Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 528: Sparring and Enduring

With nothing more coming up, Lin Mo pushed open the door to the Premium Cultivation Room.

He and Xiaoyu stepped inside, and the heavy door sealed shut, locking out the world and leaving them in the white void.

Lin Mo waved his hand at the small terminal near the door, it was the control panel for the premium cultivation room. Naturally, he could skip using that and configure it through the Divine System Interface but he chose to go the normal way this time.

"Let's configure the simulation. We're going to spar, right?" He looked at Xiaoyu, who was already rolling her arms while holding her shoulder. Despite her peerless beauty and her slender frame, she could naturally drill a hole in a mountain.

"Yes, Boss! Hehe. You can give yourself a handicap, you know?"

Lin Mo couldn't help but smilingly shake his head.

"No need. I'm here to learn from you, right? Miss Prodigy."

"Oh! You get it, Boss! This is why I like you! But don't make it bland, okay?"

"Sure. The environment will be… Let's see. It should be this. [The Fractured Mindscape]. Let's also raise the threat, like the Highland Energy is bearing down on us. For the environmental hazard… it has to be the [Psychic Turbulence]. Like this, we'll emulate the environment of that Anchor."

"Good! Maximize the time acceleration, Boss! That way, I can beat you up to my heart's content!"

His lips twitched at her audacity but he did it anyway. It's a feature of the Premium Cultivation Room. It'll be a waste not to use it. Besides, they have more to do than just training. Apart from not missing on their duties at the store, they will also climb the Abyssal Forest Conduit Tower. Gain enlightenment there, and the rewards from each floor will be substantial to their progress.

He's also thinking of finally completing the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower too. Even at this moment, only two had cleared all ten floors of it. Liu Xiaoyu and the Sword Fairy.

[Configuration Confirmed. Initializing...]

The white room dissolved.

Instead of a physical landscape like the waterfall or the void, the scenery changed into a floating archipelago of jagged, purple rocks suspended in a swirling nebula of chaotic colors.

Their surroundings seemed to hum in a dissonant frequency that grated on the nerves. It was a simulation designed to mimic the psychic pressure of the Dreilling, amplified a few folds based on Lin Mo's estimation, considering they hadn't seen him face-to-face yet.

"Ugh, it feels like ants crawling inside my skull," Xiaoyu grumbled, shaking her head. "Is this really necessary for sparring?"

"This will be our battlefield, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo said, his voice calm. He activated his [Stellar Domain]. A sphere of silver starlight expanded around him, pushing back the chaotic nebula. "If you can't fight while your brain is itching, you might as well just stand next to me and I'll protect you with Zhenren Lihua's divine artifact."

He summoned his [Starlit Dragon Spear] and went into an initial stance with its tip pointed at his prodigious assistant. But then again, he could also feel the irritation she was feeling. This time, he was also affected by the environment being simulated by the training room.

He's just trying his best not to show it on his face.

Liu Xiaoyu puffed up her cheeks before regaining her confident grin. "Protect me? Hah! Watch this, Boss. I'll show you that my mind is as unbreakable as my fists!"

BOOM!

With that, the young woman launched herself off a floating rock.

In Lin Mo's eyes, her figure turned into a blur of golden lightning.

That was new.

Was her lightning always golden? He couldn't help but think.

But before he could arrive at an answer, Liu Xiaoyu was already on his face. Her raw speed and explosive power were brought about by her heavenly physique.

Even if he could react on time, he knew he shouldn't match her raw strength head-on. That's like truly asking for a beating, even with his Perfect Foundation.

After all, Liu Xiaoyu was also someone who had perfected her breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage. And she's a peerless genius with no one to compare to in the entire Eastern Abyssal Region.

After deflecting her fist, he slid his back foot as his body flowed like water.

[Crimson Flow Phantom Steps]!

He left a crimson afterimage in his wake. Liu Xiaoyu's follow-up fist punched through the image, the shockwave shattering the rock it stood on.

But Lin Mo was already gone.

He reappeared behind her, his spear thrusting forward in a silent, deadly arc.

[Starcoil Thrust]!

"Hehe. You're quite sneaky, Boss. Yah!" Xiaoyu laughed and spun in mid-air, her leg lashing out in a backward kick that crackled with her storm qi.

Her leg met the shaft of his spear.

CLANG!

The impact sent a shockwave through the nebula.

Lin Mo was thrown back, his boots skidding on the floating rock.

He could feel the force vibrating in his arms. True enough. That was enough strength to break his bones if he took it head-on. Even with his [Stillwater Body] absorbing the kinetic energy, the sheer weight of her attack was staggering.

And that was not even her stormy fist.

"I told you to leave some dignity to me, Xiaoyu. Your poor Boss will be wrecked if you keep that up." Lin Mo complained but his eyes remained sharp and focused.

He would never believe he could match Xiaoyu in all aspects but he could at least hold his ground, right?

"Alright. Round two."

"Why not? You're gonna heal in this room anyway, Boss. Let me poke you a bit," Xiaoyu grinned, landing lightly.

She punched her palms together, and a massive amount of spiritual energy began to gather around her. "Let's see you dodge this! [Nine Heavens Storm: Thunderclap Annihilation]!"

A massive fist of condensed lightning formed in the air, roaring towards him like a falling star.

Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. He couldn't dodge this. The area of effect was too large. He had to deflect it.

He took a deep breath, his mind sinking into the tranquility of the [Everlasting Serenity Sutra]. The chaos of the simulation faded into the background.

He raised his spear, not to strike, but to draw.

He traced a circle in the air with the spear tip. Starlight qi flowed from his constellation, solidifying into a tangible, rotating vortex.

[Flowing Star Combat Style: Stellar Vortex]!

The lightning fist slammed into that swirling mass of qi.

CRACK-ZIZZZT!

The energy shrieked as it was caught in the spin. Lin Mo gritted his teeth, his energy channels burning as he poured every ounce of his power to maintain the structure.

Instead of stopping the lightning, he tried guiding it. His spear spun faster, forcing the lightning to follow the rotation of his starlight.

"Alright. Return to sender!"

With a roar, he broke the rotation and whipped his spear forward. The condensed lightning, now mixed with his own starlight, shot back towards Xiaoyu.

Liu Xiaoyu's eyes widened before shouting indignantly. "What? That's cheating!"

She crossed her arms, her golden lightning aura flaring into a solid barrier.

BOOM!

The explosion engulfed her. Smoke and electrical discharges filled the air.

Lin Mo didn't relax. He knew that wouldn't stop her.

Sure enough, a golden blur shot out of the smoke. Xiaoyu was unscathed, though her uniform was slightly singed. She looked exhilarated and angry.

"Okay, Boss. No more holding back!"

Like this, their sparring continued, minutes turned into hours of simulated battle.

Whenever one of them would be knocked out, they'd take a break to meditate and to advance their techniques.

Naturally, Lin Mo ended up the one getting knocked out. But each time they restarted, he would last a few seconds longer than the last. And that's making Xiaoyu challenged enough to try out even more complicated moves that she's still holding back.

Due to that, he got the full brunt of why her Nine Heavens Exquisite Body was such a rare physique.

Over time, they also started using their Celestial Gear, weaving the summons from the Awakened Celestial Duelist mode to add to their arsenal.

It was a brutal, relentless dance. Xiaoyu was a storm, unpredictable and devastating. Lin Mo was calm in the center, redirecting, evading, and striking whenever he could.

But the real challenge wasn't each other. It was the environment.

The psychic turbulence gradually grew stronger. Whispers echoed in their minds, phantom pains spiked in their limbs, and illusions flickered at the edges of their vision.

Liu Xiaoyu eventually gritted her teeth as her attacks became slightly erratic. "Boss… the ants are biting harder! It's like they're chewing on my focus!"

"Mhm. I can tell. Focus and tune them out," Lin Mo said as his voice cut through the mental fog. He expanded his [Stellar Domain] again, but this time, enveloping her as they sat cross-legged side by side. "You've already done it multiple times here. The only reason it felt like it intensified was because of our current fatigue. We should call it a night soon."

"... Then, turn it off, Boss. It's too late to go down and lie on our beds. Let's just cultivate and consolidate our gains here."

"Mhm. You might be right, but at least try it out first, alright?"

"Tsk. You really don't know what's good for you, Boss." The young woman clicked her tongue but Lin Mo only tilted his head despite understanding what got her irked like that.