Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 214: Foundational Martial Technique

For the rest of the night, the Divine Convenience Store remained active.

Like the two girls, Lin Mo eventually came in to try out the Combat Simulation too. He chose to start from the Spirit Gathering Stage and worked up to his limit – which ended up being the basic combat simulation of the Spirit Condensation Stage.

When he tried the intermediate difficulty, he became unable to barrel through everything with just his raw strength and movement technique. Even if he dodged everything, defeating them was out of the question.

Without any spells and martial combat techniques where he could funnel his spiritual energy, he could only rely on using it to enhance his body and his weapon of choice; the spear.

He made that selection without any special reason. It simply had a longer reach than a sword or any bladed weapon and using a bow wasn't ideal for him when he had to keep moving to prevent himself from getting ganged up. Not to mention, he had to be accurate with it. As a complete beginner, that's an impossible task.

Even his use of the spear was too awkward. All he could do was thrust and sweep.

While he could probably suggest the idea of hot weapons to the Divine Pantheon, he lacked sufficient technical knowledge about it. However, considering they managed to replicate appliances and other technology from Earth, it might not be too far-fetched to think they'd be able to do the same.

A cultivation realm like the Realm of Nine Heavens failed to develop guns because of the existence of spiritual energy and magical spells; studying science was like a niche interest.

With spiritual energy as the base, the inhabitants of the Realm of Nine Heavens had little need for the mechanical innovations that defined Lin Mo's old world.

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Why bother with gunpowder when a flick of the wrist could unleash a fireball, or a well-crafted talisman could obliterate an enemy from a distance? Cultivation had shaped their society into one where personal power reigned supreme, and tools like firearms were dismissed as crude curiosities for mortals too weak to harness the heaven and earth's energy. Still, Lin Mo couldn't shake the thought. If the Divine Pantheon could replicate soda cans and instant noodles, surely they could whip up a spirit-infused pistol or two.

He filed that idea away for later; for now, the spear would have to do.

"Boss, do you like to learn the spear?"

That was Liu Xiaoyu's question to him after failing the intermediate course.

He could see that she was already holding a manual in her hand. Most likely something she picked up from the store shelves while he was still inside the simulation.

He thought for a moment before giving her an honest answer, "I don't particularly prefer it, but learning how to use it won't be a bad idea."

"I see! Then this is best for you, Boss."

Upon saying that, she handed him the manual, [Foundational Martial Technique]. Compared to most manuals they're selling, it was thin. Perhaps only around twenty or so pages. Still, it looked newly printed with a modern feel on the cover.

He grabbed it and Liu Xiaoyu continued, "It's like the [Shopkeeping 101] book you have, Boss. It teaches you the basic stances in any type of martial arts. You just circulate your spiritual energy according to instruction while practicing any type of weapon – including your fist. It's an essential technique for beginners. Masters, on the other hand, use this as a base to create their own techniques. In other words, most martial techniques started from this manual."

Lin Mo flipped through the [Foundational Martial Technique] manual, his fingers tracing the crisp edges of the pages. The cover was simple yet striking. It had bold black text over a stylized silhouette of a figure in mid-stance, radiating faint lines of spiritual energy.

It lacked the ornate flair of higher-grade manuals, but its straightforward design hinted at its purpose: a bedrock for growth.

"Basics…" He mused aloud, glancing at Liu Xiaoyu. "Right. I've been skipping the fundamentals, jumping straight to dodging worms and tigers. I learned the know-how of shopkeeping from that book. And there's also the Basics of Cultivation you picked up for me. Without those, I was just an ignorant mortal who happened to be transferred to this world."

Liu Xiaoyu grinned with arms on her hips and chin tilted high. "Exactly, Boss! You can't build a tower without a foundation. This'll give you the groundwork for any weapon you pick up. Spear, sword, fist, whatever. It's all about flow and control. Plus, it's dirt cheap for what it offers. Only 5 high-grade spirit stones in the store! You already have enough for it, right?"

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. "Cheap and essential? Sounds like something I should've grabbed on day one. Why didn't you shove this at me sooner?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd actually push yourself to fight to the limits with only the movement technique!" Xiaoyu shot back with a teasing tone and sincere eyes. "You always said you can just use our talismans, formation flags, or artifacts, but here you were, trying your hand on actual combat. If you're serious about this, that manual is your ticket. Master this and you'll stop flailing like a noodle in the wind."

Lin Mo wryly smiled. She wasn't wrong. He could have skipped all of this and just relied on the store products and his movement technique, yet he still tried the combat simulation.

"Alright. This should be easy to master, right? Miss Yangyang, I'll try this out in a mental simulation. Is it possible?"

"Of course. That's the most ideal way if you want to learn a manual. Because unlike physical simulation, we can accelerate the time depending on your mental capacity." She then scanned Lin Mo as though gauging his current capacity. Before long, she nodded, "Mhm. I got it. You can bear ten times the acceleration, Shopkeeper. An hour in reality can be as long as ten hours inside the mental simulation."

Lin Mo nodded, impressed by the flexibility of the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb]. "Ten hours in an hour? Alright, let's do it. Even if I cannot master it as quickly without the [Boundless Knowledge Jade], I should be able to grasp its basics, right?"

Liu Xiaoyu chimed in again, "Boss, for reference, I grasped the basic proficiency of that in five hours."

Lin Mo's lips twitched. How can he use her as a reference when she's an exceptional talent that even the guy from the Sun Moon Ocean Pavilion will probably not hold a candle to?

"Pray for me then… The night is about to be over. Let Xiao Ya rest after she's done with her simulation. She might be too exhausted for our work later."

"Yes, Boss! I'll also stop for today in using the artifact! Do your best. We have a shop to run after you're done with that." Liu Xiaoyu comically saluted.

Yangyang stepped forward, her glasses glinting as she adjusted the orb's settings. "Very well, Shopkeeper. I'll set the simulation so you can stop at any given moment. Take your time. You'll be in a training ground, running through the manual's stances and flows with a spear. It'll feel real in your mind, but your body will stay here, safe and still. Ready?"

Lin Mo nodded and then settled onto his cultivation mat at the edge. He crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees and took a deep breath. "Yes. Thank you for your assistance, Miss Yangyang."

Yangyang pressed her palm against the orb, and a soft pulse of divine energy rippled outward. The air around Lin Mo shimmered faintly, and his eyes fluttered shut as the mental simulation took hold.

—

As the dawn of the new day arrived, customers, both new and old, started lining up outside the Divine Convenience Store. The City Guards were also present, ensuring that order was maintained.

Meanwhile, outside Fanling City, the group of soldiers sent by the Crown Prince had arrived outside the city gates.

Captain Ying stopped her men as they observed how crowded it was already with carriages and people waiting for their turn to be allowed inside the city.

"So, this is the border city of Fanling. The place where the Divine Convenience Store is located…" Captain Ying muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the bustling scene before her.

Despite the sun still far from the horizon, the city gates were already a flurry of activity, with merchants, cultivators, and common folk jostling for entry.

Carriages creaked under the weight of goods, while the faint hum of spiritual energy radiated from the cultivators waiting in line.

The presence of the City Guards maintaining order only underscored the growing importance of Fanling City. And, by extension, the Divine Convenience Store.

She adjusted the sword at her hip, her hawkish gaze narrowing as she took in the crowd. "This place feels like the capital now. The store's influence is truly extraordinary. The Crown Prince has the right to be skeptical."

One of her lieutenants, a man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward. "Captain, the Crown Prince's orders were clear: meet the First Princess, locate the store, and assess its operations. Should we proceed directly or gather intel from the locals first?"

Captain Ying considered this for a moment before she looked up and ordered. "Split up. You and half the squad mingle with the crowd going to the store. Buy something from the merchants, listen to the chatter. I want to know what these people think of this Shopkeeper Lin Mo and his wares. The rest of us will head to the state of the First Princess."