Ascension Pavilion

Before long, Wang Zhifan found a shop selling what he needed.

The shop was actually quite conspicuous. A small banner hung outside it, bearing the words: "Spiritual Root Talismans for Sale," as if afraid no one would notice.

When Wang Zhifan arrived outside the shop, he saw more than twenty people gathered within, mostly pairs of elders and children. Clearly, they had come to test themselves after being rejected by the immortal sect.

A plump, middle-aged man who looked like the shopkeeper was introducing his goods to the customers before him. "Everyone, this talisman is called a 'Spirit-Testing Talisman.' It is the same kind used by immortal sects to recruit disciples. Simply place it against your forehead. If the paper grows warm, you possess a Spiritual Root. The hotter it becomes, the stronger your Spiritual Root. Each talisman can only be used once, and each costs only ten taels of gold."

"Ten taels of gold? This is a black-hearted shop! How can a mere sheet of talisman paper be so expensive?!"

The moment some customers heard the price, their faces darkened. They felt the shopkeeper was treating them like fools to be fleeced.

Yet the middle-aged man holding the Spirit-Testing Talisman revealed a disdainful smile, as though looking at country bumpkins. Shaking his head, he replied:

"Everyone, this is Skycloud Market! It is the territory of immortal masters! Immortal masters do not care for such mundane things as gold. They normally accept only spirit stones, which are far more valuable than gold!

"If I had not known that you lacked spirit stones and specially allowed you to purchase them with gold, how could you possibly buy such a talisman? Feel free to ask around. Aside from this shop, every other shop in the entire market accepts only spirit stones!"

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