The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 171 - 170. Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 171: 170. Unexpected Encounter

Lily sobered up a little as she walked, her mind slowly clearing from the lingering haze. She recalled how they were engulfed by clouds in the last trial, clouds that had an intoxicating effect, making them feel drunk and disoriented. She glanced at Isadora, who was still in a kissing posture, eyes closed and lips slightly puckered, completely oblivious to what was happening around her.

"She’s probably letting out her charms unconsciously. And since I was drunk, I was affected," Lily muttered to herself, realizing what had happened. Though she wasn’t fully sober, her sharp mind was piecing things together.

"Stop releasing your charm," Lily said, lightly tapping Isadora on the forehead.

Isadora blinked, nodded, and slowly came out of her daze, though she still swayed on her feet.

"Now, put on some clothes," Lily instructed, noticing Isadora’s state of undress.

Isadora nodded again, but instead of putting on her clothes, she began to remove her innerwear, as though her fogged mind was interpreting Lily’s command incorrectly.

"Hey, I told you to *put on* some clothes!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing Isadora’s hand to stop her from stripping completely.

After a few frustrating moments, Lily managed to get Isadora dressed properly. They continued their journey to the next area, where both women, though still somewhat drunk, were now in better shape.

Finally, they arrived at the next trial. Isadora stumbled a bit, her arm clinging to Lily as they approached a slate with a question written on it: *"How many letters are there in the Ancient God Language?"*

There were floating platforms with numbers inscribed on them, clearly meant to be the answer to the question.

Lily read the question aloud in a half-drunken state. "How many letters... are there... in the Ancient God Language?"

"Ah, easy..." Isadora slurred, still clinging to Lily. "It’s two thousand..."

"Two thousand, your arse!" Lily retorted, rolling her eyes. Despite the wine-like effect of the trial still coursing through her, she was slowly recalling something she had read about the Ancient God Language. She just needed to clear her head a little more.

Lily wracked her brain, focusing through the fog of intoxication. The answer was on the tip of her tongue. Then it clicked.

"The real answer is 2 something," Lily said to herself, though still a little uncertain.

"Two-seven-four..." Isadora murmured, completely out of it.

"Yeah 274," Lily corrected with a sigh. "We’ve got this."

They stepped forward, approaching the floating platforms with the numbers on them. Feeling a bit more confident, Lily took the lead, guiding Isadora.

First, they jumped onto the platform marked with the number ’2’. The platform felt solid beneath their feet, confirming they were on the right track.

"See? Told you I was right!" Isadora grinned. Lily smiled as she Isadora helped hop onto the next platform marked ’4’.

Isadora giggled as she wobbled slightly, leaning heavily against Lily.

Then, they stepped onto the final platform, marked ’7’. As soon as they landed, a faint hum filled the air, and the path to the next area opened up before them.

They both stood there for a moment, catching their breath.

"Wait a minute..." Lily frowned. "Wasn’t the answer supposed to be 274?"

"Yeah, why?" Isadora asked, resting her head on Lily’s shoulder.

"But I’m pretty sure we stepped on 247..." Lily said, her brow furrowing. "That’s not what we said earlier."

"Oh no... let’s go back and start again!" Isadora exclaimed in a sudden panic, as if realizing they’d made a mistake.

Lily couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. She playfully knocked her knuckles against Isadora’s head. "We’re here safely because *247* is the right answer, you dummy."

Lily smirked and looked ahead at the next puzzle. The passage opened into a larger chamber, with towering walls covered in inscriptions and symbols. The air felt denser here, like they had stepped into a sacred place. In the center of the room stood a large stone pedestal, with a shimmering orb floating above it.

Both women approached cautiously. Lily could feel the energy radiating from the orb, a mix of power and mystery. This had to be important. She reached out to touch it, but paused, her instincts kicking in.

"Wait. Something’s off," she muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Isadora, still not fully sober, staggered next to her, peering at the orb with curiosity. "It looks... so pretty though."

Lily scanned the room, looking for any signs of traps.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Meanwhile, Tyler found himself back at the God statue inside the shrine. However, something was different from before. There was now a door behind the statue, a door Tyler was certain hadn’t been there when he first entered. His eyes shifted to a small key resting near the base of the statue.

"Looks like a prize for clearing the trial," Tyler murmured to himself as he bent down and picked up the key.

He examined it briefly before inserting it into the door’s lock. With a soft click, the door creaked open, revealing a narrow passage leading into darkness. Tyler hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, letting the door close behind him. As he ventured deeper, the passage became even darker, the walls seeming to close in on him.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the Angel Gimmick Ring and placing it above his head. The ring shone brightly, casting a soft glow around him, but strangely, the light didn’t pierce the darkness ahead.

With no other choice, Tyler continued onward, his footsteps echoing softly in the narrow space. He felt cold water beneath his feet as he walked, but he didn’t stop, his focus solely on reaching whatever lay ahead.

After what felt like an eternity, Tyler finally saw a faint light at the end of the passage. He hurried toward it, eager to leave the oppressive darkness behind. Stepping into the light, Tyler found himself in a part of the maze that looked entirely different from anything he’d seen before.

The walls surrounding him were like clouds—soft, fluffy, and strangely bouncy. Tyler reached out to touch them, his hand sinking slightly into the surface. Despite their softness, the cloud-like walls were impenetrable. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t tear through them.

"Fluffy but unbreakable," Tyler mused to himself as he examined the strange new area.

Deciding to explore, Tyler reached into his storage and pulled out another flying boat. He was about to refill its energy when suddenly, something caught his attention. His senses flared in alarm, and without thinking, he leaped off the boat.

Just as he jumped, the flying boat erupted in white flames. Tyler watched in surprise as the boat burned, though he felt no heat from the fire. It took him only a moment to recognize the strange, ethereal flames.

He recalled where he has seen this flame before.

"Captain Silver Eye," Tyler muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.

"Phantom Blackwood," came a voice from the other side of the maze.

Tyler turned sharply, his eyes locking onto a figure approaching him. The man’s imposing presence was somewhat undercut by the fluffy cloud-like ground beneath him, but his aura was unmistakable. If not for the softness of the surroundings, his steps would have been more ominous.

The man’s eye gleamed with a familiar glint—the notorious Silver Eye, captain of the Silver Eye Pirates, a figure Tyler confronted before.

"It’s good that I found you. We still have some unfinished business," Captain Silver Eye said, his gaze narrowing as he tried to assess Tyler’s power level.

However, Tyler’s mask concealed his aura, preventing the captain from sensing his true strength. Without that mask, Captain Silver Eye would have already attacked, knowing Tyler was only at the level of a 1-Star Elite Warrior.

"Oh... Sorry about what happened before," Tyler said casually, shrugging. "Now that the labyrinth is open, how about we go our separate ways and mind our own potatoes?"

"Hmph... If I let you off, where would my reputation go?" Captain Silver Eye scoffed, his silver eye gleaming ominously. In an instant, white flames erupted on what appeared to be Tyler’s body.

The captain sneered, feeling victorious, but then something caught his attention in the corner of his eye.

Tyler stood calmly a few feet away, unscathed.

The figure that had been engulfed in flames was nothing more than an ice statue, a perfect replica of Tyler.

"Ice Substitution Method," Tyler murmured quietly, his eyes gleaming behind the mask.

Captain Silver Eye’s silver eye flickered in surprise, but he quickly masked it with a disdainful scoff. "Impressive trick, but parlor games won’t save you," he said, his voice cold as his eyes shined brightly.

Tyler stood calmly, his posture relaxed but ready. "I don’t need to be saved," he replied casually, though his mind was racing. He knew Captain Silver Eye wasn’t someone to take lightly, and that white flame was no ordinary power.

The fluffy, cloud-like terrain beneath their feet seemed almost surreal, but it offered little advantage to either of them. Tyler weighed his options. Confronting Silver Eye head-on was too risky, but escaping was equally uncertain.

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