Chapter 541: The Paladin Marvels

The yellow light in the ape’s eyes flickered, then extinguished.

The massive body turned grey as it began to crumble, cracks spreading from the wound like a spiderweb.

Lin Mo yanked his spear free and stepped back as the mountain of stone collapsed into a pile of rubble before turning into motes of light.

[Floor 4 Cleared.]

[Time Elapsed: 5 Minutes 42 Seconds]

[Rating: S]

[Rewards: 1 Blue Chest, 1500 Dimension Essence, Access to Floor 5 Unlocked.]

[Combat Data recorded.]

[Armor Synchronization with User Cultivation increased to 2%.]

Lin Mo slumped slightly as the adrenaline faded. Then, with a series of clicks, the armor set loosened from his body and transformed back into a silver cube that landed on his palm. He gripped it and checked its current status or how much experience he gained from that battle.

[Compressed Aether-Armament Cube (Decanus Class)]

[Grade: Low Earth Grade (Argentum-III)]

[Description: A marvel of Aether-spatial engineering. This cube contains the full ten-piece Decanus Set in a dormant state. Highly portable and efficient for rapid deployment.]

[Abilities: Argentum Resonance, Spiritual Energy Resonance, Aetheric Link, Aetheric Bulwark]

[Status: Soul Bound to Lin Mo]

[Experience: 3.8%]

Only a little more than 1%. He muttered to himself, slightly disappointed. But after checking his body and how easier it was to circulate his spiritual energy, the feeling of loss lessened.

He shouldn’t expect the armor to level up quickly. After all, even those from the Argent Covenant Realm would have to spend a lot of time advancing from the Legionary Class. It’s still very useful to him.

Since he now had quite a steady supply of Aetheric Shards as well as the adaptation of the armor to him, he’d be able to continue using it in battle to rack up the experience.

“Alright. Time to move on.” He popped another candy before wiping the sweat from his brow. “What did I get this time?

He walked over to the rubble and collected the Blue Chest.

[Item Acquired: Heart of the Mountain (Mid-Grade Spirit Ore)]

[Item Acquired: Earth Essence Core x2]

[Item Acquired: Manual Fragment: [Seismic Step]]

[Item Acquired: [Stone-Ape Gauntlets] (Mid Spirit-Grade)]

“More crafting materials and a gauntlet. Not bad. And Seismic Step, huh? Should I give this to Xiaoyu and see if she could create a new technique from it?”

After storing the items, he looked towards the portal swirling at the edge of the clearing.

The portal that would bring him to the waiting room where Xiaoyu was waiting.

—

Meanwhile, inside the Celestial Shuttle Hub inside the store, the pair of Towerbreaker Monk Huiyin and the disguised Sun-blessed Paladin Aurelia emerged from one of the carriage discs and began making their way into the store proper.

“Amitabha, this is such a marvel, is it not, Benefactor Lia?” The monk said with a gesture of his hand, pointing at the queue forming in front of the counter. “It is bustling, vibrant, and alive. This ’convenience’ the Shopkeeper preaches… is now this prosperous.”

With her face still hidden beneath her hood, Aurelia scanned the interior with eyes honed by years of hunting heretics and monsters in the dark corners of the Western Sacred Lands.

She was expecting a chaotic marketplace where there was no order in sight but the opposite appeared before her.

She couldn’t even recall a place like this in the Western Sacred Lands. Not even in their Holy City.

Bright, unnatural lights illuminated aisles stocked with colorful, perfectly aligned goods while a strange, rhythmic music played from unseen sources.

The atmosphere was refreshing. Everywhere she turned, she could smell the fragrance of snacks and meals. They were so appetizing that her stomach started grumbling.

Still, it was the people who shook her resolve.

There were disciples of righteous sects, their robes pristine, standing in line behind rough-looking mercenaries with blood still drying on their armor.

There were mortals, ordinary city folk, mixing freely with cultivators who could crush them with a thought.

And there, in the corner, near a flashing, noisy alcove labeled ’Arcade’, she saw them.

Cultists in moss-green robes. The Poison Demon Cult.

Her hand twitched towards her sword. In the West, such filth would be purged on sight. Here, they were… cheering?

“Go! Use the [Venomous Bite]! No, dodge!” One cultist screamed at a screen, his arm around the shoulder of a laughing Azure Gale disciple.

“What is this…? They… fraternize,” Aurelia whispered as her head became confused with cognitive dissonance. “Light and shadow, righteousness and corruption… sitting together, playing games?”

“Is that not the ultimate harmony?” Monk Huiyin murmured, his golden eyes observing a mortal girl, Li Li, guiding a confused elder to the [Divine Barter & Appraisal Terminal]. “To strip away the labels of ’sect’ and ’cult’ and leave only ’patron’? The Divine Convenience Store and the Shopkeeper do not judge the source of the spirit stone, only the conduct of the customer.”

Aurelia didn’t answer. She couldn’t.

After all, it felt wrong. However, the lack of killing intent in the air was undeniable. This place was no battlefield. It was more apt to call it a sanctuary.

“Welcome to the Divine Convenience Store!”

A pleasant voice interrupted her scrutiny. Pan Ruo stood behind the counter, her posture perfect, her smile professional yet welcoming. Even though she was busy processing a transaction for a mountain of instant noodles, her eyes caught the newcomers.

“New faces or not? But please, feel free to browse. If you have questions, the [Viewing Jade] display is to your right. For a small price, you can access our [Store Bulletin Board] and be up to date with everything. The [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall] is to the left and the [Celestial Hot Spring] is not far from it. Please mind the queue though.”

Aurelia looked at the young woman.

She sensed it immediately. Around Pan Ruo was a strange, dormant power. This clerk was no ordinary mortal.

“We are… just looking,” Aurelia managed to say but her voice came out stiff.

“Of course. Looking is free. Also, please take off your hood, dear customer. For common courtesy.” Pan Ruo said before turning back to her customer. “That will be fifty high-grade spirit stones, Sect Master. Would you like to add a [Spirit-Calming Tea] for the road? It pairs well with the stress of sect management.”

Aurelia watched, mesmerized and horrified, as a Sect Master of a mid-tier sect with a cultivation base of peak Core Formation Stage meekly agreed and paid.

She then reached for her hood hesitantly. It was a simple request, a standard courtesy in any establishment, yet here, surrounded by potential enemies and baffling wonders, it felt like disarming herself.

“Amitabha,” Monk Huiyin whispered beside her, “To see clearly, one must first be seen, Benefactor. The Shopkeeper values transparency.”

With a resigned sigh, Aurelia pulled back her hood.

Her striking features were revealed to the store’s ambient light. Even with her deep orange hair magically disguised as a common blonde, her sharp, noble features and the piercing intensity of her gaze drew immediate attention.

It wasn’t the seductive allure of Venom Master Xun or the ethereal beauty of a fairy, but the commanding presence of someone born to lead charges and break lines.

Pan Ruo paused in her transaction, her eyes shifting back to Aurelia.

A spark of recognition, or perhaps resonance, flashed in the clerk’s depths. The dormant immortal soul within her stirred, sensing a kindred spirit of high destiny.

“Thank you, dear customer,” Pan Ruo nodded, her smile widening slightly. “Enjoy your browse.”

Aurelia felt a shiver run down her spine. That gaze… it was penetrating.

“Let us move,” She murmured to Huiyin, eager to escape the scrutiny. “Show me this… ’hot spring’ everyone speaks of. I need to clear my head.”

“Very well. I, too, am curious about this new facility. It was not present yet when I last visited.”

As they moved deeper into the store, Aurelia’s senses were bombarded. The smell of the [Taihao Spicy Noodles] cooking in the self-service area made her mouth water despite her discipline.

The sight of a rogue cultivator healing a gruesome claw mark with a single [Fruity Healing Tablet] made her question the efficiency of her church’s healing arts.

But it was the [Celestial Duel Arcade] that truly broke her composure.

She watched as a young boy, no older than ten, commanded a spiritual projection of a [Flame-Wreathed Tiger] to tear apart a veteran mercenary’s [Ironscale Basilisk] on the screen. The boy’s fingers flew across the controls with a speed that rivaled a sword master.

“Hehe.” The boy happily giggled as he collected his tickets. “Your deck has too much defense but no offensive power, uncle.”

The mercenary groaned, handing over a spirit stone. “Rematch! I just need to draw the [Stone Skin] and [Iron Armament] spell card!”

“Hmm? No thanks. I had enough tickets to exchange for what I want.” With that, the boy left the mercenary dumbfounded as he approached the ticket exchange booth.

“War… reduced to a game,” Aurelia whispered, equal parts appalled and fascinated. “What is that? They simulate death for… entertainment?”

“For practice, Benefactor,” Huiyin corrected. “And for profit. Look at the joy. There is no blood here. Only tickets.”

They continued past the arcade, reaching the elegant archway of the [Celestial Hot Spring].

Upon stepping inside, she immediately felt the difference in the air. It felt warmer, humid, and scented with calming cedar.

But before they could continue, a figure appeared in front of them. It was Wu Meiyu in her green and white uniform.

“Monk Huiyin? Oh, and a new patron. Welcome.”

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