CHAPTER 458: DORMANT ANCHORS

The golden vortex began to shrink, collapsing in on itself as it was sucked into Yu Qingyan’s body.

The pressure became infinite. Then, a chiming sound that resonated in the surroundings happened.

The vortex vanished after revolving too many times to count.

In its place, in the center of her middle dantian, a flawless golden sphere now hovered. It pulsed with a steady, profound rhythm, like the heartbeat of a newborn star. It was inscribed with the intricate, natural patterns of the Dao, a testament to its perfection.

The Golden Core.

The oppressive pressure vanished, replaced by a wave of profound, tranquil power that washed through Yu Qingyan’s body, healing, strengthening, and elevating her.

She opened her eyes. The world looked different. Sharper. More vibrant. She could see the flow of spiritual energy in the air, the life force humming in the ethereal grass.

She had stepped into a new realm of existence.

"Well, well," Chu Yueying said as an appreciative grin spread across her face and maybe a hint of envy, "Looks like you didn’t settle for silver after all, Qingyan."

Yu Qingyan looked at her friend, a radiant, confident smile blooming on her face, a smile free of the doubt that had plagued her before. "The Shopkeeper doesn’t deal in second-best. Why should his distributors? Besides, I owe it to the ancient spiritual energy of this Secret Realm. And you, standing guard for me."

She stood up, her Core Formation aura settling around her, as vast and profound as a calm ocean, yet carrying the sharp, life-giving edge of a budding forest.

"Do you think he will be surprised when he arrives later?"

"It depends. Do you want to surprise him? Are you finally admitting you’re doing all this to catch his eye?" Chu Yueying retorted, her usual teasing tone returning in full force as she sheathed her saber.

A faint blush touched Yu Qingyan’s cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Her newfound power had brought with it a new level of confidence, an inner clarity that allowed no room for evasion.

"And what about you, Yueying? Are you here for the realm’s treasures, or for the Shopkeeper’s attention? I believe your interest in his... ’convenience’... goes beyond mere business."

It was Chu Yueying’s turn to be taken aback, a rare flush rising on her own cheeks. She let out a soft, melodious laugh to cover her surprise.

"I never hid my intentions, Qingyan. But it seems forming a Golden Core has sharpened your tongue as well as your cultivation. Let’s just say we both appreciate a good investment."

Their friendly rivalry reestablished, Yu Qingyan and Chu Yueying left the secluded clearing and returned to the main camp just outside the Secret Realm’s entrance. The place was simply too mystical. Once they finish exploring it and gain the legacy left behind, if it doesn’t crumble, they can use the place as a private, high-level training ground for the store’s core personnel.

As they stepped out of the shimmering portal, the entire expedition team, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately noticed the change. The oppressive spiritual pressure of a breakthrough was gone, replaced by the profound, stable aura of a newly minted Golden Core expert.

"Elder Yu! You’ve succeeded!" Little Spring and Mei Ling exclaimed, a look of genuine admiration and excitement on their faces.

The other team members, including those from the Verdant Sky Pavilion, erupted in congratulations, their voices filled with awe and respect.

"Thank you, everyone," Yu Qingyan said, her voice calm but warm. "But our work is not yet done. We rest, we consolidate our gains, and then we wait for Shopkeeper’s arrival. He might be the key to getting past that obstacle."

After saying that, she accessed her Viewing Jade, checking on the Bulletin Board to look for threads updating everyone about the Divine Lecture.

Seeing as the general lecture had already ended and someone had already posted a video recording of it, Yu Qingyan ordered everyone to watch it.

Apart from being surprised by the appearance of divine beings whose divinity was still conveyed through the video and only sending down an avatar of them, it didn’t take long before she got immersed in the profoundness of their lectures.

Outside, some members of the Verdant Sky Pavilion found themselves breaking through their bottleneck from the enlightenment provided by simply listening to it. Little Spring and Mei Ling also benefited a lot from it, not only for polishing their still-nascent cultivation bases but also in preparing themselves towards Foundation Establishment.

"Shopkeeper hasn’t lied at all. The divine beings are watching over us."

—

Meanwhile, at the Third Heaven, in the Divine Pantheon’s garden, where Taihao was carefreely lounging with the captured Poison Demon, subserviently standing behind him, the old man was also watching a projection of the Divine Lecture.

His gaze was fixed on the screen, a lazy, contented smile on his face as he watched Xingxing and Danzhu work their magic.

"Hoho... A good performance," Taihao chuckled, stroking his beard. "They know how to put on a show. Xingxing refines the soul, Danzhu sells the shortcuts. A perfect, convenient synergy."

The being known as the Great Poison Demon, now bound in a form that resembled a humble, robed servant, remained silent. His chaotic aura was completely suppressed by the tranquil laws of the Pantheon’s garden. Not to mention, there’s just no way he could resist Taihao.

While he could still send a revelation to the High Priest, he had already given up resisting after watching everything that was happening through that projection.

"Hoho... You’re quiet," Taihao said without turning. "Don’t you find it amusing? Your followers down in the First Heaven are now the most zealous crusaders for ’convenience’. Your High Priest has followed your revelation to a tee. He’s practically the Shopkeeper’s most loyal hound, ready to spread his convenience wherever he points. He even calls him the ’Convenience Saint’. How does that feel?"

The Great Poison Demon hesitated for a bit before speaking. Its voice was a dry, rasping sound, like dead leaves skittering across stone. "...It is... a logical progression. The path they followed through me was one of stagnation. Consuming without creating and sacrificing their morals to progress. This ’convenience’ that your little Shopkeeper propagated offered them a path of growth. A purpose beyond simple destruction. My children are, above all else, pragmatic."

"Pragmatic, you say?" Taihao laughed. "Indeed, that fanatical zeal is quite pragmatic. They may retain their faith in you but the convenience provides them better returns than you ever did. Isn’t this a win for you, as well?"

He waved a hand, and the projection shifted. It now showed a stellar map, a complex, three-dimensional representation of the Realm of Nine Heavens and the four encroaching Outer Realms.

He pointed to the Southern Wilderness, where a new, bright green dot had just appeared. The Blazing Ridge branch.

Then he pointed to the Graypeak Mountains, where another, smaller dot pulsed. The new Store Beacon.

"Look at that," Taihao mused. "Our little friend is building his network faster than we anticipated. That ’Violet Deity’ I visited recently was gritting his teeth in frustration. His little pets in the First Heaven were being dismantled by a merchant who weaponizes instant noodles. He’s furious. And his fury is making him careless."

The Great Poison Demon’s form seemed to flicker. "The Violet Deity... he is nothing before you. He believes in absolute order through conquest. He will not tolerate this ’chaos’ of convenience. He will escalate along with those of the same mind as him. They will allow those foreign influences to fester."

"Let them," Taihao said with a dismissive wave. "Every move they make, every act of aggression, only drives more people into our Shopkeeper’s arms. He is the greatest marketing agent we could have asked for. But that is not why I am conversing with you right now."

Taihao’s lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by an ancient, penetrating seriousness. His eyes, usually twinkling with mischief, now held the weight of galaxies.

"W-what is it? What would you have me do...?" The Great Poison Demon’s voice faltered.

"I am not asking you to do anything," Taihao stated plainly. "I am going to offer you a new role. A ’convenient’ partnership. You are the Great Poison Demon. You understand corruption on a fundamental level."

The projection shifted again, zooming in on the stellar map until it focused on the First Heaven. It highlighted the four Anchors Lin Mo had linked, but then dozens, hundreds more, began to appear as faint, red, pulsating dots, scattered across the entire continent.

"Our little friend and his patrons are doing a fine job of dealing with the Anchors they can see. The ones that breach. But what about the ones that have been existing in secret? The ones that are designed to remain dormant, silently and patiently leaking their corrupting energies into the realm, preparing the ground for the final harvest? You, of all beings, can sense them, can you not? You can feel the ’spiritual poison’ that Xingxing spoke of, not as a symptom, but as a familiar song."

The Great Poison Demon’s form trembled. He couldn’t deny it. He could indeed sense them. But not to the extent that Taihao mentioned. His divine authority as a Chaotic Deity isn’t really all that much.

"You want me... to be a detector? Taihao, you’re being mistaken about my capabilities..."