The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 354. Battle on the Flying Mountain

After being dragged by the yo-yo, Apollo twisted midair through the crack in space. He could feel the magic binding him begin to unravel. With a twist of his neck and a flare of divine energy, he broke free—but not by snapping the string. Instead, the yo-yo’s thread phased through him as if it had served its purpose. It withdrew, zipping back toward its master.

The yo-yo returned to Adam’s outstretched hand, vanishing into the shadows of his cloak.

Apollo landed on his feet, surrounded by a vast and eerie landscape.

Above him, the sky was haunted by the light of five hundred moons, each casting a sickly glow across the crumbling terrain. Massive cliff faces formed and decayed in a continuous cycle, like breathing stone. The very ground beneath him cracked and repaired itself in slow pulses.

Far on the horizon, colossal beings wandered without purpose. Each one towered like a mountain, their movements slow and heavy. One resembled a bipedal lizard with molten veins running across its scales. Another looked like a hulking gorilla carrying a rusted axe the size of a ship across its shoulder. They didn’t seem to notice the small combatants in their world—they simply walked, as if dreaming in an eternal slumber.

Apollo glanced at them only briefly. He had no interest in these ancient giants.

Instead, his gaze settled on the two figures standing before him.

Adam, as calm as ever, was dusting his sleeves.

Beside him stood a man in a sleek black blazer, magician’s hat tipped forward to shadow his eyes. In one hand, he held a deck of floating cards glowing with runes. In the other, a staff nearly his own height, topped with a glowing gem.

It was Dusk.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "New outfit?"

Dusk chuckled. "It’s a magical artifact. Stylish and protective. What do you think?"

"I think you’re both too confident."

With a flick of his wrist, Apollo summoned his weapon—a massive golden sword radiating divine energy. It pulsed in rhythm with his heart, each beat sending waves of pressure through the air.

"Alright," he said with a smirk. "You got me off guard. Let’s settle this here and now."

Without another word, he raised the blade and swung it downward with crushing force.

WHHHHHHRRRRMMMM!

A beam of golden light exploded from the blade’s arc, carving through the ever-changing terrain. The rocks beneath it split, molten cracks forming instantly as the attack roared toward Adam and Dusk like the judgment of a god.

---

Meanwhile...

Back on the battlefield, Tyler stood at the center of a deadly triangle.

On his left, Su Fei twirled her fan, her nine tails flickering behind her like burning silk. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and something darker.

On his right, the Giant cracked his knuckles, each movement releasing a thunderous clack as gears twisted under his skin.

And in the shadows behind them loomed Night—the mysterious warrior wrapped in pitch-black armor that seemed to absorb all light. His presence sent chills down the spine, even for Tyler.

"So..." Su Fei purred. "Do you want to surrender and become my slave?"

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "You’re not trying to kill me?"

"No, silly," she giggled. "It’s been ages since a man made my heart thump. After all this time, I find one who actually makes me feel alive. Of course I want you as my male pet—my darling little— ahhhhh"

WHAM!

A foot slammed into Su Fei’s stomach mid-sentence, sending her flying backward with a sharp cry.

Dawn landed gracefully in front of Tyler.

"Heroine saving Hero. But don’t fall for me. I already have someone I like." Dawn said in narcissistic way.

"heh... Bro-con." Tyler muttered.

Without hesitation, she chased after Su Fei, vanishing into a trail of sparks and wind.

"Let’s finish our fight!" she shouted.

"You dare interrupt me?!" Su Fei’s voice echoed, enraged, as her nine tails lit up with spiritual fire. She drew her ornate fan and hissed, "I’ll turn you into rabbit soup!"

The two women vanished in flashes of light and magic, their duel continuing in the sky above.

That left Tyler with two enemies—now just one.

Before he could react, Night was suddenly wrapped in two lightning-charged whips. The crackling tendrils coiled around his armored frame and yanked him backwards with incredible force.

From the distant, Lily’s silhouette flashed, electricity trailing from her hand. "Don’t hog all the fun, Captain!"

Night was pulled away into the mists, leaving only one opponent before Tyler.

The Giant.

"Looks like it’s one-on-one now," Tyler muttered with a smirk.

The Giant, in response, vanished.

Tyler’s eyes widened. He’s fast!

He looked up—too late.

The Giant had leapt high into the sky and was now descending like a meteor. His entire body, augmented by dense spiritual Qi and reinforced limbs, crashed down toward Tyler like a falling mountain.

BOOOOM!

The impact shattered the ground. Dust and debris flew in all directions, and a crater the size of a small lake formed.

But as the dust settled, the Giant frowned.

Where Tyler had stood was not a broken corpse nor his Flesh and blood, But scattered ice—shards glimmering under the moonlight, reflecting the chaos around them.

Tyler appeared behind him and with a Trident.

---

On the other side of the mountain...

The air was heavy with tension, the landscape quiet save for the rumbling of distant battles. .

Night stood at its center—or more accurately, floated. A humanoid knight clad in jet-black armor, he radiated menace and silence. But beneath that armor, there was no body—only shadow, a writhing, formless darkness with no true shape.

Without warning, two lightning-infused whips lashed out from the cliffs above, crackling with intense power. They coiled around Night’s armored limbs, hissing as electricity surged through them.

The whips belonged, of course, to Lily Gomes.

She yanked hard, pulling Night from the shadows and flinging him like a ragdoll across the clearing. His armored form skidded before crashing into a shallow pond.

But this was no ordinary pond. The bubbling green liquid inside it churned like acid-laced lava, hissing as it made contact with his armor. The pond had been created specifically by Mathilda.

As soon as Night’s body sank into the bubbling mixture, smoke rose. The black knight armor began to sizzle and corrode. freēnovelkiss.com

Mathilda blinked in surprise. "That’s it? That was easy."

But the words barely left her lips before the pool erupted.

From the center of the toxic pond, a mass of shadow launched into the air. Night’s true form—shifting tendrils of darkness—writhed upward and reached into the toxic depths. In a heartbeat, it retrieved the damaged but still functional armor, pulling it over itself like a second skin.

The knight form reassembled itself in midair, the pieces snapping back into place.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "This is going to be troublesome."

Night’s helmet tilted toward them. Then, without any gesture, a surge of black energy exploded outward. From the cloud of darkness, Mana was flung out like a broken doll.

She tumbled across the rocky ground, coughing violently before catching herself.

"Mana couldn’t possess him," she groaned, struggling to her feet. "It’s like... he doesn’t have a soul. Is he even a living being?"

Lily didn’t answer. Her eyes sparkled with lightning. With a small swing, her whips cracked against the earth, sending a bolt of electricity roaring forward.

CRACK!

The whip pierced straight through the knight’s chestplate—but Night’s form shimmered and dissolved like smoke. He reappeared a few meters away, untouched.

Mathilda reached into her pouch and began hurling potions and pills at Night with reckless abandon.

First came a vial of Dreamless Sleeping Potion.

Then she hurled a flask of Divine Sense Explosion Potion, which detonated in a psychic shockwave that made the air ripple.

Next came Self-Exploding Wood Elemental Pills, followed by Gold Elemental Pills, which erupted in bursts of elemental chaos.

Three-Day Diarrhea Elixir

an Aphrodisiac Potion.

Still nothing happened.

Night didn’t even flinch.

From behind, Astrid joined the assault, tossing a set of pre-inscribed Array Discs. As they struck the ground, complex patterns of light emerged—barriers, seals, and spatial locks, all designed to trap or contain.

But Night phased right through them, as though they weren’t even there.

The ground shook, and four Grandmasters—joined the fray. Their domains expanded into the surroundings, layering the battlefield with dense pressure.

"His shadow ability is the problem," Lily muttered.

Mana leaned on Astrid’s shoulder. "He’s like a walking void."

"So what do we do?" Astrid asked, already preparing another wave of array discs. "We can’t hurt him, we can’t bind him, and we can’t touch him."

Lily stepped forward, her whip sparking to life again. "We stall."

Mathilda gave her a side glance. "Stall? For how long?"

"Until Tyler and the others finish their battles," Lily replied, voice calm but firm. "We’re not here to win. We’re here to hold the line."

Everyone went silent for a moment.

Then they nodded.

Mathilda pulled out more vials. Astrid reloaded her arrays. Mana disappeared for sneak attacks. The Grandmasters adjusted their stances.

They just need to stall time.