Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 530: The Paladin and the Monk

"Amitabha, we're finally here." Monk Huiyin muttered as they reached the defining border of the Eastern Abyssal Domain.

Without using any teleportation array, the travel time from Western Sacred Lands, passing through north of the Abyssal Forest, to the Eastern Abyssal Domain or Northern Arctic Dominion was usually two to three days. And that's with a flying artifact or a high-grade spirit beast mount.

For two individuals traveling on foot, albeit with the speed of cultivators, it was a journey that allowed them to witness the gradual transformation of the landscape. And thanks to the long line of merchant carts and wagons, it wasn't a boring journey.

On the way, they even run into some cultivators heading towards an Anchor a little to the north. And as if relaying a story of days old, Monk Huiyin mentioned to Aurelia the Flash Raid that happened recently, where the allied forces from the Eastern Abyssal Domain thwarted the attempt of the Violethaven Temple and its ilk to use an Anchor to march down the Divine Convenience Store.

Aurelia, who had only read a report about that, couldn't help but be amazed at the detail. For that 'Shopkeeper' or 'Convenience Saint' to rally an entire region while still below the Foundation Establishment Stage was a feat that defied all logic of the cultivation world.

In the Western Sacred Lands, power was absolute. A Spirit Condensation cultivator commanding a Void Refinement patriarch? It was heresy. No one would believe it happened because of how crazy it was.

And yet, the monk spoke of it with a serene certainty, as if it were as natural as the sun rising in the east.

"To command armies without a crown, to wield influence without a high cultivation base..." Aurelia mused aloud, her hand unconsciously tightening on the reins of her spirit horse. "It suggests a power that is not martial, but… conceptual. Is this 'convenience' truly strong enough to bend the pride of ancestors? Or is it only because of the rumored divine beings behind him?"

"Amitabha. Pride is a heavy cloak, Benefactor Lia. Convenience is a warm hearth. When the winter wind blows, even the proudest emperor will shed his cloak for the fire," Huiyin replied, his golden eyes twinkling. "And do not be mistaken. The Shopkeeper is not weak. His foundation… when I last saw him, it was solid. But the tribulation he faced… the rumors say it was a judgment from the Heavens themselves. If he survived that, his strength is no longer something we can gauge by traditional stages."

Aurelia was still skeptical, but she chose not to argue anymore. She, herself, had been blessed by a divine being. And because of that, she rose to become the youngest Sun-Blessed Paladin and was appointed as a Vice Commander in the history of the Supreme Sun Church. Her talent was undeniable, her golden core flawless. Yet, she had never faced a tribulation that the world itself tried to reject.

"A judgment from the Heavens..." She whispered. "If that is true, then he is either a great sinner or a great reformer. The Supreme Sun burns away the wicked, but it also nourishes the just. I must see which one he is."

As they passed the final hill, the landscape changed. The dense, wild forestry of the borderlands gave way to a sprawling plain.

"We have arrived, Benefactor Lia," Huiyin said, gesturing with his staff towards the distant tower. "Jade Hollow Plains. The domain of the Shopkeeper and that is one of the Conduit Towers."

Aurelia, clad in her unassuming traveler's cloak, looked ahead. Her golden eyes, usually filled with the unwavering certainty of the Supreme Sun, narrowed in scrutiny.

She expected a fortress. She expected a dull, undeveloped view, typical of a region with lower spiritual density.

Instead, she saw countless cultivators building a paved road heading in different directions. Some formation masters were laying down the groundwork for earth-attribute arrays to prevent mud and cracks.

"This… Have we entered a mortal kingdom's territory?" Aurelia murmured.

"Indeed. This place is within the Southern Wu Kingdom. The place where the Divine Convenience Store has appeared."

"Then… why are they doing the roadwork? And they all seemed off.

She pointed to a group of rough-looking cultivators passing by. They wore mismatched armor and carried pickaxes and heavy sacks, but on their chests, they wore a unified wooden badge. They were laughing, discussing the price of 'Sunstone Ore' and 'Spirit-Infused Wheat'.

"Are they bandits?" Aurelia's brows furrowed, wildly confused at the scene before her. Her hand drifted to her concealed blade. "I can smell the blood of past sins on them."

"Them? Former bandits who are starting to turn over a new leaf," Huiyin answered gently. "Now, they are registered Harvesters. They do not waylay travelers. They clear the forests of beasts and gather resources for the Professional's Foundry. They're also part of those building this road, Benefactor. In exchange for Store Credits and Dimension Essences."

Aurelia froze. Bandits building roads? Criminals turning into laborers not by force of chains, but by the allure of... commerce?

"It is... efficient," she admitted, rising to her feet. "But does a tiger truly change its stripes just because it is fed?"

"Perhaps not the stripes," Huiyin mused, "but certainly its hunting grounds. Have you not noticed? Halfway through our journey here, we never encountered any ambushes from bandits and wild beasts?"

"That is because the bandits are busy hunting the beasts to sell to the Harvester's Guild, and the beasts are being culled so efficiently that the roads have become safe by default. The Shopkeeper did not send soldiers to patrol the roads. He simply made it more profitable to keep them clear. He monetized safety."

Aurelia fell silent, processing the monk's logic. It was a terrifyingly pragmatic approach to peace. In the Supreme Sun Church, peace was achieved through the cleansing light of righteousness, burning away the shadows. Here, peace was achieved because... chaos was bad for business.

However, if Lin Mo heard what the monk just said, his iconic wry smile would probably turn up again. After all, he never asked anyone to build a road nor clear the wild beasts to ensure the safety of those travelling to and from the Eastern Abyssal Domain. It was simply decided by the patrons discussing on the Bulletin Board, like the Lightning Amethyst Sect, who were still grateful to Lin Mo's life-saving measure for the Sect Master's son when Zhou Rui rescued them from the demonic beasts and brought them to the store.

"Let us proceed," She finally said, kicking her horse into a trot. "I wish to see this 'hub' you speak of."

Monk Huiyin nodded. They rode past the road construction crew, ignoring the curious glances of the former bandits and other sect cultivators.

As they approached the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower, the true scale of the 'convenience' ecosystem became apparent.

The area around the tower had transformed into a bustling transit town. Makeshift stalls lined the path, selling local specialties to travelers. A large, wooden structure with a glowing sign [Conduit Tower Challenge Line] where numerous cultivators orderly waited for their turn to enter and challenge the Conduit Tower.

But the centerpiece was the gleaming metallic archway of the Celestial Shuttle Network hub, pulsing with a gentle, rhythmic blue light.

"This… What kind of structure..." Aurelia whispered as she felt her spiritual senses tingling. "The space around it is... folded. Stabilized. This is not a simple structure… It appeared… divine."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, it was still too early. The store has yet to open. We must wait here." Huiyin dismounted, guiding his horse to a stable master who wore green armbands indicating his affiliation with one of the members of the alliance. "Or perhaps, Benefactor might want to attempt to challenge the tower?"

"It is a trial of combat, tailored to one's cultivation. It does not judge your heart, only your strength. For a warrior such as yourself, is there a better way to pass the time than honing one's blade?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Aurelia was taken aback at first as the monk hinted that he had seen through her poor disguise.

But then, she glanced up at the imposing black spire.

She could feel the spatial fluctuations rippling from it, a rhythmic pulse that felt like a heartbeat. In the Western Sacred Lands, there were such trials that were considered sacred rites, conducted in hallowed halls after weeks of fasting and prayer.

However, this one was different. Here, there was a line. A literal queue of cultivators, chatting, eating snacks, and placing bets on how fast the person inside would clear a floor.

It was mundane and casual. Was it insulting? Or was it liberating? She had no idea.

The concept of the Conduit Tower wasn't foreign to her already and the monk graciously told her that, unlike the recorded towers that appeared in the Western Sacred Lands, the tower here had been maintained instead of destroyed after its clearance.

Furthermore, he even mentioned that the Shopkeeper or the Divine Convenience Store connected it to their system. Now, there exists the Store Beacon inside that could help the challengers along the way by opening a dimensional store.

"Very well," Aurelia said, dismounting with a fluid grace that betrayed her elite training despite her plain clothes. She handed her reins to the stable master, who handed her a wooden token with a number on it. "I will see what this 'convenience' offers in the way of challenge. Do I need to pay?"