Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

The four followed the shadowy figure with resignation, their hearts filled with apprehension. They didn't know the mysterious figure's purpose, nor what awaited them ahead. But no matter what, they couldn't allow their companion to be put in danger.

The group traversed winding passages and arrived at a vast underground palace. The palace was ornately decorated yet eerie, its walls covered with strange runes and patterns, seemingly telling an ancient and mysterious story.

In the very center of the palace sat a figure draped in a black robe, his face obscured by darkness, yet the powerful aura emanating from him sent shivers down the spines of the four.

"Master, the person has been brought." The shadowy figure bowed respectfully to the man in black robes and then stepped aside.

The man in black robes slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes. He sized up the four of them, a strange smile playing on his lips: "Welcome to my palace, four cultivators."

His voice was low and hoarse, as if echoing from the depths of hell. The four men felt a chill and immediately prepared for battle.

"Who are you? Why did you lead us here?" Bai Yunzi asked coldly.

"Heh, who I am is not important," the man in black chuckled. "What is important is that you are all under my control right now."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved it, and the palace gates slammed shut, trapping the four of them inside.

"You!" Yun Feiyang roared and was about to rush forward to fight the man in black, but Yang Ling and Dan Yan held him back tightly.

"Don't be impulsive!" Yang Ling whispered. "We are in a dangerous situation and must remain calm."

The man in black robes didn't seem to be in a hurry to make a move. He looked at the four of them with great interest: "You cultivators always claim to be righteous people, but in my opinion, you are nothing but self-deceiving hypocrites."

"You're talking nonsense!" Dan Yan couldn't help but retort angrily, "We cultivators uphold justice and slay demons, how dare you insult us like this!"

"Oh? Righteous chivalry? Slaying demons and monsters?" The man in black robes laughed as if he had heard something amusing. "Do you know what the true evil in this world is? It is the crimes committed by those who call themselves righteous!"

The four were momentarily stunned by the black-robed man's words, but quickly regained their composure. Bai Yunzi took a deep breath and said, "We don't want to argue with you about these pointless topics. What exactly do you want?"

“It’s very simple.” The man in black robes lost his smile. “I need your strength to help me accomplish something.”

"What is it?" Yang Ling asked warily.

"Help me break an ancient seal," the man in black robes said slowly. "That seal contains immense power, which only cultivators can break."

The four exchanged glances, all understanding each other's intentions. The man in black robes clearly wanted to use them to break a seal and obtain its power.

"What if we refuse?" Yun Feiyang asked coldly.

The man in black robes chuckled softly: "Then you'll never be able to leave this place." With that, he raised his hand and waved it, and strange runes suddenly lit up on the walls around the palace, emanating a sinister aura. "This palace has been heavily fortified by me. Without my permission, you will never be able to leave."

The four felt a chill run down their spines; they knew they were in dire straits. But even so, they would not easily succumb to the black-robed man's threats. "We would rather die than help you do such a heinous thing!" Dan Yan said resolutely.

The man in black robes didn't seem surprised by their answer, and simply smiled slightly: "Then let's wait and see." With that, he turned and walked into the depths of the palace, leaving the four of them standing there looking at each other in bewilderment.

After the man in black robes left, the four fell into a brief silence. They looked around and saw that the candlelight flickered in the palace, and the strange runes on the walls appeared even more mysterious and unpredictable in the dim light.

“These runes…” Bai Yunzi gently stroked the runes on the wall, his brows furrowed. “They seem to be absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.”

“That’s not all,” Yang Ling said after careful observation, “these runes also form a complex array. If we don’t understand its mysteries, we’ll probably have a hard time breaking it.”

Yun Feiyang gripped his staff tightly, a determined glint in his eyes: "No matter what, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die. We must find a way to break this restriction."

Dan Yan nodded and took out a talisman that shimmered with golden light from his pocket: "This is a formation-breaking talisman left by my master. Perhaps it can come in handy."

The four sat around a table and began discussing strategies to break the formation. Bai Yunzi drew a rough diagram of the formation on the ground with his finger, while Yang Ling deduced possible ways to break it based on Dan Yan's formation-breaking talisman. Yun Feiyang and Dan Yan continuously tried to use their magic power to attack the runes, attempting to find the formation's weaknesses.

However, as time ticked by, despite their best efforts, the restriction remained unmoved. The atmosphere inside the palace grew increasingly oppressive, and anxiety and helplessness were etched on everyone's faces.

Just as the four were sinking into despair, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from the depths of the palace. The man in black robes reappeared before them, a mocking smile on his face: "Looks like you haven't given up yet."

"We will never submit to you!" Yun Feiyang roared, his staff radiating dazzling light.

The man in black robes remained unmoved. With a flick of his sleeve, a powerful dark force instantly neutralized the four men's attacks: "Your power is child's play before me."

As he spoke, he walked up to the four men, bent down, and carefully examined them: "Do you really think you can escape my grasp?"

The four were intimidated by the black-robed man's imposing aura, but they gritted their teeth and refused to yield. Bai Yunzi took a deep breath, looked up, and stared directly into the black-robed man's eyes: "We cultivators would rather die than submit!"

The man in black robes laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Good! You have guts! However, do you know that there are many other things in this world besides life and death that are worth pursuing?"

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a spirit pearl shimmering with seven-colored light appeared in his palm: "This is the Seven-Colored Spirit Pearl. Possessing it will allow you to control the spiritual power of all things in the world. As long as you are willing to help me break that seal, this spirit pearl will be yours."

A flicker of shock and longing crossed the eyes of the four, but it was quickly suppressed. Yang Ling coldly looked at the man in black robes: "We cultivators pursue a steadfast Dao heart, unmoved by external things. Your temptations are useless to us!"

The man in black robes didn't seem surprised by their answer, and simply smiled: "Since that's the case, then you can continue to struggle here. However, I must warn you that the spiritual energy in this hall is gradually depleting. If you don't find a way to leave, you will probably only die from exhaustion in the end."

After speaking, the man in black robes turned and left again, leaving the four of them speechless in the palace. They knew that what the man in black robes had said was not false; the spiritual energy within the palace was indeed gradually decreasing, and they were unable to break the restrictions to leave. For a moment, the four of them were trapped in an unprecedented predicament. (End of Chapter)