Curious about what new wonders the Origin Mall had to offer, Ji Wuhui and Old Bai set out early in the morning.
As they neared the alley leading to the store, a blur of motion suddenly rushed past them.
Several dark figures dashed forward with astonishing speed.
Ji Wuhui narrowed his eyes, recognizing the trio immediately.
His curiosity piqued.
"Old Bai, would you mind?" Ji Wuhui said with a smile.
"Heh, I was thinking the same thing," Old Bai chuckled. "Those three seem to be in quite a hurry. I wonder what's gotten them so worked up?"
Before Ji Wuhui could respond, Old Bai's figure shimmered and—without a sound—vanished.
It was merely an afterimage.
---
Bu Lige, sprinting at full speed, suddenly felt weightless.
In the blink of an eye, he was lifted off the ground, his body floating helplessly.
Before he could react, Old Bai's voice echoed beside him.
"His Majesty would like to ask you something. I'll be taking you for a moment."
Jiang Shengjun and Bu Shiyi barely paused.
Realizing there was no real danger, they simply nodded in acknowledgment and continued racing home.
Meanwhile, Bu Lige felt an impending sense of doom.
Why me?!
---
Within seconds, the scenery blurred past him.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the sensation of weightlessness vanished, and his feet touched solid ground once more.
He now stood before Old Bai and Ji Wuhui.
"Your Majesty. Elder Bai."
Though he felt wronged, Bu Lige still bowed respectfully.
These two were not people he could afford to offend.
Ji Wuhui smiled, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Bu Lige, you were running like your life depended on it. Where exactly were you headed?"
Bu Lige hesitated for only a moment.
There was no reason to hide anything.
Ji Wuhui and Old Bai were on their way to Origin Mall anyway; they would find out soon enough.
So, without hesitation, he told them everything about the Origin Brand Mineral Water.
---
As Bu Lige spoke, Old Bai and Ji Wuhui's expressions shifted from mild curiosity to outright shock.
Mineral water that could enhance one's aptitude?
And it only cost ten thousand spirit crystals?
What was the difference between that and giving it away for free?!
Most importantly, items that could enhance aptitude had never been heard of before!
This was no ordinary treasure—it was something akin to divine intervention!
Just where did the Origin Mall's owner find such an item?
And how did he have so many of them?
Ji Wuhui's mind raced.
He already had a bold theory—one so grand in scale that he hesitated to believe it himself.
But if his speculation was correct…
Then it was highly possible that the Owner of Origin Mall was not from this world.
Perhaps everything in his store came from another realm entirely.
It was a wild thought.
An impossible thought.
And yet…
Ji Wuhui couldn't shake the feeling that he had touched upon at least part of the truth.
After all, weren't all these mystical items—spicy bars, cola, now mineral water—completely unheard of in Azure?
His eyes gleamed with contemplation and intrigue.
"A drink that can improve one's aptitude… The goods in the boss's store are becoming more and more unfathomable," Ji Wuhui murmured, half to himself. "And their effects are becoming more outrageous by the day."
Old Bai chuckled.
"Indeed. Even I'm intrigued. Though, I wonder—will this mineral water have any effect on old folks like us?"
"Definitely!" Bu Lige said without hesitation.
His confidence was unwavering.
When it came to Origin Mall, few customers knew its products better than he did.
Generally speaking, the higher a cultivator's level, the less effective lower-tier items became.
Take pills, for example.
A Yellow-Grade Rejuvenation Pill could significantly boost spiritual energy recovery for Spiritual Sense Realm cultivators.
But for someone in Origin Mastery or Pathseeker Realm, it might as well be candy.
The effects were negligible.
However…
Bu Lige had a strong feeling that Origin Brand Mineral Water was different.
And soon, they would find out just how different it was.