Outside the Conduit Tower.
Xiao Ya's figure erged from the tower with her clothes a little disheveled. She decided to continue challenging Floor 3 but had to use the [Ergency Escape Talisman] after getting cornered by the second wave of foreign creatures.
Nevertheless, her eyes sparkled with delight, with a grin adorning her lips. She's happy to gain experience inside the tower. And on top of that, she received substantial rewards from the 3 Green Chests she received from clearing Floors 1 and 2. It contained two manuals and a talisman, all of which were compatible with her.
She glanced back at the Tower, its foreign energy still prickling her senses, then turned toward the bustling crowd of cultivators.
The Verdant Sky Pavilion's makeshift stall was still drawing a steady stream of buyers, with Little Spring's cheerful voice cutting through the chatter as she sold more snacks and drinks than talismans.. Xiao Ya's grin widened. The store's influence was undeniable, everyone was already hooked on every consumable that the store was offering.
"Xiao Ya!" a familiar voice called out, pulling her from her thoughts. Yu Qingyan approached her, her verdant green robes looking fresh after she rested. "How'd you do? You looked like you ca out in the middle of combat. Was it too difficult?"
Xiao Ya straightened up and nodded, "Oh. Miss Yu! Yes, I reached Floor 3! But I got too overwheld by the creatures, my summons cannot keep up."
"Oh. You've got guts, young lady. Got anything useful from the chests?"
"Yep! I'm off to study them. Boss Lin and Sister Xiaoyu are still inside, right?"
Yu Qingyan nodded, "They are. I heard your boss has a new weapon he's testing inside. That man. I thought he'd keep on holing himself up at his store but he's now actively approaching danger himself. What was that called again? Revolver?"
"Un. I think that's what it's called. He said it might beco another product to be sold in the store."
"A new type of weapon as a product? Again? Geez. The innovation is truly endless for your store. Anyway, are you heading back to your ship or sticking around?"
Xiao Ya adjusted her slightly torn robes. "I'll stick around for a bit, Miss Yu. Gotta check Sister Spring and i Ling. Hehe."
Although she was napping when they arrived at the store in the morning, the day-long Celestial Duel connected her to them through Bulletin Board threads.
She patted her spatial pouch, where her newly acquired manuals and talisman rested. "Plus, I wanna read through these rewards before I train on them.."
Yu Qingyan smiled as she gestured toward the Verdant Sky Pavilion's stall. "Smart. Little Spring's got that stall running like a spirit stone mint. Go on, then. I'll keep an eye out for your boss and Xiaoyu."
She gave Xiao Ya a playful nudge before turning her attention back to the Tower, her expression sharpening with competitive fire. Floor 7 still gnawed at her pride. She'd be back for it soon. But at the sa ti, she's waiting to see what kind of result Lin Mo would achieve. Her duel with him might've ended in his defeat, but that resulted from experience.
Xiao Ya skipped toward the stall, weaving through the crowd of cultivators buzzing with excitent and Viewing Jade chatter.
Only a few were resting as most of them spent the night either training, ditating or fiddling with their Viewing Jades. They had already gotten so engrossed in an anonymous forum where they could discuss anything and even have fun with people they normally wouldn't.
Little Spring spotted her and waved enthusiastically, her ponytail bouncing as she handed a pack of [Taihao Spicy Noodles] to a starry-eyed disciple.
"Xiao Ya! You're back! How far did you get? Spill the details! Our Qianng here also cleared Floor 2 at her current stage." She leaned over the stall's counter, her eyes wide with anticipation, while i Ling and the local disciple called Qianng beside her sorted their display shelves.
"Floor 3," Xiao Ya said proudly, puffing out her chest. "I got cornered and escaped with the talisman. Hehe. I'll try again next ti! But I made it out with three Green Chests. Two manuals and a talisman. Pretty good haul, right?"
i Ling looked up and gave her a thumbs up. "Not bad for a Spirit Gathering Stage cultivator. The Tower's no joke. What're the manuals?"
Xiao Ya fished out the items from her pouch. "This one's a [Spirit Summoning Manual]. It says I can contract a spirit who can help in both cultivation and combat. The other's a [Spirit Pulse Technique]. It's supposed to help cycle spiritual energy better during fights. And this is a [Blooming Ward Talisman]. One-ti shield, blocks a hit up to early Foundation Establishnt."
The girl proudly held up the talisman.
Little Spring whistled, impressed. "Oh! That's great! You're going to climb higher on your next run. Here, drink this. You look like you need it."
She slid a can of [Frosty Lotus Brew] across the counter.
Xiao Ya giggled, popping the can open with a satisfying hiss. The cool, floral liquid soothed her tired mind as she sighed in contentnt. "Thank you, Sister Spring. Are you selling a lot?"
i Ling nodded, stacking a pile of empty crates behind the stall. "More snacks than talismans today. The [Heavenly Dew Soda] and [Taihao Spicy Noodles] are flying off the shelves. It's still the best seller even after the store introduced a lot of new products."
"That's also what Boss said! Elder Yu also likes them, right? I heard from Sister Xiaoyu that the first product she bought was the noodles. Boss, helped her prepare it and she kept returning after that." Xiao Ya sipped her brew before lowering her voice as though she were discussing sothing that shouldn't be openly talked about.
"There's that story? Tell us more!" Little Spring was instantly intrigued as she pulled i Ling and Qianng to hear gossip about the first interaction between Lin Mo and Yu Qingyan.
—
Conduit Tower - Floor 5
[Challenger: Lin Mo - 7th Level Spirit Condensation Stage]
[Current Floor: 5]
[Objective: Defeat the Floor Guardian or survive for 30 minutes]
[Rewards: 2 Blue Chests, Access to Floor 6]
[Store Beacon Access: Active]
[Dinsion Essence: 5320]
Having steeled himself to continue, Lin Mo's lips curled into a wry smirk as he arrived at the sixth floor.
The chamber remained identical to the ones below and only the pressure coming from the foreign energy felt heavier. However, just like how it happened at the Anchor, he's like a fish in the water as the pressure was failing to stagger. Maybe it had to do with his stronger layer of breathing and core cultivation technique or an extended convenience brought by his Celestial Providence. Either way, it gave him a little more confidence in tackling the challenges of the tower.
"Two more Blue Chests, huh? I wonder. Will the tower give a defensive artifact next? A fancy chainmail." He glanced at the [Celestial Duel Gear]. It was already charged with recycled foreign energy from the past four floors. "Alright… this shouldn't be that difficult if I get the summons to distract the foreign creatures. But just in case..."
As his voice trailed there, he opened a pack of [Basic Card Talismans] and activated them all to buff his strength, agility and endurance. The talismans didn't double them but at the very least, it's close to 50%. Sothing traditional enhancent talismans of the First Heaven's talisman master couldn't create.
Their effect should be around five minutes as observed by the custors of the store. Still, he's not yet feeling secure. So before stepping into the challenge zone, he slapped a [Spirit Embodint Sticker Seal] on his body, summoning a spiritual projection of a [Wizened Old Sage], not so legendary beasts or spiritual creatures that were more common.
The projection looked a little like Taihao but Lin Mo pulled it at random. That's why upon seeing it, he beca a little hesitant about it rging with his body.
Alas, he couldn't stop it anymore as the spiritual projection beca condensed and eventually seeped into his body, enhancing him.
His hair, which was still in a cleaner cut than most cultivators due to him being in the realm for only two weeks, grew out, making him look like a handso white-haired cultivator from those xianxia dramas he'd caught on Earth.
Wisdom seed to radiate from Lin Mo's eyes as the [Wizened Old Sage]'s projection fully rged with him. His senses sharpened, and a calm clarity settled over his mind, as if decades of experience had been distilled into a single mont. The [Spirit Embodint Sticker Seal] pulsed once before fading, its energy now coursing through his veins.
His movents felt lighter, his thoughts swifter, and even the [Celestial Duel Gear] on his wrist seed to hum with a newfound resonance.
"Alright, old man, let's see what you've got," Lin Mo muttered playfully as he rubbed his chin as though he had an imaginary long beard on it.
He stepped into the center of the Floor 5 chamber and waited for the challenge to start. Soon, the walls shuddered as they split open at the sa ti as the tower panel updated.
[Objective Initiated: Defeat the Floor Guardian or Survive for 30 minutes]
[Current Wave: 10 Fallen Martial Artists (Unard)]
[Tir: 29:59]
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