After informing Chieftain Borok and Elder Liu Jingshan regarding the upcoming change on the Anchor, Lin Mo returned to the store with Liu Xiaoyu and their captive.

As for the Ancestors and Nascent Soul Stage experts, most of them immediately excused themselves as they needed to get into a closed-door cultivation to digest the massive influx of purified Highland Energy they had absorbed.

Lin Mo wasn’t unaware of it. Most Spirit Severing Ancestors were stuck at their bottleneck and had chosen to enter secluded cultivation and seal themselves to slow down the end of their lifespan, like those old ancestors in the webnovels he had read before. They would only come out if their sect or clan faced the threat of destruction and defend it.

But because of the store’s appearance, they all reemerged to help in fending off the Violethaven Temple, ending their seclusion. And after having been introduced to the wonders of the store as well as the possible benefits of climbing up Conduit Towers and exploring the Anchors, they realized that they’ve finally found a way to get out of stagnation.

They had been starving men hoarding crumbs, unaware that a banquet had just opened its doors right at their doorstep. To them, the store alone already served as their key to ascending to the Void Refinement Stage and perhaps, one day, touching the elusive Law Integration Stage. And the rewards from anchors and towers are supplements.

Lin Mo did not doubt that within a few weeks or just a few days, the Eastern Abyssal Domain would boast several new Void Refinement Stage experts, leveling up the overall strength of their region. If Liu Tianfeng also breaks through to the Law Integration Stage, that’s another step towards catching up to the powerhouses of the Western Sacred Lands.

But that was a concern for the future. Right now, he had a more immediate issue to resolve.

Stepping out of the Celestial Shuttle Hub and onto the polished floors of the main store, Lin Mo let out a tired sigh. Behind him, Liu Xiaoyu strutted out, looking immensely pleased with herself. Her golden [Legionary Set] had already retracted into its compact cube form, resting securely in her spatial ring.

In her hand, she effortlessly dragged the bound and unconscious form of Vespera. The High Noble of the Highland Realm looked less like a terrifying Mind-Weaver and more like a discarded sack of flour.

To the patrons, the sight of the Assistant Shopkeeper casually hauling a terrifying, long-eared aristocrat across the floor was both jarring and deeply reassuring. They’ve been following the situation through the Bulletin Board, and those at the Sunken Caverns already posted about how the strike team, comprising the most elite cultivators of the Eastern Abyssal Domain, successfully prevented the threat of stabilization and even captured the ringleader at the depths of the Anchor.

Now, seeing the Shopkeeper and Xiaoyu returning with the captive, their reverence towards the store once again experienced a massive jump.

After all, they’re also terrified of the mind-control abilities of the Dreilling and most of them were not confident enough to escape from it if the Highland Realm found a foothold in the region.

"Welcome back, Shopkeeper. Sister Xiaoyu," Wu Meiyu greeted them as she approached the hub’s exit. Her meticulous eyes immediately fell upon the captive dragged behind Xiaoyu. Even unconscious, the foreign physiology and the faint, unfamiliar aura of the Dreilling were unmistakable. "I’m glad it went well. Don’t do that again, Shopkeeper. You’re making me worry."

"Alright. I understand," Lin Mo nodded and inwardly, he appreciated her concern.

To prevent creating a commotion, they went over the inventory room where Lin Mo configured the system to partition a smaller room where they could safely contain and interrogate their esteemed guest.

He brought up the Divine System Interface and tapped into the facility management menu. Although expansion only comes through reaching the next tier of the store, modifying existing rooms was already possible. He just needs to spend a few Dimension Essence or spirit stones. However, the modification wouldn’t be as complex as the new facilities like the Celestial Hot Spring.

He quickly selected the inventory room and picked the space in one corner. After a few configurations, a new window popped up in front of him.

[Facility Modification: Containment Cell]

[Features: Energy-Sealing Formation, Soundproof Isolation.]

[Cost: 50,000 Dimension Essence]

[Confirm? Y/N]

Lin Mo selected ’Yes’. A section of the inventory room’s wall shimmered, expanding inward to form a pristine, brilliantly lit white room with a single, sturdy metal chair bolted to the floor.

There were no torturous implements or dark, dripping ceilings. It looked just like the normal prison cell from Earth.

"Toss her inside, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo instructed as he opened the door.

"With pleasure, Boss!" Liu Xiaoyu unceremoniously dumped the Mind-Weaver inside.

To test the Energy-Sealing Formation, he stepped inside as well and tried to circulate his spiritual energy.

Sure enough, he couldn’t muster even a whiff of it. Surprisingly though, the Divine System Interface was still accessible and he could control everything within the room. If he wanted to put a bed or any amenities for the captive, he could do it.

But at the moment, there’s no point in doing so.

With that, he released Vespera from the [Spirit-Sealing Cord] and stepped outside, locking it.

It didn’t take long before the Dreilling stirred. Vespera’s mercury-like eyes snapped open. For a moment, panic flashed in her face before her usual composure kicked in. She gazed up and found the three figures standing outside the cell, watching her.

"What is this place?" Vespera glared at Lin Mo, her voice bereft of any hint of fear. She believed that Lin Mo, not killing her in the Anchor, was actually a blessing in disguise for her. She successfully infiltrated the Realm of Nine Heavens! The setback she suffered against them was instantly washed away, and she began thinking of a way to turn her situation around.

"Welcome to the Divine Convenience Store, Lady Vespera."

Lin Mo replied with his usual amicable tone, keenly watching the reaction of the Dreilling. He couldn’t help but admire her a bit. Because despite everything, she immediately gathered her composure. However, if she’s thinking of escaping, he could only laugh at that.

Vespera tried to sit up before calmly muttering, "Divine Convenience Store..."

She let the words roll off her tongue. She was already familiar with it after reading the minds of those cultivators and barbarians that Zyrith captured. Although she’s a little regretful for not preparing enough, she could accept the anomaly that the store represented.

Looking around, the absolute nullification of her power in this white box made her consider her choices.

Vespera’s mercury-like eyes narrowed. She focused her mind, attempting to reach out with a subtle, invisible thread of psychic energy.

A Mind-Weaver of her caliber didn’t need grand gestures or roaring qi to dominate a subject. A single, focused thought could bypass physical defenses and scramble the mind of a lesser being. She aimed it directly at Lin Mo, intending to plunge him into an illusion of suffocating despair so she could negotiate her release.

However, the moment her psychic thread tried to leave her body, it hit an invisible wall. It dissipated like a drop of water falling into a desert.

"I wouldn’t try that, dear customer," Lin Mo said, understanding what the woman just tried to do. "The Energy-Sealing Formation in this cell doesn’t just suppress spiritual energy. It also restricts your Highland Energy and whatever means you can do from harnessing it. It enforces a strict ’No Loitering’ policy on all forms of projected energy, including your Highland psychic waves. You have zero bars of signal in there."

"Zero bars?" Vespera frowned, unfamiliar with the terminology, though the mocking undertone was universal. She maintained her confident posture, refusing to show the creeping dread in her chest. "You are bold, native. You have captured a High Noble of the Highland Realm. Do you truly comprehend the calamity you have invited upon your pathetic world? His Eminence, the High Emperor, will not let this slight go unpunished. When the true armada arrives, this ’store’ of yours will be ground into dust and you... will become a mere servant. I’ll ensure to take you with me. And humiliate you."

"Boss, she talks too much," Liu Xiaoyu grumbled, hefting her iron mace onto her shoulder. "She sounds exactly like Yan Wei when he first came here, just with longer ears and a worse complexion. Can I give her a little tap? Just a small one, to test the durability of the cell?"

"Patience, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo chuckled. "It’s normal for a High Noble to act like this. Besides, she won’t even stay for long with us."

He turned back to Vespera, dropping the casual smile. His gaze became sharp, piercing through the Dreilling’s haughty facade.

"Let me correct your misconceptions, Lady Vespera. First, I am well aware of the ’calamity’ your people represent. That is precisely why you are sitting in this cell instead of dissolving into experience points back in the Anchor. Second, your Highland Realm is currently struggling against the spatial restrictions of the First Heaven, relying on sneaky, backdoor installations of Anchors, which we just dismantled. If you all could truly send an ’armada’, you would have done so already."