Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 260: Extracting Anchor Data
Jiang Jianxin exhaled sharply as she lowered her silver sword. The Decrint Tribe Chieftain's dissolution left a heavy cloud of green mist. The foreign energy from the mist swirled like a storm before dispersing into her and her group's cultivation bases.
Her core cultivation technique vibrated softly, the [Cloudstep Sword Arts] drinking in the essence, nudging her ever closer to the Core Formation Stage.
She glanced at the Area Core in her hand, its dark-green glow dimming as the system panel, which only provided little information about the Anchor, updated continuously.
[Area 1 Cleared]
[Scanning the Area Core…]
[Multiple options have been generated regarding the use of Area Core].
[Option 1: Extract the Area Core data. Permanently provide Area 1's information and the complete map of the area, along with Exit Zones and Hidden Chests for future explorations.]
[Option 2: Dissolve the Area Core to permanently enhance cultivation base. Grants a one-time boost equivalent to one minor realm advancement for all party members (limited to Foundation Establishment Stage or below).]
[Option 3: Sacrifice the Area Core to destabilize Anchor - HLFB#0227. Reduces Foreign Energy Saturation by 30% and temporarily closes the bridge between the Anchor and the Outer Realm by 72 hours. (Note: This action may provoke retaliation from higher-tier entities in subsequent areas and may result in the Outer Realm pouring more resources to raise the difficulty in navigating towards the Anchor Core)]
[Additional Note: The Anchor has been designed to have Outer Realm entities stationed in each area to gradually raise the Foreign Energy Saturation needed to complete the Dimensional Bridge between the Realm of the Nine Heavens and the Anchor, allowing the Outer Realm entities to spill out. Abrupt rise in saturation can also destabilize the Anchor. Hence, the need to scatter their forces across multiple areas to maintain balance.]
Jiang Jianxin's eyes narrowed as she weighed the options presented before her.
Option 1 was practical. Data and maps would ensure safer expeditions, especially for less experienced disciples.
Option 2 tempted her. The cultivation boost could push her, Elder Shi and several disciples past their bottlenecks. She could finally form her Golden Core.
As for Option 3… it was clearly a gamble. Something she couldn't risk yet.
Li Ruo approached, her jade hairpin slightly askew from the battle.
"Senior Sister, the core… doesn't it look like a huge chunk of spirit ore? But heavier. What do we do with it? The disciples are stable, but we're all feeling the foreign energy's pull. It's boosting our cultivation, but it's… unsettling."
Elder Shi wiped his broadsword clean, his grizzled face etched with caution. "Hmph. Can't you all see? This Anchor is a trap disguised as a treasure. It is also a stage for foreign entities to encroach on our realm. Boosting our cultivation is tempting but I don't trust anything that comes too easily, especially if its source was the Outer Realm itself. This place is constructed by them. They cannot breach our realm forcefully. Hence, they're using this to mount a subtle invasion. What we need is to take control of it and counterattack using it. Let them taste their own medicine!"
Jiang Jianxin's grip tightened on the Area Core, its faint pulse syncing with the spark of foreign energy still lingering in her meridians.
Elder Shi's words rang true. That's also the conclusion she reached and what the Shopkeeper hinted at. This Anchor was no mere trial like the Conduit Tower. It was a calculated foothold, a slow bleed of the Outer Realm's influence into the Nine Heavens.
Her dantian rumbled softly, as if wary of the core's seductive power. She glanced at the system panel again, her mind racing through the options.
"Senior Sister?" Li Ruo prompted, her voice tinged with unease.
The disciples behind her shifted, their eyes flickering between the core and the massive door at the chamber's far end, the dark branches now wilting without the pillar's energy.
Jiang Jianxin's lips twitched, a shadow of Lin Mo's wry grin crossing her thoughts.
The Shopkeeper's products had carried them this far, but this decision was hers alone.
"Option 1," She said finally, her voice cutting through the chamber's oppressive silence. "We extract the data. Knowledge is our edge. Cultivation boosts are tempting, but we can't afford to be reckless with foreign energy. Destabilizing the Anchor now risks drawing stronger enemies before we're ready."
Elder Shi nodded, his scowl softening slightly. "Wise choice, Jianxin. We map the Anchor, learn its tricks, and come back stronger. The Shopkeeper's tools are proving their worth, but we need to understand this place before we start smashing it."
The Area Core soon dissolved from Jiang Jianxin's hands. It didn't turn into a mist to be absorbed by their bodies. Instead, it merged with the system panel floating in front of them.
Then, from the corner of Jiang Jianxin's eyes, she saw the Area 1 map projected, revealing a network of narrow corridors dotted with ambush points and a central chamber. The place they were in at the moment.
Energy signatures could be seen as a blue dot, which signifies her, and slightly dimmer blue dots, marking Elder Shi, Li Ruo, and the disciples.
A similar map appeared in everyone's visual periphery, the blue dot simply changing to indicate themselves.
[Area 1 Data Extracted: Decrint Tribe Outpost]
[Primary Inhabitants: Decrint Tribe (Highland Realm subspecies, melee-focused, reliant on Boneforge technology)]
[Area 1 Map: Complete. Next Area Passageway (1), Exit Zones (2), Hidden Chests (2) marked.]
Seeing that, Jiang Jianxin finally understood the question she had wondered about earlier.
The Deacon who survived the accidental expedition stumbled through one of the Exit Zones. He's lucky.
The map's projection flickered briefly before stabilizing, its glowing lines etching themselves into Jiang Jianxin's memory.
The marked Exit Zones and Hidden Chests were tempting, but her focus remained on the passageway to Area 2.
The [Allseeing Compass] hummed in her hand, its needle steady on the massive door, now free of its wilted branches.
Li Ruo adjusted her jade hairpin, her eyes scanning the map. "Senior Sister, the Hidden Chests… should we check them before moving on? They might hold resources useful to us. But it's weird, why would they leave hidden chests if they're here to invade us?"
Elder Shi grunted, his broadsword resting on his shoulder. "Chests are a gamble. Could be treasures, could be traps to lure greedy cultivators. We're not here to loot like common bandits. Jianxin, your call. Press on or poke around?"
Jiang Jianxin's gaze lingered on the map's chest markers.
"We'll check one chest," She decided, pointing to the closest marker, tucked in a side passage. "Quickly. If it's a trap, we use [Emergency Escape Talismans]. If it's useful, we take it and move to Area 2. No delays."
—
Divine Pantheon, Development Division, Celestial Forge
Chuang, the God of Craft and Innovations, stood before a blazing forge, its celestial flames casting shadows across his scarred hands.
The [Starshot Revolver] prototype lay on an obsidian workbench, its sleek frame etched with micro-formation arrays that pulsed with faint starlight.
Lihua hovered nearby, her jade-like fingers tracing the ethereal projection of Lin Mo's latest [Feedback and Suggestions] entry.
"Compact, mid-range, spiritual energy ammo," Chuang muttered, stroking his beard. "The young man is practical, I'll give him that. This revolver's core is done. It condenses spiritual energy into projectiles, adjustable from 50 to 70 paces. I've added a stun array and a tracking glyph, as Taihao suggested. But it needs field testing."
Lihua's lips curved into a pleased smile. "You've outdone yourself, Chuang. The [Starshot Revolver] suits him. Unassuming but potent, like the Shopkeeper himself. I've arranged delivery through his [Weekly Task] reward once all the objectives have been completed."
Chuang grunted, picking up the revolver and spinning its cylinder. "Good. But I want his feedback. Aren't they using that immortal-grade artifact we crafted, Lihua? What was it again? The [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb]."
Taihao lounged on his cloud-wrought seat that floated along with him nearby, sipping [Celestial Peach Wine] with a grin.
"Hoho, Lin Mo will love it. A mortal toy turned divine artifact? He might strut around Fanling like a young master he despised."
Lihua's eyes glinted with amusement.
"Indeed, the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb]. They have been using it to sharpen their skills. However, he's still finding his footing. The orb's simulations are rigorous. It can replicate the chaos of a real Anchor or Tower. Testing the [Starshot Revolver] in it is fitting."
Chuang nodded, his calloused thumb brushing the revolver's grip. "Then let's make it happen. And since the young man has got a knack for stumbling into trouble, might as well arm him for his next Anchor or Tower run. I'll tweak the arrays to handle foreign energy suppression and recycle them for effective use like those Celestial Duel Gears. I want this thing punching through the hides of those encroaching on our realm."
Lihua's smile widened, her jade bangle clinking softly as she waved a hand, sending a pulse through the Divine Interface System. "It's set. The revolver will appear as a 'special reward' after he completes his [Weekly Tasks]. I've also flagged his suggestion for an online Celestial Duel platform. Aren't you already buzzing about it, Taihao? Revolutionize the First Heaven's entertainment, huh? But the store has already revolutionized a new profession. Anyway, I might need to converse with the Research Division about it. Finish this prototype soon, Chuang."
