Morning arrived quietly.
Golden sunlight spilled across the sect's towering peaks, casting long shadows along the stone pathways below. The cool air carried a sense of renewal as disciples gradually emerged from their residences to begin another day of cultivation and training.
Li Yan had already awakened and refreshed himself.
Seated on the couch inside his residence, he waved his hand and summoned the Tier-6 Storage Ring. The ring hovered above his palm as he sent a strand of Qi into it, inspecting the contents stored within.
His original intention was simple.
Today, he planned to visit Ji Hong and hand over the array-related books he had discovered inside the Fire Mine. Since the Sect Leader had permitted him to enter the mine, Li Yan also intended to give him some of the liquor and wine he had found there.
However, after examining the contents more carefully, he discovered something unexpected.
The stone vases collected from the gathering hall contained nineteen different types of liquor and wine.
The massive wooden drums stored inside the hidden warehouse contained twenty-six types.
And each type has at least five wooden drums; some even have twelve.
Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
After comparing the names, he quickly realized that only thirteen types matched in both collections.
In other words, six varieties found in the stone vases were not found among the wooden drums.
The discovery intrigued him briefly, but after a moment of consideration, he transferred thirteen wooden drums—the matching varieties—into his other storage ring on his finger.
The remaining drums stayed inside the Tier-6 Storage Ring.
Once finished, he stored the ring away and rose to his feet.
It was time to visit Ji Hong.
****
The Core Hall stood quietly at the heart of the sect's biggest mountain.
As Li Yan approached, disciples along the path occasionally glanced toward him. Everyone recognized him immediately, sensed the calm confidence surrounding him, and instinctively paid attention.
Li Yan ignored the looks entirely.
His pace remained steady as he entered the hall.
The temperature dropped noticeably the moment he crossed the entrance.
Faint incense drifted through the corridors, mixing with the soft glow of Qi lamps mounted along the walls. The polished stone floor reflected the warm light, creating an atmosphere both tranquil and dignified.
Without hesitation, Li Yan proceeded toward the upper levels.
The journey upward was silent.
The higher he climbed, the fewer people he encountered. Eventually, only the quiet atmosphere remained.
At the very top stood a single chamber.
The personal chamber of the Sect Leader.
Li Yan stopped before the door and knocked lightly.
Several moments passed.
Then a calm voice emerged from within. "Come in."
Li Yan pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The chamber was spacious yet simple.
Sunlight entered through a window above, illuminating the polished floor and the elevated seat reserved for the Sect Leader. Yet Ji Hong was not sitting there.
Instead, he sat cross-legged near the center of the room.
Faint traces of circulating Qi lingered around him.
Li Yan immediately understood. Ji Hong had been cultivating.
Cupping his hands respectfully, Li Yan bowed slightly. "Forgive me, Elder Ji. I may have disturbed your cultivation."
Ji Hong slowly opened his eyes. The remaining traces of Qi settled instantly.
His gaze landed on Li Yan.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
Then his eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It seems you are doing well with your cultivation."
His gaze swept over Li Yan once more.
Although Li Yan deliberately restrained his aura, someone at Ji Hong's level could still perceive the subtle changes.
The foundation was steadier. The Qi fluctuations were stronger.
"You've advanced two stages in less than a month."
There was unmistakable approval in Ji Hong's voice. "Excellent."
Li Yan nodded. "It was thanks to Elder Ji's permission to enter the Fire Mine."
Ji Hong chuckled softly. "The Fire Mine has remained unused for many years. No one within the sect possesses a suitable affinity to make proper use of it."
His smile widened slightly. "If it helped your cultivation, then allowing you access was the correct decision."
The atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Ji Hong rose to his feet and walked toward a nearby table.
With a casual gesture, he invited Li Yan to sit opposite him.
Only after both had taken their seats did Ji Hong speak again. "The Annual Competition begins tomorrow."
His eyes rested on Li Yan. "Most disciples would be using every moment to prepare."
A trace of curiosity appeared in his gaze. "So what brings you here today?"
Li Yan did not hesitate. "The competition isn't a concern."
His answer caused Ji Hong to laugh softly.
The confidence was bold. But coming from Li Yan, it did not sound arrogant. Instead, it sounded like a simple statement of fact.
Li Yan continued. "The reason I came is that I discovered several things inside the Fire Mine."
Ji Hong's expression immediately became more attentive. "Oh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face. He leaned back slightly. "You found something interesting."
It wasn't a question.
It was a certainty.
And judging by Li Yan's expression, whatever he had discovered wasn't simple.
The Sect Leader waved his hand lightly. A teapot and two cups appeared upon the table between them. Steam curled gently from the spout as Ji Hong poured tea into both cups, then slid one toward Li Yan.
The faint fragrance of spirit tea drifted through the room.
Ji Hong lifted his own cup and took a slow sip before looking at Li Yan.
"Now," he said calmly, "tell me what you found."
Li Yan accepted the cup but did not drink immediately. "Yesterday, after finishing my cultivation inside the Fire Mine, I explored the deeper tunnels."
Ji Hong's brows lifted slightly. "Oh?"
"I found several things that raised questions."
His voice remained steady and composed as he continued. "At the ends of the first and fourth tunnels, I found abandoned mining equipment. Picks. Chisels. Lanterns."
He paused briefly. "They weren't stored away. They were left where they fell."
A thoughtful look appeared in Ji Hong's eyes.
Li Yan continued. "There were also signs that the mine's operation ended abruptly."
His gaze met Ji Hong's.
"It didn't feel like an orderly withdrawal. It felt as though something forced the miners to leave before they were ready."
Silence settled between them.
Ji Hong slowly lowered his teacup.
"What you observed," he said after a moment, "is both correct…"
His gaze shifted briefly toward the distant window.
"…and incorrect."
Li Yan remained silent.
He had known that interrupting Ji Hong during moments like this led nowhere.
Ji Hong leaned back slightly. "When you observed the mine, what did you assume?"
Li Yan thought briefly. "That some kind of accident occurred."
Ji Hong shook his head. "No accident."
His expression grew slightly distant. "The history of that mine is much older than most people realize."
He paused before continuing. "Several hundred years old, at the very least. The exact origin of the mine has long since been lost."
Even Ji Hong sounded uncertain about that detail. "When I first joined the sect over one hundred and twenty years ago, I knew nothing about where that teleportation portal led."
"It wasn't recorded in ordinary archives. The elders didn't mention it. It wasn't spoken of publicly."
His fingers lightly tapped the table. "I only used that portal to go there after becoming Sect Leader."
Li Yan listened carefully.
"The information was passed down privately from one Sect Leader to the next. The day I inherited the position, the former Sect Leader personally brought me there."
A faint smile appeared on Ji Hong's face. "And what I saw was almost identical to what you saw. The mine had already been abandoned."
The smile quickly disappeared. "The reason for that abandonment was not exhaustion or accident."
"It was exposure."
The atmosphere in the room grew noticeably heavier.
Ji Hong set his teacup down. "The sect once relied heavily on the Fire Mine. Fire Qi Stones brought resources, techniques, materials, and trade opportunities."
"For many years, everything proceeded smoothly."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Too smoothly."
Li Yan immediately understood.
Success had attracted attention.
Ji Hong nodded as though reading his thoughts. "Other forces eventually began asking questions. How could a single source continue producing Fire Qi Stones for so long?"
"How large was the mine? Where was it located? Who controlled it?"
His voice became colder. "Curiosity became an investigation. Investigation became a pursuit."
Li Yan remained silent.
The answer was obvious.
Someone had followed the trail.
"One of the sect's elders was tracked while returning from an exchange."
Ji Hong's gaze hardened. "Fortunately, the former Sect Leader at the time reacted immediately. The elder escaped."
"The pursuers were misled. The Fire Mine was sealed. All mining operations stopped. Every trace connecting the mine to the sect was erased."
A long breath escaped him. "The crisis passed. But the mine remained closed."
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The silence felt heavier than before.
An entire source of wealth.
Abandoned.
Not because it had run dry. Not because it had become useless. Not because of any accident.
But because keeping it was too dangerous.
Eventually, Li Yan nodded. "So that's what happened."
Ji Hong smiled faintly. "That is only part of the story."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed.
The Sect Leader studied him for several moments before asking, "Tell me, Li Yan. Would you believe me if I said I've never explored the entire mine myself?"
For the first time since entering the room, genuine surprise appeared on Li Yan's face. "What?"
Ji Hong chuckled softly. "It sounds strange, doesn't it?"
He nodded.
"But it's true. Since becoming Sect Leader, I've only entered the mine a handful of times."
"The first was when I became Sect Leader. The second was shortly before you were permitted to enter. And the third was when I went to check on your safety."
Li Yan immediately realized something. "You only explored the third tunnel."
"Correct." Ji Hong nodded. "The tunnel with the sealed stone gate."
"As for the others..." He shook his head. "I never entered them."
The answer immediately changed the weight of everything Li Yan had discovered.
The abandoned tools.
The storage rooms.
The overseer's office.
The gathering hall.
The hidden warehouse.
Ji Hong had seen none of it.
The current generation of the sect had investigated none of it.
In fact, no one within the Shadow Sect seemed to know what truly remained in those forgotten depths.
Ji Hong's gaze became thoughtful. "The former Sect Leader never mentioned anything important in those tunnels either."
A brief pause followed.
"Whether he explored them himself…"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
The room fell silent once more. Li Yan slowly absorbed the implication.
For over a century, perhaps even longer, those tunnels had remained untouched.
Unexplored. Forgotten.
Whatever secrets still existed within the Fire Mine had been sleeping there through the rise and fall of generations.
Not even the current Sect Leader knew what remained hidden in its depths.
Li Yan raised his hand.
With a subtle wave, several old books appeared upon the table between them.
The worn covers immediately drew attention. Time had left its mark upon every volume. The edges were faded, the bindings aged, and traces of dust still lingered in the leather's grooves.
"They were inside one of the four chambers within the fifth tunnel," Li Yan said calmly.
Ji Hong's gaze immediately settled upon the books.
"The same chamber contained mining records and accident logs. I left those where they were." Li Yan gently placed his teacup down. "These seemed different."
His eyes shifted toward the stack. "They all relate to Array Mastery."
A brief silence followed.
Ji Hong reached forward and picked up the top book.
He opened it casually.
Then his expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Li Yan noticed it immediately.
The Sect Leader's gaze sharpened. The casual curiosity vanished. He turned another page.
Then another. The room gradually fell silent. Even the faint aroma of tea seemed to fade into the background.
Ji Hong picked up a second book.
Then a third.
The longer he read, the more focused he became.
What had initially appeared to be simple interest was rapidly transforming into something else.
Recognition. Disbelief. And finally—Certainty.