Divine Convenience Store

Lin Mo pulled up the system interface and went to the blinking panel that was reminding him about the Portal Placement. It was as if it wanted him to hurriedly create that connection between the Realm of the Nine Heavens and one of the Fractured Plains.

Certainly, it had to do with the fact that the Divine Interface System slipped into Conduit Tower through the Store Beacon and then took hold of its administration after Xiaoyu completed all challenges.

There was one post in the Bulletin Board that didn't gain any traction but got Lin Mo's attention.

It came from the username, WanderingMonk. It wasn't that hard for him to find out that it was the Towerbreaker. The Broke Monk, Huiyin.

Because he couldn't send him a direct message, the post itself was directed at him. Those few who commented below called him out as copying ArachnidMistress.

In any case, what the monk said in that post was information about the towers he supposedly destroyed.

Apparently, they got destroyed after he cleared all the challenges in them. As much as it was his duty to destroy them, he's still putting that much effort into it. But according to him, the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower that she failed to clear was actually several times more difficult than those he destroyed.

After that, he put out a theory that the Conduit Tower's connection to the Divine Convenience Store bumped up the difficulty of the challenges. That it was the tower's form of retaliation against the intrusion of the system.

Then, he ended that post while saying he's going back to the Western Sacred Lands. To return to his temple.

He still had the Viewing Jade with him, so Lin Mo didn't think much of it. He was curious about the name of his temple but at this moment, he had a lot of things to think about so he shelved it to the corner of his mind.

Now, returning to the Plane Portal that had been generated after Xiaoyu's clearing the Floor 10, Lin Mo believed that the store taking over prevented its destruction and the portal possibly had to do with what little 'will' the Martial World had left.

The 'will' or the soul of the Fractured Plane of Martial World. Lin Mo was thinking of two possibilities why it happened.

One, the system used the tower to stabilize its connection to the Realm of Nine Heavens..

Two, the Fractured Plane opened itself up like it was surrendering to the store and, in turn, to the Realm of Nine Heavens.

Whichever the case, Lin Mo was led to believe that whatever was waiting at that place would only be beneficial to the store.

"Miss Yangyang, I'm going to activate the [Plane Portal] now. Just a quick peek. And then, can you help me activate the orb again for an hour of mental simulation?"

Yangyang nodded, "No problem. After I leave, you can use the spirit stones to activate it. The Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb will consume around one hundred high-grade stones for a one-hour session, be it Physical or Mental Simulation.

"That's steep," Lin Mo found his lips twitching as he calculated how much it would cost him to activate the orb overnight.

Somehow, he started wanting to sell it off right away and let a Sect Master shoulder that problem and… ask them for a favor to use it. It's not like they'll be as poor as him. If he wanted that third branch, he had to save up his salary as the Shopkeeper.

Yangyang couldn't help but smile at his reaction. "Shall I leave behind a fortune to you? A divine crystal will be priceless in this place."

"... Miss Yangyang, I'll worship you if you leave behind wealth for me."

"Pfft. Unfortunately, I cannot produce a divine crystal yet. Furthermore, I left behind most of my belongings in my courtyard at the Divine Pantheon." She giggled and then waved her hand dismissively, her glasses glinting under the store's soft lighting. "But fear not, Shopkeeper. You'll rake in enough spirit stones with the new branch and the [Celestial Shuttle Network]. Just keep turning crises into opportunities like you did today."

Lin Mo sighed, rubbing his temples as the thought of having enough wealth slipped from his grasp. He then turned his focus back to the system interface.

The [Plane Portal] notification seemed to blink with an inviting glow, its details outlining the connection to the Martial World's Fractured Plane.

He scanned the information carefully.

[Plane Portal – Martial World]

[Description: A stabilized dimensional gateway linking the Divine Convenience Store to the Martial World's Fractured Plane. The portal allows bidirectional travel. The Martial World is a ruined plane of a previously prosperous world saturated with martial intent, housing forgotten legacies, spirit beasts and dormant resources.]

[Status: Inactive (Awaiting Activation)]

[Activation Cost: 50,000 Dimension Essence]

[Maintenance Cost: 5,000 Dimension Essence per week]

[Accessibility: Spirit Condensation Stage to Nascent Soul Stage]

[Note: The portal's stability is tied to the Store Beacon within the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower. Deactivation or destruction of the tower will collapse the portal. Initial exploration recommended to assess rewards and threats.]

[Available Actions:

- Activate Portal: 50,000 DE

- Scan the Immediate Vicinity of the Portal Location for Initial Data: 10,000 DE]

Lin Mo's eyes narrowed at the activation cost.

50,000 Dimension Essence was a hefty chunk, even with his current reserve of over 4 million. The maintenance cost wasn't trivial either, but the potential rewards of a Fractured Plane made it tempting. The accessibility range also meant he could bring Xiaoyu, Jiang Jianxin, and possibly a few others without risking higher-stage cultivators destabilizing the plane.

It was also going to be profitable to send just any local cultivators and set up some kind of Adventurers' or Explorers' Guild.

"Miss Yangyang, what's your take? Should I activate now or scan first?" Lin Mo asked, glancing at her.

Not that he truly needed her counsel, but since she's beside him, it wouldn't hurt to hear a second opinion. Besides, Yangyang's divine insight could be trusted.

The woman nudged her glasses as she thought about it carefully. She's not a divine being yet, but she was more knowledgeable than him when it comes to things an inhabitant of the First Heaven would know.

"Shopkeeper, the Martial World's Fractured Plane can be a treasure trove or a graveyard. Scanning first will be more prudent. It'll give you a clearer picture of what's waiting on the other side, be it a hoard of martial artifacts or a swarm of foreign creatures. Activating blindly might strain your reserves if the plane's threats outweigh the immediate rewards. You can still recoup the 10,000 you will send quite easily from the challengers of the Conduit Tower."

Lin Mo nodded, her logic aligning with his cautious streak.

"Alright, I'll bite my tongue and close my eyes to not feel the sting of losing those 10,000."

He tapped the interface, selecting [Scan Plane for Initial Data].

The system hummed, deducting 10,000 Dimension Essence as waves of energy spread throughout the store before disappearing at one point.

The interface flickered, processing the scan. Lin Mo opened his eyes and waited.

Soon, the chime of the system echoed in his ears.

The interface chimed, the scan complete. A new panel materialized, detailing the initial findings from the Martial World's Fractured Plane.

[Martial World – Initial Scan Results]

[Description: A shattered plane once home to a martial civilization that revered physical prowess and spiritual harmony. The plane's collapse left behind fragmented dojos, spirit beast lairs, and trial grounds infused with martial intent. Residual energy signatures suggest dormant legacies and hostile entities.]

[Key Findings:

- Primary Zones: Iron Crane Dojo (Central), Slithering Wilderness (East), Shattered Blade Gorge (West)

- Resources Detected: Martial Spirit Crystals, Starforged Ore, Celestial Bamboo Shoots (Can be sent to the Divine Pantheon)

- Hostile Entities: Resentful Martial Wraiths, Fractured Spirit Beasts and Darkshadow Creatures.

- Trial Grounds: 3 Identified (Iron Crane Trials, Verdant Fang Gauntlet, Blade Shifter's Maze)

- Threat Level: Moderate

[Note: Activation recommended within 72 hours to stabilize the portal before residual energies destabilize.]

As Lin Mo read through that, he couldn't help but shake his head. "... Why is it so detailed? Do we have time for this?"

With the threat of the Outer Realm and the likes of the Violethaven Temple, it felt like the addition of this put the store in the middle of three realm-defining events.

—

Meanwhile, at the Inner Abyssal Circle, the Poison Demon Cult under the command of Venom Master Xun continued resisting the swarm of foreign creatures. While they couldn't close the door yet, none of the creatures could spread outside the perimeter she set up along with the Wasp Branch.

As for the group of Shadow Veil Clan, they kept getting pushed back as Elder Ji and the now-awakened Elder Chen protected their disciples from being surrounded by the swarm.

Apart from the never-ending generation of those tower creatures, the demonic beasts within the Abyssal Forest had begun to stir, especially when several ship constructs flew above the treeline, homing in on the location of the newly-appeared Conduit Tower.

"...W-we're saved. They're here. The store patrons responded to my call for help!" The quick-witted disciple of the Shadow Veil Clan exclaimed.