked the ancient records and found the truth: The Azure Spirit Mountain Range is actually the corpse of a fallen ancient realm—the [Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven]!”

“And now, this Grotto-Heaven is showing signs of revival!”

Wu Yuan’s mind raced. Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven… That golden intelligence mentioned this name weeks ago. So this is what it meant.

“This attracted the Demon King’s gaze,” the Tiger went on. “But for a figure of his stature, a mere reviving Grotto-Heaven is too small a matter to handle personally.”

“So, he sent a subordinate to manage the excavation and mobilize the surrounding tribes.”

“The manager is a newly advanced Golden Core Demon Lord. Rumor has it his background is terrifyingly deep.”

The Tiger leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing state secrets.

“This Golden Core Demon Lord gathered the nearby tribes and set the rules: We choose our targets based on our strength. To be honest, the powerful Rank 3 clans are all staring at the major peaks where the Qi is thickest.”

“A remote, desolate place like Little Green Mountain? Only second-rate scavengers like us bother with it.”

The Winged Tiger glanced cautiously at Wu Yuan. Seeing the Great King’s expression remain impassive, he let out a breath of relief and continued.

“The demons sent here are average at best. The support from the main army is minimal.”

“Why?” The Tiger scoffed. “Because they don’t think the native trash on Little Green Mountain has the power to resist!”

Suddenly, the Winged Tiger’s voice rose in excitement.

“But they were blind! They completely misjudged the situation!”

“I have discovered that this remote corner hides a true dragon! Only a mighty talent as wise, powerful, and favored by Providence as you, Great King, could turn this wasteland into a fortress!”

The Tiger slammed his paw on the ground. “Great King, you are destined to rule the Demon Race!”

Wu Yuan sat there, blank-faced.

Beside him, however, Bibo and Big Old Black were nodding vigorously, their faces practically glowing with agreement. Yes, yes, the tiger speaks the truth.

Encouraged by the audience, the Winged Tiger pressed his advantage.

“I am willing to serve as your claws and fangs, Great King! I will contact other demon tribes, buy you time, and help you swallow the entire Azure Spirit Mountain Range in one fell swoop!”

“Ease up on the ambition,” Wu Yuan interrupted, waving a paw. “I have a specific question.”

“I entered this area relatively early,” Wu Yuan lied smoothly, concealing his identity as a local. “Do you know how long the ‘Spiritual Qi Barren Zone’ surrounding Little Green Mountain will last?”

This was Wu Yuan’s primary concern. The Barren Zone was a natural wall. If that barrier vanished, he would be exposed to the true heavyweights of the cultivation world. If that happened, he needed to have his running shoes ready.

The Winged Tiger looked thoughtful. “That depends on when they find the core of the Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven.”

“The Demon King has already issued the order: Once found, we are to shatter the Grotto-Heaven immediately. That will stop it from draining the surrounding Qi.”

“So, the barrier will fall very soon. A massive influx of demons is inevitable.”

Wu Yuan froze. “Shatter the Grotto-Heaven?”

“Of course,” the Tiger replied nonchalantly. “It’s not like the Demon King doesn’t have his own Cave Paradise.”

“Think about it, Great King. Who knows how many centuries—or how much Qi—it would take to fully restore a dead Grotto-Heaven like Azure Radiance? It’s a money pit.”

“It is far more efficient to shatter it, extract the World Source, and use it to nurture the Demon King’s existing domain.”

“Whatever fragments remain can be handed out to descendants or used to reward subordinates. That’s why so many demons are rushing to the main peak—they want a front-row seat to grab the debris when the world breaks.”

Wu Yuan sucked in a cold breath.

This cultivation world is different from what I imagined, he muttered internally. I thought a Grotto-Heaven would be a priceless treasure to be preserved. But these guys… they treat it like a derelict building to be demolished for scrap materials.

Seeing Wu Yuan’s shock, the Winged Tiger looked puzzled.

“Great King? It is merely a Grotto-Heaven.”

“While Grotto-Heavens aren’t common, the tier below them—Blessed Lands—are everywhere. Even my Winged Tiger Clan possesses a private Blessed Land.”

The Tiger shrugged. “And the humans? Their cultivators follow the Earth Immortal Path. They have countless Blessed Lands and Grotto-Heavens. Don’t even get me started on Secret Realms. They’re a dime a dozen.”

Suddenly, a realization struck the Winged Tiger.

Could it be… was the Great King a low-status member of his previous clan? Is that why his general knowledge is so lacking?

The more the Tiger thought about it, the more sense it made.

It explains everything! The Great King entered the mountain range long before anyone else. That means his strength was originally low—low enough to slip past the blockade.

But in such a short time, he has become this terrifying?

There is a human idiom for this: ‘A Hidden Dragon Rising from the Abyss’!

Yes! That must be it! The Tiger’s eyes lit up with renewed fervor. How could those cowardly, indigenous rat clans possibly nurture a hero like the Great King? He must be an exiled genius!

The Great King is currently short on manpower. This is my Fated Chance! If I, Huang Xiaohu, stick to him now, I’ll be a founding general later!

The Winged Tiger never once considered the possibility that Wu Yuan was actually a local rat.

Why? Because the Azure Spirit Mountain Range had only been reviving for 3 years. It was logically impossible for a native beast to gain this level of wisdom, cultivation, and magical power in just 3 years.

“Tell me more about this ‘Earth Immortal Path’,” Wu Yuan commanded, breaking the Tiger’s reverie.

“Great King, my knowledge is limited, so please treat this as mere entertainment to relieve your boredom,” the Winged Tiger said, lowering his head humbly.

He had fully accepted his role as the sycophantic underling.

“The Earth Immortal Path…” the Tiger began.