CHAPTER 441: GUIDANCE

[Research & Development Commission: The Argentum Aether Armor Bearer Project]

"The Divine Convenience Store has acquired a complete set of ’Aether-forged’ armor from the Argent Covenant. We have a working theory on how to power it using our realm’s energy, but we require a test subject. A pilot.

Objective: To bond with a full set of Legionary Armor and attempt to master its functions.

Requirements:

- Must be a mortal or a cultivator at the Body Forging Stage. A strong will and a resilient physique are paramount. Cultivation talent is irrelevant.

- Must be willing to undertake a high-risk, experimental procedure.

- All participants will be required to sign a comprehensive waiver and non-disclosure agreement.

Compensation:

- The successful applicant will be granted permanent ownership of the Argentum-II Legionary Set.

- The applicant will be hired as a full-time, contracted ’Special Equipment Tester’ for the Divine Convenience Store, with a handsome salary and full employee benefits, including access to the Premium Cultivation Rooms.

- If the applicant is a mortal, the store will provide the necessary resources to set them on a unique path of cultivation tailored to the armor.

- This is not a mission for the faint of heart. This is an opportunity to become a pioneer, to wield a new form of power, and to be at the forefront of a new era of ’convenience’ warfare.

Apply at any branch of the Divine Convenience Store or at the command outpost located at the Anchor - ACCB#003. Interviews will be conducted personally."

"Hoho... Look at this, Lihua. That young man sent this to us for review... He’s already doing so well without our guidance yet he’s still uncertain," Zhenren Taihao chuckled, stroking his long white beard as he observed the draft projected before them in the Divine Pantheon.

Zhenren Lihua, seated opposite him, reviewed the commission with a critical yet appreciative eye. "He is being responsible, Taihao. He is now the face of our intervention in the First Heaven. This ’bearer project’ is ethically ambiguous but he’s on the right path. Those artifacts are pretty useful. Just that, it doesn’t align with how the inherent energy of our realm works."

She paused for a moment as she once pulled up the stellar map showing the position of the Realm of Nine Heavens and the four Outer Realms surrounding it.

"Taihao, you’ve prepared our Pantheon to have an answer to their invasion but do they truly possess the power to encroach upon our realm?" The Goddess of Harmony and Commerce thoughtfully asked.

"Hmm? It’s surprising that you’re now asking that question, Lihua. Are you worried for our little friend down there?"

"I do. However, I am also concerned for every living being in our realm. The harmony is being disrupted on a cosmic scale. They may have to start from the First Heaven but what’s stopping their strongest experts from peeling the barrier of the higher heavens? The Prime Conclave, the masters of the Highland Realm... these are not trivial powers. They are civilizations with their own Daos, their own laws. They would not attempt this if they did not believe they could succeed."

Taihao’s cheerful expression softened as a hint of ancient and cosmic weariness appeared in his eyes. "You are right to be concerned. The Argent Covenant’s ’Aether-forging’ is a path of external power, one that doesn’t rely on ’talent’ or ’spirit roots’. The Highland Realm’s masters, the Dreilling, command powerful, mind-bending arts. Each Outer Realm presents a unique, existential threat that cannot be solved by simply cultivating a stronger sword arm."

He gestured to the commission draft. "This... this is why our little friend is so important. He is not a warrior but an innovator from that Mortal World. A disruptor, if you may. He does not think like a cultivator. He thinks like a manager solving a logistics problem. He immediately sees the Argentum Armor not as mere trophies or treasures, but as a piece of technology to be reverse-engineered. The same as his suggestion for the Celestial Duel Platform. His ’convenience’ is a way of thinking this realm has never witnessed before."

Lihua exhaled as she nodded slowly, "I can never understand your way of thinking..."

"Hoho... That is because you think like a god of this realm, my dear Lihua. You think in terms of Dao, harmony, and balance. Our little friend down there only thinks about how he will live the best of his new life even under the burden I had him shoulder."

"You’re worse than a Chaotic Deity." Lihua shook her head as she continued reviewing Lin Mo’s feedback and suggestions as well as his request to seek guidance regarding his recent commissions that utilized the system and the store.

After thinking for a while, she decided that communicating with him directly was the best choice. Leaving the chamber where Taihao lounged, she returned to her own opulent office within the Pantheon, a space that was a perfect blend of divine serenity and corporate efficiency. She sat at her desk, which was carved from a single piece of starlight jade, and opened a direct communication channel to Lin Mo.

---

Back in the First Heaven. Lin Mo had already returned to the Divine Convenience Store with Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu.

Since he was expecting to be contacted by the divine beings he sought guidance from, Lin Mo patiently waited while monitoring the continuous threads regarding the new Anchor and the upcoming Divine Lecture.

Soon, the Divine System Interface chimed.

[Incoming Divine Transmission: Zhenren Lihua]

[Accept? Y/N]

Lin Mo’s eyebrows shot up as he quickly accepted.

The air in front of him shimmered, and unlike the avatar she’s using to descend before. A perfect holographic life-sized projection of Zhenren Lihua materialized in front of him. She was seated at her desk yet her divine presence and beauty were still properly conveyed through it.

"Zhenren Lihua," Lin Mo greeted with a respectful bow.

"Shopkeeper, have you been well?" Lihua smiled warmly, her voice carrying a sense of both divine authority and genuine care.

"I have received your request for guidance. Let me begin by saying your performance has been exemplary. You’ve handled the opening of the New Branch quite hastily but the results seemed to be more on the positive side. You’ve gotten a capable Branch Manager. The ’Flash Raid’ was a neat response to a threat. Do not let yourself be backed into a corner. And the new initiatives on the Bulletin Board are already reshaping the realm’s response to the crisis. Even I have never expected it to grow like this in such a short time."

Lin Mo felt a genuine warmth at her praise. If it were Taihao, he was sure that the old man would just make fun of him while being ambiguous with his explanations.

"I am merely using the tools you have provided, Zhenren. The convenience sells itself."

"Perhaps," Lihua conceded, her smile deepening. "But a fine instrument still requires a skilled musician. Which brings us to your ’bearer project’. We have reviewed your draft. Your ethical concerns are valid. The compensation is generous and the risks are clearly stated. Therefore, we approve. Post the commission. You are correct in thinking that a path that circumvents spiritual roots is a revolutionary concept. It is a path that must be explored. We will monitor the experiment closely while adjusting the system to adapt to your ideas."

A weight lifted from Lin Mo’s shoulders. With the Pantheon’s official sanction, he could proceed without reservation.

"Now, regarding your other feedback," Lihua continued, her expression turning more business-like. "We are already developing a more robust ’Automatic Moderator’ function for the Bulletin Board to handle the increased traffic. We cannot simply leave all the workload to Yangyang and your precious Assistant."

She paused, her gaze turning more direct. "However, I did not contact you just to approve your plans, Shopkeeper. I am here to provide the guidance you requested. You have set many pieces in motion. The Stormhowl Tribe, the Southern Wilderness branch, the Violethaven Temple’s retreat... You have built a network. Now, you must learn to maintain it. Your greatest challenge is how to balance everything."

"Balance?" Lin Mo repeated, intrigued.

"Yes. The balance between your role as a manager and your growth as a cultivator. You have just achieved a Perfect Foundation. An incredible feat. But as you grow stronger, so too will the realm’s dependence on you. The threats will escalate. You cannot personally lead every raid or oversee every branch opening. You are the nexus, the central point of this entire operation. But a nexus that is constantly pulled in a hundred different directions will eventually break."

Her holographic form seemed to lean forward, her expression becoming serious. "Your recent delegations have been a good start. Entrusting the raid command to Liu Zhongzu, the Southern Wilderness to Venom Master Xun, the intelligence mission to the Shadow Veil Clan... these are the actions of a true leader. You must continue to build and empower your team. Find more managers, more distributors, and more specialists. Your strength is not just in your own cultivation but in the strength of the network you build."

Lin Mo listened, absorbing every word. She was right. He had been feeling the strain, the constant need to be everywhere at once.

"Lastly, find the time to visit that Fractured Plane after the Divine Lecture and to utilize the other functions of the system like the Staff Management."