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

The next morning, Gao Yao sailed to the market.

As soon as the sun climbed above the eaves, the docks were already bustling with activity.

Fishing boats were moored close together on the shore, and fishermen hunched over as they loaded and unloaded cargo, the wooden barrels rolling over the gangplank with a gurgling sound.

The air was filled with a mixture of fishy, ​​sweaty, and cheap tobacco smells.

Following the familiar scent, Gao secured the boat and walked through the crowd into the market.

The market was much livelier than usual today. Everywhere you could hear people talking, each one louder than the last, as if they were arguing about something very important.

Gao Yao listened intently for a few moments.

"Have you heard? A blessed land has been discovered to the south!"

"A blessed land? What blessed land?"

"I don't know, it's said to have been left behind by ancient cultivators, and there are good things inside!"

"Really? A blessed land left behind by ancient cultivators, how many treasures must there be?"

"Who knows? Anyway, everyone's saying that someone has already gone in and brought out a lot of good stuff!"

Gao Yao paused in his steps.

A blessed land?

Was it left behind by ancient cultivators?

He recalled the events of the autumn examination and the words Ji Ping had spoken.

The idea of ​​a blessed land sounds like a stroke of luck, but who knows if it's just another trap?

Gao Yao shook his head and continued walking into the market.

Along the way, you could hear people talking about the blessed land everywhere.

Some were excited, some were skeptical, some were eager to try, and some were indifferent observers.

"If you ask me, this blessed land is like a pie falling from the sky—why not take advantage of it!"

"Eat? Be careful you don't choke! Who knows what's inside this blessed land? It's easy to get in, but hard to get out!"

"Fortune favors the bold; without taking risks, where will opportunities come from?"

Opportunity? I think it's more like a calamity...

Gao Yao remained indifferent, leaving all the discussions behind.

Whether the blessed land is real or fake, whether it's an opportunity or a trap, it has nothing to do with him.

His most important task now is to complete the upgrade of the material processing workshop and the talisman-making room, and then break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining as soon as possible.

Everything else is empty.

He strolled around the market, replenished the necessary materials, and prepared to return to test the effects of the Tier 2 Material Processing Workshop and Talisman Making Workshop.

When we left the market, the sun was already setting.

There were far fewer people on the dock, with only a few old fishermen squatting by the wall, smoking and chatting.

Gao Yao walked to where he was mooring his boat, untied the mooring rope, and jumped aboard.

The oars slicing through the water with a creaking sound.

He sat at the stern of the boat, watching the market grow smaller and smaller, the noisy discussions gradually dissipating in the sea breeze.

Gao Yao recalled the discussions he had just heard.

To be honest, he was curious about who had leaked the information.

But the thought only flashed through Gao Yao's mind before it was extinguished.

Curiosity is curiosity, but you only have one life.

Moreover, who knows if this blessed land is another trap set by the sect?

He hadn't forgotten about the autumn examinations.

There are no such things as free lunches in this world.

Even if there were, it wouldn't be his turn.

Rather than betting your life on a vague and uncertain opportunity, it's better to honestly manage your own little corner of the world.

Fishponds, chicken coops, material processing workshops, talisman-making rooms, meditation chambers, and cave dwellings—these are his foundations.

His confidence stemmed from his cultivation level, array formations, and talisman-making skills.

The Mountain and Sea Token was his greatest opportunity.

Everything else is meaningless.

No matter how exciting the outside world is, it has nothing to do with him.

All you need to do is hold onto your opportunities and accumulate experience gradually, and that will be enough.

......

Upgrading the material processing workshop and the talisman-making room went much more smoothly than upgrading the fishpond and the chicken coop.

Gao Yao squatted at the entrance of the material processing workshop, buried the last spirit stone into the array base, and patted the dust off his hands.

The Tranquility Array was successfully set up, and the Mountain and Sea Token interface appeared silently.

[Materials Processing Workshop (Tier 2): Avoids misfortune, calms the mind and concentrates energy, slightly increases concentration by 20%, slightly increases material processing aptitude by 20%, and allows brief spiritual observation.]

Spirit observation?

Gao Yao actually tried it out and got a general idea of ​​what to expect.

The so-called "spirit observation" refers to the ability to briefly see the flow of spiritual energy in materials during their lifetime, making it easier to find the right points and handle them effectively.

He then went to the talisman-making room and made talismans in the same way.

[Talisman Crafting Room (Tier 2): Calm your mind and focus your energy. Slightly increase concentration by 20%, slightly increase talisman drawing success rate by 20%, and have a small chance to add special effects.]

The bonuses from the second-tier talisman-making room are more direct, increasing focus and success rate by 20% each, and also adding a small probability of special effects.

Gao Yao leaned against the door frame, feeling much more at ease as he thought about the four Tier 2 buildings on the island that had already been upgraded.

only......

[Spiritual Fish Pond (Tier 3): Fish fry growth rate +100%, produces 1 drop of Jade Spirit Liquid per day, greatly increases the evolution probability of semi-spirit fish, and can awaken Tier 2 spirit fish]

[Spiritual Nurturing Ground: Has a mild nurturing and stabilizing effect on aquatic creatures that are just beginning to develop spiritual awareness.]

[Advanced Requirements: 500 years of lifespan, 480 low-grade spirit stones, 10 jin of Heavenly Fragrance Elixir, and the ability to inscribe a second-tier Spirit Gathering Array]

[Chicken Coop (Tier 3): Spirit eggs are laid once a day (maximum of 10 spirit chickens), spirit fat is laid once every three days, and can temporarily control Tier 2 spirit birds]

[Advanced Requirements: 300 years of lifespan, 240 low-grade spirit stones, 30 Dragon Soaring Grasses, and the ability to inscribe a second-tier Spirit Gathering Array]

[Materials Processing Workshop (Tier 3): Avoids misfortune, calms the mind and concentrates energy, slightly increases concentration by 30%, slightly increases material processing comprehension by 30%, and allows brief spiritual observation]

[Advanced Requirements: 300 years of lifespan, 240 low-grade spirit stones, 20 demon-subduing flowers, and the ability to inscribe a second-tier tranquility array]

[Talisman Crafting Room (Tier 3): Calm your mind and focus your energy. Slightly increase concentration by 30%, slightly increase talisman drawing success rate by 30%, and have a small chance to add special effects.]

[Advanced Requirements: 300 years of lifespan, 240 low-grade spirit stones, 20 vein stones, and the ability to inscribe a second-tier tranquility array]

Looking at the densely packed requirements for advancing to the third-tier buildings on the Mountain and Sea Token, Gao Yao had a terrible headache.

Spirit stones and lifespan are not a problem; by raising half-spirit fish in rotation, one can eventually accumulate enough.

But those materials I'd never even heard of, and the second-tier formation...

Living in the moment, he decided not to think about things that far ahead for now.

......

In the days that followed, Gao Yao practically locked himself in the Enlightenment Room, working day and night without rest.

With the increased production capacity of Jade Spirit Liquid and Spirit Eggs, the benefit is that cultivation progress is much faster than before.

Every day, without fail, he sat cross-legged and practiced his internal energy. The spiritual energy inside and outside his body flowed like a tireless tide, repeatedly washing away the acupoints that had not yet been opened.

The benefits of the Enlightenment Chamber are fully realized here.

With the same cultivation method and the same resources, he broke through to the next level almost twice as fast as he had expected.

After eight levels of refinement, success will come naturally.

He could feel that the spiritual energy in his body had become several times more abundant, and the speed of its circulation was also faster. Each advancement in the Fetal Breathing Realm could be described as a qualitative leap.

More importantly, the effects of fetal breathing are more pronounced. Even when sitting in a closed enlightenment room, one can clearly sense the spiritual energy from the outside world seeping into the body through the pores.

Gao Yao stood up and stretched his stiff limbs.

I'm only one level away from the ninth level of Qi Refining.

but......

Thinking that the "Kun Yuan Hua Sheng Gong" only goes up to the ninth level of Qi Refining, the innate and foundation-building techniques are all in Wang Yao's hands.

Gao Yao leaned against the wall of the enlightenment room, staring at the mottled wooden planks above his head, and the tangled mess in his mind surged up again.

To be honest, he was fed up with this feeling of being controlled by others.

If Wang Yao doesn't give him the subsequent cultivation techniques, he'll be stuck at the ninth level of Qi Refining for the rest of his life.

Who knows if there are any hidden tricks in the technique?

Gao Yao shook his head. Thinking about these things now was useless. He should focus on breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining first.

As for the subsequent cultivation techniques, we need to find a way to get them from Wang Yao without arousing her suspicion. That woman Wang Yao may seem easygoing, but she's more shrewd than anyone else.

Every time Gao Yao saw her, he felt like a fish being stalked by a cat, unable to escape or hide.

No matter how difficult it is, we have to go. The cultivation technique is our lifeline. If we are stuck at the ninth level of Qi Refining and can't move, what's the difference between that and waiting to die?

Gao Yao sighed, stood up and walked out of the enlightenment room. He stared blankly at the fish swimming in the pond.

To be honest, he's a little envious of these fish now.

No need to worry about others' opinions, no need to scheme and plot; eat your fill, travel, sleep when you're tired—life is simple.

But I can't do it myself. People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill.

......