Divine Convenience Store

"Dear customers," Lin Mo began. His clear voice cut through the chatter like a spirit blade passing through. The Ancestors and Sect Masters turned, their eyes focusing on him. "You've tasted our noodles, marveled at our talismans, and seen what a single [Starshot Revolver] can do to a Void Refinement Stage's pride. But let's talk business, shall we? A realm-shaking business."

He glanced at the [Tower Integration Protocol]. The portal to the Martial World's Fractured Plane is still unopened. The [Celestial Shuttle Network] upgrade glowed temptingly, its potential to link the store with towers and anchor a strategic edge against future threats. The four million Dimension Essence in reserve felt like a war chest, ready to be spent on fortifying the store.

Ancestor Yu Qingmei set down her can of green tea, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Speak, Shopkeeper. Your store's divine backing intrigues us, but your words carry a weight beyond commerce. What realm-shaking business do you speak of?"

Lin Mo's lips stretched into a thin smile as he put his hands together. "Our Realm of Nine Heavens isn't as stable as your seclusions might suggest. Conduit Towers, Anchors, and the Outer Realms. Terms you've possibly heard in passing. But their shadows are already right above us. The Violethaven Temple's greed for Xiaoyu's physique is an expected outcome for the emergence of a heavenly physique but they cannot be compared to what we may face from those three I've just listed."

The Ancestors remained silent while one of the sect masters brought up the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower.

"What's wrong with the Conduit Tower, Shopkeeper? Isn't it simply a trial ground?" Yan Tianfeng, the Sect Master of the Azure Gale Sect, asked. "Your assistant, Senior Liu's granddaughter, has cleared it. It had been the talk of the Bulletin Board alongside the emergence of her heavenly physique last night."

"Indeed, the Conduit Towers can be considered a trial ground as it rewards its challengers while also honing their skills. However, it can still be a threat. It is connected to the Fractured Planes. If a tower pops up, it will start by releasing foreign creatures, one that can swarm cities or even territories, depending on what they will release. And if the challenge ends up too difficult to clear, even the First Floor, more foreign creatures will be released at a given time. It'll be too late to react if we only treat them as a trial ground."

The Ancestors and Sect Masters collectively nodded. They now had their own Viewing Jades, they most likely had already read a lot of things concerning the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower.

Then, the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect's Sect Master raised a question next, "The Anchor, Shopkeeper. Are they truly going to be a bridge that a realm other than ours will use to invade us?"

"Yes, dear customer." His answer was short. It was still not public knowledge that they stumbled upon an Anchor. The Sword Fairy Jiang Jianxin, standing behind her master, nodded at Lin Mo. She's also among those who rushed to help, riding her sword and cutting down a Core Formation cultivator from the Violethaven Temple.

His plan to accompany her to that later was still on. Things just got a little hectic.

After that, Lin Mo continued his explanation of the Anchor and its relation to the Outer Realm. And given that there's one dormant Anchor just outside Fanling City, he used it as an example. He even called the City Lord to give them the finer details while he hashed out the plan for later with the Sword Fairy.

Once the City Lord Wei Xian finished, Lin Mo took up the floor again, bringing the immortal-grade products and his intention to sell them for the good of the realm.

Of course, the Ancestors had already heard about it. There's also a post about it in the Announcement Page of the Bulletin Board, after all. And the likes of Yan Chen and Wu Meiyu, who got the privilege to view them, validated their existence.

Lin Mo gestured to the center of the store, where the divine-grade defensive formation was still invisible to their eyes, guarding the display cases of the immortal-grade artifacts.

"Dear customers, as I promised, all of you have a chance to acquire one of them to empower your forces against the incoming threats to our realm."

"A chance? Are you not going to auction them, Shopkeeper?" Liu Tianfeng asked, his voice dispersing the brewing tension at the mention of the immortal-grade artifacts.

It was limited in number so it was no wonder for all of them to covet at least one of them and see everyone as rivals.

"Auctioning them is too old-fashioned, don't you think so? It will just invite conflict. Our store isn't looking for more spirit stones but for forces who can take a stand in the defense of our realm."

"You mean…?"

"Yes. The selection will depend on your contribution. For now, I'll leave this task to all the forces who came to aid our store. Find more Anchors and Conduit Towers. Our store will eventually introduce a [Celestial Shuttle Network], creating a web of divine mode of transportation that even the Western Sacred Lands can only hope to join in."

Yan Qingfeng, the Azure Gale Sect's Ancestor, frowned, his wind-sharpened aura stirring restlessly. "You're asking us to scour the Eastern Abyssal Domain for these otherworldly structures and fissures we barely understand, Shopkeeper. What will you have us do if we find one?"

Lin Mo's smile didn't waver. "Simple, Senior Yan.Power. Conquer it. Prevent it from becoming a dimensional bridge and a stage for the invasion of the Outer Realm. Once you do, you'll have a better chance of being selected for the immortal-grade artifact. Also, the artifacts are only the start. Link a Conduit Tower or Anchor to our network, and your sect gets exclusive discounts on our store products. Weapons, talismans, and formations that can make my revolver look like a firecracker. The Western Sacred Lands won't just fear us; they'll beg to have a cut of the convenience we're going to continue spreading."

The Ancestors exchanged glances, their spiritual senses buzzing with calculations. The Crimson Vale Sect's Ancestor, Huo Lian, rumbled, "That sounds wonderful, Shopkeeper. However, the Eastern Abyssal Domain's spiritual density limits our growth. Spirit Severing Stage remained our limit. How do we stand against their alliances?"

Lin Mo tapped his arm before pulling the Divine System Interface's [Area Monitor] at the corner of his eyes. The Violethaven Temple's ship was a distant speck, but its retreat had left ripples. New threads on the Bulletin Board had already hinted at other forces mobilizing.

"The store's divine backing isn't just for show, Senior Huo. Soon, they will descend to give a lecture. Furthermore, the products that you find in our store will continue to develop, giving you a level ahead of those who haven't been graced by our 'convenience'. If we utilize everything we've learned so far, we can channel the foreign energy from the Fractured Planes and anchors to boost the spiritual density of the Eastern Abyssal Domain. We may be able to turn your backwater peaks into spiritual oases rivaling the West's sacred veins."

Lin Mo's words weren't entirely his. Yangyang was sending him voice transmissions. Apparently, it came from Zhenren Lihua. They had watched the events of today. Taihao was even planning to show up later at the store's closing.

And with the impending opening of a new branch, they're ready to take the next step and expand the convenience and their influence further.

Yu Qingmei's eyes gleamed, her voice soft but laced with steel. "You speak of reshaping the realm, Shopkeeper. But the Fractured Planes… their energies are foreign, chaotic. If the Violethaven Temple has allies there, what's to stop them from overwhelming us?"

Lin Mo waved his hand dismissively, "The Fractured Planes, dear customer, are already reduced to ruins. They can't find any allies there, even if they utilize the connection of the Tower to gain access to that place. We need not worry about them. And I doubt the whole of Western Sacred Lands has the same idea as the Violethaven Temple. If they bring harm to our realm, everyone will turn on them. The divine being they worship will not be able to escape even if they claim ignorance."

Liu Tianfeng's laughter boomed, his noodles forgotten as he clapped his hands. "Shopkeeper Lin, you're a merchant with the heart of a warlord! Zhenren Taihao has chosen the right person to man this mystical store. The Liu Family will stand with you. We'll dig, and we'll fight for Xiaoyu and your store."

The other Ancestors nodded, their auras flaring with resolve. Yu Qingmei clasped her fists, her vine-like aura pulsing with agreement. "The Verdant Sky Pavilion will continue expanding our trade network, bringing news from the other regions. If Anchors exist, we'll find them. But, Shopkeeper, your store must deliver on these promises."

"Consider it a divine guarantee," Lin Mo swiftly answered with confidence, his amicable smile becoming a pleasant view for these old experts. "Now, while you're here, feel free to stock up your treasuries with our highest-quality products. You've seen how they worked earlier. A Foundation Establishment Stage cutting down a Core Formation Stage? You, Ancestor Yu Qingmei, overwhelmed a cultivator of the same stage. Tell me, how is your experience by utilizing our best-selling [Card Talismans] and [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seals]?"