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

Over the next few days, Gao Yao lived a very regular and cautious life, quietly passing the time in the trivialities of fishing, taking care of the fishpond and chicken coop, and keeping accounts.

Every day before dawn, he would get up and go to check on the fishpond.

Squatting by the fishpond, Gao Yao's face was filled with joy as he looked at the two newly added Tier 1 low-grade spirit fish in the pond.

One is the Snow Silver Shuttle, with its entire body covered in silver scales shaped like sharp knives, and the other is the Golden Thread Carp, with golden lines on its back and a body resembling willow leaves. Their scales, skin, blood, and flesh are all materials related to talisman making, and their value is much higher than that of the Red Skin Green Carp.

The newly introduced semi-spirit fish fry are also growing very fast, and in just a few days they have become visibly plumper.

He wasn't in a hurry to sell these spirit fish or semi-spirit fish. Frequently targeting the same batch of fry would inevitably attract attention.

During this time, Gao Yao went to the market again, bringing back the two remaining black iron carp.

Having learned from his previous experience selling the Red-skinned Green Fish, Gao Yao deliberately chose a quiet afternoon when there were fewer people around. He found a taciturn shopkeeper at the fish market and successfully made a deal for twenty low-grade spirit stones.

The transaction was quick and efficient. The shopkeeper simply checked the gills and the luster of the scales before readily handing over the spirit stones without asking any further questions about their origin.

Gao Yao felt somewhat relieved, knowing that his strategy of carefully selecting trading partners was correct.

Having worked at the fish market for over a month, he had already gotten a general idea of ​​the personalities of all the employees, which came in handy.

With his previous savings, Gao Yao finally had some money to spare.

Without hesitation, he immediately exchanged most of his spirit stones for upgrade materials.

At the stockpile, Gao Yao spent thirty low-grade spirit stones to order sixty cubic meters of solid, light bluish-gray granite under the name of Wang Yao.

This type of rock originates from certain specific mineral veins in the sea. It is dense and has a certain ability to attract spiritual energy, making it a commonly used material for building caves or important structures.

The transportation cost another two spirit stones, and a slightly larger barge was hired to transport the heavy stones back to Turtle Reef Island.

Looking at the neatly stacked stones in the open space next to the shack, Gao Yao felt much more at ease.

The amount of granite needed to upgrade the cave dwelling has been met, and the accumulation of lifespan can be solved simply by the rotation of half-spirit fish. We are just waiting for the right opportunity to begin upgrading the cave dwelling.

Gaoyao is famous for its planning. The upgraded cave dwelling not only greatly improves the living environment, but the increased concentration of spiritual energy also greatly benefits his cultivation.

In the face of an impending crisis, every improvement in one's own capabilities is of paramount importance.

Of course, all of this needs to be done quietly and steadily.

Gao Yao continued to go to the fish market every day to check the accounts, and also paid special attention to the discussions inside and outside the fish market, especially the snippets of conversation about the two new women who had arrived in the west.

Ye Ran seemed to adapt quickly. Some fishermen mentioned in casual conversation that they had seen her fishing with several other new fishermen in a small boat in the nearby waters.

Ye Zi, on the other hand, was almost completely out of the public eye, as if she had blended into that small reef without a trace.

On two separate occasions, Gao Yaoyin, while driving through the western waters, could see her reef island in the distance.

The shack seemed unchanged, and there were few people around.

This excessive silence deepened Gao Yao's suspicions.

Wang Yao still did not appear, and Manager Chen remained silent on the matter, so he naturally dared not ask any further questions.

Occasionally, he would feel a faint gaze fixed on him, but when Gao Yao became alert and searched, it would all come to nothing.

But this feeling of being secretly watched is like a thorn in my side.

On this uneventful day, the fishermen's convention arrived as scheduled.

......

That day, before dawn, the sea became lively.

Fishing boats of all sizes set sail from the scattered reefs and islands, converging on Huifan Beach on the east side of the main island.

The boat was full of fishermen, men, women, and children, many of whom wore expressions of long-awaited anticipation and a touch of nervousness.

For the vast majority of fishermen who spend their lives confined to their islands and toiling away, this is one of the few opportunities they have in a year to gather in large numbers and see so many of their peers.

Gao Yao also steered his small sampan, mingling with the flow of boats.

He specially wore a straw hat and changed into a slightly worn linen short jacket.

Apart from the essential fresh water, the boat was empty, trying to avoid attracting attention.

Huifan Beach is a huge crescent-shaped shoal, backed by the cliffs of the main island and facing the open sea. Its gentle terrain is large enough to accommodate thousands of people.

At this moment, the beach was a sea of ​​black people, bustling with noise.

There were no fewer than seven or eight hundred fishermen gathered there, most of them with dark complexions and simple clothes, bearing the marks of long-term labor.

Gao Yao tied his boat to a reef, silently walked onto the mudflats, and squeezed into the outer edge of the crowd.

He wasn't particularly tall for a fisherman, and by slightly lowering his head, he could easily conceal his figure.

Gao Yao's gaze quickly swept across the crowd. There were indeed a large number of people, with a male-to-female ratio of about 70% and a female-to-male ratio of about 30%. The majority of the crowd consisted of young adults, but there were also quite a few elderly people with weathered faces and teenagers.

Their clothing was incredibly varied, with patches upon patches being the norm. The few who were dressed relatively neatly and looked somewhat better were mostly people like Gao Yao who held positions in peripheral organizations of the sect, such as fish farms, or who were exceptionally skilled fishermen and had a relatively wealthy background.

The veteran fishermen chatted in hushed tones, while the newcomers mostly remained silent and observed. The scene appeared relaxed, but it was actually being subtly controlled by the sect disciples on the periphery, whose sharp eyes and auras were clearly stronger than those of the fishermen.

Gao Yao listened to the buzzing discussions around him, which were nothing more than the harvest, taxes, the recent monster attacks, and curiosity about the newcomers.

He looked up, his eyes searching through the crowd.

Soon, Ye Ran was spotted in the crowd, slightly to the left of the front.

She was still dressed smartly, with her sleeves rolled up, her hair neatly tied up, and her back ramrod straight, making her stand out among the crowd of people who were mostly hunched over or standing casually.

There were several unfamiliar faces standing beside him, looking around.

Gao Yao glanced at it only once before quickly looking away, as if it were a stranger.

He searched carefully several more times, but still couldn't find Ye Zi.

Did they not come, or are they hiding in an even less noticeable corner?

According to the rules, the newlyweds must be present.

Gao Yao quickly dismissed his doubts. In a sea of ​​people, it was normal to miss someone. Whether the other person came or not was none of his business.

Just then, a commotion arose ahead.

Several figures flew in from the direction of the main island, their robes fluttering like immortals descending to earth, perfectly fulfilling Gao Yao's previous life's fantasy of cultivating immortality. The newcomers were none other than Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yunxiang Sect.

Only by reaching the Foundation Establishment stage can one fly through the air without relying on external forces.

The leader was dressed in a dark blue robe, with a lean face, three long wisps of beard, and a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. He was one of the outer sect elders in charge of fishermen's affairs, and his surname was Zhao.

Manager Chen followed respectfully to the side, along with several other sect disciples whom Gao Yao did not recognize but whose auras were not weak.

The group landed and stepped onto the wooden platform.

The noisy beach quickly quieted down, and all eyes were focused on the platform, filled with a mixture of awe and unease.

Elder Zhao looked around and saw that the crowd bowed their heads in respect.

He cleared his throat; his voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout Huifan Beach.

"Gentlemen, it's that time of year again for our reunion."

The opening remarks were unremarkable.

Then came the routine sermon, nothing more than the saying that the Yunxiang Ancestor had protected all people, and that everyone should be grateful, work diligently, and abide by the rules and regulations.

Sure enough, it's the same in every world: meetings are always long and tedious.

Gao Yao lowered his eyes, silently complaining in his heart, but his mind was not on these polite words.

He noticed a familiar figure behind Steward Chen and Elder Zhao.

Wang Yao.

......