Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Seeing how nervous they were, almost trembling, Lin Zhao sighed inwardly.

She softened her tone: "Li Hao went out today. If you need anything, you can tell me first, and I'll pass it on to him when he gets back."

The three children looked at each other, and finally, the one standing at the front, named Sun Ming, mustered up his courage and asked, "We'd like to buy a [Plague-Clearing Talisman], can we use Soul Shards to buy it?"

The [Plague-Clearing Talisman] is a first-tier low-grade talisman, specifically designed to treat severe illnesses caused by external energies, such as cold and heat. It dispels pathogenic energy and rapidly reduces high fever in the body. It may be considered a treasure in the mortal world.

The problem is that this is a cultivation market, and cultivators here generally have magical power that can dispel illness, so they don't need talismans.

Therefore, few talisman masters draw them in the marketplace, but they are sold in the inner workshops. However, the inner workshops only use spirit stones and do not accept broken spirit stones.

Now, their only hope is to try their luck with Li Hao, a cultivator who has been kind to them.

"Is someone sick?" Lin Zhao asked.

"Xiaoxiao is sick!" The young man surnamed Sun nodded hurriedly, his face filled with anxiety. "She has a very high fever!"

Lin Zhao vaguely remembered Ye Xiaoxiao, that little girl who was only nine years old and hadn't even started cultivating yet.

No wonder she needed the Plague-Clearing Talisman; without spiritual power to protect her, she was no different from an ordinary person.

"I don't have any [Plague-Clearing Talisman] on hand right now," Lin Zhao told the truth.

The light in Sun Ming's eyes dimmed instantly, and his face fell.

"However," Lin Zhao changed the subject, "I can draw one for you right now."

Before the boy could react, he had already taken out the talisman pen and talisman paper from his storage bag.

With his current level of talisman cultivation, drawing such low-level talismans is almost effortless for him.

With a steady hand, he wrote with flowing strokes, and in just a few breaths, the Plague-Clearing Talisman was completed.

The three children were stunned; they had never seen anyone draw talismans so easily and quickly.

Lin Zhao handed over the Plague-Clearing Talisman.

Sun Ming, who was in the lead, was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He hurriedly took the package with both hands and then presented a small cloth bag that he had been tightly clutching. Inside were more than twenty dark-colored fragments of spirit.

He bowed deeply to Lin Zhao and quickly left.

Lin Zhao sighed with relief that she was born into a family in this life, otherwise she would have had to rely on herself just like them.

The next morning, Sun Ming brought Ye Xiaoxiao over to thank Lin Zhao.

Ye Xiaoxiao, dressed in an apricot-colored dress, with her two buns neatly combed, quietly followed behind Sun Ming.

With a smile on his face, Sun Ming enthusiastically helped organize the talismans as soon as he arrived at the stall.

"Brother Lin, please have a seat. We'll take care of these chores." As he spoke, he deftly straightened the crooked talisman paper, then turned and called out to a passing man, "Brother, come and take a look at these spirit-summoning talismans. Guaranteed to be full of spiritual power, and the price is fair!"

Lin Zhao initially thought it was a bit of a relief, but he soon regretted it, not expecting the kid to be such a chatterbox.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Sun Ming had already chatted with three customers, praising the talismans on his stall to the skies.

Lin Zhao finally couldn't take it anymore. She looked up at him and said irritably, "You want to learn talismans?"

Sun Ming was speaking enthusiastically when he was taken aback by these words. Before he could react, he saw Lin Zhao take out a book as thick as a brick from his storage bag and slam it down on the stall.

The book cover is yellowed; it's a complete guide to basic talismans, the same book I used when I taught Zhao Ziming.

Sun Ming stared at the thick book, his smile instantly vanishing. He frowned and turned to the first page, muttering under his breath, "So much stuff."

Finally calming down, Lin Zhao closed her eyes to rest, but she soon opened them again. Her gaze was drawn to Ye Xiaoxiao beside her.

The little girl followed quietly beside Sun Ming, engrossed in reading the book on basic talismans. Her slender fingers unconsciously traced the patterns of the talismans in the air.

Lin Zhao squinted and examined the traces closely, a slight thought stirring in his heart. Although the girl's fingertips hadn't yet flowed with spiritual energy, the force of her strokes and the transitions between them were already almost perfectly imitated.

His ability to draw talismans alone reveals his extraordinary talent.

Ye Xiaoxiao suddenly realized that Lin Zhao was looking at her. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, her face flushed red, and she timidly lowered her head.

For the next two weeks, they set up a stall with Lin Zhao.

Although Sun Ming's talent was mediocre, comparable to Zhao Zimo back then, he was very diligent and would often take a book to Lin Zhao for advice.

Ye Xiaoxiao remained as quiet as a shadow, listening attentively to Lin Zhao's explanation.

Lin Zhao saw this and knew that she had thoroughly mastered the entire book of basic talismans. Once this girl started cultivating, becoming a first-grade low-level talisman master would be a natural outcome.

Li Hao returned that day, and the stock on his stall was almost sold out.

When they parted, Ye Xiaoxiao, who had been silent all along, suddenly broke free from Sun Ming's hand, walked a few steps to Lin Zhao, knelt down with a "plop," and kowtowed deeply.

Lin Zhao was taken aback at first, but then accepted the bow without flinching.

Lin Zhao naturally understood that Sun Ming's seemingly casual, even somewhat clumsy, questions these past few days were actually being asked on her behalf.

Struggling at the very bottom of the cultivation world, they knew better than anyone how precious an opportunity to learn a true skill without sacrificing dignity or spending countless hours was.

Ordinary talisman masters would have to work like oxen and horses for years before they could learn any talismans.

Ye Xiaoxiao knew that she was able to learn this talisman mastery skill in just half a month, not only because she had good talent, but more importantly because Lin Zhao was willing to teach her.

The kindness of being taught and guided is heavier than a thousand pounds. She is not good with words and can't express her gratitude in words, so she can only put her gratitude into this kneeling.

Watching Sun Ming help Ye Xiaoxiao up, the two small figures supported each other and gradually disappeared into the bustling crowd and the approaching twilight at the end of the market.

Li Hao, who had been silent all along, patted Lin Zhao on the shoulder, his voice a little hoarse: "That girl Xiaoxiao will definitely amount to something in the future, better than me in this life. Lin Zhao, thank you."

Li Hao had been mingling in the marketplace for many years and knew that Lin Zhao was no ordinary person, and that his family's lineage in the art of talismans was unfathomable.

It was a great opportunity for Ye Xiaoxiao, a helpless little girl, to receive guidance from Lin Zhao before she had even officially embarked on the path of immortality.

Lin Zhao withdrew her gaze, as if the scene had never happened, and said calmly, "I just gave her a pointer. The fact that she was able to learn it is her talent and ability. Ultimately, she has to walk her own path in the future."

He changed the subject, "Let's go back to the Po Jun camp. I heard that this operation is far from Feng Ling Valley and deep into the Yun Xia Mountains, which is even more dangerous. We need to make more preparations."