Universe Pouch

The two maidservants behind Steward Hua were whispering to each other, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ning Xiaochuan. One of them, a maid with fair and delicate skin, said in a low voice, "Refining five Nourishing Heart Grasses in two hours—only an Intermediate Heart Nourisher could do that. Can he really manage it?"

"Even the best among Elementary Heart Nourishers need an hour to refine just one Nourishing Heart Grass. Refining five in two hours is utterly impossible."

In less than half an hour, Ning Xiaochuan had taken the second Nourishing Heart Grass in his hand, crushed it into vapor, gathered it into the Heart Nourishing Cauldron, and begun refining.

The two maidservants fell silent, finding it hard to believe.

Before long, Ning Xiaochuan took the third Nourishing Heart Grass in his hand.

This time, even Steward Hua began to show signs of agitation. His fingers tightened, and a look of astonishment spread across his face.

When Ning Xiaochuan took the fourth Nourishing Heart Grass in his hand, Steward Hua abruptly stood up, holding his breath, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan reached for the fifth Nourishing Heart Grass, Steward Hua and the two maidservants were completely numb. Only the word "shock" could describe their feelings at that moment.

This was not merely about five Nourishing Heart Grasses; it represented the birth of a Peerless Prodigy. Though unknown now, he would surely astonish the world in the future.

"Alright, the five Nourishing Heart Grasses are fully refined. Young lady in the blue clothes, please fetch a jade bottle to collect the Heart Nourishing Elixir." Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes. There was not a trace of fatigue in them; instead, they brimmed with vitality, strands of Martial Dao Profound Qi flowing within his pupils.

Others always felt tired and worn out after refining Nourishing Heart Grass, but he seemed even more energized.

Steward Hua clicked his tongue in wonder. Fortunately, he had seen much of the world and could control his excitement. If a younger steward had been here, they would likely have been so stunned they'd have fallen under the table.

Ning Xiaochuan washed his hands in clean water, pale and spotless. He circulated the blood in his body, and a faint layer of red Profound Qi surfaced on his palms. Drops of green Heart Nourishing Elixir dripped from his fingertips, exuding a sweet and refreshing fragrance.

"Drip, drip!"

When the sixteenth drop fell from Ning Xiaochuan's fingertip, Steward Hua's eyelids twitched again.

The records he held stated that Ning Xiaochuan could refine three drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir from one Nourishing Heart Grass—a sign of superior talent. Yet now, refining five Nourishing Heart Grasses had already yielded sixteen drops.

But what happened next made Steward Hua gasp again. The shocks he encountered today far outnumbered those of the past decades combined.

Seventeenth drop.

Eighteenth drop.

Nineteenth drop.

Twentieth drop.

A full twenty drops—this was something Steward Hua had witnessed with his own eyes.

"Heavens! An average of four drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir per Nourishing Heart Grass—that's a level only an Intermediate Heart Nourisher can achieve!" Steward Hua stared intently at Ning Xiaochuan, flames practically leaping from his eyes.

This was definitely a prodigy, a treasure! A great treasure! He would surely become an Intermediate Heart Nourisher in the future. What a find! Haha!

Ning Xiaochuan watched Steward Hua's expression and felt a jolt of alarm. He wasn't about to pounce on him, was he?

Ning Xiaochuan quickly stepped back two paces, intending to sell the Heart Nourishing Elixir and leave. He had no desire to be tackled to the ground by a man. "Fifty-seven drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir in total. Name your price, Steward Hua."

All fifty-seven drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir were sold at a premium, fetching fifty-seven thousand Small Coins, which were exchanged for five large Silver Cakes and seven hundred Silver Coins.

One large Silver Cake equaled one thousand Silver Coins.

In the Yulan Empire, Azure Gold was a noble's metal, extremely rare, so Silver Coins served as the main currency.

Ning Xiaochuan roughly estimated that each large Silver Cake weighed about five catties. Five large Silver Cakes came to twenty-five catties, plus seven hundred Silver Coins—a total of fifty catties!

The bundle in his hands was heavy! As a martial artist at the Profound Qi Sixth Level, Ning Xiaochuan could punch with a force of roughly four thousand catties, so carrying fifty catties was naturally effortless. But for an ordinary person, hauling that much money home would practically guarantee a robbery halfway.

Because it was too obvious—anyone could see at a glance that you were carrying a lot of money! Who else would they rob?

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Steward Hua, doesn't the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall have something like a Silver Note?"

Steward Hua was taken aback for a moment. "Silver... Note..."

"Alright! Forget I said anything."

Ning Xiaochuan frowned, realizing that this world probably didn't have paper currency like Silver Notes. He added, "I'm curious about one thing. If I had ninety million—I mean, hypothetically—if I had ninety million Small Coins, exchanged for large Silver Cakes, that would be nine hundred cakes, weighing four thousand five hundred catties. How would I take all that money back without getting robbed?"

Steward Hua stroked his beard and smiled. "The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall naturally has guards to escort all silver safely to your residence. Rest assured, Young Master Ning. Throughout the entire imperial city, and even the whole Yulan Empire, there are few who would dare touch the wealth of our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall."

Clearly, Steward Hua hadn't truly grasped Ning Xiaochuan's meaning! Ning Xiaochuan patiently explained, "What I mean is, is there a lighter way? For instance, could I carry tens of millions in wealth on my person while traveling, without anyone noticing?"

This time, Steward Hua finally understood Ning Xiaochuan's intent. "Such treasures do exist, but... heh heh, Young Master Ning, follow me!"

Steward Hua played coy and led Ning Xiaochuan into a resplendent hall within the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall. This hall was deep in the building's interior, rarely visited by guests, and seemed rather desolate.

Eight Martial Dao Experts clad in Iron Scale Armor stood guard outside.

Inside the hall, many rare treasures were displayed, each with a price tag beside it.

"Second Grade Profound Weapon, Heavenly Execution Sword. Price—five hundred taels of Azure Gold."

"Fourth-Grade Profound Weapon, Ancient Lizard Pattern Armor. Price—eight thousand taels of Azure Gold."

All the treasures here were priced in Azure Gold, a testament to their rarity.

Steward Hua chuckled, "The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall primarily deals in Profound Medicine, but we also dabble in the Profound Artifact trade. This is the 'Profound Artifact Hall.' There is a type of Profound Artifact in this world called the 'Universe Pouch,' wondrous and miraculous. A tiny pouch can hold as much as an entire house."

Ordinary vessels, no matter how beautiful, sharp, or finely crafted, could only be called "Common Weapons."

Only vessels that transcended the mundane, possessing special abilities, could be called Profound Artifacts.

Every Profound Weapon was worth a fortune, and they were also rare finds that couldn't be sought on demand. Only in a place like the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall could one see so many Profound Weapons in one place.

"Universe Pouch!"

Ning Xiaochuan had never heard of such a miraculous item before. In this Profound Artifact Hall, there were seven Universe Pouches in total, but even the cheapest, a somewhat worn-out one, cost seven thousand taels of Azure Gold!

That was equivalent to seventy million Small Coins.

To Ning Xiaochuan, this was an astronomical figure! No wonder Steward Hua had hesitated earlier—it turned out the Universe Pouch was so expensive that even the descendants of nobles could hardly afford one. Only Martial Venerables and true nobles could wear such a miraculous Profound Weapon.

The Universe Pouch was a rare and extraordinary treasure, not something Ning Xiaochuan could afford now. Though his eyes lingered with longing, he could only reluctantly walk out of the Profound Artifact Hall.

In truth, with Ning Xiaochuan's current wealth, let alone buying a Universe Pouch, he couldn't even afford any other First-Grade Profound Weapon. First-Grade Profound Weapons started at a minimum of one million Small Coins.

Of course, Ning Xiaochuan's main purpose in coming to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall wasn't the Universe Pouch at all. It was to buy Profound Stones and figure out why his cultivation had suddenly jumped to Profound Qi Sixth Level. That was the real priority—perhaps he could find a way to rapidly improve his cultivation.

In this world, strength was the only truth. If his strength wasn't enough, those in the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion who coveted the succession to the Marquis title would devour him alive.

Under Steward Hua's guidance, Ning Xiaochuan spent one hundred thousand Small Coins to buy a Low-Grade Profound Stone of extremely high purity, about the size of a fist.

Last time, Ning Xiaochuan had spent twenty thousand Small Coins on a broken Low-Grade Profound Stone the size of a peach pit. This one, however, was intact, containing six or seven times more Heaven and Earth Profound Qi than the previous one.

After thinking it over, Ning Xiaochuan spent another two hundred thousand Small Coins to buy two more Low-Grade Profound Stones, bringing his total to three.

Profound Stones were essential items for a Heart Nourisher to carry around. Having a few extra on hand saved him from having to run to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall every day.

Next, Ning Xiaochuan bought ten Second-Grade Blood Accumulation Grass. Since refining a single First-Grade Blood Accumulation Grass had activated the Seven Aperture God Demon Heart and pushed him to Profound Qi Sixth Level, refining Second-Grade Blood Accumulation Grass should yield even better results!

Of course, he also bought ten Second-Grade Nourishing Heart Grass. Second-Grade Heart Nourishing Elixir was quite valuable, several times more expensive than the First-Grade version.

"Three Low-Grade Profound Stones, ten Second-Grade Blood Accumulation Grass, and ten Second-Grade Nourishing Heart Grass—that's four hundred thousand Small Coins in total, leaving me with just one hundred seventy thousand. Money really flows like water!" Ning Xiaochuan's face turned bitter again.

Why was he always running out of money?

Not far away, two youths in Scarlet Brocade Robes approached.

One of them was about sixteen or seventeen years old, while the other was taller and sturdier, a couple of years older, with a rather handsome face that drew the gazes of the maidservants in the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall.

The younger one, named Wang Yunchong, was a spoiled brat from the Celestial Elephant Marquis's Mansion. He said, "Third Brother, you're a young expert at Profound Qi Ninth Level. Passing the assessment to enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy should be a piece of cake for you. Why do you need to buy an Intermediate Pill to break through to the Divine Body Realm?"

"What do you know? The Heavenly Emperor Academy is the top academy in the entire Yulan Imperial City, known as the 'Son of Heaven Academy' and the 'Imperial Martial Palace.' It's the pinnacle of both civil and martial arts. Only true peerless geniuses can enter the Heavenly Emperor Academy to train. If you want to be Enfeoffed as Marquis, bring glory to your ancestors, and shake the world, you must first become a disciple of the Heavenly Emperor Academy!"

The youth Wang Yunchong called Third Brother was named Wang Shi, eighteen years old, and one of the most outstanding disciples of the younger generation in the Celestial Elephant Marquis's Mansion.

Wang Shi clenched his fist, a faint azure Profound Qi flowing in his sharp eyes. "Do you know who the youngest Martial Venerable in the Yulan Empire is?"

Wang Yunchong's eyes were full of admiration. "Yue Wuyang. He reached the Earth Venerable realm at twenty-six and was Enfeoffed as Cloud Marquis at thirty-two. He's the youngest non-hereditary Marquis since the founding of the Yulan Empire."

"Exactly! Yue Wuyang was a disciple of the Heavenly Emperor Academy. While in the academy, he crossed seventeen levels of the Heaven Reaching Bridge, shaking the entire academy. Countless talented women were captivated by his bearing. Later, he achieved great military merits, was Enfeoffed as Marquis, and established his legacy—something countless people envy."

"So this time, I must pass into the Heavenly Emperor Academy. Only by reaching the Divine Body Realm will I have a ten-out-of-ten chance. Otherwise, even if my cultivation reaches Profound Qi Ninth Level, I might still be eliminated by other geniuses. The competition for the Heavenly Emperor Academy's assessment is too fierce!" Wang Shi said.

Wang Yunchong sighed. "Looks like I have no chance. You need at least Profound Qi Seventh Level to qualify for the academy's entrance assessment. I'm only at Profound Qi Fourth Level now. I'll probably be thirty by the time I reach Profound Qi Seventh Level, and by then, I'll have long passed the academy's enrollment age."

Above the "Profound Qi Realm" was the "Divine Body Realm."

Breaking through Profound Qi Ninth Level allowed one to cultivate a Divine Martial Body and become an expert of the Divine Body Realm.

In the Yulan Empire, martial artists were one in a hundred, but due to the massive population, the number of martial artists wasn't small.

However, the vast majority remained stuck at Profound Qi Ninth Heaven. Those from humble backgrounds without high-level cultivation techniques or medicinal herbs could spend their entire lives struggling to reach Profound Qi Fourth Level.

Even among the descendants of nobles, with techniques, herbs, and martial instructors, only a rare few could reach Profound Qi Seventh Level before eighteen, earning the title of genius. So, someone like Wang Shi, who had reached Profound Qi Ninth Level at just eighteen, could definitely be called exceptionally gifted. Yet even he only had a seven-out-of-ten chance of entering the Heavenly Emperor Academy, not a guaranteed ten.

Only by reaching the Divine Body Realm could one be one hundred percent certain of entering the academy.

Martial artists who reached the Divine Body Realm were true powerhouses capable of standing on their own. Their bodies nurtured all kinds of miraculous abilities—some could raise dozens of massive, fierce Profound Beasts within their blood vessels, others could turn their bodies into divine swords, some could pull out a strand of hair to create a clone, and others could even summon a divine dragon to fight for them.

The stronger the body, the stronger the abilities born from it! That was why every martial artist wanted to reach the Divine Body Realm.

Wang Yunchong stared ahead. "Hey! That's Ning Xiaochuan from the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion. What's that Sickly Scoundrel doing at the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall? Sickly Ning! Sickly Ning!"

Accompanied by Steward Hua, Ning Xiaochuan was about to leave the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall when he unexpectedly saw two youths in Scarlet Brocade Robes walking toward him, blocking his path.