C22 What Kind of Paper Are You Using?

As the door swung open, a delightful scent of sandalwood immediately filled the air. Mingled with it was a warm and comforting breeze that brought a sense of tranquility and stillness to the mind.

Mo Fanchen, who had gone to bed late and was feeling less than spirited, instantly felt invigorated. The fog of drowsiness in his head cleared in an instant. Even more astonishing was the fact that, as the breeze made its way through his chest and abdomen, the two inner cultivation methods he had practiced—Raging Bull Force and Dance of a Thousand Raindrops—began to circulate spontaneously. The blood and Qi that had been unresponsive in his veins the previous night now pulsed with a mysterious rhythm.

Mo Fanchen had an epiphany. Had he attempted his breakthrough here last night, the results would have been significantly more impressive with far less effort! Unfortunately, he had made the oversight of not bringing his Blood Forging Pill with him—a true misstep!

The Wu Chang quartet also appeared to be in high spirits, their eyes involuntarily squinting with pleasure.

"Do you know what that pleasant breeze was?" Chen Xing, who always seemed to have much to say, piped up again. He enlightened the astonished Mo Fanchen, "That breeze that can influence one's spirit is known as Ironclad Mind!"

"Only a grandmaster like Xuan Xiu can radiate genuine energy from within during cultivation, thereby affecting the surrounding environment. After extensive practice, the Ironclad Mind can linger in this space for a long time, even in the absence of the cultivator."

"Ironclad Mind is an enigmatic force. For warriors like us, it can have unexpected benefits during cultivation."

"However, Xuan Xiu's Ironclad Mind aids those warriors who harbor righteous thoughts, while it adversely affects those with malevolent intentions. In the same vein, the Ironclad Mind generated by masters of the Evil Path benefits only those who practice malevolent skills. For those cultivating orthodox methods, the presence of such an Ironclad Mind can lead to severe backlash, and in extreme cases, it may even trigger a catastrophic Qi deviation."

Chen Xing's explanation filled Mo Fanchen with awe, yet it also sparked a flicker of hope within him. He couldn't help but wonder when he might attain the same level as the esteemed Xuan Xiu Pagoda Master.

Exiting the elevator with Wu Chang and the others, Mo Fanchen took in the peculiar surroundings with a keen eye. The layout on the Pagoda Master's floor was identical to that of the Innate Realm, encircled by circular walls, with a nondescript cottage of red tiles and green bricks at its center.

A few imposing men stood scattered in front of the cottage, engaged in hushed discussions in small groups. Upon noticing Mo Fanchen and his companions, some of the men offered a nod in greeting, while the others maintained a haughty demeanor, clearly showing no interest in engaging with them.

The men's lukewarm attitude suggested that Mo Fanchen and his group were of little consequence to them. "Those are the guards from the other levels of Scourgehold," Chen Xing whispered to Mo Fanchen, forgoing a detailed introduction. He added with a touch of irritation, "They think they're better than us because they're stronger, and they've never really acknowledged those of us from the Innate Realm. Best not to stir up trouble with them unnecessarily."

"Understood," Mo Fanchen replied promptly, joining Wu Chang and the others off to the side.

True to Chen Xing's words, the guards showed no inclination to mingle, instead continuing their quiet conversation in a tight circle. Mo Fanchen noted that the guard configuration was similar to that of the Innate Realm, with four men assigned to each level, working in pairs.

Whether their strength was as formidable as Chen Xing had indicated was something Mo Fanchen couldn't ascertain at the moment.

As time ticked away, there was still no sign of the six deacons or the Tri-Exalted and Heaven-Defying figures Wu Chang had mentioned. To pass the time, Mo Fanchen closed his eyes and began to autonomously circulate his genuine energy, simultaneously stimulating his bloodline as he sought the harmonious point between his genuine energy and blood.

After several cycles of energy flow, Mo Fanchen was gradually discerning the pattern of his blood's vibration. But just then, a sudden sensation of swelling surged in his lower abdomen.

Mo Fanchen's predicament wasn't due to any flaw in his cultivation method; rather, he had rushed out this morning without attending to his personal needs!

In other words, he desperately needed to take a massive dump!

The urge was as unstoppable as a flash flood, and Mo Fanchen had no idea how much longer he'd have to wait.

Moreover, he certainly didn't want to humiliate himself by having an accident in front of all these masters!

Mo Fanchen glanced around, clenched his teeth, and squeezed his buttocks together, doing his utmost to suppress the urge as he called out to Wu Chang with a shaky voice, "Wu... Wu Chang!"

"What's the matter, Mo?" Wu Chang asked, noticing Mo Fanchen's off-color expression.

"I... I need to take a big dump! Where... Where's the bathroom here?" Mo Fanchen managed to force the words through his clenched teeth, careful not to exert too much pressure for fear of losing control.

"Damn! What a time to be a lazy donkey!" Wu Sheng muttered under his breath. He pointed towards a wall and said with impatience, "Over there! Today, you knock five times!"

"Got it! Thanks, Sheng!"

"Hey? Mo, you didn't bring any paper with you, did you?" Chen Xing, ever so thoughtful, passed Mo Fanchen half a pack of tissues.

"I can't thank you enough, Xing!"

"Hey, don't call me Xing! Just Ah Xing will do!"

Chen Xing gave Mo Fanchen a look that carried a deeper meaning, sending a shiver down his spine. That shiver, however, only intensified his urgent need!

Without lingering to chat with the four men any longer, Mo Fanchen dashed towards the wall Wu Sheng had indicated.

Chen Xing watched Mo Fanchen's disappearing figure with astonishment and exclaimed, "Damn! That guy's burst of speed just now was even faster than us at the Innate Stage! Is he really just at the Body Tempering Stage?"

"That kid just had a moment of explosive potential! I bet if you had the runs, you could reach the peak of the Three Flowers Gathered Atop in no time!" Du Tong commented sarcastically.

"Hey, if that were true, I'd rather have diarrhea every day! Would that mean my cultivation level would skyrocket?" Chen Xing said with a chuckle.

"By the way, Ah Xing! Was this your first time meeting that kid? Why do I get the feeling you're taking an unusual interest in him?" Wu Sheng suddenly recalled Chen Xing's thoughtful behavior towards Mo Fanchen and voiced his curiosity.

"Well, I've got a girlfriend back home, haven't I? This kid really reminds me of my future brother-in-law! So, where's he from?" Chen Xing inquired of Wu Chang.

"Zouver? What about it?"

"No way, it can't be that much of a coincidence!" Chen Xing's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Wu Chang's response.

Meanwhile, Mo Fanchen dashed into the restroom, found an open stall, and hastily dropped his pants. The overwhelming urge he'd been holding back was finally relieved.

"Whoa, buddy! You've got some serious power there; you nearly brought the whole restroom down! How long were you holding it?"

Just as Mo Fanchen finished, a particularly pleasant male voice came from the next stall.

Mo Fanchen paused, then responded with a touch of embarrassment, "Yeah, it's been quite a while! Sorry for the spectacle."

"There's nothing to be sorry about! Eating, drinking, and relieving oneself are all part of the human experience," the man replied nonchalantly, then continued, "By the way, what level are you at?"

"Innate. And you, brother?"

"Ah! Me? ... I'm on the level below you! Hehe."

Realizing that the man wasn't of a very high realm and didn't come across as arrogant, Mo Fanchen felt more at ease and began to vent, "Big brother, you say we've all become warriors, so why do we still have to deal with eating, drinking, and pooping?"

The man in the next stall paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Like you mentioned, we're only warriors, not immortals who can transform food into pure energy and disperse it from our bodies!"

"Ha, you make a good point, Big Brother! So, tell me, if we encounter an opponent whose strength far surpasses our own, could we potentially slip them some beans or laxatives to instantly incapacitate them, allowing for a swift defeat?"

"There's no way that could happen. Unless you're dealing with some bizarre or deadly poison, something low-grade like a laxative, we warriors can neutralize it with our genuine energy," the male voice explained. Then, he smoothly shifted the conversation, "Comrade, what brand of paper is that? It smells amazing! Could I take a look?"

Mo Fanchen was momentarily taken aback but felt the fellow in the next stall seemed decent enough, so he unguardedly slid his only piece of paper under the partition.

"Ah, Heart-to-heart Imprint, it does smell great!"

The man in the adjacent stall complimented, then after a brief pause of two or three seconds, he inquired, "Brother, can you guess who I am?"

"Who you are? How would I know? Plus, I'm new here. Apart from the Wu family brothers at the Innate Stage and Chen Xing and Du Tong, I haven't met anyone else," Mo Fanchen replied honestly, feeling a sudden unease.

Sure enough, the man in the stall seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said, "That makes things easier," before falling silent.

Sensing trouble, Mo Fanchen lowered his gaze to peer under the stall, only to find it empty.

"Son of a gun! I've been duped! You scoundrel, give me back my paper! Colleague, my foot!"

Mo Fanchen's furious curses filled the restroom.