[1. Jade Hollow Plains Conduit Tower
- Current Stock: Configured (15/15 Products)
- Promotion Shelf: [Spirit-Animated Battle Construct] - 20% Discount Applied
- Dimension Essence Collected: 53090 (98590 total)
- Maintenance Cost: N/A (Unconquered)]
- Active Challengers: 98
- Highest Floor Cleared: 3]
[Dimension Essence Upgrade]
[Description: Allows the Shopkeeper to enhance the Divine Convenience Store and Store Beacons with collected Dimension Essence, unlocking additional features. Upgrades are permanent and stackable.]
[Current Essence Available: 53090]
-Stock Expansion (5000 DE): Increases product slots from 15 to 20.
-Aura of Combat (1000000 DE): Deploy a permanent aura that increases combat efficiency by 20% for all customers inside the Store or a Conduit Tower with a deployed Store Beacon.
-Aura of Restoration (2000000 DE): Deploy a permanent aura that increases spiritual energy and stamina by 20% for all customers inside the Store or a Conduit Tower with a deployed Store Beacon.
-Aura of Efficiency (1500000 DE): Deploy a permanent aura that increases resource efficiency by 20% for all customers within the Divine Convenience Store or a Conduit Tower with a deployed Store Beacon. This applies to spiritual energy consumption, talisman activation speed, and artifact durability.
-Lucky Essence Drop (50000 DE): Provides a 10% chance for a creature to drop double the Dimension Essence. 5% chance for triple. 1% chance for five times the amount.
-Beacon Relay (100000 DE): Enables the use of Viewing Jade within the Conduit Towers with a deployed Store Beacon.
-Divine Guardian Construct (1000000 DE): Summon a Divine Construct to guard the Divine Convenience Store's premises.]
[Note: Additional upgrades unlock with higher Essence totals or conquered floors.]
[Next Milestone: 1000000 total Dimension Essence, Clear Floor 5 of Jade Hollow Plains Conduit Tower]
"Finally, I can buy the next upgrade." Lin Mo's eyes lit up as he accessed the interface for the upgrades. Ignoring the 'Stock Expansion, he tapped the 'Lucky Essence Drop' and confirmed the upgrade.
Different from when he bought the Lesser Auras, only a faint pulse of energy rippled through the store as it synced with the Conduit Tower in the Jade Hollow Plains, followed by a confirmation window that said
[Lucky Essence Drop has been deployed]
He didn't mind that too much as he nodded in satisfaction.
More essence dropped meant more essence to be collected. In turn, when news spreads regarding double or triple drops of essence, it will also add motivation for the challengers cycling through the Store Beacon.
A perfect loop, if he could keep it spinning.
Still, it's unclear if a challenger had to start at Floor 1 again on their second try. But thinking about it, that might be the case, but the rewards would lessen. Most likely, no more additional chest.
Lin Mo closed the interface as his mind shifted to his next task.
Today, he's expecting the Second Elder of the Azure Gale Sect for the immortal-grade artifact preview. The Crimson Vale, White Ember and other sects with a Golden Patron who communicated their interest were due for their previews some other time.
Plus, there was the matter of the Poison Demon Cult's growing influence. ArachnidMistress's threads continued to stir up too much noise, and it wouldn't be long before the High Priest's campaign to spread 'convenience' stumbled on some roadblocks in the form of the less savory factions like the Bone Ash Syndicate that they offended.
Lin Mo wasn't keen on being dragged into the Inner Abyssal Circle's power plays, but ignoring them wasn't an option either. Good thing they're separated by the treacherous Abyssal Forest. He's planning to just send the High Priest a message regarding the concern of making him an Official Distributor.
"Boss!" Xiao Ya's voice pulled him back to the present. She was still holding the scanner, tending to a customer's purchase, but her Viewing Jade was activated on her side, her small face alight with excitement.
"The Bulletin Board's got a new thread from someone called WanderingLeaf. They're saying a monk was seen near the Tower, asking about you! They're calling him the Towerbreaker. Sounds like trouble."
Lin Mo's brow furrowed. "Monk? Towerbreaker? That's new." He took the Viewing Jade, skimming the thread:
[Towerbreaker spotted near the Conduit Tower – WanderingLeaf]
"Greetings. I'll preface this by saying I am not from the Eastern Abyssal Domain. I happened to receive a gift of a Viewing Jade from a friend. Towerbreaker is a thin, bald monk suspected to be the culprit in the destruction of several sects and forces claiming a Tower similar to the one in the Jade Hollow Plains. No one could prove it yet but because he always travels on foot, traces of him have been found in those ruined locations. I made this post when someone mentioned a monk appearing last night in one of the threads. He asked about the Divine Convenience Store and the 'Convenience Saint'. Called himself a wanderer, but his staff left a trail like a scar on the earth. Shopkeeper and everyone in the vicinity of the tower, beware."
The replies were a mix of curiosity and alarm, with some users speculating the monk was a rogue cultivator or a hidden expert.
Lin Mo's brows furrowed. That's the first time he heard about a monk in the realm. After all, there wasn't any Buddhist sect within the Eastern Abyssal Domain.
But considering the Realm of Nine Heavens has a lot of parallels to those immortal fantasy stories back on Earth, monks are also a staple in a cultivation world. If cults and churches are prevalent here, there's no reason for a Buddhist faction or any other religion not to be present as well.
As for the cultivation path…Lin Mo couldn't help but think that they might differ from regular cultivators. It's possible that they're not cultivating towards immortality. Instead, they're walking the path of enlightenment of the Heavenly Laws. Rather than becoming immortal, they might also forge their divinity like Yangyang.
Of course, that's only his own presumption. He had to see and observe this monk first.
For now, since he's spotted in the Tower and nothing dire has happened yet, he might be a different monk than WanderingLeaf was talking about.
"Let's keep an eye on that thread, Xiao Ya. If he's truly coming here, then… we're not going to treat him differently. He's only going to be a customer."
Xiao Ya nodded, her expression serious despite her youth. "Got it, Boss. Should I tell Sister Xiaoyu?"
"No. Leave it be. That girl is busy in the multipurpose hall. She'll just turn it into a betting pool on whether I fight him or sell him snacks." Lin Mo's wry grin returned.
Even if the monk was truly out to destroy towers… It's still not too late to talk some sense into him and send him to the Anchors instead. He'd be more useful that way.
As the new day dawned in the Inner Abyssal Circle, Venom Master Xun reclined in her private chamber, the faint glow of her Viewing Jade casting shadows across her indigo robes.
The [Spirit Tress Comb] gleamed in her hair, its subtle aura weaving a protective web around her as she scrolled through the latest Bulletin Board replies. Her latest thread had done its job, fanning the flames of the Convenience Saint's legend while subtly positioning her Arachnid Branch as the cult's vanguard.
The High Priest might think he held the reins but Xun was spinning a web far beyond his vision. She understood the old man's plan to gain a direct connection to the store, one that would funnel more of the store's products to the cult.
She wanted more than that. What's better than entrapping the Shopkeeper in her web? If he's a man, he has a weakness that she can exploit. And in terms of appearance, she once held the title of 'fairy' before she got exposed as an unorthodox cultivator and joined the Poison Demon Cult.
A soft buzz interrupted her thoughts. Huangfeng's hunting wasp hovered before her, its wings carrying a whispered message: "The High Priest plans to hit the Bone Ash Syndicate again. He seeks to subdue them and turn them into our sacrificial pawns in finding Towers and Anchors. What do you plan to do?"
Xun's lips curved, her eyes glinting like a spider spotting a trembling fly. Subduing the syndicate? Risky but not entirely an impossible task. The High Priest was playing a dangerous game, and she'd need to ensure the Arachnid Branch came out on top.
"I will take the helm and subdue them myself. Those other fools lost a lot of their followers from their failed rebellion. Continue using your wasps to discover those underground ruins. We'll have the old man rely on us more."
Xun then picked up her Viewing Jade and composed another thread, adding to the legend of the Convenience Saint.
Still, when she noticed that the hot threads talked about the Celestial Duel Gear. She immediately called for a subordinate, ordering him to procure her a copy of it and also to deliver a direct message to Lin Mo using her name.
The Shopkeeper was a puzzle that she intended to unravel. Whether he was a saint, a merchant, or something else entirely, she'd draw him into her web. One thread at a time.