The Mysterious Mineral Water
"I know, I know!"
"Sister Ziyan, you have to do your best!"
With cheerful laughter, the customers gradually dispersed.
Some dove into the Tower of Trials, eager to test their limits.
Others immersed themselves in the Cooking Tutorial, experiencing the culinary battles of legendary chefs.
Just like that, Origin Mall returned to its usual rhythm.
Behind the counter, Yao Ziyan rested her chin on her hand, staring into the distance.
Her thoughts seemed to drift elsewhere, and from time to time, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
---
Far away in the imperial city, a powerful aura had just vanished.
Ji Wuhui, the Emperor of the Star Empire, exhaled deeply and smiled.
"So what if he was at Eminence rank?"
"Against the boss, he never stood a chance."
Beside him, Old Bai chuckled in agreement.
Ying Wuji, Murong Haitang, and the others finally relaxed, the tension easing from their shoulders.
However, Wu Daoxu, Liu Rumei, and the Third Elder.
Their gazes lingered in the direction of Origin Mall, filled with deep contemplation.
"An Eminence should be nearly invincible among mortals…"
"Yet, he was erased without resistance."
A troubling question arose in their minds—
Just how powerful was the boss of Origin Mall?
---
Meanwhile, in his room, Luo Chuan leaned back comfortably, his expression calm.
A system notification had echoed in his mind just moments ago—
> [Side mission complete. Rewards issued. Please check your inventory.]
Luo Chuan's eyes lit up slightly.
Though rewards were always random, he hadn't had a proper lottery draw in a while.
Naturally, he felt a bit excited.
He took a deep breath and opened the system panel.
Right at the top, a bold notification stood out—
>[Special Lottery Chance: 1 Draw]
Without hesitation, Luo Chuan tapped the option.
---
With a loud rumbling, a massive gachapon machine appeared before him.
Luo Chuan's expression twitched.
"Seriously? Why does this still feel like those cheap capsule toy machines from my childhood?"
Downstairs, the loud noise did not go unnoticed.
"What was that? What's the boss doing upstairs?"
"Who knows… should we check?"
"…You go first."
"Never mind."
However, the veteran customers—Bu Lige, Jiang Shengjun, and a few others—looked excited instead of confused.
> "Hey, do you think the boss is adding new products?" Bu Lige nudged Jiang Shengjun.
"Nine out of ten, yes." Jiang Shengjun paused his game, looking intrigued.
"Then I'll be the first to try it!" Bu Lige declared confidently.
---
Back in his room, Luo Chuan shook off his doubts and reached for the large red button on the machine.
But before pressing it, a thought crossed his mind.
"System, can I let someone else draw this?"
He still remembered Yao Ziyan's absurdly lucky constitution…
[No.]
The system's flat response crushed his hopes instantly.
Luo Chuan sighed.
"So rigid."
With nothing left to do, he pressed the button.
A flurry of clanking gears and spinning wheels followed.
His palms tensed slightly, and for the first time in a while, he felt a slight nervousness.
Then, with a soft clunk, a small ice-blue capsule rolled out.
"...Blue again?"
Though slightly different from the last time, it was still blue—
And to Luo Chuan, blue was blue.
Curiosity sparked in his mind.
"Could it be another drink?"
A system notification confirmed his thoughts—
---
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Origin Brand Mineral Water.]
> [Item Effect: Enhances cultivation talent. Price: 10,000 spirit crystals per bottle.]
[Note: Limited to 10 bottles per day. Each person may only use it once.]
---
Luo Chuan stared at the bottle of mineral water in his hand.
His expression remained blank.
At first, he had hoped for something… ordinary—
A pill, a spiritual weapon, or maybe even a martial technique.
Instead…
It was mineral water.
The system never failed to surprise him.
After a long silence, he finally let out a resigned sigh.
"Well… at least the effects are impressive."
Mineral water was just the carrier—
Its true value lay in what it could do.