Peerless Prodigy

In just one night, breaking through two realms—this speed of breakthrough was far too fast. Especially breaking through to Profound Qi Sixth Level; even he himself still had no idea how it happened.

"Calm down, calm down, let me sort this out properly. Four drops of Blood Accumulation Elixir were refined in the Heart Nourishing Cauldron, then the small sword within the Blood Aperture stirred, trying to seize those four drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir. Next, the Blood Aperture and Heart Aperture chased each other, forming a Taiji pattern, and finally the four drops of Blood Accumulation Elixir vanished, and I broke through to Profound Qi Sixth Level."

If it were merely absorbing four drops of Blood Accumulation Elixir, it would absolutely be impossible for Ning Xiaochuan to break through to Profound Qi Sixth Level, but those four drops of Blood Accumulation Elixir were the root cause.

To figure out the reason, he would have to refine another Blood Accumulation Grass, which might recreate the earlier situation, possibly allowing him to break through to Profound Qi Seventh Level in a short time.

Within the marquis's mansion, young disciples who cultivated to Profound Qi Fourth or Fifth Level were merely considered wastrels, never taken seriously. Only by reaching Profound Qi Seventh Level could one be deemed a genius and marked as a key training target.

One could say that Profound Qi Seventh Level was a massive watershed; above it were called "genius descendants," and below it, "wastrel children."

Ning Xiaochuan was now only one step away from Profound Qi Seventh Level, so naturally he longed to reach that realm.

But... his only Low-Grade Profound Stone had been exhausted just now while refining the Blood Accumulation Grass. Without Profound Stones, even a Heart Nourisher couldn't refine mystical herbs.

"It seems I'll have to go buy Profound Stones first." Ning Xiaohan suppressed the joy of breaking through two realms in succession. Now was not the time to celebrate; only by reaching Profound Qi Seventh Level could he truly hold his head high.

At this moment, the sky had already brightened. The young disciples of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion had all risen for morning practice—some cultivating sword techniques, others breathing in Profound Qi.

A few wastrel children loafed about on the side, thoroughly enjoying themselves, with maidservants rubbing their shoulders and backs, serving tea and water. Occasionally, they would pinch the maidservants' delicate bodies, drawing soft, charming protests.

As for Ning Xiaochuan, he packed thirty-seven small bottles into a bundle, hugged it carefully, dashed to a secluded corner of the wall, and seeing no one around, leaped up three zhang high, landing atop the mansion's high wall.

With a flicker of his figure, the next moment he appeared on a bustling street.

Ning Han and two servants had been killed, and the elders of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion all believed it was the work of the Blood Devouring Demon Sect, so they had issued a house arrest order. Without important business, no disciple of the mansion could leave freely.

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

The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion was located in a prosperous area of the imperial city. Whether it was the "Spring Breeze One Night, Fragrant Jade Fills the Pavilion" Jade Viewing Pavilion or the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall where experts frequented, both were in this district.

The inner city of the imperial capital was divided into thirty-six districts.

The outer city had seventy-two districts.

The district where the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion stood was the inner city's "Heavenly Might Domain."

In the Heavenly Might Domain, six noble mansions were gathered, showing just how bustling this area was.

Ning Xiaochuan soon arrived again at the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, wearing an Elementary Heart Nourisher robe, with a golden roc embroidered on the lapel using Heavenly Profound Silk.

A steward from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall personally came to receive him, inviting Ning Xiaochuan to a private room on the second floor.

A beautiful maidservant served a cup of Heart Cleansing Profound Tea, respectfully placing it before Ning Xiaochuan. The cup was carved from jade, green and translucent. As a Heart Nourisher of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, he was one of their own, so the treatment was naturally exceptional.

"So you are Young Master Ning, who became an Elementary Heart Nourisher yesterday. Princess Qianqian... a pleasure, a pleasure." Steward Hua's words trailed off, as he knew that the supremely talented Princess Qianqian disliked having her identity revealed. In her words, once others knew she was the Great Golden Roc King's youngest daughter, relationships would become harder to manage.

Steward Hua was a man in his forties, slightly plump, dressed meticulously in a gold-trimmed robe with a green silk sash, a smile perpetually on his face.

Among the fifty-six stewards of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, he ranked sixth. Although he was not a Heart Nourisher, his martial arts cultivation was formidable, and his status was high. Even if Ning Hunkun of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion came to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, he might not be qualified to receive a steward from the top ten.

For the sixth-ranked Steward Hua to personally receive an Elementary Heart Nourisher was no small matter. It was because Yu Qianqian had spoken highly of Ning Xiaochuan and instructed Steward Hua to pay more attention to this youth.

Steward Hua had naturally reviewed Ning Xiaochuan's file: "Primal Chaos Heart Nourisher. On his first refinement of Nourishing Heart Grass, he produced three drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir with extreme purity, and most importantly, he was only sixteen!"

The potential was enormous! There was a sixty percent chance he could become an Intermediate Heart Nourisher, and a ten percent chance of becoming an Advanced Heart Nourisher.

Such a genius was a key training target for the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, receiving far more attention than other Elementary Heart Nourishers.

Steward Hua praised him repeatedly: "Young and accomplished, outstanding talent. In the future, the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall will rely on young men like you to hold up the sky. By the way, Young Master Ning, what brings you to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall today?"

Ning Xiaochuan opened his bundle, arranged the thirty-seven small bottles neatly, and smiled: "A small matter, just selling some Heart Nourishing Elixir I refined last night. I shouldn't have troubled Steward Hua with this."

Steward Hua stared at the large array of bottles in the bundle, his brow twitching sharply. "All of this is Heart Nourishing Elixir you refined last night?"

"That's right! Yesterday I bought ten Nourishing Heart Grasses from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, refined them all last night, and got thirty-seven drops." Ning Xiaochuan said.

"Refining ten Nourishing Heart Grasses in one night?" Steward Hua felt like his head was about to explode, his eyes bulging like copper bells as he stared at Ning Xiaochuan.

An ordinary Elementary Heart Nourisher could only refine one Nourishing Heart Grass per day, at most three.

Steward Hua had once seen an Elementary Heart Nourisher refine five Nourishing Heart Grasses in a day, but that person's cultivation was at Divine Body Seventh Level.

The youth before him was clearly still at the Profound Qi Realm, far weaker than that Divine Body Seventh Level Elementary Heart Nourisher. Yet he claimed to have refined ten Nourishing Heart Grasses in one night. Fortunately, Steward Hua was a Martial Dao Expert with a strong heart, or he might have been scared to death.

Seeing Steward Hua's exaggerated expression, Ning Xiaochuan found it hard to understand. A great steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall should have seen much of the world and not lost his composure so easily. How could thirty-seven drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir frighten him like this?

"This Steward Hua must be new," Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself.

Ning Xiaochuan said calmly, "For an Elementary Heart Nourisher to refine one Nourishing Heart Grass takes about half an hour. Ten Nourishing Heart Grasses would take five hours. Refining ten in one night isn't that effortless?"

Steward Hua was not a Heart Nourisher, but as the sixth-ranked steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, how could he not know how long it took an Elementary Heart Nourisher to refine one Nourishing Heart Grass? He felt aggrieved! He had worked at the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall for decades, yet here he was being treated like a novice by a teenager, lectured on refining times and basic arithmetic. How could a great steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall bear such shame? Steward Hua took a long breath, struggling to calm the surging emotions within him, and forced a smile: "Young Master Ning, are you sure this isn't a prank?"

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

"No, no..." Seeing that Ning Xiaochuan didn't seem to be joking, Steward Hua said, "It's just that this matter is too incredible to believe. Young Master Ning, do you know that an ordinary Elementary Heart Nourisher can refine at most three Nourishing Heart Grasses a day, and that's only for the most outstanding among them?"

Ning Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed. "Is it really that hard?"

Ning Xiaochuan truly hadn't found it difficult!

Steward Hua said, "A Heart Nourisher uses their own heart fire to refine Nourishing Heart Grass. That means each additional grass refined consumes more of the Heart Nourishing Cauldron. For an Elementary Heart Nourisher, refining three Nourishing Heart Grasses a day is the limit. Forcing more could shatter the Heart Nourishing Cauldron, or even break the Martial Heart Palace. At best, cultivation is crippled; at worst, the heart shatters and death follows."

After saying this, Steward Hua ordered someone to bring five Nourishing Heart Grasses, presented on a jade plate.

He continued, "Of course, there are also some exceptionally gifted geniuses who break the mold. Even as Elementary Heart Nourishers, they can refine five Nourishing Heart Grasses in a day, or even ten. Young Master Ning might be such a genius. Steward Hua is very excited right now. Might I witness Young Master Ning refining five Nourishing Heart Grasses with my own eyes?"

Steward Hua smiled, gesturing toward the five Nourishing Heart Grasses on the jade plate.

The two beautiful maidservants behind Steward Hua also showed looks of anticipation, their beautiful eyes shimmering with curiosity—was this rather refined young man truly a Peerless Prodigy?

Although Steward Hua's words sounded pleasant, Ning Xiaochuan knew that the man didn't actually believe what he said and wanted to verify his abilities in person.

Refining five stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass was naturally a piece of cake for Ning Xiaochuan, but he didn't agree immediately. "Steward Hua, you should know that refining five stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass takes a lot of time. Time, for a Heart Nourisher, is quite precious."

Steward Hua smiled knowingly. "If Young Master Ning can refine these five stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass within a single day, all the Heart Nourishing Elixir obtained from the refinement will be yours. How about that?"

If Ning Xiaochuan truly was a Peerless Prodigy in the path of a Heart Nourisher, giving away even five hundred stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass would be well worth it.

Ning Xiaochuan had his own calculations. Five stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass, once refined, would yield twenty drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir, worth two hundred thousand Small Coins—what a windfall! "No need for a day. In two hours, I can completely refine these five stalks of Nourishing Heart Grass."

Without another word, Ning Xiaochuan grabbed one stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass in his hand. With a "bang," he shattered it into green medicinal vapor, channeled it with Martial Dao Profound Qi into the Heart Nourishing Cauldron, and began the refinement.