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

Gao Yao originally thought that life would continue like this, day after day.

He cultivates his skills by crafting talismans and accumulating spirit stones, occasionally going to the back mountain to listen to Di Yin's teachings before returning to continue his cultivation.

It's mundane and monotonous, like the tides on the sea that rise and fall day after day, nothing new.

But this place has never been a place where people can live in peace.

He had just come out of the talisman-making room that day, his hands still covered in spiritual ink, when the sect's communication paper crane landed in his hand.

Gao Yao opened it and his face darkened.

The sect summoned all outer disciples.

No reason or explanation was given; only the time and place were provided.

Gao crumpled the paper crane into a ball, stood at the entrance of the shack, and watched the tide gradually rise. A bad premonition surged up in his heart again.

The last time I received a message by paper crane was before the autumn examination. A summons was issued, and about three hundred ships set sail, but less than 20% returned alive.

……

The following day, Rashomon Island, training ground.

Before dawn, the mist from the sea drifted over the ground, shrouding the training ground in shadows.

When Gao Yao arrived, there were already quite a few people standing in the arena. Their dusty robes mingled together in the fog, like a group of fish that had just come ashore.

No one spoke, only the rustling of footsteps and the occasional low cough.

Gao Yao found a corner to stand in and his gaze swept across the crowd.

Old Ma, leaning on his cane, stood by the steps not far away, looking down to light his cigarette. The dampness made it difficult to light, so he simply tucked the cigarette back into his belt.

Ye Zi huddled at the edge of the crowd, head down, twisting the hem of her clothes as if trying to hide herself in the shadows. Ye Ran stood beside Ye Zi; the two appeared to be talking, and it was unclear how they had ended up together.

Gao Yao had no intention of chatting with anyone, so he withdrew his gaze and waited with his eyes lowered.

At dawn, several streaks of light flew from the direction of the main peak and landed in front of the martial arts arena.

The leader was a tall, thin old man wearing a dark blue robe, with a gaunt face and three long wisps of beard. He was Elder Zhao, who was in charge of the outer sect affairs.

Behind him were several deacons, two faces Gao Yao recognized, Zhou Cheng and Li Su, and six other Foundation Establishment disciples in inner sect attire.

Elder Zhao didn't waste any words and got straight to the point.

An ancient blessed land was discovered in the south. The Yun Kingdom also received the news and sent people over. The two sides have already clashed several times on the outskirts of the blessed land, with casualties on both sides.

The sect has decided to establish a stronghold near the blessed land, and disciples need to be transferred to guard it. It is a mandatory task, and all those who are summoned must go. There is no room for discussion.

It is both a mission and an opportunity; all those who go there will have the chance to enter the blessed land.

After he finished speaking, the training ground fell silent for a moment.

Gao Yao's face remained expressionless, but in his heart he had already cursed the sect's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Another stroke of luck?

Back when the autumn exams were being held, wasn't it all about chance and opportunity?

Both the Shark Sea and the Whale King Festival were built on the cost of human lives.

This blessed land is probably another slaughterhouse.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed several outer disciples beside him. Some had pale faces, some had furrowed brows, and others had eager eyes, probably because they truly believed in the story of the opportunity.

Gao Yao withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly.

Believe whatever you want; when you get there, those who are destined to die will still die, regardless of whether you believe or not.

Elder Zhao continued explaining the regulations for the garrison.

A team of four, led by a Foundation Establishment disciple, will be stationed for a period of three months. During this time, they must obey the orders of the leading disciple and are not allowed to leave their posts without permission.

Gao Yao silently calculated in his heart that the Foundation Establishment stage team leader was not bad, but it was definitely not good either.

If they really encounter a tough opponent, Foundation Establishment disciples might be able to protect themselves, but the remaining outer disciples are nothing more than cannon fodder to buy time.

The assignment list was read out quickly.

Gao Yao heard his name called and was placed on Li Su's team.

Li Su, the Foundation Establishment cultivator with the round face and angry eyes, this was not the first time they had teamed up.

Although the other party's face showed anger without being intimidating, he was quite amiable. However, despite his amiable demeanor, Gao Yao knew that the other party was ruthless when it came to taking action.

The other two in the team were a middle-aged man they didn't recognize named Zheng Tong, who was at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

There was another one. Gao Yao turned his head and glanced at him, only to meet that undisguised gaze.

When Ye Ran saw Gao Yao looking over, she nodded slightly and smiled, as if to say hello.

Gao Yao nodded, looked away, and felt his unease deepen.

The sect didn't give them much time to prepare.

After the list was read out, Elder Zhao instructed each team to return to their lodgings to pack their belongings and to gather at the dock at noon.

Gao Yao hurriedly returned to Turtle Reef Island, taking everything he could with him: talismans, pills, spirit stones, magical artifacts, and the True Wonder given to him by Di Yin.

After completing the preparations, he did not set off immediately, but squatted by the pond and stirred the water with his hand.

"Enlightenment".

A ripple spread across the water, and the turtle's shadow rose to the surface.

Wu Ling has recovered quite well recently. His phantom image is much more solid than before, and his eyes are no longer as dim as when he first woke up.

"Sage." Wu Ling bowed his body.

"Come on a long trip with me."

Wu Ling was stunned for a moment. Since being enlightened, it had never left the island.

But Wu Ling knew that the sage's actions must have a profound meaning.

"Your disciple obeys."

Gao Yao had no intention of taking Wu Ling away from Turtle Reef Island, after all, this island was his foundation, but this time the blessed land involved foundation building, so he had to take a layer of insurance.

But another problem arises: the island remains even after the people leave, and there are still second-tier buildings on it. If someone were to sneak up there, it wouldn't just be a matter of losing a few spirit fish and spirit chickens.

Fortunately, he had long anticipated this day would come.

Gao Yao first caught all the spirit fish and spirit chickens, intending to take them to the market to sell along the way.

He then activated the Mountain and Sea Decree to shut down all Tier 2 buildings.

Those houses that once shone with spiritual light were transformed into ordinary land in the blink of an eye.

After all that was done, Turtle Reef Island was just an ordinary fisherman's dwelling.

"Let's go."

......

At noon, the treasure ship took off on time, and the sea breeze rushed in from all directions.

Gao Yao glanced down.

Fishponds, Turtle Reef Island, and the fishermen at sea grew smaller and smaller, gradually becoming scattered dots, until finally they were obscured by clouds and could no longer be seen.

He withdrew his gaze, leaned against the side of the boat, and closed his eyes.

The treasure boat flew for about three hours.

The sea beneath my feet changed from light blue to grayish-blue, and then from grayish-blue to dark green.

Occasionally, you can see a few reefs and islands, scattered on the sea surface, like a handful of pebbles casually scattered by someone.

The further south you fly, the fewer islands there are, and the more open the sea becomes.

Later, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of water, and even seabirds were few and far between.

Gao Yao opened his eyes and looked at this unfamiliar sea.

To be honest, he was a little flustered, feeling the unfamiliarity and alienation of arriving in an unknown place for the first time, which made him feel uneasy.

The treasure ship slowed down, and an island appeared on the sea ahead.

Although it is called an island, it is more like several large reefs squeezed together, with a narrow shoal carved out in the middle by the sea.

There were some shacks on the shallows, some facing east and some facing west, as if whoever came would mark off a piece of land, build a shack and settle down, and no one cared about anyone else.

Several dilapidated fishing boats were moored on the shallows, upside down, with moss growing in the cracks of the planks, indicating that they had probably been abandoned for a long time.

The only decent-looking thing was the two-story stone building at the end of the shallows.

Gao Yao guessed that it was added after Yunxiangzong temporarily requisitioned it.

This place also has a nice name: Yunjinfang.

Looking at the chaotic and dilapidated scene before him, Gao Yao felt that the name was ironic.

Li Su was the first to jump off the treasure boat and led the four of them toward the stone building.

As they passed several shacks along the way, Gao Yao glanced inside. They were pitch black inside, and he couldn't see anything. He could only smell a musty odor mixed with the stench of rotten fish.

A few rogue cultivators squatted at the entrance of the shack. When they saw them coming, they looked up at them for a moment, then immediately lowered their heads again. Their faces were expressionless, as if they had long been used to this life of being conscripted.

The stone building looks more spacious inside than from the outside.

The first floor is the lobby, with a few tables and chairs, and a nautical chart hanging on the wall, marking the nearby sea areas and islands.

Several disciples dressed in the robes of the Yunxiang Sect were gathered around a table, whispering about something. When they saw Li Su enter, they all stood up and bowed.

Li Su nodded and led the four people up to the second floor.

The second floor was divided into several small rooms, each small enough to barely fit a bed and a table.

Li Su assigned rooms, gave a few brief instructions, mainly about resting and being assigned duty areas early the next morning, and then returned to his own room.

Gao Yao went into the small room assigned to him and closed the door.

The room was dark, with only a small window letting in a little light.

He put his bundle on the bed and walked to the window to look outside.

From this vantage point, one can see most of the shallow beach and the hazy sea in the distance. Several slackers are squatting at the entrance of their shack, cooking over a fire, the smoke drifting in the sea breeze.

Further away, at the horizon where the sea meets the sky, several streaks of light could be faintly seen streaking across the sky; they were probably cultivators from the Yun Kingdom.

To be honest, Gao Yao is starting to regret it.

It's not that I regret coming here, it's that I regret not being prepared enough.

Even if I could stay an extra day, draw a few more talismans, and collect a few more spirit stones, I would feel more at ease.

He stared at the small window, his mind racing with various thoughts.

This place is not far from the blessed land, nor is it far from the Cloud Kingdom. It is said to be a garrison, but in reality, it means that they are placed on the front line and sent wherever needed.

The sect is playing a clever game, using outer disciples as building blocks, filling in wherever there's a leak.

Gao Yao sighed, hoping nothing would happen in the next three months.

......