Chapter 21: Tempering the Body and Unusual Occurrences

After some contemplation, Wang Fan decided to dedicate his day to rigorous training in his room. He intended to devise the most suitable exercise regimen for himself, one that would allow the medicinal power of the Nine Orifices Golden Pellet within his heart to be digested as swiftly as possible.

He launched into action immediately, beginning with push-ups and squats. During the workout, Wang Fan relied solely on his physical strength, making no use of spiritual energy. He carried on tirelessly with push-ups and squats as the sun rose fully into the sky, and the staff of the Z City Botanical Garden began arriving for work.

As they started their shifts, the employees quickly noticed something was amiss. When they discovered that nearly one-third of the plants in the garden had withered and died, every person was left utterly bewildered.

The staff remembered clearly that the day before, when they had left work, the garden had been in perfect condition, without the slightest sign of trouble. How could so many plants have died overnight?

They were all at a loss, and when the director of the botanical garden learned of the situation upon his arrival, he was furious.

So many flowers and plants dead in a single night—he suspected someone had entered the garden and sprayed pesticides, causing the devastation. The loss amounted to hundreds of thousands!

In his rage, the director declared a thorough investigation must be carried out, with those responsible held accountable and compensation for the losses demanded.

The staff were mobilized: some checked the soil for traces of pesticides, security was ordered to review all surveillance footage from the previous day, and the director himself took samples of soil to the laboratory to determine whether pesticides had indeed been used.

The entire garden was thrown into turmoil; anxiety spread among the staff.

A day passed swiftly. When the director returned, he looked exhausted. He had been reprimanded by his superiors for his poor management, which had resulted in such a significant loss. In addition to being questioned, he had also reported the incident to the police.

That evening, he questioned the security officers and veteran botanists, asking if they had found any clues.

The botanists reported that there was no trace of pesticide in the soil where countless plants had withered; on the contrary, the soil was exceptionally fertile and conducive to plant growth.

This simple fact meant that pesticides were not to blame, and perhaps it wasn’t human interference at all. The implication darkened the director’s expression. He turned to the security officer and asked about the surveillance cameras. The officer, breathing a little anxiously, replied that after closing time the previous day, no one had entered the garden, and there was no evidence of intrusion in the footage.

The security officer’s words caused the director’s face to darken completely. Now, a new possibility occurred to him: plant disease. Perhaps an infectious disease had spread among the flora, causing so many to wither!

Realizing that it was not the work of saboteurs but a natural affliction, the director actually breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tomorrow, everyone must investigate and determine exactly which area of our Z City Botanical Garden has been stricken by disease, and what the cause is. We must get to the bottom of this!” After relaxing, he immediately assumed an air of authority and issued instructions for the next day.

The staff all nodded resolutely.

At this point, no one even thought to suspect Wang Fan.

By evening, Wang Fan had already spent the whole day exercising. In a single day, he had completed ten thousand push-ups, ten thousand sit-ups, and ten thousand squats using nothing but his own strength.

Those who break Guinness World Records can barely manage ten thousand push-ups in a day—the next ten thousand sit-ups and ten thousand squats would be impossible for them.

During this training session, Wang Fan did not draw upon the formidable spiritual energy within his Sea of Wheels; he relied on pure physical persistence. The reason he could endure such an intense regimen was simple: the Nine Orifices Golden Pellet within his heart supplied his body with an endless stream of medicinal energy. Whenever he exercised, this power would flow out, fusing with his flesh and strengthening him.

Apart from the Nine Orifices Golden Pellet, the fact that his spirit had achieved perfection was also crucial. Without such a state of mind, even Wang Fan could not have withstood this level of intensity.

After a day of cultivation and training, Wang Fan felt his body had grown much stronger. He ceased his exercises, took a bath, and prepared to go out for a meal.

He had spent the entire day exercising, not even pausing to eat, relying entirely on the nourishment provided by the Golden Pellet. Now, his mouth felt as bland as if he’d eaten nothing but plain water, and he was eager to enjoy a good meal.

After his bath, he opened his suitcase, took out a set of clothes and a hat, and left the apartment complex with his head lowered.

The other residents, seeing Wang Fan walk by with his head down, felt nothing to suggest he might be a criminal.

After all, Wang Fan had only been renting his place in the complex for two days, and most people had no idea that the apartment the police had visited the day before was actually his.

Hat pulled low, head down, he strode confidently beneath the surveillance cameras. Finally, he arrived at a small rice noodle stall, intending to buy a bowl to satisfy his hunger. But as he approached, Wang Fan realized that the stall’s owner was also a cultivator—one who had already reached the Bitter Sea realm.

“One bowl of rice noodles, please,” Wang Fan said in a calm tone.

“Coming right up, just a moment!” the owner replied, bustling about with remarkable speed and a serious demeanor. Wang Fan observed him closely, struck by the man’s excellent temperament. Even after attaining such a level of cultivation, he had not gone out seeking trouble, but instead quietly ran a humble rice noodle stall. This alone spoke volumes about his character.

After a short wait, the noodles were ready, and Wang Fan sat at the stall to eat. As he ate, he took out his phone to check the latest news and information. Instantly, he discovered that he had made the headlines in Z City: a man had fought over a dozen armed police officers outside the public security bureau, then vanished mysteriously after entering the Trial Hall, becoming the latest urban legend.

Wang Fan nearly spat out his noodles in surprise.

He was certain that if he removed his hat, many people would recognize him as the bold man who had fought the police in broad daylight.

Just as he was inwardly marveling at the reporters’ skill in capturing such footage, a commotion erupted on the distant street.