To the elder''s furious denunciation, Chu Xingchen responded with an even more ferocious supernatural ability.


    A wave of sword intent, like a waterfall crashing down a cliff, surged towards the elder.


    His second apprentice-brother seemed to be in a bad way. That didn''t look okay at all.


    Time was not on his side.


    His apprentice was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and even with a teleportation charm, his safety wasn''t guaranteed.


    A swift resolution was the only option.


    Mo Chen was terrified. Every fiber of his being felt locked in place. Facing that terrifying sword strike, he felt death looming.


    "Master, wait! Leave him alive for now!"


    Li Xingtian shouted from the mine entrance.


    Hesitating for a moment, Chu Xingchen held back.


    The sword energy shifted slightly, sparing the elder''s head, his eyes wide with terror.


    Seeing his master holding back, Li Xingtian visibly relaxed, then charged forward.


    He stormed toward the elder, a crimson aura rising in his hand. He slammed his hand onto the elder''s head.


    Though Chu Xingchen''s sword strike hadn''t killed the elder, he''d still been hit with its full force.


    Though not on the verge of death, he was heavily wounded. Facing Li Xingtian''s onslaught, Mo Chen didn''t even have the strength to raise his hand.


    He could only let Li Xingtian grab his head.


    Then, to his horror, the elder realized that this Foundation Establishment junior was draining the blood from his body.


    A Foundation Establishment cultivator draining a Golden Core? Unheard of! Even if he was heavily wounded...


    Mo Chen felt a distinct suppression originating from the cultivation technique itself!


    This kid''s demonic cultivation was more twisted than his own!


    This was something that even demonic cultivators feared!


    Chu Xingchen watched his disciple, looking every bit the demonic cultivator, and frowned.


    Both of them were wreathed in dark red energy. "What''s going on?!"


    Li Xingtian barely turned his head to look at his master. "There''s a demonic ritual here. They''ve been draining the miners'' spiritual roots and blood for their cultivation!"


    Chu Xingchen tightened his grip on his sword and glared at Li Xingtian. "I''m talking about you! What''s going on with you?!"


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Me?" Li Xingtian was taken aback. He looked down at the blood-red aura surrounding him and suddenly realized.


    "I''m fine. It''s just... your technique seems to interact with those blood pools..."


    Li Xingtian''s expression became strained.


    He''d never heard of a righteous cultivation technique that interacted with demonic rituals.


    And now his own cultivation technique seemed to have higher priority than theirs.


    Was he going to be surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood from now on?


    But there was no time for soul-searching. Chu Xingchen interrupted his thoughts. "If you''re okay, that''s all that matters. Reinforcements are probably on their way. What''s the situation?"


    Li Xingtian could feel his spiritual power rapidly replenishing, his cultivation base steadily increasing.


    He answered immediately. "I saw Senior Apprentice-Sister heading into the mine. I''ve killed all the Foundation Establishment cultivators inside. She should be safe. Master, grab whatever you need from the vault and get out of here. I''ll handle this one!"


    Chu Xingchen nodded and headed straight for the vault.


    The Qingfeng Sect Foundation Establishment disciples had scattered as soon as their elder had been nearly killed with one strike.


    No one was there to stop Chu Xingchen. He kicked open the vault doors.


    The sight that greeted him made him pause.


    The vault was filled with spirit stones, but there was also a formation in the center that used the blood energy from the mine to nourish the spirit stones.


    The spirit stones weren''t the usual pale blue, glowing with spiritual energy.


    They were pale red, emanating a bloody stench.


    Seriously... you''d be labeled a demonic cultivator just for buying something with these stones!


    What were they doing defiling spirit stones of all things?!


    But there wasn''t time to dwell on it.


    Having come this far...


    Chu Xingchen shoved every spirit stone he could find into his spatial ring.


    The ring quickly filled to bursting. Chu Xingchen grabbed a couple of smaller stones and shoved them into his pocket. That was enough greed for one day.


    When he stepped outside, Li Xingtian had already finished off Elder Mo Chen.


    The elder looked like a desiccated corpse, skin clinging to bone.


    Li Xingtian''s cultivation had already reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment.


    He''d caught up with Li Yingling.


    Now he was preparing for his first plan.


    Setting up a rudimentary teleportation formation, rudimentary to the point where its destination and range were completely random.


    Chu Xingchen tossed Li Xingtian a few of the blood-red spirit stones from his ring to power the formation.


    Just then, Li Yingling emerged from the mine, dragging someone with her.


    Li Yingling was wearing a demon mask as well. She was dragging Ning Qianqian''s father, Ning Kun.


    Behind her, a group of miners stumbled out of the mine.


    "You''ve seen what''s happening here. Staying means certain death, sooner or later." Li Xingtian''s hands moved swiftly as he spoke. "I''m setting up a teleportation formation."


    "The range and destination are uncertain! You could end up right back in the Qingfeng Sect''s hands."


    "Of course, you can choose to stay. I won''t force you. But this is your only chance! Think it over carefully. Those who are willing, step into the circle."


    Li Xingtian projected his voice with spiritual energy, ensuring that the miners could hear him clearly.


    The miners looked around in confusion.


    But some were quick to understand. Li Xingtian''s battle in the mine had disrupted the illusions.


    As the illusion faded, the miners saw the pools of blood and the blood being extracted from their bodies.


    They knew that they would be worked to the bone, only to have the Qingfeng Sect drain them dry.


    One of the miners spoke up, his voice shaking with emotion. "Thank you for saving our lives! How can we repay you?"


    Li Xingtian didn''t reply. He continued to work, adding the final touches to the formation.


    He placed the spirit stones in their positions.


    The formation suddenly glowed.


    Li Xingtian took a deep breath. "Don''t thank me. Just remember to help others when you get the chance."


    Seeing the miners, Li Xingtian couldn''t help but think of his brothers from the village.


    He had died here.


    He gave a self-deprecating laugh. Li Xingtian didn''t know why he wanted to save them.


    But wasn''t cultivation about clarity of intention?


    If he wanted to do it, he would. Whether for his own peace of mind or to honor the memory of his friend.


    That was what he wanted to do.


    He looked over at his master.


    His master simply nodded.