The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 227. Breakthrough

Chapter 227: 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."

Tyler considered Naga’s words, and his frown eased slightly.

"Go out, take on some missions or assignments beyond the academy walls. Forget the usual studies and do what you love out there. It might be the trigger you need to reach the next level." With a nod of encouragement, Naga slithered away, colliding with a broomstick in his path and giving a sharp hiss of annoyance.

Tyler’s mind was made up. He would leave the academy to pursue his breakthrough.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Back to present

Now, in the scorching expanse of the Little Gobi Desert near Thanes Town, Tyler stood, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Two men lay bound at his feet, their faces gaunt and dehydrated.

Tyler already gave them the same treatment he gave Liu Feng. One of the person is Jake, the person Tyler was searching for. So after finding out he doesn’t have things that resonates with copper pot, he decided to kill them too. They are now in their last breath.

Tyler barely noticed them as he took in the sweltering landscape around him.

"It’s hot..." he muttered, feeling the intense desert heat despite his powers as an immortal practitioner. But as the harsh sun beat down on him, he felt his mind settling into a state of serene clarity. Just as Professor Naga had predicted, maybe seeking justice out of heart really calmed his mind.

Reaching into his pack, Tyler withdrew four array discs and tossed them in the air. They spun and settled in a square around him, activating to create a contained space.

He then opened several Mercury Fruit containers, releasing the precious fruit inside. Immediately, the fruit dissolved into gas, its potent essence mixing into the confined air around Tyler.

As the Mercury essence filled the array, Tyler’s pores opened, absorbing it deeply. He began to chant the Kun Peng Art, the one he got from the Kun Peng Ruins. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat steadied, and he felt his mind sink into a trance-like calm, as his Aura and Prana—the sources of his strength—rose in harmony within him.

A sudden pressure built inside his chest, then—

Crack!

Tyler felt something shatter within him, an invisible barrier breaking down. In an instant, a surge of energy exploded outward, and the array holding the Mercury essence shattered, its fragments scattering in all directions.

A chill spread over the desert sand, and frost formed on the ground around him. Where Tyler stood, the harsh desert landscape transformed into a frozen expanse, the air shimmering with cold as if a portal to an arctic realm had opened in the heart of the desert.

Two cores formed inside him. One in his dantian and other in his mental consciousness.

1 star Master Warrior.

1 star Master Mage.

A grin of triumph spread across Tyler’s face. He had finally reached Master level, both as a Warrior and as a Mage. The long-awaited breakthrough had arrived.

The transformation within Tyler extended to his divine sense, which expanded vastly, allowing him to perceive his surroundings with unparalleled clarity

His vision shifted, taking on a strange quality, and he noticed an unexpected phenomenon appearing beneath his feet—a pattern of squares in black and white, like the tiles of a chessboard. He realized, with a thrill, that this was his Chess Domain.

Usually only Grandmaster Level practitioners can use Domain. But some rare geniuses can use Domain before that. But he has lots of lots of wealth. The quantities of materials he used compensated the quality and he can also form the domain.

Experimenting, Tyler altered the colors of the squares to reflect his own attributes. The black and white shifted, becoming vivid shades of blue and red, extending in a 4x4 pattern, sixteen squares surrounding him in a controlled grid. Tyler could sense the unique power in each square; the rules of his Chess Domain were within his control.

His powers in this new domain held intriguing possibilities. When attacking someone standing on a blue square, his Prana would be amplified, delivering devastating blows to the target. Conversely, the red squares boosted the effects of his Aura-based attacks, enhancing his strength in battles that would take place within this realm. Some of the squares even seemed coated with a glass-like sheen—these, he realized, were reserved for divine sense attacks, allowing him to strike an opponent’s mind directly.

The full potential of his Chess Domain began to reveal itself to Tyler, and he felt exhilarated, yet calm. The domain was his own strategic battleground, his personal arena where he could dictate the rules. With a thought, he could set the terrain, establish boundaries, and create conditions that would give him a distinct advantage over his enemies.

He cast a glance at the bound men lying nearby, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. He could test his powers on them—though they were hardly worthy opponents, they would at least provide him with a chance to experiment with the Chess Domain’s effects.

Jake was on the Red title. Tyler simply delivered a small punch.

Boom.

A loud sonic boom resonated.

Jake Destroyed into million pieces.

The other man was frozen in fear. He was on the blue title which looks like glass coated.

Brain Freeze

Tyler attacked him.

Blood began to flow from his eyes and ears. The man died without even knowing.

"Dyamm... Too powerful." Tyler murmured.

He closed his Chess Domain with a final thought, and the red and blue squares vanished from the desert sands. Tyler took a deep breath, feeling the stability of his new powers settle within him. His mind was clear, his spirit unburdened, and his path forward illuminated.

The desert heat had transformed into a refreshing coolness around him, his own mastery now radiating as a natural shield against the elements. Tyler felt invincible, prepared for whatever challenges awaited him beyond the academy.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Inside his academy room,

"Ok this is not the challenge I awaited in the academy." Tyler found himself in an unusual situation—pinned down by Zuzia, the mischievous dragon girl.

Her gaze was fixated on him, a hungry gleam in her eyes, her mouth slightly open as though she were savoring a feast in her mind. Drool trailed down her lip, and Tyler could only look at her with mild exasperation.

"Stop, Zuzia... Control yourself, girl," he said, trying to remain calm, though he couldn’t help but feel a bit unnerved.

"Tyler... tasty..." she murmured, her voice low with hunger.

He sighed. "You are not allowed to eat me."

"Zuzia... hungry..." She didn’t even seem to hear his words. The determined dragon girl edged closer, ignoring his attempts at reason.

Knowing how stubborn she could be when hungry, Tyler relented with a resigned sigh. "Alright, alright. I’ll start by filling your mouth."

A couple of minutes later...

Zuzia transformed, shrinking down into her winged cat form and curling up contentedly, purring in her sleep. She had a bit of white stuff on her mouth.

"Dyamm... she just turned into a cat after eating her fill," he muttered, shaking his head in frustration. The demanding dragon girl had taken all the attention, leaving him feeling unexpectedly unsatisfied.

Tyler sat in silence for a moment, thinking of a solution, until an idea struck him. With a sly smile, he picked up his watch and placed a call.

"Hello, Senior Hawk... Are you free now?" he asked.

On the other end, Senior Hawk, a tall and athletic woman with piercing eyes, blinked in surprise, a curious expression forming on her face. Though initially confused, she quickly recovered and nodded eagerly, resembling a chicken pecking at grains.

After disconnecting the call

With a slight grin, Tyler murmured, "Sorry, Sister Hawk. Looks like I’ll have to eat you up today."

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Author here.

Next Chapter has little bit of R18... RIP NNN

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