After downing the can, Lin Mo stretched his body, letting his bones crack into place. He felt great finishing that obstacle course, but he felt like that's still not enough to figure out the current extent of his ability using the mastered movement technique.
"Again, Miss Yangyang. Crank it up a notch. I may have finished that with an excellent evaluation, but I'm not satisfied… yet."
That sounded a little cocky and he knew he was probably going to bite more than he could chew but Lin Mo's head was geared towards finding out if he's truly cut out in this world of cultivation.
Besides, the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb] would keep him safe while pushing his boundaries. The rush of mastering the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] had ignited something in him. A flicker of ambition that went beyond merely running the store. If he was going to thrive in this realm, he couldn't just rely on convenience and providence. He needed to feel his growth, to test it against something tangible.
Yangyang raised an eyebrow, her glasses glinting under the store's soft lighting.
"A notch higher, Shopkeeper? Very well. Let's shift it to the intermediate course. Still Spirit Condensation Stage but with denser obstacles and faster enemies. You'll feel the strain this time as this should be a challenge for those in at least 5th level. Ready?"
Lin Mo cracked his neck, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Let's see what this lazy shopkeeper can handle."
Yangyang adjusted her grip on the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb], her divine energy flaring briefly as she channeled it into the artifact.
Once more, the ten-meter radius around the stage rippled. The hall's familiar walls and audience stands vanished, replaced by a darker, more treacherous landscape.
This time, the simulation plunged him into a jagged ravine.
Crumbling stone platforms jutted out from sheer cliffs, connected by rickety rope bridges swaying over a misty abyss. Oppressive energy like a suppression of someone with a higher cultivation and the distant howls of spirit beasts echoed louder than before
The ground beneath his feet quivered subtly as if the ravine itself were alive. It didn't really feel like a simulation at all.
Eventually, the chime rang in his mind:
[Simulation: Intermediate Obstacle Course]
[Objective: Reach the endpoint within 5 minutes]
[Difficulty: Spirit Condensation Stage]
[Starting in 3… 2… 1… Go!]
The first platform shuddered and tilted sharply as though trying to pierce him from where he stood as soon as the countdown ended.
Lin Mo sprang into action, his feet igniting the[Crimson Flow Phantom Steps].
His body blurred forward as crimson afterimages trailed behind him before leaping to a rope bridge.
The ropes creaked under his weight, swaying wildly as gusts of illusory wind battered him from the sides.
Unlike the basic course, this one didn't give him a moment to breathe.
A trio of spirit beasts, sleek, panther-like creatures with glowing violet eyes, burst from the mist below. Their claws slashed at the bridge.
Lin Mo twisted mid-step, his technique redirecting his momentum to the side. He landed on a narrow ledge as the ropes snapped behind him. The beasts tore through them in their bid to chase after him.
"Faster than the wolves," He muttered as his senses locked onto their movements.
The panthers were relentless, scaling the cliffs with unnatural agility. One leaped at him, jaws wide, ready to chomp at him.
Lin Mo sidestepped, a crimson echo fooling the beast into snapping at his afterimage. He darted upward, leaping between jagged outcrops as the second panther lunged from above.
His body moved before his mind fully registered the threat. It's the instinct honed by the technique's mastery.
He spun midair, landing on a crumbling platform as the panther crashed into the stone he'd just vacated.
The third beast flanked him, forcing him to weave through a series of shifting boulders.
He instinctively kicked the ground as his afterimages scattered like a mirage, throwing off their pursuit.
And with that, the endpoint loomed ahead. A glowing blue ring perched atop a towering spire.
However, the path was a chaotic mess. Platforms collapsed as he touched them, forcing him to chain his leaps without pause.
He was forced to discharge a huge amount of spiritual energy to produce some kind of foothold that supported his jumps.
Another rope bridge ahead twisted violently, its planks snapping apart.
Lin Mo gritted his teeth, pushing his spiritual energy harder into the technique.
His body flickered as he crossed the gap in a streak of crimson, landing on the far side just as the bridge disintegrated.
The panthers closed in, their coordination tightening. One leaped from below, claws raking the air inches from his legs. Lin Mo pivoted, his steps leaving a phantom trail that lured the beast into overshooting. Another charged head-on, forcing him to duck and roll. A clumsy move that made him overexert himself. The technique smoothed it into a fluid dodge, letting him spring back to his feet.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as his spiritual reserves burned faster than in the basic course.
The [Everlasting Spirit Fountain]'s produced energy that was also spilling into the multi-purpose hall helped, but he could feel the strain creeping into his muscles.
The final stretch was a vertical climb. Crumbling handholds on the spire's face with the panthers circling below, waiting for him to fall and some scaling it with their claws digging into the wall.
Lin Mo ran up with his [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] adapting to the ascent. Only when his spiritual energy waned did he start gripping onto those jutting handholds.
A slab broke under his hand, and he nearly slipped, but Lin Mo launched himself up with a kick on the wall, redirecting his momentum to a higher hold.
With ten seconds to spare, he reached the top of the spire and jumped through the blue ring, landing in a skid as the simulation ended.
The ravine faded, replaced by the hall's polished stage. The panthers' growls echoed into silence.
[Simulation Complete]
Yangyang stepped forward, bringing an Energy Replenishing Candy this time.
"Impressive, Shopkeeper. You're adapting faster than I expected. The intermediate course could make an 8th level Spirit Condensation Stage but you finished it with time to spare."
Lin Mo popped the sweet candy in his mouth as his used spiritual energy gradually recovered.
"With time to spare. I got lucky I didn't fall," he replied with a wry grin. "Also, that roll wasn't pretty. Felt like I was scrambling more than flowing at the end."
"It's your first day with the technique," Yangyang said in an encouraging tone. "The [Boundless Knowledge Jade] gave you the blueprint, but your body is still catching up. That's why the Physical Simulation is perfect. It bridges the gap. Another round, or switch to combat?"
Lin Mo wiped his brow as the thrill of the challenge was somehow pushing him forward to see what else he could do.
"Combat," He decided. "I've got the movement down decently. Let's see how it holds up when I'm not just running."
"Really? And here I thought you'd want to test the Advanced Course or maybe the Basic Course for Foundation Establishment Stage." Yangyang playfully smirked, making Lin Mo scratch his head again.
"Pfft. I want to see that! Boss, do the advanced course!" Suddenly, Liu Xiaoyu, with Xiao Ya trailing behind, entered the multi-purpose hall. Both had bright expressions as they also finished digesting the manual they selected for the [Boundless Knowledge Jade].
"Girl, do you want to see your Boss fail?"
"Nope. I know you can pass it, Boss. I believe in you!" Liu Xiaoyu exclaimed and Xiao Ya copied her.
"... Alright, Miss Yangyang. Let me test it. It won't hurt to accede to the request of my assistants."
"You're too soft-hearted, Shopkeeper. But very well."
Yangyang smilingly shook her head as she once again operated the artifact, setting up the [Advanced Obstacle Course].
Meanwhile, back in the Jade Hollow Plains, Wu Tianlong was now sitting inside the drawing room of the Celestial Dragon Ark. Dragon General and Scholar Weiwei were in front of him as they discussed what was inside the Conduit Tower.
"I apologize, Your HIghness. I'm not combat-oriented and failed the Floor 1. I cannot provide a more detailed analysis." Scholar Weiwei offered an apology.
Wu Tianlong looked at him and sighed, a hand on his face, "There is no shame in it, Scholar Weiwei. I also underestimated this trial ground."
With gritted teeth, he recalled his embarrassing escape during his fight against the Floor 2 Guardian. He went inside, announcing he was going to expose the Divine Convenience Store's scheme, but he ended up leaving ashamed of his result.
"Uncle Long, procure us the store's wares from the Pavilion's Emissary." He turned to the Dragon General and ordered.
The Dragon General, Long Jianyu, bowed stiffly, his grizzled features tightening at the command.
"As you wish, Your Highness. Shall I procure a specific selection, or should I leave it to the Emissary's discretion?"
Wu Tianlong waved a hand dismissively. "Tell her to send whatever she deems essential for the tower. Talismans, candies, those peculiar sodas. Anything that'll give us an edge. I refuse to be humiliated again. And Weiwei…"
He paused for a moment as he turned to the scholar, "Draft a message to my sister in Fanling City. I want her report on this Shopkeeper and his store. If he's not behind the tower, then what's his game?"