Heart Nourishing Cauldron

"What kind of medicinal herbs does this Young Master wish to purchase?" By the counter sat an elder with white hair. His aged eyes glanced at Ning Xiaochuan's clothes, and narrowing them, he knew a big sale was coming.

The satin Ning Xiaochuan wore was not something a child from an ordinary family could afford.

Although the Yulan Empire did not have the profession of a doctor, there were many Medicine Shops. These medicinal herbs were not ordinary mountain herbs, but Profound Medicine that contained Profound Qi.

Based on their rarity, Profound Qi concentration, medicinal value, and growth age, Profound Medicine was divided into Nine Grades.

Each stalk of Profound Medicine had grown for hundreds, even several hundred years, and their prices were ridiculously expensive. Even the lowest grade, First Grade Profound Medicine, was worth over a thousand Small Coin.

Generally, those who bought Profound Medicine were Heart Nourishers. Only Heart Nourishers could fully utilize the value of Profound Medicine, and even refine mysterious Pills and Spirit Elixirs through some special formulas. These were things that Martial Practitioners dreamed of.

Ning Xiaochuan placed a medicinal prescription on the counter.

The Shopkeeper Elder read the prescription and immediately understood, smiling, "So, Young Master wishes to condense the Heart Nourishing Cauldron."

To become a Heart Nourisher, the first step was to cultivate the Martial Heart Palace into a "Heart Nourishing Cauldron." This required nourishing it with three types of Profound Medicine: Mystic Star Grass, Bull Cauldron Ganoderma, and Blazing Fire Root.

When the Shopkeeper Elder saw the names of the three Profound Medicines on the prescription, he immediately knew Ning Xiaochuan's purpose.

"This stalk of Bull Cauldron Ganoderma is a top-grade among Third Grade Profound Medicine. Its leaves are shaped like a Cauldron, its roots like a bull's head, and its veins are clear. It is estimated to be nearly three hundred and eighty years old and is one of the treasures of our shop. I see you are fated with it, so I will sell it cheaper. How about twenty thousand Small Coin?"

The Shopkeeper Elder opened a medicine box and took out a stalk of Bull Cauldron Ganoderma the size of a fist. The ganoderma leaves truly resembled a Cauldron, and the root area was like a bull's head, even growing two bull horns.

Ning Xiaochuan had never seen such miraculous medicinal herbs before. His heart was very excited. He held the Bull Cauldron Ganoderma in his hand, closed his eyes, and could faintly feel Profound Qi flowing within the ganoderma leaves.

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan's intoxicated expression, the Shopkeeper Elder's heart also became excited. It seemed he was going to make another big sale today.

"Can't afford it!"

Ning Xiaochuan wasn't embarrassed at all and put the stalk of Bull Cauldron Ganoderma back into the medicine box.

He only had a total of thirty thousand Small Coin. He had just spent five hundred Small Coin to rent the Azure Deer Horse carriage, leaving him with only twenty-nine thousand five hundred Small Coin.

This stalk of Third Grade Profound Medicine level Bull Cauldron Ganoderma cost twenty thousand Small Coin. If he bought this stalk of Bull Cauldron Ganoderma, he wouldn't be able to buy other Profound Medicine!

He could only sigh in his heart, Profound Medicine was too damn expensive!

Even if one had the aptitude to become a Heart Nourisher, if they didn't have vast wealth, it would be impossible to become a Heart Nourisher. This profession was too much of a money sink.

The Shopkeeper Elder had also been excited for nothing for a long time. Fortunately, he had been in business for decades and had achieved a calm state of mind. Otherwise, he would have already started cursing, Damn it, you can't afford it, yet you touched it for so long?

"Give me three stalks of First Grade Profound Medicine!" Ning Xiaochuan said.

The Shopkeeper Elder carefully locked the medicine box and then took out three ordinary medicine boxes. They contained First Grade Profound Medicine: a hundred and twenty-year-old Mystic Star Grass, a hundred and fifty-year-old Bull Cauldron Ganoderma, and a hundred and ten-year-old Blazing Fire Root.

First Grade Profound Medicine was much cheaper. The three stalks of First Grade Profound Medicine combined only cost seven thousand two hundred Small Coin.

Then Ning Xiaochuan spent twenty thousand Small Coin to buy a Low-Grade Profound Stone, and used the remaining money to buy a stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass before returning to the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion.

A Low-Grade Profound Stone cost at least thirty thousand Small Coin, and some could even sell for a hundred thousand Small Coin. The Low-Grade Profound Stone Ning Xiaochuan bought was actually a broken Profound Stone, but it still cost twenty thousand Small Coin. It truly pained him to spend it! If it weren't necessary to have a Profound Stone to condense the Heart Nourishing Cauldron, he really wouldn't have been willing to buy it.

"If I can succeed in one go this time, then wealth and prosperity will come rolling in. If I fail, hehe! Then I can only cry!"

Ning Xiaochuan smiled bitterly. After going out and coming back, all thirty thousand Small Coin on him was spent clean. If Ning Xiner knew, she would definitely think he had squandered it on some Pleasure House vixen again.

Returning to the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion.

Ning Xiaochuan placed the Mystic Star Grass, Bull Cauldron Ganoderma, and Blazing Fire Root on the table, lined up. They were all First Grade Profound Medicine, containing a small amount of Profound Qi and some special Medicinal Properties.

Profound Medicine cannot be consumed directly, otherwise nine-tenths of its medicinal properties will be lost in the stomach, and the Profound Qi contained within will be completely lost, unable to be absorbed by the blood, let alone enter the Martial Heart Palace.

Therefore, ordinary Martial Practitioners, even if they obtain precious Profound Medicine, can only utilize one-tenth of its medicinal properties. Only Heart Nourishers can fully utilize the medicinal properties of Profound Medicine.

Ning Xiaochuan held the Mystic Star Grass in his palm and activated the Martial Dao Profound Qi within his body. The Profound Qi surged out of his pores, enveloping his palm.

"Bang!"

The Mystic Star Grass was shattered into powder by the Martial Dao Profound Qi, like a cloud of azure mist.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly retracted the Martial Dao Profound Qi back into his body. The cloud of azure mist also followed, entering his pores, flowing into his blood vessels, and then into his heart.

Quick, quick...

The function of Mystic Star Grass is to cover the Martial Dao Star Palace with a layer of outer skin like Mystic Iron. Of course, it's not real Mystic Iron, but Mystic Star Grass Qi.

However, to Ning Xiaochuan's surprise, the Mystic Star Grass Qi did not flow into the Martial Heart Palace, but instead flowed into the ventricle in the lower right corner of his heart.

According to the records in books, this ventricle is called the "Heart Aperture" in the Seven Aperture God Demon Heart, forming a symmetry with the "Blood Aperture".

Could the small blood-red sword nurtured within the Blood Aperture be intended to refine the Heart Aperture into a Heart Nourishing Cauldron? Ordinary Heart Nourishers refine their Martial Heart Palace into a Heart Nourishing Cauldron. It is precisely for this reason that at the same realm, the combat power of Heart Nourishers is far inferior to that of pure Martial Practitioners.

This is the principle of gain and loss.

Heart Nourishers have noble status, but their combat power is not high.

However, Ning Xiaochuan is different. Possessing the Seven Aperture God Demon Heart, his heart has two more apertures than ordinary people, the "Heart Aperture" and the "Blood Aperture". If he refines the Heart Aperture into a Heart Nourishing Cauldron, it will not affect the Martial Heart Palace, and his combat power will not be affected.

Ning Xiaochuan didn't have time to think so much and quickly held the Bull Cauldron Ganoderma in his palm.

"Bang!"

The Bull Cauldron Ganoderma was also shattered, dissolved into his blood vessels, and flowed into the Heart Aperture, merging with the Mystic Heart Qi.

"Bang!"

The Blazing Fire Root was shattered, turning into a red stream of air with extremely high temperature, constantly surging in Ning Xiaochuan's blood vessels, and then flowing into the Heart Aperture.

Under the baking of the Blazing Fire Qi, the Mystic Star Qi and Bull Cauldron Ganoderma formed a cauldron shape within the Heart Aperture.

Ning Xiaochuan's body was tense, covered in sweat. His Martial Dao Profound Qi was greatly consumed. The medicinal cauldron in his Heart Aperture was slowly taking shape, weaving patterns and flowing with Profound Qi.

Perhaps not even one in a thousand Martial Practitioners can become a Heart Nourisher. The key lies in whether they can refine a Heart Nourishing Cauldron. There are simply too many factors that interfere with the Heart Nourishing Cauldron.

Physical constitution.

Blood properties.

Strength of Blood Qi! The repulsive force of the Martial Heart Palace itself.

If any one of these is not up to standard, it is impossible to condense a Heart Nourishing Cauldron. Therefore, Ning Xiaochuan was also unsure in his heart. Now he could only try his best to persevere.

Just a little longer, it's almost successful!

It's almost successful!

"Condense!"

Sweat beaded on Ning Xiaochuan's body like beans, and his veins bulged. With this word "Condense", a large amount of blood gathered towards the Heart Aperture.

One must use their own essence blood to condense the Heart Nourishing Cauldron. Only then can the compatibility between the Heart Nourishing Cauldron and the Heart Nourisher reach its peak, and the grade of the pills refined will be higher.

Condensation successful! It succeeded!

Within the heart aperture, a small blood-colored cauldron floated, with three legs and two ears, and engraved with bull-head patterns.

This is the Heart Nourishing Cauldron!

Ning Xiaochuan's face was pale due to the excessive loss of blood, but his face held an excited smile. "The first step is complete. The rest should be smooth sailing. I'll try to refine Profound Medicine in the Heart Nourishing Cauldron. I hope it succeeds."

Refining the Heart Nourishing Cauldron is just the first step. Whether one can become a Heart Nourisher depends on whether they can refine Profound Medicine within the Heart Nourishing Cauldron.

Many people can refine a Heart Nourishing Cauldron within their bodies, but it's a dead cauldron, completely unable to refine Profound Medicine. Such people cannot become Heart Nourishers.

Ning Xiaochuan didn't immediately start refining Profound Medicine. Instead, he spent half an hour recovering the Martial Dao Profound Qi within his body. This was his first time refining Profound Medicine, so he had to be careful.

Only after his Martial Dao Profound Qi returned to its peak did he take out the broken Low-Grade Profound Stone and a stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass.

This stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass is also a First Grade Profound Medicine, worth two thousand Small Coin. If given directly to a Martial Practitioner to consume, they can only absorb one-tenth of the Nourishing Heart Grass's medicinal power, and the Profound Qi within the Nourishing Heart Grass will also be completely lost, resulting in a mediocre effect.

However, a Heart Nourisher is different. They can use the Heart Nourishing Cauldron to refine the Nourishing Heart Grass into a medicinal liquid, infusing more concentrated Profound Qi into the liquid to form "Heart Nourishing Elixir."

The value of a single drop of Heart Nourishing Elixir is several times that of a stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass.

A single stalk of Nourishing Heart Grass can generally be refined into one to five drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir! Ning Xiaochuan began to feel nervous. Whether he could become a Heart Nourisher depended on this one attempt. Whether he could become rich and prosperous depended on this time!