Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 604: Hive-Tree

"Hmm? Looks like I received a message from your mother, Xiaoyu." Lin Mo said as he signaled for them to stop moving. At the moment, two more groups joined them, making it easier to navigate through the unmapped Area 1.

He brought up the Store Token and checked the message. It was concise, yet it carried the weight of a monumental accomplishment.

[To: Shopkeeper]

[From: RainBlossom]

[Subject: Site Secured - Storm Ascension Ground]

[Message: Shopkeeper, this is Wen Xinyi. The suitable leyline convergence for the Storm Ascension Ground has been secured. We encountered a minor sect, the Small Pine Sect, occupying the territory. Following the principles of our partnership, we did not evict them. We have integrated them as the facility’s custodial and administrative staff. Groundbreaking will commence once the White Ember Sect and the Southern Wu Kingdom envoys arrive. The Liu Clan honors its pledge.]

Lin Mo couldn’t help but let out a soft, genuine laugh. He read the message again, shaking his head in a mixture of amusement and profound respect.

"Well, that’s pretty impressive," He muttered, swiping the interface away. "The Liu Clan actually bought a sect out."

He could remember the Sect Master of that sect before. After all, he was one of the lucky cultivators who managed to pick up a manual from the mystical shelf in the store. And that manual became the Small Pine Sect’s cultivation technique.

If they were left to develop for a hundred years, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to become one of the upper-tier sects in the Eastern Abyssal Region.

"What is it, Boss? Did Mother find the spot?" Liu Xiaoyu had her bloodied mace slung over her shoulder. Sparky, the lightning wolf, trotted at her heels, letting out a small, staticky yip. It wouldn’t be present during fights due to its nature of being a ’summoned spiritual projection’. But whenever there weren’t any enemies around, it would pop out of the young woman.

"Mhm. She did," Lin Mo confirmed, "And she handled it perfectly. She secured the land and a workforce. The Small Pine Sect is now officially on the payroll. Your mother is a terrifyingly efficient operations manager, Xiaoyu. I might have to offer her a full-time position."

"Hah! See? The Liu Clan women are the best! But don’t you dare give her my Assistant Shopkeeper position!" Liu Xiaoyu proudly puffed out her chest at first but then panicked at the last second.

Lin Mo could only shake his head at her silliness. He then turned to Wu Meiyu, relaying the same news, to which the First Princess shared her thoughts. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"My Royal Father has been waiting for news. I’m certain he’ll be quick to send our envoys to the place. The Small Pine Sect is still located inside our Southern Wu Kingdom."

"Mhm. They’re also not that far from our Fanling City. When the construction is finished, it’ll become a key location in this region."

The two other groups that had joined them, a mercenary team and a squad of disciplined disciples from the Lightning Amethyst Sect, listened to the exchange with a mix of awe and bewilderment.

The casual way the Shopkeeper and his assistant discussed those things was beyond their comprehension.

To them, every step in this Anchor was a brush with death. But to the Shopkeeper, it might just be another day outside his store.

"Alright. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone," Lin Mo called out as his voice returned to a calm, authoritative cadence. "Dangers are still ahead. I think we are about to approach the transitional zone between the outer perimeter and the first major stronghold leading to the Area Boss. The Dyshanti Drone density will increase, and we might start seeing specialized variants. We’re not going to storm it, but we might as well prepare for another ambush."

Sure enough, the place began to open up as the narrow pathways covered by viridescent vines gave way to a massive clearing.

A huge twisted tree could be seen in the middle and dwellings, both huge and small, surrounded it.

Lin Mo glanced down the [All-Seeing Compass] and at the current mapping progress.

Half an hour earlier, the compass led them to a camp where a treasure chest was located. As much as the compass was useful in navigating the place, its direction was mostly locked into places with dense energy signatures. And now, it led them to this place instead of their goal of finding an Exit Zone.

Lin Mo narrowed his eyes, his [Stillwater Perception] sweeping over the vast clearing.

The giant, twisted tree at the center was naturally not just a decoration. It was another lifeform that originated from the Viridescent Hollow Outer Realm.

The thick vines wrapped around its trunk throbbed with a viridescent light that filled the entire clearing with Viridescent Energy.

If an old mortal stepped into the place, they’d probably be filled with vitality and regain their youth. But for cultivators who were breathing in spiritual energy, it would be like a poison. And it’s not because they couldn’t take the life force emitted by the Viridescent Energy and refine it, but because of the conflicting nature of the two similar yet entirely different energies.

"This place feels like a spawn point," Lin Mo deduced as he watched more Dyshanti of different variants walking out of the crack in the middle of the tree trunk.

As if triggered by his analysis, the system chimed, projecting a translucent window in front of his eyes.

[Entity Identified: Viridescent Hive-Tree]

[Threat Level: Peak Core Formation Equivalent (Environmental)]

[Trait: Rapid Gestation, Energy Siphon]

[Note: The Hive-Tree is a special life form used as a cultivation chamber of Viridescent Life-Seeds that would be implanted in different Dyshanti races. It can also open a portal to other Hive-Trees by consuming its own life force.]

It truly is a spawn point...

The Dyshanti and Vyrnethi they encountered most likely walked out of that tree if there’s no other Hive-Tree in Area 1.

Its [Rapid Gestation] was for cultivating those life-seeds. [Energy Siphon] is used to replenish its life force that was used on cultivation or opening a portal.

"Shopkeeper, do we charge into this place? There’s... a lot of them." The leader of the Lightning Amethyst Sect group asked.

He was the critically injured young master that Zhou Rui brought to the store, Xu Ming. He already recovered from his injuries and he even successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Sect Master of the Lightning Amethyst Sect, Xu Mingzhao, didn’t spare any spiritual stones to buy store products to speed up his recovery. He also sent him to the store to use a Premium Cultivation Room.

He was supposed to climb the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower but changed his plan upon learning about the Anchor opening. He even brought the other disciples who were rescued along with him before. Just that, their cultivation was all below the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Dear customer, you need not worry. You’ve already proven yourself in dealing with a group of these foreign creatures, no?" Lin Mo answered, then pointed at the sprawling encampment around the base of the twisted tree.

There were at least a hundred Dyshanti and a few lashers. But they’re not exactly in full alert like they’re not expecting a group of invaders to quickly reach their place.

"We are not here to eradicate every single weed in this garden. Our objective is to find the Exit Zone and establish a foothold. This... Hive-Tree, however, presents a unique strategic opportunity."

He turned to the assembled group, his gaze sweeping over Xu Ming’s eager face, the hardened expressions of the City Guards and the mercenary team, and the confident stances of Xiaoyu and Meiyu.

"If this structure acts as a deployment node," Lin Mo explained like he’s a project manager outlining a new initiative, "then destroying it would significantly throttle the reinforcement rate of the entire area. It would make the push to the Area Boss exponentially easier for everyone following behind us. It is a high-value target.

"So we smash it, Boss?" Xiaoyu grinned, hefting her crude iron mace. The golden lightning aura flickered eagerly beneath her skin, suppressed but ready to burst forth. "I bet if I hit that trunk hard enough, it’ll splinter like dry firewood."

"Patience, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo cautioned. "It has an [Energy Siphon] trait. If we attack it directly with spiritual energy, or even if we bring overwhelming physical force that causes it to bleed its reserves, it might trigger a defensive reaction. It could open its portal, flooding the clearing with more enemies before we can take it down. We need a more controlled demolition."

Everyone tilted their heads at his words. After all, they knew that they would alert the whole place the moment they showed up. What did he mean by controlled demolition?

He turned to Wu Meiyu. "Your Highness, the [Golden Dragon’s Ascent]. Its primary function is internal compression and physical augmentation, correct?"

"It is, Shopkeeper," Meiyu confirmed, her golden aura humming with a restrained, regal power. "It fortifies the vessel without leaking excess qi into the environment."

"Perfect. And you, Young Master Xu," Lin Mo addressed the Lightning Amethyst heir. "Your sect specializes in explosive, focused strikes. Can you and your fellow disciples perform a coordinated attack without relying on wide-area elemental projection? Augment your weapons with your lightning arts and contain it inside."