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

"Miss Ye."

"Um?"

"When I make my move, you keep an eye on the boat for me," Gao Yao said in a low voice. "No matter what happens, don't let anyone get close, and don't let the sharks capsize us."

Ye Zi paused for a moment, then nodded.

She didn't ask why, nor did she say whether it was possible. She simply reached into her pocket, pulled out a few talismans, and held them in her palm.

Gao Yao turned around and took a deep breath.

The plan was actually not complicated: use the Fish Spirit Talisman to send the talisman treasure to the bottom of Ye Ran's group's ship and detonate it at the border.

An explosion itself may not injure many people, but it can create chaos.

Once the chaos starts, the sharks will be attracted, and the four major gangs will think that Ye Ran's group is behind it, while Ye Ran's group will think that the four major gangs made the first move.

When the two sides start fighting, the water gets muddy.

When the water is murky, it's easier to catch fish.

Gao Yao took out a fish spirit talisman from his pocket and then took out the blazing flame talisman.

The talisman is only the size of a palm, and it contains a scorching fire that can be used three times. Each strike is nearly as powerful as a strike from a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

He bought it but never used it once. He never expected it would come in handy now.

Gao Yao used fishing line to tie the talisman to the fish spirit talisman, tying it very tightly to ensure it wouldn't fall off.

Ye Zi watched him do this without saying a word, but simply moved the boat closer together, until the two sampans were almost touching.

"alright."

Gao Yao didn't rush to make a move; he was waiting.

Once Old Man Ma is ready, once the sharks get closer, once the chaos reaches its peak.

The screams on the sea gradually subsided, not because no one had died, but because the survivors no longer had the strength to scream.

The boats remained crowded together, like a group of fish trapped in a fishing net, struggling but unable to escape.

The four major gangs remain firmly in their formation, while the smaller gangs have lost a few more ships.

Gao Yao roughly counted about three hundred boats, but now probably less than two hundred are still operational.

Can't wait any longer.

Gao Yao's eyes were resolute as he activated the Fish Spirit Talisman.

The talisman ignited, transforming into a pale blue light that fell into the sea.

The light spread out underwater, slowly condensing into a translucent fish, about the length of an arm, its entire body shimmering with a faint glow.

Gao Yao closed his eyes, his consciousness connected with the fish spirit.

He could feel the temperature of the seawater, the direction of the undercurrents, and the grayish-white shadows underwater.

Countless silver sharks, densely packed together, lingered around the ship like a pack of starving wild dogs, swimming beneath the hull and waiting for their prey to fall from above.

He controlled the fish spirit, making it swim close to the bottom of the boat to avoid the sharks and head towards Ye Ran's group.

Yu Ling swam slowly, like a real fish, swaying its tail as it passed through the shadows of the ships.

Sweat beaded on Gao Yao's forehead, and his palms were wet.

Controlling the fish spirit itself is not difficult; the difficulty lies in avoiding the sharks and not being discovered by the people on the boat.

On the ships surrounding those large gangs, many people were armed and keeping their eyes fixed on the sea, ready to strike at the slightest sign of trouble.

Yu Ling swam past one boat after another, getting closer and closer to Ye Ran and her group.

Gao Yao held his breath and concentrated fully.

Yu Ling swam to the bottom of Ye Ran's group's boat, found a gap between the boats, and stopped there.

It is here.

boom!

The flames exploded from underwater, like a blooming red flower, instantly illuminating half of the sea surface.

The shockwave from the explosion created huge waves that tossed nearby boats about, and three or four boats that were close by were instantly capsized, their hulls facing the sky, with people struggling in the water.

Five or six ships a little further away were also blasted with holes by flying debris and the aftershocks of the explosion. Seawater rushed in, the ships tilted, and the people on board screamed and jumped to the side.

The sea surface was in complete chaos.

Chaos spread like a plague, instantly engulfing the entire ship's path.

"Someone's attacking!"

"It was over there! It was done by people over there!"

"Bullshit! We got hit first!"

Shouts, curses, and the sound of oars slapping the water mingled together, making one's ears ring.

Gao Yao manipulated the fish spirit talisman, causing the semi-transparent fish spirit to leap out from underwater, swim around among the ships, and then disappear under the hull of Ye Ran's group's ship.

The movement was so fast that most people didn't even see it.

But the people on the outer boats of the four gangs saw it clearly: they saw the fish, glowing with an eerie light, emerge from the water and swim towards Ye Ran's group.

"It was them! They attacked first!"

"Fuck him!"

The members of the four gangs, their eyes red with rage, grabbed their oars and charged towards Ye Ran's group.

Ye Ran and her group reacted extremely quickly.

Almost instantly after the explosion, their ship formation changed.

The wedge shape spread out, becoming a line, with the bow of the ship facing the four major gangs charging towards it, like a row of fully drawn bows.

Ye Ran stood at the very front of the ship, her back ramrod straight. With a flick of her wrist, several talismans flew out and exploded in mid-air, transforming into streaks of golden light that pierced towards the ships at the very front.

Golden light pierced through the ship's side, embedding itself into the hull, sending wood chips flying.

The ships slowed down abruptly, and the people on board were thrown about.

The ship behind Ye Ran followed suit, raining down talismans, spells, and magical artifacts on the four major gangs.

Gao Yao was somewhat stunned. He had originally thought that Ye Ran's group only had about ten boats, and that they would be lucky to hold out against the attack of over a hundred boats from the four major gangs.

Unexpectedly, they not only held on, but also gained the upper hand.

It's not that the four major gangs are weak, it's that Ye Ran's group is too strong.

Their teamwork was impeccable; the distance between the ships, the timing of their attacks, and the combination of talismans and spells were as if they had rehearsed countless times.

Every time the four gangs charged in, they could accurately find the weak points in the enemy's formation, strike once and retreat without hesitation.

Although the four gangs had many people and boats, their coordination was poor and their command was chaotic. Some rushed forward, some circled around to the sides, and some stayed in place to observe. The boats bumped into each other, making it difficult for them to maneuver effectively.

As Gao Yao looked at the scene, he already had his answer.

These people are not fishermen at all.

Fishermen could not possibly have such cooperation, such discipline, or such fighting ability.

They were well-trained and were most likely spies sent by some force to infiltrate the fishermen and take advantage of the autumn examinations; I wonder what their purpose was.

Just then, another explosion occurred on the sea.

It wasn't an explosion, it was shouts of killing.

Old Man Ma led his small and medium-sized gangs up, and more than thirty boats rushed in from the outside, turning oars into weapons and talismans into cannonballs, launching a fierce attack on the flanks of the four major gangs.

The four gangs were caught in a pincer movement, and their formation finally began to crumble.

The large fleet in the northern fishing area was the first to give way. Their boats were tied together with ropes, which were originally meant to be stable, but now became a burden. One boat was hit and capsized, and the boats next to it were dragged down with it. Seven or eight boats were crammed together, like a string of broken beads, scattered and broken.

The fleet in the southern fishing area fared no better. Their ships had formed a circle, protecting the higher-level cultivators in the center and using the lower-level ones as shields on the outside. But now, the outer ships were scattered, and the inner ships were exposed to the attack. Talismans and spells rained down, destroying ships and killing crews.

The groups of men in gray and red scarves managed to hold on, thanks to their uniform boat formation and coordinated movements. However, their formation was also disrupted, the distance between their boats widened, and they could no longer support each other.

With the addition of smaller groups and lone boats joining in to further exacerbate the situation, the four major gangs were completely dismantled.

Gao Yao gripped the oar tightly; he knew his chance had come.

"Stay close to me!"

Ye Zi nodded, the oars cutting through the water, following closely behind him.

Two sampans, one after the other, rushed into the chaotic flow of boats.

Gao Yao didn't go to the middle; it was too chaotic there, and once you went in, you wouldn't be able to get out.

He walked along the outer edge, close to the edge where the sharks were active. There were fewer boats there, and although there were quite a few sharks, it was actually safe as long as he didn't fall into the sea.

No one dared to approach the group of sharks.

But Gao Yao dares to be.

The middle road is blocked; the only way to break through is to take the dangerous route.

The sampan left a white trail on the sea surface, next to which were grayish-white shark dorsal fins, one after another, like underwater blades.

Gao Yao's palms were sweaty, but his hands were steady, and he rowed the boat slowly and steadily.

Ye Zi followed behind, her face pale, but the boat kept moving steadily and she didn't fall behind.

The two walked one after the other through the area where the sharks were active, through the chaotic flow of boats, and toward Whale Watch Reef.

On the sea surface, a silver shark suddenly leaped out from underwater, mouth agape, and lunged at the sampan in Gaoyao.

Gao Yao reacted swiftly, flicking his wrist to send three ice spikes flying, which pierced the shark's skull.

The shark struggled a few times, then rolled over and floated on the surface of the sea.

Gao Yao's heart skipped a beat.

Spirit fish.

No, it's an Iron Wire Silver Shark, a mid-grade Tier 1.

He recalled the rules of the autumn examination: if the spirit fish could not be caught, a silver shark could be caught as a sacrifice.

Gao Yao gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble.

He steered the boat closer, hooked the shark's gills with the oar, and pulled it forcefully onto the boat.

In the ocean, sharks are too heavy to be dragged.

Seeing this, Ye Zi brought the boat closer, and the two of them worked together to drag the shark onto the boat.

The boat suddenly sank and almost capsized.

Gao Yao ignored all of that and pulled out another ice cone talisman, staring at the sea.

Another wire shark leaped out from underwater.

This time he was more experienced. He waited until the shark got close before making his move. He drove the ice pick into the shark's head, and the shark flipped over. He hooked it with his oar and dragged it onto the boat.

Two sharks pressed the two sampans almost to the surface of the water.

Gao Yao, panting heavily, glanced back.

The chaos continued, with flames shooting into the sky and deafening shouts of battle echoing across the sea.

The four major gangs were broken up, and the smaller gangs also suffered heavy losses in the melee.

The sea was littered with broken planks, wrecked oars, and corpses.

Red and white, mixed together, like a pot of stew.

Gao Yao withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

Whale Watch Reef.

It's already visible; about twenty nautical miles away, a towering black rock peak is embedded between the sea and the sky.

Gao Yao took a deep breath and gripped the oar tightly.

"Walk."

Two sampans broke through the water and headed towards Whale Reef.

Behind them, the chaos continued.

Ye Ran stood at the bow of the boat, watching the two sampans disappear into the distance, her eyes narrowed.

She recognized the person.

Gaoyao.

Sure enough, the person who could receive Wang Yao's favor could not be an ordinary fisherman.

"Interesting," she said softly.

A middle-aged man nearby leaned over: "Your Highness, would you like to...?"

"No need." Ye Ran raised her hand to interrupt him, her gaze still fixed on the two departing sampans. "The autumn exams aren't over yet; there will be plenty of opportunities later."

She paused, then said another sentence.

"Let the men below retreat; don't fight those fishermen head-on."

The middle-aged man nodded and turned to relay the order.

Ye Ran stood at the bow of the boat, watching the two increasingly smaller boat silhouettes on the sea, her eyes full of interest.

That kid is much more complicated than she thought.

A kidnapped fisherman with a cultivation level of six in Qi Refining managed to survive the chaos, break through with another person, and even catch two iron-wire silver sharks along the way.

This isn't luck, it's skill.

She thought of her two men who had gone missing on Gaoyao Island, shook her head, and turned to walk back into the cabin.

On the sea, the two sampans had become two small black dots and disappeared in the direction of Wangjing Reef.

......