How can one become an immortal with such laziness?

Jin Xiu, looking menacing, narrowed his eyes and stared at Hong Li in the screen: "Little girl, I don't agree with you using this kind of excuse, the same excuse that guy used back then, to just run away like that!"

"Is that so, old lady..."

Hong Li narrowed her eyes as well. Was it another one blocking her way?

Hmph, it's a deal, I'm going to carry her to new heights!

"Then what if I absolutely have to leave?"

Hongli lowered her voice: "May I ask, Mother-in-law, what are your thoughts?"

"Oh? I wouldn't call it profound insight, I'm just trying to reason with you. Little girl!"

Jin Xiu, equally deliberate, said, "Tell me your reasons why you can't leave!"

"Oh? I'm all ears?"

"Heh, listen up!"

"..."

Elder Huo Le glanced at Senior Brother Shui Ran, then conjured a fire shield and quietly put it over his mouth. It had nothing to do with him, but he hoped the blood wouldn't splatter on his head later!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 176 Let me see who's not cooperating with everyone... Oh, it's me. Never mind then!

"Do you think we, the Five Elements Sect, can come and go as we please?"

Kim Soo launched an attack.

"Heh, first of all, I never intended to come."

Hong Li snorted lightly: "Secondly, I am just living outside, not leaving the sect. You can't put that on me."

"Really?"

Jin Xiu snorted coldly and retorted, "So, in a critical moment for the sect, you're going to disregard the bigger picture and turn around and run away?"

"Ha, what does it matter to me what the big picture is?"

Hong Li replied without hesitation: "Isn't the overall situation currently under your control, Elder? Now, this is your responsibility."

Wait until you betray the sect's trust, lead your team to defeat in this battle, and the situation deteriorates to the point where I, an ordinary disciple, need to maintain order, before you say such things!

Or are you implicitly admitting that you can't handle the overall situation and that I need to take your place?

"You, you, you're being unreasonable!"

Kim Soo's eyes widened, and he lowered his head slightly, his eyes gleaming.

"You don't need to provoke me with something like this!"

Jin Xiu took a deep breath and continued, "Whether I can fulfill my responsibilities is none of your concern. The sect is like my second parents. I will do my best, even if it costs me my life, I will not bring shame to the sect!"

And you, since joining the sect, how many benefits have you enjoyed?

The spiritual energy of the secret realm, the layout of residences and secret rooms, the rewards of spirit stones, the spirit beasts, the free medicine hall, weapon refining hall, alchemy hall, martial arts arena, and various convenient facilities such as canteens and barbershops—even if you haven't used them all, you've probably used them to some extent, right? And that doesn't even take human resources into account!

Think about it carefully: how much has the sect spent on you, and how much do you owe the sect?

Of course, once you learn the Five Elements Qi Refining Method and the subsequent Five Elements Foundation Building Method, they are yours. As long as you don't defect, the sect won't take them back, since they contain the hard work of the Five Elements Ancestors...

But what about those material resources? Are you just going to leave like this without ever returning them?

"hiss……"

Hongli gasped. The knife, angled sharply and ruthlessly, plunged deep into her waist, chilling her to the bone: "There's actually such a saying..."

"Heh, how about that? Speechless, huh?"

Jin Xiu smiled and said, "If you have nothing to say, then just stay in the sect obediently, listen to the elders' teachings, and cultivate diligently. When the time comes, you can help us carry the sect's banner. It's not impossible for me to call you sect leader!"

"Ha, don't even think about it!"

Cold sweat dripped down Hongli's forehead. She would never hand over the little fire: "You wait, I'll call my boyfriend right now to redeem my daughter and me!"

Kim Soo: "???"

"Ran your head!"

Jin Xiu's confident expression vanished instantly, and he couldn't help but roar, "What do you take our Five Elements Sect for? Some irregular, illegal organization?!"

"Hmph, I don't care."

Hong Li pouted: "Anyway, as long as I make up for the shortfall I've made up for, I can leave, right?"

Do you know how many resources you've consumed?!

Jin Xiu said fiercely, "Those aren't worldly possessions, they're cultivation resources! Cultivation resources! They need to be repaid with spirit stones. Can your little boyfriend afford that?!"

"Hmph, how could the man I, Hong Li, have set my sights on not be able to afford this little bit of money?"

Hong Li snorted: "If he has the wealth of several Golden Core cultivators but can't even afford the resources that a Foundation Establishment cultivator like me consumes, it can only prove one thing: this place is definitely not a legitimate organization!"

She wasn't exaggerating. Even disregarding Hei Yang's illegal acquisitions from the Fifth Prince, the wealth of the disciples of the Heavenly Gate had made Hei Yang rich again these past few days.

There's likely to be more income coming in, which is just a few more Golden Core stage cultivators!

However, Jin Xiu didn't believe it at all: "Ha, there's a limit to lying. Several Golden Core cultivators, why don't you say your little boyfriend is a master alchemist, with spirit stones pouring into his storage bag?"

Hongli: "!!!"

[Hongli: Heiyang, have we been exposed???]

[Hei Yang: Xiao Li, we've been exposed!!!]

"Ahem, you, you mustn't..."

Hongli turned her head away guiltily: "Don't make false accusations! He, he's not some alchemy master. If you keep spreading rumors, I'll get angry!"

"What are you all doing looking at me like that?!"

"that……"

Jin Xiu's lips twitched. Hong Li's reaction was a little different from what she had expected...

"No, it can't be..."

Jin Xiu stroked her chin and tentatively asked, "Is your boyfriend really a master alchemist?"

"Your boyfriend is the real alchemy master!"

Kim Soo: "..."

“I don’t have a boyfriend!”

"Oh, so you need to shout this out loud...?"

Hongli shrugged: "Everyone heard that and thought the elder was going to find a husband!"

Upon hearing Hong Li's words, Jin Xiu paused, then turned to look at her side. Not far away, a male elder from the Juanlang Sect was giving her a flirtatious wink...

"boom!"

The spirit stone shattered.

Jin Xiu looked at the fragments in his hand, his eye twitching. Damn it, his emotions were stirred up, and he didn't control his spiritual power well...

Seeing this, Hei Xiaolong, who was silenced, opened his mouth wide and burst into silent laughter. He thought to himself, "You're one to talk about him, but he still broke down."

"I haven't lost yet!"

Jin Xiu shouted fiercely, took out the number twenty-first spirit stone, and injected spiritual power to connect.

"Oh, what's wrong, Elder?"

Hong Li crossed her arms, looked in front of her, and raised her voice: "It seems that the spirit stone explosion just now wasn't caused by a problem with me, was it?"

Ah, where did things go wrong? I'm so curious! As long as the spiritual energy is stable, the spirit stone shouldn't be affected at all, right?

"Good girl, I almost forgot. You were so emotional just now, yet you managed to control your spiritual power so steadily..."

Jin Xiu murmured softly, "If that's the case, you shouldn't leave even more. With your talent, you should be using it on the path of cultivation!"

"No, let me go home."

Hongli pouted: "I've already paid, what more do you want?"

"you!"

Jin Xiu was amused by Hong Li's seemingly invulnerable appearance: "So what if you're rich!"

"if not?"

Hongli retorted, "Isn't it great?"

"Ah this..."

Kim Soo paused for a moment, then said, "It seems... it's quite remarkable..."

"That's it."

"No, no, so what if you have money..."

Jin Xiu gritted his teeth and said, "Without the protection of a sect and without the support of strength, no matter how many resources we have, they will be taken away."