Divine Convenience Store

Qianmeng's excitement caused her hands to tremble not from fear but from the rush of newfound energy and the tantalizing prospect Yu Qingyan had dangled before her.

Having tasted the Energy Replenishing Candy which melted on her tongue and its sweet vitality surging through her meridians, restoring her stamina in an instant, she couldn't help but wonder. If a single candy could do this, what else could the Divine Convenience Store offer?

Yu Qingyan's smile was like that of a kind merchant who wouldn't try to rip off her customers.

It had been a while since she did this though. Since she's the Emissary of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, her job before the appearance of the Divine Convenience Store was dealing with the bigshots of any faction.

Now this was reminding her of when she was at Qianmeng's age. Back then, she challenged herself without using her Grandmother's influence by leading a small caravan to go from villages and small cities like Faguang, trading goods and building her reputation.

"Good choice, young one. Stay here and hold the line, I'll signal my caravan to bring in our wares. These creatures may be weak individually, but their numbers could overwhelm you without proper tools."

Before Qianmeng could respond, Yu Qingyan raised her flute once more, playing a sharp, commanding note.

The sound cut through the battlefield like a blade, and in the distance, Little Spring led the caravan toward Faguang City.

The Verdant Sky Pavilion cultivators readied their weapons as they cautiously approached. The tower was still quite intimidating in their eyes and with the numerous winged creatures blotting the sky, they needed to handle them if ever they attacked their carts.

Elder Tang, who was still fending off a trio of winged creatures with bursts of flame, caught Yu Qingyan's eye and shouted over, "Emissary Yu! Your timing is impeccable! Can the Divine Convenience Store's wares truly turn the tide here? We may be lacking in a lot of departments but we have an abundance of it here…"

"Elder, these beasts are numerous but lack refinement. The store's talismans and consumables are also out of the ordinary. You'll never see something so high quality to be sold in bulk and at affordable prices. I assure you, it can bolster your defenses and give your people an edge. I've recently acquired the position to be its Official Distributor. I swear on my reputation and our Verdant Sky Pavilion, you won't regret getting any of our products."

Elder Tang grunted, hurling another fiery orb that incinerated a creature mid-flight.

"Good. I'll take your word for it. We'll take whatever you've got. Distribute them to everyone. Do you know about the origin of this tower? Why did it appear here?"

"I apologize but we too are clueless about its origin. But one thing is for sure, we cannot leave it unchecked or our region will be filled with these foreign creatures.

Yu Qingyan answered, her expression turning serious as she glanced at the obsidian spire. The foreign energy it exuded clashed with the realm's spiritual currents, creating faint distortions in the air.

She waved a hand, and two more Summoning Card Talismans flared to life, conjuring additional warriors, one was the Purple Magician she used before and the other was a winged furball.

They leaped into the fray and carved through the winged creatures, easing the pressure on the city's defenders.

Sometime later, the caravan arrived in the vicinity of Faguang City. The Verdant Sky Pavilion cultivators acting as the caravan guards had already engaged the winged creatures shooting down at them.

Little Spring directed the others and guided the carts through Faguang's gates. The caravan rolled to a stop near the central square, where the remaining mortals shielded by Qianmeng's barrier were huddled.

While none of them were in despair yet, they all felt powerless at the moment.

The Verdant Sky Pavilion cultivators unloaded crates of goods and began distributing them under Yu Qingyan's watchful eye.

Qianmeng, still atop the wall, clutched her satchel tighter as she watched the flurry of activity below.

The Energy Replenishing Candy had restored her spiritual energy, and now her mind raced with possibilities. She glanced at the worn talisman in her hand, its faint glow flickering as it slowly lost its effectiveness, and then at the sleek, potent talismans and other products being handed out by the caravan. The difference was night and day.

Yu Qingyan landed gracefully beside her, her Verdant Wings folding back into a faint shimmer before vanishing as if it was never there.

"Your barrier held well for something so basic, little girl," She said, nodding at Qianmeng's talisman. "But here, I commend your bravery. Treat this as my gift to you." She tossed her a small pouch.

Qianmeng caught and opened it. Inside was a pack of Basic Card Talismans, a low-grade [Heavenly Shield] talisman. The same one that the first customer of the store bought. Apart from that, there's a packet of Energy Replenishing Candies and a single can of Heavenly Dew Soda.

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Yu Qingyan with a mix of gratitude and disbelief. "This… this is too much! I only have a handful of intermediate-grade spirit stones—"

"Didn't you hear me? It's a gift. Use those stones to pick something later. Besides, Elder Tang also paid in advance. You can come down there and get something useful. We'll calculate the total cost later," Yu Qingyan interrupted as she warmly smiled. "You've got spirit, Qianmeng. Faguang needs fighters like you right now. Now that tower has appeared near your city, things may change for you."

Qianmeng nodded eagerly, clutching the pouch to her chest. "I will! Thank you, Senior Yu. I'll make sure these count."

Yu Qingyan smirked, turning her attention back to the battlefield. "Good. You can start by drinking that one. It is a refreshing beverage. It can help you lose the tension in your shoulders and clear your mind."

Qianmeng tilted her head slightly but she still followed her suggestion. She picked up the Heavenly Dew Soda can and opened it. The moment it fizzed, the sweet aroma assaulted her nose. And before she knew it, her lips were already clasped at the can as she lifted it, letting the cool refreshment fill her taste buds before it smoothly slid down her throat.

Meanwhile, Elder Tang rallied the defenders as the caravan's goods reached them.

Little Spring handed out the convenience store products that Yu Qingyan stocked up from her [Distributor Inventory]. There's a lot of variety but at the moment, what this place needed were the mortal-grade artifacts to replace their worn out equipment as well as utility items like talismans and pills.

Eventually, when they realized how effective Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal was in enhancing their strength, each defender immediately slapped it on their bodies before returning to the battlefield, thinning out the seemingly endless winged creatures.

Likewise, the Verdant Sky Pavilion cultivators serving as caravan guards also didn't stay idle. The quicker they quell the chaotic disturbance because of the number of winged creatures, the better it is for their business.

Because it wouldn't take long before cultivators from different factions and forces arrive to investigate this baffling phenomenon of the tower's appearance.

—

Back at the Divine Convenience Store, with the talk about Celestial Duel over and the store returned to its normal operation, Lin Mo guided Grandmaster Lian inside the divine-grade array formation in the middle of the store to showcase the immortal-grade artifacts.

Naturally, she's representing the sponsor of the Red Lotus Academy. Her reaction to the three artifacts was the same as Yu Qingyan.

"Shopkeeper. Are you really going to sell these artifacts? Won't this cause a war?"

"Dear customers, you don't have to worry. Our store will ensure nothing of the sort will happen."

After answering her inquiries, they stepped out of the array formation.

That short showcase didn't cause any disturbance in the store at all since Lin Mo configured it to remain invisible while keeping the perception of any customers unable to see through it.

That was one more thing that made Grandmaster Lian more convinced about the mysterious forces behind the store.

Upon returning to where her group was waiting, she brought up the current trending thread in the Store Bulletin Board.

"Shopkeeper, there seems to be something happening in the Jade Hollow plains. Do you know anything about it?"

"I'm afraid I'm as clueless as you, dear customer. However, I am of the same opinion as Miss MistyRain. We cannot ignore the unknown." Lin Mo vaguely answered.

Unlike the post, Yu Qingyan never stopped updating him so he probably had the most information at the moment, but without hearing from Taihao or Lihua yet, he couldn't form an honest opinion about the tower without seeing it with his own two eyes yet.

He had this inkling that whatever's about to happen in the realm, the Divine Convenience Store would be deeply involved with it.

Right as he thought of that, the Divine Interface System chimed in his head, notifying him of a new message delivered by Zhenren Lihua.