Chapter 738: The Devouring Rat

Qin Ming nodded and casually summoned back the Blood Pagoda magic treasure.

The figures of Luo the Monster from Changsheng Temple and the young man surnamed Dan appeared, disheveled and battered.

The onlookers, witnessing this sudden turn of events, were all stunned and filled with fear.

From the demonic aura and magical power radiating from the two, it was easy to discern they were Nascent Soul demonic cultivators.

“Hmph? Aren’t these the two demonic cultivators who escaped from my grasp?”

The Ancient Mountain Demon Saint’s gaze turned icy, instantly recognizing their identities.

“It seems these two were also drawn here by the Transformation Tribulation, though they appear to have been caught by Qin’s magic treasure,” Yue Lingyan said, slightly surprised.

“Ancient Mountain Daoist, should we intervene?” asked the golden-haired elder.

It was clear the elder harbored deep hatred for the demonic cultivators of Xuehuan Realm.

After all, the demonic sects had slaughtered countless beasts of the Beast Roar Mountains.

The Ancient Mountain Demon Saint replied coolly: “Let’s wait and see.”

The moment he finished speaking,

a black lightning streak shot out from Wangyue Island.

The two from Changsheng Temple had already been tortured into near-death by Qingyang the Demon, barely holding onto their bodies, ready to abandon them and flee with Nascent Soul teleportation.

Suddenly, they were astonished to find themselves released.

But before they could rejoice, their Nascent Soul spiritual senses quickly realized they were surrounded by numerous Demon Saints and Qin Ming.

After emerging, the Devouring Rat’s body swelled violently, transforming into a giant beast three hundred zhang tall, covered in gray fur with silver spiritual patterns flickering across its hide.

In his hand, the black steel trident, “Zhanxian Jiao,” swept horizontally, the tip erupting in a mass of black mystic light that slammed toward the two.

The two, already severely wounded, could not withstand such raw physical force; they shrieked and each activated their life-saving techniques to dodge.

“Hmph! Didn’t you two want to steal my demonic core? Now you’re trying to run?”

The Devouring Rat held a grudge—he had been fully aware of everything that transpired outside during his tribulation.

Shhh! Boom! As the black mystic light swept across, an eerie, inexplicable ripple echoed through the void.

The two demonic Nascent Souls tried to flee, but discovered the entire space had been sealed, like a prison, rendering all escape techniques useless.

Even their teleportation talismans had lost their power.

Struck by the residual force of the black steel trident, they were flung hundreds of zhang away, spraying blood across the sky.

The sheer terror of the blow revealed the undeniable strength of a fourth-rank Demon Saint.

Qin Ming made no move, merely standing by to guard.

After advancing to fourth rank, the Devouring Rat’s power rivaled that of a human Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator—dealing with two demonic Nascent Souls was no problem.

In midair, Luo the Monster and the young man surnamed Dan were grievously wounded by the Devouring Rat’s strike, utterly terrified, unable to escape the black light barrier.

The Devouring Rat’s bloodline technique, Forbidden Mystic Light, had undergone a qualitative leap after reaching fourth rank, greatly enhancing its ability to nullify seals and lock space.

Any teleportation or escape technique within the black light barrier became as helpless as sinking into deep mud.

Spells exploded in the sky, painting half the heavens in dazzling colors.

The surrounding cultivators, witnessing the earth-shaking Nascent Soul battle over Wangyue Lake, instinctively fled as far as possible.

Yet they could clearly see that the one battling the two demonic Nascent Souls was the newly ascended fourth-rank Saint Beast, the Devouring Rat.

His massive form was unmistakable.

“My turtle! Just ascended and already this fierce, crushing two Nascent Soul Demon Lords to death!”

“No wonder he’s Wangyue True Person’s top spiritual pet.”

“Of course! A beast that can withstand heavenly tribulation isn’t ordinary!”

“If only I had a spiritual pet like this!”

“What are you dreaming about? First, you need Nascent Soul cultivation.”

“.”

After a long while, the two from Changsheng Temple could no longer hold out—their spiritual power exhausted, their lives hanging by a thread.

The demonic cultivator surnamed Luo immediately summoned his life-bound magic treasure sword and launched it at the Devouring Rat.

The ink-black blade expanded to a hundred zhang, surging with demonic energy, slashing down with the force of splitting heaven and earth.

The Devouring Rat looked at the demonic sword, sneered, then opened his massive jaws, revealing his sharp fangs, and bit down hard—CRUNCH!

The hundred-zhang demonic sword magic treasure shattered instantly, cleanly severed by the Devouring Rat’s bite!

He then chewed it up in seconds and swallowed it whole.

“Puff!”

The demonic cultivator surnamed Luo’s eyes widened in horror—his life-bound magic treasure destroyed, his spirit reeling, he lost all connection to it and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Before he could react, the massive black steel trident swept past, severing his head high into the air.

The headless corpse gushed blood and collapsed lifelessly from the sky.

Luo the Monster’s Nascent Soul, face twisted in terror, prepared to use Nascent Soul teleportation to flee.

But the next instant,

the Devouring Rat opened his jaws, forming a sucking vortex within, like a black hole, drawing in and devouring everything nearby.

With a powerful inhale, Luo the Monster’s Nascent Soul, as if pulled by a magnet, lost all control and was instantly sucked into the Devouring Rat’s mouth.

Before Luo the Monster could scream,

the Devouring Rat clamped his jaws shut, crushing and swallowing the Nascent Soul whole.

The young man surnamed Dan, witnessing this, was utterly terrified and desperately tried to break through the encirclement.

But the Devouring Rat used the same method on him, swallowing him whole.

After devouring two magic treasures and two Nascent Souls, the Devouring Rat shrank back to his original form—a plump white child.

He had just ascended to fourth rank and devoured two Nascent Souls; his face wore an expression of lingering satisfaction as he licked his lips. Human Nascent Souls were rare, potent nourishment for him.

Qin Ming casually waved his hand, collecting the two corpses and tossing them into the Little Spirit Realm, then tidied up the battlefield.

After finishing, he turned to the Devouring Rat and asked: “Is this your awakened bloodline ability?”

The Devouring Rat grinned proudly: “Yes. This bloodline technique can cleave metal and stone, effortlessly shatter magic treasures, and devour all things in the world—especially devastating to cultivators’ Nascent Souls.”

“One suck, one down! Hehe!”

“Not bad at all,” Qin Ming said, walking over and patting his shoulder. From the Devouring Rat’s performance, he now had another capable subordinate.

Gurgling! At that moment,

“Oof!” The Devouring Rat clutched his stomach, grimacing in discomfort.

Qin Ming frowned and asked: “What’s wrong? Stomachache from eating too much?”

“I just activated this technique for the first time—might be indigestion… Master, let me go take care of something,” the Devouring Rat said, clutching his rear and sprinting out of sight.

Qin Ming stared after him, speechless.

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Where was the dignity of a fourth-rank Saint Beast? But then,

the Devouring Rat surprised him.

A short while later,

the Devouring Rat secretly whispered to Qin Ming: “Master, come quick—I’ve got a treasure for you!!”

“What treasure? Did you just drop a big one?” Qin Ming frowned at the remark.

Still, he headed toward the Devouring Rat’s location.

There, the Devouring Rat crouched behind a rock,

intently studying the spot where he had just defecated.

“Master, look,” the Devouring Rat stepped aside and pointed to the ground.

Qin Ming stared—and at first saw three black grains the size of rice on the ground. But in the next instant, his expression changed drastically.

He immediately summoned his hand, drawing the three black crystals into his palm, and released his spiritual sense to examine them.

Inside the three black crystals surged immense void energy, forming a unique Dao pattern—even surpassing the Void Spirit Stone in potency!

“Youxuan Stone!”

Qin Ming’s heart surged—wasn’t this the very Youxuan Stone he had been desperately seeking? “Did you just excrete these?”

The Devouring Rat scratched his head and nodded.

“Besides the two Nascent Souls and magic treasures, what else did you eat?”

Qin Ming was slightly excited—he never imagined the Youxuan Stone needed to activate the “Nine Heavens Cangyuan Miaoying True Talisman” was the Devouring Rat’s waste.

But now he understood: after all, the Devouring Rat clan’s void abilities were innate.

It was likely the legendary Youxuan Stone was simply excreted by fourth-rank Devouring Rats—no wonder it was so hard to find throughout the cultivation world.

“Uh… before I came back, I ate a lot of good stuff from the Fox Clan—I forgot,” the Devouring Rat glanced nervously at Qin Ming and muttered awkwardly.

Qin Ming’s face lit up; he patted the Devouring Rat’s head: “Didn’t know your five viscera temple had such talent—excellent work!”

“Search high and low, then find it without effort!”

He immediately pulled out a jade box and carefully stored the three Youxuan Stones, planning to test them later.

Outside, a large crowd still waited—now was not the right time.

Qin Ming pulled out a jar of Lingxi Jade Liquid and tossed it to him:

“This is your reward. Go back to your cave and stabilize your cultivation. Don’t be careless—avoid arrogance and impatience. I’ll handle matters outside.”

“Hehehe, thank you, Master!” The Devouring Rat caught the wine jar, beaming with joy.

He had long craved this immortal brew—his cultivation was too low to taste it before, but now he could drink his fill! With a swaggering, unbothered gait, the Devouring Rat marched triumphantly back into the Little Spirit Realm.

The Blackwater Crocodiles and Silver-Winged Frost Bees surrounded him, lavishing praise and congratulations, filling onlookers with envy.

After a little more than half a day.

“Friends above the Nascent Soul realm, please come to the island for a meeting.”

Qin Ming’s resonant voice spread from Wangyue Island, echoing across hundreds of li nearby, as if someone were speaking directly into each ear.

“No wonder he’s a Nascent Soul powerhouse—this divine technique, as if a celestial had descended, is surely beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators,” remarked the onlookers, awestruck.

Those who had witnessed the beast’s Tribulation Crossing were filled with fervor, desperate to catch a glimpse of the fourth-rank Sacred Beast.

Alas, it was only a wish.

“Amazing! A fourth-rank Sacred Beast—our Southern Wastes cultivation world is finally rising!”

“You’re absolutely right. First, Wangyue True Person emerged suddenly, breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, ending our Southern Wastes’ millennia-long embarrassment of having no Nascent Soul True Person to stand guard.”

“He not only freed the Southern Wastes from vassalage to Great Jin, but also successfully repelled the invasion of the Heavenly Demons.”

“Now, his beast companion has broken through to fourth-rank, taking on human form as a Sacred Saint—equivalent to a Nascent Soul mid-realm—greatly enhancing our Southern Wastes’ overall strength.”

“From now on, the world has changed.”

“Though our Southern Wastes cultivation world lacks resources, its top-tier combat power now rivals that of the Three Kingdoms of Zhongzhou—hahaha!”

…

Not long after.

Several figures with formidable auras appeared one after another on Wangyue Island.

“Congratulations, Brother Qin! Your spiritual beast has successfully crossed the Tribulation and attained the fourth-rank Sacred Saint realm—truly cause for celebration!”

“Congratulations, congratulations!”

Gushan Sacred Saint, Yue Lingyan, Tianji Zi of the Western You cultivation world, Han Ya Shangren of the Weidao Alliance, Wanbao True Person, and others all arrived.

Qin Ming smiled faintly in response to each, ushering them all into the main peak’s Qingmu Pavilion.

(End of Chapter)