Divine Convenience Store

In the Divine Pantheon, Lihua couldn't help but tilt her head at Lin Mo's decision. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she watched his figure disappear into the stabilized rift leading to the separate space of the Anchor through the Area Monitor's feed.

"Taihao. How did you predict he's going to venture inside it himself? Lin Mo has always been about convenience and his survival. Yet, here, he's venturing into the unknown."

Taihao chuckled like a jolly old man watching his grandson go on his first field trip. "Lihua, it is not that I predicted it. Lin Mo simply got a spark of curiosity brighter than his pragmatism. He has taken this new life of his as something he has to secure. Settling into his role as our store's manager is also a part of it. With the knowledge of the Anchor you armed him with, he was spurred on to solve it, especially when it was nearby. We gave him the tools to survive, but his heart? That's what's driving him now."

Lihua pressed her lips together as she didn't know whether she should feel relieved about that or not. She was worried. She had been observing him whenever possible, but the Lin Mo she got used to seeing was this man who always had a pragmatic approach to things rather than diving into unproven considerations.

"What tool did we give him? The Celestial Providence you bestowed upon him has yet to fully bloom. The divinity inside him has just recently drawn a spark. He neither had a life-saving artifact nor an ability that could save him from certain death. The [Emergency Escape Talisman] may have been made with consideration to hidden realms and separate spaces, however, it shouldn't be the be-all, end-all means of escape. It can still be blocked." The Goddess of Harmony and Commerce argued.

Taihao's laughter softened like a deep rumble that seemed to soothe the tension within the room. "Lihua, you fret like a merchant guarding her last spirit stone. The young man's spark is young, true, but it's tethered to the Divine Interface System. The system we crafted in order to provide utmost support to the store and, by extension, to its manager, Lin Mo. It contained all that he needed. It'll guide him, nudge him, even if he doesn't see it. As for the talisman, it's no divine-grade relic but it should be enough for what those eyeing our realm had prepared. It'll hold against most traps or entities in a fledgling Anchor like that."

Lihua's golden eyes flickered, unconvinced but relenting. "If it is as you say, fine. But if he does fail to emerge from it, where, then, will you find someone else to be in his place?"

Taihao's grin widened, "Lihua. Oh Lihua. You have little faith in our Shopkeeper. The young man will emerge with more than he entered. Essence, knowledge, or maybe new potential customers. You'll see. If your concern cannot be put to rest, you are free to bestow him another blessing."

With the Area Monitor's feed turned black as the scene shifted to the current state of the store and the multipurpose hall.

The Great Poison Demon, still standing not far away from them, cautiously interjected, "Exalted Ones, the Shopkeeper's entry into the Anchor risks exposure to the Outer Realm's intent. If the source detects his uniqueness, they may accelerate their plans. Shall I command my children to accelerate their search for other Anchors?"

Lihua was the one who answered, "No need, Poison Demon. You need not concern yourself over this. Let your cult spread convenience on that part of the First Heaven."

Taihao chuckled again as he brushed his long, white beard. "Poison Demon, tell me. What do you think is the best poison to add to a special flavor of my Taihao Noodles? We lack that variety!"

—

"What? Boss left the store's premises? What is he thinking by leaving me behind?" Liu Xiaoyu exclaimed as she read the message Lin Mo sent.

Why did he not bring her with him?

That's the first thought that flashed in her head before remembering how busy she was just a few minutes earlier.

With the conclusion of her fight against Zhou Rui and Yan Wei, she returned to the betting stall to handle it again.

She glanced down at the stage where Xiao Ya, the Red Lotus Academy students and a few of Yan Wei's juniors were locked in more Celestial Duels.

"Ugh. Should I nag at him when he returns? What is he thinking?"

—

The world snapped back into focus, and Lin Mo, who felt like he was free-falling from somewhere, felt his feet hitting solid ground with a soft thud.

As his eyes adjusted to the space, his other senses gradually followed. The surrounding air was thick and heavy with an unfamiliar scent like ozone mixed with the faint sweetness of Heavenly Due Soda.

His spiritual perception flared as he spread it out, scanning the place up to its maximum range.

The sense of danger was minimal but there was indeed a lack of spiritual energy in the air. In place of it was this foreign, unidentified energy that seemed to counteract and mix with his spiritual energy at the same time.

It was a paradox, both repelling and intertwining with his qi, like oil and water forced to become one liquid. It was seeping into his skin and before he knew it, the foreign energy started joining the circulation of his spiritual energy throughout his body, carried by his meridians and opened energy channels.

A moment later, his energy spiked up and he sensed something within him. Like some of his comprehended techniques unraveling.

And before he could pinpoint what it was, the Divine Interface System chimed, informing him of what happened.

[Celestial Providence Activated: Contact with a prime source of foreign energy has pushed the breathing technique and core cultivation technique to their next layer. Absorbing and refining any type of foreign energy is now possible.]

[Silent Stream Breathing Technique has been upgraded to the 3rd layer]

[Vein of the Silent Stream has been upgraded to the 2nd layer]

[Passive Spiritual Energy Absorption: +400% efficiency]

[Spiritual Perception: +800% range]

[Passive Spiritual Energy Absorption Multiplier: 2 > 4]

[Spiritual Perception Range Multiplier: 2 > 4]

[Spirit Roots Enhancement: Intermediate-grade Mortal-rank (50%) > Low-grade Spirit-rank (0%)]

"... This. Just making contact provided this much benefit? If I had known this earlier. I would've run to the Tower right away!" Lin Mo was both confused and excited. His body was crazily absorbing the energy around him like a drain. Once again, he was nearing another breakthrough.

However, before he could start rejoicing, the spark in his chest felt like it was burning whenever his spiritual energy passed in its vicinity.

He rubbed it lightly, trying to cool it down. It didn't work. He wanted to inspect it. Unfortunately, he had no time to.

His [Stillwater Perception], now further enhanced by the upgrade of his breathing and core cultivation techniques, stretched further into this Anchor's separate space.

The chamber was vast, its walls carved from a strange, luminescent stone that shimmered faintly with veins of silver light. It reminded him of mines and dungeons in both reality and fantasy.

The ceiling arched high, lost in a haze of shimmering mist, while the floor was like an ordinary earth that could crack under their feet.

There were numerous passages laid out like a maze. Most of it was a dead end but there was an area where his spiritual perception couldn't break past. It's like the end of a map in an RPG game. One needed to physically pass through it and wait for a loading sequence to see what's beyond.

[Anchor's Separate Space: Unidentified]

[Status: Stabilized (Temporary Link Active, 47 hours remaining)]

[Environmental Hazard: Foreign Energy Saturation (Moderate)]

[Effect: Reduces spiritual energy efficiency by 20%. Prolonged exposure may cause cultivation dissonance.]

[Detected Entities: None (Scanning…)]

[Recommendation: Locate Anchor Core and assess its function. Avoid direct contact unless necessary.]

At the same time as the Divine Interface System updated the Anchor's status, the rift behind him shimmered as Captain Zhao and his five guards stepped through, their [Mortal-Grade Spirit Spears] raised in tight formation. Huiyin followed, his staff dragging lazily across the floor, the clink of its metal tip oddly grounding in the alien space. Elder Wen and the two junior diviners brought up the rear, their jade compasses spinning wildly before settling into a faint, erratic pulse. The protective shell from their incantations flickered, adjusting to the foreign energy with a soft crackle.

"Shopkeeper," Captain Zhao was the first to gather himself after the transfer. He looked around with caution, "This place… it's not right. My spiritual energy feels sluggish, like it's wading through mud."

Lin Mo nodded, his wry grin masking the unease creeping up his spine. "It says here that there should be a twenty percent efficiency drop."

Despite saying that, the earlier sense of repulsion from the foreign no longer bothered him. It's like he had been at home. Since it was written there, he attributed it to the Celestial Providence.

However, it was different for the others. They're not like him. That 20% reduced efficiency was probably what that sense of repulsion was earlier.

"Take a Spirit Replenishing Candy or Spirit Rejuvenating Tea, dear customers. That may be able to stabilize the sensation."

Captain Zhao and the rest followed his advice, except the monk.