Divine Convenience Store

The next day, the hottest topic on the Bulletin Board was the hiring announcement as well as the news of the breached Anchor at the Southern Wilderness that Lin Mo also told Liu Xiaoyu to post in order to warn the few Bulletin Board users from that region.

The announcement post was instantly filled with comments, while the news thread that was posted in the Community Tab had reached the top with a flaming icon on the side which indicated how trending it was. It was a new feature that had been added to ensure the hottest topic within the last six hours would remain visible. Meanwhile, a smaller section for dedicated topics was also added as a feature. That way, the main or general page of the Community Tab of the Bulletin Board would be cleaner.

[Official Announcement: Now Hiring! The Divine Convenience Store is Seeking Full-Time Employees!]

"Do you have a passion for customer service? A talent for logistics? A desire to be at the forefront of convenience? The Divine Convenience Store is expanding!

We are now accepting applications for the following full-time, contracted positions: Checkout Clerks (3), Stocking Associates (6), Training Room Attendants (4), and Security Personnel (4).

Applicants must be existing patrons, pass a basic aptitude test, and be willing to sign a binding employment contract.

Benefits include a competitive salary (in Spirit Stones or Dimension Essence), employee discounts, and the chance to work at the center of convenience! Apply by visiting the Divine Convenience Store. Look for the Assistant Shopkeeper or the Temporary Staff Manager to hand in your qualifications. Opportunity awaits!"

---

Comments:

ChipsEnthusiast01: "Huh. Is this real? The Divine Convenience Store is hiring?! I can get paid to be near the snack aisle?! My life's calling has arrived! Where do I sign up? Can I get paid in potato chips and more Celestial Duel Card Packs?"

AzureBladeNumber10Disciple: "Security Personnel? Does the store still need it? Isn't there that huge Guardian Construct at the front? Anyway, Young Master told me I can apply! Our Azure Gale Sect's wind blade techniques are perfect for crowd control! My cultivation is at the 7th Level of Spirit Condensation!"

SkepticalCatHunter: "This is a trap, isn't it? A 'binding employment contract' from a store run by divine beings? They'll probably own your soul and make you sort noodles for eternity. ...Still, the employee discount is tempting."

- SunnyDay: "I believe the Shopkeeper is a man of his word. This is an opportunity for those without sect backing to find purpose."

GossipTrader: "Forget the jobs, look at the implications! The store is becoming the center of our region! They're building an army of cashiers and shelf-stockers! The Western Sacred Lands must be trembling!"

GentleSwordEnthusiast: "This is prudent from the Shopkeeper. The store's growth requires a stable workforce. All interested disciples from my Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect are permitted to apply, provided it does not interfere with your cultivation duties. This could be a valuable experience."

- IWantToMarrySwordFairy: "Sword Fairy, is this you? Can I get an autograph? Congratulations on completing all the challenges in the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower!"

-- FairyWorshipper: "Oi, you upstairs. Your name is so vulgar! Go to the Divine Convenience Store and change it at once! Or else, we'll hunt you down!"

—

[URGENT WARNING: Unregistered Anchor Breach in the Southern Wilderness. Insectoid Swarm is sighted! – FlowingStar]

"To all patrons located in or traveling to the Southern Wilderness: Be advised. An unregistered Anchor has breached near the Blazing Ridge. A large swarm of hostile, non-native insectoid entities has been confirmed. Threat level is still unknown but expect Nascent Soul Stage strength among them. These creatures are aggressive and have been seen overwhelming a local tribe. All cultivators in the region are advised to exercise extreme caution. Observe your surroundings and report any further sightings immediately to locate the Anchor. Stay safe, and stay convenient."

Comments:

NoToSpellCard: "Blazing Ridge? That's the place of the Emberfall Tribes! Their spices can rival the Taihao Spicy Noodles! Anyway, are they doing some demonic ritual that summoned those insectoid?"

- TakeThisSpellCard: "Idiotic non-spell card user. The post says 'non-native'. This is possibly an Outer Realm threat, not a demonic ritual. This affects all of us."

HollowAdept: "First the Highland Realm, now insectoids? How many of these Outer Realms are there? Shopkeeper needs to sell bug spray!"

- FlowingStar (OP): "Thank you for the suggestion, dear customer. But I think all you need is a [Windstrike Talisman]. Throw it at them and they'll poof out of existence. *wink."

StrugglingAcolyte: "Insectoids? My Venom Master finds this news… intriguing. Are they poisonous or venomous? Can we tame them?"

BlueRibbonMerchant: "My trade caravan is scheduled to pass near there in a week! Should I cancel? Will the shuttle network be expanding south soon, Shopkeeper?"

- FlowingStar (OP): "Unfortunately, until an Anchor or Tower is located in the region, the Celestial Shuttle Network cannot expand to the region."

After reading all those, Lin Mo closed the Divine System Interface with a small smile on his lips. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Divine Arena with the immortal-grade artifact glowing nearby a pedestal. He had spent the entire night inside, the twelve-times-accelerated time stretching into four full days of intensive training.

A silvery wisp of starlight qi escaped his lips as he exhaled. The last few hours of the simulation had been spent not on combat, but on pure, unadulterated cultivation as he tried to deepen his comprehension of his breathing and core cultivation technique as well as the [Everflowing Serenity Sutra].

He had finally stabilized the fourth node of starlight qi for the first layer of the [Starflow Meditation Manual]. His dantian now contained a miniature, stable constellation of four glowing stars, their combined light suffusing his spiritual core with a profound sense of power and precision.

In short, he was stronger than yesterday during their exploration of the Anchor.

His cultivation base, while it hadn't reached the peak of the 10th Level of Spirit Condensation yet, now pulsed with an undeniable pressure, teetering on the very edge of a breakthrough.

He believed he'd be ready for Foundation Establishment after completing the first layer of his current techniques.

After spending a few minutes to actualize the additional two nodes of starlight qi within his dantian, he stood up and stretched his body, feeling the familiar stiffness in his real-world muscles.

It's about time to open the store again.

He headed out of the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall] to store the immortal-grade artifact back in the divine formation in the middle of the store proper.

Once he was out, he was greeted by another chaotic sight just outside the door. A long, orderly queue, separate from those who were there to shop, had formed.

It snaked to the other side of the street, possibly looping to the back of the store.

It wasn't opening time yet, so everyone was still waiting outside. But at the moment, Liu Xiaoyu, Xiao Ya, Liu Xiaoping and Princess Wu Meiyu were already decked in their green and white convenience store uniform.

Anyway, he noticed a makeshift table right at the entrance where Xiaoyu and Princess Meiyu were sitting. They were looking every bit the part of hiring managers. It couldn't help but remind him of his job applications back on Earth.

Suddenly, Xiaoyu noticed his arrival and the energetic assistant grinned, "You're finally out, Boss! Xiao Ya prepared you a meal inside the quarters. But first… shall we open?"

"Well, I don't see your escorts, Princess. Where are they?"

"Outside. Helping the City Guards keep order. It's pretty chaotic out there. By the way, Shopkeeper. My Royal Father is sending another contingent. Left Minister Shen will return to the store and will represent him. I think... you'll be given a title and land."

Title and land? Lin Mo shook his head. He didn't need to be a nobility, but going by the intent of doing so, it's probably the way the Royal Family does things to secure a connection. He's not too worried if the old minister demands something. In the end, he'll still be nothing more than a returning customer.

"How intriguing. So, instead of ordering you to return since you're the Royal Envoy, they're sending another one. Princess, is this within your plan? Are you serious about making me your Prince Consort?"

"Hmm? Shopkeeper, do you see me as that opportunistic? I won't do that. If I'm not wrong, Royal Father thinks he can play you like the ones in his Royal Court. I won't hate it if that happens, however." Putting on a slightly mischievous smile, Princess Wu Meiyu shifted her gaze back to the front as though she was embarrassed to let Lin Mo see her blush.

Lin Mo chuckled, deciding not to press the matter further. He walked over to the makeshift recruitment table. "So, any promising candidates yet?"

"A few," Wu Meiyu replied. She gestured to a stack of jade slips on the table that she had her escorts collect from the applicants. "Most are sect disciples seeking an extra income or a way to earn Dimension Essence. A few are rogue cultivators hoping for a stable life. The aptitude test Xiaoyu designed is surprisingly effective at weeding out the unqualified."