'No, that doesn't make sense… unless he's deliberately trying to introduce sothing more foreign to this world than just the convenience store.' Lin Mo's thoughts churned as he tried to make sense of the appearance of those towers.
Taihao had been cryptic in his explanations, always hinting that Lin Mo would understand "in due ti." But now, with this new information, it was hard not to suspect that the Divine Pantheon, or at least so of its mbers, were actively shaping the world's future.
The sudden ergence of these tower-like structures, coinciding with his store's rise, wasn't a coincidence. It can both be the reason and the cause. Sothing beyond his understanding of this realm is happening and only Taihao or perhaps the ones at the Third Heaven have an idea of what exactly it is.
And if this truly was sothing akin to the "awakened towers" from the stories he'd read back on Earth…
Then this realm was about to change forever. It wouldn't just be about cultivating to reach immortality anymore… Everyone around him may have to fight for their survival.
Yu Qingyan studied his expression. "Judging from your reaction, you know sothing about these towers, don't you?"
Lin Mo's lips twitched. This woman was sharp. Too sharp for her own good. He had to be careful with his words.
"Miss Yu, as much as I appreciate your trust in my vast knowledge–"
"...You're about to give a vague answer, aren't you?" She interrupted, folding her arms.
Lin Mo chuckled. "You catch on fast. I appreciate the information you've shared. It's valuable. But let's just say… I have my suspicions. Because these tower-like structures aren't foreign to . Or in other words, I have encountered them before. In my previous world."
"In your previous world? That's right. While many new custors now have no idea about your origins, many of your early custors are aware that you're soone who isn't originally from our realm… Do you an to say there are also tower-like structures in your world? What do they do?"
"Ah. Let clarify sothing. They exist but only in fiction. They're just fantasy written by many authors. A setting in a piece of literature, if you want to be specific."
"That… That's absurd. They're fiction in your world, but they have beco a reality here. So, do they also possess the sa trait?"
"Pretty much. Indestructible. Releases monsters of unknown origins. Offers an entirely different world inside. More often accompanied by trials."
Yu Qingyan's brows knitted together in deep thought. "That's… unsettling."
Lin Mo smiled wryly. "But Miss Yu, they can also be destroyed. Or rather, cleared. One just has to climb up and finish all of the trials within or conquer it, depending on how each one actually works."
The idea that elents from his world's fiction were manifesting here was also unsettling for Lin Mo. Not to the extent that he's starting to worry. If it happened on Earth, then he would certainly worry. But here? With all these cultivators who defy the laws of physics around? Hell, those monsters better be so strong or they'll just truly turn into nothing but a trial ground for young disciples.
"Miss Yu, I wouldn't be too hasty in spreading this information. After all, my assumption might be wrong. But there's no reason not to be vigilant." Lin Mo said as they finally stepped out of the isolated space containing the immortal-grade artifacts.
"Indeed, Shopkeeper Lin. However, if sothing like that appears nearby, can I consult with you? I'm certain every force in our region will scramble to control or study it. Whether you share your knowledge or not, people will co to their own conclusions."
Lin Mo nodded, "I don't mind. If it's nearby and it starts posing a threat to our store, then we will naturally not ignore it."
It was only a matter of ti before the major sects and powers started claiming the towers as their personal training grounds. But what if these weren't just 'training grounds'? What if they were sothing more sinister?
However, without a precedence, those would remain unanswered questions.
"Tell , Miss Yu. These towers. Are they appearing randomly, or is there a pattern?"
Yu Qingyan tapped her chin, considering. "From what we gathered, they've erged in places of high spiritual energy density. Most are near ancient ruins, sacred grounds, or historically significant battlefields."
"I see. So, there's so kind of prerequisite for a tower to manifest. Whoever's behind them must have sothing to do with sothing foreign to this realm."
Yu Qingyan nodded grimly. "Exactly."
Lin Mo leaned back. "Well, I'd love to sit here and philosophize about the fate of the world, but I'm a re manager of the Divine Convenience Store. Not to ntion, I'm also a re Spirit Condensation Stage cultivator."
Yu Qingyan rolled her eyes. "Correction, Shopkeeper. You're a manager of a divine establishnt. And you went from being a mortal to a Spirit Condensation Stage cultivator in a little more than a week."
Lin Mo waved a dismissive hand, his smirk widening. "Ah, but that's just my natural talent shining through."
Yu Qingyan scoffed, "Natural talent? Who are you fooling? More like divine nepotism."
He chuckled without denying it. Indeed, Taihao left him with the Celestial Providence and that's enough to make his progress to be anything but conventional.
Still, even with all the advantages, he had yet to truly grasp the scale of the changes happening in the realm. At the mont, he's nothing but a pawn with the Divine Mandate to manage the store.
—
After a while, Lin Mo and Yu Qingyan moved back to the table by the entrance, discussing the restocking of her inventory for her next Official Distributor trip.
It didn't take long since she just needed Lin Mo's approval and she could start picking what to stock up in her Distributor Inventory, filling the maximum capacity value of 15000 high-grade spirit stones.
Ten minutes later, Lin Mo walked her to the door.
Before leaving, she turned back with a aningful smirk. Her sharp eyes shining under the ethereal glow of the convenience store's signboard. "Shopkeeper Lin, I do hope you're prepared for what's coming. Because whether you like it or not, your little store is about to beco the focal point of sothing much bigger."
Lin Mo watched as she gracefully turned around, the moonlight basking her figure highlighting her beauty.
Once again, he couldn't help but tease her, "Oh? You sound almost concerned for , Miss Yu. How touching."
Yu Qingyan huffed at his non-serious answer, "You really don't know when to stop. Ugh… Forget it. I'm just looking forward to seeing how you handle the madness that's about to unfold."
"I don't think it will reach us so soon. On the other hand, you should be careful on your next trip, Miss Yu. You're our precious Distributor and Golden Patron. I'll be in trouble if anything happens to you."
Yu Qingyan raised a brow at him, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Oh? So, you do care. "
Lin Mo shrugged. "Of course. Losing a reliable source of inco would be a tragedy."
She let out an exasperated chuckle. "Well, don't worry, Shopkeeper Lin. I can take care of myself. You just focus on keeping your store from turning into ground zero for whatever catastrophe is brewing."
With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the night, her silhouette vanishing into the shadows of the quiet street.
Lin Mo stood at the entrance for a mont, watching her go before exhaling deeply.
The mont the glass doors shut behind him, Liu Xiaoyu, Xiao Ya and Yangyang erged from the Shopkeeper's Quarters.
Looking at their expressions, Lin Mo could tell that they have been watching her interactions with Yu Qingyan closely.
"Boss, you have a good atmosphere going with Miss Yu. Why did you send her ho so soon?" Liu Xiaoyu hopped like a bunny as her eyes shone with curiosity.
"Because her business is over for tonight." He flicked her forehead before turning to the Divine Interface System.
The translucent panel appeared overhead as the day's evaluation arrived.
[Day 9 Evaluation: Excellent]
[Sales Summary: 421 Transactions – Revenue: 12302 Interdiate-grade Spirit Stones]
[Betting Stall Revenue: 1856 Interdiate-grade Spirit Stones]
[Distributor Revenue: 50000 Interdiate-grade Spirit Stones]
[Distributor Upgrade Fee: 10000 Interdiate-grade Spirit Stones]
[Rewards: 20 Spirit Stones to Personal Balance for both Shopkeeper and Assistant, 15 Spirit Stones for the Staff]
[Tier Progression: Thriving Store (96035/1000000), Golden Card Patron (11/20)] Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
User Comments
0 comments from readers