anwhile, at the caravan led by Yu Qingyan and the Verdant Sky Pavilion. After passing by the two cities they visited during the first trip, they switched directions to the east.
"Elder Yu, look. Sothing is flying out of it!" Little Spring pointed at the sky from inside the carriage. From the windows, they could see the foreign, towering structure.
It had appeared in the middle of the plains out of nowhere. The nearby sects and cities would have also noticed its sudden appearance.
Yu Qingyan's eyes narrowed as she leaned out of the carriage window, her sharp gaze locking onto the towering structure piercing the horizon.
It stood like a jagged scar against the plains, its surface a dark, obsidian sheen that seed to absorb the sunlight rather than reflect it.
Strange ethereal energy coiled around its peak, causing the clouds above to swirl. And as Little Spring had pointed out, shadowy shapes were indeed darting out of the tower. Winged creatures, their forms indistinct but unmistakably hostile.
"Elder Yu, those don't look like any regular demonic beasts I've seen before," Little Spring muttered with her voice tinged with both awe and unease.
"They're not," Yu Qingyan replied grimly as she poured spiritual energy into her spatial ring, retrieving talismans she had bought from the store. "Stay inside, Little Spring. Signal the caravan to halt. We're not moving closer until we know what we're dealing with."
Little Spring nodded quickly as she issued the command to the coachman and eventually every disciple or person of the Verdant Sky Pavilion that Yu Qingyan had brought with her.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves and wheels slowed to a stop as the Verdant Sky Pavilion's entourage fanned out into a defensive formation. Cultivators drew their weapons, their spiritual energy flaring as they prepared for whatever might co. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire
Yu Qingyan stepped out of the carriage, her robes billowing slightly in the wind as she strode forward to get a better view. The tower lood larger now, its base shrouded in a faint mist that pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm.
The winged creatures, dozens of them, circled above like vultures, their screeches cutting through the air with an unnatural timbre. They were too far to discern clearly, but their size and speed suggested they weren't re beasts.
She accessed the Distributor Interface again, swiftly composing a follow-up ssage to Lin Mo:
Yu Qingyan: Shopkeeper, it appears that the tower is active. Creatures are erging. Flying creatures of unknown origin. No sects have approached yet, but they will soon. I'm holding a position half a mile out. We're moving in after the surrounding sects move. We may just sell our wares here while investigating this phenonon.
As she sent the ssage, one of the caravan guards, a Deacon of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, approached her with his spear at the ready. "Elder Yu, those things are getting lower. They might've spotted us. Orders?"
"Shoot them down and collect their corpses if they co for us. Use the store's talismans first. The [Windstrike Talismans] should thin their numbers."
Gao Feng nodded, relaying the orders to the others. The caravan bristled with tension as the cultivators pulled out packets of talismans and elixirs, their reliance on the Divine Convenience Store's wares evident in their swift preparations.
—
Back at the store, Lin Mo's brows tightened as he read Yu Qingyan's ssage.
Flying creatures, aggressive behavior, erging from a tower. It fit the awakened tower trope to a point. Perhaps this was indeed so divine experint by Taihao or the Third Heaven.
He had already sent an inquiry through the Divine Interface System, but neither Taihao nor Lihua responded yet.
"Boss?" Xiao Ya's voice broke through his thoughts as she called out to him from the counter. "Is there sothing wrong? Your brows are clashing."
Because of her words, the other custors also looked at him, intrigued.
He put on his usual smile and waved. "No. All is well. Just my reaction to so of the threads I've read. Dear custors, please restrain yourselves from posting just about anything because of the Bulletin Board's anonymity. It may result in you being muted or banned from comnting or making a new thread."
Lin Mo's casual deflection eased the curiosity of the custors, who returned to their browsing, chatter, or at the line in front of them, waiting for their turn to get their hands on a Viewing Jade.
Although a few cast lingering glances his way, it didn't matter anymore.
As for Xiao Ya, she tilted her head. Her new golden lotus hairpin adorning her hair glinted as she shrugged and resud her task of ringing up the cash register at the counter.
Turning his attention back to Yu Qingyan's ssage, he sent his reply:
Lin Mo: Miss Yu, be careful. As you said, they're also foreign to you. Do not approach hastily. If it's like the towers I know, those creatures might just be the initial wave before settling into a silent structure that could be challenged and conquered. They'll only spout more monsters if the tower isn't conquered within a certain duration. As for how to ascertain the timing, I have no idea. I repeat. Don't trust my information as it may be different from reality.
—
Inside the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall], Liu Xiaoyu's Celestial Duel with the three students of the Red Lotus Academy was continuing.
The Crimson Wasteland had shifted into a shimring, ethereal plane dubbed the "Starlit Veil," matching Liu Xiaoyu's [Celestial Idols] deck.
Liying had chosen the [Arcane Blossom Court] for her designated deck, making everyone elated to see those beautiful units.
On her side, the battlefield blood with illusory cherry blossoms, their petals drifting lazily as arcane energy crackled beneath.
Liu Xiaoyu twirled her Duel Gear playfully. "Alright, Liying, let's see what your blossoms can do against my idols. [Setting Phase]. Let's go!"
"I summon Sapphire lody again and set two Spell Cards face down," She declared, her familiar idol reappearing with a flourish of light. The crowd cheered, already enamored with the graceful figure.
Liying smiled elegantly as she flicked her fingers together before setting down her cards.
"I summon Blossom Wardeness and Petal Shroud Mystic. I'll set one Spell Card face down as well."
A tall, elegant female warrior in floral armor materialized, a glowing club in hand, while a veiled figure draped in shimring petals appeared beside her, exuding a quiet, mysterious aura.
The duel progressed swiftly, with Liu Xiaoyu leveraging her idols' synergy and Liying countering with precise, calculated plays.
Unlike Jiahao, the noble girl had truly absorbed the knowledge of how to effectively beco a Celestial Duel Master. She commanded her units carefully and not aggressively while strategically using her Spell Cards against Liu Xiaoyu.
But even so, the prodigious assistant had also studied carefully since she lost to Lin Mo's absurd luck before.
By Round 3, the scoreboard showed Liu Xiaoyu at 3,200 Celestial Energy and Liying at 3,100. Their match was close enough, as if they were already at a similar level. However, Liying's defensive tactics had been broken through by Liu Xiaoyu.
Grandmaster Lian leaned forward, her sharp eyes dissecting every move.
"What an excellent match. Liying has already adapted to the ga and its rules. What did I tell you, professors? The way this simulates combat and tests strategies can refine our students faster than traditional sparring. It also prepares them to be in command."
Professor Wei nodded slowly. "Agreed. The artifacts alone are worth studying, but the system's adaptability is what stands out. It's almost sentient."
"Mhm. It's divine," Professor Chen corrected. "No mortal craft could achieve this. The Shopkeeper's backing is truly beyond our comprehension. We must get our hands on this and propagate it as one of our academy's courses. It won't just beco a tool for entertainnt…"
"That's right. This [Celestial Duel Platform] may also redefine conflict. And I doubt they won't add more functionality to those [Celestial Duel Cards]." Grandmaster Lian said as she began writing her own thread on the [Community] section of the Store's Bulletin Board.
Luo Ming, seated near the back with his cultists, listened silently. Two Viewing Jades were sitting on his lap.
Although he had followed the crowd here, his subordinates continued their shopping. And he had sent soone to buy those Viewing Jades. They had seen them being used by the Golden Patrons on their previous visit, so he's certain that the High Priest would be pleased to get his hands on them.
Not to ntion, this new kind of battle happening before their eyes.
The High Priest would surely be intrigued by this [Celestial Duel Platform]. He made a ntal note to report every detail to him.
Back on stage, the Celestial Duel between Liu Xiaoyu and Liying continued.
Round 4 truly flipped over as Liying lost all of her summoned units.
The duel stretched into Round 6, with Liu Xiaoyu ultimately clinching victory through a well-tid combo of her idols and a Spell Card. Liying bowed gracefully in defeat, her expression a mix of frustration and respect.
Nonetheless, the noble lady from the academy didn't go down without a fight. She managed to bring down Xiaoyu's Celestial Energy to 1500.
Once again, those who bet on Liu Xiaoyu rejoiced upon her victory. But there was one more challenger; the youngest of the three, Mingzhu.
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