C10 Triexalted and Heaven Defying

Each floor of the building housed roughly ten rooms, arranged in a manner typical of any standard office building.

Mo Fanchen had intended to meticulously clean each room, hoping to curry favor with the Wu family brothers. However, finding most of the doors locked, he settled for a quick sweep of the hallway before making his way to Room 201 as planned.

"Mo, come on in! I've been waiting for ages!" Wu Chang called out from inside the room, his voice tinged with impatience, as Mo Fanchen approached the door.

Without any formalities, Mo Fanchen pushed the door open, and an empty beer can clattered across the floor into the room.

The sight that greeted him was akin to a miniature landfill, with heaps of rubbish strewn all over.

A nauseating mix of foot odor and sweat hit him like a wave, nearly knocking Mo Fanchen off his feet.

He grimaced but suppressed the urge to gag, rolled up his sleeves, and got ready to tackle the mess.

"Hold on a sec, Mo!" Wu Chang, lounging on the bed, interrupted as he fished a slipper out of the debris and then retrieved a booklet from beneath the mattress, tossing it to Mo Fanchen. "Here are the Scourgehold rules and a few important points. Give it a read when you get the chance."

No sooner had Wu Chang finished speaking than Wu Sheng, also on the bed, eagerly asked Mo Fanchen, "Mo, you know how to play, right? If you're free, how about a couple of rounds?"

It was then that Mo Fanchen noticed the spread of playing cards before Wu Chang. The arrangement suggested that the brothers had been in the midst of a game before his arrival.

Wu Sheng, who had warmly invited Mo Fanchen to join their game, showed no sign of the earlier aggression that had sent Mo Fanchen flying with a punch. His warmth was akin to that of a long-lost friend.

The camaraderie that can quickly form around a drinks table is well known, and the same goes for a card table.

Mo Fanchen felt a sense of kinship, but he didn't immediately agree to join Wu Sheng's game, as he had some calculations of his own to consider.

Observing the Wu brothers' eager expressions, it was clear that their role as Scourgehold guards was a tedious and monotonous affair, utterly devoid of any form of entertainment. My arrival must have been a welcome diversion in their otherwise dull lives!

Yet, if I were to play by their rules, I needed to secure some leverage first.

The initial step was to lay a trap for the Wu brothers.

With this in mind, Mo Fanchen feigned difficulty and scratched his head, saying, "Sheng, this doesn't seem right! Isn't it work hours now? If the tower's leaders catch us, we'll be in hot water! And don't I need to familiarize myself with these regulations?"

"What's the big deal? Our primary duty at Scourgehold is to watch over the warriors who've messed up. As long as they stay quiet, nobody really cares what we do," Wu Chang replied nonchalantly, seemingly forgetting that he was the one who had previously insisted on Mo Fanchen adhering to the rules.

"Wu Chang, it's not that I don't want to join you! With the brothers here at Scourgehold covering for me, I'm in the clear! But I'm a slow learner, and the skills I've acquired aren't exactly impressive. So, I'd like to use my spare time to train and improve! That way, I can bolster my own strength, avoid being pushed around, and when I leave, I won't tarnish Scourgehold's reputation for my one-month reformation," Mo Fanchen continued to deflect.

After listening to Mo Fanchen's speech, Wu Sheng ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, catching on to Mo's ulterior motives. Annoyance flickered in his eyes as he grumbled, "All I asked was for you to join us for a few hands of cards. Why all the fuss? You're just angling for a perk, aren't you? Fine, take it!"

With that, Wu Sheng retrieved a skill book and a small vial of pills from beneath the mattress and tossed them to Mo Fanchen.

"The Grand Forsaken Grapple and ten Blood Forging Pills have been gathering dust with us. They're yours now! Are you happy?"

Realizing his ruse had been exposed, Mo Fanchen dropped the act, gave a sheepish grin, and sat down on the bed. He gathered the cards and began shuffling them with a newfound sense of satisfaction.

Mo Fanchen didn't even bother with the Grand Forsaken Grapple; it was clearly a cut above his Mad Bull Fist just by the sound of it.

The Blood Forging Pill was essential for Mo Fanchen's breakthrough to the Blood Forging Realm—more was always better.

"Brothers, everyone talks about Scourgehold as if it's some grand pagoda, but I can't seem to spot it anywhere," Mo Fanchen casually inquired while fiddling with his cards.

Wu Chang chuckled and explained, "It's no secret. Scourgehold is a nine-story underground pagoda, built from the top down. You're currently on the first floor! And look at that, I'm the dealer! I've got some top-notch cards here, so you two better watch out! Ha!"

"Ah, my hand is a tough one to describe! Brother Chang, go easy on me, will you?"

Wu Chang didn't go into specifics about Scourgehold's exact location, and Mo Fanchen didn't press further, not wanting to arouse suspicion or discontent. He deftly shifted the conversation, "So, how are the nine floors arranged? And how many criminal warriors are currently detained here?"

"The floors are organized by cultivation level, from Innate all the way up to Nature and Man in One, spanning six levels. As for the purpose of the remaining three, we're not quite sure," Wu Chang replied.

"As for the number of warriors imprisoned, it's roughly one hundred and twenty, across various realms. The Innate Realm has the fewest, while the Three Flowers Gathered Atop Realm has the most," Wu Sheng added as he tossed the cards down.

"One hundred and twenty?" Mo Fanchen was taken aback by the figure. So many nefarious warriors above the Innate Realm, all in one place, was a formidable force indeed. And with just the Wu brothers overseeing the Innate Realm, it seemed perilously understaffed.

"With all these high-level cultivators together, isn't Scourgehold worried they might band together and stage a breakout?"

"It wouldn't hurt to tell you!" Wu Chang declared, "Each criminal warrior is confined in their own separate space, effectively eliminating any chance of them colluding in secret! Moreover, the defense of Scourgehold isn't limited to just us guards!"

As Wu Chang spoke, his voice involuntarily took on a tone of reverence, "The true might of Scourgehold lies with the Tri-Exalted and Heaven-Defying, along with the six deacons! It's the presence of these formidable individuals that keeps the criminal warriors from daring to cause trouble."

"Tri-Exalted and Heaven-Defying? Six deacons?" Mo Fanchen inquired.

"The Tri-Exalted are the unparalleled masters of their respective disciplines: 'Mo Shang Gongzi' with his exceptional saber skills, 'Ruyu Gongzi' Lee Muyang with his swordsmanship, and 'Shadow of Destiny' Jun Wuxian, unmatched in both fist and palm techniques! All three are top experts at the Nature and Man in One state, on the brink of entering the Three Levels of Spirit Condensation. And the Heaven-Defying one, 'Shadow of Destiny', has been at the Ascended Level for many years, with a cultivation that's truly inscrutable! Moreover, Lord Xuan Xiu spends his time in Scourgehold, teaching Buddhist scriptures to the imprisoned warriors, diminishing their malice and guiding them towards redemption. So, the uprising you're concerned about is simply not going to happen!"

"Three Levels of Spirit Condensation?"

Mo Fanchen paused his card game, looking bewilderedly at Wu Sheng. Su Muyan had once told him about realms beyond the Five Levels of Elemental Prana, but she hadn't gone into detail.

Now, encountering Wu Sheng who was knowledgeable, Mo Fanchen eagerly pressed, "Sheng, what exactly are the Three Levels of Spirit Condensation?"

"You're not aware of them?"

The Wu brothers put down their cards, staring at Mo Fanchen as if he were from another world.

"Hehe, I must admit my lack of knowledge! Please, enlighten me," Mo Fanchen requested humbly.

Realizing that Mo Fanchen was genuinely curious, Wu Chang continued his thorough explanation, "The Three Levels of Spirit Condensation refer to the Ascended Level, the Heaven and Earth Penetrating, and the Heaven and Earth Penetrating. The Heaven and Earth Penetrating itself is further divided into three sub-levels: Divine Visage, Divine Bridge, and Heavenly Penetration! To my knowledge, the entire world has no more than a handful of individuals who have reached the Heaven and Earth Penetrating level! Thus, those who have ascended to the highest warrior realm, the Ascended Level, are even rarer!"

"However, I've also heard that if a warrior reaches the Heaven and Earth Penetrating Realm, they'll possess the mighty power to move mountains and overturn seas! Now that's a truly terrifying force!"

"Move mountains and overturn seas?"

Upon hearing this phrase, Mo Fanchen's pupils involuntarily dilated. To achieve such a feat single-handedly was akin to a deity descending to earth!

"Speaking of which, Brother Mo! It seemed like you were quite unsatisfied with the martial arts you've been practicing. What kind of skills are they? Would you mind sharing with us?" Wu Sheng asked, his gaze filled with curiosity as he turned to Mo Fanchen.

"Well, I'm not afraid of being the butt of jokes among my brothers. I practice a skill called Mad Bull Fist and another called Raging Bull Force! They're rather crude skills, and I'm almost embarrassed to mention them to you guys!"

Yet, as Mo Fanchen revealed his skills, the Wu brothers simultaneously ceased their actions, staring at him with eyes brimming with astonishment.