What was cultivation?
If one couldn't even defeat an ordinary gray wolf, did cultivation even matter?
The beginner mode of the Tower of Trial had a strict limit—the highest one could achieve was the peak of Mortal Awakening.
And yet, if a cultivator at that level still lost to a common beast—
There was only one explanation.
They were simply too weak.
Fortunately, Zhang Yu was not.
His combat instincts were razor-sharp, honed through countless battles.
Now, with his newly acquired weapon and the restored strength of his cultivation, the gray wolves no longer posed a threat.
He cleaved through them with ease.
One wolf.
Then three more.
Each battle ended swiftly—his giant axe carving a path of dominance.
And then—
A message appeared before him.
[You have cleared the first level of the Tower of Trial (Beginner Mode). Would you like to challenge Normal Mode?]
Zhang Yu didn't even hesitate.
Yes.
The screen flickered.
The battlefield reset, erasing all traces of his previous fights.
Zhang Yu remained calm.
He wasn't surprised.
Instead, a new curiosity stirred within him.
"What's next?"
Would the enemies change? Would his cultivation level remain the same?
Would he finally be allowed to advance beyond the pinnacle of Mortal Awakening?
Then, ahead of him—
A new vision emerged.
Outlined by a shimmering glow, two massive wolves materialized out of thin air.
Zhang Yu's eyes sharpened.
He knew these creatures well.
---
Amethyst Wolves.
---
Monster beasts.
Beasts of raw power and terrifying speed.
Zhang Yu's lips curled into a wild grin.
"Finally, a real challenge!"
He hoisted his giant battle axe, its weight a satisfying presence in his hands.
Though only a yellow-grade spiritual weapon, its sheer mass and force made up for its lack of refinement.
With a mighty swing, Zhang Yu tore through the air, the axe splitting the wind with a sharp boom!
---
The Amethyst Wolves were fast.
Too fast.
They dodged his strike with fluid ease, their movements almost unnatural.
Zhang Yu's axe slammed into the ground, the impact carving a deep trench into the battlefield.
He didn't care.
Instead, his grin widened.
A fight like this—this was what he lived for!
Hefting the axe once more, he lunged forward.
The wolves leaped.
The battle raged on.
Meanwhile, at Origin Mall
Time slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, an entire day had passed.
---
As the customers streamed out of Origin Mall, a particular gleam shone in their eyes.
One that Luo Chuan recognized all too well.
Anticipation.
Tomorrow morning, he knew what would happen—
The moment the doors opened, there would be a frenzy.
A mad rush for one thing:
Origin-brand Spirit Water.
To be honest, Luo Chuan didn't quite understand the obsession.
There were ten bottles available every day.
Why fight over them now?
There would always be more tomorrow.
As a traverser, he sometimes struggled to understand the cultivators of Azure Continent.
To them, improving their aptitude was an obsession—an all-consuming need.
It reminded him of the Earth otakus back in his old world.
The way they obsessed over limited-edition figures—
How they rushed to buy their favorite character's new release—
Even if they had to spend an entire day's wages.
Because if they didn't get it first, if they didn't own it immediately—
The regret would eat them alive.
---
"My waifu… I must have her first…"
Luo Chuan smirked at the thought.
Cultivators and otakus… maybe they weren't so different after all.
---
After exchanging a brief goodnight with Yao Ziyan, Luo Chuan returned to his room.
Collapsing onto his bed, a sudden urge struck him.
"System, open my information panel."
A translucent light screen materialized in front of him, its interface only visible to his eyes.
Rows of data scrolled before him:
The Strongest Shop Owner System
Host: Luo Chuan
Identity: One-Star Shop Owner
Cultivation: Tier Three
Current Share Ratio: 10%
Assets: 120,000 Spiritual Crystals (Note: 50,000 cannot be directly converted into cultivation base)
Main Quest:
Objective: Achieve a total turnover of 1 million Spiritual Crystals
Time Remaining: 37 days
Reward: One Lottery Draw
Current Progress: 710,000 / 1,000,000
Evaluation:
"Barely acceptable. The host still has much to improve."
---
Luo Chuan sighed.
"Barely acceptable?"
That damn system always had something snarky to say.
But he had to admit—
He still had work to do.