Chapter 171: Falling Behind at the Starting Line

Chapter 171: Falling Behind at the Starting Line

Refine the True Cauldron within a year?

Hearing this, Ning Xiaochuan was momentarily stunned, thinking it an impossible feat. Not just him—even a revered Great Heart Nurturer would find this utterly absurd.

For a Heart Nurturer, "refining the True Cauldron" was an extremely crucial step, akin to a metamorphosis.

The Heart Nurturing Cauldron within the heart of an Intermediate Heart Nurturer was forged from mystic medicines and could only be called a "Heart Cauldron." However, the Heart Nurturing Cauldron was highly unstable, capable of refining only Intermediate Elixirs at most. Relying solely on the Heart Cauldron, it was impossible to refine higher-grade Mystic Pills.

An Intermediate Heart Nurturer had to seek materials to forge a true medicinal cauldron—one crafted from gold, stone, steel, or iron—known as the "True Cauldron." Only by merging the "Heart Nurturing Cauldron" within the body with the external "True Cauldron" could one become an Advanced Heart Nurturer, capable of refining Mystic Pills far more precious than Intermediate Elixirs.

Upon reaching the realm of an Advanced Heart Nurturer, one could place the medicinal cauldron outside the body during alchemy, using external flames to refine pills. Alternatively, the cauldron could be withdrawn into the body, nurturing the pills with Heart Flame.

This was known as "refining the True Cauldron."

Generally, a Heart Nurturer attempting to refine the True Cauldron required at least Transcendent Realm cultivation and profound expertise in heart-nurturing and alchemy.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Senior, are you a Heart Nurturer?"

The mysterious woman countered, "Do you think I know nothing of heart-nurturing and alchemy?"

"That’s not what I meant. I simply believe that to refine the True Cauldron, one must first gather materials to forge a medicinal cauldron suited to their body’s attributes. Without a cauldron, attempting to refine the True Cauldron would be nothing but a joke."

Ning Xiaochuan did not act subservient despite the other’s superior cultivation. Instead, he remained casual, composed, and steady.

"Isn’t the Yin-Yang Furnace the finest True Cauldron?"

The mysterious woman continued, "Yin-Yang convergence naturally gives birth to 'Bright Flame.' Using Bright Flame to refine pills can automatically enhance their Yin-Yang attributes. Most importantly, you’ve already subdued the Bright Flame, and the Yin-Yang Furnace has long been compatible with your body."

Ning Xiaochuan’s heart stirred as he summoned the Yin-Yang Furnace, letting it hover above his palm.

The small furnace was exquisitely delicate, no larger than a teapot, capable of expanding or shrinking. It had three legs, two handles, and resembled both a furnace and a cauldron in shape.

The true form of the Yin-Yang Furnace stood seven meters tall and weighed 43,000 kg.

Having already subdued the Yin-Yang Furnace, refining it into a True Cauldron would indeed be far easier. If he were to seek materials and forge a True Cauldron himself, not only would its grade pale in comparison to the Yin-Yang Furnace, but the probability of failure would also be significantly higher.

Many Intermediate Heart Nurturers had failed while refining the True Cauldron, shattering their Heart Cauldrons in the process and ending up half-crippled.

Thus, the scarcity of Advanced Heart Nurturers was also due to Intermediate Heart Nurturers hesitating to attempt refining the True Cauldron, as even the slightest misstep could lead to failure and ruin.

For Ning Xiaochuan, using the Yin-Yang Furnace to refine the True Cauldron would greatly increase his chances of success.

This tempted him.

The mysterious woman continued, "With your current physical strength and my assistance, there is at least an eighty percent chance to help you refine the Yin-Yang Furnace into a Heart Nurturing True Cauldron. However, this also means you will lose certain things. The choice is yours to make."

The Yin-Yang Furnace controlled ten thousand Blood Fiend Generals within the Emperor's Tomb, a formidable force comparable to a million-strong army. If Ning Xiaochuan chose to refine the Yin-Yang Furnace into a Heart Nurturing True Cauldron, he would lose control over these Blood Fiend Generals, and the furnace would forever transform into a mere medicinal cauldron.

Now, the decision lay with Ning Xiaochuan.

On one side was the path of enhancing his own strength.

On the other was the allure of wielding immense power.

Would he choose inner strength or external dominance?

Ning Xiaochuan's heart was torn, the decision weighing heavily on him. It required the courage to sever one's own wrist.

In the end, he made his choice: "Refine the True Cauldron."

A flicker of surprise flashed deep in the mysterious woman's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "Why? Don’t you realize the power you hold could instantly make you a ruler of your own domain?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied calmly, "Three reasons. First, for a martial artist, relying solely on external forces can never last. It’s like a wealthy heir who inherits boundless riches—they lose the drive to strive further."

"Second, though the Blood Fiend Generators are powerful, they are ultimately bloodthirsty Nether Soldiers. Even if the Yin-Yang Furnace can control them temporarily, it cannot change their innate nature. Eventually, their corruption would drag me into the abyss."

"Third, and most importantly, even if I controlled the Yin-Yang Furnace and became the master of ten thousand Blood Fiend Generators, I wouldn’t live long. I’d be killed soon enough."

With Ning Xiaochuan’s current cultivation, even if he commanded the Blood Fiend Generators and the Blood Fiend Dragon, a Martial Venerable could easily end his life. During the battle between the Blood Fiend Dragon and the Chaos Witch King, Ning Xiaochuan had nearly died. Had the mysterious woman not appeared in time, the outcome would have been his defeat and demise.

Only with sufficient strength can one wield true authority. Otherwise, one is merely a puppet to be manipulated—or eliminated at any moment.

Many understand this principle, but few have the resolve to act as Ning Xiaochuan did. Even knowing that power could lead to their downfall, most cling to it desperately, unwilling to let go.

Between external dominance and inner strength, Ning Xiaochuan chose to strengthen himself.

By becoming an Advanced Heart Nurturer, he might gain far more in the long run.

The mysterious woman nodded. "Your choice proves you have potential—the makings of an ultimate martial artist. It would be a waste not to nurture such exceptional talent."

"The greatest temptations in this world are wealth, lust, and power. Those obsessed with money will never become ultimate martial artists; at best, they’ll be wealthy tycoons."

"Those enslaved by lust will never reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Their willpower will erode, leaving them with nothing but a harem and a life of indulgence."

"Those who lust after power can never become ultimate martial artists. At best, they may become emperors of a region, but after a hundred years, they too will return to dust."

"Of course, as a human, almost no one can overcome these three trials. The reason you gave up ten thousand Blood Fiend Generators is simply because the temptation of power wasn’t strong enough for you."

Ning Xiaochuan did not argue with her. Instead, he grew even more certain in his heart—she was not human. She was very likely a mystic beast.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "May I ask, Senior, what realm does the 'ultimate martial artist' you speak of refer to?"

The mysterious woman shook her head. "I don’t know. But you possess the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace, and your talent far surpasses that of ordinary people. If you can resist the temptations of wealth, power, and lust, you might be a seedling qualified to explore the pinnacle of martial arts. However, you started too late—you lost at the starting line. Your current cultivation does not match your talent."

Ning Xiaochuan’s current cultivation was unrivaled among his peers. Within the same cultivation realm, he had almost no opponents.

Yet, she had evaluated him with, "You started too late—you lost at the starting line."

For someone as confident as Ning Xiaochuan, this was a significant blow.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Senior, how do you know I started too late?"

The mysterious woman replied, "You possess the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace. You should have been a natural prodigy—your flesh, blood, bones, and tendons should have already transformed from mediocrity to the miraculous. At the very least, you should have reached the level of a 'Once-in-Three-Millennia Talent.' But right now, you’re only at the 'Once-in-Four-Centuries Talent' level. This means you missed the optimal cultivation period and only began martial training later. I suspect you’ve been practicing martial arts for less than a year."

Her eyes seemed capable of seeing right through him. In her presence, Ning Xiaochuan had no secrets.

"Did I really miss the best time for cultivation?" Ning Xiaochuan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

The mysterious woman continued, "That woman from earlier is about your age and possesses the Tun Heart Palace, which is on par with your Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace. Yet, her current cultivation allows her to battle Martial Venerables. How far behind her are you?"

"If you hadn’t missed the optimal cultivation period, if you had trained since childhood under the guidance of a master and with the aid of mystic medicines, your current cultivation would absolutely not be inferior to hers."

The mysterious woman spoke bluntly, ruthlessly crushing Ning Xiaochuan’s confidence and devaluing the martial prowess he had always prided himself on.

She wanted to see how well Ning Xiaochuan could withstand this blow—would he collapse under the pressure?

A warrior’s talent is important, but so are their will and spirit.

From the very beginning, she had been testing Ning Xiaochuan, observing whether he was truly a moldable seedling.

Ning Xiaochuan knew she was referring to the "Spiritual Void Venerable." With an equally powerful heart palace and the same age, she had already reached a level where she could fight Martial Venerables, leaving him far behind.

After a moment of contemplation, Ning Xiaochuan said, "Martial cultivation is not something achieved overnight. Even if I lost at the starting line, as long as I put in twice the effort of others, I can still catch up to my rivals. Though I may only be at the 'Once-in-Four-Centuries Talent' level now, I still have room to improve. With hard work, I may not necessarily lose."

"Good. It’s best that you have such determination," the mysterious woman said. "For the next year, you will stay here. I will teach you for one year, helping you refine the True Cauldron. After that, I will owe you nothing."

Had Ning Xiaochuan’s talent not been exceptional, the mysterious woman would never have spoken so much to him, let alone agreed to teach him for a year.

It must be known that even Martial Venerables seek her guidance but are denied the opportunity.

For Ning Xiaochuan, this was indeed a tremendous opportunity, one that would benefit him for a lifetime, surpassing the value of any Mystic Pill or miraculous medicine.