The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 323. Leaving

The finger was missing.

Yet, none of them noticed.

Tyler, Mathilda, and the others had no recollection of the Pinky Finger’s existence. Their memories had been silently erased, leaving behind only fragments of the battle they had just fought.

To them, it was simple—they had defeated an Abyssal Being and were now escaping.

Nothing more.

No lingering doubts. No gaps in memory.

The scene around them shifted.

The oppressive darkness that had once surrounded them vanished, giving way to something familiar.

Tyler turned his gaze toward a lake—a shimmering body of water reflecting the dim light of the sky.

Recognition flickered in his mind.

It was the same lake they had seen before, the one near the illusory village.

Yet—

The Village of Vale was gone.

Nothing remained. No structures, no streets, no sign that it had ever existed.

It was as if the village had been nothing more than a dream.

A sudden, sharp crack echoed through the air.

Tyler’s eyes snapped toward the sound.

In the empty space where the Village of Vale had once stood, a rift had begun to form. A jagged, spiraling tear in reality.

The space distorted, twisting like shattered glass before finally splitting apart.

A spatial rift had emerged.

The pathway to the another floor.

A sense of relief washed over them.

There was no time to waste.

Tyler turned to his team. "Move. Now."

One by one, they stepped forward, vanishing into the Spatial Rift.

Tyler was the last to enter. After he stepped in, the whole Abyss floor was lingered with silence.

Then—

A faint glow appeared.

It flickered. Moved. Floated.

A severed Pinky Finger slowly emerged from the ground, its surface pulsing with an unknown energy.

It hovered, scanning the area as if searching for something.

Then—

It twitched.

The Spatial Rift was forcefully and was again got hidden by the finger.

The energy around it shifted, and suddenly—illusions began to form.

A village took shape. It is rebuilding the village of vale.

Familiar buildings materialized, their wooden structures rising from the ground like ghosts from the past. The stone pathways reappeared, winding through the streets.

The Village of Vale had returned.

It was perfect. Every detail meticulously recreated, from the way the lanterns flickered.

It was as if the village had never been destroyed.

Then—

A hand appeared out of nowhere.

It grasped the floating Pinky Finger.

The severed digit twitched violently, struggling against the grip of the unknown force.

But it could not escape.

The hand tightened.

A voice—smooth, unhurried—spoke from the darkness.

"Switch."

In an instant, the finger vanished.

In its place—a single, delicate rose rested in the mysterious hand.

The village that was just formed disappeared in an instant.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Tyler and the others stepped out of the Spatial Rift, their bodies tensed, ready for anything.

The moment their feet touched solid ground, a sensation washed over them—the restrictions on their cultivation were lifted.

Their energy flowed freely once more.

Tyler flexed his fingers, feeling the familiar surge of power coursing through his veins. A faint smirk crossed his lips.

Finally.

"I need to replenish my energy," one of the grandmasters muttered, stretching his stiff limbs.

"Don’t worry. Let’s take a small break," Tyler said, scanning their surroundings.

A vast desert stretched before them.

The landscape was endless—rolling dunes of golden sand, the heat shimmering in the air. The sky above was a brilliant azure, unmarred by clouds. Yet, despite its beauty, there was a lingering sense of unease.

Then—

The sand shifted.

A massive, three-meter-long scorpion erupted from beneath the dunes, its sharp pincers clacking, its tail poised to strike.

Before anyone could react—

A trident flashed through the air, piercing the creature in a single, fluid motion.

The scorpion twitched before collapsing, its body pinned to the sand, lifeless.

The grandmasters barely spared it a glance.

Instead, one of them turned to Tyler and asked, "How are we going to take a break? Do you have enough Aura and Prana Replenishing Pills?"

His voice carried a hint of hope.

Tyler didn’t respond immediately. He simply smiled—a knowing, confident smile.

A Few Hours Later...

In the middle of the desert, two enormous houses stood side by side, their structures imposing against the endless dunes.

These were Instant Houses, something Tyler had stored away in his inventory for emergencies. With a flick of his wrist, he had summoned them, effortlessly creating shelter.

A formation encased both houses, shielding them from the Abyss Corruption that tainted this floor.

Inside, the air was pure and refreshing, a stark contrast to the scorching desert outside.

Luminous Blooms—a rare type of flower that emitted a soft glow—filled the rooms in neatly arranged flower pots. Their presence soothed the mind and purified the atmosphere.

In the grandmasters’ house, one of the grandmasters sat at a long table, his gaze fixed on two large candy jars that Tyler had casually placed in front of them.

The jars were filled with red and blue pills.

Aura and Prana Pills.

The grandmaster hesitated before picking up a blue pill—one meant for warriors like him—and popping it into his mouth.

His eyes widened.

Not only did the pill instantly replenish his energy, but—

It tasted like candy.

He glanced at the other grandmasters who are already meditating.

"These are luxury goods," the grandmaster murmured under his breath.

Normal Aura and Prana Pills were expensive enough, but these had been refined to taste sweet while maintaining their full potency. Even the price for this is five times of the normal pills, which gave them a nickname called Overpriced Pills.

Such extravagance.

And yet, Tyler had handed them out so casually, as if he were giving candy to children.

Only one thought crossed the grandmaster’s mind— fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Nouveau riche.

Ostentatious.

He silently sighed before grabbing another handful of pills. If Tyler was going to throw away riches like this, then he wouldn’t refuse them.

Meanwhile, in Tyler’s House...

Tyler sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers lightly tracing the surface of a compass.

The guiding compass was supposed to point toward Lily Gomes—but something was wrong.

The needle wobbled, pointing in one direction before abruptly shifting to another.

Then it moved again.

Tyler frowned. "Is this thing broken?"

He tapped the compass lightly, but it continued its erratic movements.

Finally, with a sigh, he tucked it away, deciding to deal with it later.

Standing up, he stretched, his muscles still sore from the previous battle.

A hot bath. That’s what he needed.

Tyler walked toward the bathroom, reaching for the door handle—

A hand landed on his shoulder.

He turned.

Astrid.

The half-angel stood behind him, her cheeks tinged pink.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. "What’s up?"

Astrid shifted uncomfortably. She hesitated, then spoke in a hurried, awkward tone.

"Is Mathilda alright?" Astrid asked.

"I didn’t see her. She is probably Drowning in sorrows." Tyler sighed.

Astrid then talked awkwardly about different topics finally arriving at the main topic.

"I—Let’s talk about Catherine’s relationship."

Tyler blinked.

Astrid had deliberately referred to herself in the third person, unwilling to say "me."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well... I can’t really say sorry, not I can Ignore it saying ’it was an accident’. But I won’t lie to you either."

His gaze softened.

"I really like Catherine."

Astrid’s eyes flickered with surprise.

Tyler continued, his voice quieter now.

"I just... I have no idea how to handle this situation."

A brief silence.

Then—

Astrid’s expression brightened.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Finally, in a soft, barely audible voice, she murmured, "Well... Catherine might not hate you..."

And then—

She spun around and ran off, her face burning red.

Tyler watched her retreating figure, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

He shook his head and turned back toward the bathroom.

Pushing open the door—

He froze.

Inside the bathtub, Mathilda and Mana were already soaking in the water.

Mathilda is grabbing Mana Breast from behind and massaging it. Both of them froze and looked at Mana.

Both of them stared at him.

Mathilda raised an eyebrow.

Mana tilted her head.

Silence.

Then—

Tyler slammed the door shut.

From inside, Mathilda’s laughter rang out, followed by Mana’s amused giggle.

The door opened again and beautiful hands dragged Tyler into the bathroom.

The desert winds howled outside, sweeping over the sand.