Arrival and Awe

"Teacher, is that shop really as incredible as you said?"

"A game that can improve cultivation? That sounds extraordinary!"

"I heard the other products in the shop are just as amazing. Are they for real?"

Murong Haitang walked down the street, her steps measured, as four students from Soaring Cloud Academy followed closely behind her.

Two men and two women, radiating the vibrancy of youth.

Their names were Han Yang, Xiao Cheng, Mu Yurou, and Su Tianxuan.

Their status wasn't much lower than that of Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang, and excitement glimmered in their eyes.

Earlier, Murong Haitang had casually mentioned the magical shop she had discovered, Origin Mall, while at Drunken Moon Pavilion. Now, she was taking them there.

However, she had only given them a brief introduction to Origin Mall, withholding many details.

After all, Luo Chuan, the enigmatic owner, exuded an air of mystery, and it wouldn't be wise for her students to delve too deeply into matters beyond their understanding.

Most students at Soaring Cloud Academy were from noble backgrounds and showed little interest in her descriptions of the shop. Some even mocked the notion.

"A small Nine Stars City? What kind of magical shop could exist there?" they had sneered.

For them, their time would be better spent in leisure.

Ultimately, only these four chose to follow Murong Haitang.

For the others, she did not insist.

An opportunity had been presented—it was up to them to seize it or let it slip away.

As for Ying Wuji, he hadn't joined them.

He was indifferent to the Tower of Trial, his sole interest lying in the exquisite Jade Nectar Dew.

Amid light chatter and laughter, the group arrived at the alley leading to Origin Mall.

"Yunxi, Wanshang, why haven't you gone inside?" Murong Haitang asked, spotting the two young women standing outside the store.

Her students also turned to look at them curiously.

Seeing Murong Haitang with a group of students in tow, Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang felt a wave of frustration rise.

This was all the boss's fault!

"The boss said it's not time to open yet, so we're waiting here," Gu Yunxi replied, her tone flat.

"And where's the boss?" Mu Yurou asked gently.

Her appearance mirrored her name: soft and delicate, exuding an air of serenity.

"He went out for breakfast," Jiang Wanshang answered, equally expressionless.

The group fell silent.

"He's... out for breakfast?" Murong Haitang blinked, unable to suppress a chuckle.

The enigmatic owner of Origin Mall certainly lived up to his reputation.

Only he would leave two young women standing outside while he casually went for breakfast.

Indeed, it was behavior befitting a boss.

Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang nodded stiffly, their movements mechanical.

Murong Haitang tried to comfort them. "Let's wait a bit. He should be back soon."

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden, terrifying surge of energy rippled through the alley.

Murong Haitang's expression shifted instantly. "Stay alert! Move back!"

The group retreated quickly, alarm flashing in their eyes.

Even though their cultivation levels were no higher than Soul Dominion, they could sense the immense power behind the energy.

It was beyond anything they could hope to withstand.

In the stunned silence, cracks began to form in the fabric of space, spreading like fractures across a glass pane.

Fragments of space broke away, revealing a dark, swirling passage.

Then, a figure stepped out.

Luo Chuan emerged from the void, only to find the group staring at him with wary eyes, braced as if ready for combat.

He frowned slightly, puzzled. "What are you all doing?"

Murong Haitang let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, it's just the boss..."

Her students, however, were wide-eyed with astonishment.

"He's the boss of Origin Mall?"

"He looks so young, barely older than us!"

"But to tear through space like that... he must be at least in the Eminence Realm..."

The group was left speechless, their awe of Origin Mall and its enigmatic owner deepening by the moment.