Divine Convenience Store

Watching them disappear from the sky, Lin Mo let out a quiet sigh of relief. He couldn't ask them to take him there, right? At least, not at the moment. They seemed to be territorial. They wouldn't like a stranger. One who could even pull out something divine from out of nowhere and give them valuable information.

Headmaster Feng and Grandmaster Lian approached him, their faces a complex mixture of relief, awe, and profound respect.

"Shopkeeper Lin," The Headmaster began, shaking his head in disbelief. "In all my years, I have never seen someone talk some sense to those barbarians. Most times, we'd just fight and repel them with our might. You have not only saved our academy from a costly battle, but you have potentially saved the entire Northern region from a growing pestilence. Or whatever these invaders are."

Lin Mo just smiled. "I just provided a bit of information and a good beverage, Headmaster. The rest is up to them. Now, about that live specimen..."

He didn't forget. Since they're out of the Anchor. Will they also dissolve into experience points if killed? Or will their dead bodies remain? That's something they have to find out.

"Yes, of course," Grandmaster Lian said, her focus shifting immediately. She gestured to a team of professors specializing in formations and beast studies. "Professor Tan, Professor Hui, secure the creature. Do not kill it unless absolutely necessary. We need to study its biology and the nature of the foreign energy it emits. This is an unprecedented research opportunity."

The professors nodded grimly and moved swiftly, carrying the winged Decrint Tribe Skirmisher into a cage woven with a web of containment formations.

It tried to struggle but this type of Decrint was nothing more than cannon fodder. At best, they could possibly match the strength of those at the 5th Level Spirit Condensation Stage. Their strength was always in numbers.

"A foreign creature. A race from another realm..." One of the professors murmured as a look of intense curiosity appeared on his face.

Grandmaster Lian informed him of the professor's identity. He's the type to experiment with things. Mostly spirit and demonic beasts. But he won't stop doing the same to an intriguing creature from another realm. Especially when they knew it was an invader trying to encroach on the Realm of Nine Heavens.

Lin Mo couldn't help but pray for the Decrint's fate under his hand. If this were Earth, he'd definitely be faced with serious criticisms for his inhumane experiments.

"Mhm. This confirms they are true biological entities, not mere spiritual constructs like those in some Secret Realms. Their physiology can be studied!"

Lin Mo made a mental note. This was a critical piece of information that he also needed to confirm since exploring the Anchor.

Inside, whenever they kill a creature, their bodies would dissipate, leaving behind a sliver of their foreign energy that would then be absorbed by those who killed them. Like experience points to level up in a game.

But once they were out of the Anchor, they might not provide the same clean 'Dimension Essence' absorption. It will leave behind a corpse for study. A valuable resource in its own right.

Meanwhile, the creatures from the Towers were trial constructs generated by whatever system was inside them. The higher floors could spawn Boss creatures with a sliver of a soul, just like Ye Zhong or the one Xiaoyu met at the 10th floor.

And thinking about those barbarians who were fighting them for who knows how long, they must've amassed a mountain of their bodies. There were also those dispatched by the Divine Guardian Construct at the Blazing Ridge.

Headmaster Feng turned back to Lin Mo, his expression serious. "Shopkeeper, if the Stormhowl Tribe fails, or if the threat is greater than anticipated, this pestilence could still sweep down from the mountains. Our academy is strong, but we are an institution of learning, not a fortress."

"I understand, Headmaster," Lin Mo replied. "Which is why this research is so important. And why our store's new services are so timely. The Celestial Duel Gear, for example, can provide even those without combat experience to be on the field. They can sit within their Celestial Field and let their summoned units fight for them." He then put on a subtle, meaningful smile. "The Red Lotus Academy has many bright minds. I imagine your artificers, alchemists and talisman masters would be very interested in attending the upcoming Divine Lecture. It will be enlightening."

The Headmaster's eyes widened slightly, connecting the dots. "Oh! I see. The lecture on 'Harnessing Foreign Energies' was a direct, practical response to this very threat. You… you foresaw this?"

"Let's just say convenience is about anticipating the customer's needs," Lin Mo said vaguely. He's not the one who decided about the topic of lectures but he'd go with it anyway.

"I'll ensure the academy has priority access to a block of admission tickets. And here, these are tokens for the Divine Patron Tier. Free access for you and Grandmaster Lian. Consider it a thank you for your hospitality and your continued patronage of our store."

He produced two gleaming, jade-like tokens that pulsed with a faint, divine light.

He had twenty of them to distribute and after setting aside seven for him and his store staff, including Yu Qingyan and Xiaoping, giving out two to them would still leave him with eleven.

And honestly, he still had no idea who to give them to. Those Sect Masters were rich anyway. They could afford the most expensive premium tickets.

Headmaster Feng accepted the tokens with the reverence he usually reserved for ancient scriptures and the nobles who sponsored his academy.

"Shopkeeper, your generosity is as boundless as your wisdom. The Red Lotus Academy is deeply grateful. We will use this opportunity to its fullest."

"I have no doubt," Lin Mo said. With the immediate crisis averted and a new research partnership unofficially formed, the inauguration ceremony, though interrupted, was deemed a success.

Jiahao and Liying managed to perform dazzlingly, showing the result of their practices over the last few days.

Mingzhu, on the other hand, got to summon a Level 5 Unit from the [Celestial Beasts] deck. It drew some gasps of surprise even from the most stoic professors.

And due to that, not only were the students scrambling to get their hands on a Celestial Duel Gear and those who enrolled for the curriculum instantly exceeded more than half of the student body.

After Lin Mo also showcased some strategy he came up with, deriving from the strategic play of that certain popular trading card game he took inspiration from, the students were dismissed, buzzing with excitement over the day's unbelievable events.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the Serene Lotus Valley, Lin Mo prepared for his departure.

"Shopkeeper," Grandmaster Lian said as she escorted him back to the ship construct. "Regarding the Celestial Duel Studies... after today, I believe the curriculum needs an update. We should include a course on 'Strategic De-escalation and Crisis Management."

She gave him a pointed, appreciative look. "Who knows? The situation with the Stormhowl Tribe may happen again. Perhaps you could be persuaded to be a guest lecturer someday?"

Lin Mo laughed. "I'm just a humble shopkeeper, dear customer. You have the Viewing Jade and you have access to the Bulletin Board. I believe you can find some patrons who are also Celestial Duelists to impart their knowledge. Especially those posting guide threads. They'll definitely be glad to become a guest lecturer at your academy."

At that suggestion, Grandmaster Lian's eyes sparkled. "Indeed. Why did I not think of that? I must've been still living in the past. Many thanks, Shopkeeper."

Lin Mo waved his hand, acting like it was no trouble at all.

With Grandmaster Lian at the helm, the lotus-shaped ship soon ascended, leaving the now-peaceful valley behind.

Lin Mo took a glance at the direction of the Graypeak Mountains. Wondering if the Stormhowl Tribe will be able to explore the Anchor soon.

While only expecting to watch an inauguration, he had not only cemented an alliance with a major academic institution but had also inadvertently set a barbarian tribe on a path to becoming a more effective fighting force against an Outer Realm threat.

Was it all a coincidence? He had no idea. But still, the more inhabitants of the realm became a force to repel the invading Outer Realms, the safer he would be at the Divine Convenience Store. It's just a shame that he cannot deploy a Store Beacon and consequently, raise a Celestial Shuttle Network hub in their territory.

Next time, I guess?

After a while, Lin Mo pulled up the system interface. A new notification arrived from the [Convenience Nexus Hub].

[Branch Location Update]

[Southern Wilderness - Blazing Ridge Site]

[Status: Local patrons (Blazing Maw Tribe) have successfully established a fortified perimeter using the supplied Defensive Fortification Kit. They have begun scouting missions into the surrounding area as per your instructions. Initial reports indicate widespread insectoid presence. They have requested the Basic Armament Kit.]

Lin Mo nodded, a wry smile on his face. His incidental 'security force' was already proving its worth. Even before he opened the new branch, it would already be set to succeed.

He approved the armament kit, deducting the necessary Dimension Essence from the store's reserves.