The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 26. Encounters in the Illusory Past

As Tyler committed each incantation to memory, his focus was interrupted by a hauntingly beautiful song. It was a melody that seemed to emanate from nowhere, filling the space with its ethereal tones. His senses were immediately captivated, and before he could react, his consciousness was whisked away to an illusory realm.

The new world he entered was a stark contrast to the one he knew. It was not the familiar, bustling environment of his everyday life, but a realm teetering on the brink of collapse. Explosions echoed in the distance, a cacophony of violence that shook the earth beneath him. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, revealing dark chasms that seemed to stretch into the unknown. The sound of despairing cries filled the air, mingling with the distant roar of explosions and the crumbling of once-mighty structures.

As Tyler floated above this apocalyptic scene, he marvelled at its otherworldly quality. It felt simultaneously unreal and all too real, like a nightmarish dream he couldn’t wake from. He was a ghost in this world, unable to touch or interact with anything, but he retained his sense of smell. The pungent stench that assaulted his nostrils told him everything he needed to know about the chaos below. It was a putrid mix of rotting flesh, demonic mucus, and animal excrement, the result of battles fought and lost on these blood-soaked fields.

The air was thick with the stench, almost viscous in its intensity. Tyler grimaced, his nose wrinkling in distaste. He hated this feeling, the oppressive heaviness that made each breath a struggle. Looking around, he saw a landscape cloaked in ash-grey, the remnants of life scattered like debris across a battlefield. Corpses lay in heaps, their lifeless eyes staring blankly into the sky. The horizon was a bleak silhouette of crumbling buildings, the once vibrant world now reduced to a graveyard.

Group of creatures that looked like demons from hell appeared. These demons are fighting against Beasts. There was a fierce bird entwined with thunder and lightning, a wild elephant with black scales, a centipede with huge wings on its back, and a pink strange dragon.

"Pink Dragon?" Out of all the things Pink Dragon piqued Tyler’s interest.

Soon he saw a man appear in the sky. Suddenly a Big Red and White chessboard enveloped the demons. Their moments become slow. He flipped his hand. The chessboard under everyone’s feet turned red and then he casted a spell which attacked a large number of huge fists projection appeared in the air. It began to punch the demons simultaneously like a gatling gun. Their bodies shattered, only their demon souls stayed.

Then he flipped his hand again , the ground under their feet turned white. Instead of a proper chessboard, every square turned white. Then he roared like a fierce dragon. The demon souls turned into ashes.

Suddenly the man in the air turned around and looked straight at ’ghostly’ state Tyler, "Someone from the future, huh... Maybe an inheritance left by my future self. Ok times up. Let’s see in real world of fate permits."

Tyler was sent back in an instant. The only regret is he can’t remember how that senior looked.

"Wine really was a great thing; it could be enjoyed in times of joy and also in times of sorrow. Even when you were bored and alone, you could have some. This wine is so good." The Scholar Ghost said as he took a sip of wine. Others all took a sip of wine.

"Oh Junior Brother Tyler is awake." Priscilla said.

"While wine is good, it’s better when accompanied by food" Tyler smiled at them and brought out some snacks. Before starting to practise the spell, Tyler was the one who took the wine gourd for the Scholar Ghost.

The scholar Ghost drank the Wine and said "Wine truly was a great thing. You could enjoy toast when you were in love, and you could enjoy it when you weren’t."

"Also congratulations on learning and otherworldly spells." The Scholar Ghost then said.

"Junior brother, how were you able to comprehend the spell? Is there any trick?" Chen Xi asked. He really likes the Chess spell which is a pseudo domain. When the scholar Ghost said that the caster can cross the realm and fight the opponent, he felt like a protagonist in the book.

’Wait! If Tyler is able to power up like that, then can I bring him to The Cultivation cc?’ Chen Xi couldn’t help but wonder.

"I heard a song." Tyler said. Tyler is now pretty sure that song he heard is not his imagination. It must be some spirit or Ghost trying to help him. Because of that melody he was guided to a small enlightenment mode. Where he was able to grasp the spell

"It should be the Wandering Ghost." The Scholar Ghost said.

"I know that it’s The Wandering Ghost. But why am I the only one who can hear her singing?" Tyler asked.

"I’ve heard that there was once a Golden core Realm Cultivator who had drunk too much. In the end, they were drunk for several years." The scholar Ghost said.

"You are drunk." Priscilla said.

"That’s not how you change topics." Chi said.

"Getting Targeted by her is not a bad thing. She loves to wander in the village and the west forest attached to it. She likes to play little pranks but she will do no harm." The Scholar Ghost took another sip of wine.

"Thank You." Tyler thanked him for information as well as the spell.

"You’re welcome. Anyway, you have to have confidence in yourself. As a cultivator, you need to have a big heart. The bigger your heart is, the richer your imagination. Once your imagination is rich enough, you can face things that destroy your view of the world and still remain calm." The Scholar Ghost said.

"Again Off the topic." Priscilla said.

"Scholar Ghost is drunk again." Chi followed.

Scholar Ghost is very satisfied by the wine, the snacks and also Tyler learned the spell. So he took several Ghost Sense Beads without even counting and gave it to the Group.

Tyler and others thanked him.

"We will meet again if fate permits." The Scholar said as he disappeared in the air.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Just after he left, Mana appeared on the spot. She took the wine and gulped it.

"Kids should not drink alcohol." Tyler also felt a little drunk.

"Mana is not a kid. Mana is probably older than your ancestor." Mana said as she drank the wine.

"Oh... Mana is young. Mana is 12 years old. Forgot what Mana said before." Mana then said.

After that they started their travels again. The New Moon Phantom Festival finishes at dawn. There are only a few hours before dawn. So they decided to find more Ghosts that give tasks and get as many Ghost Sense Beads as possible.

While they were walking, they saw two pitiful ghosts. They looked Pitiful because they were filled with sorrow. They cried so much that it was as if there was a living spring in their eye sockets as tears continued streaming down their faces. Their cries sounded like explosions of thunder in spring.

Tyler and others looked at the fire which doesn’t turn into any colour. So they left. While walking around the village where every street looked exactly the same, they saw different types of Ghosts with different emotions. Most of them are done by other Cultivators. So Tyler and others couldn’t find anything.

Few minutes later, while passing by a hut, the candle flame and the Petromax Light shines blue. They looked at each other and nodded.

Inside the house a single humanoid shape Ghost is sitting in the chair and eating some vegetables which are placed on the table. It is using chopsticks to eat. But the thing is , there is another head on the table. After eating a little bit, the Ghost removed its head and placed it on the table and grabbed the other head, placed it on its neck and started to eat.

The veggies in the bowl didn’t seem illusory. It appears again and again when they emptied the bowl. This cycle continues as a loop. One head is a man’s head , another one is a woman ’s head.

Suddenly the Head on the table turned around and said, "Finally a visitor."

Then his head was replaced by the woman’s head. Now the woman’s head on the table spoke, "Give us a way for both of us to eat at the same time. " The Ghost said and without any warning the candle slowly turned red.

"You people have only an incense stick of time." This time the both Ghost said.

Tyler looked at Mana.

"Mana didn’t bring you inside this time." Mana said innocently.

"But you didn’t stop us." Priscilla said with a dissatisfied expression.

"That is not Mana’s job." Mana blinked her eyes innocently.

"But Mana can give you a solution." She smiled at them.