Divine Convenience Store

Atop the Skystorm Ark, Liu Tianfeng narrowed his aged eyes as he glanced down at the cultivators below. His gaze only paused momentarily at City Lord Wei Xian before eventually focusing on the establishment's door that his spiritual sense failed to penetrate.

As a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, such a space should be effortless for him unless… the establishment has been equipped with peerless spatial enhancements.

"Is that the place in the rumors?"

Liu Tianfeng's voice softened, but the weight of his presence pressed harder against the cultivators below, like a mountain settling on their shoulders.

Wei Xian and the Core Formation Elders found themselves being pushed down from mid-air.

Meanwhile, the divine talisman in Liu Tianfeng's hand briefly shone, as if Taihao was responding to his question. "A store. A merchant stall. And these are its customers? Zhongzu, what do your senses tell you?"

Zhongzu stood beside his father, his peak Nascent Soul Stage spiritual senses probing cautiously. The store's exterior appeared unassuming, its glass doors and neon sign almost laughably mundane yet peculiar against the backdrop of Fanling City's ancient architecture.

However, just like his father, an inexplicable aura prevented him from further probing it. It's like the wards surrounding it were a labyrinth of heavenly arrays, layered with complexities rivaling the Liu Family's ancestral arrays.

"Father, the store's defenses are… impenetrable. My senses can't breach its threshold. And that… construct. It seemed to possess a mystical strength surpassing even mine."

Liu Tianfeng's lips curled into a satisfied and pious smile. "As expected of a place touched by Zhenren Taihao. Xiaoyu's presence here is no accident. "Zhongzu, prepare to descend. Let us see what this establishment has to offer. But tread lightly. If Taihao's will is woven into this place, even our Liu Family must show respect."

Zhongzu nodded. He signaled to the Skystorm Ark's crew, and the massive ship began its slow descent, its spiritual arrays humming as they parted the clouds. The cultivators on the ground scattered as their Viewing Jades buzzed with frantic posts to the Bulletin Board.

[Massive Ark Over Fanling City! Who Are They?! – SkyGazer99]

[That's No Ordinary Ship! Void Refinement Aura Detected! An Expert leaving his seclusion?! – HiddenMoon]

[Shopkeeper's In Trouble Now! Or Are We? – PanicStruckDisciple]

Inside the Divine Convenience Store, Lin Mo stood at the entrance with raised eyebrows as he saw the shadow of the Skystorm Ark looming over the city.

The [Area Monitor] continued to track the ship's movements, its interface highlighting the potent spiritual signatures aboard. Two stood out, one at the Void Refinement Stage and another at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage. He whistled softly, impressed but unfazed.

Void Refinement was two stages higher than Nascent Soul. Apart from Yangyang or the divine beings, whoever that was would be the strongest cultivator he would be meeting to date.

Not even Yu Qingyan's grandmother was that strong, although he hadn't truly managed to gauge her true cultivation, having only visited the store once.

"Big players, huh?" He muttered as he glanced at Yangyang, who had moved to his side, her divine aura was like a quiet storm ready to unleash. "Miss Yangyang, do you think our new Security Guard can handle a Void Refinement Stage cultivator?"

Yangyang's glasses flickered with a hint of amusement. "The Divine Guardian Construct is forged by the divine beings. Only a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator can test its limits and even then, it won't fall easily. Besides, Shopkeeper, the store's arrays are more than just decoration. Even a True Immortal will hesitate to force their way in."

Although he expected that kind of answer, Lin Mo was still surprised at Yangyang's assessment. What is a True Immortal? It's possibly a realm that no one in the First Heaven has heard or seen yet.

"Good to know. They're still potential customers and a Void Refinement Stage cultivator should be richer than our current patrons, right?"

Yangyang gave him a side eye, "What does it sound like you see everyone as a walking pouch filled with spirit stones, Shopkeeper?"

"Because they are, Miss Yangyang. Our store needs their spirit stones. That's where their value lies."

At this point, Liu Xiaoyu, who finished recommending her new snacks to a customer, ran over to them upon noticing the commotion outside, "Boss, what's happening out there? New customers? Or are we about to have a showdown?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she were hoping for the latter but then, when the view of the ship construct finally caught her eye and the insignia on the flag, she froze as her playful grin faltered.

"Boss…" She whispered in a shaky voice, "I'll go to our quarters. Don't tell anyone I'm here!"

Upon hearing that, Lin Mo smirked as he turned to her, catching her wrist before she could dash away.

"My prodigious assistant. Why are you running?"

"N-nothing. I just remembered I had something to do!"

"Heh… You're not making sense, Xiaoyu. Oh. Let me guess. Are they here for you? The Liu Family?"

Xiao Ya, who was returning to the store entrance after guiding Shang Shuiyin, overheard Lin Mo, "Oh?! Boss, did I hear that correctly? Sister Xiaoyu's family is here? Where are they?"

And with her voice loud enough to echo inside the store, the customers who were well informed of last night's events also turned their heads, their murmurs rising like a tide. They were aware that Xiaoyu should've a great background but they had never heard that she's part of a prominent family and even if she were, they had no knowledge of them.

Then, one customer approached the entrance and almost had his knees buckle upon seeing the massive ship construct hovering above the city.

"... What the hell? None of the upper-grade sects in our Eastern Abyssal Domain has a ship that large." He exclaimed while exaggeratedly pointing out the door.

"A ship that size?" Another customer, a rogue cultivator with a scruffy beard, chimed in, craning his neck to peer through the glass doors. "That's no sect from the Eastern Abyssal Domain. That's gotta be from one of the hidden clans or… maybe even someone from the Western Sacred Lands!"

The Skystorm Ark's engines pulsed as the massive construct stopped its descent, its shadow swallowing more than half of the Fanling City's western side. The cultivators below scattered, some fleeing in panic while others stood frozen, their Viewing Jades buzzing with frantic posts to the Bulletin Board.

[Massive Ship Over Fanling! Is This a Sect Invasion?! – SkyWatcher99]

[This is the Liu Family's Skystorm Ark?! They Haven't Shown Themselves in Centuries! – AncientLoreFan]

[Shopkeeper is In Trouble Now! Or Is He? – GossipGuru]

The Skystorm Ark's ramp descended, and Liu Tianfeng stepped forward, his gray robes billowing as his Void Refinement Stage aura pressed against. Zhongzu followed behind as his gaze settled on the glass doors of the Divine Convenience Store while a dozen Liu Family disciples formed a line behind them. Their Foundation Establishment and Core Formation Stage auras made the other young disciples frown at the disparity.

City Lord Wei Xian hovered in the air, his Nascent Soul Stage aura was totally dwarfed by the overwhelming presence of the Liu Family's patriarch. He clasped his hands and bowed slightly, his voice steady despite the beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"Senior, I am Wei Xian, Lord of Fanling City of the Southern Wu Kingdom. Forgive me if I am ignorant of your origins. It has only been decades since I rose to this position. May I ask for your illustrious name and purpose in visiting our humble city?"

Liu Tianfeng's gaze flicked toward Wei Xian, his expression unreadable but carrying the weight of centuries. "I am Liu Tianfeng, Patriarch of the Liu Family. We seek no quarrel with Fanling City. Our purpose lies within that… establishment."

His eyes shifted to the Divine Convenience Store, the faintest trace of curiosity breaking through his stoic demeanor. "Step aside, City Lord. This is a family matter."

Wei Xian's jaw tightened, but he held his ground, his spiritual senses probing the store for reassurance. With the Anchor near the Fanling City, he was ready to defend the store against any threat as it was the key to solving the looming crisis over their heads.

His eyes found the Divine Guardian Construct, whose azure orbs for eyes flared briefly, locking onto the Skystorm Ark. From that, Wei Xian felt a surge of confidence.

"Senior Liu, the Divine Convenience Store is under the protection of Fanling City and… greater powers. I humbly request that you state your intentions clearly to avoid misunderstanding. But if you are here as a customer, there is no reason for this one to block you."

Zhongzu stepped forward, his peak Nascent Soul Stage aura flaring just enough to make the nearby Core Formation Elders flinch. "Customer? City Lord, we are here for our kin, Liu Xiaoyu, who has revealed herself to the realm. The Liu Family wishes to ensure her safety and discuss her future."

The crowd gasped, their murmurs erupting into a frenzy. Liu Xiaoyu, the prodigy with the Nine Heavens Exquisite Body, was a member of the Liu Family? The Bulletin Board threads exploded once again.

[Liu Family Claims Xiaoyu?! Hidden Lineage Enters the Fray! – RealmSnooper]

[No Way! Xiaoyu's From THAT Liu Family?! – AncientLoreFan]

[Shopkeeper's Assistant Has a Void Refinement Backer?! – ShockaLad]

Inside the store, Liu Xiaoyu squirmed under Lin Mo's grip as she pouted at him. "Boss, you said you'd protect me."