System?

Shen Xian's mind went blank for a moment before he instantly realized something.

Wasn't this standard issue for transmigrators?

But... could I refuse it?

Having crossed over more than a decade ago, he had grown accustomed to being a "salted fish." Now, with this thing suddenly popping up, his first instinct was to reject it.

……

No response came. Shen Xian had no choice but to recall the text that had appeared earlier.

Dao Companion, Marriage Blessing, Cultivation Return…

Wasn't this telling him to take multiple Dao Companions and grow stronger step by step by relying on their cultivation?

Huh?

Grow stronger?

Such a distant phrase!

Shen Xian couldn't remember the last time he had heard those words. For him, it had once been an unreachable dream… but now it seemed within easy grasp.

Getting stronger was a good thing.

In this cultivation world where the strong reigned supreme, no one could resist the temptation of power, and he was no exception.

And judging by the description, it seemed he could get stronger without putting in any effort himself, which suited his nature perfectly.

However… taking Dao Companions sounded like a hassle too. He'd have to find ones with decent talent.

Shen Xian started thinking about slacking off again…

He reined in his thoughts, deciding not to dwell on it. He would just go with the flow.

After all, even without getting stronger, his current life was quite comfortable.

……

After a round of socializing, the bright moon hung high in the sky.

Shen Xian was ushered to the bridal chamber by his clan brothers…

Perhaps because he had just obtained the system, or for some other reason, he had drunk quite merrily during the feast.

Pushing the door open, Shen Xian's eyes immediately fell upon the bride seated cross-legged on the bed, cultivating.

The next second, a panel appeared in his vision.

【Name: Ye Qingxian】

【Age: 20】

【Cultivation: Qi Refining Realm Seventh Layer (Temporarily Sealed)】

【Aptitude: Ancient Divine Phoenix Bloodline, Immortal Emperor Spirit Body…】

【Summary: In her previous life, she was an Empress of the Tianyuan Continent. Having failed her tribulation and perished in body and soul, she reincarnated into the Ye Family through her Divine Phoenix Bloodline…】

A flicker passed through Shen Xian's eyes.

So her previous life was that of an Empress. No wonder she seemed so extraordinary.

It seemed the story about her cultivation being completely lost was false, too…

Well, that was fine. Having such a powerful Dao Companion meant he could slack off even more comfortably.

Before Shen Xian could even speak, Ye Qingxian uttered a single frigid word without even opening her eyes. "Leave."

To her, this marriage should never have existed.

She had only agreed because her current strength wasn't enough to break free from her family's control.

During this time, she had even deliberately spread rumors about her cultivation being crippled, hoping the Shen Family would call off the engagement on their own.

She never expected them to send a complete waste to marry her!

Well, that was fine too. Someone like this would be easier to control and wouldn't disturb her cultivation.

Hearing this, a glint flashed in Shen Xian's eyes. This Empress had quite a temper.

But… diligent cultivation was good.

As long as she could break through, ten times the spiritual energy from her breakthrough would be returned to him. He could just lie back and get stronger.

Shen Xian walked over to the table on his own. He picked up the ceremonial wedding wine cup and took a sip to moisten his throat. Then he placed a small gift box on the table, making his stance clear. "This is just a formality anyway. I never intended for us to be a real husband and wife."

This marriage was an accident from the start. Even with the system's existence, expecting him to fall in love with someone without any emotional foundation was unrealistic.

Even if she was an Empress… it wouldn't work!

Immediately after, Shen Xian continued leisurely, "We are both wretched souls adrift in the world; meeting does not require us to be old acquaintances..."

"For me, a young lady's reputation is more important. Some compensation is only proper."

"However, I'm just a useless playboy. The only thing I can offer is this worthless trinket."

Inside the wooden box was a single Meridian Opening Pill. It was the best marrow-cleansing pill for the Qi Refining Realm, capable of expanding meridians and allowing spiritual energy to flow more smoothly.

He had practically begged his mother for this pill.

His mother was the family matriarch and doted on him excessively; naturally, she hadn't refused.

As for why he wanted to give a gift as compensation…

Of course, it was to test out the system's gift return function!

Shen Xian stood up and walked towards the door with an air of nonchalance. Before leaving, he couldn't resist adding one last line. "It's just a small token of my regard. Don't be shy about refusing it."

The spacious bridal chamber was left with only Ye Qingxian, who sat with her eyes closed in cultivation.

Only after he had left did she slowly open her eyes. Those beautiful pupils shimmered with flecks of golden light, giving off an extraordinary aura of nobility.

Her gaze fell upon the Meridian Opening Pill on the table. She murmured thoughtfully, "We are both wretched souls adrift in the world…"

A slight curve touched the corner of her lips. "An interesting little fellow!"

"Your sincerity… We accept it."

……

【Host has gifted Dao Companion one First-Grade Peak Quality Meridian Opening Pill. Received tenfold blessing return. Reward: Second-Grade Peak Quality Ice Skin Jade Bone Pill. Claim?】

Pills were divided into nine grades corresponding to the nine major realms.

Furthermore, based on their purity and impurities, they were classified into four quality tiers: Low-Grade, Mid-Grade, High-Grade, and Peak Quality.

The higher the quality tier, the better the efficacy.

Seeing the system prompt, Shen Xian felt a stir in his heart. The experiment was a success!

Well now, this system really did give tenfold returns.

However, it seemed the returned item wasn't fixed; it didn't return a pill with the same purpose.

The Ice Skin Jade Bone Pill's primary effect was preserving youth and perfecting one's appearance. Additionally, it could greatly enhance resistance to poison and cold while improving affinity for ice-attribute techniques…

It was quite a decent pill.

A pity that for him personally… it was completely useless…

Moreover, the system stipulated that returned items could not trigger secondary returns.

Nevertheless, Shen Xian chose not to claim it yet.

Given his current strength, keeping such an item on his person wasn't as safe as leaving it in his system storage space for now. He could claim it when he actually needed it later.

Who knows? It might come in handy someday.

"Young Master? What are you doing here?" The green-skirted maid from earlier that day asked in surprise.

Shouldn't he be spending this wedding night in bliss with his new bride in their room?

"I'll be sleeping in the side chamber tonight," Shen Xian said flatly.

Her cultivation breakthroughs were beneficial to him; there was no need for him to disturb her.

As for fearing gossip from outsiders…

What a joke…

Had he ever cared about such things all these years?

"Ah?" The green-skirted maid blinked in confusion before quickly nodding and scurrying off to prepare.

Once everything was ready, Shen Xian entered his room. He removed his wedding robes, yawning as he prepared for sleep.

Suddenly, a vast surge of spiritual power erupted from within his body, followed by another wave crashing forth like a tide…

【Host’s Dao Companion Ye Qingxian has broken through from Qi Refining Realm Seventh Layer to Eighth Layer. Blessing returns tenfold all cultivation gained from Dao Companion’s breakthrough.】

His spiritual energy skyrocketed, and under the influence of his spiritual root, gradually transformed into Shen Xian’s own power.

Qi Refining Realm Third Layer!

Qi Refining Realm Fourth Layer!

Qi Refining Realm…

In less than half an hour, Shen Xian’s realm soared from the Qi Refining Realm Second Layer all the way up to the peak of the Qi Refining Realm Eighth Layer.

Feeling the immense energy coursing through him, Shen Xian’s drowsiness vanished completely, replaced by unparalleled comfort.

This… this feeling of growing stronger!

He exhaled a long breath of turbid air. For the first time in over a decade, a genuine desire to become powerful stirred within him again.

Of course, the main reason was that from now on, getting stronger wouldn’t require any effort from him!

After all, with a ninth-grade spiritual root, trying to climb step by step through his own efforts would be sheer delusion.

This arrangement suited him perfectly. The Empress cultivated diligently in secret, while he quietly grew stronger alongside her!