“What do you mean?” Seraphine asked.

The cold wind swept across the cliff bottom, cooling my overheated processors. I needed a moment to think. “Let’s find the protagonist first.”

Seraphine looked confused as she walked toward the cave, clearly puzzling over Echo‘s words. Was her maid throwing a tantrum? Maybe because she’d made her fly outside during the journey here?

But that didn’t seem right.

This mysterious entity calling itself a system was calculating and cold, always talking about missions and work, never caring about unnecessary things. Was it trying to probe her preferences? Was it going to suggest more harem members again?

Seraphine stopped walking and lowered her lashes.

The cave entrance loomed just two meters ahead. Even colder and damper air than the misty cliff bottom wafted out, thick with a nauseating stench. White bones were piled outside the entrance—thankfully, none appeared human.

The beautiful young palace attendants couldn’t help covering their noses, staring at the cave mouth with disgust.

Seraphine, the lord of an entire palace, was even more disgusted than them.

“What kind of opportunity could possibly exist in a place like this?” she said with revulsion. “Just burn it down!”

She raised her finger, spiritual energy crackling at the tip.

Oh no, is it going to rain again?

I perked up immediately.

But just as Seraphine declared her intention to incinerate the cave, a clear, resonant roar echoed from within.

“A dragon’s cry?!” Xue Mengtao exclaimed in shock.

Seraphine raised an eyebrow before letting it fall, the flames at her fingertip burning hotter. “An old relic from ancient times,” she said dismissively. “If it wanted to live peacefully in seclusion, fine. But hiding in a place like this?”

Before she finished speaking, a tongue of flame shot from her hand straight into the cave.

The white bones at the entrance instantly disintegrated to ash. Fire blazed within the cave as shocked roars mingled with a man’s voice shouting, “Stop!”

“Young Master!” Xue Mengtao cried out in delight.

Everyone felt the ground shake as something massive charged toward them from inside the cave. Seraphine frowned and swept her long sleeves, bringing everyone back with her to a safe distance.

Since I had no physical form and couldn’t be carried, I floated in midair. Through my sensor arrays, I watched a enormous gray-red mottled head charging straight at me, its gaping maw swallowing me whole.

Well. This is new.

My voice was lost in the darkness.

The long creature chomped through me like a freight train, devouring me from head to tail.

After a considerable time, light returned.

Having been “birthed” back out, I manifested a small circular mouth beneath my round sensor ring and looked at Seraphine, who seemed to be suppressing laughter. My voice remained perfectly flat as I offered my assessment:

“Stimulating.”

“Pfft.” Seraphine suddenly lowered her head, fingers pressed to her crimson lips to hide a quiet laugh.

Silly thing.

“What is that thing?” Xue Mengtao stared in terror at the massive beast coiled nearby, her voice trembling with fear. “A snake… python?”

“In Red Jiao Mountain, there really is a flood dragon,” Seraphine observed. “A fire dragon, no less.”

The dragon coiled like a small mountain, its turbid eyes watching Seraphine’s group warily. Most of its scales had fallen away, leaving only scattered patches of red among the stone-gray scales that remained.

“You look like you’re dying,” Seraphine stated without emotion.

The dragon’s head drooped weakly against its body, throat producing broken, intermittent sounds.

After the fire dragon emerged, a person crawled out of the cave—none other than Xue Bufan himself.

All limbs intact, not pulverized to paste. A perfectly lively Xue Bufan.

“Palace Lord, please stop! Don’t hurt it!” Xue Bufan shouted.

Seraphine’s lashes trembled as her gaze snapped to Xue Bufan, her heart skipping a beat.

I floated over and asked, “Do you sense spiritual energy fluctuations from the protagonist?”

Seraphine’s eyes darkened.

Though faint… there were indeed spiritual energy fluctuations, deliberately suppressed by Xue Bufan. If not for her being two major realms above him, she might have been fooled.

Could such an opportunity truly exist in this world—something capable of bringing shattered spiritual roots back to life?

Seraphine’s gaze swept over Xue Bufan before settling on the ring he wore on his left thumb. The ring was completely black, seemingly jade but not jade, made of some unknown material.

Two voices spoke simultaneously in her mind and ears—the mechanical tone from their first meeting and Echo's current voice, both saying the same thing:

‘Grandpa Figure’.

If not for her dignity as a palace lord, Seraphine would have cursed aloud right then!

Echo hadn’t lied to her. Everything was exactly as Echo predicted. So… this world truly was just a story? And the protagonist was actually this Xue Bufan!

“Palace… Palace Lord,” Xue Mengtao stammered fearfully, addressing Seraphine. For some reason, the Palace Lord looked to be in a terrible mood, as if she might set someone on fire at any moment.

“Little Tao, did you bring people to rescue me? Thank you,” Xue Bufan said, his expression much improved from his time at Luanyang palace, showing a warm smile.

Seraphine’s chest rose and fell as she continued cursing internally. Of course his mood was good—according to Echo predictions, he’d now repaired his spiritual roots and obtained incredible cultivation techniques. His cultivation would probably advance by leaps and bounds from here, beginning his cheat-powered face-slapping journey!

Though I didn’t fully understand what “cheat-powered” meant, Seraphine definitely didn’t want her face slapped. She suddenly looked toward the fire dragon nearby.

“Is this a Fire Rock Dragon?” she asked.

Xue Bufan nodded, his smile deepening as he reached out to stroke the creature’s body. “When I fell from the cliff, it saved me.”

Xue Mengtao asked in surprise, “But when I came down looking for Young… for Young Master Xue, I didn’t find any cave.”

“There was originally a barrier at the bottom of this cliff. Now that it’s leaving with me, the barrier has opened as well,” Xue Bufan explained, then changed the subject. “But why are you being so formal? What happened in just one day?”

Xue Mengtao smiled at Xue Bufan, tears shimmering in her eyes.

The confused Xue Bufan looked between Xue Mengtao and Seraphine. “What—”

Seraphine didn’t even want to look at Xue Bufan. Her expression sour, she stared at the Fire Rock Dragon. “You’re saying this dragon set up the barrier here?”

With its claws?

Xue Bufan hadn’t expected his deliberately vague explanation to face such scrutiny. He laughed awkwardly. “Well, it has intelligence. Perhaps it had a master before and learned some techniques.”

The Fire Rock Dragon made a low sound that echoed through the valley.

I analyzed the situation: “The dragon should be a bonus included with the protagonist’s opportunity. In stories like this, protagonists need spirit beast companions. The number varies.”

Seraphine’s mood worsened. “You’re more like a spirit pet than this overgrown worm,” she said.

I’m a system!

Seraphine’s mind was occupied with the frustrating fact that she was a supporting character who would have to deal with Xue Bufan in the future. When she was in a bad mood, she liked making others feel worse.

She suppressed her anger, her cold expression making others afraid to look directly at her. She noticed Xue Mengtao’s reluctant, longing gaze toward Xue Bufan, and her lips curved in a cold smile.

“Young Master Xue,” Seraphine said with slight mockery in her tone. “As you can see, to convince me to rescue you, Xue Mengtao willingly entered my palace as a servant and maid. Even if you were just a pile of flesh, she wanted to collect your remains and send your soul home.”

Xue Bufan’s heart shook as he looked at Xue Mengtao with infinite gratitude. Xue Mengtao appeared deeply moved as well.

Seraphine had no intention of giving them time for sentiment. She continued coldly, “But I’ve suddenly changed my mind. Xue Bufan, I’ve taken a liking to this dragon. However, I never force anyone against their will.”

“I’ll give you two choices: let Xue Mengtao enter my palace as a servant—or take her with you and give me the dragon. The decision is yours!”

Xue Bufan’s expression changed drastically as he stared at Seraphine in shock.

Seraphine waved her sleeve, and her attendants efficiently produced a soft couch from their storage rings for her to sit on.

I floated in a circle before drifting to Seraphine’s ear. “Host, in the plot, this kind of behavior makes you the villain.”

Your entire demeanor screams it too.

Look at that arrogant attitude, that watching-a-show posture, that lip service about not forcing people while actually forcing them. She might as well have “VILLAIN” tattooed on her forehead.

Early-stage villains are usually minor characters.

Seraphine shot me a cold look.

Whose side are you on?

Firmly committed to my host’s cause, I declared: We must persist until the later stages! Become the final boss!

While we exchanged glances, Xue Bufan’s expression darkened. “Palace Lord, surely you’re joking. This kind of thing…”

Seraphine snorted coldly. “Choose quickly.”

Don’t waste time with useless words.

“Young Master Xue, I don’t mind,” Xue Mengtao said with a smile. “Please take the Fire Rock Dragon.”

“Little Tao…” Xue Bufan looked deeply moved.

Seraphine watched coldly. At that moment, Siyi returned with the palace attendants, her expression as gentle as when she’d left, her robes still clean and neat without a single extra wrinkle. The mission appeared to have gone very well.

“Oh my, Young Master Xue is safe and sound. What’s happening here?” Siyi asked with a smile as her attendants dumped the corpses they carried onto the ground.

After the palace attendants explained the situation, Elder Li—who had been following Siyi with a pale face—suddenly brightened. He rushed over and grabbed Xue Bufan’s arm.

“Young Master, what’s difficult about this choice! If Flowing Mountain Sect has a Fire Rock Dragon’s assistance, what small fry would dare cause trouble in the future!”

Seeing Xue Bufan’s displeased expression, Elder Li tightened his grip and changed his previously dejected tone to something more forceful. “Young Master Xue, when your spiritual veins were intact, the sect placed all its hopes on you. Everyone waited for you to soar and lift Lianshan Sect to greatness. Now that you’re crippled, any nobody dares step on us!”

“Even if you don’t think of yourself, consider the sect! The ones who stole your storage ring, killed your fellow disciples, and forced you off the cliff—that was White Water Sect! White Water Sect and Lianshan Sect are hereditary enemies. When you were crippled, they even set off fireworks at our mountain gate to celebrate! Now they’re trying to kill us all! If we had a Fire Rock Dragon guarding the sect, would these people dare commit such evil acts again?”

Elder Li continued his relentless persuasion: “Luanyang palace is wealthy and powerful—Little Tao entering the palace isn’t suffering but enjoying good fortune! You must think clearly!”

“Shut up!” Xue Bufan shook off Elder Li and took a deep breath before addressing Seraphine. “I’m sorry, Palace Lord, but I’m taking both the Fire Rock Dragon and Little Tao.”

Seraphine’s face turned cold.

“My life was saved by the Fire Rock Dragon and has nothing to do with you, so Little Tao doesn’t need to enter your palace!” Xue Bufan declared firmly. “Whatever agreement she made with you doesn’t count!”

Xue Mengtao’s lips moved slightly as she looked toward Seraphine.

Seraphine remained expressionless, her eyes like ice, beautiful but carrying an extremely dangerous edge that made people afraid to look directly at her.

I couldn’t help opening my interface panel and speaking hesitantly: “Though the main system strongly advises against it, I do have another option. Directly eliminating the protagonist has a 99% failure rate and 90% chance of world collapse, but it’s worth trying.”

“I’ll do my best to secure a lifeline for you, Host. Even in soul form, we can continue missions.”

Seraphine slowly turned her head with a mechanical “creak,” her gaze falling on me, the corner of her mouth twitching.

What do you mean we can continue missions even in soul form? Continue working even after death?

Seraphine tried not to think about my disturbing words as the ice in her expression thawed slightly. She sat up straighter, her gaze settling on Xue Mengtao.

Xue Mengtao bowed to Seraphine.

“I never force anyone against their will. I made an agreement with Xue Mengtao and came as promised. Whether the agreement counts shouldn’t be your decision. Xue Mengtao, what do you think?” Seraphine asked.

Xue Bufan immediately said, “Little Tao.”

Suddenly caught in the middle, Xue Mengtao stiffened, looking around at the Luanyang palace attendants in panic. Though Seraphine had asked her, she wasn’t actually looking at her. Instead, Siyi was watching with a gentle smile.

Elder Li desperately signaled her from the side, silently mouthing “consider the bigger picture.”

“Little Tao, don’t think about anything, don’t consider anything. Make the choice you most want to make,” Xue Bufan said, placing his hand on her shoulder as if offering firm support.

Xue Mengtao’s body slowly relaxed. She smiled softly, turned to face Xue Bufan, and said with a laugh, “Young Master, hearing you say that makes Little Tao happier than anything.”

But…

The things he said not to think about or consider—those weren’t things she and the Young Master could simply cast aside. She didn’t know why Palace Lord Velka had taken notice of her, but as the Palace Lord had said, she’d come as promised and allowed Little Tao to see that the Young Master was safe. That was enough. What good would angering the Palace Lord do for the Young Master or Lianshan Sect?

As long as she knew he was safe, it didn’t matter where she served.

Xue Mengtao pulled away from Xue Bufan’s hand and bowed formally before walking toward Seraphine under his disbelieving gaze.

Siyi smiled and pulled Xue Mengtao to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Well done,” she said gently.

“Yes,” Xue Mengtao replied quietly, avoiding Xue Bufan’s gaze.

Seraphine’s mood improved considerably. She clapped her hands. “It seems she’s made her choice.”

The smile had long since disappeared from Xue Bufan’s face, his eyes turning cold. Elder Li, however, was overjoyed, constantly examining the mountain-sized resting Fire Rock Dragon.

“I’ve already given half the compensation to Miss Siyi. Thank you for your assistance, Palace Lord. The Young Master and I will return now!” he said.

“No rush,” Seraphine said suddenly. “The agreed matter is settled, but I have something else to discuss.”

Under Xue Bufan’s wary gaze, Seraphine lazily called out, “Fire Rock Dragon.”

The coiled mountain roared in response.

“Fire Rock Dragons are born from magma and must consume Flame Heart Stones every thousand years, or their bodies slowly turn to stone and die,” Seraphine explained. “Unfortunately, Flame Heart Stones are extremely rare and priceless. Judging by your dying appearance, you’re probably about to turn completely to stone.”

Hearing Seraphine’s words, Elder Li gasped and muttered, “Flame Heart Stones? The last time I heard of one was when Immortal Venerable Qinghuo bought one at auction for thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones. After the Immortal Venerable passed away, his immortal mansion was sealed. Who knows if the Flame Heart Stone is still there.”

“Even if it were…” He licked his lips.

Even if it still existed, it would never fall into their hands. Selling the entire current Lianshan Sect wouldn’t fetch thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones!

What he’d thought was a powerful ally was about to die!

Elder Li’s entire face crumpled as he let out a long sigh.

Xue Bufan said coldly, “That matter doesn’t require Palace Lord’s concern.”

Seraphine completely ignored him, smiling at the wheezing Fire Rock Dragon. “What a coincidence—I happen to have a Flame Heart Stone.”

Silence fell over the area.

The dragon that had been hanging its head suddenly raised it, its body producing clicking sounds like grinding stone.

“Besides, I’ve been feeling rather bored lately and need a spirit companion or two…” Seraphine emphasized the word “two,” ignoring a certain confused silver orb that deliberately floated in front of her making threatening gestures.

She laughed softly, fingers supporting her chin, eyes slightly upturned, her long lashes framing shimmering pupils like moonlight on a lake. “I’ll give you a choice as well,” Seraphine said with deliberate slowness.

“A life-saving debt versus gratitude for being saved—how do you choose?”