"Liu Family. Don't tempt the real powerhouse of this realm. Hand her over and you can keep hiding in this backwater region." The Grand Elder's sneer returned and he waved his hand nonchalantly as he produced a treasure artifact in his hand.
"Bold words from a temple that skulks in the Western Sacred Lands," Liu Tianfeng declared, his voice resonating with the authority of a Void Refinent Stage titan. "The Nine Heavens Exquisite Body is my granddaughter's birthright, not your plunder. Leave Fanling City, or your Violethaven Temple will learn the cost of coveting Liu Family blood."
"You have no idea. We are simply the first to arrive. The reergence of the Nine Heavens Exquisite Body has stirred the realm's undercurrents. Others will co, Liu Tianfeng, and your family cannot stand against them all."
Mu Wuyan's voice dripped with condescension as his violet-silver barrier vibrated as he raised his treasure artifact – a crystalline scepter etched with swirling runes that radiated an oppressive aura.
"Surrender the girl or face endless trouble. At least, in our hands, she will be well protected."
Liu Tianfeng's eyes narrowed, his divine talisman glowing faintly in his grip. The ntion of other factions sent a ripple of unease through him, but his resolve hardened.
He snorted, producing his treasure artifact. A gauntlet that crackled with black lightning as it called forth storm clouds above the sky of Fanling City.
Many might be unaware of the grade of their artifacts but anyone with a discerning eye could figure it out.
Heaven-grade artifacts. The highest grade artifacts that could be found in the First Heaven.
"Hmph. Protected by you? You think your deeds can be covered up by the passage of ti? How many Bloodline, Earthly and Heavenly Physiques have your sect extracted and offered to your deity to this date? The Liu Family bows to no one but the Zhenren Taihao. And this city…" His gaze flickered briefly to the Divine Convenience Store, where the Divine Guardian Construct stood like an unyielding sentinel. "This city is under divine protection. You tread on sacred ground, Mu Wuyan!"
The Grand Elder's sneer faltered only for a split second as his spiritual senses brushed against the Divine Guardian Construct's aura.
At his cultivation stage, he could tell how extraordinary it was. It carried a divine weight that made even his current strength feel inadequate. His eyes darted to the store's glass doors, where Lin Mo leaned casually against the fra, donning a smile that was infuriatingly serene for the eyes of an expert like him.
Just like what Liu Tianfeng tried to do earlier, his spiritual senses attempted to pierce through the store's glass doors. Expectedly, it failed.
Mu Wuyan frowned, "Sacred grounds. I see. This place is where your deity has run off after being chased out of the Western Sacred Lands."
"Chased off? Get your history straight! They left the Sacred Lands of their own accord! They see no future in that region's closed-mindedness." Liu Tianfeng said. As if confirming what he just uttered, the divine talisman now hanging at his waist faintly shone.
"Excuses. Your deity is a coward." Mu Wuyan clicked his tongue before shifting his gaze back to Lin Mo. "You there. You harbor the Nine Heavens Exquisite Body. Hand her over, and the Violethaven Temple will reward you handsoly. Defy us, and this city will be reduced to ash.
Inside the store, Liu Xiaoyu peeked over the counter, her pout replaced by a spark of defiance. "Hmph, this old guy's got so nerve! Boss, you're not gonna let him talk like that, right?"
Lin Mo chuckled, his gaze never leaving Mu Wuyan. "Xiaoyu, he's just another custor with a loud mouth. Watch and learn how the Divine Convenience Store should handle troublemakers."
Where did his courage co from? For one, the Liu Family is standing against them at the mont. Then, there's the Divine Guardian Construct at the storefront, and inside the store is Yangyang.
If he acted scared this ti, wouldn't that lower the acquired prestige of the store? On top of that, they're disrupting their business. Better to deal with them than watch and wait.
He stepped forward, pushing the glass door open with a casual nudge, the chi echoing like a mocking bell in the tense silence.
"Grand Elder Mu, or should I address you 'dear custor'?" Lin Mo called, his voice clear and unshaken despite the crushing auras clashing above. "You're welco to shop at our humble store but threats don't get you discounts. Liu Xiaoyu's my assistant and she's not for sale. As for Fanling City…"
He gestured to the Divine Guardian Construct, whose azure orbs flared brighter, its halberd shifting with a faint hum of divine energy. "Allow to declare this. Starting today, our Divine Convenience Store's fate is now tied to the city. You'll have to get through our Security Guard if you wish to lay waste to it."
The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and nervous murmurs. Shang Shuiyin, who also went to watch at the door, felt her jaw drop. The Shopkeeper was taunting a Void Refinent Stage expert like he was haggling over a pack of [Taihao Spicy Noodles]! Her recording jade trembled in her hand, capturing every mont for the Arctic Sea Palace.
Mu Wuyan's face twisted with rage. His scepter glowed as his misty aura surged into it. "Insolent mortal! You think a divine trinket can stop the Violethaven Temple? I'll–"
Before he could finish, a deafening hum filled the air. The Divine Guardian Construct moved, its obsidian-and-jade form blurring as it raised its halberd.
A silent pulse of divine energy rippled outward, shattering Mu Wuyan's violet-silver barrier like fragile glass and forcing the Grand Elder to stagger back atop his ship.
The athyst-crusted hull groaned under the pressure, and cracks started to form in its structure.
The crowd fell silent as they held their breath. Even Liu Tianfeng's eyes widened, his spiritual senses locking onto the construct with newfound respect.
"Divine craftsmanship… Taihao's work is flawless."
With a pale face, Mu Wuyan steadied himself as his sneer returned, acting like he hadn't just been blown away by the simple movent of the construct.
"Impressive. But you've only delayed the inevitable. The Nine Heavens Exquisite Body belongs to the realm, not your petty store. Others will co, and—"
Another hum interrupted him as the skies above Fanling City churned. A third ship construct erged from the clouds, its erald hull adorned with intricate vine-like arrays that pulsed with verdant energy.
The Verdant Sky Ark, flagship of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, descended with a grace of its imnse power. A figure in flowing green robes stood at its helm, the Spirit Severing Stage Ancestor of the Pavilion and behind her stood Yu Mingrou, the Pavilion Master, along with the Elders, Deacons and Elite mbers of the Pavilion.
"Violethaven Temple, what are you doing in our Eastern Abyssal Domain? The Western Sacred Lands are in that direction." The Ancestor's voice rang out, clear and sharp like a jade chi. "The Divine Convenience Store is an ally of the Verdant Sky Pavilion. Threaten it, and you threaten us."
Sensing her cultivation base, Mu Wuyan was about to sneer but before he could do so, more ships appeared on the horizon. The Azure Gale Sect's Skycutter Sheathe, its blue sails crackling with azure wind energy. The Crimson Vale Sect's Emberheart Vessel, its hull glowing like molten lava. The White Ember Sect's Frostfla Ship, shimring with white flas.
The sword cultivators of the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect could also be seen flying with their swords, while the people from the Lightning Athyst Sect could be seen riding their reared lightning spirit beasts.
Then, even though it was paltry compared to the flagship constructs of various upper-grade sects, the Southern Wu Kingdom's Dragon Ark, led by Crown Prince Wu Tianlong, joined the fray, its golden scales glinting under the sun.
With this developnt, the Bulletin Board went into a frenzy. Many have even declared their intention to co to the assistance of the Divine Convenience Store as they set out from the Tower with their ship constructs.
Lin Mo blinked, his lips twitching into sothing dangerously close to a grin. The spectacle unfolding above Fanling City was beyond even his wildest expectations. Void Refinent Stage titans, ancestral ships, and now half the Eastern Abyssal Domain's upper-grade sects rallying to the store's defense?
It was chaos, but the kind of chaos that scread opportunity. His mind raced, already calculating how to turn this into a Bulletin Board event, maybe post a promotion titled 'In the Defense of the Store' with an exclusive discount for every participant. Imagine the spirit stones they would accumulate.
Mu Wuyan's sneer was erased as his spiritual senses swept over the arriving ships. The Spirit Severing Stage Ancestors, Nascent Soul Sect Masters, Core Formation Elders and nurous disciples.
Each faction's presence stacked like a divine talisman array, amplifying the pressure on the Violethaven Temple.
They were small fries but with how many they were, his single ship would surely be overwheld. His athyst ship groaned under the combined spiritual weight, its forbidden arrays flickering as they strained to hold.
"Such audacity," Mu Wuyan hissed, his scepter pulsing with violet-silver light. "You think a coalition of backwater sects can intimidate our Violethaven Temple? The Nine Heavens Exquisite Body is a divine mandate, destined to serve the greater realm. Hand her over, or the whole Western Sacred Lands will raze this city and entire region to dust!"
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