Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 455 - 455: End of General Lecture

"Next," Danzhu said, his tone turning colder as he gestured to the projection of the Argent Covenant's Aether. "This energy is different. It is orderly, metallic. It resists integration. Forcing it into an elixir would be like trying to dissolve a sword in a teacup. It is an external energy, designed to power external artifacts."
He looked directly at Lin Mo, then at the delegation from the Southern Wu Kingdom and every major sect present in the hall. "Our young Shopkeeper is already exploring a path to harness this power by using their armor. An excellent, if dangerous, idea. Alchemy offers a different, supplementary approach."
He produced a small, silver ingot and a vial of a shimmering, mercury-like liquid. "Aether also resonates with refined metals and conductive spiritual liquids. You can make it your own by converting it into spiritual energy but you cannot consume it. Instead, you can use it to enhance your equipment. By creating an alchemical alloy that can absorb and store Aether, you can create temporary, disposable weapon coatings or armor polishes."
The projection shifted again, displaying another complex formula, this one involving the refinement of spiritual iron and the mercury-like substance he held, which was identified as [Flowing Quicksilver].
"The process is simple…" Danzhu explained, his words now aimed at the martial cultivators and artificers in the audience. Many thought this should've been Xingxing's domain but the Goddess of Beauty simply watched from behind, watching their reactions in slight disinterest.
"You create a base alloy, then expose it to a concentrated source of Aether. For example, the shattered armor pieces of a defeated Vindicator. The alloy will absorb the residual Aether, becoming a potent, single-use enhancement. We shall call it [Aether-Bane Polish]."
To demonstrate, he waved his hand, accessing the system which Lin Mo was so familiar with. Moments later, an assistant drone brought a standard, mortal-grade steel sword and a sturdy, spirit-grade defensive shield to the stage.
Danzhu dipped a brush into a small pot of the freshly created, shimmering silver polish and painted it onto the edge of the mortal-grade sword. The polish dried instantly, leaving a faint, hexagonal pattern on the blade that pulsed with a cold, metallic light.
"Observe," He said flatly. He then handed the sword to a waiting Basic Combat Construct.
With a motion too fast for most to follow, the construct swung the sword.
SHIING!
The mortal-grade blade, which should have chipped on impact, sliced cleanly through the spirit-grade shield as if it were made of paper, leaving a perfectly smooth cut.
A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed through the arena. He had just demonstrated how to turn a common weapon into an artifact-killer with a single, alchemical application. The strategic implications of it were quite staggering.
Imagine a higher stage cultivator being cut down by a lower stage cultivator he's looking down on. He prided himself on his defensive artifact that reached spirit-grade while laughing at his opponent's mortal-grade weapon. While he fully trusted his artifact, he didn't know that his opponent would apply that silver polish to his weapon. In the end, he would die filled with regret.
"Finally," Danzhu said, gesturing to the last energy signature, the chaotic buzz of the insectoids. "This is a biological agent. Its energy is more corrosive than Highland Energy and is designed to break down organic matter. To fight it with pure spiritual energy is effective but inefficient. Therefore, you must fight it with a more refined biological agent."
He produced a vial of thick, bubbling, acidic-green liquid. "[Chitin-Breaker Enzyme]. An alchemical creation that specifically targets the molecular structure of insectoid carapaces. This isn't a poison but a catalyst for rapid decay. One drop can compromise the structural integrity of a creature the size of a warhorse. A convenient solution for inconvenient pests."
He didn't even bother with a demonstration. He believed his tone of absolute certainty was enough.
Following that, he shared the recipe for refining the quicksilver and enzyme, along with alternative materials that could be found in the first heaven. As for the actual refining instruction, he only put a finger up as though saying it was up to the alchemists, artificers and pill refiners to find experiment among themselves.
However, many understood that they might hear it in his specialized lecture later. Those who had already bought their tickets couldn't hide their excitement, while those who failed to get their hands on one or lacked the required spirit stone felt dejected.
After a while, Danzhu stepped back. His part of the lecture was completed.
"The path to power is not a single road. It is a menu of convenient options. Choose the one that suits your needs, your resources, and your philosophy. The full, detailed formulas for these creations, along with many others, will be available for purchase on the Bulletin Board's new 'Alchemical Archives' section. For those who wish to delve deeper into the craft, my specialized lecture will commence shortly on the second floor."
Upon hearing that, those who were dejected found hope. If they couldn't get to that lecture, they'd definitely get their hands on the formulas. As for its price, they just believed it wouldn't be as expensive as buying the tickets for the lecture.
With that, the general lecture concluded. The arena was filled with a stunned, electrified silence, which then erupted into a roar of discussion and fervent debate. Although a lot of them had questions they wanted to ask, the two divine beings had already retreated and they're clearly not inclined to answer them.
After all, the Divine Lecture was meant for everyone. And since they only sent an avatar because Heaven's Will wouldn't allow their existence to descend or remain in the First Heaven for a prolonged period of time, showing flashy technique or just radiating their divinity wasn't ideal.
Lin Mo watched the chaos with a satisfied smile, albeit still finding it awkward how they kept talking about convenience as if they were now following his leads.
In any case, the seeds had been planted. Now, it was time to see how they would grow.
"That was… a lot to process," Wu Meiyu commented from beside him, her mind clearly racing with the military and economic implications of Danzhu's revelations.
"It was a masterclass in marketing," Lin Mo replied, finishing his coffee. "They gave everyone the 'why' and the 'how', and then offered to sell them the 'easier how'. Let's head up. I'm curious to see what a specialized divine lecture looks like."
He gave Xiaoyu a look. "You coming?"
"Ugh, fine," She pouted. "But if it gets boring, I'm going to challenge Grandpa to a Celestial Duel to post on the Bulletin Board."
Before leaving, Lin Mo approached Chi Yang and Venom Master Xun. Chi Yang clearly had trouble processing everything she witnessed but the clarity in her eyes showed how much she gained from it. Instead of staying for too long, she immediately excused herself to return to the Branch Store, stating she had to check on it while also whispering how she wanted to ruminate on the divine beings' lecture.
They ascended to the second floor, which had been transformed. The main lounge area had been partitioned by elegant, soundproof light screens into two distinct lecture halls.
Meanwhile, Venom Master Xun put on her seductive smile again as she delicately lifted her hand as though offering it for him to take.
Since he owed her a bit, he grasped her hand gently and guided her from her seat. Pleased at that, the alluring woman clung to his arm. Despite being an expert on poisons, Lin Mo was surprised at the fragrant smell coming from Venom Master Xun, which reminded him of those women often found in social gatherings back on Earth.
"I'm in your care today, Shopkeeper." She playfully whispered. Seeing that, both Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu narrowed their eyes before walking ahead of them.
He could only tilt his head in feigned confusion despite understanding what might be running through their heads.
Then, he also felt a sharp sword intent poking the back of his head. When he glanced behind him, he saw the fleeting figure of Jiang Jianxin rushing past them.
"Fufu, Shopkeeper, you're quite the charmer, aren't you?" Venom Master Xun's whispered words were laced with a triumphant amusement.
Lin Mo let out a quiet sigh. He was just trying to be a polite host, but he had inadvertently walked into a minefield of unspoken rivalries. How inconvenient.
He tried gently detaching his arm from her hold but Venom Master Xun was not one to give up easily.
Understanding that it would be best to just satisfy her for today, he let it be.
"Let's go follow them upstairs, dear customer. We cannot miss those specialized lectures."
As much as he wanted to just stand by somewhere or watch everything from a screen, that option was already out. Besides, he had also received a voice transmission from Xingxing, asking him to be present at her lecture.
Somehow, he's starting to think that it would be better if Zhenren Lihua were the one conducting the lecture. Alas, that's not what they prepared.
Her warning was still fresh in his mind, so he better prepared himself mentally for what Xingxing wanted from him, on or after her lecture.