The Rat Race: One Race, Two Lines!

Di Province, the Nine Winds Valley Secret Realm.

This place is perpetually shrouded in Heavenly Light, surrounded by mountains, while the central part of the secret realm presents a wide basin.

The surrounding mountains are as if they were cut by a knife and axe, and the valley is filled with gray-black miasma all year round.

Ordinary cultivators, let alone cultivate here, would have their bones invaded by this chilling energy and their lifespan shortened if they stayed here for even a few hours.

However, for the Yin Spirit Rat clan...

These barren and desolate places are actually excellent for people to live and thrive.

The Shu Laosan was perched on a giant rock shaped like a skull, its gray-black fur appearing and disappearing in the miasma.

Over the years, he followed the decree of his ancestor and completely transformed Nine Winds Valley into a nest of Yin attributes. Deep in the valley, there are densely packed holes that crisscross the valley.

Tens of millions of Yin Spirit Rat roamed among them, gnawing on the moss of the Yin River underground and absorbing Yin Qi.

Or perhaps they are various corrosive yin entities, or even gnaw on yin soil and absorb the Yin Spirit energy.

"Third Master, there's some noise outside."

A small mouse, which had recently transformed into a demon, poked its head out, its whiskers twitching.

The Shu Laosan didn't even lift his eyelids, just sniffed.

The Spiritual Qi was mixed with the smell of blood, a familiar scent that he could recognize even from ten miles away.

"The Lord Rat is here, welcome your grandpa in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of azure light shot into the secret realm. Upon seeing this, Shu Laosan greeted him respectfully...

When the Lord Rat revealed itself, Blood Sha aura wafted in the wind.

Ever since the trip to the Kunyuan Secret Realm, the Lord Rat's Sha Qi has become much stronger. Even when he tries to suppress it, it still makes the surrounding mice tremble with fear.

"Third brother, you've made this place increasingly eerie."

The Lord Rat looked around and curled his lip in disgust. He cultivated the Dao of Wind and naturally disliked such a gloomy environment.

The Shu Laosan leaped down from the boulder and chuckled.

"Brother, you're joking. We're just adapting to local conditions."

"You know this place. After the Dao of Wind energy was taken away, this place became murky and unclear, and the Spiritual Qi became extremely thin..."

"In order to protect this secret realm from complete collapse, it was transformed into a Yin Transformation Land, which naturally cannot compare with your Dao of Wind Blessed Land."

"By the way, elder brother, what are the Ancestor's instructions for our visit?"

The Lord Rat stopped joking and spat out a jade bottle with a Spirit Sealing attached from its belly.

The moment the jade bottle appeared, the yin miasma at the bottom of the valley surged, then frantically converged towards the bottle. A layer of frost began to form on its surface as the icy energy gathered...

The Shu Laosan's bean-sized eyes widened instantly, and his breathing became heavier.

"What... what is this?"

"Yin-Attribute Heaven and Earth Qi."

The Lord Rat tossed the jade bottle over, his tone turning grim. "This Heaven and Earth Qi was earned with our lives."

"The ancestor has spoken; this thing is yours."

"With this, let's establish the initial form of this Blessed Land land of Nine Winds Valley. From now on, you will be the lineage leader of the Yin Rat Line."

The Shu Laosan held the jade bottle in both hands, his fingertips trembling.

He had been stuck in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage for many years, limited by his bloodline and environment, making it virtually impossible for him to make any progress and break through...

With this wisp of Heaven and Earth Qi, not only will their cultivation level be able to advance further, but the foundation of the entire clan will also undergo earth-shattering changes.

"Big brother..."

"Alright, stop with the nonsense."

The Lord Rat waved his hand. "Lei Nu and Lei Huan are both gone, and the Ancestor is unhappy. We, the lower ones, must do our best to handle things well."

"This will make the patriarch feel better. In the future, I hope he will help the Lightning Bear and Lei Huan lineages more. It will be my way of showing my gratitude."

"You should immediately go into seclusion and complete this Blessed Land as soon as possible. From now on, this Nine Winds Valley will be renamed Yin Wind Valley."

"This is both the foundation of my Rat Race and the last refuge of my ancestors."

The Shu Laosan kowtowed solemnly.

Several months later, a strong wave of chilling air erupted from the Yin Wind Valley.

That Yin-Attribute Heaven and Earth Qi was successfully integrated into the earth's veins, and a deep Yin spring gushed out, forming a Yin spring in the center of the secret realm, and the prototype of the Blessed Land was officially established.

With the cleansing of the Blessed Land, the bloodline of the Shu Laosan began to transform, its fur changed from gray-black to pure black, and its body shape became more slender and eerie.

The newborn mice in the valley are also nourished by this yin spring, and are born with an extremely strong yin and cold attribute, their bloodline changing generation after generation...

Thus, the Spirit Rat clan officially established a structure of one clan with two lineages.

The Lord Rat leads the Wind Rat Line, while the Shu Laosan oversees the Yin Rat Line. These two forces, one overt and one covert, serve as the eyes and ears of the Demon Race.

In the years that followed, the Yin Wind Valley Secret Realm grew ever stronger.

The Lord Rat even found a second-tier Spirit Vein and several first-tier Spirit Vein, bringing them into the secret realm and placing them in various locations.

The Blessed Land was taking shape, further supplemented by multiple Spirit Vein.

The entire Yin Wind Valley Secret Realm has been revitalized!

Meanwhile, in the Liang Kingdom, tens of millions of miles away...

Bi Luo, dressed in a wide, blood-red robe, walked through the dark underground palace. The bloodline power she had overdrawn in the Kunyuan Secret Realm had recovered to about 70-80% after this period of recuperation.

After resting at White Cloud Temple for a while, he set off again and returned to the Liang Kingdom to continue his ancestor's shady plans.

Inside this underground palace, the stone pillars are carved with ferocious blood beast totems, and a faint smell of blood permeates the air.

"May the Master be well."

Thousands of cultivators clad in blood-red robes knelt on the ground in unison. These thousand were all fanatical followers of the Holy Blood Cult who had received the Holy Blood Baptism and were absolutely loyal to the Sacred Blood Sect.

There are also six guardian deities, ranked at the forefront, all of whom are at the Foundation Establishment.

Bi Luo sat on the throne made of bones, toying with a green vine staff in her hand, her voice hoarse:

"Have those righteous sects in the Liang Kingdom made any moves lately?"

Upon hearing this, Blood Sha Protector hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Sect Master, the Kunyuan Secret Realm opened some time ago. Among the four major sects of the Liang Kingdom, the Vast Righteousness School has gained quite a bit, obtaining several strands of Heaven and Earth Qi."

"The leader, the Heavenly Sword School, however, reaped very little."

"The Azure Edge Sect and the Martial Spirit Gate each suffered losses and gains, while the other Jinfan sects are mostly recuperating."

"The overall situation in the Liang Kingdom is approaching peace."

Upon hearing this, Bi Luo tapped the ground with her cane, drawing everyone's attention:

"Peace?"

"Where is the peace?!"

"All I see is that the four major sects have plundered a vast amount of resources, leaving us Rogue Cultivator no room to survive or advance!"

"The qualification for the Kunyuan Secret Realm is monopolized by powerful and influential families, and the Heaven and Earth Qi Dynamic has been divided up by various parties. What about us?"

"What about the countless low-level cultivators!"

"Since these powerful and wealthy families are using this false peace and prosperity to covet eternal power, then let's make their lives a complete mess!"

"Since they suppress us lower-level cultivators, then let us overthrow them and establish a new nation where everyone is equal."

"Let's create a world where everyone is like a dragon, and where there is peace and harmony!"

Bi Luo raised his arms and shouted, igniting the anger of the believers below, thereby increasing the cohesion of the sect, even though the Sacred Sect was just a pawn laid by the ancestor in the Liang Kingdom.

However, if played well, even seemingly insignificant moves can overturn the entire board at crucial moments.

Let's turn our attention back to the Clear Blue Kingdom, to Purple Firmament Peak.

Shi Jian lay by the Thunder Pool, idly fiddling with the purple-gold lightning arcs on the water's surface.

After Lei Nu's death, Lei Zhen took over the responsibility of the Lightning Bear Line. This kid is quite promising, his cultivation is progressing steadily, and he is now at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, just one step away from perfection.

As for Shi Pan...

Since obtaining that Earth Dao Heaven and Earth Qi and undergoing purification under Shi Jian's Essence Blood, he has been in seclusion and has not yet emerged, making preparations.

at this time.

Shi Mo climbed the peak and slowly approached.

"Ancestor, that Kuang Dou is causing trouble again lately."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jian didn't even lift his eyelids. "Let him be. After his bloodline transformation, his Crimson Slurry Pool can barely contain him anymore."

"Since he enjoys this kind of fuss, let him vent his frustrations and avoid making himself sick."

"How has your Dark Gold Line these past years?"

"Everything is as usual, but due to congenital blood deficiency, there is little chance of improvement."

"I don't know if I'll have the chance to Core Formation in the future. If, after many more years, I still haven't found the Heaven and Earth Qi Dynamic, then I'll choose to forcefully try to prove that sliver of hope..."

Shi Mo spoke frankly, but in the end, all he got in return was a long sigh from Shi Jian.

Human Race cultivators, without the aid of the Heaven and Earth Qi, are already facing a near-death experience, not to mention the additional bloodline constraints imposed on Demon Race.

Without the assistance of the Heaven and Earth Qi, the possibility of him breaking through to the Core Formation is practically nonexistent; it would be an understatement to call it suicide...

Although Shi Jian was somewhat reluctant, demons also have their own choices.

He could certainly ask Shi Mo not to force a breakthrough and to live a few more years, but if he didn't try, how could he forget it?

It's all fate!