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

Two days before the autumn examination, before dawn, the sea was already bustling with activity.

At this time of day, the dock is usually just starting to get crowded, but today it's packed with people.

Fishing boats were packed together, bow to stern, with barely any room to put your feet down.

The fishermen gathered in small groups, squatting on the rocks and leaning against the mooring bollards, their voices rising louder than the last, all talking about the autumn harvest.

"I heard that over a hundred people signed up this year."

"Over a hundred? More than that, I've heard there are over eighty in our northern fishing area alone."

"What's the use of having so many people? Most of them are just there to make up the numbers. Level six of Qi Refining is just the threshold. How can you even qualify without level seven or eight of Qi Refining?"

"That's not necessarily true. I heard that the autumn examinations don't just assess cultivation levels..."

Gao Yao rowed his boat, squeezing through the gap between the boats.

To be honest, he had never seen the docks so lively in all the time he had been here.

Even before the autumn examination, this restless energy had already infected most of the fishermen.

Everyone's eyes burned with fire. In the eyes of the fishermen, the autumn examination was like a dragon gate; if they jumped over it, they would transform into dragons, and if they failed, they would remain mudfish.

Before heading to his shift at the fish market, Gao planned to tie up the boat and go to the market first.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision; I was always afraid I wouldn't be prepared enough, so I wanted to buy some extra things to have on hand.

The market was even more crowded than the dock.

The stall selling talismans was packed with people, and the stall owner was hoarse from shouting, but he was still yelling at the top of his lungs to sell his wares.

A long queue formed in front of the shop selling elixirs, stretching from the shop all the way to the street, and even after turning a corner, it seemed to have no end in sight.

Even those selling dry food and water are benefiting. Coarse grain cakes that usually don't sell are now priced 30% higher and people are still snapping them up.

Gao Yao squeezed through the crowd for quite a while before finally managing to buy a few bottles of healing pills and some more talisman materials.

He stood at the entrance of the market, looking at the faces of those still preparing for the autumn examinations, and suddenly felt a little dazed.

Two months ago, he was one of these people.

He worried about the tax revenue from Dinghai and the resources for cultivation. He bowed and scraped before the disciples of the sect, not daring to even breathe loudly.

But now?

He is at the sixth level of Qi Refining, possesses spirit stones, talismans, and spiritual artifacts, and also has a Spirit Enlightenment on the island.

It's not exactly a complete transformation, but at least I don't have to live a precarious existence like before.

Of course, this is all on the premise that you can pass the autumn exam.

Gao packed his things away and walked through the crowd toward the fish market.

......

When Gao Yao arrived at the fish market, Manager Chen was sitting in the hall with several booklets spread out in front of him, writing something on them.

The abacus was set aside, the beads untouched; it seemed he wasn't in the mood for accounting today.

"You're here?" He glanced up at Gao Yao, then lowered his head to continue writing.

Gao Yao stood by the table, not daring to sit down.

After writing the last few words, Manager Chen put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and finally looked directly at Gao Yao.

"Is everything prepared for the autumn examinations?"

"Reporting to the steward, I'm barely qualified." Gao Yao bowed slightly.

Manager Chen nodded, his gaze lingering on the man's face for a moment.

Ye Zi will also participate in the autumn examination.

Gao Yao was stunned for a moment.

"Manager Chen, her cultivation level..."

"Seventh level of Qi Refining," Manager Chen interrupted him, his tone indifferent.

Gao Yao fell silent.

To be honest, it was a bit of a surprise, but thinking about it carefully, it wasn't that surprising.

Ye Zi's talisman-making skills are undeniable; they can't be mastered overnight.

Those who put in the effort in this area will naturally have a high level of cultivation.

But her timid appearance was so deceptive.

"Miss Wang means you should look after her," Manager Chen continued. "Help her if you can once she's in the exam hall, and make sure nothing happens to her."

Can someone at level six of Qi Refining take care of someone at level seven?

Gao Yao frowned almost imperceptibly, but still nodded: "I understand."

"Don't just say you understand." Manager Chen stared at him. "Ye Zi is a timid girl who panics easily. You are more capable than her. Miss Wang trusts you, which is why she entrusted this task to you."

Does Wang Yao trust him?

That sounds so awkward.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it, but every time Wang Yao showed concern, it was with an ulterior motive.

From giving him the cultivation method to arranging leather processing, and then having Ye Zi teach him how to make talismans, every step seemed to be meticulously planned.

Now they've put Ye Zi in the autumn exam so he can take care of her.

Is this a test of his loyalty, or a probe of Ye Zi?

Or perhaps, both?

Several thoughts raced through Gao Yao's mind, but he didn't show them on his face. He simply nodded and agreed, "Don't worry, sir, I will do my best."

"Alright, go back and prepare." Manager Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Don't be late on the day of the autumn examination."

Gao Yao stood up, preparing to take his leave, when Manager Chen suddenly called him back.

"There's one more thing."

Gao Yao turned back.

Manager Chen hesitated for a moment, seemingly choosing his words carefully: "Don't go looking for Miss Wang during this time. She has things to do and won't be back until the autumn examinations are over."

Gao Yao responded without asking any further questions.

Stepping out of the fish farm, a sea breeze hits you, carrying a salty, fishy smell.

Gao Yao stood on the dock for a while, watching the fishing boats and pedestrians coming and going, and suddenly felt a little empty.

It's not that I miss Wang Yao, but rather the feeling of being suspended in mid-air.

With Wang Yao gone and no one watching him anymore, Gao Yao should have been relieved, but instead, he felt even more uneasy.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and jumped onto the sampan to row back.

......

For the next two days, Gao Yao didn't go anywhere.

He stayed on Turtle Reef Island, cultivating, drawing talismans, and packing his belongings.

He categorized the talismans according to their uses, placing the offensive ones on the left, the defensive ones on the right, and the auxiliary and support talismans in the middle.

He carried one magical dagger at his waist and the other hidden in his right leg, kept the talisman close to his body, and tucked emergency pills into his bosom.

Wu Ling also woke up and floated by the fishpond, watching Gao Yao busy himself.

"Sage, the autumn test is perilous, your disciple..."

"You don't need to go," Gao Yao interrupted. "The island needs you to guard it. If anything tries to sneak up while I'm away, someone has to deal with it."

Wu Ling remained silent for a while, then bowed deeply.

"Your disciple obeys."

Gao Yao didn't say anything more. He squatted down by the pond, washed his face, and looked at his reflection on the water.

Young, handsome, with a hint of weariness in his eyes.

To be honest, he sometimes wondered what he would be like now if he didn't have the Mountain and Sea Token and Wang Yao's care.

He's probably still like those fishermen, worrying about the sea tax every day, calculating accounts in his fish stall, occasionally looking up at the sea, thinking that this is how his life will be.

Even with these things, life didn't get any easier.

It's just that they've changed the place and the way they're struggling.

Gao Yao stood up and patted the dust off his knees.

Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it.

......

On the day of the autumn examination.

Gao Yao woke up before dawn.

In fact, he didn't sleep much all night. He sat cross-legged in the cave, circulating his spiritual energy through his meridians several times until the sky outside the window began to lighten. Only then did he stand up and stretch his stiff limbs.

After a quick wash and packing, he steered his boat toward Huifan Beach.

There are already quite a few ships on the sea.

Fishing boats of all sizes converged from all directions, their oil lamps gleaming dimly in the morning mist, like a swarm of moths drawn to a flame.

Gao wanted to tie the boat to the reef and jump ashore.

Although Huifan Beach wasn't as lively as the fishermen's convention two months ago, it was still pretty much the same.

A dense crowd thronged the beach, some talking in hushed tones, some resting with their eyes closed, and others stretching and warming up.

The air was filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation.

Gao Yao stood on the periphery of the crowd, looking at these unfamiliar faces.

Most of them have dark skin and calloused hands, marks left from years of working at sea.

His eyes held both fear of the unknown and a yearning to change his fate.

He was like that two months ago.

Trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

What now?

Gao Yao looked down at his hands.

These hands have skinned fish, drawn talismans, and killed people in the past two months.

My knuckles are thicker than before, and the calluses on my palms are thicker, but they are still fair and clean, unlike the hands of a fisherman.

He clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

Gao Yao recalled what Manager Chen had said to him privately yesterday, away from the crowd, in a low voice.

The words were short, but they kept him awake all night.

About the content of the autumn exam, about the rules of the assessment, and about what might be hidden behind the autumn exam.

Manager Chen spoke cryptically, but Gao Yao heard it clearly.

This autumn exam is not that simple.

A sudden commotion arose in the crowd.

Gao Yao looked up and saw several people walking from the direction of the main island.

The leader was Elder Zhao, followed by several sect deacons and a group of outer sect disciples in robes.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Elder Zhao stepped onto the wooden platform, looked around, and saw that the murmurs gradually subsided.

"Gentlemen," he began, his voice not loud, yet clearly carrying throughout Huifan Beach, "today's autumn examination is a pioneering event for our Yunxiang Sect."

"Those who pass the assessment will be admitted to the outer sect and will be taught higher-level techniques and resources."

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the rules, so I won't go into detail."

Just one reminder.

He paused, his gaze sharpening.

"In the autumn examination hall, life and death are left to fate."

"If anyone is hesitant, it's not too late to withdraw now."

The audience fell silent for a moment.

No one moved.

Elder Zhao nodded, said no more, and gestured to the steward behind him.

The steward stepped forward, unfurled a scroll of silk, and began to read aloud the rules for the autumn examination.

......