The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

The sea breeze was blowing fiercely, making my robes rustle.

Li Ping piloted the spirit boat in front, with the small boat behind, and the two boats headed eastward one after the other.

The moonlight shone on the sea, and apart from the sound of waves crashing against the ship, there was no other noise.

About fifteen minutes later, a group of reefs appeared on the sea ahead.

Li Ping slowed down the spirit boat and examined it carefully.

These reefs are enormous, dark and resembling the backs of giant beasts emerging from the seabed, jagged and stretching for about a hundred feet.

The surface of the reef is covered with honeycomb-like holes. Some holes are no bigger than a fist, while others are as wide as eight feet, just enough for a cultivator to hide in.

"Fellow Daoist Li, how is this hiding place?"

The square-faced cultivator, surnamed Zhou, caught up from behind and pointed, "Look at those big holes. If you shrink back in, no one else will be able to find you."

Li Ping did not rush to respond.

He squinted, his gaze slowly sweeping over the rocky outcrops.

"These holes are indeed quite good." Li Ping nodded calmly, "But... why are there already people hiding inside?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere on the small boat suddenly became quiet.

The male cultivator surnamed Zhou chuckled twice and explained, "Fellow Daoist, you jest. Only the three of us know about this place; there's no one else here."

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Zhou told others?" Li Ping interrupted him, his gaze falling on a certain direction among the reefs.

There, deep within the shadows of the three hollows, there were barely perceptible fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Upon seeing this, the smile on the face of the cultivator surnamed Zhou finally disappeared.

"Fellow Daoist Li has keen eyesight, but isn't it a bit too late to notice something amiss now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there were several whooshing sounds as five figures suddenly darted out from the hollow of the reef.

The five men, dressed in robes of various colors and with cold, stern faces, spread out in a crescent shape, subtly blocking Li Ping's escape route.

Including the three people on the small boat behind him, there were a total of eight people, who surrounded Li Ping from the front and back, trapping him in the middle.

Li Ping remained calm and looked them over one by one.

"Qi Refining Level 5".

"Sixth level of Qi Refining".

"...They are all at the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

Li Ping turned to look at the cultivator surnamed Zhou, his expression unchanged: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, eight people is not a small number."

"But aren't these mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators underestimating me too much?"

The cultivator surnamed Zhou did not speak, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Why don't you take another look now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, something unexpected happened.

The auras of the three people on the ship suddenly changed. Their cultivation levels, which were originally only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, suddenly surged in an instant.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou was surrounded by a burst of spiritual light, and an imposing aura emanated from him.

Qi Refining Level 7.

Not only him, but the auras of the female cultivator and the other male cultivator also rose at the same time, steadily stopping at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Their disheveled appearance had completely disappeared.

Although the clothes were torn, there wasn't a single scratch on the exposed skin. It was clearly a disguise created using a secret technique.

"So you were hiding your cultivation level from the beginning." Li Ping raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.

Seeing his expression, the last bit of doubt in the Zhou family's mind was dispelled.

"You only find out now? Too late."

He gave a cold laugh, and with a flick of his right hand, a bronze lamp appeared in his palm.

At the same time, the five people on the reef also moved in unison.

With a few swift movements, the five people took their positions and, together with the three on the boat, surrounded Li Ping from all sides.

Their footsteps on the sea were light, leaving no splash; they were clearly seasoned veterans who made a living on the water.

The spiritual pressure of the eight-legged essay rose and fell under the moonlight, revealing its murderous intent.

Li Ping stood there, his expression unchanged.

He lightly tapped the storage pouch at his waist, and a streak of dark light flew out, landing steadily in front of him.

The sword case was entirely black, with fine cloud patterns engraved on its surface; just from its appearance, one could tell it was no ordinary item.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou's eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "You actually have a sword box? I didn't expect you to be such a fat sheep."

Upon hearing this, the other cultivators also revealed expressions of greed.

The sword box is a superior item, capable of nurturing and storing swords, far surpassing ordinary storage artifacts.

Moreover, a cultivator who can carry a sword box with him must be quite wealthy.

"Brothers, we've really struck gold this time," laughed a scarred man at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

"Enough talk, let's finish this quickly," another lean man said in a deep voice. "Be careful, things might get complicated if we delay."

The cultivator surnamed Zhou acted decisively, shouting, "Attack!"

Before he finished speaking, he made the first move.

Suddenly, the bronze lamp in his hand lit up, and a crimson streak shot out from the wick, carrying a scorching heat wave, and struck Li Ping's face.

Wherever it passed, the sea hissed and steamed up a cloud of white mist.

At the same time, another male cultivator in a gray robe, at the seventh level of Qi Refining, moved swiftly and approached from the side.

He flicked his hands in quick succession, and three talismans flew out of his hands, transforming into three fiery snakes in the air, shrieking as they shot towards Li Ping's back.

The only female cultivator then drew her bow and shot three jet-black arrows in a triangular formation.

The five-person team was equally impressive.

Blade flashes, sword energy, talismans, spells... seven or eight attacks poured down on Li Ping from all directions like a storm.

In an instant, the sea surface was filled with flashes of light and a palpable sense of impending doom.

Li Ping's expression remained unchanged as he slapped the storage bag with his backhand.

A completely transparent bead flew out and hovered three feet above his head.

Since purchasing the Thousand-Pound Pearl, Li Ping has been refining it day and night with his own magical power, and now he can use it as easily as his own arm.

"Press down," Li Ping hissed.

The Thousand-Pound Pearl suddenly emitted a blue light, and the originally transparent pearl now seemed to have water flowing slowly within it.

A moment later, the thread in the bead suddenly turned into golden light and shot into the sky.

The surrounding cultivators, bewildered, were about to unleash their full power when their movements suddenly froze.

It felt as if a thousand pounds of weight had suddenly pressed down on them, and all eight of them slowed down.

The five cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining were the most pathetic; their knees buckled, and they nearly collapsed onto the sea.

The three Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivators barely managed to stand, their faces showing shock.

Their offensive efforts also suffered the consequences.

The crimson ribbon seemed to be filled with lead, its speed suddenly reduced, and the three arrows fell crookedly downwards, while the fire snakes formed from the talismans shattered inch by inch under the heavy pressure.

Everything seemed to have stopped in time.

Li Ping nodded slightly and calmly made his move.

He raised his hand and waved, and a giant wave rose out of thin air, crashing fiercely into the crimson ribbon.

With a deafening roar, water and fire clashed, white mist filled the sky, and the crimson ribbon vanished without a trace as it was swept away by the giant wave.

The three arrows shot by the female cultivator flew close by, and Li Ping flicked his fingers, sending out three spring-like bursts of magical energy that struck the arrowheads directly.

With three muffled thuds, the arrows were shattered into pieces.

As for those insignificant sword and spear attacks, Li Ping simply channeled his magic power to disperse them all.

In the blink of an eye, the eight-person siege crumbled.

The sea was quiet for a moment.

The eight cultivators looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear.

They originally thought that it would be an easy task for eight people to gang up on a lone cultivator.

Who would have thought that this person, fighting eight against one, not only didn't panic, but instead calmly toyed with them as if he were playing with them.

"This...how is this possible?"

"He's only at the sixth level of Qi Refining..."

"Something's not right, this person is suspicious!"

Some of the more timid ones had already given up in their hearts.

His gaze began to dart behind him, calculating the safest place to retreat.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou felt a sudden unease, realizing something was wrong.

Having made a living by robbing cultivators for so many years, he could tell at a glance what the group was thinking.

If someone were to flee now, the formation would break, and the remaining people would be no match for that person.

He gritted his teeth and shouted sternly, "What are you afraid of? You're just relying on a magic artifact."

"With the eight of us working together, we can wear him down, even if it's just a matter of time."

"Whoever breaks his bead first gets the lion's share of what he has."

That really worked.

The few cultivators who had been wavering suddenly had their eyes light up again when they heard the words "get the lion's share".

Yes, no matter how powerful a person is, there is only one person.

The gravitational field of a single bead has its limits; if eight people apply pressure simultaneously, it will eventually break down.

"Brother Zhou is right, let's fight him."

"Let's go together."

The eight regained their footing and began frantically channeling their magical power.

Various magical artifacts and talismans were unleashed once again, this time with an even fiercer attack than before.

At this moment, the water inside the bead suspended in mid-air is no longer flowing, but spinning rapidly.

Like a tornado, the surface of the bead trembled slightly, as if it would burst open at any moment.

"I spent several hundred spirit stones to buy it, I don't want it to break after just one use."

With a slight thought, Li Ping touched the sea surface with his toes and leaped into the air.

He looked down at the eight cultivators below, his gaze sweeping over their faces one by one, before gently patting the sword box.

"out."

hum.

Twelve silver beams shot into the sky from the sword scabbard.

The eight people below all changed color, thinking that a flying sword had been drawn, and they all activated their strongest defensive measures.

Protective aura, defensive artifacts, Vajra talismans... they used every means at their disposal.

However, the twelve silver beams did not attack them.

They drew twelve silver arcs in the air, falling in all directions and plunging into the sea with a series of splashes, landing precisely on the outer edge of the encirclement, trapping the eight people along with the surrounding twenty-foot radius of the sea.

Upon closer inspection, the eight people realized that the twelve silver lights were actually twelve array flags.

Before they could react, all twelve battle flags shook simultaneously.

A deep, trembling sound came from beneath the sea.

Then, something happened that left everyone speechless.

The radiance of the bright moon in the sky seemed to be drawn by something, slowly converging towards this place.

The moonlight no longer fell evenly, but transformed into thousands of fine silver threads, drifting in from all directions and disappearing into the twelve array flags.

As the moonlight poured in, the area enclosed by the array flags became as bright as day, so bright that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Outside the formation, however, darkness suddenly descended.

The sea surface within a radius of several dozen feet was shrouded in inky blackness.

From a distance, one would only see a single, lonely light shining on the vast sea.

"This is... a formation?"

Before the cultivator surnamed Zhou could finish speaking, a bone-chilling cold aura surged in from all directions.

It felt like countless ice needles simultaneously piercing into my meridians and deep into my bone marrow.

The five cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining were the first to give way, their bodies trembling, their lips turning blue, and they could no longer hold onto their magical artifacts.

Even three Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivators aren't much better off.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou desperately tried to use his magic power to resist, but found that his proud cultivation level was utterly ineffective against this cold force.

"What...what kind of formation is this..." The female cultivator's teeth chattered.

"Cold...so cold..." The gray-robed male cultivator huddled up, barely able to speak.

They tried to use their magic to dispel the chill that had invaded their bodies, but the chill was extremely strange. Their magic was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, having no effect whatsoever. In fact, even their magic was frozen solid.

At this moment, they finally panicked.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou suddenly raised his head and looked at the figure in mid-air.

Under the moonlight, Li Ping stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the sea breeze.

His face remained expressionless, as if the lives of the eight people below were nothing more than a trivial matter.

"Fellow Daoist, no, senior, spare our lives!" The cultivator surnamed Zhou repeatedly cupped his hands. "We were blind and offended you, senior. Please be magnanimous and spare our lives. We will offer you everything we have."

"Now you know fear?" Li Ping glanced at him indifferently.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with pleading.

Li Ping withdrew his gaze: "It's too late."

Two words, light and airy, devoid of any emotion.

He put his right index and middle fingers together and gently tapped a flag below.

"凝".

The banner shone brightly, and countless threads of moonlight converged on its surface, instantly condensing into a sword aura.

The sword aura was about three feet long, entirely silver-white, with its edges gleaming with the cold light unique to moonlight.

With a wave of his hand, Li Ping unleashed a sword aura that silently pierced the night sky, shooting towards the cultivator surnamed Zhou.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou looked terrified and tried to cast a spell to resist, but at this moment he had already been corroded by the cold air, and his magic power was not moving at all in his meridians.

With a sizzle, the sword energy pierced through the body, leaving a bright red bloodstain.

The cultivator surnamed Zhou suddenly froze, his mouth opened, but he couldn't even let out a scream.

The next moment, he fell backward and into the sea.

A streak of crimson rose to the surface of the sea, only to be swept away by the waves.

Upon seeing the miserable state of the cultivator surnamed Zhou, the remaining seven people turned ashen-faced.

"escape!"

Someone shouted first, and the seven people scattered in different directions like a swarm of wasps startled.

Some people mustered all their strength and ran towards the edge of the formation.

Someone plunged into the water, trying to escape underwater.

Some people even leaped into the air, attempting to break through from above.

Li Ping watched this scene without even lifting his eyelids.

He put two fingers together and tapped them eleven times in the air, slowly and deliberately.

With each tap, a battle flag shone brightly, condensing into a sword aura.

Eleven sword energies hung in mid-air, their cold light flashing like eleven small, cold moons.

Then, he lightly flicked his five fingers.

A sharp sound rang out as sword energy crisscrossed across the sea surface shrouded by the array, moving so fast it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

A sword aura skimmed across the water's surface, piercing through the chest of the gray-robed male cultivator who was diving into the water.

Another sword aura shot down diagonally, pinning the scarred man who had leaped into the air back into the sea.

The female cultivator screamed and fired an arrow in an attempt to block it. The arrow shattered into dust the moment it met the sword energy, and then the sword energy pierced through her, leaving a thin red line on her neck.

On the sea, screams, splashes, and the sound of sword energy cutting through the air rose and fell in waves.

In less than ten breaths, the world was completely still.

Li Ping stood alone in mid-air, his robes fluttering in the sea breeze.