Sect Recruitment: I Can See Attribute Entries

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Something’s Wrong with This Mine

Chapter 20: Something’s Wrong with This Mine

Around the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s spirit mine, master and disciples lay hidden in silence.

Li Yingling cautiously lifted her head to observe the situation below. Her gaze turned toward her junior brother, anxiety written across her face.

”Master, isn’t this too dangerous for Second Brother?”

”In theory,” Chu Xingchen replied evenly, ”you’re the one in greater danger.”

Li Yingling blinked, momentarily puzzled.

He had good reason to say so—Li Xingtian still carried the protective talisman that could resist a Golden Core cultivator’s strike, along with two teleportation charms.

If anything went wrong, he was by far the fastest to escape. So, by that measure, Li Yingling was indeed the one at higher risk.

At this moment, Li Xingtian had already disguised himself as a miner and blended seamlessly into the workforce.

Just as he had predicted, the core disciples of the Qingfeng Sect—who oversaw the mine—paid no serious attention to the individual workers. To them, these people were little more than ants.

Having worked in the mines for several years in his previous life, Li Xingtian was familiar with every path and routine, making his disguise flawless.

He pushed a rickety cart down the rocky path, scanning the faces of every miner he passed.

He was looking for Ning Qianqian’s father.

Back at the ruined temple, Chu Xingchen had drawn a detailed sketch based on Ning Qianqian’s description. She had confirmed it was an exact likeness.

As long as her father was still alive within the mine, Li Xingtian would recognize him immediately.

Chu Xingchen relaxed slightly. For now, the backup plan wouldn’t be necessary.

All they needed to do was wait for Li Xingtian’s signal.

Ning Qianqian, being an ordinary mortal with no cultivation, would only be a burden if brought along. Leaving her at the temple was the safest choice.

Thus, only the three cultivators took part in the operation.

Li Xingtian was the scout—tasked with infiltrating the mine, gathering intelligence, and locating Ning Qianqian’s father.

Chu Xingchen was the assault unit—his role was to strike directly at the spirit stone vault guarded by a Golden Core cultivator, drawing the enemy’s attention and creating a diversion for the others to retreat safely.

Li Yingling would serve as backup, stepping in if anything went unexpectedly wrong.

And finally—if everything went perfectly—Li Xingtian had prepared a final contingency plan: destroy the mine completely and set everyone free.

Chu Xingchen wasn’t particularly fond of that idea. Even if they freed the miners, the Qingfeng Sect would certainly hunt them down afterward.

But Li Xingtian had argued that staying meant certain death anyway. Giving them a chance to flee was the only way to offer them a sliver of life. Those unwilling to run could always stay.

Chu Xingchen countered that it would be simpler to grow stronger and one day destroy the Qingfeng Sect entirely.

Li Xingtian didn’t refute his master—he simply fell silent for a moment before nodding in agreement, though it was clear he didn’t fully believe in the plan’s feasibility.

For now, everything depended on his reconnaissance. Only after Li Xingtian’s signal would they move, adapting to whatever the situation demanded. There was even a possibility that Ning Qianqian’s father couldn’t be found at all.

——

To say Li Xingtian hated pushing this wretched ore cart again would be an understatement.

Even after all the years that had passed—and despite having survived deadlier secret realms—walking through the mine entrance still made his chest tighten.

The same path. The same smell of blood and dust.

A single thought burned in his mind: in his previous life, after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he should have wiped out this damn Qingfeng Sect the moment he had the chance!

The trauma this cursed mine had carved into him was no less severe than what that demonic woman had done.

Keeping his head low, Li Xingtian’s eyes darted swiftly among the miners hauling ore and breaking stone, but he saw no trace of Ning Qianqian’s father.

He was likely still inside the tunnels, digging. Li Xingtian would have to find a way to slip in undetected.

Glancing subtly toward his master’s direction, he made a discreet hand signal.

Moments later, a sharp, echoing sword cry rang out from the distance.

The three Qingfeng Sect disciples chatting nearby immediately turned toward the sound of the sword cry.

Two of them sprang to their feet and rushed toward the direction of the noise, while the remaining one grabbed the massive bell in the center of the mining field and rang it hard.

The clanging echoed through the valley—clang, clang, clang—its sharp, urgent sound carrying far and wide.

Countless miners stopped working, their dull faces showing flashes of confusion and fear. They didn’t know what was happening, but it was clear that nothing good ever followed that bell.

Murmurs rippled through the ranks, and panic began to stir. Groups of miners instinctively huddled together, and Li Xingtian quickly blended into the gathering crowd.

Moments later, two Qingfeng Sect disciples came sprinting from the outer perimeter, their eyes sweeping the area with practiced vigilance.

They barked orders to silence the crowd, trying to restore order.

From deep within the mine, another Qingfeng Sect disciple emerged, followed by a stream of miners scrambling out behind him.

His sharp eyes scanned the restless mass before him, and his voice thundered, ”Everyone! Line up according to your work shifts!”

At once, the chaos subsided. Fear and obedience took hold as the miners scurried into their assigned rows.

Li Xingtian’s eyes darted over the emerging miners—and then he saw him.

Ning Qianqian’s father.

The man was emaciated beyond recognition. If not for the faint spiritual energy sustaining him, he would have been dead long ago.

Still, he was alive. Barely.

Li Xingtian turned his head slightly toward the warehouse area, waiting to see if the Golden Core overseer would appear.

That cultivator’s presence—or absence—would determine how far their plan could go.

A quarter of an hour passed before the two disciples who had gone to investigate returned. They reported no threat and lifted the alert.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Xingtian quietly followed the miners as they were herded back toward the tunnels.

But to his unease, the Golden Core cultivator still did not show himself.

”I’ll return to the sect and report to the Sect Master and the Elders,” said an older Qingfeng Sect disciple, clearly the one in charge. ”Stay alert! This is a critical time. The mine must keep operating no matter what!”

The others quickly bowed. ”Yes, Senior Brother!”

Taking advantage of his disguise, Li Xingtian blended back into the flow of miners. As the group shuffled forward, he slipped close to Ning Qianqian’s father and discreetly pressed a small bundle—the keepsake Ning Qianqian had given him—into the man’s calloused hand.

In the dimly lit tunnel, Ning Kun’s eyes widened as he clutched the coarse fabric tightly.

Li Xingtian didn’t look at him. His voice was low and steady. ”Qianqian.”

Ning Kun’s expression froze. His eyes went wide, and his lips trembled. ”She...”

Before he could finish, Li Xingtian raised a hand to silence him. His gaze swept the surroundings. ”Whatever happens, follow me when I give the signal.”

”You there! What are you two standing around for?!”

A supervising Qingfeng Sect disciple shouted from behind, his voice cracking like a whip. ”Move faster! If progress stalls, none of you will sleep tonight!”

Li Xingtian didn’t respond. He picked up a discarded pickaxe and strode forward.

After walking several steps, he reached a bend in the tunnel.

A faint yellow candle flame flickered ahead, swaying unsteadily.

As he watched the dim light waver, a sudden chill ran through his spine. Every hair on his body stood upright.

A powerful sense of foreboding welled up in his chest.

Something about this mine... was wrong. Deeply wrong.

It hadn’t been like this in his past life.

Tightening his grip on the long-distance teleportation charm his master had given him, Li Xingtian moved cautiously, following the others around the corner.

What greeted him on the other side was not a mine waiting to be excavated—

—but a horrifying and unnatural sight beyond comprehension.

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