Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Fuse the Traits—Now’s the Time to Seize His Treasure!

The Yellow Wind King returned to his burrow to rest. Using the bronze mirror, he observed the movements of the two demons. They continued pumping thick smoke into the cave. But it was useless.

A rat’s burrow naturally had numerous tunnels, and after years of digging and reinforcement, it had an efficient system for ventilation and drainage. The incoming smoke lingered only in the outermost areas.

The Yellow Wind King chewed on some stored provisions and dried meat.

He contemplated, The Wolf Demon is cunning and deceitful, and the Red Hǔi isn’t any better. Those two are only working together on the surface—if this drags on, they’re bound to split up.

A plan formed in his mind. He stealthily slipped out of the burrow. By midday, the sun was scorching. The two demons were fatigued. The Wolf Demon sat in the shade, his eyes darting around.

“Third Brother, this rat is too sly. Forcing him out might be impossible.”

The death of the Boar Demon had shaken him. He knew he wasn’t as physically strong as the boar, and he had no personal grudge against the rat.

A thought of retreat grew in his mind.

The Red Hui’s snake eyes gleamed coldly.

That burrow is filled with traps. Since Second Brother is so resourceful, do you have a clever plan?

Its heart was full of hatred. It was vengeful by nature. After its older brother had been killed, it had spent the last ten years cultivating furiously, finally shedding its skin and transforming.

With its newfound strength, it had quickly gathered its allies from the mountain to exact revenge—only for one of them to be slain yet again. Now, its hatred ran even deeper.

But it was not reckless. The rat’s burrow had left a deep impression on it. Even now, an old wound on its body ached faintly.

The Wolf Demon suggested, “How about I head back to the mountain and bring some little demons to help?”

The Red Hǔi’s eyes flickered.

“That could work. If we have small demons scout ahead, we can avoid traps. Go quickly and return soon!”

The Wolf Demon hurriedly stood up.

“Alright, Third Brother, wait here for me!”

Then, dropping to the ground, it reverted to its true form—a wolf the size of a young ox, with a tuft of white fur on its forehead. It sprinted down the mountain, its powerful limbs carrying it in great leaps, covering ten meters with each bound, as if flying. It fled at astonishing speed.

The Red Hǔi watched it go, flicking out its blood-red tongue. Then, slithering to the side, it used its tail to dig up the buried body of the Boar Demon.

Opening its massive jaws wide, it swallowed the corpse whole. Its belly swelled, and crimson light flickered across its scales. It was digesting the Boar Demon, absorbing its demonic power.

The Yellow Wind King lay in wait. Suddenly, birds scattered in fright, and trees swayed. His nose twitched—he caught the scent of a wolf.

“It’s coming!”

Excited, he leaped onto a rock pile, spotting the Wolf Demon in the distance. Without hesitation—He drew his bow!

Nocked the arrow!

Held his breath and focused!

With his newfound strength, he could pull the bowstring to near-full draw, compressing his demonic energy within.

Closer…

Closer…

One hundred paces!

The Wolf Demon suddenly tensed, slowing its pace, eyes scanning its surroundings.

Now!

The Yellow Wind King let the arrow fly.

Shhh!

The white bone arrow streaked forward like a flash of white lightning, bursting with a tiger’s roar, like thunder striking from the heavens—straight into the Wolf Demon!

Boom!

It was like an artillery shell had detonated. The explosion echoed through the mountains. The Wolf Demon was blown apart. Its body burst into pieces, blood staining the forest, splattering nearby trees, snapping them in half.

Another one-shot kill!

The Yellow Wind King approached, blade in hand. The ground bore a crater, grass and trees shattered, rocks fractured and soaked in blood and flesh.

A gruesome sight—the Wolf Demon had died without leaving a complete corpse. But there was no prompt? The Wolf Demon wasn’t dead yet?

Sensing something amiss, the Yellow Wind King focused his senses. Near a pile of broken stones, he uncovered a wolf’s severed head, still exuding traces of a lingering soul.

“Die!”

With a swift slash, he split the head in two. A small, pigeon-egg-sized white stone lay within, shielding the Wolf Demon’s soul. A faint moonlight shimmered across the surroundings.

“A Moonstone!”

The Yellow Wind King recognized it from ancient texts and was overjoyed. The Moonstone was said to come from the moon itself, containing pure lunar essence. It was an extremely rare material.

“Mercy, great king…!”

The Wolf Demon’s soul trembled, begging for its life. The Yellow Wind King ignored it. One slash—sending it to reincarnation. He picked up the Moonstone. His demonic energy surged with excitement, and without hesitation, he swallowed it.

A cool sensation spread through his body. Not only could the Moonstone increase his demonic energy, but it could also purify his Moon-Swallowing Mouse bloodline—an invaluable treasure.

No wonder the Wolf Demon had that tuft of white fur on its forehead—it had been undergoing a bloodline mutation, evolving toward the Moon Wolf.

[You have slain the Wolf Demon. Randomly looted trait: Moon Absorption (Blue). Fuse?] [Moon Absorption (Blue): Increases your efficiency in absorbing lunar essence by 20%. Enhances perception of moon-related objects by 10%.]

“Moon Absorption? Blue rank? Not bad. Increases cultivation efficiency and enhances perception.”

“The Wolf Demon must have found the Moonstone using this ability.”

“Fuse!” The Yellow Wind King said.

[You have fused the trait: Moon Absorption (Blue).]

A wave of cool energy merged into his body. While his physique didn’t change, his connection to the moon deepened. The next time he cultivated under the moon, he would be able to absorb even more lunar essence, and he would have a better chance of discovering moon-related treasures.

Suddenly, The Yellow Wind King’s instincts screamed danger. Without thinking, he kicked off the ground, dashing sideways. Rodents had an innate sharpness for detecting threats.

From the corner of his eye—A crimson fireball smashed into where he had just stood. The flames sizzled, consuming the shattered wolf head, reducing it to white bone.

The Yellow Wind King’s expression darkened. This wasn’t just ordinary fire—it was poisonous. Incredibly toxic. It could melt flesh in an instant.

Looking up—A dark demonic mist hovered in the air. Within it, the faint silhouette of the Red Hǔi emerged.

“It got here fast!”

The Yellow Wind King was taken aback. The demonic mist descended. The Red Hǔi expanded its serpentine body, stretching to a massive ten zhang (over 30 meters), as thick as a water barrel. Its crimson scales glowed ominously.

A single red horn jutted from its forehead as it spoke in a cold, human-like voice.

“Filthy rat! I knew you’d be watching from the shadows. That’s why I let him go. Now, let’s see where you’ll run!”

The Yellow Wind King narrowed his eyes. “Wasn’t he your sworn brother? You used him as bait?”

The Red Hǔi sneered.

“Sworn brother? Him? Hah! They were nothing more than emergency food—stockpiled rations!”

“Now, die!”

With those words, its colossal form surged forward, moving at terrifying speed. Trees parted in its wake, forming a clear path. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered and died.

As it advanced—It opened its gaping, foul-smelling mouth, exuding a sickening stench. A few breaths of it made one feel drowsy. The Red Chain Snake wasn’t originally venomous, but after evolving into a Red Hǔi, it had gained lethal toxins and transformed into a fire-type demon.

The Yellow Wind King leaped aside, narrowly dodging the snake’s bite. He slashed his gleaming blade at its crimson scales.

Clang!

Sparks flew. The impact sent the Yellow Wind King staggering backward.

“So tough!”

He was stunned. The Dragon lineage was truly terrifying. Even with his Thick Hide trait, he was no match for the Red Hǔi in sheer resilience. Among beasts, dragons were kings of scales and armor. Their bloodline gave them an innate advantage over other demons.

Of course, rare beings like the Lingming Stone Monkey, Nine-Headed Worm, and Golden-Winged Roc were exceptions.

Boom!

The Red Hǔi smashed through a tree, then whipped its tail around, sweeping down another grove of thick trees.

“Filthy rodent! Your kind has always been my kin’s food. And you dare raise a blade against me? You’re courting death!”

Its eyes flared with killing intent. Turning its head, it spat out a series of crimson poison fireballs, crackling towards the Yellow Wind King!