The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 345. Tidal Waves

After removing the restriction, Tyler wasted no time. He quickly picked up the collar and began tinkering with it. His fingers moved with practiced precision, adjusting the intricate mechanisms while analyzing the runes and suppressions embedded in the device.

At the same time, with his power no longer suppressed, his injury on his leg healed rapidly, the wound sealing itself as if it had never existed.

After several minutes of meticulous modifications, Tyler carefully placed the collar back around his neck. The moment it locked into place, it glowed faintly before dimming, appearing identical to its previous, unaltered state.

But now, there was a crucial difference—Tyler had control.

Through a small modification, he had ensured that his divine sense could deactivate the restriction at will, granting him the ability to use his powers without alerting anyone.

This was a necessary precaution. If he simply shattered the collar or used his full strength, the Abyss Hunters would immediately detect the energy fluctuations. By keeping the collar intact and suppressing his aura manually, he could blend in while biding his time.

"Now, let’s get back to work..." Tyler muttered, gripping his pickaxe.

For now, he had to play along.

Tyler resumed mining alongside the other captives. He kept his movements steady, neither too fast nor too slow, ensuring he didn’t attract attention.

The work was grueling. Mining deep within an underground cavern the size of a mountain, he followed the same routine as the others—digging, collecting ores, and transporting them to a massive pit where everything was dumped.

His keen senses picked up subtle details as he worked:

Guards patrolled on hoverboards, powered by fire-based formations that emitted a faint hum.

The workers were from different realms, evident from their varying physiques and energy signatures.

Abyss Hunters rarely interacted with the slaves, but when they did, it was only to enforce discipline with brutal efficiency.

Tyler’s initial plan was to observe the schedule and patrol patterns before making his next move. He expected to be sent back to the cages after a day of work.

But there was one thing he hadn’t anticipate—

They were forced to work for two straight days before being allowed to rest.

Despite the lack of sunlight, Tyler’s internal clock and divine sense told him nearly two days passed.

Two days of non-stop labor.

Two days of meager meals consisting of wiggling Green Gord Roots, a strange underground plant that resembled a giant worm but tasted like green tea.

Two days of watching, waiting, and analyzing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a massive bell echoed through the cavern.

It was time to return to the cages.

Tyler casually blended in with the exhausted slaves, his mind working through everything he had learned.

The mining operation was highly efficient.

Every two days, the slaves were allowed a half-day rest before repeating the cycle.

The guards patrolled in shifts, with one group always present, ensuring no one could escape or rebel easily.

This strict system left little room for error, but Tyler wasn’t concerned. He now had enough information to act.

As they were herded back into the underground prison, Tyler’s eyes subtly scanned the area.

He didn’t find Lily, there are lots of cages in other side. He has to find a way to unlock this cage and explore.

Kaiser, Tyler’s fellow cellmate, was already inside the cage when he returned.

The man gave Tyler a brief nod, acknowledging his presence.

Tyler, still curious about something, wasted no time asking, "You didn’t take a pickaxe or any other tools, right?"

He had noticed Kaiser walking back empty-handed.

"Some fellow Daoists don’t need tools." Kaiser smirked and turned his head toward another cage. "Take Green Beetle, for example."

Following his gaze, Tyler saw a giant green beetle, about the same height as himself, with two sharp, curved blades extending from its wrists.

Tyler then glanced at Kaiser’s hands. They looked completely normal—like those of an ordinary human.

"There’s also Huge Jacked Man..." Kaiser continued, motioning toward another cell.

Tyler turned to look and saw a short but heavily built man, only 5’3, with thick sideburns that extended down his cheeks and connected to his beard, leaving his chin and upper lip mostly bare.

But what stood out the most were the iron-like claws extending from his wrists.

"Do you have claws too?" Tyler asked, intrigued.

"No... I use this." Kaiser brought his palms together. Water began to form around them.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "You can use your Qi?"

"No... It’s not Qi." Kaiser smirked. "It’s controlling nature."

Then, without warning, Kaiser clenched his fist and punched the cage door with full force.

Clang!

A loud metallic sound echoed through the underground prison, but the cage remained completely intact, not even a single scratch left behind.

The guards briefly glanced over but, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, turned away disinterestedly.

Kaiser, still in his punching stance, sighed. "It’d be a lot cooler if I demonstrated outside."

"Yeah, probably." Tyler chuckled.

Kaiser suddenly grinned. "So, do you wanna learn?"

"Huh?" Tyler tilted his head.

"Come on... I’ve been imprisoned here for over a hundred years. I’m bored out of my mind. I’ll make you my apprentice."

"I don’t want a master," Tyler refused without hesitation.

"Haha! No hesitation at all—I like it." Kaiser laughed. "Alright, no master-apprentice nonsense. Just learn from a cellmate."

Tyler sighed. "You’re not gonna stop, huh..."

Kaiser grinned wider.

Training started in the cage. Kaiser explained the technique with enthusiasm.

Hours passed.

The routine continued as usual—the bell rang, signaling mealtime. Tyler, uninterested in the wiggling Green Gord Root, pushed his portion toward Kaiser, who devoured it happily.

Once the second bell rang, they were herded back to the mines.

Tyler grabbed a pickaxe and a lantern containing a luminous butterfly, his mind set on sneaking away to search for Lily.

But before he could act—

"Haha! Didn’t expect us to be assigned to the same place." A familiar voice rang out. "Come on, let’s continue the practice!"

It was Kaiser.

Tyler sighed. He was also interested in the technique but quickly realized it wasn’t easy to master.

Unlike traditional cultivation methods, this technique required him to sense nature without using divine sense or energy.

It relied purely on willpower and persistence—something that clashed with Tyler’s usual approach.

Tyler had always relied on arrays and treasures to cultivate, so learning this raw, instinctual method was frustratingly difficult.

If it was something resource oriented, he can easily pull out his copper pot and make multiple copies. No even if it is resource oriented, Tyler doesn’t have his copper pot in his hand.

Beside him, Kaiser, who still had no tools, continued punching the mountain with his bare fists.

Water formed around his hands, enhancing his strikes. Each punch was stronger than Tyler’s swings with the pickaxe.

Tyler watched in silence before finally asking, "What’s the name of this?"

"It’s called Tidal Fist." Kaiser grinned. "But that’s just the first move. The punches after that are called Tidal Waves."

"Hehe... Wait until I explain how these Tidal Waves works... You can even cross realms and kill your opponent." Kaiser grinned.

"Who created this technique?" Tyler asked.

"It was my ancestor. He was an immortal who ascended to higher world. Then he came back and taught me this technique." He said proudly trying to gauging Tyler’s reaction.

He seemed slightly disappointed by Tyler’s neutral reaction but perked up again when he saw Tyler attempting to practice the technique himself.

After half a day, Tyler gave up.

Kaiser, however, suddenly spoke up.

"If you wanna sneak out, now’s the time."

Tyler paused, then smiled. "You noticed?"

Kaiser shrugged. "You were watching the patrol patterns, right? It doesn’t matter. The guards don’t really care or remember every prisoner. They just fly over and check if everyone’s working. No one can escape with that collar, though."

’Someone did, though,’ Tyler thought, recalling Kairon, the only known escapee. It seemed the other prisoners weren’t aware.

"Alright. I’ll be back." Tyler nodded and left.

Tyler moved carefully, walking along the mountain paths while keeping an eye on the guards.

Whenever an Abyss Hunter patrolled nearby, he quickly pretended to mine, blending in with the other workers.

At one point, another slave noticed his suspicious movements and tried to snitch on him.

Without hesitation, Tyler punched the man in the gut, silencing him.

Moments later, an Abyss Hunter saw the fallen slave, assumed he was slacking off, and beat him unconscious before moving on.

Tyler took the chance to slip away.

He walked toward a dimly lit cave, its entrance glowing faintly from within.

As he stepped inside—

A hand suddenly grabbed his head.

Before he could react—

Smooch.

Warmth spread across his lips.

Tyler’s eyes widened.

His lantern fell from his hands, the butterfly inside fluttering in panic, illuminating the cave with a soft glow.

And under that luminous light—

He finally saw the familiar face he had been searching for.

Lily Gomes.