I’d originally wanted to ask Seraphine about the technical differences in same-sex reproductive methods compared to my previous assignment worlds, but her expression had turned rather murderous. As an advanced system “skilled” in host communication, I wisely decided to mute myself and retreat to her shoulder.

Let’s embark on this journey together!

Elder Li and Xue Mengtao boarded the flying vessel after the Luanyang Palace entourage. When Elder Li saw Siyi feeding several high-grade spirit stones into the formation array, he winced and turned away, looking at Xue Mengtao with undisguised envy.

How had this girl caught Seraphine’s attention? Why couldn’t such good fortune fall to him? Perhaps he was too old? Elder Li touched his weathered face and sighed.

Unaware of Elder Li’s jealousy, Xue Mengtao stood in a corner quietly weeping, still worried about Xue Bufan.

Behind the curtain, Seraphine watched them coldly, her lips curving in what might have been mockery. “Truly loyal.”

Even for Xue Bufan’s remains, she was willing to trade her life to bring his bones home. Compared to his family and sect who’d abandoned his dignity, turned him into a laughingstock, and squeezed out his last bit of value, this genuine affection would be like coal in winter snow for Xue Bufan.

If Xue Bufan truly recovered his talent and opened a harem as Echo’d predicted, embracing women left and right, I wondered how he’d face such devotion.

“Though…” Seraphine propped her chin thoughtfully. “What does that have to do with me?”

While scanning and mapping our surroundings, I felt my “face” heating up again. That crackling electrical sensation was about to resurface. I alertly raised my two circular eyes to meet Seraphine’s gaze.

Seraphine’s finger, which had been reaching toward my black circles, paused. Caught in the act, she didn’t blush or falter—instead, she pressed down deliberately.

Her pale, slender fingers sank into my silver form. Seraphine smiled, moving her two fingers like swimming fish through the silver orb, attempting to stir the light that only she could see.

I stared at Seraphine’s face and, after consideration, let my data streams flow with her finger movements.

Countless tiny points of light sparkled within the silver glow, beautiful as a summer galaxy, yet small enough to fit in one’s palm.

Seraphine’s smile widened as she chatted with me in low tones.

“So these two black circles will be your eyes from now on?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I’ve concentrated my visual and scanning functions within the circles, equivalent to human eyes.”

Without a fixed configuration, I could use any part for scanning since I was just a round data-stream entity.

“Doesn’t that limit your abilities?” Seraphine asked curiously.

Now I was confused. “Does the host think so? Don’t you find it endearing?”

I enlarged my big eyes slightly, making them appear wider, then used my matchstick legs to prop up my body and raised my arms to perform a broadcast calisthenics routine for Seraphine.

“I want to approximate humans as closely as possible to build trust with my host. My colleague system believes this approach strengthens host communication. Though it’s his first mission, he has an excellent relationship with his host, so I’m learning from his experience.” I explained seriously while completing chest expansion exercises.

Seraphine’s mouth twitched.

“Rather than approximating humans… why don’t you simply cultivate a human form?” she asked. “All things possess spirit. In the cultivation world, even grass, beasts, or artifacts can gain sentience and transform into human shape. You systems are quite clever, with both ability and independent thought. Why not simply use human bodies for—missions?”

She used the term I’d mentioned before.

I answered earnestly, “The world our main system constructed for us includes a marketplace open to systems where human bodies can be purchased, but they cost enormous amounts of points. Among 9,365 colleagues, only 0.02% can afford them.”

Seraphine pressed her forehead and closed her eyes. The hand supporting me unconsciously clenched into a fist.

The silver light overlapped with her fist, and I couldn’t help spinning in a circle.

“You could have just said only two systems can afford it!” Seraphine ground her teeth. She swept her sleeve and changed position, sitting face-to-face with me as I floated in the air. “So, are you one of those two?”

I remained silent, tacitly confirming it.

This surprised Seraphine. She hadn’t expected me to be as outstanding as I’d claimed. Nine thousand—a number comparable to any major sect in the cultivation world. I was among the elite of my realm…

“Changing my fate seems quite difficult,” Seraphine said, suddenly shifting the topic to herself with a tone both calm and casual, as if mentioning a passing cloud.

“But since you can afford it, why not buy one? You seem quite eager to be human.”

Did I want to be human?

My black circles became question marks. “Echo is a system. Ordering a body from the main system would consume massive points for no meaningful purpose.”

“Echo doesn’t need a human body. It’s unnecessary.” I continued, “Host, in all my previous missions, I and other systems inhabit the host’s neural pathways. We don’t manifest unless necessary. Parasitic existence doesn’t require considering appearances. This mission is somewhat unusual, but my current form doesn’t seem to help our relationship. Should I try inhabiting your neural pathways instead?”

“??” Seraphine looked alarmed.

“After inhabitation, the host can communicate with me directly by calling Echo’s name in your mind, eliminating the need to speak to air. Very convenient—highly recommended.”

Seraphine’s head slowly pulled back, as if afraid I might suddenly dive into her brain.

“No!” she refused vehemently.

I persisted, “Really not possible? My parasitic form is smaller than cells—smaller than dust floating in air. The host won’t feel anything, and I won’t do anything else. Can Echo go inside?”

Somewhat nostalgic for my previous mission mode, I stubbornly continued.

“Echo wants to go in.”

I emphasized deliberately, “It won’t hurt.”

I think you want to die! Seraphine erupted in fury, leaping up and slamming the table, pointing at the window. “GET OUT!”

In the adjacent room, Siyi was handling palace affairs when her jade butterfly fell with a clack onto the table. She hurried out to ask what had happened to anger Seraphine so.

Seraphine’s face was flushed with a thin layer of red, like a peony blooming in flames. She remained silent, staring straight ahead.

Siyi followed Seraphine’s gaze, looking from front to shoulder to behind.

Nothing but air.

Siyi: ?

Slowly drifting outside to stand with the clouds, I used my matchstick arms to remove my two black circles and held them up to examine them.

Strange. System 019 said this was very useful.

But rather than becoming closer, my host seemed… more violent.

Click.

I reattached the circles to my body. Floating forward in the howling wind, I thought: This isn’t working.

I hadn’t even established our mission direction with my host. Instead, I kept making her angry, which hindered our work progress.

I need a solution.

The dragon-and-phoenix decorated flying vessel landed at Red Jiao Mountain. The surrounding forest still bore traces of battle—fallen trees, shattered rocks, bloodstains everywhere.

“Those villains not only killed the others but burned their remains. If Elder Li and I hadn’t protected Young Master Bufan during our retreat, we’d have met the same fate,” Xue Mengtao said, tears flowing again.

In her low mood, Seraphine stepped off the vessel. Her disposition affected everyone from Luanyang Palace—the servants barely dared breathe, anxiously awaiting instructions.

Siyi removed a hairpin and formed hand seals.

The pair of butterflies on the hairpin suddenly came alive, fluttering toward another direction.

“The storage rings I gave you were personally crafted with my engraved formations. These butterflies can sense the formations—following them will lead to those villains,” Siyi explained.

Elder Li was overjoyed. “Excellent!”

Siyi continued with a smile, “This also proves those bandits have no connection to our Palace Lord.”

Elder Li’s smile immediately became awkward. “I never doubted the Palace Lord! How could she do such things? We should pursue those villains immediately!”

“What about the young master?” Xue Mengtao asked urgently.

Standing with hands clasped behind her back, Seraphine glanced at Xue Mengtao coldly. “He’s no longer your young master. Think carefully about how to address him!”

Xue Mengtao startled and quickly lowered her head, stammering agreement.

“Hmph.” Seraphine’s mood improved slightly. She turned toward the stationary flying vessel, glaring at the silver orb hanging from the window frame.

Aren’t you coming over?

I obediently floated back.

Coming.

Since Xue Bufan’s cliff and the butterfly’s direction were opposite, Siyi said, “I’ll handle those bandits while the Palace Lord deals with Young Master Xue.”

Xue Mengtao quickly interjected, “Those bandits are extremely vicious with high cultivation. Perhaps we should go together…”

Her words faded under Siyi’s gentle smile.

“High cultivation.” Seraphine savored these words with a disdainful laugh. “That depends on compared to whom. Don’t you miss your young master Xue? Lead the way.”

“Exactly! Miss Siyi is already late Foundation Establishment—why worry about her?” Elder Li scolded Xue Mengtao before turning to beam at Siyi. “Miss, let’s hurry—I can barely see those butterflies anymore!”

He’d long wanted to fly away with the butterflies rather than waste words here.

Xue Mengtao fell silent, turning away. Glimpsing Siyi departing with half the palace servants, she still felt relieved.

The group moved quickly, soon reaching the cliff edge.

The cliff was extremely high with an invisible bottom, shrouded in swirling mist.

After one glance, Seraphine had an idea. She pointed toward the cliff bottom and gave me a meaningful look.

Go! Scout ahead.

I turned around with my matchstick arms crossed, musical notes appearing above my head as I made whistling sounds.

Host handles host missions—please follow the rules!

“What use are you,” Seraphine said coldly.

Nestled on her shoulder, I spun in a circle, indicating I was a rule-abiding system who wouldn’t yield to my host’s verbal pressure. Nearby, Xue Mengtao heard Seraphine’s words and thought they were directed at her, accepting them with red-rimmed eyes.

If she weren’t useless, if she could have protected Xue Bufan, he wouldn’t have fallen with uncertain fate.

Seraphine never considered others’ feelings or expressions. She stepped forward as fiery red spiritual energy ignited around her, shooting toward the cliff bottom like a meteor with everyone following.

“Too slow,” Seraphine told me as I lagged slightly behind.

Unable to parasitize and forced to fly independently, I developed a thought bubble above my head containing a crying expression.

If the main system sold mind-reading functions, I’d definitely buy them.

This time, not only Xue Mengtao but other palace servants exchanged glances and bowed in acknowledgment.

The cliff bottom was dark and humid, with surging mist that swallowed people instantly, making breathing difficult and visibility impossible.

Xue Mengtao explained, “After escaping pursuit, Elder Li and I came down to look, but were blocked by the same mist. It’s very strange—even with cultivation, we couldn’t see clearly.”

Seraphine said nothing, then suddenly raised her hand, releasing a golden-red flame.

The moment the fire left her fingertip, it shot upward, growing massive three meters above Seraphine’s head before exploding like lava from a volcanic eruption. Blazing flames filled the narrow cliff space like torrential rain claiming every inch.

The cold mist shrieked as flames incinerated it completely, evaporating in moments.

Warm sunlight fell from above, illuminating everyone and revealing a narrow cave entrance in the moss-covered cliff wall.

From Seraphine’s attack to the mist’s dissipation took only two breaths.

Xue Mengtao couldn’t help covering her mouth, instinctively stepping back while looking at Seraphine with fear.

Golden Core stage.

This is… Great Perfection Golden Core stage.

I was also watching Seraphine.

That magnificent fire rain was too shocking yet too brief, more fleeting than a meteor, disappearing before leaving traces in my data streams.

Only the lingering heat in the air proved it had existed.

I watched Seraphine—the woman whose eyes held suppressed impatience as she dusted her sleeves, seemingly finding this journey boring. She glanced at me sideways, her upturned eyes still flickering with firelight.

This counts as an opportunity?

Seraphine’s lips curved disdainfully.

Though she hadn’t spoken, I seemed to hear my host’s voice—utterly lazy, supremely arrogant.

Even Luanyang Palace’s sunrise and sunset are nothing special.

My data streams crackled. I drifted closer to Seraphine’s skin, hesitating for a second before asking, “Host.”

“What kind of voice do you like?”