Lin Mo stepped closer to the shimmering barrier of the cell. "Remember this, dear customer. You are not a conqueror here. You are now an asset. A highly valuable piece of intelligence. And I like to maximize the value of all our assets."

Vespera’s lip curled in a sneer. "You think you can interrogate me? I am a master of the mind. Your crude torture methods–"

"Torture? Oh, no. That is horribly inefficient and not in line with our brand image." Lin Mo interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "I value convenience, and we are a civilized establishment. I’m simply going to conveniently hand you over to someone who can do that work for us. He is very... passionate about his work."

Vespera couldn’t help but flinch at the gradual change in Lin Mo’s voice. If it was warm and welcoming at first, it eventually turned cold and ruthless.

Hand her over? She didn’t need to be smart to understand the underlying meaning of it. If she were truly handed over, her days of being captive would not be as comfortable as simply sitting in this cell. Even though she couldn’t use her abilities, she could at least try to get into Lin Mo’s good graces and manipulate him into letting her go.

However, her pride as a High Noble was making her too indignant to lower her head.

And so, instead of fully submitting right away, she thought she could put on a decisive stance first, not caring about whether she would truly be sent away as a specimen to be studied.

"You... you wouldn’t," Vespera managed to say, controlling her voice.

Lin Mo didn’t miss that detail. Considering she’s completely powerless at the moment, observing her current behavior was enough for him to understand what’s going on in her head.

"Oh, I assure you, dear customer, outsourcing specialized tasks is a cornerstone of modern business management," Lin Mo said, which made even Xiaoyu and Meiyu curl their brows. His strange vocabulary still needed quite a bit of time for them to deduce what he actually meant.

Regardless, they didn’t interrupt him.

"The loyal patron I have in mind is the High Priest of the Poison Demon Cult. Perhaps you’ve learned of them in one of those memories you’ve read from the captives. Currently, his cult is establishing our new ’Institute of Forbidden Anatomy’. They are incredibly eager to understand the biological and spiritual mechanics of foreign entities such as yours. We are curious. What makes you different from us?"

He paused, letting the silence stretch and allowing her imagination to fill the void.

"That old man is particularly fascinated by the neural pathways of a Mind-Weaver. They want to know how you process trauma into power. If you don’t talk, he’ll experiment on you to hypothesize the answer. It’ll be a careful process, but painful. Imagine dissecting your energy channels while you remain conscious and stripped of your Highland Energy. He’ll inject our spiritual energy into your body and see how you’ll react. Thinking about it, absorbing a different type of energy from the one we’re inherently using builds corruption. Will it be the same to you? Will you be corrupted by our spiritual energy?"

Vespera’s pale skin turned an ashen shade of gray. The absolute certainty in Lin Mo’s voice, devoid of any sadistic glee, made the threat incredibly real. He wasn’t trying to scare her because he understood the High Priest enough that it was something the old man was capable of doing.

"Lady Vespera, I know you’re the type who’s too proud to admit defeat. Even now, you’re probably still thinking of ways to escape. But I assure you, there is no escape. Unless... you cooperate with us. You don’t have to decide right away, for we are quite magnanimous. Unlike you, who just dominate and charm our people for trespassing into your territory."

Upon saying that, Lin Mo turned around and walked away. Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu stared at her for a few seconds before following him.

And as they disappeared, the transparent front of the cell gradually dimmed, blocking her view of the outside and leaving her alone in the white, silent, and utterly isolated room.

The pristine white walls of the [Containment Cell] offered nothing to look at, and the absolute silence was deafening.

For a Mind-Weaver like Vespera, whose entire existence revolved around the constant, chaotic influx of psychic feedback, thoughts, and emotions from thousands of lesser beings, this sensory deprivation was a suffocating and maddening starvation.

Outside the cell, back in the bustling inventory room, Liu Xiaoyu let out a long whistle, shivering dramatically.

"Brrr. Boss, remind me never to get on your bad side. You didn’t even lay a finger on her, but she looked like she was about to vomit her own soul. I never thought you had it in you to act like a villainous mastermind right there."

"What villainous mastermind? It’s a simple expectation management, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo replied, his cold demeanor evaporating as he stretched his shoulders, letting out a tired sigh. "Torture is tasteless. And physical pain has a threshold where the body simply shuts down, or the mind dissociates. But fear? The anticipation of a highly specific, customized horror? That scales infinitely. Let her sit in the quiet and imagine the High Priest’s methods. In time, she’ll be begging to provide us with everything she knows. And maybe even ask to become one of our patrons."

Wu Meiyu nodded, her dark eyes glinting with professional admiration. "A flawless application of psychological pressure, Shopkeeper. In the royal courts, isolation is often preferred over the dungeon. A prisoner left alone with their own imagination will inevitably craft a hell far worse than any torturer could devise. But are you truly planning to hand her over to the Poison Demon Cult?"

"Only if she proves entirely useless to us," Lin Mo said, waving a hand to bring up the main interface as they walked back out to the main store floor. "But she’s a High Noble of the Highland Realm. Even if she doesn’t hold the blueprints to their deployment strategies and the coordinates of other potential Anchors. She’ll be an intelligence goldmine. The High Priest can do his experiments for his Institute of Forbidden Anatomy later. Besides, I believe the Boundless Knowledge Jade can scan her from head to toe. There’s no need to give her up right away."

Wu Meiyu and Liu Xiaoyu looked at each other and nodded. While they also had other ideas, they believed Lin Mo’s plan would yield the best result.

"Alright," Lin Mo said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We’ve secured the Sunken Caverns Anchor and turned it into a training ground. We also captured a valuable ’hostage’. If she’s from a lineage high-up in their realm, they won’t be silent at the demise of the Anchor she was in charge of. It’s an entirely productive day. But we have a looming appointment that cannot be ignored."

He accessed the interface again and projected the [Anomaly & Corruption Sensor Network] map into the air between them.

Ever since the detection earlier, the three bright and unmistakable golden dots have never left their detection. At the moment, they were already grouped and blinking steadily on the western edge of the projection, moving with terrifying speed toward Fanling City.

"The tourists," Wu Meiyu murmured, her posture stiffening immediately. "Patriarch Skyflame, Patriarch Jadebone, and Matriarch Deep-Root. Three big shots of the Western Sacred Lands."

"They’ll be here shortly after the store hours. Let’s give them a proper welcome." Lin Mo confirmed, doing some quick mental math based on the grid’s scale. "They aren’t bothering to hide their auras. They want us to know they’re coming. It’s a classic show of force."

"Are they potential patrons, Boss? But they’re allies of the temple." Xiaoyu muttered, tapping her chin.

"As long as they don’t show hostility to us, they can be patrons. Of course, if they let the Violethaven Temple get a hand on the convenience we’re offering, they’ll be banned." Lin Mo said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave them to us. You... should go and prepare for your breakthrough. Take the Premium Cultivation Room."

"Eh? Boss, you noticed?"

"How can I not? You’re overflowing with spiritual energy. If you don’t handle that, you’ll burst. Go and get the necessary Core Formation Pills equivalent from our store. I believe it’s called Core Shaping Biscuits. And don’t forget to get some milk to digest it. Make sure you form a Golden Core."

"Hehe! Will it be free of charge, Boss?"

"If it ensures our Assistant Shopkeeper doesn’t explode and ruin the new decor, I believe we can deduct it as an operational expense," Lin Mo replied with a wry smile. "Now go before I catch up to you."

"You got it, Boss! I’ll be back before you even miss me!" Liu Xiaoyu cheered, her golden aura flaring with renewed excitement. She turned on her heel and dashed toward the stairs, Sparky yipping happily as it bounded after her. "Sister Meiyu, make sure Boss doesn’t do anything stupid while I’m cultivating!"

"I will endeavor to keep him grounded, Xiaoyu," Wu Meiyu called back with a soft, melodic laugh.

With Xiaoyu’s potential, only time was needed for her to get the necessary strength to stand against the Violethaven Temple’s threat. Immortal Embryo Stage? Even if they have an Ancestor at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, against a providence like her, they’ll eventually succumb to her potential.