In the courtyard, Zhao Ling’er watched Liu Hongyu and the others leave, her expression puzzled. “The three of them… seemed to really hate Master?”
From the way they looked at Ye Chen earlier, she had sensed a trace of killing intent.
She couldn’t understand why three registered disciples from the menial disciples’ quarters would harbor such deep resentment toward Ye Chen.
Ye Chen smiled and calmly explained, “Perhaps they’re angry that I didn’t take them in as disciples back then.”
Realization dawned on Zhao Ling’er. “So that’s what it was…”
Because neither Ye Chen nor the other eight Peak Masters accepted them, they were sent to the menial disciples’ quarters, and from then on, they held a grudge against Ye Chen.
“But that was clearly their own lack of aptitude. How can they blame Master for it?” Jiang Qingshu said indignantly. If their talent had been good, any of the Nine Main Peaks would’ve gladly accepted them. It was their own lack of strength—blaming Ye Chen was completely unfair.
“Exactly! They failed themselves, and they blame Master?” Zhao Ling’er frowned and complained. The two of them were furious and wished they could teach Liu Hongyu and the others a lesson on Ye Chen’s behalf.
At the same time, they were also deeply grateful to Ye Chen. If he hadn’t accepted them back then, they’d be in the menial disciples’ quarters right now as well, and there was no way they could have broken through to the 5th stage Qi Refining Realm in just a few days.
“It’s fine. When the sect assessment comes, everything will be clear,” Ye Chen said, waving his hand indifferently. “You two focus on cultivating. When the time comes, teach those three a proper lesson for me.”
The sect assessment was a competition among registered disciples. The top three would receive generous cultivation rewards. The top thirty would be allowed to stay, while the rest would be expelled—unless a Peak Master or elder chose to take them in.
The elimination rate was as high as 70%.
That was exactly why Liu Hongyu and the others had started to panic. If they didn’t grow stronger soon, they’d be wiped out in the assessment.
The stronger their fellow disciples were, the more danger they were in.
“Master, don’t worry. I’ll cultivate diligently!” Zhao Ling’er replied earnestly.
“If I run into any of them during the assessment, I’ll definitely make them pay for what they’ve done to you!” Jiang Qingshu clenched her small pink fist, her voice filled with righteous determination.
Ye Chen felt gratified hearing their words—he truly hadn’t misjudged these two. Judging by their current cultivation speed, not only would they pass the assessment with ease, but they might even become standouts among the disciples.
Liu Hongyu and the others had their past life’s cultivation experience, yet they were still stuck at the 1st stage Qi Refining Realm. Most of the other registered disciples hadn’t even managed to draw spiritual energy into their bodies yet. This story is hosted at NovelPing.
Truly gifted disciples were rare, even on the Nine Main Peaks. And even they couldn’t match the amount of cultivation resources Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu were now receiving.
After all, Ye Chen provided them with unlimited spirit stones.
Suddenly, a cold system prompt echoed in his mind—
[Detected Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu have broken through to the 5th stage Qi Refining Realm!]
[Mission complete. Congratulations, Host! Rewards: 50 years of cultivation, 2 Marrow-Cleansing Pills, 2 Heavenly Origin Pills!]
In an instant, Ye Chen felt his spiritual energy surge. His aura grew stronger, showing signs of an imminent breakthrough. At the same time, two Marrow-Cleansing Pills and two Heavenly Origin Pills appeared in his Storage Ring.
These were extremely rare and valuable pills—each one enough to make even Emperor Realm cultivators go mad with desire.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Chen took out two Marrow-Cleansing Pills from his Storage Ring and handed them to Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu.
“Your aptitudes still have room for improvement. One pill each. Take them now.”
Upon hearing that, the girls stared at the glowing pills in his palm, practically drooling.
Just a few days ago, they had each taken one Marrow-Cleansing Pill and experienced a massive improvement in their aptitude. Their cultivation speed had increased significantly. They were well aware of how miraculous these pills were.
“Master, are these really for us?” Zhao Ling’er widened her eyes. “Am I dreaming?”
Ye Chen couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course. Other than you two, do I have any other disciples?”
Once they were sure the pills were truly for them, both girls were moved to tears.
“From now on, my life belongs to Master. Whatever you ask of me, I’ll do it!” Jiang Qingshu said firmly. “If anyone dares to harm Master, I’ll kill them for you!”
Her gratitude came straight from the heart. She might look pure and gentle, but she had a strong and determined side.
“Just cultivating well is the best way to repay me,” Ye Chen said nonchalantly, though warmth bloomed in his chest.
These two were far better than those ungrateful wolves from his past life.
Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu nodded heavily, took the Marrow-Cleansing Pills from his hand, and immediately consumed them. Then they sat cross-legged, activating their cultivation techniques to absorb the pill’s effects to the fullest.
Before long, their bodies began to heat up. But having experienced this before, they endured the burning sensation while purifying their bones and refining their foundations. Impurities were expelled from their bodies, leaving their skin coated in a thick layer of black grime.
This round of cleansing lasted even longer than the previous one. It seemed to have fully expelled all remaining impurities from their bodies.
As the day darkened, the courtyard grew dim.
Outside the courtyard, Liu Hongyu and the others dragged their exhausted bodies over to report in after finishing their chores, worried that Ye Chen might accuse them of slacking off.
As they neared the courtyard, they immediately noticed something strange about Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they recognized the signs instantly.
“That’s… the effect of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill!” Liu Hongyu cried out, her eyes burning with jealousy.
“Ye Chen gave the pills to them?” she hissed. “Unforgivable…”
“What a waste!” Li Qinghuan muttered bitterly, gritting her teeth so hard in envy it was a wonder they didn’t crack. In her mind, Marrow-Cleansing Pills rightfully belonged to her. No one else deserved to have them.
“Ye Chen’s gone too far!” Lu Mengyao cried, despair in her voice. “How could he give them the pills? What about us?”
She had dreamed of obtaining a single Marrow-Cleansing Pill. But Ye Chen gave them to Zhao Ling’er and Jiang Qingshu instead. Even if he had one more, it wouldn’t be enough to split between the three of them.
The three of them clenched their jaws in rage, eyes filled with envy as they silently cursed Ye Chen over and over again…