Divine Convenience Store

"Qingyan, there's a restriction array up ahead. Our Formation Master found it difficult to decipher. We might have to find another way forward." Chu Yueying reported as she returned to the makeshift camp of their expedition group inside the Secret Realm Yu Qingyan discovered.

After a day of exploration, all they found inside it was… nothing. The ethereal plains of green and white stretched endlessly in every direction. There were no spirit beasts, no rare herbs, no ancient ruins. Just pure, ancient, and overwhelmingly dense spiritual energy. It was a perfect place for cultivation, but it felt sterile, empty. The only feature was a single, winding path made of smooth, white stones that they had been following since they arrived.

"Another dead end?" Yu Qingyan asked, looking up from a detailed map she had been meticulously charting. Her brow was furrowed in frustration. "This is the third array we've encountered that Master Xiu couldn't bypass. It's like this place doesn't want us to proceed."

Master Xiu, the elderly formation master, hobbled over, shaking his head. "It is not a hostile array, Emissary Yu. The arrays are undecipherable, only because it was not only ancient but also made of highly advanced formation inscriptions. I can, at the very least, surmise that it has a condition to be lifted. A test, perhaps."

"A test? In this Secret Realm?" Chu Yueying scoffed, tapping her foot impatiently. "We've been walking for a day and have found nothing but grass and a pretty path. What kind of immortal ancestor left this realm behind with a test with nary a clue in sight?"

The other members of the expedition team were murmuring amongst themselves. Their initial excitement was beginning to curdle into doubt and fatigue. The sterile environment was psychologically draining even to the toughest minds. But still, it had only been a day. They were expecting to be in combat, fighting ancient spirit beasts, but none of those appeared.

Yu Qingyan stared at the map, then at the distant, shimmering barrier of the restriction array. She thought of Lin Mo. What would he do in this situation? He wouldn't just give up. He would find a more convenient solution.

The problem wasn't the path; it was their approach. They were treating this like a normal Secret Realm, a place to be conquered and plundered. But the energy here was pure, not hostile. The arrays were filters, not traps.

"Convenience," She whispered to herself. The word sparked an idea.

"Everyone," She announced as her voice gradually regained its confident authority. "We've been looking at this all wrong. We're trying to force our way through. But what if Master Xiu is right? This realm has prepared a test for us. Not a test of strength but of… something else?"

Yu Qingyan then turned to her two disciples. "Little Spring, Mei Ling, bring out the supplies."

A moment later, the center of their camp was filled with an assortment of familiar items: a portable burner talisman, a pot, packets of [Taihao Spicy Noodles], an assortment of store-packed meals, cans of [Heavenly Dew Soda], and a large bag of [Morning Dew Popcorn Puffs].

The expedition team looked at her, utterly bewildered.

"Elder Yu… are we having a meal break?" Jian Lie, the rogue swordsman, asked in confusion.

"Exactly," Yu Qingyan said with a mysterious smile. "We've been so focused on pushing forward that we've forgotten the most basic principle of convenience. Take a moment to rest and enjoy the simple things."

Chu Yueying raised an eyebrow, a skeptical smirk playing on her lips. "Qingyan, I appreciate a good snack as much as anyone, but I fail to see how having a picnic is going to solve an ancient, impassable array."

"Just trust me," Yu Qingyan replied, already beginning to prepare the noodles.

The tantalizing aroma soon filled the sterile air of the plains, a warm, savory scent that was a stark and welcome contrast to the cold, empty environment. The simple act of preparing a meal seemed to transform the atmosphere of the camp. The murmuring stopped, replaced by the sounds of cans being opened, noodle soup being slurped, and popcorn puffs being crunched.

For a few minutes, they didn't appear to be a high-stakes expedition team inside an unknown Secret Realm, just a group of people sharing a meal.

As Yu Qingyan took her first sip of the spicy broth, she closed her eyes, not focusing on the array, but on the simple, profound comfort the meal provided. She then picked a mouthful of meat and spirit grains from one of the packed meals, letting her tongue bask in the divine flavors sealed within.

It was a taste of the store, a taste of home, a small piece of familiar convenience in a vast, alien world.

Seeing her enjoy it like that, everyone gradually put down their guard, copying her as they selected what they wanted to eat and enjoyed the meal.

Minutes later, something within the Secret Realm changed.

Shiing~

A soft, melodious chime echoed through the plains, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. The white stone path in front of them began to glow with a gentle, emerald light.

The first to notice that was naturally Yu Qingyan. She stood up, walked closer to the edge of the formation, and peeked into the area revealed behind it.

Compared to the vast open plains that welcomed them, a walled garden of breathtaking beauty now lay before them. Spirit herbs of unimaginable rarity grew in perfectly manicured beds and a gentle stream of liquid spiritual energy flowed through their center.

Chu Yueying's jaw dropped. "It… it worked? A meal break was the key?"

"No. It's not exactly the meal break," Yu Qingyan said as a triumphant smile spread across her face. "It was the mindset. This place isn't testing our strength or our intellect. It's testing our intent. It is possibly trying to filter out those who are driven only by ambition and greed. We were trying to conquer it. The moment we stopped, the moment we embraced a moment of simple, shared comfort… the path opened."

An ancient, ethereal voice, gentle as a spring breeze, echoed through their minds, confirming her theory.

"The Dao is found not only in the grand pursuit, but in the quiet moment. The path is open to those who understand the value of rest, of camaraderie, of a shared meal under an endless sky. Welcome, Children of Convenience."

The voice faded, leaving the expedition team in stunned silence.

"Children… of Convenience?" Master Xiu whispered as his old eyes opened wide with wonder. "This Secret Realm… it was made for… for us? For patrons of the store?"

"Or," Yu Qingyan mused, looking at the glowing path, "it was made by someone who shared the same philosophy. Someone who understood that the greatest treasures are often found when you're not desperately looking for them."

She turned to her team, her eyes gleaming with renewed purpose. "It seems this fortuitous encounter is even greater than I imagined. Let's proceed."

The team, still reeling from the shared sense of wonder and a profound new understanding, nodded in unison. They packed up their camp and made their way back to the winding path leading inside the walled garden.

The sterile plains no longer felt empty but filled with a sense of profound and ancient wisdom.

If Lin Mo were with them, he would probably feel like he was being mocked by the secret realm. What 'children of convenience'? He just clung to it because of the name of the store.

"Elder Yu. Shall we send word outside?" A deacon of the Verdant Sky Pavilion stepped forward, his eyes wide as he gazed at the priceless spirit herbs. "These… some of these are thought to be extinct! The Pavilion… the entire realm would pay any price for even a single stalk."

Yu Qingyan's gaze swept over the garden, taking in the sight before her. Eventually, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

The deacon was right. The value here was incalculable. It was enough to start a war between major sects.

"No," She firmly said, "We are not here as the Verdant Sky Pavilion. We are here as an expedition team led by me, a representative of the Divine Convenience Store. What we do next, we do by his principles."

She looked at Chu Yueying, whose expression had turned serious. "Yueying, what did the voice say? It welcomed the 'Children of Convenience'. It didn't say, 'come and plunder my garden'"

Chu Yueying nodded slowly, understanding the implication. "You're right. This might just be another test."

As if in response to their understanding, the ethereal voice spoke again, its tone warm and approving.

"Indeed. This garden is a gift, but one to be nurtured, not stripped bare. To take from the soil, one must also give back."

In the center of the garden, the ground began to glow. A small, perfectly tilled plot of empty earth appeared. Then, a single, humble watering could be seen resting beside it. The message was clear.