Wu Tianlong watched him go, his fingers agitatedly drumming on the armrest.
The memory of his failure on Floor 2 still stung. A hulking Crystal Flailmaster cornered him with its relentless strikes that overwhelmed his lauded talismans made by the highest grade talisman master that the Southern Wu Kingdom employed. It only took the hit of the creature's flail to break through a defensive talisman. Even a life-saving ring artifact he had been used just to allow him a window to convert his spirit stones to Dimension Essence to buy the [Emergency Escape Talisman] in the Store Beacon because his treasured escape talisman was not working inside.
In the end, he'd barely scraped through Floor 1 and the first two waves of Floor 2 with his saber and artifacts, only to be thrashed by the Floor 2 Guardian.
Only then did he understand. He had utterly underestimated it. He was a fool not to listen to the veteran cultivators like Elder Yan Chen of the Azure Gale Sect and Elder Zhao Jianshi of the Crimson Vale Sect. He even addressed those who challenged the tower in disdain because of his skeptical view of the Shopkeeper and his Divine Convenience Store.
"Shopkeeper Lin Mo," He muttered under his breath with his voice laced with grudging curiosity. "Who are you exactly?"
Outside, the Dragon General flew down from the ship construct and approached Yu Qingyan's stall, his imposing figure drawing wary glances from the gathered cultivators who were still lining up to challenge the tower or just waiting for their companions to exit it.
The crowd had already thinned slightly because of the current time but the buzz of excitement lingered. Many were still busy with their Viewing Jades as they all seemed to treat the Bulletin Board as some form of stress reliever. To post anonymously and read tales, news and stories without paying a storyteller or buying it from an information broker felt liberating for a lot of them.
Yu Qingyan looked up from her inventory ledger, her lips curving into a knowing smile as she spotted the general.
"Dragon General," She greeted, setting down her [Heavenly Dew Soda]. "How may I help you? Did you come to browse my wares at last? I assume His Highness had a change of heart after his… spirited attempt?"
Long Jianyu's expression remained stern, though a flicker of irritation crossed his eyes.
"The Crown Prince requests your finest stock for the tower, Emissary Yu. Whatever you recommend – talismans, consumables, anything to ensure success. Name your price."
Yu Qingyan's smile widened, her merchant instincts kicking in. "Oh, I've got just the thing. I have everything that you can find in the Store Beacon inside the tower. First and foremost [Emergency Escape Talismans]. A must-have after his last exit, I'd wager. Pair those with [Windstrike Talisman Bundles] for offense, [Heavenly Shield Talismans] for defense, and a few [Energy Replenishing Candies] to keep him going. I'll throw in a [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal]. They're the best-seller when it comes to the most convenient product the store has produced. It allows you to draw in the power of the illustrations within. And mind you, they're all based on mythical beasts and creatures, most of which couldn't be found in our realm."
The Dragon General's jaw tightened, but he didn't try to probe further. Yu Qingyan and the Verdant Sky Pavilion have always been known for their integrity. They know better than to dupe their patrons.
"Very well, I'll take everything you listed. And…" He hesitated for a moment.
Yu Qingyan caught his eyes darting around, mostly focusing on the snacks that the other cultivators were munching on.
Since he was among those who stayed outside the tower, he had seen the cultivators eating and drinking those products. Just the fragrance from the potato chips or the noodles was enough to make his stomach grumble. Then, the beverages. The fizzy soda, the strong coffee aroma, the soothing tea. All of those gradually wore on his mental fortitude.
"I see. Do you mind if I also recommend indulgences, ones that even the First Princess has become fond of? I'm certain the Crown Prince will find them delectable as well." Yu Qingyan enticingly whispered, almost as if she were telling him a top secret that many nations would die to hear.
The Dragon General gulped audibly before he stiffly nodded.
With that, Yu Qingyan grinned as she signaled for Little Spring and Qianmeng to help her gather the products the Dragon General wished to purchase.
The transaction yielded Yu Qingyan a sizable sum of spirit stones that Lin Mo would probably feel envious of seeing. The total isn't just 100 or 200 high-grade spirit stones. Yu Qingyan slyly worked around the limitations imposed by the Distributor Interface, giving him the maximum quantity allowed for each product in her inventory.
In total, it amounted to more than 500 high-grade spirit stones.
The Dragon General groaned a bit but he didn't blink an eye as he handed the spatial pouch filled with brimming stones to her.
And before he left, Yu Qingyan happily gave him a tip to relay to the Crown Prince.
"Tell His Highness that if he wants to conquer the tower, he'd do well to trust the Shopkeeper's 'convenience.' I, the Emissary of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, vouched for him and his store. It's not a scheme, General. It's a lifeline of our realm. Oh, and take another soda for yourself, General. That's on the house. You look like you can use a drink too."
Long Jianyu grunted, accepting the can with a reluctant nod before turning back and flying toward the ark, the bundle of goods secured in a spatial pouch.
Yu Qingyan watched him go, chuckling softly. "Another skeptic bites the dust. Shopkeeper, you owe me another favor for this."
Back in the Divine Convenience Store, the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb] hummed faintly as Yangyang reset the simulation.
Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya stood behind Yangyang with their eyes wide with anticipation.
For the third time, divine energy radiated from the bespectacled functionary's body.
Lin Mo also adjusted the size of the stage, expanding it to more than a fifteen-meter radius to accommodate the advanced course's demands.
"Advanced Obstacle Course, Spirit Condensation Stage," Yangyang announced, her voice steady as she adjusted the orb's settings. "This one's designed for peak Spirit Condensation cultivators, Shopkeeper. Expect tighter timing, more aggressive beasts, and terrain that fights back. Ready, Shopkeeper?"
Lin Mo rolled his shoulders, popping another [Energy Replenishing Candy] into his mouth. The sweet burst steadied his reserves, though his muscles still ached faintly from the intermediate run.
"Ready. Watch me fail, you three." He bitterly smiled, causing them to giggle.
Liu Xiaoyu cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting, "You've got that, Boss! Your beautiful assistant is cheering for you!"
Xiao Ya giggled, clapping her hands. "Good luck, Shopkeeper Lin!"
Yangyang pressed her palm against the orb and the stage transformed. The hall dissolved into a sprawling, storm-wracked forest. Twisted trees loomed overhead with their branches lashing like whips in an illusory gale.
The ground was uneven, littered with gnarled roots and sudden pitfalls masked by moss. Lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating the silhouettes of spirit beasts prowling through the undergrowth.
Lin Mo, now standing alone in the simulated space, heard the chime ringing in his ear.
[Simulation: Advanced Obstacle Course]
[Objective: Reach the endpoint within 5 minutes]
[Difficulty: Spirit Condensation Stage]
[Starting in 3… 2… 1… Go!]
"W-what the?!" Right at the first second, Lin Mo senses tingled with danger as he hurriedly rolled to the side.
And there, he found the floor opening up to a mouth of a gigantic monster worm reminiscent of the worm creature he saw in a western movie, swallowing everything as it rose from the ground.
"This is an obstacle course?!" He couldn't help but exclaim as he stood up and moved from his spot to get away from the worm.