Chapter 3 Cultivation is nowhere near as appealing as living off a woman.

Supreme Marrow-Cleansing Pill: Possesses the miraculous effect of cleansing the marrow, purging the Meridians, and reshaping one's foundational bones, greatly enhancing physical strength and innate talent.

Looking at the prompt that popped up from the System, Ye Fan savored the feeling, taking great effort to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Murong."

To outsiders, Ye Fan's single sentence was dripping with sycophancy, so sickeningly sweet it could rot teeth. They left the venue cursing under their breath, one after another.

No one expected this year's Dao Companion Assembly to conclude in such a manner. Within half a day, it would undoubtedly become headline news in the Joyous Union Sect.

Ye Fan was itching to test the potency of the Supreme Marrow-Cleansing Pill, but before leaving, there was one important matter to attend to.

"Senior Sister, please take these one hundred Spirit Stones."

This was the reward the Sect distributed to all successfully paired Dao Companions. Ye Fan had no intention of letting this opportunity go to waste.

"Keep them for yourself. I don't need them."

Murong Wan casually refused Ye Fan, completely unaware she had fallen into his scheme.

"So Senior Sister means to give all these Spirit Stones to me?" Ye Fan emphasized, asking for confirmation.

"That's right, they're all yours."

Murong Wan's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly. She had an indistinct feeling something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Dao Companion Murong Wan gifts the Host one hundred Spirit Stones. After tenfold value amplification, the Host obtains one thousand Spirit Stones."

"One thousand Spirit Stones?"

It had to be known that an ordinary Utility Disciple, working for a full month, would only receive a compensation of ten Spirit Stones.

Even if they didn't Cultivate for an entire year, they could at most save up one hundred Spirit Stones.

With just a few words from Murong Wan, Ye Fan had saved himself ten years of struggle. This bowl of 'soft rice' truly tasted incredibly sweet.

"Then I thank Senior Sister greatly!"

With a face full of delight, Ye Fan left the venue without so much as a backward glance.

Seeing this, Murong Wan secretly shook her head. Without another word, she also departed from the venue.

Ye Fan quickly returned to his medicinal herb field. Nearby, a dilapidated shack served as the Disciple quarters he shared with Lin Lei.

"From now on, I'll be living in a single room."

Disciples who formed Dao Companions could apply to live together. That kid Lin Lei had probably already packed his bedding and scurried off.

Thinking of this, Ye Fan eagerly took out the Supreme Marrow-Cleansing Pill. But before consuming it, he remembered something and hurriedly asked the System if this counted as striving in Cultivation and whether it would incur punishment.

"The Medicinal Pill the Host is consuming was gifted by a Dao Companion, perfectly fitting the definition of 'eating soft rice.' It will not incur System punishment."

Only after hearing this did Ye Fan feel at ease. He hastily swallowed the Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

The pill melted upon entering his mouth. Surging medicinal potency instantly rushed through his limbs and bones, forcing out all the Impurities clogging his Meridians, transforming Ye Fan's body from the inside out.

The medicinal potency rampaged within Ye Fan's body for half an hour. When he opened his eyes again, his entire body was covered in a layer of foul-smelling 'filthy sludge.'

"So many Impurities were clogging my Meridians, no wonder my Aptitude was so poor."

After the marrow-cleansing and meridian-purging, Ye Fan's Cultivation Aptitude now surpassed that of the vast majority of Disciples.

Although he still couldn't catch up to Prodigies like Murong Wan, he figured the gap couldn't be that wide anymore.

Ye Fan hurried off to take a bath, washing away all the filthy sludge and Impurities from his body. Otherwise, even he himself was about to gag.

"What a pity, still only at the Qi Refining Realm, First Level. I thought the Marrow-Cleansing Pill might help me break through to the third or even fourth level."

Although the Marrow-Cleansing Pill's potency was strong, its primary purpose was to alter one's physical Aptitude. Its effect on elevating one's Realm wasn't that significant.

Coupled with the excessive Impurities within Ye Fan's body, which consumed a large amount of the medicinal potency, he could only barely Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm, First Level.

"Indeed, the soft life is sweeter. If only Senior Sister could gift me a few more things."

The moment Ye Fan had this thought, the System's prompt actually sounded again.

"The Host's Dao Companion, Murong Wan, has achieved a Cultivation Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm, Eighth Level. The Host receives tenfold returned Cultivation base."

"Congratulations to the Host for Cultivation basepromote to the Qi Refining Realm, Second Level."

"Congratulations to the Host for Cultivation basepromote to the Qi Refining Realm, Third Level."

"Congratulations to the Host for Cultivation basepromote to the Qi Refining Realm, Fourth Level."

...

System prompts continuously sounded, only coming to a halt when they reached the Qi Refining Realm, Seventh Level.

"Qi Refining Realm, Seventh Level... on par with Murong Wan?"

In just a few short minutes, Ye Fan had transformed from a cripple unable to Cultivate into a Cultivator comparable to a Prodigy. ThisContrast left him momentarily breathless.

"Calm down, Ye Fan. This is just the beginning."

It took Ye Fan a long while to calm down, after which he pondered the events that had just occurred.

Murong Wan's Cultivation had broken through from the Qi Refining Realm, Seventh Level to the Eighth Level. The tenfold reward Ye Fan received was precisely this portion of power.

"This Senior Sister of mine is truly a Cultivation maniac. She went off to Cultivate right after the assembly ended."

Ye Fan suddenly felt like trying to Cultivate himself. As expected, he promptly received a System prompt.

"Warning! Detected the Host exhibiting tendencies of striving in Cultivation. If not ceased promptly, a Lightning Tribulation punishment will be levied."

The System's prompt instantly cleared the haze from Ye Fan's eyes. He immediately cast any thoughts of Cultivation to the far ends of the earth.

"Cultivation can't compare to the sweet taste of a soft life."

But just as Ye Fan was scheming about how to better enjoy his 'soft rice,' a shrill, acerbic voice came from outside the hut.

"The one surnamed Ye! Get your ass out here!"

Ye Fan was all too familiar with the owner of this voice—it was his immediate superior, Zhao Hu.

Though called an immediate superior, Zhao Hu was actually also a Utility Disciple.

Due to a stroke of dumb luck allowing him to Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm, First Level, he had been promoted to a minor overseer, responsible for managing this section of medicinal herb fields.

Ye Fan adjusted his mood and walked out of the thatched hut as if nothing was wrong, offering Zhao Hu a deep bow of respect.

"Greetings, Overseer Zhao. May I ask what brings you here today?"

Tending the herb fields wasn't light work either. Zhao Hu only visited on the days when Spirit Medicine was submitted each year, never coming here at any other time.

But Ye Fan had just submitted his Spirit Medicine a few days prior. He couldn't figure out why Zhao Hu would appear now.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu curled his lips into a cold sneer. He sternly rebuked Ye Fan, claiming he had committed an offense, blatantly stating that the Spirit Medicine submitted a few days ago had issues. Now, he was here to arrest Ye Fan and take him to the Punishment Hall for questioning.

"Issues with the Spirit Medicine?"

Ye Fan was taken aback but immediately understood this guy was here to pick a fight.

Over the years, unable to Cultivate, Ye Fan had spent all his time tending to these Spirit Medicine plants.

Every single herb in his small plot of land was lush and thriving under his care. There simply couldn't be any problems.

"Overseer Zhao may have forgotten. According to Sect rules, before each collection of Medicine, the overseer must personally inspect and sign off on it."

"If you don't remember, I have the receipt right here. Would Overseer Zhao care to take a look?"

"This..."

Ye Fan's words left Zhao Hu's face turning green with anger.

He never expected Ye Fan, who usually bowed and scraped, to dare retort to his face like this. This was truly defying the natural order!

"You've got some nerve, kid, daring to question me! You're just a dog living off a woman! Who gave you the courage!"

Zhao Hu was so furious he laughed, his eyes seeming to spit blood.

"Living off a woman is still better than someone selling their backside, don't you think, Overseer Zhao?"

Ye Fan wore a smiling, harmless expression, but these words seemed to step right on Zhao Hu's tail. The guy exploded on the spot.