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

Old Ma's figure disappeared at the alley entrance, while Gao Yao remained standing in the same spot.

The sea breeze blew in from the dock, making the hem of his clothes rustle.

Gao Yao looked down at his clenched fist, his knuckles turning white, and then slowly relaxed it.

To be honest, my heart was pounding.

Old Ma's words were like a stone suddenly hitting my head, making me buzz.

Someone is going to take action against me within three days.

He was suspected simply because he advanced too quickly.

absurd!

But how many absurd things have happened here?

Gao Yao took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. In the end, he had given himself away because he had been too eager for quick success recently, but unfortunately, he didn't have a cultivation technique that could conceal his true strength.

Go find Wang Yao or Manager Chen and report that someone is trying to attack you?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he extinguished it.

It's not that I can't, it's that I dare not.

Old Ma came to deliver the message, risking his life.

If he were to expose this matter himself, and the sect were to investigate, Old Man Ma would be the first to be implicated.

How much of a beating can that old man with the missing leg withstand?

Although Gao Yao is not a good person, he would not do something like betraying someone after using them.

He will respect others even more if they treat him with respect.

Besides, would reporting to the sect guarantee safety?

not necessarily.

Who knows what those people from the sect are up to?

Wang Yao was so good to him that it made him uneasy.

Making arrangements here and there, seemingly showing care, but in reality, every step is a pawn in a game.

Returning a favor in return?

In this place, the peaches are rotten, and the plums are bitter.

Gao Yao shook his head and walked towards the dock.

He walked slowly, but his mind was racing.

Old Ma said that those people were about as strong as him, around the fifth level of Qi Refining. If it had been half a month ago, he would have panicked and stayed far away.

But now?

I've reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, I've accumulated a bunch of talismans, and there's also a Spirit Enlightenment on the island.

Moreover, with the autumn examinations approaching, he definitely needs practical experience.

A ruthless glint flashed in Gao Yao's eyes. He knew that no matter how many talismans he drew, he would not be able to develop real skills by working in isolation.

Without experiencing life-or-death struggles, one is destined to be a casualty in the autumn examinations.

He walked to where he had moored his boat, jumped onto the sampan, and untied the mooring ropes.

The oars slicing through the water with a creaking sound.

Gao Yao decided to take a few days off and not go to the fish market; he would stay on Turtle Reef Island and wait for them to come.

With Wu Ling around, things won't go beyond expectations.

......

Two days passed faster than I expected.

Gao Yao continued his talisman-making practice during the day as usual, and at night he would sit in his shack, making the most of every minute to cultivate.

He stopped setting up any traps or mechanisms on the island or in the shacks. Firstly, it was unnecessary, and secondly, if the commotion was too great and attracted the patrolling sect disciples, it would only cause trouble.

The sect's patrols have become increasingly frequent recently.

Wu Ling had already woken up and was now submerged at the bottom of the fishpond, his aura completely concealed.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will be able to detect any movement within a hundred feet." Wu Ling's voice echoed in his mind.

Gao Yao nodded without saying anything.

The second night.

The crescent moon hung in the sky, its light dim, and the sea was pitch black, with only the sound of the tide crashing against the rocks.

Gao Yao was not asleep; he sat cross-legged in the shack.

Suddenly, Wu Ling's voice rang out.

"My lord, someone is coming."

"Two of them came from the shallows to the east, both at the fifth level of Qi Refining."

Gao Yao opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of emotion.

......

When Chen Mang and Xi Jiu reached Turtle Reef Island, the crescent moon was obscured by clouds.

They lay in the dark for a while, making sure there was no movement in the shack, before slowly moving forward.

"That kid should be asleep by now," Xi Jiu said in a low voice.

Chen Mang remained silent, gripping the dagger tightly in one hand and ready to draw the cleaver from his back with the other.

The door to the shack was ajar.

Chen Mang took a deep breath, pushed open the door and entered, with Xi Jiu following closely behind.

However, the shack was cluttered with various items, including a basket of conspicuous fish carcasses and several taut shelves in the corner, but no one was there.

"Is he not here?" Xi Jiu's voice was tense.

Just then, a calm voice came from behind them.

"Not here."

The two of them turned around abruptly.

Gao Yao stood at the entrance of the shack, moonlight streaming in from behind him, illuminating half of his face.

Young and handsome, but expressionless.

Chen Mang cursed under his breath, and instinctively wanted to pounce on him.

But before Gao Yao could speak, he had already launched a feint and struck first.

With a flick of his right hand, six talismans that had somehow drifted down to the feet of the two men ignited and turned into golden light.

It is a sharp metal arrow talisman.

A golden ray of light pierced the sky, so fast it was almost invisible.

Chen Mang only had time to dodge one attack, but the other two struck him squarely in the chest. A sharp pain shot through him, and he groaned as the impact sent him staggering back several steps, knocking over the low table behind him.

The situation was even worse for Xi Jiu.

He was already thin and small, but his movements were agile, allowing him to avoid the first wave of golden light. However, Gao Yao's second wave of talismans had already followed, the Earth Flow Wall Talisman.

Suddenly, an earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking Xi Jiu's path.

Xi Jiu panicked and reached for the talisman in her bosom.

But before he could even touch it, the third wave of talismans from Gaoyao had already arrived.

Three more sharp golden arrows struck.

Xi Jiu had no way to avoid it. The golden light pierced through his shoulder, bringing with it a cloud of blood mist. He screamed and fell to the ground, the talismans in his hand scattering everywhere.

Gao Yao was somewhat surprised that he had taken care of the two men in just one encounter.

Chen Mang struggled to get up, but blood was gushing from two bloody holes in his chest, and the pain made his vision go black.

With a do-or-die mentality, he gritted his teeth and threw the machete on his back, the dagger in his hand, and the three talismans on his body at Gao Yao all at once.

Gao Yao's pupils contracted slightly as he flung out several wooden swords and talismans to block the attacks from the cleaver and talismans, but he couldn't block the dagger with its tricky angle.

Just when he had nowhere to avoid it, his feet suddenly trembled.

A stream of water silently rose from the ground, just enough to engulf the dagger.

As the water flowed, the dagger lost its aim, flew sideways, and landed on the ground with a clatter.

It is Wu Ling.

Gao Yao made up his mind, but his face remained expressionless.

When Chen Mang saw the dagger being blocked by the inexplicable flow of water, his eyes widened and his lips trembled as he tried to say something.

Gao Yao didn't give him a chance.

He walked up to Chen Mang and looked down at the man who was missing an ear.

The other person's chest was covered in blood, his face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with fear and resentment.

"Who sent you?"

Chen Mang gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Gao Yao didn't ask any further questions. He simply flicked his wrist, and a talisman floated onto Gao Yao's forehead.

The talisman ignited, a flash of blood appeared, and Chen Mang's body stiffened, then he remained completely still.

Xi Jiu was still struggling on the ground, blood gushing from the wound on her shoulder, staining half of her body red.

Gao Yao walked up to him and squatted down.

Xi Jiu looked at Gao Yao, her lips trembling, "Don't...don't kill me..."

"Who sent you?" Gao Yao repeated.

Xi Jiu made a hoarse sound in his throat, his eyes darting around as if he was hesitating.

Gao Yao sighed, and another talisman appeared between his fingers.

"It's...it's someone who found us," Xi Jiu broke down. "We don't know them, they're complete strangers. They gave us talismans and a dagger, telling us to test you. We really don't know anything else!"

Gao Yao stared into Xi Jiu's eyes for a long time.

Who is it?

As he was thinking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a cold light out of the corner of his eye.

Xi Jiu, still harboring treacherous intentions, somehow found the dagger that had fallen to the ground and suddenly stabbed it at Gao Yao's calf.

Gao Yao was prepared. He dodged to the side and slapped his opponent on the forehead with his backhand.

Xi Jiu rolled her eyes, collapsed to the ground, and fell silent.

Gao Yao squatted down and checked his breathing.

died.

He stood up, looked at the two corpses on the ground, and suddenly felt a little dazed.

Two months ago, Gao Yao was just a handyman working in the fish market, bowing and scraping to everyone he met.

Now, two lives are simply handed over to their own hands.

It was my first time killing someone, and I can't really describe how I felt.

It wasn't fear, nor excitement, it was more like...

numbness.

Just like in a past life on set when the director yells "cut," an actor who was just crying their heart out can instantly wipe away their tears and chat with the person next to them about what to have for lunch.

Life and death, sometimes, are just like that.

......

Outside the island, a long, narrow shuttleboat rested quietly on the sea, about two hundred feet away from Turtle Reef Island.

The middle-aged man stood at the bow of the boat, holding a jade slip in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"There's no sound," the young woman said.

"Hmm," the middle-aged man replied.

The island had been quiet for quite some time.

There were no shouts of battle, no fluctuations of spiritual energy, nothing at all.

Those two fishermen either succeeded, or...

"He's dead." The young woman gave him the answer. "Two Qi Refining Level 5 experts, armed with talismans and a low-grade, first-tier poisoned spiritual weapon, couldn't even make a splash against a kid who had just broken through."

The middle-aged man didn't speak, but stared in the direction of Turtle Reef Island with a gloomy look in his eyes.

"This kid is definitely not ordinary." The young woman's voice was tinged with amusement. "Either he has something strange about him, or... there's something hidden on the island."

"Withdraw." The middle-aged man suddenly turned around. "Report to His Highness..."

The young woman nodded and was about to steer the boat away.

Suddenly, a muffled thud came from the bottom of the boat.

boom!

The entire shuttle boat suddenly shuddered, a large hole burst open in the bottom, and seawater rushed in.

"What's going on!"

The middle-aged man's expression changed drastically. Before he could react, a figure had already darted up from under the boat.

It was Old Man Ma. He was soaking wet and held a short fork in his hand, the tip of which gleamed coldly.

The middle-aged man reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand to unleash a wind blade.

Old Man Ma neither dodged nor evaded, taking the blow head-on with his shoulder. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, but he didn't even flinch, thrusting his spear straight into the middle-aged man's chest.

puff!

The spear tip pierced through his chest.

The middle-aged man stared wide-eyed at Old Man Ma in disbelief.

"You... are at the seventh level of Qi Refining..."

Old Man Ma didn't answer. He drew his short spear and turned to deal with the young woman.

The young woman tried to escape, but the boat was already sinking. She lost her footing and was swept in the throat by Old Man Ma's fork, falling into the sea.

It struggled in the seawater for a few moments, then fell silent.

Old Man Ma stood on the tilted hull of the boat, panting heavily.

The wound on my shoulder was still bleeding, and the broken leg was in excruciating pain from being submerged in seawater for so long.

But he didn't stop. He checked again to make sure the two were indeed dead before slowly diving into the sea.

Gao Yao stood on the shallows of Turtle Reef Island, watching the unfamiliar ship slowly sink in the distance.

He heard shouts and saw the familiar figure standing on the boat.

Old Man Ma.

It turned out that the old man had been lying in ambush nearby all this time.

......