NOVPUB"Sword Fairy, can you bring me to the location of the Anchor? I may have a method to make it easier for you to explore it." Lin Mo replied to Jiang Jianxin first after consulting the Divine Interface System if he could also get a similar jade token that extends its function outside the Area Monitor's range. It was the one that allowed Yu Qingyan to deploy the Store Beacon at the Jade Hollow Plains Conduit Tower.
While he's still unclear whether the Anchor Integration Protocol would be triggered without him traveling deep within that Anchor and interfacing with its core, it was already activated compared to the Anchor outside Fanling City.
—
The reply pinged through Jiang Jianxin's Viewing Jade almost instantly.
It gave her a jolt while he was deep in contemplation at the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect's alchemy hall. She stood near Elder Shi, who was sipping from a can of [Starfire Energy Tonic], his weathered face regaining a healthy flush as the tonic's starlight essence purged the last traces of the poison from the dart of Decrint Tribe.
His body was shimmering in a blue light, a side effect that drew curious glances from the nearby disciples.
Reading Lin Mo's reply, Jiang Jianxin's eyes narrowed.
The Shopkeeper's offer to visit the Anchor was unexpected but not unwelcome. She had recently consulted him about the Anchor and it was enlightening. Besides, she felt rather confident about his knack for producing solutions. Whether it be through divine trinkets or uncanny insight. Just acquiring the tonic from his store had already proven that.
Yet, the weight of his proposal settled heavily on her. Bringing an outsider, even one as pivotal as the Shopkeeper of the Divine Convenience Store, to a sect-discovered ruin required the Sect Master's approval, even if his intel was spot on. She just couldn't supersede her master's authority over the matter. Furthermore, the time was ticking.
"Shopkeeper," She murmured with a barely audible voice as her spiritual sense activated the Viewing Jade to send a reply. Her hands quickly moved across the artifact's interface, "Your aid is appreciated, but the Anchor's location is under strict sect oversight. I'll consult the Sect Master. If he agrees, I'll escort and guard you myself. Please prepare whatever method you have in mind."
After hitting the 'send' button, Jiang Jianxin's gaze drifted back to Elder Shi, who set the empty can down with a satisfied grunt.
"Jianxin, this tonic's a miracle. My dantian's stable, and the foreign energy's gone. The progress I've acquired also remained intact. The store's products are truly phenomenal… Hoh… If he's got a way to handle the Anchor, I'd wager it's worth hearing."
Jiang Jianxin nodded, her serene facade masking the urgency coiling within.
"I agree, Elder. I'll meet with the Master now. Stay here and oversee the disciples' recovery. Li Ruo's cultivation needs monitoring. She's about to break through to the late Foundation Establishment."
Elder Shi waved a hand, "Go. I'll keep the hall in order. And Jianxin… don't let the Sect Master's caution blind him to the Shopkeeper's value. The Anchor is no trivial matter. Those entities inside will be more troublesome if they manage to spill out into our realm."
With a curt nod, Jiang Jianxin turned, her silver sword swaying at her side as she strode out of the alchemy hall.
At this time of the day, the mountain air was crisp, making the sect's peaks shrouded in mist. Passing by different pathways leading to different parts of their sect and running into disciples and sect elders alike, she made her way to the Sect Master's pavilion.
Her mind churned with Lin Mo's words. A method to ease the Anchor's exploration? The Divine Convenience Store's products had already defied expectation. [Starfire Energy Tonic], [Celestial Duel Gear], even the [Emergency Escape Talisman] that saved them from the Anchor's depths. If Lin Mo had something specific, it could tip the scales against the looming invasion.
The Sect Master's pavilion loomed ahead, its jade-tiled roof glinting under the late afternoon sun. Jiang Jianxin's spiritual sense brushed the entrance, signaling her arrival.
The doors parted silently, revealing Sect Master Li Changqing, her master and Li Ruo's grandfather. His peak Nascent Soul Stage cultivation radiated subtly, filling the room with a quiet pressure.
"Jianxin," He calmly said, acknowledging her presence.
Jiang Jianxin clasped her fist in a respectful bow. "Reporting to Master, the [Starfire Energy Tonic] from the Divine Convenience Store neutralized Elder Shi's poison. The disciples are stable, but the Anchor remains volatile. It will stabilize in three days, risking an invasion if we fail to reset it. The Shopkeeper of the Divine Convenience Store, Lin Mo, has offered to visit the Anchor with a method to aid our exploration."
Sect Master Li's brows lifted, his fingers pausing over a jade slip on his desk. "The Convenience Saint himself? His store's influence grows by the day, but an Anchor is no merchant's playground. What method does he propose?"
Somehow, hearing her master address Lin Mo as Convenience Saint felt weird in Jiang Jianxin's ears. While their interaction couldn't be counted on two hands yet, she was used to addressing him as merely Shopkeeper. Besides, her master appeared to be paying a lot of attention to the Bulletin Board. Totally unlike her, who was mostly preoccupied with other things. She hadn't even posted a comment or a thread yet. The only use she had with her Viewing Jade was to read some top threads that piqued her interest or send Lin Mo a message.
"He didn't specify," Jiang Jianxin admitted, "But his products have proven effective against the Anchor's foreign energy. I believe his insight could be critical. I request permission to escort him to the Anchor's location."
The Sect Master's eyes narrowed, his spiritual sense flickering as he weighed her words. "Lin Mo's reputation precedes him, but the Anchor is a sect secret. Bringing an outsider risks exposure, especially with the Poison Demon Cult's recent moves. Their Venom Master Xun boasts of conquest under his banner. If he's entangled with them…"
Jiang Jianxin's lips tightened. The cult's actions, broadcasted across the Bulletin Board, hadn't escaped the sect's notice. "Shopkeeper Lin serves all customers, Sect Master. His store's neutrality is his strength. I've seen no evidence he favors the cult beyond commerce. His aid could secure the Anchor before the cult or others interfere."
Sect Master Li stroked his chin as his gaze turned distant. "Three days… Time is against us. Very well, Jianxin. You have my permission to bring Lin Mo, but he must be bound by a [Soul Oath Talisman] to guard the Anchor's location. And Jianxin, watch him closely. The Convenience Saint may not possess a great attainment in cultivation but he's as mystical as the divine beings he claimed to be behind his store."
"Understood, Sect Master." Jiang Jianxin bowed again with her eyes glinting with resolve. She turned to leave and pulled out her Viewing Jade, typing another message to Lin Mo.
"Shopkeeper, the Sect Master has approved your visit. I'll return to Fanling City by tomorrow evening. Please be informed that I am instructed to use [Soul Oath Talisman] to protect the Anchor's secrecy."
As she sent the message, Jiang Jianxin pressed her lips together as a small smile peeked from her lips.
–
[Dimension Essence: 35320]
Lin Mo stared at his current collection. With many 1st day challengers returning to the Tower for their next attempt, many of them spent their hard-earned Dimension Essence at the Store Beacon, which allowed the store to collect more of them.
However, considering the next cheapest Dimension Essence Upgrade was at 100000, he turned to the Anchor Integration Upgrade instead.
Yesterday, her essence was only enough to interface and extract data from the core once. But this time, he had multiple choices. He could either set up a Hidden Rest Area for 15000 DE or Disrupt the Anchor Construction for 25000 DE, allowing the Dimension Essence Upgrades – all the Auras he bought and the Lucky Essence Drop – to also permeate within the Anchor. There's also the option of extracting more data. The next cost after the initial one was 2000 DE. But he knew full well how valuable every data was.
They managed to identify the Outer Realm behind the Anchor outside of Fanling City, after all. They also got the name of its inhabitants and their intent. And through that, he was fairly certain that the one the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect discovered was an Anchor from a different Outer Realm than the Viridescent Hollow.
"Shopkeeper, what are you thinking?" Wu Meiyu's voice snapped Lin Mo from his thoughts, her teasing tone cutting through the hum of the Divine Convenience Store.
She leaned against the counter, her royal poise softened by the playful glint in her eyes as she scanned a pack of [Frostbite Mint Tea] for a lingering customer.
The store's evening crowd was thinning, but the air still buzzed with the excitement of cultivators clutching their purchases and whispering about the latest Bulletin Board threads.
"Curious, your Highness? I'm simply preparing myself mentally for tomorrow."
"Mhm? What's the occasion?"
"A trip, your Highness. You're aware of the Anchor outside the city, right? I'm going to check another one."
"Shopkeeper… Are you going alone?" Wu Meiyu asked with her voice laced with both concern and intrigue.
"No. Sword Fairy will accompany me."
"Oh… A date then." Wu Meiyu playfully smirked as another misunderstanding was born from his response.
