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

By the time we got back to Turtle Reef Island, it was already completely dark.

Wu Ling surfaced from the bottom of the pond, glanced at Gao Yao, and then sank back down, probably because he saw that Gao Yao looked unwell and wisely kept quiet.

Gao Yao didn't explain anything. He squatted by the fishpond, splashed water on his face, and the coolness swept away the fatigue of the day, making his mind clearer.

He took out the "Archives of Battle" from his pocket and flipped through it again and again by the moonlight, recalling the contents of the book and Di Yin's words one by one in his mind.

After a long while, Gao Yao closed the book, leaned against the shack, and closed his eyes.

I understand the theory, but I'm still far from being able to actually set up an array. Ultimately, it's because I lack the aptitude for array formations.

He suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the wooden board in the shack that read "Caijiefang" (material processing workshop), and remembered something.

Would it be feasible to build a room specifically for improving one's comprehension?

Gao Yao immediately sat up straight, his heart skipped a beat, and then got up and walked around the island.

Fishponds and chicken coops occupy the southeast corner, the cave dwelling is underground, the material processing workshop and talisman making room are crammed into a shack, and there is not much open space left.

He walked to the back of the shack, to that shady open space, which was about two zhang square. It was sheltered by the mountain wall on three sides, with only the east side facing the sea.

The wind blew in from the sea, making the hem of people's clothes rustle.

This is it.

Gao Yao was no longer bored and immediately set about finding some old planks, seaweed and rocks from Turtle Reef Island.

The setup process went more smoothly than expected.

Having gained experience from the material processing workshop and the talisman-making room, he roughly understood the nature of the Mountain and Sea Order. The key to this type of building was not how exquisite it was, but how clearly its function was defined.

Gao had to nail the wooden planks together piece by piece to form a roof frame, build a base with rocks, and hang seaweed curtains on all four sides.

The room was small, barely big enough for one person to turn around.

He carved three characters on the simple lintel.

"Enlightenment Room".

The moment the last character was engraved, the Mountain and Sea Token was refreshed.

[Enlightenment Room (No Rank Entry)]

[Tier 1: Calm Mind and Focus Qi, slight increase in comprehension +10%, additional comprehension bonus upon breakthrough +10%]

[Advanced Requirements: 30 years of lifespan, 10 Heart-Gathering Grasses]

It worked! In addition to the comprehension bonus I wanted, there was an extra bonus during the breakthrough, which was a pleasant surprise.

As for the upgrade requirements, they are roughly the same. When Gao Yao was trying to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, he still had quite a few pieces of Concentrated Heart Grass left, which came in handy.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, retrieved the Mind-Concentrating Grass from his cave, and decisively completed the upgrade.

Whether it was psychological or not, the simple door of the Enlightenment Room seemed to become heavier at that moment, and the flow of air seemed to have a subtle difference.

Gao Yao went in, sat down cross-legged, and took out the "Collection of Battle Formations" from his bosom.

The words on the pages are still the same words.

But they look quite different.

It's not that the characters have changed, it's that Gaoyao has changed.

My thoughts were confused just now, but in an instant my mind cleared up and everything became clear.

Gao Yao calmed himself down and continued reading page by page, going over the steps of setting up the spirit-gathering array in his mind again and again.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and his face showed no excitement, but rather a sense of relief and peace.

The enhancements from the Enlightenment Chamber far exceeded expectations; the key points that had previously puzzled me suddenly became clear.

Even if the reasoning is unclear, it is enough if it works.

Gao Yao leaned against the wall, his mind already wandering from the formation to something much more far-reaching.

Upgrading the fishpond and chicken coop can begin now; materials, spirit stones, and lifespan are readily available, and the most difficult hurdle has been overcome.

Gao Yao then remembered that Di Yin's mission was still hanging over his head, and he couldn't go to the back mountain until the matter was settled, but this gave him some time to catch his breath and recharge.

Gao Yao opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the mottled roof of the Enlightenment Room.

To be honest, he still doesn't understand why Di Yin wanted him to retrieve that array flag.

But Gao must know that the connection with Di Yin must not be severed, otherwise there will be someone on Wang Yao's side to keep things in check.

Moreover, Di Yin possessed the array formations he needed. Although he taught them reluctantly and scolded them mercilessly, at least he could learn some skills.

As for Wang Yao...

The cultivation technique was given, the elixir was given, the opportunity was given, but Gao Yao still hasn't figured out what she wants.

That feeling of not knowing what the other person wants, being kept in the dark, is more unbearable than anything else.

Therefore, he had to capture Di Yin.

In the Yunxiang Sect, it's impossible to rely on no one.

Gao Yao shook his head, suppressing his distracting thoughts.

Regardless of Di Yin's plans, let's get the mission done first.

The key to the mission lies in the library.

Gao Yao took out the pass token from his pocket. Manager Chen had said that levels three and above required contribution points to exchange for it.

He is currently an outer disciple with a fixed monthly allowance, but those contribution points are only enough to exchange for some basic pills and talisman materials, far from enough to exchange for the third level of authority.

To advance, you need to accumulate contribution points first.

How do I save up?

Of course, it's about doing tasks.

Outer disciples have a fixed quota each month, and completing it earns them basic contribution points.

Exceeding the target or taking on more challenging tasks will earn you more contribution points.

Gao carefully put away the token, stood up, and walked out of the Enlightenment Room.

The sky was already turning a pale white, and a new day had begun.

He stood on the reef, looking at the scattered fishing lights on the distant sea, and pondered his next steps.

First, go to the fish market to see if there are any suitable outer sect tasks. The contribution point requirement is not high; you just need to accumulate enough for three levels of permissions.

Wu Ling surfaced from the bottom of the pond and glanced at him.

"Sage, are you in a good mood today?"

Gao Yao squatted by the pond, scooped up some water to wash his face: "I've figured out a lot of things."

......

When Gao Yao entered the fish market, the sun had just climbed onto the eaves.

There weren't many people in the hall. Steward Chen wasn't there; instead, a young, unfamiliar deacon was in charge, wearing a gray robe and looking down at a book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and glanced at Gao Yao.

"Accept the mission?"

"Yes."

The steward pushed a thick booklet over, tracing the margin with his finger: "All the outer sect missions are here. Tell me when you've chosen one."

Gao Yao took the booklet and turned the pages one by one.

There were many tasks, and they were quite varied.

Some went to the Spirit Plant Garden to weed, some went to the Dan Island Dan Room to watch the fire, and some went to the dock to count the goods. These were all odd jobs and tiring tasks, and the contribution points were few and far between, a pittance.

He turned to the second half of the book, his fingers pausing for a moment.

"Conduct interviews with fishermen to verify the population and fishing conditions on the reefs and islands. Any abnormalities must be reported. Contribution points: 20."

This number isn't much, but it's much better than those odd jobs.

Gao Yao read the mission instructions again. The gist of it was to visit various reefs and islands to check for any unusual situations.

Population census.

The word popped into Gao Yao's mind. In his previous life, similar things happened regularly in the community: knocking on doors to fill out forms and check household registrations.

The mission wasn't too difficult, and we were able to gather even more intelligence.

He was considering whether to write down the task when he caught a glimpse of someone coming in through the door.

The man was using a cane and walked slowly.

Old Man Ma.

He also saw Gao Yao, paused for a moment, then walked over with his cane and stood beside him.

"Uncle Ma," Gao Yao greeted him first.

Since the autumn examination, the two have barely spoken.

I've run into him at the dock a few times. He either lowers his head and walks away, or squats at a distance and smokes, deliberately keeping his distance.

Gao Yao understood the old man's thoughts. He didn't want to implicate him like last time, nor did he want others to discover their relationship.

Old Ma nodded, saying nothing more, his gaze fixed on the booklet.

"Accept the mission?"

"Um."

Old Ma looked down and pointed to the one Gao Yao had selected: "This one?"

Gao Yao nodded.

Old Ma didn't say anything more. He picked up another booklet from the counter, turned to the same page, and tapped on that task as well.

The deacon looked up and glanced at the two of them: "Together?"

Old Ma looked at Gao Yao, who hesitated for a moment before nodding.

The deacon didn't ask any further questions. He scribbled a few notes in the booklet and then tossed out two task tokens and a booklet: "Northern fishing area, Class A, thirty-two reefs and islands, to be visited within five days."

"During the visits, we not only need to ask about the situation on the main island, but also about the situation on the neighboring islands, to confirm whether there are any abnormalities on the neighboring islands, such as a sudden change in personality or someone not returning home at night."

The deacon glanced at Gao Yao and added, "Visits can only be conducted during the day, and they must leave on their own after dark. If any abnormalities are found before they reach the shore, they must immediately evacuate and report the incident."

After hearing this, Gao Yao muttered to himself that the steward seemed to be implying something, reminding him of something.

The two accepted the sign and walked out of the fish market.

......