Divine Convenience Store

The Monk Huiyin's eyes squinted as he surveyed the place. He lifted his staff and pointed it forward. Unlike the City Guards and the diviners, he was able to stave off the unsettling sensation caused by the foreign energy on his own.

"Benefactor. This place is woven with intent not of the Nine Heavens. What have you experienced?"

"A boon, dear customer." Lin Mo answered with a straight face,

"Oh ho. A boon, indeed. This poor monk senses a shift in your spiritual energy, Benefactor. The foreign energy became a gift to you." His gaze shifted to the maze of passages ahead as though he was seeing past those walls and had already located the obstructions on their. The monk's calm demeanor remained unshaken by the alien atmosphere. "But boons often come with burdens. Tread lightly."

Lin Mo couldn't deny that. He had no idea how getting in contact with foreign energy triggered his Celestial Providence, but if he had to put out a guess… it had to do with the source of that providence. Taihao.

"Noted, dear customer. Let's keep the burdens light and the profits high. In any case, we're here to scout, not to wrestle whatever's lurking in this place." He glanced at Captain Zhao, whose squad had fanned out in a defensive formation, their [Mortal-Grade Spirit Spears] ready to defend them in case a foreign entity appeared before them.

"Captain, keep your men tight. Elder Wen, any read on that compass yet?"

The lead diviner glanced at him and shook her head. Her jade compass pulsed erratically with its needle jerking between directions.

"My apologies, Shopkeeper. This artifact is not working as intended. I suspect it has to do with the lack of spiritual energy in the atmosphere. My perception is picking up multiple sources. The strongest one is located at the deepest part of this space." She pointed to the maze's central passageway, where Lin Mo's enhanced [Stillwater Perception] had hit a wall.

"I see. Let's get moving. It may be unwise to stay in one place. I'll guide us towards a blocked passage that might lead to what you've sensed," Lin Mo then turned to the monk, who had already positioned himself at the forefront. "Dear customer, can you lead?"

"Amitabha. Leave it to me, Benefactor." The monk pressed his palms together, his prayer beads slung at the gap between his thumb and index finger.

He turned around and a golden spiritual energy spread from his body as he chanted a mantra under his breath. The prayer beads glowed faintly with each syllable as it wove a golden light barrier covering the group, harmonizing with the diviners' protective shell and easing the oppressive weight of the foreign energy.

Huiyin's staff tapped the ground rhythmically, trying to locate anything hidden through the vibration created by it as they ventured into the maze's central corridor.

The passageway stretched ahead and Lin Mo couldn't help but truly get the sense that he was venturing into a video game dungeon where a boss awaited at the end.

Occasionally, a surge of foreign energy would make the barrier flicker. The monk and the diviners had to stop in order to maintain their control over it.

Lin Mo's enhanced [Stillwater Perception] continued mapping the maze's twists and dead ends, but the blocked passage Elder Wen had sensed loomed like a void in his senses, a wall of intent that resisted his probing.

The Divine Interface System pinged softly, updating its scan:

[Anchor's Separate Space: Unidentified]

[Status: Stabilized (Temporary Link Active, 47 hours 52 minutes remaining)]

[Environmental Hazard: Foreign Energy Saturation (Moderate, Increasing)]

[Effect: Spiritual energy efficiency reduced by 25%. Prolonged exposure risks cultivation dissonance (Estimated safe exposure: 4 hours).]

[Detected Entities: Low to Mid-level threats (20). Classification: Unknown.]

[Recommendation: Proceed with caution. Neutralize or avoid entities on your path to the Anchor's Core.]

Lin Mo's wry grin flickered as he relayed the update to the group, keeping his tone light to cut through the rising tension. "Dear customers, we may have company ahead of us. They may be entities from the Outer Realm or natural entities born in this space. We have four hours before this place becomes too unbearable for most of us."

He said most because he had a feeling that he could stay in this space and not be affected by the saturation of the foreign energy. However, he naturally wouldn't do it. There's no reason to. If it's only about the absorption of energy, he could sit inside the divine-grade formation and feed the [Everlasting Spirit Fountain] with spirit stones.

Captain Zhao's squad tightened its formation. The guards' faces were grim but focused, their training bolstered by the [Iron Will Combat Method].

One of them, a city guard with a scar across his cheek, muttered, "Shopkeeper, these entities… are they truly going to invade us? These spears better hold up against whatever's out there. I heard this cost as much as a month of our spirit stone salary."

Sensing that it's an attempt to deflect the tension, Lin Mo chuckled. "Rest assured, dear customer, those are peak mortal-grade made by a divine being himself. If they break, I'll refund you double after we get out."

Huiyin, leading the way, glanced back, his serene expression unshaken. "Benefactor, these entities' signatures carry a foreign will, like threads of a distant loom. They are different from the Tower creatures. Their sources are more stable."

The prayer beads on his wrist glowed brighter, illuminating their path ahead better..

Elder Wen's jade compass steadied slightly, its needle pointing toward the blocked passage. "Shopkeeper, the monk's right. The signatures are… structured, not wild. Like they wander these passages not because they are ordered to but because this is where they live."

Lin Mo nodded at their observation. Compared to them, he's more inexperienced in identifying the threat awaiting them. However, the Divine Interface System was handy enough to give him a gist of what they might face.

At the moment, the foreign energy coursing through his meridians felt less alien, his [Silent Stream Breathing Technique] refining it into a steady stream that continued to fuel his dantian.

The sensation was exhilarating, like tapping into a new vein of spirit stones and then getting drunk from its taste. He pushed the thought aside, letting it happen naturally.

"Regardless of this place being their home or not, they will still appear in our way. If not now, after the Anchor is fully activated. Let's introduce ourselves."

The passageway curved sharply, opening into a wider space where the luminescent walls lessened considerably, turning the place darker.

If they didn't use their spiritual perception, it would be difficult for them to see three entities standing in three different parts of the wide space.

They were humanoid with purple skin but their bodies were like empty husks with their limbs elongated and jointed unnaturally.

Their faces were featureless save for glowing slits where eyes should be, emitting a sinister hum that grated against the group's spiritual senses.

The Divine Interface System classified them:

[Entities: Anchor Fledglings (Low-tier)]

[Threat Level: 21-24 (Early Foundation Establishment Stage)]

[Abilities: Energy Disruption, Adaptive Resonance]

[Note: Anchor Fledglings are creatures naturally born from the Anchor's core through the leaked energy condensing and given form. Once the Anchor becomes fully activated, they will either go mad and kill each other or escape to the outside realm. Neutralizing them may slightly weaken the Foreign Energy Saturation.]

After Lin Mo relayed the system's findings, Captain Zhao barked orders, and the guards fanned out, their spears forming a defensive arc.

"Hold the line! Pick on them one by one." His own spear glowed with spiritual energy infusion while the [Iron Will Combat Method] sharpened his movements.

The monk also moved right away, raising his staff as brighter golden light flared.

"Amitabha, lost threads of a foreign loom, return to stillness." He chanted a mantra, and a wave of golden energy surged forward, clashing with the fledglings' purple bodies.

The entities recoiled, their slits dimming slightly. However, they resisted it and began charging towards the monk.

Their hums, akin to a cicada's cry, rose into a discordant shriek that clawed at the group's spiritual senses.

The golden light from the monk's mantra dimmed under the onslaught, his prayer beads vibrating erratically as the entities' [Energy Disruption] ability frayed the edges of his barrier.

Lin Mo snapped into focus, mapping the entities' movements with crystalline clarity.

The foreign energy coursing through his meridians thrummed, amplifying his senses to a razor's edge. He even unknowingly clenched his fists as he recalled his practice of the [Foundational Martial Technique]

Although he's not the appointed leader, he might as well step up to it, as he raised a hand, relaying orders like a commander.

"Dear customers, these entities are mere husks. Let's not allow it to ruin our window shopping trip. Captain Zhao, flank the left one with your men. Elder Wen, focus on maintaining the barrier. I'll draw their attention and have the monk deal with them."