Failure

Shaohua Mountain, Jingyue Peak. A cold moon shone above as the stream gurgled along its course. The flowing water emptied into a crescent lake, splashing crystalline spray like stardust under the night sky. Floating above the lake was an elegant octagonal pavilion, draped with gossamer curtains that stirred in the gentle breeze. At that moment, a table within the pavilion bore sandalwood incense and fine tea, where two figures sat across from each other. One was a middle-aged man in brocade robes. He had a square face, sword-like brows, and tiger-like eyes—an imposing countenance that commanded awe without anger. This man was none other than Shaohua Mountain's sole Nascent Soul patriarch, Dongyang Bo. Seated opposite him was an ethereal woman, resembling a celestial fairy descended to the mortal realm, untainted by worldly dust and utterly out of place in this corrupt world. A veil concealed her face as she kept her head slightly lowered, her slender hands brewing the fragrant tea. Her star-like eyes gazed at the faint ripples in the teacup, exuding an air of otherworldly solitude. Dongyang Bo set both hands on the edge of the table and leaned slightly forward, his eyes fixed keenly on the woman. His voice was deep and low. "Lady Chenyan, ever since you failed your breakthrough last time, you no longer have a way out. Not much time remains. You must make your decision." The tea in Chenyan's hand trembled slightly, and a heartbreaking hesitation flashed across her eyes. Dongyang Bo paid it no heed. His tone and expression carried a subtle weight of pressure, though his words sounded like patient guidance. "This secret technique indeed originates from the demonic sects, but dharma knows neither righteousness nor evil—it all depends on the person wielding it. Moreover, this secret technique has been tested before and proven to have some effect. If Lady Chenyan is concerned about your reputation, I give you my word that I will handle everything afterward personally. It will be thoroughly clean, and not the slightest trouble will reach you." A long silence followed. Chenyan lowered her eyes slightly and murmured, "Very well." *** Dichen Cave. From Qin Sang's cave dwelling, agonizing roars suddenly erupted in succession, sounding as though a vicious beast were thrashing within—yet the shrieks came from none other than Qin Sang himself. At that moment, he clutched his stomach tightly with both hands. He had long since tumbled from his prayer mat, curling into a ball like a prawn as he rolled back and forth across the ground. His features were violently contorted as he endured agony far beyond what an ordinary person could bear. His face was deathly pale, devoid of color, and the sweat pouring from him had not only drenched his clothes, but also soaked a wide patch of the stone floor. The cause of this misery was the Foundation Establishment Pill he had just swallowed. A snail's pace of cultivation had ground away every shred of Qin Sang's patience. In a moment of fierce determination, he had decided to try taking a Foundation Establishment Pill first. In any case, he held three in his possession. If he hit dumb luck and succeeded, he could save himself a decade or even decades of cultivation. Naturally, ingesting a Foundation Establishment Pill was not something to be taken lightly. He had spent several days adjusting his condition and state of mind to their peak, placed healing pills within arm's reach, completed every preparation, and carefully reviewed Martial Uncle Wen's instructions before cautiously taking it. Martial Uncle Wen had warned him that the pill's potency would transform the consumer's body, bringing some pain. Yet Qin Sang had never imagined the torment would be this ferocious—cleansing marrow and reforming sinews could be no worse than this! When the pill first settled in his stomach, it was manageable, the sensation not yet overwhelming. But once its medicinal efficacy fully erupted, his dantian felt as though seized in an iron grip; his qi sea nearly shattered. Tortured alongside it were his limbs and bones, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at his flesh. Under wave after wave of excruciating pain, Qin Sang felt the distinct illusion that his body no longer belonged to him. Only after an unknown time did the torment gradually recede. Trembling, Qin Sang crawled to a corner of the cave dwelling, retrieved a jade bottle he had kicked away, and gulped down the healing pills inside, finally feeling a measure of relief. His body felt sticky and reeked with a pungent stench, as though he had rolled in mud. Qin Sang condensed a stream of water to wash away the grime, then returned to the prayer mat and sat in a daze. His cultivation had broken through to the eleventh layer of the Qi Refinement stage. The cleansing of his sinews and marrow would also enhance his aptitude somewhat, and residual medicinal power still lingered in his body, which would further deepen his cultivation once refined. Yet there was nothing to celebrate, for this had all been expected. If a Foundation Establishment Pill could not even achieve this much, it would hardly live up to its renowned name. What troubled Qin Sang was that despite taking this pill, he had not even glimpsed the threshold of Foundation Establishment, let alone broken through. It seemed that even if he gritted his teeth and swallowed another, the outcome would be no better. "Alas!" A long, melancholy sigh echoed through the quiet cave dwelling. Qin Sang tidied up the disarray, calmed his scattered thoughts, entered meditation to circulate his cultivation method, and seized the time to digest the accumulated medicinal power within him so none would go to waste. A month later. Qin Sang returned to Shaohua Mountain and sought out Martial Uncle Wen. "You took a Foundation Establishment Pill?" Martial Uncle Wen saw the change in Qin Sang's cultivation at a glance and frowned slightly. Qin Sang smiled wryly and nodded, looking thoroughly ashamed. "You... you were too impatient. Did you really believe a single spirit fruit could overturn your aptitude and protect you for a lifetime? I thought you would be steadier than Zhuang Yan, but you couldn't keep your composure either. What are your plans now? Why not come back from Dichen Cave and take over Zhuang Yan's miscellaneous duties to be my right-hand man?" In Martial Uncle Wen's eyes, having squandered his only Foundation Establishment Pill, Qin Sang had lost any hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. If he could settle down to work within the sect, sensible and tactful, he would make a fine assistant. Qin Sang thought to himself that those two spirit stones had not been spent in vain, but he was far from ready to give up on his path of cultivation. He spoke up, asking, "Martial Uncle Wen, this disciple has always had a doubt: why are Foundation Establishment Pills so scarce that even our Eight Righteous Sects cannot guarantee one for every disciple? Are the spiritual herbs for Foundation Establishment Pills truly that rare? Have the major sects not cultivated them?" In fact, it was not just Foundation Establishment Pills. After leaving Shaohua Mountain the last time, Qin Sang had toured several nearby cultivation markets. Previously, his cultivation had been low and his wealth meager, so he had only ever glanced at things in passing. Only after looking into it carefully did he discover that cultivation markets rarely sold high-grade spirit pills. The best healing pills were only marginally better than the ones Sun De had carried. Pills meant to solidify and nurture the foundation that were effective for the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage and above were even scarcer, exceptionally expensive, and typically only seen at auctions. It was said that the Taiyi Dan Sect's mastery in alchemy was peerless among the Eight Righteous Sects, but very few of their pills ever leaked out. Even when they did, demand far outstripped supply, leaving no chance for someone like him. This was one of the reasons Qin Sang had decided to gamble. Martial Uncle Wen saw right through Qin Sang's intention. "You wish to refine Foundation Establishment Pills yourself? Leaving aside how difficult it is to study alchemy, with your mere Qi Refinement realm, you cannot even find the main herbs for the pill. Not just Foundation Establishment Pills—Pagoda Peak houses many ancient pill formulas, every one of them a pearl gathering dust that no one can refine. The fundamental reason is a lack of spiritual herbs. Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice." Listening to Martial Uncle Wen explain it in detail, Qin Sang finally came to understand the truth.