Even though it's already way past noon, there is still a line of custors outside the store. Not only that, the streets of Fanling City still buzzed with the afterglow of what happened inside the multipurpose hall: Xiaoyu's victory. Those with a Viewing Jade would use that as a topic of discussion among their peers. So cultivators chattered about the [Celestial Duel Gear] as they waited for their turn to enter the store.
As Lin Mo followed Captain Zhao and his n through the crowd, many noticed his peculiar uniform.
So called out to him while most just watched in curiosity. He greeted those he could recognize, but that didn't stop his feet from moving.
Captain Zhao spoke. "Shopkeeper, like I ntioned, the Anchor should not be active yet. However, it's giving off so strange vibes. The expert diviners the City Lord brought to check it sensed a shift in its energy flow, like sothing was stirring inside. He insists that you see it. Says your insight might be key."
Lin Mo's wry grin flickered. "Insight, huh? I'll interpret its change as much as I can."
Truthfully, he could readily access the Anchor's current state through the Area Monitor's [Threat Detection], just like how he discovered it before. But since they went to pick him up and he's also curious as to what it looked like, he decided to take a look and see if sothing would happen if he went near it.
For example, like the deploynt of Store Beacon to the Tower when Yu Qingyan approached it.
[Anchor - Unidentified]
[Status: Activating (unasured ti)]
[Estimated Threat Level: Low]
[Energy Signature: Unknown]
[Note: Full activation may trigger a dinsional breach. Recomnd containnt or investigation.]
At the mont, the only thing that changed from it was its status, which changed from Dormant to Activating, and the Estimated Threat Level, which changed from Unknown to Low.
They passed the outer district's bustling markets where vendors hawked mundane items and knockoff talismans. They also got an increase in patrons thanks to the influence of the store.
Cultivators paused to bow as Lin Mo passed, their whispers trailing him like a breeze.
"That's the Convenience Saint…"
"Shopkeeper Lin… where is he going?"
"Hurry. Let's go and watch the duel in the store's multipurpose hall!"
Captain Zhao glanced back, his stern face softening. "You've made quite a mark, Shopkeeper. Two weeks and everyone in Fanling City had already heard of you. And the fact that you stepped out of the store will cause an uproar when they realize its significance."
Lin Mo deflected it with a wave and a chuckle. "It's not that significant, Captain."
He said that but the more people noticed and recognized him, the spark in his chest ward, feeding off the city's fervor.
Upon reaching the city gates, they passed through them easily and made a beeline towards the small, makeshift outpost enclosing the entrance to the underground ruin that the Area Monitor detected.
Lin Mo couldn't help but look up at the sky and then around him, taking in the surroundings that he was just seeing for the first ti in two weeks.
The sky above Fanling City was not that much different from the skies of Earth. But he could sense the inherent spiritual energy like wisps of spiritual mist that caught the fading light.
Beyond the city walls, the landscape stretched into rolling hills, their slopes dotted with unfamiliar trees. Most of them also gave off latent spiritual energy as if it were the air they breathed.
Lin Mo's gaze lingered on the horizon for a mont, a flicker of wonder breaking through his pragmatism and his acceptance of this new life.
Two weeks confined to the store, and now the Realm of Nine Heavens lay open before him, vast and untad. There was no concrete jungle around him anymore, nor the noises filling his ears coming from different engines.
Captain Zhao's voice snapped him back. "Shopkeeper, the outpost is just ahead. City Lord Wei Xian is waiting with the diviners. They're… anxious."
Lin Mo nodded, his wry grin returning. "Anxious diviners? That's a bad sign. Let's not keep them waiting."
The outpost wasn't too shabby but it was clearly hastily erected from spirit-infused timber and reinforced with low-grade protective talismans. It had only been a few days since he discovered and inford the City Lord of it, after all.
Its periter buzzed with City Guards, their spears glinting as they patrolled in tight formation, ready to deal with any threat that may surface.
At the center, Lin Mo saw a makeshift archway, which indicated the entrance to the underground ruin. The City Guards had already dug around, and it opened up a passageway.
Even from afar, he could sense a subtle distortion that set Lin Mo's alarm bells ringing.
City Lord Wei Xian stood beneath the archway, his robes billowing in the afternoon breeze.
His face, usually a mask of stern authority, was creased with unease. Beside him were three diviners, their robes adorned with not-so-unfamiliar sigils as they had already visited the store once or twice before. They clutched jade compasses that trembled with erratic spiritual readings.
As Lin Mo approached, Wei Xian's eyes lit with relief. Lin Mo couldn't help but be surprised. The City Lord is a Nascent Soul Stage expert and yet he could still look this troubled.
"Shopkeeper Lin, you ca quickly," Wei Xian said, clasping his hands in a formal bow. "This… ruin. Anchor – as you say so… It has begun stirring. I apologize for calling you on short notice but I believe your perspective may unravel this mystery."
Lin Mo returned the bow as his eyes turned toward the passageway behind the city lord's gigantic body.
"I'm flattered, City Lord, but I'm just a rchant. Let's see what this Anchor's stirring up before we pin hopes on ."
The lead diviner, an elderly woman with sharp eyes, stepped forward. "Shopkeeper, its foreign energy signature is fluctuating. It's not fully active, but it's… rumbling, for lack of a better word. We cannot divine this place as we've never encountered this pattern."
Lin Mo's brow furrowed since he's still within the range of the Area Monitor, accessing the Divine Interface System seed to be extended outside the walls of the store. He went to the [Threat Detection] feed and checked if sothing had changed again.
[Anchor - Unidentified]
[Status: Activating (unasured ti)]
[Estimated Threat Level: Low]
[Energy Signature: Foreign Energy Resonance]
[Note: Resonance suggests partial alignnt with an external source. If left unchecked, the activation may accelerate. Recomnd imdiate investigation.]
"This… Taihao and Lihua also prepared for this eventuality when creating the system." Lin Mo muttered, his eyes narrowing at the archway. "Let's take a closer look."
Wei Xian nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Lin Mo and the diviners to approach the entrance.
A containnt formation has been deployed around it, possibly to prevent the leak of energy.
As Lin Mo drew near, the spark in his chest, or rather, the minuscule divine energy that had been pooling inside him, quivered intensely as if it were reacting to the foreign energy coming from the underground.
He paused as he stood at the mouth of the passageway, his spiritual energy circulating in a way to instantaneously activate [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps], ready to whisk him away at the first sign of danger.
He just couldn't risk it.
"Shopkeeper, do you sense it?" The lead diviner asked with a hushed voice. "The resonance seems to be stirring more with your appearance."
Lin Mo's grin tightened. "Yeah, I feel it… And I don't like this feeling."
He stepped closer, his spiritual senses probing the Anchor's energy. The Divine Interface System flashed a new prompt:
[Detected: Partial Anchor Source Alignnt]
[Source: Unidentified Realm]
[Warning: Proximity may trigger accelerated activation. Proceed with caution.]
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. He could trigger accelerated activation? Then shouldn't he stop now?
"City Lord," Lin Mo called out as his thoughts churned, "I believe we should prepare for this Anchor's activation and prepare for a group to explore its interior."
Wei Xian, who followed behind, answered. "Got it. It cannot be stopped. Very well. Captain Zhao, assemble a squad. We descend with the Shopkeeper."
The guards moved swiftly, forming a tight escort as Lin Mo stepped through the archway.
The tunnel beyond was narrow and natural. It didn't look like anything special at all. But the spilling foreign energy from it couldn't be denied.
Behind him, the wary diviners whispered among themselves, their compasses spinning wildly.
"The resonance is intensifying," one muttered. "The Shopkeeper's presence is triggering sothing..."
Lin Mo's steps faltered for a mont, but he took a deep breath and continued.
The tunnel opened into a vast natural chamber. At its center floated a glimring distortion in space with a surrounding ruin.
There's no need to second-guess. It was the Anchor. The entrance to a hidden realm connected to one of the Outer Realms eyeing the Realm of Nine Heavens.
The Area Monitor's [Threat Detection] flared with new data:
[Anchor - Unidentified]
[Status: Activating (Estimated Ti: 120 hours)]
[Estimated Threat Level: Moderate]
[Energy Signature: Foreign Energy Resonance (Strengthening)]
[Note: Anchor alignnt is currently underway. Recomnd containnt asures and imdiate interior reconnaissance.]
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