The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 285. Tyler’s Journey to Water Street Town

A Few Days Earlier

To understand the events unfolding, we must go back a few days—back to when Tyler and Group C were separated while investigating a way to cross the Noy River.

Tyler had taken the left path to explore. Meanwhile, an unknown figure lurked in the shadows, watching both Tyler and the rest of the group before silently slipping away to follow Tyler’s trail.

After walking for some time, Tyler arrived at a broken bridge. He sighed as he examined the structure. The bridge had been destroyed by something with razor-sharp teeth, evident from the deep bite marks along the wood and stone. Given the patterns, Tyler could guess the culprits—predatory plants that had shaped themselves like fish.

He reached into his storage device and retrieved a handful of fruits. Tossing them into the air at a calculated height, he watched as a fish-like plant leaped from the river, snapping up the offering in an instant.

"Flying too low isn’t an option," Tyler muttered, analyzing the situation.

His eyes caught sight of broken vines floating downstream. Without much thought, he extended his copper ladle and hooked onto one, pulling it toward him.

He then took another fruit, carefully wrapped it in the vine, and threw it onto the opposite shore. This time, the river’s deadly fish plants didn’t react.

Tyler’s eyes gleamed with discovery.

"So they ignore objects wrapped in these vines?" he mused, glancing at the remaining ones.

He stroked his chin in thought. "I should inform the others about this."

Then, without looking up, he spoke in a calm voice.

"You’ve been following me for quite some time. What do you want?"

Tyler turned around, but all he saw was the rustling of leaves in the breeze. His grip tightened slightly on the vine in his hands.

The truth was, he wasn’t entirely sure someone was tailing him—he had only spoken to test the waters.

"Guess it was just my imagination," he murmured.

Suddenly, something whizzed through the air at high speed, striking him square in the chest. Before he could react, a tiny seed burst open, morphing into thick vines that coiled around his body like living chains.

Tyler’s eyes narrowed as his instincts kicked in.

Mode Dragon

Dark scales erupted across his skin, reinforcing his strength. With a powerful flex, he tore through the vines, shattering them like brittle twigs.

But before he could fully regain his stance, five more seeds shot toward him from different angles.

The vines wrapped around him, constricting his movements instantly.

As his vision blurred, the last thing he saw was a shadowy figure stepping forward, standing over him.

---

Tyler slowly regained consciousness, his body stiff and sore. His senses gradually returned, and he realized he was trapped inside an enclosed cocoon. The walls surrounding him were thick, interwoven vines that pulsed faintly as if they were alive.

He immediately tried to force his way out, but despite his strength, the cocoon didn’t budge. It was sturdy—far stronger than anything he had expected.

Oddly enough, even though he was trapped in a sealed space, he wasn’t suffocating. There was a steady supply of oxygen, making it clear that whoever—or whatever—had trapped him here didn’t intend to kill him immediately.

Frowning, Tyler reached for a knife from his storage device. He pressed it against the vines and slashed, but the blade barely left a mark. The material was unnaturally durable.

Not one to give up easily, Tyler rummaged through his storage device, searching for anything that could help. His fingers brushed against a small container made of tree bark. His lips curled into a smirk.

Cloth Melting Liquid.

That’s what he called it. It was a potent corrosive substance, something he had discovered after an unfortunate accident involving two Kyla girls. It had melted their clothes right off—along with nearly everything else nearby. Tyler suspected that only materials of Grandmaster-level craftsmanship or higher could withstand its effects.

Without hesitation, he poured a few drops onto the vines. The liquid sizzled, eating away at the fibrous material. However, it wasn’t enough. The vines were resistant, their regenerative properties counteracting the corrosive effect.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Tyler pulled out another container of the liquid. This time, he also retrieved his copper pot—a peculiar artifact with mysterious properties he had yet to fully understand.

He carefully poured the liquid into the copper pot. Unsurprisingly, the pot remained unaffected. Tyler then dipped his copper ladle into the pot, then poured the liquid out.

This time the liquid poured out without stopping. The liquid flowed steadily, with some of it being blocked by the copper ladle inside the pot. This was one of the abilities Tyler had discovered after combining the copper ladle with the copper pot.

After pouring a significant amount of liquid onto the vines, a large hole had formed in the cocoon.

Tyler didn’t waste a second. He squeezed through the opening and escaped.

As soon as he stepped outside, Tyler froze in place. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings.

He was standing beneath an enormous tree—one so massive it could easily rival a modern skyscraper. Its bark was thick and ancient, its branches extending so far that they disappeared into the mist above.

"I’m pretty sure I didn’t see a tree like this before..." Tyler murmured, tilting his head.

He turned on his communication device, checking the date.

His heart skipped a beat.

Several days had passed.

"Holy..." he muttered under his breath.

Had he been unconscious the entire time? How had he survived without food or water? More importantly—who or what had brought him here?

Suppressing his unease, Tyler quickly composed a message to the camp, detailing his encounter and current location.

Then, without hesitation, he turned his gaze toward the colossal tree’s branches, which extended across the river like a natural bridge.

"This will do," he whispered.

Using the giant tree’s limbs, Tyler began making his way across the Noy River, determined to reunite with the others and uncover the mystery behind his capture.

Tyler crossed the Noy River, its waters flowing fast beneath the giant branches of ancient trees that stretched across the river’s path. As he stepped onto the other side, he was met with an unusual sight: a vast field of purple grass.

"Purple Mist Grass," Tyler murmured to himself, recognizing the type of flora. He plucked a handful of it and stored it in his storage device. Unlike the others, Tyler didn’t need to collect vast amounts. He knew that a small sample would suffice.

His attention quickly shifted, however, as the ground beneath him suddenly trembled.

Tyler looked around cautiously, his instincts alert. But there was nothing visible, no sign of what caused the disturbance. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Then, without warning, a Fleshborer Worm erupted from the ground with the force of a wild animal leaping from water. Its grotesque, segmented body flailed as it shot upward, its massive, gaping mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth.

The creature lunged at Tyler with terrifying speed.

Clang

The Fleshborer Worm’s bite clanged against Tyler’s Dragon scales with a loud, hollow noise. Its powerful teeth couldn’t even scratch him.

Frustrated, the worm twisted and gnawed at his hand, but Tyler remained unmoving, the dragon scales proving far too tough for it to penetrate.

The ground around him began to tremble once more, and Tyler saw several other Fleshborer Worms burrowing through the earth, their grotesque heads emerging to join the assault.

But like their predecessor, none of their bites could pierce his scales. Each one tried in vain, their attempts futile against the protective armor surrounding him.

Tyler sighed, clearly growing bored of the pointless attacks. "Alright, enough playing... I have something to do," he muttered under his breath.

He then walked away. Behind him there are frozen statues of Fleshborer Worms made of ice.

Turning away from the frozen creatures, Tyler pulled out his hoverboard. He chose to fly just above the ground, using the speed to his advantage. His destination was clear: he needed to find Team C.

He pulled out a scanner from his storage device and began using its readings to navigate through the vast terrain.

The readings helped him hone in on the direction, guiding him as he skimmed over the land at a rapid pace.

As he moved, he couldn’t help but notice that the Abyss Mist seemed to be thicker in this area, the swirling tendrils of dark energy more suffocating than usual.

"Tsk... pain in an ass." Tyler frowned, his breathing growing a little labored. The mist made it difficult to channel his prana and aura, both energies he typically relied on to enhance his abilities.

But Tyler didn’t panic. Instead, he pulled out a pill from a small bottle labeled "Mathilda’s Special" and popped it into his mouth. Within moments, the unease that had settled in his chest began to dissipate. The pill worked quickly, and soon Tyler was back to full strength, unaffected by the dense mist..

A day passed as Tyler continued on his journey. Despite his best efforts, he found himself being pursued by various monstrous creatures.

After an exhausting escape, Tyler found himself at the dried canal that marked the entrance to the Water Street town.

Tyler noticed a figure standing at the far end of the dried canal, looking up at the sky. He is holding a spear.

"Ahhh... Aren’t you Lian Fu?" Tyler called out, with happy expression "Hey, where are the rest of the team?"