Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 457 - 457: A Change of Frame

Lin Mo watched his shivering figure, the representation of his soul, and a profound sense of understanding dawned on him.
She was right. He had accepted his role as the Shopkeeper, but he had still been thinking like an employee of the Pantheon, a pawn in their grand game. In the end, regardless of his realization before, he still hadn't truly, fully embraced his own authority. Instead of deciding things on his own and utilizing the Divine System Interface with all of its functions, he's only using it as a tool that the Divine Pantheon lent to him.
"The art of soul refinement is not about destroying or abandoning one's past," Xingxing's voice continued, "it's about re-contextualizing it. You need not erase your memories of your nine-to-five drudgery. Instead, you will transform them. From a burden into a foundation. From a weakness into a unique strength. Allow me to teach your soul that its past and present life remain to be one of freedom and not one of subordination."
Her divine will flowed into him, a current of pure, aesthetic law. The chaotic, flashing images of his past life began to slow, to organize. But all she was doing was to guide him. From here on out, it'd be him who had to temper his will and soul, casting away the shackles that were holding him back.
"Your endless days in an office? That was a lesson in patience and endurance, a tempering of the will far more subtle than any waterfall. Your tedious commute? A daily lesson in navigating chaos and finding a path through the inconvenient masses. Your simple love for snacks? A fundamental understanding of finding joy and energy in the small, accessible things."
The images began to change. The gray, soulless office transformed into a silent monastery where he honed his focus. The crowded subway became a battlefield where he learned to move with purpose amidst a chaotic tide. The simple act of eating a potato chip became a profound ritual of replenishment and contentment.
For his past life to be reframed like that, Lin Mo found himself enjoying every second of it. His nagging bosses, his coworkers who kept dumping their work on him. Heck, even his ex-girlfriend who he had buried in his mind.
His previous life, which was filled with mundanity, should not be his source of weakness. He's turning it into a unique, unorthodox training regimen to forge his qualities as the Divine Convenience Store's Shopkeeper.
Within its premises, he held the highest authority. The divine beings of the pantheon were merely his advisors. And it was up to him to decide the path his store would take.
Soon, the shivering figure of his soul in the white expanse began to still.
The fear and insecurity faded, replaced by a quiet, dawning confidence.
"Now," Xingxing whispered in his mind, "take this new understanding, this refined perspective, and command your will. Show your soul its true form. Shopkeeper. The Convenience Saint."
Lin Mo focused his own will, honed inside a tempest of his previous life's experience and poured it into the representation of his soul. He embraced his past, not as a life he had lost, but as the foundation upon which he was built.
In the white expanse, the figure of his soul began to change. Its form solidified, its gaze sharpened. It stood tall, and the lingering aura of a subordinate was replaced by the calm, unshakeable authority of a true master of his domain.
The mundane had been refined into the profound.
A soft, clear chime, like a single, perfect note from a crystal bell, echoed through his spiritual sea.
Back in the lecture hall, the audience gasped. The holographic projection of Lin Mo's stats had changed.
[Will & Soul Resonance: Grade: Good. The will is now honed and in command. The soul has accepted its new reality and begun to resonate with the foundation. Latent potential unlocked.]
Lin Mo opened his eyes. The world felt… different. Sharper. Clearer. He felt a new, deeper connection to his own power, to his Stellar Domain, and to the flow of convenience around him. His perception had broadened. He could now subtly feel the individual desires and needs of the cultivators in the hall. A flicker of ambition from one, a pang of desperation from another. It was a sea of data he could now intuitively read, albeit vaguely. Even the gazes of Liu Xiaoyu, Wu Meiyu, Jiang Jianxin and Venom Master Xun now showed him more than just his own interpretation. It's like he could see through their minds and desires.
His lips stretched into a wry smile. In the end, the 'convenience' he used like a dangle had truly become his new life's philosophy.
Xingxing removed her finger as a satisfied, almost proprietary smile appeared on her face. "See? Not so mundane anymore. I have merely guided you to polish the gem that was already there. The ability to find the sublime in the mundane, the sovereign in the employee. All of it was done by you."
"I've been enlightened, Your Divinity," Lin Mo said, offering a deep and sincere bow. This was not the perfunctory bow of a subordinate, but the respectful bow of a student to a master who had shown him a new path.
He felt a genuine gratitude that went beyond a simple business transaction. She had given him a gift more valuable than any artifact. A true understanding of himself.
But why did Lihua warn him about Xingxing? She didn't seem like a mischievous divine being like Taihao. In fact, she had been so accommodating that even if someone from the cultivators earlier found themselves unable to control themselves from being charmed by her, she'd simply struck them silently, bringing them back to their senses.
Xingxing's smile softened. "Good. That is the first and most important step. A refined will is the key to unlocking the true potential of your power. It is the difference between simply using a technique and embodying it. If you ever feel lost, use the same method. Unfortunately, you must guide yourself next time."
Lin Mo could only nod before returning to his seat. The women, perhaps also sensing the change in him, simply stared at his face. Only Liu Xiaoyu reacted as the prodigious assistant snickered, "Boss, you look more dignified now."
"This brat. Am I not dignified before?"
"Nope. A little, maybe?" The girl mischievously smirked before covering her mouth to prevent her voice from disturbing the lesson.
On his left, Venom Master Xun winked at him and sent a voice transmission, "You've become more extraordinary, Shopkeeper. I truly did not make a wrong choice."
Lin Mo didn't bother trying to interpret what she meant by that. After all, she's been pretty transparent ever since she appeared in the Bulletin Board. What she saw in him was the benefit. But now, instead of the desire to possess him, he saw something else. Devotion.
Meanwhile, Wu Meiyu and Jiang Jianxin remained silent. Except, the First Princess reached for his hand, acting like she was trying to sense her pulse. As for the Sword Fairy, she's still like a deadly yet delicate sword that had no idea what exactly she was feeling. Admiration, respect or both.
On the stage, Xingxing continued with her lecture, her voice once again filling the hall. "What you have just witnessed is the essence of soul refinement. It is an internal journey. A re-forging of the self. Each of you has your own burdens, your own 'mundane' pasts that limit you. A lingering regret, a crippling fear, a deep-seated insecurity. Find them. Understand them. Re-contextualize them. Turn your scars into your armor."
Her gaze swept over the crowd, and this time, her words were not just a lecture but a direct challenge.
"Your will is a blade. Most of you have let it grow dull and rusted. My [Aesthetic Polishing Method] will show you how to sharpen it. But the sharpening is up to you. For a practical application… it is best if you try it yourself."
With that, she continued to the next topic she wanted to discuss. This time, it was something most women were waiting for. The domain she's governing. Essence of beauty.
Lin Mo hesitated whether to slip away or not, but not only the women around him but Xingxing's gaze also fell on him when he tried to get up from his seat.
Should he just use his newly cultivated will here? It's not worth it.
---
Frigid Peaks, Secret Realm
The whole area became a tempest of gold.
Yu Qingyan sat at the center of a swirling vortex of pure, liquid golden spiritual energy being drawn from the spirit jade in front of her. The Core Embryo in her dantian had fully absorbed the [Golden Core Foundation Pill] and was now undergoing its final, terrifying condensation.
Every fiber of her being screamed. It was the pain of creation, of a billion scattered points of light being forced into a single, perfect singularity. Her Foundation, the lessons of the Secret Realm, the insights she acquired from the Conduit Tower and the store's miraculous products were the only things keeping her from being torn apart.
Chu Yueying watched from a distance, her hand never leaving her saber, a bead of sweat on her brow. Yu Qingyan had arrived at the most critical moment.