Chapter 1 I Don't Want to Try Anymore

Heavenly Spirit Continent, Joyous Union Sect.

"Ding Dong! Congratulations, Host, on activating the System."

"The System has detected that the Host does not wish to work hard anymore. System functions have been optimized to 'Become Stronger by Living Off Women'."

"Cultivation progress obtained by your Dao Companion will be returned to the Host tenfold. Items gifted to the Host by your Dao Companion will be amplified to ten times their original value."

"Note: Any active cultivation behavior by the Host will be sanctioned by the System, ranging from loss of cultivation to forfeiture of life."

...

Listening to the prompt in his ear and looking at the ice-cold beauty before him, Ye Fan was momentarily speechless.

Just a few hours ago, with an order from the Sect Head, the 832nd 'Serious Inquiries Only' Dao Companion Assembly of the Joyous Union Sect was declared open.

As the annual grand event of the Joyous Union Sect, the Sect arranges suitable Dao Companions for eligible Disciples.

If both parties successfully match and become Dao Companions, they not only receive one hundred Spirit Stones as cultivation resources but are also permitted to Cultivate the Joyous Union Sect's foundational Cultivation Technique, the 'Yin Yang Secret Manual'.

As one of the few Earth Rank Cultivation Techniques within the Sect, the Yin Yang Secret Manual is not only immensely powerful but, due to the unique nature of Dual Cultivation, surpasses many techniques of the same rank in terms of cultivation speed.

It is precisely by relying on this secret method that the Joyous Union Sect has become one of the strongest major Sects in the Southwest corner of the Heavenly Spirit Continent.

Therefore, the success rate of matches at the Dao Companion Assembly is quite high, and many Disciples even view it as an opportunity to change their lives.

Many Disciples wore eager expressions, waiting for their turn to take the stage.

Only Ye Fan couldn't help but yawn, revealing a look of utter boredom.

"Sigh, when will this end? I still need to go back and tend to the Spirit Medicine."

It had been over a decade since Ye Fan Transmigrated from Earth.

Initially, like countless Transmigration protagonists, he fantasized about a wonderful life—reclining on the laps of beauties while awake, wielding a sword to kill—and was wholeheartedly determined to Cultivate diligently to achieve Immortal Ascension.

For this goal, Ye Fan Cultivated desperately, his diligence far surpassing that of other Disciples.

He had thought his efforts would soon bear fruit, but harsh reality swiftly slapped him in the face.

He joined the Joyous Union Sect at the age of twelve and had been Cultivating arduously for six years since.

Yet, due to his extremely poor Aptitude, he hadn't even reached the Qi Refining Realm, First Level.

To this day, he could only be a Utility Disciple. With such Aptitude, he was practically a good-for-nothing.

Ye Fan had been deeply discouraged for a long time, but whether through self-comfort or simply accepting reality...

Ye Fan didn't want to work hard anymore.

What's so great about Cultivating anyway?!

Above the Qi Refining Realm, the Foundation Establishment Realm looms; above Foundation Establishment, the Core Formation Realm; and above the Golden Core Realm, there are even old monsters at the Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation levels.

Even if one had the damn luck to achieve Immortal Ascension, so what? Up there, you'd probably just end up mining in some black coal pit as a laborer.

Taking a step back, even if one became an Immortal Emperor, so what? Who knows how many layers of power structures this world has stacked.

What if an Immortal Emperor is just an ant at the bottom layer? Then what's the point of all that arduous Cultivation?

Thinking this, Ye Fan completely gave up. Every day, aside from occasionally tending to the Spirit Medicine in the fields, he spent almost all his time sleeping. His reputation as a good-for-nothing was well-known far and wide.

He hadn't wanted to come to today's Dao Companion Assembly in the first place. After all, no one would choose a waste who couldn't Cultivate as a Dao Companion.

But his good brother, Lin Lei, also a Utility Disciple, had dragged him along.

Although they claimed it was just to join in the fun, the real reason was that Lin Lei wanted someone to be his fallback.

After all, as long as Ye Fan was there, Lin Lei would at worst be second-to-last, not the most humiliating one.

"You're really a filial son, using all your little schemes against your own father."

Ye Fan laughed and cursed, kicking Lin Lei onto the stage. Unexpectedly, this kid actually got damn lucky.

"Congratulations to Utility Disciple Lin Lei and Qingzhu Peak Disciple Xu Xin on a successful match!"

Hearing his 'good son's' name, Ye Fan instinctively looked towards the stage, thinking to himself that this guy really had gotten damn lucky.

Amidst the crowd's teasing and blessings, Xu Xin's face flushed with shyness, her head bowed, not daring to look up.

Lin Lei could only scratch his head and grin foolishly, showing he hadn't inherited any of Ye Fan's genes in that regard.

Xu Xin wasn't a peerless beauty, but she was considered delicate and sweet. In terms of looks alone, Lin Lei was already marrying up.

In terms of status, although Xu Xin was only an Outer Sect Disciple, she was still far superior to Lin Lei, a mere Utility Disciple.

How she could take a liking to Lin Lei was a mystery—who knows how the matchmaker tied that red thread.

Lin Lei came down from the stage excitedly to Ye Fan, even his speech somewhat stumbling.

"Look at your pathetic self."

"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Hurry up and scram to your wedding chamber."

Ye Fan's teasing made both their faces turn even redder. Xu Xin wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Screw you! What wedding chamber? Dual Cultivation isn't all about that kind of thing!"

Lin Lei explained, his face flushed red, but Ye Fan curled his lip, wearing an expression that said, 'Yeah, right, like I believe that.'

Seeing his 'good son' was more or less settled, this old father, Ye Fan, also breathed a sigh of relief.

As for his own marital affairs... better to forget about those.

Ye Fan just hoped the Dao Companion Assembly would end quickly so he could go back and water the Spirit Medicine earlier.

Soon, it was the turn of the final batch of male Disciples, including Ye Fan, to take the stage. The number of female Disciples had dwindled, until finally, only one peerless ice beauty remained.

"Profound Spirit Peak Prodigy, Murong Wan."

As the most outstanding female Disciple of Profound Spirit Peak in a century, Murong Wan possessed not only extremely high cultivation talent but was also a matchlessly beautiful woman.

Murong Wan and her Revered Master, Su Ningxue, were known as the two great beauties of the Joyous Union Sect, overshadowing countless female cultivators within the Sect, which was testament enough to how stunning their looks were.

Although Murong Wan's face always wore an expression that kept strangers at a distance, her beauty was simply too overwhelming. Her overt and covert suitors could already form lines stretching several streets.

Therefore, before the Dao Companion Assembly began, countless male Disciples spontaneously held an 'elimination tournament'.

At this point, every male Disciple still standing on the stage was a Dragon among men, with impeccable looks, strength, and talent.

Only Ye Fan was the exception.

Because he was simply too much of a waste, no one even considered Ye Fan a competitor.

He wasn't even qualified to participate in the 'elimination tournament,' yet somehow, he had muddled his way to the final stage.

Now, only two male Disciples remained on the stage: Ye Fan and Yan Jingyun. Even a fool could tell who would successfully match.

Compared to the waste Ye Fan, Yan Jingyun was a Prodigy Disciple from Longshou Peak. Not only was his personal strength outstanding, but he also had a powerful Family backing him. From any perspective, he was the best choice for a Dao Companion.

Yan Jingyun's pursuit of Murong Wan wasn't a matter of one or two days; this was almost common knowledge within the Sect, though Murong Wan had never agreed to it.

For today's opportunity, Yan Jingyun had employed many tactics, even intentionally keeping a waste like Ye Fan as a foil. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been such a coincidence that he was in the final batch to take the stage.

Although everyone already knew the outcome, to maintain fairness and impartiality, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

"Ahem... You two male Disciples, are you willing to choose Murong Wan as your Dao Companion?" The supervising Elder asked.

"Of course I am willing!" Yan Jingyun said earnestly.

Ye Fan originally wanted to say he wasn't willing, to leave this troublesome place sooner.

But just as he was about to speak, the belated System prompt slowly chimed.