Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 211: Testing his limits

Lin Mo's heart thudded in his chest as the monstrous worm's jagged maw snapped shut mere inches from where he'd stood. If he had lagged even for a split second, it would've devoured him right away. Even as a simulation, he didn't want the experience of being eaten by a giant worm.

Just like the first two courses, while the hall's stage only appeared to have been expanded to a 15-meter radius, the simulation itself expanded to ten or twenty times more than that.

The worm's massive body writhed, its segmented form glistening with an oily sheen as it burrowed back into the earth, leaving a gaping pit in its wake.

The ground started trembling again, a sign of the worm moving underground.

Lin Mo didn't waste a second. He dashed away, his mastery [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] automatically activating as his body blurred into motion. Crimson afterimages streaked behind him as he propelled himself forward, leaping over twisted roots that lashed out like living tendrils.

Although he couldn't hear Liu Xiaoyu or Xiao Ya's cheers, he could imagine their voices ringing in her ears, especially Xiaoyu, who would egg him on to his limits.

The storm-wracked forest ahead of him was a chaotic mess of danger. Like what Yangyang said, it's an environment that fights back.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and a bolt of lightning split a nearby tree, sending splintered bark raining down.

Lin Mo ducked instinctively, his Stillwater Perception sharpening his senses to the shifting terrain.

He barely finished the previous course, but this… he might not even reach the halfway mark.

A few seconds later, a low growl echoed from the undergrowth, and three spirit beasts emerged. Tiger-like creatures with jagged spines along their backs. Their eyes glowed with predatory intent, aiming to tear him to pieces. They moved with a speed that outmatched the panthers from the intermediate course.

Lin Mo cursed under his breath as they fanned out, cutting off his path. With nothing else in his arsenal other than the movement technique and his barely enhanced body as benefits of cultivation, he knew he had to be more creative here.

"... I'll have to at least get a signature technique, right? Something that can instantly delete any threats in front of me," He muttered like an idiot who had already lost his sanity. But that's just his way of consoling himself as he continued moving.

Pivoting mid-stride, his spiritual energy flared, leaving behind a cascade of afterimages as he darted to the right..

One tiger lunged, its claws slashing through an echo of its form, while another leaped from the side.

His danger senses tingled, and Lin Mo quickly twisted his body to dodge the two at the same time, landing on a moss-covered boulder. The third beast roared and charged, forcing him to leap again, this time onto a swaying branch.

However, this was the start of his misfortunes.

The branch creaked ominously under Lin Mo's weight, bending further as the wind howled through the simulated forest.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized his miscalculation. Too much momentum, not enough control.

The [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] had carried him here effortlessly, but the technique's precision still eluded him in a chaotic terrain like this.

Before he could adjust, the branch snapped with a sharp crack. He flailed midair, his body twisting instinctively as the technique kicked in again. A crimson afterimage lingered where he'd been, fooling the third tiger into pouncing at empty space.

Lin Mo hit the ground hard. He had to roll to absorb the impact but the uneven forest floor sent him tumbling into a shallow ditch.

He grunted as he scrambled to his feet. The simulation didn't pause for his blunder.

The ground rumbled again, and the monstrous worm erupted from the earth a dozen meters away, its maw gaping as it lunged toward him.

Lin Mo bolted, his steps blurring into a crimson streak as he wove through the trees. The worm's thrashing tail smashed a nearby trunk, sending splinters flying.

One grazed his cheek, a sharp sting that reminded him this was a physical simulation. The pain was also emulated, even if the damage wasn't permanent.

The tigers regrouped and three more of them appeared ahead of him. Now he's getting pincered.

"What an obstacle. They all looked like they were out for my throat… But… I guess this is why it's called an 'advanced' obstacle course. This was how it would happen in reality."

Their snarls echoed as they surrounded him. Lin Mo's spiritual energy burned hot in his dantian, the strain of constant movement starting to wear on him again. He popped another [Energy Replenishing Candy] from his pouch, the sweet surge giving him a brief reprieve as he darted up a steep incline.

[2:09]

More than half of the allotted time passed, and now, he had to force himself to stop.

"Should I just give up?" He said as he watched the tigers preparing to lunge at him. Overhead, the lightning continued crackling, clearly aiming to eliminate him as well.

Lin Mo shook his head and let his [Stillwater Perception] take over, calming his thoughts, "I'm still not pushed to my limits. Let's just see how far I can reach."

—

Meanwhile, outside the simulation area, Yangyang, Liu Xiaoyu, and Xiao Ya conversed as they watched Lin Mo.

"Sister Yangyang. I'd also like to try that one later." Xiaoyu said as her eyes followed Lin Mo, who was now fighting against the spirit beasts. With their numbers, they prevented him from running away and even if he did succeed in escaping their circle, they could easily catch up to him whenever he had to slow down and time his jumps.

"No problem. But if it's you… Won't you just kill those spirit beasts?" Yangyang answered.

"Uhm… Is Boss going to be okay?" Xiao Ya interjected, concern apparent in her voice.

Yangyang adjusted her glasses, her gaze steady on Lin Mo's flickering form within the simulation. "He'll be fine, Xiao Ya. The [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb] ensures no real harm comes to him. He's pushing himself, which is good. He wants to test his limits. Let him see it. That's better for his cultivation path."

"Xiao Ya, Boss isn't just some lazy noodle-slurper. His potential is there! Although he would never amount to a prodigy like me. Look at him dodging those tigers. He's like a slippery eel! I bet he'll make it at least halfway before yelling for mercy." Liu Xiaoyu praised Lin Mo before haughtily smirking.

Xiao Ya clasped her hands together, her eyes wide with a mix of worry and awe. "He's so fast… I didn't know Shopkeeper Lin could move like that. Sister Xiaoyu, do you think I could learn to do that too?"

"Don't worry. The technique that you learned isn't that much different from his. But for you… it's about utilizing your [Golden Lotus Physique]," Xiaoyu said, slinging an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "How do you feel? You can sense it, right? You have mastered the manual I picked for you."

"Y-yes. My head is filled with it. And my physique… I'm starting to understand it." The young girl nodded.

"Great. Let's wait for a bit and we can test that out." Liu Xiaoyu patted her head before shifting his attention back to the simulation.

—

Inside the simulation, Lin Mo's breath came in sharp bursts as he recalibrated his focus.

The tigers' snarls reverberated through the storm-wracked forest, their glowing eyes tracking his every move.

Behind him, the monstrous worm's tremors grew louder, signaling its imminent return. The lightning overhead crackled with intent, as if the simulation itself were conspiring to crush him.

"This is it...," He muttered, his Stillwater Perception anchoring his resolve. His spiritual energy pulsed through his legs, reigniting the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps].

He couldn't fight the beasts head-on, but he could outmaneuver them.

The first tiger lunged, its spines glinting as it aimed for his torso. Lin Mo sidestepped, a crimson afterimage taking the hit before counterattacking.

While it was a movement technique, he could tell that his leg strength was also amplified. The soles of his shoes immediately plunged into the thick fur of the tiger, sending it away.

The second and third beasts pounced in unison, forcing him to pivot mid-stride. His body blurred, leaving a trail of echoes that threw off their coordination, then he grabbed them by their napes, turning them to meek kittens as they mewled.

Pooling spiritual energy in his arms, he bashed their heads together before throwing them away.

After that, he immediately leaped onto a gnarled root, using it as a springboard to vault over the fourth tiger's snapping jaws. With that opportunity, he threw a stone he picked up earlier, shooting straight to its mouth.

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It wasn't strong enough to pierce through its skull, but it was enough to knock it down.

And then, the fifth and sixth beasts ignored the fates of their comrade as they cut off his escape.

Their claws raked the air, inches from his back. Lin Mo twisted midair, his technique redirecting his fall into a roll. He hit the ground running. With four out of six spirit beasts decommissioned, he thought he could already continue with the course.

However, that's where he was wrong. At the same time as the remaining tigers leaped at him, pushing him down to the ground.

And right at that moment, the forest floor quaked as the worm burst upward again, its maw swallowing the spot where they landed.

Lin Mo could only wryly smile as the red text saying 'Simulation Failed' flashed in his eyes as the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb] deactivated.