Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 474 - 474: Checking on the Argent Covenant Anchor

"I understand, Shopkeeper. We'll set off right away to deploy the Store Beacon. Little Spring, find someone on the Bulletin Board belonging to the Arctic Sea Palace. There should already be someone who has gotten their hands on a Viewing Jade." Yu Qingyan turned to her disciple, Little Spring, who immediately nodded, activating her Viewing Jade to create a new thread.
Little Spring's fingers flew across the glowing interface of her Viewing Jade. As a disciple of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, information gathering was second nature to her, and under Yu Qingyan's tutelage, she had become adept at navigating the chaotic currents of the Bulletin Board.
"Found one!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "It's not a recruitment post, but a question thread in the 'General Discussion' section. It was posted just ten minutes ago. A user named [FrozenTideAdept] is asking about which unit should be paired best with the Sapphire Melody. She said, she only bought a few card packs and she got some Unit Cards from other decks."
"Hmm? That sounds like a whimsical disciple who got into contact with the Celestial Duel Gear," Yu Qingyan nodded, her expression focused. "Hurry, send a private message. Tell her that the Emissary of Verdant Sky Pavilion and the Official Distributor of the Divine Convenience Store will pay a visit. It concerns an undiscovered Conduit Tower within their territory. Frame it as an urgent consultation regarding a potential disaster. That should get their attention."
Little Spring tapped away furiously. "Sent! ...And reply received! She... she's asking if we can bring some of the store products. She wants to introduce the Divine Convenience Store to their sect. Apparently, the video she showed during the Violethaven Temple standoff above the Fanling City was not enough to convince her master and elders to believe at 'convenience'."
Yu Qingyan couldn't help but smile. "They're quite close-minded, that's why. Tell her we have the goods here. I just restocked my inventory. Prepare the caravan. We move out immediately."
She turned back to Lin Mo, offering a deep, respectful bow. "Shopkeeper, leave this to us. We will secure the tower and establish the beacon. Promise you will have a coffee with me when I return. And show me around the second floor!"
"Sure. I have faith in you, Miss Yu. Safe travels." Lin Mo nodded, watching as the Verdant Sky Pavilion's disciples, energized by their new mission and their recent gains, quickly broke camp.
They mounted their carts and cast formations to protect the spirit beasts pulling them from the cold as they continued towards the heart of the Northern Arctic Dominion.
---
Thirty minutes later, Lin Mo and Liu Xiaoyu stood on the ridge, watching the silhouette of the caravan disappear into the white, snow-blind horizon of the Frigid Peaks.
The biting wind howled around them, but Lin Mo's [Stellar Domain], now passively active, created a sphere of calm, temperate air around them.
"Boss, are we really not going with them? There are still a few hours before the opening," Xiaoyu asked, kicking a loose stone with a pout. She looked a little envious that she'd not be part of those who would discover a new Conduit Tower. "Discovering a new map is the best part! It's like unwrapping a present, but the present tries to kill you."
"We have our store to manage. Besides, since you already cleared the Jade Hollow Plains Conduit Tower, shouldn't you be aiming to climb the one at the Abyssal Forest?" Lin Mo countered, turning back towards the silver falcon ship construct.
"Eh... Should I, Boss? You said I shouldn't go out alone yet. My Heavenly Physique is still going to be targeted. And it's near the Inner Abyssal Circle, who knows when those unorthodox cultivators sniff out the opportunity within the towers."
Lin Mo couldn't refute that. There were more dangerous figures lurking in that region. They were only lucky that the Poison Demon Cult and the Shadowveil Clan had been thoroughly bought by his 'convenience'. Otherwise, they would still be enemies they needed to guard against. But like they said, stronger forces, perhaps even hidden sects or hermits with malicious intent, could be found further inside that circle.
"Hmm. You make a valid point. Caution is a form of convenience too," Lin Mo conceded. "Alright, let's go check on the Argent Covenant Anchor then. Let's see if your father has already accumulated many sets of the Vindicator Armor before going back to the store. We need to see if our 'farming' operation is yielding fruit."
Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. "Farming. Loot inspection! Now you're talking, Boss!"
Coining that term wasn't really in his plan but since that's what was going to happen in that Anchor, Lin Mo just let it spread. Besides, given the breached status of the Anchor, there seemed to be no end in reinforcements from the latter areas, making Area 1 a great farming site for Vindicator Armor sets.
The silver falcon ship construct roared to life, its engines humming with a low, powerful vibration as it prepared to ferry them back to the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower.
After that, they boarded the Celestial Shuttle, the familiar hum of the teleportation array enveloping them. In a flash of light, they arrived at the still-busy Celestial Shuttle Hub at the new Anchor.
Cultivators didn't care much about sleeping. As long as they have sufficient spiritual energy, they can go on days without rest.
The scene that greeted them was now different from the chaotic battleground of yesterday.
The makeshift fortress had been transformed into a bustling, highly organized hub of activity. It looked less like a battlefield and more like a busy port city.
Hundreds of cultivators were moving with purpose. Teams were forming up near the Anchor's entrance, checking their gear and stocking up on supplies from the merchants peddling store products outside. That's for those who didn't want to spend their earned Dimension Essence at the [Store Beacon] inside.
Healers were also tending to the wounded in a dedicated medical tent, using store-bought salves and pills.
And everywhere, there was the blue glow of Viewing Jades.
"Looking for a resilient cultivator! If you're a body cultivator, then you're in! Must have a defensive artifact! 50-50 split on armor set drops!"
"Selling [Legionary Greaves]! Fresh drop! Will trade for one box of Taihao Spicy Noodles!"
"Raid Group 'Thunderfury' is departing for Stronghold Delta in ten minutes! Two spots left!"
The air was filled with shouts that sounded less like martial artist jargon and more like the global chat of an MMORPG.
Lin Mo's lips curled into an amused smile. He had gamified the war, and the cultivators of the Eastern Abyssal Domain were playing it with fervor. He couldn't help but wonder why they're still selling those armor pieces though. The Liu Clan would buy it at a generous price.
Is he a scammer? Lin Mo thought.
"Boss, look at the Leaderboard!" Xiaoyu pointed to a large, holographic projection that had been set up near the command tent, mirroring the data from the Bulletin Board.
[Realm Guardian Leaderboard - Anchor ACCB#0003]
1. Azure Gale Sect - Points: 15,400
2. Crimson Vale Sect - Points: 14,900
3. Liu Clan - Points: 14,500
4. Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect - Points: 13,000
5. Mercenary Team 'Iron Will' - Points: 8,200
6. White Ember Sect - Points: 8000
...
"The Azure Gale Sect is pulling ahead," Lin Mo noted. "Yan Wei must be driving his sect's disciples hard."
"He's probably buying points with snacks," Xiaoyu snickered.
They made their way to the central command tent, where Liu Zhongzu was overseeing the operation. He started looking less like a cultivator and more like a seasoned general. A large map of Area 1, based on the data Lin Mo had extracted, was spread out on a table, marked with the locations of cleared strongholds and active patrol routes.
"Shopkeeper! Yu'er!" Liu Zhongzu greeted them with a boisterous laugh. "You've arrived just in time. The harvest... is plentiful."
He gestured to the back of the tent. There, stacked neatly in rows, were piles of silver armor. Helmets, breastplates, gauntlets, greaves. It was a mountain of Aether-forged steel waiting for someone to wear and bind it.
"We've cleared twenty strongholds since the raid ended," Liu Zhongzu ed, his eyes gleaming. "But the Vindicators keep coming back, emerging from the gate to Area 2 or directly teleporting inside those strongholds. However, we are ready for them. We've set up kill zones. We lure them out, break their formations with the strategies you provided, and then... harvest their dropped armor pieces."
"How many complete sets?" Lin Mo asked, picking up a heavy helmet. It hummed faintly with residual energy.
"Thirty-five complete sets," Liu Zhongzu replied proudly. "And enough spare parts to outfit another twenty men if we can find a way to reforge them. Plus, we've collected nearly a thousand [Aether Shards]. These are comparable to our spirit stones and Highland Crystals. They contain Aether."
"Thirty-five..." Lin Mo murmured. That was enough to outfit a heavy platoon. If his theory about the Highland Crystal converter worked, and if he could find willing pilots... he could build his own unit of Aether-Knights. Furthermore, Aether Shards might even be able to circumvent that.