Chapter 7

"Which medicinal herbs would this young master like to buy?" An elderly man with gray hair sat by the counter, glanced at Ning Xiaochuan's silk clothing, narrowed his eyes, and immediately knew that a big customer had arrived.

The silk on Ning Xiaochuan's body was not something ordinary families could afford.

Although the Yulan Kingdom did not have the profession of doctors, there were many medicinal herb shops. These herbs were not ordinary mountain herbs but mystic herbs containing mystic energy.

Mystic herbs were classified into nine grades based on their rarity, concentration of mystic energy, medicinal value, and growth period.

Each mystic herb took over a hundred years, or even several hundred years, to grow, and their prices were exorbitant. Even the lowest-grade mystic herbs were worth more than a thousand small coins.

Those who usually bought mystic herbs were Heart Cultivators. Only Heart Cultivators could fully utilize the value of mystic herbs and even refine mystic pills and spirit liquids through special formulas. These were things that martial artists dreamed of.

Ning Xiaochuan placed a prescription on the counter.

The elderly shopkeeper glanced at the prescription and immediately understood, smiling, "So, young master wants to refine a Heart Cultivating Cauldron."

To become a Heart Cultivator, the first step was to refine the Martial Dao Heart Palace into a "Heart Cultivating Cauldron," which required nurturing with three mystic herbs: Mystic Star Grass, Bull Cauldron Mushroom, and Fiery Root.

Seeing the names of the three mystic herbs on the prescription, the elderly shopkeeper immediately knew Ning Xiaochuan's purpose.

"This Bull Cauldron Mushroom is a top-grade third-grade mystic herb. Its leaves resemble a cauldron, and its roots resemble a bull's head, with clear veins. It is estimated to be nearly 380 years old and is one of the treasures of our shop. Since I see a connection with you, young master, I'll give you a discount. How about 20,000 small coins?"

The elderly shopkeeper opened a medicine box and took out a Bull Cauldron Mushroom about the size of a fist. The leaves indeed resembled a cauldron, and the roots looked like a bull's head with two horns.

Ning Xiaochuan, who had never seen such a miraculous herb before, was very excited. He held the Bull Cauldron Mushroom in his hand, closed his eyes, and faintly felt the mystic energy flowing within the leaves.

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan's intoxicated expression, the elderly shopkeeper also became excited, thinking that another big deal was about to be made today.

"I can't afford it!"

Ning Xiaochuan did not blush at all and put the Bull Cauldron Mushroom back into the medicine box.

He only had 30,000 small coins in total. He had already spent 500 small coins on renting a Qinglu carriage, leaving him with 29,500 small coins.

This third-grade mystic herb Bull Cauldron Mushroom cost 20,000 small coins. If he bought it, he wouldn't be able to buy other mystic herbs!

He could only sigh that mystic herbs were too damn expensive!

Even if one had the qualifications to become a Heart Cultivator, without a fortune, it was impossible to become one. This profession was too costly.

The elderly shopkeeper was also excited for nothing. Fortunately, he had been in business for decades and could maintain a calm mind. Otherwise, he would have started cursing, "Damn, if you can't afford it, why did you touch it for so long?"

"Give me three first-grade mystic herbs!" Ning Xiaochuan said.

The elderly shopkeeper carefully locked the medicine box and then took out three ordinary medicine boxes. Inside were first-grade mystic herbs: a 120-year-old Mystic Star Grass, a 150-year-old Bull Cauldron Mushroom, and a 110-year-old Fiery Root.

First-grade mystic herbs were much cheaper. The three first-grade mystic herbs together cost only 7,200 small coins.

Ning Xiaochuan then spent 20,000 small coins on a low-grade mystic stone and used the remaining money to buy a Heart Cultivating Grass before returning to the Sword Pavilion Marquis Manor.

A low-grade mystic stone usually cost at least 30,000 small coins, and some could even cost 100,000 small coins. The low-grade mystic stone Ning Xiaochuan bought was actually a broken mystic stone, but it still cost 20,000 small coins, which was truly painful! If not for the necessity of refining a Heart Cultivating Cauldron, he wouldn't have bought it.

"If this succeeds, then future glory and wealth will come rolling in. If it fails, hehe! Then there will only be tears!"

Ning Xiaochuan smiled bitterly. After going out and coming back, the 30,000 small coins he had were spent entirely. If Ning Xiner knew, she would definitely think he had squandered the money on some courtesan.

Back at the Sword Pavilion Marquis Manor.

Ning Xiaochuan placed the Mystic Star Grass, Bull Cauldron Mushroom, and Fiery Root on the table, arranging them in a row. They were all first-grade mystic herbs, containing a small amount of mystic energy and some special medicinal properties.

Mystic herbs could not be taken directly, or the medicinal properties would be lost in the stomach, and the mystic energy would dissipate, unable to be absorbed by the blood and even less likely to enter the Martial Dao Heart Palace.

Therefore, ordinary martial artists could only utilize one-tenth of the medicinal properties of precious mystic herbs, while only Heart Cultivators could fully utilize the medicinal properties.

Ning Xiaochuan held the Mystic Star Grass in his palm and activated the mystic energy in his body. The mystic energy rushed out of his pores, enveloping his palm.

"Bang!"

The Mystic Star Grass was shattered by the mystic energy, turning into a green mist.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly withdrew the mystic energy back into his body, and the green mist followed, entering his pores, bloodstream, and then his heart.

"Quick, quick..."

The effect of the Mystic Star Grass was to coat the Martial Dao Star Palace with a layer of mystic iron-like outer skin, which was not real mystic iron but Mystic Star Gas.

However, contrary to Ning Xiaochuan's expectations, the Mystic Star Gas did not flow into the Martial Dao Heart Palace but into the lower right ventricle of his heart.

According to the books, this ventricle was called the "Heart Aperture" in the Seven Tricks Divine Heart, forming a symmetry with the "Blood Aperture."

The blood-red small sword nurtured in the Blood Aperture, could it be that the Heart Aperture was to be refined into a Heart Cultivating Cauldron?

Ordinary Heart Cultivators refined the Martial Dao Heart Palace into a Heart Cultivating Cauldron, which was why, at the same realm, Heart Cultivators' combat power was far inferior to that of pure martial artists.

This was the principle of gain and loss.

Heart Cultivators had a noble status but low combat power.

However, Ning Xiaochuan was different. With the Seven Tricks Divine Heart, he had two additional apertures in his heart, the "Heart Aperture" and the "Blood Aperture." If he refined the Heart Aperture into a Heart Cultivating Cauldron, it would not affect the Martial Dao Heart Palace, and his combat power would not be affected.

Ning Xiaochuan did not have time to think too much and quickly held the Bull Cauldron Mushroom in his palm.

"Bang!"

The Bull Cauldron Mushroom was also shattered, dissolving into his bloodstream and flowing into the Heart Aperture, merging with the Mystic Heart Gas.

"Bang!"

The Fiery Root was shattered, turning into a red gas with extremely high temperature, continuously moving in Ning Xiaochuan's bloodstream and then flowing into the Heart Aperture.

Under the heat of the Fiery Gas, the Mystic Star Gas and Bull Cauldron Mushroom formed a cauldron shape in the Heart Aperture.

Ning Xiaochuan's body was tense, covered in sweat. The consumption of mystic energy was enormous, and the medicinal cauldron in the Heart Aperture was slowly taking shape, forming patterns and flowing with mystic energy.

Out of a thousand martial artists, not even one might become a Heart Cultivator, the key being whether they could refine a Heart Cultivating Cauldron. There were too many factors that could interfere with the refinement of the Heart Cultivating Cauldron.

Physical constitution.

Blood attributes.

Strength of blood energy!

Rejection from the Martial Dao Heart Palace.

Any one of these factors being unsuitable would prevent the formation of a Heart Cultivating Cauldron. Therefore, Ning Xiaochuan was not confident and could only try his best to persist.

Just a little more, almost there!

Almost there!

"Refine!"

Sweat poured down Ning Xiaochuan's body, his veins protruding. With the word "Refine," a large amount of blood gathered in the Heart Aperture.

Refining the Heart Cultivating Cauldron with his own essence blood was the only way to achieve the highest compatibility with the Heart Cultivator, and the grade of the refined pills would also be higher.

Success! Success!

In the Heart Aperture, a small blood-colored cauldron with three legs and two ears, adorned with a bull's head engraving, floated.

This was the Heart Cultivating Cauldron!

Ning Xiaochuan's face was pale from the loss of blood, but he wore an excited smile, "The first step is complete, and the rest will follow naturally. I'll try to refine mystic herbs in the Heart Cultivating Cauldron, hoping for success."

Refining the Heart Cultivating Cauldron was just the first step. Whether he could become a Heart Cultivator depended on whether he could refine mystic herbs in the Heart Cultivating Cauldron.

Many people could refine a Heart Cultivating Cauldron in their bodies, but it was a dead cauldron that could not refine mystic herbs, and such people could not become Heart Cultivators.

Ning Xiaochuan did not immediately start refining mystic herbs but first spent half an hour recovering his mystic energy. This was his first time refining mystic herbs, and he had to be cautious.

Only when his mystic energy was fully restored did he take out the broken low-grade mystic stone and a Heart Cultivating Grass.

This Heart Cultivating Grass was also a first-grade mystic herb, worth 2,000 small coins. If given to a martial artist to swallow directly, they could only absorb one-tenth of its medicinal power, and the mystic energy in the Heart Cultivating Grass would dissipate, making the effect mediocre.

However, Heart Cultivators were different. They could refine the Heart Cultivating Grass in the Heart Cultivating Cauldron, turning it into a medicinal liquid infused with more concentrated mystic energy, forming "Heart Cultivating Liquid."

A drop of Heart Cultivating Liquid was worth several times that of a Heart Cultivating Grass.

A Heart Cultivating Grass could generally refine one to five drops of Heart Cultivating Liquid!

Ning Xiaochuan began to feel nervous. Whether he could become a Heart Cultivator depended on this. Whether he could achieve great wealth and honor also depended on this!