The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 344. The Underground Mine – A Prison Without Time

The underground prison was vast, stretching endlessly with countless iron-barred cages stacked atop one another like a labyrinth of suffering.

In the dim torchlight, shackled figures could be seen inside the cells—many reduced to mere husks of their former selves. The stench of sweat and blood filled the air, mixing with the eerie dark mist that drifted along the cavern floor.

Above, a group of humanoid cultivators soared on hoverboards, their sleek metallic crafts propelled by fiery propulsion formations that left behind faint streaks of red light.

They were carrying a prisoner.

The captive struggled, but his restraints glowed ominously, suppressing any attempt to resist. Moments later, without hesitation, the guards hurled him down into the underground prison. He crashed hard onto the cold ground.

The metallic clang of a cage door slamming shut echoed through the cavern.

---

Hours Later...

Tyler opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. The prison was still, save for the occasional sound of chains clinking and the muffled groans of exhausted captives.

The other prisoner in his cage sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in meditation.

Tyler flexed his hands, testing his restraints. His skin darkened, and he attempted to activate his Dragon Mode to break free.

Crack!

A sharp pain jolted through his neck. He gritted his teeth. The collar around his throat glowed briefly before returning to normal.

He tried again. And again.

Nothing.

Tyler frowned. This isn’t just any ordinary suppression collar.

"It’s useless."

The voice was calm, yet firm.

Tyler turned to see the other prisoner had opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp—filled with quiet wisdom and a lifetime of experience.

"Save your energy," the man continued. "These shackles are specially designed for us. No one has ever broken free from them."

Tyler studied the man. He spoke in a completely different language, yet Tyler understood every word.

His eyes lit up.

This collar... it’s a translation device as well?

He reached up, lightly touching the cool metal. He could sense the enchantments within.

"Where is this?" Tyler asked.

The man looked surprised.

"You don’t even know?"

Tyler shook his head. "I was knocked out and brought here."

The man sighed. "This is the Netherite Mines. This entire underground prison is a massive mining operation controlled by the Abyss Hunters."

He gestured toward the center of the cavern.

Tyler followed his gaze and finally noticed it.

A towering mountain of ore stood in the middle of the cavern, its jagged black surface glistening faintly under the dim light.

It stretched all the way up to the ceiling, connecting seamlessly like a giant pillar holding up the underground world.

Dark mist oozed from cracks in the mountain, drifting like ghostly tendrils through the cavern.

Tyler remained silent.

In truth... he had let himself be captured.

It was all part of the plan.

After strategizing with Dawn, he decided to infiltrate the Abyss Hunters’ base from within.

Before being captured, he had entrusted all his belongings—including his copper pot and copper ladle—to Mana.

Now, as a mine slave, he had only one goal.

Find Lily Gomes.

---

In the Netherite Mines, there was no morning or night—only an endless cycle of labor and suffering.

The air was thick with dust, and the dim light from luminous butterflies barely illuminated the cavern’s towering ceiling. The vast underground expanse stretched far beyond what the eye could see, with thousands of cages suspended from metallic beams.

Suddenly, a deep, resonating clang echoed through the cavern.

A guard wielding a massive bell struck it with rhythmic precision.

CLANG! CLANG!

"The bell..." A voice from the next cell stirred. "Time for breakfast."

Tyler turned toward the voice. The same man from before, his gaze sharp yet calm.

The man stretched slightly before saying, "Kaiser."

Tyler gave a nod. "Tyler."

From above, guards soared over the cages on hoverboards, their crimson cloaks fluttering behind them. Without stopping, they hurled objects into the cells below.

Thud!

Something heavy and slimy landed in front of Tyler.

He glanced down.

It was a large, worm-like root, its tubular body squirming as if still alive. Its shape resembled a sweet potato with gnarled roots, yet its skin was translucent, revealing a greenish fluid inside.

Tyler frowned.

Kaiser, on the other hand, lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, he grabbed the squirming root and bit into it.

A burst of vibrant green liquid splattered onto the ground as he devoured it hungrily.

Noticing Tyler’s hesitation, Kaiser licked the excess juice from his fingers and chuckled.

"That’s Green Gord Root—the only thing we get to eat here." He tapped his metal collar with his fingers. "With this thing suppressing our energy, food is the only way we can replenish our strength. Try it. Tastes like green tea."

Tyler reluctantly picked up one of the wriggling roots. He held it for a moment before taking a small bite.

A mild bitterness spread across his tongue, followed by an earthy aftertaste. Strangely enough, it did resemble green tea.

Kaiser grinned. "See? Not so bad."

Tyler remained silent. He ate just enough to keep up appearances.

Another bell rang.

CLANG! CLANG!

Kaiser let out a breath. "Time to mine."

Above, guards hovered over the prison cells, activating jade slips that controlled the inscriptions on the cages.

With a faint glow, the bars slid apart, allowing prisoners to exit.

A long, silent procession formed as hundreds of slaves moved in an orderly line toward the colossal underground mountain.

At the mining station, each prisoner was handed mining tools—pickaxes, chisels, hammers, and shovels.

Tyler took a pickaxe and a chisel before following the others.

The slaves also picked up a lamp with luminous butterfly in it. Tyler also picked one.

For hours, he climbed up the jagged black rock, his steps careful and calculated.

Once he found a secluded area, he examined the equipment in his hands. The tools were forged with powerful enchantments, allowing them to chip away at the dense Netherite ore.

He swung his pickaxe, shattering chunks of rock.

Tyler noticed something strange—everyone here was incredibly strong.

Even without any sort of Energy, the prisoners wielded their tools with extraordinary strength, hinting at their natural physical abilities.

He continued mining, waiting for the right moment.

After a few minutes, when no one was watching, Tyler lifted his chisel and made a small, precise cut on the side of his foot.

Blood seeped out.

Ignoring the pain, he reached into the wound and carefully extracted a tiny metal ring from beneath his skin.

He held it between his fingers, clicking the small embedded gem.

A soft blue glow emerged.

A tiny pen-like device ejected from the ring.

Tyler clicked the gem again.

A mirror appeared.

At that moment, a guard flew past overhead.

The man glanced down, briefly noticing Tyler still working despite his bleeding foot.

He shook his head and moved on without a word.

Tyler waited until the guard disappeared from view before spitting the ring from his mouth back into his hand.

He then took out the pen and mirror once more.

"Don’t come again. The energy inside the ring is limited." Since he can’t use his divine sense, Tyler has to use the gem containing the divine sense to take out the items.

The mountain is so big, the guards are patrolling randomly. He also had to keep an eye above.

With careful precision, he activated the pen, causing a thin red laser to extend from its tip.

He then traced the laser over specific patterns on his collar’s inscription.

This wasn’t random.

Tyler knows the decryption.

Before, he had rescued Kairon, a slave who had been relentlessly pursued by Raptor. Grateful for his freedom, Kairon shared a crucial secret with Tyler—the method he had painstakingly discovered to decode and deactivate the slave collars.

It had taken Kairon years of suffering to figure it out. Through relentless trial and error, he had finally succeeded in breaking free.

Tyler had specifically prepared a tool—one that would allow him to bypass the lengthy process and unlock the collar in mere minutes.

It was a calculated move.

For several minutes, Tyler worked methodically, adjusting the angle of the beam, ensuring it hit the precise seals and suppressions placed on the device.

A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he focused.

Then—

Click!

A soft mechanical sound echoed from the collar.

Tyler’s lips curved into a subtle smirk.

It worked.

With a firm grip, he removed the collar.