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

Ma Dao, observing their expressions, knew that these three were unreliable.

He sighed softly and called out to those behind him, "Fellow Daoist Feng, Fellow Daoist Man, come out."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of wild laughter rang out, and two cultivators emerged from the woods.

The man, who looked sickly and was holding a cane, was Feng Yuan.

The other person was tall and strong, and was Mandu.

The two men moved at different speeds, and as they approached, the three subordinates couldn't help but show fear and retreat slightly.

Among the cultivators in the Great Black Sea, the scholar is undoubtedly the most renowned.

Besides these, there are Feng Yuan and Man Du.

Both of them were at the eighth level of Qi Refining, but their reputation lay not in their cultivation level, but in their methods.

At sea, they are fond of double-crossing, often robbing others when they have succeeded.

Moreover, they are extremely cruel to their subordinates. If they make even the slightest mistake, not only will they be fined and have their spirit stones confiscated, but they will also suffer physical pain.

New cultivators who have just entered the path of tribulation fear encountering these two people the most.

The three exchanged a silent glance, their faces showing sorrow.

"Fellow Daoist Ma, your three subordinates seem to be afraid of us." Feng Yuan's face twitched as he sneered.

Ma Dao scoffed and said, "Don't you two know your own reputations?"

"Fellow Daoist Ma, you are mistaken," Man Du interjected. "We two brothers are here today to lend a hand. Not only are your men disrespectful, but they are also so ill-mannered. Isn't that inappropriate?"

He glanced at Ma Dao, and seeing that he was staring straight ahead and had no reaction, he continued, "Fellow Daoist Ma, why don't you train your subordinate a bit?"

Upon hearing this, the three men trembled and looked to Ma Dao for help.

"Enough." Ma Dao snorted coldly, his face showing hostility. "If you still want to do business with me, you'd better tone it down."

"Fellow Daoist Man, say less. Let's hear what Fellow Daoist Ma has to say first," Feng Yuan said.

Upon hearing this, Mandu smiled slightly and said no more.

"Our target this time is the Mu family, mid-stage Qi Refining," Ma Dao said.

"That's it? Is there any profit in it?" Feng Yuan asked doubtfully.

"I've inquired about him; he's the son-in-law of the Mu family, and Mu Yuebai's Daoist partner," Ma Dao said.

Upon hearing the name Mu Yuebai, Man Du immediately became interested.

He chuckled and immediately decided, "I'll take this deal."

"Mandu, Mu Yuebai is not someone to be trifled with. Aren't you afraid that if you capture her man, no one will talk to you anymore?" Feng Yuan chuckled.

Mandu knew he was being sarcastic, but he didn't respond. He just said coldly, "If you don't dare to do it, then get lost."

"Don't get so worked up," Feng Yuan reassured him, then changed the subject and asked, "Ma Dao, how much profit is there in this guy? We don't want to run out of money later."

"Foundation Establishment Dao Companions, how much do you think you can profit from them?"

Ma Dao asked a question in return, but didn't say anything more, leaving Feng Yuan standing aside.

After a moment's hesitation, Feng Yuan finally succumbed to the temptation and agreed.

The three reached an agreement and then began to discuss the profit-sharing ratio.

After an argument, the three decided to split the spoils 30/30, with the remainder going to Ma Dao's three men.

"If that's the case, then let's proceed," said Mandu.

Ma Dao raised his hand to block him, shaking his head and saying, "Although this person is only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his methods are extraordinary. We should discuss this further before making a decision."

"Just a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, why be so cautious?" Man Du said disdainfully.

"If that person were easy to deal with, would I have needed to bring the two of you here?"

One sentence was enough to calm Mandu down and make him stop in his tracks.

Ma Dao nodded, then beckoned everyone to his side and began to whisper among themselves.

Li Ping was unaware of the conspiracy on the deserted island.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged on the reef, facing the blazing sun in the east, practicing breathing exercises.

Compared to Li Ping's composure, Mu Ming and the other two were somewhat anxious and restless.

The three of them would get up from time to time to look around, fearing that some cultivators might cross the patrol area.

"Brother Li, it's been a whole morning, why hasn't there been any movement?" Mu Ming asked.

"Brother Ming, please rest a moment..."

Before Li Ping could finish speaking, a communication talisman on his waist lit up, and Tie Fuhai's voice came through his ear.

"Twenty miles to the southeast, there are cultivators lurking around, acting suspiciously, like cultivators who have undergone tribulation."

Upon hearing this, Li Ping immediately stood up and called out to everyone, "We've got work to do."

After saying that, he led Mu Ming and the other two across the sea.

Along the way, the four of them were on high alert, observing carefully.

A moment later, they arrived at the place indicated by Tie Fuhai and indeed found a cultivator.

Li Ping turned around and gave him a wink. Mu Ming and the other two understood immediately and spread out to surround the man.

"Fellow Daoist, this is the territory of the Mu family. Please state your name and the reason for your visit," Li Ping called out.

The cultivator was dressed in green, and judging from his aura, he was probably in the middle stage of Qi Refining.

The cultivator had been sitting still ever since Li Ping and his companions arrived.

At this moment, there was no response to being called out.

Upon seeing this, the four men couldn't help but show a strange expression and became even more vigilant.

After waiting a moment, Li Ping called out again.

The monk in blue remained seated, motionless.

Li Ping lost his patience and directly unleashed the Abyss Flow Collapse.

A tiny spring, the size of a bean, slowly condensed at his fingertip. He looked at the cultivator in blue robes and said coldly, "If you continue to slyly remain silent, I may take action."

As magical power was continuously poured in, the spring gradually became clear and translucent. Its power did not make the blue-robed cultivator speak, but instead attracted the attention of Mu Ming and his two companions.

The three men looked at the tiny spring and their hearts stirred. They felt that if they didn't use their own methods, they would probably be unable to withstand it.

Time slowly passed, and Li Ping's last bit of patience was worn away.

He flicked his fingers, and the spring flowed out of his hand.

It was so fast that it arrived in the blink of an eye.

With a deafening roar, the spring burst open, and the magical power contained within poured out instantly.

Water splashed everywhere on the sea, and the place where the monk in blue robes sat was shrouded in a cloud of mist.

"Still no response?"

Li Ping was surprised and somewhat confused.

The four of them were not in a hurry. After the mist gradually dissipated and they were sure there were no problems, they cautiously approached.

Upon closer inspection, there was no trace of the cultivator's remains on the rock, only a tattered talisman.

Li Ping picked up the talisman and examined it carefully.

"A puppet transformation talisman, and a top-grade one at that."

Mu Ming and the other two were surprised to hear this.

"This is……"

Mu Yijun opened his mouth, but seeing Mu Ming shake his head, he had to stop.

Afterwards, the four of them searched the vicinity carefully and left only after finding nothing amiss.

Throughout the journey, everyone wore solemn expressions and seemed preoccupied.

Once back on the rocks, Mu Yijun immediately asked, "Was someone testing us?"

Mu Ming nodded: "Ordinary puppet transformation talismans are generally used to confuse enemies, but top-grade puppet transformation talismans can transmit the avatar's senses back."

"If the other side is a Tribulation Cultivator, I'm afraid all four of our cultivation auras will be leaked."

"This group of people is not simple."

"Brother Ming is right. But using talismans to test them shows that they don't have overwhelming strength," Li Ping said.

"What does Brother Li mean?"

"Let's observe the situation first," Li Ping said calmly. "If the newcomer's cultivation is average, kill them directly. If they are powerful, we'll call for reinforcements."

"That's excellent."