Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 273: Challenging the Tower Again

Jade Hollow Plains. In front of the Conduit Tower.

Yan Wei and his fellow disciples from the Azure Gale Sect lined up at the tower entrance, waiting for their turn to enter and rechallenge it. The Celestial Duel Gear pulsed faintly on their wrists as if it were catching the foreign energy emanating from the tower.

"Young Master, how far do you think we can climb this time?" Chen Suyun asked

The pompous young master grinned. His confidence was once again sky high with his nose pointing up to the sky, "Heh. The disgraceful exit three days ago won't happen again. I will be climbing at least Floor 5 and setting new records quicker than the Crimson Vale folks! Not even Zhou Rui can catch up with me!"

Chen Suyun and the other Azure Gale disciples clapped their hands for their young master.

"That's the spirit, Young Master!" Chen Suyun cheered, her voice bright with enthusiasm as she adjusted the [Celestial Duel Gear] on her wrist. Her robes fluttered in the plains' gentle breeze. She looked around them and many customers of the store wearing their newly acquired gear were also waiting for their next opportunity to challenge the tower. Since most of them exited either Floor 1 or 2 during their first challenge, they're now hoping to climb higher with their new gears.

After all the recordings from yesterday's Celestial Duels that Yan Wei and the rest started, many had already studied them in order to properly use the Awakened Celestial Duel mode when dealing with the foreign creatures inside.

"Floor 5's no small feat. The Sword Fairy has yet to return for her rechallenge. No one has ever beaten Floor 4 yet but with your new deck tweaks, those Floor Guardians won't know what hit them, young master!" Chen Suyun continued glazing him.

Yan Wei's grin widened, his ego soaking up the praise like a sponge. He flicked his wrist, the [Celestial Duel Gear] humming as a holographic projection of his customized deck flickered into view.

"Exactly, Suyun. I've swapped out some of my Unit Cards for ones from the [Arcane Blossom Court] deck. I also got the Shopkeeper Special, the [Summon Reinforcement] Spell Card! And as for that Sword Fairy…" His eyes narrowed as a competitive spark ignited within them. "She's not the only one who can dance through a battlefield."

The other disciples murmured in agreement, their own Viewing Jades buzzing with Bulletin Board threads hyping the latest Tower climbs. A few glanced nervously at the tower's entrance, where the faint hum of foreign energy pulsed, a reminder of the challenges awaiting within. They had all experienced the Tower challenges before. Challenging them alone again would be the ultimate test of their current progress as cultivators.

While its floors were structured and already studied by a lot of cultivators in the Bulletin Board, one still couldn't be careless as it was no less deadly for those unprepared or overconfident..

Chen Suyun tilted her head, her ponytail swaying as she scanned the crowd of cultivators waiting their turn. "Young Master, did you see Miss Xiaoyu's latest post? Something about the Shopkeeper dueling the Verdant Sky Pavilion's Emissary? It's trending higher than the Tower leaderboards! She's possibly on her way back here."

Yan Wei's nose wrinkled, his confidence briefly tempered by the mention of Liu Xiaoyu and Yu Qingyan. "That assistant? Hmph. We might've lost against her yesterday because of her experience. Next time, I'll dazzle her with my customized [Stormrider Legion] deck! Oh. And I'll climb higher than Elder Yu today!" freewebnσvel.cøm

The disciples chuckled, the tension easing as they bantered. The line shuffled forward, and the Azure Gale Sect group stepped closer to the tower's entrance.

Yan Wei's chest puffed out, his azure robes catching the sunlight as he prepared to lead his group of fellow disciples to the entrance. "Alright, enough chatter. We're here to carve our names into the Tower's history. Floor 5's just the start. Let's show everyone what the Azure Gale Sect's made of!"

As they approached the entrance, a faint shimmer rippled across the tower's obsidian surface, and a system panel materialized before Yan Wei's eyes:

[Conduit Tower – Jade Hollow Plains]

[Status: Accepting Challengers]

[Mode: Individual Trials]

[Current Threat Level: Low – Next Tower Break in 7 days unless a floor is cleared]

[Number of Floors: 10]

[Accessibility: Foundation Establishment Stage and below]

[Active Challenger(s): 123]

[Highest Floor Cleared: 3]

[Floor 1 First Clear: Yu Qingyan - Peak Foundation Establishment Stage (9:27)]

[Floor 2 First Clear: Yu Qingyan - Peak Foundation Establishment Stage (15:48)]

[Floor 3 First Clear: Jiang Jianxin - Peak Foundation Establishment Stage (27:02)]

Yan Wei's lips curled into a smirk. "Just you wait. My name will also be here as First Clear of floors 4 and above!"

With a final glance at the system panel, Yan Wei squared his shoulders, his [Celestial Duel Gear] pulsing in sync with his rising determination. The tower's entrance loomed before him, its obsidian surface swallowing the plains' sunlight like a void. The foreign energy prickled his skin, a silent challenge that only stoked his ambition. Behind him, Chen Suyun and the Azure Gale disciples tightened their grips on their own weapons. Their eyes also reflected a mix of excitement and apprehension.

"Stay sharp," Yan Wei said, his voice carrying the authoritative edge of a young master. "Floor 1's a warm-up, but don't get cocky. Use the [Emergency Exit Talisman] if you're in danger."

"Yes, young master!"

With that, Yan Wei stopped hesitating and accepted the call of the Tower. His figure disappeared, swallowed into the interior of the Conduit Tower and sent to one of the separate chambers for every challenger. Chen Suyun and the rest also followed after, patting themselves on the back and bidding good luck. Inside, they had no one else to turn to but themselves. But now, with their Celestial Duel Gear, they could rely on their summons to assist them.

—

Appearing in the familiar chamber filled with the foreign energy of the tower, Yan Wei looked ahead and huffed. Floating in front of him was the Tower System's panel, informing him of his current status.

[Challenger: Yan Wei - 10th Level Spirit Condensation Stage]

[Current Floor: 1]

[Objective: Defeat Floor Guardian or Survive for 30 minutes]

[Rewards: 1 Green Chest(previously claimed - changed to Dimension Essence), Access to Floor 2]

[Store Beacon: Active]

He courageously stepped forward, his rapier in hand. Just like last time, the moment he moved further inside the chamber, the walls trembled and the first wave of foreign creatures walked out of them.

[Objective Initiated: Defeat Floor Guardian or Survive for 30 minutes]

[Current Wave: 5 Dark Sentinels]

[Timer: 29:59]

"Hmph. Bring it on!" Upon saying that, he poured his spiritual energy into the [Celestial Duel Gear], activating its Awakened Celestial Duelist Mode. His Celestial Field spread out from beneath his feet and the gear automatically drew his initial cards, a small countdown timer on the side for the next cards to be drawn.

Today, the Conduit Tower welcomed the arrival of the new profession within the realm, the Celestial Duelists. And it's not just Yan Wei. Many patrons of the store who bought their own gear would soon flock and challenge themselves, aiming to clear the tower once and for all.

Yan Wei's lips curled into a confident smirk as the [Celestial Duel Gear] hummed on his wrist, its holographic interface projecting his starting hand. The five cards glowed faintly, their edges shimmering with spiritual energy: three Unit Cards and two Spell Cards.

His customized [Stormrider Legion] deck was primed for speed and precision, designed to overwhelm enemies with relentless summons and tactical strikes that could match the speed of his [Azure Gale Steps]. He flicked his wrist, selecting his first move with the precision of a cultivator who'd spent hours studying the Divine Convenience Store's Bulletin Board guides.

"[Stormrider Scout], arise!" He declared, channeling a pulse of spiritual energy into the Unit Card. The Celestial Field beneath his feet pulsed, and a figure clad in azure armor materialized, its twin daggers glinting as it crouched, ready to strike. It's a unit not part of the [Celestial Beasts] deck but something unaffiliated to any of the four starter decks. Still, it's a Level 2 Unit, a perfect opener to gauge the Dark Sentinels' patterns.

As the [Stormrider Scout] dashed forward, he followed behind, ready to deal the final strike against the foreign creatures. He already cleared this floor once, there's no way he'd fail now that he returned with better skills and new equipment.

The [Stormrider Scout] darted forward, its daggers became a blur as it engaged the nearest Sentinel, testing its defenses with quick, probing strikes.

"Fast, but predictable," Yan Wei muttered, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the Sentinels' movements. The [Celestial Duel Gear] pinged, signaling the draw phase. A new card materialized in his hand: [Tempest Barrage], a Spell Card that could unleash a storm of piercing winds to shred multiple enemies. Perfect for crowd control, but he held off, conserving his spiritual energy for the right moment. The Scout was holding its own, parrying a Sentinel's claw with a burst of azure sparks, but the other four were closing in, their movements eerily synchronized.

"Heh. Don't forget about this young master!" With a confident grin, he dashed forward, taking down the occupied Dark Sentinel before quickly turning to the other four. Now that he had summons, the pressure of facing multiple enemies at once sharply lessened.