CHAPTER 495: DAY 23

Lin Mo’s consciousness snapped back into his body in the Portal Room. He shook off the disorientation and stepped out.

"Alright. I changed the location and confirmed. Now I just need to prepare how to entice them with my ’merchandise’ for the meeting," He thought.

He went to the inventory list in the system.

For the Martial World, he needed a different inventory. High-level cultivation resources would be wasted there, and potentially dangerous if they couldn’t handle the energy.

He picked out [Fruity Healing Tablets]. In a world of physical combat, instant healing was a miracle.

[Stamina Gum] and [Clear Sky Mint Mints]. Endless endurance and mental recovery for a martial artist will be something everyone will seek out.

And, of course, a crate of [Taihao Spicy Noodles]. The ultimate diplomatic tool.

He also considered bringing the basic mortal-grade weapons and armor sets. They were mass-produced items but to the inhabitants of the Martial World, they were masterpieces of metallurgy.

Bringing cultivation manuals won’t be ideal. And it’s not like he can pick up any recreated lost manual from the store’s mysterious bookshelves. He’s still not as knowledgeable about it. Besides, the Martial World is possibly not lacking in legacies left behind by the bygone era.

After making a note to pick up a few Legionary Sets from Liu Zhongzhu, Lin Mo finally retreated to his room. He found Xiaoyu asleep, sprawled diagonally across her bed, snoring softly. Wu Meiyu, on the other hand, was sitting cross-legged on her bed, cultivating silently.

He silently chuckled and pulled the blanket up over Xiaoyu before settling into his own bed.

—

The next morning, the store opened with its usual explosion of activity.

A different kind of fervor was present among the customers. And it’s not because of the products but for the new announcement regarding the new facility.

The system even created a comprehensive map near the front entrance and the door to the Celestial Shuttle Network hub. Xiaoyu also posted an updated store’s layout on the Bulletin Board, showing a ’Coming Soon’ area labeled [Celestial Hot Spring].

"Shopkeeper! Is it true? A bathhouse that heals wounds?" A bruised rogue cultivator slammed his hands on the counter as soon as Lin Mo showed up on the floor.

"Patience, dear customer," Lin Mo said pleasantly as he gestured towards the hired security staff, which consisted mostly of Wu Meiyu’s Royal Escorts, to quickly settle the excited customers before the Spirit-Dispersing Beacon could activate. "And yes. It opens this afternoon. Prepare your spirit stones. Or your Dimension Essence."

The mercenary grumbled before raising his hands and laughing as he got escorted out for disrupting the line of customers. It’s not a total ban but Wu Meiyu gave him and the other troublemakers a warning.

Thanks to that, the floor settled down again. The topic still raged on the Bulletin Board though.

An hour later, as the morning sun of the twenty-third day rose higher up in the sky, a notice had been posted on the Bulletin Board and the store entrance:

[Private Event in Progress. The Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall is closed to the public until midday. General store operations continue as normal.]

While the first floor bustled with rogue cultivators buying supplies for their Anchor runs and new customers marveling at the appliances, the atmosphere near the door to the divine arena started becoming heavy with many customers trying to figure out what kind of event was happening that it was not open for every patron.

But then, as the representatives arrived one by one, they realized that they were the titans of the Eastern Abyssal Domain and beyond.

They naturally did not come with massive entourages like before but only the decision-makers and their assistants were present.

Patriarch Liu Tianfeng arrived first. He looked like he donned a new set of purple robes as if to say he was peerless among the store’s patrons. The aura around him was even more stormy and confident than usual but the moment he came before Lin Mo, he bowed respectfully as if meeting someone equal. Next to him wasn’t Liu Zhongzhu but a woman whose beauty seemed timeless. She looked like how Xiaoyu would’ve looked a few years down the line, or if her beauty matured further.

Lin Mo didn’t need to guess her identity. She is Xiaoyu’s mother, Wen Xinyi. The Mistress of the Liu Clan.

She possessed a cultivation at the late Spirit Severing Stage. Her aura was vast and gentle like a calm sea. Quite a contrast to the Patriarch or her husband Zhongzhu’s stormy disposition. Yet, in her eyes, Lin Mo saw the same spark of intelligence and hidden steel that Xiaoyu often displayed when she wasn’t acting like a goofball.

Right. Her cultivation was also higher than her husband, who had just broken through to the Spirit Severing Stage the other day.

"Shopkeeper Lin," Wen Xinyi greeted with a graceful nod, her voice melodic and soothing. It was as if she hadn’t gone through the process of severing a few more mortal attachments to reach her current stage. "My daughter speaks of nothing but you and this store. Thank you for taking care of my unruly child."

"Mother! I’m not unruly! I’m the Assistant Shopkeeper!" Xiaoyu protested, popping up from behind a shelf where she had been ’supervising’ the restocking alongside Xiao Ya and Liu Xiaoping.

"She is a prodigious talent, Madam Wen. The store is lucky to have her," Lin Mo replied with a polite smile, smoothly diffusing the mother-daughter banter. "Please, head inside. The venue is prepared."

Following the Liu Clan, the other heavyweights arrived.

King Wu Tianzhen walked in with a smaller, more pragmatic retinue than before, flanked by the Left Minister Shen and the Crown Prince Wu Tianlong. The King gave Lin Mo a knowing nod, the secret agreement of their ’priority access’ to the Aether Armor still fresh in their minds.

Then came the faction leaders.

Pavilion Master Yu Mingrou of the Verdant Sky Pavilion. She came with her assistant, Jing’er.

Sect Master Yan Tianfeng of Azure Gale Sect. He was accompanied by his brother, Elder Yan Chen.

Sect Master Hong Ying of Crimson Vale Sect. She wasn’t accompanied by anyone but her crimson aura was suffocating enough to carry the prestige of her sect.

Sect Master Lin Yuanzhi of White Ember Sect. He was accompanied by Xue Biyu, the very first customer of the store. He once considered taking Xue Biyu as a master for his cultivation path when Liu Xiaoyu suggested it to him but the opportunity didn’t really come. Now, while he continued to be a patron of the store, he busied himself trying to climb the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower.

Sect Master Li Changqing of the Cerulean Sword Cloud Sect. His disciple, Jiang Jianxin, was accompanying him. After breaking through to the Core Formation Stage, the Sword Fairy was promoted to an Elder with authority second only to her master and the sect’s retired ancestors.

Headmaster Feng Haoran of the Red Lotus Academy. He was accompanied by a Duke of the Southern Wu Kingdom, the primary sponsor of the academy and a cousin of the current king, Wu Tianzhen. Grandmaster Lian also followed along but she looked like she wanted to spend more time studying the Celestial Duel Cards to improve her talisman-making skills than join this entourage.

And lastly, the High Priest of the Poison Demon Cult. His presence caused the nearby righteous sect leaders to wryly smile or frown. It had only been a few days since the alliance was formed. They’re still not used to standing on the same side as the notorious cult. Unfortunately, the old man didn’t seem to mind that. He knew what his cult had done, after all. He simply found a new path to follow and the divine being they worshipped even gave them the edict to do so.

He was accompanied by Venom Master Xun, who winked at Lin Mo, and the old man’s assistant, Priest Luo Ming.

Once everyone was assembled, Lin Mo led them into the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall].

The arena had been transformed yet again. The tiered seating was gone, replaced by a single, massive round table made of polished spirit wood floating in the center of the void-like space. A single spotlight illuminated the table, while the rest of the arena was shrouded in a respectful darkness.

It was intimate, intense, and designed for high-stakes negotiation.

Lin Mo took his seat at the head of the table. Wu Meiyu sat to his right, holding a ledger, ready to record the proceedings. Liu Xiaoyu stood behind him, radiating the aura of a guardian.

"Welcome, everyone," Lin Mo began, his voice calm but amplified to fill the silent space. "You all know why we are here. Three items. Immortal-grade. Treasures that can define the destiny of a sect, a clan, or a kingdom."

He waved his hand, and three pedestals rose from the center of the table.

On the first sat a crystalline structure carved from refined jade, with a fountain of liquid spiritual energy bubbling endlessly from its peak. The [Everlasting Spirit Fountain].

On the second, a swirling orb of multicolored mists that seemed to contain infinite worlds. The [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb].

On the third, a simple, unassuming jade slip that radiated an aura of ancient, terrifying wisdom. The [Boundless Knowledge Jade].

The greed and desire in the room spiked instantly. Everyone tensed up as if they were trying to control their bodies from reaching out to them.