Chapter 495: Store Upgraded Again

Whether to the cultivators of the Barren Sea Realm, or to those of Lingzhou,

The ocean at the very center of the Tianyuan Sea, where the two realms met, was a taboo they were loath to ever mention.

Since antiquity, rare few had ever transited through that expanse of water, and little was truly known of the strange phenomena rumored to drift there.

Moreover, the cultivators of the Lingzhou continent were themselves slipping into a gradual decline, their ancient prosperity long since faded; and since the fall of Perfected Cultivator Zixiang, fewer still dared to approach those waters.

Only a scattered handful of fragmentary records survived in the world, preserved deep within the annals of the great ancient clans.

The rising sun set the ocean waves steaming, and from afar, the morning mist curled gracefully, refracting the sunlight into a breathtaking, kaleidoscopic splendor.

This central expanse of the Tianyuan Sea had ever been utterly devoid of human presence, and even fish or birds were a rare sight within its bounds.

The distant waters mirrored the sky, where the wind swept the white clouds into rippling patterns of light.

As the morning mist thickened and the clouds grew heavier, the distant sea surface gradually dissolved until cloud and fog became indistinguishable, resembling peaks of snow-capped mountains marooned upon the sea; as the wind shifted and the vapors drifted, the colossal corner of some monolithic entity suddenly loomed through the mountain of cloud!

…

For reasons unknown of late, the sky over Jiuhua City remained perpetually overcast; even when the rain held back, it cast a chill so deep it made one wonder if they had somehow stumbled into Half-City.

The anomalies taking place far away in the Tianyuan Sea naturally cast no shadow here, and within the shop, all remained as calm and tranquil as ever.

A ghost-like silhouette drifted into the establishment along with the crowd, murmuring to itself as it walked, as though locked in an internal monologue or transmitting tidings to someone unseen.

"These mere mortals are indeed so wretchedly small and ignorant it borders on the comical."

"Mm, they are still in the shop watching cartoons." A stray glance revealed that Song Qingfeng and Dong Qingli had both taken to their stations today, while a young noble dressed in extravagant silk was broadcasting an animated feature.

As time progressed, the profits the various players reaped from tending their crops grew increasingly substantial, leaving them with quite a few spare gold coins in hand; though they had initially purchased the service merely to unlock certain functions, it had now slowly evolved into a pursuit of personal entertainment.

In truth, the shop harbored no shortage of young lords and wealthy, indolent scions; Young Master An, the son of Jiuhua City’s castellan, could no longer sit still after constantly watching others view the screen, and given the long queues of late, he had simply downloaded a few episodes himself to pass the hours.

"Young Master An, what is this?" Several nearby young lords of Jiuhua City looked at the virtual projection before them with expressions of curiosity. "This doesn't look familiar. Naruto? What on earth is that?"

"It seems one must purchase this to unlock certain specialized Five Elements Escape Arts, and since it belongs to the combat genre, it's worth a look." Remembering that everything he had watched over the past few days amounted to things like *Tom and Jerry* or *Detective Conan*—which, while amusing, lacked a certain thrill—he had sought it out merely for entertainment.

In a world dominated by cultivators and martial artists, even a pastime felt like a meal devoid of meat if it lacked a modicum of martial conflict.

Just like the biographical novels they used to read, it had to be of the immortal cultivation genre, replete with divine abilities and magical arts clashing in battle, to ever draw a crowd.

Though *Tom and Jerry* featured its fair share of scuffles, that… was best left unmentioned.

"A combat genre?"

A dark silhouette edged closer once more: "Well, let us speak no more of it for now; there are no vacant seats in the shop, so I shall first observe the cartoon."

"…"

"Rest assured, I shall not forget the task we have set out to perform."

…

Fang Qi glanced around; the shop staff had already been fully assembled. Unlike the previous recruitment, this turn required only that the employees be conscientious and responsible, tasked with simple cash register duties and other minor trivialities.

The new staff members for the Jiuhua City shop were mostly young talents from various sects who had been rescued during the previous Taixi Sect incident, while a portion of the staff for Half-City consisted of local residents.

Each shop was allocated ten individuals, five male and five female, which, combined with the original staff, brought the total to twelve; with sufficient hands now available, Boss Fang possessed far more leeway to expand the premises.

Regarding the arrangement of the new storefront layouts, Fang Qi discovered that following his recent elevation in authority, the choices now rested entirely with him.

For instance, a classical-style storefront allowed for the cultivation of spiritual herbs and celestial flora within, featuring a small wooden bridge at the entrance beneath which water murmured softly, suitable for rearing a few fish and shrimp—though these, naturally, had to be provided by the proprietor himself.

There was also a fantasy-style layout, featuring a circular white stone flowerbed at its center, with pristine stone pathways and azure stone computer desks that exuded an air of distinct elegance.

Modern and sci-fi styles were likewise listed among the choices, but after some deliberation, Boss Fang decided to leave the original storefront untouched.

An array such as the Sumeru Mustard Seed, even if capable of harboring living creatures, was no longer considered extraordinary by the cultivators of Lingzhou; after all, the great ancient clans were fully capable of such feats, and many of their palaces even utilized these very formations.

Yet the choice Boss Fang was about to make next… was likely something none of them had ever laid eyes upon.

"Beep. Selection complete. The shop upgrade will be finalized prior to opening tomorrow."

Smack!

Boss Fang had just completed the selections for tonight's shop upgrade and descended from the upper floor when he beheld a peculiar cultivator, draped in a pitch-black cloak despite the broad daylight, slap the table and rise from his seat.

The voluminous hood was drawn incredibly low, masking nearly the entirety of his face, though the skin exposed beneath bore a strange, greenish-gray hue.

Many of the surrounding patrons turned their gaze toward him.

Ever since members of the ancient clans had begun frequenting the shop to surf the internet, the Yuanyang City branch, which already possessed limited seating, had clearly become overcrowded.

The black-robed figure bore a darkened countenance, appearing thoroughly dissatisfied; though this shop also offered cartoons to pass the time, still…

Not far beside him sat a refined little girl of about ten years old, clad in a white palace dress, huddled together with a large white deer.

In her hands, she held a new model of communication jade.

A few other young maidens stood beside her.

A peculiar melody drifted over from their direction: "Pleasant Goat, Beautiful Goat, Lazy Goat… Do not look down on me, for I am merely a sheep…"

Sitting in such close proximity had become utterly unendurable!

"Can this shop not procure a few more of these… machines?!"

Given his exalted status, how could he possibly…

"…" The face beneath the cloak stole another glance at the cartoon Jiang Xiaoyue was watching. "Did they not say this thing was somewhat interesting and could help pass the time…?"

How could such trash be considered interesting?! He had watched it for nearly an entire day and had yet to discern a single shred of merit!

"Baa-hahaha! These little sheep are simply too adorable!" The large white deer sat upon the sofa, bursting into a fit of laughter as it watched.

"…" The face beneath the cloak twitched, turning completely black with exasperation.

In that instant, he began to question his own sanity.

"Rest easy, rest easy!" Boss Fang waved his hand, offering a brief preview. "There will be ample seating tomorrow."

Li Wuya called out, "Do not fret, Your Excellency, your turn is next."

"Very well!" Only then did the black-cloaked cultivator sit back down with a sullen look. "Then I shall wait a while longer today."

"Yohahaha! This wolf is so incredibly foolish!"

"Indeed!" Jiang Xiaoyue also covered her small mouth, giggling uncontrollably. "How could a wolf like that ever manage to catch a small animal?"

As the sounds drifted over, the gaze beneath the cloak instinctively strayed back toward the screen, and he continued to watch.

…