Ten high-grade spirit stones to a single packet of [Energy Replenishing Candies]. If Lin Mo learned of that, he’d probably smack his lips at the Golden Carp’s cheekiness to mark up the cheap product more than 20 times its original price. Nonetheless, for the merchants of the guild daring to commit such an act, that’s the only way for those who were implicated by the Violethaven Temple’s ban from the store to acquire the miracles of convenience.

Yet Young Master Feng didn’t even blink at the extortionate price. Instead of ingesting the bitter pills most alchemists concoct, tasting the sweet candies and then benefiting from their superior effects is something he was already addicted to.

Unfortunately, because of their Ironwood Sect’s affiliation with the temple, no one wanted to sell him one. Not in fear of the temple but of the possible revocation of their patron status at the store. Their so-called Viewing Jades would instantly disconnect the moment they handed anything related to the store to those affected by its ban.

It was only three days ago that someone whispered to him about the loophole and brought him to meet the same merchant.

At first, he was skeptical of its taste, but one piece was enough for him to want more.

The masked merchant watched as the young man cautiously disappeared into the dark before pulling out his Viewing Jade, reporting his transaction.

Ironwood Sect’s key personnel have been secured. Their dependence has been established," He murmured into the comms as he started detailing how he caught not only the Young Master but also several elders with important positions in their sect’s logistics and defense halls.

"Excellent work, Four." His superior’s voice was filled with satisfaction at his report. "Maintain the supply every three days. Induce a slight scarcity. Tell them that you can only provide one item at a time. If they want to buy other items, remind them how it’s also dangerous for us to deal with them. The Guildmaster spent countless efforts to find this loophole. We want them desperate enough to start questioning their leadership’s stance on their continued dependence on the Violethaven Temple. Remind them that the ’convenience’ they crave flows freely to those unaffiliated with them."

"Understood. It won’t be long before the Sect Master will also be lured by ’convenience’. By then, the temple will lose one of its subservient sects."

The communication cut. The masked merchant slipped the jade back into his robes and melted into the shadows of the alley, leaving the Ironwood Sect’s territory a little more compromised than it had been an hour ago.

The Golden Carp’s ’sugar-coated bullets’ true identity is this. Not just the proliferation of convenience in other territories. It’s the gradual erosion of those affiliated with the store’s enemy.

Similar events had started happening in other territories but no matter how strict the Temple enforce their own ban on anything related to the store, it cannot stop those who have gotten a taste of it.

After all, it was a slow poison but one that tasted like heaven.

—

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in the Eastern Abyssal Domain, completely oblivious to the exorbitant prices his products were fetching on the black market, Lin Mo stood in the center of a pristine white Premium Cultivation Room.

It was time to get to work.

He approached the control terminal. He needed an environment that could facilitate the brutal, high-temperature forging required by the [Stellar Iron Forging Physique] manual, but he also needed absolute control over the atmospheric pressure to keep his body from simply vaporizing under the strain.

[Simulated Environment: The Solar Crucible]

[Spiritual Density: 15x Ambient - Attuned to Fire/Starlight]

[Time Acceleration: 10x]

"Confirm," Lin Mo muttered softly.

The white walls dissolved instantly.

Lin Mo gasped as the air turned into a searing, suffocating furnace.

He found himself standing on a platform suspended above a churning ocean of pure, blinding solar plasma. The heat was apocalyptic, immediately singeing the edges of his uniform.

The pressure hit him like a physical blow that instantly forced him to his knees.

"Alright, this should be enough." Lin Mo grunted as he struggled to push himself back up to a cross-legged seated position.

He didn’t immediately reach for the [Liquid Star-Forged Essence]. He was a pragmatist, not a masochist. With the intense heat and pressure already surrounding him, he needed a balance.

With a thought, he accessed the store’s inventory.

And after picking for a few minutes, a small mountain of colorful products materialized on the floor in front of him.

He wasn’t about to undergo a legendary, excruciating body-tempering process without heavily relying on the ’pay-to-win’ mechanics of his own store.

He checked them one by one.

"[Frosty Mint Numbing Patches]. A medical item used to stabilize a battered body, especially those ingesting demonic beast blood essence for body tempering. The excessive internal heat of the body will be dispersed through those patches, replaced by the cooling sensation of Frosty Mint Grass. A heavenly spiritual plant that’s almost impossible to find in the First Heaven."

Lin Mo wryly smiled before setting it to the side as he picked another item.

"[Hyper-Regen Sour Gummies]," Lin Mo read the label on a bright neon-green package. "Different from the [Fruity Healing Tablets], this seems to be designed to accelerate cellular division and bone mending to absurd degrees. But it is so sour that a patron got temporarily paralyzed while twitching when they tried to eat the gummies all at once. Even Liu Xiaoyu avoided this after testing it once for her ’Daily Recommendation’ thread."

He tossed the gummies next to the patches, reminding himself to take it with a can of [Heavenly Dew Soda].

But then, he saw the next item and immediately abandoned that idea.

A two-liter PET bottle filled with what looked like glowing blue slush. When he first saw it, it reminded him of that infamous Pepsi Blue. But the viscosity of the liquid was quite high. Hence a slush.

"[Abyssal Ice Electrolyte Brew]. This is meant for cultivators braving a fiery region. A mouthful can instantly lower internal body temperature and prevent the evaporation of bodily fluids, shielding the organs from absolute thermal destruction."

After ten minutes of sorting them out, Lin Mo let out a long breath, staring at the pile of colorful, crinkly packaging that clashed hilariously with the apocalyptic, solar-flare environment blazing around his suspended platform.

To any orthodox cultivator, this preparation would look like a child setting up a picnic in the middle of a tribulation. To Lin Mo, it was simply comprehensive risk management. Besides, it’s a simulation. He could only feel the heat which could further aid him in tempering his body.

The [Stellar Iron Forging Physique] manual has two steps which somehow also correspond to the first stages of body refining: Skin Refining, Bone Forging and Viscera Cleansing.

So first, he had to apply the liquified essence on his body before ingesting it through his mouth.

"To begin," Lin Mo muttered as he stripped off his green and white uniform and tossed it neatly to the side.

He sat completely bare, his skin already slick with sweat that evaporated the second it formed, creating a hazy aura of steam around him.

He took out the flask of [Liquid Star-Forged Essence] from the store inventory, dropping it in front of him with a loud thud.

He opened its lid and watched the steam billow out, followed by the radiance of starlight contained within.

He peeked at it, and his eyes almost burned, so he immediately stopped.

"Alright. First step. Refining the skin. Should I apply it like a lotion? But then, how? Scoop it? Or maybe... pour it from above?"

Lin Mo slapped his thigh before shaking his head, "Wait, let me first chant the incantation!"

He hurriedly picked the manual and began reading. After memorizing it, he put it down, took a deep breath, and began chanting.

For the Skin Refining part, after applying the liquified essence, he must consume the slush. One mouthful at a time. That way, even if his whole body burned or melted away from the liquified essence, he could protect his bones and internal organs.

As for the accompanying pain... he had to endure it.

What’s a little hardship, right?"

—

Outside the Premium Cultivation Room.

Yu Qingyan remained seated as she waited for the closing hours. She occasionally glanced in the direction Lin Mo had disappeared, waiting for his return. Given how he basically ran away from them, she was ready to give him an earful before Meiyu could do it.

Downstairs, Wu Meiyu and Liu Xiaoyu were directing the store staff as the patrons gradually streamed out of the store. With the strict implementation of store hours, they naturally didn’t want to be penalized if they stayed for too long. As soon as they had gotten their items paid and packed, they would immediately depart.

As for the patrons at the hot spring and the arcade, they are also given a directive to not overstay. Although most patrons hailing from the Eastern Abyssal Region had long started abiding by the store’s strictness, there would still be a few ignorant cultivators from other regions who thought their background or wealth exempted them from the rules.