《Steady cultivation of immortality, the entire cultivation world is my home》


 Chapter 1: What is the Most Important Thing in Cultivating Immortality? Desolate area, south of t

    Desolate area, south of the State of Delaware.


    Cloudfield Market.


    Alex Reed dragged his tired body and rushed into the market with all his strength.


    Huh¡ª


    Seeing the buildings on both sides of him, he let out a long breath.


    Like the Old Demon of Black Mountain, he spat out a large mouthful of black air, and his face turned a little pale.


    Around him, a dozen scattered figures also raised their heads one by one, opening their mouths to spit out black circles.


    "It doesn''t matter, I''ve lived another day, which is already very impressive."


    Exhaling heavily, Alex wished he could spit out all his lungs. If the miasma in the vast mountains were not expelled, it would be over sooner or later.


    "Puff¡ª"


    Among the people who exhaled, one person spat out blood. Other cultivators who expelled black air around him immediately rushed towards the person who spat out blood.


    Alex ran towards the depths of the market; he didn''t want to get involved in this chaos. After a brief scramble, the figure vomiting blood was stripped naked, and the corpse was thrown aside like an old shrimp.


    "This is the 30th... cough cough... 33rd unlucky person I met this month."


    "No, we must move out of Cloudfield Market as soon as possible!"


    "If you are not killed by someone, the miasma will poison you to death sooner or later."


    "Cough cough..."


    "... cough cough..."


    Feeling the stinging pain in his lungs, Alex''s face turned paler. Often soaking in the miasma, a third-level Qi training cultivator like him couldn''t stand it.


    Alex didn''t expect to come to the world of cultivating immortals and still have to worry about his life constantly. Cultivating immortals for immortality, he died at the beginning of cultivation¡ªwhat immortality is there for? It''s better to be in his hometown in his previous life, carrying a small mortgage, driving his own or someone else''s second-hand car. At least he could live for a few decades.


    Here, he breathed in the miasma every day and watched out for the little black hand. It''s really amazing! Even if the fairy comes, I have to get Emily.


    Alex went to the center of the market, preparing to report the tasks of the past few days in exchange for some spiritual stones to make up for the rent for next month. The Cloudfield Market was established by the Golden Core Sect, the Clearwater Sect. The purpose is to develop Cloudfield Lake.


    The original owner before Alex traveled through time had received the land reclamation task issued by the Clearwater Sect. It''s just that his luck was a bit bad. He was killed by the King of Hell after only two months in Cloudfield Market. Then, Alex traveled through time. After he came here, he inherited a little legacy and also inherited an environment where he was worried all day long.


    He came all the way to the center of the market, where a tall stone archway stood. Behind the stone archway was a street of shops. The faint spiritual light loomed, and the defensive formation was always open. After entering the archway, Alex took two deep breaths of spiritual energy. The pain in his chest was relieved. This street was built by the Clearwater Sect, and it is undoubtedly the safest place in the entire market.Stolen novel; please report.


    Alex wanted to live here in his dreams, even if he could be just a cultivator here. But he has five spiritual roots. The fire and wood spiritual roots are just slightly prominent.


    Good news: In ancient times, five spiritual roots were the standard for becoming an immortal. Bad news: In today''s era, even if you can cultivate to the late stage of Qi training in your lifetime, it is considered a big fire in your ancestral grave. If you want to blame someone, you can only blame the wrong time node for crossing.


    Walking on the street, Alex did not look at the shops around much and tried to avoid the eyes of other cultivators. There was no way; it would be useless to look. There was no other reason. It was just as everyone thought¡ªpoor!


    In addition, with only the strength of the third level of Qi training, it is better to retreat strategically. After passing through various shops, the innermost is the General Affairs Hall built by the Clearwater Sect. All the cultivators who accepted the task of opening up wasteland in Clearwater Sect need to accept the task here.


    Most of the tasks of opening up wasteland are to explore the environment of the nearby area. Where are the spiritual veins? Where is suitable for the family residence? Where is suitable for opening up spiritual fields, etc.?


    Simple, right? It''s just a bit life-wasting. In the undeveloped wilderness, there are dangers such as miasma, poison gas, monsters, swamps, and the same clan''s dirty tricks, including but not limited to these. If some people don''t die every day, the day will not pass.


    The task that Alex accepted this time was to explore the terrain of the 136th area of Wu. This is a place with not much miasma and has been initially developed. That''s it. His name still flashes repeatedly in the Book of Life and Death. Who knows, the King of Hell will be able to tick it red one day.


    Half a year ago, after traveling through time, Alex, who realized the danger, also wanted to leave. After all, as a traveler, he has a golden finger.


    But his mother''s Clearwater Sect is really not a thing. Before coming here, she was Sweetheart. After coming here, she was treated worse than Mrs. Cow. Want to leave? Sorry, you have to pay the spirit stones. The previous incarnation came to accept the task of land reclamation, so it can be imagined that he was a complete pauper. Playing rotten, not accepting the task? Hehe¡ªThe Clearwater Sect will kill you. If you accept the task, you will either be poisoned to death or killed.


    Of course, if you have spirit stones, that''s another matter. But the previous incarnation was a pauper, and he was still five spirit roots in his thirties.


    He honestly entered the General Affairs Hall and came to a Clearwater Sect manager, and Alex handed in the task.


    "Topographic map of the one hundred and thirty-six areas of Wu."


    As a third-level Qi training monk, he couldn''t take on any difficult tasks. It''s okay to draw a landform map and check the specific environment. Someone asked me about it. Since outsiders can¡¯t see it, I could just draw a picture of Kunba and it would be over. Don''t tell me, there are really smart people who have done this.


    But the Clearwater Sect has been passed down for many years, and they are the ancestors who play tricks. Many people will be sent to investigate an area. If the picture you draw is too different from that of most people, you will be given a red package as a gift. At the beginning, many people tried the method themselves. The result is that the people behind are extremely honest.


    The steward carefully looked at the map drawn by Alex and some of the marked places and nodded.


    "If you want to contribute something, you still need spiritual stones."


    "I want spiritual stones."


    Five spiritual stones. Alex grabbed them and left. Next month''s rent is enough, and now he just wants to go back to his shack and rest.


    "It''s so miserable. All the internal organs have been ripped out."


    "Damn demon cultivator, we are still in Fang City, so we are not afraid of the Clearwater Sect law enforcement team."


    Before returning to his residence, Alex saw a group of people gathered in the corner, pointing. A mangled body lay in the corner. He walked over quickly without even taking a second look. Returning to his rented cabin, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Ahem..."


    This small house in the outer area of Fang City did not give Alex much sense of security.


    Call¡ª


    Lying on the wooden bed, Alex adjusted his breathing. This time I was pretty lucky. I didn''t encounter monsters or demonic cultivators, but I just breathed in some miasma. With five spiritual stones, I can live for another month.


    "We must move!"


    Staring at the roof, Alex once again thought about moving. Such a crisis-ridden day is not suitable for him. The outer building area is too unfavorable for stability.


    At night.


    [Calm down, enlightenment point +1]


    [Bonus: 0]


    A virtual panel was reflected in front of Alex. Alex did not panic but took it for granted. This is why he pursues a stable environment. Only in a stable place can you feel at peace. Therefore, he calls this panel a robust system.


    But Cloudfield Market is very unstable. This nonsense land reclamation task requires him, Alex, to go in person. I have been worried for more than half a year that he must move!

 Chapter 2: Prepare for a Rainy Day Half a Year

    [Calm down, enlightenment point +1]


    The mysterious voice made Alex Reed feel extremely satisfied.


    At this moment, his mind calmed down slightly.


    Two hours later, there was no sound again, and the sense of crisis in his heart resurfaced.


    Today''s session ended successfully.


    A total of 3 enlightenment points were obtained.


    "Panel."


    After muttering silently in his mind, a semi-transparent light curtain appeared in front of Alex.


    - **Alex Reed: Third Level of Qi Training**


    - **Five Elements Spiritual Roots: Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18, Fire 31, Earth 18**


    - **Perception Points: 3**


    - **Talisman Making: Apprentice (915/1000)**


    - **Alchemy: Apprentice (12/1000)**


    - **Item Refining: Apprentice (15/1000)**


    - **Puppet: Apprentice (54/1000)**


    - **Spirit Plant: Apprentice (111/1000)**


    - **Array: Apprentice (1/1000)**


    - **Poison Refining: Apprentice (14/1000)**


    Looking at the information on the panel, Alex sat up from the bed.


    He added the three insight points he just gained to the talisman-making insights.


    After enduring it for more than half a year, he was finally getting over it.


    Due to the uneasy environment, he could not calm down most of the time every day.


    He had to go out once or twice a month to take on tasks to collect next month''s rent.


    On average, there were only two or three insight points a day.


    Fortunately, the original owner also had some knowledge before, and it was not taken away when he died.


    From the many crafts on the panel, it was clear how hard the original owner had worked.


    The minimum limit for cultivating immortals is so low that even dogs could learn it.


    However, not many dogs have learned how to do it.


    The original owner had no talent!


    He was already the most talented at making talismans, but he couldn''t even draw a basic talisman before.


    Alex figured out the role of experience points little by little.


    After traveling through time, he understood that the world of cultivating immortals in reality was different from the world of cultivating immortals in his imagination.


    He thought of cultivating immortals by eating morning dew and drinking sunset, while immortals caressed one''s head and taught immortality.


    However, times have changed.


    Ancient times are long gone.


    To cultivate immortality, one must also keep up with the times.


    You have to pay rent and buy food, so you have to budget carefully.


    Even the fairies have to stink.


    Putting his hands under his head, Alex began to think.


    "There are still sixteen days in this month, plus thirty days in the next month. Even if there are two enlightenment points every day, there will be ninety-two enlightenment points."


    "It''s enough for me to understand how to make talismans and become a first-level low-grade Talisman Master."


    "Being a Talisman Master means I won''t have to take on missions, and my safety will be much improved."


    With this thought in mind, he felt a little excited.


    Getting up from the bed, he took out the talisman pen, spiritual ink, and thirteen blank talisman papers from his storage bag.


    Carefully opening the ink bottle, he felt the aura inside.


    The spiritual ink was placed in the storage bag and the spiritual energy would not dissipate in a short time, but Alex still couldn''t help but want to check it.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After carefully checking the three-piece talisman-making set, he put these items back into the storage bag.


    He had never used these three things since he traveled through time.


    This is one of the few legacies left by the original owner.


    It¡¯s not that he wanted to keep it as a thought, it¡¯s mainly because he was afraid of wasting it.


    For his current net worth, a piece of talisman paper is an additional expense.


    Not only was the three-piece talisman-making set unused, but Alex had not practiced in the past six months.


    He just did two things.


    Stayed in a rental house to gain insights.


    Went out and took on tasks to collect rent.


    Fortunately, the Clearwater Sect is also very good.


    They provide a year''s worth of food, ordinary rice and sweet potatoes, to the casual cultivators who come to open up wasteland.


    The death of the original owner was just in time, leaving Alex ten months before he could be released on bail.


    It didn''t let him go hungry.


    Relying on financial aid, he survived for more than half a year.


    If he didn''t have to pay the rent, he wouldn''t even want to take on the wasteland reclamation task.


    No matter what.


    If you don''t accept the mission, you will die.


    "When I become a Talisman Master, I can eat spiritual rice."


    "Dogs won''t eat sweet potatoes."


    "Ahem..."


    The stinging pain in his lungs brought Alex, who had been dreaming about the wonderful things to come, back to reality.


    "Hey...after making the talisman and earning the spiritual stone, I''d better clear my lungs first."


    With a wry smile and rubbing his lungs, Alex grabbed a sweet potato from the storage bag, rubbed the soil on the surface with his hands, and took a bite.


    Okay, a little sweet.


    One month and three days later.


    Alex, in the rental house, stared at the panel.


    - **Talisman Making: Apprentice (999/1000)**


    - **Perception Points: 1**


    "...cough cough cough..."


    "Cough cough cough..."


    There was a series of continuous coughs that almost took Alex away.


    He was so excited.


    More than half a year of planning had finally come to fruition.


    Once he became a Talisman Master, the rent was nothing. He could rent two rooms to live in and burn one to the original owner.


    Alex suppressed the excitement in his heart and added his enlightenment points to the talisman making.


    In an instant, he felt like something was growing in his head.


    The original owner learned a variety of crafts. Although he was unsuccessful, he still knew a little bit about them.


    The most commonly used first-level low-grade talismans include the Flame Talisman, the Flying Body Talisman, and the Earth Armor Talisman.


    But at this moment, Alex''s mind was filled with information about hundreds of first-order low-grade talismans.


    He fell into a kind of mystery, as if he had been immersed in these talismans for many years.


    Most of these talismans are useless and not very practical, and no one knows who created them.


    Some talismans have many ways of drawing, just like there are several ways to write the word "fennel" in fennel beans.


    The mysteries of various talismans flashed through his mind.


    Each one was deeply engraved in his memory, as if Alex had really immersed himself in it for decades.


    He carefully received the drawing method of each talisman, and also selected which one was suitable for him to draw at the moment.


    Cloudfield Lake is full of miasma, and the best-selling one is naturally the miasma-removing talisman.


    One piece is worth five spirit stones, which is one piece more expensive than other talismans of the same level.


    After Alex went through all the talismans, he chose the miasma-removing talisman.


    But after a brief thought, he gave up.


    The miasma-removing talisman is a fine talisman among the first-level lower-grade talismans, and there are also first-level middle-grade and first-level upper-grade miasma-removing talismans above.


    But even for a first-grade inferior anti-miasma talisman, the complicated rune outline is two or three times more difficult than other talismans of the same grade.


    Drawing runes requires one''s own spiritual power to support it. Alex estimated that his current state could not support the production of anti-miasma talismans.


    It is better to start with simple and easy talismans.


    After removing the miasma in the body, make anti-miasma talismans.


    A quarter of an hour later, Alex reached out and lifted the bedding, revealing a smooth stone slab.


    The talisman pen, spiritual ink, and talisman paper were all placed in front of him in one go.


    Spread the paper, grind, and pick up the pen.


    In the dark, he was like a veteran who had been immersed in the art of talismans for decades, and began to draw spiritual patterns on the talisman paper.


    He drew the Flame Talisman.


    A first-grade inferior Flame Talisman, worth three inferior spiritual stones.


    The spiritual power fell on the talisman paper, outlining a complex and mysterious pattern.


    The talisman paper overflowed with red light, emitting spiritual fluctuations, and soon dimmed.


    It''s done!


    "Cough cough cough..."


    Alex, holding the talisman pen, stared blankly at the Flame Talisman in front of him.


    He couldn''t quite believe he had drawn it.


    He was a serious Talisman Master.


    "Cough cough¡ª"


    The cough woke Alex from his daze, and he quickly put down the talisman pen.


    Just now, two drops of spiritual ink were wasted due to the shaking of coughing.


    The plan of more than half a year finally came true.


    Alex walked around in the hut a little impatiently.


    After walking back and forth a few times, he reacted.


    "Calm down, calm down, I am too unstable, this is just a first-level low-grade Talisman Master."


    "Be steady!"


    "Huff... inhale... huh... cough cough cough..."


    Muttering this under his breath, how could Alex really calm down?


    For the past six months, he had been trapped in a small rental house, living in fear all day long, and his spirit had been devastated.


    With the skill of making talismans, he had a way to earn spiritual stones, and he didn¡¯t have to take on the task of opening up new land to make up for the rent.


    In the past few months, he was able to come back safely every time because he took the task of exploring the area near the market.


    It took at least two or three days for one trip, and he was given three or five spiritual stones, which was barely enough to make up for the rent.


    Even so, he got himself a poisonous lung.


    Coughing every day, his lungs were about to come out.


    In the long run, he could also accumulate spiritual stones to buy a boat ticket to leave Cloudfield Market.


    This place is not stable at all.


    With the skill of making talismans, it is better to find a stable place to live.

 # Chapter 3: Talisman Making

    Leaving Cloudfield Market is not easy.


    According to the rules set by the Clearwater Sect, any casual cultivator who accepts the task of opening up wasteland must stay in the market for five years. After five years, the Clearwater Sect does not interfere with whether the cultivators stay or leave.


    Of course, Cloudfield Market is located deep in the Yunmeng Lake area, and the Clearwater Sect''s spirit ship is needed to travel back and forth. Before coming, the spirit ship will pick you up for free. There are many promotions for various opportunities:


    "Do you want to become an immortal? Come to open up wasteland. Cloudfield Market, the starting point of your longevity."


    However, upon arrival, reality hits hard:


    Immortal cultivation fraud. This is the end of the longevity road. The Clearwater Sect is a friendly cooperative unit of the underworld.


    Can''t stay and want to leave? No problem, three hundred spirit stones per ticket. If you think it''s too expensive, you can try to run out by yourself. If you can make it out of the Yunmeng Lake area on your own, you win.


    The boat tickets are too expensive, but going alone is too dangerous. The Clearwater Sect also understands the difficulties of independent cultivators. If you work in Cloudfield Market for ten years, the cost of the boat ticket is halved. If you work for twenty years, the boat ticket costs 100 spirit stones.


    All the above rules are set for those without means. If you have connections and spirit stones, you can repeatedly challenge the cultivation world of Cloudfield Market and Chu Country.


    Unfortunately, Alex Reed lacks spirit stones and has no connections, making him doubly poor.


    Why did his predecessor come to Cloudfield Market? It was to see if he could find any opportunities. By opening up the wasteland, one might stumble upon high-level ores, spiritual medicines, etc. This kind of thing happens every once in a while in Cloudfield Market. It inspires many independent cultivators to rush into the depths of the wilderness like they''re on a sugar high.


    For lower-level cultivators, Alex can understand the thoughts of his predecessor. If you can''t rely on yourself, you can only rely on fate. Maybe one day, you''ll pick up a high-level ore or a high-level spiritual medicine. But the probability is very low. On the contrary, the probability of losing his life is very high.


    More than half a year ago, as soon as Alex came here, he immediately completely denied the original owner''s strategy of risking his life. He changed the risky route to a... steady route.


    With a steady system in hand, he only needs to find a safe place and practice peacefully. He wants to be steady! Desperation is not suitable for him!


    Looking at the fire talisman in his hand again and again, Alex recalled the memory of making the talisman in his mind. It''s different with a system. The predecessor, Cai Kun, studied for a long time but didn''t get started.


    After a while, putting down the fire talisman, Alex began to calculate and emptied everything from the storage bag.


    In total... a spiritual stone. A second-rate low-grade spiritual sword, worth about eight spiritual stones. If it weren''t for self-defense, Alex would have pawned the sword as rent.


    He picked up the talisman pen and checked it. There were already cracks on it. This first-grade low-grade talisman pen was bought for thirty spirit stones, which can only be regarded as ordinary goods. The spirit ink is quite rich. Although it is just an ordinary product among first-grade low-grade spirit ink, it also cost twenty spirit stones when it was bought. The talisman paper is cheap. One knife of talisman paper has ten sheets, worth three spirit stones. The original owner bought a few knives, and later there were only thirteen sheets left.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "If there was no system, I would want to become a talisman master. I don¡¯t know how many spirit stones I would have spent."


    In memory, the original owner bought three bottles of spirit ink, wasted two bottles, but didn¡¯t draw a single talisman. The remaining bottle was ticked by the King of Hell before it could be used.


    "A talisman pen can be used a hundred times, and the cost is one-third of a spiritual stone each time."


    "A bottle of spiritual ink can be used to draw ten to fifteen times. Even if it can draw fifteen talismans, the cost is one and a third of a spiritual stone each time."


    "A piece of talisman paper costs one-third of a spiritual stone."


    "In other words, regardless of success or failure, the cost of a low-grade fire talisman is two spiritual stones."


    "This is still the most common three-piece set for making talismans. If the quality of spiritual ink and talisman paper is better at the same level, the cost will be even higher."


    "For a fire talisman, Treasure Pavilion charges three low-grade spiritual stones. To avoid losing money, you need to make at least seven successful talisman papers with one knife."


    After calculating the cost problem, Alex couldn''t help shaking his head. It seems that the life of low-level talisman masters is not easy. They can only make a little money from their skills. Maybe they will even lose money.


    However, the higher the level of the talisman, the more expensive it is. Some first-level medium-grade talismans are worth ten spiritual stones each. Although the cost is a bit higher, the profit is also greater. From this point of view, being a talisman master has a promising future. At least it is much easier than being a puppeteer or alchemist.


    Of course, you can also sell to casual cultivators at a higher price, four spirit stones per piece. But Alex has never thought about retail.


    After calculating the cost, he suddenly smiled. The talisman pen, spirit ink, and talisman paper in front of him are all free.


    Chi Chi¡ª


    On the smooth bed board, a piece of talisman paper sparked and burned to ashes in an instant. Alex was frightened by the flames. When he drew the last stroke, his whole body trembled violently, as if his body was emptied.


    "Cough cough cough..."


    Alex coughed violently, and the miasma was entangled in him, and he couldn''t even draw the talisman well.


    After hesitating for a moment, he put away the three-piece set of talisman making and re-laid the bedding. He took out the last spirit stone at the bottom of the box and practiced.


    He hadn''t practiced for more than half a year.


    He practiced Qianyuan Gong, a moderate and peaceful method. It took into account all five elements and could practice up to the seventh level of Qi training. In layman''s terms, this method is common and has no advantages at all.


    The spirit stone glowed in his hand, and the spiritual light penetrated into his body along his arm.


    [Calm down, perception point +1]


    [Calm down, perception point +1]


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, Alex got up and first grabbed a sweet potato to chew. He then lifted the quilt.


    He spread out the talisman paper.


    The failure yesterday was mainly due to the miasma affecting his spiritual power and mental state.


    A normal third-level Qi training cultivator can make two or three talismans in a row without feeling exhausted.


    Many beginners of talisman making have to bathe, change clothes, burn incense, and calm their breath before drawing talismans. The purpose is to calm their minds and be able to concentrate on making talismans.


    Alex did not have this condition either.


    He ate a sweet potato, and that was it.


    The talisman pen dipped in the spiritual ink, and then the spiritual power in the body flowed to the talisman pen, and began to outline on the talisman paper.


    On the blank talisman paper, a faint light appeared after the talisman pen moved.


    The whole process was smooth.


    When Alex raised his hand, the red light on the talisman paper in front of him flashed and then dimmed, and the spiritual ink and talisman paper merged into one.


    The fire talisman, it''s done again!


    "Ahem..."


    He put away the talisman pen and covered it with spiritual ink.


    After yesterday''s mistake, Alex didn''t plan to draw anymore.


    His lungs were poisoned.


    If he continued to draw, regardless of how his body would bear it, wasting talisman paper and spiritual ink would be a waste.


    Take a rest first, and draw again in the afternoon.


    ...


    Six days later.


    On Alex''s stone bed, twelve fire talismans were neatly laid out.


    It''s different with the system; the success rate is almost 100%.


    The total value is thirty-six low-grade spirit stones.


    After traveling here for more than half a year, he finally has a foothold.


    After putting away the fire talisman, Alex calmed down first.


    He tidied up his robes, opened the door, and walked out, preparing to sell the talisman.

 Chapter 4: Divine Enlightenment Points Can Improve Spiritual Roots

    The Treasure Pavilion is located in the center of the market, next to the General Affairs Hall of the Clearwater Sect. It is a shop specially opened by the Clearwater Sect for independent cultivators who are exploring new land. It offers all kinds of elixirs, magic tools, talismans, etc. It is a place where independent cultivators can earn money in the market and spend it there, without taking a penny home.


    Alex Reed''s destination is the Treasure Pavilion. He walked out of his house and rushed all the way to the center of the market. After entering the big archway, he took a few deep breaths of spiritual energy.


    "A group of black spirit turtles was discovered on plot No. 98 Mao, and several people stole turtle eggs."


    "When a black spirit turtle grows up, it may become a late-stage Qi training monster. If it works hard, it may even become a second-stage foundation-building monster."


    "If a family raises one, it may become a clan-guarding spirit beast."


    "Tsk... If this thing grows up, my grandson''s grave will have more than a dozen grasses."


    As soon as he entered the street of shops, Alex heard passing cultivators talking about it. Seeing that another cultivator had obtained an opportunity, everyone''s back teeth were almost broken. A turtle egg is worth at least hundreds of spirit stones. Alex was unmoved. In the past six months, one or two tiny children of destiny seemed to emerge every month.


    All the way to the Treasure Pavilion, Alex looked around and walked in after seeing that there weren''t many people inside.


    "What do you want to buy, fellow Daoist?"


    Inside the Treasure Pavilion, the head shopkeeper hid behind a screen and drank tea. Among the busy stewards, one saw Alex.


    "Fellow Daoist, what do you want to buy?" The steward had a smile on his face.


    "I have more than a dozen fire talismans to sell."


    Although it was his first time at the Treasure Pavilion, Alex''s predecessor had already inquired clearly that the Pavilion buys talismans.


    "Flame talismans are three low-grade spirit stones each. How many do you want to buy, fellow Daoist?" The steward''s expression did not change as he led Alex to a small counter inside. Alex placed twelve fire talismans on the counter. The manager picked up each one and checked it, nodding with satisfaction.


    "Your talisman skills are very solid. Twelve pieces are worth a total of thirty-six low-grade spirit stones." The manager smiled, and the store sold each fire talisman for four spirit stones. Although he could only get one spirit stone for this deal, a grasshopper is still a meat dish no matter how small it is.


    "I need a bottle of first-level low-grade spirit ink, two pieces of talisman paper, and a bottle of anti-miasma pills."


    When Alex left the Treasure Pavilion, there was no spirit stone left in his storage bag. A bottle of anti-miasma pills costs ten spirit stones and contains five pills. This is another blessing that the Clearwater Sect has given to the casual cultivators. Unfortunately, many casual cultivators did not have spirit stones to buy them when they accepted the task. Otherwise, everyone would not have collectively vomited black circles.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Without lingering outside, Alex returned to his residence. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he poured out an anti-miasma pill and swallowed it in one gulp.


    "Cough cough..."


    It tasted bad, and it was a bit choking. The pain in his lungs began to increase rapidly. Alex lay down directly. The miasma was like a maggot on the tarsal bone, entangled in the meridians and flesh in his body. This bottle of anti-miasma pills might not be enough to completely get rid of the miasma. Fortunately, he now had a way to earn rent in the future, and he didn¡¯t have to breathe miasma anymore. Compared to other casual cultivators, he was already quite lucky.


    Every once in a while, the spirit ship of the Clearwater Sect would send a batch of casual cultivators in. But the market had been established for more than five years, and the number of cultivators in the market was still fluctuating around 3,000. Most of the dead cultivators were poisoned to death.


    "Cough cough cough..."


    "... Cough cough cough... Puff..."


    Lying on the bed, Alex suddenly sat up and spat out a mouthful of dirty blood. After the blood fell to the ground, black smoke came out.


    "Comfortable."


    Alex wiped his mouth and lay down again. With his eyes narrowed, he thought.


    Becoming a first-level low-grade talisman master can earn some spiritual stones. Next, he needs to remove the miasma, improve his strength, and find an opportunity to leave Cloudfield Market.


    The Clearwater Sect belongs to Chu State''s cultivation world and is one of the three major cultivation sects in Chu State. There are a total of five immortal cities in Chu State, three of which belong to the sect. The remaining two were built spontaneously by casual cultivators. Now, they are all guarded by Golden Core or Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    "The Clearwater Immortal City built by the Clearwater Sect has Golden Core cultivators and formations to protect it. It is a good place to go."


    "This place is stable enough."


    Perhaps because he now had a means of survival and the miasma in his body began to be removed, Alex''s mind calmed down faster than before.


    [Calm down, perception point +1]


    ¡­


    [Mind without external things, perception point +1]


    When he was in a daze, the sudden voice in his mind made Alex pause for a moment.


    Perception point?


    For more than half a year, he could only get perception points when he was in a stable mood. Sometimes he could not perceive because of the turbulent environment and restlessness.


    "What is the perception point?"


    Alex showed a puzzled expression.


    "Panel."


    He silently said in his mind, and a translucent data panel appeared in front of him.


    - **Alex Reed: Qi training level 3**


    - **Five Elements Spiritual Roots: Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18, Fire 31, Earth 18**


    - **Talisman Master: First-level lower grade (0/1000)**


    - **Perception point: 27**


    - **Enlightenment point: 1**


    Looking at the sudden extra data, Alex couldn''t help but have some guesses in his mind. After becoming a Talisman Master, these were the most comfortable days since he traveled through time. Along with this, he could have three or four insights points every day. He was lying on the bed just now and was about to fall asleep.


    "God has no external object."


    "Enlightenment points can be used to improve Talisman Making experience, so divine enlightenment points..."


    Alex made a bold guess. As his thoughts moved, changes appeared on the light screen.


    - **Five Elements Spiritual Roots: Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18, Fire 32, Earth 18**


    The fire attribute spiritual root had changed from 31 to 32. Points of spiritual enlightenment can be added to spiritual roots!


    Buzz¡ª


    Before Alex could react, a warm feeling came over his body. The spiritual root of a monk is hidden in the body. Only a specialized soul measuring platform can detect it. Back then, the original owner also wanted to join the sect, but his spiritual roots were too poor and he was expelled.


    The spiritual roots of monks can be divided into upper, middle, and lower, as well as single, double, triple, fourth, and fifth. In today''s era, the fewer the spiritual roots, the higher the spiritual root scale, and the faster the spiritual energy can be absorbed. The best among single spiritual roots, those whose spiritual root scale is over ninety, are known as the strongest heavenly spiritual roots. It is even possible to cultivate all the way to the golden elixir level without any major bottlenecks.


    Not only did Alex himself have five spiritual roots, but he also had poor marks on each spiritual root. Just the opposite of the top-grade Single Heaven Spiritual Root, he was at the bottom among the low-grade Five Spiritual Roots, and the worst was the Low-grade Five Elements Spiritual Root. If you want to do odd jobs for the sect with this kind of spiritual root, people will think you pollute the spiritual energy. Even if any one of his five spiritual roots has a scale above fifty, it would be fine. At the very least, he could farm for the sect.


    After a long while, Alex felt the mystery in his body dissipate, and he got up from the bed. Pacing back and forth in the hut, he felt some emotions that could not be described in words. He seemed to feel that the top-quality Five Elements Heavenly Spiritual Root was waving towards him.


    "Be steady."


    "Be steady."


    "Today I exchanged the talisman for the spirit stone. I have a foundation to stand on. The tension in my mind that has been tense for most of the past six months has been relieved, and I now have the feeling that there is nothing external to me."


    "...It seems that I have to move and find a stable place with powerful monks to practice. This is the right way for me to practice..."

 Chapter 5: Unexpected News

    Alex, I''ve been waiting for a long time."


    John West sent the customer in front of him away and walked straight towards Alex. Half a month later, he still remembered the last time Alex came to sell talismans.


    "Please."


    The two came to the small counter, and John said, "Are you still here to sell talismans?"


    Alex nodded and took out fourteen fire talismans from the storage bag.


    John carefully examined the fire talismans.


    "It seems that you have made some progress in making talismans, and longevity is expected."


    He recalled that Alex sold twelve fire talismans last time. At the same time, he bought back twenty talisman papers. This time, fourteen fire talismans were sold. As expected of a well-rounded manager, he makes people sound extremely comfortable when he speaks. Even Alex, a poor man with low-grade five-spirit roots, was still listening to it. Or, someone could be a manager, but he was rejected even if he wanted to work as a miscellaneous person in the Treasure Pavilion.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Alex smiled politely and said, "Sir, please bring me another bottle of spiritual ink, two talismans, and a bottle of Miasma Elixir."


    John was quick with his hands and feet and quickly placed the things Alex needed, as well as the additional six spiritual stones, on the counter.


    "Fellow Taoist, do you know how to make the miasma dispelling talisman? If you can, this treasure pavilion will buy it for five spiritual stones."


    Alex was stunned for a moment. How could he not know the Miasma-dispelling Talisman! When he first started, he wanted to make a miasma-repelling talisman. In his memory, the miasma dispelling talisman has always been sold very well in the market, and the selling price is five low-grade spiritual stones. Now the Treasure Pavilion has begun to purchase five spiritual stones, and it seems that the demand is quite high.


    The cost of a miasma-repelling talisman is two and a half spiritual stones, and it takes two or three times the effort of making a fire talisman. With his previous appearance comparable to consumption, it was probably impossible for him to support the production of the miasma-repelling talisman. Therefore, when choosing and making talismans, he temporarily excluded the miasma-dispelling talisman.


    "Fellow Taoist Alex seems to be concentrating on making talismans and is unaware of the major events that have occurred. A new mineral vein was discovered in the thirty-sixth area of Qianliwu outside Cloudfield Market. Many fellow Taoists in the Qi training period got the chance, and some picked up second-level hematite ore. Miasma is dense here, and many fellow Taoists need miasma-repelling talismans to clear the way."


    "I picked up the second-level ore."


    Alex couldn''t help but lament the good luck of those who picked up the ore. Second-level ore is the material for refining foundation-building instruments. A piece of the most common second-level ore, only the size of a fist, is worth more than 500 spirit stones. His back molars were broken. Why wasn''t he the one who picked up the ore?


    "Fellow Taoist, are you interested in looking for opportunities?"


    John chuckled and spoke.


    "I''m not good at running, so I won''t join in the fun."


    Alex refused without thinking. Are you kidding, there was no way before. Now that he has finally become a Talisman Master, he doesn¡¯t have to go out to waste time. Isn¡¯t it good for him to sell miasma-repelling Talismans? Why risk your life?

 Chapter 6: Eliminating the Miasma and Opening the Divine Mouth

    After collecting the spiritual objects he needed, Alex Reed left the Treasure Pavilion. The discovery of mineral veins outside the market stimulated the desire of casual cultivators to go treasure hunting. The demand for anti-miasma talismans increased greatly, providing a good opportunity for him to earn spiritual stones.


    The cost price of a miasma talisman was two and a half spiritual stones. Now that Alex had removed most of the miasma in his body, his spiritual power was more fluent than before, allowing him to try to make anti-miasma talismans.


    "I hope more Taoist friends will find opportunities from mineral veins."


    After walking out of the street of shops, Alex looked back at the cultivators wandering between the shops on the street and gave a sincere blessing.


    "I also hope that I can earn spiritual stones for a bottle of Huangya Dan this time."


    While blessing the Taoist friends to get more opportunities, Alex also added a hope for himself. Hello, everyone. That''s really good.


    ...


    With Alex''s sincere blessing, the wish really came true. He didn''t even wait until the next day. That afternoon, his mouth was opened.


    Outside the market, a cultivator with wounds all over his body rushed into the Treasure Pavilion. He took out a piece of red-gold ore the size of his head on the spot. The indifferent shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion did not even drink tea and personally inspected the ore. He announced on the spot that although the grade of this hematite ore was only the second-grade lower grade, it was heavy enough and worth 800 lower-grade spirit stones!


    As soon as this news came out, the casual cultivators in the market were stimulated again. Their back teeth were almost broken. They envied and cursed at the same time.


    800 spirit stones, how long will it take for everyone to earn it? For most casual cultivators, there may be hundreds of spirit stones flowing in every month, but only ten or eight pieces, or even less, actually fell into their hands. Everyone is just a carrier of spirit stones.


    "It''s true. My brother-in-law from the same ditch happened to go buy talismans and saw it with his own eyes."


    "If I was the one who picked up the ore, eight hundred spirit stones would be enough to buy ten of my lives."


    "Wu 36th area is really a treasure land, but the miasma is a bit thick."


    ...


    The next day, Alex naturally didn''t know what was happening outside. He was wheezing and spitting out black circles.


    Huh¡ª


    After taking another miasma pill, he felt a little relieved in his chest. He lifted his quilt to reveal the smooth stone bed. He laid out the talisman pen, spirit ink, and talisman paper. Looking at the talisman pen with a deeper crack in his hand, Alex sighed softly. It seems that he needs to change the talisman pen next time.


    He spread the talisman paper flat, and the spirit light swam on the tip of the pen, outlining mysterious patterns on the talisman paper. When the talisman pen was lifted from the talisman paper, the light on the talisman paper flashed and then quickly retracted. The anti-miasma talisman was done.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Huff¡ª"


    "Cough cough cough..."


    After Alex put down the talisman pen, he began to regulate the spiritual power in his body. The runes of the anti-miasma talisman were complicated, making it a bit difficult for him to draw. It was not a problem of craftsmanship. Making talismans consumes spiritual power and mind, and the miasma is not completely removed, making it even more tiring.


    After collecting the spiritual ink again, Alex chose to rest.


    "Crack."


    He rubbed a sweet potato and stuffed it into his mouth to chew.


    "When this batch of anti-miasma talismans is sold, I will buy spiritual rice to eat. This stuff will make dogs sick of it after eating it for so long, let alone people."


    "Puff¡ª"


    A sweet potato twisted its butt and spit out from Alex''s mouth. Although there were six spiritual stones in the storage bag, Alex had not thought about buying spiritual rice before. Eating spiritual rice is a long process that can make a cultivator change. There is not much difference between eating sweet potatoes and eating spiritual rice in a short period of time.


    If he wanted to advance to the fourth level of Qi training, he would need elixirs. A bottle of Huangya Dan costs fifty low-grade spirit stones, which is the most suitable elixir for the middle and early stages of Qi training.


    Ten days later.


    "Puff¡ª"


    A mouthful of black mucus with a bloody red hue came out of Alex''s mouth. After a moment of relief, a smile appeared on his face. The miasma poison in the body was finally removed.


    After a short rest, Alex lifted the quilt and placed the talisman pen and talisman paper on the bed. Three days later, a total of fifteen first-level low-grade miasma-removing talismans were drawn by him. Why fifteen? Mainly because there was no spiritual ink. Miasma-removing talismans also consume more spiritual ink than fire talismans.


    Putting the miasma-removing talismans in the storage bag, Alex pushed open the door and walked out. The house next to his opened, and the middle-aged monk he had seen before was entering. After seeing Alex, the two nodded to each other. Then, the middle-aged monk entered the house, and Alex walked towards the street of shops in the market.


    Behind the tall stone archway, there were many monks on the street, some of whom looked fierce. Alex walked quickly into the Treasure Pavilion.


    John West was originally behind the small counter, looking around boredly, and saw Alex coming at a glance.


    "Fellow Daoist, here."


    Following the greeting, Alex came to John¡¯s small counter.


    "Fellow Daoist, long time no see. It seems that you have driven away the miasma and your complexion is much better."


    "Thanks to the anti-miasma pills from your pavilion."


    Alex took out ten anti-miasma talismans from the storage bag. John''s eyes lit up, and he grabbed the anti-miasma talismans in front of him and examined them one by one.


    "It seems that your talisman-making skills are very solid, and you are not far from becoming a first-level mid-grade talisman master."


    "It''s still far from enough. The production of the anti-miasma talisman is complicated. It took so long, and I had to be calm every day before I dared to draw it. Even so, half of them failed."


    "A 50% success rate is already quite high."


    John said softly, "Recently, the anti-miasma talisman is in short supply. The price charged by my Treasure Pavilion is eight low-grade spirit stones."


    Hearing this, Alex was stunned for a moment. Didn''t it still cost five spirit stones a dozen days ago? If the price is eight, then it must be sold for nine or ten spirit stones outside, almost catching up with the first-grade middle-grade talisman.


    John chuckled and whispered in Alex''s ear.


    "So that''s it."


    Alex''s eyes showed a hint of understanding. It''s still because of the mineral vein. His sincere wish last time came true. The mineral veins in the 36th area of Wu are full of opportunities. Since the discovery, in just over a month, no less than three casual cultivators have found second-grade ore from it. This greatly stimulated other casual cultivators. The General Affairs Hall of the Clearwater Sect also increased the number of tasks in this area.


    The anti-miasma talisman only costs a few spirit stones, but how much is a second-level ore worth? Any casual cultivator can calculate it.


    What are you waiting for? Why did everyone leave their hometowns and accept the Clearwater Sect''s land reclamation task?


    "Please give me a first-level low-grade talisman pen, two bottles of spirit ink, and three pieces of talisman paper."


    "Why don''t you take a look at the first-level medium-grade talisman pen, the lowest is only sixty low-grade spirit stones."


    John quickly took out a few talisman pens from the inside of the counter and placed them in front of Alex. Pointing to one of the first-level medium-grade talisman pens, he began to introduce it.


    Alex took a look and then retracted his gaze. High-level talisman pens can increase the success rate of talisman making, but they are equivalent to chicken ribs for him. Maybe when drawing high-level talismans in the future, they may be needed, but not now.


    In John''s slightly disappointed eyes, Alex chose a low-grade talisman pen worth thirty spirit stones. Two bottles of spiritual ink for forty spiritual stones. Three pieces of talisman paper for nine spiritual stones. Change for one spiritual stone.


    "The anti-miasma talisman will be in short supply for a while. Fellow Daoists can bring it to my Treasure Pavilion after drawing it."


    John said, taking out an extra piece of talisman paper from the counter and putting it in Alex''s hand.


    "Thank you."


    Alex did not refuse. The manager of the Treasure Pavilion was much richer than him, and he would get a commission for every sale.


    After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, he did not go back but stood outside a double-sided flag shop with "Lu" on the front and "Dan" on the back. This is the flag of the Lu family, a cultivation family of the Chu State. The Lu family is attached to the Clearwater Sect, and there is a false Dan ancestor in the family. The first-level Huangya Dan is an ordinary elixir circulated in the cultivation world, and it is not rare. As long as the cultivation family has a little background, there will be an alchemist in the family who can refine it.


    He still has five anti-miasma talismans on him, plus the remaining spiritual stones, which is enough to exchange for a bottle of Huangya Dan.

 Chapter 7: Mid-Stage Qi Training

    "Fellow Daoist, would you like a bottle?"


    In the Lu family''s shop, the shopkeeper, Louis Miller, looked at Alex Reed with a smile as Alex gazed outside. As a long-time shopkeeper, Louis knew casual cultivators very well. Casual cultivators may not have spiritual stones, but sometimes, they may have valuable items in their storage bags.


    In places where casual cultivators gather, each shop is very lenient about the spiritual objects traded. Minerals, spiritual medicines, and even the prized corpses of their ancestors can all be used to replace spiritual stones. The main purpose is to exchange what we have for what we don''t, to facilitate the cultivation of casual cultivators.


    "My Lu family has a second-level alchemist in charge, and each pill has gone through hundreds of processes..."


    Alex walked into the Lu family''s shop and heard the shopkeeper bragging. Although he was a novice in alchemy, he knew that for a first-level pill, from the planting of herbs to the refining of pills, there are at most ten processes. Did they test all the spiritual beasts that applied spiritual beast fertilizer during the growth of the herbs? He was really afraid the old shopkeeper would claim that his elixir was organic.


    "Shopkeeper, I''ll take a bottle of Huangya Dan."


    Shopkeeper Louis nodded, turned around, took a white jade elixir bottle from his storage bag, and placed it on the counter. The elixirs in the store were all in his storage bag, and those outside were all fake, so anyone could grab them at will.


    "I''ll exchange it with the anti-miasma talisman."


    Alex took out the anti-miasma talisman from his storage bag.


    "Fellow Daoist, the anti-miasma talisman costs eight spirit stones, and this is the real-time price of the Treasure Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Alex stuffed the anti-miasma talisman back into the storage bag.


    "Then I''ll go to the Treasure Pavilion first to sell the anti-miasma talisman, and then buy Huangya Dan."


    The Treasure Pavilion charges eight for the anti-miasma talisman, so the retail price outside is about nine or ten spirit stones.


    "Fellow Daoist, please stay."


    Seeing Alex turn around and leave, Shopkeeper Louis hurriedly went around the counter to keep him.


    "Fellow Daoist, everything can be discussed. Nine spiritual stones are fine. My Lu family needs to sell the anti-miasma talismans after receiving them, which will take time."


    This time, Alex stopped, took out five anti-miasma talismans and five spiritual stones, and placed them on the counter.


    After checking the anti-miasma talismans, Shopkeeper Louis handed the medicine bottle to Alex. Alex opened the medicine bottle, and a scent of medicine rushed into his nostrils. He put away the Huangya Pill and turned to walk out of the Lu family shop.


    However, as soon as he walked onto the street, Alex found that there were several more eyes on him, both far and near. This made Alex''s face darken. A bottle of Huangya Pill was enough to make him a target.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Alex had a feeling that among the owners of these eyes, several of them had their back teeth clenched. It is really not easy to be a casual cultivator. One is afraid that a fellow cultivator will suffer, and also afraid that a fellow cultivator will buy spiritual pills.


    "Uncle, I saw it clearly. He came out of the Treasure Pavilion first and exchanged a bottle of pills. It should be Huangya Pill."


    At the street corner, most people were busy with their own things. Two figures gathered together and looked at Alex''s back furtively.


    "He is only at the third level of Qi training, but he can go to the Treasure Pavilion and buy pills. He must have good fortune."


    The older monk raised his hand and slapped the back of the young monk''s head.


    "This is the market. Put your mind away and move on to the next target. Give up this one."


    "Why? This person is only at the third level of Qi training and has a bottle of Huangya Pill in his hand. It''s just right."


    Pa¡ª


    The older monk slapped again.


    "Is your brain full of nonsense? Which cultivator who bought Huangya Pills didn¡¯t hide in the house to practice in seclusion? A bottle of Huangya Pills is not worth our action in the market. We will be targeted by the law enforcement team and our lives will be gone. Besides, by the time he finishes his practice and comes out, we will have done several jobs."


    Lin was slapped on the head, but his face was still a little unwilling.


    "Uncle, the fat sheep we caught before were not fat at all. They were all skinny. At most, one person only sold twenty spirit stones, which couldn''t even buy half a bottle of Huangya Pills. In my opinion, we have to deal with fellow Daoists who can afford the pills."


    The young cultivator showed a firm belief in his eyes.


    "Uncle, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to become bigger and stronger and create more glory? I have memorized his appearance. As long as he doesn''t change his appearance, we can wait for him. I still don''t believe that he can stay in the house to refine pills. As long as he shows up outside the market, we will kill him. Then, the remaining pills will belong to me, and the spirit stones will belong to you to find a companion."


    ...


    After walking through the alley and returning to his residence, Alex looked at both sides of the alley before closing the door. No one followed him, so he breathed a sigh of relief. There are not many good people in the market.


    Fortunately, with the sign of the Clearwater Sect, the casual cultivators dare not easily break into the house and rob, except for the demon cultivators.


    After dinner, Alex sat cross-legged on the bed. The thin little house was like a barrier, blocking the chaos outside. But it was not a real barrier and could not isolate the danger.


    He took out the Huangya Pill. A bottle of Huangya Pill contains ten pills, and the price is fifty spirit stones. It only takes two or three days to refine the medicinal power of a Huangya Pill with full strength. He has been at the third level of Qi training for a long time, and he doesn''t know whether this bottle of Huangya Pill can help him advance to the fourth level of Qi training.


    This is the tragedy of low spiritual root value, which means low absorption of spiritual power. Correspondingly, if you want to advance to the same realm, you have to consume more than cultivators with other spiritual roots. If a cultivator has a superior spiritual root, he doesn''t need to use pills at all; he can directly refine the spiritual energy to advance to the mid-stage of Qi training. Not only do they use less, they advance faster.


    It costs more money to practice than others. It''s hard to imagine why the five spiritual roots were so popular in ancient times.


    After getting the Huangya Pill, Alex adjusted his daily schedule. He spent most of his time every day refining the Huangya Pill and the rest of the time making talismans. Such a life is quite fulfilling.


    But the noise outside the room is more than before. The newly discovered mineral veins in the Wuzi area have brought several batches of independent cultivators to the Clearwater Sect. Although Alex did not go out, he often looked at people through the cracks in the door.


    A large part of the independent cultivators who can take the risk to open up the wasteland are unruly. This caused more fights in the market. There were even fights in the street of shops. The law enforcement team of the Clearwater Sect went out and killed more than a dozen casual cultivators in the street, which frightened the new cultivators. Finally, the market was calmed down a little.


    But the demon cultivators mixed in with the casual cultivators were not afraid of the killing of the Clearwater Sect, and they still sneaked around in the market to find their own blood food.


    These had little to do with Alex. He prayed every day that the demon cultivators would not find him and would target the big brothers and sisters next door, who were strong and had tender meat. He put cultivation first, and would draw talismans after practicing every day.


    The third level of Qi training belongs to the initial stage of Qi training, and the strength is too low. The total amount of spiritual power in the body is limited, even if the number of talismans is activated. Now that it is so chaotic outside, it is a bit comforting to improve the strength.


    More than 20 days have passed. Alex sat cross-legged on the bed, and the meridians in his body were full of the medicinal power of the Huangya Pill. He had refined all the Huangya Pills into his body. Today is the time to break through.


    He practiced Qian Yuan Gong, causing the medicinal power to circulate in the meridians.


    Kaka¡ª


    A slight tingling sensation surged in his body, and the gathered medicinal power opened up a new meridian. At the same time, his aura also suddenly increased.


    Qi training level 4!


    After calming down for a while, Alex opened his eyes and smiled. After traveling for more than half a year, he finally experienced the joy of cultivating immortals. The spiritual power flowing in his body increased by about 50% compared to before.


    "Fifty spiritual stones, worth it."


    Snap¡ª


    Alex snapped his fingers. A small flame emerged at his fingertips. So cool, no lighter needed.

 Chapter 8: The Cunning Rabbit Has Three, Four, and Five Burrows

    Whoosh¡ª


    Blowing out the spiritual fire in one breath, the improvement in strength will also greatly aid in drawing talismans. Alex Reed was very clear in his heart that making talismans was only a means to assist immortality. In the final analysis, it is not for practicing in exchange for spiritual stones.


    Sometimes he couldn''t sleep and thought about it; he¡¯d already traveled through time, so why not until ancient times? It is said that back then, the Five Elements Spiritual Roots were the ones loved by heaven and earth. The true perfection of the Five Elements, the posture of Da Luo.


    Nowadays, the spiritual energy is far less than in ancient times. The gods are killing people, and the five spiritual roots are useless. He consumed a bottle of Huangya Dan before he was promoted from the third level to the fourth level. Not to mention top-grade spiritual roots, even top-grade second-grade spiritual roots don¡¯t need to be so troublesome.


    If your spiritual roots are good, wouldn''t it be better to save these fifty spiritual stones and go to Red Rock Market to see the fairies?


    At night.


    [Calm down, enlightenment points +2]


    [Calm down, perception points +3]


    ¡­


    [Mind without external things, divine enlightenment point +1]


    In a hazy state, just when Alex was about to fall asleep, a sudden jolt woke him up. More than fifty days had passed since the last time an enlightenment point occurred.


    [Mind without external things, divine enlightenment point +1]


    When he opened his eyes and regained consciousness, the mysterious voice disappeared. Alex turned over and lay still quietly, trying his best to return to his previous resting state. But it was useless.


    "How do you enter the half-asleep state?"


    He turned over, lay on his side, lay down, lay on his back, assumed the Ge You paralysis, horse stance punch, five hearts in the sky... sky...


    It''s dawn.


    Alex also understood that this state was rare. However, he always wanted to try. He rubbed his face and said something silently in his mind.


    - **Alex Reed: The fourth level of Qi training**


    - **Five Elements Spiritual Roots: Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18, Fire 32, Earth 18**


    - **Talisman Master: First-level low-grade (112/1000)**


    - **Perception points: 13**


    - **Enlightenment Points: 2**


    After a while, Alex added divine enlightenment points to the fire element. The Fire Spirit Root scale value changed from 32 to 34. An extremely mysterious feeling emerged in his body again. The numbing feeling made Alex lie down on the bed again, and he couldn''t help but groan. It feels like returning to the tree-lined path he once longed for.


    After being promoted to the fourth level of Qi training, Alex''s spiritual power lasted longer. This time, he must catch the storm.


    "I hope the mines in the Wuzihao area will be larger in scale."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Standing in front of the bed, Alex spread out the talisman paper. Blessings from the bottom of his heart.


    Four days later, the two bottles of spiritual ink purchased earlier were completely consumed. A total of thirty miasma-dispelling charms were drawn. After straightening his robes, Alex went straight to the Treasure Collection Tower. The market was much busier than before. The Treasure Pavilion was also very busy. Alex waited for his former steward. He also already knew that the steward''s name was John West. Just because he was given an extra talisman last time, he had to be grateful.


    "Fellow Daoist, it''s been a long time this time... It turns out... Congratulations to you, fellow Daoist, for entering the middle stage of Qi training, and you may live forever."


    After seeing off the last batch of guests, John walked quickly towards Alex. The last time he gave Alex an extra talisman, it was just to win over repeat customers. What''s more, he is also a Talisman Master.


    "You''re welcome, Manager John."


    He led Alex to the small counter.


    "Fellow Daoist, are you still selling talismans this time?"


    Alex took out the thirty miasma-dispelling charms from his storage bag. Although he had already traded several times, John still picked up the Miasma Dispelling Talisman and inspected them one by one.


    After a while, John put down the talisman.


    "My little friend''s talisman-making skills have improved again. It seems that he is not far away from becoming a first-level mid-level talisman master."


    "After practicing for so many years, I finally have some improvement."


    This time Alex was not modest and nodded as an admission. John''s last show of goodwill was because of his ability to make talismans. So, he still had to show it. Just like you understand that I am playing hard to get, I understand that you have intentions. Alex also wanted to have a good relationship with this steward.


    "It''s still the purchase price of eight spiritual stones, a total of two hundred and forty spiritual stones."


    After John put the talisman away, he said, "What do fellow Daoists need this time?"


    Alex also had expectations about the price of the Miasma Elimination Talisman. The current price is already quite high. Casual cultivators need miasma-repelling talismans, but they are not the ones with big grievances. Retail sales of nine or ten spiritual stones are enough to make them vomit blood. If the price goes up again, why don''t people sell their kidneys to buy first-class mid-grade and high-grade miasma-removing talismans?


    "One bottle of Huangya Dan, five bottles of first-order low-grade spiritual ink, and ten sword talismans."


    The items Alex needed totaled 180 yuan, with a surplus of 60 spiritual stones.


    "Fellow Daoist, you can make more miasma-dispelling charms."


    After John took out the things Alex needed, he approached Alex and whispered.


    "The number of casual cultivators sent by the sect has increased recently, and the supply of miasma-dispelling talismans exceeds the demand."


    "Thanks for letting me know."


    Alex crossed his fists and turned to leave. After walking out of the door, his steps hesitated. Immediately, he walked towards the General Affairs Hall. Before he became a Talisman Master, he always felt unsettled. Now that he has become a Talisman Master and has been promoted to the middle stage of Qi training, he still feels unsettled. He always felt that there were unscrupulous people trying to harm him.


    ¡­


    "Uncle... Uncle... It''s that cultivator who bought the elixir again. He went to the Treasure Pavilion again."


    On the street, Lin, who pretended to buy something, stared at Alex''s back and suddenly pulled his uncle.


    Lin remembered clearly that Huangya Dan could be bought in the early stage of Qi training. Sure enough, he was already in the middle stage of Qi training. Damn it! His Huangya Dan was gone just like that.


    "I told you that this fellow Daoist is quite rich."


    "It''s been less than a month, and he has been to the Treasure Pavilion twice."


    Lin Yunshan also saw Alex. It''s a coincidence. This month, the uncle and nephew came to the shopping street five times and met Alex twice.


    In five investigations, a total of nine targets were found. Four of the targets did not leave the market, and the other four were lost in the wild. In the end, only one order was completed.


    As for performance, all the harvests were sold for a total of nine spirit stones. It was almost not enough to pay the knocking fee at the brothel.


    "Uncle."


    Lin came close to Lin Yunshan. Both uncle and nephew were at the fourth level of Qi training. The main thing they had always done was to have fellow Daoists stock up on food, and they stocked up on guns. The fellow Daoists they selected were all at the early stage of Qi training. Because they had a clear location and cast a wide net. They barely managed to get enough food and clothing, and occasionally they could indulge.


    But this month was a bit unlucky, and their performance declined sharply. The uncle and nephew could only choose new targets.


    "He is already at the fourth level of Qi training, and I''m afraid that the bottle of Huangya Dan last time has been refined."


    Lin Yunshan blinked, and a ruthless light appeared in his eyes.


    "Keep an eye on him."


    "Okay, uncle, please do it."


    Lin nodded heavily. The casual cultivators at the early stage of Qi training were too poor. Even if they were careful in their selection, they couldn''t squeeze out many spiritual stones.


    In the market, they didn''t dare to take action. Outside the market, they didn''t dare to go out too far, lest they become targets for others.


    "Don''t stand here, go to the archway at the street corner, and choose more targets."


    ...


    General Affairs Hall.


    "Are there any empty courtyards in the middle area?"


    "No."


    A cultivator in the middle stage of Qi training spoke indifferently without looking up. Alex was slightly disappointed. He had wanted to see if he could rent a small courtyard in the middle of the market. It was much more stable than the houses on the periphery.


    "When will there be a vacant room?"


    "I don''t know."


    The cultivator sitting on the stage was very impatient. But the Clearwater Sect has a rule that prohibits beating and scolding fellow Daoists. Otherwise, he would have kicked people out long ago.


    "Then I''ll rent a small house on the periphery."


    "Choose it yourself."


    The cultivator still didn''t look up and threw out a jade slip.


    "After you''ve chosen it, pay the rent there, six spirit stones a month."


    Alex picked up the jade slip and began to choose. The rent was one yuan higher than before. Half a quarter of an hour later, when Alex walked out of the General Affairs Hall, there were already three more house nameplates in his storage bag. Unable to rent a small courtyard in the middle of the market, he had to find another way to build a few more nests for himself.

 Chapter 9: The Ancestor is Too Steady

    The buildings in Cloudfield Market are divided into three circles. The innermost one is a street of shops and the residences of the Clearwater Sect''s disciples and major families. The middle circle is a shared rental yard. Compared with the outermost buildings, the security has been improved a lot. At least the men of the Clearwater Sect Law Enforcement Team are nearby, which is somewhat of a deterrent.


    Alex Reed now lives in the outermost area. The monks who live here often have their hearts and lungs ripped out by demonic cultivators. Now that he could earn spiritual stones, he came up with the idea of moving. In the past, there was no way. No matter how scary the demonic cultivator was, he could still be scarier than being a poor ghost. Now that he has some spiritual stones, the fear of the demon cultivator has climbed to the first place.


    However, he met with disappointment in the General Affairs Hall. The monks of the Clearwater Sect deserve to die. All of them have donkey faces. The surrounding buildings are rented anonymously, only the nameplates are recognized. If the rent cannot be paid on the first day of the month, the Clearwater Sect law enforcement team will come in the next day and clear out the house. Casual cultivators are like leeks, being cut off again and again in rented houses. If the monk happened to be in the wilderness and couldn''t come back in time, he would have to rent a house again.


    The house where Alex currently lives is at No. 9, Heiyan Lane, South District of the market. He rented three new houses, two of which were on the front and back streets of his residence, only thirty feet apart. Using the Earth Escape Talisman is just right. The other one is in the West District of the market. A cunning rabbit has three burrows. He will build four dens for himself first, and then escape when in danger.


    Instead of returning directly, he went to the alley of the newly rented house and walked around. The specific locations of the three houses were determined to avoid the danger of escaping to the home of a female Taoist friend.


    Returning to his residence in Heiyan Lane, Alex sat cross-legged on the bed and began to rest and breathe. He was also thinking about the next path of practice. The matter of the mineral vein is still fermenting, but it is impossible to determine when the Clearwater Sect will personally end it. One hundred pieces of talisman paper must be drawn into miasma-dispelling talismans as soon as possible to get the spirit stones.


    The next day.


    After getting up, Alex lifted the quilt and began to draw the talismans. He did not draw the miasma dispelling talisman first, but first drew the Earth Escape Talisman, the Mysterious Trace Talisman, and other talismans for self-defense. After all, it''s not safe to stay in your own building. This small, thin wooden house can protect against most casual cultivators, but it cannot protect against demonic cultivators. With four nests, he didn''t believe that he could meet four nests of demon cultivators at the same time just by memorizing them.


    After the drawing was completed, Alex directly took out the Earth Escape Talisman and activated it. He tried escaping twice, practiced in advance, and evacuated into new houses in the next alley. The drill results showed that the distance and target were all accurate.


    In the blink of an eye, five days passed.


    Knock-knock-knock.


    The door rapped! Alex, who was practicing, suddenly felt tense. In Cloudfield Market, he lived in seclusion, and his only acquaintance was the fifth girl. Alex opened the door and saw the middle-aged neighbor monk he met a few days ago.


    "My name is Paul Young, I moved here a few days ago and came to visit specially."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Saying that, Paul bowed and clasped his fists. Alex did not refuse indifferently but also returned the favor with cupped fists.


    "Alex Reed."


    Paul didn''t enter, but Alex''s room was so small he could scan it all at a glance. The ink bottle left over from making the talisman was thrown at the foot of the bed, and Paul could see it clearly.


    "So, Fellow Daoist Alex is a Talisman Master?"


    "Studying some crafts and earning a few spiritual stones for practice."


    Paul nodded empathetically. He had no doubts about Alex''s words. Cultivation of various immortal arts, whether it is refining elixirs, refining weapons, or making talismans, is extremely resource-intensive. There are no casual cultivators from the family behind them, and those who are poor are just living in the dirt. It is more difficult to become a Talisman Master than a family cultivator.


    "It''s not easy for monks like us. We either have to risk our lives, or we have to work hard at our skills."


    Paul sighed with emotion, and then opened his invitation.


    "By the way, a mineral vein has been discovered outside the market. Are you interested in going to see it, Fellow Daoist Alex?"


    Paul''s sudden invitation suddenly made Alex wary. Is this person sick? Am I familiar with you?


    "I recently made an appointment with Manager John of the Treasure Pavilion to draw talismans, so I don''t have time."


    "Fellow Taoist is actually familiar with the manager of the Treasure Pavilion. Good luck."


    There was a hint of envy in Paul''s eyes. The stewards of the Treasure Pavilion have the lowest level of cultivation at the seventh level of Qi training. There is a monthly salary and a commission for the sale of spiritual items. It is a day that casual cultivators long for.


    "Being familiar with the manager of the Treasure Pavilion, it seems that fellow Taoist''s talisman-making skills are somewhat modest."


    Paul immediately said: "If I ever need a talisman in the future, I hope that fellow Taoist Alex will give me my love."


    "Definitely."


    After sending Paul away, Alex closed the door in confusion. He and Paul didn''t know each other at all. Just because they lived next to each other and had known each other a few times when going out, it was too abrupt to come and invite him.


    After thinking for a while, Alex couldn''t figure it out. He secretly had a thought in his heart.


    At night.


    He did not practice or sleep but lay quietly on the bed. His breathing was steady, as if he was asleep. But in his hand, he held the flame, escape, and other talismans he had made. As long as there is any movement, he will escape.


    ¡­


    Next door, in Paul''s room.


    As night fell, a touch of evil aura filled the quiet room.


    Chichi¡ª


    A finger-thick, about one-foot-long spotted snake came out. It was obviously a demon snake, but the spotted snake''s eyes were red as blood, and there was a demonic intent released.


    "Senior."


    Paul''s body trembled involuntarily.


    "How is it?"


    The cold voice was imprinted in Paul''s mind.


    "Senior, the Taoist friend next door is a talisman master, and he may be familiar with the manager of the Treasure Pavilion, so I excluded this person from the target."


    Paul lowered his voice and spoke, recounting the events of the day.


    The spotted snake coiled its tail in front of him and stood up with its upper body upright, like a meditating monk.


    "You did a good job. I am not in good condition at the moment. If there is any risk of complications, I must avoid it directly."


    The voice of the spotted snake sounded.


    "It''s all because of the senior''s good teaching."


    "Don''t choose those with complicated relationships."


    "Don''t choose those who form gangs."


    "Don''t choose those who are too strong."


    "Don''t choose those who are not sure of their strength."


    "You will not go wrong if you follow the senior''s rules."


    "There are other cultivators in the middle stage of Qi training in this alley. I will definitely select the right person for you as soon as possible."


    Paul knelt on the bed and bowed to the spotted snake.


    "Select the next blood food within three days, the ancestor''s magic..."


    "Don''t worry, ancestor, I will select the blood food for you tomorrow."


    "Remember, be careful, don''t cause trouble for the ancestor, after the ancestor has dormant for this period of time, you can..."


    "Yes, yes, remember the rules set by the ancestor."


    Paul knocked his head on the bed, trying his best to show his obedience.


    In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the ancestor asked that the selected people should try their best to avoid the risk of causing trouble.


    Today, he visited his fellow Taoist Alex next to him. The strength of the fourth level of Qi training is suitable for the selection criteria of the ancestor. But this person is a talisman master, and he is said to be involved with the manager of the Treasure Pavilion. A casual cultivator who is related to the manager of the Treasure Pavilion and lives in a house in the outer area of the market looks a bit suspicious, and it is not known how true his words are. He does not even accept the mine task; obviously, he is a home cultivator.


    Paul was too lazy to pay attention to him. There are many cultivators in the middle stage of Qi training in the market. The time to check the truth of his words is enough for the ancestor to open his heart to the next Taoist friend.


    Therefore, Paul excluded Alex. As expected of the ancestor who re-cultivated, he deeply admired the degree of caution in doing things.


    The ancestor is really too steady.

 Chapter 10: Being Targeted?

    The eastern sky turned the color of fish belly white as dawn approached.


    Alex Reed held the talisman and breathed a sigh of relief. The night had passed. He got up, ate sweet potatoes, and continued making talismans. The day went by quickly.


    At night, after taking a Huangya Pill, Alex held the talisman and practiced vigilantly.


    "Ah... someone died again!"


    At dawn, a familiar scream shattered the morning tranquility. Alex trembled and woke up, feeling a wave of depression engulf him.


    Whoosh¡ª


    The sound was so clear, it seemed as if the incident had occurred nearby. He stood up from the bed, lay down by the gap he had dug, and looked out.


    A group of people had gathered in the alley. This time, the Clearwater Sect law enforcement team was patrolling nearby and came over when they heard the scream. Everyone gathered outside a house not far away, pointing and talking.


    Through the gap, Alex saw Paul Young watching the commotion.


    "This Taoist friend is lucky. He didn''t have his heart and lungs ripped out, yet he still dares to join in the fun. Truly brave."


    After sighing for a moment, he withdrew his gaze and plugged the gap in the wood again.


    "Demon cultivators are nothing," he cursed in his heart. But he also understood that while one could be a thief for a thousand days, there was no way to prevent a thief for a thousand days. These days of being on tenterhooks were very draining, and he couldn''t even sleep well.


    "Damn it, if I can''t afford to offend you, I have to hide from you. I must rent a small courtyard in the central area."


    While cursing, Alex pushed off his quilt and began his business of making talismans. No matter how rampant the demonic cultivators were, life had to go on.


    At night, Alex made a wish, "Go and have fun with other fellow Taoists. The skin is rough and the flesh is thick, and the internal organs are full of turbidity." He meditated as usual, holding various talismans in his hands. While practicing, he remained prepared to deal with emergencies at any time. In the past few months, fellow Taoists nearby had been attacked by demonic cultivators, so he had to be on guard.


    The strength of the demon cultivator was unknown. At the very least, he needed to be able to make a sound when there was danger, so he could have a chance to escape.


    Half a month later, at the Treasure Pavilion, John West''s eyes brightened as he looked at the sixty miasma-dispelling charms placed on the counter. In addition to the shopkeeper, there were nine managers like him in the Treasure Pavilion. Recently, the sect had sent many casual cultivators, and the supply of miasma-dispelling talismans exceeded the demand. Whoever had more goods and good quality would have the right to speak and win favor in front of the big shopkeeper.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Alex was just one of the Talisman Masters he knew, and he never expected to give him such a surprise. Sixty miasma-dispelling talismans, worth 480 low-grade spiritual stones, were the most generous payout Alex had ever received. Thanks to the Clearwater Sect and the Wuzihao Mine, this batch of miasma-dispelling charms would only have been sold for two hundred and forty otherwise.


    After checking the miasma-dispelling talismans one by one, John nodded with satisfaction. The quality was still as high as ever.


    "What do fellow Daoists need this time?" John asked.


    "I need a low-grade talisman pen, thirty talisman papers, ten bottles of spiritual ink, and two bottles of Huangya Dan," Alex replied. Seeing that the price of the Miasma Dispelling Talisman was still at a high level, he would not let go of this opportunity to make money.


    While John went to prepare the materials for making talismans, Alex leaned on the small counter and carefully observed the monks going around. When his eyes fell on the door, a look happened to meet his. The owner of the gaze was obviously panicked and then turned around and left.


    "Hmm," Alex''s heart skipped a beat. He was being followed.


    One good thing about monks is that they have excellent memory. In surprise, Alex recalled that he had seen the face of the figure who had just met his eyes. Since becoming a Talisman Master, his travels had been limited to his residence and the Treasure Pavilion. There were only so many trips back and forth, each taking at least half a month. But the monks who often came to the Treasure Pavilion were either buying or selling spiritual objects. What poor guy always runs to the Treasure Pavilion when he has nothing to do?


    The spiritual items Alex needed totaled 420 spirit stones, with a surplus of 60 spirit stones. After putting away his things, Alex did not leave in a hurry. He leaned toward Steward John and asked, "Does Steward know if there is any room available in the small courtyard in the middle of the market?"


    "Fellow Daoist, do you want to move?" John asked.


    Alex nodded. Although he had become too cunning, he still wanted to move to a more stable courtyard in the middle of the market.


    "Recently, the number of people in the market has increased, and fighting has been frequent. The small houses on the outskirts of the market are too unsafe," Alex explained.


    John was not surprised. Who would be willing to live in a shack if they were rich? Not only is it broken, but the key is also unsafe.


    "The supply of accommodation in the market has always exceeded the demand. Recently, in order to develop the mineral veins, the sect has sent many monks, and the accommodation has become even tighter. The residence is under the management of the General Affairs Hall, I don''t know the details. There is news that our Clearwater Sect will re-plan the city in the near future. With Fellow Daoist Alex''s financial resources, if he is willing to spend money, it will not be a big problem to share a house in the central area of the market."


    The rental situation in Cloudfield Market is generally that the more powerful you are, the better the place you live in. But on the other hand, it can also be proven that it is easier for strong monks to earn spiritual stones, so that they have the financial resources to live in a good place.


    The entire Cloudfield Market is built at the foot of Yunmeng Mountain. There is a second-level spiritual vein in Yunmeng Mountain. Along the trend of Yunmeng Mountain''s spiritual veins, more than twenty cave dwellings were built. The cave on the highest spiritual vein spring is the residence of the foundation-building monks who sit in Cloudfield Market. The remaining caves are reserved for the disciples of the Clearwater Sect.


    Cloudfield Market borrowed the light of the Yunmeng Mountain spiritual vein and was built on the tail of the spiritual vein. The formation master of the Clearwater Sect built a spirit gathering array with the tail of the spiritual vein as the center. There is a street of shops, and some core luxurious courtyards are in the central spirit gathering array. This place is the core area of the market, where ordinary disciples, managers, and family members of the Clearwater Sect live. There are also some craftsmen with first-class craftsmanship who can earn a lot of spirit stones. In short, either you have power or spirit stones, or both power and spirit stones.


    What John said, and the place chosen by Alex himself, are all in the middle area next to the core area. In this area, the houses built are more spacious than those in the outer area, and the rooms are all two-story. In addition to the two-story building, there is also a courtyard with a circle of small fences. Although not in the spirit gathering array, it is close to the edge of the spirit gathering array, and can get some spiritual energy. Most of the people living here are in the late stage of Qi training, or have a skill, or have a strange encounter in the middle stage of Qi training.


    "Manager John, I heard that if you want to live in the central area, you need certain conditions."


    Alex had heard this from hearsay, and with his ability before, he couldn''t get detailed information. Just like this, or passing by on the street, he didn''t know who heard one or two words.


    "There are some rules, but then again, Fellow Daoist Alex is a talisman master and can earn spirit stones."


    John patted his storage bag, and a spirit stone appeared in his palm.


    "Fellow Daoist, what requirements can be higher than spirit stones?"

 Chapter 11: Cultivating Immortals Also Requires Connections

    Alex Reed nodded. Money makes the world go round, and this principle holds true in many realms. The monks of the Clearwater Sect do not live on dew alone; they too need to eat and drink. Whatever the rules are, spiritual stones are the biggest rule. As long as you have spirit stones, you can live in the core area without fear of being targeted. Of course, the cave abode on Yunmeng Mountain is out of reach; spiritual stones are useless there. The Clearwater Sect will not indulge you.


    "If you want to move, don''t be afraid of spending spiritual stones," John West leaned on the counter and moved closer to Alex.


    "There are many casual cultivators sent by the sect, and some of the houses are not enough to live in. There will be fierce competition when the time comes. We old guys came to this barren mountain to do odd jobs for the sect. Many do this not for their own cultivation but to accumulate spiritual stones for the younger generations at home."


    "Fellow Daoist, please understand what I mean."


    Seeing John playing with the spirit stone, Alex nodded. This was said so clearly. If he didn''t understand, he might as well crash into the counter. Suddenly, Alex realized what he was doing. Last time he went to the General Affairs Hall, he received cold treatment, which probably meant he had no connections. He hadn''t found the right person. In public, no one will act strictly according to the rules. Cultivating immortality inevitably involves falling into clich¨¦s.


    Fortunately, he is not short of spiritual stones now. For the sake of stability, it doesn¡¯t matter if he spends a few more spiritual stones. John''s ability to talk about this also shows that several consecutive cooperations have laid a good foundation.


    "I''m unfamiliar with my place in the market. I wonder if there is anyone who knows me who can introduce me to someone?"


    The rental of the buildings is under the management of the General Affairs Hall. Although the Treasure Pavilion and the General Affairs Hall belong to different families, they are both institutions of the Clearwater Sect. Maybe Steward John has an acquaintance in the General Affairs Hall.


    "Wang Yang, the steward of the General Affairs Hall, is familiar with me," John whispered after getting closer and looking around. "This guy has dirty tricks, but his credibility is not a problem."


    The more Alex listened to John, the more he doubted whether he had traveled to a world of immortality. Did he become a fake immortal? Full of the copper smell. Alex already knew something about it. False cultivation of immortality, the spirit of immortality, does not involve mundane matters; it involves drinking morning dew and clouds in the evening. Real cultivation of immortals involves eating, drinking, having connections, and using spiritual stones to get things done easily.


    "Thank you, Manager John, for the tip."


    Soon, Alex hugged John.


    "Fellow Daoist, you don''t have to be polite," John waved his hand nonchalantly, then leaned in front of Alex and muttered. "The Wuzihao mineral vein is very large. If you can draw a first-grade mid-grade or even high-grade miasma dispelling talisman, you can make a lot of money."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "The art of making talismans is profound and deep. It took decades of practice to achieve this level of achievement today."


    "Fellow Daoist, you are humble. I see that your miasma dispelling talisman is strong and powerful, done in one go. It is becoming more and more exquisite," John chuckled. He could talk so much to Alex because he was interested in Alex''s talisman-making skills.


    ...


    "Manager John is really lucky to know such a productive Talisman Master," a steward said with a smile after Alex left.


    "Mind your own business," John glanced at Manager Lin, who was approaching and spoke coldly.


    "Hmph, the sect will soon allocate a large number of miasma-dispelling talismans. It is useless to collect these thirty or fifty miasma-dispelling talismans," Manager Lin snorted, then put a smile on his face and walked towards the new monk.


    John did not move at the small counter. He looked at Manager Lin''s back, and there was no visible change in his expression. It is true that the sect will allocate a batch of miasma-dispelling talismans. However, most of the miasma-dispelling talismans allocated by the sect were the work of disciples within the sect, and their quality was inferior to the miasma-dispelling talismans drawn by Alex.


    There are quite a few first-level low-level talisman masters who draw talismans in the market. There are dozens of people he knows, but their skills are all mediocre. Only Alex''s talisman craftsmanship is exquisite, and it is only a matter of time before he becomes a first-level mid-level talisman master. If he maintains this quality, becoming a first-level high-grade Talisman Master is not a problem. Otherwise, how could he have exchanged so many words with Alex? The miasma dispelling talisman was only a current transaction, and what he valued more was the follow-up contact with Alex.


    ...


    General Affairs Hall.


    When Alex entered, he glanced at the street. The street of shops was not very long. Outside the archway at the intersection, he caught sight of the young monk who was looking at him. There is only one exit on the whole street, so it is suitable to keep an eye on it under the archway. Today he took out a stack of miasma-dispelling talismans and gave them to Manager John, fearing that someone who was following him would see them. The casual cultivators in the city are more restrained because the benefits are too small. But a few hundred spiritual stones are enough to make people take desperate risks. You can''t really say for sure right now, but you''ll know when you give it a try when you leave.


    Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Alex was ready to find the Manager Wang mentioned by Manager John first. There were many monks coming and going in the hall, busy accepting and handing in tasks. Exploring the mountainous landscapes is the simplest task. The Clearwater Sect spent a lot of effort to recruit so many casual cultivators to open up wasteland, but it was not all charity. Once this area is almost explored, it''s time to harvest.


    Where there are spiritual veins and spiritual land, cities can be built, spiritual fields and medicine gardens can be developed, and it can also become the residence of a family cultivating immortals. For example, a casual cultivator who has built a foundation is tired of playing outside and wants to marry many wives and concubines to establish a family, so he needs a piece of land. These places where land has been reclaimed are the best family residences. If you want this place, pay the spirit stones to the Clearwater Sect. It doesn¡¯t matter if the spirit stones are not enough; you can be allowed to pay the spirit stones in installments. In this way, the Clearwater Sect gets spirit stones again and also has a small affiliated family. In comparison, the initial investment in land reclamation is not worth mentioning at all. The life of a casual cultivator is worth only a few dollars. As for the time spent on land reclamation, it is even less of a problem. The Clearwater Sect has been passed down for more than 2,000 years and has experienced five generations of Jindan ancestors. The signboard is very strong in the State of Chu.


    Looking at the cultivators coming and going, Alex was also somewhat tempted. A few months ago, he was also one of these people and had to fight hard for cultivation. Now, there is a channel to earn spirit stones. What''s wrong with spending some spirit stones to protect his life? Since he can''t leave Cloudfield Market in the short term, he naturally has to find a more stable place to live.


    After some effort, Alex found the manager Wang Yang that Manager John mentioned.


    "Meet Manager Wang," Alex spoke first, and after clasping his fists and bowing, he placed ten spirit stones on the stone table in front of Wang Yang. According to John''s suggestion, he directly paid the spirit stones. Ten spirit stones, which is the price of a miasma-removing talisman. For him now, it was just a drizzle.


    Before Wang Yang looked at Alex carefully, he noticed a flash of light on the stone table. Then, he wiped his big hand on the table smoothly, and the spirit stone disappeared instantly. The action was smooth, and Alex found that the spirit stone was gone before he could react. Just saw the smooth patina of the original place where the spirit stone was placed was extremely conspicuous.

 Chapter 12: Prudence and Caution Are Not Cowardice

    It''s all covered with glaze!


    Manager John West wasn''t lying to me.


    After taking a dose of Lingshi decoction, Manager William''s fake smile was immediately cured. Alex Reed immediately felt that Manager William''s smile was much more sincere.


    Please call him Alex "Shen Lao" Reed.


    "I am Alex Reed, introduced by Manager John of the Treasure Pavilion."


    Seeing William accept the Lingshi, Alex smiled and said, "I''m looking for a house to rent in the middle of the market."


    "So it''s Fellow Daoist Alex, please sit down."


    William then looked at Alex.


    Introduced by an acquaintance, generous.


    Obviously like-minded friends.


    The atmosphere between the two who didn''t know each other at all suddenly became harmonious.


    "Since he is the friend of Manager John, he is also my friend. I won''t hide it. Recently, there are more and more independent cultivators in the market, and the housing supply is in short supply. There are countless cultivators who come to the General Affairs Hall to rent a house every day. If someone else asks, there will definitely be no houses."


    William''s face was piled up with a mercenary smile again.


    The houses in the market are originally rented out. It doesn''t matter who they are rented to. Besides, he is sensible and gives spiritual stones as soon as he comes up. Of course, some difficulties still need to be mentioned. Ten spiritual stones should be worth spending.


    Alex smiled and nodded, waiting for William''s next words. He also understood the words above, that he just spent ten spiritual stones to buy it. Just listen to it as nonsense. Just like he earns spiritual stones by drawing talismans, Manager William earns spiritual stones by this position under his buttocks. He really lives wherever he lives. If it weren''t for these ten spiritual stones, today''s matter might not be smooth. This is Xiao Kunzi''s peeing, each has his own way.


    "The elders of the sect are also very concerned about the living problems of the cultivators. The elders of the General Affairs Hall have ordered that they will clean up the residences in the market in the near future and sort out the empty houses. At that time, we can just clear out some vacant houses and leave one for Fellow Daoist Alex."


    "Thank you, Manager William."


    Alex complimented at the right time.


    "The middle area of the market is all small courtyards. There are two-story attics in the courtyard, and there is also a small courtyard. Some of them have been reclaimed into spiritual fields, where some simple spiritual herbs can be cultivated. Fellow Daoist can choose to rent the entire courtyard directly. You can also choose to rent it with others."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Rent together."


    Alex spoke, he didn''t think about renting a private house. Not to mention that he doesn''t have enough financial resources now, even if he has enough spiritual stones, it''s too conspicuous for him, a small cultivator at the fourth level of Qi training. Renting together with others and blending himself in the crowd is the best way to hide. At that time, he would set up a formation in the room. As for the small courtyard, he didn''t grow vegetables, so it was useless to have it. When he reached the late stage of Qi training, or had the strength of a first-class upper-grade talisman master, it would not be too late to rent the entire courtyard. Maybe, by that time, he would have left Dreamcloud Market.


    The situation of sharing a house is very common in the market. Some Taoist friends directly gathered together seven or eight people and rented a loft room. Not only is it safe, but it can also be harmonious.


    "The rent for the entire courtyard is between eighty and one hundred spirit stones per month. This depends on the distance from the spirit gathering formation."


    Alex just felt that it was really damn expensive. If you share a house, it will cost at least forty spirit stones per month. Cultivating immortals is really not easy. I really want to go out and dig a cave on a mountain. Be the head of the family when alive, and be the tomb when dead.


    "The specific time still needs to wait for the order of the sect, but we are friends. If there is no accident, then a small courtyard house sign will be handed over to Fellow Daoist Alex."


    Hearing the words "if there is no accident," Alex was a little stunned. Not enough spiritual stones? Can''t be so shady. Finally, William gave him a small wooden sign as a token. It was made of a very common tree in the wilderness, without any spiritual power fluctuations, only a few fingerprints. Even if it was caught, no one could say that a broken wooden sign without spiritual power was of any use. It is obvious that William, the manager, has taken his own unique and distinctive development path in the work of allocating houses.


    Standing outside the General Affairs Hall, Alex looked at the street. At the archway at the intersection, the stalking figure disappeared. Take a breath lightly, and walk quickly towards the intersection. Standing at the archway, he casually took out a first-level low-grade flying talisman from his storage bag and slapped it on his body. He did not use the escaping talisman, not because he was afraid of being conspicuous, but mainly because it was easy to escape to someone else''s house after escaping.


    With the blessing of the flying talisman, Alex''s speed increased a lot, and he ran towards the direction of Black Rock Lane.


    "Follow him!"


    Outside the shopping street, two figures rushed out from two directions.


    "At least two people."


    While running, Alex looked around. In addition to the stalker who rushed out, there was also an elderly monk. After a while, Alex added another flying talisman to himself, and his speed increased again. When he left the central area of the town, there were fewer people on the street, and the people following him became more obvious. Now Alex could conclude that he had become someone else''s target. There were two people in total. As he used the flying talisman to speed up, the two people fell far away, always maintaining a distance visible to the naked eye. And at the corner of the alley, the two would chase closely to avoid losing him. This can be concluded that the two did not have spiritual consciousness. Second confirmation, they are mid-stage Qi training cultivators.


    Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the residence in Black Rock Lane, Alex''s hand appeared with the escape talisman. As long as he cast the escape talisman, he could disappear directly in front of the two people following him and escape directly back to his residence. But he hesitated for a moment and did not activate the escape talisman. The person behind him had targeted him twice. If he escaped this time, there would be another time. There is no reason to guard against thieves everywhere. He did not notice it when he went to Treasure Pavilion several times before, and he did not know whether his residence had been found. As for moving to another cave. What if these two people still go to the commercial street to guard? It is impossible not to sell talismans. Although he is cautious and wants to be steady, he is not timid. Alex snorted in his heart, put away the escape talisman, and rushed into the residence.


    It was still daytime, and the uncles of the Clearwater Sect''s law enforcement team were intermittently looking for the street, so the two men did not dare to act blatantly.


    Entering the house.


    Alex first activated a ground escape talisman and escaped to the residence on the street in front. Then, he spread out the talisman paper and spiritual ink and began to draw talismans. Although he was only a first-level low-grade talisman master, there were many rare talismans in the world of cultivation among the hundreds of low-grade talismans he inherited. In addition, in addition to talismans, he also inherited some combined talisman usages, which could burst out several times or even more than ten times the killing power. After thinking for a while, Alex had a plan.


    ¡­


    "Uncle, that''s the one."


    At the entrance of Black Rock Lane, Larry leaned against the corner of the house and pointed to the house where Alex was.


    Ethan looked at Alex''s residence, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes.


    "Did you really see it clearly? He took a stack of talismans and gave it to the manager of Treasure Pavilion?"


    "Uncle, I saw it clearly. It was such a thick stack. Even if they were all first-grade low-grade talismans, they must be worth at least two or three hundred spirit stones. Damn, no wonder he can eat Huangya Dan."


    Larry gestured with his hands.


    "Talisman Master, it''s not easy to deal with."


    Although he said so, Ethan''s eyes were fixed on Alex''s residence, and he couldn''t move away.

 Chapter 13: Counterattack

    "Uncle, if he was really powerful, he wouldn''t still be living in this shabby house."


    Larry spoke.


    Hundreds of spiritual stones, the two of them have been working together for so long, but they have never gotten this much.


    "Uncle!"


    Ethan''s eyes flashed with a hint of cruelty.


    Wealth and fortune are found in danger.


    Until now, the two of them have never made a move in the city. The main reason is that the targets have too few spiritual stones, and it is uneconomical to be targeted by the law enforcement team for these spiritual stones. But that doesn¡¯t mean no one is taking action in the market. Not all Taoist friends who die every day in the market are caused by demonic cultivators. Some just let the demon cultivators take the blame.


    "Call that old ghost, Walter, up, lest the boat capsizes in the gutter."


    The target was a Talisman Master, and Ethan felt that he had to be cautious.


    "Uncle, just one more person..."


    Larry was anxious.


    Before the words could be fully uttered, he received a slap on the head.


    "Idiot, how can a Talisman Master be so easy to deal with? Today we also alerted this person. With one more person and one more helper, Walter''s blood poisonous centipede might come in handy."


    Ethan said coldly, "After finishing this job, kill Old Ghost Walter as well."


    "You watch here, I will prepare some antidote first to avoid being plotted by Mr. Walter."


    ¡­


    Inside the premises.


    Alex snorted softly in his heart and grabbed two talismans with both hands.


    "If you really don''t care about your life, I''ll let you taste the power of the talisman array."


    "Go."


    The spiritual power gathered on the talisman in his hand, and each talisman flew up in his hand and flew in all directions in the house. The fluttering talisman flexibly landed on the beams, floor, walls, corners, and other places.


    The talisman formation is a kind of formation. Although Alex has not yet involved himself in cultivating formations, the system has inherited hundreds of first-level low-grade talismans, including simple talisman arrays. By constructing a combination of different talismans and integrating them into a fixed area, the overall power explodes.


    Since he had no foundation in formations and just followed the instructions in the inheritance talisman, Alex''s spiritual power was quickly exhausted. Without hesitation, he took out two more Huangya Dan and swallowed them. When he was drawing the talisman before, he had already swallowed a yellow bud pill to replenish his spiritual power. With most of the spiritual power consumed, the refining speed of Huangya Dan was much faster than before. Otherwise, crisis is the driving force. If it hadn''t been for being targeted this time, Alex wouldn''t have been able to perform as well as he did this time. After returning, he drew sixteen talismans in one breath. Counting the self-defense talismans he had drawn before, he had arranged a total of nearly forty talismans in the house. Although they are only low-grade talismans, if they explode in such a small room, even those who are in the late stage of Qi training will be devastated on the spot. Now, it depends on whether the monk who is eyeing him will break in. Fortunately, the surveillance was in the middle stage of Qi training. If it was in the later stage of Qi training, the consciousness could be born, then there would be a risk of his arrangement being exposed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    At night.


    On Alex''s bed in the room, the quilt was raised high. Everything was quiet. There was already a big hole in the stone slab under the quilt, and Alex''s body was just embedded in the hole.


    "It would be nice if I had spiritual consciousness."


    Right now, all we can do is wait and die. Bet that people outside are going to be stupid for the sake of spiritual stones.


    Swish swish¡ª¡ª


    Under the night, Alex, who was waiting intently, heard the sound of turning soil. A strange airflow emerged from the ground. Alex turned his palm and several talismans were activated. The breath-containing talisman and the golden light talisman bloomed and the light enveloped the whole body.


    "Fight quickly to avoid causing a big commotion."


    "Put the golden light talisman on it for defense."


    Outside the house, the three of them took out talismans at the same time and smashed them on themselves. Turned into three little light people.


    Click!


    The door and the wooden wall next to it were suddenly knocked open, the magic weapon chirped, and the three of them worked together to slash towards the bed. The cold light tore the quilt apart and cut into a piece of talisman light.


    "It''s good to be in the building, I finally didn''t run away..."


    In the small room, three people squeezed in and attacked together. At that time, the spiritual power exploded in the room.


    Buzz¡ª¡ª


    In an instant, the talismans glowed brightly, and each talisman posted in the room was forcibly activated. Between the splashes of talisman light, an earthy yellow partition space was formed based on the house. A first-level low-grade soil source talisman. Then, the hard ground beneath his feet began to slosh like mud. Combine the swamp talisman of the talisman column! During the shaking, a hole appeared under the golden light talisman attached to the three people''s bodies.


    Susu¡ª¡ª


    Vines like thin pythons emerged from the soil and wrapped around the legs and feet of the three of them. The key is that there are sharp thorns on these vines, which pierce directly into the flesh and blood, and also have a numbing effect. The thorn vine talisman that combines the talisman.


    "No, this Talisman Master''s idea is too strong, retreat!"


    As soon as he entered, he was knocked unconscious by the sky full of talismans. Ethan suddenly understood that he had hit an iron plate. The three of them wanted to retreat, but found that it was easier to rush in, and their backs were shrouded in khaki talisman light. The lower body was still entangled in thorn vines, his feet were stuck in the mud, and his lower body was unstable.


    Phew!


    "Ah¡­¡­"


    Larry screamed. His lower body was wide open, and thorns sprouted out and filled with holes. The stinging pain caused the spiritual power in the body to become disordered, and the golden light talisman attached to the body collapsed.


    Buzz¡ª¡ª


    A ball of fire crashed down, covering Larry''s body. Ethan wanted to save his nephew, but found that he could not save himself and was also covered by the flames. The whole area of khaki talisman light was ignited with raging flames. One after another, the fire talismans fell down.


    Crack¡ª¡ª


    The protective golden talismans on Ethan and Walter broke, and the flames fell on the two.


    "Ah..."


    Amidst the screams, Walter stared at Ethan with resentment and resentment. Where is the fat sheep that was promised! How did it become a roasted sheep! In the narrow area, dozens of different talismans fell down. Do you think this is an ordinary talisman master? In the last cry, three figures were surrounded by flames.


    After a while.


    Alex escaped back again. Then, he activated two fire talismans in each hand and fell on the body that had not been burned out. The three bones leaning against each other were swallowed by the flames again.


    When the flames died down, he took out his defective flying sword from the storage bag and dug it out among the ashes. There was no need to think about the storage bag, as it was burned. Three broken magic weapons were dug out from the ashes. At this moment, there was a crackling sound. The earth source talisman was breaking, and the wave had already hit the house. Picking up the remaining things and putting them into the storage bag, Alex took out a ground escape talisman and was about to disappear.


    He saw a purple-black leg on the ground. He picked up a spider that had been killed with the flying sword. He put the spider into the storage bag and immediately disappeared from the spot.


    Whoosh¡ª¡ª


    Under the night, the house was on fire, and the thick smoke rushed into the air, which had caused a stir. But the other monks near the alley did not appear. The law enforcement team arrived again half a quarter of an hour later. All they saw was a ruin that had been burned clean by the flames.


    ¡­


    Alex frowned after escaping to the new house facing the street. This job was done very unsteadily. Many problems were exposed. It is not right to clean up the mess yourself. It would be better if there were puppets. It is OK to deal with the middle stage of Qi training, but it is not good to deal with the late stage of Qi training with spiritual consciousness released. The talisman array needs to be strengthened.


    "There were no conditions before, and it was too hasty this time. Next, I have to think about it carefully and improve the bone-crushing and ashes-scattering package."


    Fortunately, I bought a few more houses before. I can''t stay in the southern district of the market.

 Chapter 14: "A Hundred Poison Stratagems

    As soon as the sun rose, Alex Reed left the house. He went straight to the house he had bought in the west district of the market. As for the three houses in the east district, one had been destroyed, and the remaining two were not planned to be taken.


    When passing by Black Rock Lane, he saw the law enforcement team and a group of people surrounding the burned house. The house was anonymous, so it was not easy for the law enforcement team to find him. Besides, the law enforcement team probably had no intention of looking for anyone.


    West District, Hillside Lane.


    Alex sat cross-legged on the bed, calming down the emotions after the first actual combat.


    "Prepare a few more clothes, preferably to cover the face."


    "People die for money, birds die for food..."


    Alex sighed with emotion after a long sigh. If the talismans he had learned were not complete, it would be impossible to crush the three people who broke in.


    Bang.


    The black magic weapon was thrown by Alex in front of him. They were all first-grade low-grade magic weapons. It was also badly damaged by the talisman. It would be good if it could be sold for ten spirit stones.


    Then, Alex took out the half-burned spider from the storage bag. This should be a blood poison spider of the first stage. It is so burnt that it is not worth many spirit stones. This time it is considered a big loss.


    Looking carefully at the blood poison spider''s bones, Alex found that the lower jaw of the poisonous spider was cracked, and there seemed to be something inside.


    Click.


    The defective flying sword came out again. It cut the lower jaw of the poisonous spider. A storage bag fell down with a click. I don''t know who the owner of this poisonous spider is, who actually put the storage bag in the mouth of the poisonous spider.


    Low-level storage bags have no restrictions, and anyone can open them. Alex poured out the contents of the storage bag. A small pile of clattering. Nine talismans of various types, and two first-level medium-quality ones. More than a dozen bottles and jars. There are 110 spirit stones. A cultivation method called Water Source Technique, which can be cultivated to the seventh level of Qi training. A torn book on poison making.


    Then, Alex opened one of them, and a strong sour smell filled the air.


    "Corpse water."


    He recognized the contents of the bottle at a glance. It seems that these guys are really veterans. After opening the bottles and jars one by one, Alex determined that most of them were poisons. Holding the torn poison book in his hand, Alex read it with great interest.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Hundred Poison Stratagems."


    It records the spiritual poisons from the initial stage of Qi training to the level of foundation building. Alex was also shocked when he saw the records. He had heard a rustling sound in the room before, and there was airflow coming out. It seems that these three people put poison in the house as soon as they came up. Fortunately, he was cautious and had prepared the breath-holding talisman. Later, the fire talisman covered the room area, and the poison was burned clean.


    With this book of Hundred Poison Stratagems, Alex felt that he would not lose this time. This book is very suitable for him, the sixth child.


    Three days later, Alex went out. He first bought a few sets of robes and spiritual ink, and then went to the General Affairs Hall to rent two houses. But this time, his luck was not very good. There were no vacant houses near Hillside Lane.


    After settling down again, Alex once again devoted himself to drawing the anti-miasma talisman. After all, the Clearwater Sect is a Jindan Sect. How could it not send anti-miasma talismans after so many casual cultivators continuously sent in? Besides, the shopkeepers of the family shops on the shopping street are more cunning than each other. Alex has no idea how long the benefits of the anti-miasma talisman can be reaped. If he doesn''t hurry up, he can only drink soup when he should have eaten mutton.


    With the help of spirit stones and yellow bud pills, Alex drew ten anti-miasma talismans in one day without delaying his practice. It''s not that it''s his limit, but after drawing ten anti-miasma talismans, the spiritual power in his body just reached a state of exhaustion. Refining spirit stones at this time is faster than before. He plans to refine a yellow bud pill every five days. It is not to save spirit stones, but for his own drug resistance.


    In many immortal cultivation universes, Taoists generally agree that before the age of sixty is the best time to build a foundation. This is also the case in this immortal cultivation world. The cultivators in the Qi Refining period start their cultivation at the age of ten. With good luck and no shortage of spiritual objects, they can break through a level in one to five years on average. Before the age of sixty, they have a chance to try to break through the foundation.


    For most casual cultivators, the frequency of their breakthroughs depends on whether they get spirit stones in a certain period of time.


    Alex started his cultivation at the age of eleven. His parents were also casual cultivators, but unfortunately, they died later. Now he is thirty-five or thirty-six. It took him twenty-five years to cultivate to the third level of Qi Refining. It was because he was poor. But now it is different. He has spirit stones.


    At night, Alex held a spiritual stone in each hand, refining the spiritual energy.


    "I don''t know when the courtyard in the central area of the market will be vacant."


    Alex thought while practicing.


    The next day, near noon.


    "Da Da..."


    "The people inside come out to register!"


    The door of the room was knocked.


    Creak--


    Hearing that it was very chaotic outside, Alex felt relieved and opened the door. He saw a manager of the Clearwater Sect standing in the alley outside the house. The other monks of the Clearwater Sect law enforcement team were knocking on the doors of the houses in the alley one by one.


    "There is no one in this house."


    "The people in this room are not dead."


    The monks of the Clearwater Sect Law Enforcement Team spoke, and the manager started marking them according to the records in his hand. As for those empty houses, the monks of the Law Enforcement Team threw the things inside directly into the alley. Fortunately, the monks'' belongings were all in the storage bags, and the only things left in the house were some bedding and other daily necessities.


    Alex understood that this should be what William mentioned about reorganizing the market. There were more than 30 households living in the whole alley, and 20 households had their belongings thrown out. It was unknown whether these people really died or did not have time to come back. With a probability of more than half of them not returning after going out, Alex became more and more certain that he should not go out and take risks easily.


    "Listen, the rent will increase by eight spirit stones next month."


    "Fellow Daoists who don''t have spirit stones to pay the rent, don''t worry. My Clearwater Sect will grant you a favor. You can build a shack at the outermost part of the market. My Clearwater Sect will guarantee everyone''s safety."


    "Of course, you need to build the shack yourself. It only costs two spirit stones per month for the land occupation fee."


    As soon as the steward spoke, the cultivators in the alley were speechless. The demon cultivators were very generous to live in the house. If they went to build a shack outside, wouldn''t it be more convenient for the demon cultivators?


    After the steward made the announcement, he ignored the cultivators in the alley and went to the next alley on his own.


    "Eight spirit stones a month, is this a waste of time?"


    "It seems that we really have to build a shack next month."


    The cultivators in the alley dared to grumble after the steward of the Clearwater Sect left. Alex did not speak and prepared to close the door and continue to practice.


    At this time, his eyes inadvertently drifted across the alley and saw a figure coming out of a house next to him, and his expression was stunned.


    The figure that came into his eyes made him stunned.


    An acquaintance!

 Chapter 15: Why Is It You Again!

    Ethan


    That''s right, the neighbor next door is the guy who visited in the South District before. What a coincidence.


    After Ethan  walked out of the room, he was a little surprised to see Alex Reed. What a coincidence. He nodded to Alex and immediately closed the door. Alex also nodded and closed the door again.


    In the following days, Alex started his career of earning spiritual stones again. But three days later, a scream broke the tranquility of the early morning once more.


    Alex looked out through the newly opened crack in the door. The monks in the alley gathered and surrounded a house not far away. Another... incident has occurred.


    "How can this old man be so lucky," Alex thought to himself.


    In the crowd, Alex saw Ethan Li again. He was whispering with the people around him and pointed at the house where the accident happened. As he thought about it, an idea suddenly popped up in Alex''s mind. "Is this fellow Daoist a demon cultivator?"


    Most cultivators would subconsciously avoid seeing anything related to demon cultivators, so why did this fellow Daoist Ethan approach them? Some demon cultivators are like this. They are obviously cruel and ruthless but pretend to be upright masters. Of course, there are also some upright cultivators who play more games than demon cultivators.


    In this world, no one can tell whether they are demons or not. Although the demon cultivators have not found him in the past six months, through Alex''s careful observation, he found that demon cultivators like to appear at night and are very open-hearted to people. But at night, there was no sound of fighting. Even the doors and windows of the victims'' rooms were intact. It was not until the smell of blood filled the air the next day that people discovered another corpse.


    After committing crimes repeatedly, they could always ensure that the corpse would not resist. Could it be that every time they went out to work, they carried the goddess of luck on their backs? Or the demon cultivators were quick, accurate, and ruthless. Or they are not morally upright and use dirty tricks to subdue the person first.


    Alex is more inclined to the second one. Just like the Taoist friends who wanted to deal with him before, these people knew to poison him first. The methods of the demon cultivators are more cunning, and who knows how many tricks they will play.


    "Alas... It won''t work if there are three burrows outside the market. We still have to move to the small courtyard in the middle."


    He is not afraid of trouble, but it is troublesome to always be troubled. After killing a Taoist friend in the alley, the next half month was much more peaceful. It was like a sacrifice.


    After another ten days, Alex couldn''t hold it in any longer, packed up his things, opened the door, and went to the street of shops.


    Treasure Pavilion.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    John West carefully checked the patterns on the anti-miasma talisman. After checking all the talismans, a smile appeared on his face.


    "Fellow Daoist Alex, I will still charge eight spiritual stones for this batch of anti-miasma talismans."


    "Thank you."


    Alex clasped his hands and fists. This time he brought a hundred anti-miasma talismans. After entering Treasure Pavilion, he was not blind, and there were people buying anti-miasma talismans nearby. The selling price of Treasure Pavilion was only seven spiritual stones. John West still charged eight spiritual stones. No matter if he had other ideas or not, the spiritual stones in his hands were real.


    "Brother, take a look at these anti-miasma talismans."


    John West reached out and took out a stack of more than a dozen anti-miasma talismans from the inside of the counter. Alex took these anti-miasma talismans in his hands.


    "The spiritual pattern on this one is intermittent, and I''m afraid it will not be powerful enough after being activated."


    "There was a problem with this one as soon as it was written."


    ...


    "This one..."


    Alex found out at a glance that none of the dozen anti-miasma talismans were of the fine quality level.


    "Brother, you said that you don''t have enough experience in making talismans. See if there is any talisman with flaws that can escape your eyes?"


    "Some of these miasma-removing talismans are practice works sent by disciples in the sect, and some are collected from other talisman masters."


    "I won''t hide it from you. I have experimented with your miasma-removing talismans."


    "After your miasma-removing talismans are activated, they can expel miasma within 50 feet and can last for a quarter of an hour."


    "And these miasma-removing talismans have different ranges of miasma expelling, and the maximum is only 30 feet."


    John West said.


    "The durability is not good either. It''s good enough if it can last for half a quarter of an hour."


    "Are you interested in continuing to cooperate with me, your elder brother?"


    "I''d love to have you."


    Alex agreed immediately. Even if John West restored the original price to buy his anti-miasma talismans, he had no way to counter it and would offend the old man instead. Now it seems that both sides are in a good position and everyone is happy. Besides, Alex also wanted to get some information from John West to see if he could leave Dreamcloud Market in advance.


    One hundred anti-miasma talismans, eight hundred low-grade spirit stones.


    "Brother, the houses in the middle area have been vacated."


    Before Alex asked, John West said in advance.


    "No. 23 Courtyard Ding, don''t be afraid to spend spirit stones, act quickly, there are many people who want to rent a house."


    At this time, John West came close and said something sneakily.


    "No. 23 Courtyard Ding?"


    Alex nodded, and when he was about to ask what was different about this courtyard, he found that John West had gone to greet other guests.


    When Alex arrived at the General Affairs Hall, he found that there were many cultivators crowded in the hall. The steward William he was looking for was surrounded by cultivators.


    "Fellow Daoists, the allocation of houses needs to be decided by the Foundation Establishment Ancestor, and William is a steward."


    "William is the old ancestor''s vanguard. Whatever the old ancestor tells him to do, William will do it."


    "It is William''s responsibility to serve you fellow Taoists."


    "The houses in the market are still being counted. It is estimated that it will be reorganized in less than half a month."


    "We will sort them out as soon as possible and let you all rent suitable houses as soon as possible."


    William''s face was full of smiles, and he sent the casual cultivators around him out of the General Affairs Hall. After watching everyone leave the General Affairs Hall, William''s fake smile disappeared. He saw Alex in the crowd and nodded imperceptibly. Watching William return to the room inside, Alex looked around and walked in quickly.


    "Fellow Taoist, long time no see."


    Watching Alex enter the room, William sat behind the stone table without moving, but a smile appeared on his face.


    "Today I have free time, so I came to visit Manager William."


    Alex clasped his fists. William gestured to Alex to sit down, and without delay, he said, "Daoist, you came at the right time. I happen to have a few extra houses."


    At this moment, William did not hide anything at all, which was very different from what he said outside.


    "I want to rent Courtyard No. 23 Ding. I wonder how much it costs?"


    William narrowed his eyes and leaned back. "It seems that Daoist has a close relationship with Manager John West."


    "...I remember Daoist said before that you want to share the rent. If you share the rent of this courtyard, it will cost 50 spirit stones a month."


    Speaking of this, William lowered his voice.


    "But... Daoist needs to pay an additional 50 spirit stones if you want to rent it."


    Shua¡ª¡ª


    The next moment, a small pile of shiny things appeared on the stone table in front of William.


    Shua¡ª¡ª


    The shiny things disappeared. It was as if they had never appeared. Only the smooth patina was shiny.