The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 439. Divine Sense Breakthrough

Though it seemed like countless days had passed in the ethereal world created by the Feather of Dreamwalker, in reality, only three days had gone by in the outside world.

The two ships of the Phantom Pirates hovered near one another, with their crews keeping a sharp eye on the ocean around them. No one dared to blink for too long.

The Dreamwalker is more like a battle of will, memory, and mental fortitude. The very soul of their captain was at stake.

On the third day, something shifted.

The Feather of Dreamwalker, which had been hovering silently between Phantom Blackwood and Kael Driftsbane as they sat motionless inside a small boat, suddenly flared to life. A radiant light burst from it like lightning cracking open the sky.

The luminescent threads connecting the feather to both their foreheads began to ripple.

From an outsider’s perspective, it appeared as though something invisible was being drawn out from Kael Driftsbane’s head and injected into Phantom Blackwood’s. It was like watching a river of light being drained from Kael and poured into Blackwood. The difference was striking.

"Tsk... Captain lost..." Talindra muttered, her expression twisted in a mixture of disbelief and frustration. Around her, the other pirates looked just as disturbed.

"Should we stop it?" one of the crew members asked, nervously fingering the hilt of his blade. His voice tense with fear and uncertainty.

Before they could decide, a confident and sultry voice rang out from the Shadow Pearl, the ship now proudly flying the ’Phantom Pirates’ Jolly Roger.

"Oh my, oh my... Looks like we won," came the unmistakable voice of the Temptress—Lily Gomes, standing atop the deck of the Shadow Pearl with a smirk that said ’don’t even think about it’. Her presence alone was enough to silence the opposition.

Every crew member of ’Fake’ Phantom Pirates stood ready for battle.

No, it wasn’t "fake" anymore. Not after this. They had won two out of the three Pirate Challenges. That meant, by all laws of the sea and the traditions of pirates, they were now officially and irrevocably...

The Phantom Pirates.

Within the Dreamwalker boat, Tyler awoke feeling... indescribably refreshed. It was like drinking a cold, fizzy drink after a feast of hot, spicy food— revitalizing and exhilarating. But it was more than just physical; his mind felt sharper, deeper.

His mental consciousness was expanding —no longer a tranquil lake but a roaring sea. He could feel it: his Divine Sense, purified by the Feather of Dreamwalker, had evolved. Not only had the impurities been removed, but it now harmonized perfectly with his body and soul.

Kael Driftsbane, on the other hand, looked like a husk. Something vital had been ripped from him. He clutched his head, trembling. His once-proud Divine Sense was crumbling, shrinking by the second.

Fear and regret gripped him.

Fear because this man... this Phantom Blackwood... had once survived an encounter with an Immortal. That was a level beyond comprehension for many of them. Kael hadn’t even survived a dream version of him.

Regret filled his soul like oil in water— slow, heavy, consuming. Because He thought the so-called Phantom Blackwood, wouldn’t be able to survive his past. That he would drown in the horrors of his own mind. That he would fail the Dreamwalker Challenge.

But he hadn’t.

He had endured. Survived. Won.

Now Kael couldn’t even lift a finger.

Meanwhile, Tyler could now see through everything. His Divine Sense had reached the 5-Star Divine Seeker Realm, allowing him to scan the entirety of Veins Peak Island from his seat on the boat.

Yet his Divine Sense did not stop growing.

Crack.

A shift.

His consciousness expanded even further, beyond the mortal scope. His senses felt like they were dancing between dimensions. He couldn’t understand the feeling that much.

"This is... the Immortal Sense of a Beginner Immortal?" Tyler murmured, astonished.

But he quickly shook his head. It didn’t feel stable or complete enough.

"No... This is a Loose Immortal Level Divine Sense," he corrected himself. Not fully immortal, but no longer bound by mortal limitations.

His eyes slowly opened.

A shockwave burst from his pupils.

Two tiny beams of invisible force shot out and pierced straight through the wooden deck of the boat, forming perfect holes.

Water began to leak in.

"Oops..." Tyler muttered, blinking.

With a wave of his hand, he tried to seal the holes. Ice burst forth... and froze the entire boat solid.

"What the F—?!" Tyler yelled, jumping to his feet. "I was trying to patch two holes, not trap us in a popsicle!"

While his magical prowess was still at the Grandmaster level, his Divine Sense had shot up to an Immortal-tier range.

Mages relied heavily on the harmony between Prana and Divine Sense to cast precise spells. But now, with such a huge gap, he couldn’t control his power effectively. It was like using a fine quill with a tidal wave of ink—everything overflowed.

He looked at his hands. Energy shimmered around his fingertips, responding to even his smallest thoughts.

"I’m going to have to recalibrate everything..." he muttered.

Meanwhile, Kael Driftsbane, still sitting with legs crossed, groaned. His Divine Sense had dropped back to the Novice Level, and it was unstable at that. His once-sharp eyes were glazed with Hollow.

He just staring at Tyler.

Tyler, now fully alert and standing on a frozen boat, looked down at him.

"You gambled your soul," he said. "Next time, don’t bet what you can’t afford to lose."

Kael didn’t respond.

"Hello? Are you online?" Phantom Blackwood waved his hand in front of Kael’s face.

Still No response.

"Bro looks like he disconnected," he muttered with a shrug.

Just then, two figures descended gracefully onto the surface of the water beside the frozen boat— Temptress and Talindra, standing tall and tense, respectively as their reflections danced beneath them.

"Looks like your captain’s suffering some serious backlash," Phantom Blackwood said casually, hands in his pockets.

Talindra didn’t answer. She rushed forward and grabbed Kael Driftsbane’s wrist, her expression tight with frustration. She placed her hand against his chest and tried to inject some of her Aura to stabilize him. But it was no use. His body barely reacted.

Phantom Blackwood turned his attention away from them, his eyes landing on the Feather of Dreamwalker still floating above. It shimmered softly, weightless in the air, before it slowly began to ascend.

The feather drifted higher and higher until it vanished into the sky.

Tyler narrowed his eyes, sending his Divine Sense soaring upward to try and track its path. But it eluded him.

"Can’t even trace it?" he muttered under his breath.

Then he caught a faint signature—a direction. The feather was heading toward the secluded region of Gunn Calway.

"I was hoping to copy it," he said with a sigh. "But never mind."

A voice pulled him back to the present.

"So... what do you plan to do with us?" Talindra asked, her tone calm but cautious.

"Hmm... the treasures, darling," Temptress replied sweetly, making a playful gesture with her fingers.

Talindra rolled her eyes and moved to Kael’s hand, trying to pry off his storage ring. But his fingers were locked tight in a death grip.

"Tsk..." With a flicker of irritation, she snapped one of his fingers clean off. Without hesitation, she tossed the ring toward Temptress.

The moment before it touched her palm, a sharp spark of lightning burst forth. The severed finger disintegrated completely, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke.

Temptress raised an eyebrow. "Now that’s ruthless."

Kael Driftsbane didn’t even react to the pain.

Phantom Blackwood exhaled. "From now on, drop the name. Don’t call yourselves Phantom Pirates. Honestly, we don’t need your ship, your treasure, or your reputation."

He glanced at Kael’s limp form. "Looks like it’ll take centuries for your captain to recover—"

Before he could even finish, Talindra had already grabbed Kael and vanished in a flash of light. Moments later, their ship turned and sailed into the endless sea, vanishing over the horizon without a word.

They clearly had no intention of staying in this place even a second longer.

Tyler turned to Lily. "Send someone to spread the word of our victory," he said. "Make it loud."

Lily grinned. "With pleasure."

---

Meanwhile, aboard the ex-Phantom Pirates’ ship...

Talindra gently laid Kael Driftsbane on a luxurious bed in her private quarters. The proud, fearsome captain now looked like a husk of his former self.

She placed her palm on his chest, this time it is not for healing him. Instead his cultivation, his vitality— everything was absorbing really fast.

Rapidly.

His lifeforce was being drained, piece by piece.

A strange warmth coursed through her body as she continued to touch him. Her own cultivation began to stir, subtly rising— tiny breakthroughs blooming within her as she absorbed what little remained of Kael’s power.

And then...

He turned to ash.

Ash that scattered over her hand, her bed, and the floor.

Kael Driftsbane— their Captain — was gone.

She stood there for a long moment, unmoving.

Then she wiped her hand on her cloak, turned, and stepped out onto the deck.

The crew was silent, waiting.

She looked at each of them, her eyes glinting under the sunlight.

"From now on..." she said, voice steady.

"I am the captain."

A confident smirk curved her lips.

None of the crew objected.

Even Kanth accepted it. Everyone guessed what happened, but no one dared to voice it out.

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