Chapter 227. Breakthrough
Over the past six months at the academy, Tyler had been immersed in intense Cultivation. The thing he got from Senior Cyan called Mercury Fruit had become central to his training.
This rare and volatile fruit, harvested from the dangerous Abyss, could not be consumed directly.
Instead, it had to be contained in specially crafted vessels, as it would melt and turn gaseous within seconds of being plucked.
Only powerful immortal practitioners dared handle the Mercury Fruit. By sealing themselves within an array, they could safely absorb the gaseous essence emitted by the fruit, allowing them to cultivate and enhance their powers.
Mercury Fruit was especially effective for Elite-level practitioners, with the potential to elevate them to Master level after just one or two fruits.
Tyler, however, was beyond typical practitioners. Inside his room, he sat casually, a rare scene of calm amidst the volatile essence swirling around him.
He was seated on the floor, unclothed, casually taking copies of Mercury Fruit from his copper pot and releasing them into the room.
The essence filled the air like a fine mist, settling around him in thick clouds, so concentrated that he didn’t need an array to contain it. His entire room had become a chamber of Mercury essence, a sacred space charged with immense power.
But despite his relentless efforts, Tyler couldn’t break through. Days turned to weeks, and frustration crept into his training. He had absorbed so much Mercury essence, yet the threshold remained elusive.
"Maybe the academy isn’t enough for you," said Naga, one of Tyler’s instructors and an unusual figure at the academy. Naga was a snakeman, his body half-human and half-serpent, with bright scales and a pair of narrow, analytical eyes.
He adjusted his spectacles, his forked tongue flickering as he spoke. "Your mental state might be the reason for this bottleneck, Tyler. You’ve always loved adventure, yet you’ve been confined to the academy. Perhaps that’s what’s holding you back."