Yu Qingyan opened her mouth to rebuke him but the quick thud of footsteps ascending the stairs interrupted her.

"Shopkeeper! It’s done!"

Sect Master Lin Yuanzhi of the White Ember Sect appeared at the threshold of the lounge, which drew both of their attention.

The timing was impeccable. Regardless, the ring on his finger already conveyed what Yu Qingyan felt. The woman genuinely worried about him.

Yu Qingyan pursed her lips and pulled her hand back while Lin Mo turned to look at the newcomer while inwardly shaking his head.

The usually dignified Sect Master looked as though he had just crawled out of an active volcano. His robes were singed at the edges, his face was smeared with soot, and his aura was completely weakened despite the small whirlpool of spiritual energy gathering around him.

Lin Mo surmised that he must’ve rushed over as soon as the commission was finished and he’d taken either an Energy Replenishing Candy or just a few cans of Heavenly Dew Soda on the way.

Nevertheless, despite his haggard appearance, the manic triumph in his eyes also got Lin Mo excited.

His gaze moved down to the Sect Master’s hands. Lin Yuanzhi was carrying a clear container flask which must’ve been forged from a translucent spirit-glass.

Inside it sloshed what appeared to be a thick and heavy liquid that glowed with a terrifying, incandescent silver-white light. Clearly, it looked like a molten iron glowing with specks of starlight.

"Sect Master Lin," Lin Mo stood up, offering a respectful bow. To see a Nascent Soul expert reduced to this state told him how the old man took the commission seriously regardless of its difficulty. "You look terrible. But the product looks phenomenal."

"Hah! Terrible doesn’t begin to cover it, Shopkeeper," Lin Yuanzhi laughed, a wheezing sound that carried immense pride. Naturally, refining the ore also brought him not a small amount of experience.

Upon carefully placing the flask on the table, the flawless surface seemed to creak, which indicated how heavy it must’ve been. After all, it was fifty tons. Even if all the impurities had been diluted through the refinement process, its density remained.

Why did he not put it in a storage ring or something? Lin Mo thought but didn’t voice the question.

He just waited until the old man gathered himself together.

"This is it, Shopkeeper. The refined essence of fifty tons of raw Star-Forged Iron," The Sect Master panted, wiping soot from his brow. "It took the combined effort of all Pill Masters and Elders, channeling the Sun-Core Furnace for twenty hours straight at maximum output. If not for the Everlasting Spirit Fountain’s endless supply of spiritual energy, we might’ve failed to raise the purity. Now, what we managed to produce is a pure concentrated stellar essence. It is beautiful, but Shopkeeper... this is highly volatile. I would strongly advise against direct exposure."

Lin Mo peered at the swirling liquid metal. It was mesmerizing. But that advice went inside one ear and out the other.

He tried picking it up only to find that he had to exert almost all his strength to move it just a little.

Sighing internally, he then tried to use the Divine System Interface to scan it.

[Item Evaluated: Liquid Star-Forged Essence]

[Grade: High Heaven-Grade (Peak Purity)]

[Description: The fully refined, liquefied essence of Star-Forged Iron. Contains highly concentrated stellar energy and extreme physical density.]

The description was succinct but it’s enough.

"You have exceeded expectations, Sect Master. The White Ember Sect’s craftsmanship is truly peerless," Lin Mo praised, tapping his Store Token to mark the commission he issued as completed. "Contract fulfilled. Two hundred thousand Dimension Essence has been transferred to your sect’s treasury account. As for the use of the fountain, I guess I’ll have to compensate the Liu Clan and the Southern Wu Kingdom as well. It must’ve caused some delay in setting up the Ascension Ground."

Lin Yuanzhi didn’t deny it but upon seeing the notification on his Dimension Essence Wallet, all of his exhaustion seemed to evaporate instantly.

Two hundred thousand Dimension Essence. Although that could only amount to a fraction of the White Ember Sect’s total assets, completing the commission of the Shopkeeper was what he and the White Ember Ancestor found appealing.

Through this, if Lin Mo needed help again, he’s more than likely to pick them for another commission.

"The White Ember Sect lives to serve the convenience of the realm!" Lin Yuanzhi bowed before hastily excusing himself to return. He had long noticed Yu Qingyan’s presence and how he seemingly interrupted their conversation. He knew how to read the room.

Once the Sect Master was gone, Yu Qingyan stared at the flask and then at Lin Mo as she pointed at it.

"You intend to absorb that," She stated. It wasn’t a question. Lin Mo had informed her of his plan to temper his body, after all. And she saw that commission he posted yesterday.

"That is the general idea, yes," Lin Mo said as he gave up picking it up in one hand. "I told you, the [Stellar Iron Forging Physique] manual I acquired requires high-purity starlight ores. If successful, I can probably acquire an Acquired Physique. Something along the lines of an unbreakable body."

"And if you fail?"

"Well," Lin Mo offered a dry chuckle, "Then I suppose Liu Xiaoyu will be the new Shopkeeper."

"You... This is not a joking matter." Yu Qingyan frowned.

But Lin Mo simply maintained his smile. And before he knew it, Wu Meiyu also arrived, looking just as concerned as Yu Qingyan.

"Shopkeeper. Can we watch over you?" The First Princess asked, her voice sounding unusually tight. She had abandoned her usual graceful posture, stepping directly beside Lin Mo. For once, the silent rivalry between the two women was completely eclipsed by a shared dread.

Lin Mo looked at their earnest, fearful faces. He could feel the [Twin-Frost Resonance Ring] on his finger practically vibrating with Yu Qingyan’s unspoken terror.

He let out a soft sigh and smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, truly. But this isn’t going to be life-threatening. Perhaps, it’ll be painful. But you both know my plans for the future. To live comfortably. Besides, it’s not like I didn’t prepare something for this. The store has a variety of products to lessen the burden. What are the conveniences we’re selling if I don’t use them?"

He’s clear about one thing. He’s not a masochist. Besides, the manual didn’t say he had to apply it all at once.

Still, watching the two women before him who seemed ready to shield him from any harm, he could only reassure them by gently squeezing their hands.

A while later, his prodigious assistant also appeared, finding the situation amusing.

"Boss, I’ll prepare a grave for you. What kind of tombstone do you want? Should we bring you flowers every year?"

Upon hearing that, the tension instantly broke which made Lin Mo inwardly laugh.

Her timing was also impeccable. But knowing her, he was certain she had been watching all along.

"If I ended up becoming a ghost, I’ll cling to you." Lin Mo said as he flicked Liu Xiaoyu’s forehead before standing up.

"Alright, the store’s about to close. I’d better finish this so I don’t miss the transformation of the store."

Upon saying that, he put the container into the Store’s inventory before walking straight to the Premium Cultivation Room before the three women could stop him.

—

In a dimly lit, narrow alleyway in the sprawling city of Ironwood, a Rank 3 Cultivation Land under the Violethaven Temple’s banner, a tense transaction was taking place.

Young Master Feng of the Ironwood Sect nervously pulled the collar of his cloak higher as he tried to obscure his face. He was a cultivator at the late Spirit Condensation Stage, a proud prodigy who usually walked the main streets with an entourage. But tonight, he was skulking in the shadows like a common thief.

Opposite him stood a man wearing a tattered brown robe with a face hidden behind a simple wooden fish mask. The man held a small, colorful packet that seemed to mock the grim surroundings with its cheerful branding.

"You’re late," Feng complained as his eyes restlessly darted towards the main street. "Do you have the stuff?"

"The risk is high, Young Master Feng. The Temple’s Enforcement Hall now wanders your city. We cannot conduct business in the open anymore." The masked merchant replied, sounding calm and unbothered. After all, he belonged to a newly formed, decentralized courier network secretly funded by the Golden Carp. To spread convenience under the nose of the Violethaven Temple.

"Bah! They’ve been here all along. Why must I go to this alley to buy more from you?"

"Young Master Feng, did you already forget? Anyone affiliated with the Temple is banned from purchasing our products. But you see, we found a loophole for you." The masked merchant smirked as he placed the colorful packet on the young man’s palm, "You must consume these before you return to your sect. Otherwise... there will be no next time."

"Ugh. I get it! Just hand it over. This [Energy Replenishing Candies] is legitimate, right? I’ll come for your head if this is a counterfeit!" The young man threatened as he closed his hand before handing out a 10 high-grade spirit stone bank note.