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

The next morning, Gao Yao didn't go to the bamboo forest, but went to the fish market first.

He is now an outer disciple, but he has not yet handed over his duties at the fish market.

In the fish market hall, Manager Chen was looking down and flipping through a booklet.

"They've arrived?" He looked up at Gao Yao. "How's Elder Di's situation?"

"Things went fairly smoothly; they let me stay in a side room for now," Gao Yao said vaguely. "It's just that my master is a rather mild-mannered person."

"A mild temperament?" Steward Chen chuckled. "That's called strange. Who in the entire Yunxiang Sect doesn't know that Elder Di has an eccentric temper? Only Miss Wang can exchange a few words with him."

He didn't ask any more questions and lowered his head to flip through the booklet again.

Gao Yao stood by the table for a while, considering how to start the conversation.

"Manager Chen," he finally said, "I'd like to go to the library to find a few books."

Manager Chen stopped reading the booklet in his hand, looked up at him, and asked, "What book?"

"A beginner's guide to formations."

Manager Chen stared at him for a long time.

"You want to learn array formations?" He put down the abacus and leaned back in his chair. "Young man, I have to say something to you. You haven't even mastered talisman making yet, and you want to get into array formations? Although Elder Di is indeed a master of array formations, you can't bite off more than you can chew."

Was Di Yin a master of battle formations?

Gao Yao hadn't expected Di Yin to have this identity, and replied smoothly, "I am dull-witted and just want to learn more. Since I've become Elder Di's disciple, I should at least understand some basics, otherwise it won't sound good to others."

Manager Chen was silent for a moment, then changed the subject: "Elder Di has an eccentric temper and doesn't like to associate with people. Whether he is willing to teach you or not is his business. Go to the library, find the books, and read them yourself. Don't flaunt his name."

"Disciple understands."

Manager Chen glanced at him again, took a wooden plaque from the drawer, and threw it on the table.

"This is a pass to the library. You can borrow books from the first and second floors. Books from the third floor and above require contribution points to exchange for. You are not qualified yet."

Gao Yao quickly took it; the wooden plaque wasn't large, but it felt slightly heavy in his hand.

"Thank you, Steward Chen."

"Don't thank me." Steward Chen waved his hand. "You're an outer disciple now, so you'll receive all the benefits you're entitled to. You can go to the library, Pill Island, and Talisman Island—but..."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"Outer disciples have their own rules. They have fixed tasks to complete every month. The sect doesn't support idlers. You should understand that."

Gao Yao nodded.

"You'll be notified of the specific tasks in a couple of days." Manager Chen picked up the booklet again, no longer looking at him. "You'll be busy for the next few days, just wait for news."

"Yes," Gao replied and left the fish stall.

Standing at the entrance, watching the busy fishermen on the dock, I suddenly felt a little dazed.

Three months ago, he was one of these people.

He worried about the Dinghai tax, haggled with the stall owner over a half-fish, kept his head down calculating accounts in the fish market, and bowed and scraped to everyone he met.

What now?

Outer disciple, pass token, library.

These things that I never dared to dream of before, I got them so easily.

To be honest, this is the convenience that comes with status and position.

Whether we like it or not, that's just how the world is.

Gao carefully put away the token and headed towards the main island.

......

For the next two days, Gao Yao didn't go anywhere.

Every day before dawn, he would get up, carrying the array book he had borrowed from the library, and run to Di Yin's bamboo forest.

They said they were going to cultivate themselves, but actually they just wanted to find a place to read books.

Di Yin did not teach him, nor did he ask him anything.

The two occupied one side of the thatched hut, one meditating with his eyes closed, the other engrossed in his studies.

The bamboo leaves rustled overhead, and sunlight streamed in through the window and then slipped away on the other side.

Time slipped by quietly, and Gao Yao spent his days flipping through the book "An Introduction to Formations," his brows furrowed and never relaxed.

To be honest, this thing is much harder than making talismans. At least when making talismans, Ye Zi can guide you, but with arrays, you have to guess and figure it out on your own.

He recognized every single word in the book, but when put together, he didn't quite understand what it meant.

"Arrays are the veins of heaven and earth, borrowing the power of heaven and earth to defend against enemies..."

Gao Yao flipped through several books and found that they contained a lot of mysterious and esoteric content, but very little practical information on formation setup.

The few array diagrams that exist are incomplete, lacking key node annotations.

Not to mention any spirit-gathering array, they can't even get close to it.

Gao Yao leaned against the bamboo wall and sighed.

To be honest, he was starting to doubt whether he was being too greedy. He wanted to get involved in formations before he had even mastered talisman making. Manager Chen was right; you can't bite off more than you can chew.

The shadows of the bamboo leaves fell on his face, swaying back and forth, making him dizzy.

Gao Yao glanced at Di Yin; the old man was still in the same position, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

The hem of his Taoist robe hung on the ground, where a few bamboo leaves fell, but he didn't bother to brush them away.

He opened his mouth, as if to ask something.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

What's the point of asking?

They said they wouldn't teach me.

Even if you ask, a few perfunctory answers won't change anything from what's written in the book.

Gao Yao looked away and continued flipping through the book.

To be honest, he sometimes wondered if Di Yin was doing it on purpose.

He clearly knows everything but refuses to speak, just watching me mess around like a monkey show.

But then he thought, they have no obligation to teach him.

Losing the bet and accepting you as an apprentice is already giving Wang Yao face.

Whether or not someone teaches is their own business.

It is better to ask for yourself than for others.

Gao Yao gritted his teeth and continued to study those obscure words.

After two days, I hadn't learned much about the formations, but my eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

For two whole days, Di Yin didn't say a single word to him.

He came in the morning, and the old man had his eyes closed.

He left in the evening, and the old man still had his eyes closed.

Before leaving, Gao would always bow at the door of the thatched hut and say, "This disciple takes his leave."

Di Yin never responded.

This evening, Gao Yao bowed at the door as usual.

"Master, this disciple takes his leave."

No response.

He straightened up, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "I'm afraid I won't be able to come tomorrow because I have to go on an outer sect mission."

After saying that, he waited for a while.

Di Yin still did not react.

Gao Yao sighed, turned around and left.

The wind was strong in the bamboo forest, making the bamboo leaves rustle.

He walked down the stone steps, his mind still racing with things he couldn't understand.

To be honest, Gao Yao was a little frustrated, having wasted two days without even getting close to the door.

......

In the bamboo forest, dusk was deepening.

Di Yin stood at the door of the thatched hut, looking at the empty stone steps.

The wind blew in from the sea, passing through the bamboo forest.

The old man stood there for a long time before turning around and walking back into the house. He went to the low table and picked up the open book on it.

"An Introduction to Battle Formations" was left behind by Gao Yao.

There were some notes on the pages, the handwriting was neat, but the content was a mess.

It's clear that this young man really wants to learn, but he also genuinely doesn't understand it.

Di Yin flipped through a few pages and shook his head.

He put the book back on the table, walked back to the cushion, and sat down cross-legged.

Outside the window, the bamboo leaves were still rustling.

As dusk deepened, the light inside the room grew dimmer.

The old man closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became even and long.

The room fell silent again, with only the sound of the wind turning the pages of a book.

......