Divine Convenience Store

The final chime of the closing bell echoed through the store, a welcome sound after another day of relentless activity. Lin Mo started walking down from the second floor, watching the last of the customers trickle out and his new staff begin their now-practiced closing procedures under Wu Meiyu's watchful eye.

Like he expected, the day passed with the unrelenting bustle of customers while he sat back, quietly managing the operation.

Earlier, Shadow Scythe had arrived as promised. As it turned out, he didn't look as old as Clan Leader Wei. That might mean he's still young for his current attainment. Even Yu Qingyan's grandmother had retained a hint of youthfulness, but the signs of age were already visible on her. The Verdant Sky Pavilion Ancestor was different though. She maintained her appearance when she was at her peak. Most likely, it had to do with her current stage and women being overly conscious of their looks.

Anyhow, Shadow Scythe had collected his gear and the Divine Patron token from the enthusiastic Liu Xiaoyu. He only exchanged a single, silent nod with Lin Mo before turning back and vanishing into the shuttle hub. He's not a fan of crowded places, it seems.

On the Bulletin Board, the Sunken Caverns assault was gaining massive traction. Dozens of rogue cultivators and even disciples from smaller sects were posting in Borok's thread, announcing their intent to join the store-sponsored expedition. The 'Mercenary's Guild' was already a resounding success, allowing a more coordinated effort of the Eastern Abyssal Domain cultivators in response to a foreign threat.

Yu Qingyan's expedition, in contrast, had gone completely silent. It's possibly a sign that they were deep within the Secret Realm and out of communication range. A small part of him felt a flicker of concern, but he trusted her competence and the quality of the store's emergency supplies.

He took a sip of his iced coffee, the familiar taste calming his thoughts down. His own cultivation had consolidated beautifully for the rest of the day. The faint threads of divinity generated from those who truly considered him the 'Convenience Saint' continued to pool into that small spark within his chest. Still, it was too negligible compared to what Yangyang could project in a single breath.

For now, the spark of divinity was nothing but a bonus that could sometimes boost his cultivation. At the moment, the peak of Spirit Condensation had become a solid, sturdy platform from which he could feel the distant call of the Foundation Establishment tribulation. He was ready. And he could sense it coming soon.

As he reached the last few steps to the landing, Wu Meiyu's voice drifted to him from the main floor, "Inventory check complete. All new staff are accounted for. Their payroll has been processed. Some picked spirit stones to take home, while others chose to convert their pay to Store Credits or Dimension Essence to purchase store products. Aside from Pan Ruo, Xiaoyu, Xiao Ya and Xiaoping, everyone had already vacated the store, Shopkeeper."

"Excellent work, Your Highness," Lin Mo replied, a genuine smile on his face. She was truly indispensable by now. She's handling things that he normally had to do himself.

Soon, the familiar chime of the Divine System Interface filled the air. The day's evaluation had arrived.

[Weekly Tasks - Completed]

[New Weekly Tasks will be generated tomorrow.]

—

[Day 18 Evaluation: Excellent]

[Sales Summary: 2104 Transactions]

[Revenue: 1511209 Intermediate-grade Spirit Stones]

[Celestial Duel Gear Bundle Sold: 500 units]

[Awakened Celestial Duel Mode Activation: 480 units]

[Divine Hall & Exhibition Arena Usage: 15 hours]

[Normal Cultivation and Training Room Usage: 288 sessions]

[Premium Cultivation and Training Room Usage: 41 sessions]

—

[Viewing Jades Sold: 3502 units (total 18216 units)]

[Store Bulletin Board User Count: 15611 users]

[Golden Patron Count: 198]

—

[Celestial Shuttle Network Trips: 3112 passengers]

[Dimension Essence Balance: 1,341,912 DE]

—

[Rewards: +50 Spirit Stones to Personal Balance for both Shopkeeper and Assistant, +35 Spirit Stones for the Staff]

[Tier Progression: Renowned Store (5180347/100000000), Golden Card Patron (198/1000)]

—

[Celestial Duel Gear Bundle daily stock will be increased to 1000.]

[Golden Patron threshold has been set to 20000 intermediate-grade spirit stones-worth of cumulative purchases]

[The Barter System's extended trial period has ended. Please decide whether to fully implement it and apply the adjustments made over the trial run.]

Lin Mo scanned the numbers, feeling a now-familiar sense of detached awe. The growth was exponential. The Dimension Essence balance had surged past the million mark again, and the number of Golden Patrons was climbing steadily. Every metric was screaming success.

Yet, his eyes were drawn to the additional notices beneath.

The Divine Pantheon seemed to have doubled their production of the Celestial Duel Gear. Most likely, it had to do with the Red Lotus Academy adopting it to their curriculum and the unsubsiding demand for it.

The requirement to become a Golden Patron had increased yet again. Lin Mo couldn't help but think that it probably had to do with the influx of Dimension Essence source. Since customers can use them, accumulating enough purchases was made easier compared to before, where a 1000 intermediate-grade spirit stones could still make an Elder-level figure feel the sting of spending that much.

He didn't know whether to find it good or bad. After all, the store needed 1000 Golden Patrons as one of the requirements for the next tier.

And lastly, the Barter System. Initially, it was put up by him for a 3-day trial to allow mortal inhabitants of Fanling City who had no way of earning a spirit stone a chance to purchase store products. But over time, he extended that trial since the professionals like Grandmaster Lian and Pill Master Ying had their livelihood threatened by the higher quality talisman and pill products of the store. He let them exchange what they could make with their abilities for Store Credits.

Now, after having the Barter System running for almost two weeks, it seems like the system was now telling him to decide whether to make it a permanent feature.

"Boss, what's that about the Barter System?" Xiaoyu asked, having bounded over to look at the evaluation.

"The trial period is over," Lin Mo explained. "The system is asking if we should make it official."

"Of course we should!" Xiaoyu declared. "Grandmaster Lian and the others would be sad if we took it away. And what about the regular folks in the city? It's how they get to buy stuff too!"

"She's right, Shopkeeper," Wu Meiyu added. "The Barter System does more than just provide an alternative currency. It integrates the local economy and professional artisans into your ecosystem. It gives them a way to contribute and benefit, rather than being made obsolete. It builds goodwill and stability. That is a form of convenience in itself."

Lin Mo nodded, their arguments aligning with his own thoughts. The Barter System was a crucial part of his 'convenience for all' philosophy.

"Alright," he said, accessing the system controls. "We'll make it permanent. Let's see what adjustments the system recommends..."

He tapped the option, and a new window popped up, detailing the proposed changes.

[Barter System - Permanent Implementation]

[Proposed Adjustments:

- Item Appraisal Module: A dedicated automatic terminal will be installed for appraising and processing bartered goods. It will provide a fair, standardized Store Credit value based on quality, rarity, and market demand.

- 'Local Artisans' Shelf: A new shelf section will be designated for selling select, high-quality bartered items. For example: Grandmaster Lian's talismans, Pill Master Ying's elixirs. This allows them to still showcase their skill even if store products totally outclass the quality of their creations. The store will only take a 1% commission on these sales but the shelves will have limited slots for each artisan.

- Raw Material Exchange: Through the appraisal module, the store will also accept bulk raw materials in exchange for Store Credits, providing a direct supply line for the store and an outlet for gatherers and hunters.

- Commission Board Integration: Patrons can now use the Barter System to offer goods as payment for commissions posted on the Mercenary's Guild.]

Lin Mo's grin widened. The Divine System Interface seemed to have fully integrated everything the Barter System needed. Now, it's going to be turned into a full-fledged, integrated part of the store's economy.

He was specifically pleased to read the first suggestion. The automated appraisal module will basically separate the Barter System from the checkout counter. It eases a little bit of pressure from the checkout clerks when customers can already trade in their items before going to the counter.

"Confirm implementation," Lin Mo ordered without hesitation.

The store's interior shimmered softly. Near the entrance, a section of the wall broke down like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It then quickly reconfigured itself and formed a modernized kiosk with a glowing appraisal platform and a large, user-friendly screen. It looked like those self-service counters one could see at supermarkets back on Earth.

It was labeled [Divine Barter & Appraisal Terminal].

At the same time, an empty shelf near the pill and talisman aisle transformed, a new sign appearing above it: [Local Artisans' Showcase].

"Whoa! It just… happened!" Xiao Ya exclaimed, while Xiaoyu immediately dashed towards it to check it out. As for Pan Ruo and Xiaoping, they hesitated for a moment before checking those out as well.

"Convenient, isn't it?" Lin Mo said, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

"Indeed. The store doesn't run out of transformation, does it, Shopkeeper?" Wu Meiyu replied as she fell in step beside him.