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

The back mountain of the main island.

As Gao Yao walked up the stone steps, the path became narrower and narrower, and the trees on both sides became denser.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and earth.

After walking for about 15 minutes, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A bamboo grove.

The bamboo is not tall, only about a meter tall, but it grows very densely, with its leaves a vibrant green that rustles in the wind.

Deep in the bamboo forest, a thatched hut can be vaguely seen.

The thatched hut was small, with bamboo walls and a thatched roof. It looked simple, but it blended in perfectly with the surrounding bamboo forest.

Gao Yao stood at the edge of the bamboo forest, not daring to go in rashly.

He cleared his throat, about to speak.

"Come in."

The voice came from the thatched hut, old and hoarse.

Gao Yao remained calm and stepped into the bamboo forest.

The door to the thatched hut was ajar. Gao Yao stopped at the door, and the door opened by itself.

The room was dimly lit, with only a small window letting in a sliver of light. Tiny dust particles danced in the beam of light, like countless tiny flying insects.

An old man sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, wearing a faded gray-white Taoist robe with worn edges. His hair was completely white and loosely styled, and his beard, also white, reached his chest.

He didn't have many wrinkles on his face, but his skin was as dry as old tree bark, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, like earthworms crawling under his skin.

His eyes were closed, and his breathing was so light it was almost inaudible.

Gao Yao stood at the door, not daring to go in rashly.

"Come in," the old man said again, his voice still hoarse.

Gao Yao walked in, stood in front of the old man, and bowed: "Disciple Gao Yao greets Senior Di."

Di Yin didn't open his eyes or speak; he just kept his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

Gao Yao hunched over, not daring to straighten up or move. After a while, his back began to ache, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

After an unknown amount of time, Di Yin finally opened his eyes.

Those eyes were cloudy, with yellowish whites and somewhat dilated pupils.

But those cloudy eyes, when they looked at Gao Yao, gave him the feeling that they had been seen through, as if he had been stripped naked and that everything about him had been thoroughly examined.

"Wang Yao sent you?"

After a moment's consideration, Gao Yao answered truthfully, "Yes."

Di Yin didn't ask any more questions, but just stared at him for a long time.

"His character is terrible," he commented. "He's easily led by the nose and has forgotten who he is."

Gao Yao lowered his eyes and didn't reply.

"But it's not your fault," Di Yin sighed. "After staying in this place for so long, who remembers who they are?"

He stood up slowly, as if his old bones might fall apart at any moment.

I walked to the window and pushed open the small window.

Sunlight streamed in, illuminating half the room.

Gao Yao then saw clearly that the room was simply furnished, with a bamboo couch, a futon, and a low table, on which were a few books and rough tea set.

A painting hangs on the wall.

The painting depicts a sea with a boat on it. A person stands at the bow of the boat, with their back to the viewer, so their face is not visible.

The sea and sky blend into one, making it impossible to distinguish where the sea ends and the sky begins.

"From today onwards, you are my disciple." Di Yin had his back to him, his voice very soft. "I don't have much to teach you, just a few words."

First, don't trust anyone.

Second, don't rely on anyone.

"third......"

He paused, turned around, and looked at Gao Yao.

"Don't die."

Gao Yao stood there, stunned, staring into those cloudy eyes, unsure of what to say.

Di Yin didn't look at him again, turned around and walked back to the prayer mat, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

Is this over?

Didn't we agree to take on apprentices?

There was no formal apprenticeship ceremony, no tea ceremony, not even a proper acceptance speech. The few words were vague and ambiguous, like a riddle.

To be honest, Gao Yao had already figured out the three points the other party mentioned, so why would he need someone to teach him?

But Gao Yao dared not leave, nor dared he ask. He just stood there, watching the old man close his eyes, sit cross-legged, and breathe gradually become even and long, as if he had truly fallen asleep.

The thatched hut was so quiet that only the rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window could be heard.

After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old man suddenly spoke again.

"What are you still dawdling about?"

Gao Yao was taken aback and instinctively reached for his bow again.

Di Yin opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze fixed on him: "Don't you want to know why I took you in?"

Gao Yao stood with his hands at his sides: "This disciple is dull-witted, please enlighten me, Master."

"Master?" Di Yin scoffed, his voice like a broken twig. "Don't call me that so early. I haven't even acknowledged you as my disciple yet."

Gao Yao felt a chill run down his spine and dared not reply.

Di Yin didn't look at him again, but turned to look at the bamboo forest outside the window.

The setting sun shone in from the west, bathing half of his face in golden light, while the other half remained hidden in shadow, like a mask that had been split open.

"I made a bet with that witch," he suddenly said.

witch?

Gao Yao's heart skipped a beat. Could this be referring to Wang Yao?

Although Di Yin is the Supreme Elder and Wang Yao is the Sect Leader's personal disciple, and their seniority is more than one generation apart, they should not be addressed in this way.

He didn't dare ask, but simply maintained his posture, waiting for the other person to continue.

"She said you're an interesting person, worth teaching." Di Yin withdrew his gaze and looked at Gao Yao again. "I said you're just a fool who's led by the nose, teaching you would be a waste of time."

"Who lost?"

Di Yin didn't answer, but just stared at Gao Yao for a long time.

His gaze wasn't sharp; it was even somewhat cloudy, yet Gao Yao still felt uneasy all over.

"Guess," the old man finally spoke, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning.

Gao Yao fell silent.

It's obvious. If Di Yin had won, he wouldn't be standing here at all.

"So," Gao Yao hesitated for a moment, "Master accepted me as a disciple simply because of the bet?"

"I told you, don't call me master." Di Yin frowned. "As for why I took you in, the bet is one reason, and the second..."

He paused, as if unsure what to say.

Secondly, I also want to know, what exactly did that vixen see in you?

Gao Yao didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.

Di Yin didn't seem to expect an answer from him, so he closed his eyes again and waved his hand.

"Alright, I've said everything I need to say. There's nothing I can teach you. If you insist on coming here, I won't stop you. The side room in the bamboo grove is empty; tidy it up yourself."

After saying that, she ignored him.

Gao Yao stood there, looking at the old man's withered face, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Not teach?

They don't teach anything?

Then what am I doing here, wasting my time staring at the bamboo forest every day?

But he dared not ask or say more. He bowed again and left the hut.

The door closed behind me with a slight creak.

The sun had already sunk behind the mountains, and the light in the bamboo forest had dimmed. The bamboo leaves rustled overhead, like countless people whispering.

Walking back along the same route from Gaoyao, the shadows of the trees along the roadside grew thicker and the light grew dimmer. There was moss on the stone steps, making them a bit slippery to walk on.

He walked slowly, but his mind was racing.

I finally managed to find a senior elder to be my master, but he didn't want to teach me at all.

Since we're already here, we have to find a way to learn something.

Formation.

The word suddenly popped into Gao Yao's mind.

Since no one is going to teach me, I'll learn on my own. Isn't that side room in the bamboo grove for me to live in?

With the status of a disciple of a Supreme Elder, how could he possibly be afraid of not being able to obtain books on formations?

Gao Yao, with a broad mind, quickened his pace and walked down the mountain.

......