Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 293: What do you think, Royal Brother?
A wave of primal energy erupted from the activated Spell Card, rippling through the Celestial Field like a shockwave.
The air trembled as the [Ancient Beast Howl] blew away the Fallen Martial Artists and amplified the presence of Lin Mo's summons.
Their fiery auras got a boost as they flared with renewed intensity.
The [Firebrand Bear] took that opportunity. Letting out a deafening roar, its flames surging into a blazing inferno that chased after the crane-stance Fallen Martial Artist, slamming it into the ground, making its energy talon flicker on and off. The [Embermane Lion], on the other hand, got freed from the whip-like tendrils. It pounced with a snarl, biting off the shoulder of the tiger-stance Fallen Martial Artist before its flaming mane scorched its whole body.
As for Lin Mo, he had already picked his target out. With a swing of his spear, he swept two of the Fallen Martial Artists to the side and then finished the one the bear pinned down.
The [Wizened Old Sage]'s influence made his decisions feel instinctive, as if he'd fought a thousand battles before. And because of that, he somehow gained the ability to simulate a few seconds ahead of time.
However, to fully take advantage of that ability, he had to match it with his movements, otherwise, the calculation made would fall short. There's also a 5-10% margin of error in case the creatures pulled out a technique or an ability that he hadn't seen yet.
Luckily, it went as he expected. The Fallen Martial Artists' coordination faltered under the Spell Card's disruption and two of the energy blade-wielding ones hesitated to jump into his path, allowing him to execute the crane-stance one.
But that's not the end of it.
Gripping his spear tighter, Lin Mo immediately executed his next moves. His body became a blur of afterimages as he pushed the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] to its maximum efficiency. He took down the last whip-wielding Fallen Martial Artist, bringing down the number of creatures to 7.
The [Crystal Shell Technique] remained untouched after the first one but it didn't take long before three energy lances pierced through it.
He had to roll at the same time as the shell shattered to dodge the energy blade aimed at his neck.
When he regained his footing, Lin Mo failed to hold back his laughter, "Now I get it. This is how the experts feel. It was exhilarating to fight like this!"
His voice echoed through the chamber, a mix of adrenaline-fueled glee and an ordinary man's bravado. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
The thrill of the battle coursed through him, making each movement a testament to his growing confidence.
He called back his summons, placing them in front of him, preventing another sneak attack directed at him.
Meanwhile, the remaining seven Fallen Martial Artists regrouped, their featureless masks glowing with an eerie intensity.
Their coordination was tighter now, as if the [Ancient Beast Howl] and the loss of their three companions had only briefly disrupted their rhythm.
The three lance-wielding ones fanned out, their energy weapons humming with foreign power, while the two blade-wielders flanked the group, their serrated edges glinting menacingly. The final two, with claw-like energy constructs, crouched low, ready to pounce.
If this were a martial arts movie, they'd be locked in a melee combat by now. But Lin Mo had other ideas.
In terms of strength, he's still outclassed by them and since his summons were reflective of his cultivation base, they too were at a disadvantage.
If he hadn't used that Spell Card, they would've been sent back to his discard pile, unable to be summoned again in this instance.
Without the [Starshot Revolver], he had to be smarter in his engagements. And the solution the [Wizened Old Sage]'s wisdom brought him was… quantity over quality and taking down the weakest first.
Identifying the weakest of the remaining seven Fallen Martial Artists was easy but he had to wait for his next card draw.
As if answering to his call, another card materialized on his side, joining the remaining Spell Cards yet unused.
"Good timing. I'd cry if I drew a Level 1 Unit. It's useless without a Level 4 Unit to do the sacrificial summoning."
He grabbed that newly-drawn card, faced it upfront as the recycled energy within the [Celestial Duel Gear] summoned it into his Celestial Field.
[Azure-winged Griffin]!
—
Meanwhile, hours after his entry, the Store Bulletin Board was now flooded with numerous threads regarding the Shopkeeper's Tower Challenge.
[Will Shopkeeper exceed this Young Master's record? – UnrivaledGale]
[Trust in Benefactor Lin Mo! He can conquer the tower! – GratefulVale]
With the top spots occupied by the boastful Yan Wei and the grateful Zhou Rui, many other users chimed in, their posts buzzing with speculation and excitement.
Many forgot what they're doing and they began flooding those top posts, replying every second and waiting for the result.
"Have you seen the artifact on the Shopkeeper's waist earlier? I heard it's a new type of weapon! Anyone seen it in action yet?" – BladeChaser
"10 supreme-grade spirit stones. He will create a new record!" – IFoundASpiritStoneMine
"That guy upstairs, if you found a mine, why are you stingy?" – GiveMeSome.
"Hah! Shopkeeper is a great merchant but his ability is yet to be proven. His duel with the Emissary of Verdant Sky Pavilion is a fluke, I bet they conspired to raise his prestige!" – NotAFan
The threads multiplied, some even ended up straying away from the topic. However, everything was centered around Lin Mo and his challenge.
Some focused on Liu Xiaoyu, his assistant. Since both of them had yet to exit the Tower after more than two hours, many already speculated that they're at least on Floor 5 if they're slow or Floor 6 if they're quick.
No one believed that they'd already reached Floor 8 yet, let alone Floor 7, because the one holding the record on Floor 7 was the now-infamous Towerbreaker as more and more rumors from the regions outside the Eastern Abyssal Domain filled the Bulletin Board.
At the Tower entrance, the First Princess figure emerged, still in her green and white complementary store uniform. She had a hand on her forehead and a slightly exhausted expression.
The moment she emerged, her head immediately shot towards their construct, looking for Lin Mo's figure.
Failing to find him there, she glanced behind her and muttered with a part-embarrassed and part-satisfied smile, "He's still inside… I lost our bet."
"Meiyu!" Suddenly, someone called her by name. The First Princess didn't need to guess who it was. Only one person would dare to call her like that.
She glanced up and turned her head to another direction, catching the figure of a young man clad in flowing robes of crimson and gold floating down to her. He was followed by two other figures, one was the stoic general and the other the elderly scholar.
Wu Tianlong, the Crown Prince of the Southern Wu Kingdom.
"Royal Brother." Wu Meiyu curtsied as she greeted her brother with a practiced grace. Despite the peculiar uniform, her regal air hadn't diminished at all. "I didn't expect you to leave the Dragon Ark so soon. Did the Shopkeeper's presence finally pique your curiosity?"
Wu Tianlong's lips curved into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with the same calculating sharpness and skepticism over something he found mystical. "Meiyu, you know I don't waste my time on trivialities. The Convenience Saint's movements may be anything but ordinary but if his store is the culprit over this Tower's appearance. All the more we need to exercise caution against him.
"Pfft. Royal Brother. Are you in a position to say that when you're clutching a packet of the store's potato chips? Is it good?"
Wu Tianlong's face turned red as he glanced down at his hand where an opened packet was gently clutched within.
He managed to recover quickly though. He faked a cough and pretended to be unaffected, "What of it? Just because I eat their product doesn't mean I support them. The store's origin is suspicious. Unless I see those divine beings, I will never believe they appeared here to help our realm. Besides, this is our Kingdom! "
Then, he gestured vaguely toward his hip, mimicking the holster he'd glimpsed on Lin Mo earlier. "Care to share what you know about that artifact of his? Or is your loyalty to the store outweighing family ties now? You're supposed to only be a Royal Envoy. Why are you wearing their colors now?"
Despite the barrage of questions, Meiyu's expression remained serene but a playful spark danced in her eyes. "Royal Brother, you're fishing for secrets I don't owe you. What does wearing the store's uniform have to do with loyalty? I am performing my duty as the Royal Envoy to establish a partnership with the store. That's all you need to know."
Her eyes then sparkled with mischief as she added, "I made a bet with him, and it seems I've lost."
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, his interest visibly sharpening. "A bet? With the Convenience Saint himself? You're bolder than I thought, Meiyu. What were the stakes?"
She waved a hand dismissively, though her smile hinted at more. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Let's just say Father will want to meet him, especially after the store's influence has spread past our borders. Perhaps, he'll also become my Prince Consort. What do you think of that, Royal Brother?"
