tài ān dǎo ， hù dǎo dà zhèn nèi 。
泰安岛，护岛大阵内。
Tanyan Island, within the protective array that safeguarded it.
“ píng jǐng ？ tiān zhī è ？” lǐ fán fān kàn zhe gòu mǎi lái de 《 xiū xíng zá jì 》， méi tóu wēi zhòu 。
“瓶颈？天之厄？”李凡翻看着购买来的《修行杂记》，眉头微皱。
"Stagnation? Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations)?" Li Fan flipped through the *Miscellaneous Notes on Cultivation* he had purchased. A slight frown creased his brow.
zì cóng qián jǐ rì zì wàn xiān dǎo huí lái zhī hòu ， tā yě yī kè dōu méi yǒu tíng xià xiū liàn 。
自从前几日自万仙岛回来之后，他也一刻都没有停下修炼。
Since returning from Ten Thousand Immortals Island a few days earlier, he hadn't stopped cultivating. He had hoped to push through and break into the late-stage Qi Refining Realm but found himself stuck despite feeling close to breakthrough.
yuán běn xiǎng zhe chèn rè dǎ tiě ， yī jǔ tū pò dào liàn qì hòu qī 。
原本想着趁热打铁，一举突破到炼气后期。
No matter how much he practiced, there was always that slight difference, as if an insurmountable chasm stood before him. After reviewing *Miscellaneous Notes on Cultivation*, Li Fan finally confirmed that he had encountered a stagnation period.
kě shì míng míng yǐ jīng gǎn shòu dào lí tū pò bù yuǎn le ， dàn wú lùn lǐ fán zěn me xiū xíng ， què shǐ zhōng gǎn jué dōu chà nà me yī sī 。
可是明明已经感受到离突破不远了，但无论李凡怎么修行，却始终感觉都差那么一丝。
During the ancient era of cultivation, there were already discussions about stagnations in one's progress. During the cultivation process, one’s cultivation level might get stuck at certain nodes and not advance further. In today's world of cultivators, the impact of stagnations on practitioners was even greater. Starting from mid-Qi Refining Realm, every cultivator would inevitably encounter a stagnation when breaking through each minor realm.
jiù shì zhè yì diǎn diǎn kàn shì xì wēi de chā jù ， què wǎn ruò tiān qiàn yì bān ， dǎng zài lǐ fán miàn qián 。
就是这一点点看似细微的差距，却宛若天堑一般，挡在李凡面前。
Breaking through such stagnations couldn't be achieved merely by sheer hard work; one had to find an opportunity that resonated with their inner sense and use it to overcome the barrier. This opportunity could come in many forms—seeing a painting, drinking a cup of tea, or even a fleeting insight during a life-and-death struggle.
zài fān kàn le 《 xiū xíng zá jì 》 zhī hòu ， lǐ fán zhōng yú què rèn zì jǐ shì yù dào píng jǐng le 。
在翻看了《修行杂记》之后，李凡终于确认自己是遇到瓶颈了。
It might also be a casual remark from someone else or careful guidance from a senior. In any case, there was no pattern; one had to rely on fate's whims.
shàng gǔ xiū xíng zhī shí ， jiù yǒu xiū xíng píng jǐng de shuō fǎ 。
上古修行之时，就有修行瓶颈的说法。
This stagnation undoubtedly significantly slowed down the progress of cultivators. It felt like anstraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations) that blocked their path in their quest for cultivation.
xiū liàn guò chéng zhōng ， xiū wèi kě néng huì kǎ zài mǒu gè jié diǎn ， bù dé cùn jìn 。
修炼过程中，修为可能会卡在某个节点，不得寸进。
Thus, cultivators referred to it as Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations).
dāng jīn xiū xiān jiè ， píng jǐng duì xiū shì de yǐng xiǎng gèng jiā de dà 。
当今修仙界，瓶颈对修士的影响更加的大。
In short, this Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations) now faced Li Fan, rendering his plan to break through in a short period futile.
zì liàn qì zhōng qī kāi shǐ ， měi yī wèi xiū xiān zhě zài tū pò měi yī céng xiǎo jìng jiè shí ， dōu bì rán huì yù dào píng jǐng 。
自炼气中期开始，每一位修仙者在突破每一层小境界时，都必然会遇到瓶颈。
Sitting idly within the array for several days, Li Fan still couldn't sense where his breakthrough opportunity lay. Knowing that he shouldn’t force the issue, he didn't get anxious and temporarily put aside *Small Derivative Water Technique* to focus on practicing *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* instead.
zhè zhǒng píng jǐng guāng kào yī wèi de kǔ xiū shì wú fǎ tū pò de 。
这种瓶颈光靠一味的苦修是无法突破的。
*Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* had five layers, each corresponding to the Primary Realm, Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, and Essence Body Realm in ancient times. The Primary Realm was a special existence within certain sects' cultivation techniques from that era. It involved expelling all impurities one acquired after birth to return to the pure state of the Primary Realm.
bì xū yào xún zhǎo dào zì shēn míng míng gǎn yìng zhōng de jī yuán ， cái néng jiāng qí huà qù ， chéng gōng tū pò 。
必须要寻找到自身冥冥感应中的机缘，才能将其化去，成功突破。
Those sects believed it would be easier to comprehend the Dao starting from the Primary Realm, leading to significantly faster and higher limits in cultivation compared to ordinary cultivators. The Tianshi Sect was among those that advocated starting with the Primary Realm.
zhè jī yuán ， yǒu kě néng shì kàn dào yī fú huà ， hē le yī zhǎn chá 。
这机缘，有可能是看到一幅画，喝了一盏茶。
However, since new methods replaced old ones, cultivators no longer focused on unity with heaven and earth, making it impossible to return to the Primary Realm.
yě yǒu kě néng shì lín shí de dùn wù ， shēng sǐ bó shā jiān de líng guāng yī shǎn 。
也有可能是临时的顿悟，生死搏杀间的灵光一闪。
Nevertheless, the most fundamental part of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* was the Primary Realm. Therefore, Li Fan needed to replace Qi Refining for the Primary Realm and complete the first layer's cultivation.
hái yǒu kě néng shì páng rén de suí kǒu yī yán ， qián bèi de xī xīn zhǐ diǎn 。
还有可能是旁人的随口一言，前辈的悉心指点。
Generally, using a higher realm to substitute for a lower one would make the practice easier due to compatibility. However, this wasn't straightforward when dealing with ancient and modern cultivation systems. Especially since Li Fan was still a beginner with limited knowledge in such matters.
zǒng zhī ， háo wú guī lǜ kě xún ， zhǐ néng kàn míng míng zhōng de “ tiān shù ”。
总之，毫无规律可循，只能看冥冥中的“天数”。
This explained why it took him a whole year just to get into *Small Derivative Water Technique* despite having taken the Lustrous Fruit and enhancing his innate understanding.
zhè píng jǐng de cún zài ， wú yí hěn dà chéng dù shàng yā zhì le xiū xiān zhě de xiū xíng sù dù 。
这瓶颈的存在，无疑很大程度上压制了修仙者的修行速度。
Now, after hitting a wall while practicing *Small Derivative Water Technique*, he decided to focus on the second layer of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*. He aimed to practice both techniques up to mid-Qi Refining Realm to see if it could help him break through the stagnation. After all, few ordinary cultivators like him were capable of practicing multiple cultivation techniques simultaneously.
jiù xiàng shàng tiān jiàng xià de zāi è yì bān ， zǔ lán xiū xiān zhě men xiū xíng 。
就像上天降下的灾厄一般，阻拦修仙者们修行。
According to *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*, mastering the second layer would grant the power of "Discerning Opportunities," which allowed one to sense and discern various qi currents in the heavens and earth.
yú shì ， xiū shì men yòu jiāng qí chēng zhī wèi tiān zhī è 。
于是，修士们又将其称之为天之厄。
This was the foundation of the technique. Only by first sensing these qi currents could one capture and refine them. The difficulty of the second-layer cultivation far exceeded Li Fan's expectations. While *Small Derivative Water Technique* straightforwardly told him how to cultivate without any extraneous details, *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* hid its teachings in a web of obscure terms that required interpretation.
zǒng zhī ， rú jīn zhè tiān zhī è jiàng lín dào le lǐ fán de tóu shàng 。
总之，如今这天之厄降临到了李凡的头上。
Moreover, it often included insights into the Dao and anecdotes from ancient cultivation realms. All these mixed together left Li Fan dizzy with confusion as he read through them.
ràng tā duǎn shí jiān nèi tū pò de jì huà là le gè kōng 。
让他短时间内突破的计划落了个空。
After reading through it once, he thought he understood but found himself clueless when trying to practice. However, Li Fan wasn't one to give up easily. Despite the challenges, he patiently studied each word and sentence.
kū zuò dà zhèn zhōng jǐ tiān ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng dōu sī háo méi yǒu gǎn shòu dào zì jǐ tū pò de jī yuán zài nǎ lǐ 。
枯坐大阵中几天，李凡心中都丝毫没有感受到自己突破的机缘在哪里。
Another year passed in his diligent cultivation.
zhī dào cǐ shì duǎn shí jiān nèi bù néng qiǎng qiú ， tā méi yǒu xīn jí ， zàn shí fàng xià le 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》 de xiū xíng ， zhuǎn ér xiū liàn qǐ le 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》。
知道此事短时间内不能强求，他没有心急，暂时放下了《小衍水决》的修行，转而修炼起了《千机玉寰金章》。
The progress of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* was minimal. But Li Fan remained undiscouraged. On his second trip to Ten Thousand Immortals Island for proxy rewards, he used 800 points of contribution and the five Lustrous Fruits from the past two years to exchange for ancient cultivation insights.
《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 yǒu wǔ céng ， zài shàng gǔ zhī shí fēn bié duì yìng zhe xiān tiān 、 liàn qì 、 zhù jī 、 jīn dān 、 yuán yīng wǔ dà jìng jiè 。
《千机玉寰金章》有五层，在上古之时分别对应着先天、炼气、筑基、金丹、元婴五大境界。
He then activated the auxiliary cultivation mode in the Tianshi Realm, reading these insights and comparing them with his own experiences over the year.
xiān tiān jìng jiè nǎi shì shàng gǔ zhī shí mǒu xiē zōng mén gōng fǎ zhōng ， yī lèi bǐ jiào tè shū de cún zài 。
先天境界乃是上古之时某些宗门功法中，一类比较特殊的存在。
It was like a revelation. All those puzzles that had eluded him were now solved. Li Fan couldn't help but dance and exclaim in joy as he read through the insightful passages.
jiǎng jiū de shì jiāng chū shēng hòu zhān rǎn de yī shēn wū zhuó qì xī quán dōu pái chū ， chóng fǎn xiān tiān chún jìng zhī jìng 。
讲究的是将出生后沾染的一身污浊气息全都排出，重返先天纯净之境。
Now, Li Fan began to understand what it meant to "hear of the Dao in the morning and die content at night."
nà xiē zōng mén rèn wéi ， zì xiān tiān jìng jiè kāi shǐ xiū liàn ， huì gèng róng yì lǐng wù tiān dào 。
那些宗门认为，自先天境界开始修炼，会更容易领悟天道。
Five days passed quickly.
wú lùn shì xiū xíng de sù dù hái shì shàng xiàn dū huì yuǎn chāo yì bān de xiū shì 。
无论是修行的速度还是上限都会远超一般的修士。
With newfound insight, Li Fan hurried back to Tanyan Island and closed himself off again. This time, his cultivation was markedly different from before. He had cleared up all the confusing parts of the technique, making it easier for him to progress without hindrance. His mind soon immersed itself in the practice.
tiān jī zōng jiù shì zhǔ zhāng yī qiè xiū xíng zì xiān tiān shǐ de zōng mén zhī yī 。
天机宗就是主张一切修行自先天始的宗门之一。
Time lost meaning during cultivation.
kě zì xīn fǎ qǔ dài jiù fǎ zhī hòu ， xiū shì men lüè tiān duó dì ， bù zài jiǎng jiū tiān rén hé yī 。
可自新法取代旧法之后，修士们掠天夺地，不再讲究天人合一。
One day, a distinctly golden misty qi, unlike any water attribute qi, suddenly appeared in his dantian.
zì rán yě jiù tán bù shàng shén me qì fǎn xiān tiān le 。
自然也就谈不上什么气返先天了。
Li Fan's eyes snapped open with a look of joy. "I've finally mastered the second layer of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*," he sighed deeply.
dàn 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 zhěng bù gōng fǎ zuì jī chǔ de bù fèn ， jiù shì xiān tiān zhī jìng 。
但《千机玉寰金章》整部功法最基础的部分，就是先天之境。
Stretching out his stiff body, he glanced at the time and was momentarily lost in thought. He hadn't realized that this seclusion had lasted an entire year.
suǒ yǐ lǐ fán yào zuò de ， jiù shì yǐ liàn qì dài xiān tiān ， wán chéng dì yī céng de xiū xíng 。
所以李凡要做的，就是以炼气代先天，完成第一层的修行。
In Li Fan's perception, it felt like just a short nap. Nevertheless, his efforts had paid off.
yì bān lái shuō ， yǐ gāo jìng jiè dài tì dī jìng jiè ， zì rán huì xiàng xià jiān róng ， xiū xíng qǐ lái wǎng wǎng huì bǐ jiào qīng sōng 。
一般来说，以高境界代替低境界，自然会向下兼容，修行起来往往会比较轻松。
With a mental surge, as golden qi gathered around his eyes, he activated "Discerning Opportunities."
dàn shì qíng shè jí dào gǔ fǎ 、 jīn fǎ zhī jiān de xiū xíng tǐ xì chā bié ， què yòu bú shì nà me róng yì de le 。
但事情涉及到古法、今法之间的修行体系差别，却又不是那么容易的了。
"Let me see what the heavenly and earthly qi currents are truly like," Li Fan said excitedly for his first time using this power. He looked towards Tanyan Island.
yóu qí lǐ fán hái zhǐ shì gè xiū xíng le méi jǐ nián de chū xué zhě ， xiāng guān zhī shí chǔ bèi yán zhòng bù zú 。
尤其李凡还只是个修行了没几年的初学者，相关知识储备严重不足。
What he saw made him feel both shocked and terrified. Dense black death qi, like a thick cloud, enveloped the entire island!
zhè yě shì wèi shén me lǐ fán zhī qián jǐn jǐn shì rù mén ， jiù huā fèi le dà nián shí jiān de yuán yīn 。
这也是为什么李凡之前仅仅是入门，就花费了大年时间的原因。
The heavy death qi almost seemed tangible, casting Tanyan Island into an eerie twilight reminiscent of the underworld.
zhè hái shì zài fú yòng le liú lí dān ， yǒu zhe wù xìng jiā chéng de qíng kuàng xià 。
这还是在服用了琉璃丹，有着悟性加成的情况下。
After removing his spell, he repeated it several times to confirm what he had seen. "How could this be?" Li Fan was bewildered.
xiàn rú jīn ， dāng lǐ fán xiū liàn 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》 xiàn rù le píng jǐng zhī hòu ， tā kāi shǐ zhuǎn ér xiū liàn 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 de dì èr céng 。
现如今，当李凡修炼《小衍水决》陷入了瓶颈之后，他开始转而修炼《千机玉寰金章》的第二层。
Suddenly, something clicked in his mind as he quickly conjured the Water Mirror Technique and looked at himself through the mirror.
tā dǎ suàn jiāng liǎng mén gōng fǎ tóng shí xiū dào liàn qì zhōng qī ， kàn kàn néng bù néng jiè cǐ chōng pò píng jǐng 。
他打算将两门功法同时修到炼气中期，看看能不能借此冲破瓶颈。
What he saw was startling. The death qi gathering on his head was hundreds of times more than that of any ordinary person on the island!
Tanyan Island, within the protective array that safeguarded it.
"Stagnation? Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations)?" Li Fan flipped through the *Miscellaneous Notes on Cultivation* he had purchased. A slight frown creased his brow.
Since returning from Ten Thousand Immortals Island a few days earlier, he hadn't stopped cultivating. He had hoped to push through and break into the late-stage Qi Refining Realm but found himself stuck despite feeling close to breakthrough.
No matter how much he practiced, there was always that slight difference, as if an insurmountable chasm stood before him. After reviewing *Miscellaneous Notes on Cultivation*, Li Fan finally confirmed that he had encountered a stagnation period.
During the ancient era of cultivation, there were already discussions about stagnations in one's progress. During the cultivation process, one’s cultivation level might get stuck at certain nodes and not advance further. In today's world of cultivators, the impact of stagnations on practitioners was even greater. Starting from mid-Qi Refining Realm, every cultivator would inevitably encounter a stagnation when breaking through each minor realm.
Breaking through such stagnations couldn't be achieved merely by sheer hard work; one had to find an opportunity that resonated with their inner sense and use it to overcome the barrier. This opportunity could come in many forms—seeing a painting, drinking a cup of tea, or even a fleeting insight during a life-and-death struggle.
It might also be a casual remark from someone else or careful guidance from a senior. In any case, there was no pattern; one had to rely on fate's whims.
This stagnation undoubtedly significantly slowed down the progress of cultivators. It felt like anstraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations) that blocked their path in their quest for cultivation.
Thus, cultivators referred to it as Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations).
In short, this Heavenlystraitjeness (Note: This term can have different translations depending on context, but "straitness" or "narrow escape" are common interpretations) now faced Li Fan, rendering his plan to break through in a short period futile.
Sitting idly within the array for several days, Li Fan still couldn't sense where his breakthrough opportunity lay. Knowing that he shouldn’t force the issue, he didn't get anxious and temporarily put aside *Small Derivative Water Technique* to focus on practicing *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* instead.
*Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* had five layers, each corresponding to the Primary Realm, Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, and Essence Body Realm in ancient times. The Primary Realm was a special existence within certain sects' cultivation techniques from that era. It involved expelling all impurities one acquired after birth to return to the pure state of the Primary Realm.
Those sects believed it would be easier to comprehend the Dao starting from the Primary Realm, leading to significantly faster and higher limits in cultivation compared to ordinary cultivators. The Tianshi Sect was among those that advocated starting with the Primary Realm.
However, since new methods replaced old ones, cultivators no longer focused on unity with heaven and earth, making it impossible to return to the Primary Realm.
Nevertheless, the most fundamental part of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* was the Primary Realm. Therefore, Li Fan needed to replace Qi Refining for the Primary Realm and complete the first layer's cultivation.
Generally, using a higher realm to substitute for a lower one would make the practice easier due to compatibility. However, this wasn't straightforward when dealing with ancient and modern cultivation systems. Especially since Li Fan was still a beginner with limited knowledge in such matters.
This explained why it took him a whole year just to get into *Small Derivative Water Technique* despite having taken the Lustrous Fruit and enhancing his innate understanding.
Now, after hitting a wall while practicing *Small Derivative Water Technique*, he decided to focus on the second layer of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*. He aimed to practice both techniques up to mid-Qi Refining Realm to see if it could help him break through the stagnation. After all, few ordinary cultivators like him were capable of practicing multiple cultivation techniques simultaneously.
According to *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*, mastering the second layer would grant the power of "Discerning Opportunities," which allowed one to sense and discern various qi currents in the heavens and earth.
This was the foundation of the technique. Only by first sensing these qi currents could one capture and refine them. The difficulty of the second-layer cultivation far exceeded Li Fan's expectations. While *Small Derivative Water Technique* straightforwardly told him how to cultivate without any extraneous details, *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* hid its teachings in a web of obscure terms that required interpretation.
Moreover, it often included insights into the Dao and anecdotes from ancient cultivation realms. All these mixed together left Li Fan dizzy with confusion as he read through them.
After reading through it once, he thought he understood but found himself clueless when trying to practice. However, Li Fan wasn't one to give up easily. Despite the challenges, he patiently studied each word and sentence.
Another year passed in his diligent cultivation.
The progress of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter* was minimal. But Li Fan remained undiscouraged. On his second trip to Ten Thousand Immortals Island for proxy rewards, he used 800 points of contribution and the five Lustrous Fruits from the past two years to exchange for ancient cultivation insights.
He then activated the auxiliary cultivation mode in the Tianshi Realm, reading these insights and comparing them with his own experiences over the year.
It was like a revelation. All those puzzles that had eluded him were now solved. Li Fan couldn't help but dance and exclaim in joy as he read through the insightful passages.
Now, Li Fan began to understand what it meant to "hear of the Dao in the morning and die content at night."
Five days passed quickly.
With newfound insight, Li Fan hurried back to Tanyan Island and closed himself off again. This time, his cultivation was markedly different from before. He had cleared up all the confusing parts of the technique, making it easier for him to progress without hindrance. His mind soon immersed itself in the practice.
Time lost meaning during cultivation.
One day, a distinctly golden misty qi, unlike any water attribute qi, suddenly appeared in his dantian.
Li Fan's eyes snapped open with a look of joy. "I've finally mastered the second layer of *Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter*," he sighed deeply.
Stretching out his stiff body, he glanced at the time and was momentarily lost in thought. He hadn't realized that this seclusion had lasted an entire year.
In Li Fan's perception, it felt like just a short nap. Nevertheless, his efforts had paid off.
With a mental surge, as golden qi gathered around his eyes, he activated "Discerning Opportunities."
"Let me see what the heavenly and earthly qi currents are truly like," Li Fan said excitedly for his first time using this power. He looked towards Tanyan Island.
What he saw made him feel both shocked and terrified. Dense black death qi, like a thick cloud, enveloped the entire island!
The heavy death qi almost seemed tangible, casting Tanyan Island into an eerie twilight reminiscent of the underworld.
After removing his spell, he repeated it several times to confirm what he had seen. "How could this be?" Li Fan was bewildered.
Suddenly, something clicked in his mind as he quickly conjured the Water Mirror Technique and looked at himself through the mirror.
What he saw was startling. The death qi gathering on his head was hundreds of times more than that of any ordinary person on the island!