PBSE 07

Chapter 7 – Success and Failure

Author: Wei Yi Yong Heng 
Date: 2014-12-24

Night fell.

The Hammerstone Tribe did not quiet down, for every gaze was fixed upon the small stone hut where Qin Mo was secluded. A blood-red glow pulsed from within, eerie and unsettling.

Everyone in the tribe already knew that the chief had given Qin Mo the Blood Condensation Pill. Few questioned the chief’s decision—
but if Qin Mo still failed to break through even with such aid, murmurs of discontent would surely arise.

In front of another stone hut, Li Xiaohu stared blankly at the distant red-lit dwelling and asked,
“Dad, do you think Brother Qin Mo will be able to break through this time?”

As one of the tribe’s centurions, Li Hai’s strength was second only to the chief’s. He had already opened sixty acupoints and was close to stepping into the Crown Realm.

But his bloodline talent was only of the upper black grade, not high enough to guarantee success. He knew well that reaching the Crown Realm might remain forever beyond his grasp.

Facing his son’s question, Li Hai was silent for a long while before replying,
“If he can’t break through tonight, don’t go looking for him again.”

“Why?” Li Xiaohu protested.

“No reason. You just can’t.” Li Hai’s tone was stern.

Li Xiaohu dared not argue further and could only pray silently in his heart.

At the same time, in front of another stone house, the tribe’s young prodigy Qin Yu stood watching the same crimson glow.
Beside him was the Grand Elder, Qin Tianli.

“Are you worried he might succeed?” Qin Tianli seemed to have seen through his grandson’s thoughts.

Qin Yu snapped out of his daze, looked up at his grandfather, and shook his head calmly without answering.

“Even if he manages to break through with the help of that pill, he’ll never open more than ten acupoints in his life,” Qin Tianli said kindly, patting his grandson’s head.
“You, on the other hand, have a mid-grade red bloodline and have already opened ten acupoints. Your future will be limitless.”

“I understand,” Qin Yu nodded.

Inside the stone hut, Qin Mo was unaware of the commotion outside. The thick medicinal fragrance of the Blood Condensation Pill filled the air, setting his blood aflame.

This wasn’t a mere feeling of excitement—his very blood was boiling, ignited by the pill’s power. Its potency was immense.

When he swallowed the pill, it didn’t dissolve instantly. Instead, it sat like a ball of fire in his stomach, burning intensely. His blood roared like boiling water, and a thousand needles of pain stabbed through his body.

Sweat drenched him; his face twisted in agony.

But as the son of the tribe chief—once a source of pride now looked down upon—he refused to show weakness. For an entire hour, he endured in silence, teeth clenched, not uttering a single cry.

Then suddenly, his consciousness expanded inward—he could see his own network of meridians. At the end of each, there was a conical structure.

As his blood boiled, waves of power crashed toward these points, each impact bringing unbearable pain.

He knew what they were: acupoints. One hundred and eight in total—no more, no less.

Once opened, they would allow him to draw in the world’s spiritual energy and truly become a cultivator—a warrior of humankind.

But time passed, the pain grew sharper, and the pill within him shrank to half its size—yet not a single acupoint opened. It was as though a membrane blocked all his efforts.

“Even with outside help, I still can’t open them?” Qin Mo gritted his teeth, refusing to yield. “I won’t accept this!”

A sudden thought struck him. He tried to control the pill’s energy with his inner force—and succeeded.

Gathering the power of the pill, he focused it toward one acupoint.

“This is it—success or failure!”

The fiery-red energy surged like a torrent, slamming into the target acupoint.

Pain exploded through his body; his consciousness blurred. With the last of his will, he directed one final strike—

A muffled boom echoed within. The acupoint cracked open.

Immediately, spiritual energy from the outside world poured in. Countless glowing motes of light surrounded him, drawn greedily into the newly opened acupoint.

Qin Mo’s body felt lighter than air. The refreshing energy soothed his damaged meridians, filling him with blissful relief.

“I did it!” He could hardly contain his excitement. From this moment on, he was no longer a useless failure. He had opened his first acupoint—he could finally cultivate!

But his joy was short-lived. To his horror, the acupoint that had just opened began slowly closing again. The flow of energy from outside grew weaker and weaker.

“No… what’s happening?! How could this be?!”

He desperately tried to guide the remaining energy to stabilize it, but no matter how he struggled, the acupoint continued to seal shut. The surrounding lights faded away, leaving him in emptiness.

“Why… why is this happening to me…” he cried out in anguish as the acupoint closed completely.

A mouthful of blood burst from his lips. His vision darkened, and he collapsed unconscious.

“The light’s gone…” someone outside murmured as the crimson glow faded.

“He failed.” Li Hai’s voice was certain. He picked up his son and headed inside.

“With only a one-in-ten chance, how could he possibly have succeeded?” Qin Tianli said with satisfaction, though there was a trace of pity in his eyes.

“What a waste,” Qin Yu sneered and turned back to his hut.

The tribe slowly returned to silence. Only the patrolling guards moved through the night.

Inside the hut, Qin Mo lay motionless, pale as death. The door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped in.

It was the chief—Qin Lin.

He had been watching all along. Though he had expected failure, the sight still made his heart ache.

Without at least a nine-star bloodline, opening acupoints was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
And Qin Mo’s bloodline was worse than that—a white grade, below even the lowest of the nine stars. His path was harder than anyone’s.

“If you weren’t my son, perhaps you could live an ordinary life in peace,” Qin Lin murmured softly. “But you are my son… and I cannot abandon you. Rest now, and wait for the sunrise.”

He turned to leave, pausing at the doorway. A flash of resolve crossed his eyes, and then—his figure vanished into the night, heading toward the endless expanse of the Blackstone Mountains.