The same principle applies to spirit talismans. Wang Hao could now detonate them within a range of forty zhang. An increased range meant an extended attack range, whose benefits were self-evident!
Having experienced for the first time the advantages of enhanced spiritual perception, Wang Hao felt an unbearable itch, wishing he had Han Lao Mo's Grand Yan Jue.
...
The next day, Wang Hao went to replace Wang Yan at the shop. In reality, there wasn't much to do. Even with pills displayed on the shelves, without reputation, no one would trust them, and almost no one showed up.
In half a day, only two wandering cultivators came in, and they were the kind who didn't have a penny to their name. They asked questions for quite a while but didn't buy anything! Wang Hao didn't even have the motivation to entertain them.
After waiting a bit, as the sun began to set and Wang Hao was preparing to close the shop, two men and a woman wearing the white robes of the Qingyuan Clan entered. All three seemed young, in their twenties. Wang Hao thought the Qingyuan Clan had abundant internal resources, and purchases made by inner disciples were cheaper than outside. These three probably hadn't come to buy pills!
But since they had entered, he naturally needed to greet them:
— "Greetings, fellow daoists! What can I do for you?"
The man glanced at the simple shop, cast a look over the shelves, and his face showed disappointment. He seemed ready to turn and leave.
The woman sniffed lightly, looked at Wang Hao, and asked:
— "Are you an alchemist?"
Wang Hao was surprised for a moment, but felt there was no reason to hide and admitted:
— "I am Wang Hao, and indeed the alchemist of this shop!"
— "I am Chen Qing, of the Qingyuan Clan!"
— "I am Chu He, of the Qingyuan Clan!" — upon hearing Wang Hao was an alchemist, the man also became a bit more enthusiastic.
— "May I ask, Daoist Wang, do you have any pills that can treat soul injuries? I can offer a high price for them!" — Chen Qing asked, with a hint of hope but little expectation.
Wang Hao narrowed his eyes. Since the Spirit Gathering Pill could enhance spiritual perception, perhaps it could help with soul injuries. However, he didn't know these two well, and revealing this prematurely wouldn't be wise.
Thus, he shook his head and declined:
— "I'm just an alchemist from a small family. I only know how to refine some common pills and have never heard of any pill capable of treating soul injuries."
— "Senior Sister Chen, forget it. Let's look at other shops. If we still can't find one, even if Senior Brother has to sell everything, he'll get you a Spirit Nourishment Pill at the auction!" — said Chu He.
Chen Qing's face darkened:
— "The Spirit Nourishment Pill is for Foundation Establishment cultivators. For me, its medicinal power would be too strong, not to mention the price is unreachable for a Qi Refinement cultivator!"
Wang Hao thought: is this woman's soul injured? The Spirit Gathering Pill couldn't be sold. A pill like that, capable of enhancing spiritual perception, was enough to attract people willing to kill for it. Wang Hao didn't want to become a target of greed.
However, the Three-Leaf Concentration Herb could be sold. Although rare, it appeared occasionally.
So he said:
— "Fairy Chen, once I managed to obtain a Three-Leaf Concentration Herb, which might be useful for you!" — saying this, he handed over a jade box.
Chen Qing's eyes lit up. She took the box, opened it, took a deep breath, sensed it for a moment, and widened her eyes in surprise:
— "It works! Thank you so much, Daoist Wang! I want this Three-Leaf Concentration Herb! How many spirit stones do you want?"
Wang Hao smiled:
— "Today I have the fortune to make friends with two fellow members of the Qingyuan Clan. It's fate. Just pay the original price. I bought this herb for forty spirit stones. Consider it a gift to seal our friendship!"
— "How can we let Daoist Wang suffer a loss? Please accept these fifty spirit stones!" — said Chen Qing.
— "Since Wang mentioned the original price, I'll only accept forty spirit stones. Would you rather not accept my friendship?" — Wang Hao smiled.
— "Certainly not! We were wandering cultivators ourselves before. How could we despise Brother Wang? Since Brother Wang is so generous, this younger sister will accept!" — said Chen Qing, bowing deeply.
— "Brother Wang is generous. I, Chu He, also acknowledge your friendship. Today, time is running late, and Senior Sister needs to recover soon. Another day, I'll invite Brother Wang for a drink!" — said Chu He.
— "Ah, I just arrived in Qingyuan and would like to learn more about the city. I'll be waiting for the invitation, Brother Chu!" — Wang Hao replied with a smile.
— "Of course. Brother Wang, we'll take our leave for now!" — said Chu He, bowing.
— "Take care!" — Wang Hao stood up to see them off.
After seeing the two off, Wang Hao closed the shop. Making friends with two disciples from the Qingyuan Clan was just a casual way to expand his network, without any ulterior motives.
But he didn't expect that this casual gesture would bring him a great surprise.
Just three days later, the two returned to find Wang Hao.
Chu He bowed and said:
— "Brother Wang, today there will be a gathering at the Immortal Ascending Tower. I'd like to invite you to join. What do you think?"
— "A gathering? Of course, I'm interested. I'm new to the city and would love to make friends," — Wang Hao replied, with a happy smile. — "Then I'll count on you to introduce me!"
— "Oh, we're just participants too. We'll just bring Brother Wang along, no problem!" — Chen Qing said with a smile. — "The gathering is about to start. Let's hurry!"
The Immortal Ascending Tower was a relatively large restaurant in Qingyuan City. It was also a place where cultivators made friends and sought information. However, the prices were a bit high, and wandering cultivators without some financial means couldn't even enter!
On the second floor, more than twenty cultivators were gathered. Judging by their attire, most were disciples of the Qingyuan Clan. The clan had over 30,000 disciples, and not all of them knew each other. Thus, these restaurant gatherings were common, used to expand networks within the clan.
Wealth, companions, method, and land. Companions come second. And this "companion" doesn't just refer to a romantic partner but also to friends, relatives, and colleagues who can offer guidance!
Naturally, there were also family disciples and some wandering cultivators. Judging by their clothes and conversations, they were not simple people!
When Wang Hao and the others arrived, everyone introduced themselves, and the attitude was extremely friendly but not overly enthusiastic. Wang Hao looked at their cultivation levels and found that he was the weakest in the group. All were late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, and several were already at the peak. There wasn't a single mid-level cultivator!
— "Daoist Song, didn't you say a senior brother from the Qingyuan Clan would participate? Why hasn't he arrived yet?" — a wandering cultivator named Ye Feng asked.
Song Yun, wearing a Qingyuan Clan robe, shook his head:
— "Senior Brother Sun and the others might have had something to attend to. I'm not sure. However, Senior Brother Sun is a direct grandson of Elder Sun, one of the main talents of the clan, and values his reputation greatly. Since he promised to participate, he certainly won't miss it!"
Hearing this, everyone showed expressions of envy. One of the main talents of the Qingyuan Clan and a direct grandson of a Golden Core Elder. Together, their backgrounds didn't even come close to half of that!
— "Junior Brother Song, you're making me blush!" — at that moment, a lively voice sounded, and after a moment, a young man in a white shirt came up the stairs. However, his white shirt had green stripes, marking the difference between inner and outer disciples of the Qingyuan Clan!
Wang Hao also turned to look. This man was tall and handsome, with a good build. The jade pendant hanging from his waist was not ordinary, and he also held a folding fan elegantly.