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

The steward behind Elder Zhao unfolded the silk scroll, his voice booming and drowning out the noise on the beach.

The autumn examination consists of three stages.

"First challenge: Crossing the Shark Sea."

After he finished speaking, the beach was quiet for a moment, then a buzzing sound resumed.

Gao Yao stood in the crowd, listening to the deacon continue speaking.

The so-called Shark Sea refers to the area in the north where the silver sharks are active.

More than two months ago, the convoy carrying the remains of the armored tortoise was attacked there.

That sea area is about sixty nautical miles from the destination, Wangjing Island. It is long and narrow, narrow from east to west and long from north to south, like a shark with its mouth open, embedded in the deep sea of ​​Luofu.

Iron-wire silver sharks are social monsters, ranging from a dozen to hundreds of individuals, and can be of low to high quality.

This thing is fast and has a keen sense of smell; it pounces on blood like a madman the moment it smells it.

A single Iron Wire Silver Shark is barely manageable for a Qi Refining cultivator.

But if dozens of them come at once, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have to think twice.

Gao Yao considered in his mind that with hundreds of people going through together, it was definitely not feasible to force their way through; someone would have to act as bait.

Who rushes ahead, who falls behind, who gets targeted by the sharks, and who manages to slip away?

This is not just a matter of strength, but also of luck and the ability to assess the situation.

To be honest, Gao Yao isn't afraid.

It's not that he's particularly capable, but rather that he has a clear understanding of his own limitations.

Gao Yao's cultivation level wasn't high; at the sixth level of Qi Refining, he was only considered mid-to-lower tier among people. However, with Ye Zi at the seventh level of Qi Refining in the team, they wouldn't be kidnapped.

I have no intention of standing out or being cannon fodder; I'll just follow the crowd and fish in troubled waters.

The deacon continued reciting the rules.

"Second challenge: Catching spirit fish."

During the Shark Sea challenge, each participant must catch at least one spirit fish as an offering for the third stage, the Whale King Festival.

There are no restrictions on the type or size of the fish, but they must be alive and in good condition.

Gao Yao frowned slightly; this was troublesome.

Crossing the shark-infested sea is dangerous enough, but having to fish among a group of sharks?

What's the difference between this and snatching meat from a tiger's mouth?

Silver sharks are extremely sensitive to the smell of blood; when being caught, they will struggle and bleed.

As soon as the smell of blood spreads, the sharks will immediately swarm around.

At that point, you'll be carrying a fish in your hand, with sharks chasing you from behind. You'll be surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind, and you won't be able to escape. Therefore, you must catch the fish while it's still intact.

The deacon paused, then added another sentence.

"If you cannot catch a spirit fish, you can catch a silver shark as a sacrifice."

These words caused an uproar on the beach.

Shark hunting?

Fishing sharks in a school of sharks?

Isn't this just asking for death?!

Gao Yao listened to the buzzing discussions around him, but his heart calmed down.

Shark hunting is impossible.

Even if he had ten lives, he wouldn't dare to make a move in the sea against a group of silver sharks.

That thing has thick skin and tough flesh. Even a mid-grade first-level Iron Wire Silver Shark might not be able to break through its defenses in the sea.

Let's just stick to catching spirit fish.

Although it's not easy, at least there's still a chance.

The deacon and others quieted down for a moment, then continued reading.

"The third challenge: The Whale King Festival."

After passing through Shark Sea, they arrived at Whale-Watching Reef to complete the sacrificial ceremony.

The quality of the offerings directly determines whether one can pass the autumn examination.

This isn't the exact quote, but the meaning is similar.

Those who rank higher will be admitted to the outer gate.

Those who rank lower are eliminated.

The rules don't specify what the consequences of elimination are.

But Gao should know that once you cross the Shark Sea, it's easy to get out but hard to come back, and it certainly won't end well.

If I don't make it, I might not even have a chance to come back.

The discussions on the beach gradually subsided as people digested the rules and calculated their chances of winning.

From beginning to end, this autumn examination was never intended to allow everyone to return alive.

After the deacon finished reading the rules, he stepped aside.

Elder Zhao stepped forward again and looked around.

"The rules are now clear. If you have any questions, please ask them now."

The audience fell silent for a moment.

A gruff voice rang out from the crowd: "Elder, if we encounter a school of sharks in the Shark Sea, can we team up?"

"Whether you travel together or not is your own business." Elder Zhao glanced in that direction. "The sect only recognizes results. Whoever brings the offerings ashore and successfully performs the sacrifice will be credited with the achievement."

That's very clear.

Teaming up is fine, but don't expect the sect to credit you for your group's achievements.

One person brings one fish, that counts as one portion.

If ten people bring one fish, it still counts as one serving.

When distributed among individuals, the amount might not even reach the passing grade.

Someone else asked, "What if the offerings are stolen along the way?"

Elder Zhao said expressionlessly, "If the sect doesn't care, then protect your own things."

The audience fell silent again.

This time, there was an inexplicable tension in the silence.

Rob.

This word, seemingly light and airy, struck a chord in everyone's hearts.

Gao Yao lowered his eyes, his face expressionless.

He knew all along that this autumn examination was no child's play.

He knew it from the day Wang Yao asked him to participate.

The crowd began to disperse.

Some walked towards the dock, some gathered in small groups to discuss in hushed tones, and others stood still with pale faces, as if hesitating whether to leave.

Gao Yao stood still, waiting for someone.

"Brother Gao."

A familiar voice came from behind him, and Gao Yao turned around.

Ye Zi stood two steps behind him, wearing a faded gray cloth dress, her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, her head down, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress.

As always, timid and shy.

But Gao should know that this girl is at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"Miss Ye." Gao Yao nodded. "Manager Chen asked me to come with you."

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm" without looking up.

Gao Yao looked at her and suddenly asked, "Are you scared?"

Ye Zi remained silent for a while.

"I'm scared," she said softly, "but I don't want to spend my whole life on this reef."

Gao Yao didn't ask any more questions, and the two walked towards the dock.

We met many fishermen along the way; some knew Gao Yao, and some did not.

Those who knew him mostly looked at him with mixed feelings.

There was envy, jealousy, and disdain. Both of them were newcomers who had only been there for a short time. Why were they allowed to participate in the autumn examination?

Gao Yao ignored the stares and walked forward with his head down. Ye Zi followed behind him, always keeping a distance of two steps.

"Brother Gao," she suddenly said.

"Um?"

"In the sea of ​​sharks, do I...do I believe you?"

Gao Yao paused for a moment.

"Okay, but let me make this clear beforehand: if we really encounter danger, I might not be able to take care of you."

"I know," Ye Zi said softly. "I can handle some of it myself, it's just... I'm afraid I'll panic."

Gao Yao didn't say anything more.

The two walked to the dock and found their respective boats.

Gao Yao's boat was a dilapidated sampan, while Ye Zi's was a similar boat, a bit newer, but not by much.

"Stay close to me." Gao Yao jumped onto the boat. "Don't stray too far, but don't get too close either."

Ye Zi nodded and untied the rope.

Two small boats, one after the other, sailed away from the dock.

There are already quite a few ships on the sea, large and small, all heading in the same direction.

Shark Sea.

From a distance, the sea appeared calm and undisturbed.

Behind us, Huifan Beach had become blurred, and the people on the island had turned into black dots.

Whale Reef is still not visible ahead.

There was only the sea, a vast expanse of water.

And there are those unseen things underwater, waiting for them.

"Brother Gao."

Ye Zi's voice came from behind.

"Um?"

"Do you think we can make it to the other side alive?"

Gao Yao was silent for a moment: "We'll talk about it when we get to the other side."

On the sea, two small boats, one after the other, sailed toward the dark red area.

......