Divine Convenience Store

The Sword Fairy's elegant brow furrowed as her gaze alternated between Lin Mo's confident smile and the [Starlit Dragon Spear] now clutched in his hand.

"Shopkeeper, with all due respect, while that spear is a fine weapon, it is hardly comparable to the divine-charged artifact that just humbled a Void Refinement Stage cultivator."

Liu Xiaoyu mischievously grinned before cutting in between them, "Oh, Sister Sword Fairy, you haven't noticed Boss's new toy?! Look closely. It'll shock you!"

Jiang Jianxin's brows curled as she focused on the spear and then… slowly, realization crept up to her face. "No way… S-shopkeeper, is that… an earth-grade weapon? No… A heaven-grade, maybe?"

Lin Mo smiled and nodded, "You have a good eye, Sword Fairy. It's nothing much. I just got handed this after the divine beings took away my revolver."

As much as he wanted to brag, this wasn't the time and place. But with Liu Xiaoyu acting like that, he had no choice but to act humble, downplaying the impact of seeing a high heaven-grade weapon in a Spirit Condensation Stage cultivator's hands.

Jiang Jianxin's thin lips quivered as her mouth went agape Jiang Jianxin's thin lips quivered as her mouth went agape. She took a step closer, her eyes scanning the spear's surface, tracing the shimmering silver veins and the subtly animated dragon motif. The subtle hum of divine energy, barely perceptible before, now resonated with a clear, potent presence.

"High… high heaven-grade," She breathlessly whispered with her voice tinged with a mix of awe and disbelief. "But how? Such artifacts are exceedingly rare, even in the Western Sacred Lands. And for it to be wielded by a Spirit Condensation Stage cultivator…"

Her gaze snapped back to Lin Mo as a new, intense curiosity burned in her eyes. Something many from the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect had never seen in her for years.

"Shopkeeper, the divine beings of the store favor you a lot. It is quite enviable."

Xiaoping, who had been quietly taking in the exchange, finally burst out, "Whoa! Shopkeeper Boss, that's a heaven-grade?! C-can I hold it?"

Lin Mo chuckled as he shook his head. "Isn't your weapon a pair of gauntlets? I'll show it to you when we return to the store, alright? This spear and I are still getting acquainted."

He then turned back to Jiang Jianxin as he recalled the old man Taihao's smug grin, "But yes, Miss Sword Fairy, this is a small gift from… the higher-ups. They wanted me to be properly equipped for… future endeavors."

After telling a flat-out lie, he offered a vague, knowing smile, emphasizing the 'future endeavors' part with a slight tilt of his head.

He could feel the weight of Jiang Jianxin's gaze, assessing, analyzing. She was a sword cultivator, a master of precision and truth, and something like that. A weapon of such caliber in the hands of someone of his cultivation defied all conventional logic in the realm.

"Indeed," Jiang Jianxin finally said as she regained her cool composure. "Future endeavors, it seems, will be even more… exciting. Very well, Shopkeeper. With such a tool, perhaps our exploration of this Anchor will be smoother than anticipated."

Her hand drifted to her own sword, a profound stillness settling over her. "Let us proceed. The Area Boss chamber is just ahead. With this… new addition, we can perhaps afford a more direct approach."

Lin Mo nodded, a genuine grin spreading across his face. This was exactly the reaction he'd hoped for.

The prestige of the Divine Convenience Store, backed by actual divine power and artifacts, was becoming undeniable. Although he didn't want to always dive into an Anchor like this, he didn't have that much of a choice for now. The true invasion had yet to start. And in this region, the store and its patrons would work to prevent any Anchor from becoming a forward base of any of the Outer Realms staging the invasion.

As they rounded a final bend, the cavern opened into a larger, more oppressive chamber. To Jiang Jianxin, this was a familiar sight. The pillar wrapped in dark branches that should've withered when they cleared the area had already recovered. Then, there were now strange, twisted totems of bone and green-tinged rock lining the walls.

In the center, a hulking figure which was strikingly similar to the one she defeated, the Decrint Tribe Chieftain, stood guard. Instead of a sledgehammer, this new Area Boss had a crude bone axe resting on its shoulder. Its green skin was mottled with darker patches and its eyes burned with a primal, aggressive intelligence.

Around it, the other smaller green-skinned creatures surrounded him like they were worshipping the Chieftain.

The Anchor Panel chimed, showing its status.

[Area 1 Boss: Decrint Tribe Chieftain (High-Tier)]

[Threat Level: 33 (Early Core Formation Stage)]

[Abilities: Boneforge Regen, Highland Surge, Pack Dominion]

"Shopkeeper, let me handle the Chieftain, you and your assistant should–"

Halfway through Jiang Jianxin's words, a figure dashed past her, charging straight at the crowd of green-skinned creatures and the towering, Area Boss.

And there, before their eyes, Liu Xiaoyu with nothing but her gauntlet began to unleash hell upon the foreign creatures.

A radiant, shimmering fist, crackling with lightning and twice the size of her body, materialized above her, bathed in a stormy surge of wind.

It descended like a meteor crashing down on Earth, slamming directly into the dense cluster of Decrint Tribe skirmishers and archers surrounding the Chieftain.

CRASH!

The impact sent a shockwave that rippled through the cavern. Decrint Tribe skirmishers were pulverized, their frail bodies disintegrating into green mist and shattered bone fragments as motes of foreign energy gathered into Xiaoyu's body.

The ground cratered under the force, and the ancient totems along the walls cracked and fell to the ground.

The Decrint Tribe Chieftain roared, its primal intelligence recoiling in shock. Its crude bone axe fell from its shoulder as it stumbled back.

Liu Xiaoyu then landed lightly, a faint spiritual glow still lingering around her gauntlet. She puffed out her chest, a triumphant grin on her face.

"See, Boss? Area clear! And no need for your fancy spear or the [Celestial Duel Gear]!"

Lin Mo blinked, then slowly, a wry smile spread across his face.

"Well, that was… efficient. And loud. So much for stealth. You should've said you could clear everything in one fell swoop."

Jiang Jianxin, who had stood frozen in disbelief, finally let out a soft sigh, a mix of admiration and exasperation on her face. "Xiaoyu… I believe I mentioned a 'direct approach', not a 'single-strike annihilation'. But… you are indeed a genius. I must've been too blindsided to not sense that you're already stronger than me."

Xiaoping, meanwhile, stared wide-eyed at the evaporating green mist, "Whoa, Big Sister! You're amazing!"

The Decrint Tribe Chieftain, having recovered from the shock, let out another guttural roar, its eyes burning with fury. It gripped its bone axe, its body swelling slightly as it activated its [Highland Surge] ability.

Then, the red dots outside the chamber began to congregate, making a beeline towards them.

Lin Mo turned to the little boy and said, "Xiaoping, let's leave the big guy to them, alright? Come and help me take care of those coming in uninvited."

"Got it, Shopkeeper Boss!" The boy saluted as he bumped his gauntlet-clad fists together.

"Sword Fairy, Xiaoyu, you can finish that one, right? We still don't know what is waiting for us in the next areas but don't worry about your spiritual energy reserves, we have plenty of elixirs and candies to replenish them." Lin Mo produced a packet of Energy Replenishing Candy in his hand and other modernized pills from the store.

"As you wish, Shopkeeper," Jiang Jianxin replied with a rare eagerness flashing in her eyes. Her aura shimmered as she drew her sword and another one joined the four floating swords around her to complete her Sword Formation. Their keen edge is ready to cut through the thick body of the Decrint Tribe Chieftain. "I have yet to see the limits of this… efficiency."

Liu Xiaoyu nonchalantly waved as she laughed, "Don't worry, Boss! Sister Sword Fairy and I will make quick work of this guy! Xiaoping, help Boss Lin and protect his ass! Don't let any of those little green critters touch him!"

With that, Xiaoyu leaped forward, her gauntlet crackling. She launched another crackling fist imbued with focused lightning qi.

The fist, smaller than before but impossibly fast, bypassed its clumsy axe swing and slammed into its chest, sending tremors through its bulky form.

The Chieftain roared in pain and fury, staggering back as its [Boneforge Regen] flickered to life, reducing the damage he'd taken.

Jiang Jianxin moved with a blur of blue and silver, her swords becoming like homing missiles delivering a swift death. Six shimmering blade projections, extensions of her will, shot out, each one slicing through the different joints of the Decrint Tribe Chieftain like she was operating on him.

Its body staggered but remained standing, showcasing why it's rated to Core Formation Stage of strength.

Lin Mo watched the chaos with a satisfied nod. Xiaoyu and Jiang Jianxin were a formidable duo, their combined might far exceeded what the Outer Realm inhabitants likely anticipated.