Chapter 22: Breaking Through the Bottleneck Again

Ever since his appointment with the girl in white that day, Liang Yan would arrive at Cangmu Peak punctually every evening. The two would play chess beneath the great tree, often sitting for several hours at a time.

Limited by his own natural aptitude, Liang Yan had long been unable to break through the bottleneck of the third level of Qi Refinement; no matter how hard he cultivated, the spiritual energy within his body would not increase by even a fraction. Consequently, he stopped practicing in the Spirit Spring Cave at night. Aside from occasionally attempting to break through his bottleneck, he spent almost all his evening hours playing chess with the girl in white or studying the game in the Chess Dao Library.

Come to think of it, ever since the great upheaval four years ago, Liang Yan had been buried in bitter cultivation; he had not felt this relaxed in a very long time. Regarding the girl in white, though he initially found her somewhat willful and domineering, after spending time with her, he felt she was actually warm on the inside despite her cold exterior, and not a difficult person to get along with.

Furthermore, since the destruction of his family, he had no peers of his own age; his usual companions were either senior experts or fellow disciples. Since meeting this girl, although they did not speak much and spent every night playing chess on the mountain peak, he found the experience exceptionally comforting.

These days passed unnoticed for two months. During the first month, although the girl in white won every night, the process became increasingly difficult. Toward the end, they could sometimes only play two or three games a night, as most of the time was spent in deep thought, searching for strategies.

By the beginning of the second month, Liang Yan was occasionally able to win a game or two. Later, the two sides traded blows, usually resulting in alternating victories. The girl's expression grew more sour by the day, losing the smiling composure she once possessed.

On this day, the two engaged in another great battle beneath the tree. Liang Yan was fully focused, his moves flying like lightning. The girl in white had her brows tightly knit, frequently hesitating over her moves, a look of agitation surfacing on her face.

Just as Liang Yan placed another piece, the girl in white suddenly pushed the chessboard away and said petulantly, "I'm done! I'm not playing anymore!"

Snapping out of his concentration on the board, Liang Yan saw the anger on her face and couldn't help but soften his tone. "You were just careless this round; it doesn't count. Come, let's play another."

"I said I'm done! I'm not playing! Do you think I actually care to play with you?" The girl's tone was hurried, her chest heaving slightly.

Liang Yan gradually realized her emotions were not quite right, so he tried to comfort her. "Even the greatest generals in war do not win every battle; it is the same with chess. Your skill is profound; in truth, I have always admired you in my heart."

Hearing that he admired her, the anger on the girl's face instantly dissipated by seventy percent. She then asked, "Really? You mean you truly admire me in your heart?"

Liang Yan nodded from the bottom of his heart. "Of course. Your chess skill is superb, the likes of which I have never seen in my life. Lately, I have been studying chess books and manuals day and night just to be able to hold my own against you for a few games. I am truly ashamed."

To his surprise, as soon as these words left his mouth, the girl's face turned the color of pig liver. She thought to herself, *'You've only been studying at the Chess Pavilion for two months and you can already trade wins with me? If I started at age eight and immersed myself in the Dao of Chess for five years, wouldn't that make me a mediocre fool?'* At this thought, she nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

She composed herself, gave Liang Yan a resentful glare, and said gloomily, "Since you are so amazing, don't play chess with me anymore. I won't be coming tomorrow."

Liang Yan froze, staring blankly at her as if he hadn't processed what she said. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Did I say something wrong? My mind isn't very sharp and I often speak nonsense; please don't take it to heart."

He had always prided himself on being clever; this was the first time he had admitted to being unwise in a moment of urgency.

Seeing his flustered state, the girl in white let out a chuckle, the clouds of gloom lifting from her face. She then sighed and said, "Actually, it's not your fault, Junior Brother. It's Senior Sister... I won't be able to come for a very long time."

Confused, Liang Yan asked, "And why is that?"

"It's because of my Ancestor. Her discipline is strict, and she recently ordered me to return for secluded cultivation. I won't be able to come out for at least a year."

Liang Yan nodded in realization. "As cultivators, we should indeed focus our hearts on the Dao and practice diligently to earn true freedom."

The girl rolled her eyes at him and said coquettishly, "If your heart is so steadfast toward the Dao, why do you come here every night to play chess with me?"

Liang Yan gave a bitter smile. He had troubles he could not voice; his cultivation was stuck at the peak of the third level of Qi Refinement and could not go any further. What use was bitter cultivation if he couldn't progress?

Seeing his bitter smile, the girl assumed he simply did not want to be separated from her. A sudden sweetness rose in her heart, though she also felt a hint of loss.

"Those Uncles and Elders in the Chess Dao are all deathly boring, and the Senior Brothers are all carved from the same mold, without a shred of fun. It was finally a treat to come out and take on such a little Junior Brother—it's been quite interesting—but to be forced back into seclusion so soon is truly torturous."

However, since it was the Ancestor's command, she had no choice but to obey. Thinking of this, she beckoned to him. "Junior Brother, come here."

Liang Yan stepped forward as instructed. He saw the girl in white take something from her robes and place it in his hand. Looking down, he saw it was a Barrier-Breaking Pill!

"Senior Sister... actually, after losing time and again, I have long since lost the face to claim this wager."

"Just take it! Do you think I would go back on my word just for the sake of a single Barrier-Breaking Pill?" After saying this, she gave a cold snort and added, "Hmph! Actually... actually, I didn't intend to compete with you for this pill at the auction that day. It wasn't very useful to me; a friend of mine needed it, so I bought it for her. But she succeeded in breaking through her realm later, so the pill became redundant. I'll give it to you."

Liang Yan smiled slightly and did not decline again, reaching out to take the pill.

"Thank you, Senior Sister, for the gift!"

"My surname is Tang. Call me Senior Sister Tang from now on!"

"No problem, Senior Sister Tang!"

"Mm..." The girl looked at him as if she wanted to say more, but in the end, she gave a soft sigh and descended the mountain in silence.

Watching her receding figure, Liang Yan felt a slight sense of gloom and an inexplicable feeling of loss, thinking that he might not be able to play chess with her here again. He shook his head, trying to drive the emotion from his mind.

"The priority now is to adjust my state to its peak so that I can take the Barrier-Breaking Pill and strike at the bottleneck of the third level of Qi Refinement!"

***

Three days later.

Liang Yan sat cross-legged in the Spirit Spring Cave, silently reciting the nameless technique taught by the old monk, taking a deep breath.

Spiritual energy surged through his meridians, flowing through the Extraordinary Meridians and sinking into his Dantian. He then directed the energy from his Dantian, up through the Governing Vessel, passing through the three gates to reach the crown of his head. It then flowed down both sides to meet at the tip of his tongue, perfectly synchronizing with his breath as he exhaled.

From the Baihui point at the crown of his head to the Dantian in the lower abdomen, the cycle repeated continuously.

After circulating his Qi through one full Great Cycle using this method, Liang Yan barely reached the "Self-Observation" realm described in the nameless technique. Below "Self-Observation," one must examine oneself, reflecting inward upon the heart, until the spirit and essence merge and become inseparable.

At this moment, Liang Yan's essence, energy, and spirit, as well as his spiritual energy, had all reached a peak level.

"Now!" Liang Yan opened his eyes, quickly took a white pill from his storage bag, and swallowed it. It was indeed the Barrier-Breaking Pill!

As soon as the pill entered his body, Liang Yan immediately felt a cooling sensation spread throughout him, significantly improving the previous feeling of heat. His mind became even clearer.

Overjoyed, Liang Yan immediately exerted his full strength to refine the pill and began to strike at the bottleneck of the third level of Qi Refinement.

Minutes and seconds passed. Liang Yan's eyes were tightly shut, his brow deeply furrowed. The spiritual energy within his body was like a long-imprisoned golden dragon, its head raised high, attempting to break free. However, an invisible shackle hung above it, pressing down like a massive mountain.

The golden dragon let out waves of indignant roars. Suddenly, it let out a massive bellow and threw its entire strength toward the bottleneck above.

*Boom!* With a thunderous sound, the golden dragon's body shook violently, golden light flashing all around it, before it shattered into several streaks of golden light that scattered back into its various meridians.

*Pfft!*

Liang Yan spat out a mouthful of bright red blood. His momentum plummeted instantly, and his expression turned haggard. Leaning against the cave wall, he gasped for air, his eyes filled with disbelief!

"I have the secret technique from the old monk, rare resources like the Spirit Spring Purple Glow, and even the help of the Barrier-Breaking Pill... and yet, I still couldn't break through this mere third level of Qi Refinement!"

"Is my aptitude truly this poor? Cultivating immortality is a path of uncertainty and a heartless Great Dao. Is it possible that I, Liang Yan, am destined to be nothing more than a mortal for the rest of my life?"

(End of Chapter)