[So-called bottlenecks and shackles were a problem every cultivator had to face.]
[The path of cultivation was riddled with bottlenecks and shackles. Most, however, were minor bottlenecks, such as advancing from the first layer of Foundation Establishment to the second, or from the second layer to the Foundation Establishment Third Layer.]
[These all remained within the early stage of foundation establishment and were minor bottlenecks that could be worn away with time.]
[But certain major bottlenecks could not be worn away with time. Many foundation establishment early stage cultivators remained at the foundation establishment third-layer peak until their twilight years, their vitality waning, without ever stepping into the foundation establishment middle stage.]
[Luck was crucial to crossing such major bottlenecks. Some foundation establishment third-layer peak cultivators were trapped for only two or three years before inexplicably breaking through.]
[Moreover, spiritual roots were a great help with bottlenecks at the qi condensation and foundation establishment levels. Cultivators with a heavenly spiritual root encountered no bottlenecks during these stages; their path of cultivation was a smooth, open road.]
[Only when attempting core formation did they need to take things seriously.]
[After soaking in the Azure Moon Pool, your spiritual root aptitude reached middle grade.]
[However, a middle-grade spiritual root struggled somewhat with cultivation at the foundation establishment level. Only by taking pills frequently did your cultivation speed approach that of someone with a high-grade spiritual root.]
[Nearly half of all foundation establishment realm cultivators had high-grade spiritual roots.]
[I'll wait another two years and see.]
[You thought to yourself.]
[Although you only had a middle-grade spiritual root, you were young-just forty-six years old.]
[Normally, cultivators with a heavenly spiritual root reached foundation establishment at around forty.]
[You had not only reached foundation establishment, but had already attained the peak of its early