CHAPTER 483: THIRD TOWER

’She wants to meet the Shopkeeper? Fine. Have it your way. You’ll certainly be as enlightened as everyone when it comes to convenience.’ Yu Qingyan sneered in her thoughts.

"Understood, I’ll relay your message." She answered with a succinct bow, her expression unchanging.

She already believed that if it were Lin Mo standing before the Palace Master this time, he would so easily flip the table on her. As such, Han Yan’s wish to meet him was of no consequence.

"Now, we must hurry. The countdown is not pausing for our conversation."

"Elder Frost," Han Yan barked at the white-bearded elder who was also supposed to be Shang Shuiyin’s master. "Gather the elite disciples and give my order to Elder Xue. Raise the defensive arrays around the Glacial Tide City and prepare to venture into the valley. As for you..."

She pointed at Shang Shuiyin, who was trembling behind Yu Qingyan. "Follow your master. You will guide the Emissary to the valley."

"Y-yes, Palace Master!" Shang Shuiyin squeaked but her eyes sparkled in excitement. She had finally gotten acknowledged!

She pulled out something from her spatial bag and cautiously approached the throne.

"Palace Master, this... is a product of the store. You must see what I’ve seen."

Her master was about to reprimand her for her audacity but Han Yan raised her hand. She looked at the item in Shang Shuiyin’s palm and narrowed her eyes.

There’s a rectangular jade on top of it, the size of a small stone tablet. The Viewing Jade.

She stretched her hand out and curled a finger, willing the Viewing Jade to fly into her grasp. The smooth, cool surface of the artifact felt deceptively simple against her skin, devoid of the profound, ancient runes usually etched into high-grade communication talismans. Yet, as her spiritual energy probed it, she felt a connection, not to a single person, but to a vast web of information that spans across the realm.

"Pour your spiritual energy into it, Palace Master. Just a wisp," Shang Shuiyin whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and pride.

Unfortunately for her, Han Yan didn’t do what she said. She stopped probing the artifact and raised her gaze, a flash of skepticism flitted from her eyes.

"This can wait." That’s all she said as she put away the Viewing Jade.

Shang Shuiyin was a little disappointed, but she didn’t voice it. Her master also declined it in the same way. The older generation’s stubbornness seemed to run deep, and she understood the reason. It also had to do with the technique that the Arctic Sea Palace cultivates.

Yu Qingyan placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have no time to waste. The countdown is ticking."

"Y-yes, Emissary Yu!" She bowed once more to the Palace Master before turning to her master who still looked displeased at her unruly behavior.

The old man waved his hand and signaled for them to follow.

—

Back in the Divine Convenience Store, Lin Mo received an update from Yu Qingyan via a message.

He quickly wrote back.

Shopkeeper: "Miss Yu. You must not underestimate the tower. You’ve already experienced it before. The foreign creatures from it weren’t your ordinary spiritual beast that could be found in our realm."

MistyRain: "Not to worry, Shopkeeper. The Arctic Sea Palace will cooperate to clear the way. Besides, I’ve grown a little stronger."

Lin Mo read the reply, a small, satisfied smile touching his lips.

"Grown a little stronger, she said. She has yet to realize all the gains she received from the Secret Realm, huh? It’s not just the immortal-grade artifact."

He glanced around him. Xiaoyu had already left to deliver the gift. Wu Meiyu was with Pan Ruo, inspecting the store while waiting for the day’s evaluation.

With nothing much to do, he started browsing all the reports he received. The store currently has two Conduit Towers with a deployed Store Beacon. The one at the Jade Hollow Plains and the one at the Abyssal Forest.

The Jade Hollow Conduit Tower had only been cleared once by Liu Xiaoyu. The next highest floor clearer was Jiang Jianxin, the Sword Fairy. She had recently ventured there and managed to reach the 9th floor but fell back after trying the challenge at that floor because of the increasing difficulty.

The Abyssal Forest Conduit Tower had many top experts of the Eastern Abyssal Region challenging it. Most Sect Masters had already attempted to climb it. Some Spirit Severing Ancestors had also tried climbing it but the highest floor reached was still below ten. It showed how difficult the 25-floor Conduit Tower is. Luckily, there was no risk of Tower Break due to them passing the 5th floor.

As for their gains, a few Sect Masters and Ancestors had already gone back to seclusion, some were preparing for their breakthrough, while others were digesting the rewards and insights they gained within.

The Fractured Plane origin of that tower had also been identified after Lin Mo used one of the remaining two daily chances of the [Anomaly & Corruption Sensor Network. It was simply called the [Primordial Jungle]. The creatures generated by that tower appeared to be a mimicry and compound of ancient beasts that must’ve been previously native to that Fractured Plane.

He suspected that, like the Martial World, there was still life there, just that their Dimension Essence source had been damaged enough that it already lacked the path that would lead to the birth of a being with similar attainments to an immortal or a divine being to exist.

Meanwhile, the store currently has three active and one dormant Anchor with a deployed Store Beacon.

The HLFB#0027 located at the Abyssal Forest was currently in a ’cleared’ status. The Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect had set up a perimeter around it to ensure that once the Anchor recovered enough for another exploration, everyone could quickly gather around it.

He’s still not thinking of occupying or destroying it. It’s a place for the store patrons to level up, after all. Since most Anchors have limits on how many exploration groups or individuals could enter at once, the more Anchors the store had, the better.

The HLFB#0120 located at the Sunken Caverns within the Stormhowl Tribe’s territory was still being explored, mainly by the barbarians living there and a few cultivators who went to take up the commission posted at the Mercenary Hall. They have currently cleared 4 areas. However, it was already breached, and it was about to be stabilized tomorrow. That meant it would become a permanent link and resetting the Anchor Core would not be possible anymore.

That’s why its threat was considered high. Unlike the ACCB#0003 that was recently breached, that one would truly become a staging ground by the Highland Realm.

He could only hope that the Stormhowl Tribe Chieftain Borok would reach the Anchor Core soon. He was reported to have led a group of Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stage elders. Most of which came from the Liu Clan.

As for the remaining dormant Anchor just outside the Fanling City, its activation was delayed for another three days but it was also expiring tomorrow.

The City Lord had already prepared his City Guards to be the first to dive into it, while many cultivators staying near the Fanling City were also ready for its exploration.

There was a breached Anchor at the Southern Wilderness but it had yet to be discovered. The Blazing Maw Tribe had become the branch store’s security, while the Poison Demon Cult, who helped take down the Crystalweb Tyrant, had just begun their search.

There wasn’t any news about the Emberfall Tribes either. It was as if they had vanished. Lin Mo was thinking of inquiring Huoling about them but he’s putting it off for now. Akasha, the Chieftain of the Blazing Maw, was confident they wouldn’t fall that easily, even if they were besieged by the insectoids from an Outer Realm.

And now, the third Tower was about to be added. And its location was outside the Eastern Abyssal Region.

"Let’s just hope everything goes well. In the meantime... there’s only a day left for my promised return to the Martial World, huh?" Lin Mo glanced at the door leading to the Plane Portal. And he still didn’t know where the Sunken Dragon was yet.

—

Yu Qingyan and Shang Shuiyin boarded a ship construct from the Arctic Sea Palace to reach the Valley of Frozen Whispers quickly.

The ship construct was an ice-enchanted craftsmanship. It was a crystalline vessel that seemed to slice through the frigid air rather than fly through it. It was silent, powered by a core of refined frost qi, and it moved with a speed that rivaled the Verdant Sky Pavilion’s own flagship.

Yu Qingyan stood at the bow, the freezing wind couldn’t even get past the protective array of the ship. Shang Shuiyin huddled close to her, fiddling with her Viewing Jade, perhaps to calm her nerves down.

Behind them, Elder Frost piloted the vessel with a grim, disapproving expression, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the jagged peaks of the valley pierced the sky.

A contingent of fifty elite Arctic Sea Palace disciples, all Foundation Establishment Stage or higher, stood in disciplined ranks on the deck. They were armed with frost-forged weapons and wore armor that shimmered with protective runes.

They were strong, disciplined, and completely prepared for what awaited them.