Divine Convenience Store

After a while, the simulated environment returned to the bleak gray wall of the training room. Eight hours in the real world had passed. He spent the whole night inside the training room. In total, he had spent over six and a half days in accelerated time. Six and a half days of brutal tempering and relentless combat.

Somehow, he started wondering if that was still a Physical Simulation or simply a mental one. But seeing how his progress didn't revert to how it was before entering, he understood that the Premium Cultivation Room had a formation that locked him in that accelerated time compared to the application of the Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb, which could only apply the acceleration through Mental Simulation.

Now, he wasn't sure if it was exclusive to him or if the Golden Patrons like Chu Yueying also had the option to train in an accelerated time. Because if that's the case, this room has just become more valuable than the immortal-grade artifact. As for the regular training rooms downstairs, it was possibly the one that had a feature almost identical to that artifact.

As he stood up from the ground, the final panel appeared before him. This time, it was one directly sent by Taihao.

[Task Complete: Foundation Establishment Preparation]

[Evaluation: Passable. You finally learned not to just hit things harder. There's hope for you yet, young man.]

[Reward: One Vial of 'Primordial Starlight Dew' has been deposited in the system's inventory. Use it when you are ready to break through. It will assist in the formation of your Perfect Foundation, and who knows? Perhaps you'd also acquire a new ability through it.]

[Additional Note: Don't get cocky. This was the easy part. Your minor tribulation will be eye-catching because of your Celestial Providence. Do not attempt to face it outside the store. Find a place inside, and the store will let the Tribulation Lightning find its way to you.]

"That old man... How eye-catching will it be? More than Xiaoyu's minor tribulation? In any case, my body might already be in the ideal state but there's no indication of the tribulation coming yet. They said I should be able to sense its impending arrival... I guess this means I still have to fully consolidate all of my gains."

He glanced down at his half-naked body. His green and white uniform had long been torn apart, while his slacks had become tattered. What about his shoes? Gone to ashes.

If Xiaoyu or Meiyu were waiting for him outside, they'd be shocked at his current appearance.

But that's not what Lin Mo focused on. He clenched his fist, sensing his spiritual energy and starlight qi calmly flowing through his energy channels. Then, inside his body, the previously four nodes had become six. A perfect, stable hexagonal constellation now orbited his dantian.

The completion of the [Starflow Meditation Manual]'s first layer wasn't the goal of the regimen, but it was the natural result.

Achieving a state of perfect flow and mastery had pushed him over the edge.

His cultivation base, previously teetering on the edge of the peak, had now surged, breaking through the final barrier. He was now at the peak of the 10th Level of the Spirit Condensation Stage.

He could feel it subtly. An imperceptible pressure gathering in the spiritual firmament above, a sign that Heaven's Will was beginning to notice him. The tribulation wasn't imminent, but it was on the horizon.

"Six nodes of starlight qi... Peak Spirit Condensation," Lin Mo breathed, a slow, triumphant grin spreading across his face. He could still feel the exhaustion throughout his mind and body but it was overshadowed by his new profound sense of power. "Passable, huh, old man? I'd like to see you try that waterfall. But considering his identity, he might've been born as a divine being."

Although he didn't have to focus on the second layer of the [Starflow Meditation Manual] yet, he studied and tried to comprehend the requirements for it. It was far more complex, requiring the cultivator to form five more constellations consisting of six nodes, which would lead to the thirty-six Heavenly Stars formation within his dantian. That would be a feat for when he's about to tackle the Core Formation stage. For now, consolidation was key.

With a flick of his wrist, he accessed the system inventory and retrieved a fresh set of his standard green and white uniform, changing out of his tattered attire.

He took a final deep breath, calming down the excitement within his chest before commanding the door to open.

The reinforced door hissed open and he stepped out into the quiet luxury of the second-floor lounge.

It was still early, the sun just beginning to cast its first rays through the store's windows.

The place was empty, save for one person.

Southern Wu Kingdom's First Princess, Wu Meiyu, was seated gracefully on one of the plush couches, a steaming cup of tea made from one of the store's premium tea leaves. She was reviewing a jade slip, looking every bit the diligent manager. At this point, the green and white uniform of the store had become a little more natural to her.

She looked up as he emerged. At her current cultivation, which was a stage higher than his, Wu Meiyu could tell the drastic change that had happened overnight.

"You are finished, Shopkeeper," She said as her lips curved up slightly. "A fruitful night, I presume?"

She produced another cup and filled it with the tea she's drinking before gesturing for Lin Mo to sit down and join her.

"You could say that," Lin Mo replied, walking over and sinking into the couch opposite her. "You should try the cultivation room as well, Your Highness. It would be beneficial to you."

"I intend to," Wu Meiyu said, taking a delicate sip of her tea. Her eyes remained fixed on Lin Mo though. "I was observing the terminal. Elder Chu's extended sessions... and your own eight-hour session. I noticed the time acceleration feature is a standard option, but only for the Premium rooms. It is not available for the rooms on the first floor."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. So that confirmed it. "You figured that out already?"

"It is a logical conclusion," She stated simply. "The rooms downstairs are for general practice and honing existing skills. These rooms… they are for true, foundational transformation. A service so valuable it must be exclusive to your most trusted and affluent patrons. Limiting the most powerful feature, accelerated physical time, to the Golden Patron floor is a sound business strategy. It creates a powerful incentive for others to strive for that status."

Lin Mo couldn't help but be impressed. "Your Highness, you've been managing my staff for two days and you're already thinking like the store's CFO."

A rare, genuine laugh escaped her lips, a melodious sound in the quiet lounge. "CFO? What does that mean? Anyhow, perhaps I have found my true calling."

"Indeed. If you truly stick with us, I'm looking forward to working with you for a long time," Lin Mo replied with a smile. "Any major crises while I was gone?"

"Only the usual kind," She answered while hiding the small smile that was prompted by his words, "Xiaoyu successfully implemented the new Bulletin Board sections. The 'Mercenary & Adventurer's Guild' already has over a hundred registered users, and three minor sects have posted recruitment notices. The realm adapts to your convenience with startling speed."

"Good. And the new staff?"

"Their orientation is complete. I've assigned them their initial shifts. Pan Ruo is a remarkably quick learner. She has already memorized the functions of over fifty different products that are commonly bought by our patrons. Xiao Ya has taken her under her wing. They seem to be getting along well."

Lin Mo nodded, satisfied. The store was running smoothly even without his direct oversight. "Excellent. It seems I can afford to take a day off... after the Divine Lecture and opening the new branch, at least."

Just as he spoke, Liu Xiaoyu came bounding up the stairs with her Viewing Jade in hand and a look of barely contained excitement on her face.

"Boss! You're out! You missed it! You missed everything!" The overexcited assistant chirped, nearly tripping over the top step.

"Missed what? We're not even open yet." Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Not that!" She exclaimed, waving her Viewing Jade in his face. "This! From the Bulletin Board! The Stormhowl Tribe! They did it!"

Lin Mo's brows curled. The Stormhowl Tribe?

With his interest piqued, he glanced at her jade's screen.

Xiaoyu had already pulled up the relevant thread. It was the most viewed post in the new 'Mercenary & Adventurer's Guild' section, despite not being a commission.

The thread was started by a user named 'StormAxeBorok'. The post was blunt, filled with guttural grammar, but its message was crystal clear. It was accompanied by a shaky but vivid image attachment.

[SKY-VERMIN NEST FOUND. DATA WAS TRUE. – StormAxeBorok]

This… Who gave that barbarian chieftain a Viewing Jade?