175: Chapter 175 Return to Stability!

The transformation of the Spirit Rat Lineage was far from over.

However, the news of Elder Rat switching to the Wind Path spread throughout the Northern Mountain Range.

At first, the reactions of the various clans were mixed.

Over at Kuang Dou's side, after hearing the gist of it, he remained somewhat puzzled: "What has happened to Elder Rat? Everything was fine, yet he insists on starting all over again..."

"This back-and-forth will waste at least thirty or forty years. The lifespan of a Yao Beast is not much different from a Human Race Foundation Establishment cultivator; this is truly a self-inflicted injury."

As for the Five Bear Lineages, their thoughts varied.

Lei Nu scratched his head and said nothing. Their Thunder Bear Lineage had never cared about such things; they only cared about the Old Ancestor, Shi Jian!

As for the two bears, Shi Mo and Shi Pan, they also remained silent.

Only Xiong Shan of the Primitive Lineage could truly understand the bitterness in it, and he couldn't help but sigh: "The rat kind are all timid, yet who would have known one possessed the ambition of a swan!"

Facts proved that Elder Rat had actually succeeded.

After four years of seclusion, although his cultivation had dropped by a small Realm, his spirit and energy were like those of a completely different rat compared to four years ago.

Naturally, the Sun Clan and Zhao family also heard whispers of this matter.

Zhao Yanshan held his teacup and remarked to Sun Mao with emotion: "Elder Rat is truly worthy of being favored by the Old Ancestor; as a Senior, he is truly decisive."

Sun Mao put down the ledger in his hands, his tone meaningful: "Elder Rat is holding his breath. Among the earliest batch of Yao Beasts that followed the Old Ancestor, even Kuang Dou has reached the Late Foundation Establishment Stage."

"Yet he is still standing still. No one would feel good about that. Now that he has changed, his path is correct. I fear his future will not stop here."

Zhao Yanshan rubbed his chin: "Do you think the landscape of the Northern Mountain Range will change in the future?"

Sun Mao did not answer, merely smiling.

Whether the landscape changed or not didn't really have much to do with them; as long as the Old Ancestor was resting on Zixiao Peak, the sky would not collapse.

Whether it was the Five Bear Lineages, or the Black Dog and Spirit Rat Lineages, even the various Yao factions kept in Mushou Mountain, they might seem numerous and powerful, but the backbone remained the Old Ancestor!

As long as the Old Ancestor was still there, the various branches and lineages of the Yao Clan would not fall into chaos.

As for Elder Rat himself, he was so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

A successful switch in cultivation was only the first step. The things that needed to be done next were as numerous as ox hair.

It was impossible for all three thousand-plus Yao rats of the Spirit Rat Lineage to switch to the Wind Path; that was unrealistic. Some Yao rats had practiced Earth Evasion techniques for most of their lives; they were earthen clods to the bone.

Making them practice the Wind Path was equivalent to forcing a fish to climb a tree. Elder Rat's plan was very pragmatic: the older generation should continue practicing what they were already practicing and stop fussing; practicing towards other Dao paths to broaden their horizons was also excellent.

The focus of the reform was placed on the cubs. Those "Wind Rat" cubs born near the Wind Path blessed land were the future.

There were originally thousands of cubs in this batch, but now, after several rounds of elimination, only thirty-plus young rats had survived... This batch of cubs had all already transformed into Yao.

Their spirituality far exceeded that of ordinary Yao rats, and their fur was a cyan-gray color. The spiritual light at the tips of their tails was steady and waveless, and they ran without a sound...

Elder Rat would go to the bottom of the valley to take a look every day. Watching those fluffy youngsters chasing and biting each other, watching them roll and play in the Wind Spiritual Qi, comprehending the Wind Path... Every time he watched, there was an extra glimmer of light in Elder Rat's eyes.

"All of you, grow up well and grow strong."

"The future of our lineage depends on your generation..."

Elder Rat squatted on the high ground at the valley entrance, his whiskers fluttering slightly in the wind. Having done so much, he felt gratified!

In the blink of an eye, another three years had passed. The Spirit Rat Lineage was advancing steadily, and the wind pillar in the Wind Path blessed land had grown from five feet to nine feet, with a growth rate thirty percent faster than expected.

It was also thanks to the Sun Clan's help. The Zhao family was now associated with the Black Dog Clan, and with the Spirit Rat Lineage showing signs of a new prosperity, the Sun Clan immediately extended an olive branch. Clearly, they intended to deepen their connection with the Spirit Rat Lineage.

Over the past three years, they had sent back a batch of Wind-type Spiritual Materials every year. Although the quality was average, it was better in that the quantity was large and sufficient. Every batch thrown into the bottom of the pit could give that wind pillar a breath of Qi, allowing it to continuously grow its energy and form the prototype of a prosperous blessed land.

Elder Rat's own cultivation was also steadily recovering. He reckoned that in another two or three years, he would be able to return to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. By then, Elder Rat's combat power would likely double compared to his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage from back then; in just ten short years, he had been reborn!

Everything was getting better. Life in the Northern Mountain Range was so peaceful that it felt somewhat unreal.

Until—one day.

The heavens and earth changed color.

The thundercloud layer above Zixiao Peak suddenly expanded by more than three times.

Purple-gold lightning rampaged through the clouds, one bolt after another, shattering the entire firmament...

The earth trembled. Spiritual Qi within a radius of three hundred miles surged madly toward Zixiao Peak, forming a river of Spiritual Qi that blotted out the sky and sun.

All the Spirit Beasts in the Northern Mountain Range, regardless of their cultivation level, prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling, as if worshipping. That pressure was too terrifying. It was heavier, deeper, and more majestic than it had ever been before!

"The Old Ancestor... has had a Breakthrough!"

Elder Rat shot out from his cave, looking up at Zixiao Peak, his fur standing on end.

Rumble!

Purple-gold lightning shot into the sky, piercing straight through the nine heavens. The lightning gathered, and a storm appeared!

At that moment, the entire Yunjian Mountain Range saw it...

The Disciples of White Cloud Temple in the Southern Mountain Range walked out of their halls one after another, looking up at the northern horizon and that pillar of purple-gold light, their faces filled with shock.