Chapter 12: A Peerless Prodigy

Chapter 12: A Peerless Prodigy

Breaking through two cultivation realms in just one night—this speed of advancement was simply too fast. Especially the breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Profound Qi; even he himself still didn’t fully understand how it had happened.

"Calm down, calm down. Let’s sort this out carefully. Four drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid were refined in the Heart Nurturing Cauldron, then the small sword in my Demon Ventricle stirred strangely, trying to seize the four drops. After that, the Demon Ventricle and Heart Ventricle began chasing each other, forming a Taiji diagram. Finally, the four drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid vanished, and I broke through to the Sixth Level of Profound Qi."

Simply absorbing four drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid would never have been enough to push Ning Xiaochuan to the Sixth Level of Profound Qi. Yet, these four drops were undoubtedly the root cause.

To figure out the reason, he would have to refine another Blood Nourishing Grass, hoping to recreate the same phenomenon. If successful, he might even break through to the Seventh Level of Profound Qi in a short time.

Among the noble houses, young cultivators at the Fourth or Fifth Level of Profound Qi were merely seen as spoiled playboys, unworthy of attention. Only those who reached the Seventh Level of Profound Qi could be considered true geniuses and prioritized for cultivation resources.

In essence, the Seventh Level of Profound Qi was a massive dividing line. Those above it were hailed as "genius descendants," while those below were dismissed as "good-for-nothing scions."

Ning Xiaochuan was now just one step away from the Seventh Level of Profound Qi, and he was eager to reach it.

But... his only Low-Grade Profound Stone had been completely exhausted during the refinement of the Blood Nourishing Grass. Without Profound Stones, even a Heart Nurturer couldn’t refine Mystic Medicine.

"It seems I’ll have to buy some Profound Stones first." Suppressing the excitement of his consecutive breakthroughs, Ning Xiaochuan reminded himself that now wasn’t the time to celebrate. Only by reaching the Seventh Level of Profound Qi could he truly hold his head high.

By now, dawn had broken, and the young disciples of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House were already up for morning training—some practicing sword techniques, others circulating Profound Qi.

A few lazy playboys lounged nearby, enjoying themselves as maidservants massaged their shoulders, served tea, and occasionally endured playful gropes, eliciting coy giggles.

Meanwhile, Ning Xiaochuan carefully packed thirty-seven small vials into a bundle, cradling them protectively as he dashed to a secluded corner of the estate. Ensuring no one was watching, he leaped three meters high, landing atop the towering wall.

With a flash, he vanished, reappearing moments later on the bustling streets.

After Ning Han and two servants were killed, the elders of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had attributed the deaths to the Blood Devouring Demon Sect and imposed a strict curfew. Unless for urgent matters, no member of the household was allowed to leave the estate freely.

Thus, Ning Xiaochuan had no choice but to sneak out over the wall.

The Jian Pavilion Marquis House was located in a prosperous district of the imperial city, home to both the Jade Viewing Pavilion—renowned for its "spring nights filled with fragrant jade"—and the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, a gathering place for powerful cultivators.

The imperial city’s inner districts were divided into thirty-six domains, while the outer city comprised seventy-two. The Jian Pavilion Marquis House was situated in the Heavenly Might Domain of the inner city.

This domain alone housed six noble estates, a testament to its wealth and prestige.

Soon, Ning Xiaochuan arrived once more at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, clad in his Novice Heart Nurturer Robe, its hem embroidered with a golden roc in celestial silk.

An attendant from the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall personally came to receive Ning Xiaochuan, inviting him to the inner chamber on the second floor. A beautiful maidservant respectfully presented him with a cup of Heart-Cleansing Profound Tea, placing it before him. The teacup was jade-carved, emerald-green and translucent!

Ning Xiaochuan was now a Heart Nurturer of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, one of their own, and thus his treatment was naturally exceptional.

"You must be Young Master Ning, who became a Primary Heart Nurturer yesterday. Miss Qianqian... I mean, it's an honor to meet you." The attendant's words trailed off as he caught himself, knowing that the supremely talented Princess Qianqian disliked having her identity revealed. As she had once said, once people knew she was the youngest daughter of the Great Golden Roc King, future interactions would become awkward.

Hua Zhishi was a middle-aged man in his forties, slightly portly, dressed meticulously in a gold-trimmed robe with a cyan sash belt, his face perpetually adorned with a smile.

Among the fifty-six attendants of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, he ranked sixth. Though not a Heart Nurturer himself, his martial arts cultivation was formidable, and his status was exceedingly high. Even if Ning Hunkun from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House were to visit the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, he might not necessarily qualify to be received by an attendant ranked within the top ten.

For Hua Zhishi, the sixth-ranked attendant of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, to personally receive a mere Primary Heart Nurturer was no small matter. This was solely because Yu Qianqian had spoken highly of Ning Xiaochuan and instructed Hua Zhishi to pay special attention to this young man.

Naturally, Hua Zhishi had reviewed Ning Xiaochuan's records. "A Mixed-element Heart Nurturer. On his first attempt at refining Heart Nurturing Grass, he produced three drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid of the highest purity. And most importantly, he’s only sixteen years old!"

His potential was immense! In the future, there was a sixty percent chance he would become an Intermediate Heart Nurturer and a ten percent chance he could advance to an Advanced Heart Nurturer.

Such a prodigy was a key cultivation target for the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, and the level of importance placed on him naturally differed from that of other Primary Heart Nurturers.

Hua Zhishi couldn’t help but praise him, "Young and accomplished, with extraordinary talent. The future of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall will rely on young talents like you to uphold its legacy. By the way, Young Master Ning, what brings you to the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall today?"

Ning Xiaochuan opened his bundle, neatly arranging the thirty-seven small vials inside, and smiled. "A trivial matter, really. I just came to sell some Heart Nurturing Liquid I refined last night. I shouldn’t have troubled someone of your standing."

Hua Zhishi stared at the array of small vials in the bundle, his eyebrows twitching violently. "All of this... is Heart Nurturing Liquid you refined last night?"

"Indeed! Yesterday, I bought ten stalks of Heart Nurturing Grass from the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall and refined them all last night. A total of thirty-seven drops," Ning Xiaochuan replied.

"Ten stalks of Heart Nurturing Grass refined in a single night?!" Hua Zhishi felt as if his head was about to explode, his eyes bulging like copper bells as he stared at Ning Xiaochuan.

An average Primary Heart Nurturer could only refine one stalk of Heart Nurturing Grass per day, with three stalks being the absolute limit.

Hua Zhishi had once encountered a Primary Heart Nurturer who could refine five stalks in a day, but that individual’s cultivation had already reached the seventh level of the Divine Body.

At first glance, this young man was clearly still at the Profound Qi Realm, incomparably weaker than that Primary Heart Nurturer at the Seventh Level of Divine Body Realm. Yet he claimed to have refined ten Heart Nurturing Grass overnight. Fortunately, Hua Zhishi was a Martial Arts expert with a strong enough heart—otherwise, he might have been scared to death.

Seeing Hua Zhishi’s exaggerated expression, Ning Xiaochuan was somewhat puzzled. As a high-ranking steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, he should have seen all kinds of grand scenes and not easily lose his composure. How could thirty-seven drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid frighten him like this?

"This Hua Zhishi must be new here!" Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself.

Calmly, Ning Xiaochuan said, "A Primary Heart Nurturer takes about half an hour to refine one Heart Nurturing Grass. Ten would take five hours. Refining ten in one night isn’t exactly a stretch, is it?"

Though Hua Zhishi wasn’t a Heart Nurturer himself, as the sixth-ranked steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, how could he not know how long it took a Primary Heart Nurturer to refine one Heart Nurturing Grass?

Hua Zhishi felt deeply wronged! He had been at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall for decades, yet this teenager in his teens treated him like a novice, even explaining the time it took to refine Heart Nurturing Grass and teaching him basic arithmetic under ten. How could a dignified steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall endure such humiliation?

Taking a deep breath, Hua Zhishi struggled to suppress the storm of emotions in his heart and forced a smile. "Young Master Ning, are you certain this isn’t a prank?"

Ning Xiaochuan was stunned for a moment. "I… I just came to sell thirty-seven drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid. Nothing more. Does the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall no longer accept Heart Nurturing Liquid?"

"No, no…" Seeing Ning Xiaochuan didn’t seem to be joking, Hua Zhishi said, "It’s just that this matter is so unbelievable that it’s hard to accept! Young Master Ning, do you know that an average Primary Heart Nurturer can refine at most three Heart Nurturing Grass in a day? And even that is only achievable by the most outstanding among them."

Ning Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes. "Is it really that difficult?"

He genuinely hadn’t felt any difficulty!

Hua Zhishi explained, "A Heart Nurturer refines Heart Nurturing Grass using their own Heart Flame. This means that refining each additional herb consumes more energy from the Heart Nurturing Cauldron. For a Primary Heart Nurturer, refining three Heart Nurturing Grass in a day is already the limit. Forcing further refinement could not only shatter the Heart Nurturing Cauldron but even rupture the Martial Arts Heart Palace. At best, one’s cultivation would be crippled; at worst, their heart would shatter, leading to death."

After this speech, Hua Zhishi had someone bring five Heart Nurturing Grass, presented on a jade tray.

He continued, "Of course, there are also exceptional geniuses who defy norms. Even as Primary Heart Nurturers, they can refine five—or even ten—Heart Nurturing Grass in a single day. Young Master Ning might just be such a prodigy. Hua is quite excited now. Would it be possible to witness Young Master Ning refining five Heart Nurturing Grass in person?"

Hua Zhishi wore a smile as he gestured toward the five Heart Nurturing Grass on the jade tray.

The two beautiful maids behind him also looked on with anticipation, their eyes sparkling with curiosity—was this rather handsome young man truly a once-in-a-generation genius?

Although Hua Zhishi's words sounded pleasant, Ning Xiaochuan knew the other party didn’t truly believe him and wanted to test his abilities firsthand.

Refining five Heart Nurturing Grass was naturally a trivial matter for Ning Xiaochuan, but he didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he said, "Elder Hua, you should know that refining five Heart Nurturing Grass is quite time-consuming. And time, for a Heart Nurturer, is exceedingly precious."

Hua Zhishi smiled knowingly. "If Young Master Ning can refine these five Heart Nurturing Grass within a day, all the resulting Heart Nurturing Liquid will belong to you. How about that?"

If Ning Xiaochuan truly was a once-in-a-generation genius in Heart Nurturing, then even five hundred Heart Nurturing Grass would be a worthwhile investment.

Ning Xiaochuan had his own calculations. Five Heart Nurturing Grass, once refined, would yield twenty drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid—worth two hundred thousand Small Coins. It was truly a windfall!

"No need for a day. Two hours is all I need to fully refine these five Heart Nurturing Grass."

Without another word, Ning Xiaochuan grabbed one of the Heart Nurturing Grass, crushing it with a bang into green medicinal mist. He then channeled it into the Heart Nurturing Cauldron using Martial Arts Profound Qi and began refining.

......

Many say this book’s style differs from the previous two, that the plot has fallen into clichés. Truthfully, Old Nine is well aware. But the reason the first two books didn’t achieve massive success was because Old Nine was heavily influenced by reviews, writing too hastily and erratically.

This book will absolutely not follow that path. Old Nine is writing this to train my weakness—pacing.

Yes, pacing.

This book will progress at the speed the story demands—fast when it should be fast, slow when it should be slow. Not for the sake of momentary novelty or shock, only to collapse the narrative again. That wouldn’t be worth it.

So, I hope readers won’t rush me. Give Old Nine some time. I promise you, this book will be even more thrilling than Immortal Ranking and Spirit Vessel combined.