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 clichés.

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."

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"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.