Cultivating immortality in the seas, I created an immortal island of eternal life.

In the afternoon, the sun was still scorching.

The stone slabs on the market street were bleached white by the sun, and they felt hot to the touch even through the soles of your shoes.

Ignoring the fine sweat on his forehead, Gao Yao tightened his straw hat and walked deeper into the market.

He carried in his arms sixty-two low-grade spirit stones, which he had saved up over half a month and had obtained by exchanging five spirit fish.

This was a considerable sum of money for a fisherman at the bottom of society, but today he planned to spend it all at once.

Gao Yao came here to buy things to protect his life, such as talismans or magical treasures.

Talismans are disposable items, easy to activate and reasonably powerful, making them most suitable for low-level cultivators like him for self-defense.

The talisman can be used multiple times and is even more powerful. It is expensive, but it can also self-destruct to repel enemies when necessary, so it is worth it.

Gao Yao stopped in front of a stall. The stall owner was a young female disciple who was dozing off with her chin resting on her hand.

The stall, less than half a meter long, was filled with all sorts of talismans.

First-tier Sharp Gold Arrow Talisman, Earth Flow Wall Talisman, Water Rush Talisman...

Gao Yao glanced at it and saw the blazing talisman treasure in the very center, surrounded by stars like the moon.

The stall owner saw that Gao Yao was good-looking but young and dressed plainly, so he lowered his eyelids again.

However, Gao Yao asked detailed questions and showed some knowledge about several common talismans. After he demonstrated his intention to buy and his financial resources, the female cultivator stopped being dismissive and became more friendly.

"The Sharp Gold Arrow Talisman, once activated, is equivalent to a full-force strike from a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator. It has strong penetrating power and is particularly effective against the carapaces of demonic beasts. It costs five low-grade spirit stones to obtain one talisman."

"Earth Flow Wall Talisman, once activated, can form a wall of earth spiritual energy, which can withstand several attacks from those below the late stage of Qi Refining, lasting for about thirty breaths, and costs ten low-grade spirit stones."

"The Blazing Flame Talisman contains a scorching fire that can be used three times. Each use is nearly as powerful as an attack from an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and it has a wide coverage area. It is perfect for dealing with a large number of low-level demonic beasts or for dealing with entangled enemies. It only costs forty low-grade spirit stones."

Gao Yao listened silently, his mind racing with calculations.

Spirit stones are limited, so we must be careful with our spending.

He needed to prepare for attacks, but defense was even more essential, and those talisman treasures were something he coveted.

After a while, they haggled over the price.

In the end, he spent fifty-eight spirit stones to buy two Sharp Gold Arrow Talismans, one Thick Earth Barrier Talisman, and the Blazing Flame Talisman Treasure.

After carefully putting the items into the inner pocket of his robe, Gao Yao felt a little more at ease and turned to walk out of the market.

As they reached the edge of the Zongmen Market, they suddenly caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of their eye.

The man was facing away from him, squatting in front of a stall selling fish fry, rummaging through them. He was wearing a worn-out short jacket that fishermen often wore.

What caught Gao's attention was the profile of that face, especially the scar near the left eye.

Gao remembered this face. A month ago, outside the fish market, it was this man squatting next to Old Man Ma. He was an old friend of his and had even chimed in at the time.

But when Old Man Ma recounted the shipwreck, he clearly stated that everyone on board had died.

The person before me...

Seeing the other person turn to look, Gao Yao didn't stop walking, nor did he even glance at them. He only took advantage of the moment when he turned to the side to etch the person's appearance into his eyes.

In my memory, the one-eyed fisherman had a hole in his left eye, simply covered with a piece of black cloth.

The person in front of me has a very similar profile, but the left eye, which should have been blind, is now perfectly intact.

Did I remember it wrong?

He immediately rejected the idea.

His ability to remember people and details is what makes him a living.

In the past, on set, he could perfectly reproduce any changes the director casually suggested or any small actions his co-stars added on the spot.

But if it really is the same person...

Gao Yao suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, lowered the brim of his hat, and followed the crowd outside.

He didn't want to cause trouble, especially in these turbulent times.

The reappearance of someone who should have died, and with a different appearance, is hardly a good thing.

Perhaps we should go back and ask Old Man Ma again?

Although Old Ma has difficulty walking, he should still be well-informed.

......

Back at Turtle Reef Island, the sun was already beginning to set.

Gao Yao did not rest and immediately began making arrangements.

First, some fluorescent algae powder was sprinkled on the shallow water around the hut. This stuff is invisible during the day, but it will glow with a pale green light when it gets wet at night, lasting for several hours.

He also strung a few thin lines near the shack, with small copper bells he had bought on the way hanging on the lines.

The height of the line is so high that it is extremely difficult for an ordinary person to avoid it unless they deliberately avoid it.

The most crucial element was those talismans. He slipped a sharp golden arrow talisman into the crack of the door. It would be triggered when someone pushed the door open, and the arrow's beam would shoot out from the crack, enough to give someone a good beating.

Another sharp golden arrow talisman was hidden under the bed, with a similar simple mechanism.

After doing all this, Gao Yao's forehead was covered in sweat, and the sea breeze made his back feel cool.

But he did not stop inside the shack; instead, he went to the back of the shack to a seemingly ordinary pile of rocks.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching before moving an inconspicuous stone, revealing a narrow opening below that could only accommodate one person at a time.

The cave entrance extends downwards, into complete darkness.

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and the cave in front of him is the real cave he has been building for a long time.

It's more like a cellar than a cave.

The space was small, about fifty square meters, and the interior was simply reinforced with wooden boards. It contained a small amount of fresh water, dry food, flint, as well as jade spirit liquid and spirit eggs.

This place is not only a training room and storage room, but also his refuge.

Gao Yao's suspiciousness is ingrained in his very being.

Having spent my past life struggling at the bottom of society and witnessed the twists and turns of human nature, I feel even more like I'm walking on thin ice after transmigrating here.

He never staked his life on one place; the shack was his public residence, but it was where he truly found peace and security at night.

Gao Yao crawled into the cave and covered the entrance with stones again, leaving only a small gap for ventilation.

The cave was cool and damp, with poor air circulation, making it far from comfortable.

But for some reason, sitting here made him feel much more at ease.

Gao Yao sat down cross-legged and began his daily practice.

However, Gao Yao's heart remained unsettled until today.

The image of that one-eyed fisherman in the market always keeps popping into my mind.

......

The moon is hidden and the stars are few; it is the deepest time of night.

A dark shadow glided across the sea surface, its movements as light as paper, as if it had no weight.

The dark figure finally stopped at the shallow waters near Turtle Reef Island, revealing its form.

If Gao Yao saw it, he would recognize it as the one-eyed fisherman he had met during the day.

At this moment, however, the person's face was devoid of any living vitality; his expression was as stiff as paper pasted on.

The one-eyed fisherman walked towards the shack, but when he was still several feet away, he suddenly stopped and turned his head stiffly.

There were fine warning lines all around, and there were fluctuations of spiritual energy at the door, indicating that they were low-level talismans.

Such a petty trick could not fool him.

The one-eyed fisherman grinned, as if mocking Gao Yao's petty cleverness.

He then raised his right hand, his five fingers pressed together like a knife, and without hesitation, he stabbed it into his own brow.

There was no blood.

The moment it was slashed open, the skin and flesh rolled to both sides like torn wax paper, and then transformed into two identical human figures.

The one on the left took a step and walked towards the shack.

The copper bell rang!

Chi!

As he raised his hand to push the door open, two golden rays burst forth from the crack in the door, piercing straight into the figure.

The figure swayed, and the spot pierced by the golden light quickly turned to ashes, like burning paper money.

The door opened.

The shack was empty, with only a bed and a table and chairs that could be vaguely discerned in the moonlight.

Is nobody here?

The one-eyed fisherman's paper-thin face seemed quite bewildered.

Just then, an angry shout rang out from inside the shack.

"What kind of demon dares to disturb the sage's peaceful cultivation!"

......