Part 1: The Hell of Shaft No. 9
At dawn, the "trash" were deported to the depths of the mountain. Mine Shaft No. 9 was a labyrinth of dark tunnels reeking of sulfur and sweat. There, Arthur met Overseer Bao, a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage. He was a massive man wielding a whip made of spirit-reptile hide, infused with jagged energy.
"The rules are simple," Bao growled, cracking his whip against the floor. "Every slave mines 10 spirit stones a day. Fail, and you don't eat. Rebel, and you get buried alive."
Arthur looked around; the other slaves were ghosts, working like broken machines. But to Arthur, the walls were glowing. Thanks to his Void Bloodline, he could "see" the flow of energy behind the rocks. He didn't need to labor; he simply touched the stone, and his bloodline siphoned the energy from the "Spirit Stones" within, leaving behind a dull, worthless husk while he grew stronger.
Within three days, Arthur had secretly reached the 3rd level of Qi Condensation, while others were barely clinging to life.
Part 2: Manipulation and Conspiracy
Arthur didn't just strengthen himself; he began weaving his web. He started "donating" a portion of his mined stones to the weakest prisoners—not out of pity, but to build an army of debtors who owed him their lives.
"Why help us?" asked an old man who had been exiled to the mines years ago.
Arthur gave a faint, chilling smile. "Because I need eyes in every tunnel, and ears in Overseer Bao's office."
From his new spies, Arthur learned that Overseer Bao was embezzling a portion of the mine's quota to bribe the Outer Sect elders for a promotion. This was the opening he needed. That night, Arthur slipped into Bao's private vault. He didn't steal the stones; instead, he used his Devour ability to plant a small "Void Curse" inside the spirit stones Bao intended to use as bribes.
When the Elder eventually tried to absorb those stones, it would appear as if Bao was attempting to poison him with corrupted energy.
"A powerful enemy isn't always defeated by the sword," Arthur whispered, vanishing into the shadows. "He is dismantled from within."