bú dào yī tiān de shí jiān ，《 tiān dì jiāo zhēng fù 》 de lì liàng què yǐ jīng biàn dé fǎng fú yǔ shēng jù lái yì bān ， shēn rù gǔ suǐ 。
不到一天的时间，《天地交征赋》的力量却已经变得仿佛与生俱来一般，深入骨髓。
Within less than a day, the power of "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes" had become as if it was innate to Li Fan, deeply rooted in his bones.
hé zì shēn xiū xíng zhī lì wán quán jiāo róng ， nán fēn bǐ cǐ 。
和自身修行之力完全交融，难分彼此。
And it seamlessly merged with his own cultivation power, making them indistinguishable from each other. It felt like an origin technique that was the source of his cultivation; forcibly eliminating it would likely result in a drop of several major realms and possibly even damage his Dao Foundation, leaving him unable to cultivate ever again.
hǎo sì xiū wèi lái yuán de běn yuán gōng fǎ ， ruò yào qiáng xíng fèi chú ， diē luò jǐ gè dà jìng jiè dōu shì qīng de 。 jí dà kě néng huì shāng jí dào jī 、 cóng cǐ wú yuán xiū xíng lù 。
好似修为来源的本源功法，若要强行废除，跌落几个大境界都是轻的。极大可能会伤及道基、从此无缘修行路。
"This..." Li Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, trying for a long time before finally giving up with a disappointed expression.
“ zhè ……” lǐ fán zuò dì pán xī ， cháng shì xǔ jiǔ ， zuì zhōng tuí rán fàng qì 、 miàn sè nán kàn 。
“这……”李凡坐地盘膝，尝试许久，最终颓然放弃、面色难看。
Ouyang Senior Sister also frowned slightly. "The demonic techniques of Xuan Tian Sect are indeed strange. It seems we can't easily get rid of it."
zhào shī jiě yě shì é méi wēi cù ， dào ：“ xuán tiān jiào de yāo fǎ ， guǒ rán guǐ yì 。 kàn lái wǒ men mù qián shì wú fǎ qīng yì bǎi tuō tā le 。”
赵师姐也是娥眉微蹙，道：“玄天教的妖法，果然诡异。看来我们目前是无法轻易摆脱它了。”
"It is said that the Supreme Primordial True Scripture from Taiyi Sect allows cultivators to freely change their cultivation methods as they wish. If we could see it, there might be a chance to eliminate this 'The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes'."
“ jù shuō tài shàng zōng de 《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》， kě yǐ ràng xiū xíng zhě suí xīn suǒ yù 、 gēng huàn gōng fǎ 。 ruò shì yǒu xìng yī guān ， shuō bù dìng jiù néng jiāng zhè 《 tiān dì jiāo zhēng fù 》 fèi chú 。”
“据说太上宗的《太上原始真经》，可以让修行者随心所欲、更换功法。若是有幸一观，说不定就能将这《天地交征赋》废除。”
"The Supreme Primordial True Scripture?" Li Fan frowned slightly. Although he had never heard of this technique before, for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
“《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》？” lǐ fán wēi wēi zhòu méi ， suī rán zhè gōng fǎ zì jǐ cóng wèi tīng shuō ， què bù zhī wèi hé què yǐn yǐn yǒu zhǒng shú xī gǎn 。
“《太上原始真经》？”李凡微微皱眉，虽然这功法自己从未听说，却不知为何却隐隐有种熟悉感。
As she spoke, Ouyang Senior Sister shook her head, giving up on the unrealistic hope: "Unfortunately, like our Taiyi Sect's 'Supreme Heaven Great Dao Scripture', it is a forbidden art that is not passed down."
zhào shī jiě zì jǐ shuō zhe ， jiù yáo yáo tóu fàng qì le zhè bù qiē shí jì de huàn xiǎng ：“ kě xī gēn wǒ men dà dào zōng de 《 zhū tiān dà dào jīng 》 yī yàng ， dōu shì zhèn jiào jué xué 、 bù chuán zhī mí 。”
赵师姐自己说着，就摇摇头放弃了这不切实际的幻想：“可惜跟我们大道宗的《诛天大道经》一样，都是镇教绝学、不传之谜。”
"Only the sect leader and his direct disciples can cultivate within our own sect. Forget about outsiders like us."
“ zì jiā zōng mén nèi yě zhǐ yǒu zhǎng mén dí xì néng gòu xiū xíng ， gèng bié tí wǒ men zhè xiē wài rén le 。”
“自家宗门内也只有掌门嫡系能够修行，更别提我们这些外人了。”
Seeing Ouyang Senior Sister at a loss, Li Fan hugged her gently and comforted her softly: "We can only take things as they come from now on."
qiáo jiàn zhào shī jiě yī chóu mò zhǎn de mú yàng ， lǐ fán bǎ tā yōng rù huái zhōng ， qīng shēng ān wèi dào ：“ shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， zhǐ néng zǒu yī bù kàn yī bù le 。”
瞧见赵师姐一筹莫展的模样，李凡把她拥入怀中，轻声安慰道：“事已至此，只能走一步看一步了。”
"I see no sign of Xuan Tian Sect for a long time. 'The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes' is just a dual-cultivation technique. I think the elders in our sect might not be able to discern anything out of the ordinary."
“ xuán tiān jiào miè wáng xǔ jiǔ ，《 tiān dì jiāo zhēng fù 》 yě zhǐ shì yī mén shuāng xiū gōng fǎ 。 wǒ kàn zōng mén zhǎng bèi men ， yě wèi bì néng qiáo chū duān ní 。”
“玄天教灭亡许久，《天地交征赋》也只是一门双修功法。我看宗门长辈们，也未必能瞧出端倪。”
Although Ouyang Senior Sister nodded in agreement, her worried expression was hard to shake off.
zhào shī jiě suī rán diǎn tóu chēng shì ， dàn yǎn zhōng de yōu lǜ ， què shì huī zhī bù qù 。
赵师姐虽然点头称是，但眼中的忧虑，却是挥之不去。
For half a month, they repaired themselves within the ruins of the secret chamber, using their dual cultivation power to solidify their realms completely.
èr rén zài yí jì mì shì zhōng xiū zhěng le bàn gè yuè ， qī jiān jiè zhù shuāng xiū zhī lì ， chè dǐ gǒng gù jìng jiè hòu 。
二人在遗迹密室中修整了半个月，期间借助双修之力，彻底巩固境界后。
Only then did they set out to return to Taiyi Sect.
zhè cái chū fā fǎn huí dà dào zōng 。
这才出发返回大道宗。
Before leaving, Ouyang Senior Sister's sword light swept across, thoroughly destroying this place.
lín xíng zhī qián ， zhào shī jiě jiàn guāng zòng héng ， jiāng cǐ chù yí jì chè dǐ cuī huǐ 。
临行之前，赵师姐剑光纵横，将此处遗迹彻底摧毁。
Returning to the sect gate, the shattering of Qin Shouming's lamp had already caused a huge commotion.
huí dào shān mén nèi ， qín shǒu mìng dēng de suì liè ， zǎo yǐ yǐn qǐ xuān rán dà bō 。
回到山门内，秦守命灯的碎裂，早已引起轩然大波。
After secretly discussing with Ouyang Senior Sister, they decided that this matter couldn't be hidden. They went before their master and confessed everything about Qin Shouming's covert follow and his plot, which was ultimately foiled by them together.
zhào shī jiě hé lǐ fán èr rén àn zhōng shāng yì yī fān ， jué de cǐ shì yīng gāi mán bú zhù 。
赵师姐和李凡二人暗中商议一番，觉得此事应该瞒不住。
They omitted some details but didn't mention Xuan Tian Sect at all. Instead, they said it was a breakthrough during critical moments that allowed them to successfully kill him in the end.
tā men suǒ xìng yì qǐ miàn jiàn shī zūn ， jiāng qín shǒu yī lù qiǎo rán gēn suí 、 tú móu bù guǐ ， zuì zhōng bèi èr rén lián shǒu fǎn shā de shì qíng jiāo dài le chū lái 。
他们索性一起面见师尊，将秦守一路悄然跟随、图谋不轨，最终被二人联手反杀的事情交代了出来。
Zhang Wangshuang seemed already aware of this and showed no great surprise. She punished them with ten years of confinement and kept them locked up on the back mountain.
zhǐ shì xì jié yǒu suǒ yǐn mán ， méi yǒu tí jí xuán tiān jiào de shì 。
只是细节有所隐瞒，没有提及玄天教的事。
Ten years passed swiftly.
zhǐ shuō tā men shēng sǐ guān tóu 、 lín zhèn tū pò ， zhè cái dé yǐ chéng gōng fǎn shā 。
只说他们生死关头、临阵突破，这才得以成功反杀。
The trials and tribulations of Taiyi Sect were now irrelevant to the two confined within the room.
zhāng wàng shuāng què fǎng fú zǎo yǐ zhī xiǎo de yàng zi ， bìng méi yǒu tài duō de jīng yà 。
张望霜却仿佛早已知晓的样子，并没有太多的惊讶。
Initially, they had some reservations about cultivating dual techniques within their sect.
fá le èr rén shí nián jìn bì ， jiāng tā men bǎo hù xìng de guān yā zài le hòu shān zhī zhōng 。
罚了二人十年禁闭，将他们保护性的关押在了后山之中。
But by the third year, both hit a bottleneck. They bravely resumed practicing "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes."
shí nián shí jiān yī huǎng ér guò 。
十年时间一晃而过。
Perhaps it was like finding water in a drought, or maybe their cultivation had improved, but this time, the results were even better than three years ago.
dà dào zōng de fēng fēng yǔ yǔ ， dōu hé jìn bì shì nèi de èr rén wú guān le 。
大道宗的风风雨雨，都和禁闭室内的二人无关了。
Ouyang Senior Sister broke through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, while Li Fan reached the mid-stage of Golden Core Realm. Their cultivation speed was so fast that they couldn't help being amazed.
zuì chū de shí hòu ， duì yú zài zōng mén nèi xiū xíng shuāng xiū zhī fǎ ， liǎng rén hái yǒu xiē xǔ jì huì 。
最初的时候，对于在宗门内修行双修之法，两人还有些许忌讳。
Their worries grew as well. While occasional breakthroughs could be explained by chance, their rapid progress far exceeded what their talents could account for and would surely raise suspicion.
dàn dāng dì sān nián de shí hòu ， tā men shuāng shuāng xiàn rù píng jǐng 。 yú shì zhuàng zhe dǎn zi ， zài dù yì qǐ xiū xíng qǐ le 《 tiān dì jiāo zhēng fù 》。
但当第三年的时候，他们双双陷入瓶颈。于是壮着胆子，再度一起修行起了《天地交征赋》。
If discovered with Xuan Tian Sect's demonic techniques, the consequences would be dire. Losing their cultivation might just be a minor punishment.
huò xǔ shì jiǔ hàn féng gān lù de yuán yīn ， yì huò zhě shì èr rén xiū wèi yòu yǒu jīng jìn de yuán gù ， zhè cì shuāng xiū de xiào guǒ bǐ qǐ sān nián zhī qián hái yào hǎo 。
或许是久旱逢甘露的原因，亦或者是二人修为又有精进的缘故，这次双修的效果比起三年之前还要好。
After much deliberation, they decided not to practice dual cultivation unless absolutely necessary.
zhào shī jiě tū pò dào le yuán yīng zhōng qī ， lǐ fán de jìng jiè yě lái dào le jīn dān zhōng qī 。
赵师姐突破到了元婴中期，李凡的境界也来到了金丹中期。
The plan was perfect, but...
xiū xíng sù dù zhī kuài ， ràng liǎng rén àn zì zé shé 。
修行速度之快，让两人暗自咋舌。
Five more years passed, and that strange bottleneck reappeared in both of them.
xīn zhōng de dān yōu gèng shì bù kě bì miǎn de yǒng xiàn 。
心中的担忧更是不可避免的涌现。
No matter how hard they tried, there was no progress.
tā men zhī dào ， ǒu ěr tū pò hái néng gòu yòng jī yuán lái jiě shì 。 dàn jìn jìng yì zhí rú cǐ xùn sù ， chāo chū le èr rén tiān fù suǒ néng jiě shì de fàn chóu ， zé bì dìng huì yǐn qǐ huái yí 。
他们知道，偶尔突破还能够用机缘来解释。但进境一直如此迅速，超出了二人天赋所能解释的范畴，则必定会引起怀疑。
For an entire year, they struggled without rest, dedicating all their energy to cultivation. They attempted to break through the bottleneck by sheer force, but it proved futile.
ruò shì bèi chá chū tā men shēn huái xuán tiān jiào yāo fǎ ， xià chǎng dìng rán qī cǎn wú bǐ 。 bèi fèi chú xiū wèi kǒng pà dōu shì qīng de 。
若是被查出他们身怀玄天教妖法，下场定然凄惨无比。被废除修为恐怕都是轻的。
The despair of remaining stagnant at their current realm gnawed at them.
jīng guò yī fān jiān nán de shāng tǎo zhī hòu ， èr rén jué yì ， bú dào bì yào shí kè 、 jué bù jìn xíng shuāng xiū 。
经过一番艰难的商讨之后，二人决议，不到必要时刻、绝不进行双修。
Li Fan and Ouyang Senior Sister were both people who pursued the Dao with single-minded determination; they couldn't tolerate being stuck in their current realms forever.
jì huà shì měi hǎo de ， dàn ……
计划是美好的，但……
So, on the ninth year of their confinement, unable to resist any longer, they practiced for a third time.
yòu shì wǔ nián guò qù ， nà guǐ yì de píng jǐng zài dù chū xiàn zài èr rén tǐ nèi 。
又是五年过去，那诡异的瓶颈再度出现在二人体内。
The passion was intense, more than ever before. As expected, after dual cultivation, the bottleneck vanished, and both of them made further progress.
rèn píng tā men zěn me xiū xíng ， jiù shì wú fǎ cùn jìn 。
任凭他们怎么修行，就是无法寸进。
Though they didn't break through immediately, it was close enough.
liǎng rén zài zhēng zhá zhōng jiān chí le yī nián 。
两人在挣扎中坚持了一年。
After the excitement subsided, they felt afraid. They feared their secret being discovered and worried that "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes" would control them for life.
zhěng zhěng yī nián shí jiān ， tā men yī kè dōu méi yǒu xiū qì ， quán bù jīng lì dōu yòng zài xiū xíng zhī shàng 。
整整一年时间，他们一刻都没有休憩，全部精力都用在修行之上。
Both were proud people who couldn’t bear such a fate.
shì tú yǐ rén lì chōng pò píng jǐng 。
试图以人力冲破瓶颈。
For some time, they stopped cultivating and lived like ordinary married couples, spending every day together, researching ways to break the spell.
dàn què tú láo wú gōng 。
但却徒劳无功。
"All things are created by heaven and earth, so there is talk of heavenly fathers and earthly mothers. Since birth, all living beings have an imprint left by heaven and earth."
xiū wèi shǐ zhōng yuán dì tà bù de jué wàng gǎn ， jiān áo zhe èr rén 。
修为始终原地踏步的绝望感，煎熬着二人。
"Legend has it that Xuan Tian Sect stole the power over the heavens and earth, also mastering the ability to alter this [imprint]."
ér lǐ fán hé zhào shī jiě ， yòu dōu shì yī xīn xiàng dào zhī rén ， jué bù yǔn xǔ zì shēn yǒng yuǎn tíng liú zài dāng qián jìng jiè 。
而李凡和赵师姐，又都是一心向道之人，决不允许自身永远停留在当前境界。
"Even a commoner without any cultivation can become like us after being 'sealed' by Xuan Tian Sect."
yú shì zài bèi guān jìn bì de dì jiǔ nián ， tā men shí zài rěn bú zhù ， yòu jìn xíng le dì sān cì shuāng xiū 。
于是在被关禁闭的第九年，他们实在忍不住，又进行了第三次双修。
"It is said that the Heavenly Kings of Xuan Tian Sect possess the so-called [Eternal Fruit Position]. Anyone who obtains it will achieve immortality and live as long as heaven and earth."
gān chái liè huǒ ， xiāo hún zī wèi gèng shèn cóng qián 。
干柴烈火，销魂滋味更甚从前。
Ouyang Senior Sister narrated to Li Fan what she had heard from various sources.
bù chū suǒ liào de ， shuāng xiū guò hòu ， píng jǐng xiāo shī wú zōng 。 èr rén de xiū wèi yě shì gèng jìn yí bù 。
不出所料的，双修过后，瓶颈消失无踪。二人的修为也是更进一步。
"Immortality..." A strange expression flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
suī rán méi yǒu dāng chǎng tū pò ， dàn yě bù yuǎn le 。
虽然没有当场突破，但也不远了。
"Do you mean that Xuan Tian Sect’s techniques also have the ability to leave this [imprint]?"
jī qíng guò hòu ， píng jìng xià lái de èr rén què shì gǎn dào hài pà le 。
激情过后，平静下来的二人却是感到害怕了。
Ouyang Senior Sister sighed: "That is just my guess. The remnants of Xuan Tian Sect now are mere whispers, but from their words, we can see how terrifying they once were. Their rules were as strict as heaven's laws, suppressing all under heaven."
yī shì yīn wèi tā men hài pà xiū xíng tiān xuán jiào gōng fǎ de shì qíng bèi fā xiàn 。
一是因为他们害怕修行天玄教功法的事情被发现。
"Although it’s a resurrected ghost, getting rid of them won’t be easy."
èr zé shì yīn wèi zhè 《 tiān dì jiāo zhēng fù 》 rú cǐ guǐ yì ， tā men dān yōu jīn hòu kǒng pà yī bèi zi dōu yào shòu qí cāo kòng 。
二则是因为这《天地交征赋》如此诡异，他们担忧今后恐怕一辈子都要受其操控。
Li Fan held Ouyang Senior Sister's hand firmly and said with determination: "Don't worry; we will definitely manage."
liǎng rén dōu shì xīn gāo qì ào zhī rén ， nán yǐ rěn shòu zhè zhǒng shì qíng de fā shēng 。
两人都是心高气傲之人，难以忍受这种事情的发生。
Time flew by quickly, and soon the ten years of confinement were over.
zuì hòu yī duàn shí jiān ， tā men méi yǒu xiū xíng 。 ér shì zhōng rì zhāo xī xiāng duì ， rú tóng fán rén fū qī bān jiǎn dān shēng huó 。
最后一段时间，他们没有修行。而是终日朝夕相对，如同凡人夫妻般简单生活。
The heavy doors opened loudly. With nervous hearts, they stepped out of their cell.
tóng shí yán jiū zhe pò jiě zhī dào 。
同时研究着破解之道。
They had some concerns that such rapid progress within a decade might raise suspicion.
“ tiān shēng wàn wù ， gù shì jiān yě yǒu tiān fù dì mǔ zhī shuō 。 fán shì jiān shēng líng ， zì dàn shēng zhī rì qǐ ， shēn shàng jiù yǒu tiān dì liú yǒu de 【 yìn jì 】。”
“天生万物，故世间也有天父地母之说。凡世间生灵，自诞生之日起，身上就有天地留有的【印记】。”
However, when they returned to the sect gate, they were surprised to find that their current cultivation progress was no longer considered remarkable.
“ chuán wén xuán tiān jiào qiè tiān zhī bǐng quán ， yě zhǎng wò le tiān dì fù yǔ 、 gǎi biàn cǐ zhǒng 【 yìn jì 】 de quán néng 。”
“传闻玄天教窃天之柄权，也掌握了天地赋予、改变此种【印记】的权能。”
In fact, just two years after their confinement began, there was a so-called "new method" quietly spreading.
“ nǎ pà shǒu wú cùn tiě de fán rén ， bèi xuán tiān jiào 【 cè fēng 】 zhī hòu ， yě kě hé rú jīn wǒ men zhè xiē xiū xíng zhě wú yì 。”
“哪怕手无寸铁的凡人，被玄天教【册封】之后，也可和如今我们这些修行者无异。”
Absorbing heaven and earth's essence, imitating the wonders of nature, probing the laws of heaven and earth...
“ shèn zhì ， jù chuán xuán tiān jiào de tiān wáng men ， hái zhǎng wò zhe suǒ wèi de 【 cháng shēng guǒ wèi 】。 wú lùn shì shuí ， dé zhī biàn kě dé zhèng cháng shēng ， yǔ tiān dì tóng shòu 。”
“甚至，据传玄天教的天王们，还掌握着所谓的【长生果位】。无论是谁，得之便可得证长生，与天地同寿。”
Even going against the natural order.
zhào shī jiě wèi lǐ fán jiǎng shù zhe zì jǐ cóng gè chù tīng lái de yǐn mì jiàn wén 。
赵师姐为李凡讲述着自己从各处听来的隐秘见闻。
This was in stark contrast to today’s cultivation methods that followed the Dao. They were more aggressive, taking whatever they could by any means necessary.
“ dé zhèng cháng shēng ……” lǐ fán yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī mò míng de shén sè 。
“得证长生……”李凡眼中闪过一丝莫名的神色。
But their actual effects far surpassed those of current cultivation techniques.
“ shī jiě nǐ de yì si shì ， xuán tiān jiào de gōng fǎ ， yě dài yǒu cǐ zhǒng 【 yìn jì 】 de néng lì ？”
“师姐你的意思是，玄天教的功法，也带有此种【印记】的能力？”
(End of chapter)
Within less than a day, the power of "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes" had become as if it was innate to Li Fan, deeply rooted in his bones.
And it seamlessly merged with his own cultivation power, making them indistinguishable from each other. It felt like an origin technique that was the source of his cultivation; forcibly eliminating it would likely result in a drop of several major realms and possibly even damage his Dao Foundation, leaving him unable to cultivate ever again.
"This..." Li Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, trying for a long time before finally giving up with a disappointed expression.
Ouyang Senior Sister also frowned slightly. "The demonic techniques of Xuan Tian Sect are indeed strange. It seems we can't easily get rid of it."
"It is said that the Supreme Primordial True Scripture from Taiyi Sect allows cultivators to freely change their cultivation methods as they wish. If we could see it, there might be a chance to eliminate this 'The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes'."
"The Supreme Primordial True Scripture?" Li Fan frowned slightly. Although he had never heard of this technique before, for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
As she spoke, Ouyang Senior Sister shook her head, giving up on the unrealistic hope: "Unfortunately, like our Taiyi Sect's 'Supreme Heaven Great Dao Scripture', it is a forbidden art that is not passed down."
"Only the sect leader and his direct disciples can cultivate within our own sect. Forget about outsiders like us."
Seeing Ouyang Senior Sister at a loss, Li Fan hugged her gently and comforted her softly: "We can only take things as they come from now on."
"I see no sign of Xuan Tian Sect for a long time. 'The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes' is just a dual-cultivation technique. I think the elders in our sect might not be able to discern anything out of the ordinary."
Although Ouyang Senior Sister nodded in agreement, her worried expression was hard to shake off.
For half a month, they repaired themselves within the ruins of the secret chamber, using their dual cultivation power to solidify their realms completely.
Only then did they set out to return to Taiyi Sect.
Before leaving, Ouyang Senior Sister's sword light swept across, thoroughly destroying this place.
Returning to the sect gate, the shattering of Qin Shouming's lamp had already caused a huge commotion.
After secretly discussing with Ouyang Senior Sister, they decided that this matter couldn't be hidden. They went before their master and confessed everything about Qin Shouming's covert follow and his plot, which was ultimately foiled by them together.
They omitted some details but didn't mention Xuan Tian Sect at all. Instead, they said it was a breakthrough during critical moments that allowed them to successfully kill him in the end.
Zhang Wangshuang seemed already aware of this and showed no great surprise. She punished them with ten years of confinement and kept them locked up on the back mountain.
Ten years passed swiftly.
The trials and tribulations of Taiyi Sect were now irrelevant to the two confined within the room.
Initially, they had some reservations about cultivating dual techniques within their sect.
But by the third year, both hit a bottleneck. They bravely resumed practicing "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes."
Perhaps it was like finding water in a drought, or maybe their cultivation had improved, but this time, the results were even better than three years ago.
Ouyang Senior Sister broke through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, while Li Fan reached the mid-stage of Golden Core Realm. Their cultivation speed was so fast that they couldn't help being amazed.
Their worries grew as well. While occasional breakthroughs could be explained by chance, their rapid progress far exceeded what their talents could account for and would surely raise suspicion.
If discovered with Xuan Tian Sect's demonic techniques, the consequences would be dire. Losing their cultivation might just be a minor punishment.
After much deliberation, they decided not to practice dual cultivation unless absolutely necessary.
The plan was perfect, but...
Five more years passed, and that strange bottleneck reappeared in both of them.
No matter how hard they tried, there was no progress.
For an entire year, they struggled without rest, dedicating all their energy to cultivation. They attempted to break through the bottleneck by sheer force, but it proved futile.
The despair of remaining stagnant at their current realm gnawed at them.
Li Fan and Ouyang Senior Sister were both people who pursued the Dao with single-minded determination; they couldn't tolerate being stuck in their current realms forever.
So, on the ninth year of their confinement, unable to resist any longer, they practiced for a third time.
The passion was intense, more than ever before. As expected, after dual cultivation, the bottleneck vanished, and both of them made further progress.
Though they didn't break through immediately, it was close enough.
After the excitement subsided, they felt afraid. They feared their secret being discovered and worried that "The Great Intersecting and Contending Odes" would control them for life.
Both were proud people who couldn’t bear such a fate.
For some time, they stopped cultivating and lived like ordinary married couples, spending every day together, researching ways to break the spell.
"All things are created by heaven and earth, so there is talk of heavenly fathers and earthly mothers. Since birth, all living beings have an imprint left by heaven and earth."
"Legend has it that Xuan Tian Sect stole the power over the heavens and earth, also mastering the ability to alter this [imprint]."
"Even a commoner without any cultivation can become like us after being 'sealed' by Xuan Tian Sect."
"It is said that the Heavenly Kings of Xuan Tian Sect possess the so-called [Eternal Fruit Position]. Anyone who obtains it will achieve immortality and live as long as heaven and earth."
Ouyang Senior Sister narrated to Li Fan what she had heard from various sources.
"Immortality..." A strange expression flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
"Do you mean that Xuan Tian Sect’s techniques also have the ability to leave this [imprint]?"
Ouyang Senior Sister sighed: "That is just my guess. The remnants of Xuan Tian Sect now are mere whispers, but from their words, we can see how terrifying they once were. Their rules were as strict as heaven's laws, suppressing all under heaven."
"Although it’s a resurrected ghost, getting rid of them won’t be easy."
Li Fan held Ouyang Senior Sister's hand firmly and said with determination: "Don't worry; we will definitely manage."
Time flew by quickly, and soon the ten years of confinement were over.
The heavy doors opened loudly. With nervous hearts, they stepped out of their cell.
They had some concerns that such rapid progress within a decade might raise suspicion.
However, when they returned to the sect gate, they were surprised to find that their current cultivation progress was no longer considered remarkable.
In fact, just two years after their confinement began, there was a so-called "new method" quietly spreading.
Absorbing heaven and earth's essence, imitating the wonders of nature, probing the laws of heaven and earth...
Even going against the natural order.
This was in stark contrast to today’s cultivation methods that followed the Dao. They were more aggressive, taking whatever they could by any means necessary.
But their actual effects far surpassed those of current cultivation techniques.
(End of chapter)