CHAPTER 482: STUBBORN PALACE MASTER

Yu Qingyan did not buckle under the pressure emitted by the Palace Master.

Her Golden Core, forged in the crucible of the Secret Realm and perfected by the store’s resources, hummed with a vibrant, defiant frequency.

Although she was still clearly dwarfed by it considering the gap in cultivation stages, she maintained her posture without showing signs of difficulty.

She took a step forward, pulling out her Distributor Token. "Because Palace Master, you see a forbidden ground, a potential private resource to be hoarded. But the Divine Convenience Store has identified it as a bomb. And the fuse is already lit."

Han Yan’s eyes narrowed, the temperature in the room dropping even further.

"A bomb? You speak in riddles, Emissary. Do not think the Verdant Sky Pavilion’s name alone grants you immunity here."

"Is it riddles when I simply speak of the truth?" Yu Qingyan countered, her tone shifting from diplomatic to urgent. "Shopkeeper Lin sends his regards, and this... forecast."

With that, she activated her token.

The holographic projection Lin Mo had prepared sprang to life in the center of the vast, icy hall.

It appeared with a red-tinted schematic of the Frozen Spire Conduit Tower, pulsating with unstable energy readings that spiked off the charts.

"This is a spectral analysis of the ’Valley of Frozen Whispers’ taken less than an hour ago," Yu Qingyan explained, pointing to the angry red core of the projection. "That is not a natural leyline fluctuation. Inside is an unknown entity that was threatening to break out. A [Cryo-Phoenix Remnant]. It was currently actively eroding the dimensional barriers that were locking it within the tower."

A collective gasp rippled through the elders.

"A Cryo-Phoenix?" One elder whispered, greed warring with fear in his eyes. "What kind of legendary beast is that? If it can be hunted, its core would be a priceless treasure!"

"Unless we see it in our eyes, we can’t truly conclude what it is. Inside the tower, it will be bound by the challenge generated but outside, who knows what kind of disaster it will bring to the realm?" Yu Qingyan shook her head, cutting him off. "Whatever treasure it will drop, you have to survive to claim it. However, are you willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent people? Look at the timeline."

She tapped the projection, and the countdown timer enlarged, glowing ominously.

[Time to Tower Break: 16 Hours, 42 Minutes]

"In less than a day, the tower will breach," Yu Qingyan stated, her voice ringing with the authority of a harbinger. Despite the chill inherent within the place, they could still feel the chill running down their spines.

"Thousands of foreign creatures, empowered by a chaotic, frozen foreign energy, will spill out. And at their head will be that Phoenix. The initial frost wave alone is projected to reach the walls of this palace. Your city? It will be entombed in ice before your disciples can even rally."

That one was slightly exaggerated by her. After all, it was still unknown how devastating it would be without any previous occurrence to observe and compare. Nevertheless, Yu Qingyan’s delivery and the data Lin Mo sent were enough.

Han Yan stood up, clearly not taking her warning too seriously. As the Palace Master for the last few decades, she had only trusted her own judgement.

But she was no fool. The projection was too detailed and precise to be a mere bluff. The energy signatures matched the anomalies her own formation masters had been reporting but failing to understand.

She was ready to respond to any unforeseen accident as she didn’t want any third party to meddle in their palace’s affairs.

"You claim this... ’Shopkeeper’ can sense this from across the continent?" Han Yan asked, her voice still bearing its dismissive edge.

"The Divine Convenience Store sees all inconveniences," Yu Qingyan replied, quoting the slogan with a seriousness that made it sound like a threat. "And a city-destroying disaster is a significant inconvenience."

She then played her final card. "Palace Master, the Shopkeeper prefers cooperation. He offers a partnership. We deploy a Store Beacon, stabilize the space, and integrate the tower into our network. In exchange, your palace’s territory gains safe, regulated access to the tower’s resources."

She paused, letting the silence stretch before delivering the ultimatum Lin Mo had suggested.

"However, if you refuse... if you choose to let your pride endanger the lives of the citizens of Glacial Tide City... the Shopkeeper has authorized me to release this to the public. Every rogue cultivator, mercenary team, and rival sect in the Northern Arctic Dominion will know that a Tower Break is imminent. And that the Arctic Sea Palace is doing nothing to stop it. Public panic, Palace Master, is a very effective motivator."

"Hah! Such gall, Emissary Yu! Are you threatening this Palace Master in her own hall?" Han Yan’s voice dropped an octave, the temperature in the room plunging to absolute zero. The frost on the pillars thickened, cracking audibly. "You speak of public panic? You speak of ruining my sect’s reputation? Do you truly believe you can walk out of this palace alive after uttering such words?"

Her Spirit Severing pressure flared, no longer a passive weight but an active, crushing force focused entirely on Yu Qingyan.

The surrounding elders stepped back, shielding themselves, expecting the insolent guest to be forced to her knees, begging for mercy.

Shang Shuiyin, standing behind Yu Qingyan, whimpered and collapsed, unable to withstand the aura of the Palace Master.

However, contrary to their expectations, Yu Qingyan did not kneel. She stood firm.

A soft, golden light emanated from her body. It wasn’t her Golden Core but a passive effect of the [Wayfinder’s Compass] she carried, recognizing a hostile negotiation environment and stabilizing her spirit. Furthermore, she retrieved a high-grade defensive talisman from her spatial ring, a [Golden Bell Barrier Talisman] from the store’s premium stock, and crushed it.

A resonant gong sound echoed through the hall as a translucent golden bell materialized around her and Shang Shuiyin, completely isolating them from the freezing pressure.

Yu Qingyan dusted off her sleeves, her expression unimpressed.

"I am not threatening you, Palace Master. I am informing you of the current reality. Must you turn a deaf ear to our goodwill?" Yu Qingyan asked, her voice calm and amplified by the bell’s aura. "The Divine Convenience Store does not seek hegemony. It deals not in death but in transactions leading to convenience. If I disappear, the information will be released automatically. If I die, the Shopkeeper will not send an army. He will simply sanction your territory. No more [Heavenly Dew Soda]. No more [Spirit-Infused Rice]. No Celestial Shuttle access. The Violethaven Temple of the Western Sacred Lands has declared the store an enemy. Your palace will be given the same treatment. You will be isolated, while your rivals feast on the convenience we provide."

She took a step forward, the golden bell moving with her. "Think about it, we are offering you a monopoly on the solution, Palace Master. Why fight for scraps when you can own the gateway?"

Han Yan’s eyes twitched. She looked at the golden barrier, realizing it was an item of superior quality to anything her own artificers produced. It was a talisman that could block a strike even from a Void Refinement Stage expert. She would have to make use of the palace’s arrays to break it and kill Yu Qingyan.

She glanced at the unwavering confidence of the young woman before her. And finally, she looked at the red, pulsing countdown on the projection.

16 Hours. Maybe less.

The logic of the merchant was cold and ruthless yet seeing Yu Qingyan not backing down like this, her confidence either came from her trust and faith in that mysterious store. If the tower broke and destroyed the city, the Arctic Sea Palace would lose its foundation. If the news leaked, their reputation would be in tatters.

The Palace Master slowly retracted her aura. The frost in the room receded slightly.

"A monopoly on the solution..." Han Yan tested the words, her gaze shifting to the greedy elders who were now looking at Yu Qingyan not with anger, but with calculating avarice. "You say if we allow this... Beacon... we gain regulated access?"

"The Store Beacon stabilizes the space and links it to the Shopkeeper’s network," Yu Qingyan explained, sensing the shift. "It allows us to monitor the threat. It also creates a safe zone. Your disciples can enter, challenge the tower, and retreat safely. The resources inside. The drops, the foreign energy. All those belong to those who claim them. The Store simply facilitates the process. And as the local hegemon, you would naturally have the... advantage. Of course, you must not restrict the other patrons from challenging the tower."

Han Yan frowned as she slowly sat back on her sapphire throne. She drummed her fingers on the armrest as she calculated in her head.

She was a proud cultivator, but she was also a leader responsible for a legacy that spanned millennia.

"The Arctic Sea Palace does not fear a challenge. If this is a trick, if this Beacon is a scheme for your Verdant Sky Pavilion to spy on us... the ice of the north preserves bodies very well."

"It is no trick, Palace Master. Only convenience," Yu Qingyan bowed, hiding a relieved sigh.

"Very well, I have a condition. This Shopkeeper. He must seek an audience with me after all this is over." Han Yan declared.