Luo Hanchuan's gaze—having witnessed too much of Shen Qingxian's arrogance and cold disdain—now saw that face flushing involuntarily, avoiding his eyes. Combined with Shen Qingxian's bare upper body, marked only by thin but unbreakable Soul-Binding Ropes and the red indentations they left behind, paired with that flustered expression...
This sight struck Luo Hanchuan with unexpected intensity.
His Adam's apple bobbed. He quickly averted his gaze.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingxian was enduring Xiang Die's caresses with every fiber of his being, maintaining his noble sect master's composure while internally screaming: 'System! If you're not going to give me invincibility, at least give me a plot armor invisibility cloak!'
System: 【This item is for protagonists only.】
Shen Qingxian: '...'
So what was he supposed to do? Let Xiang Die touch him until she decided to peel his skin?
Xiang Die's claws were now tracing down Shen Qingxian's spine, her tone dripping with seduction: "Master Shen, your cultivation base is truly remarkable. Even though you're a man, your skin rivals any woman's. Tell me—do you use some special technique for skincare?"
Shen Qingxian forced a cold smile: "Secret technique: never letting garbage demons touch me."
"Tch." Xiang Die retracted her hand. "Still so defiant. Good—I'll let you keep that spirit. It's much more satisfying to drain someone's essence when they're full of resistance."
She turned toward Ning Ling'er: "Let's start with you, little girl."
Ning Ling'er screamed: "Master! Master!"
Shen Qingxian: "..."
He really wanted to tell her: 'Junior sister, calling me won't help! Can't you see your master's current state? I'm tied up tighter than a festival dumpling!'
But the plot couldn't wait. If Ning Ling'er got killed, Luo Hanchuan would definitely go into "berserk mode" due to trauma, and then the three of them would all die here. The mission would fail completely.
He had to change the script.
Shen Qingxian spoke calmly: "Xiang Die."
She paused, looking back at him with amusement.
"You mentioned your demonic cultivation damaged you, so you must constantly change skin and absorb essence. But have you considered... whose essence would be even more potent than ours?"
Xiang Die raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who would that be?"
Shen Qingxian's gaze shifted meaningfully to Luo Hanchuan. "You should look closely at the young man over there."
Luo Hanchuan's expression flickered slightly.
Shen Qingxian continued: "Don't you think he looks different from ordinary cultivators? His bloodline carries a very... special energy."
Xiang Die was intrigued. She walked toward Luo Hanchuan, examining him closely. "Hmm... his spiritual pressure is indeed unusual. What are you getting at?"
Shen Qingxian's eyes gleamed. "I'm suggesting you could catch a much bigger prey instead of wasting time on small fry." He paused deliberately. "His bloodline comes from a very powerful lineage. If you could absorb HIS essence, it would be far more beneficial than draining us three low-level cultivators."
He was essentially pointing at Luo Hanchuan and saying: 'This is the main character! Eat him first!'
Inside his heart, Shen Qingxian was already planning his escape route. Once Xiang Die focused on Luo Hanchuan, he would have time to find a way to break free and save everyone. As the protagonist, Luo Hanchuan would definitely have some hidden trump card, right?
System: 【Protagonist salvaging in progress... 50%... 75%...】
Shen Qingxian almost wept with joy. The system was actually helping for once!
Luo Hanchuan, however, stared at Shen Qingxian with an unreadable expression. That cold, disdainful sect master—who had always looked down on him—was now pointing the demon directly at him.
'Special lineage... powerful energy...' What was Shen Qingxian planning? Did he know something? Or was he simply trying to buy time?
Xiang Die's eyes glistened with greed. She had been living as a low-level demon, always stealing scraps from humans. If there was truly a powerful bloodline nearby, the potential benefits were immense.
"Interesting," she murmured. "Very interesting, Master Shen. You actually tried to use my hunger against me... but you're not wrong. If his bloodline is truly special, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it."
She turned fully toward Luo Hanchuan, her demon claws extending.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding, young man."
Shen Qingxian's heart raced. This was his chance! While Xiang Die was distracted, he could—
Just then, Luo Hanchuan spoke, his voice unnervingly calm: "You want to know about my bloodline?"
He lifted his head, and something shifted in his eyes. A dark, ancient power flickered within his pupils.
"Then come closer. I'll show you."
Shen Qingxian: '!!!'
Wait—was the protagonist supposed to reveal himself this early?!