Divine Convenience Store

[Weekly Tasks - 6 days left]]

[Attract New Customers: 121/500]

[Returning Customers: 150/1000]

[Sell Viewing Jades: 1212/3000]

[Sell Bundles: 78/500]

[Sell at least 10 high-grade spirit stones in one transaction: 54/300]

—

[Day 11 Evaluation: Excellent]

[Sales Summary: 696 Transactions – Revenue: 42055 Intermediate-grade Spirit Stones]

[Viewing Jades Sold: 1212 units]

[Store Bulletin Board User Count: 1653 users]

[Rewards: +20 Spirit Stones to Personal Balance for both Shopkeeper and Assistant, +15 Spirit Stones for the Staff]

[Tier Progression: Thriving Store (169822/1000000), Golden Card Patron (28/20)]

As the evaluation chimed from the Divine System Interface, Lin Mo and Yangyang exited the Shopkeeper's Quarters.

Right at the same time, Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya returned from outside.

Liu Xiaoyu burst through the door with her usual whirlwind of energy as if she'd never get tired no matter the situation.

Xiao Ya trailed behind her with a shy yet enthusiastic smile. The younger girl carried a small basket of fresh vegetables, possibly foraged somewhere even if they had already moved into the city – a gift from her parents as thanks for letting her stay overnight.

Lin Mo nodded approvingly; it was a small gesture, but it showed the family's gratitude and trust in the store. It didn't have much value considering all the store products that came from the Divine Pantheon, but it's the thought that counts.

"Boss! Xiao Ya's all set. Her mom and dad said yes, and they even threw in some greens for us!" Xiaoyu announced, plopping the basket onto the counter. "They're thrilled that we're taking care of our little mushroom girl. She didn't need to forage the dangerous forest anymore. Oh, and they're also grateful to you, Boss. They said they're going to visit to properly thank you for giving them a chance to turn their life around."

Lin Mo didn't know what to feel about it. It was Liu Xiaoyu herself who suggested taking Xiao Ya in after her bloodline physique awakened, after all.

"Good work. We'll toss them into our meal tonight. It's great that Xiaoyu can finally stop eating only Taihao's ramen."

"Wha–! Boss, you're slandering me! It's you who keeps picking the ramen for me!" Liu Xiaoyu complained, but Lin mo just smirked and ignored her protest.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ya earnestly bowed, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin. My family's never had a cultivator before… they're hoping I can make something of myself here. I bought them those pills to boost their bodies and maybe open their meridians. It's not too late, right?"

Lin Mo waved it off with a faint smile. "Mhm. You're a great kid, Xiao Ya. You don't have to thank me. You're pulling your weight, and that's enough. Stick with Xiaoyu. She'll drag you into the thick of it whether you like it or not."

Liu Xiaoyu's puffed up cheeks immediately deflated as she grinned, slinging an arm around Xiao Ya's shoulders. "That's right! Look at Boss, he's also relying on me in cultivation. Tonight's gonna be fun—cultivation training with the big artifacts!"

He nodded slowly, the gears turning in his mind. Convenience isn't just for the store's customers. It's for him and his staff.

Call it a cheat, but it's the benefit of working in the Divine Convenience Store. Still, he cannot truly let go of a lazy cultivator's dream. To grow stronger while slinging talismans and sipping soda.

"Great, let's get started here. You two go to the lounge first and make our meal. Shopkeeper and I will prepare the artifacts." Yangyang clapped her hands, taking all their attention.

Lin Mo watched as Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya darted off toward the lounge inside the quarters, their chatter echoing faintly as they disappeared through the door.

The prospect of a home-cooked meal, however rudimentary, mixed with the convenience of the store's artifacts and heavenly ingredients was a rare treat. Still, with what little variety of raw ingredients the Divine Pantheon supplies them, they can only prepare limited dishes.

He turned to Yangyang, who was already adjusting her glasses and heading toward the center of the store, entering the divine-grade defensive formation safeguarding the three immortal-grade artifacts.

"Let's start with this, Shopkeeper. Do you have the manual you wish to master with you?" Yangyang pointed at the [Boundless Knowledge Jade].

The enticement of instantly mastering any technique or spell was certainly enough to make Lin Mo's heart race.

Lin Mo nodded, pulling up the manual Xiaoyu picked for him a few days ago; the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] movement technique manual.

His prodigious assistant told him that before learning any martial arts, combat technique, or magical spells, he'd do well to master a movement technique first as it's something much needed to preserve his life. If he cannot win in a fight, he can rely on it to run away or dodge any attacks.

Lin Mo handed the manual to Yangyang, its brand-new paper manual faintly pulsing with the residual spiritual energy of the technique inscribed in it. "Xiaoyu insisted on this one. She wants me to master it to keep me alive long enough to figure out the rest."

Yangyang took the manual, her fingers brushing over its surface as she inspected it with an expert eye. "A solid choice. Movement techniques are the backbone of survival, especially for someone like you, Shopkeeper, who's yet to wet his blade in real combat."

She skimmed its contents and said, "This one's an upper-tier earth-grade manual. This technique will be useful up until the Law Integration Stage. You won't need to worry about learning a new one before reaching that stage and even if you can't find a higher grade movement technique manual, it'll still perform great in higher stages of cultivation before Immortal Ascension. This movement technique's specialty is rooted in agility and misdirection. It pairs well with your core cultivation technique."

After that, she stepped toward the [Boundless Knowledge Jade], a jade silently resting inside its protective glass case.

Its surface still appeared ordinary, yet no matter how many times Lin Mo stared at it, it always gave off an inexplicable sensation.

He accessed the interface that controlled the formation, allowing Yangyang to pick it up.

As soon as she did, the spiritual energy within the store stirred, almost as if she was about to unleash a whirlwind.

She snapped his fingers and it instantly calmed down.

In front of him, Yangyang's body started radiating the same type of energy as Taihao and Lihua. Even as a mortal, she could already wield divine energy.

Yangyang turned around to face him and gestured for him to sit down.

Magically, a cultivation mat appeared on the ground before he slumped down and folded his legs to sit in a lotus position.

She handed him the manual back and said, "Shopkeeper, pour your spiritual energy and chant the incantations to start cultivating this technique. I'll activate this artifact on you once you succeed."

Lin Mo looked up at her and nodded, opening the manual to its first page, reading the introduction, and began channeling his spiritual energy into the manual.

Closing his eyes, Lin Mo murmured under his breath as he recited the incantations from the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] manual.

The words were unfamiliar, yet they flowed naturally as if his Celestial Providence were nudging them into place. Then, his spiritual energy stirred as he started channeling it to the manual. The paper warmed slightly under his fingertips, its spiritual imprint responding to his intent.

Around him, the store's ambient energy shifted subtly as the [Everlasting Spirit Fountain]'s water splashes became a background noise while providing more spiritual energy that his body was possibly absorbing.

Yangyang stood poised with the [Boundless Knowledge Jade] in her hand as she waited for the right moment.

Thanks to his Stillwater Perception and the Everflowing Serenity Sutra, his focus was imperturbable, filtering out the noises around him no matter how subtle.

The manual's first incantation clicked into place, an understanding of the technique's foundation. Agility born from redirecting momentum, steps that blurred into phantom echoes.

His dantian stirred, making his spiritual energy swirl faster as the technique began to take root in his head.

"Now, Shopkeeper," Yangyang said, her voice cutting through his trance with gentle precision.

She pressed the [Boundless Knowledge Jade] against his forehead, its cool surface instantly soothing the heat building within him

A surge of divine energy flooded his mind, sharp and crystalline, like a river breaking through a dam.

The manual's contents unraveled before his inner eye. Every stance, every shift of weight, every flicker of spiritual energy mapped out in vivid detail.

What might have taken years upon years of practice condensed into seconds. The [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] etched itself into his soul, its mastery settling as naturally as breathing.

Lin Mo's eyes snapped open, a faint crimson sheen flickered in his pupils before fading instantly.

He exhaled as the manual slipped from his hands when he flexed his fingers, feeling the technique's potential tingling through his limbs.

"That… worked faster than I expected."

Yangyang smiled, adjusting her glasses as she set the jade back into its case. "Faster? Shopkeeper, it has been half an hour since I used the jade on you. Still, that cuts you years of practice. You've gotten the technique down to its marrow. Now it's just a matter of muscle memory and real practice."

Hearing that, Lin Mo couldn't help but look around.

Sure enough, Yangyang was already standing a distance away from him and from his left and right, Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya, who should've been in the lounge, were already sitting on a cultivation mat, their eyes closed with a manual resting on their laps.

They, too, used [Boundless Knowledge Jade].