Divine Convenience Store

Chapter 665 - 665: Day 34 Completed

With the pain multiplied tenfold, Lin Mo felt as if a million tiny, glowing hammers were striking every bone in his body simultaneously, shattering the marrow and replacing it with liquid starlight essence.He forced his eyes open and looked around him to alleviate the pain. He had prepared the store items. He just needed to use them. And with the effect of the slush disappearing, he had to move quickly, or tenfold-pain would multiply once again.

However, Lin Mo begrudgingly found out that his arms were completely paralyzed by the heavy, metallic density invading his body.

He couldn't stretch an arm or lift a finger to reach the pile of colorful wrappers sitting in front of him anymore. Or at least, it needed considerable effort.

"Ugh… I should've asked Xiaoyu to watch over me. But… there's no time to regret now. Automation is key. I just need to leverage my abilities." Lin Mo wheezed.

His limbs were paralyzed but his mind and his domains were still his to command.

Having decided that, he focused his expanded Spiritual Perception, treating the space around him as an extension of his own will.

Using the subtle, gravitational pull of the [Stellar Domain], he levitated the neon-green packet of [Hyper-Regen Sour Gummies] and the [Frosty Mint Numbing Patches].

With a mental nudge, the packet tore open. Three brightly colored, sugar-coated gummies floated through the air and dropped directly into his open mouth.

He closed his mouth and chewed.

"Guh! Too sour!"

The explosive sourness of the gummies coated his tongue. It was a flavor profile so violently tart that it completely paralyzed his facial muscles from contorting, forcing his eyes to squeeze shut and his jaw to lock. It was a sensory override that many patrons trying the gummies out had already experienced.

No wonder it became a notorious product. He remembered seeing a thread in the Bulletin Board about challenging the patrons to eat the sour gummies. If one could maintain a straight face, they promised to give them enough spirit stones to reach the threshold of becoming a Golden Patron.

As for the result, none of the hundred challengers succeeded.

"But that's quite a great gimmick. I should suggest to Taihao to create similar products. In the future, the store can hold a contest regarding them." Lin Mo inwardly thought, trying his best to steer his mind away from the numbing sourness.

But a second later, the regenerative effects kicked in.

A wave of vibrant yet aggressive energy flooded his body. As the liquid star-iron cracked his bones and shredded his muscles, the gummy's essence instantly knitted them back together, weaving the liquid essence directly into his bones and muscles. For many, it was akin to a horrific cycle of destruction and rapid creation which even body cultivators would find hard to endure.

Next, he used his domain to guide the [Frosty Mint Numbing Patches] onto his chest, back, and the major meridian points on his limbs.

The icy, anesthetic chill instantly seeped into his nerve endings, mercifully dulling the agonizing friction of metal fusing with his bone and flesh.

Following that, he chugged a few more mouthfuls of the blue slush, protecting his inner organs.

Viscera Cleansing still had to wait. He'd be a fool to do it simultaneously.

"Mhm. These convenient store products… Five stars. Would buy again," Lin Mo thought deliriously as his skeleton slowly transformed into an unbreakable lattice of Star-Forged alloy.

Hours bled into a hazy continuum of pain, sourness, and minty numbness, and he started to feel the strain in his mentality. But he held on by popping candies and chewing the mints.

Finally, as he kept his senses focused on his bones, the deep, vibrating ache gradually subsided when the final part became coated in the metallic sheen of liquified Star-Forged Iron.

As soon as that happened, he sensed the terrifying and unfamiliar weight within himself. His body felt as dense as a collapsed star, yet brimming with explosive potential.

But there was one final step. And the most dangerous one.

Viscera Cleansing.

Lin Mo opened his eyes, which now gleamed with a permanent, faint silver ring around the irises. He looked at the remaining half of the [Liquid Star-Forged Essence] sloshing in its translucent flask.

To complete the [Stellar Iron Forging Physique], he had to ingest it. He had to coat his internal organs in molten starlight and cleanse them, refining them to accommodate the starlight essence within.

His arms, though heavy and aching with their new density, responded to his command once more.

He reached out and was surprised as his grip effortlessly crushed the neck of the spirit-glass flask as he lifted it.

But Lin Mo didn't dwell on it too much, just reminding himself to familiarize himself with his strength later.

Then, without giving himself time to second-guess the sheer insanity of the act, he tipped the flask of liquid essence into his mouth and swallowed.

Lin Mo immediately grimaced as the sensation felt like swallowing a miniature sun. His throat burned, his chest felt like exploding and his stomach seemed to boil and melt.

After chanting the spell for the Viscera Cleansing, he immediately chugged the remainder of the [Abyssal Ice Electrolyte Brew] to coat his throat and stomach in a protective, freezing slush.

A blinding, internal radiance erupted from his stomach, radiating outward. His organs were immediately subjected to a fiery, refining pressure.

At this point, Lin Mo felt his consciousness waning. And no matter how hard he tried, he could only close his eyes and succumb to it.

—

Meanwhile, in the store proper, Liu Xiaoyu flipped the store sign 'CLOSED' as the last of the patrons stepped out of the door. At the same time, the Celestial Shuttle Hub inside the store dimmed, no longer accepting transit from the other hubs.

Most of the store staff also clocked out after getting credited for their daily wage, leaving only the core members: Liu Xiaoyu, Wu Meiyu, Xiao Ya, Liu Xiaoping and Pan Ruo.

"Is Boss still in the cultivation room? Tsk. The evaluation is about to arrive." Liu Xiaoyu clicked her tongue as she turned her gaze upstairs and did not see Lin Mo's figure.

"Xiaoyu, the manual Shopkeeper is using is the one you found for him, right? You must know how difficult that body-tempering method." Wu Meiyu said, also showing hints of concern on her face. While she fully trusts Lin Mo to complete it, she just couldn't be completely at ease.

"Oh. It's difficult. It's like training as a body cultivator except he has to use the liquified Star-Forged Iron. Heh. Maybe he'll come out looking roasted, Sister Meiyu."

"That man... Must he temper his body more? Didn't he successfully endure the minor tribulation during his Foundation Establishment?"

Suddenly, another voice joined the conversation. Descending down the stairs, the graceful emissary of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, Yu Qingyan, appeared. Her brow was creased with a worry that she didn't bother to hide.

Wu Meiyu acknowledged with a nod. "The Shopkeeper is never satisfied with mere adequacy. He didn't even let us join him. We can only wait."

Yu Qingyan approached them, her hand subconsciously rubbing the [Twin-Frost Resonance Ring] on her finger. While she could still subtly sense his current condition, it was erratic because of the accelerated time within the room.

But at the moment, she found that it turned still, like the chaotic surging heat that she sensed earlier had cooled down and reached an equilibrium. As for his current state, she couldn't be certain unless she barged into that room.

Liu Xiaoyu cheekily grinned as she glanced at the two women. Before she knew it, the two before her had stopped bothering to hide their infatuation towards her pretentious boss.

Before she could say anything, the day's evaluation flashed in the middle of the room.

[Weekly Tasks - 6 days left]

[Register New Viewing Jade users: (2213/50000)]

[Attract New Customers from outside the Eastern Abyssal Domain: (1118/25000)]

[Hold a Celestial Duel Tournament: (0/1)]

[Spread Convenience to all five regions of the Central Continent - (5/5 Completed)

[Deploy Store Beacons: (0/3)]

—

[Day 34 Completed]

[Sales Summary: 6,592 Transactions]

[Revenue: 6,452,428 Intermediate-grade Spirit Stones]

[Dimension Essence Balance: 17,232,991 DE]

[Tier Progression: Renowned Store (101,775,450/100,000,000), Golden Card Patron Requirement: (1,221/1000)]

—

[The Divine Convenience Store has progressed to the next tier: Heavenly Blessed Emporium]

[Tier Progression: Heavenly Blessed Emporium (0%)]

[Rewards for reaching the next tier: 5x Store Expansion (Customized), 2x Branch Store slots, Automatic Store Expansion, Divine Guidance Booth]

Before any of them could react to the changes, one of the listed rewards immediately took effect.

Automatic Store Expansion.

The standard supermarket-sized floor began to shudder and smoothly expanded like a divine blueprint unfolding.

The walls of the Divine Convenience Store pushed outward, dissolving into light before reforming dozens of meters further away. The ceiling also seemed to move, lifting infinitely higher until it shattered into a massive, overarching translucent pillar that seemed to hold the sky.

When they looked up, there were more floors above the second one, but they seemed obscured. Not yet open.

Soon, a multi-tiered atrium carved itself into existence. The winding stairs had been replaced by sweeping escalators powered by solid spiritual light. Then, the numerous aisles automatically segregated themselves, expanding into dedicated, specialized departments.