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

"That kid is quite clever." Zhou Cheng looked down with great interest.

Li Sushun followed Zhou Cheng's gaze and saw two small sampans, one after the other, sliding outwards along the edge of the shark swarm's activity.

"Gao Yao?" Li Su glanced down at the jade slip in his hand, read the name aloud, but didn't recognize it.

"That's the one Senior Sister Wang took a liking to," Zhou Cheng reminded him. "She made him learn everything from leatherworking to talisman making, and his cultivation level rose quickly. In just three months, he reached the sixth level of Qi Refining."

Li Su nodded, watching as the two sampans successfully evaded the flow of ships and the sharks, heading towards Whale Reef. The hulls were hunched low, and the cabins were piled with grayish-white things.

"We also caught two wire-lined silver sharks." Li Su's tone was slightly surprised.

"He's got guts and good luck too," Zhou Cheng commented.

Li Su finally understood what he meant: "Are you praising him?"

"Praise?" Zhou Cheng shook his head. "I just find it a bit interesting. Among these hundreds of people, probably not many could think of diverting the trouble to break the deadlock, and even fewer would dare to act so boldly."

"However, the world is never short of smart people, but it is short of smart people who can survive to the end."

"So what if I passed the autumn exam? So what if I got into the outer gate?"

Li Su turned to look at him: "You mean...?"

"What did I say?" Zhou Cheng interrupted him, his gaze still fixed on the sea. "I was just wondering how many of these people will make it to Whale Watching Reef alive, and how many will survive the ritual of borrowing the law to enter the outer gate."

Li Su didn't answer immediately, then paused: "What about those people from Yun Kingdom?"

"No need to do anything." Zhou Cheng withdrew his gaze and looked back at the sea. "Let them make a scene, the bigger the better. The sect will handle it accordingly."

He looked up at the sky; the sun was setting, and it was still a while before it got dark.

"Let's go, it's time to get to the island."

After Zhou Cheng finished speaking, he leaped into the air and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the Whale Reef.

Li Su followed behind him, took one last look at the ships still struggling on the sea, shook his head, and followed them.

......

When the sea finally calmed down, the sampan from Gaoyao was almost at the shore.

It's more like a mountain standing on the sea than a reef.

The entire island rises abruptly from the sea, so high it makes your neck ache. The barren rock walls are steep as if carved by a knife, and the top is hidden in the clouds, with no end in sight.

At the foot of the mountain, there is a narrow, shallow beach, with pebbles mixed with seashell fragments that crunch underfoot.

Above the beach, there are countless rock crevices and caves, some bottomless, others just big enough for a person to curl up in.

Seabirds circled overhead, their cries sharp, as if warning anyone who came near.

Gao dragged the boat ashore and found a large rock to tie the mooring rope to.

Ye Zi also disembarked, her complexion regaining some vitality. She squatted on the shallows, scooped up some seawater to wash her face, and when she stood up, a few strands of her hair were wet and clung to her cheeks.

"Brother Gao, those two Iron-lined Silver Sharks..."

"We need to hide."

Gao Yao glanced at the mudflats. The area was not large, about two or three hundred zhang in size, and was divided into several sections by black reefs.

Scattered among them were broken seashells, smoothed and rounded by the seawater.

Further in, there are mountains.

The mountain is so steep it's almost vertical, and the rock face is so black it shines, as if it had been polished by something.

The wind blew past my face, carrying the salty smell of the sea and an indescribable odor.

It smelled like something rotting, or like sulfur, making your throat feel tight.

He didn't look at it much and turned to look at the sharks on the tugboat.

The two silver sharks were still alive, their gills still moving, and their tails occasionally swaying, splashing water.

Gao Yao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were alive, that was good. The rules of the autumn examination required living sacrifices; dead ones didn't count.

But here's the question: where are these two sharks hiding?

The mudflats were bare, without any shelter whatsoever.

If they're just left on the beach, other fishermen who come ashore and see these two sharks will surely fight over them. Gao Yao doesn't expect those fishermen to follow the rules.

As Gao Yao was thinking, his gaze swept across the mountain wall.

We can't hide on the mudflats anymore, and we can't waste any more time here; we have to climb up the mountain.

At Gao Yao's signal, Ye Zi and he each pulled up one of the ropes.

Sharks are very heavy, each weighing over a hundred pounds, making them difficult to drag.

The rock face was slippery and covered in moss, making it easy to slip. Gao Yao climbed very slowly, testing each step carefully to make sure he had a firm footing before moving forward.

Ye Zi followed behind him, her movements more agile than his, as if she often climbed such places.

After climbing for about 15 minutes, we finally found a suitable crevice. The opening was narrow, but the inside was spacious enough to easily fit two sharks.

Gao pushed the shark in, then moved a few stones to block the opening. He took two steps back and looked around; you couldn't see it unless you looked closely.

After doing all that, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaned against the rocks, and gasped for air.

In the distance, there were still boats heading this way.

Gao Yao roughly counted them and found that there were probably fifty or sixty more that he could see. Of the three hundred or so boats that went out to sea, probably no more than a hundred would make it to shore alive.

He withdrew his gaze and seized the few remaining moments to close his eyes and rest.

Next, there's still a tough battle ahead.

An hour later, boats began to dock one after another.

The first group to arrive was actually Ye Ran's fleet. They had good ships and skilled sailors. Although they lost several ships in the melee at sea, the remaining ships were still faster than the others.

After they landed, they didn't rush to the island. Instead, they gathered on the mudflats, counted the number of people, and checked their equipment. Their movements were swift and efficient.

Gao Yao hid behind the pile of rocks and watched them through the cracks in the rocks.

Ye Ran's fleet consisted of about ten people, all of whom were at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

After counting the number of people, they didn't stay on the mudflats for long. They went straight to the island, climbed up the mountainside, and quickly disappeared.

It seems they had the same idea as Gao Yao.

Following closely behind were the four major gangs that landed on shore.

In the chaotic battle at sea, the grey-clad men and the red-turbaned men suffered the greatest losses.

The two fleets clashed head-on with Ye Ran's group, and of the original forty or fifty ships, only about ten remained, with no more than twenty people.

Just then, another group of ships docked.

It was about a dozen people from the northern fishing area, all of them injured, some missing limbs, a truly horrific sight. People from the southern fishing area also arrived, in an even worse state than those from the north, with only seven or eight boats remaining.

Smaller groups and lone boats also landed one after another at this time, and Gao Yao noticed that Old Man Ma had also arrived safely.

The plan to break up the large gang was successfully completed.

However, looking at these people rushing ashore in a panic, his prediction became more and more certain.

There must be quite a few cultivators who failed to catch the spirit fish.

Once they arrive on the island and realize they lack offerings, how will they cope?

Rob.

The only option is to steal it.

The two low-grade first-tier iron-wire silver sharks in his possession were also much more valuable than spirit fish of the same tier.

In the eyes of those who have no offerings, they are just a piece of fat meat.

Gao Yao gritted his teeth; to be on the safe side, he couldn't stop here.

"Miss Ye, let's continue."

Ye Zi nodded, crawled out from behind the pile of rocks, and followed behind him.

This time they climbed more carefully, not because they were afraid of falling, but because they were afraid of being seen.

More and more people are gathering on the mudflats. If someone looks up and catches their eye, they'll be in big trouble.

Gao Yao clung to the rock face, using the protruding rocks and cracks to conceal his figure, and slowly moved upwards. Ye Zi followed behind him, making almost no sound.

After climbing for about half an hour, we finally reached a relatively flat area.

It is a protruding rock, several meters square, like a natural balcony.

Standing on the rocks, you can see the entire mudflat.

Looking down from Gao Yao, the mudflats were in complete chaos.

Some people are fighting, some are robbing, some are cursing, and some are wailing.

Sure enough, those who failed to catch the spirit fish found themselves without offerings when they arrived on the island, and began to rob each other.

They robbed their competitors, robbed other fishing areas, and robbed everything they could.

On the mudflats, swords gleamed, talismans flew wildly, and screams of agony rose and fell.

Gao Yao sighed as he watched this scene.

If I hadn't brought the shark up the mountain beforehand, I would be the one getting robbed now.

Just then, the mudflats suddenly fell silent.

It was like someone had grabbed my throat; all sound vanished in an instant.

Gao Yao squinted and looked down.

Two more people were seen on the mudflats.

Wearing a dharma robe and a long sword at his waist, he descended from the sky.

He is a disciple of a sect.

Zhou Cheng stood in the middle of the mudflats, looking around.

No one dared to meet his gaze.

"The rules for the Autumn Examination state that anyone who fails to catch the spirit fish will be eliminated."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire mudflat.

Those who are eliminated are not qualified to stay on the island.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sword light flew out from behind him.

In the blink of an eye, several screams rang out, and several fishermen lay dead in pools of blood.

Gao Yao felt a chill run down his spine for no reason and lay prone on the rock, not daring to move.

He saw Zhou Cheng sheathe his sword, his gaze sweeping across the mudflats, and then...

I looked up.

They were looking straight at me.

Gao Yao's heart clenched suddenly; that gaze, though hundreds of feet away, felt like a sword sweeping over him.

He dared not hide, nor dared he move.

I just lay there, staring into those eyes.

In just a breath or two, Zhou Cheng withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked towards the seaside.

Li Su followed behind, and with a wave of his hand, the fishermen lying in pools of blood were swept up by an invisible force and thrown into the sea.

The seawater surged, and the familiar shark dorsal fin sliced ​​through the surface.

Soon, another splash of blood appeared on the sea.

The mudflats were completely silent.

"Those who remain on the island are those who have made offerings."

"Those who offer sacrifices are eligible to participate in the Whale King Festival."

Zhou Cheng paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"The Whale King Festival will be held tonight at midnight on the mountaintop."

"Latecomers will be eliminated."

Having said that, he said no more, and with a leap, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the mountaintop.

Li Su followed behind him and disappeared into the clouds.

The mudflats were quiet for a moment, then erupted into chaos again.

"Midnight? It's already late afternoon!"

"How long will it take to climb up? This mountain is so high!"

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

The fishermen panicked and scrambled up the mountain, carrying their offerings as they ran.

Gao Yao remained lying on the rock, motionless.

He was thinking about that glance he had just received.

Did the other person recognize him? Or was it just a casual glance? If they recognized him, what did their eyes mean?

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

Gao Yao took a deep breath, suppressing the chill.

He turned to look at Ye Zi.

"Let's go too."

......