Divine Convenience Store

The High Priest's eye twitched, but he maintained his polite façade. "Indeed, Shopkeeper. We fully support your vision. Our proposal simply ensures a fair… allocation of resources, given our cult's proximity and our efforts in securing the tower first."

Lin Mo crossed his arms, his smile sharpening. "Proximity is one thing, High Priest. Monopoly is another. The Abyssal Forest is a volatile region. This tower's appearance here poses a threat to everyone, not just your cult. Not to mention, this place was filled with demonic beasts. Any agreement must reflect a united front against external threats, not internal squabbles over loot."

He paused, then gestured to the spectral contract scroll that had been floating for so long as if waiting for them to finalize the terms written on it.

After reading through them, he added a line.

"Any faction that will sign this agreement will be entitled to a free three seats during the upcoming Divine Lecture as well as 5% discount when buying store products worth 100 high-grade spirit stones in total."

The moment he returned the scroll to them, it instantly got passed around while the curious disciples who managed to peek into its content immediately posted to the Bulletin Board, putting an exaggerated title like 'The Generous Shopkeeper' or 'The Convenience Saint has once again shown his kindness to the realm!'.

Lin Mo didn't mind all those posts as more minuscule 'faith' energy gradually pooled to his divine spark.

He could hear Xiaoyu snickering in the background. Her post was the one that garnered the most attention, after all. She framed Lin Mo and the Divine Convenience Store as the savior of not just the Eastern Abyssal Domain but the entirety of the Realm of Nine Heavens.

Lin Mo made a mental note to scold her later.

—

Ten minutes later, with Lin Mo's lead, they walked towards the entrance of the Conduit Tower.

As everyone was curious about how he could link the tower to the store through a [Store Beacon] as well as the activation of the so-called [Celestian Shuttle Network], the High Priest and the Sect Masters watched from behind him.

Xiaoyu naturally wouldn't want to miss this event but somehow, instead of Jiang Jianxin standing on his other side, Venom Master Xun finally got her opening to sidle up with him.

"We finally meet, Shopkeeper. It is a pleasure to be graced by your presence. I am Xun Caiyin, Venom Master of the Poison Demon Cult's Arachnid Branch. My webs have been trembling since I heard of your exploits at Fanling City."

Her voice was low and seductive like it was laced with a natural charming spell that activates automatically. Lin Mo took a glance at her, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were like twin pools of dark amber were assessing him with an unsettling intensity. She wore tight-fitting, indigo-colored luxurious robes that emphasized her lithe figure, adorned with silver spiderweb patterns that seemed to shimmer under the moonlight.

Lin Mo forced his merchant smile to stay in place. He had faced down Void Refinement Stage cultivators, but this woman's aura was… different.

Not outright aggressive, but a silken, manipulative force that pulled at his senses. He could feel a faint spiritual energy trying to seep into his meridians, testing his defenses.

Luckily for him, he was quite immune to charm already. After seeing Lihua, Huoling and Yangyang with divine charms as well as being able to be around Liu Xiaoyu, Wu Meiyu, Yu Qingyan, Jiang Jianxin and Chu Yueying every day, it's only natural for him to build up resistance.

He activated a minor flow of his Everflowing Serenity Sutra, letting its calming energy counteract her subtle influence in his mind.

"Venom Master Xun," Lin Mo greeted, putting on his usual straight face despite the internal skirmish. "Well met. I must thank you for that letter, it was… flattering, to say the least."

"Oh, your words honored me, Shopkeeper. But I should be apologizing. I have yet to visit your store and yet… I'm already spreading your 'convenience'."

Lin Mo's lips twitched.

"Indeed. I hear you've been quite busy spreading convenience on my behalf. Though I must say, your methods are… unique."

He glanced pointedly at the remnants of foreign creatures, and the still-smoking patches of earth where her spiders' webs were littered..

Xun's lips curved into a wider, more playful smile. "Oh, Shopkeeper, you wound me! My methods are simply… efficient. And effective. Don't you think so? We adapt to the local environment, you see. The Abyssal Forest demands a certain… flair."

She stepped a little closer to whisper directly to his ear as her natural charm was ineffective against him.

"But I assure you, my loyalty to the Divine Convenience Store is as unyielding as the strongest silk. I can proudly say it is even stronger than the High Priest. Perhaps… we could discuss a more direct partnership? A private arrangement, just between us?"

Lin Mo's smile didn't falter but he's clearly amused at how she's not even afraid to be caught whispering like this by the old man.

"Venom Master, our store's partnerships are always transparent. As for private arrangements, my motto is 'convenience for all, secrets for none.' Unless, of course, it involves new product development, then my lips are sealed." He winked.

Xun's smile tightened almost imperceptibly. A spark of intrigued challenge flashed in her eyes.

"A difficult man, I see. But all the more… enticing. Perhaps my methods can convince you otherwise."

Before she could press further, Jiang Jianxin stepped closer to Lin Mo, her presence like a sharp gust of wind cutting through Xun's seductive aura.

Her gaze was direct, unwavering despite the whole stage of difference between their cultivation bases.

"Venom Master, the Shopkeeper has business to attend to. Let us respect his focus."

Xun merely arched a delicate eyebrow, a hint of defiance in her posture.

"Oh? Is the Sword Fairy also interested in the Shopkeeper's… exclusive services? My apologies, I thought he was spoken to by another."

She cast a fleeting, knowing glance at Liu Xiaoyu, who was now glaring daggers at her. The little prodigy wanted to jump in but Lin Mo was actually holding her back.

Lin Mo cleared his throat, deciding to end this brewing 'catfight', "Alright, everyone, we must focus. We're here to integrate this tower. High Priest, Pavilion Master, and esteemed Sect Masters, please keep a respectful distance. This process requires a certain… concentration."

That's bullshit, naturally. He just wanted to create a dramatic flair. One that would deepen the factions' awe towards the store.

Then, he gestured for Jiang Jianxin, Liu Xiaoyu and Venom Master Xun to step back slightly as well.

He walked to the large, sealed door of the Conduit Tower, its obsidian surface cold and smooth under his touch.

Accessing the system placed into it, he pulled up the Conduit Tower's current status.

[Conduit Tower System = Abyssal Forest]

[Status: Active - 9 hours 23 minutes and 32 seconds before Challengers can be admitted inside]

[Current Threat Level: Intermediate - Next Tower Break in 5 Days unless Floor 5 is cleared]

[Number of Floors: 25]

[Accessibility: Spirit Severing Stage and below]

After reading all that, a new prompt appeared below.

[Detected Conduit Tower. Deploy Store Beacon? Y/N]

Lin Mo smiled. As he expected because of the Store Token he brought with him, the Divine System Interface that should be fixed at the store got its authority extended. Just like how Yu Qingyan deployed the Store Beacon through her Distributor Token back then.

Without further hesitation, he accepted it.

The moment he did, the Store Token shimmered as it released a light beam that pierced through the tower doors.

Consequently, the Conduit Tower also came alive as if it were being changed from inside.

Moments later, Lin Mo received two more notifications.

[Store Beacon Deployed]

[Conduit Tower - Abyssal Forest is now linked to the Divine Interface System]

He took a step back to quickly configure the Tower Integration Protocol, copy-pasting the items listed on the previous tower as well as enabling the Passive Auras that he purchased that could empower every challenger.

Once that's done, he turned around to face everyone.

"Done. The Store Beacon has been deployed. This Conduit Tower appeared to be higher in quality than the one at the Jade Hollow Plain, Everyone must exercise caution, even you, Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Because it allows up to the Spirit Severing, even your Ancestors could challenge this tower. Now… let us move on. I will now showcase the activation of the [Celestial Shuttle Network]."

A collective gasp swept through the assembled cultivators. The High Priest's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise finally breaking through his usual inscrutable demeanor. Yu Mingrou's hand flew to her mouth, and the Sect Masters stared, their earlier bickering entirely forgotten.

The [Celestial Shuttle Network]? They'd heard Lin Mo mention it as part of his grandiose plans, but few truly believed he could manifest such a thing so quickly.

Instantaneous travel between the Divine Convenience Store and… a newly integrated Conduit Tower in the heart of the Abyssal Forest? It sounded like the stuff of legends, not a merchant's promise. Even a teleportation array needed to be drawn for months plus it had to be in a stable spiritual leyline to supplement the need for spiritual energy.

In any case, Lin Mo basked in their awed silence for a moment, then accessed the [Dimension Essence Upgrade] under the [Tower Integration and Anchor Interference Protocol] menu on the Divine System Interface.