Lin Mo's gaze locked onto the anomaly, making his head flicker with unease. It was at this moment that his Stillwater Perception was showing more of its effect, preventing him from having his thoughts go into a disarray.
"120 hours… Five days." He murmured as he showed that panel to the City Lord and his diviners. "This Anchor will activate in five days. It may not cause the same disturbance as the Tower's appearance but it will mean that the Outer Realm successfully anchored itself to our realm."
"We are far too ignorant. Even as a diviner, I lack the knowledge of this foreign realm. I have only heard and read writings of the Immortal Realm, the Divine Realm and the Underworld Realm. But those are allegedly part of our Realm of Nine Heavens located above and below us." The lead diviner helplessly muttered.
City Lord Wei Xian's voice cut through the tension. There was a certain urgency in his voice. After all, his city was next to it.
"Shopkeeper, you are more knowledgeable than any of us here regarding this kind of anomaly. What do you propose?"
Lin Mo's wry grin flickered, "I'm no scholar, City Lord. What I know is also only relayed to me. But I won't withhold information from you. As I've mentioned before, this Anchor may serve as a bridge for those on the other side. The system bestowed on our store recommended containment and reconnaissance. We have to figure out how to do either of the two options."
The lead diviner, with her jade compass continuing to tremble, nodded. "The Shopkeeper's right. The resonance is… curious. It's not hostile, not yet, but if it is on its way to activation, we must act quickly."
Wei Xian's gaze swept the chamber, his Nascent Soul aura flaring briefly as he assessed the guards and diviners.
And like the lead diviner said, he didn't waste any time deciding.
"Captain Zhao, select five of your best. We'll form a recon team. Shopkeeper, I'd ask you to join us. Your… instincts have proven sharper than most."
Lin Mo hesitated but something was tugging at him to check it out. It's not the spark in his chest but simply his own curiosity as to what's awaiting inside it.
The Anchor's energy may have been like a lure, pulling at the divine ember Taihao and Lihua identified inside but he can resist if he wants to.
"Alright, City Lord," He said, straightening his uniform with a flourish. "But if we're diving into an unknown realm, I'm bringing some inventory. We can never go wrong with an [Emergency Escape Talisman] to bring us out in case of a hopeless situation."
Lin Mo then asked the City Lord to send a city guard to fetch the talismans and other products from the store. He already sent a message to the First Princess to prepare it.
The diviners exchanged glances, their compasses steadying slightly as Lin Mo's casual confidence cut through their unease. Captain Zhao barked orders, and five City Guards, each at the peak of Spirit Condensation, formed up, their spears were those sold by the store, each of which was of peak mortal grade quality.
The lead diviner, Elder Wen, clutched her compass tightly, her sharp eyes fixed on the Anchor's distortion.
"Shopkeeper," She said softly, "Have you figured out how to venture inside it with it still remaining closed?"
Lin Mo looked at her before stepping forward.
He recalled the day Yu Qingyan activated the Store Beacon. She simply went close enough to the door of the tower.
And so, since the Area Monitor and in extension the Divine Interface System had this Anchor within its range, it should also work. He's linked with it as the Divine Convenience Store's manager, even if the system wasn't contained within him.
And sure enough, as soon as he closed his distance to the spatial distortion that was probably going to turn into a door once it fully activated, a chime rang in his head.
[System Notification]
[The Shopkeeper has approached the effective range of an Outer Realm Anchor]
[Feature Updated: Tower Integration Protocol > Anchor Interference and Tower Integration Protocol]
[Additional Description: The Divine Convenience Store can now also establish a link to interfere with designated Anchors.]
[Note: Store Beacon cannot be deployed to an inactive Anchor]
[Note 2: In the event of the discovery before an Anchor's activation, certain options can be chosen to enforce against the designated Anchor]
Lin Mo had yet to finish reading that popup when suddenly, three more panels popped up in front of him.
They are the optional actions that can be enforced on the Anchor in front of him.
[Option 1: Establish Temporary Anchor Link]
[Effect: Stabilize Anchor's resonance, delaying full activation for two days. Grants temporary access to the Anchor's separate space.]
[Cost: 10000 Dimension Essence]
[Risk: May encounter foreign entities that have already passed through or run into a strong surge of foreign energy being funneled from the Outer Realm. It can rebuff the spiritual energy of our realm, leaving one weakened enough to be unable to leave while the Temporary Link is active.]
[Option 2: Sever Anchor Link]
[Effect: Disrupt Anchor's alignment, forcing dormancy. Prevents dimensional breach but may damage the Anchor's structure.]
[Cost: 1000000 Dimension Essence]
[Risk: May provoke retaliation from the Anchor's source to forcefully widen the passageway to open a dimensional breach despite the cost it would take.]
[Option 3: Capture Anchor Link]
[Effect: Disrupt Anchor's alignment, capturing the link for future use of reversing the passageway and opening an entryway to the Outer Realm.]
[Cost: 1000000 Dimension Essence]
[Risk: High probability of an attempt to recapture the Anchor as it wouldn't sever the passage, only block foreign entities from passing through instantly.]
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed as he scanned the three options.
The Anchor's distortion whirled in front of him, its spatial ripples sending faint tremors through the ground as though telling him not to try anything.
The spark in his chest flickered, reacting to the foreign energy and sifting it off before his Stillwater Perception stabilized his thoughts, cutting through the haze of uncertainty.
"Five days until full activation," he muttered, his voice low but carrying the weight of decision. "And these options… none of them are cheap."
City Lord Wei Xian shifted beside him, his Nascent Soul aura a steady pressure in the confined space. "Shopkeeper, what do you see? Your expression suggests you've uncovered something."
Lin Mo's wry grin flickered, deflecting the intensity of the moment. He flicked his fingers to let them see the options as well.
"Just weighing my inventory, City Lord. This Anchor's a tricky customer, and I'm not sure we can afford the bill to close it, but I've found the way to venture inside."
Elder Wen, the lead diviner, clutched her trembling jade compass, her sharp eyes darting between Lin Mo and the distortion. "The resonance is growing stronger, Shopkeeper. Whatever you're planning, we must act swiftly."
Lin Mo nodded. He recalled the Sword Fairy venturing into another suspected anchor today. And that one was already active.
'Will she be alright?' He couldn't help but question it in his head. He's planning to send her a message regarding what they may uncover here. But that's only if they still haven't set off on that expedition.
Shaking his head, he shifted his focus back on his options.
The [Establish Temporary Anchor Link] was the cheapest, costing only 10,000 Dimension Essence. Thankfully, the Tower already accumulated more than 11,000 after he almost emptied it earlier for the two Lesser Auras.
It would buy them time, granting access to the Anchor's interior for reconnaissance, but the risk of encountering foreign entities or a destabilizing energy surge was a gamble.
The [Sever Anchor Link] and [Capture Anchor Link] were out of reach, each demanding a million essence. Far beyond what he'd accumulated, even with the Tower's booming success. Severing the link sounded final, but the potential retaliation from the Outer Realm could be catastrophic. Capturing it was tempting, offering a future bridge to the other side, but the high risk of counterattacks made it a long-term investment he wasn't ready to bank on yet. Good thing he still lacked the essence, so those two weren't even going to be an option.
"Temporary link it is," He decided, his merchant's pragmatism kicking in. "We need eyes inside. To see what we're about to deal with, or even the layout of the place. Two extra days could mean the difference between preparation and panic."
He turned to Wei Xian, his tone a little serious but laced with his usual wry humor. "City Lord, as you can see, it is possible to stabilize this Anchor for a bit, delaying its activation. It can give us a window to poke around inside. But it's not a free service. There's a chance we'll run into something unfriendly, or the energy might mess with our cultivation. Are you sure your team's ready for a field trip?"