While many changes happened in the Divine Convenience Store throughout the night, the forces who participated in the skirmish during the day had also begun reevaluating the value of the store's products. The Sect Masters and the City Lord of Fanling City called for a late-night meeting within their respective halls as they discussed the wondrous products of the store.
However, no matter how much they made an excuse or tried to find flaws in each product, no one could deny anymore how it elevated everyone's strength, not even the most stubborn Elder there is.
Still, because of how effective they were, artisans, talisman masters, and pill refiners began feeling the threat of something encroaching on their profession.
Somewhere outside of each force's territory, a gathering was happening. Each participant was cloaked in spiritual robes, their identities concealed beneath veils of mist and shadow.
The atmosphere was tense, not with open hostility, but with an underlying sense of urgency.
The ones gathered here weren't ordinary cultivators or merchants. They were the artisans, talisman masters and pill refiners. These experts whose crafts had long dictated the foundation of each force within the realm.
And now, for the first time, they felt something they had never truly considered before.
A sharp voice broke the silence. "Fellow daoists, I invited you all today because I too have felt it. We can no longer ignore it. The Divine Convenience Store and its products… is about to push us out to obsolescence."
The speaker, a pill refiner elder from one of the forces who participated with the battle earlier, slammed his palm on the table.
"That battle in the city today? It wasn't just a skirmish between sect forces. It was a demonstration of what happens when an outside force introduces products that surpass centuries of craftsmanship and refinement!"
A woman draped in dark red robes, a renowned talisman grandmaster, folded her arms. "I tested one of their talismans personally. The Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal. The efficiency of it is not just absurd, it borders impossibility with our current knowledge! Can you imagine it? Inscription techniques we spent decades refining had now compressed into a single disposable sticky slip of paper. If this continues, tell me, who will come to us for custom work?"
From the side, a younger man, perhaps in his early fifties but with eyes brimming with aged wisdom, let out a depressing chuckle. "It's not just talismans. Their pills… they're uniform. Consistently potent. No impurities. No chance of failure. It eliminates the need for refinement or taking risks with concoctions."
He paused, raising his hand as his voice darkened. "I have disciples who secretly bought their pills. Said they were superior to the ones I personally refined. Hah!"
A heavy silence fell upon the group.
It was one thing to compete with rival sects' professionals. It was another thing entirely when an entity arrived with mass-produced, flawless products that rendered their expertise unnecessary.
"So what do we do?" Someone finally asked. "Should we petition for our sect masters to intervene? If this continues—"
"Intervention? On what grounds?" An artisan elder responsible for their sect's equipment maintenance and forging scoffed. "That store doesn't operate outside any known laws. If anything, it offers convenience and accessibility that even the largest sects or even the biggest merchant groups that can import from different regions can't match. If we try to move against it directly, we'll be the ones seen as obstructing progress."
Another voice added coldly, "The great sects won't interfere either. Did you see the battle? Our disciples used those products. They won't cut off a resource that benefits them. If it was a few days ago, we could argue that the prices were absurd but now? A bottle of high-quality, devoid of impurity Energy Replenishing Pills or Candies, whatever, that even a Core Formation Stage expert found useful was only 5 intermediate-rank grade spirit stones! I used to charge that amount for a piece with 60% impurity!"
The group mulled over this grim realization.
An elderly talisman master finally spoke up, his voice drawing everyone's attention, "Then perhaps… it is time we change our approach."
"If we cannot fight against it, then we must learn from it." His old eyes shined with a hint of cunning. "If that store has knowledge of superior craftsmanship, then we must uncover its secrets. If it has products that defy our understanding, then we must find out how. One way or another."
A murmur rippled through the gathering.
Some nodded in agreement. Others remained skeptical. But one thing was certain. None of them would sit idly by while their crafts were threatened.
The Divine Convenience Store had disrupted the natural order.
And now, the traditional artisans of the cultivation world were preparing to respond.
As to how? That's what they're going to decide.
Suddenly, a young voice echoed, "By the way, elders, I brought potato chips from that store. Anyone want one?"
Bringing out a box of Spirit-Infused Potato Chips, the young man immediately gathered everyone's attention.
Many groaned but loud gulps could still be heard. Despite the serious conversation, curiosity and hunger were hard to suppress.
The elderly talisman master who had spoken earlier narrowed his eyes at the young man. "...You mean to tell me, amidst all this talk of industry upheaval and impending obsolescence, you had the audacity to bring snacks from that very store?"
The young man hesitated for a moment before awkwardly coughing, "Uh… yes, Elder. But in my defense, these are really good."
Then, with a sigh that carried the weight of centuries, the old master extended his hand. "Give me one."
Muffled chuckles followed as the box was passed around. The tension in the room didn't completely dissipate, but for a brief moment, all the gathered artisans, pill refiners, and talisman masters were simply cultivators indulging in an unfamiliar yet addictive snack.
A moment of contemplative chewing.
Then, the elderly talisman master scowled. "...Damn it. It's delicious."
A collective sigh filled the room.
Even the fiercest opponents of the Divine Convenience Store had to admit. It had them hooked.
Before long, a few more participants of the gathering brought out cans of Heavenly Dew Soda, Frosty Lotus Brew and Peach Blossom Sparkle which they also distributed.
As the night stretched on, the so-called emergency gathering of craftsmen slowly shifted from a tense strategy meeting into an oddly informal tasting session of the store's delectable consumables.
Bottles popped open with crisp fizzing sounds and soon the room was filled with the scent of exotic fruits and herbal blends, mixing with the soft crunch of potato chips.
It was almost comical. Here they were, discussing the downfall of their sacred professions, all while indulging in the very products they sought to counter.
"...This soda has a hint of spiritual ginseng," The pill refiner from earlier murmured, as he pressed the can of Heavenly Dew Soda in his mouth like he was evaluating a fine elixir. "But the way it revitalizes the body instantly… this shouldn't be possible without a complicated array formation or at least a triple-layered infusion method when brewing."
The talisman grandmaster wiped her lips after downing half a can of Frosty Lotus Brew. "What's worse is how effortless it is. Any ordinary mortal could drink this and feel their meridians temporarily invigorated. This kind of quality should only exist in high-grade elixirs, not some… convenient drink!"
She glared at the can as if it had personally insulted her.
Another artisan, who had remained quiet throughout most of the meeting, finally let out a dry laugh. "We're doomed."
The group turned to him.
He was a formation master, one of the most respected in the region.
"If this store has the ability to casually integrate spiritual formations into snacks, drinks, and everyday items, then what's stopping it from eventually producing more advanced-grade weapons, robes, or even cultivation manuals? What will happen when even our most advanced techniques can be mass-produced and sold in a neat, little package?"
The room fell into silence again.
Because that was the real problem. However, those are also already present in the store, they just didn't know because they had yet to visit it.
In any case, for centuries, cultivators relied on artisans, pill refiners, and talisman masters because they had no other choice.
Each technique, recipe, and refinement method was carefully guarded, passed down only to those who earned the right. A single high-grade pill or talisman took years, sometimes decades, to perfect.
That exclusivity was crumbling. The Divine Convenience Store had thrown open the doors to a world where anyone, regardless of skill or background, could access superior products just by throwing a few spirit stones.
It was both a miracle and a nightmare.