Divine Convenience Store

"Boss, same strats. We'll handle this one. You and Xiaoping round up the small fries." Liu Xiaoyu said before dashing forward once again as soon as she got a vision of who might be the Area Boss.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jianxin simply gave Lin Mo a reassuring nod before following Xiaoyu. Her flying swords were hacking away at the few little green creatures surrounding it.

Without being given the chance to say something, Lin Mo could only shake his head as he turned to the young boy whose eyes were already glittering with excitement. He's just as battle-hardened as his older sister.

[Area 2 Boss: Unknown Entity (High-Tier)]

[Threat Level: ?? (Early Core Formation Stage)]

[Abilities: Unknown]

Glancing at the Area Boss with the status panel only showing mostly question marks, save for its estimated strength of Early Core Formation Stage, Lin Mo wasn't too worried. The only thing they had to watch out for was the skill of this new enemy.

It's not the same as the Decrint Type Chieftain but it resembled the staff-wielding goblin-like creatures that they encountered in this area.

This new Area Boss was a much larger version of them with its skin a deeper, almost blackish-green. Its eyes glowed with malevolent, crackling energy.

It clutched a gnarled, multi-pronged staff that pulsed with the same energy permeating the Anchor. Around it, three smaller staff-wielding creatures, each roughly the size of a human, began chanting in a guttural language, their rudimentary staffs glowing faintly. Their strength was equivalent to Foundation Establishment Stage as opposed to the skirmishers, bone-archers and goblin shaman-like mobs who were only as strong as late Spirit Condensation Stage.

"I see. Looks like a caster-type in Area ." Lin Mo mused. This was a different challenge. The Chieftain was brute force, but these shamans likely meant elemental attacks, support spells and perhaps curses. Their chanting was already ominous.

"Xiaoping, they look like the chanting goblins we met earlier. They're probably casters. They can buff their allies and debuff us, so we need to take them out first." Lin Mo commanded, pulling out a [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal] depicting a swift-winged falcon. "Here, try this. It enhances agility. Get to those smaller staff-wielders and disrupt their chanting. The faster they're down, the better."

Xiaoping's eyes gleamed as he took the sticker seal, slapping it onto his chest.

A faint, swift breeze rippled around him. "Got it, Shopkeeper Boss! No chanting, no problems!"

He darted forward, using his [Stormy Edge Scripture] to maneuver through the melee, sweeping them away from the larger shaman which Xiaoyu and the Sword Fairy had locked on.

At the moment, Liu Xiaoyu was already clashing with the large staff-wielder, her gauntlet crackling with a furious blend of lightning and wind qi. Her Heavenly Physique was truly fascinating. Despite being only at early Foundation Establishment Stage, the impact of her attacks was rivaling the peak Foundatation Establishment Stage, Jiang Jianxin's swift sword strikes.

The large creature, despite Lin Mo's assessment of it being a shaman was surprisingly agile for its bulk.

It managed to parry Liu Xiaoyu's strikes with its staff, its eyes flashing with surprise at her speed and power.

Then, a wave of sickly green mist suddenly billowed from its staff, washing over Xiaoyu.

Lin Mo quickly activated a defensive card talisman to buff Liu Xiaoyu and the Sword Fairy.

Xiaoyu, caught briefly in the mist, felt a momentary weakness, but her Nine Heavens Exquisite Body quickly purged the foreign energy.

She let out a defiant laugh. "Is that all you got, greenie?! You'll need more than stinky gas to stop me!"

She unleashed another thunderous punch, forcing the large staff-wielder to raise its staff defensively, a rudimentary spiritual ward flickering into existence around it. She's not even using any technique. She's brute-forcing it, and despite that, her attacks were still effective.

Jiang Jianxin's four flying swords then swiftly took over after dispatching the surrounding skirmishers and archers, shifted her focus. Two of her swords slashed at the Area Boss's limbs, drawing green blood from it.

Her remaining swords, imbued with keen sword intent, continued to carve paths through the lesser creatures, flying toward the chanting smaller staff-wielders that Xiaoping was targeting.

Xiaoping, moving under the assistance of Jiang Jianxin's flying swords, closed in on one of the smaller staff-wielders. His gauntleted fist slammed into its staff, disrupting its chant and breaking it. The shaman shrieked, retaliating with a weak, green energy bolt that Xiaoping easily deflected with his enhanced speed.

Then, Lin Mo, armed with his [Starlit Dragon Spear], remained at the rear, observing the battle.

His new enhancements were making him more confident. He unleashed a few [Starcoil Thrusts] and [Dragon Crescent Sweeps], the starlight qi slicing through skirmishers that tried to flank them from slipping through the entrance of the chamber.

The [Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seal] on his arm made him feel light and quick, enabling him to move with a surprising fluidity. Seeing as Xiaoyu and Jiang Jianxin were unfazed against the Area Boss, he started honing the spear arts he spent a day formulating in the mental simulation.

He had volunteers who'd gladly take his spear to their bodies. It's a shame to waste that opportunity.

But inwardly, Lin Mo simply thought he'd be better off doing something else than joining the experts.

—

Meanwhile, back at the newly activated Celestial Shuttle Network hub, the assembled cultivators of the Eastern Abyssal Domain, a mix of orthodox Sect Masters, Core Formation Elders, and the High Priest of the Poison Demon Cult with Venom Master Xun, Marrow Weaver and Venom Master Huangfeng, stood agape.

The initial shock of Lin Mo's powerful display had given way to a profound, almost bewildered awe.

It had taken them quite a while debating amongst themselves after Lin Mo's departure to decide to finally check out the hub.

The shiny metallic archway appeared to pulse with a quiet, efficient energy that felt entirely alien to their spiritual senses.

Beyond it, the spacious hall was illuminated by a soft, uniform glow that emanated not from spirit lamps or glowing formations, but from integrated panels on the ceiling.

"This… this is truly the Shopkeeper's 'convenience'?" Sect Master Yan Tianfeng of the Azure Gale Sect murmured. He couldn't take his eyes off the glowing archway and its interior.

He instinctively reached out, but hesitated before touching its smooth, unadorned surface. It felt cool, solid, and utterly unlike any spiritual artifact he had witnessed.

"It seems so, Sect Master Yan," Yu Mingrou, the Pavilion Master, replied, her voice slightly tinged with disbelief.

Her eyes were fixed on the seemingly automated ticket booth, its gleaming surface reflecting the soft light.

She approached it cautiously as her spiritual senses probed the peculiar screens that displayed strange symbols and numbers.

"This… 'ticket booth' appears to be some form of… self-service array. How does one… operate it?"

The High Priest, however, was far less hesitant. His initial shock had quickly transformed into a cunning fascination. He strode towards the ticket booth, his skull staff clicking softly against the polished floor.

"Fascinating!" He exclaimed. His skeletal fingers, usually adorned with dark rings, now gently traced the surface of one of the kiosks. "No array master I have ever known could craft such a seamless interface. It lacks the complex runes, the intricate carvings… yet it functions with flawless precision. Truly divine!"

He pressed a curious finger onto a glowing symbol on the screen, and the kiosk chimed softly, displaying a list of destinations.

- Divine Convenience Store (Main Branch)

- Jade Hollow Plains Conduit Tower

- Fanling City Anchor VYFB#0010

- Abyssal Forest Conduit Tower

Beneath each was a peculiar number, 100 Dimension Essence or 1 high-grade spirit stone.

"One high-grade spirit stone per person for instantaneous travel across realms?" Sect Master Hong Ying of the Crimson Vale Sect exclaimed, her fiery aura momentarily dimming in astonishment. "This… this is unheard of! Even our most potent teleportation arrays require thousands of high-grade spirit stones and days of preparation for a single journey across a major domain!"

"Indeed," the High Priest chuckled, a hint of avarice flashing in his eyes. But he knew better than to act on it. "The Shopkeeper is not only a purveyor of convenience but a master of… disruptive technology. This will reshape the landscape of travel and commerce in our realm."

He gestured deeper into the hall, towards the platforms where three peculiar, roofless carriages sat, gleaming under the soft light. They were shaped like smooth, flattened saucers, their interiors lined with what appeared to be plush, comfortable seating.

"And these 'Carriage Saucers'… they seem capable of transporting legions if not regiments." The High Priest continued, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Imagine, forces moved with the speed of thought. Reinforcements arriving instantly. Our cult's influence… could expand exponentially."

He almost began rubbing his skeletal hands together in glee.

The Sect Masters and Elders, initially wary of the High Priest's enthusiasm, now found themselves unable to deny the profound implications.

"This means we can send disciples to train at the Jade Hollow Plains Tower without weeks of travel," Sect Master Lin Yuanzhi of the White Ember Sect mused, his expression contemplative. "And respond to demonic incursions with unprecedented speed."

Yu Mingrou nodded slowly, her mind already working with the strategic possibilities for the Verdant Sky Pavilion. "And trade routes. Information. Imagine the speed with which goods and news can travel. This network… it makes the entire Eastern Abyssal Domain a single, cohesive unit."