Yao Ziyan was taken aback.
Was this some new marketing strategy concocted by the boss?
Meanwhile, Mo Yuan and Hu Kuang had assumed the role of commentators, their lively recounting of past events capturing the attention of everyone present.
One monkey and one tiger—animatedly describing their experiences—had a rapt audience. The royal family of the monster beasts listened eagerly, hanging on every word.
"Boss, you're here. So, where is Origin Mall?" Yao Ziyan asked, her voice curious.
"Temporarily closed," Luo Chuan replied, his tone neutral.
Yao Ziyan nodded, understanding without needing further explanation.
"Boss, has my sister always been a clerk at Origin Mall?" Yao Ziyue asked, her tone filled with innocent curiosity.
There was something about her voice, the way she asked the question—it made her resemble Yao Ziyan so much that Luo Chuan was caught off guard for a moment.
"Ah, this is my sister, Yao Ziyue," Yao Ziyue clarified with a smile.
Luo Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
So that's it.
Earlier, he had been wondering why Yao Ziyue seemed so familiar, but now it was clear.
He nodded, acknowledging the information.
He didn't bring up the matter of Yao Ziyan being pursued by a monk, though.
For one, the situation had mostly settled, and rehashing the ordeal would only stir unnecessary memories.
Additionally, Yao Ziyan had already told him that the leak about her calamity most likely came from a traitor within the royal family of the monsters.
Better to leave that topic untouched for now…
As Mo Yuan and Hu Kuang continued their excited narration, the monster beast royals were thoroughly engrossed, their eyes wide with anticipation.
So many fascinating things had occurred in places they were completely unaware of!
Those human cultivators, it seemed, had never seen anything like this before.
"Hu Kuang, do you know how to buy it?" one of them asked, unable to hold back anymore.
But Hu Kuang wasn't done yet.
His impatience flared.
"I'll explain later! We're at the most critical part now!" he said, waving his hand dismissively.
Everyone blinked, confused.
It seemed that Hu Kuang had his eccentricities, as usual.
On the other side of the valley, the cultivators who had rushed to witness the heavenly vision were now standing in awkward silence.
What had happened?
The flames in the sky had been so intense just moments ago.
Yet now—nothing.
Had the battle ended so abruptly?
"Should we head back?" one of the cultivators muttered.
"Go back? Do you even know where we're supposed to go?" came the reply.
They had followed the celestial vision to guide them here, but now that it had vanished, they only had a vague sense of the direction. Finding the site of the battle was nearly impossible.
Their original purpose had been to witness a clash between the sages, to absorb whatever knowledge or insight they could gain from such a confrontation.
Now, with everything finished, what could they possibly observe?
A desolate battlefield?
The majority of cultivators were left with no choice but to wait for the ancient ruins to appear—they would see what the ruins held, perhaps.
But something felt off.
This time, the ancient ruins seemed different.
The sky had been filled with oddities.
First, the mysterious apparition had manifested, and its speed of solidification was unnaturally fast.
The strange occurrence didn't end there.
The sudden appearance of the mysterious powerhouse—the one who had opened the shop—was still fresh in everyone's mind.
Origin Mall, and the rumors surrounding it, had spread like wildfire in such a short time.
Some cultivators were already beginning to speculate on how the Nine Stars would react to these events.
And then there was the vision of the Celestial Ascendant's actions…
Hiss!
Someone took a sharp breath as realization struck them.
There was something far deeper at play within these ancient ruins this time—
A hidden agenda, an inside story they had yet to uncover.
But even if most cultivators suspected this—no one would leave.
The opportunity was too great to pass up.
After all, how often did such chances present themselves?
Greed, ambition, and the allure of knowledge kept them rooted to the spot.
The idea of missing out was far worse than the uncertainty ahead.
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