Do We Look Like Idiots?

Hearing the Grand Elder's words, Lu Ming and the others were left utterly speechless.

Suddenly, the Grand Elder's voice rang out again.

“Alright, pack your things and set off!”

Lu Ming looked up at the setting sun with a face full of disbelief.

“Grand Elder, now... we're setting off right now?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“We just joined the sect today! We haven't even had a single drop of water to drink.”

“Woof woof!!”

“Eldest Senior Brother is right.”

As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking, Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao chimed in to agree.

No sooner had they spoken than a bucket of water appeared right in front of them.

“Hurry up. Take a few big gulps and get moving.”

Looking at the bucket in front of them:

Lu Ming: “...”

Big Yellow: “...”

Huang Tianbao: “...”

Seeing the expressions on their faces, the Grand Elder smiled to himself. You think you can play with me, you little brats?

Right then, with a splash, Lu Ming reached into his storage bag, pulled out a cup, and filled it to the brim.

Big Yellow immediately produced a basin and poured half the bucket of water into it.

Huang Tianbao followed suit, pulling out a bowl and scooping up a bowlful.

“You know, the water here in our Qingshan Sect is actually pretty delicious...”

“Woof!!”

Big Yellow agreed as it lapped up the water from its basin.

“Eldest Senior Brother is right,” Huang Tianbao chimed in, holding his bowl.

Looking at the two people and one dog drinking so contentedly in front of him:

Grand Elder: “...”

Well, birds of a feather flock together.

Their personalities perfectly matched the vibe of the Qingshan Sect—none of them took the conventional path.

“Drink up quickly and get lost. It'll take you nearly half a month just to reach the Hengduan Mountains...”

Lu Ming wiped his mouth.

“Grand Elder, who's taking us there?”

He really hoped it wouldn't be the Third Elder. That old man never spoke a word; who could possibly stand that?

“You're going by yourselves. No one is taking you...”

“What?”

“Woof?”

“Huh?”

The two people and one dog looked up at the Grand Elder in shock.

“Are you kidding me? We literally just joined the sect today!”

Lu Ming couldn't help but cry out. At first, he had assumed the Grand Elder would escort them.

The Grand Elder stroked his beard and chuckled.

“Even if you just joined, you're still disciples of the sect. Besides, you're the Eldest Senior Brother. There's absolutely no problem with you leading the team.

Now hurry up and go. Don't waste time. Whether our sect gets wiped out or not depends entirely on you guys.”

With that, the Grand Elder waved his hand, and a spirit boat appeared before them.

Looking at the familiar spirit boat, Lu Ming and the others twitched. Huang Tianbao's face turned completely pale.

Unpleasant memories instantly flooded their minds...

“Grand Elder, let's be real. Can you please give us a slightly better spirit boat?”

“Not a chance. This is the only spirit boat in our Qingshan Sect that can still move. If you don't believe me, look.”

Waving his hand, another ragged spirit boat, completely devoid of any array patterns, appeared before them.

“Grand Elder, is our sect really this poor?”

“Yes... even poorer than you can imagine...”

Lu Ming looked at the Grand Elder skeptically.

“Elder, stop acting. You transformed earlier. Our Qingshan Sect is definitely some hidden ancient sect, and you're definitely a peerless expert. Our sect must have some secret treasury of wealth...”

Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao also looked at the Grand Elder with curious faces.

The Grand Elder tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle and stared deep into the sky, his gaze profound.

“You're right. In the past, our Qingshan Sect was indeed the number one sect on the Xuantian Continent, possessing countless heavenly treasures and spirit stones...”

Hearing this, Lu Ming, Big Yellow, and the others held their breath. The Qingshan Sect actually had such a history?

Had they really hit the jackpot?

“Look at this water bucket. It was refined from ancient immortal spirit wood.”

Lu Ming hurriedly looked at the bucket. But no matter how he looked at it, it was just an ordinary wooden bucket, and a slightly damaged one at that.

Just then, the Grand Elder's voice sounded again.

“If you take this bucket and sell it, you could easily get eighty to a hundred thousand spirit stones.

But right now, I don't want a hundred thousand spirit stones, nor do I want eighty thousand. For just thirty spirit stones, I'll let you have it. Since you're the future of our Qingshan Sect, I'll let you make this profit...”

After saying this, the Grand Elder sighed with a look of immense pain, acting as if Lu Ming and the others were getting the deal of a lifetime.

Lu Ming: “...”

Big Yellow: “...”

Huang Tianbao: “...”

“Grand Elder, do we look like absolute idiots to you?”

Lu Ming asked, utterly speechless.

“You do... I mean, no! Child, what are you talking about? Everything I've told you is true. I am a peerless expert, and everything I use is a peerless treasure. This...”

Lu Ming rolled his eyes, turned around, and stepped onto the spirit boat. Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao followed him.

“Hey... Hey! Don't leave! I don't even need thirty spirit stones anymore! Just three spirit stones and this Heaven Swallowing Bucket is yours...”

Spitting sparks and crackling with static electricity, the spirit boat wobbled and sputtered as it surged into the distance...

Watching their retreating figures, the Grand Elder wore a smug grin.

“Hehe... Saved another business trip allowance.”

Meanwhile, many sects from the Northern Province had already gathered in the Hengduan Mountains.

They had all come to explore the secret realm in the Hengduan Mountains.

However, the disciples they sent were not new recruits, but rather elite disciples below the Golden Core stage...

This secret realm in the Hengduan Mountains opened only once every thousand years, and it contained countless heavenly treasures...

Most importantly, there was a spiritual flower inside called the Star Snow Lotus, which could extend one's lifespan.

This made the various major sects of the Northern Province attach great importance to it.

However, this secret realm could only be entered by those with a cultivation below the Golden Core stage.

Therefore, many sects had brought along their most elite disciples.

Inside the Haoran Sect's encampment:

“Ye Fan, I've already arranged for someone to send an invitation to that Qingshan Sect...” The Sect Master of the Haoran Sect spoke as he looked at Ye Fan in front of him.

Ever since he learned that Ye Fan possessed a top-grade spiritual root, he had taken him directly as his personal disciple.

He hadn't originally wanted Ye Fan to participate in this secret realm exploration.

After all, the competition inside for the Star Snow Lotus would be incredibly fierce.

If Ye Fan were to fall inside, it would be a devastating loss.

Yet, Ye Fan had insisted on coming and had even asked him to allocate a slot for the obscure Qingshan Sect.

For a tiny sect like that, they wouldn't even have the qualifications to explore the secret realm if he didn't grant them a slot.

For Ye Fan to show such concern for the Qingshan Sect, could there be some underlying connection?

“Thank you, Master...” Ye Fan's voice was cold and detached as he spoke.

In truth, Ye Fan didn't want to waste time coming to this secret realm either, but he had no choice.

He had to find an opportunity to kill Lu Ming, because that guy had actually become his Heart Demon.

Ever since he saw Lu Ming that day.

He was supposed to establish his foundation, but he found that his cultivation was affected every time he tried.

The voice of that mortal cursing him would constantly echo in his mind:

He, an Immortal Emperor, was actually having his state of mind disrupted by a mere mortal.

No one would ever believe it if word got out.

Even if he ignored it, he could still successfully establish his foundation, but he wanted to forge a flawless, perfect Dao foundation.

He refused to let a mere mortal affect his future achievements.

Thus, Ye Fan had gone to the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect to have a slot sent to the Qingshan Sect.

He would definitely kill that damn mortal with his own hands inside the secret realm.