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

"Congratulations everyone, you have passed the Whale King Festival."

Two streaks of light descended from the clouds and landed in the center of the platform; it was Zhou Cheng and Li Su. This time, however, they didn't wear their usual aloof and cold expressions.

Zhou Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly: "From now on, you are the outer disciples of the Yunxiang Sect."

Li Su stood half a step behind him, nodded, and added, "Fellow junior brothers, you've worked hard."

After these words were spoken, the platform fell silent for a moment.

Then, someone cried.

He was a middle-aged man, big and burly, with several newly added scars on his face.

But now he was squatting on the ground, covering his face, his shoulders shaking.

No one laughed at him, because many people's eyes were also red.

Junior brother.

Gao Yao felt a little dazed when he heard this word. Just two simple words, but behind them were hundreds of lives.

He lowered his eyes, his mind still replaying what had happened last night.

The Whale King Festival.

It turns out that the dream was part of a ritual.

He recalled his experience in the dream. If it weren't for that decisive stab at the end, he probably would have been trapped in the dream like everyone else, unable to wake up.

He remembered the whale's roar, the weightlessness as the entire island sank, and the flocks of birds rising from the bottom of the island.

Those spirit fish have probably already ended up in the bellies of those birds.

And it's not just spirit fish.

What about those fishermen who couldn't wake up from their hallucinations?

What about those who died in the sea of ​​sharks, were killed on the mudflats, or disappeared while climbing mountains?

Gao Yao's throat tightened. He suddenly realized something: this autumn examination was never a chance for a carp to leap over the dragon gate, but a naked sacrifice.

The so-called Whale King Festival...

Gao Yao clenched his fists at his sides, his nails digging into the wounds on his palms, the pain making him even more lucid.

He didn't say anything, and his face was expressionless. In this place, there are some things you can't say even if you see them clearly; to say them is to court death.

Zhou Cheng seemed satisfied with the group's reaction and didn't say anything more, only nodding to Li Su.

Li Su took out an object from his sleeve, about the size of a palm, with a bluish-black color, and tossed it into the air.

The little thing grew rapidly upon exposure to the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a treasure boat over ten feet long, its hull gleaming with a pale blue spiritual light, hovering steadily above the platform.

"Come on aboard." Zhou Cheng was the first to leap onto the boat, standing with his hands behind his back. "Let's take you back first."

The dozen or so newly recruited outer disciples looked at each other and climbed up one after another.

Gao Yao stood up, his legs feeling a little weak.

He went to help Ye Zi up first. She had already woken up and her complexion was better than before, but her eyes were still a little unfocused.

"Can you walk?"

Ye Zi nodded, put her hand on Gao Yao's arm, and used it to get onto the treasure boat.

Gao Yao followed behind and found a corner to sit down.

The boat was very stable, and you could hardly feel it moving. Only the sound of the wind rushing past your ears reminded you that you were rapidly leaving the reef.

Gao Yao glanced down.

As the Whale Reef grew smaller, the towering black rock peaks, viewed from above, truly resembled the skeleton of a giant whale.

Its head faces north, its tail faces south, its back arched, hidden in the clouds.

He recalled the flocks of birds that flew out from the bottom of the island, as if they were being spat out from a giant mouth.

The entire island, including the birds, is part of the giant whale.

And these so-called autumn examinees, from beginning to end, were jumping on the back of that beast, fighting in its mouth, and struggling in the dream it wove.

Gao Yao withdrew his gaze, leaned against the side of the boat, and closed his eyes.

......

When the treasure ship landed, the sun was already setting.

pier.

Gao Yao jumped off the boat and felt more at ease when his feet touched the familiar stone path.

The dock remains the same, with fishing boats crowded together on the shore, and fishermen hunching over to load and unload cargo.

The strong smell of fish mixed with the scent of sweat swirls in the sea breeze, the rolling wooden barrels gurgle on the gangplank, and the shouts of vendors rise and fall, bringing a vibrant, bustling atmosphere to the air.

But as soon as Gao Yao stepped onto the dock, he sensed something was different.

It wasn't the dock that changed; it was the way the fishermen looked at him that changed.

He used to come and go here without anyone giving him a second glance. Who would care about a kid who did accounting and odd jobs in the fish market?

But now, the fishermen who were unloading their cargo slowed down a beat when they saw them getting off the treasure boat.

The first to gather around were several employees of the fish market.

When they saw Gao Yao, they paused for a moment, then their faces lit up with smiles, more attentive than ever before.

"Brother Gao is back! You've worked so hard!"

"Brother Gao, you need to take good care of your injuries. I have some medicinal herbs for healing; I'll bring them to you later!"

Gao Yao nodded, but didn't say much.

These guys used to call him by his first name or "Tall Kid," but now they've changed how they address him.

That's pretty realistic.

Gao Yao twitched the corner of his mouth, unable to describe his feelings.

More fishermen gathered around, standing at a distance, not daring to approach. They just craned their necks to look in this direction, their eyes filled with envy, awe, and a complex mix of emotions.

Gao Yao heard them whispering.

"That's Gao Yao? I heard he's only been here three months and already passed the autumn exam?"

"That's right, he's at the sixth level of Qi Refining, he's got real skills."

"They're lucky; they have Miss Wang to take care of them. We can't compare."

"Good fortune? Why don't you go swim in the Shark Sea and see if good fortune works?"

Three months ago, he was just like those fishermen, worrying about the Dinghai tax and haggling with the stall owner over a half-fish.

What now?

He became an outer disciple, someone with good fortune in the eyes of the fishermen, someone they wanted to curry favor with.

To be honest, he didn't feel particularly happy.

It's more of a sense of absurdity.

It's like in your past life on a film set. Yesterday you were just an extra, but today the director suddenly casts you as the second male lead, and everyone on the set looks at you differently.

You know you're still the same person, but in other people's eyes, you're no longer the same person.

Gao Yao shook his head, banishing the chaotic thoughts, and continued walking towards the fish market.

......

Fishpond Hall.

Manager Chen sat behind the long mahogany table, the abacus beads clicking loudly.

He heard footsteps, looked up, and saw Gao Yao and Ye Zi walking in. His abacus paused for a moment.

"You're back?"

"You're back." Gao Yao stepped forward and bowed slightly.

Manager Chen looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before he nodded: "Alright, you didn't embarrass Miss Wang."

He didn't say much, but looked down and flipped through the booklet on the table, then picked up a pen and made a few marks on it.

"Ye Zi, go report to Fu Island in the west." He looked up. "They're short-handed there, and your skills will come in handy."

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm," lowered her head, and didn't ask any further questions.

"As for you," Manager Chen looked at Gao Yao again, tapping the paper with his pen, "don't rush off. Miss Wang has something to say to you."

Gao Yao was not surprised and nodded immediately.

Ye Zi glanced at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded slightly, turned around and left the fish enclosure.

......