CHAPTER 481: ARCTIC SEA PALACE

Yu Qingyan rolled her eyes one last time before turning away, her heart beating a little faster than usual. Not from the cold or the impending negotiation, but from the prospect of hearing his voice again.

She found a quiet corner and activated her Distributor Token.

"Shopkeeper," She whispered into the token, her voice softening. "I hope I am not disturbing you. We have arrived at Glacial Tide City. The situation is... complicated. The local hegemon, the Arctic Sea Palace, is in denial regarding the Conduit Tower. I am heading there now to secure an audience. However, I fear words alone may not suffice against their stubbornness. Do you have any... convenient insights on this specific tower?"

Back in Fanling City, Lin Mo was just finishing his inspection of the [Staff Management] logs when the message arrived. Hearing her voice, a genuine smile touched his lips.

She’s too diligent. And even though she didn’t really need his advice, she’s taking up the time to consult him.

"Miss Yu. You’re never a disturbance," He replied. "Anyhow, a stubborn patron, you say? Is the reputation of the Verdant Sky Pavilion Emissary not enough to move the Palace Master?"

"I’m afraid it won’t be enough, as this doesn’t concern any trade routes. It is just my guess but I suspect the Arctic Sea Palace truly does know the gravity of the situation. They simply want to monopolize it."

Lin Mo thought for a moment, piecing together the puzzle.

Monopolize it? That sounds about right. Traditional sects hoard resources like dragons hoard gold. Many patrons of the store also thought of taking control of it before it became clear how difficult it would be. He could still remember Yu Qingyan’s grandmother offering him 10,000 high-grade spirit stones.

As for this Arctic Sea Palace Master, he should be seeing the new tower not as a threat, but as a private cultivation ground and a treasure trove. They probably think they can contain it and farm it slowly. But if they do clear all the floors without the Store Beacon connecting it to the store, it would shatter like what happened to the towers Monk Huiyin cleared before.

He accessed the [Anomaly & Corruption Sensor Network] again, focusing the scan specifically on the coordinates of the hidden tower. He needed more than just a location this time. Hopefully, the Great Poison Demon’s divine sense could probe it further.

"Let’s see. Perform a deep analysis of the target Conduit Tower. I need a threat breakdown. What’s inside that’s making the energy fluctuations so unstable?"

To his delightful surprise, the system hummed, consuming one of his daily Local Scan charges.

[Scanning... Analysis Complete.]

[Target: Frozen Spire Conduit Tower]

[Origin: Frozen Battleground Fractured Plane]

[Anomaly Detected: Floor 5 Boss - Cryo-Phoenix Remnant.]

[Status: Agitated. The Boss entity on the top floor has begun to actively erode the tower’s internal seals. It is drawing upon the leyline of the Valley of Frozen Whispers to accelerate a forced breach.]

[Estimated Time to Tower Break: 18 hours.]

[Projected Outcome: Tower breaks with thousands of generated foreign creatures based on the Fractured Plane, escaping its confines and catastrophic localized freezing. Glacial Tide City will be within the initial blast radius of the frost wave.]

Lin Mo’s eyes narrowed. True enough, the Tower Break was reminiscent of those he had read on webnovels back on Earth. A spillage of monsters plus an explosion.

"Miss Yu," He said, his voice turning serious. "Your hunch was correct, but the situation is worse. I’m sending you a data packet. It contains a detailed spectral analysis of the tower’s current state."

He tapped the interface, compiling the scan data into a readable, terrifyingly clear report and sending it to her Distributor Token.

"Use this. Don’t ask for permission. Present them with the reality of the current situation. If they still refuse... well, tell them the Divine Convenience Store will be happy to broadcast the countdown to their destruction on the public Bulletin Board. Public panic is a very effective motivator for stubborn leaders."

Yu Qingyan listened, a chill running down her spine that had nothing to do with the arctic wind. "A Cryo-Phoenix... what kind of creature is that? And 18 hours. Understood, Shopkeeper. I have the ammunition I need."

"Good luck. And Qingyan?" Lin Mo added, his tone softening slightly. "Be careful. A cornered sect can be just as dangerous as a cornered beast."

"I will. I’ll contact you when the deed is done."

The connection cut. Yu Qingyan took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs. She looked at the new data file on her token. It was a weapon, more potent than any sword.

She turned to Shang Shuiyin, who was fidgeting nervously beside her.

"Lead the way, Miss Shang. We have a Palace Master to save from their own greed."

—

Upon leaving the city, Shang Shuiyin called for her contracted spiritual beast. The city they were in was just at the periphery of the Arctic Sea Palace’s territory, it was quite far from the main palace.

From her spirit beast bag, a massive avian creature materialized in a flurry of snow. It was a [Frost-Winged Manta], a creature native to the Northern Arctic Dominion that glided through the air as if swimming in the ocean. Its wingspan was easily ten meters wide, its scales glistening like polished ice.

"Please, Emissary Yu. It’s not as luxurious as the pavilion’s ship construct, but it is fast," Shang Shuiyin said, patting the creature’s neck.

Yu Qingyan leaped onto the beast’s back with practiced grace, her spiritual energy stabilizing the air around her to prevent the wind from messing up her hair. Shang Shuiyin joined her, guiding the beast upward.

As they soared over the tundra, the landscape became increasingly harsh. Jagged peaks of ice pierced the sky like spears, and the wind howled with a voice that sounded like the wailing of lost souls. There were many scattered settlements, some even had formations around them to protect them from the harsh environment.

In the distance, looming over a frozen bay, was the Arctic Sea Palace. It was a massive palace carved directly into a colossal glacier, its towers and battlements glistened with a cold, blue light. It radiated an aura of ancient, unyielding power, a testament to a sect that had survived in this unforgiving land for millennia.

They landed on a wide platform jutting out from the main gate. A squad of palace guards, clad in armor made of enchanted ice, immediately moved to intercept them. Behind them, Arctic Palace disciples also looked on curiously.

"Halt!" The captain of the guard barked, leveling his spear. "This is the restricted domain of the Arctic Sea Palace. State your business!"

Shang Shuiyin stepped forward, flashing her sect token. "I am Inner Disciple Shang Shuiyin. I bring an honored guest. This is Emissary Yu Qingyan of the Verdant Sky Pavilion, and the Official Distributor of the Divine Convenience Store. We request an urgent audience with the Palace Master regarding the Valley of Frozen Whispers."

The captain frowned, his gaze sweeping over Yu Qingyan. He sensed the profound, stable aura of a Golden Core expert, far stronger than the average elder of their sect. His arrogance wavered.

"Wait here," he grunted, turning and rushing into the palace.

Minutes later, the massive ice gates groaned open. An elder with a long, white beard appeared, flanked by two elites.

"Shuiyin, what is this?"

The young woman faltered as she immediately kneeled, "Master, this is an emergency. Please forgive this foolish disciple."

Seeing that, Yu Qingyan inwardly shook his head, looking displeased. She glanced at the elder with an unwavering gaze.

Slightly intimidated by her confident aura, the elder’s eyes trembled a bit before pretending to be unbothered by faking a cough.

"Emissary Yu. Welcome. The Palace Master will see you. But be warned, if this is a waste of time, the Arctic Sea Palace does not take kindly to false alarms."

Yu Qingyan offered a polite, yet cold smile. "I assure you, Elder. Time is the one thing we do not have to waste. Shuiyin, let’s go."

Before the elder could glare at his disciple, Yu Qingyan shielded her.

After that, they navigated through winding corridors of ice, passing disciples who practiced cold-attribute arts that filled the air with a biting chill. Yu Qingyan noted their discipline, but also their insularity.

Finally, they reached the main audience chamber. Huge doors of frosted crystal swung open, revealing a vast hall dominated by a throne carved from a single, massive sapphire.

Seated there was Palace Master Han Yan. A woman radiating a chilling cold that matches her skin. She didn’t look any older than Yu Qingyan but for cultivators walking the path to immortality, appearances can be deceiving. Only those who were near the end of their lifespan would look older. And for women, they’re all trying to maintain their youth as much as possible.

The cultivation radiating from her body was at the mid Spirit Severing Stage, making her the unquestioned overlord of this part of the Northern Arctic Dominion.

"Emissary Yu," Palace Master Han Yan said, her voice was smooth and cold, like a glacier sliding into the sea. "You come to my palace, uninvited. Tell me, why should I not have you escorted out? Or perhaps, detained for trespassing?"

Her spiritual pressure weighed down on the hall, feeling like a suffocating blanket of frost.