Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 519 - 519: Palace Master's Invitation

With the introduction of the arcade, the patrons started feeling like their heads were spinning. They couldn't focus on what they wanted to do anymore. Some went straight to the Celestial Hot Spring to relax their minds, while others started issuing challenges to those crowding within the arcade area.
In just the morning rush, all ten arcade cabinets had never found rest and the queue to play had already snaked past the snack aisles, merging with the line for the checkout counter in a confusing, chaotic knot of eager humanity.
The clatter of spirit stones dropping on the ground, the synthesized roars of celestial beasts, and the energetic, chip-tune battle music created a cacophony that would have driven a meditating cultivator to qi deviation.
But here, in the Divine Convenience Store, it was the symphony of success.
"Next! Who's next to challenge this daddy in the standard game?!" A burly rogue cultivator, whose fingers moved with a dexterity across the pad, roared from Cabinet #3.
He had just executed a flashy combo that decimated his opponent's [Ironscale Basilisk] with a swarm of Level 2 and 3 Units from the same [Celestial Beasts] deck.
A stream of glowing, golden tickets spewed from the dispenser at the bottom of the machine, piling up around his feet like a dragon's hoard. The spectators cheered, their eyes wide with envy and excitement.
"I'll take you on!" A young disciple from the Azure Gale Sect stepped up, slapping a spirit stone into the slot with determined grit.
Meanwhile, on the other cabinets, the patrons wore a helmet like VR glasses that sent their consciousness into the game for the Awakened Celestial Duelist mode.
It indeed turned into a true virtual reality experience. It was on par with the usual simulation that the cultivation rooms or the [Heaven Mirage Illusion Orb] could create, just that it was configured entirely for the Celestial Due Platform.
There, their cultivation bases would match each other to make the duel interesting, but if someone wanted to give a handicap, they were free to do so.
Lin Mo watched from behind the main counter, sipping his third coffee of the morning. Beside him, Pan Ruo was frantically tapping on her jade slip, her eyes darting between the arcade zone and the sales ledger.
Liu Xiaoyu was eating a bag of [Spirit-Infused Potato Chips (Seaweed Flavor)]. She already had her fill of playing with the arcade, leaving Xiao Ya and the other staff to look after it.
"Boss, how was your trip last night? I didn't get the time to ask you when you returned earlier. Did you beat up some bad guys? Did you get yourself a new woman?"
"Yes, yes, and... no, Xiaoyu. What do you see me as?" Lin Mo rolled his eyes as he attempted to flick his assistant's forehead again. Only this time, the young woman dodged agilely.
"Che. Boring. I bet you dazzled some poor mortal girl with your 'mysterious merchant' act," Xiaoyu teased, crunching loudly on a chip. "Anyway, did you see? Grandfather and Headmaster Feng Haoran passed the artifact tribulation. They safely transferred the immortal-grade artifacts to their destination."
"Good. What about the Bulletin Board? Have you made sure that there was no leak whatsoever regarding the immortal-grade artifacts? It'll cause an upheaval and we won't just have the Violethaven Temple breathing down our necks if they catch a whiff of it."
"Don't worry, Boss. Sister Yangyang got her colleagues to take on moderating duties. Didn't she tell you about it? Anyone typing 'immortal-grade artifact' gets an auto-warning from the system, and their post would be deleted. If they persist, a temporary ban," Liu Xiaoyu said, making a smashing motion with her fist. "Besides, the big sects are keeping their mouths shut tighter than a clam. They know if word gets out to the Western Sacred Lands or the other domains like the Inner Abyssal Circle, they'll have unwanted guests knocking on their doors before they can even set up the formations."
Yangyang? Lin Mo quickly checked. Sure enough, she messaged him through the system, telling him that other than getting a few more functionaries like her to answer the hotline, she also got a few bored divine trainees to moderate the Bulletin Board.
"Mhm. That's great then. I'm gonna thank her for that later."
With that, Lin Mo showed her what he had achieved in the Martial World.
Through the Divine System Interface, he accessed the current status of the plane portal.
[Fractured Plane: Martial World]
[Established Distribution Hub: 1 - Sleeping Dragon City]
[Applied Currency: Star-forged Iron]
[Appointed Hub Manager: Luo Lanyi]
[Predicted Revenue: 500 Tons of Raw Star-Forged Iron/50 Refined Ingots]
[Current Status: Stabilizing Market Prices.
[Initial Stock of Divine Convenience Store Goods: 40% Sold.]
"Star-Forged Iron? What is that?" Liu Xiaoyu tilted her head.
"Let's see. It's a type of ore mined from a meteor containing a hint of stellar energy, which might be able to supplement the refinement of my starlight qi."
In the Realm of Nine Heavens, there were various types of ores, but those containing energy would always be valuable. That's why, upon hearing that, Liu Xiaoyu's eyes widened slightly.
"Whoa! Boss, you gotta let me have it too! I wanna try refining that stellar energy. I may be able to comprehend mystic art from it! I'll teach it to you if I'm successful!"
"It's an ore. It should go to the artificers, no? Besides, I'll have to ask the divine beings if they have any need for it. Although there is a high chance, they don't."
"But if they do, we can just set aside some for us, right? We have the Professional's Foundry for a reason. Imagine, Boss. Artifacts made of Star-Forged Iron! It would be the new meta for the Flash Raid teams!"
"Meta? Where did you learn that word?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
"From the Bulletin Board! User [CardShark99] used it to describe the [Stormfang Wolf] rush strategy. It means 'Most Effective Tactic Available'. See? I'm learning!"
Is that CardShark99 a transmigrator or a reincarnator from Earth? Lin Mo mused. Taihao told him the possibility but he hadn't truly encountered anyone like that yet. And that's despite his convenience store and its products being too reminiscent of Earth's convenience stores.
Regardless, while it would be interesting to find someone from the same world as him, he knew too well not to blindly trust anyone, after all.
"Mhm. The community learns fast. Anyway, that's that. When the first batch of Star-Forged Iron was procured from Martial World, you could get some of it. You can try refining and comprehending a mystic art there. That's your privilege as the Assistant Shopkeeper."
"Whoa! Thank you, Boss! You're too generous!" Liu Xiaoyu leapt into his arms in joy. But then, she remembered that she had to act properly as she shyly stepped back.
Hours later, the Celestial Hot Spring continued to welcome patrons wanting to dip in the divine spring. The Bulletin Board already had a lot of users posting about its efficacy, so those who had just exited a tower after finding that the next floor was difficult and those who had returned from exploring an Anchor quickly rode the Celestial Shuttle Network and arrived at the main store to try it.
With Xiaoyu and Meiyu working side by side in managing the store, Lin Mo kept an eye out for various happenings around the Eastern Abyssal Domain.
Liu Zhongzhu and the cultivators at the Argent Covenant Anchor had successfully claimed a fortress in the second area, making it a base of operations.
They're planning to push to the 3rd area later at night or tomorrow after gathering more Nascent Soul Stage experts.
In the Southern Wilderness, Chieftain Akasha made contact with the Emberfall Tribes. At least, those who had been left behind by the evacuated tribe members as the insectoids continued to swarm the place.
They were guided to the Divine Convenience Store branch and were introduced to the 'Dao of Convenience'. Or so that's what they're calling it now.
Lin Mo even felt a surge of faith energy nourishing the spark of divinity in his chest coming from that place. Most likely, his title of Convenience Saint was once again preached to the new patrons by Akasha.
Up north, Yu Qingyan decided to stay for one more day. Her stock of goods was already sold out.
Although she could actually remit it to him via Distribution Token and restock her inventory remotely, the woman declared she's returning via the Celestial Shuttle Hub after her disciples, Little Spring and Mei Ling, returned from challenging the Frozen Spire Conduit Tower.
However, someone from the Arctic Sea Palace had arrived earlier, bearing the invitation from the Palace Master to the Shopkeeper. Wu Meiyu received it and handed it to Lin Mo after getting all the details.
Considering how Yu Qingyan threatened their palace to allow her to approach the tower, he was already expecting a cold or perhaps chilling meeting with the Palace Master.
"Mhm. I should bring a warm gift when I visit. What will be good? To earn her goodwill, I must be thorough in it. Roping in another Sect Master will always be beneficial for the store." Lin Mo curled his lips slyly as he took a note about checking the inventory for a suitable gift later.