Chapter 50: The Hall Master

Chapter 50: The Hall Master

Wang Shisong hurried in and immediately knelt before Guo Shidao, so moved he was nearly in tears. "Shisong pays his respects to the Hall Master."

Meeting the Hall Master was no easy feat. Wang Shisong had only seen him once before, when he was promoted to Intermediate Heart Nurturer. This was only his second time, and he couldn’t hold back his emotions.

Guo Shidao asked, "You said you had something important to report?"

Wang Shisong replied, "Hall Master, I’ve just encountered a Quasi-Intermediate Heart Nurturer."

Guo Shidao smiled. "Another is about to be promoted to Intermediate Heart Nurturer? That’s excellent news!"

Yu Qianqian also smiled. Every Intermediate Heart Nurturer was a tremendous asset, and this was certainly cause for celebration.

Wang Shisong added, "This Quasi-Intermediate Heart Nurturer is only sixteen years old."

Guo Shidao and Yu Qianqian’s expressions turned peculiar.

Wang Shisong seemed to realize something and quickly clarified, "I’m not referring to Her Highness Qianqian, but another young man who has reached this level!"

"Another?!" Yu Qianqian stood up in shock. Was there truly someone whose talent in Heart Nurturing could rival hers?

Wang Shisong said, "His name is Ning Xiaochuan."

"Ning Xiaochuan!"

Yu Qianqian’s gaze grew complicated—partly expected, partly surprised.

Before Ning Xiaochuan appeared, Yu Qianqian had always believed herself to be the most exceptional Heart Nurturing prodigy in the world. His emergence made her realize there were other geniuses out there.

If she remembered correctly, Ning Xiaochuan had only become a Primary Heart Nurturer a month ago. To advance to Intermediate Heart Nurturer in just a month… this wasn’t merely genius—it was downright earth-shattering.

Upon hearing the name, Guo Shidao also fell into deep thought, his aged eyes narrowing slightly. "Ning… Xiao… chuan…"

"Hall Master, do you know him?" Yu Qianqian asked.

Guo Shidao replied, "Perhaps. Qianqian, you know this young man, don’t you? Go and bring him here. I’d like to meet him alone."

Ning Xiaochuan had originally intended to leave the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, but before he could step out, Yu Qianqian stopped him and led him to a towering pagoda. Inside, he met a mysterious elderly man.

The old man’s age was unfathomable, his ancient aura making him seem like a centuries-old tree.

Guo Shidao studied Ning Xiaochuan for a long time before growing visibly excited. Trembling, he rose from the jade platform, his body radiating a chaotic energy. "Who cured your congenital ailment?"

Ning Xiaochuan was puzzled. "Senior, you knew I once suffered from a congenital ailment?"

Guo Shidao nodded and said, "Back then, the Jian Pavilion Marquis secretly invited this old man to the Marquis House to treat your congenital ailment. You were very young at the time, just a six-month-old infant. However, your ailment originated from your Heart Meridian, which was severely blocked. It couldn’t be cleared by mere medicine or Profound Qi, and the slightest misstep could have cost you your life. At the time, I didn’t dare act rashly, so the matter was left unresolved. Now that your ailment has been cured, did you encounter some master who helped unblock your Heart Meridian?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "A month ago, I was struck dead by someone’s palm strike and remained in a death-like state for half a day. When I woke up, my Heart Meridian had cleared. I suppose that person’s palm strike happened to shatter the blockage in my Heart Meridian."

Though Ning Xiaochuan was lying to Guo Shidao, the method he described was entirely plausible—just far more perilous.

"So simple! Yet it was fraught with danger. The slightest misstep would have meant true death." Guo Shidao shook his head with a bitter smile. "It seems misfortune has turned to fortune. With the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace within you, having survived such a calamity, you are bound to soar to great heights. Your future achievements will be beyond even my estimation."

Having treated Ning Xiaochuan before, Guo Shidao naturally knew he possessed the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace. With such a Heart Palace, it was understandable that he could become an Intermediate Heart Nurturer in just a month.

Guo Shidao stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "It seems the Jian Pavilion Marquis House will soon welcome another peerless powerhouse. I can hardly wait to see how formidable you’ll become once you cultivate the Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace to Great Perfection. Truly, I look forward to it. From now on, on the first, tenth, and twentieth day of each month, you shall accompany Xixi here to attend lectures. You will likely surpass me on the path of a Heart Nurturer."

Ning Xiaochuan then sought Guo Shidao’s guidance on refining Intermediate Elixirs. Instead of directly revealing the combinations of primary and auxiliary ingredients, Guo Shidao explained the intricate principles of pharmacology and left Ning Xiaochuan to comprehend them on his own.

As Guo Shidao put it, "Only through repeated failures in experimentation will you grow, and only then can you advance further on the path of a Heart Nurturer."

Ning Xiaochuan silently committed Guo Shidao’s words to memory, feeling that the master of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall was a true sage. He had learned many things he hadn’t understood before, and his mind brimmed with new reflections.

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t leave the Heart Nurturer Tower immediately. Instead, he stayed to peruse the books there.

Perhaps because his Hidden Meridian connected to his brain, once he channeled Profound Qi through it, his memory improved dramatically—almost to the point of photographic recall.

"One-Star Spiritual Herbs — 9,275 Varieties," "Two-Star Spiritual Herbs — 4,761 Varieties," "Three-Star Spiritual Herbs — 6,438 Varieties."

There were 38 books on One-Star Spiritual Herbs, 29 on Two-Star Spiritual Herbs, and 30 on Three-Star Spiritual Herbs.

Each book contained detailed records of every spiritual herb, including explanations of their medicinal properties and effects, illustrations of their appearances, and even descriptions of their typical growing regions and environments.

An average Primary Heart Nurturer would need at least three years to memorize the over twenty thousand types of spiritual herbs, and even then, they would only roughly remember the most commonly used ones. However, Ning Xiaochuan managed to memorize the contents of all ninety-seven books in just a single day, even able to recite them flawlessly backward, with every spiritual herb etched firmly in his mind.

"The Hidden Meridian flowing through my Brain Cortex has indeed made me more intelligent. Today, I’ll focus on the First Three-Star Spiritual Herbs. In a few days, I’ll move on to the Four-Star Spiritual Herbs, Five-Star Spiritual Herbs… all the way up to the Nine-Star Spiritual Herbs. This should drastically elevate my knowledge of spiritual herbs, ensuring I never miss a rare one when traveling the world."

By the time Ning Xiaochuan stepped out of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, the sky had already darkened. As he was about to board the Green Deer Horse Carriage to return, he suddenly sensed something and turned around to see a woman clad in armor with long sapphire-blue hair standing behind him.

Her body radiated a chilling coldness as she stared at Ning Xiaochuan with icy indifference.

Ning Xiaochuan patted his chest in relief and said, "Why is it you again? Do you walk without making a sound? You nearly scared me to death."

Ji Hanxing stood by the roadside like an unyielding glacier, her striking beauty drawing the attention of many martial artists. However, a single glare from her sent them all retreating in fear, none daring to approach.

"You can’t cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi. What were you doing in the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall?" Ji Hanxing demanded coldly.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "What if I was just using the restroom?"

Ji Hanxing snorted. "You spent an entire day in the restroom?"

"Are you following me? Have you been waiting outside the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall all day?" Ning Xiaochuan grew wary of this woman. She had been tailing him, yet his spiritual senses hadn’t detected her—her cultivation level must be extraordinary.

Ji Hanxing remained frosty. "Answer my question first. What were you doing there?"

Not wanting to waste more words, Ning Xiaochuan turned and stepped onto the carriage, preparing to drive back to Haitang Manor.

But the moment his foot touched the carriage shaft, Ji Hanxing seized him by the collar from behind and lifted him off the ground.

"Answer me!" she commanded, holding him aloft with one hand.

"How brutish!" Ning Xiaochuan neither resisted nor struggled.

The martial artists passing by the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall all witnessed the scene, staring in disbelief. Unable to bear their gazes, Ji Hanxing finally set Ning Xiaochuan back down and turned to leave.

The onlookers barely saw her move before she vanished from sight, leaving them stunned. Realizing she was a supreme expert, they quickly dispersed, not daring to linger.

"Such an unreasonable woman!"

Ning Xiaochuan straightened his robes and drove the Green Deer Horse Carriage back to Haitang Manor.

Throughout the journey, he kept glancing back, always finding Ji Hanxing following behind.

She merely strolled leisurely, yet her speed matched that of the carriage effortlessly. To an ordinary person, it would seem as though a blue ghost trailed the vehicle—enough to frighten them into unconsciousness.

At first, Ning Xiaochuan remained wary of her, but seeing she had no intention of attacking, he gradually stopped paying her any mind.