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

Wang Yao didn't answer, but climbed up the wooden stairs step by step.

Her footsteps were light, and the hem of her skirt swept across the steps with a rustling sound.

She stopped in front of Gao Yao. The two were very close, and Gao Yao could feel her warm breath. He couldn't help but blush and lose his composure.

"What are you standing here for?" Wang Yao glanced at the access control, then at the token in Gao Yao's hand. "Can't you get in?"

"I just collected enough contribution points, but the token probably hasn't been updated yet." Gao Yao lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her.

"Really?" Wang Yao held out her hand. "Let me see it."

Gao should hand over the token.

Her fingers brushed against his palm, cool as a thin sheet of ice against his skin.

His hand involuntarily recoiled, but he held back.

Wang Yao took the token, flipped it through her hand, and a smile returned to her face.

"The entrance is restricted to the right." She shifted slightly, making room for half a body. "If you try to move to the left, of course you won't be able to open it."

Gao Yao was stunned for a moment, and a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

As Wang Yao instructed, he pointed the token to the right and it lit up, causing the restriction to disappear.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior sister." He bowed and thanked her, then lifted his foot to walk inside.

"What's the rush?" Wang Yao didn't move, leaning against the stair railing with her arms crossed. "It's been so long, you won't even say a few words to me?"

Gao Yao had no choice but to stop and turn around.

Wang Yao's dress today had a low neckline, revealing a section of her fair neck and delicate collarbone.

She leaned against the armrest, her body slightly tilted back. The fabric of her dress was thin and light, and with her posture, the curves of her chest were clearly outlined.

"Senior sister is joking." Gao Yao lowered his eyes, staring at the tips of his shoes. "I was just afraid of delaying your important business."

"Serious business?" Wang Yao chuckled. "My serious business is to make sure you don't exhaust yourself."

As she spoke, she reached out and straightened Gao Yao's collar.

My fingers brushed across his neck, like a small snake slowly crawling across his skin.

Gao Yao froze, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"You've lost a lot of weight." Wang Yao withdrew her hand, her gaze sweeping over his face. "Haven't you been resting properly lately?"

"It's alright." Gao Yao's throat was a little dry.

"Are you alright?" Wang Yao shook her head and sighed. "You're just being stubborn."

As she spoke, she took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and put it into Gao Yao's hand: "Some pills to replenish qi and blood."

Gao Yao looked down at the porcelain bottle in her hand. It felt warm to the touch and still carried the residual warmth of her body.

He tried to refuse, but Wang Yao had already pressed his hand down.

"Take it." Her tone left no room for argument.

Wang Yao's hands were very soft, with delicate fingertips. Pressing them against the back of his hand felt like touching a warm piece of jade.

Gao Yao could feel the warmth of her palm and the strength of her fingers—not heavy, but impossible to break free from.

"Thank you, Senior Sister." He didn't refuse again and put the porcelain bottle into his pocket.

Wang Yao nodded in satisfaction and withdrew her hand.

She leaned against the handrail, her gaze passing over Gao Yao and landing on the open door.

"You're going to the third floor?"

Gao Yao nodded.

"What are you looking for?"

After thinking for a moment, Gao Yao chose to make up an excuse: "Elder Di asked me to fetch some books related to formations."

"Books related to formations?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow. "Elder Di asked you to fetch them?"

"Yes."

Wang Yao remained silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

The smile seemed to hint at Gao Yao's suspicions and a touch of helplessness.

"Go ahead." She waved her hand, turned around and walked downstairs. "Don't keep the old folks waiting."

Gao Yao watched her retreating figure until they reached the corner. Wang Yao stopped and turned back, her gaze falling on him.

"Oh, right." A slight smile played on her lips. "I know what that array flag is."

Gao Yao's heart skipped a beat.

After saying that, Wang Yao didn't linger and turned to go downstairs.

The footsteps gradually faded away, finally disappearing at the end of the stairs.

Gao Yao stood at the door, still clutching the token in his hand, and looked up at the third floor.

Wang Yao's words just now indicate that she knows about the existence of that array flag and that Di Yin asked her to retrieve it.

Even if I could do it all over again, I would still make the same choice, so there's nothing to regret.

Gao Yao shook his head, suppressing his distracting thoughts.

The third floor of the library is much smaller than the lower two floors, with only a few rows of bookshelves squeezed into a corner.

The light was dimmer, and the windows were covered by thick curtains, with only a few rays of light leaking in through the gaps, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

Following Di Yin's instructions, Gao Yao walked to the north wall, where there was a row of bookshelves that looked no different from the others.

He crouched down and rummaged through the bottom shelf of the bookshelf.

The entrance to the dark room that Di Yin mentioned was behind this row of bookshelves.

He fumbled around for a while before finally finding a groove on the inside of the bookshelf. With a click, the bookshelf slowly slid open, revealing a small door.

Behind the door was a small, dark room, only about ten feet square. It had no windows, and because it hadn't been opened for a long time, the air was so stuffy that it was hard to breathe.

In the center of the dark room stood a stone table, on which rested a wooden box.

Gao walked over and opened the wooden box.

There was a battle flag lying inside.

The flagpole is black, and you can't tell what material it's made of. It feels quite heavy in your hand.

The flag was dark red with some embroidered patterns that looked like some kind of array diagram, but not quite.

Gao Yao examined it from all angles but couldn't figure it out, so he put it in his pocket.

He walked out of the dark room, but did not rush to leave the third floor.

There aren't many opportunities for outer disciples to reach the third level. He had saved up contribution points for more than half a month to make this trip. It would be a huge loss if he only took one array flag and went back.

Gao Yao strolled slowly among the bookshelves, his gaze sweeping over the rows of books.

The Fire element's "Blazing Sun Palm," the Water element's "Layered Waves Technique," and the Metal element's "Shattering Gold Finger"...

His gaze lingered on the jade slips for a moment before shifting away.

After searching for a while, the two jade slips ended up in Gao Yao's hands, one named "Immovable Seal" and the other named "Blinded by a Leaf".

The two techniques are neither offensive nor defensive, but rather niche control techniques.

The Immovable Seal cannot directly harm people, but it can imprint earth elemental power onto the opponent.

The spiritual energy of the person in the middle of the line will gradually become sluggish, as if trapped in a quagmire. During the duration of the mark, the caster can sense the approximate location of the other party.

The beauty of this technique lies not in its ability to inflict damage, but in its ability to control and weaken the opponent while locking onto their location. Even when you can't win, you can at least ensure that the opponent can't run fast.

"Blinded by a Leaf" requires condensing a leaf of energy within the body, nurturing it with spiritual power, and releasing it to transform into miasma.

Within the area shrouded by miasma, visibility is obstructed and perception is greatly weakened, but the caster himself is unaffected.

To put it simply, it's a one-way smoke bomb.

Gao Yao knew that as a talisman maker, he had no shortage of spirit stones and offensive methods. Rather than wasting time cultivating offensive spells, it would be more practical to choose some ingenious techniques.

If you can't beat them, run away; if you can't run away, hide.

Survival is better than anything else.

Gao held the jade slip in his hand, then looked around the bookshelves to make sure there was nothing more suitable before taking the jade slip to the registration desk at the top of the stairs.

The person on duty was an old cultivator with gray hair, who was dozing off in his chair. Hearing the noise, he opened one eye, looked at the jade slip in Gao Yao's hand, and then at his token.

"The Immovable Seal? The Leaf Through the Eyes?" The old cultivator picked up the jade slip, flipped through it in his hand, then put it down, his tone tinged with surprise. "One is unorthodox, the other obscure. You certainly know how to pick them."

Gao Yao didn't reply, but simply pushed the token forward.

The old cultivator didn't say much, just scribbled a few notes in the booklet and handed the jade slip back to him.

"One month, return it when it's due."

"Disciple understands."

When I left the library, it was already dark.

The bamboo forest on the back mountain is still the same as before, with bamboo leaves rustling overhead and the wind blowing in from the sea.

Feeling the dampness on his face, Gao Yao walked up the stone steps, his pace quickening compared to usual.

The door to Di Yin's thatched hut was open.

Gao Yao stopped at the door and knocked.

"Come in."

Di Yin sat cross-legged on a futon, a pot of tea in front of him, the tea soup emerald green, steam rising gently. He didn't close his eyes today, but looked at the bamboo forest outside the window, as if he had already guessed that Gao Yao would come.

"Master," Gao Yao stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I have retrieved the array flags you requested."

He took the array flag from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

Di Yin didn't take it, he just glanced at it.

"Put it on the table."

Gao placed the battle flag on the low table, stepped back two paces, and stood with his hands hanging down.

Di Yin picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The tea was very hot, and he drank it slowly, as if he were savoring something.

After a long while, he put down his teacup and looked at Gao Yao.

"Do you know what this is?"

Gao Yao shook his head: "This disciple is dull-witted, please enlighten me, Master."

"This is a flag to break the formation." Di Yin picked up the flag and twirled it in his hand. "It's called the Formation Breaker."

Breaking the Formation?

Gao Yao stared at the dark red flag, pondering the name.

The "Disarming Flag" sounds like it's used to break formations.

"It can break first-tier formations, and most second-tier formations as well." Di Yin put the formation flag back on the table. "But it can only be used once."

One-time use?

Gao Yao was somewhat surprised. He had thought that Di Yin had asked him to fetch something valuable, but it turned out to be a disposable item.

However, upon further reflection, even if it can only be used once, something that can break through first or second-tier formations can be considered a life-saving trump card when caught in a critical situation caused by certain formations.

"Master, this battle flag..."

"I've given it to you," Di Yin interrupted him, his tone indifferent. "I don't need it."

Gao Yao was stunned.

He originally thought that the battle flags that Di Yin wanted to take were useful to him.

After all that trouble, it turned out to be for him?

......