Several days ago...

Deep in the night at an unfamiliar place, a faint white light began to emerge, slowly spinning clockwise. As it coalesced, it formed into a standing, rectangular shape. Gradually, shadowy figures started to emerge, becoming visible under the moonlight's glow. These figures were clad in black hanfu, and shortly after, they were followed by individuals bound with chains on their hands and feet. As they followed the figures in black, their progress was slow, hindered by wounds sustained in their attempts to escape and resist capture. While confusion marked their faces as they pondered their whereabouts, others exhibited fear of potential harm from their captors. Eventually, as everyone emerged, the mysterious rectangle slowly faded away.

After several minutes of walking, they reached the cave entrance. There, the leading figure among those in black retrieved something from his storage ring—a rectangular object roughly the size of his fist. After obtaining it, he spoke softly. With a simple gesture, he raised the talisman held in his right hand, causing it to emit glowing yellow runes. This illumination swiftly dispelled the invisible barrier blocking the cave entrance.

----Talisman: These are usually inscribed with powerful symbols or runes. They can be placed on a door or entrance to lock it and can only be removed or activated with a specific incantation or another matching talisman.----

The captivated villagers displayed looks of bewilderment, seemingly unaffected by the events unfolding before them. However, Li Lu stood among them, stunned by what she had witnessed. As she glanced around at her fellow villagers, including her mother, who appeared oblivious, she realized that only true cultivators could perceive the leader's actions. With determination, she silently affirmed to herself, "There is much more for me to learn," clenching her both hand into a fist.

Meanwhile, Li Mei noticed her daughter's trance-like state as she watched the enigmatic figure in black. Tear marks were still visible on her cheeks from earlier sorrow, and she observed the shift in her demeanor from introspective to serious. Prompted by concern, she gently took her left hand, bringing her back from her reverie.

"Mom," Li Lu replied, comfort evident in her voice.

Their attention was caught when the men, dressed in black, signaled that it was time to move further into the cave. As they entered, the only sources of light were the torches flickering in every corner. The soundscape was filled with the clinking of chains, the buzzing of insects, and the occasional drip of water echoing through the cave's depths.

After several minutes of walking, they came to a fork with two caves ahead. As they approached, a man with a distinctive half-up, half-down hairstyle emerged from the right cave. His attire was noticeably different from that of those who had captured them. He wore a black hanfu adorned with red lines on each cuff and collar and a red dragon logo on his left arm sleeves.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the men in black approached, and the two began speaking in hushed voices. Meanwhile, at a distance, Li Lu noticed that the man with the dragon logo on his left arm sleeves was emitting a dark aura from his body. Realizing someone was staring at him, the man stopped mid-sentence. Sensing this, Li Lu quickly bowed, thinking it was the first time she had ever felt such an aura from another cultivator.

She lifted her head once more and noticed that her fellow villagers had begun to walk. However, as she looked ahead, she saw a mysterious man pointing his finger at the assembled villagers, seemingly selecting them. With each gesture, the man directed some villagers towards the cave on the right and others towards the left. Some villagers hesitated to follow the rightward path, sensing potential danger, and instead pleaded to be allowed to go left, unwilling to part with their loved ones. Others knelt and kissed the man's feet in supplication. In response to this, those dressed in black kicked and dragged away anyone pointed at towards the right cave. Those chosen could only weep silently as they were forcibly taken away by the men in black.

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When Li Lu and her mother, Li Mei, were chosen, Li Lu glanced back at her mother, who was bowed down as if in prayer. Then she turned to the seated man, whose expression remained impassive. After a moment, he gestured to the men in black, indicating his decision. Li Mei, upon looking up, felt immense relief that they were directed towards the left cave. She held her daughter's hand tightly as they walked towards it.

After walking for several minutes, following the men in black, they were once again lined up with other chained individuals. As they stood in line, the two observed their surroundings and realized that not only their village but other villages as well had been attacked, judging by the variety of faces present. Gradually, the line began to move forward, leading them towards another cave entrance. Stepping inside, they squinted against the harsh light. When they finally adjusted and opened their eyes wide, they were shocked to discover that the cave they had entered was, in fact, a mine.

Upon making this unsettling discovery, they surveyed their surroundings. The people there were chained at the hands and feet, laboring with pickaxes to break apart rocks. As they toiled, men in black periodically patrolled the area. The two turned their heads towards a distant cry—a prisoner being whipped by one of the men in black.

"Ahhhhhh," cried the fallen captive.

"Get up there; you haven't met your quota yet," the man in black demanded, continuing to lash the prisoner.

Upon witnessing the scene, the two were struck silent, their initial shock gradually giving way to a numbing resignation, only interrupted by a loud shout.

"Hey, grab that pickaxe and start digging," commanded a stout man in black to them. Hearing this, Li Lu and Li Mei approached and picked up the pickaxe from the ground, guided by another man in black to their designated digging spot. After a short walk, they arrived and were shown where to begin their work. The man in black then departed.

From where they stood, many prisoners were diligently digging into the earth. As they dug, they unearthed stones that typically glowed with a radiant white light, their surfaces smooth and polished, varying in size from small pebbles to fist-sized rocks adorned with intricate natural patterns. Li Mei and her daughter were captivated by the sight, wondering what exactly they were searching for. Their attention shifted when one of the prisoners, while digging, offered them advice. "If I were you, I'd start digging now," advised one of the prisoners to them, urging them to begin.

As the two began their digging, Li Lu soon unearthed a mysterious stone, which she picked up and examined closely. "I wonder what this is?" she wondered to herself. Her concentration broke when someone to her left spoke up, "That's a spiritual stone." Startled, Li Lu turned to see a boy around her age, covered in dirt, still digging nearby.

Intrigued, Li Lu asked, "Spiritual stone?" The boy didn't pause in his work but replied, "Yes, it's a spiritual stone, and..." Before he could finish explaining, they heard a thud as a body collapsed nearby. "Brother!" a man exclaimed as he hurried to his weakened sibling's side. Within moments, the men in black arrived and swiftly removed the ailing prisoner. This sparked an outcry from the victim's brother, who protested and argued vehemently about where they were taking him. In response to his resistance, one of the men in black delivered a punch to his face, leaving him seated on the ground.

Before they departed, he instructed the prisoners to continue their tasks. Upon hearing his directive, they resumed their work diligently. As Li Lu and her mother observed, they wondered about the destination of the weakened prisoner taken by the men in black. The concern on their faces prompted an elderly woman to their right to share her knowledge.

"They've been doing this for a long time. When your body can no longer endure the labor, they take both the body and the spiritual stone found during digging. As for where they take the bodies, we don't know," she explained.

Upon hearing the elderly woman's explanation, Li Lu couldn't help but ponder to herself, "If the left cave is where we mine spiritual stones, what could be in the right cave?" She quietly mulled over this question as she continued digging into the soil.

----Spiritual Stone: is a gemstone infused with dense and pure spiritual energy. It is used by cultivators to enhance their cultivation, set up formations and arrays, and craft magical items.----