Divine Convenience Store

Lin Mo's green and white stripes and peculiar style of clothing were still too eye-catching. He instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

The multipurpose hall fell silent, even the ones rejoicing for their wins.

Zhou Rui and Yan Wei, still standing on the stage, turned their eyes toward him, clasped their fists, and bowed to him.

"Dear customers, I applaud you for your showcase of talents. I am in awe at how strong you two are." He started, making both of them brighten up with pride.

Then, with an air of casual authority, Lin Mo gestured toward the arena as his voice was enhanced to cover the entire hall.

"My esteemed customers, this is but one example of our [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall]'s purposes. We are open to hosting exhibition matches such as the one you just witnessed if the two parties agree to it. Of course, because our store has to maintain the array formation, we will be asking for a small fee. Dear customers can either pay for it equally or make it a bet to make the loser of the match pay for it."

His words sent a wave of murmurs through the audience as they listened attentively.

Lin Mo continued by giving the same description he did earlier with the VIPs regarding the multiple purposes of expanding the store like this.

Once that was done, he swept his gaze over the crowd and gestured to the two young cultivators.

"Once again. I must thank Young Master Yan Wei of the Azure Gale Sect and Zhou Rui of the Crimson Vale Sect. They've shown you the standard of our region's cultivator society. They are simply exemplary. And with the help of our store's products, everyone has seen how their strength has been elevated to the next level."

He paused for a moment to allow them to clap and throw praises to Yan Wei, Zhou Rui and the store itself.

"Since their Exhibition Match was a request of mine from them, our store would be refunding them for every store product that they've used during their match. After all, it was an expensive battle, wasn't it?"

The audience then laughed and agreed to how expensive it must have been. Someone from the customers even raised a list of items that the two used, checked their prices outside and tallied how much they spent.

Those whose pockets were shallow could only gulp at how wasteful that was. While those who had decent pockets started calculating in their heads.

"I know this will sound a little hypocritical for me to say. But please, spend your spirit stones wisely. Our Divine Convenience will remain open for every esteemed customer to provide you with one thing. Convenience."

As he finished his speech, Lin Mo paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.

Then, he slowly lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

Ding!

A soft, pleasant chime echoed throughout the hall. Right before everyone's eyes, the golden panel above the stage showed a new store's announcement.

Likewise, the Store Bulletin Board that could be accessed by Viewing Jades in the Golden Patrons' hands showed the same announcement post.

[Store Bulletin Board - Official Announcement #2]

[Attention, esteemed customers! In celebration of the opening of our Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall, we are pleased to announce our 'Exhibition Bonus Week'!

-Arena Fees for Exhibition Matches are 50% off for the entire week!

-A special 'Exhibition Bundle' will be available starting tomorrow.

May the best cultivator win, and may convenience be your ally!]

The announcement flashed simultaneously on the Store Bulletin Board accessible via the Viewing Jades and that made Yu Qingyan, Elder Chu, and the rest of the Golden Patrons, including Yan Wei, comment underneath the announcement post again through their Viewing Jades.

UnrivaledGale: "HAHA! I may have lost the match but it's worth it. I have tested the arena's capability and it is more impressive than the stages provided during the Dragon and Phoenix Competition!" Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

Comments:

- MistyRain: "Well fought, Young Master. Your fall from the banana peel was an enlightening sight."

- CrimsonDaisy: "That is iconic, indeed. You, young ones, should return to practicing and mastering your techniques! Not throw away spirit stones!"

- ScarletTalisman: "Miss Daisy should also learn how to calm down."

- EmberAlchemist: "+1. The stage is indeed impressive. I won't be surprised if this becomes the venue for the next competition."

As for the audience who were all just drawn into this hall after hearing about the match started discussing things with their companions. Some of the customers clutched their spatial pouches tighter, already recalculating the cost of witnessing this epic contest, while others eagerly exchanged excited glances. Even the Silver Lotus Hall agents, who got drawn into the hall and witnessed the match, looked on with a mix of resentment and grudging interest while still reeling from Lin Mo's audacious demand earlier.

—

The cheers and exclamations slowly faded as the exhibition match wrapped up. The massive arena, which had served as a grand stage for the explosive display of Divine Convenience Store items and sect techniques, gradually quieted down.

Lin Mo stepped down from the stage and was met by Liu Xiaoyu who was grinning widely as she whispered the profit they made from the betting stall she set up.

Then with a casual flourish, he began ushering the crowd back into the store proper. Without any event in the hall, the hall would naturally be closed to everyone. It's not a hangout spot where everyone can linger, after all.

In the corridor leading from the multipurpose hall back into the main store area, the atmosphere shifted from frenzied combat excitement to bustling commerce.

As the grand double doors of the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall] swung shut behind them, the bright, organized aisles of the store welcomed them back like an oasis of order amid chaos.

Customers chattered excitedly about the match as they went back to the shelves, their eagerness to buy something from the store doubled or tripled because of those explosive displays.

Among those returning were the Silver Lotus Hall agents who silently gathered in a quieter corner of the expanded store. Their earlier arrogance was reduced to grim determination and internal anguish.

Their ornate masks, which had once exuded an aura of elite authority as part of the Royal Intelligence Division, now seemed to hide not only their identities but also their humiliation.

For them, the earlier confrontation had been a humiliating blow. Their investigation, mandated by His Majesty's decree and designed to assert their authority, had been thwarted by Shopkeeper Lin's clever imposition of an absurd purchase requirement.

However, they had no choice but to comply with it.

The leader of the group, a man known only as Jian, was the first to break the silence.

"We have our acquisitions. I trust you all have been thorough in your examinations?"

One of them nodded, adjusting his mask before lifting a bottle of bright-colored pills. "Yes, sir. The pills are… remarkably consistent. The appraisal was unlike anything we've seen. It almost has a divine accuracy."

Another one with the voice of a young woman added, "The talismans are even more fascinating. Their inscriptions are precise. We've even seen them in action. I don't think this is something that can be easily reverse-engineered."

Another man grunted, "I may not agree with this store's methods, but I must admit, despite the seemingly mass production, their top quality is consistent. All the renown they're getting is extremely warranted. Our kingdom may have to adapt to this store's growth."

Jian nodded and waited for all of them to finish their reports before glancing down at his own shopping basket… He winced behind his mask because, contrary to his earlier attitude, he had bought more than the mandated amount Lin Mo had set. And he couldn't bear to reduce it in any way. After all… those items would be extremely useful for him.

With gritted teeth he said, "…This place is dangerous."

His subordinates looked at him in confusion. They had expected him to say something about their next course of action, not drop such an ominous remark.

Jian exhaled sharply and continued, "Not in the way we initially thought. Not as some hidden den of criminals or a front for an underground sect. No… It's dangerous because it's too perfect."

His comrades exchanged glances, silently urging him to elaborate.

"Think about it. What merchant would dare dictate conditions to the Royal Intelligence Division? What shopkeeper would remain completely unfazed under the weight of imperial scrutiny? The Shopkeeper didn't simply brush us aside, he made us comply with his absurdity. We, the eyes and ears of the kingdom, were forced to shop to complete an investigation." His fingers tightened over the handle of his shopping basket. "And worse… we weren't even dissatisfied with it. We gained more than we expected."

His subordinates stiffened, realization dawning upon them.

One of them, the younger agent who had been quietly examining a bag of talismans, swallowed hard before hesitantly voicing her thoughts. "Shopkeeper Lin has turned necessity into desire… He makes people want to spend their spirit stones."

Jian nodded. "That's exactly the problem. No force, no coercion. Only the pull of sheer convenience. That, my comrades, is more dangerous than any underhanded scheme. The court, the sects, the merchants—they will all have to contend with the fact that he is creating an unshakable dependency. Before we know it, our kingdom will be depending on this store."