Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 266: #CelestialDuelDrama
"Bold? This is a strategic move, Miss Yu." Lin Mo grinned in response.
The stage's divine-grade formation thrummed, absorbing the impact of the two of them hitting the floor.
Yu Qingyan's verdant robes splayed like a fan beneath her, which made her appearance even more alluring to his eyes.
But Lin Mo pretended not to be affected by it as he kept her pinned down, his arms and legs doing their job. She could push him away if she released her suppressed cultivation. However, that was probably unlikely to happen.
Yu Qingyan's surprised yelp gradually morphed into a sharp, playful laugh that rang throughout the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall]. Her jade-green eyes glinted with a mix of mock indignation and undeniable amusement, her gracefulness fraying just enough to reveal how thrilled she was. Of course, she's also pretending not to be overly conscious of their current position.
"Shopkeeper, you cheat!" She exclaimed in response, her voice carrying the same melodic cadence as her [Celestial Idols].
She squirmed under his playful pin, her fingers brushing his as if to push him off, but there was a lack of real force behind it. "Tackling your opponent? That's not in the rulebook! Besides, you're risking being stabbed by a hidden weapon!"
Lin Mo's grin widened, his chest heaving slightly from the burst of spiritual energy. "Rulebook? Miss Yu, I'm a merchant, not a sect elder. I play to win, fair or not. And I understand the risk. I won't do this in a real battle. Only because I trust that you'll play fair can I execute this."
Upon saying that, he eased off of her, rolling to his feet with a fluid motion, his [Foundational Martial Technique] lending him a surprising grace for a self-proclaimed rookie cultivator. He offered her a hand, his teasing smirk firmly in place. "Besides, you left yourself wide open, Miss Yu. It'll be a waste not to take that chance."
Yu Qingyan took his hand, squeezing it lightly as she rose with a flourish, her robes settling around her like a cascade of emerald silk. She tossed her hair, her blush lingering but her competitive spark blazing brighter. "Wide open? Hmph. You got lucky, Shopkeeper. But don't think I'll let you pull that stunt again."
She adjusted her [Celestial Duel Gear], the device humming as it recalibrated her field.
"Well, what if I succeed again? Wanna try?"
"... Shut up. If you're going to push me down. Why are you choosing a stage to do it?"
"Careful, Miss Yu. Your disciples will misunderstand."
"What? Afraid to have it posted on the Bulletin Board?" Yu Qingyan put on a victorious grin.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, just shook his head.
On the stage, the duel continued unabated. The [Stormclaw Raptor]'s talons clashed with the [Moonlit Dancer]'s lunar veil, sparks of lightning scattering as the dancer spun, her movements deflecting the blow with hypnotic precision. The [Ironfang Wolf] wasn't faring much better. Its lunge at the [Rookie Idol] met a burst of shimmering notes that sent it skidding back, its amber eyes narrowing in frustration.
From the sidelines, Liu Xiaoyu nearly choked on her [Cheese-flavored Spirit-Infused Potato Chips], her cackle echoing through the hall. "Boss, that was savage! Tackling Miss Yu? You're gonna be trending on the Bulletin Board for weeks!" She waved her Viewing Jade, already typing a cryptic post: "Shopkeeper pulls a wild move in the arena! Who's blushing now? #CelestialDuelDrama"
Little Spring's recording jade crystal glowed brighter, capturing the chaotic exchange, while Mei Ling whispered to her, eyes wide. "Did Shopkeeper Lin just win? Elder Yu's face is so red! And look. Shopkeeper looked embarrassed too."
Yangyang nodded, her scholarly calm unbroken but her lips twitching with suppressed amusement. "He disrupted her rhythm, I'll give him that. But her deck's synergy is still intact, and she's got more cards to play. Shopkeeper needs to press his advantage now and stop flirting with her or he'll lose the tempo."
Lin Mo's lips twitched, catching Yangyang's pointed comment despite her lowered volume from the sidelines.
Flirting? He was just keeping the duel lively! Yu Qingyan's flushed cheeks were a bonus, not the goal.
He shook off the thought, refocusing on the stage. The [Stormclaw Raptor] and [Ironfang Wolf] were holding their ground, but Yu Qingyan's [Celestial Idols] held the symphony of control because of her spell cards, his units were at a disadvantage.
"Alright, Miss Yu, no more games."
He flicked his wrist, drawing a new card from his deck. His spiritual energy dipped to 55%, the strain of maintaining two summons tugging at his meridians, but he could just pop an Energy Replenishing Candy if needed more. "Let's see how your idols handle this. [Starfire Hatchling]!"
The Level 1 unit materialized in a flicker of power. The same as when he summoned it in the Alpha Test, the small, glowing phoenix chick touched the heart of the women, including his opponent. Its adorability was sky-high that Yu Qingyan staggered a bit since she was expecting him to summon another Level 3 unit.
Yu Qingyan's eyes narrowed, her playful demeanor sharpening into a cultivator's focus. "Shopkeeper, don't tell me you're planning…"
"I do." Lin Mo finished but before doing so, he mentally ordered his three units to knock down the [Rookie Idol]. With the [Starfire Hatchling] as bait, the raptor and the wolf made a pincer attack, ripping the poor, clumsy idol into motes of light.
The unprepared [Moonlit Dancer] glanced back at Yu Qingyan as though she were sentient and was waiting for her next order.
"... Shopkeeper, you're despicable. Go back here. And… come out, [Ruby Minstrel] and [Dawnlit Soprano]!
Pulling two cards from her deck, she summoned a Level 3 and Level 1 unit, matching Lin Mo's.
The Ruby Minstrel was among those gem units of the Celestial Idol that could be ascended to a Level 4 Unit, but only if she had the [Starlit Idol Ascension] spell on hand.
Still, Lin Mo didn't let up. Sacrificing the three units, he began summoning a Level 4 unit.
[Abyss Leviathan]
At the same time as the hatchling, wolf, and raptor disappeared from his Celestial Field, an aquatic beast with an enormous body appeared as if it had just surfaced from the ground. Its body was cloaked in dark, iridescent scales, and its glowing fins pulsed with deep-sea light while its jaws brimmed with chaotic starlight.
The stage trembled as the [Abyss Leviathan]'s massive form materialized, its deep-sea roar sending a pulse of primal energy that cracked the harmonic aura of Yu Qingyan's Celestial Field.
The leviathan's fins flared, casting eerie blue light across the arena, and its starlit jaws snapped. The chaotic energy within them distorted the air. Lin Mo's spiritual energy plummeted to 30%, the summon's cost biting deep, but the spark in his chest flared with a thrill he couldn't suppress. freeweɓnøvel.com
This was his gamble, a heavy hitter to break Yu Qingyan's rhythm.
Yu Qingyan's jade-green eyes flickered, rather than surprise, satisfaction could be seen on her face. "A leviathan? Shopkeeper, you're full of surprises. That's no mere beast. That's a force of nature. Good thing its strength scales with yours. Maybe close to Foundation Establishment Realm since it's a Level 4"
As she said that, her hands were already moving, her [Celestial Duel Gear] humming as she drew another card. "Let's see if your sea monster can drown my stage."
"[Starlit Veil]!" The Spell Card activated, and a cascade of radiant notes erupted from her Celestial Field, weaving a protective melody around her [Ruby Minstrel], [Dawnlit Soprano], and [Moonlit Dancer].
The notes shimmered like a starry sky and wrapped around them, bolstering their synergy and granting a faint regenerative glow to each unit.
The [Ruby Minstrel] strummed an ethereal lute, its chords amplifying the spell's effect, while the [Dawnlit Soprano] sang a piercing counterpoint, her voice cutting through the leviathan's oppressive aura.
The [Moonlit Dancer] spun faster, her lunar pearls glowing with renewed intensity, and together, the idols' combined melody pushed back against the [Abyss Leviathan]'s chaotic starlight.
The leviathan roared, its fins slashing, but the harmonic barrier dulled its strikes, each blow scattering harmless sparks of light.
From the sidelines, Liu Xiaoyu's potato chip crunching paused, her eyes wide as she leaned forward. "Whoa, Boss! That's a big fish! But Miss Yu is not backing down. Her idols are tanking it like pros!"
She tapped her Viewing Jade, her fingers flying as she added to her Bulletin Board post: "Shopkeeper summons a SEA BEAST! Can the idols hold the stage? #CelestialDuelDrama"
At this point, many cultivators browsing the Bulletin Board have already caught her post, and they're all waiting for the recording to be posted. However, half of them were calling for the Shopkeeper to stop flirting so early in the morning and open his store's damn door.
Little Spring's recording jade crystal pulsed, capturing the leviathan's towering form and the idols' radiant counterattack. "Elder Yu's units are so pretty! But Shopkeeper Lin's leviathan is scary! Mei Ling, who's winning?"
Mei Ling clutched her own [Celestial Duel Gear], her soft voice trembling with excitement. "I… I think Elder Yu's still in control, but Shopkeeper Lin's leviathan is so strong! It's like a Tower boss!"
Above the stage, the Celestial Duel was about to reach its climax. Will it be Lin Mo with his Level 4 Unit or Yu Qingyan who leveraged the synergy of her idols? Or maybe, someone would be pushed down again? They have yet to truly clash in hand-to-hand combat.
